Religious Literacy

A Nation of Religious Illiterates. That is what Stephen Prothero calls America.  I read an interview about him in the Austin American Statesman, our local paper, and was quite intrigued by the premise of his book, Religious Literacy: What Every American Needs to Know--And Doesn't.  He claims that in order for us to have productive civic engagement, we must be knowledgeable about religions, religious terms, and stories that influence everyone's world view.  His book is divided into four sections.  In part 1, he explains why religion matters.  In part 2, he explains what we once knew about religions as a nation and how we forgot it.  In part 3, he explains what should be done to remedy the illiteracy.  Namely, he argues for reintroducing religion education in school.  He's very clear that schools should not teach religion, but that they should teach about religion. Basically, knowledge is power and the more ignorant one is, the more dangerous everything appears.  He ends his book witha  dictionary of 100 religious terms in alphabetical order.  The explanations are good, but somewhat superficial and not inter-related. After reading this section, you feel like you need to read more about this topic and he anticipates this by including a list of further reading.

It's not exactly the primer I am looking for.  I am searching for a book that succintly explains the world religions and this was not it, but I did learn quite a bit about how religion has influenced public policy in this country.  Overall, I'd have to say it's a good book, but be prepared to slog through some of the longer explanations about puritans in this country and the origin of religious studies in schools.  Enjoy!

Road Trippin'

I have posted before about the joys of travelling with the family by car to far away places.  Once again, this summer we loaded up the van, strapped in the kids, and off we went to explore the Eastern part of the U.S.  What a wonderful 20 days!

We started out by driving to Little Rock, Arkansas the first day.  We had been there before so this was just a quick overnight stop.  (Last year we drove out to Wyoming and California and got so many hotel points that the hotesl on this trip were free.)  The kids love staying at hotels (who doesn't!)

The next day we drove two hours to Memphis and spent all morning at the Mud Island River Park which has an amazing half-mile scale model of the Mississippi River that the kids can wade in.  My favorite part is that it empties into a scale model of the Gulf of Mexico.  There are fountains and paddle boats.  The kids loved it!

After that, we did a quick stop at the Lorraine Motel where Martin Luther King, Jr. was shot. 

They have turned the motel into a museum.  The kids did a quick tour of the gift shop and then we were off again to Nashville to have dinner with my husband's family.  What is normally a three-hour drive turned into a five-hour drive after a cement truck fell into a ditch and the emergency vehicles blocked two lanes of the three-lane highway.  Aaargh.  Then we ran into heavy rain and then we got lost.  Double Aaargh!  But we finally made it and had a wonderful time visiting with all the cousins in Tennessee.

On Day 3, we started the morning by letting the kids explore the grounds of our cousin's farm.  A creek runs through it, they have many gardens, and a wooded area.  Again, the kids were in heaven. 

After breakfast we drove to the Great Smoky Mountain National Park to camp for the night.  We got there in the evening and the kids really enjoyed chasing the beautiful fireflies. 

The next morning, we hiked up to see the Laurel Falls early in the morning.  What a gorgeous area.  We bought a little brochure that explained what we would see on the hike and read it at different points along the trail.  The falls themselves were tiny and a little disappointing, but it's the journey that counts the most, right?

We had a great time hiking up to them and back.  After the hike, we packed up and headed to Shenandoah National Park for another night of camping.  We arrived so late (again!) that our camp neighbors were already using our table because they figured no one was going to camp there.  We set up the tent, built a fire, and read by the moonlight.  Perfect heaven, or so we thought.  At 3 a.m., the girls woke up screaming because the tent was flapping all over the place.  It was so windy that if felt as if we were going to fly off the mountain.  I ran out of the tent to get my husband to stake the flaps back down and he immediately told me to get back in the tent "before it flies off with the girls in it!"  (He and my son were sleeping outside the tent.)
Everyone moved back into the tent, but the wind kept howling and the tent flapping.  I was so exhausted that I couldn't keep my eyes open the next day.

On Day 5, we woke up early (really we didn't sleep all night) and went for a short-hike on the Appalachian Trail which ran just down from the campground where we were staying. 

It was all weedy and covered with poison ivy so we just picked berries (much to my chagrin, I kept asking my husband, "How do you know they are safe to eat?" They were blackberries.) 

We hiked a different trail that had amazing vistas of the mountains and had another chance to hike up a small section of the Appalachian Trail. 

It was an awesome morning despite the sleep deprivation!  After the hike, we drove up to Falls Church, Virginia where we were going to be for three days visiting friends and touring Washington, D.C.

On Day 6, we took the train into the city and spent all afternoon at the Museum of Natural History and the Museum of the American Indian. 

We also saw the Capitol, the Supreme Court where the kids got to participate in a demonstration against the death penaly.

The kids fell in love with the fountain outside the Library of Congress.  My son especially enjoyed the statue of Poseidon and his chariot being pulled by a a pair of  hippocampi. A hippocampus is a mythical creature that is half-horse, half-fish or dolphin.

The next day we drove into the city instead of taking the train (it cost us $60 to take the train in and only $18 to park. Where's the incentive to take the train?  Plus, traffic was a breeze...)  We got to visit the Library of Congress. They have a new Children's Reading Room that was outstanding. 

