A Simple Life

Rural Revolution has some excellent thoughts on what constitutes true, biblical simplicity--something as profoundly mundane as obeying God.

Lewis Milestones

Bike riding is a piece of cake--no instruction needed!

Losing a front tooth isn't too hard either when big brother pulls it.  Might  as well let him do the other one too!

Cael is taking notes on what big boys do.

Well Put

Once again, Jen at Conversion Diary has managed to encapsulate my thoughts--this time on that complex question:  "Do you want more children?"  The tough part is that people usually expect a quick "yes" or "no" answer.  Maybe next time, instead of answering, I can just promise to send them a link!

Let the Maryland Adventures Begin!

After picking up bags at the Baltimore airport, Grammy's already catching a quick nap!

Home and School

Cardamom's Pod  has some great thoughts for today:

“While we are making study attractive
and life enjoyable to a child,
we should see to it that the child learns
to keep quiet at specified times,
and to be active at other times,
that he studies assigned lessons,
does set tasks,
denies himself craved indulgences;
not because he wants to do these things,
but because he must.”
- H. Clay Trumbull, Hints on Child Training

“One of the greatest powers for good is a family
whose members respect each other
and who have learned to function, however poorly,
with the rich concepts the Word of God
gives us as human beings.
It is almost incredible to think of
the stabilizing effect ordinary families can have:
not only for themselves,
but as a light in a troubled generation.”
- Susan Schaeffer Macaulay, For the Children’s Sake

“And let us not grow weary while doing good,
for in due season we shall reap
if we do not lose heart.”
- Galatians 6:9

Signs of Life

As noted here before, neither Anna nor I are too fond of lengthy read-alouds.  I think we both are impatient to read faster than such a pass time allows.  However, we've managed to slip into a habit of reading Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm aloud together and are both enjoying it much more than when we were reading it separately. Here's a favorite tidbit Anna and I came across last night in the "Change of Heart" chapter:

If you have ever observed how courteous and gracious and mannerly you feel when you don a beautiful new frock, if you have ever noticed the feeling of reverence stealing over you when you close your eyes, clasp your hands, and bow your head, if you have ever watched your sense of repulsion toward a fellow creature melt a little under the exercise of daily politeness, you may understand how the adoption of the outward and visible sign has some strange influence in developing the inward and spiritual state of which it is the expression.

God Created Everything--by: Anna

God created everything
The beasts and birds that fly
The grass and flowers too
He created the sun in the sky

God created the everything
He created the butterflies
And the snakes too
And God created man.

God makes food grow
He does it for us
He is our master creator
For it is he who made the universe.