adventures in home-making

A cornucopia of Thanksgiving recipes.

Spiced Pumpkin Waffles

Rancho Deluxe Dressing

Cranberry Ginger Relish

Butternut Squash with Brown Butter

Warm Carrot and Lentil Salad

Honey Walnut Pie

Pumpkin Bread 

Pumpkin and Cream Cheese Muffins

Maple Cupcakes

Bobby's Gooey Butter Cake

Olivia's Buttermilk Pie

Giving thanks.

When it comes to being thankful, I am sometimes overwhelmed by the goodness and love in our lives. A few immediate thanks that come to mind (with a few attributions):

1. "Micah sleeping in her high chair". (Max)
2. "Our new baby that is coming". (Max)
3. Sunshine and the scent of crackly leaves.
4. The beautiful home my mother has shared with us.
5. The kindness of strangers in various parking lots and check-out lines all over Tuscaloosa.
6. That new can of bright blue paint in the garage.
7. Living in a neighborhood that loves animals.
8. Max's exuberance.
9. The inspiring courage of the Prophet Micah, Martin Luther King Jr., Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Mother Theresa, and the black churches of the South.
10. All the fresh vegetables overflowing from baskets in our kitchen.
11. The way in which my husband toils to provide for us.
12. The community at Grace Church.
13. The comfort and power of forgiveness.
14. No morning sickness.
15. The possibility of a new life and new lives.
16. My extended family, including the Atlanta clan, the Ohio segment, and the isla of Birmingham.

A few fun ways + recipes to spend all the extra family-time.... 

Johnny Appleseed's Thanksgiving verse (also a coloring page)

Cranberry sauce with maple syrup recipe

An Old Fashioned Thanksgiving by Louisa May Alcott - a perfect tale to share with the family when you can steal a little couch time

Animal sewing cards - to keep the little ones bemused during all the cooking

A history of pumpkin pie - for the curious

Printable Thanksgiving toys and thingamabobs from the Toymaker

Printable advent calendar

Curried Pumpkin and potatoes recipe.

All the fresh pumpkin paid off with this recipe, well-loved by my entire family.

You will need:

• 2 tablespoon butter OR 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 medium onion, sliced and diced
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped 
• 2 1/2 teaspoon curry powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
• 2 lbs fresh pumpkin, peeled, seeded and cut into 1-inch pieces
• 2 potatoes, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 1/2 cups water and 1 large cube of chicken bouillon OR 1 1/2 cups chicken broth
• 3/4 cup golden raisins OR half an apple, peeled and cubed (the apple works better to add just the slightest touch of sweetness)
• 1 tbsp honey (optional for those who like sweet curry dishes)

1. After chopping the pumpkin, onion, potatoes, and apple, heat butter in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook until it turns golden brown (about 5 minutes). Add garlic and cook for one more minute,

2. Stir in curry powder, salt, and pepper.

3. Add pumpkin and potatoes and cook for 5 minutes, stirring. (If the pan gets dry, just add a half-cup of water.)

4. Pour in 1 1/2 cups of water and add large cube of chicken bouillon, stirring to blend. Add cubed apple to the pan. Cover and reduce heat to medium. After 15 minutes, add honey if you'd like that extra kick.

5. Replace cover and cook until pumpkin and potatoes are tender (about 5 to 10 minutes more).

6. Garnish will fresh cilantro or freshly-chopped green onions.

    

The chapter on courage in Max's virtue notebook.

Courage is defined as the mental and moral strength to venture, perservere, and withstand danger, fear, or difficulty. 

Synonyms for courage: bravery, gall, boldness, boldness, valor, fearlessness, fortitude

         Antonyms for courage: cowardice, fear, nervousness

Copywork and Recitations

• "This is courage in a man: to bear unflinchingly what heaven sends." (Euripedes)
• "To dare is to lose one's footing momentarily. Not to dare is to lose oneself." (Soren Kierkegaard)
• "I fear nothing for God is with me." (Joan of Arc) [Joan of Arc copywork]
• "It is easy to be brave from a safe distance." (Marcus Aurelius)
• "Courage is not simply one of the virtues, but the form of every virtue at the testing point." (C.S. Lewis)
• "Faced with what is right, to leave it undone shows a lack of courage." (Confucius)
• "No arguments will give courage to the coward." (Aesop, The Fawn and His Mother)
• "But as for me, I am filled with authority, justice, and courage to declare to Jacob his transgression and to Israel his sin." (Micah 3:8) [Micah 3 copywork]

Stories

• The Story of David and Goliath (1 Samuel 17:1-58)
• St. George and the Dragon
• The Story of Chicken Little
• The Wolf and the Kid by Aesop (Aesop)
• The Brave Mice (Aesop)
• Crossing the Rubicon (retold by James Baldwin)
• The Hunter and the Woodman (Aesop)
• The Fawn and His Mother (Aesop)
• The Anunciation (Luke 1:26-38, King James Version)
• Book 3, Chapter 7 of the Nicomachean Ethics (Aristotle)
• The Brave Tin Soldier (Hans Christian Andersen)

