Big Little Things

Look who has started showing up again at the feeder!

The sweet chickadee...

...and brazen tufted titmouse.

Reading Thornton Burgess's The Burgess Bird Book for Children with my kids brought out the bird-lover in me that I didn't know existed. This, and any book by Burgess, is a treasure! I was encouraged to put up this feeder outside the kitchen window and see who would visit. It stands beside our hummingbird feeder, and we have yet to be disappointed. Yes, my bird photos will begin to reappear with spring on the horizon.

Yesterday morning, we had a surprise. A chipping sparrow bearing an uncanny resemblance to "Chippy," our pal who used to pop up at the window and peck his hello on the pane, has shown up at the feeder over the past week. I've remarked that I hoped it was the same bird, but had no way of knowing. Would you believe that yesterday, I looked over and there he was, perched on the outside sill, peering in at me and tapping his greeting? This little one continues to remind me of God's love, as I am worth more than the sparrow, yet He cares for that little fella, too.

And bird season wouldn't be the same without this sassy gal:

She's no bird, yet can be counted on to dine on their seeds all the same! I might know she's our regular squirrel if the little imp pulls her usual stunt of climbing up that pole, and leaning over to snag some seed from the feeder. She hasn't had to go to the trouble yet, as you can see where some morsels have landed. We get a kick out of seeing her hang on, fireman style, and slide back down the pole again!

Speaking of birds and spring, my girl likes to take egg cartons and make chick families...a fun, easy project: 

Remember the crickets I wrote about last time? Something happened the very next day. My daughter looked into her jar and hollered, "MOM!!! Something's wrong with Crosby!" I peered in and saw this:

It took a second to realize what I was looking at...it was the cricket's skin! It dawned on me at the same time my girl cried, "WHOA!!!!" We proceeded to watch the actual cricket come walking around the corner of his jar, looking like this: 

Crosby the Cricket suddenly had wings! He had molted, and become an adult! I had no idea that crickets shed their skin, much less grew wings. We researched and discovered that crickets indeed drop their skin, and are true "adults" when they grow wings. What a fabulous, unexpected science lesson! Crosby himself seemed fascinated by the discarded carcass, as he kept walking around it and poking at it. Sadly, Crosby just passed away yesterday, with burial to take place sometime today. Chris, our other cricket, is still hanging on.

My girls enjoy weaving now and then. They have a big loom, although one made a miniature one out of cardboard for small projects like bookmarks and pot holders. The other day, this was left on the kitchen floor; I had to have a shot of the artistic arrangement: 

This week we read a short story from More Little Visits With God by Jahsmann and Simon, small stories with great lessons. I was overcome by the succinct wording of truth in this passage: 

I have deep thoughts on this snippet, but the main idea is that self-esteem has become a poor substitute for self-respect. Charlotte Mason wisely said that education is not about how much one knows, but rather how much he cares.

Here are some verses that I have lingered over this week:

"For freedom Christ has made us free; stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage." Galatians 5:1

In finding it hard to release old chains, I've gone to the Holy Spirit and asked Him to help me believe this verse in every crevice of my heart. It's one thing to memorize it or have it on a coffee cup, but truly knowing this deep within our hearts is something greater. Jesus didn't die a brutal death and spill His blood so I would stay stuck in prison. He and I discuss this a lot.

Another one that speaks to living a life set apart: 

We agree to share in difficulties when we give our lives to Him. We're not called to look like the world; "by their fruits you shall know them." Remember, He says that a lukewarm walk makes Him sick. 

The narrow road can take on what the world dubs mundane and ordinary, yet herein lies truth, depth, and closeness to God. We don't "miss out" when we follow His path, but rather become who he made us to be. I love how James Russell Lowell writes it:

The longer on this earth we live

And weigh the various qualities of men

The more we feel the high, stern-featured beauty

Of plain devotedness to duty,

Steadfast and still, nor paid with mortal praise,

But finding amplest recompense

For life's ungarlanded expense

In work done squarely and unwasted days.

Until next time!

"Epic Experiences"

I love the ages of my girls (3rd and 4th grade): able to tackle tough school items (like Kipling and Roman numerals), yet still with a childlike innocence that enjoys "Sofia the First" and stuffed animals. I am big on feeding children a rich diet of literature and ideas, while also allowing little girls to play with their baby dolls. Our culture does children a hideous disservice, stripping them early of imagination and cramming them into one-size-fits-all robot outfits. We have the power as parents to swim upstream, providing mind-food and retaining childhood. 

