as cozy as spring

Friday Morning Book Post

Yikes, I don't have a single book to discuss.  I'm pretty sure I've written about every single book we're reading right now.  

Oh here's an idea! Books we are writing!

I mentioned months ago that we began our History studies with family interviews.  My grandmother's was so interesting that we kept going back with more questions.  I had a vague desire to organize them eventually, but knew it probably would not happen.  Then, my daughter's writing club leader (yes, you can all sigh with relief that I'm no longer solely responsible for teaching my children to write good (ha,ha?)).  So!  My daughter's writing teacher decided to have the girls participate in that November Novel Writing month thingy.  My daughter decided to write a book about my grandmother's childhood.  She grew up in the cotton fields of northwest Texas in the midst of the Dust Bowl. 

This could be the most valuable project we've ever done.  We have weekly sessions with my grandmother to chat about her childhood.  Honestly, as Christmas approaches and our schedule fills, this could be something that got cut from the weekly routine. I'm so grateful to have a reason to bump it to the top of the priority list. I hope she enjoys it as well - we usually bring treats, just in case!  My children get this rich first hand account of what it was like then (really, really awful).  They get to know their great grandmother in a way they definitely wouldn't otherwise.  And frankly, I do too.  Finally, my daughter has to put a lot of research into creating the story.  She has to think about it all from an entirely different perspective and become far more familiar with that time period than just breezing by it in a history text.  I'm sure all you real writers out there know what I mean, but this was a revelation to me.

My son is working on a book of neighborhood trees.  It's a pretty simple concept.  I provided him with a spiral bound watercolor notebook.  He finds leaves he likes.  He traces the leaves and labels them.  We paint one leaf as the tree appears in summer and one as it appears in autumn.  I didn't expect much to come of this project, but it trains him to look.  As we walk, he considers each tree - whether he can identify it and whether we have it in our notebook.  As he traces, he has to be careful to notice the venation of each leaf.  He points out the subtle differences in two similarly shaped leaves.  

In both these projects, my children have no choice but to become actively involved in the subject.  That's what it's all about, isn't it?

The Garden in November

Such an odd fall!  The drought sent a lot of the trees into dormancy earlier this summer.  The recent rains and cooler temperatures have them thinking it's now spring.  So the leaves are changing and the branches are blooming all at the same time.  Fascinating.  I'm amazed by the resilience in the garden.  We thought we lost a lot more than we really did.  Everything is sending out these delicate green leaves now.  We planted flower seeds for spring, but I've yet to do much bulb shopping.  It's on the list, but not near the top.  I'll probably do my last minute run to the home improvement store when they mark them all down 75% off.  

Cross Stitched

I finished my little Farm Folk.  This was a really fun project, especially since I cannot follow directions and did my own thing with the patterns.  Butter, in particular.  The butter churn had to look more like the one near my grandmother's front door.  It was the only option.  I also stitched the dress to resemble Emily's dress in Emily and Daisy.  I skipped eggs all together because eggs give me the creeps. I found some super cheap frames at Target a few weeks ago that finish them off nicely.

Most of the homes I remember from my childhood, including my own, had little bits of cross stitch here and there.  I don't think it's my most favorite medium but home seems cozier with these little girls in our dining room.

I can't even write about this without sounding overly self satisfied, but I made and froze breakfast, lunch, and dinner for most of the week.  I know all of you probably do this all the time and you probably all rock the crock pot (recipes, please?), but I just can't wrap my head around meal plans, especially make ahead meal plans.  I do not have the ability to focus on more than what I'm hungry for that instant.  But alas, it's proved to be rather hard on the budget and the nerves.  We're also just too busy lately. (tangent)  I miss the preschool days when all the activities were scheduled in the mornings.  Saturday night my little baby boy was playing a second baseball game at nearly 10:00pm at night.  No shocker that his little face was tear streaked when he walked up to his last at-bat (did I say that right?).  My own face was tear streaked last night when I whipped up the last item, a batch of pumpkin muffins and realized we were out of baking powder.  It was a tiring day, but hopefully it will pay off with an easier week!

Happy Monday, friends!

Friday Morning Book Post

My daughter and I finished A Little Princess some time back.  We both loved it.  It would have been regrettable to have missed it and I'm so grateful to Mrs. Edmisten for writing about it on her blog so that we didn't.  With Christmas approaching, I've limited myself to reading only free Kindle books so up next is Swiss Family Robinson, my daughter's choice.  It is a pleasant and smooth read aloud.  

Though I've felt a little absent and disconnected from this space lately, I do love blogging for the rhythms that appear.  Every November and on through February, we find ourselves listening to or rereading the Little House books.  It just happens that we are all in the mood for them.  I think as nightfall comes earlier and we spend more and more of it on the cold, ugly highways, our minds desire a little bit of comfort and rest.  I love how much my son enjoys them.  I didn't expect that.  He's very much into Star Wars and guns and swords but is absolutely terrified when Laura and Carrie get lost in the Big Slough (Long Winter, I think?).  It makes me very happy that despite several years between them and very different interests, we can all enjoy these books together.

Me, I turn to Little Women.  I don't want to read anything new right now.  I want a book I've read so much that it is falling apart.  This passage from the very beginning:

As young readers like to know `how people look', we will take this moment to give them a little sketch of the four sisters, who sat knitting away in the twilight, while the December snow fell quietly without, and the fire crackled cheerfully within.  It was a comfortable room, though the carpet was faded and the furniture very plain, for a good picture or two hung on the walls, books filled the recesses, chrysanthemums and Christmas roses bloomed in the windows, and a pleasant atmosphere of home peace pervaded it. 

This is exactly what I want right now.  And always, really.

And oh!  No one recognized my Jack O Lantern quote so here ya go:

Weekend Favorites

A birthday bouquet from my little girl.

My last braid of fiber for a good long time.  Superwash Merino "Molly Weasley"  Such bright pretty colors for November!

Alton Brown's Soft Pretzels.  These are such a hit.  We made them for the first time last year and they are now very much expected on Halloween (with a big bowl of chili or just on their own if you think chili is gross).

"A smile with just a hint of tragedy.  Inside: hollow, yet deep."  I wish I could think of a prize for anyone who recognizes that quote because it's one of my all time favorites.

I hope you had a lovely weekend!