Poems and Songs

• "Daughter of God/ Joan of Arc" by Chris Snidow (mp3s available for free)
• "Paul Revere's Ride" by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
• "Our Heroes" by Phoebe Cary
• "Hail Mary" and Hail Mary and the Annunciation notebooking page
• "Being Brave at Night" by Edgar Guest 
• "Eliza Crossing the River" by Harriet Beecher Stowe
• "Go Forth to Life" by Samuel Longfellow
• "The Road Not Taken" by Robert Frost
• Sheet music for "The Road Not Taken"
• "Things That Haven't Been Done Before" by Edgar Guest

Biographies

• Joan of Arc
• Dietrich Bonhoeffer
• Mary, the mother of Jesus
• The Prophet Micah
• Theater of the Eighth Day

Art and Images - For notebooking pages and journaling.

• The Annunciation by Leonardo da Vinci
• The Annunciation by Henry Tanner
• The Annunciation by El Gredco
• Cestello Annunciation by Sandro Boticelli
• St. George and the Dragon by Raphael
• A photo journey through the life of St. Joan
• Micah Exhorting the Israelites to Repentance by Gustav Dore
• Fortitude by Sandro Boticelli

Activities and Crafts

• Joan of Arc coloring page
• St. George and the Dragon coloring page
• Annunciation coloring page and a different version
• Dragon Alliteration Poetry Prompt
• Build a Worry Warrior Activity
• Create a Courage Catalog that would include journal entries and pictures of courage created by your child and other family members. Leave the catalog in an accessible location so family members can add new entries as they discover them.
• Pictorial tribute to Ingrid Bergman, who played Joan of Arc in a film about her life.
• Choices: Lesson on Courage Activity suited for younger children but easily adapted to older children.

For parents and teachers, who enjoy learning with their children and have discovered that secret joy of homeschooling which involves a lifelong intellectual and spiritual adventure, here are a few inspiring materials:

• "The Virtue of Courage" by Douglas N. Walton
• Lesson Plan on Courage from USC Shoah Foundation Institute
• Medieval Heroines in History, a series of free audio lectures.
• "Ethics and the Will of God: The Legacy of Dietrich Bonhoeffer", a free podcast.
• Dietrich Bonhoeffer Reading Room at Tyndale Seminary.
• Peace Sunday handout from the Mennonite Church USA.
• The prophet Micah is said to have told the Wise Men where Jesus would be born.

Hanging around in the Chinese pistache tree.

 

Leaf rubbing for the nature notebook.

 

The cashew family (Anacardiaceae) is a group of about 600 species of plants, most of which are tropical in distribution, although some occur in the temperate zone. The cashew family contains many types of sumac, which you can view and explore in this printable brochure.

Almost all members of the cashew family are trees or shrubs, though some are vines. Many species have foliage, fruits, or bark on the stems and roots that contain acrid, an often milky resin, and saps that are irritating or poisonous if touched or eaten. The leaves are typically compound, with at least three if not more leaflets per leaf. The flowers are small, five-parted, insect pollinated, and arranged in compact inflorescences. The fruits are either a one-seeded drupe or a many-seeded berry, and are generally eaten and dispersed by birds or small mammals.

Open nature notebooks. We found the tree above at the Arboretum yesterday, and have decided that it must be the Chinese pistache, or Pistacia chinensis. It still seems funny to imagine its kinship to cruel poison ivy, but we humans have some ugly brothers as well. Off to leaf rubbing, tracing, and classifying we go. Here is a close-up of the Chinese pistache leaves (and Micah's old-man hair).

 

Chess has become a family sport.

Saturdays that feel like Sundays and require Sunday playlists.

Our hat basket waits stocked by the door to cover little heads in cold weather. I know Suebee and Pops would be proud to see Max and Micah picking their own hats to wear before each outing! Especially when their choices are so individually delicious. As for Sunday music on a Saturday, I relish the weekends when we hibernate and overdose on family time. My family is sacred to me. Nothing brings me joy more than the moments between whining, dirty diapers, boo-boos, and hurt feelings when we are all four together. Okay, four and a pint...

I'LL FLY AWAY - The Avett Brothers

AMAZING GRACE - Sufjan Stevens

JESUS WAS A CROSSMAKER - Frida Hyvonen

WHEN THE DEVIL'S LOOSE - A. A. Bondy

SUNDAY KIND OF LOVE - Etta James

THERE WILL BE NO DIVORCE - The Mountain Goats

LET THE MYSTERY BE - (The Eichelbergers might know this...)

JESUS GONNA BE HERE - Tom Waits

Lisa's lovely watercolor rooster deserved a frame.

22 things I love today.

