Small Changes Make a Big Difference

It took me a few months to figure out what kind of exercise would work best for me on a daily basis. I first tried using the Couch to 5K program and walking/running on a nearby creek trail. While I loved being outside and seeing the beauty of God's creation around me, I faced a number of obstacles. The first was practical: the trail tended to be bumpy with rocks and tree roots so I always had to be watching my step carefully. If I used a different part of the trail, it was paved, and my shins started hurting after a couple weeks of my regimen. Also, the bit of extra effort it took to get out of the house, coupled with days of bad weather, flooded trail, or early heat, meant that I easily found excuses for *not* exercising.

So then I turned to exercise dvd's. I used my local library and checked out at least ten over the course of a few months, trying to figure out what I liked and what worked. I really enjoy dance so I started with some dance/exercise videos. None really clicked with me. Then I tried Leslie Sansone, who has a video series called "Walk at Home." I decided that her style and method were what I needed, and now I've settled on one particular dvd called "5 Mile Fat Burning Walk" that I've used daily for a few months.

While it's called "Walk at Home," Sansone actually guides me in 'multi-muscle walking,' mixed with high-intensity intervals. I use ankle weights and hand weights to make the workout more effective. The 'walking' is actually a combination of various moves, including knee lifts, kicks, side steps and others. During the high-intensity intervals, we jog in place or back and forth, and do some of the other moves (like kicks) at a higher intensity.

When I started my exercise efforts, I couldn't do more than 15-20 minutes at a time. I gradually built up to more rigor and more time, though, and my latest habit is to exercise for an hour each day, for 6 days/week. It should be noted that this is the *first* time in my entire life that I've kept a commitment to exercise regularly. It's hard work, but I feel so much better because of it! Plus it boosts my confidence to know that I can stick with something difficult.

Other changes I've made in my weight loss effort include:

• Not drinking coffee at home, which means I only drink about 2 cups/week. I tend to only like coffee with cream and sugar, so cutting back to when it's made available to me elsewhere (like church) has helped reduce calories.
• Drinking a 'green thickie' most mornings for breakfast. I make them with oats, walnuts, fruit, yogurt, water, and spinach. 
• Paying more attention to my hunger signals and eating less at any meal when my stomach says it's full enough.
• Cutting back hugely on sweet things. This is my hardest effort of all, and I haven't conquered it. Sometimes I'm better off just not eating anything sweet period. Other times, I've been good at taking very small portions and not getting seconds.
• Eating fewer baked goods. I used to make a lot of pancakes, coffeecakes and other yummy breakfast items, but now I use that morning time to exercise and we eat more smoothies and eggs instead. I've also cut back on my bread consumption by having fewer sandwiches.

I'm still very much a work in progress, but the longer I go with these changes, the more they're becoming a welcome part of my life. When I say 'no' to a dessert or take only a half-slice of cake, instead of being grumpy about what I'm missing, I rejoice in thinking of the health I'm gifting my body. I love the way I feel these days!

New Beginnings

Steve and I have both undergone fairly major changes in the past ten months or so, and while we still struggle on multiple fronts, the changes have all been good. In September 2014, Steve began a PhD program at Georgetown University, studying Christianity and Islam in the theology department. He has loved this opportunity to stretch his mind and focus on what he really loves. He's reveled in the camaraderie of fellow students, and feels fulfilled in a way he hasn't for a quite a few years. While it's tough as a family to live on his stipend, and to find balance since his study seems never-ending, it is wonderful to have a happy husband & father!

The biggest change for me this year has been joining TOPS (Taking Off Pounds Sensibly) and working hard at both losing weight and gaining health. I'd never struggled much with my weight until about six years ago, but when I let it go, it got really bad really fast! My obesity has been a source of great sadness and frustration for me these past few years and I was tired of it. While TOPS is not a diet or exercise program, it offers support and accountability through weekly weigh-ins and meetings. This has helped tremendously! For the first time in my life, I've made it a priority to exercise regularly (and I'm up to doing it 6 days/week, usually an hour each time), and I feel stronger and healthier because of it. I now have energy to climb stairs, make a dash if I need to, or chase the kids in a game of tag. And I've coupled the exercise with healthier eating, which has made just as big a difference. I had fallen into the bad habit of self-medicating my sorrow with food, and it's taken a real shift in my thinking, as well as gargantuan self-discipline, to cut way back on my portions in general and desserts/sweets in particular. After six months in the program, I've lost 30 pounds and am 'halfway to goal.' I still have a long way to go, but I feel so much better!

