Tag Archives: literature

A Few Free Web Favorites

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This weekend we’ve got a lot going on.

The Ladybug and I are heading up to Northern Virginia to visit the American Girl Store for her birthday. We’ll be meeting my sister (who is fondly and forever known to me as Cheese) and niece (the Diva), and my mother-in-law (that would be the Mimi) and other niece (whom we’ll fondly call Curls from here on out) for lunch, and shopping, and then dinner at the American Girl Bistro.

And my men are going to be staying home and cleaning up the cars and helping a friend put up a new shed and doing other manly things–like eating junk food and watching hours of Ax Men and the Mecum Auto Auction, I’m sure.

You know, guy stuff like motors and tires and tools and stuff.

So while I’m plowing through mounds of laundry (thanks again to Mr. Fix-It for fixing our washer!!) and hiding the cookies, here’s a few of my favorite FREE things on the web right now…

Something LEARNING…

  • Homeschooler? History Buff? Kids bring home a question that’s got ya stumped? Check out the awesome, amazing compilation of Early American History resources Rebecca put together over at Mom’s Mustard Seeds! They’re all free, public domain resources (at least as far as I’ve gotten through the list) and mostly original primary sources. This is good stuff, my friends. If your kids are in public schools and are not reading these in class, you really, really must go here and make sure they do. There is so much more depth to history than textbooks can ever convey! Patrick Henry’s speech to the Virginia House of Burgess in 1775 (you know, the “give me liberty or give me death” one?) gives me goosebumps and brings a tear to my eye. These are the kind of men I’m trying to raise!!

History is our second favorite subject–behind nature study. This is the family of purple finches that lived on our porch this summer. L to R, baby, father, mother.

Something CREATING…

  • How about this adorable Paper Fan Dress from Anna Maria Horner? The pattern, size 2–7/8, is FREE at her blog. Just scroll to the bottom of the post and click the link. We’re doing some sewing for the Ladybug for school this year, I think we’re going to try this one.
  • Speaking of sewing for little girls, we’ll definitely be using the FREE MADE tutorial for a few simple skirts, too!
  • Oh yes, and the Ladybug and I will be making some owls. Stuff owls, that is. We’re going to try using this FREE owl template and tutorial from Sew Little Fabric. I blew it up to 125% (it fits on an 11×17 sheet) and we’re going to free-hand our own legs/feet. We’re shooting for something like the Pottery Barn owls everyone’s raving about right now.

The id-ing was a little tricky because purple finches look so much like house finches.

Something READING…

  • How about FREE classic literature? You can download hundreds of classic books for FREE in the Amazon Kindle Store. Don’t have a Kindle? You don’t need one! Just click to “buy” (yes, even though they’re free you have to go through the mechanics of a purchase) and then click “Read in Kindle Cloud Reader” to read right on your computer screen, or download the FREE Kindle reading app for your computers, laptops, or cell phone. We don’t have an e-reader or tablet, but I have 102 free books in our Kindle Library.

{By the way, you can do the same things to read publications that you purchase for Kindle, and there are some super-great deals over there–like the fully illustrated, with dramatic reading audio book versions of some classics, like Little Women, Secret Garden, and Swiss Family Robinson for just $0.99!!}

  • Don’t forget to sign up for Swagbucks to earn FREE Amazon gift cards!!

Our very own baby peach tree had fruit this year–not much, but next year will be even better!

Something COOKING…

  • How about a recipe from Nutmeg Nanny for Vanilla Honey Peach Butter from fresh peaches–which are in season right now and on sale at all the grocery stores! Very simple canning method in the post, or just keep it in the fridge and use within a month. (I can’t wait to make this and give it away to friends!)
  • Or Crockpot Apple Butter? This easy recipe from Changing my Destiny is on our list for this Fall too!

What’s on your list for your house and home this Fall?

 

 

Sunny Skies and Brighter Minds

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The weather has been beautiful here since Hurricane Irene left town. We had one additional day of rain and then it’s been blue skies, fluffy white clouds, and a breezy 79 degrees.

The boys were playing in the sunshine on the front porch the other evening because it was just too beautiful to be inside.

It’s an early taste of fall. I know there’s more hot weather lurking out there, but we’re soaking up the days as they come right now. It’s been a little tough on my allergies and sinuses, but that’s what they make Advil for, right?

We use the washtub upside down as a coffee table. Or occasionally right side up as a chicken brooder. Or apparently as a spaceship.

We had a great evening the other day. They played. Mr. Fix-It and the Ladybug picked up Chinese for dinner. Penny got to bark at some deer in the soybeans. (Ok, that part got old pretty quick.)

And we read Rikki-Tikki-Tavi before bed. You know, the real one by Rudyard Kipling. It’s about 12 pages long and our copy doesn’t have any pictures, but there’s more than enough excitement to the story to keep them interested. (And me!)

These are the moments you don't want to miss!

I’m on a real literature kick lately.  We started with the Jungle book (which I’d never read before and didn’t realize was actually a bunch of short stories) and can I admit that I was a little embarrassed by how difficult I found it to read and follow?

I’m an avid reader, but I’ve been reading “easy” stuff lately. Modern stuff that’s written with our current short attention spans and small vocabularies in mind. Entertainment stuff. Busy-work stuff. I enjoy it, don’t get me wrong. But tackling the Jungle Book and Swiss Family Robinson this summer has opened my eyes to what happens when you let your mind “vacation” too much. The first couple nights were a bit of agony for all of us.

They discovered a lizard--actually a Five Striped Skink, according to my Cowboy/Professional Naturalist son.

Then we started getting into the flow of the stories. We’re getting the hang of really listening without worrying about pictures. (We’re developing patience to wait and see instead of interrupting with questions!) And we’re reading a chapter a night instead of two pages a night.

How tickled was I when my 4 year old took the Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling for show and tell as his favorite book instead of Llama Llama (by Anne Dewdney) or Floss (by Kim Lewis)? We still like our fun, easy stories with pictures too and I highly recommend both of those authors!

But we’re going to start Treasure Island soon too.

They tried poking him with that plastic lizard to get him out, but he wouldn't budge. They could see his blue tail.

I was inspired to this classics kick by a post over at Raising Arrows on Training Minds Away from Twaddle. How true are her words for all of us? How often are we trying to dumb down the information rather than raise our understanding?

When poking didn't work, they started stuffing rocks down on him. I think he escaped underneath the step. But it kept them occupied for over an hour!

These days, let’s be honest, how many of us can even read and understand the Declaration of Independence without a dictionary in one hand–much less speak and write like that ourselves? Not to mention the treasures of morality, the strength of convictions, the dedication to the family unit and the greater good that we’ve discovered in those pages–man, I can’t even wait to get back home tonight and curl up together again.

Do you share the classics with your kids? I’m starting a book list–do you have any recommendations?