My children do have certain planned activities, like school, tennis practice, and chores, but it's important to me that they have plenty of unplanned time as well. It's bothersome that so many kids today have every moment organized for them. When do they get to create and imagine, to read for pleasure, or run around in the yard? When do they experience boredom, and learn to overcome it? We do what we do now so that our kids can be productive adults later, so that they'll be prepared for marriage, children, or a career. We sow seeds, water them, pull weeds, have the sun and rain fall on them, let them grow...and the product is worth the time and sacrifice.  

You are an expert on your own children simply because God gave them to you. He specifically chose you to be your child's parent...isn't that a wonderful privilege? Yet my heart breaks for many who can't see that they don't have to jump through hoops to give kids an "epic experience" at every turn. In fact, the little things are the BIG things! I enjoy talking to other parents about this, and encouraging others to go for it, and believe it. I don't claim to do anything extraordinary; the supernatural occurrences in any Christian's day are due to the Holy Spirit, Who is our Guide because of a relationship with Christ. 

Here and there, I snap shots of daily fun things my girls do, our own "epic experiences" that are little things. Are trips to the trampoline park or the movies and even Disney World wrong? No...but you can't do that all day, every day. Here is some larger-than-life fun we've had lately:

This recipe was from a kids' cookbook that came with silicone cups for creating tasty dishes. It had been put away for several years; last week, the girls took it out, read the instructions, and did every bit themselves. When I attempted to open the oven door, I heard, "Mo-om!!! We want to do it ourselves!" You can see they didn't need my help. How proud they were of their effort, and how scrumptious these little cakes were!

Looking for a cheap and easy pet?

Look closely...those are crickets in there! Again, this was not my idea. I was presented with a request to take the kids to the pet store, where they took their own money and each purchased two crickets. That orange cube in the jars is actually cricket food, which they bought by splitting the cost. I was the means by which they entered the store, but other than that, they didn't need me...both completed their own transactions, money-counting and all, while I acted as bystander. I did poke holes in the jar lid while the girls found grass and dirt for their cricket homes. After realizing that we were getting the crickets to keep and not to feed a reptile, the saleslady recommended pieces of egg carton, on which crickets like to climb. Who knew? 

The girls determined that they each had one male and female because their hind ends looked different, and they used this method to discern who was who: one set was known as Bacon and Crosby, the other, Cathy and Chris. Sadly, Bacon met her demise after only a few days, but Crosby is still going strong after almost two weeks. Her owner buried her in a mound of dirt beside the house, marking her grave with a stone. A funny thing happened to Cathy: she went missing one morning (we couldn't see her in the jar), and I actually found her in the bathroom! How she squeezed out of the air holes remains a mystery. She, too, passed away yesterday, but Chris lives on. Children don't form such an attachment as to make a cricket death traumatic, and they're only twelve cents to replace, too...easy, fun "pets" if you're looking for a low-maintenance animal (er, insect).

Speaking of animals...

Yes, every experience with our Nibbles is indeed "epic." I highly recommend a guinea pig. I'm amazed that God saw fit to put such personality into a rodent! Who doesn't want to kiss that sweet little face off?

The other night, the girls were busy doing something in their playroom. When one rushed down for a quick moment and I asked what they were up to, the answer was, "We're doing a Christmas pageant!" and that kid scurried back up to keep on with this absorbing project.  I had no idea what this "pageant" entailed, until I was summoned excitedly to "Come see our pageant!" This was what they had created:

I listened, all smiles, as they described everyone's role. The three folks to the left (with their backs to us) are the Wise Men; their gifts are in front of them. Baby Jesus is in the middle, wrapped in blue swaddling, cuddled in a Barbie dresser drawer. Joseph proudly stands to the left, broom in hand, and Mary is on the right. The group of pigs and cats in the background, behind Joseph, is the choir of angels. Three shepherds joyfully stand to the right, "staffs" in hand, with their "sheep" in front (here, a bunny, kitty, and hedgehog). Finally, the Angel of the Lord sits on top of the "manger," notice the wings and white "robe."

What a priceless delight this was! I love that my girls used their imaginations to create such a precious scene with the Calico Critters they enjoy so much. I believe the Lord delighted in it, too. He delights in our using the interests and talents He gives us; it gives Him glory. Childlike faith is beautiful to Him at any age. 

Finally, here are pages from two books we read today:

I am fascinated by stories or pictures of old-time doctors and medicines. This spread is from James Herriot's Treasury For Children, (1992) "The Market Square Dog." I highly recommend this beautiful collection of stories written by the former veterinarian about his own experiences. 

