Mr. Pipes

This book, Mr. Pipes and Psalms and Hymns of the Reformation, has been a supposed read-aloud for bedtime reading. However, we sadly have done almost no bedtime reading of late (probably due to Nerf wars and other such things). Since this was checked out from our church library at least six months ago - on a one month checkout policy, I figured I should return it. But, I wanted to blog about it first. As aforementioned, I have not completed this book so this is really an incomplete review...

The premise of this book is to introduce children to Reformation hymn writers through means of a story. There are two children who go to visit their friend in England and along the way have various adventures that  help us learn more about these early hymn writers. Each chapter is about 20 pages long and focuses on a single person with the concluding pages containing a popular hymn of theirs. It is pleasantly written with humor and some parts would be best read with an English accent. I think it is a great way to introduce children both to the men behind these well known hymns and the beauty of the hymns themselves. I see on Amazon that it says for teens, but I think it could be read to a bit younger audience.

Now that I've written this, I think I'll go purchase a copy for my shelves...to be read whenever a better time is found. :)

We made signet rings as we learned about King Darius (made from Sculpey - love that stuff!)
I tried to press one into wax and it didn't work all that well though

This one has the best inscription :)

Hannah made hers very lovely

How to be a good friend

Last night we had some of our dearest friends over...three other families that we have been close with for a number of years. We always have a most delightful time and are surprised how quickly four hours goes by. The kids run right in and we never see them except to eat. It is interesting to me that none of us attend the same churches and we school differently. As I was thinking how special those times are, it got me to thinking why those relationships have a depth that few others do...

1. There is no "show". I don't worry about having dust on my furniture or not having matching cups. My hair may be crazy, and there may be sticky stuff on the floor...and that's okay. We feel totally open and at home with each other. There is no feeling of not measuring up, no pressure to have things a certain way. That is very freeing.

2. We all pitch in. No one is doing a huge portion of the work. Everyone brings something to contribute and everyone helps get things back in order. Last night one friend and I were talking while the other two were busy bees in the kitchen getting everything cleaned up, and even starting the dishwasher! And, I'm sure they didn't mind doing it. We look for ways to serve one another...there is nothing that one of us isn't willing to do for the others. 

3. We ask questions and we listen. We genuinely care about what is going on in others lives. No one is dominating the conversation, and no one isn't willing to be open and vulnerable. We rejoice with those who rejoice, and mourn with those who mourn. 

4. We see where needs are. One of the friends is moving, so we're planning some time to go over and help out. I have complete confidence that if I ever needed anything any one of these ladies would be ready in a minute to be there for me. Although we're all busy, being willing to serve others is a priority. 

5. We talk about anything and everything. Last night our conversation ranged from cleaning out behind refrigerators to dealing with teenagers...from grouting fireplaces to challenges with church. We are willing to share our joys and trials...we are also willing to be encouraged and challenged by the others. We care enough for each other to speak the truth in love. That doesn't happen too much these days. 

Well, that's all I'm coming up with right now, and I really should be prepping for BSF tomorrow...2 Cor 8-13...should be good. 

This afternoon Toodle and I went to Stars on Ice...nice to spend some time with just her

Bridal Shower

It's been an awfully long time since I've been to a bridal shower, but I had the pleasure of hosting one here tonight. One of the Radiologists that works with Dave is getting married to a girl from Florida, and I thought it would be nice for her to enjoy a shower here. So, that's how it came about. It was interesting looking for games and recipes...here's what I ended up doing:

Recipes: A few other ladies brought some things, but I made a chocolate pound cake (first time recipe, but really yummy and chocolatey-I used 1/2 c less sugar), almond bars, and cherry fudge (extremely easy, but does taste like frosting). 

Games: 1) Pick a mint (or any other multi-colored item). Each guest picks a couple of chosen items. Then you show what info they share about based on their color choice. Tonight the mints came in four colors - white:family, yellow:places, pink:food, and green:activities. Based on how many mints each person took they would share one or more pieces of info about themselves relating to the coordinating topic. 