1. Dragonflies.
2. The life cycle of dragonflies.
3. Old science textbooks written in the form of stories about the world around us as opposed to mere dissections of incomplete thoughts.
4. Shadow Puppet Shapes.
5. Babuschka plushies.
6. Hello stationery (made by Bread of Many).
7. Soul food.
8. The smell of a newly-sharpened pencil.
9. Black baby clothes.
10. Holiday bags made from fused plastic.
11. The sound of the Gipsy Kings while making dinner.
12. Handmade gift tags (from A Fanciful Twist).
13. Old wooden dollhouses.
14. Pretty things that remind me of Romania.
15. How to build your own little coloring books.
16. Glossy bright blue paint that sparkles like the south of France.
17. Fabric postcards.
18. Whimsical and ornate embroidery thread cards (from Craft Chi).
19. Watching Max and Micah dance to 80's music.
20. The Little Match Girl Coloring page.
21. Beautiful watercolor banners.
22. Memories of U street wanderings in Washington, DC.

Homeschooling without a printer...

Means running to Kinko's (or my mom's house, when she allows) to print our fun for the day. Since this requires a bit of planning on my part, I thought I'd strive for a head-start on the coming holiday season. Though I've posted quite a bit of this stuff already, I never seem to get around to printing it. So please bear with my long attempt at creating an easy print list for myself. Who ever said blogging, like most human activities, wasn't inherently selfish was inherently untrustworthy.

1. Charlotte Mason Book of Centuries
2. Seega, an Egyptian game
3. Mehen, an Egyptian game
4. Ancient Egypt Timeline worksheet
5. Letters From Egypt by Mary Whatley
6. Spider worksheet
7. Gardening notebooking pages
8. Story promp for Edward Dulac painting
9. Write Your Own Interior Story activity
10. Joan of Arc coloring page (for virtue notebook)
11. Gather in the Garden Handout (for virtue notebook)
12. "If" by Rudyard Kipling (for virtue notebook)
13. Virtue biography printable (for virtue notebook)
14. "Thales and the Egyptians: Measurement" sample lesson plan
15. Shadow Math Activity
16. Think Like Thales! Teacher Notes
17. Ancient Assyria coloring page and poster
18. Egyptian Asp coloring page
19. Egyptian instruments coloring page
20. Southern magnolia nature notebook page
21. Karnak coloring page
22. Villa of Egyptian noble coloring page
23. Adverbs worksheet
24. Alien adjectives worksheet
25. Alphabetical order worksheet
26. Contractions worksheet
27. Verb tenses chart
28. Verb tenses worksheet
29. Pronouns worksheet
30. Past, Present, and Future worksheet
31. More action verbs worksheet
32. Copywork November 17
33. Copywork for November 14
34. Senses and Poetry worksheet
35. Purpleland Writing Exercise
36. Copywork November 25
37. Autumn Acrostic
38. The Little Match Girl Coloring page (for virtue notebook)
39. The Little Match Girl Booklet Text (for virtue notebook)
40. The Little Match Girl story text (for virtue notebook)
41. Baba Dochia, a Romanian story
42. Reading a Graph worksheet
43. Standard Measuring Tools Activity
44. Centipede classification sheet
45. Mosquito classification page
46. Cockroach classification sheet
47. List of CM attainments for age 6
48. Questions CM asked her young readers
49. Ambleside Online Year 1 Booklist
50. An Old-Fashioned Thanksgiving by Louisa May Alcott

Homeschooling this week.

Math

In math, we are still working on multiplication the old-fashioned way. Though it is difficult, I think learning to "talk" math makes "thinking" math easier when it comes to real-life applications. 

Language Arts

In language arts, Max practices handwriting with the letters H, h, I, i, J, j, and K, k.

Copywork for the week includes moral summaries of Aesop's fables, which we have added to our virtue notebook.

History

Finishing up with Ancient Mesopotamia, Jericho and Hammurabi and enjoying those fantastic Egyptians. Also getting serious about timelines with Charlotte Mason's Book of Centuries, a lovely freebie.

•  Alphabet of Egyptian Hieroglyphs
• Egypt Study Guide
• The Walls of Jericho Notebooking Page
• Anubis, the god of embalming
• Hieroglyphs lessons, a little advanced, but so is driving and they still let me do it.
• Write your name in hieroglyphs activity
• Printable blank fact cards about pyramids
• Play the Egyptian game, Seega
• Play the Egyptian game, Mehen
• Ancient Egypt timeline worksheet
• Tomb at Abydos image
• Ancient Egyptian musicians image
• Anubis image

Literary Arts + Theater

We're wrapping up our exploration of compassion this week.

Also in the plans for the weekend is the construction of a shadow puppet theater.

• Instructions for making theater.
• Special banner to print.
• Animals template (includes bird, giraffe, and elephant)
• T-rex dinosaur shadow puppet
• Dinosaur shadow puppet

Memorywork

• St. Francis Prayer of Peace
• Part of the memorywork involves copywork, so Max copied the Peace Prayer while listening to Sarah McLachlan's vocal rendition. He loved it. You can love it too, with the mp3 below.
• Prayer of St. Francis by Sarah McLachlan

Arts + Music

• Illustrate the poem, "Rain", by Robert Louis Stevenson.

Looking forward to Arachnids and nature notebooking:

• Spider parts labeling worksheet
• Spider worksheet
• Ladybug magazine nature notebook pages
• Make a leaf crown activity 

Babies and magnolia trees.

