Mommy Brain

I’m borrowing Quiet Life’s Friday Five. I’m interested in hearing from any of my readers, and I thought this would be a good way to get to know you. My stat counter shows I have a few of you out there who visit on a semi-irregular basis (I know at least one of you is my sister — hi, Ange), and I’d love to know who you are. Feel free to let me know where you’re from and anything else about yourself you deem important.

1. Did you go to college? Where?
2. What was your major?
3. Do you recommend your alma mater?
4. Would you do things differently?
5. Tell us about some of your extra-curriculars.

Here are my answers:

1. Did you go to college? Where?

Yes, I got my AA degree from Skagit Valley College in Mt. Vernon, Washington. Then I did a junior year at Washington State University in Pullman. I did not stay and finish.

2. What was your major?

My major was drama, minor in music.

3. Do you recommend your alma mater?

I’m not sure. It has a beautiful campus, but it is known as a party school. I don’t think I’d want any of my kids going there.

4. Would you do things differently?

Hard question. I sometimes think I should’ve pursued a more useful major, but I have used my drama and music so often in ministry that I don’t think I would.

5. Tell us about some of your extra-curriculars.

I worked on campus part-time. Other than that, I was constantly in rehearsal for the next production: A Comedy of Errors, Love’s Labour Lost, The Water Engine, Once Upon a Mattress, The Hostage, A Streetcar Named Desire, Steel Magnolias, Anything Goes. I am ashamed to confess that I also participated in the other typical drama major extra-curricular, which is partying. I was not serving Christ while I was in college. When I finished my junior year I needed to make some changes, and knew that I needed to drop out to get away from bad influences. I moved to Vancouver, Washington to be a nanny for my aunt’s two little boys, and it was there I met Kevin and got married. Thank God for His grace!

There’s a great post on A Call to Adventure. Check it out!

I cannot remember a time when I was not in love with them — with the books themselves, cover and binding and the paper they were printed on, with their smell and their weight and with their possession in my arms, captured and carried off to myself.

Eudora Welty

I know not how to abstain from reading.

Samuel Pepys

I’ve been in love three hundred times in my life, and all but five were with books.

Lee Glickstein

All books are divisible into two classes — the books of the hour, and the books of all time. Mark this distinction: it is not one of quality only…it is a distinction of species. There are good books for the hour, and good ones for all time.

John Ruskin

Those who read great works…will read the same work ten, twenty or thirty times during the course of their life.

C.S. Lewis

There is no worse robber than a bad book.

Italian proverb

If you would tell me the heart of a man, tell me not what he reads but what he re-reads.

Francois Mauriac

I was able to attend my weekly women’s Bible study today for the first time in weeks. The nasty respiratory virus that has been plaguing us seems to be at bay, and it was wonderful to be back among my sisters by heart. My kids had a blast playing in the nursery with their friends, and I love knowing they’re enjoying themselves as much as I am. Of course, Natalie didn’t get any of the seatwork done that I sent with her, but she caught up this afternoon.

After study, my friend and I took the kids to the park for about 40 minutes. It’s 75 degrees here today — just perfect. It’s days like this I will be longing for during the 90 to 108 degree days that come in August for us Northeastern Washington state-ers.

Had one of those, “Are all these kids yours?” and “Why aren’t they in school?” conversations when I stopped at Papa Murphy’s to pick up a pizza for tonight’s dinner. This one was pleasant, which isn’t always the case. The lady asked some good questions, of the kids and of me, and as we were walking out she said, “I admire you — your kids will be better for it.” This was a nice surprise, because when she started asking her questions, I got that pit of the stomach feeling I get whenever faced with a confrontation. I know we’re doing the right thing for our family, and I know my kids are learning and growing. I just wish I could get over the need to justify or explain or prove it to everyone I meet. Maybe when we’ve been at it longer, who knows?

On another subject, if you want to read some great quotes about books and reading, visit my other blog.

Happy Tuesday!
Carrie

A Continual Feast is an unusual book. It is a collection of passages and quotes in journal form. That’s not what makes it unusual, though. It’s unusual because it is the reading journal of Father Tim, Jan Karon‘s fictional Episcopalian priest from her novels The Mitford Years. For the next few days I’ll be posting some of these passages that struck me in one way or another.

The true end of education is
Not only to make the young learned,
But to make them love learning.
Not only to make them industrious,
But to make them love industry.
Not only to make them virtuous,
But to make them love virtue…
Not only to make them just,
But to make them hunger and thirst after justice.

