Encouraging Our Children

Lately my husband and I have been watching a series about some young people who left their religious community - the one they had grown up in all of their lives. What struck me was how they all said over and over they were never praised, never encouraged. They all had dreams they were never allowed to do anything about. This made me so sad for these young people.

 

It also made me evaluate what my husband and I do as parents. I am so thankful that we have always encouraged our children in whatever they were interested in.

 

My middle daughter has discovered a love for baking. We've bought her some baking and decorating supplies. Two weeks ago for a supper at church she made cupcakes all on her own. I only helped her a little with making the frosting. She's still learning the "feel" for when it's ready. They were wonderfully delicious and looked beautiful. Sadly, I neglected to take a picture so you could see how pretty they were.

 

Our two oldest boys - our oldest in particular - love Legos. I could see my oldest son as an engineer with the things he designs. Sometimes I get tired of listening to Legos being rifled through or stepping on them or cleaning them up, but as long as I see the designs continuing I won't complain. They also love all things soldier. My oldest son can tell you about any weapon used in WWII by either side with all the important statistics.

 

When my oldest daughter was about six or seven she hit a horse phase that did not end for about three years. She knew everything there was to know about horses and gladly shared her knowledge with anyone who would listen. There was a lull for a little while then she started reading Jane Austen. I thought there would never be an end to Jane Austen. It even spawned her blog "Ramblings of a Janeite".  She moved from Jane Austen to Les Mis (not that she's forgotten Jane Austen ☺) and we bought her a ticket to see the concert live with her dad for her 15th birthday. Currently she's writing - all. the. time. We don't mind though. She has an amazing talent for writing, and we want to see her go as far with it as she can. Just today she found out that she won the March Break short story contest at our library. If you will indulge me I'd like to include her story for your reading pleasure at the end of this post.

 

Please, please, tell your children you love them, encourage their interests and praise their abilities. It's hard to see the hurt of a child who just wants to know their parents love them and are proud of them.

 

And now for the story...

 

The old woman turns and smiles.
A smile that quickly turns into a shocked gasp as soon as she catches sight of me.  “Rob!” she cries out, but I push her away.  Now is not the time.  I try to speak, try to warn her of the danger that's coming.  Not a sound comes out.  A knife wound in the chest can do that to a person.  Even someone as stubborn as me.
“We have to get you to a hospital.”  Not 'Who did this?' I think we both know.  I sink down to the plush floor of the library.  The red coming from me mixes with the red on the carpet.  A carpet that, not so long ago, Peggy begged me to have installed.  “It will make the mansion quite complete,” she said.  It's funny what memories filter through when you're about to die.  For instance, I don't remember anything from my childhood – the old saying about life flashing in front of you?  It isn't true.  But I can remember the events that led me to this place so clearly.  So, so clearly.  But not as complete things.  More like little snippets of the bigger picture.  The bigger picture that reveals itself through the little things.

Mother and Peggy arguing.
That, in itself, wasn't surprising.  Mother never approved of my marriage to Peggy.  There were many reasons, the biggest being that she didn't feel Peggy was worthy of me.  The fact that I was rich and she was not probably had something to do with it too.  But we were, as the cliche goes, young and in love.  Everything was good.
I've since been disillusioned.  Money was the main objective in the marriage – for her that is.  Still, I never quite fell out of love with her.  It's a shame.  A crying shame, but that's the way it is.  
Back to the argument: I couldn't hear what they said, but it was flying venom on both sides.  I know.  I've heard enough fights to recognize one when I see it.  And this one was quiet.  That's the worst kind of argument.  You might think that an all-out shouting match with blows and swearing is the worst, but it's not.  It's the silence, the quiet hatred, and the pale disdain that are the worst.
The only phrase I caught was “It won't be a loan.”  This from Peggy.  I sighed and moved into the library.
Money again.

Pale.  
The colour of Mother's face the day her Ruby (yes, it's deserving of a capital letter) was stolen.  Now don't get me – or her – wrong.  She wasn't mercenary.  But that ruby was one of a kind.  'River of Blood'.  That was the name.  I wouldn't have picked it, neither would mother have but that was the name that came with it.  It's one of the most precious gems on earth.  Father's last gift before he died.  And now it was missing.
So, you see, if it meant anything to her, it was Father, not the money.  But that didn't stop it from being stolen. She'd seemed nervous for several days before the theft, but this pushed her over the edge.  Hysterics wouldn't come close to telling what she went through.  And no-one knew how it could've been done.  Lasers, trip wires, heat detectors.  It was all in place.  No outsider could have stolen it.  No outsider.  Which meant...it was one of us.