The girls really enjoyed story time there while the boys went to the Capitol with their gallery passes.  All, in all, a great morning.  After the library, we made our way back to the Air and Space Museum where Daniel was in pure heaven. 

After the museum, we hit more monuments, the White House, and the kids got to attend another demonstration. This time they helped the Sierra Club with their Freedom from Oil demonstration.  (The irony here as that we drove 2,000 miles to get there!)  :) 

On Day 8, we drove into the city again and finished doing the tour of the monuments.  We hit all the big ones, but we didn't make it to FDR's.  The kid's favorite was the Washington Monument. 

My husband loves the Korean War Memorial and my favorite is the Vietnam War Memorial.  After visiting the Jefferson Memorial, we made our way out of the city towards New York.  That evening we made a short stop in Philadelphia to see the Liberty Bell, Independence Hall where the Declaration of Independence was signed and where the first American flag was unveiled, and Benjamin Franklin's grave. 

What a historical city!  It's too bad we got a parking ticket for $36 at 7pm at night or we would definitely put that city on our list of places to visit again. That night we arrived in New York City and stayed with my sister and her husband in the Upper East Side.

The next morning, thanks to the generosity of a friend, we moved into a beautiful apartment in Times Square.  We walked through Central Park and took the subway to Times Square.  After we were settled in, my husband took the older kids to see the Statue of Liberty while my baby and I walked to Rockefeller Plaza.

We got to see the Lego Store and discovered American Girl Place.  I thought I was going to have to use the jaws of death to extricate her from there. We spent three hours touring the store.  Thankfully, we didn't spend a dime.  She was happy just collecting the little paper cards which list every item they have for sale.  :)
That night my sister and her husband took the kids back to her apartment and my husband and I got to go to an Alejandro Escovedo album release concert and to dinner at City Winery in SoHo.  What a lovely evening!

On Day 10, we got in line early to get discount tickets so the older kids could go to a Broadway show.  We got tickets to Fela, a musical about a political activist in Nigeria. 

My sister and the kids met us for lunch.  I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw them.  They all looked very stylish!  The girls were sportin' new shoes, purses, sunglasses, lip gloss, and nail polish. Thanks, Tia!

After lunch, the older kids and my husband went off to the show. We spent the afternoon just window-shopping on Madison and Fifth Avenue.  It was awesome!

The kids and my husband met up with us again at the apartment and we took everybody to FAO Schwarz, the most wonderful toy store ever!  We got to see a show on the Big Piano (which was in the move Big) and a Barbie Fashion Show.

My husband and my son left after the show and went to the Empire State Building. This is the view at sunset:

We all met up again in Times Square.  What a lively place to be at night!

Our final day in New York City started out with breakfast at a deli below the apartment, followed by another trip to American Girl Place where we finally gave up and bought the girls dolls.  They are adorable.  How can one resist?  My baby has curly hair so she picked up an African-American doll with curly hair.  So cute!

Even my son was enoying looking through their collection of historical dolls and furniture. (If they had an adventure boy figure like Kaya, I bet boys would buy it up!)  After shopping, we took my sister to Target. She and her husband are doing their residency in NYC and have no vehicle.  It was the longest Target visit ever!  We left her house at 12:30 and didn't finish unpacking her bags of groceries until 4:45 pm!!!  (The closest Target is in Harlem.)  At that point, it was time for dinner so we headed to the Candle Cafe on 74th St. 

I had been hoping to eat there. It is one of the most famous vegan restaurants in  New York and it did not disappoint.  My husband had the lasagna, the kids had protein shakes and edamame, and I had the crystal rolls and lentil soup.  The soup could've been more spicy, but everything else was fabulous.  Even the cookie (which was as hard as a hockey puck) tasted pretty good.  Finally we were off to Boston at 7pm. Crazy!  Did I mention this was also Fourth of July?  We had to stop in Providence to watch fireworks.  We originally stopped on the side of the freeway on a bridge but got booted out by the police, along with a whole bunch of other cars.  As we were U-turning to get back on the freeway we found another (illegal) spot but it was not on the bridge so the police didn't care!  I love watching fireworks and their reflection on the water.  Finally at 9pm we were back on the road to Boston.  We got in very late (it was a trend throughout the trip!)

Day 12:  Boston!  We stayed with our former neighbors in Milton and the kids got to see the house where they used to live when they were babies.  They loved that!  We also met up with other friends to hike the Freedom Trail that day and got to see Mother Goose's grave marker. 

The next day we met up with work friends and grad school friends and took the kids to Harvard Square.  Kids loved it! 

That night our very generous friends watched our kids so we could have our 14th wedding anniversary dinner at Himalayan Bistro in West Roxbury.  What wonderful food although we had to be very specific about being vegan.  The first bowl of soup they brought me had chicken broth in it eventhough I had specifically said we didn't eat meat.  Everything else was delicious!

On Day 14, we did a small hike up the Blue Hills with our neighbors and then headed out to Syracuse, NY to visit family.  His family lives in a beautiful house that abuts a beautiful park in Syracuse. (See picture to the left.) It feels like they live in a retreat.  They also have play structures, swings, a tree house, and a huge backyard. We all loved their home!  We stayed in Syracuse two nights.  Originally, we were supposed to camp in Lake Eerie, but rainstorms were predicted for that day so we changed our plans.  Our aunt took us to a gorgeous creek to play and swim and we got to visit other cousins.  We had a very relaxing stay!

