The Living Desert

The boys and I met Grandma and Grandpa B a The Living Desert yesterday morning. Every time I go there I remember how much I love coming. It's just a beautiful park and the people working there are very friendly. One guy recognized us this time!

Jake impressed one lady with his knowledge of bones. It was hilarious. They know the names of most of the bones in the human body because of karate. At one of the "discovery carts" they had a leopard leg and foot.

Grandma got them both a souvenir and we had a boat load of fun walking around the zoo. Next time we go, I'm going to spend more time just sitting and watching one animal. I always feel like we are rushing when we are there because there is so much to see, but I love watching the animals most. Jake said he could stand there and watch the giraffe all day.

shockwave-flash" src="https://picasaweb.google.com/s/c/bin/slideshow.swf" width="400" height="400" flashvars="host=picasaweb.google.com&captions=1&hl=en_US&feat=flashalbum&RGB=0x000000&feed=https%3A%2F%2Fpicasaweb.google.com%2Fdata%2Ffeed%2Fapi%2Fuser%2Flibertyacademyanaheim%2Falbumid%2F5675984620157354321%3Falt%3Drss%26kind%3Dphoto%26hl%3Den_US" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer">>

A Lesson from Anne of Green Gables

I think the boys learning something last night while we were reading Anne.

Marilla is shocked by Anne's behavior and the things she says. And sometimes it is right that she is. But in the back of her mind she thinks they are sweet, insightful, funny, or just. Her gut says they are funny, but her upbringing and society tell her it is wrong. She rebukes Anne for her behavior, but in the kindest way possible and Anne does her best to conform in her own way.

The boys said they knew someone like that, my Mom! They frequently say and do terrible things just to get a reaction from her and she, rightly, is appalled by their behavior. I think Tom realized that doing or saying it once is funny and childish, but it would be nice to attempt to reform when others are offended. They might take the offence more lightly if they knew you were trying your best to do better.

More St. Augustine!

I know! Twice in one day!

He had a friend, or really a student that he felt connected to, that he noticed following down a path that would lead to ruin. He wanted to spare his friend from some of the mistakes he made, but didn't know how. While teaching him one day, his friend heard the words and took them as a rebuke and learned much. St. Augustine did not intend to preach to him, but God spoke to his boy through him.

How many times have I had the same thing happen to me through messages, articles, and my Bible? I wasn't looking for a lesson or help, but they came to me at just the right time. A word of help that I didn't even know I needed. These are the times I know God is there helping me through life. I LOVE those moments!

STILL Reading St. Augustine's "Confessions"

I have a confession of my own this morning. I tend to gloss over this book while I'm reading, my mind wanders. There are great insights in this book, but I know I'm missing most of them because I just read right through and I have no idea what it said at times.

Here's an interesting bit I read today. "For I kept my heart from assenting to anything, fearing to fall headlong; but by hanging in suspense I was the worse killed. For I wished to be as assured of the things I saw not as I was that seven and three are ten." "But as it happens that one who has tried a bad physician fears to trust himself with a good one, so was it with the health of my soul, which could not be healed but by believing, and, lest it should believe falsehoods, refused to be cured; resisting Thy hands, Who has prepared the medicines of faith, and hast applied them to the diseases of the whole world."

He's talking hear about returning to his Mother's Catholic faith. He continues on about the things he feels he does know for certain without actually seeing; history mostly. He has faith in those who wrote the books and trusts what they say. Same goes with the Bible and what it says. I'm having hard time putting it into words. I have faith in God because of the works He has done in my life. I have faith in the Bible because God has not failed me in other respects. I understand that humans have interpreted what God said and did and wrote it down. I also understand that my English Bible has been rewritten and re-translated, so there probably is some loss there somewhere. But I believe, from my personal experience with God, that what is in there is useful and "inspired" by God. It has been left there for a reason. Just as I believe that God does not need my help in directing peoples lives, He does not need mans help in keeping His Word straight in a book.