2) Bridal Shower Mad Lib - this was a fun one although there are tons of fill-ins so it took a bit longer than I anticipated. I did make a caveat at the beginning that this was a G-rated bridal shower just to make sure no one contributed any inappropriate words. 

3) His/Hers - ahead of time, have each person fill out a questionnaire. Then pick one of their responses to be the answer to the question. The shower guest try to guess which one wrote that specific answer. I found a cute printable (which I can't find anymore) that each person would hold up based on their choice. Here are the questions we choose - Hannah and I had fun making some of them up one afternoon.

Favorite color 

Favorite flavor of ice cream 

Favorite sport 

Favorite movie 

Favorite cuisine 

The country I would most like to visit is

My favorite school subject was

If I had $500 to spend on ONE item, I would buy

The household chore I like the most is

The household chore I like the least is 

The item I lose the most often is 

Who is your hero or someone you admire?

Which do you prefer (circle one)…

Cats, dogs or fish?

Dress shoes, tennis shoes or sandals?

The beach, the mountains, or the mall?

China dishes or paper plates?

Sweatpants, Formalwear or Jeans?

Run a mile, get a tan, or take a swim?

Dust, vacuum, or wash dishes?

Read a book, watch a movie, or play a game?

Candlelight or Disco ball?

Mac or PC?

Flowers: Silk or real? 

4) Draw on the Head - I've played this game a lot in many variations. Basically you pick an item and the people draw said item on a paper plate on their head. Some people are amazingly capable at this sort of thing - I can't even draw on a piece of paper in front of me.

5) Dice game - didn't have time for this one - You have two small boxes or something to roll dice into as well as a certain number of prize gifts, say three. Then you start the boxes on opposite corners of the room. Each person rolls two dice and if they get doubles they grab a gift. The boxes travel around the room with each person rolling. Once all the gifts have been taken, whenever someone rolls a double, they choose a gift from someone who has one. This goes on for a set number of time then whoever is left with the gift gets to keep it.

6) Bridal Shower Family Feud - didn't have time for this one either - This just follows along the same idea as the show, just wedding related. Here's the questions just for fun:

Besides a rose, what is the most popular wedding flower? 
38 - Lily 
18 - Calla Lily 
13 - Daisy 
09 - Carnation 
07 - Orchid 
07 - Tulip 

What is the most popular color for a bridesmaid dress? 
41 - Pink 
19 - Blue 
13 - Red 
08 - Purple 
05 - White 
03 - Black 
03 - Ivory 
02 - Green  

Besides a church, name a popular location to get married. 
34 - Beach 
17 - Park 
14 - Garden 
09 - Outdoors/Outside 
08 - Hotel 
04 - City Hall/Courthouse 
03 - Banquet/Reception Hall

02 - Las Vegas 

Name a popular honeymoon location. 
53 - Hawaii 
09 - Bahamas 
07 - Carribean 
07 - Jamaica 
04 - Niagara Falls 
03 - Mexico 
02 - Cancun 
02 - Disney World 

What is the most popular small appliance given at a bridal shower? 
42 - Toaster 
28 - Blender 
07 - Mixer 
06 - Coffee Maker 
05 - Can Opener 
03 - Food Processor 
Name something the couple does at the wedding ceremony
56 - Kiss 
14 - Dance 
11 - Vows 
06 - Cut Cake 
05 - Exchange Rings 
04 - Light Candles 

Name a musical instrument played at weddings:

64  - Organ      

18  - Piano      

06 -  Violin      

05 -  Harp      

04 -  Guitar     

03 -  Flute      

Hannah got dressed up to meet the ladies

here's the cute printable, I pasted one on each side

Misc Links

Tonight I just wanted to share a couple of things I've come across in the last week or two that I appreciated. 