On Day 16, we drove to Archbold, Ohio with a quick stop in Niagara Falls.  My husband and I had been there before late at night 13 years ago while were doing another road trip.  The falls look very different during the day!  They are gorgeous.  We took the elevator down and hiked up the steps half-way up to the falls.  The rain was pouring down, but the kids were having a blast! 

After Niagara, we drove to Archbold to visit family.  We spent three nights in Archbold. The kids got to swim in a pond, visit Sauder village, and meet lots of cousins.

The cousins we stayed with just built a beautiful home in the woods so this felt like staying at a retreat, too.  Their daughter lives on the same farm.  They have gardens, chickens, a tree house.  Once again, the kids were in heaven!

On Day 19, we started the drive home and got here in two days.

We were able to keep to our vegan diet by taking a cooler along with us and stopping at grocery stores to stock up on vegan food.  All in all, we had a great trip!

Living the Vegan Life

Have I mentioned that we are trying to eat Vegan for one year? It is not as hard as it sounds. The hard part is explaining it to your friends, your loved ones, and to random people that ask you about it. Most people think we are crazy for eating this way.

The part I find most frustrating is that if they only took a few hours to read about it, they would not be asking so many questions.

The first question we always get is "Why?" Why don't you eat meat? The answer that gets the least questions back is "For health reasons." Then the most likely question is "Oh, your cholesterol is high?" No, I just want to make sure it stays healthy.  Also, I get have a lot of energy when I am not weighed down by eating meat products.  

If I answer, "I am trying to lower my ecological foot print."  The likely response is, "You know soy production is responsible for huge losses of rain forest in South America."  The proper response should be: Oh, really?  Do you think that's because of the tiny bit of Tofu I consume or is it because of all the processed food you are eating?" Instead, I usuall answer, "We buy Tofu from companies that produce organic, sustainably-raised, and ecologically responsible soy."  (ie, we are not the problem, here).

The response that I think gets people most worked up is when I mention "For philosophical reasons - we don't believe in eating animals that have been raised in an irresponsible fashion and have been abused just so we can enjoy a few good bites."  "You can't believe everything bad you read about chicken (or beef, or pork) farms.  There are some good places out there. I buy everything organic."

True.  Some and you mostly only find those at Farmer's Markets.  And just because you buy everything organic does not mean that you are eating an animal that has been raised responsibly.  All that means is that they have been raised on organic feed.  They can still be stuck in stalls, unable to move, their whole lives, standing in their own feces until the day they die.  What you really need to look for is pasture-raised, and grass-finished.  Most animals are raised on pastures until they need to be fattened up (or finished).  If they are not "grass-finished" that means they are also stuck in those stalls until butchering time.

The same goes for eggs "Cage-Free" doesn't really mean they don't leave in cages.  The USDA allows you to put that label on your eggs as long as the chickens have the option of going "outside."  That can simply mean having a little door to the outside with a tiny grassy area that most chickens do not find appealing.  Their entire lives can be lived inside dark rooms and just because there is a tiny opening in the room to the outside, they get to have their eggs labeled "Cage-Free." 

I wish people would be more sensitive and informed when they make those comments.  And I need to figure out a polite way to respond to all these inquiries without making people feel like they are ignorant.  It's annoying, but it has to be done.  Like with everything else in life, education is key.

TTYL.

Night Hike

This week we are starting another fun summer trend:  The Night Hike.  My husband and I went out to dinner last Friday and on our way back home, we stopped by the park near our house and hiked the trails for 30 minutes.  It's really one big loop and I've walked it so many times with Sadie, our dog, that I can walk it with my eyes closed.  Which is kind of what it felt like walking it at night. It was ok in open areas where the light from the moon illuminated the path, but in areas where there is a lot of tree cover, it was pitch black and no, we didn't have a flashlight, but somehow, we managed to walk the whole way and it was such a relaxing experience we had to share it with the kids.

We have done it two days in a row and the kids love it.  We go just before the light disappears. Even my two-year old enjoys the cicadas, the crickets, and today, the crazy toad that spooked us.  We thought is was a leaf, but when Daniel tried to touch it with his stick, it jumped really far.  The rest of us jumped in the other direction.  :) 

Tomorrow night, I would like to see if we can take flashlights so we can see go frogging in the creek.  When I was little, I spent a lot of time in Cancun with my uncle and his family going out in the middle looking for crabs.  It was so much fun to be on the beach in the dark chasing crabs that we would later eat boiled.  Ah, man, not a good memory. Now, I miss eating crabs.  Did I mention I'm a Vegan these days?

TTYL.

2012

Where have I been that I have never heard of the 2012 prophecy?  I picked up a book from the library titled The Book of Destiny because I have always been fascinated by the Mayans.  The author spent a good amount of time explaining that the Mayan calendar ends on December 21, 2012.  Some people speculate that is when the world will come to an end.  Apparently, the earth, sun, and moon will be aligned with the Milky Way and the gravitational pull on the earth will be so strong that it will make the poles reverse and cause tsunamis, earthquakes, volcano eruptions, etc. 

The Book of Destiny explains that the Mayans do not believe the world will come to an end on that date, but  that we have to begin looking at the world in a new light so we can achieve a new consciousness.  Every human civilization has made it through four cycles of the Mayan calendar, but no one has made it to the fifth cycle. 