Another new beginning has been joining a house church. Our good friends Jared and Claudia Holsing decided in December to plant a new church, and we joined their home group in January. We've treasured our Friday night meetings with new friends, growing, being encouraged and challenged. Now we're shifting from Fridays to Sundays, and are so thankful for the chance to be part of a missional, incarnational body of believers. It's a church experience unlike any we've ever had before and we look forward to how God will work both in us and the world around us as we pursue life together.

Finally, just a week ago I found out about another beginning. I was notified by the C.S. Lewis Institute here in Washington, D.C. that I was accepted for their 12-month discipleship program, which starts now! I've completed my first reading assignment ("Ordering Your Private World" by Gordon MacDonald) and will go to the orientation meeting this coming Thursday. After that, the commitment is to complete the reading assignments, write monthly reflection papers, meet with a mentor once a month, meet with a small group once a month, and attend Saturday morning class once a month. We'll also go on a retreat and do a service project together. I'm really excited about this opportunity! I think it will be the accountability for my spirit and mind that I've been longing for, similar to the accountability I've found for my body through TOPS.

I hope to write more, especially as I go through this year of readings and reflections. I'd love to share a bit of my journey with you. I'll finish with two quotes from my first reading assignment:

"I want first of all ... to be at peace with myself. I want a singleness of eye, a purity of intention, a central core to my life that will enable me to carry out these obligations and activities as well as I can. ... I would like to achieve a state of inner spiritual grace from which I could function and give as I was meant to in the eye of God." ~Anne Morrow Lindbergh, The Gift from the Sea

"There must be a quiet place where all is in order, a place from which comes the energy that overcomes turbulence and is not intimidated by it." ~ Gordon MacDonald, Ordering Your Private World

Completing my first 5K! March 2015

Tent Camping & Why our Family Loves it

The view I had while cooking dinner in New Brunswick.

Dappled shadows danced upon the red filmy fabric above my head, as I groggily woke from sleep to the sound of birds and crashing waves. Poking my head from the tent, I felt the salty breeze caress my face, and my heart soared. True, the bathroom was a few minutes' walk away, requiring me to pass by other campers, some already stoking their fires and some still asleep. But I loved seeing the ocean as I walked, and the constant wind woke my mind and soul, easily drawing me to God.

My family and I have just returned from 19 days away, 8 nights of which were spent tent camping, but almost all 19 of which included vast quantities of time spent outside. Putting on sunscreen and bugspray were daily routines, as we figured we'd always have at least a few hours outside, if not the whole day and night. Thankfully our holiday was spent north and northeast (in Quebec, the Maritimes, and Maine), so the temperatures were mild and (except for a few days too cold or rainy) I loved every minute in the great outdoors.

As we neared the end of our vacation, and began staying in rooms instead of our tent, I actually felt a loss. I might be the only one crazy enough to say it, but I truly preferred a campsite to a hotel room! I know my children felt similarly. My daughter feels like she's been 'gypped' by not having had more tent camping experience in her early childhood. She is jealous of me, knowing that I camped every year as a child.

So what were my thoughts? Here are some reasons we loved our camping experience...

1) While camping, everyone needs to work together to accomplish the most basic tasks. This (ideally) builds teamwork. To be frank, we weren't the best at this, and it often caused angst and fighting. But I know we can do better and regardless, it was good for the kids to learn basic skills and to see that they're needed.

Ethan and Naomi help unload the rooftop carrier

 2) Fresh air is refreshing for the soul (and good for the body)! I admit that living in constant fresh air would have been a lot less pleasant had we been in warmer, more humid climes. But even during sunnier or warmer times, when I started to feel less comfortable, I learned to appreciate shade and water much more! We enjoyed all the various scents that come with fresh air ... pine trees, flowers, ocean salt ... and loved being one with the world around us. We noticed more clouds, stars, animals, plants than we ever would have inside. I know that some people need more constantly regulated air supplies and even for health reasons, need to be inside. But I'm the opposite. I love nature, love the feeling of moving air touching my face, and feel claustrophobic when inside, especially if it's too warm and still.

The kids are so happy to arrive at our campground after a long day of driving!

