Loving Books

I have a special sentimentality for books. I still go back to my parents house and look through the books they used to read me when I was a child. I grab up my favorite copies of books at garage sales(no matter how many copies I already have)and I love to lay in bed at the end of the day with a good biography. I am so enriched by the books that other people write and illustrate. I guess that's why I thought it would be important to pass my love of books on to my children. Then also,if you watch PBS, you know that "experts say reading with your child is the best way to help them learn to read".

So, as soon as Mechanism was old enough to sit in the stroller, off we went to the library. We went to story time, and checked out more books than we could carry. We didn't stay in the children's section either. While children's books are very wonderful, my kids love to peruse the adult science, nature, and engineering shelves as well. We sat on the sofa and read them all...again and again. I enjoyed it as much as he did, and we started collecting our own books when ever we could.

I set up little reading nooks all over the houses we lived in. No matter where we lived, there had to be a low, soft spot with all kinds of books on shelves or in crates or just stacked on the floor, and Mechanism was attracted to these reading nooks like a little magnet. He spent hours looking at books. It never seemed to bother him that he couldn't read the words.

Then came Texas. He didn't like to be held, let alone sit on my lap for a story. But I kept reading aloud while Texas played cars or colored, and he started coming over to see the pictures. Now he likes to be read to almost as much as Mechanism.

Now, learning to read is a whole nother issue! It can be very hard work, unless you happen to have one of those kids who teaches themselves to read when they are three. But I had to teach both of mine the hard way. We learned phonics, which helped a lot, and we did a lot of snuggly, mommy and me reading time. Texas is still struggling through the mommy and me times, but I have patience and hope knowing that Mechanism
struggled also. Then he found a serries of chapter books he really wanted to read and never looked back. I think that when the hard work of reading came for my boys, it helped them to already love books. They already knew reading as a comftrable, time they enjoyed with me, and the having to learn to read part was softened by that.

Now we try to take at least a half an hour a day for quiet reading time, especially in the summer. It kind of replaces nap time. We all lay down somewhere after lunch and enjoy a book or two. I don't get to read my own books at reading time yet, but as soon as Texas gets off and running, I'll be able to enjoy that too.

Proverbs 12:11

"Whoever works his land will have plenty of bread, but he who follows worthless pursuits lacks sense."

Soup

I know that the middle of June is a strange time to be writing about soup; but my husband came home two nights ago craving it. So, in scuttering about trying to make something to suit his fancy, I have been thinking a lot about soup! If we are wanting it even on a hot summer evening it must be pretty special. Check out my page on soup to the right. I'll bet you will go down to the kitchen and try one of the recipes.

Swinging

How do you like to go up in a swing,
Up in the air so blue?
Oh, I do think it the pleasantest thing
Ever a child can do!

Up in the air and over the wall,
Till I can see so wide,
River and trees and cattle and all
Over the countryside--

Till I look down on the garden green,
Down on the roof so brown--
Up in the air I go flying again,
Up in the air and down!
-Robert Louis Stevenson

We went to the park this morning. My boys ditched their bikes at the playground and scampered up the jungle gym. I sat on the bench like a "mom" and watched them make beleive in their little matching camouflage outfits. Soon, my back started to hurt from sitting on the metal bench, but the boys were still having fun. I looked over at the swings. The soft rubber seat looked inviting, so I walked over and sat down. My back immediately started to feel better. I swung my legs and noticed how perfictly blue the sky was, and how perfectly green the trees and grass were.
Pretty soon, before I knew it, I was flying high up in the air. I could see my little shoes against the chrystal blue sky. My hair was brushing the ground as I leaned back on the way down. The air was soft and cool. The sun was warm. it was a perfect moment. And so much better than sitting on the bench! The boys soon came over and wanted to swing too. I can still hear Texas' bubbly giggle as I pushed him higher and higher.
How do YOU like to go up in a swing, up in the air so blue? Oh, I do think it the pleasantest thing ever a mommy can do!

Men In the Kitchen

I enjoy cooking, but when I cook, it is usually for necessity and I do so much of it, I try to do it quickly. Maybe that's why the men in my life surprise me when I see them cook. They aren't burdened with the fact that a household of hungry people are depending on them for sustenance and that frees them up to take their time and enjoy themselves. When my dad found himself living away from home for his job years ago, he started baking in his spare time. He got really good at making bread and pie. I remember watching him carefully roll his dough into a perfect ball and thinking, wow, I never take the time to do that. Mine is always kind of half kneeded when I throw it into the bowl to rise. I have actually become a little self concious offering up any pie for his finely tuned senses to critique.

Sometimes the methods men use are unconventional. I'll bet if I took a survey, I'd find it isn't uncomon for garage tools to double as kitchen utensils. In high school I dated a guy who liked to poach salmon in the dishwasher. It drove his mother nuts, but it did taste pretty OK. And my Aunt can tell you stories about the way my Uncle likes to tinker with his giant espresso machine, and marinates strange meats with exotic sauces. He even deep fries several turkeys each Thanksgiving for families around his town. My Aunt stands by with the fire extinguisher since the whole thing is rather flamable.

Now Mechanism is learning to cook and bake. He questions the way I do things. They seem difficult to him and he can think of an easier way. I guess I never thought about an easier way to clean the counter for example. Today, after kneading his bread, he asked if he could use the vacume cleaner to clean off the counter. I told him "no". Actually, it might be a nice idea if it wouldn't gum up the vacume cleaner. I guess that's one more thing he'll have to invent. A counter top vacume.

So, I think this summer, I'll take a lesson from my guys and cook less. But when I do, I'll try to take more time, and enjoy myself. I might even get a little more creative with my problem solving. And hey, if I'm not cooking as much, we can just eat cerial and enjoy more time spent together.

An Adventure in the Park

Peanut has been begging to go to Wheel Park to run his RC car.  So yesterday, we drove on down there and let him drive to his hearts content.  He really needs a gas powered one to rip up the course, but that can wait since he's only six. 

Mechanism brought his bike and I brought my skateboard.  We brought Peanut's scooter too, and took off from the RC track up the sidewalk to Olympic Park and around the loop.  It must have been near a mile and I have to say, that's about as far as I want to go on a skateboard.  A bike is a lot less work, but it was fun sailing down the hills and swooping around the turns.

Then we headed home for some slip and sliding and reading time.  This summer we will also be checking out some 80's movies from the library.  Yesterday we watched Back to the Future.  I forgot how much bad language that movie has.  Too bad.  They really could have left it out.  We are waiting to get ahold of Big. 

Today, I'm sad to say, we have to clean our rooms. 

Summer Vacation

We finished school for the year on May 26th, but today feels like the first day of vacation.  I guess we've been pretty busy catching up on things.  The garden is planted, the lawn has been mowed, the house is...cleaner.  I'm looking forward to some summer reading, playing in the sun and eating from the garden again.