George Washington's Breakfast

What did George Washington eat for breakfast? That's what a little boy named George (who also shares the same birthday as George Washington) wants to know in George Washington's Breakfast by Jean Fritz.

Well, I'm not going to give too much away in this wonderful living book teaching kids more about George Washington than they think they are learning, but we made it...

And no, they are not pancakes!

Summer Reading

Summer is for reading- in our family. I recently found this book in my bookshelf. How it got there? Not quite sure, but it was there and so it deserved reading. I am so glad I did. It was a fantastic book. A book which begs further research just for curiosity sake. Who is Esther Huatzig? What is a steppe?

This book is about a Jewish family from Poland who were forced from their homes and into exile at the start of the war. Suspected to be capitalist by the Russian army, they were enemies of the people. A family born into wealth and richness were now reduced to degrading poverty in Siberia. Written as an autobiography, Esther tells her story of life as a 10 year old child trying to find her place in a desolate land and finally learning to love the land that almost destroyed her family.

I loved reading the incredible strength of a people almost forgotten by our children and even our own generation. What must have it been like to grow up with nothing to play with? I wouldn't know- my kid's wouldn't know.

Wildflower Study Kick Off!

Today we begin a new "tab" in our Nature Studies- Wildflowers! It's timely, isn't it? With spring upon us and all of the beautiful wildflowers out. I only wish we had begun sooner so we know what flowers we are looking at.

We began with studying the parts of the flowers:

And then we began with our state flower- the Texas bluebonnet . Scientific name:Lupinus texensis

If you and your kids are not familiar with lupines, try reading Miss Rumphius by Barbara Cooney. It is a fantastic book about a woman who makes the world beautiful by planting lupines.

This is the Agalinis. Scientific name is pururea, Common name is a Purple False Foxglove

Another view:

This next one is the Bitterweed found here in the Texas Hill country. Its scientific name is Helenium amarum . It is related to the sunflower. It is called a Bitterweed because it's aroma is very bitter. Cows generally stay away from them, but if a heifer does eat this flower, its milk tastes bitter. Bees honey will also taste bitter and foul if it makes its honey from the pollen of this flower.

Time to journal:

Read a Book With Me- Moss Gown

This book is an interesting recommendation for me. It is a southern tale having been told for many, many years and also changed a bit through time. What I love about this book is the love story. The youngest daughter of an aging plantation owner is asked, along with her two ungrateful sisters to prove their love for their father in order to help him decide who he would ultimately pass his wealth to when he died. The two sisters found flattering words to express their love (albeit shallow and without true love) while the youngest and wonderfully genuine daughter could only find these words to express her love, "I love you more than meat loves salt."

Horrified and angry at her expression of love, being misunderstood, was ordered to leave the plantation and never return. She is ultimately helped along by a "fairy godmother" and the meaning of her words to her father coming back to truly express how much she really did love her father and at the end, her father did finally understood her deep love for him.

What I didn't love about this story was the griss griss woman who helped young Candice. Although this story is southern Cinderella story, the griss griss woman appears strangely magical when compared to the jolly, plump fairy godmother in the traditional Cinderella story.

However, it is one of our favorite stories. My daughters and I have read and reread this story dozens of times. It has solidified our bedtime expressions of love to each other. I begin with "I love you more than meat loves salt." And one child will come up with something creative like, "I love you more than pigs love mud." And " I love you more than T rex's love to hunt!" Back and forth until we finally can't come up with more.

I hope you will read it one day.

Read a Book With Me - Elsie Dinsmore

Since my children were born, the undying tradition in our home is to read to them before bed. One hour before bedtime is devoted to reading. If we miss a night, it is like the world coming to an end to my sweet kids. We have read hundreds of books and it is my joy to share some of those with you. If you have never read Elsie Dinsmore to your daughter, I would highly recommend it simply for the godly character the young girl of the story exhibits. I have never seen it on any of Charlotte Mason's recommended reading, but I don't let that stop me from reading books to my children that would encourage godly character in them. Set before the Civil War, little Elsie longs to have the love of a father in her life as her mother died when she was young. Her father left her in the care of her grandparents and showed no love to her until one day, he re appeared, a stern and unloving shadow. Elsie displayed unwavering love for him and a steady love for the Lord through every trial of her young life. It is a book worth investing into your daughters.

Read a Book With Me

This year may be too late to find this book, but an idea for next year is a lovely picture book called Mary's First Christmas. If you love tender books; books to draw your children's hearts toward the Savior as well as books that draw their hearts to yours, you will love this Christmas story. From the perspective of Mary telling her young son (Jesus) about how he was born, it is a sweet reminder of the day that changed the world from the perspective of a Mother. It is well written (always a big hit with me) and well worth the read.