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All posts for the month March, 2010

It Just Sort of Sneaks Up on You

Published March 26, 2010 by amandamarkel

I have noticed myself lately having to tell Moose to be quieter, or even to stop talking.

I never thought I’d see the day when I’d discourage his speech!

Of course, we’ve seen a lot of improvements in him over the last year or so. There was a big language leap right after school started up again last August. And the Rising Star award he received last fall. So I knew that he was improving, and catching up, at least somewhat, to where he *should* be.

Even knowing all that, I guess I didn’t realize just how much he’s been talking. All of the sudden, he’s finding words to express himself–”I need help,” “Ladybug hit me,” “Funny,” “I want ice cream,” (he is still a four-year-old, after all!), “My tummy hurts.”

That’s all I really wanted for him when this whole school thing started–that he’d be able to get the help he needed so that he could tell us what’s on his mind. He still has a long way to go–he’s not at a four-year-old level for speech or anything, and he can’t put together really long thoughts–but he *can* tell us if something is bothering him, or if something amuses him or makes him happy, or if he wants something (even if that something is ice cream!)–that achievement has been the goal all along!

So, he’s really started communicating, and I’m finding that, for the first time, as with all children, sometimes I need to tell him to stop talking. Part of me hates discouraging his speech in any way, but the other part of me is so very grateful that he’s reached another very “normal” milestone!

What We're Up To

Published March 26, 2010 by amandamarkel

I’ve been a major blogging slacker lately, but I thought I’d share some of the things Turkey and Bunny are really enjoying in school right now.

We’ve almost made it through the Old Testament in Egermeier’s Bible Storybook. I’ve found this to be an excellent Bible storybook–it doesn’t dumb the stories down too much, and it includes way more of the Biblical narrative than most storybooks do. We’re also still working on memorizing the six chief parts of the Catechism, which sadly has turned into the five chief parts, because we never remember to do the last one on Saturday. We’ll have to work on that if they’re ever to learn confession!

They’ve (mostly) mastered the basics of addition (although we haven’t approached carrying numbers yet–but give it a few weeks, and we’ll be there!), and we’ve moved on to subtraction. While Turkey breezed right through adding, and Bunny struggled for some time to memorize the addition facts, the tables have turned, and she’s having an easy time subtracting, while Turkey has to work at it. Actually, I think the role reversal has been really good for both of them, for different reasons!

Their reading is really progressing–there’s really not too much they can’t sound out now. But they’re both still intimidated by books with a lot of words on the page, so they haven’t started reading chapter books in the way I had hoped. We’re working on that hurdle.

Speaking of reading, we’ve had some read-alouds lately that they’ve loved. Dolphin Adventure and Dolphin Treasure (neither of which I had read before) were *huge* hits, and The Wonderful Wizard of Oz is equally popular. The books they’re loving more than any other right now, though, are the Grandma’s Attic books. I can’t tell you how happy this makes me–I still remember getting my first (of many) copies of In Grandma’s Attic at an Amish-run restaurant in Pennsylvania when I was about seven. I have read the series so many times over the years, I know them by heart. I was hoping that the children wouldn’t find them boring, and to my delight, they love them, even Moose and Ladybug! It’s become a favorite part of our pre-bedtime ritual to read a few chapters.

Turkey and Bunny continue to be fascinated by all things science–as soon as it gets a little warmer, we’ll have a small butterfly garden in our home, so we can watch the whole life cycle of caterpillar to butterfly. We also had a great time sprouting bean seeds (although our attempts to transplant them to small pots didn’t go so well!).

So, that’s what we’ve been up to. We did have a special two-week long Olympics unit was really fun, and included a family field trip to a local ice skating rink. I have to come up with some spring and summer themed field trips–I’m pretty sure strawberry picking will be involved at some point!

"Here Burns My Candle" Blog Book Tour

Published March 25, 2010 by amandamarkel

I have been waiting for Liz Curtis Higgs’ new book, Here Burns My Candle, for years. Literally. Her last Scottish novel, Grace in Thine Eyes, came out in March 2006, and ever since, I have been anxiously awaiting whatever she had in store next. If WaterBrook hadn’t kindly provided me with a copy (a pre-release, no less! A dream come true for me!), I certainly would have pre-ordered it from Amazon. Obviously, my expectations for the book were high.

I was once again astounded by Liz’s attention to detail–particularly her use of Scottish dialect and knowledge of Scottish history, among other things. Her characters, as always, are interesting, likable, flawed, and very, very real.

