Space books

Kolbe was curious about space and rockets last week so we built some rockets out of old paper towel tubes, I pulled up the launch of STS-135 on YouTube and we watched it and then requested some space-themed books from the library.  I love impromptu lessons like this, they seem to go better than the ones I meticulously plan out.  ;-)  I wanted to share some of the titles we got from the library and my quick reviews for anyone else who might be interested.

The first one was a Scholastic Blast-off Reader, Exploring Space: Space Shuttles.   It was a very informative look at space shuttles, although obviously written before they were retired.  It put things in simple terms for the kids to understand without dumbing them down.  

Then we got The Big Dipper, which is a book about stars and constellations, namely Ursa Major and Ursa Minor and the North Star.  We had this book during "S" week but Gemma didn't get to read/hear it then so I requested it specifically for her.  Both kids are looking forward to going outside after dark when the days get a little shorter to check out the Big and Little Dippers.

I was excited to find Me and my Place in Space, which has the same authors/format as Me on the Map (which we own and love).  It is a story that details the planets, solar system, galaxy, universe, etc. respectively.  It also addressed the possibility of intelligent life elsewhere in the universe in a very appropriate way I thought.

My favorite by far was If you Decide to Go to the Moon.  While fiction, everything it talked about in regards to gravity, the moon's landscape, life in space, etc. was factual in terms of correctness.  The kids really learned a lot from this one, and while it wasn't a religious book by any means I appreciated the author's subtle references to a Higher Power in the universe.  The illustrations were pleasant and interesting as well.

Journal: end of Summer

TODAY

Out my window:  Warm, muggy, light rain.  We had a realllllly cool week two weeks ago, it was hot last week, and is supposed to be pretty moderate this coming week.  It has really been a nice Summer weather-wise.

Clothing myself in:  Some grey Old Navy shorts with green and pink Target tank-tops.  

My SIL got married yesterday and I got a new dress for her wedding.  It was so much fun having something new to wear, I hadn't purchased a nice new dress for years.  Probably college.  The shopping trip may be the best part.  We took all three kids to Von Maur, still not sure whether that move was nuts or savvy, but we came out with not one but two dresses, for less than what we'd planned to spend for one.

Around the house: I got some new frames for our living room wall.  We have an 11x14 family picture and then had 4 5x7 frames around it with pics of the kids/Aaron and me.  The 5x7 frames just always seemed a little small for the space, but I have tried to ignore it for years.  Finally something snapped on Friday and I decided we needed 8x10 frames for that spot instead of the 5x7 ones.  I went and picked some up at Hobby Lobby, and would you believe they still had the exact frame that I had in 5x7s.  I am glad because I always thought they complemented the 11x14 frame very nicely.  It looks so. much. better.  One of those little improvements that I see all the time and am shamelessly nerding-out over.  

Getting ready to have carpet laid in the basement (optimistically this week, more realistically probably in another week or two) and then we'll get Gemma's room all set up down there, so there will be a big flurry of stuff and then it will be nice to have everyone settled into their new spots. 

 

The baby/toddler:  He is talking so much, he will string 3-4 words together to make a sentence.  He has strong feelings about, well, pretty much everything.  Aaron's sister got married yesterday and he screamed for the entire wedding Mass.  I seriously missed the whole thing.  We sat in the Church office and he hung on the doorknob and screamed "daddy, daddy, daddy" more times than I could count, I actually tried to count but lost count.  Aaron sang the Responsorial psalm and there was sort of a mix-up in communication and he ended up not coming back to the pew like I thought he would after the Psalm.  Long story.  Miserable hour.  You don't want any more details, trust me.  Nights have been great!  He still wakes up once or twice, co-sleeps sometimes but much less, and doesn't even ask to nurse anymore.  He still likes his milks at nap and bedtime, but nights are so much better.  It makes me giddily thrilled, I actually look forward to bedtime/nighttime now!

 

The kiddos:  Both had a blast at the Wedding.  Thank goodness my parents were there, as they ended up sitting with them during the Mass while I, um, hung out with Clement.  They made fast friends with a couple kids at the reception and had a blast running around and dancing.  Kolbe, oh my that boy has some moves.

I'm looking forward to the school year.  Gemma had Totus Tuus (Bible School) last week and really enjoyed it.  It was really nice having something to keep her engaged during the day, I anticipate first grade being a very good fit for the whole family.  We got her all registered, and uniforms and supplies are ready to go.  I even let her pick out a special hair bow to match her uniform.  Kolbe told me last week that since "sissy was in [Bible] school he was ready to go back to 'special school' (speech)," so he seem anxious to get back in the school routine too.  He will have two half-hour sessions of speech a week this year.

