Thursday, November 29, 2012
Wednesday, November 28, 2012
NaNoWriMo What?
I just posted about the Revival Recital HERE and HERE. This was a perfect motivation for my goal setting habits, allowing me to stretch myself and develop talents. In fact, I've already chosen my piano piece to master for 2013.
Nary you fear. My goal setting and self-improvement has not faltered. I've merely moved from the piano to another keyboard. The computer keyboard. My most recent goal of achievement is NaNoWriMo. What is the world does that mean? Nation Novel Writing Month. Get it? NaNoWriMo? The idea is this (from their 'about' page)
National Novel Writing Month is a fun, seat-of-your-pants approach to novel writing. Participants begin writing on November 1. The goal is to write a 50,000-word (approximately 175-page) novel by 11:59:59 PM on November 30.
Valuing enthusiasm and perseverance over painstaking craft, NaNoWriMo is a novel-writing program for everyone who has thought fleetingly about writing a novel but has been scared away by the time and effort involved.
In 2011, we had 256,618 participants and 36,843 of them crossed the 50K finish line by the midnight deadline, entering into the annals of NaNoWriMo superstardom forever. They started the month as auto mechanics, out-of-work actors, and middle school English teachers. They walked away novelists
Sounds fun, right? And so for the month of November, I have been writing a novel. A retelling of "Little Red Riding Hood." If you think you know who the victim is...think again! The goal is 50,000 words. The organization sends peptalks to my special NaNoMail box. And I've been typing about furiously. I started out slow, as in staying stagnant for days at a time. By the time I really got my rear in gear, it was day 13. I was at 4,223 and the target words if you wanted to finish on time was 21,666. That meant I was approximately 17,000 words behind.
I was at the point where I had to decide if I was going to do this or not. If I was going to do it, I wanted to finish a winner at 50,000 words. If you look at the numbers, only 14% of the participants make it to 50,000, so I had my work cut out for me. I expressed my dilemma at the crossroads to Sterling and he insisted whole heartedly that I could do it, he believed in me and fully supported my efforts. That was all I needed to dig in and get it done.
I made daily word goals. I stayed up late. I stared at the computer. I read encouragement from the NaNoWriMo community. The peptalks they provided have been right on target with what I was struggling with and what my experiences were. It was all new to me. My first experience writing something so long and so intense. But these WriMos have been there before and their advice was always just what I needed to hear.
It's been a glorious trip of adventure and growth and surprises. I have learned so much about writing, simply by writing. I love that my kids will see me at the computer and ask how many words I am at. Camille will sit by me and read along as I type. Parker and Sterling were at a NBA Jazz basketball game in SLC. Parker asked how many people were in the arena. Sterling said about 20,000. Parker said, "I'll be Mom's written more words than that!" I think he might be proud of me. :)
(I wrote this blog post on Monday, the 26th so these numbers are now grossly outdated. :)
AND SO....I am now at 38,180 words. I have 11,820 words left to write in 5 days. And guess what? I'm gonna make it.
Nary you fear. My goal setting and self-improvement has not faltered. I've merely moved from the piano to another keyboard. The computer keyboard. My most recent goal of achievement is NaNoWriMo. What is the world does that mean? Nation Novel Writing Month. Get it? NaNoWriMo? The idea is this (from their 'about' page)
National Novel Writing Month is a fun, seat-of-your-pants approach to novel writing. Participants begin writing on November 1. The goal is to write a 50,000-word (approximately 175-page) novel by 11:59:59 PM on November 30.
Valuing enthusiasm and perseverance over painstaking craft, NaNoWriMo is a novel-writing program for everyone who has thought fleetingly about writing a novel but has been scared away by the time and effort involved.
In 2011, we had 256,618 participants and 36,843 of them crossed the 50K finish line by the midnight deadline, entering into the annals of NaNoWriMo superstardom forever. They started the month as auto mechanics, out-of-work actors, and middle school English teachers. They walked away novelists
Sounds fun, right? And so for the month of November, I have been writing a novel. A retelling of "Little Red Riding Hood." If you think you know who the victim is...think again! The goal is 50,000 words. The organization sends peptalks to my special NaNoMail box. And I've been typing about furiously. I started out slow, as in staying stagnant for days at a time. By the time I really got my rear in gear, it was day 13. I was at 4,223 and the target words if you wanted to finish on time was 21,666. That meant I was approximately 17,000 words behind.
