Monday Reading, A La Tuesday Afternoon

Good Monday, happy friends! Oh, and happy Purim! It's the perfect day for such a delightful celebration!

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Okay, well, now it's Tuesday, and um... This didn't get posted. Life sometimes gets in the way, you know? But anyway, here is the post that I wrote most of yesterday. Take your time, enjoy it, you deserve it!

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Spring is in full blossom here, and I am so happy for it. There is nothing that quite compares to sunshine and daffodils and the gentle warmth that laces the air in early spring after a cold, cold winter.

There are so many things blooming here. My heart, not the least of them. And... Ideas. Change. Happiness. Reading. The original title of this post was Reading In Full-Bloom... But then it suddenly became Tuesday, and the title needed changing.

Anyway... I really like that original title, because it's so evocative, because it feels cheerful, and because that's really the way it is around here right now!

Lots of growing things going on everywhere. 

My last post, the one about living with diabetes, was definitely an example of personal growth. I have rarely, if ever, shared much of what I wrote. And now, it seems like that's all I want to do. I've started and stopped and thought about at least forty-seven different posts about diabetes in the last few days. So there will definitely be more of that coming in the future! I feel as though I'm putting down roots in ways I never have before with regard to living more openly as a diabetic. So... We'll see how it goes.

In unrelated news, things on the home front have smoothed and settled and ruffled and floundered in the last week. Sounds fun, yes? Eh... Yes. For the most part.

But anyway.

KayKay is majorly into ancient Egypt right now, so we've been doing and talking and reading and eating and breathing (I kid you not, and oh! I have a story to tell about the eating part) ancient Egypt. We've watched all the documentaries (thank you, Netflix streaming!).  We got and made this mummy-in-a-box thing (which is pretty cool, but doesn't come with quite enough "linen" - read: cotton gauze - so if you get it, be aware) for a VERY GOOD DEAL (at least, compared with the Amazon price!). We've read books and books and MORE books on ancient Egypt. We've gone to dozens of websites - there's a lot of really awesome stuff out there - and we've learned how to write in heiroglyphics. I say "we" here, but it's really mostly KayKay-led learning with the Ladybug and I tagging along for the ride. And I couldn't be more thrilled. This is the first subject that we've done that she's really devoured. I nearly can't keep up with her. *Happy sigh* My heart is happy in this. Yay!

I think I will do a post on what we've done later in the week. There are too many good resources not to share!

The Ladybug is also growing her vocabulary every day. She's at nearly fifty words and counting! We spent the day yesterday making simple vocabulary cards and then putting together interesting sentences. It is a game to her, and we both love it. It feels much more interactive (important for one who is constantly on the go like her) than the chalkboard we have been using. As this goes on, I'll likely write about it on here, if anyone else is interested in what we've been doing and how.

They have both been spending a lot of time outdoors, which makes this mama's heart VERY happy. Although we don't have a yard, we do have a bit of greenery and our neighbors (most of them, at least) are very obliging about sharing their spaces with us, too. I can drink my coffee (or sometimes, as this morning, tea) in peace and listen to them chatter away at everything from the shrubs to the roly-poly bugs they find. Listening to their conversations and the games they come up with is always an eye-openingly hilarious experience, too. Right now they're grunting and making caveman noises at each other, mixed together with a healthy dose of giggling. They've been doing that for the last five minutes, and it's showing no signs of stopping.

I find it fascinating that they find so little to fight about outside, but INSIDE they argue over everything. And I mean E-V-E-R-Y-T-H-I-N-G. Dust bunnies and old receipts are *not* exempt from this. And you think I'm kidding... I wish I were.

Anyway. Here is the post that was meant for yesterday. Enjoy, friends!

Books

Okay, so my reading hasn't... Stalled... But I haven't finished *anything* I've been working on. Sad, I know. But this week, it's more been a little ADD. Kind of jumping around to a dozen different things. I think part of that is due to the fact that I recently placed a rather large Amazon book order and, um... I don't know where to start! So I kind of started several of them. Oh, boy.

So here's what we have:

Mathematicians Are People, Too: Stories from the Lives of Great Mathematicians, by Luetta and Wilbert Reimer... I ordered this one for KayKay in the hopes to garner more interest in mathematics. She hasn't read it yet, but I did (at least, most of it). This is a FANTASTIC book. Here is my professional assessment (aren't I smart??) -

Pros: Very nearly everything. The stories are presented clearly, and yet illustrate mathematical principals in very interesting ways. The stories themselves are entertaining and often humorous. The selection of mathematicians is wide and varied. I am very pleased with this purchase.

Cons: The only downside I can see is that in a couple of the stories the principals that are presented are either not fully explained or too complicated for a young reader to fully understand. This is not so important to me because I more want to garner interest in the subject and not necessarily teach those principals that are in the book. However, I can see that there will likely be questions about the different theorems, and I am woefully unprepared, so I think a bit of brushing up on my algebra and geometry are in order. Hopefully I'll be able to work that out so it is agreeable to all involved. Also, this book is not appropriate for a child under the age of seven or eight, or who is not at least reading chapter books. I would say it's written at about a fourth-or-fifth grade level.

Conclusion: I would absolutely recommend this book to any parent or child who might be interested (or even NOT interested, as in our case). I think that it is most appropriate for children ages eight-to-twelve, and that it's worth buying or checking out from the library for the historical lessons as well as the mathematical. There may be more to say about it once KayKay has read it, but in the meantime, I think it's great!

The Book Thief, by Marcus Zusak. I have put down Eat, Pray, Love for a little bit in favor of this fictional account of a young German girl in Nazi Germany. I was thoroughly intrigued by the idea of this book, which is told from the perspective of Death.