3) We learned that life can be very simple. My cooking supply box had only the essentials and it was refreshing to cook using minimal dishes and utensils. True, we had to wash those dishes after every meal since there were no extras. But despite the complaints of the children regarding this, I'm sure that we didn't spend any more time hand-washing and drying than we do at home, rinsing, loading and unloading the dishwasher. Rather, we learned to conserve water (since the kids had to fetch it from the spigot, never in our own campsite) and to work speedily and efficiently.

Not only was cooking more simple, so was our fun and our space. The kids got by with the few games and books they'd brought, and weren't distracted by mounds of superfluous toys. Our clothes were limited, our bedding didn't need to be "made up" each day, and there was no space for extra mess. This was especially refreshing when compared to the messy, cluttered home we usually live in.

Most critically, since our cell phones didn't work in Canada and we had to go out of our way to find internet for our laptop, we were almost completely unplugged, which is one of the best ways to be simple and enjoy life moment by moment.

The kids help Steve put up our brand-new tent.

4) We were together. This had its challenges, as I sometimes felt that we were too together. But not usually. At home, even in our small townhouse, we spread out to different rooms, choose different activities, sometimes not talking much and not generally sharing the same experiences. While camping, we shared everything, even going to the bathroom/showers! We went to bed at the same time, got up at similar times, shared in kitchen duties when it was meal time, enjoyed games, drives or hikes together when duties were finished. At night, we read Anne of Green Gables together in the tent. Of course there were many times when we got on each others' nerves, and since we had varying expectations of the 'ideal vacation,' we couldn't always please everyone with our activity choices. But even in that, we learned to give and take. We practiced compromise and (tried to have) positive attitudes. I think that overall, it was a blessing to live life together.

The kids on the Skyline Trail, in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia.

 Other reasons we enjoyed camping include:
   * singing folksongs with guitar around a campfire
   * meeting interesting and friendly people
   * not needing to sweep or vacuum
   * not needing to clean bathrooms
   * eating s'mores -- enough said!
   * freedom for children to run around and get dirty

A few things that were more difficult...
   * noise, especially when an untaut tarp is overhead and wind is blowing violently, or when a newcomer drives into the spot right next to your tent at 11 PM and you've already gone to bed
   * bathrooms being far away when you desperately have to go, and especially when you have to take your half-asleep child one more time around midnight
   * dirt and bugs (if you care -- I chose to just take it in stride)
   * most campgrounds now do not let you bring in your own firewood, so campfires were an extra expense and not one we could indulge in every night. 
  
All in all, I'm so grateful to have had those few weeks in Canada, and while appreciative of beds and couchsurfing hosts when we had them, am even more thankful for the nights we camped. God's world is an amazing place and to be part of it was a privilege and a joy.

Cape Jourimain, New Brunswick

Raw

Crisp cool air
beckoned me,
as green leafy trees
and gurgling creek
drew me
in warm embrace.
Laughing,
my children ran downhill,
ever eager
to greet the water,
to breathe in
delicious scents,
to be free
and whole
and at peace.

Yet as we tarried,
the sky fell down.
Lives were torn asunder,
hearts were broken,
death and destruction
caught 298 by surprise.
Fields of flowers
now littered with bodies
and scrap metal.

And as we laughed
in dappled sunshine,
admiring the turquoise hue
of a beautiful dragonfly, 
military tanks moved in.
Already 247 had died.
But that wasn't enough.
Five more slain today --
infant, grandparent, child -- 
in the name of
endless retribution.
New ground offensive.
How much blood
still needs to be shed
for it to be enough?

Intelligent hope-filled girls
snatched from their school;
six-year-old raped
by those she should trust;
explosions in churches;
new terrorism
bringing deep fear
even to those whom
the world already fears;
sunk ferry;
lost airplane ...
on and on and on.

We skip along
the river's edge,
drinking deeply of life
and love
and each other.
But the world falls apart,
and my heart stops
in a silent cry.
How do I hold onto joy
in the face of so much
sorrow?

Pre-school Graduations??

A month ago, it was the end of a school year, and my facebook friends posted a flurry of photos of their cute kids. A surprising number of those kids were dressed in graduation caps and gowns -- even though they were only 4 or 5 years old. As cute as the children were, this phenomenon bothered me and I chewed on it for a while, but never got around to writing anything coherent in response.

Then tonight I discovered a great post on the Matt Walsh blog, addressing the very issues that were causing me angst a few weeks ago. I highly recommend reading it -- not just if you have cute little kids and you're offended by my honest words, but everyone -- as it is essentially a commentary on today's childhood and effects on tomorrow's adults, as much as it discusses graduations directly. Give it a try; see what you think.

