Of Books and Kindles

"Give us a house furnished with books rather than furniture! Both, if you can, but books at any rate! Books are the windows through which the soul looks out. A house without books is like a room without windows. No man has a right to bring up his children without surrounding them with books, if he has the means to buy them. It is a wrong to his family. He cheat them! Children learn to read by being in the presence of books.  The love of knowledge comes with reading and grows upon it! And the love of knowledge, in a young mind, is almost a warrant against the inferior excitement of passions and vices...  Let us pity these poor rich men who live barrenly in great, bookless, houses!  A little library growing larger each year is an honorable part of a young man's history.  It is a man's duty to have books.  A library is not a luxury, but one of the necessities of life."  -Henry Ward Beecher, 1862

I came across this quote yesterday and loved it. I read it to Erik, because it expressed what I have been trying to tell him over the last month as I've tried - without success - to enjoy reading a book on the Kindle I was given for Christmas.  I have to be honest.  The Kindle came from my father-in-law and I think it might have been a joke.  Or, he thought he might be able to bring me over to the dark side of technology.  I'm not sure which.  He has a Nook and a Kindle.  He loves them.  I had told him repeatedly I thought it was a travesty to think of a hand-held device replacing bright shelves of beautiful books.  :)  I love you, Doug and I am thankful for your generosity. But I can't be convinced on this one.

Now, I do get the practicality of it.  In fact, for my brother-in-law somewhere in the Middle East and my sister heading to South Korea, it is probably a great thing!  They can read whatever they want without having access to English bookstores or libraries, and without having to ship home boxes of new books.  Doug just loaded his with Louis L'Amour and Zane Grey for a month long trip into the backcountry.  My sister Amy is always getting free books or borrowing them from the library and she has dozens at her fingertips at one time.  I get it. Sort of. 

I just can't do it.  I can't exchange the smell of ink and paper or the feel of crisp pages turning in my hand.  I can't accumulate files on a device in place of colorful spines on a brimming bookshelf.  Knowledge comes from people, from books, not from computer screens - or at least it should.   I want my kids to devour stacks of real, lovely, sacred writing, not skim through a screen and click a button. 

But, that's just me. :)  Michelle, the Kindle is waiting to be transported to South Korea and loaded with all kinds of history books! :)

Sobering

For the last ten days or so, Erik and I have been following new updates on the Colorado High Park Fire.  Large wildfires anywhere are devastating, and it is always sobering and sad to hear of fires encroaching on homes or taking lives.   This time, though, news of the fire has hit us "close to home."   In 2005, we purchased a little 900-square foot cottage in the woods up Rist Canyon north of Fort Collins.  Last week, our rural subdivision was one of the first areas to be evacuated.  While we don't know for certain, all the fire maps indicate our charming little house (which we finally sold in June of 2009) was burned along with the 188 other structures they had counted as of yesterday.  Unless the current owners had fairly ruthlessly cut trees for fire protection, it would not have survived this massive fire.  

It is sobering.  I think of all the families living up Rist Canyon, Stove Prairie and the other affected areas, and it breaks my heart to think of so many who are displaced and homeless.  We have not kept in touch with our neighbors, but we did have one young couple who lived very close to us and were in the process of building (by themselves) their first home, who we remember sharing meals and evening walks with.  I think of them and pray for their sweet family.  

Elisa and Erik standing in front of kitchen.  I was searching for pictures of our little house, but I think they are mostly on discs, because when we lived there we didn't have this computer, or internet access to upload photos. There are just a few that must have been on my camera when we moved.  

Please pray for all the families displaced by the fire.  It is still raging, although I think it was 45% contained yesterday.   We have also been thinking of our little Baptist church in the tiny town at the base of the canyon -- thinking of the opportunities they have for ministry and outreach in the middle of a community tragedy. 

Snow and Splash

Monday morning, we joined a few other homeschool families for a "field trip" to the ski resort.  Locals can ride the tram free during early summer (usually 25$!), so we decided to take advantage of the deal and have an adventure!  Sunday had been snowy and cold, so we dressed warmly for the expedition.  The kids were in snowpants and hats when we boarded the tram, even though it was sunny and warming quickly at the base of the mountain.   