I was at the point where I had to decide if I was going to do this or not. If I was going to do it, I wanted to finish a winner at 50,000 words. If you look at the numbers, only 14% of the participants make it to 50,000, so I had my work cut out for me. I expressed my dilemma at the crossroads to Sterling and he insisted whole heartedly that I could do it, he believed in me and fully supported my efforts. That was all I needed to dig in and get it done.
I made daily word goals. I stayed up late. I stared at the computer. I read encouragement from the NaNoWriMo community. The peptalks they provided have been right on target with what I was struggling with and what my experiences were. It was all new to me. My first experience writing something so long and so intense. But these WriMos have been there before and their advice was always just what I needed to hear.
It's been a glorious trip of adventure and growth and surprises. I have learned so much about writing, simply by writing. I love that my kids will see me at the computer and ask how many words I am at. Camille will sit by me and read along as I type. Parker and Sterling were at a NBA Jazz basketball game in SLC. Parker asked how many people were in the arena. Sterling said about 20,000. Parker said, "I'll be Mom's written more words than that!" I think he might be proud of me. :)
(I wrote this blog post on Monday, the 26th so these numbers are now grossly outdated. :)
AND SO....I am now at 38,180 words. I have 11,820 words left to write in 5 days. And guess what? I'm gonna make it.
Tuesday, November 27, 2012
Finally a report on the Revival Recital
I am a big proponent of goal setting. I love it. The check lists, the progress, the hope for the future completion. It also offers me a grand diversion from my other obligations. Instead of mopping the floor, I tell myself I have an important goal to be working on. So you see, goals and I are good friends.
Last January, I made the goal to learn a Rachmoninoff piano prelude. I must admit, it was a superfluous goal, one way out of my league. But I started learning the song. It was a slow, arduous process. Note by note, chord by chord, count by count, I started to piece it together. By March I had learned 3 1/2 pages out of 8. By May, I had learned more but I was getting discouraged. I was so slow. Then some friends came up with an idea. A brilliant idea, concocted in a hotel room during the late hours of the evening. Or was it the early hours of the morning? Regardless, the idea was genius. One of them didn't know how to play the piano and wanted to learn. Another wanted to improve her piano skill. And on those two simple ideas - the Revival Recital was born. Here's a link to my first post about the recital.
It wasn't long before the word spread and we began recruiting other moms who wanted to polish up their musical skills, or shall we say, skillz, cuz we're cool like that. The Revival Recital was to be held the first Saturday in September. All summer long, women in the neighborhood were practicing the piano, flute, fiddle, trombone and voice. There were solos and duets, trills and vibrato.
At the appointed time, the recital hall began to fill with participants and their families. The children who had watched their mothers all summer, practice with diligence, making mistakes and fixing them, polishing phrasing and tone. The husbands who had supported and loved and commented on the progress and beauty of the music that filled their home. (Except for the following comment, "I'm not exactly sure what song you're playing.")
I stood on the stage with shaking knees in front of the beautiful, shiny black grand piano. I welcomed everyone and thanked them for making this a reality. I began the recital with this quote from Marianne Williamson: "Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us.' We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There's nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give others permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others."
I started by playing "Prelude in G minor" by Rachmoninoff and I was NERVOUS. I made copies of my piece to lay out across the piano so I wouldn't have to pause to turn pages, only I never practiced with them. That was a mistake. The wiring in my brain was fixed to the music being directly in front of my eyes. Having to look across the piano (as the pages were spread out, remember) really threw me off and I messed up big time. Oh, the frustration that fired through my body. Why? Why didn't I just ask someone to turn pages for me?
But I finished. I played the song at half speed, but I played it the best I could and I finished. And everyone clapped and I felt good. (But I still can't watch the video, if truth be told. I'm working up to it. It's one of the reasons it has taken me so long to post about this event that was held in September) So I'd set the bar with my opening piece. Set at a very attainable level I might add. Other women and friends followed and they were wonderful.
One friend played a simple piece, having learned the piano for the first time in her life. What an accomplishment!
Another friend played the fiddle while her husband held her newborn baby. What courage and strength!
Other friends played a high level piano duet with flair and vigor.
A dear friend and older neighbor closed our recital with a beautiful vocal solo. Her contribution is valued, on the stage and in the quiet thoughtful way she is a part of our lives.
We cheered and encouraged each other on. It was a grand celebration of accomplishment and the recognition of the gifts God has bestowed upon us. We followed up with a potluck BBQ at our house afterwards to bask in the glow of our achievements. Here is a photo of the performers. Lighting was bad on the stage but I think we still look great! Aren't we so proud of ourselves!
