Our most recent read-aloud book was Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH. I had never heard of this book until a few months ago when a teacher friend, Mrs. Conrad, was cleaning out her classroom and offered us some of the extra books. She mentioned this book as a classic that she just loved. Now we now why! It is a great book.

I read the book myself before reading it with my daughter. I noticed the theme of compassion running throughout this book. I asked my daughter to look for examples of compassion as we read and we found at least six different instances where one or more of the animals were showing compassion on others.

The author - Robert C. O'Brien - does a masterful job at drawing the reader into the story and giving a sense that you are right there with the animals throughout their drama. And with unexpected plot twists, the book is a real page-turner that was hard to put down.

Two thumbs up for Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH!

I had never read Sarah, Plain and Tall before but knew it is a popular "classic" book. So I ordered this one from Paperback Swap and we picked it off the shelf a week ago to read. It's a surprisingly short book, so we finished it in just one evening. At the end of the book, my daughter declared it was her new favorite book (this happens at the end of almost every book we read :-)).

I was pleased that my daughter saw numerous parallels between the situation described in the book (children with no mother; a mail-order bride/mom shows up) and what foster children must be dealing with. Having not read the book in advance, I didn't expect that, so it was a surprising conversation starter that opened our eyes to more of the feelings foster kids experience.

Another great book. Two thumbs up. Glad to have this one on the bookshelf to read again!

11/3/2010

The start of November is significant at our house. We have a November tradition - making our Thankful Tree.

October 31st or November 1st, we make a thankful tree out of construction paper. We mount it in our dining room where we see it throughout the day.

It's a simple tree trunk with 30 colorful leaves. We write one blessing on each leaf and put it on the tree. Everyone helps with ideas to put on the leaves, but snow and toys and church and food are some things that always are included.

As each day of November goes by, we take down 1 leaf and thank God that day for that blessing.

This is a simple way to make "thanksgiving" last throughout the whole month rather than just 1 day in late November. And the official Thanksgiving Day is much more meaningful when you've been cultivated a spirit of thankfulness for weeks.

It works for me!

11/2/2010

Ever since reading Charlie and the Chocolate Factory a few weeks back, we have picked up two other books by Roald Dahl. Next in line was Charlie and the Glass Elevator, which is intended to be a sequel. Then this week we read James and the Giant Peach.

My daughter claims this is her "new favorite" book. It's a typical Roald Dahl book full of fun and imagination. There were a few simple pictures, but most of the fantasy story is left up to the listener's imagination to run wild... as the giant peach takes off down the hill, with James and other travelers inside!

Two thumbs up from this mama and my 7-year-old for James and the Giant Peach!

10/14/2010

As we are preparing to start this journey of Foster Parenting, I am pondering this: how can anyone do this without support?

My husband and I almost daily discuss another aspect of Foster Parenting, another thing to consider, another way that our lives will change when we take in our first child. There is so much that goes into Foster Parenting - love, time, money, energy, emotions, travel, relationships.

Foster Parenting, like regular parenting, requires giving and giving and giving some more, and giving some more even when you feel like you've got nothing left to give. Just as I don't know how single parents do it, I don't know how foster parents do it without support. Support from one another, friends, family, church, the fostering agency.

We have felt the support of family, friends and our church in two main ways:
1) for many months people have been praying for us. Ever since we made it public that we were pursuing foster parenting, at least a handful of closer friends from church have been praying regularly for us.
2) a few weeks ago we put a "need" out there at church - we needed more beds. Within a week we had 1 more bed. A week later I was verbally promised 2 more beds. And just days ago was told of yet another bed that we could have if we need. One elderly lady told me that she doesn't have a bed for me, but she does have a quilt she made that she'd like to give to us for the foster children.

To feel supported in these ways encourages me. We may be the ones on the "front lines" of this particular ministry, but there is support coming from those around us that is a vital part it.

I expect that we will become officially "licensed" this week. The State has 30 days to approve our license. The countdown started September 20th.

A call could come at any time. We are praying for wisdom to know how to respond.

I was DELIGHTED to read Roald Dahl's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory to my daughter this week. I loved this book as a child and vividly remember hearing one of my elementary school teachers read this beloved book to the class. My daughter definitely caught the enthusiasm too. One evening we read for 2 hours straight! Neither of us wanted to put it down!

My favorite part of this book is the inventiveness. Creativity and imagination abound in the chocolate factory.

And, being a family that lives without TV, I was singing right along with the Oompa-Loompa's as Mike Teavee was escorted out...

"So please, oh please, we beg, we pray
Go throw your TV set away
And in its place you can install
A lovely bookshelf on the wall.
Then fill the shelves with lots of books,
Ignoring all the dirty looks,
The screams and yells, the bites and kicks,
And children hitting you with sticks -
Fear not, because we promise you
That in about a week or two
Of having nothing else to do,
They'll now begin to feel the need
Of having something good to read.
And once they start - oh boy, oh boy!
You watch the slowly growing joy
That fills their hearts. They'll grow so keen
They'll wonder what they'd ever seen
In that ridiculous machine,
That nauseating, foul, unclean
Repulsive television screen!
And later, each and every kid
Will love you more for what you did."

Reading a good book together... that's just what we did! Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is a hit!

My 2-year-old son has been having trouble sleeping at night this week. Crying out. Waking up every 15 minutes or so (just as I am falling back asleep). Up to 10 times per night. It's been rough. I like the baby and toddler stage of parenting... everything except for the sleepless nights. I love sleep. Always have loved sleep. In college, I was the only person probably on the entire campus that was heading to bed before 10:00 pm! I need sleep or just can't function the next day. So, it's been a long week.

Then today I found this poem my mother had written 25-30 years ago, as she was raising her four little ones. A good reminder that this too will pass... and I will some day shed tears over the passing of these days that right now seem so rough and long.

"MOMMY"

Sleeping angels? I don't know-

Sometimes with toddlers it's hard to say so.

When they call in the night

I wake and have to fight

to get to my feet again

and plug the forgotten night light in.

Then one who needs a drink

but can't quite reach the bathroom sink.

Then someone is hot and needs his jama tops off,

and another is upset because he just can't cough.

There's one more story they forgot to tell me.

Oh, and open the curtains or they can't see.

Now he's kicked off the cover

and no one else can fix it like mother.

So many times I think the sound of my name

in the middle of the night will drive me insane.

So much I wish for the nights

I'll be able to sleep through till mornings' light.

But when I stop to think, I see

just how sad that day will be.

For when my time is completely my own,

these precious kids will no longer be home.

Sleeping angels? Oh yes they are

And if I could wish upon a star,

I'd want to be able to keep them somehow,

just the ages that they are right now.

~ LaDonna

My hubby introduced this concept to me a few months ago. It's become our preferred way for a super quick hot breakfast.

Lightly spray the inside of a coffee mug with cooking spray. Break 1 or 2 eggs into the mug.

Add a small splash of milk. Mix with a fork. Add in your favorite extras: salt, pepper, shredded cheese, hot sauce, or whatever you'd like. Microwave the mug on high for 45-60 seconds. It's done.

Eat it from the mug. Or put it on a plate with a side of toast. Or put it on a toasted bagel with a slice of ham and cheese and you've got yourself an egg-mcmuffin breakfast in approximately 2 minutes.

It works for me!