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Before Green Gables by Budge Wilson is a prequel to the beloved and classic Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery.

Writing a sequel or prequel to a beloved book with a cult-like following can be a precarious undertaking. Followers of such books will have their own opinions on what the heroine would or would not do, how they would feel or react...we love and defend our favorite literature characters fiercely. I have read sequels good and bad to other classic books, most bad...a rare one or two well-done.

This book was well-done. The author approached the story as an answer to a question serious lovers of the Anne series must ponder...I know I have wondered this;
How can such a bright, hopeful, resilient child-with such a love and knowledge of poetry and big words-spring from such a dismal early life full of violence, drudgery and poverty. I've wondered myself how Anne would have received any schooling caring for Mrs. Hammond's eight children. (Including the famous "twins three time in succession"...) I've wondered how she could grow up sweet and full of love, did anyone love her as a baby or toddler? Who bothered about her when she was sick or sad? Who taught her big words and listened to her endless talking?

This book not only fills in the gaps of Anne's early life filled with work and want, but fills in her story in a truly satisfying and believable way. I think the author did a wonderful job and actually evokes some feeling of sympathy for the Thomas and Hammond families- something I did not expect to feel.

I think this book would be a great addition to your Anne library. A little different in flavor, after all, it was not written by Montgomery- but a very satisfying, likeable read. I plan to assign this book to my girls after they read the entire Anne series.

Labels: book review

Conversation overheard early evening;

Dr. Brother: So, what project are you working on now, Sky?

Sky: Well, I'm building a sleeping loft in the girl's room! I took out the ceiling and extended a loft a few feet into the room, taken down some of the drywall...so the girls will have much more room for desks and stuff, with the beds removed and all.

Dr. Brother: Wow, sounds really interesting- so you really have that much room up in your attic, huh?

Sky: Well, not really. You can't really stand up, except in one spot...it's more of a crawl-space really-than an attic. Once the beds are in, there will only be room to sit on them. It's a loft for sleeping only in, really.

Sky: The kids are really excited to be sleeping up there....In the crawl space...

Conversation overheard two hours later at restaurant;

Me: So, Dr. Bro and wife...what is new at your place?

Dr. Bro: Well, we've decided to go ahead and add-on to our house!

Sky: What, 3 stories isn't enough?

Dr. Bro: We want to give each of the kids their own bedroom and bathrooms so they won't have to share...

Dr. Bro wife: and I don't like the laundry room being right off the garage entrance, so we are going to add a new laundry room, too.

Dr. Bro: we are already talking to architects, we are going to hire one to make sure the additions looks seamless with the house.

Me: sounds really nice, how exciting!

It wasn't till hours later at home that I pointed out the disparity/convergence in our conversations...and Sky and I laughed till we cried.

We will probably forever be, "the cheaper chicken" family.

p.s. our kids really are excited, Demi is miffed that he won't be able to sleep there.

and, it will be really,..um... feng shui. And it will be really, er- cozy..now that we removed the insulation and moved the duct-work...promise.

Labels: family, kid's loft

I just realized last night that I am supposed to start homeschooling a week from tomorrow.
Yikes! Confirming once again, that I am the Bridget Jones homeschool mom...

Regarding the sound advice I gave my friend Jill about using the CM Organizer for homeschool records...to take a good 2 weeks before you start at least, and devote your spare time to inputing your books...um, yeah- I should have done that. I hope someone found that advice beneficial, because I for sure wasn't listening....

So, I think I will get started on that task. I will be organized and efficient this year...

I do believe in fairies, I do, I do...there's no place like home, there's no place like home...

-did anyone hear the thud of a dying fairy hitting the ground?!

Someone wish upon a star for me, or send me some good juu-juu. (how do you spell juu-juu?)

If you have a chance, go over and visit Johanna, she posted about doing memory work with younger students and had very detailed instructions and photos...she obviously has her act together...Her blog is Stop and Smell the flowers, it's a lovely place. Her "breakfast board" ideas could be easily adapted to use with older students, too-I think.

Well, I'm off for some cheesecake, because only a Godiva Chocolate Cheesecake is going to ease my homeschool planning ennui.

Labels: homeschool planning, Jen's world

Sky and I set out Wednesday to celebrate our 15 year Anniversary. We decided on a 2 night stay in near-by San Diego. Sky got a deal on the internet at a hotel. I had some serious misgivings because it was less than $99 a night...but he was so sweet to take charge and reserve something..