The start of my investigations.
I felt a duty to mother to figure this whole thing out for her.  She called the police, who came and duly took down notes.  Checked alibis.  Took non-existent fingerprints.  But they didn't hold out much hope.  “Someone who was smart enough to steal this would certainly have covered his or her tracks well,” they said.  They were right.  If it had been an outside job, we would have little chance.  But not if it was someone in here.  There were four of us.  Mother, Peggy, myself, and Jeremy – Mother's brother.  I didn't do it, and I wouldn't think any of the others would have.
I hoped not.
I couldn't rule out the servants either, though I doubted any of them could have the expertise.  But it was time to stop underestimating everyone.  
I had thought Mother would still be in tears when the police came, but she presented a stern, iron exterior.  The interior?  I had little  idea. Peggy was the one who seemed the most rattled.  Not tears, just nervousness.  And Jeremy was his usual, sleepy-eyed self.  Laziness rubs itself off on its user, so it becomes not a thing, but a condition.

A conversation with Peggy.
“What do you think?”  That was me.
She turned around in the seat in front of her mirror.  “About what, dear?”
I knew she knew.  She knew I knew she knew.  It was all a game.  A game I was tired of.  “The robbery.”
“Oh.  Yes.  That.”  Flatly.  She turned back to her mirror.  “Nothing.”
“I saw you arguing with Mother earlier.”  I could see her face in the mirror.  It tightened – a look I was used to whenever anyone walked into a topic she didn't want to discuss.  “I thought maybe you might have heard something that would-”  I broke off as she turned back around suddenly.
“Would what?” her voice was taut.
“Help with figuring this out.”
She laughed, but it wasn't pleasant or happy.  “You are trying to solve the robbery?  Oh, come on, Robert.  That'll never happen.”
“Why not?”
“Let the police catch whoever did it.”  Once again, she turned back.
“So you don't think it's one of us then?”
She didn't say anything.  Of course I was suspicious.  Who wouldn't be?  Her silence and deflection of questions and tension all led to one thing.  But I didn't want to see it at the time.  Stupid, loving stubbornness.  It got me into more trouble than anyone deserved.

Checking the family ledgers.
Even though we can afford a clerk, I've always done Mother's ledgers and accounting.  I don't have a normal day job, and keeping up with the finances is a way to keep myself, as Peggy puts it, 'busy and out of trouble'.  I'd just finished running up some figures the day I heard Mother and Peggy arguing.  Now the beginning of March was here and it was time to calculate everything again.
There was nothing wrong with the figures, as far as I could see.
Mother doesn't trust banks – although I thought she probably would now that her Ruby had been stolen – and we kept all of our money in
a giant safe, with different compartments for each of us.  It was our own personal bank in many ways and I enjoyed looking after it.
I was about to close the account book, when something caught my eye.
Mother's column was decreasing almost daily.  Peggy's was increasing.  I had kept so close to my work and the numbers that it was only when I stepped back that I saw the bigger picture.  Mother was not in the habit of giving Peggy money, especially when she didn't need it.  I was holding a puzzle here.  I only had two pieces.  The theft of the Ruby, and Peggy's newly acquired wealth.  In some way, they fit together.  I knew it.  Abnormalities didn't happen in our house without a good reason.  I was determined to find such a reason.