This page sums up the true meaning of Valentine's Day, about which we read today:

The Story of St. Valentine, More Than Cards and Candied Hearts, published by The Voice of the Martyrs and written by Cheryl Odden, was a gift from my mom. It tells the story of Valentinus, a Christ-follower during the oppressive reign of the Roman emperor Claudius, who banned marriage after few men agreed to sign up to defend his rule. He believed that people chose to marry and have families over fighting in his army. Valentinus believed that marriage was created and ordained by God, and therefore it wasn't up to Claudius to stop it. After being caught performing marriages in secret, Valentinus was arrested and jailed. He used his sentence to tell the guards and even Claudius about Christ dying for their sins, but was executed on February 14 in the year 269. Valentinus glorified Christ with his life and death; remembering and honoring him is what this holiday is about. He was a man who dedicated himself to the Lord. 

Be encouraged in your own "epic experiences" that don't have to cost much, and that create lifetime memories. My hat is off to anyone who celebrates the day-to-day fun of life! Our kids won't remember much about flashy experiences and all that money you spent on Pinterest birthdays, but they are guaranteed to treasure laughter, running in the yard, dirty fingernails, praying out loud, hours of playing, book characters, and all the other priceless memories they can have during childhood. You have a cheerleader in me, and I'd love to hear about your own "epic experiences."

Until next time!

Morning Books & Wide Interests

I speak often of The Cloud of Witness, Charlotte Mason's gift to graduates of her school, resurrected in reprint by Nancy Kelly. I delight daily in its Scripture, verses, and other words of wisdom.

Recently I was leisurely walking the aisles of a local antique shop and discovered a little volume similar to The Cloud entitled The Optimist's Good Morning. This 1907 devotional by Florence Hobart Perin contains a poem and prayer for each day. I badly wanted it, but the price tag deterred me. Once home, I was able to find it on eBay for pennies compared to the price of the one I had seen. 

This edition from 1929 is in pristine condition, and makes a nice companion for The Cloud. I highly recommend quiet mornings lingering over both!

Selections from The Cloud of Witness

Selections from The Optimist's Good Morning

Part of a Charlotte Mason education is handicrafts: weaving, origami, sewing, knitting, woodworking, etc. I confess I have been weak in incorporating handicrafts in our school, as I don't enjoy doing them myself. I've often had the conversation with other CM moms who feel the same way, and we joke that Legos count. Imagine the thrill that went through my heart the other day when my girls spent several days creating houses for their Calico Critters. This is what our kitchen looked like: 

The beauty of imagination and a feast of ideas is that I did nothing to prompt this; they came up with it all on their own, and all I had to do was cheer them on. This project is still in progress, so my handicraft "worries" are over for now! I love that we have time in our day to do this, for my children to be kids, using their own creativity without me imposing my own ideas, telling them how it should be done.

I delight in the fact that my girls can be dangerous on a tennis court, yet still set up scenes like this: 

Little girls are growing up too fast these days. It gives me great pleasure that mine love their babies, dolls as well as stuffed animals, and take care of them. I love their wide interests, from Laura Ingalls to Serena Williams, from American Girl to Toby Mac. It's important to me that they have plenty of time for what's important: running in the open air, making "fairy houses" outside out of stones and dirt, swinging light sabres with our neighbor friends, hitting the tennis ball on the side of the house alone as well as with other kids at clinics, curling up with good books, building with Legos, doing chores like folding clothes, and so many other activities, some planned, some not. 

Speaking of a variety of interests, here is a recent photo I snapped of my favorite hockey player, Sidney Crosby: 

Hockey is a tremendous interest in our family, and we look forward several times a week to seeing how our Pittsburgh Penguins will perform. My girls love to follow the statistics, and are becoming experts on the game as well as the players, not just of the Pens, but of all teams. It has opened the door for learning about Canada as well as many US states, and has been a good way to teach the girls the national anthems of both countries!

Our most recent game was when I took the photo above, when the Pens slaughtered the Carolina Hurricanes, 7-1. We enjoy traveling to games, and look forward to making many trips in the future. It  enables us not only to cheer on our team in away locations, but to learn about these places that boast professional hockey teams. We hope to see our Pens play in Canada, too. 

My girl asked me if I'd play Clue with them this morning before school. As I hesitated (because we normally launch straight into school before games), she looked up at me and said, "But Mom, how can you resist this face?" I had to commend her negotiating skills; you can guess what I'll be doing before school...

Until next time!