I did some research and it sounds like Mel Gibson is on board with the end of the world theory.  That alone disqualifies the whole thing for me as a serious scientific prediction.  The whole thing sounds rather hokey.  Seriously, where have I been that I have never heard of this?  I need to get out more...

Swimming at Dusk

Our family has started this new summer trend: we are going swimming in our neighborhood pool after 7pm.  It is the best idea we have had!  First, there are very few people at the pool at that time.  Therefore, one does not have to deal with a crowded pool and a crowded parking lot. Two, you don't need to wear sunblock!  And finally, my baby girl gets the baby pool all to herself.  She loves that!

Last night, we arrived at 7:30pm and stayed until 8:45pm.  (It closes at 9pm.)  It does make for a late night, but what the heck.  It's summer!  The kids have been going to bed around 10pm, ususally unheard of during the school year.  The good thing about that is that they also get up around 10 a.m. so I get the whole morning to get my stuff done (whatever that may be!)  :)

Speaking of kids waking up, I hear them rousing.  Time to get breakfast on the table.  TTYL!

Rain and Sleep

I woke up because it was pouring rain and thundering.  I have never been able to sleep through that.  I can sleep through a train flying in front of our house and I can sleep through airplanes flying over our house, but somehow, I can't deal with raindrops? 

When we were little, we lived with my great-grandmother for a year while my parents were building our house.  My great-grandmother's house was on the street that had train tracks on it.  The first night we were there, all of us kids woke up screaming because it felt like we were in the middle of an earthquake.  The whole house was shaking, the windows were rattling, and the sound from the train was oppressive.  But by the end of the week, we were all sleeping right through it.

Our new house was built close to the airport and it was actually right on the flight path.  Every day in the early morning hours we would hear planes landing and taking off.  It was fun to lie on the car and see the planes go by and eventually, we also got used to the sound.  It's kind of neat how your brain just learns to ignore sounds that you consider to not be important.

I guess it doesn't rain enough in Austin for me to get used to the sound of rain and thunder.  And frankly, I love waking up to rain.  There is something nurturing about it.  When I see it landing on the ground, it reminds me of drinking cold water on hot summer days and feeling refreshed.  I bet that's how the grass feels. Wouldn't it be fun if it only rained at night?  Then you would get the coolling down effect, but you wouldn't have to make rain plans for the day...

Ok, I'm rambling....got to go to bed and get some more sleep...

TV-Watching Marathon

I love everything Little House on the Prairie -- the books, the show, the recipes, the clothing. My kids love watching Little House in the Prairie, too. My husband has given me almost the entire series on DVD and over the last few years we have watched some episodes here and there.  Yesterday, however, we watched about 8 shows.  That is a lot of TV for people who hardly ever watch any.

The kids are officially hooked on the show.  I really enjoy watching the episodes and discussing them with the kids.  The show does a great job brining up difficult subjects like mental illness and homelessness and putting a kid-friendly spin on them.  The kids also ask a lot of questions about that historical period.  Nati is in love with bonnets.  I had to get her one for her birthday.

We hardly ever watch TV but yesterday that is all we did for most of the day.  If TV were always this good, I would have a hard time limiting the kids to only a few hours per week.  But nowadays, what is out there that is good?  PBS and PBS Kids?  That's about it.

We'll stick with our Little House on the Prairie for now. I might even add Family Ties and the Brady Bunch.  I'm just afraid if I do that, we will spend our entire summer watching those shows.  :)

TTYL.

Now I Know How You Feel

My 10-year-old son slept in on Friday, the second day of summer vacation.  He woke up very late, but in a very good mood.  He offered to make pancakes for me and his little sister.  My other daughter was at a sleepover and my husband was at work already. He asked me to sit down and ejoy my breakfast, that he would take care of everything.  So I took him up on his offer and let him run the show.

He made vegan pancakes by following the recipe on the Energy Egg Replacer box.  He was a busy bee measuring, mixing, pouring, flipping, and serving pancakes.  My youngest daughter was sick so she was acting very needy that day. While Daniel was getting breakfast ready, she asked him for different shape pancakes, for a fork, for milk, for water, for a plate, for the syrup...Daniel kept giving her everything she asked for while keeping an eye on his pancakes.

Finally, when his stack was ready, he turned off the stove and came to sit at the table.  "Phew," he said.  "That was a lot of work."  Just then his little sister asked him to refill her water cup.  He turned to look at me totally exasperated and said, "Now I know how you feel, Mom! You never get to eat!"

I was laughing so hard I almost choked on my pancake, but I am glad he gained a new appreciation for what I do for him and his sisters every day.  I love that boy.

Back to Blogging

Every year for the past four years around this time (May), my house ends up looking like a wreck, I can't keep up with the laundry or dishes, we eat out too much, and I never have time to do the things I love most - reading, writing, and walking.  That's because our school's festival is in May and I am the chairperson, but thankfully, someone else has stepped up to do the festival next year (I am now only co-chair) and the festival has been moved to the first weekend in November.  Yay!!!!

Ok, so I am back.  Today is the last of school which hopefully means I will have a lot of extra time to blog this summer.  I especially want to write about the books I just finished reading:  The Omnivore's Dilemma and Mennonite in a Little Black Dress.  Tomorrow.