A conversation with Mother.
“Ah, Rob.  I haven't seen you around lately.”
I stepped into the library.  “I hoped I would find you here, Mother.”  When she gave me a questioning look, I continued.  “I wanted to speak to you.”  She was sitting on one of the plush chairs near the fire – even though it was now March, it was chilly – and I took the other so we could talk comfortably.  “It's about the Ruby theft.”
Her hands clenched and re-clenched together in her lap.  “I don't want to talk about it.  The entire subject-”
“I know how you must be feeling,” I said gently, reaching over and taking her hands in mine.  “It was a gift from Father.  I know that.  But my question isn't so much about the Ruby as about some oddities I found in the family ledger.”  Her hands stiffened in my grasp and she withdrew them.  “You've been giving money to Peggy,” I said.  She shook her head.  “Yes, Mother.  I know.  I just went over the books.  I'm just curious as to why.  That's all.”
“It's none of your concern,” she said stiffly.
The knowledge of what it was hit me.  “She's...blackmailing you, isn't she?”  The look on her face told me I was right.  “Why, Mother?  You have to tell me.  Then I can talk to her – well, I'll talk to her even if you don't tell me – but wouldn't it be better to be on equal ground when I confront her?  You need to tell me.  I promise not to tell anyone.”
She bit her lip and then gave me a weak smile.  “Of course you won't.  It's just-”  She cleared her throat and looked at her hands.  I know from personal experience that not looking at someone while you divulge a painful secret is the easiest way to go about it.  That way, you can't see the shame or guilt or anger in their eyes.  But I was determined to keep all those emotions away.  “You know I never approved of your marriage to Peggy.”  She didn't need an answer.  She knew I knew.  “Before you were married, some rumours went around about her family.  She said they weren't true and you believed her and married her.  She was right.  They weren't true.  I-”  She swallowed.  “I had those rumours circulated.  She found out several months ago and threatened to reveal everything.  To you.  To Jeremy.  To the world.”
“And in return, you were to give her money.”  It was more a statement than a question.
“No.  The Ruby.”
“But the Ruby is-”
“-gone.  And she stole it.”  She sensed my question, but forestalled it.  “She had the Ruby, she has the money, and she'll keep asking me until I don't have anything and then she'll expose me.  I'm only telling you this so that you can stop her.  She might not love you, but I believe she respects you.  But be careful.”
I went off to deal with Peggy.

Peggy.
The knowledge of what she'd done hurt me.  Really hurt me.  I'd always thought that someday things would be different.  That she would come to love me.  That we might even have a family.  But now the entire emotional make-up of our home had changed, and it would never go back to normal.  I confronted her in our room.  Oh, she denied it, but I knew.  I could see it in her eyes.  And the moment I stepped toward her, hoping to assure her that we could work this out if she'd just return the Ruby was when she snapped.
As she pulled out the knife, it seemed unreal.  I knew she didn't love me, but...
The pain.
The pain.  It was terrible.  Worse than I've ever felt.  Or ever will feel again.

“She's coming,” I say, finally able to push the words past the tatters and rips.  “You have to get out.  I'm not-”  I can't continue.
I close my eyes.
A sharp gasp from Mother brings them open again.  I turn my head painfully to see who it is.  Even though I know.
Peggy saunters into the room.  She saunters.  How someone can be so casual after attacking her husband with a knife I will never understand.  But that's how she is.  And now she's come to finish me off and kill Mother.  If only I hadn't let myself collapse to the floor I could do something.  As it is, I'm lying on the floor, almost unconscious – or dead, I don't know which – and unable to get up.
“You wouldn't dare,” Mother says.  Her voice shows otherwise.
“Oh, I would have said the same about you spreading dirty rumours about my family,” Peggy says coolly.  “Since then, I've learned never to give people the benefit of the doubt.  A mind-set you would do well to adopt.  But I'm afraid you don't have much time left to change your ways.”  She looks down at me, disgust in her eyes.  How could I ever have thought-?  “You're probably thinking I won't get away with it,” she says, turning her attention back to Mother.  “I will.  I'll murder you – then him” -she nods down to me- “and leave here.  Someone else will eventually find you, but it won't be for a while.  The door will be locked, and the TV on.  By the time someone forces the door, I'll be far away.  You see, I've been planning this.  I actually have a plan, unlike all those murderers on detective shows.”
I attempt a sitting position.  Peggy puts the knife to my throat.  “Not just yet,” she whispers.  “It's not your turn.”  She smiles and steps over my body.  I turn my head again.  Mother stands at the other side of the room, against the wall.  No escape routes are open to her.  Not even the window.  Peggy stands a few inches from me.  I ease myself over to one side.  Now I can reach out, and-
I grab her ankles and pull her down.
As soon as she's down on the ground, Mother runs over and looks all over the floor.  “The knife,” she mutters.  “It's got to be-”
I can see it.  It won't take her long either.  Or, I can't see it, but I can see the results.  A pool is forming to the side of Peggy's body.  That's all it is.  A body.  Not Peggy.
“You'll have to find a new accountant,” I whisper.  Only I can't say it loud enough for Mother to hear.
But that's okay.  She'll be able to cope with the family records without me.  She-

A Book List for Little Ones

Because I have been asked more than once what books I would recommend for young children I thought I would do a post devoted to a few of my recommendations. Some of these are not readily available anymore so you'll have to keep your eyes open at garage sales, thrift stores, etc. I'm listing these in alphabetical order by the authors' last names not necessarily in order of favourites. Not all of the lists are a complete list of every book written by the author, but they are the ones we have read and enjoyed.