We ended up here:


We fled, and Sky's feelings of remorse bought me a stay at the Marriott instead, with a pool that looked like this;
We were right at the water, near the down-town gas-light district. We had a wonderful time, were able to walk from the hotel to shopping and dining. We had dinner at Morten's steakhouse- which was just awesome, visited the Ghirardelli chocolate store for chocolate of course, and a to-die-for shake. We had dinner one night at a place that made wood-fire pizza's- with 5 kinds of cheese, including goat cheese and artichokes and garlic chicken...very good.
We visited the San Diego Museum of art at Balboa park (I forgot my camera..) and the last day we visited Coronado Island. I love the Del, and every trip we make to San Diego, we have to visit it and walk around a bit. Friday (today) was our last day, but we were really missing our kids, so instead of staying the whole day on Coronado Island, having dinner and then coming home...we had lunch and then went and picked up our kids. We really are homebodies.

Labels: family, Jen's world

Here's a new homeschool show and tell, I haven't done one in a while... I thought I would share a program I started using mid-year and really, really like.

Growing with Grammar is a gentle, no-frills program that is designed to be used independently by your students. I love, love, love this fact. I am homeschooling 5 kids...I just can't be all things to all people, and I only have so much time in the day to teach 'one on one'.

I ordered this for my two older students last year, in the middle of the year when Josie was in 5th grade and Meg in 7th. Each lesson is presented in the Student Manual, and is written expressly for the student- not scripted for mom. The lessons are very clear, to the point, and gentle. For each lesson presented in the student manual, there is a corresponding lesson in the student workbook. For grammar now, my students grab both books and get to work, I have a small answer key on a shelf. No more teacher book with test key, answer key, oral work, flashcards and student workbook. Whew! Too many parts wore me out when trying to use other programs.
Growing with Grammar is clear and basic grammar and does teach diagramming. The web-site has a thorough listing of subjects covered for each level and great sample pages you can click- on. The student book is spiral bound on the top, for ease of use for left-handed students.
The work pages are just the right length and when a subject is reviewed, the page is given so the student can check the manual if needed.

This program is a definite keeper in our homeschool. I will be starting my younger 3 students on it mid-year this year after finishing up First Language lessons, which is a very gentle- mostly verbal grammar.

Labels: show and tell

The Bible College boys are back for a new term.
We are really glad to have them back on Sunday nights.

One of our favorites is this young man, who happens to have a Ph.d in Physics. He gained my high esteem by offering to do science experiments with my kids 'for fun'.

Tonight, he - I think, I'm not a science person,..but I think he said he was going to make 'plasma' from grapes.




I'm not going to describe it too closely, don't want anyone to get hurt trying it...but he cut the grape a certain way and then put it under a glass (because of toxic cloud created). He heated it and as I understand it, the atoms became excited and the electrons were separated from the atoms- which made a really neat flash..two of them, in fact.

This second photo I tried to get the flash of light.

Of course we had to do it several times and with both green and red grapes.

He took the glass quickly outside to disperse of the toxic gas or plasma or whatever it was.
(which would have normally made me very nervous, but hey, he's a ph.d...I guess he knows what he is doing...!)
You can tell I'm not the science person in the house...

Our friend also brought us this book from his shelf, 47 Easy to do classic science experiments,
which answers the question of what kind of book does a child physicist have on his shelves?

Labels: homeschool

Look what visited our yard the other day. It was actually a small hawk, no real threat for the hens- tho he made them very nervous. Their nervous behavior is what tipped me off to go outside and look. It was the size of a young crow...I could imagine it saying to itself,
"I'm a chicken hawk and I'm going to get me some chicken!" Just like this*
Do you see the beautiful stripes on his tail? I really like hawks, just not when they are bothering my hens.

Labels: hens

Here is how Sky solved the dilemma of how to hang drywall on a ceiling by himself...I dubbed it "Construction-Man yoga". The top photo shows his technique most clearly: position drywall and hold in place with knees and feet and one or two hands...then quickly grab power- screw-driver to put the screws into place. Lose points every time a screw falls out of while screwdriver is en route to correct spot.
The second photo is my personal favorite, because we have some nice-muscular arm-action going on there. I think I could give Ree a run for her money in the photogenic-husband-arms dept.

Labels: Jen's world, kid's loft

I had a few requests for new photos on our sleeping loft progress.

Here is Meg seated in the loft, she is overlooking the rest of the bedroom. The pink stuff to the right is new insulation.

Our cat Oliver was very approving of the loft, he climbed right up the ladder. He did have difficulty coming down, his hindquarters kept running ahead of him...



Sky promised Oliver a new, tall, cat-tree to help him get down. We still don' t know if Oliver thinks he is a person, or if he thinks we are all cats. We do know he considers the kids as litter-mates and sleeps with them.