The kiddos loved the ride to the top, noses pressed against glass to take in the views.   They sang made-up songs in unison and giggled the whole way.  At the top, they immediately started sledding and jumping in the snow, and getting as wet as possible.  :)  

With some friends - Annika and Kaiya.

Raina kept trying to slide down the rock parts of the hill. She finally figured out that only the snow was slippery!

Doing a little research on the deck of the restaurant at the top.  How high is the tram? What animals live there? What mountains can you see?

Happy hearts on the trip back down.

And then.... it was warm. There is a great little park and fountain area in the Village Commons (amid all the swanky hotels and boutiques! :))  We had sack lunches and let the kids play and splash in the creek. After a while they turned the fountains on, and the kids went wild!

Here, Raina warms herself on the sun-baked cement.

Fountains!  And lots of blissfully happy, very drenched, worn-out little munchkins!

One Hundred!

I never actually sat down myself to count the number of extended family staying together in one beautiful Oceanside beach house last weekend....  but I think it was 37 or 38.  :) 

We were so blessed to travel to San Diego (from May 31 - June 5) to celebrate my grandpa's 100th birthday!  Every single one of his descendants was there to join in the fun - which was amazing! From Maryland, Washington, Colorado, Wyoming, and Oregon (and a few who live close by in Southern California).   

As usual, Erik and I found ourselves with a nearly empty SD card on our camera. :) But, several others had cameras clicking constantly, so I think we will manage to steal some (hopefully!) .  I realized I didn't even have any of Grandpa Jack!

We arrived on late Thursday afternoon, and drove to Great Grandpa Jack's house where my sister Amy, and two of my aunts were already gathered.   The kids were eager to jump in his pool - although it was chilly with the sun beginning to go down!  We ate pizza, kept our little ones from jumping into the pool without supervision (a bit of a challenge, actually!), and caught up with family.  

The Arnolds and we had rooms at a (very) nearby hotel that night, and Friday morning, we caught up with Nana and Uncle Ryan and (soon-to-be) Aunt Emily, who had arrived in the middle of the night.   Other family members were trickling in slowly over the course of the day, so we decided to head to the San Diego Harbor with the Arnolds and tour the Midway.  It's an air-craft carrier turned museum, and boasts dozens of real Navy aircraft.   The kids loved touring the bunk-rooms, sitting in cockpits, and standing on the flight deck.   When we had reached the little ones' limits, we drove to In-and-Out for burgers before driving north to the rental house where our family was gathering that evening.  

The sisters had rented a 10 bedroom home for us all to stay in  -- beachfront. As soon as we walked in, we found the Maryland and Colorado contingents watching dolphins splash in the ocean from the deck.  It was incredible! I love dolphins, and it was just amazing to see them surfacing so close to us!  

By dinnertime, all 38 had arrived, and we ate spaghetti, crowded happily together in the main floor living area.  One of my aunts had sewn door hangers for each room so that we could label each family's "residence."  Our room was on the upper level, and we loved hearing the ocean through the open windows.  Nana had sewn creative pillow mats for the kids -- fabric cases that we stuffed with extra pillows to make comfy beds for the kids.  They loved them, and have actually been setting up them up in our house for fun! 

Saturday came early - especially for those traveling from the East coast, and those with little ones.  We had planned to spend Saturday enjoying each others' company, some good food, and the beach - and we did!  We ate eggs and potatoes for breakfast, my aunt Laura's incredible fish tacos for lunch, and grilled steaks for dinner.  In between the feeding frenzies, we played with kiddos, lounged on couches, walked along the beach (Erik ran), splashed a little, and soaked in the two hot tubs.  (Okay, I didn't get to do that.  Pregnancy has a way of limiting certain things!)  It was actually kind of chilly, so we didn't play in the ocean as much as we had thought we would.  And, our littlest peanut came down with a stomach bug and spent the day with alternating diarrhea and throwing up, so we were busy keeping her hydrated and away from Great Grandpa and the two tiny infants! 
 