The remaining question is will we do it again? Of course, we will. When the event is just barely finished and you're already thinking about what you will do next time and you're ready to plan it again, you know you have a winner.
Only this time, maybe performing arts? Dance, storytelling, anyone? Here is my next personal creative experience - NaNoWriMo!
I'm not sure it is a good idea to put this video here. My 9 year old son was the videographer. The footage is very shakey and full of his commentary. View at your own risk and make sure your expectations are low. :)
Last January, I made the goal to learn a Rachmoninoff piano prelude. I must admit, it was a superfluous goal, one way out of my league. But I started learning the song. It was a slow, arduous process. Note by note, chord by chord, count by count, I started to piece it together. By March I had learned 3 1/2 pages out of 8. By May, I had learned more but I was getting discouraged. I was so slow. Then some friends came up with an idea. A brilliant idea, concocted in a hotel room during the late hours of the evening. Or was it the early hours of the morning? Regardless, the idea was genius. One of them didn't know how to play the piano and wanted to learn. Another wanted to improve her piano skill. And on those two simple ideas - the Revival Recital was born. Here's a link to my first post about the recital.
It wasn't long before the word spread and we began recruiting other moms who wanted to polish up their musical skills, or shall we say, skillz, cuz we're cool like that. The Revival Recital was to be held the first Saturday in September. All summer long, women in the neighborhood were practicing the piano, flute, fiddle, trombone and voice. There were solos and duets, trills and vibrato.
At the appointed time, the recital hall began to fill with participants and their families. The children who had watched their mothers all summer, practice with diligence, making mistakes and fixing them, polishing phrasing and tone. The husbands who had supported and loved and commented on the progress and beauty of the music that filled their home. (Except for the following comment, "I'm not exactly sure what song you're playing.")
I stood on the stage with shaking knees in front of the beautiful, shiny black grand piano. I welcomed everyone and thanked them for making this a reality. I began the recital with this quote from Marianne Williamson: "Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us.' We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There's nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give others permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others."
I started by playing "Prelude in G minor" by Rachmoninoff and I was NERVOUS. I made copies of my piece to lay out across the piano so I wouldn't have to pause to turn pages, only I never practiced with them. That was a mistake. The wiring in my brain was fixed to the music being directly in front of my eyes. Having to look across the piano (as the pages were spread out, remember) really threw me off and I messed up big time. Oh, the frustration that fired through my body. Why? Why didn't I just ask someone to turn pages for me?
But I finished. I played the song at half speed, but I played it the best I could and I finished. And everyone clapped and I felt good. (But I still can't watch the video, if truth be told. I'm working up to it. It's one of the reasons it has taken me so long to post about this event that was held in September) So I'd set the bar with my opening piece. Set at a very attainable level I might add. Other women and friends followed and they were wonderful.
One friend played a simple piece, having learned the piano for the first time in her life. What an accomplishment!
Another friend played the fiddle while her husband held her newborn baby. What courage and strength!
Other friends played a high level piano duet with flair and vigor.
A dear friend and older neighbor closed our recital with a beautiful vocal solo. Her contribution is valued, on the stage and in the quiet thoughtful way she is a part of our lives.
We cheered and encouraged each other on. It was a grand celebration of accomplishment and the recognition of the gifts God has bestowed upon us. We followed up with a potluck BBQ at our house afterwards to bask in the glow of our achievements. Here is a photo of the performers. Lighting was bad on the stage but I think we still look great! Aren't we so proud of ourselves!
The remaining question is will we do it again? Of course, we will. When the event is just barely finished and you're already thinking about what you will do next time and you're ready to plan it again, you know you have a winner.
Only this time, maybe performing arts? Dance, storytelling, anyone? Here is my next personal creative experience - NaNoWriMo!
I'm not sure it is a good idea to put this video here. My 9 year old son was the videographer. The footage is very shakey and full of his commentary. View at your own risk and make sure your expectations are low. :)
Monday, November 26, 2012
November happenings
Here is a rag-tag assortment of things that have happened thus far around the Brown household.
This is a sight I LOVE to see.
We celebrated the November birthdays at Sarah's house where Sarah and Sydney blew out the candles on their cake (or cupcakes in this instance) together, which is tradition, to share a cake. And Dallin joined in too, after all, it is his birthday month as well. And their house is beautiful. Dallin is amazing at renovating and Sarah has done of beautiful job of decorating and making it her own. So kudos to you two!