I wanted to climb it, but just as I grabbed a branch and swung up my legs, I got one of those sharp uterine pains which mark various stages of pregnancy. In this case, I'm about 10 weeks into this unplanned adventure...

 Max is elated- "Mommy, my prayer came true!! I prayed for a family of five!" - while I am a little nervous (it seems so soon, my back, blah, blah, blah...) but excited.

A golden stroll near the train trestle on a golden fall day.

There's no better way to describe it than to say, "golden".... It was that. After watching a documentary about Dietrich Bonhoeffer the night before, I felt strangely light, as if even the slightest wind is part of God's plan to bring that little leaf right beside the ant seeking a mid-day shelter. So much beauty it takes my breath away.

 

Even big boys have to be carried sometimes... when there are so many lovely, luminous puddles begging to be conquered in crocs with socks.

 

Like father, like son. Watering the plants is fun.

The barge depot, where the barges resemble harmless sea turtles.

 Max and Micah watched Patrick talk to a homeless man for almost half an hour. Due to the thunderstorms the night before, all his clothing was soaked. We noticed how carefully he laid it out to dry. Patrick discovered that this man was a mathematician who had wandered to Tuscaloosa via New Orleans. His interest in infinite set theories led the discussion to God. The homeless man noted that he didn't recognize Christians from Purpose-Driven-lifers anymore, that Jesus' love is not present in modern self-helpisms in the way that it is present in the Bible.... A good man, the wandering stranger who comes into our lives for a brief moment yet leaves us somehow hungry.

 

Max shares freeze-dried fruit with Micah.

Patrick makes the dread "ugly face", which The Little Dragon duly imitates. How I love my sweet ugly family....

Max earns his Bobcat badge.

Max has been enjoying Tiger Cubs this year- even more so after finally getting his uniform and earning his Bobcat badge, awarded at the pack meeting on Monday night. 

He enjoyed painting Patrick's face at the pack meeting while I chased Micah around the halls in the circles.

Max lost his first tooth!

 

Here is how my husband described the event to his brother, Bradley, in an email:

Max lost his first tooth this morning. He was eating a waffle and came up to me with something small and white in his hand asking me what it was. I thought it was gristle or something (like you find in a hamburger) and thought it was strange it'd be in his waffle. "Was that in your waffle, Max?" I asked him looking at the thing in his hand. "I don't know, it's hard." I took it from his hand and, by golly, it was a tooth. I looked at Max and said, "Max! You lost your first tooth!" He smiled. Right there in the front bottom row was a missing tooth and a bloodied mouth. I ran him to the mirror to look. He screeched with glee and ran to tell Mommy and Micah. I got him a gold $1 coin to put under his pillow tonight.

 

Inside the piano.

 

Max watches the inner workings of a piano that Patrick took apart and put back together. Once a week, Max takes piano lessons which he anticipates and raves about. I am so happy for him- and grateful to my mother for adding music to his life in this way. 

Little Micah, always eager to follow in Max's footsteps, has designated herself his primary accompanist. Here you can see the world of music from Micah's mini-vantage point...

Lisa visits and takes over the science lessons for the day.

It is always wonderful to see my friend, Lisa Channell, who also happens to be Max's godmother and one of the people who really encouraged me during my pregnancy with Max. She stopped in for a visit from Chicago last weekend, and spent the afternoon chasing dogs in the yard and conducting science experiments with Max.

Max's first football game.

Gary surprised Patrick a few weeks ago with tickets to the Alabama v. LSU game, so Patrick and Max attended their first football game at the Bryant-Denny Stadium. It took Max a little while to adjust to the chaos and hairspray (note the serious expressions on his face), but by half-time, he was having a blast.

 

Apparently, it was an exciting game to see. Max also fulfilled a Tiger Cub requirement to attend a sports game and learn the rules.

Since Patrick and Max had 8th row seats, Max got a close-up view of the action. But not close enough to distract him from the books I packed in his backpack just in case his feelings for football turned out to more closely approximate his mom's...

 

He's reading one of his favorite books, The Knight's Handbook.

Game over. Alabama won. Roll Tide!

Possibilities over patterns.

I'm not good at sewing with patterns yet- the natural rebel in me prefers to experiment with fabrics and cuttings until something exciting emerges. Better than a pattern is the inspiration. And here are a few I've stumbled across today...

 

Azure velvet pants 

Eden palazzo pants

Liz jumper

Potato sack ruffled linen dress

Berry cotton jersey skirt

Jemma owl sweater dress

Linen baby dress screen-printed

Boyfriend shirt sheer button-up top

Happy birthday to my dear dad who is turning older than I'm ready to imagine.

 

Since my dad has mentioned that I don't make CDs for him anymore, I thought I'd do the unbeatable- create a playlist and skip the cost of postage + the uncanny likelihood that I'll get my act together and mail something. Happy birthday sweet dad. Just right-click and save as on each tune and then you can burn your own CD from this playlist intended to brighten your afternoons and sweeten your nights. Te iubesc.

