Mandi thinks...

... that I work very hard.

For the last two weeks, she has been telling me at least once a day, "I love you and thank you for all you do for me."

And yesterday, she told me she only wanted to have one kid. I asked her why and she said," Because sometimes it is hard for you to take care of all of us, so I better only have one kid, then it won't be so hard."

Some current library favorites

I wanted to share some jewels I happened upon at the local library. We have been enjoying them and the kids seem to be learning, too.

A Book about Design- Complicated Doesn't Make It Good
And
Another Book about Design-Complicated Doesn't Make It Bad
both by Mark Gonyea

These books teach the elements of graphic design using simple shapes, lines, colors, and a sense of humor. I learned from them as well as the kids and they wanted to try some of it out. It was fun and so interesting.

Unlikely Pairs Fun with Famous Works of Art by Bob Raczka

This is a fun introduction to famous works of art. Two pieces of art are paired together and you have to guess what the connection is. There is a brief description about each artist at the end of the book. It left us wanting more, so I have requested an interlibrary loan for 2 more by the same author.

Nim's Island
Nim at Sea
by Wendy Orr

If you have seen the movie, you get the idea. It is sort of a modern day Robinson Curusoe only it is just a little girl who is stranded on the island. Of course, the book is much better than the movie, with more details and so cleverly written.

Grace read the first book in one day and I read the second one in two. Mandi and I are reading the first one together. They are short, but packed with adventure. I think they would be great for a family read aloud or independent reading.

A Dog Called Grk
Grk and the Pelotti Gang
Grk and the Hot Dog Trail

all by Joshua Doder

Levi has read 2 of the three and can't wait to finish the third. I am almost done with one of them. These are adventure mysteries with kids as the detectives. These are perfect for kids who like action and danger on a kids level.

......Because it is important to me!

When Mandi was 3 and taking swimming lessons, she cried every morning when she woke up and said," I don't want to go to swimming lessons." Then she cried the whole way to the pool.

I wanted to say, "O. K., you don't have to do it. I don't like making you do it either. It is hard for you, so you can quit." So I asked her instructor how to handle it.

She said just to keep telling her, "It is important for you to do this." So I did and I'm not sure it helped her any, but it did help me.

Then, this past summer, when I was visiting my brother Roger, he was telling me about how he motivated his middle school basket ball players. He started the beginning of the year with an illustration using toilet paper. He said, "Just think about what you do with this. Why do you do it? Because it is important to you! It probably wasn't important to you when you were little, so you might not have used it, but now it is important to you." Any time his players would make excuses, he would just say, "You do what is important to you."

Just last week, I found myself feeling bitter about some of the tasks that I felt forced to do, like housework, getting the 10th glass of juice for Libby, and making kids do schoolwork when they would rather watch a movie. So I asked myself, " Why do you do the things you do? " I answered, "Well, because they are important to me." I felt empowered instead of enslaved. " Yes, it is important to me to have a clean bathroom. It is important to me to have healthy kids. It is important to me that my kids get the best education possible."

So, I do what I do because it is important to me!!!!!

Happy Birthday Levi

Levi got a Rip Stick for his birthday. As I watch him, I am reminded of him as an 10 month old. I called him my wind up toy, because as soon as his feet hit the ground, he was walking. It didn't matter where, just walking. He was so steady on his feet. Now I see him on his new toy, and he is still steady on his feet. And he still moving, it doesn't matter where, just moving.

Happy 10th birthday to "my little wind up toy!"

Mandi sings God with Us

Mandi sang at her Pappa's church with her Uncle James playing the guitar.