June 2014 in Status Updates

6/3/14

• In our 14.5 years of marriage, we have hardly ever bought new furniture. We've hardly ever bought furniture *period*, even used. But my couch has been driving me crazy for 3 years now, and so we've been looking... Tonight we found a discounted one at Ikea and decided to buy it. I'll finally enjoy sitting on the sofa again! Happy.
• My kids are enamored with their tadpoles. And a couple of the little guys now have both pairs of legs and are looking like miniscule frogs. Naomi has spent hours watching them and squealing over their cuteness. The small things in life...

 6/4/14

• We saw a water snake at the creek today. It was tiny and struggled to pull itself up onto a rock, presumably to warm up! I have no idea what kind it was... Water was delightful, weather was perfect, and trees were so green!
• Ethan is making up his own words to "Mary, Did You Know?" using Lord of the Rings as his topic. "Gollum did you know that your precious ring would one day fall in lava? Gollum did you know that your precious ring would someday be stolen?"
• Tired of dealing with tadpoles and froglets. As happy as they make my kids, trying to figure out food and new habitats is stressing me out.

 6/5/14

• Re-started "Couch to 5K" today due to our lapse when we were away for 9 days. Have to say, though, the same regimen was easier today than the first time. Naomi called me "cruel" for making her run and getting her hot and sweaty. Ha! I hope it's not too late to change her attitude so she can spend the rest of her life pursuing health, even when it's uncomfortable!
• Drank hot tea (British-style) and read picture books aloud ("Bread and Jam for Frances" and more), on this 'cool' Spring day. Now going to go run/walk the creek trail in our continued "Couch to 5K" effort. Froglets are still alive and keeping the kids tickled pink with their cute hops and climbs...

 6/6/14

• Ethan walked downstairs joyfully declaring, "This is the heaviest hour of my life!!" Huh? "I've never weighed 65 pounds until now!" he clarified, having just taken a bath and weighed himself on the bathroom scales.
• I've been encouraged to be Ethan's advocate, and not take "no more therapy" as an easy answer. He'll see his therapist today and I'd appreciate prayers. I'm really a coward inside and don't like the idea of fighting for him, but I know that as his mom, that's what I need to do.

 6/7/14

• Oh.My.Goodness. Just saw "Belle" in the cinema tonight and loved, loved, loved it!! Complex, beautiful, inspiring ... I would add it to any curriculum on abolition, and will even likely have my (young) kids see it (though there's one scene I'd skip for kids younger than high-schoolers). Hard to believe I've seen no conversation about this amazing film...
• If you know what a sedentary night owl I am, you'll know I'm serious about exercise when I was up at 8 on a Saturday morning to jog/walk the creek trail. Took Josiah this time, and the same regimen that had my legs hurting and my face red and dripping, didn't even break a sweat on him.

6/8/14

• Realizing it's kind of confusing to read/listen to TWO mysteries by the same author at the same time (i.e. back and forth). I'm enjoying Connelly's crime novels a lot, but sometimes get the characters and facts mixed up when I listen to one only in the car and read the other at bedtime!

 6/9/14

• Since I'm new to jogging, is it normal that my shins hurt?
• Love it that my older kids still enjoy reading new picture books when I get them from the library. Despite their advanced abilities, they still like the magic of clear and simple stories combined with beautiful illustrations!
• Pursuing a second opinion regarding Ethan's speech. Hopefully talking to a private therapist today or tomorrow about an evaluation...
• So cute to hear Ethan singing "A Thousand Years" (Christina Perri) around the house. We discovered it when we watched a youtube video about a family who adopted a boy with Down's Syndrome, and have loved the song ever since. (The song starts at about 3:40, but the first part is good too!)
• Jogged/walked by myself today, even though the creek was swollen with rainwater and I had to go back and forth on the small stretch that was dry between two crossing points. Can't believe how much my legs hurt while I'm jogging, but so happy to keep pressing on. I've never been good about long-term follow-through or self-discipline. Praying this time is different...