Jim Arnosky

• ALL NIGHT NEAR THE WATER
• COME OUT, MUSKRATS
• DEER AT THE BROOK
• EVERY AUTUMN COMES THE BEAR
• GRANDFATHER BUFFALO
• OTTERS UNDER WATER
• RABBITS AND RAINDROPS
• RACCOONS AND RIPE CORN
• WATCHING FOXES

Beautiful, realistic artwork. Simple stories – only one phrase or sentence per page. Some of his later books have more writing on each page. 

  

Mary Calhoun

• AUDUBON CAT
• BLUE-RIBBON CAT
• CROSS COUNTRY CAT
• HENRY THE SAILOR CAT
• HIGH WIRE HENRY
• HOT-AIR HENRY

Most of these books are about a cat named Henry and his adventures. The story is told from Henry's point of view, and being a cat his view of himself is pretty high.

 

 

Nancy White Carlstrom

• BETTER NOT GET WET, JESSE BEAR
• GUESS WHO'S COMING, JESSE BEAR
• LET’S COUNT IT OUT, JESSE BEAR
• JESSE BEAR, WHAT WILL YOU WEAR?

Jesse Bear is a cute little bear that two to four-year-olds will especially relate to. The books are written in rhyme that easily trips along. He experiences what many little ones do and makes it all seem like fun.
 

 

Barbara Cooney

• ISLAND BOY 

This story follows the life of one boy Matthias from babyhood to grandfather and his life on an island on the eastern seacoast. Life was hard but simple and full of character.

 

Lee Davis

• P. B. BEAR 

A series of books about a little teddy bear and his adventures. Pictures are realistically set up photos of real stuffed animals and their toys and etc. Little ones especially love these appealing stories and real and make-believe adventures.

 

Amy Hest

• IN THE RAIN WITH BABY DUCK
• MAKE THE TEAM, BABY DUCK
• OFF TO SCHOOL, BABY DUCK

Baby Duck is a "preschooler" who is afraid of rain, swimming and the first day of school. Her parents don't understand her, but her grandpa does and always seems to say and do the right thing.

James Herriot

• BLOSSOM COMES HOME
• BONNIE'S BIG DAY
• MOSES THE KITTEN
• ONLY ONE WOOF
• OSCAR, CAT-ABOUT-TOWN
• SMUDGE, THE LITTLE LOST LAMB
• THE CHRISTMAS DAY KITTEN
• THE MARKET SQUARE DOG

These are stories taken from James Herriot's books for adults and rewritten for children. The illustrations are gorgeous. Any child who loves animals will love these stories. These books can be bought individually or in one "Treasury" volume.

 

 

Shirley Hughes

• ALFIE GETS IN FIRST
• ALFIE GIVES A HAND
• ALFIE WEATHER
• OUT AND ABOUT
• TWO SHOES, NEW SHOES

My children love the "Alfie" books. He's just like any average little boy and has adventures easily related to. His little sister Annie Rose is absolutely adorable and tags along on Alfie's adventures.

 

 

Jane Pilgrim - BLACKBERRY FARM SERIES

• A BUNNY IN TROUBLE
• EMILY THE GOAT
• ERNEST OWL STARTS A SCHOOL
• HIDE AND SEEK AT BLACKBERRY FARM
• WALTER DUCK AND WINIFRED

These books are written in a similar way to the Peter Rabbit books. They have sweet stories and beautiful illustrations to match. The stories are the tales/adventures of the animals who live at Blackberry Farm with a small, moral undertone. We love them. They are hard to find though. We've found most of our at thrift stores and used book stores.