Real Food, That's What's on My Mind

I have two blogs. This one and another one about food:  http://www.texancookie.blogspot.com/.  Today, it feels like I need to talk about food a lot so I am posting food thoughts on both.  I think this emphasis on food stems from my recent conversion to eating vegan.  I feel the need to know everything there is to know about food and I am reading more books than I thought I could ever find on food. 

The best one so far is:  Michael Pollan's, In Defense of Food. I just finished reading it over the weekend and talk about eye-openers. It was outstanding! If everyone read this book, we would have very different food policies in this country. His basic recommendation is right on the cover: "Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants."

This means eat real food not processed junk, not imitation junk, or anything that looks real but is really not. He explains how non-organically grown produce is really not full of the nutrients we think it has for various reasons. First, the soil on which non-organic produce is grown is full of chemicals, such as fertilizers, which are absorbed by the plants and therefore, affects nutritional quality.  Second, the produce itself is full of pesticides.Third, the produce is transported from all over the world and it loses nutrients in transit. 

He also recommends eating until your brain tells you you are full.  Don't think you are full only when your plate is empty.  Eat slowly.  Enjoy your meal. Eat with someone.  Avoid eating in front of the TV.

Finally, avoid eating too much meat or meat products.  Plants are better for you and if you are eating too much meat, you are crowding out plants from your diet. But even if you choose to eat meat, make sure you are eating grass-fed and pasture-raised meat. It certainly costs more, but why shouldn't we have to pay for our environmental impact?

Probably my favorite part of this book is his discussion of how the government makes food rules based on nutrients vs. real food.  For instance, instead of being able to say "eat less meat", it says "eat less saturated fat".  All because of the huge meat, dairy, and egg lobbying that goes on this country. It's sad that few people seem to know the truth.  Even sadder that a lot of people don't care to know the truth.

I was having lunch with a friend and I was recommending this book to her.  She told that she'd rather not read it because she loves eating the food she eats now and she's afraid if she reads the book, she won't be able to eat those foods.  And how does that argument make sense to anyone?  I'm afraid that's the perspective of the typical American.  How can do we change that?  That is the real question.

Tell them you love them

My husband's school is going through a tough week. We have three funerals all in one week:

1. 46-year-old husband of a current teacher died in a car accident
2. 68-year-old dad of a former teacher died of cancer
3. 5-year-old former student was reported missing, but later found dead in a bush

It makes you realize how quickly things can change in your life. One day you are having fun with your family enjoying each other's company, arguing, eating...not knowing that that is your last day on this earth. I wish it were easier to live every day as if it were your last because you really do not know if it is. I guess the least we can do is tell them we love them.

Gorgeous Weather

I had big plans for last night, but they got derailed thanks to the gorgeous weather we've been having. But that is a good thing. We had an early dinner and then went out to play with the neighbors. All the kids and their parents were out and it was so nice to just sit and relax with the adults while the kids all played baseball, rode their bikes, and chased each other. That's the best part of living in a cul-de-sac. Cars are not as much of an issue.

We ended up staying out until 8pm! Once we came in, the kids were hungry, of course, so we had another mini dinner. While the kids were eating their second dinner, I read a couple of pages from the Diary of Anne Frank like I had originally planned to do. Nati said she didn't want to hear the "scary parts." "What scary parts, honey?" I asked her. "Mom, I can still hear the footsteps from the movie. Those were scary!" She's referring to the fear that ran through all the residents of the Anne Frank house when they heard footsteps and they didn't know to whom they belonged. Well, I guess that's my answer to the question of whether she's emotionally ready. Not fully. I was glad that she was able to tell me that.

Daniel, however, couldn't wait to start reading it so we read a couple of pages before I sent everyone off to bed. I skipped over sections that I thought were not appropriate for Nati. Tonight we have a playdate with some other friends, but hopefully, we'll get a chance to read some more. Can't wait!

Revisitng History with the Kids

We watched "The Diary of Anne Frank" last night on PBS's Masterpiece Theater. Wow. Talk about excellent programming. They took Anne's book and turned it into a two-hour made for TV movie, but were somehow able to capture the essence of the book. Kudos to PBS!

We let the kids just watch part of it because it was very late and they had to go to bed and also because we wanted to screen it before we let the kids see it. This program coming out right now is perfect timing for us. Last week, we read Patricia Polacco's, The Butterfly, a picture book about two little girls living in German-occupied Paris during World War II. One little girl is asleep in her room when she wakes up one night and thinks she sees a ghost, but it's not a ghost. She did not realize that her family is hiding a Jewish family in the basement and the "ghost" is just another little girl. The story and pictures are beautiful and hopeful just like all of Polacco's books.

The kids had many questions after we read this picture book: Who are the Nazi's? Why are they so mean? Why were they chasing the Jews? When did this happen? Could this happen today? And many others.

After reading The Butterfly and piquing their interest by letting them watch the beginning of the movie, we feel the next step is to start reading the book with them tonight. I am so excited. I can't wait. I am a little nervous about them being emotionally ready for it, but I guess we'll just have to see. I'm almost certain that D is ready. N is almost seven so we'll have to just keep monitoring her reactions.