And the reading continues....

I'm also reading Ron Paul's book, "50 Issues". Wowness! If you are ever interested in learning more about what being a Libertarian is all about...READ IT! It's awesome, concise, and really makes you re-think many of our governments policies.

Calico Ghost Town!

Yesterday, I got the boys out of bed before noon! Ha! Tom is my sleeper. I think he is making up for his lack of napping when he was little. Jake is usually up before 9am, but Tom, it could be any time between 9 and noon. I got them up early because I wanted to make a breakfast and I didn't want to make it twice. I know! I'm so selfish!

During breakfast, we decided we should do something fun together, so we decided to go to Calico! Yay! We haven't been out there in about five years and recently the boys had heard more about the Haunted Shack at Knott's and seen the video on YouTube of the Mystery Shack, so they've been wanting to go. Nikki at first said she was going to stay home, something about getting school work done, whatever! We made her feel bad and she came with us.

The first thing we did was go to the Mystery Shack and the Sheriff gave us a tour. Luckily, we were the only ones on the tour because all the kids gave him a hard time. We also checked out Maggie's Mine and the girl at the entrance showed us a magic trick guessing numbers. She said we looked like a family that has a lot of fun. She was right! We are! Then we went on the train, had some sarsaparilla at the Saloon, and did some shopping. We stopped at the woodworks shop and the lady there was really nice. She stood there and showed Tom through a couple of her wooden puzzles. She asked him the dreaded question, "What's your favorite subject in school?". I do my ultimate best not to jump in and talk for him when I hear these questions. I stand back and listen to see what he says. He went into the explanation that we homeschool and we don't do "subjects", we learn from life. Nikki jumped into help. She was impressed. I told her that we don't separate into subjects, so they aren't used to the question. But I told Tom that he explained very well. He's thinking of better answers all the time. I love it. We got a few puzzles for cousins' Christmas presents and one for ourselves. She gave the boys one to share with their Uncle on Thanksgiving.

We got a "Jaw Harp". Dan says it's a "Jews Harp". Tom was playing it on the way home in the truck. When we got home, Tom looked it up online and found some interesting stuff. It's an Asian instrument! The Turkish word for it sounds like "Jew" so that could be why people call it that. And Tom was thrilled because of course they would have an Asian instrument in the old west because the Chinese were there! Ahh, I love it when a plan comes together.

On the way home, we stopped in Barstow (ick) and had dinner at Popeye's (yay!). We used to eat there all the time when we lived in Anaheim, but there isn't one nearby us now. It was a serious treat. Man I love those biscuits!

It was such a great day. We were all beat when we got home. Tom wrote it all down in he journal. Jake had to get an hour of him computer game in before bed. And Nikki disappeared into her room.

shockwave-flash" src="https://picasaweb.google.com/s/c/bin/slideshow.swf" width="400" height="400" flashvars="host=picasaweb.google.com&captions=1&hl=en_US&feat=flashalbum&RGB=0x000000&feed=https%3A%2F%2Fpicasaweb.google.com%2Fdata%2Ffeed%2Fapi%2Fuser%2Flibertyacademyanaheim%2Falbumid%2F5674676953130704193%3Falt%3Drss%26kind%3Dphoto%26hl%3Den_US" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer">>

<iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/ibm4RnPDTR0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen>iframe>

Anne of Green Gables

I finished "Anne of Green Gables" by LM Montgomery earlier this week for my Classic Moms class at Abigail Adams Academy. I didn't take notes while I was reading like I usually do, but I put arrows next to bits that I thought were thought provoking and kept that page turned down. Yesterday, I went through the book and wrote out my thoughts about those bits in the hopes that I will remember them better. I'm terrible about reading a book and then completely forgetting all the details.