Swept Away (Sentimental Version) - The Avett Brothers

A Sunday Smile - Beirut

With Every Wish - Bruce Springsteen

One (U2 cover) - Vanessa Paradis

St. Judy's Comet - Paul Simon

Lonely Old Lies - Neko Case

Love Love Love - The Mountain Goats

Am iubit si-am sa iubescu - Dona Dumitru-Siminica

Paper dolls and sewing thoughts.

Weewonderfuls free paper dolls - to buy a little time for sewing and working on the projects below.

All the beautiful, wonderful things I want to make for my children, and my nephews, and the munchkins in Romania....

Wee doll pattern

Bear and bunny dolls

All buttoned up wool children's skirt (I have just the sweater for this.)

Beautiful bright high chair cushions

Romanian tales by Ion Creanga atop an anniversary.

Today is our wedding anniversary, and we are celebrating in small, special ways. Patrick took over the homeschooling for this morning, and I love watching him interact with Max on the topic of Gilgamesh and immortality. There is so much wisdom and beauty in the past.

 

We look so stunned. And cold...

For homeschooling this week, a few Romanian tales lovingly transcribed by another mother:

Baba Dochia

The Bear Tricked by the Fox by Ion Creanga

The Little Bag with Two Coins

And a little treat for art, a story exercise on an Edward Dulac painting:

Story exercise for Edward Dulac painting

A little coloring fun with unicorns.

Creating daydreams + background music.

I've put a little asterisk by the patterns or tutorials which might make lovely holiday gifts, for those inclined to make some gifts.

For decorating + the home

• Hanging birdie decoration pattern
• Crochet flowers and leaves patterns
• Burlap flowers tutorial
• Crochet jar jacket tutorial *
• Fabric wreath tutorial
• Upcycled table runner (pdf) *
• Watercolor resist painting
• Paint textures collage

For the ladies

• Noro one-skein hat pattern (pdf)
• J Casa Neighborly with a Twist vest pattern (pdf)
• Free 2009 desktop calendars
• Fabric covered necklace tutorial

Flirted With You All My Life - Vic Chestnutt

For the babies

• Living Creatively Line Mobile (pdf) *
• GoingSewCrazy baby bib tutorial
• Soft counting cubes *
• Foldable baby travel chair *

For the children

• Fabric scrap stickers tutorial *
• Little girl tights turn into a snake tutorial
• Felt castle play set tutorial *
• Kidlet wall pocket tidy pattern (pdf) *
• Ladybug sleeping bag tutorial and pattern *
• Free Nanibird paper toys
• Apple placemats
• Where the Wild Things Are tote tutorial

For anyone you deem worthy

• Fabric Luggage Tags *
• Handmade embroidery pattern
• Vintage French stamp set patterns (pdf)
• Scrap Christmas stocking tutorial
• Free Lisa Rupp calendars

 

If I Ever Cease To Love - John Rankin

For the gentlemen

• Found object mobile
• A homemade pallet chair

Generally

• Packing list (pdf)
• How to transfer inkjet images to wood
• Extended landscape
• Water colour flowers

Music for a rainy day.

Just right-click and press "save as" to download any mp3s you might appreciate...

Witness Blues - A.A. Bondy

 

Little Bit of Rain - Amos Lee

 

Mockingbird - Shelley Short

 

Sweet Rain - Train

 

Mandolin Rain - Bruce Hornsby

 

I Can't Get Started - Charles Mingus

 

Old-fashioned storyteller visits Tuscaloosa Monday night.

Mark your calendars...Storyteller Molly W. Catron will be sharing stories on this coming Monday evening at 8 p.m. in the upstairs  portion of Smith Hall (the Natural History Museum). If you haven't had the opportunity to experience an old-fashioned raconteur with your family, this might be it. 

Molly has been telling stories for over twenty years. She lives on a farm in East Tennessee with husband, Wayne, a herd of goats, three cows, three dogs and a bird. She is Nana to three granddaughter and two grandsons and loves to play the guitar, make jewelry, sew, and sit on the porch. You can listen to a few of Molly's stories for free here.

If you'd like to keep current on local storytelling events, join the Facebook group, Storytelling Club. Julie Guthrie will keep you abreast of all storytelling-related events in the Tuscaloosa area. 

Homeschooling: The Virtue of Compassion.

Compassion is "fellow-feeling" - the ability to feel for others. Compassion is a human emotion prompted by the pain of others. More vigorous than empathy, the feeling commonly gives rise to an active desire to alleviate another's suffering. Compassion acknowledges and respects the suffering of others. It often leads us to be merciful rather than critical.

THE LIFE OF ST. FRANCIS OF ASSISI - St. Francis's compassion for others was rooted in his love for God's creation. Known to call the moon, "Sister Moon," and the sun, "Brother Sun", St. Francis took a vow of poverty and dedicated his life to serving and loving God. He traveled around Italy with fellow friars begging for alms to care for lepers and the sick. St. Francis even preached to animals, as well as human beings. His fellow feeling filled him with love and reverence.