I am, by no means, a history buff. Far from it, but fortunately for all of us, my husband majored in International Relations and knows a lot about all the wars in which we Americans have ever participated. After the movie ended, I was mesmerized by his descriptions of his visit to Auschwitz and the Anne Frank house. He has actually been in the attic that was part of the Frank's hiding place! The kids are going to love that.

I am so enjoying this part of parenting, the part where I get to learn, too. I read this book in middle school and wrote papers about it, but the depth to which we can delve now is amazing. The internet research we can do just boggles my mind and then of course, listening to David talk about this stuff is so much fun. I can hardly wait until tonight!

Books, Glorious Books!

I love books. There's no denying it. Yesterday I drove to the downtown library and perused the new books aisle, the cookbook section, and the parenting section for an hour and came home with 13 books just for me.

People ask me, "When do you have time to read?" I carry books with me all the time. I read at stoplights much to my kids' chagrin. "Mom! The light is green!!! Go!!!" I read in waiting rooms. I read in the car while I'm waiting in the pickup line at school. I read right before I fall asleep for at least an hour every day. I just love all the knowledge out there that can be so easily absorbed by just reading.

One of our dreams for our family has always been to raise avid readers. I like to think that we have done all the right things to encourage that. They need models. I think we are doing our part, there. David is also a big reader (surprise, surprise). :) We have been reading to the kids every single night since before they were born. (The picture above was taken in 2000, when D was five months.) Even now that they can read independently, we read together out loud almost every night. (I like to pick one author and read all his/her books. This week we are reading Patricia Pollaco.) It comes as no surprise then, that they also love to read.

Yesterday, I picked up a book at the library titled If I Live to be 100: Lessons from Centenarians by Neena Ellis. The book originated from a project she did for NPR's "All Things Considered." I am intrigued by centenerians since my dad is 90 and in such good health. I wonder what he has done differently than most people his age who have alls sorts of ailments. He takes no pills, except for heartburn (because he probably overeats!) He has all his teeth. His hearing is not as great as it used to be but he can still hear, and he can't see with one eye. He has no arthritis. No diabetes. Nothing. Thank, goodness! Anyway, I saw this book and I thought about my dad so I checked it out.

I read parts of it on my way to pickup the kids from school (at stoplights only, of course!) and fell in love with some sections. At dinner, I was so excited about the book that I spent a good 10 minutes describing it to the kids. They listened intently and asked lots of questions. Then I casually asked them what they were reading. I did not expect this, but my two older kids ran to get their books and brought them to the dinner table. D has three books going: Lone Wolf from the Wolves of the Beyond Series, something from the Lemony Snicket series, and one from the Seekers series. He proceeded to tell us about his books. Then N shared with us The Puppy Place's Chewy and Chica about two chihuahuas that are born in a doggy mill and are adopted by a family. I was thrilled to see my kids so excited about books. They even read sections of their books out loud. After we picked up the kitchen, the reading out loud continued.

When my husband got home, I couldn't wait to share with him about our "book club" dinner. My 2-year-old overheard me talk about it and she told Daddy that tomorrow she is going to talk about the books she's reading.

I am so excited about this. I think we are going to implement a weekly, maybe daily? book talk at dinner.

It's called Politics

One of the big items on Obama's agenda before his election was his promise of bipartisanship. Sounded good to everyone. Bipartisanship means both parties compromise to put out legislation that benefits the majority of the people.

Fast forward a year and a half.....

Obama is still trying to be bipartisan but what is Congress doing, especially the Republican minority who insists on obstructing everything coming out of the White House or put forth by the Democrats in Congress? My question is why are we still trying to play fair when it appears that no one else is?

Case in point: Obama's 15 recess appointments. The constitution provides for the President to make appointments to fill vacant federal positions while the Senate is out on recess. Thus, bypassing Senate confirmation. Obama has more 200 outstanding federal positions open because the Senate refuses to confirm them and all he has done is appoint 15. While Bush was in office, he made more than 170 recess appointments, including the appointment of John Bolton as ambassador to the United Nations knowing full well that his appointment was very controversial. Again I ask, why are we still playing fair, people? The conservative media is calling Obama a hypocrite for using recess appointments because when Bolton was appointed Obama criticized President Bush. Duh, people, this is politics. What part don't you understand?

In politics, you have to do whatever is in your legal power to further your agenda, as long as it is ethical. Obama is being too nice, if you ask me, by only appointing 15. What do we owe the Republican minority? The same minority who claimed the Healthcare reform bill is not bipartisan and voted against it as a bloc knowing all along that they authored more than 200 provisions in that bill? You can call it obstructionism or hypocrisy, but it's called politics, people.

Historic Bills and Spineless Congressmen

I stayed up way past my bed time last night waiting for the U.S. House of Representatives to vote on the historic healthcare reform bill. I tell you, it was more exciting than watching the Longhorns play. We needed 216 votes for it to pass and with only a few minutes left to vote, we had 208, then 210, then 214, then 215, and finally 216, but then it kept going and the final vote was 219 to 212. Yes, we did!!!

I am outraged at some of those spineless Democrats from Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Texas (Chet Edwards), New York, Massachussets (Stephen Lynch), and other states who did not vote for this bill. Why do we Democrats keep supporting these "Democratic" congresspeople with our money and our votes? Let's figure out a way to vote them out and get new people in, I say.