In the kitchen: Fajitas (as long as I make it to the tortilla store) and a pot of chili on the menu this week.  Eating dinner with family one night, and we will be gone one evening so will do something simple then.  Aaron will probably grill on his day off, that seems to be about par for the course around here lately.  He has started grilling on the smoker, and I never thought I'd notice the difference but the meat really tastes a lot better than stuff grilled on our propane grill.  HUGE difference. 

Crafting:  I decorated a matte and framed Clem's Baptism picture for his 2nd Baptism anniversary.  Better late than never.  Both older kids had been given special frames for their Baptisms that I like to get out on the day of their anniversary, and little Clem didn't have anything so I got some scrap-booking stuff and put one together.  I was pleased with how it turned out.

Learning:  Thinking about what kind of things I'd like to accomplish with Kolbe this year.  I think we will do a modified Letter of the Week program...we are doing weekly co-op again with one other little boy so I think each week we will get a book and do some sort of literary extension activity (craft, etc.) to go along with the story.  That's the plan.  Planning on tackling some Handwriting Without Tears with him as well, as he seems to have a longer way to go to be "ready" for kindergarten. 

Reading:  I am trying to read too many books at once, but the one that has made its way to the top of my stack for now is Beyond the Birds and the Bees: Raising Sexually Whole and Holy Kids.  I have every high hopes for this book and can't wait to finish it (which is good, since it is an ILL and I have less than three weeks to read it). 

Watching:  Clifford the Big Red Dog is currently playing on my television. 

Bringing me joy: Some one-on-one (two?) time with the boys this past week.  Watching Kolbe dance.  Reading Little House on the Prairie with Gemma.  Children who were relatively well behaved at Mass this morning.  Talking with Clem, how he says "taaaaayyyyy" (OK) when he answers me.  A new place to get fresh eggs.  Celebrating eight years of marriage.  Good books.

Thinking about: God's mercy.

Pictures to share: 

The two-year-old with his trademark "scrunch face."

Seven Quick Takes in which I talk about Christmas, night weaning, and mini-blinds

1. Night-weaning.  The baby turned two last week and as I mentioned in aforementioned post, I decided it was time to night-wean.  We went cold turkey (it was time...for him and for me).  It has been superawesomefabulous.  I have reminded him about it every night at bedtime (as he still nurses then), and nights have gone ahhhhhhhmazingly well.  The first two mornings he got pretty upset around 5:30a so I just laid with him and comforted him and talked to him and he worked through it.  Since then he just wants me to sit at the foot of his floor-bed if he wakes up and it takes him like thirty seconds to go back to sleep.  One night he went to bed at 7:30 and didn't wake up until 5:30a, at which point he started screaming that he wanted his shoes.  On his feet.  At a quarter-'til the butt-crack of dawn.  Oooooookay.  Aaron intervened for a bit and, well, we'll just say all's well that ends well (read: I am not always the nicest person in the  middle of the night when little people who should be sleeping are loudly making irrational requests).  When he got up for the day Gemma was like, "why is the baby wearing his shoes?"  Don't ask.  My kids are weird.
2. I found a super-quick way to dust mini-blinds that works so well and saves, like, an immense amount of time.  It works especially well on the wooden ones.  I would describe it but believe me I would bore you to tears.  Mini-blinds.  I am blogging about mini-blinds.  My life is sad.
3. We went and looked at some model homes last week on a "date" and as nice as they were, we both came away from the afternoon grateful for the home we have now.  Sure we'd like somewhere bigger someday, but right now there is happiness in our cozy, simple home.
4. The kids are in a Christmas frenzy.  We have been reading The Long Winter and of course this has Gemma planning and plotting all different kinds of wild ideas.  And then today the kids checked a Barney Christmas special out from the library so that really set things off.  They are busily making Christmas decorations at the table as I type.  And the baby is acting like a dog.  He just licked my leg.  Always entertaining around here.
5. I know lots of people like to knock the big purple dinosaur, but I'm just going to come out and say it.  I like Barney.  His messages are sweet without being over-the-top or proselytizing; and for real.  Those kids can DANCE!
6. Often if Aaron is not around for bedtime Gemma will put Kolbe to bed for me while I lay with the baby.  The other night I came in and she was telling him the epic story of Jesus.  It was epic.  And long.  But surprisingly accurate, and seriously, she was talking about GOD.  I couldn't bear to stop her.  But it went on for like 10+ minutes AFTER I came in the room to tell them goodnight.  She prefaced everything (I overheard her while laying with the baby) by explaining the difference between fiction and non-fiction to Kolbe.  I love that girl.  Best part, hands-down, when she talked about the time leading up to Jesus' arrest and said, "and then the bad guys came and talked to King Herrod about arresting Jesus, and he was like 'hold on guys, talk to me after the Passover'."  I had to stifle a laugh. 
7. I can sadly think of nothing more about which to talk (since mini-blinds and getting licked on the leg were so exciting), but I suppose I can always find a book to talk about.  We checked out Miss Moore Thought Otherwise from the library and it was a wonderful picture book about the history of children's rooms in libraries.  I am reading The Fault in Our Stars and seriously underwhelmed.  Why all the hype about that particular teen-fiction?  I have found nothing spectacular about it.