First off, a quote spoken by a man about his wife: "I make the living, she makes the life worth living." Isn't that great? Sometimes I wonder if I make the life worth living when I'm tired of pressing on and am not acting with joy. Thankfully, I have a patient husband. :)

This link has challenged me to make an effort to be a greater encouragement to younger women. I've often thought about doing some mentorship, but the whole time thing always seems to get into the way...I'm going to have to work on that a bit. Weary Mothers

This recipe looks like something I need to make sometime soon. Pots de Creme a l'Orange

Here's a poem I enjoyed, and it's always a good reminder for the busyness of our days. Mother, Take the Time

And one woman's letter to her children about their potential marriages.

And, since I always enjoy Ann V's blog, here's one that is a good daily reminder - perspective is so important. Another Grace Day

let the Nerf mods begin (for those of you not "in the know", mods is short
for modifications, that is making your Nerf gun shoot further and faster)

Here's wild Nerf girl, Kat

we decided eye protection is now required with our new Nerf mods
so if you ever drive by our house at night and don't see any lights on,
don't be fooled...there's probably a Nerf war going on :)

Responding Well

There's pounding at the door...I know it's one of the kids...I sigh and wonder how it seems impossible for them to open the door by themselves sometimes. I get up from working on something, feeling an angry response ready for when I open the door..."Don't you think you're old enough to open a door!"..."Don't you know mommy is doing something right now?" Thankfully, that's not what comes out. "What's up, Toodle?" comes out instead...not quite joyful, but not angry either. She holds up a mittened hand with a piece of gum in it..."It fell out of my mouth when I was sledding" "How is sledding going?" I ask. "Is it fun?" She responds with a breathless and red-cheeked, "Yes, it's great!" I tell her thanks for being responsible and not just leaving gum in the grass for someone else to step on and away she goes. 

As I sit back down, I think of how differently that conversation could have gone...how easily our words crush and hurt those precious gifts we've been given. Yes, the door could've/should've been opened on her own, but is responding in anger really going to encourage that response...perhaps, but at what cost to the relationship? One of the most challenging aspects of motherhood is the continual need to be vigilant...to bite one's tongue and respond with gracious words...to remember hearts are tender and need training not a lashing. This is something I've learned slowly over the last ten years. My sinful response is to give the kids a bit of the annoyance I feel at their actions rather than redeeming the opportunity for both their benefit and mine. God calls us to such a high standard...I am most thankful that He also is patient with us and gives us the ability to be what He calls us to be as we seek Him.

Just a couple update pics from some projects going on around here...

Manners and Character Traits board

closer view

history timeline...a bit odd I think with things just getting placed next to each other
rather than really grouped into time periods, but grouping items has its own challenges

and, here are our project boards...sadly Mystery of History has not had the
breadth or depth of projects that Story of the World had had

actually, many of the projects are from our Spanish studies

Pasta Primavera

Here's one of my favorite recipes...super yummy, but it does take a bit of preparation.

Pasta Primavera

taken from The Southern Living Cookbook

8 oz uncooked fettuccine or linguine (I probably use more like 10-12 oz)

1/3 c pine nuts (I use whatever I have around)

2 c fresh broccoli florets (cut smallish)

1 1/2 c fresh snow peas

2 lg carrots, diagonally sliced

10 large fresh mushrooms, sliced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 1/2 c fresh Parm cheese

1 c whipping cream (I use half and half and it works fine)

6 green onions sliced

12 cherry tomatoes, cut in half

1/4 c fresh parsley (I use dried, and probably put in about half)

1/3 c fresh basil (also use dried, probably about half)

1/2 t salt

1/2 t pepper

extra Parm cheese for top

Cook pasta as usual. Toast pine nuts (350, 3-5 minutes). Steam broccoli, peas, and carrot a couple of minutes until crisp-tender. Drain and rinse with cold water to stop cooking process. Melt butter in large skillet. Add mushrooms and garlic - saute over med heat just until tender. Ad 1 1/2 c cheese and cream, stirring until cheese melts. Add broccoli mixture, green onions, and next 5 ingredients, stirring well. Add pasta, and toss to coat. Spoon onto platter - sprinkle with pine nuts. 