The story was very engaging. It focuses on the well-to-do Kerr family–matriarch Marjory, her two sons, Donald, who is the source of much gossip for his many rumored affairs, and Andrew, and their wives, Elisabeth, whose lowly past and secret pagan life make her an unlikely match for the aristocratic Donald, and Janet, whose life’s purpose is to be a high society woman.

The story takes place around the Jacobite uprising in Scotland, with Elisabeth being sympathetic to the cause of Bonny Prince Charlie, and the men of her family eventually also deciding to join in the uprising. Parts of the story follow the Biblical narrative of Ruth (but only through verse 18 of chapter one), and other parts illustrate a story you might expect to hear from the descendants of a Scottish family who lived through these events, and all the repercussions said events would have on a family, from social status to finances.

All that being said, I was disappointed with one thing. This is supposed to be Biblical fiction–a retelling of the story of Ruth in a 18th century Scottish setting. I didn’t feel that the book was able to delve into the Biblical account nearly enough–there was so much backstory and character development that you could almost forget that it’s supposed to be based on a Bible story until the end of the book. As far as flat-out historical fiction, this book is excellent, but as Biblical fiction, it was a bit lacking. I’m hoping that problem will be corrected in the sequel, Mine is the Night, coming out next spring. I know I’ll be counting down the days until then!

Why I Don't Like Dave Ramsey

Published March 24, 2010 by amandamarkel

I guess it’s not really fair to say I don’t like Dave Ramsey. I really don’t know anything about him, as a person. But I’m not a big fan of his program, so I guess what I really don’t like is Financial Peace University.

Don’t get me wrong, I think being debt free is a great thing. I’m not debt free, although I hope to be some day. I’m not drowning in credit card debt, either, though. I like to think that I have responsible debt, things like a mortgage, and the remainder of a student loan (fine, and a car loan, but that’s a recent development, and hopefully will be paid off ahead of schedule, and with only .62% interest!). So the debt snowball and debt-free lifestyle make sense to me, even if I don’t think it’s always practical in the real world.

What I can’t stand, though, is his approach to savings. It’s one thing to have some money saved up for an emergency, which, in general, I try to do; it’s another thing altogether to save up three month’s worth of expenses, and then a year’s worth of expenses, and then even more than that, just in case something catastrophic happens.

I get that bad things happen, that people have accidents, disabilities, lose jobs. But I also think it’s completely unbiblical to save up for the “just in case.” As a matter of fact, Matthew 6 spends a lot of time on just this topic. First:

Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Matthew 6:19-21

Saving up is all fine and good, but nothing lasts forever, and let’s be honest, there could come a time when our money is useless. Confederate currency used as wallpaper, anyone? Sure, that’s a worst case scenario, but I think that excessive saving gives a false sense of security, that nothing bad can happen to you if you have enough money in the bank, and that’s simply not true.

And how about the worry regarding the “what-ifs” of the future, the fixation on the bad things that *could* happen, that causes people to want to save obsessively? Matthew 6 addresses that, too:

Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?  Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them.  Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. ”Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.  Matthew 6:25-34

Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for being a good steward, for not spending money you don’t have, for being responsible with what you’re given (because God also calls us to do all that!). But I don’t think that worrying about having enough money “just in case” is how God calls us to live. There’s a lack of faith in that lifestyle.

Can I Just Send Turkey to Law School Now?

Published March 24, 2010 by amandamarkel

Turkey has always loved to, um, argue. He’s getting more sophisticated with his arguments, however, and it’s starting to concern me.

Last week, he and Bunny were disagreeing about something. She ended up smacking him, and he promptly smacked her back. Because I don’t want him to think it’s OK to hit girls, I decided to deal with his disobedience first, and it was an interesting experience.

We’ve been talking a lot lately about treating others the way you want to be treated, and I thought it was working, at least I did until that day. When I reminded him that’s the way we should behave, he came back with, “But she must *want* me to hit her, because she hit me first, and we’re supposed to treat others the way we want to be treated.”

OK, he may have had a point regarding her actions. I *know* he knows what the concept *really* means though, so he’s just sharpening his debate (and critical thinking) skills on me.

I’m not sure I’m up for the challenge!

I'm Married to a "Transponster!"

Published March 24, 2010 by amandamarkel

Anyone remember that Friends episode, “The One with the Embryos?” I have always loved the dialogue in that particular show, especially the part culminating with an explanation of Chandler’s job:

Ross: What is Chandler Bing’s job?