 6/10/14

• Happy that our townhouse association is finally dealing with the lack-of-drainage issue in our communal backyard. Slightly annoyed that it means our front yard is now full of tire tracks and clods of mud. Oh well. All for a good cause. Hope the new drainage system works so we can get out our back gate without walking through a mud puddle!
• No way. Just discovered that one of my new homeschool friends is a speech pathologist, and to top it off, she lives only 10 minutes away from me. Going to try to get her input before I have Ethan seen at a private center. How cool is that?!
• Please pray for my mom-in-law ... she had outpatient surgery this morning, but then bled for hours at home. At the E.R. tonight, found out she had an arterial bleed and finally got it cauterized. She's staying overnight and hoping that the spot doesn't re-open and start bleeding again.
• I don't know whether to laugh at Ethan's self-confidence or fall over in amazement that he knew to use "I" in this sentence... from a phonics worksheet he did this afternoon. 

 6/11/14

• Absolutely livid at the response my MIL received yesterday when she hemorrhaged after outpatient sinus surgery but was told to stay at home for hours (trying to stop the bleeding herself), then ignored for hours at the ER, and then treated with un-sterile instruments. It was failure upon failure, and I think her story should get reported online and in print. Any ideas for how best to do that?
• School today: took the kids to the National Speech Championship of NCFCA. Wow, it doesn't get any better than hearing the finalists give their incredible, hilarious, well-polished humor pieces. The kids and I were laughing so hard! Wish we could have gotten a dvd of them -- they were that good!

 6/12/14

• Not sure I can handle being a National Speech Championship quarterfinal judge again ... just about broke my heart to have to rank eight amazing pieces, knowing that some might not go on because of my choices, even though every single one was absolutely stellar.
• After months of being "stuck in a rut" with my cooking, I finally got a 'new' cookbook (used, at a bookswap), did some actual menu planning for this week, and have been making some different dishes. What fun to try new things! Most of the family is happy ... all except for Ethan.

 6/13/14

• Going to the speech finals one more time today ... next year the national championship won't be happening in the D.C. area so this is might be our last chance to hear such amazing presentations for quite a while. (Won't be judging today -- phew!)

 6/14/14

• Just introduced my family to "Regarding Henry" ... and cried --*again*! Every time I see that movie, I blubber!
• Came upstairs to discover Naomi at our computer reading this article and asking me to explain it to her. Love that my kids care about what's happening in the world...
• My parents have now been back in America for a full year, working on Luke's adoption and trying to figure out employment that whole time. A week ago, my dad finally got word that the state of Virginia will honor his California medical license and let him practice medicine here. Georgia, on the other hand, is requiring lots of remediation, which would take both time and money. Praying for them to find just the right job and home...

6/15/14

• Happy Father's Day to my Dad who raised me to love the world's diversity; to enjoy math, science, music and literature; to have an arsenal of happy camping memories; and to know that I am loved ... and to my husband who is Dad to my own children, who reads to them daily, sings to them each night, shares his love of history with them, wrestles, speaks Arabic, and plays strategy games with them. I love you both more than I can say...
• Signed up to do a survey for our local Christan radio station, as they're trying to figure out what to play more and what to play less. Didn't realize there were going to be 390 songs to evaluate, though -- that's a LOT!! Glad it's fun and pretty quick work. Naomi's amazed at how many songs she's learned...
• Have been attending our local church for the past 4 months, but have remained uncertain about it for the long-term. Today decided to go back to one of the churches we'd tried a few times back in the fall, and feel so refreshed! The teaching was great, and deep conversations afterward were like water to our spirits. Sure wish the church search was an easier process...

 6/16/14

• You know, if someone had decided (how many hundreds of years ago) to make "to lie" and "to lay" SO different that they never intersected (i.e. no form of "to lie" was ever written "lay"), there would have been so many fewer problems with the two words. I know: really deep thought for the evening (But on my mind since I'm trying to teach my children grammar!!)
• Watching our first World Cup 2014 game: Iran v. Nigeria. Too bad the commentary is all in Spanish!

6/17/14

• Today has been a day of pain -- not major and not mine, but troublesome nonetheless. Naomi's had a kinked neck; Josiah's had an upset stomach, headache and the trauma of allergy eye drops; Ethan fell forward off his chair and hit his lower jaw on the table, cutting his tongue and bruising his chin in the process. Pain-free though my own day was, I had to hear a lot of bellyaching!
• We've been planning a camping trip for August, but hear that the mosquitoes are really bad where we'd thought of going. Since mosquitoes find me from miles around and feast on me and the kids like you wouldn't believe, I now feel like switching gears and doing something else. Or I could just daily bathe in a deet solution.