Story - St. Francis Speaks to the Birds 

Story - Saint Francis and the Wolf

Book - Clare and Frances

St. Francis' Prayer of Peace

Coloring Page - St. Francis

Prayer of St. Francis by Sarah MacLachlan 

THE FABLE OF THE LION AND THE MOUSE  This fable by Aesop shows how showing mercy to the weak, one way of demonstrating compassion, can have practical benefits as well as moral ones.

The Lion and the Mouse

Printable Fable Card

The Lion and the Mouse Notebooking Page

ANDROCLES AND THE LION This fable by Aesop also shows how the compassion of a slave saves a lion.

Androcles and the Lion

Lion Print Copywork

THE PARABLE OF THE GOOD SAMARITAN In this parable, Jesus emphasizes the importance of cultivating compassion for those who are seemingly different from us. Jesus shows that every man is our neighbor.

Luke 10: 25-37

Coloring Page

Coloring Page with Bible verse

COMPASSION IN POETRY Compassion is such a rich and wonderful virtue that many poems have been written with compassion at their core. Discuss how these poems present different visions and aspects of compassion. Use them for copywork and memorization.

"If I could stop one heart from breaking" by Emily Dickinson

"In the Long Run" by Ella Wheeler Wilcox

COMPASSION IN DAILY LIFE To explore how compassion appears in our daily lives, or the difference between compassionate and uncompassionate responses, I created this worksheet offering a hypothetical example for Max. 

Compassion Worksheet

"Compassion is a keen awareness of the interdependence of all things." (Thomas Merton)

Additional resources:

• Clare and Frances, the movie
• The Good Samartian Sunday School lessons
• Quotes about compassion (for creating your own copywork pages)

Ancient history printables.

Ancient Sumeria Mini Book

Epic of Gilgamesh Notebooking Sheet

Ziggurat of Ur Mini Book

Ancient Sumerian Cuneiform Writing

The Invention of the Wheel Notebooking page

Gilgamesh coloring page

Alphabet of Egyptian Hieroglyphs

The Dead Sea Handout

The Walls of Jericho Notebooking Page

King Sargon's Palace Notebooking Page

Ruth and Naomi coloring page

I like Susan Wise Bauer's educational philosophy, but sometimes I feel like the History of the World texts don't delve deeply enough for Max's curiosity. In fact, the stories could use a little enriching. So we're having fun enriching on the side...

Since we're starting our exploration of the virtue of compassion in a few days, I've found a few possible pages for the Virtue Book on compassion.

St. Francis Coloring Page

Download St. Francis Prayer of Peace

G.K. Chesterton on fairy tales.

SOME solemn and superficial people (for nearly all very superficial people are solemn) have  declared that the fairy-tales are immoral; they base this upon some accidental circumstances or regrettable incidents in the war between giants and boys, some cases in which the latter indulged in unsympathetic deceptions or even in practical jokes. The objection, however, is not only false, but very much the reverse of the facts. The fairy-tales are at root not only moral in the sense of being innocent, but moral in the sense of being didactic, moral in the sense of being moralising. It is all very well to talk of the freedom of fairyland, but there was precious little freedom in fairyland by the best official accounts. Mr. W. B. Yeats and other sensitive modern souls, feeling that modern life is about as black a slavery as ever oppressed mankind (they are right enough there), have especially described elfland as a place of utter ease and abandonment - a place where the soul can turn every way at will like the wind. Science denounces the idea of a capricious God; but Mr. Yeats's school suggests that in that world every one is a capricious god. Mr. Yeats himself has said a hundred times in that sad and splendid literary style which makes him the first of all poets now writing in English (I will not say of all English poets, for Irishmen are familiar with the practice of physical assault), he has, I say, called up a hundred times the picture of the terrible freedom of the fairies, who typify the ultimate anarchy of art - 

"Where nobody grows old or weary or wise,

Where nobody grows old or godly or grave." 

But, after all (it is a shocking thing to say), I doubt whether Mr. Yeats really knows the real philosophy of the fairies. He is not simple enough; he is not stupid enough. Though I say it who should not, in good sound human stupidity I would knock Mr. Yeats out any day. The fairies like me better than Mr. Yeats; they can take me in more. And I have my doubts whether this feeling of the free, wild spirits on the crest of hill or wave is really the central and simple spirit of folk-lore. I think the poets have made a mistake: because the world of the fairy-tales is a brighter and more varied world than ours, they have fancied it less moral; really it is brighter and more varied because it is more moral. Suppose a man could be born in a modern prison. It is impossible, of course, because nothing human can happen in a modern prison, though it could sometimes in an ancient dungeon. A modern prison is always inhuman, even when it is not inhumane. But suppose a man were born in a modern prison, and grew accustomed to the deadly silence and the disgusting indifference; and suppose he were then suddenly turned loose upon the life and laughter of Fleet Street. He would, of course, think that the literary men in Fleet Street were a free and happy race; yet how sadly, how ironically, is this the reverse of the case! And so again these toiling serfs in Fleet Street, when they catch a glimpse of the fairies, think the fairies are utterly free. But fairies are like journalists in this and many other respects. Fairies and journalists have an apparent gaiety and a delusive beauty. Fairies and journalists seem to be lovely and lawless; they seem to be both of them too exquisite to descend to the ugliness of everyday duty. But it is an illusion created by the sudden sweetness of their presence. Journalists live under law; and so in fact does fairyland.