 

On Sunday, a quick cold breakfast was followed by a drive to Mass - where Grandpa was being  honored (and sung to!). I didn't get to attend Mass because Raina had thrown up again during breakfast, so she and I held down the fort alone.  I actually read an entire book in that span of quiet!  When the family returned, we followed Grandpa's recipe for waffles and ate a leisurely brunch.  My cousin Paige had found a photographer friend who was willing to come and shoot several hours of both candid and posed pictures for us, so he and and his wife were capturing our mouthfuls of strawberries and whipped cream on camera. :)  We did posed shots on the upper level deck.   I can't wait to see how all the photographs turned out! 

Our kiddos took good naps that afternoon in preparation for Grandpa's big birthday party that night, and then we all took advantage of low tide to splash in the ocean.  Raina had perked up a little, and she enjoyed feeling the waves rush over her little toes while she hung on tight to Mommy's hand.  We all showered and dressed (up!) for the party.  The great-grand-daughters all had matching dresses (except for little Catherine, who is only two months old and slept in the Snuggli for the whole party!) and the boys had matching shirts.  It was pretty adorable, especially because some of them really look alike.  Sadie and her "cousin" (once-removed??) Rowan are a year apart, and had a strikingly close resemblance with their blonde hair and sweet features.  The party was at one of Grandpa's favorite restaurants, and there were about 60 people gathered to celebrate with him.   Mom and her sisters (there are five girls) had worked hard to create some special details and programming for the evening... pictures, songs, Grandpa "quotes." The great-grandkids helped him blow out his 100 candles, but as Elisa pointed out, "He didn't really need us. He could have blown out all 100 just fine by himself, Mom."  


Stuffed with chocolate cake and fried shrimp, our girls fell asleep on the thirty minute drive back to the beach house.   In the morning, we packed our things and loaded up to drive to Sea World.  The whole Forbes clan came, and my cousin Michael with his sweet wife Christina and their newborn, Catherine.  We had really been looking forward to that exciting "splurge" and it did not disappoint!   We saw the sea lion show, toured the shark house, waited in a long line to eat lunch (:)), and then split up for a few rides before staking out seats for the killer whale show.   Sadie was just barely tall enough for some of the "grown-up" rides, but Ephraim was not quite, and of course the little girls were too short.  So, Sadie and Elisa got splashed with Erik and Michelle on a rafting ride while the others rode Elmo.  Even the kiddie rides are off-limits for pregnant ladies, so I got to be the bag watcher.  :)  There's no masking this baby belly, now! 



Erik and the girls found up-close, Soak-Zone seats for the Shamu show, and we definitely got soaked.  At the time, some of the little ones got teary when the tsunami of whale splashes pummeled us again and again, but afterwards, that was by far their favorite memory.   It was spectacular to be so close.  We were drenched, though, and had to change clothes before enjoying the rest of the park.  The kids got some more play time in the Sesame Street area, and then we visited walruses, polar bears, and beluga whales.  We even got to touch dolphins and manta rays! 

 

 
 
 

Dinner on the go was followed by putting kids to sleep on the floor at Grandpa's before transferring back to our hotel rooms.  Our flight left midday on Tuesday, and Raina slept with her head on my lap the whole flight.   She continued throwing up periodically through Tuesday night, but she is back to herself, now.   We were so thankful no one else got the bug!  


We had such a great trip, although it was fast!  It's always too quick when you are in a fun place with people you love!  It was great for the kids to meet new cousins and see the ones they already know.  And, Grandpa Jack was blessed.  


Happy 100th Birthday, Great-Grandpa!

Three Sisters in Yellowstone

Last Saturday, we made a spur-of-the-moment decision to drive to Yellowstone.  We have often camped or stayed in one of the lodges for a fun overnight trip in May, but this year that wasn't feasible.  So, we just got up at the crack of dawn, loaded sleepy and very excited kiddos in their carseats, and headed north for a one-day adventure.   Our car was loaded with a cookstove and kit, some rather random items of food :), and warm clothes. 

 It was a bit chilly - in the high 40s and low 50s with some scattered hail and snow.  But every once in a while, we hit a patch of warm sunshine - just in time for ice cream at Old Faithful and a walk at Grand Prismatic Spring, two of our favorite spots.  