 6/18/14

• My nephew is visiting, and since it's in the high 90's, I've got the kids inside 'til the worst of the sun is past. I love it: they're not playing the Wii or watching a video ... they're playing a rip-roaring game of Dominion!! (strategy board game)
• Being the hottest day yet (98), I'd planned to take my nephew and kids to a "splash park" and also invited my 5-year-old neighbor last-minute. Only to get there and discover that because the public schools are STILL in session, the splash park is closed. Pity the preschoolers, toddlers, home-schoolers and mamas who wanted a place to cool off today! Never mind: we came home, got out our hose, bucket, and bowls and had a massively fun time cooling off homemade-style! I think the kids loved pouring water on me and hearing me shriek
• Making a youtube playlist for Naomi based on our recent Christan radio survey. Back in my day, the equivalent was sitting with a blank tape in a recorder and pressing "play/record" every time the right song came on the radio.

 6/19/14

• Found this oldie tonight... Seemed relevant given that today my recycling didn't get picked up as it should have. I had a conversation with my kids & nephew about the fact that I could have just put it out with my trash, but didn't. I'm trying to convince my more rural relatives that it's worth it for them to recycle, too, even though it's a bit more work since it means a trip to the recycling center. Talked with the kids about how each person on our planet saying "I'm just one person -- what I do doesn't matter" makes for a lot of pollution!
• 'Tis the season of cold drinks! Making jugs of iced coffee and mint iced tea, instead of mugs of hot coffee and tea. If it weren't for mosquitoes and excessive sweat while exercising, I might actually enjoy summer (more)!

 6/20/14

• So lovely that Ethan got to spend one-on-one time with Mimi (Steve's mom) tonight ... he loves to talk and read aloud but doesn't usually get much attention without his siblings' interference or competition. Grown-up and child both relished the time together!
• Finally saw the Lego Movie ... laughed a lot, enjoyed a few good messages in it, questioned a lot of other messages in it and discussed them with my older two on the half hour drive home ...

 6/21/14

• Saturday = Hands-on Real-life Education. Steve and his dad have torn out our dilapidated lower deck and are re-doing our upper deck. Kids are helping!
• Our backyard used to have a wooden deck right outside our door, and a lower wooden deck beyond that. The lower deck is now gone; the joists of the upper deck have been strengthened; and the wood from the upper deck has been flipped so that the whole thing is in better shape. Now to stain the wood and deal with the mess left behind from the lower deck. Great job, Dad, Steve, Josiah and Ethan!!

6/22/14

• Enjoyed having Meredith Omland over for dinner and Apples to Apples today So nice to have company, to hear what God's doing in her life, and to learn more about Mexico (her adopted home).

•  Reading an amazing book called "Show Them Jesus" -- after all I've done with education and children's ministry, this is still blowing me away. Will write more when I finish the book... Also enjoyed another Sunday at United Wesleyan Church, and feeling more & more like it could be the right place for us...

 6/23/14

• Going cherry-picking today ... it's about time, as it's been four years since the kids have picked any fruit in a farm/orchard, and even longer since I've been fruit-picking!
• I taught our 5-year-old neighbor how to play Othello and now Naomi is patiently playing a game with him. I need to take care of cherries!
• Pitting cherries!!!! Now I'm glad I stopped at thirteen pounds, instead of getting even more. Thank goodness for extra hands (though some are less willing than others)...

 6/24/14

• Reading quality literature out loud to older kids = great opportunity to learn vocabulary! With the help of our trusty dictionary, just today we've worked on the words genteel, aplomb, malediction (using Latin roots!), and besom.
• Weeding and pruning with the kiddoes ... my, how the warm weather and wet rains grow everything! The day started out cool enough to do such work outside, but we're heading in now because it's hot and we need a break! Thankful I have three kids who help with such tasks...

 6/25/14

• Ecuador's goalie was AMAZING! Too bad they didn't make any goals themselves, though...
• Kids and I just finished "The Land" (by Mildred Taylor). Wow, her books are so good. It's really helped the kids understand more of what life was like in the South, around the turn of the century. Highly recommend for upper elementary or middle school (and adults!!)
• Math puzzles for breakfast today ... my kids are solving them way faster than I did!

 6/26/14

• Amazing goal by Germany!!!
• Special brunch with hand-picked cherries! The kids say "it's worth it" but they're not the ones who spent hours pitting... Still, it was VERY yummy. Probably worth it!