Rachel: Oh! Oh gosh, it has something to do with numbers.

Monica: And processing!

Rachel: Oh, well… and he carries a briefcase!

Ross: Ten seconds. You need this or you lose the game.

Monica: It’s, um, it has something to do with transponding.

Rachel: Oh, oh, oh, he’s a transpons… transponster!

Monica: That’s not even a word!

While I have always appreciated the humor of this exchange, I now really understand it, because I’m married to a transponster. At least that’s the way it feels!

Ryan started working full-time for Automattic two months ago (as a Happiness Engineer), and even though I have tried really hard, I’m still not entirely sure what he does, so to me, he’s a transponster. I know he works from home (which is awesome!), that he helps people with their WordPress blogs (very cool), and that he loves his job (the best part of the whole deal). Other than that, I’m still kind of unclear as to what he actually does.

Damn, one of these days I’m really gonna have to start listening when he talks about his job!

Book Review: "The Big Picture Story Bible"

Published March 9, 2010 by amandamarkel

I recently had the opportunity to read David Helm’s The Big Picture Story Bible to my children. It was a huge hit! Even though I would consider a toddler/preschool Bible storybook, my older two (ages 7 and 6) were also riveted. One of the things they, in particular, enjoyed about the book were the questions interwoven in the stories. These, of course, are not a standard part of the Biblical narrative, but gave them the chance to think about the story, and then show their understanding of what they had heard.

The large pictures were especially enjoyed by my younger two children (ages 4 and 3). They found it easy to point out different familiar items, such as animals, people, and vegetation. My youngest didn’t want me to stop reading, and we read over 100 pages in one sitting. Granted, there isn’t a lot of writing on each page, but it still held her attention for a long time.

As a parent, I thought this was a good book. The stories, of course, are nothing new, but I did enjoy the way one part led into another, showing the connection between Bible stories. I did find the book to be an odd size and shape for holding and reading to a child sitting in my lap, but I made it work.

What I liked most about the book, though, was my children’s reaction to it. I started reading to the youngest two, and when I glanced up, I realized the 6-year-old had left her artwork to listen in, and a short while later, when I read one of the questions, my 7-year-old, who I didn’t even think was listening, chimed in with the answer. It is always a pleasure to see my children enjoying the Word of God!

Find out more about this book at www.crossway.org/blog

Book Review: "The Liturgical Year"

Published March 4, 2010 by amandamarkel

As a conservative Lutheran, the structure of the Church Year is very important to me. From the beginning of the new year at Advent, to the season of Feasts and Festivals, to the teaching time of the year throughout the season of Pentecost, I mark my days by the flow of the church year even more than I do that of the calendar year.

Given my deep appreciation for the church year, and it’s usefulness in teaching and ordering our days, I was very excited to read The Liturgical Year (part of the Ancient Practices series) by Joan Chittister. This book is an excellent introduction to the concept of “Liturgical Time,” especially for those Christians who may not be familiar with the idea of having a specific routine of days in the church.  The author summarized the church year well by saying:

The liturgical year is the process of coming back year after year to look at what we already know, on one level, but are newly surprised by again and again…

There were, of course, a few things in the book that didn’t sit quite right with me (emphasis on Marian feasts, for one, and a sense of mysticism, for another), as the book was written by a Roman Catholic, but the Lutheran church shares much history with the Catholic church, so I found it to be mostly beneficial.

I also appreciated the author’s description as to *why* we live a liturgical life:

We do not live a liturgical life to look good to other people. We do not develop a liturgical spirituality to affect a kind of spiritual dimension in our lives. And we certainly do not go to Mass regularly to avoid hell. We live a liturgical life in order to become like the One whom we follow from the manger to the Mount of Olives.

Great resource for those wanting to understand more about the basis and practice of the church year!

May The Force Be With You

Published March 3, 2010 by amandamarkel

Turkey has a bad ear infection, which kept him up most of last night, and necessitated a trip to the doctor this afternoon. When we stopped at Target to get his prescription filled, I bought him a small Lego Star Wars set as a reward for being so brave when he was hurting, and so polite to the doctor and nurse.

When we got home, he excitedly tore into the box, and in addition to the packs we were expecting with droids and a little ship, we also discovered a surprise Darth Vader bag, with a web address on it. Curious, I looked it up, and here’s what I found:

Isn’t that awesome? What a nice treat for a little boy who doesn’t feel well!

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