Check in with Jen over at Conversion Diary for more Quick Takes.

Clement is TWO

I thought I would break from the usual Journal posts and give Clem his own little post for his second birthday.

Likes:

• the word "nooooooooooo" (in his defense, when he does say, "yes," it is an adorable "UHH-huh")
• eating strawberries and raspberries
• doing whatever the big kids are doing
• reading books, he will happily sit on my lap and listen to long picture books, by himself or when I am reading to the big kids
• bananas
• giving kisses
• swinging at the park
• daddy.  he is aaron's most enthusiastic greeter when he gets home each evening.
• waving bye-bye to daddy from the front yard.  he stands there waving and yells, "bye-bye daddy-O"
• the color blue, he is very adamant about wearing his blue jammies and blue shirt if they are clean, and is rather irritated when they are not
• trains, he especially likes the little Thomas ones that stick together with magnets (he got a stuffed Thomas, a "James" take-along, and some train books for his birthday)
• his stuffed kitten
• playing Kolbe's "Let's Go Fishing" game

Dislikes:

• being contained
• he used to not really care for black beans, but I think he is eating those now
• milk.  i can not get this child to drink cow's milk.

Things he is doing at two:

• he will repeat almost anything, has probably 3-4 dozen words he uses regularly to communicate, and has starting to string together 3-4 word sentences
• he loves to jump on our little work-out trampoline in the basement
• he can climb and run and slide at the park quite independently
• he has been sleeping on the floor in his room (and still co-sleeping some as well) since March, soon he will move to a big boy bed in the same room as Kolbe.  he still nurses to sleep.
• he recently moved from his high chair to the big table (we had to put another leaf in).  after about a week of this we have decided that a booster seat at meals/snacks is a must. 
• I will come in and add his weight and height when I've taken him in for a well-child visit here soon.  I am guessing he ways around 23-24 pounds.
• he wears size 2T clothing
• he poops on the toilet exclusively and has started showing some interest in potty.  not enough for me to want do any intentional potty-learning with him, but I will continue to encourage.
• he is much less scary on the stairs than he was just a few months ago. I have actually started letting him go down un-accompanied.  But apparently going down head up on his belly is for the birds.  He likes to hold the rail and step down (like a big kid, go figure) or go down on his bottom.
• he has started showing more interest in the television the past four or so months, and will sit down and watch a show with the big kids.  he often holds one of his feet while he is watching tv.
• when I get the camera out he yells, "CHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEESE"
• he is still nursing during the night, some nights only twice, but a lot of nights many more times, for quite long periods sometimes.  it is getting frustrating and uncomfortable for me, and disturbing my sleep (and his) more than I think is necessary at the age of two, so I have decided to night-wean.  we are going to go cold-turkey.  I anticipate several rough nights, but I think if I am empathetic yet firm (vs. being wishy-washy about it and sending him mixed messages) we will make this transition and both come out happier and well-adjusted on the other side.  wish us luck on this journey.  I'll continue to let him nurse at naptime and bedtime as long as he asks, but I may transition him out of that as well when he moves to the big-kid room
• he occasionally skips his nap.  when he does nap it is only for 45 or so minutes.  he goes to bed between 7:30-8pm and gets up between 6:30-7am (typically)

climbing UP the slide at the park

with his backpack, just like the big kids

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DEAR CLEMENT!  WE LOVE YOU!!!

Journal: Fourth of July

TODAY (started Friday evening)

Out my window:  Fireworks.  Gorgeous weather for the Fourth.  It was even prettier yesterday.  Is this July?  In Kansas??

Clothing myself in:  Jean shorts and a t-shirt.

Around the house: Got the furniture (mostly) moved out of the bedroom in the basement.  We are having the ceiling re-blown this weekend, painting it in the next week or so (hopefully) and re-carpeting the basement within the next month(ish) in preparation to move Gemma downstairs and both boys in Gemma/Kolbe's room.  I *think* we're ready for this...we shall see.  Gemma is not a huge fan of the basement, and Clem is not a huge fan of sleeping through the night, soooooooo...  I will be glad to get all the shuffling around done.  We still need to get some odds and ends, this and that, so it will be an ongoing project for the foreseeable future.