At Canyon Falls, early in the day

Looking a little tired.  I needed a cup of tea. :)

We stopped to scramble eggs in a pull out, then rested in the back of the Suburban while Daddy used his binoculars to glass for bear in the Hayden Valley.

Holding hands as they ambled along the path at Midway Geyser Basin

Dad and his little girls

It took a lot of tries to capture all three girls with eyes on the camera. This pool was called Turquoise Pool.

 

Watching Old Faithful erupt.

And, more importantly, eating mango sorbet on the deck of Old Faithful Inn. We also saw a choir perform a "random act of music" inside the lobby -- all of the singers placed on various levels of the balcony.

Zonked out at 7:30 after eating nuggets and carrot sticks in the Old Faithful Lodge cafeteria.

 We are thankful to live so close to these natural wonders, and have kids who are flexible and easy-going when it comes to travel and exploration! 

The Teacher and the Principal

In a public school, you have teachers, and you have a principal, right?  The principal supervises, trains, encourages and supports the teachers.  If a teacher needs help, she or he can turn to the principal.  Well, we decided early on that we needed that system here in our school, too.  We haven't yet named our little educational haven -- but we do have a supervisory system in place. :) 

Daddy's job is to support, encourage, and provide back-up discipline when it is needed.  Now, I have to admit: I was a nerdy, people-pleasing, peace-keeping, straight-A sort of bookworm.  The only time I got sent to the principal's office was my senior year of high school, and it was so the principal could congratulate me on being the first student in school history to score a 100% on one of Mr. Meacham's Calculus tests.  (To be fair, I scored a 76% on the next one, and ended the class with an average in the mid-80s.  The 100% was a bit of a fluke.  Calculus is really hard!)  

My little star pupil gets sent to her principal's office with a bit more frequency.   My tender-hearted little nurturer is also hard-headed and a bit willful, and there are sometimes battles I have to put on pause until Daddy gets home.   There have been a few times when a poor attitude has led to Elisa not finishing an assignment (like a math test!) in a timely manner.  I struggle to know how to discipline for balking at or refusing to do work -- so, we have simply set the test or page aside, moved on to the next subject, and waited for the principal. (Dum, du-dum du-dum!)  

One Friday night, Elisa finished a math test in her room while the rest of us watched The Sound of Music and ate popcorn. One day this week,  she was really struggling with having a defiant attitude and disrespectful speech.   While I disciplined her throughout the day, I also reminded her that the principal would receive a report at the end of the day.   It happened to be small group night, so I didn't give my report until after our guests were gone and the kids were in bed.  Erik woke her up to talk her.  The next day he called at lunchtime and made her give him a report of her attitude. She was surprisingly honest. :) 

Today, she gets to show him a 100% math test and tell him about how she measured the length of a dinosaur in the backyard and danced with silk scarves to classical music.  She can fill him in on how Louis' dad stole the trumpet in Trumpet of the Swan and tell him how she scrawled spelling words while sitting outside by the pond.  

Having a principal is a good thing.  Having a wonderful, loving, supportive daddy and husband is even better.

Bunk-beds!

Three or four weeks ago, we purchased a set of used bunk-beds from our Habitat store.  They were in good condition, but needed to be either refinished or painted.  We opted for painting.  It took a few late night sessions and a couple of good nap-times for Erik and I to finish the task. He did the bulk of the work, while I did the finishing touches this week while he traveled for work.  This morning, we finally set them up!  Oh, the excitement!  We also found some clearance bedding from Target and purchased four sets - thinking ahead to another little one needing to match her sisters in a couple of years. :)  

Elisa has the top perch. It is really high, and she loves it!

Elisa's old bed (which was mine growing up) will become Raina's once we decide to move Raina into the big girl bedroom.  We think we'll hold off until Baby Girl is out of the bassinet at three months or so.  She still goes to sleep a bit earlier than the other girls, so it is nice for her to be in her own room.  Erik did actually take the side rail off her crib today because she has started climbing out.  I wasn't quite ready for that, but I also don't want her to crash (or break the railing, which already has a crack in it!)
 

I freehand painted a few flowers on the side rails, just for fun.

And, painted the "ladder" in colors of their choice.  The drawers below Sadie are also painted blue, pink and purple.