 

• Most Delinquent Parent of the Year Award goes to ... ME! Finally getting around to giving Ethan a "half birthday" party this weekend because I never gave him a party in December and then failed to make up for it in January or February. Sigh... He's pretty excited about it and doing it now means we can play outside games and water activities!
• Thinking about starting a tiny children's vocal ensemble in the Fall ... So far everything I can find regarding existing children's choirs in the area are either A) associated with a church (and thus presenting only on Sunday mornings), B) costing $550-1200 (no I am not joking!!!), or C) over an hour away. Not sure I'm capable of leading a vocal group myself but my daughter is getting desperate!

6/27/14

• Went on a twilight walk with Naomi and she saw her very first flying bats (vs. hanging in a cave). I wish I could have recorded her reactions -- she was super excited and squealed the whole time about how much she loves bats and aren't they cute and she 'just couldn't believe' she was seeing BATS!
• Finally getting some summer business ... two new students today!
• Ethan's tongue is having a hard time wrapping around the words "Knick knack paddy whack" in "This Old Man" ... Kind of funny, but trying to slow it down for him so he can actually learn them. It's working!
• Facebook themes for June: anniversaries, end-of-school pictures, and VBS. None of which apply to me. Feeling a bit 'out of it'!

6/28/14

• Organizing two birthday parties within 3 days of each other -- Yikes! Being very low-key about food and decorations, though, since games is really my forte, and I usually over-worry about the unimportant stuff. Letting it go this time!
• So glad we have a neighbor our age (actually a bit younger, and actually two neighbors since they're a couple), who's fun to talk to and who's done the PhD thing ... it's good for Steve to have someone to chat with, who can understand a tiny bit of what he faces.

 6/29/14

• Showed the kids "Radio" tonight. Such a great movie, full of redemption and encouragement.
• Kids coming in 20 minutes. Think we're ready. Happy half-birthday, Ethan, my little extrovert!!
• Another great morning at United Wesleyan Church ... so nice to actually look forward to Sundays again!

6/30/14

• So cute to hear Josiah and Ethan making up scenarios together with Ethan's new "story cubes." I thought they'd sleep in this morning after all the excitement of yesterday and our late night, but no, they were up early playing with new things!!
• Had a bucket and a pile of all my five biggest mixing bowls sitting on my front step yesterday as we were winding down the party ... STOLEN. Not cool. I used those mixing bowls ALL the time since I cook and bake from scratch for my family of 5. Really ticked off.

Billion to the Fourth Power

I don't know why, but I tend to teach math in the car. Which sometimes is really tricky when I'd like to be using my hands to draw an example or write down a list of numbers, and instead I've got them on the wheel (as I should!). Some of my kids appreciate this habit of mine, as they love math so much, it doesn't matter where we are or how I'm presenting it. Others of my kids have a harder time without a visual aid. Nonetheless, I found myself last week in the car with five youngsters, ranging in age from five to eleven years old, and we talked about all kinds of fun math.

I had recently been introduced to this website and at night had been working on some of its featured math puzzles. A few days later, the kids (including a nephew and a neighbor) and I were in the car longer than we thought we'd be, since an attempted outing came to naught. I decided to mention the puzzles to them so they could try finding some solutions. This led quickly to discussions about the Fibonacci sequence (which the 5-year-old could explain to us!!), Pascal's triangle, exponents, and how to multiply quickly by elevens.

I loved it. I loved that math could be so normal that we'd be discussing it the way we discuss movies or stories. I loved that every single kid in the car was engaged and interested. I loved that repeated, early exposures of 'difficult' concepts ends up making them easier down the road. I loved that everyone was actually being challenged to think in new ways, including myself!

The five-year-old was so interested in exponents that he asked me what a billion to the fourth power is. (Kids love to 'challenge' adults by asking them questions involving really big numbers.) I told him that I could show him a really fast way of solving that, but that it would have to wait until we got home so I could write on paper! When we got home, I showed him the fast way to write one billion (using 10^9) and then showed him how multiplying that by itself four times is easy as well, by multiplying the nine times four. He didn't know 9x4 off the top of his head, but he knew 9x2 and could double it to make the right answer. Smart cookie!

I hope that math can become even more fun and everyday for my kids and other children in my life. And I hope that when they think of me, they think of fun puzzles and discussions -- not dry lessons!