 

Brinton Turkle

• THE ADVENTURES OF OBADIAH
• OBADIAH THE BOLD
• THY FRIEND OBADIAH

These books record the troubles and triumphs of a little Quaker boy living on Nantucket Island around the time of the founding of America. My children (2 and 4) love these stories. In the first book Obadiah tells “stories” of adventures no one believes. Then he has a real adventure and cannot understand why no one believes him. In Obadiah the Bold a gift of a spyglass makes Obadiah want to grow up and become a pirate. A talk with Father finally helps him see what a truly “bold” man is. Finally, a seagull, much to Obadiah’s dismay, adopts him as a friend. In the end Obadiah comes to love the seagull.

Of course, we also have all the classic favourites: Winnie-the-Pooh, Peter Rabbit and friends, Madeline, Babar, Curious George, Richard Scary, Dr. Seuss. In case you haven't figured it out yet our home is full of books. We read all. the. time. What do you recommend that we add to our shelves?

 

What I'm Up To

Just for fun...

The idea for this post came from here.

Now it's your turn. What are you currently doing?

"Up" and "Frozen" - Reviews

So we haven't been feeling well in our family for about a week which always means the children get to watch more movies. We have a hard time finding a movie that will interest everyone from the toddler to the fifteen-year-old and boys and girls. Not only that, I'm not a huge fan of Disney or cartoons. That being said we recently watched two Disney movies that I enjoyed and have no problem letting my children watch again - "Up" and "Frozen". I need to warn you that there are spoilers if you're like me  - one of the few moms left not to have seen these movies.

The first I knew of "Up" was when my daughter had me watch this short sequence from the movie. I mistakenly thought the movie would "fill in the details" that the sequence missed. I was wrong. It tells what Carl did after Ellie died. I loved it - the house that floats because of helium balloons, the kid Carl unknowingly brings along, Dug. I'll stop right here and say I love Dug. He's a talking dog and absolutely funny. He talks like a person, but it's "dog" thoughts. This video will show you better than I can explain...

I love how Carl starts as a cranky, sad, lonely old man and through his adventure learns to love again - not a wife this time, but a lonely little boy who needs someone to love him.

The plot interests everyone from 15-2 in our house. The little ones don't understand all the nuances of the plot, but they understand the basics and so enjoy it.  I cried my way through Carl and Ellie's Love Story and I cried at the end of the movie. The children borrowed it from the library, and I promptly asked my husband for my own copy for my birthday. He managed to find the last available copy in the store - sweet man looked in more than one store and then watched it with me.

 

This probably isn't the greatest movie review you've ever read because I'm kind of all over the place. Just trust me - this movie will not disappoint you.

 

The second movie is "Frozen". I wasn't too excited about watching this because I am so not a fan of Disney princesses. But one day we were all sick and bored so I said okay and was pleasantly surprised. First of all there are two princesses. Well, one becomes the queen eventually. This has a love story in it, but mostly it's a story of the love of two sisters.

 

I will admit that I was scrapbooking while this was on, and when the songs came up I kind of zoned out. There was one song though that I loved, but then my favourite character was singing it. And who is that, you ask. Glad you asked. It's Olaf - a snowman. He's funny, cute, loyal, loving, just an all-round great guy. Here's the song Olaf sings...

 

 

There is a scary scene with a snow monster, but Olaf keeps it from being too scary so that even my two-year-old can watch it. And in case you're wondering, Olaf gets his wish to be a snowman in summer...safely.

Again, this movie pleasantly surprised me. There was still a need for "love's true kiss", but the main theme of the story was the love the two sisters have for each other and how that love overcomes their troubles. If you want to read a good review, my daughter did a great one on her blog.

Do you have a movie(s) that spans all ages and both genders? We're always looking for ones we can all enjoy.

A Productive Afternoon

I like to read about other people's lives. I enjoy posts that give me a peek into what someone else has been doing. I'm guessing at least some of my readers are the same so I thought I'd give you a peek into my afternoon yesterday.

 

I had a lot of baking but I wasn't feeling that great so I had a nap first. I didn't get going until after 3:30. First I had to make a list - I love lists remember - of what I needed to do. Here's my list... 