Here is something you don't see everyday...construction boots hanging from your ceiling!

Well, our three youngest are staying two nights at the grandparents. I had big plans for all I would accomplish.

So far, it is too hot in the house to do anything- Sky has the air shut off. And I went for a walk/run this morning and I ache too much to do anything but sit. And I have a headache. I've concluded that exercise is just bad for me.

I had the perfect kind of Jenny day yesterday, being that the littles were staying the night at the grandparents. I woke up around 8-ish, went for a walk/run (very little running..I was just test driving it, hence no achiness) then I came home and did some light yoga, took a shower and then headed down to the bagel shop with Meg for a bagel sandwich. (in honor of Starlene, of course) I puttered around the house, did some laundry, took Meg to Rubio's for a late lunch and then we hung out at Barnes & Nobles. Then- we went with Sky to Meg's favorite place for dinner, which happens to be one of my favorite places. Only shopping could have made the day any better, really.

I told Sky it was the perfect schedule for me...the wake-up after 8 and slowly ease into your day part. Homeschooling 5 kids kind of puts a crimp into my style. Sky always says I live on Hawaii time.

It was really nice to get all that exercising done...so I was thinking; I just need to re-set my body clock and wake up two hours earlier. Except...there is always an excuse...except that I am and have always been a night owl, it's kind of hard to re-set that.

Last night I made a valiant effort, I actually went to bed at 10 p.m. so I could get up by 6 a.m.

And I tossed and turned until after mid-night. Ugh. I will try again tonight. Maybe it will take a few weeks.

Labels: Jen's world, kid's loft

Meg is having a busy summer. We put her on a plane a week or so ago ALONE to Seattle, and from there she traveled with a best friend to a Bible Camp of sorts in CANADA. She had a wonderful, mountain-top-experience kind of a time and made some great friends.

It was a great experience for her, but an experience of another sort for us to get her back home. The night before her flight back, we were notified by the airline that it had been canceled. She was re-scheduled for a flight the next day. The day before she was supposed to be home, we were already feeling a longing to see her. The day after she was supposed to be here...the day of the re-scheduled flight, our friends called to tell us her flight had been delayed an hour. We received yet another call to say it was delayed another 2 hours.

I think it was at this point that I had a maternal flashback of that very intense urge to be with your offspring. The overwhelming urge/need to nurse your baby is the closest thing I know, and what I thought of...minus the rushing-filling up with milk sensation (sorry guys...to much information, maybe??) It's the mother-bear in all of us, and heaven protect anyone standing between mom and cub.

Sky told our friend to put Meg on the next flight with another airline if her flight was canceled, and that we would reimburse him. Our very good natured/easy-going friend said, "oh, it's no problem, I'll just bring her back to the airport tomorrow.."

The point for us now, was to just get her as close to home as we could. I think the papa bear in Sky was rising up too... we just achingly wanted her home again.

She was homesick too.

She's back, safe and sound.

But I think college is going to be painful.

Labels: family

Sky has accomplished much this week. Day 1 of the project, he took the day off from work, to give himself a running start. Here are a few photos of how it is going...


After the demolition of the ceiling, we decided to build the sleeping platform out into the room two feet and some inches...it was just too cramped up there, I thought. By pushing the platform into the room some, they gain some headroom and more light.

The old insulation came out, and the air-conditioning ducts were moved, and another register was added to get cool air into the loft.

Labels: home design, kid's loft

A decision was handed down in the California Homeschool case, also know as the Rachel L. case...

Here is a link to California Homeschool Network's legal update page-

it looks like the news is good!! We are free to continue homeschooling as we were here in California.

There is always a but...I think the second part of the decision could be trouble, I think it is saying we are free to homeschool as long as the State decides we aren't abusing our kids in some way, then they can take that right away. Which is fine and fair, unless you are wrongly accused of something-

but mainly, it seems to be good news.

Labels: homeschool, homeschool California

Well, we are on day 2 of our grand kid's sleeping loft adventure. No photos yet, I will post some tomorrow...I forgot the light is gone, since THERE IS NO CEILING in my kid's room right now...

I stumbled upon this Phonics Curriculum, called HeadSprouts Phonics. It looks very, very, well done. I am thinking of purchasing it for Amie, at least. Last night, as I was running through some of their demo lessons- Demi and Amie were stepping all over each other in the attempt to sit in front of the computer and 'play' the reading games. (which were lessons). How I wish I had found this last year...