John Ruskin

Spring seems to have arrived here in Northeastern Washington state. Yesterday could not have been more perfect. Eighty degrees, slight breeze. We spent a couple hours at the park — the kids riding their bikes, Kevin and I visiting in the sunshine. Our city park has a nice cement bike path that loops through the park. We picked a spot where we could see the whole path and let the kids loose. Josiah, our three-year-old, was especially proud of himself, since he just graduated from a tricycle to a small bike with training wheels. As I was walking him to the restroom, swinging our hands back and forth, he looked up at me and said, “Mom, I’m not a baby anymore.” And I smiled down at him and said, “No, ‘Siah, you’re not a baby anymore.”

My Mom asked me this morning if I felt sad about this. About how fast the kids are growing. And do I regret that we won’t be having any more babies. And I answered no. Honestly. Although I do choke up when I think of how fast time is flying, I am genuinely enjoying this phase of our lives. The kids are at such great ages. I love being able to have conversations with them — real conversations about the world and their feelings and their discoveries. I love not having to bring a diaper bag or bottles everywhere we go. I love watching them step out in independence and make friends. And even though it’s bittersweet, I love watching them not need me as much. After all, that’s our goal as parents, right? To nurture them and love them and discipline them and ultimately watch them grow up and be a person in their own right.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not ready for this to happen NOW! But I’m ready to enjoy every minute along the way.

I went to the hospital this morning for an echocardiogram — which is basically an ultrasound of the heart. Although I won’t get the official results until I see my doctor on May 3rd, the conversation I had with the cardiology technician who did the exam was very encouraging. He said that a doctor would read the exam results and then send them to my doctor sometime next week. My response was, “If there’s something wrong that could cause an emergency, they’ll let me know, though — right?” He said, “Yeah, they would, but there’s not an emergency.” I said, “Well, that’s good — the waiting is the hardest.” And he replied, “I know, but there’s nothing to worry about.”

So, I don’t have any official results yet, but I am much relieved. I will see my doctor on May 3rd to discuss this pleurisy that seems to hold on. I’m assuming the heart arrhythmia is also due to this yucky virus that lasts and lasts.

This scare has made me even more determined to lose this weight. When I was at the doctor a couple weeks ago, I was down 8 pounds. It’s a start. Lots to go, but one day at a time, right?

God is good and faithful. Of course, He’s good and faithful no matter what — even if I hadn’t gotten the diagnosis I wanted. But I am very grateful that my prayers were answered.

Carrie

Please go over to Spunky Homeschool and check out the First Annual Online Homeschool Convention. There are enough articles to keep you busy for hours!

I read over on Semicolon that April is National Poetry Month, and today is Carry a Poem In Your Pocket Day. Well, I don’t have one in my pocket, but I thought I’d post a couple of my children’s favorites. These are both by Shel Silverstein.

The Crocodile’s Toothache

The Crocodile
Went to the dentist
And sat down in the chair,
And the dentist said, “Now tell me, sir,
Why does it hurt?”
And the Crocodile said, “I’ll tell you the truth.
I have a terrible ache in my tooth,”
And he opened his jaw so wide, so wide,
That the dentist, he climbed right inside,
And the dentist laughed, “Oh, isn’t this fun?”
As he pulled the teeth out, one by one.
And the Crocodile cried, “You’re hurting me so!
Please put down your pliers and let me go.”
But the dentist just laughed with a Ho Ho Ho,
And he said, “I still have twelve to go–
Oops, that’s the wrong one, I confess,
But what’s one Crocodile’s tooth, more or less?”
Then suddenly, the jaws went SNAP,
And the dentist was gone, right off the map,
And where he went one could only guess…
To North or South or East or West…
He left no forwarding address.
But what’s one dentist, more or less?

Boa Constrictor

Oh, I’m being eaten
By a boa constrictor,
A boa constrictor,
A boa constrictor,
I’m being eaten by a boa constrictor,
And I don’t like it –one bit.
Well, what do you know?
It’s nibbling my toe.
Oh, gee.
It’s up to my knee.
Oh my.
It’s up to my thigh.
Oh, fiddle.
It’s up to my middle.
Oh, heck.
It’s up to my neck.
Oh, dread,
It’s upmmmmmmmmmmffffffffff…

For any of you that are punctuation fans, here’s a fun quiz based on the Lynne Truss book Eats, Shoots, and Leaves. I am officially a 100% punctuation stickler!