If you really read the fairy-tales, you will observe that one idea runs from one end of them to the other - the idea that peace and happiness can only exist on some condition. This idea, which is the core of ethics, is the core of the nursery-tales. The whole happiness of fairyland hangs upon a thread, upon one thread. Cinderella may have a dress woven on supernatural looms and blazing with unearthly brilliance; but she must be back when the clock strikes twelve. The king may invite fairies to the christening, but he must invite all the fairies or frightful results will follow. Bluebeard's wife may open all doors but one. A promise is broken to a cat, and the whole world goes wrong. A promise is broken to a yellow dwarf, and the whole world goes wrong. A girl may be the bride of the God of Love himself if she never tries to see him; she sees him, and he vanishes away. A girl is given a box on condition she does not open it; she opens it, and all the evils of this world rush out at her. A man and woman are put in a garden on condition that they do not eat one fruit: they eat it, and lose their joy in all the fruits of the earth.

This great idea, then, is the backbone of all folk-lore - the idea that all happiness hangs on one thin veto; all positive joy depends on one negative. Now, it is obvious that there are many philosophical and religious ideas akin to or symbolised by this; but it is not with them I wish to deal here. It is surely obvious that all ethics ought to be taught to this fairy-tale tune; that, if one does the thing forbidden, one imperils all the things provided. A man who breaks his promise to his wife ought to be reminded that, even if she is a cat, the case of the fairy-cat shows that such conduct may be incautious. A burglar just about to open some one else's safe should be playfully reminded that he is in the perilous posture of the beautiful Pandora: he is about to lift the forbidden lid and loosen evils unknown. The boy eating some one's apples in some one's apple tree should be a reminder that he has come to a mystical moment of his life, when one apple may rob him of all others. This is the profound morality of fairy-tales; which, so far from being lawless, go to the root of all law. Instead of finding (like common books of ethics) a rationalistic basis for each Commandment, they find the great mystical basis for all Commandments. We are in this fairyland on sufferance; it is not for us to quarrel with the conditions under which we enjoy this wild vision of the world. The vetoes are indeed extraordinary, but then so are the concessions. The idea of property, the idea of some one else's apples, is a rum idea; but then the idea of there being any apples is a rum idea. It is strange and weird that I cannot with safety drink ten bottles of champagne; but then the champagne itself is strange and weird, if you come to that. If I have drunk of the fairies' drink it is but just I should drink by the fairies' rules. We may not see the direct logical connection between three beautiful silver spoons and a large ugly policeman; but then who in fairy tales ever could see the direct logical connection between three bears and a giant, or between a rose and a roaring beast? Not only can these fairy-tales be enjoyed because they are moral, but morality can be enjoyed because it puts us in fairyland, in a world at once of wonder and of war.

Chesterton, G. K. All Things Considered. London: Methuen, 1908, 1915.

Making a book of virtues.

Virtues define the character of a person, as well as his ideals and possibilities. Is it so wrong to hope my children's sense of virtue is a moral-laden, as opposed to a value-laden, one? Inspired by former Education czar William J. Bennett's books on virtues for children and adults, Max and I will be creating our own book of virtues over the coming year. The book will contain:

• Copy work of quotes about virtue
• Memory work of poems and thoughts on virtue
• Biographies of virtuous people and saints
• Songs and music about virtue
• Coloring pages and art projects on virtue

Since Bill Bennett's list of virtues concentrates on qualities associated with the Protestant work ethic, Max and I added a few Christian virtues to his hardworking list. The ones we selected were inspired by the Beatitudes and various verses found in the Bible. In the list below, our virtues are written in green, while Mr. Bennett's virtues are written in brown. 

1. Perserverance 
2. Courage 
3. Responsibility 
4. Compassion 
5. Self-discipline 
6. Honesty 
7. Friendship 
8. Humility 
9. Selflessness 
10. Generosity 
11. Peace-making 
12. Honor 
13. Agape
14. Faithfulness 
15. Gratefulness 
16. Tolerance
17. Reverence 

Seventeen beautiful virtues to inspire our everyday strivings. Bill Bennett does have an online educational program for homeschoolers called k12, but I'm not a fan of online learning when it involves my little ones and my laptop. As we explore the virtues, I'll keep sharing any fun finds for virtue books as well as inspirations and framing tools. Here's a little intro and I'll devote individual blog posts to each virtue as we mosey on through them.

• "Awakening the Moral Imagination: Teaching Virtues Through Fairy Tales" by Vigen Guroian, an inspiring paper.
• Virtue biography printable - Blank sheet for use in making biographies for virtue book. Includes space for drawing, quotes, and life story. Max and I use these for our individual biographies.
• Handwriting paper - Always comes in handy.
• Letter templates - Use your imagination.

Free homeschooling goodies.

Scouring the web for copywork and other fun items, I found a number of things worth sharing... Most are in PDF format, and there is no organizing theme or method worth seeking. 