I just finished reading "Cassandra's Sister- growing up Jane Austen" by Veronica Bennett.
I was pre-reading it for my older girls, and I have to say that I really, really enjoyed it. It would be a really great reading assignment for that time-period, and would also be a great introduction to Jane Austen, before trying out her books. It is historical fiction, taking the events and people of her life and weaving them into a story. While reading it, I kept thinking about the movie "Becoming Jane", which I just loved.

The reading level is listed as "young adult", and the opening chapter is a little intense describing the feelings and thoughts of someone on the way to the guillotine. The rest is much lighter. All in all, it was a good read, and would further a young student's knowledge of Jane Austen's times- family customs, relationships and the sphere women of the time moved in.

Labels: book review

Sky tells me that there is a moment in every home renovation project he does, where time seems to stop...as he pauses, with sledgehammer in hand, to ask himself...."Do I really want to do this?" Such a moment occurred as he lifted a power-saw to poke a hole in our perfectly good roof - to add a fireplace; as he took a jackhammer to our front stoop- to build a front porch, and as he took a sledgehammer to the perfectly whole shower tile in the bathroom-before building *this.

That moment was here, as he stood in the girl's room and prepared to remove the ceiling fan- step 1 before demolishing the ceiling.
The fact that it is a perfectly good room, a very nice room, really- kind of gives you pause.



We joke that I am the idea person, and that Sky takes my ideas and makes them work- (and beautifies them, he is really a construction artist).

I have the power to set him on a project- he is usually happy to get me what I want, if possible.

So, comes the cliche...
with great power comes great responsibility.
Is this really what I want?










Well, it's kind of too late now, babe...



The really funny part, sometimes I suggest a project and Sky begins work, and we find out half-way through that we were both envisioning something different. It's always worked out somehow...

eeek!

Labels: home design, kid's loft

Funny thing about being married to an incredibly capable, construction-talented man...

You have to be very circumspect about the projects you suggest.

Our last house, we had about 989 square feet. Think about it; 4 kids, homeschooling, 1 bathroom. It was tight. We were also a very broke-young family, so we talked and planned all the time how to add on to our house with the least expense. As in, not changing the roof-line. We became really inventive about how to get more space. But, when the time came for action- we decided to move instead.

I'm still congratulating myself.

We more than doubled our house size- our current house is about 2400 square feet. And yet, ironically, it is getting a little tight now. Building a second story would be ideal, but we cannot comfortably do that right now. We could comfortably do it when the kids are college age, probably...but then, what would be the point?

So, I saw the magazine photo above....mentally pictured our roof peak in my mind, and decided that Sky should do this (a sleeping loft) in the girl's room. He didn't seem very interested.



Until this week.
He decided it was a great solution to our space problem and ordered me to empty the girl's room the next day so he could begin. He wants to utilize the help of our house-guest, one of the Bible college boys- who is leaving this coming Saturday.

Here is the before photo of the girl's room. The 3 girls share the room, we have a bunk bed set with a pull-out trundle bed for Amie.


The problem, the trundle bed is almost always pulled out and so there is very little floor space.
Meg and Josie each have a desk, flanking a dresser (not pictured). We then had a bookcase overflowing with books and 'stuff'. There is no room for a desk for Amie. My idea was to build a small loft, sort of a cubby for one bed (our roof-line is not high enough to be able to stand in the attic, it is more a crawl space) and thus get rid of the trundle, leaving only the bunk beds and thus opening up more floor space.

Sky took the idea and enlarged onto it...why stop at one bed, when you could put all 3 beds up there?? Since we do not have as much space as shown in the magazine photo...I'm still unsure how this is going to turn out. It will either be a really great idea, or a horrible idea. I hope it comes out the great idea, because construction has already begun...

oh the mess, the mess. Here is Amie's stuff, sitting in the family room...where am I going to put all this stuff?

We are either very creative
or crazy.

Labels: home design, kid's loft

We spent the week Meg was at camp, doing some special things with Josie- such as going to a movie, out to dinner and lunch, Borders bookstore- stuff she likes to do.

One special thing Josie likes to do, is go to
Color Me Mine...it's a 'paint your own ceramics' type of store. At the store, you pick out an unfinished ceramic piece, paint it and leave it there to be fired. It's a fun, different kind of thing to do.





The last 3 years that Meg has gone to horse camp, Josie has chosen to go to Color me Mine with me.

She's pretty creative.
She drew this bird herself.









Here is the plate, ready to be fired.














Here is the mug I worked on...it's for my friend, Starlene- you know, the one who just moved to Singapore. (Chronicled here*)

The back side says "Bagel Wednesday".


That is me on the left... I drew my good side, and I took 10 lbs off too....

Artistic license, it's a good thing.

Labels: family