I sure love family life. It's crazy at times and glorious at others. The glory of family life far outweighs any other struggles we may have. I love my family, all crazy 5 of my kids and my husband who provides such a wonderful life for us.
This is a sight I LOVE to see.
We celebrated the November birthdays at Sarah's house where Sarah and Sydney blew out the candles on their cake (or cupcakes in this instance) together, which is tradition, to share a cake. And Dallin joined in too, after all, it is his birthday month as well. And their house is beautiful. Dallin is amazing at renovating and Sarah has done of beautiful job of decorating and making it her own. So kudos to you two!
Forgot to mention the Power of Moms published one of my essays.
Sterling left on a short trip and this is the note he left us, hanging from the ceiling.
Bryce joined the girls in painting finger and toe nails. He went a little overboard but it sure was fun.
I sure love family life. It's crazy at times and glorious at others. The glory of family life far outweighs any other struggles we may have. I love my family, all crazy 5 of my kids and my husband who provides such a wonderful life for us.
Sunday, November 25, 2012
Thanksgiving 2012
We had thanksgiving dinner at our house and boy, was it fun!
I started my day off with 1 1/2 hours of zumba while Sterling took the kids to a neighborhood turkey bowl football game at the park. As soon as I got home, the turkey went into the roaster and I whipped up the dough for butterhorn rolls. MMmmmm. Dinner was started.
By the time my parents came, it was time to start cranking up all the sides. Acorn squash, beans, stuffing, setting the table, etc. I loved seeing my girls have fun setting the table. The night before, we made hand turkeys, glue on extra fuzzy pipecleaners for feathers (because real feathers were all sold at the store by moms who plan ahead) and propped them up on clothing pins. They were cute name cards. I also LOVED being in the kitchen with my mom and my daughter, three generations!
Another favorite was the tradition we started last year. On our chalkboard, we had a running list of things for which we are thankful. Thanksgiving morning I typed them into the computer and printed them out. I cut them up and rolled them up in our butterhorn rolls. At dinner, as we opened our rolls, we found and read aloud all of these things and sometimes tried to guess who said what! (One note: make sure your pieces of paper are kind of large. 1/2 inch tall maybe. Also wrap them in tinfoil. It takes extra time but it is very worth it. We didn't find all our papers. I'm sure I ate mine.)
We moved an extra couch into our family room for comfortable visiting. The pies were delicious. We were so grateful that Sarah and Dallin were able to join us late. Love them! and Cheryl and John. And we missed Michael. Another fun tradition we started last year is to have a "Thanksgiving Book" which is just a fancy labeled sketch book from walmart. Each year, we start a new page which has a marked out spot in the middle for a picture. Around this spot everyone writes things for which they are thankful. Then we take a picture after dinner, before pies, of everyone who joined us and put it in the book. Hopefully it will become a treasure to look through at future Thanksgivings!
We are particularly thankful this year for eternal families and the blessings of temple sealings. Thanksgiving day we found out that one of Sterling's friends from work passed away leaving his wife and two children, one of which is currently serving a full-time LDS mission. We also learned that Sterling's cousin's baby girl passed away soon after birth. She was their first daughter. Such heart breaking losses during the holidays. We are grateful to know that our loving Father in Heaven has provided a way for us to be joined again in eternal life with our families. And our Savior's atonement extends to the heartache and loneliness that is a part of our mortal existence. We are thankful for this knowledge and our testimonies of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
I started my day off with 1 1/2 hours of zumba while Sterling took the kids to a neighborhood turkey bowl football game at the park. As soon as I got home, the turkey went into the roaster and I whipped up the dough for butterhorn rolls. MMmmmm. Dinner was started.
By the time my parents came, it was time to start cranking up all the sides. Acorn squash, beans, stuffing, setting the table, etc. I loved seeing my girls have fun setting the table. The night before, we made hand turkeys, glue on extra fuzzy pipecleaners for feathers (because real feathers were all sold at the store by moms who plan ahead) and propped them up on clothing pins. They were cute name cards. I also LOVED being in the kitchen with my mom and my daughter, three generations!
Another favorite was the tradition we started last year. On our chalkboard, we had a running list of things for which we are thankful. Thanksgiving morning I typed them into the computer and printed them out. I cut them up and rolled them up in our butterhorn rolls. At dinner, as we opened our rolls, we found and read aloud all of these things and sometimes tried to guess who said what! (One note: make sure your pieces of paper are kind of large. 1/2 inch tall maybe. Also wrap them in tinfoil. It takes extra time but it is very worth it. We didn't find all our papers. I'm sure I ate mine.)