• Sowing Seeds of Character cards
• Goal setting page
• City of Ur Facts
• Sumerian city coloring page
• Study Sheet on Mesopotamia
• Hammurabi's Code
• Egypt Study Guide
• Archimedes Bio page
• Timelines of Ancient Civilizations
• Copywork A Child's Prayer
• Copywork November 17
• Common and proper nouns worksheet 2
• Common and proper nouns worksheet
• Adjectives worksheet
• Adding adjectives worksheet
• Adjective arrows worksheet
• Adjectives with -er and -est worksheet
• Adjectives that compare worksheet
• Singular and plural nouns worksheet
• More singular and plural nouns worksheet
• Reading Log
• Giraffe pattern or coloring page
• Fall Tree Rubbing Activity
• Endangered Species Coloring Books
• Tobin's Lab Bird Study
• Multiplication Tables 1-12
• Multiplication and Division Workbook
• Three Stories about Egypt by Margo Wayman
• Blackline maps for world history (free sample)
• Narration Form
• Classification Worksheet
• Sponge (Phylum Porifera) coloring page
• Sponges coloring worksheet
• Coral reef nature notes
• Jellyfish coloring page
• Page 4 of this lesson plan has a decent list of classified animals.
• Arthropoda coloring page
• Phylum Annelida coloring page
• Phylum Porifera coloring page
• Phyla basics worksheet
• Nematoda coloring page
• Osteichthyes coloring page
• Mollusca coloring page
• Mammals coloring page
• Echinodermata coloring page
• Chondrichthyes coloring page
• Saint Luke coloring page
• Biography 
• Map of Israel in New Testament Times
• Apostles coloring page
• Map of Paul's journeys coloring page
• Headdress of Biblical women coloring page
• Farming hand tools for Biblical times coloring page
• Household items in Biblical times coloring page
• Twelve tribes of the Hebrews coloring page

An almost full moon and a beautiful night.

Yesterday afternoon, we received a surprise visit from dear Connie Robertson, who brought a six-pack of cupcakes for Max. He was thrilled to see her and even asked if he might be allowed to "walk her to her car because she is a lady". 

Then, our lovely neighbors from almost-across the street dropped by with a trunk-load of Halloween decorations which they wanted to give to us. Max was dancing on his tiptoes; he loves decorating for any holiday on the calendar. Honestly, we didn't have Halloween decorations apart from our sweet pumpkin, so Patrick and Max started decking the dogwoods with pumpkin lights and skeletons. I am constantly overwhelmed by the kindness of others.

After decorating the house and our own bodies, we loaded our costumed selves into the car to attend the fundraiser at the Arboretum. I was dressed as a Romanian sheperdess, while Patrick played Pocahontas. Micah started off as a pirate and gradually turned in to a pumpkin as the evening got colder, while Max wore his dragon costume. Out of the 30 kids who competed in his age group, Max won second place in the costume contest! 

Typical Maxer, he took his fancy umbrella and gardening gloves- a prize I confess to coveting- and raced off to join the hayride. When he returned, all red-cheeked and dragon-tailed, he exclaimed:

"Mommy, I saw a vampire! And he didn't want to eat me because vampires don't eat people- they just suck their blood!"

Micah look relieved. After downing two burgers and one hot dog, "relieved" is not quite the word to describe my feelings at the time.

You can see Patrick following Max along the Haunted Trail above (along with that gorgeous big golden-leafed tree that struck my fancy...)

We ended our evening without the little ones, who slept snugly on a pallet in the den with their babysitter, Angie. Since our neighbors hosted a costume and dessert party, we walked to their home and enjoyed a little adult company. 

Believe it or not, we still woke up early enough to forget about daylight savings time and arrive at Sunday School an hour early as the church musicians straggled in for their rehearsal.

An easy collard green soup.

So our veggie delivery for the week contained a large portion of collards, which I used to make a soup. The recipe is my own-- a combination of several recipes and ideas, mostly simple because our pantry is on the empty side. 

1. First cut the very bitter stem root in the collard greens. If you add this stem, your soup will be spoiled.

2. Heat one or two tablespoons of olive oil in a soup pot, the bigger the pot, the better.

3. Add the following to the heated oil: 

• 2 cups chopped onion (or 1 bunch chopped green onions including tops)
• 1 bay leaf
• 3 tablespoons crushed garlic
• 2 teaspoons of salt 
• Cook over low heat for abt 10 minutes, then add stock or water. Cover, bring to a boil, then lower heat to a simmer for abt 20 minutes.

 4. Cook this mixture over low heat for about 10 minutes, then add 6 cups of chicken stock or water.

5. Cover and bring to a boil.

6. Lower heat to a simmer for about 20 minutes.

7. Add as much of 1 bunch of collard greens (stemmed and torn) as you can fit, cover and wait a few minutes for the greens to cook down. 

7. Keep adding greens in batches, waiting between additions for them to cook down, which they eventually will.

8. Cook for a few minutes, then garnish with sour cream or freshly sliced jalapenos.