• bread
• sourdough bread
• meat for supper
• chicken broth
• grape nuts cereal
• dessert? (not sure if I was going to do this)

3:36 - finished my list...time to start

 

3:37 - children decide to go play in the snow so I stop what I'm doing to dress my toddler (I was actually glad they wanted to go out because the house was quiet and they were burning off excess energy in a non-irritating way ☺)...then the phone rang...take a pencil case and its contents away from the baby

 

activating my yeast with warm water and honey

3:45 - try again...start the wheat mill going with six cups of spelt...take a picture of the baby watching his siblings outside...start my sourdough...start proofing the yeast for my yeast bread

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3:57 - the phone is ringing again and I search frantically because I never put it down in the same place twice

 

3:59 - decide I better have a tea to get me through this

 

4:06 - finish mixing up my sourdough bread...I won't need to do anything else with it until tomorrow

 

4:07 - start mixing my bread...As an aside, why am I making two kinds of bread? I need bread tonight and the sourdough won't be ready until tomorrow. Also, the sourdough only makes two loaves which will be gone in a blink and my regular recipe makes four loaves which will last a tch longer.

 

4:10 - more pictures of the fun outside

 

He's wearing the leg warmers I made.

4:16 - finished kneading my bread and set it aside

 

4:19 - time out to change the baby's diaper and nurse him. I enjoy my tea while he's nursing and may or may not have played a couple of rounds of Candy Crush also. ☺

 

4:42 - the phone again

 

4:49 - finish my tea and start mixing the grape nuts cereal. My husband loves plain cold cereal that he can share with the baby. This fits the bill, but it could be jazzed up with fruit or coconut or nuts (or chocolate chips - just saying)...the phone again - my dad this time.

 

5:00 - the cereal is ready to be baked...punch down and flip my bread dough over

 

5:02 - finally decide that yes I will make dessert...brownies...a double batch with walnuts and chocolate chips added

 

much later- the finished product

 5:05 - my teenage son agrees to chop up the stewing beef so we can use it in spaghetti sauce...we use the food processor for this

 

5:12 - the meat is ready

 

5:21 - the brownies are ready...phone rings...another nursing break...call my teenage daughter from her bedroom because she offered to make supper

 

5:38 - nursing the baby again...it's just that time of day when he wants to nurse a lot...the bread needs to go in the pans now for the final rise

 

5:43 - bread is in the pans...wash some more dishes

 

 

5:48 - put the chicken broth I made two days ago into Ziploc bags prior to putting them in the freezer

 

my method for holding the Ziploc bag so I can fill it

 5:57 - call my second son to take the chicken broth to our freezer in the basement

 

 

 

6:01 - supper is ready

 

So I now have six loaves of bread (in various stages of readiness), cold cereal, supper, brownies, and enough chicken broth for six meals. Not bad for a couple of hours of work. It feels good to get a bunch of stuff done all at once.

 

Do you ever do a bunch of stuff all at once in your kitchen?

 

 

Family Love

These two don't need a special day to celebrate their love. They're best buddies for life.

 

I've never been  a big fan of Valentine's Day. I hate commercialism and that's what so many holidays are now - the stores out to see how much they can get out of it. Seriously, a dozen roses about quadruples in price just because it's Valentine's Day. How ridiculous is that? My husband is such a romantic that he brings me roses and chocolates all year long. He takes me on at least one date every week, and I frequently receive cards in the mail from him. ♥

 

I was challenged though to come up with a craft for children to make for Valentine's Day and that set me thinking.

 

Here in Ontario where we live there is a holiday in February called Family Day. I think it's always on the third Monday of February. It's a day to encourage families to take some time out of their busy lives and spend the day together. Okay, I pretty much spend every day with my children, but of course, their dad doesn't so we try to make this a special day.

 

This year I thought I would combine a couple of ideas I found on Pinterest and make it a special day to show our love for each other.  Right now we're not sure if my husband is going to have the 17th off so we may be celebrating early - really early - like this Friday.

 

So, you ask, what are these ideas? First of all, I fell in love with this idea of a Treasure Hunt...the treasure being time spent together as a family doing things we love. Coming up with activities for our family to do is usually not a problem for me. I know we're going to start the day with pancakes (always a hit), and I'm probably going to do heart shaped ones. Then I'm going to announce a day off of school. I think that will score me a few great mommy points. ☺ Next we'll do a craft which I'll talk about in a minute. Then if the weather is nice we'll go for a walk or to the zoo (We have a membership so going to the zoo for an hour is always a fun thing). When we come home we'll warm up with a fun lunch (still to be decided) and then spend the afternoon watching a movie together.