 

The baby/toddler:  Our conversations of late go like this:

Mommy: Clement, how old are you going to be on your birthday?
Clement: NOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!

The sad thing about that is that "two" is the one number he knows.  He was playing hide-and-seek with Gemma the other day and they were taking turns hiding and seeking.  When he was the seeker, he would go to the stairs, bury his head and go, "two, two, two, COME!!!" and then run to look for her.  It was adorable.  

He also likes to point his finger at you and make this really weird guttural sound with his teeth and throat.  Boy much?

When he is finished with something (the toilet, a toy, etc.) he will shout from wherever he is, "DONNNNNNNE MOMMY!!!!"  It is so cute.

One of his favorite snack foods is a banana.  When he wants one he will come to my feet and yell, "A NANA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

By the next time I blog he will be a two year old. How?

 

The kiddos:  They've been pretty excited about their Fourth of July fireworks.  Kolbe's faves were smoke bombs and poppers (we live pretty dangerously over here) and Gemma is excited because we are letting her stay up late tonight (the boys are in bed sleeping).  She and daddy are currently on a fire-fly walk and then she is going to watch some fireworks with us.  Such a big girl!!  She was pretty excited to get to do something so special!

In the kitchen: Aaron smoked some pulled-pork and it turned out super good.  He's been honing his method for several years now and I think he's really got it down.  Pizza next week and probably more salad and I'm making some honey chicken to celebrate Clem's bday with my family.

Crafting: heh heh, does the basement remodel count?

Learning:  We've been keeping up with daily schoolwork in the mornings 2-4 days a week.  The kids seem to be enjoying it pretty well, Kolbe asked to "do school" this (July 4) morning and I had to remind him it was a holiday.  ;-)

(continued Saturday morning)

I was interested in starting some virtue study/character formation with the kids, and a few of my friends recommended the PACE program.   My friend Michelle was kind enough to loan me her guide, and we got started the beginning of this month.  It is so easy, and so wonderful.  Stories from The Book of Virtues and The Moral Compass, recommended picture books, divided by age level, for each virtue, Bible stories and quotes (writing and other extension activities are available as well).  I made a paper with our virtue on it for the fridge so we are frequently reminded of it, and we read a book/story/discussion during breakfast.  Boom.  Done.  Did I mention how easy this all was to pull together?  Mama is thrilled. 

Reading: The kids finished their goals for the Summer Reading Program at the library.  Kolbe and Gemma both did 100 bks, and Clem had 25 on his chart.  We came home with copies of The Mitten, Bear Shadow (I love Frank Asch's bear stories...I may or may not have picked this one out myself for Clement), and Let's Count Goats, plus the assortment of restaurant coupons they give out.  The thing the kids were MOST excited about though was a coupon for a "shopping spree" in the Walgreens toy aisle (up to $9.99 value).   We had a blast spending about 45 minutes shopping together.  It was like our Target runs, only they actually got to buy something!!  They are pictured to the left with their loot, they all picked their things out with no help from mama (besides reading prices...over and over and over ;-)

I have too many books going on at once:
The Hidden Power of Kindness (this is positively wonderful, the kind of reading I consider "candy")

The Book Thief (I am really trying to like it, but the writing style is so odd)

Living Beyond Your Feelings (yes, a self-help book, I know...)

Trustful Surrender to Divine Providence (just started this one, I have super-high hopes)
The Problem of Pain 

Just started The Long Winter with Gemma.

Watching:  Duck Dynasty's current season.  I still like the show, and I think the Robertsons are a great family, but I definitely think the older seasons were funnier and less staged.  Oh well.

Bringing me joy:  Fourth of July fireworks, watching Gemma watch them for the first time.  Kolbe's excitement over buying firecrackers at the local Knight's tent.  Oh my word, that boy! Aforementioned Walgreens trip.  Chatting on the phone with my dad.  Going to the Fourth of July parade in my hometown.  For years, after we moved, I didn't go.  Had no interest in going back.  And while I have zero desire for small town life, I am to the point where I do enjoy going back for the parade each year.  And the kids love it!!  Well, except for Clement, who clearly had better things to do (zzzzzzzzzzzzzz).

Thinking about: Kindness.  Minimalism.  Consumerism.  Electronics.  Balance.  Sibling relationships.  Responsibilities.  Parenting.  Wash machines. The price of peace (which sometimes is very expensive and can involve things like corn starch all over my kitchen floor).  How's that for stream-of-consciousness?  

Pictures to share:  

Cousins at the parade.

And this.  My boy.  My dear little four-year-old first-born son in his ever-crooked bicycle helmet.  I hope that I can always remember how he looks like this, because it just melts my heart every single time.