We moved an extra couch into our family room for comfortable visiting. The pies were delicious. We were so grateful that Sarah and Dallin were able to join us late. Love them! and Cheryl and John. And we missed Michael. Another fun tradition we started last year is to have a "Thanksgiving Book" which is just a fancy labeled sketch book from walmart. Each year, we start a new page which has a marked out spot in the middle for a picture. Around this spot everyone writes things for which they are thankful. Then we take a picture after dinner, before pies, of everyone who joined us and put it in the book. Hopefully it will become a treasure to look through at future Thanksgivings!
Saturday, November 24, 2012
first snowfall
The kids were so excited to wake up on Nov. 9 to SNOW! They couldn't wait to dress in their snow gear and go make trails in the smooth, untouched snow. They spent most of the afternoon outside and came home with pink cheeks and fer-reezing fingers and toes.
Welcome Winter!!!
We're glad you came.
at least for a week, before you melted
Sunday, November 18, 2012
Holiday music
I've really been looking forward to listening to Christmas music this year. I've been playing Christmas songs on the piano and pulling out my favorite CDs. I'm not so bugged when I hear Christmas music in stores or on the radio. The only problem I have with Christmas music before Thanksgiving is that I get tired of it before Christmas.
It seems like I hear the same old songs, year after year after year and some of them are getting old. They are great songs. I love them. But to listen to them for 45 days or so for XX years....I tire of even my favorites.
And so, my friends, to curb my appetite for holiday music, I have compiled a Thanksgiving playlist. I'm not sure I would want to listen to it all month long, but maybe. Regardless, these next few days are perfect to fill your holiday home with this Thanksgiving cheer.
Here it is and your welcome.
P.S. - I am looking for new Christmas music. Any suggestions. New favorites? Old favorites? Any surprises out there? Like this one?
It seems like I hear the same old songs, year after year after year and some of them are getting old. They are great songs. I love them. But to listen to them for 45 days or so for XX years....I tire of even my favorites.
And so, my friends, to curb my appetite for holiday music, I have compiled a Thanksgiving playlist. I'm not sure I would want to listen to it all month long, but maybe. Regardless, these next few days are perfect to fill your holiday home with this Thanksgiving cheer.
Here it is and your welcome.
“All Creatures of Our God and King” Cambridge Singers (Rutter choir rendition),
Eclipse (contemporary acapella), Chris Rice (piano)
“Blessed” Martina McBride
“Celebrate Me Home” Kenny Loggins (I’m still not sure I want
to add this one)
“Come Thou Fount” David Tolk
“Everything” Michael Buble
“For the Beauty of the Earth” John Rutter (choir), Chris
Rice (piano), MoTab
“Home” Michael Buble
“How Sweet It Is” James Taylor
“It’s a Wonderful World” Louis Armstrong
“Kind and Generous” Natalie Merchant
“Lucky” Jason Mraz
“Prayer of Thanksgiving” David Tolk
“Simple Gifts” MoTab or others
“Take Me Home, Country Road” John Denver
“Thank You For Being a Friend” Golden Girls (don’t judge me)
“Thankful” Josh Groban
“Thanksgiving” Jim Brickman
“Thanksgiving” George Winston
“Thanksgiving Theme” from Charlie Brown
“When Fall Comes to New England” Cheryl Wheeler
This link might take you to my Grooveshark playlist where you can listen to all these songs.P.S. - I am looking for new Christmas music. Any suggestions. New favorites? Old favorites? Any surprises out there? Like this one?
Saturday, November 10, 2012
published on Segullah
Head over to Segullah and read my essay. Its been a while since I've been published, so here is the latest. You might have already read it on the blog and that's ok. Go over and re-read it and comment. It might be just the thing you need as you gear up for another Sunday.
Friday, November 9, 2012
Sydney's 12th birthday
Happy Birthday Sydney
12 Years Old
This is a major birthday. Sydney had been looking forward to this birthday for a long time. I think the biggest reason was being able to join the Young Women's group. Oh my goodness, was it time! One Sunday, she's up with the primary singing in the primary program. Torture for an almost 12 year old. The very next Sunday, she was welcomed into Young Women's She wishes she could have flip-flopped those Sundays and skipped the primary program altogether. But as her mother, I happen to think she looked beautiful and mature up on the stand during the woman and was a great leader and example for her sibling and other children on the stand.
