Month: May 2011

Planning Ahead

So, here it is, mid-May, and I’m planning for next school year.

What am I planning, you may ask?

Well, it’s not our third grade curriculum. No, I started thinking about that right after Christmas, and I’ve had my plan pretty solidified for a few months now.

What I’m planning now is our Christmas school for the year.

It’s really not that outlandish, honest. We’ll be starting Christmas school in under seven months, and I need to start brainstorming so it doesn’t take me by surprise. I need a theme, (which I’ve come up with–Christmas in America, through the centuries), and then I need resources, (which I’ve got a start on–using the American Girl series to show what Christmas was like at different points in American history). After that, I have to figure out crafts and field trips, what hymns/carols we might study, any movies/documentaries we’ll want to watch–it’s quite an undertaking.

Now, usually I’d start by thinking about Thanksgiving school at this time of year, and move on to Christmas in June or July. But since we’re using Adventures in My Father’s World for third grade, I don’t really have to worry about Thanksgiving school, as there is a whole week focusing on Thanksgiving built right into the schedule. This frees up my time, so I might as well dive right into Christmas plans.

Maybe it will help offset these unseasonably warm, upper 80 degree days we’ve been having already!

What We Hope For Our Children

I recently read Francine Rivers’s two-part Marta’s Legacy saga, (more on that in a future post), and something one of the characters said got me thinking. She said something along the lines of, “I never wanted my children to have things easier than I did.”

On the surface, that may sound shocking…why wouldn’t want a parent want a child to have things better than they did? But easier doesn’t always, (and maybe hardly ever does), equal better.

I don’t want my children’s lives to be easier than mine. Are there events of my life that I hope they won’t have to face? Of course. But I do want them to face hard things, because how you deal with those things helps shapes who you are. And you can’t appreciate the easy times as well, if you haven’t had to deal with difficulties.

I don’t necessarily want my children to have “more” than I did, either. Having more, whether it’s money, or things, or whatever, doesn’t make you happier, or stronger, or even more successful. “More” can also lead to more suffering, more struggle, more troubles.

What I want is for my children to be better than me. Better people, better friends, better servants…just better. If they are better than me, then I will feel like I have done my job as a mother, and feel that they will better serve the Lord and His people in whatever they do. And isn’t that really all a mother can ask for?

And Then There Were Four

We’re up to four eggs in the robin’s nest now.

From what little research I’ve done, this seems to be a very average number of eggs, as most robins lay between three and five at a time.

Now we just have to wait and see if four is it, or if this robin is an overachiever, and decides to go for the above-average five!

The Third Egg

Apparently there is a lot about birds I don’t know.

Yesterday afternoon, the nest in our tree contained two robin’s eggs. And they’d been there since at least Friday morning. This morning, I discovered that there are now three eggs in the nest.

It’s not the number of eggs that surprises me…I was actually a little surprised that there were “only” two in the first place. I was expecting there to be three or four. What I did find surprising was the fact that so much time could pass in the egg-laying process. I had always assumed that all of the eggs would be laid in a short period of time…within one day, I guess. So now I’m left wondering if this is it this time, or if we might find a fourth egg in a couple of days!

A Mother’s Day Prayer

Our pastor prayed a prayer very similar to this one this morning, only he also included a petition for mothers who have lost children. I wish I had the full text of that prayer, because I found it especially comforting this year, but this is equally beautiful, from the LetUsPray section of the LCMS website:

“Blessed Father, You grant us life through our parents and You set children in families. Be pleased to bless our mothers, especially on this Mothers’ Day. Help them recognize the holy office You have entrusted to them, and strengthen them to serve faithfully and well within it. Grant that their motherly service may not be burdensome, but rather joyful and glad. Bless all women who do not have children and those whose children are estranged from them, that their hope and confidence may ever remain in You in whom true joy is found. Give us loving hearts that freely give thanks for our mothers, that heartily forgive them where they have failed and fallen short, that willingly obey them, and that gladly honor them. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.”

Our Robin

Our robin actually let me get close enough to take a picture of her yesterday afternoon. To be honest, I think it was nap time–while she did keep a close eye on me, she seemed too tired to bother to fly away. Hopefully I’ll get a similar close-up once the eggs hatch!

An Early Mother’s Day

We celebrated Mother’s Day a day early today–at the ballpark!

I think these seats were the best ones we’ve had at Busch Stadium so far. They were on the top deck, but they didn’t feel as high up as the last time we went. We were also on the third base side of home, so our view of the game was awesome! The skyline view was equally as awesome–especially the Arch. It’s also the first time we’ve really had a good view of the arch mirrored in the grass of the outfield, which has always amused me as far as ballpark aesthetics go.

The day was perfect–sunny and in the low 70s, with a nice breeze. It was also hat day, which was fun, and I think the hats are actually really cool. The only downside to the game was the fact that the Cards lost. I think Moose’s face sums up how we all felt about that!

Birdwatching

I have to say, I’m really enjoying having a bird’s nest in our tree!

I wish I could share a picture of the bird on her nest, but every time we leave the house, the bird spooks and flies off. The tree is right by of our front window, however, so I can see her sitting there from the comfort of our den. For some reason, I find it very entertaining just to watch her. Every now and again she stands up, stretches, (I assume that’s what she’s doing, anyway), and sits back down in a slightly different position. I imagine it does get rather tiresome sitting on eggs all day, everyday.

Earlier, another bird made the mistake of perching on the other side of the tree. I can’t even describe the noise that followed; suffice it to say, the other bird left quickly! I had forgotten just how protective birds are of their young. That could make getting a picture of the babies once they hatch challenging to say the least, but I shall try!

This experience has also raised some questions. Does the mother leave the nest to hunt worms? She must, right? Do robins mate for life (I know some birds do)? If so, where is the male, and what is he doing? If not, does he care about his babies at all, or has he just moved on? Why are robin’s eggs blue? Are eggs uncomfortable to sit on, or is a bird’s body designed so that it’s not too bad? I’m determined to find the answers to at least some of these, because my curiosity has been piqued.

I’m loving this living biology lab right in our own front yard!

Quote of the Day

“All right, I’ve been thinking. When life gives you lemons? Don’t make lemonade. Make life take the lemons back! Get mad! I don’t want your damn lemons! What am I supposed to do with these?! Demand to see life’s manager! Make life rue the day it thought it could give Cave Johnson lemons! Do you know who I am? I’m the man who’s gonna burn your house down! With the lemons! I’m gonna get my engineers to invent a combustible lemon that burns your house down!” Cave Johnson in Portal 2