And the amount of misinformation being thrown around last night was disheartening: we are not robbing Social Security; we are not creating death panels; we are not creating a bigger deficit. No wonder the American people do not know whom they should believe. Besides, where were these people who are suddenly all worried about a deficit when the last administration drove us into the worst deficit in history???? I don't remember hearing them complain then.

Then some guy (I think he was from Texas, I was too disgusted to look at him) starts talking about not "going against the will of the American people." Exactly whose will are we talking about here?

It's not over yet so we can't claim complete victory, but a major hurdle was crossed yesterday. In six years, people will have healthcare even if they can't afford it. Imagine that? It feels good to be an American today.

Walk, Read, Write

In my previous post, I mentioned that I have been keeping track of how I spend my time. After reviewing the activities on my "typical" day, I realized I am actually spending a lot of quality time doing the things I love: walking, reading, and writing. I am so thankful for that realization. I feel that I am not "wasting" time. Now I have to think about what other things I should be doing that involve the family. Am I spending real quality time with them? Am I making an effort to pass on traditions and family values, such as service, in a consistent and positive manner?

In my quest to learn ways to do this, I am reading a book called Converting the Baptized by William O'Malley, S. J., a pastor who teaches high school students how to have a personal relationship with God. He claims that most Catholics grow up going to church every Sunday but know very little about having a true personal relationship with God. That is very true for me, at least. In this book, he offers suggestions for parents and teachers to help teenagers learn the tools that will help them develop this relationship with God. And the beauty of the book is that in the process of learning to help our children, we adults can learn the tools, too, since most of us have never used them ourselves. I am so loving this book!

More later...

The Unemployed Harvard Grad

My brother cracks me up every time he refers to me as "the unemployed Harvard grad." Very funny but erroneous because you can only be unemployed if you are actually looking for employment, right? Which I am not, at this time. But he's not the only one wondering what I do all day with "all" my time. My sister is in shock when I tell her I don't have time to clean my car every week. "What?! You stay home. How can you not have time? What do you do all day?" she says to me, partly in jest, but mostly not. I think sometimes even my sweet husband wonders how I spend my time.

So...I decided to start tracking it and here is my "typical" day:

Typical Day in the Life of this "Stay-at-Home" Mom

5:30 a.m. - Alarm goes off. I get up to make breakfast for my kids and husband and feed the dog (I try to get up this early most days.).
6:00 a.m. - Kids and husband go out the door. I empty the dishwasher, put in the dirty breakfast dishes, wipe the counters, scour the sink, and sweep the kitchen floor.
6:20 a.m. - Fold a load of laundry and transfer load from washer to dryer and start new load. Tidy up family room.
6:30 a.m. - Pour myself a cup of coffee. Go upstairs to check email, facebook, and blog for about an hour.
7:30 a.m. - My baby girl wakes up. I dress her and fix our breakfast. We eat together. While eating, I read her several books.
8:00 a.m. - I start getting ready for my morning walk: put on work out clothes, pack snacks for Bella, get stroller ready (need blankets, jackets, etc.) Get Sadie ready with leash, water, and bags.
8:30 a.m. - Depart on our morning walk.
9:30 a.m. - Return from our morning walk. Shower and get dressed.
10:00 a.m. - Make beds and do chores or errands based on day of week: Monday - grocery shopping. Tuesday - drop Bella off at school, work on house project (clean backyard, organize files, clean closets, etc.). Wednesday - deep clean one room in the house, go to library or park. Thursday - drop Bella off at school, volunteer work at home or at school or run errands. Friday - bake for bake sale, plan menus for next week, cook dinner early, need to be at school by 1pm to help with bake sale every Friday and we don't get home until 6pm on Fridays.
12:00 noon - Fix lunch and eat at home (I try eat out only one day a week, now. When I eat out, it normally takes about 1.5 hours.)
12:30 pm - Fold laundry, transfer laundry from washer to dryer, put in new load. Vacuum or sweep, clean one bathroom.
1: 30 pm - Start dinner preparations or continue working on projects (volunteer or house).
2:00 pm. - Start packing after school snacks for the kids.
2:30 pm. - Leave the house to go get the kids from school.
3:30 pm. - Arrive home with kids. Help them get snacks and do homework.
4:30 pm. - Start dinner (if there is an activity that night) or supervise kids while they play outside.
5:30 pm. - Start dinner (or head to activity: soccer, baseball, PTA meeting or other volunteer activity). Kids help set the table or play together inside.
6:30 pm. - Eat dinner and family time.
7:00 pm. - Dinner clean-up and family time.
8:00 pm. - Help the older kids get ready for bed. Read a story.
8:30 pm. - Finish dinner clean-up and get my little girl ready for bed.
9:00 pm. - Get myself ready for bed. I usually read 30 minutes to an hour.
9:45pm. - Lights out.

Sometimes we have playdates after school that turn into dinner. Mondays and Fridays we have baseball. Thursday we have soccer so dinner needs to be early those days. Sometimes I think I need to make my days more "productive," but then again, where do I fit in more productivity?

TTYL.

Bread-winner or Bread-baker?