I wasn't excited about reading this book when I saw it on the list, I have to admit. It looked like a girly, feel-good book that wouldn't give me much but warm fuzzies about it. It WAS that, but so much more. When I was a kid, I used to watch the TV show and I loved it. The TV did well capturing the characters as they are portrayed in the book, but I wonder if the lessons or morals in the book are in the show. I'd have to go back and watch it again.

It's hard to pick a favorite character, but I'd have to say mine is Marilla. An "old maid" turned adoptive mother of a highly imaginative little girl quite by accident, she changes throughout the book and I grew to love her so much. I can't imagine what kind of shock it would be for someone like her to raise this kind of a child that isn't even her own. She probably has ideas about how children are raised up proper but those change as your children grow and you have experiences of your own, not just ones you've heard or read about. Mrs. Lynde tells Marilla's brother, Matthew, just that. Raising kids isn't like mathematics. There is no formula to follow and it's constantly changing for each child and each family.

One of my favorite quotes from Anne is that she has grown but she hasn't changed really on the inside, "I'm only just pruned down and branched out.", she says. Jesus used this analogy as well and I've always loved it. If you let a tree or vine grow wild without pruning, it never bears good fruit. It may have it's good years, but you have to prune it (or train it) to get it to really show its colors.

Another one is toward the end when Anne's future has changed a bit. She used to see her future laid out before her straight and she could see all that was going to happen, but now things are different. Her future isn't ruined and she has no reason to break down and sink into inactive depression about it. Her future road now has "a bend in it" and she knows it's out there but she's unsure of what will happen. It makes life exciting for someone like her. When she was an orphan going from home to home, there was a bend there too, and around the bend was Green Gables and her wonderful adoptive parents. So what could be around the bend for her this time? I already know because I love the books so much, I've already read the next one! Ha!

I'm going to read this one to the boys because I know they will love her as much as I do!

Karate

Drove down to town for the boys' karate class and there was a sign on the window that he was home sick so there was no class tonight. Grrr. The boys were mad because he always tells us to call if we aren't coming to class.

It was weird too because of the time change. On Wednesday, class starts at 5:30PM. It was really dark and we felt like we were late. I love the gradual change of the seasons but the silly time change is so sudden, it makes me grumpy. Ha!

This Is Halloween!

I love Halloween! We left Monday morning at 10AM to head down the highway to Orange County. We just HAD to see our old friends and I'm glad we went because I met some new ones. Yay!

On the way there we stopped at Michael's for yarn (got a new sweater I need to start ASAP) and some candles for pumpkins. Then we stopped at Dorling's Fruit Stand for pumpkins...and candy. :)

The park was the best! Not many people were there at our old homeschool park day, but enough to make it fun. I met a new family that I just totally love! And I got chat with a few old friends while the boys wore themselves out and Nikki relaxed with some of her buddies. She had been down there all weekend making the rounds of her friends houses.

We went to Poppy's house next and carved pumpkins, ate pizza, and trick o treated. Fun stuff. The costumes were a big hit in the neighborhood. Nikki took a neighbor girl (friend of Poppy's) around for candy. She moved here from China last year! And my cousin and her family joined us and the kids got a boat load of candy. The kids loved answering the door at Poppy's just as much as trick o treating themselves. It was a race to the door every time the bell rang!

At 9PM we headed home and talked about the great day all the way home. I'm glad we went. It was totally worth it!

Unfortunately, I forgot my camera, so all I have if phone pictures this time. But they are still cute.

shockwave-flash" src="https://picasaweb.google.com/s/c/bin/slideshow.swf" width="500" height="400" flashvars="host=picasaweb.google.com&captions=1&hl=en_US&feat=flashalbum&RGB=0x000000&feed=https%3A%2F%2Fpicasaweb.google.com%2Fdata%2Ffeed%2Fapi%2Fuser%2Flibertyacademyanaheim%2Falbumid%2F5670054589203870721%3Falt%3Drss%26kind%3Dphoto%26hl%3Den_US" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer">>