There's been a lot of  Nerf wars around here lately...

Happy Valentine's Day

We had a pretty low-key day around here...Dave was on call so we had a yummy breakfast of snacks the kiddos had made with my mom yesterday (shown below) (I couldn't bring myself to introduce more sweets into our house).  Then we had a regular off-day of school with Nerf gun math - draw circles on the white board with points in them...every right answer you get a shot. And, then this evening, we had a little treasure hunt that led to a couple of gifts - a book, a box of chocolates to share, and the Angry Birds game. Although the idea behind the game is quite clever and fun, it is harder to get that catapult to go where you want it to than you realize. I also found that it was a decent lesson in physics as you had to build the structures in a reasonable way so they weren't too side heavy and toppled over. Hope yours was pleasant as well...

The Golden Goblet

We've continued to be enjoying historical fiction read-alouds around here. As we are studying ancient history this year, we read the book, The Golden Goblet. It takes place in Thebes (Egypt) and chronicles the life of a young boy, Ranofer, under the care of his evil half brother. The half-brother cares only for himself and uses Ranofer to further his ambitions while treating him very poorly. We then see twists and turns as secret plots are uncovered and Ranofer is challenged to figure out the best choices to make. The storyline is pretty decent and it does a good job at weaving in Egyptian life. We all enjoyed it around here.

Last week at Goodwill (Salvation Army, really), I came across this fun Chinese dress for Hannah

Paradigm shift

Whew, it's been a long time since I've posted...two weeks... I think that's the longest gap so far! No, we haven't been gone, but, yes, we have been super busy. Last week was one of my busiest ever, and this week has been pretty busy, but also recovering from last week. :) So, what to write about...

I can't remember if I've written about this so far on the blog, but this past year has been a significant paradigm shift for Dave and I. We have really been challenged to change our thinking to more greatly align with what the Bible calls us to as Christians...primarily focusing on making disciples. We've been really feeling convicted about doing an overall lame job at reaching out to non-Christians in any meaningful way. The primary reason we're still on this earth is because there is saving work still to be done...everything else in the Christian life will be better done in heaven - praising, understanding God, bringing glory to Him, etc.

I  think we've both also been feeling the itch to actually accomplish something...yes, we love the Lord, we read our bibles and pray, but there has to be more to this life. And, we've been realizing that what really takes faith is speaking up for the Lord, reaching out to the lost, and practically living out all that has been crammed into our heads these last 30+ years. It doesn't take much faith to get up early, read your bible, home school your kids, go to Bible Study and attend church on Sunday. It does take faith to take a stand for Christ in a society that is generally against Him...and, yes, that's a little scary, but it's also exciting knowing that God will provide the strength. We've been too content these many years to accomplish mediocre things in our own strength...we're hoping to begin accomplishing much greater things through His strength. Being intentional will create many more gospel opportunities.

Another facet is the idea that the Bible speaks of others knowing we are Christians by our love...that idea requires that we actually spend time with other Christians and have the world around to witness it. The desire is that you will witness together with other Christians rather than going it alone. We created this opportunity the other night with some mutual friends, and it was great. So freeing knowing that everyone is seeking a way to give the gospel and that it's not just up to you. Also, if you have been witnessing to someone in a group setting, if/when they become a Christian, they will already have a reasonably good understanding of what Christians are like.

There's more to all this paradigm shift, but that's all I'm going to type about tonight. Dave and I are excited as to what the Lord has for us in the future. We pray that it will draw us closer to Him, bring more people to knowledge of Him, and greater glory to His name.

Here are some pics from a lovely tea time with my mom this past week