After much contemplation and discussion, we have decided that I will stay home until Isabella starts Kindergarten which is in two more years. (If the right part-time opportunity arises, I might consider it, but at this point, I am not actively looking for employment.) I just feel I would be missing out on her young years and my older kids are still little, too. I am not ready to put them all in after school care and leave Isabella in daycare 9 hours a day, five-days a week. I remember when I used to work. I dropped Daniel off at 8:15 and picked him up at 5:30. We got home at 6:15, ate a quick dinner, gave him a bath and he was in bed by 7:30. I got to see him a total of maybe 3 hours in a week day. Some people can and more power to them. For me, I had kids to enjoy them and be with them and I'm just not ready to go back to only seeing them a few hours a day. Yes, it would be nice to have the extra income, but do my kids need ski trips more than they need mommy? I don't think so.

At any rate, at the end of my extended "maternity leave," I will have been home 8 years!!!! That seems like a long time, but as you know, time flies especially when you are involved in the care of young children. So with that in mind...

I was at the dentist a few weeks ago because Nati was getting her teeth cleaned. It was snowing hard (the first snow we've had in two years!). I casually mentioned that it was a good day for going home and baking bread. The dentist's face lit up and she said, "Do you bake bread regularly?" I was embarrased to admit that I have never actually baked bread. Then she tells me that when her kids were little, she could only afford to stay home for one year, but that she baked bread every day that year. What the?! Are you serious? Wow. I was so impressed.

Later as I was driving away from her office, all these questions started percolating in my head: What have you been doing in your six years at home, Sylvia, when you haven't been a bread winner? You're not even being a bread-baker? What HAVE you been doing?

More later...

Noisy Hearts

I have been reading a lot of books on spirituality lately. I read them a lot when I was single, too. I had just started working in a professional setting. I lived in Houston by myself in my own apartment. I didn't really know that many people. I was working on a challenging assignment with new technology and very little mentoring from the staff. I was far away from family. I had just broken up with my college boyfriend. I got up early, went to work, worked until very late, worked out, came home had dinner and went to bed and then it started all over again.

I felt like I was living in a whirlwind and I needed to find ways to slow it down. My favorite book of that season of my life is The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey. That book gave me the framework I needed to sort out all the changes that were going on in my life and put things back in perspective.

Now that I am a parent and have three kids and their activities to deal with, I feel, once again, that I am living in a whirlwind. Thankfully, Isabella goes to school two days a week, and that gives me time to slow down a bit, but the rest of the time, it feels like I am shuttling children from activity to activity, or going from one volunteer or school activity to another.

I have also wanted to find a way for my kids to not feel this whirlwind. What can we teach them to help them deal with our fast-paced life? I started looking for another book that would help me put things in perspective and help me teach the kids how to slow down. I search the library and the internet and I found two(!):

Nurturing Silence in a Noisy Heart is outstanding. The author claims that in a digital world, we have lost our privacy. No matter where you are, you can be reached via your cell phone. We no longer seem to give ourselves time to just be. This is especially true for our children once they start school, he claims. Even outdoor time is structured: soccer practice, baseball practice, etc. Parents trying to make memories pack activity after activity on weekends: bowling, movies, etc., but when do kids have a chance to just be? His book gives wonderful ideas for adults to slow down and smell the roses. For instance, he says get up before the whole family does and just sit in a dark room gathering your thoughts or go for an early morning walk by yourself. He recommends one make a list of things that nourish our soul and keep a record of how often we do those things in a week. After a week, examine how often you engaged in an activity on your list. Are you doing the things that are important to you or are you just going through the motions you know will get you through the day? I love all the questions he poses.

Habits of a Child's Heart: Raising your kids with the spiritual discipline is totally worth owning, as well. The authors base this book on Richard Foster's Celebration of Discipline. They lay out the 12 principles that are important to help one make the most of our spiritual life: meditation, prayer, fasting (not just from food, but from TV and video games, too), study, confession, worship, guidance (how to be a good friend and learn to make good friends), celebration, simplicity, solitude, submission, and service. They explain what each principle is, how a parent can learn to use this principle, and offer specific ideas and suggestions for teaching them to children of all ages. I know Foster's book is based on Quaker and Roman Catholic thought and therefore, considered controversial by some religious groups, but Habits of a Child's Heart really spoke to me and gave me the framework I was looking for. It's almost like a summary of the important suggestions you read about in other spiritual books. You know how it is when you start seeing the same thing in all the books you're reading? You feel like you are getting closer to seeing the light. I love it!

Responsible Parenting

Do responsible parents let their 10-year-old read Stephen King's Pet Sematary? What about the Lord of the Rings Trilogy? I don't want to squash his enthusiasm for reading, but seriously, Stephen King?

"Aren't there other more age-appropriate things he can read?" I asked the lady in charge of Juvenile Literature at Half-Price Books (they are so knowledgeable - almost as good as Book People employees!).

She said, "Well, have you tried Harry Potter?"

"Yes, he's read that."

"Have you tried Percy Jackson?"

"Yes, he's read that."

"Have you tried Redwall?"

"Yes, he's read that."

"Have you tried Ranger's Apprentice?"

"Yes, he's read that."

"Peter and the Star Catcher?"

"Read it."

"Warrior series?"

"Reading it."

"Lemony Snicket?"

"Reading it."

She gave me a funny look and then she said, "Well, I don't know what to tell you. He's pretty well read." Well, that was helpful.

So back to my orignal question: Should we let him read Stephen King books? I'm leaning towards NO, but I could be swayed. David said he read it when he was 11 and he had nightmares. Maybe he can read that stuff when he's a teenager...