 

I'm excited already. These are all simple activities that won't cost much but will add up to a lot of memories.

 

On to the craft. Again this is an idea from Pinterest (♥ Pinterest). I'm going to tweak it a little though. For the sake of time, I'm going to have the hearts pre-sewn. Then I'm going to have the children each pick each other's names. They will then draw a face on one side and write a message on the other for the sibling whom they have chosen.

 

I'll take pictures and let you know how it all goes. How does your family celebrate Valentine's Day (if you do)?

Library Time 18

I really haven't had much time to read this week. Between working on my husband's birthday party and organizing things in our home I've been too busy to read. As well, I've been restless in my reading. I can't seem to settle into any book. I've started a couple but neither really grabbed me. I'm afraid I'm going to have to give in and go to my old standby - Philip Oppenheim. I know there are only a finite number of Oppenheim's books so I try to ration myself, but I know that I always enjoy reading his stories and usually read them one on top of another. They're kind of like eating chips.

 

I know my children have been reading though - here's what they've been up to...

 

15-year-old daughter - Colonel Brandon's Diary by Amanda Grange

 

 

13-year-old son - Jim Kjelgaard books. My son has been sick with a sore throat for a couple of days and has been doing a lot of sleeping. An author's name was as specific as he could get. Kjelgaard wrote great outdoor adventure books. We've collected most of them. They are hard to find and can be expensive so if you see one get it while you can.

 

11-year-old son - Fire Hunter by Jim Kjelgaard

 

 

9-year-old daughter - Sherlock Holmes graphic novels

 

8-year-old daughter - Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder. We're big fans of the Little House books. For a while when we lived in a century-old farmhouse in the country using a wood cookstove we kind of felt like pioneers especially when the boys were bringing wood inside in the middle of a blizzard.

 

6-year-old son - He's having his first sleepover with Grandpa and Grandma so he's not here for me to ask him. I can tell you though that every day at naptime he loads up with books because he has to sit on the couch and be quiet so the baby can sleep.

 

2-year-old son - He's still in love with "Peter Rabbit" books (particularly loving the names in the books - Mrs. Tiggy Winkle - his favourite - Hunca Munca, Appley Dappley, Jemima Puddleduck) but this week he has also been asking for  The ABC Bunny by Wanda G'ag. This song has a tune written to the words so we always have to sing it. ☺

 

Since I don't have the equipment to record the book with the singing, I found it on Youtube for your viewing pleasure. Your children will love this.

 



 

What books have you been reading or singing this week?

Celebrating Family

This has been a busy week, but I don't have a lot to show for it. First of all, my husband has his 50th birthday coming up next month, and I've started plans for a big party.

 

Secondly, I installed a new digital scrapbooking program on my computer, and I've been busy setting it up and getting all of my digital pictures organized. I have/had the Creative Memories StoryBook program. However, when my old laptop was replaced I couldn't transfer the StoryBook program to my new laptop. I did a lot of research of what program to go with for making photobooks and decided to get one from the company who designed the Creative Memories program. I'm glad I did. The screens look exactly like the CM StoryBook program. As an added bonus I was able to transfer all my digital kits from CM into Panstoria's Artisan and use them.

 

I love, love, love digital scrapbooking and was so glad to find a simple solution for what I need. I use my digital scrapbooking to make a book everywhere that has all of our birthday and other celebrations in it. I also make a book about our family vacation every year. Last year I made one for my brother-in-law about his time in basic training. Recently I made a book for my mother-in-law's 70th birthday celebrating her life. I also make gifts and Facebook cover photos using this program. I enjoy scrapbooking with paper, but I enjoy the digital scrapbooking because there is no mess. I see value in the paper and digital which is why I do both.

My children love reading books that star themselves and their siblings.

Random bits - We had our first normal week of school since the New Year started. Everyone is finally feeling better. Routine feels so good. My baby turned thirteen months this week - I can hardly believe it. My sister just found out she's expecting baby #6 after six years of no babies. We're all excited to say the least. I read a really great post this week about freezer cooking that made it seem doable. This is something I've wanted to do for a while, but couldn't wrap my head around the organization needed. Now I think I can.

 

So how was your week - busy and feeling productive or busy but not feeling like there was much to show for it?