Pros: The writing is descriptive and evocative. The story is laid out in an unusual manner, and the characters are colorful and interesting. There is a good sprinkling of German throughout, which I like, often without translation, which I also like. So far, so good.

Cons: The story is laid out in an unusual manner and I'm not certain how I feel about it. The storyline is frequently interrupted, albeit with relevant information, but still it feels disjointed at times. Also, the way  in which it is interrupted - sort of newspaper headline-ish, or maybe like telegraphs, I don't know - is somewhat disconcerting.

I haven't come to a conclusion yet. I'll let you know when I'm finished with it, though!

Then there is James Herriot's Treasure For Children: Warm And Joyful Tales For Children. I read All Creatures Great And Small last year (and LOVED IT - review to come!) and was thrilled to find this version for young children on Amazon. So of course I snatched it up.

We will be reading this together soon, methinks. We are still reading Just So Stories, and I, of course, am still in the midst of Eat, Pray, Love AND Beatrix Potter: A Life In Nature (my *own* copy this time, I bought it, YAY!) AND the one I just mentioned (The Book Thief) AND a couple of others that I'm not going to go into (yet!). Whew. That's overwhelming just looking at. But I'm loving it.

So. That's that. Hopefully I'll get DONE with one or two (or twelve) of them this week and can actually write a better review next week. But don't hold your breath.

Links

This is a whole lotta links this week. And not even the half that I wanted to post! I've been going a little book/blog crazy lately, can you tell?

Tiny Poppy Seed 'Tashen: Smitten Kitchen. Well. Since I was supposed to publish this YESTERDAY, it kinda went along with the whole "Happy Purim!" theme (and springtime. Because springtime is for cookies, right?)... But then, this didn't get posted. Argh. But still. These are awesome. Seriously. Uber-tasty. Not that I've ever actually made any, but I sure have EATEN a whole bunch. Yum! 

And while we're on recipes, here's another from her:


Whole Wheat Goldfish Crackers: Smitten Kitchen. These are so awesome! And look like they (might) be a fun thing to make with kiddos. Or at least, to EAT with kiddos. Take some time to look around the site while you're over there, because it's fantastic. Smitten indeed.


What Would You Do With A Pot of Gold: Hands For Hope. This small, short, little story really struck me hard. Harder still because I simply *love* what this organization does, and how it allows children and youth to impact those in need. This has been on my heart to do for some time now, and so I was excited to see that others are actually DOING it.


The Ultimate Artist PSA: Create As Folk. I love the truth in this. I love the words: activate, initiate, persist, in relation to creativity.


Keep On Keeping On: Chookooloonks. This is EXACTLY where I stand on what's going on in the world right now. I had a post I was writing about it, and then I read this and thought, "I couldn't say it any better." I may still finish that post, but in the meantime, if you want to know, here you go. (Oh, and this blog is pretty awesome, too.)


In Place of Words: Pastor's Girl's Ponderings. The part where photos take the place of words? Yeah. That's the lesson I need to learn. I am drawn to this post and this blog... Perhaps there is more to learn from here? I don't know, I haven't explored it yet!

Create The Habit: Inspired To Action. Oh, Kat, you've got me again. I was so encouraged by this post, and at the same time, totally recognized my failings in trying to do TOO MUCH when changing and creating habits. Good read!


Why Anne Rice Has Never Been More of A Christian: Huffington Post. This article is searing, real and true. I was blown away by its honesty and really admire Anne Rice for what she said.

Festivus Celebration of Spiritual Art - Potter Mimi Stadler: Motherhood Is Not For Wimps. This is a fantastic look into the life of an artist and into Orthodox Judaism. I love how she brings her art into her life. I love how she sees her work in her studio as an extension of the community she lives in, and what community looks like (like, really love this). Love how ancient symbols become new through her art. And I love how she discusses what it means to be an Orthodox Jew and the importance of the seder and Passover.


Celebrate Festivus: Motherhood Is Not For Wimps. And, in case you're wondering about the title of the above post, this author is doing a whole thing on Festivus (it's kind of a FAQ, but it's pretty hilarious). TOTALLY AWESOME IDEA.


33 Unusual Tips To Being A Better Writer: The Altucher Confidential. This article is hilariously awesome. And I completely agree with (most of) it. There are a couple of little quibbles, but over all, in writing, much of what he says is oh-so-very true. I'm thinking of trying that whole "Take out the first and last paragraph of everything you write." Except here on my blog, there's usually not so much "first and last," am I right? What do you think of these ideas? And on writing in general?


Advice I Want To Tell My Daughters: The Altucher Confidential. I love this post. That is all.

This next site goes hand-in-hand (kind of) with what James Altucher was talking about above (the writing post):

Arts & Letters Daily. This site is really cool. I've already read some great stuff off of here, and I thought I'd share!


Epic Bacon Mac & Cheese Pie: Yummly. A friend of mine posted this on Facebook, and all I can say is, "YES." Oh, bacon. You get me every time.

Homeschooling For Free Or Nearly Free: Heart Of The Matter. This is a fantastic article about what homeschooling can look like outside of a full-curriculum and on a tight budget. And I will completely vouch for the thrift store suggestion, because I've (already) accumulated BAGS of books from the local thrift stores for super cheap. And what makes that even more awesome is that when we're done with them (*if* they are still in decent condition), I can turn around and sell them on Amazon and make a few bucks. WHOOOO.


Adventure Boxes: Heart Of The Matter. What a great idea! I am going to see about coming up with something along these lines for the girls... I'm thinking it could have endless usage, though, aside from simply during summertime. In my mind, this is such a great way to prepare for and do unit studies! 

Rainbow Dreams: Gathering Spriggs. Because we all need a dose of beautiful at least once a day.

And lastly, because it's me, go here and try this fun little thing. Brilliant!

Ooooooh, I gotta run, my tea's burning! Later!

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