I only host 4 birthday parties for my children, in their entire lives. (ages 5,8,12,16) So we decided to put on quite the party. I took Sydney and 5 of her friends to play laser tag. They played two games, had pizza, pop and cake and goofed around like pre-teen girls do. It was awesome. And I think I know what I want to do for my next birthday now. (just kidding, sort of)
Wednesday, November 7, 2012
Book Review: several short reviews
The Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E. L. KonigsburgI remember reading this book as a young girl and just loving it. The premise is a young girl who feels overlooked and underappreciated at home, so she decides to run away. She takes her younger brother with her because he has money. They run away to a museum and stay there, spending the nights behind the roped off areas, in a grandiose bed. It seemed like such an adventure to me, to spend the nights in a museum. Reading this as an adult, it is simple and obviously written for children although it wasn't as disappointing as "A Wrinkle in Time." I would recommend this for 4-6 graders, especially girls. And it is a Newberry Award Winner, which is saying something.
Heaven is Here by Stephanie Nielson. This is the memoir of Stephanie Nielson, a popular blogger who focuses on family and the joys of being a mother. In one frightening moment, she is involved in a horrific plane crash with her husband and a flight instructor. She was burned over 80% of her body and in a coma for 4 or 5 months. She is a devoted mother of 4, in the book. Her family has now grown to 5 children. She sets the story up by writing about her life before the crash. This part kind of dragged for me. It seemed too picture perfect and I've never been one for sappy lovestories. She then details the terrible crash and the difficulties in recovery. It is a really heart-wrenching story. I was touched, even by the Spirit, several times while reading the book. I didn't think I would like it but I really did. I came away feeling optimism and hope and renewed enthusiasm for family and being a mother. Its worth your time if you read it. Sterling just finished it and really enjoyed it as well.
The Beginning of Better Days by Sheri L. Dew and Virginia H PearceThis book is subtitled, "Divine Instruction to Women from the Prophet Joseph Smith." That part of the book was a little dry for me. It is actually just the notes taken by Eliza R. Snow and are choppy and a little hard to follow. I'm sure I just wasn't in the right frame of mind and lacking focus because it seems really small minded of me to judge it as dry. Anyway, Snow's notes are preceeded by two essays, written by Sheri Dew and Viriginia Pearce. These are both very engaging and I enjoyed them very much.
Daughters in My Kingdom by Church DistributionIt is always nice to know where you come from. Its also nice to know the history of organizations you are involved in. So this short book is nicely organized and inspiring in the presentation of the history of the Relief Society. I enjoyed learning about the previous leaders of the Relief Society and the difficulties they faced in their time and place in history and how they rose up in strength and unity to meet those challenges. It inspires me to rise up and to take action and be a force for good within this great Relief Society organization.
Raven's Gate by Anthony HorowitzSydney is reading this as a class. I don't know why. I can think of a lot better books with an actual message and greater discussion topics. As a school read, I have my doubts. As a fun read, this book was great. The story follows the typical confused hero blueprint. The protagonist, Matt, is a hero, who makes a poor decision and ends up in a situation where things are not as they seem and he has no one to trust. Those who he does trust end up dying. I was surprised at the speed that the body count added up. Myself, I was wondering what the author was thinking, killing off so many characters. And there is something strange, mystical and magically going on in the city. The writing keeps you at the edge of your seat as you try to figure out, with Matt, what is going on and how to get out of the sinister situation. It is clearly a set up for more books. It will be interesting to see where this book goes. I like it. But I'm still going to follow up on the classroom reading list.
Friday, November 2, 2012
Halloween 2012
Halloween activities began with carving pumpkins. This is the first year we allowed Syd and Park to carve their own pumpkin. Nobody held back, everyone got ooey-gooey and slimy.
I had to include this picture because I love Sydney's new yellow pants.
The day before Halloween, preschool took a field trip to the Vineyard Pumpkin Patch, our favorite Halloween haunt.
At the end of the maze is an area with lots of farm animals and a huge playset. We had a picnic lunch and played to our heart's content. Beautiful Fall Day!
Nobody held back. Everyone got ooey-gooey and slimey.
We ended up with quite the pile of seeds. I flavored and roasted them and we feasted on them the next day. They were quite tasty.
I had to include this picture because I love Sydney's new yellow pants.
The day before Halloween, preschool took a field trip to the Vineyard Pumpkin Patch, our favorite Halloween haunt.
The children always enjoy running through the simple cornmaze, lined with poster that have jokes on them and hidden scare crows.
At the end of the maze is an area with lots of farm animals and a huge playset. We had a picnic lunch and played to our heart's content. Beautiful Fall Day!
Halloween Night
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