Ellie has authored the latest catch phrase that will be sweeping the Brandt household:
“I’m very happiness and joy that we can start eating!”
“I’m very happiness and joy that the next Planet Earth came in the mail!”
What are YOU very happiness and joy about, babycakes?
Yesterday I was looking through the Veritas catalog to see what I should give to 10 year old Andy for his next “required reading.” He’d breezed through all the G.A.Henty books relevant to what he’s studying in history, and he’s already read everything listed for his grade for literature, so I needed to find something else. I flipped ahead a few grades and saw Macbeth listed.
Now, our public library has some neat kids versions of several Shakespeare plays, and Andy has really enjoyed those, but it is a big leap to go from those to the unabridged, unaltered Shakespeare. I thought it would be worth experimenting, though, so I sent the boy away with my 800 lb. edition of the Bard’s works.
Not long afterwards, I walked by Andy, happily nestled on the couch with the book open on his lap. He said, “Mom! I really like this! I’m on Act 3 and I didn’t even notice how fast I got here! Do you think you could assign all these plays to me and I can read them one after the other?”
After I picked myself up off the floor, I assured him that he could read as much Shakespeare as he likes, and I’d be happy to help him make his next few picks. The kid was serious because he was still licking up the remnants of his smoothie from his cheeks this morning when he asked me which play he should read next.
I suggested Much Ado About Nothing, thinking that he’d enjoy the verbal warfare between Beatrice and Benedick and the ridiculousness of Dogberry. Sure enough, he’s in the other room as I type, reading aloud and laughing as only Andy can laugh. How cool is that?
Ellie: Jonny, you don’t know everything.
Jonathan: Yes, I do!
Ellie: Then tell me all the things.
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This morning the upper 3 and I went to a local nursery to see about putting some color in the dirt-holders at the front of our house. I’m glad we went to the nursery because there was a very helpful lady there who gave us some good direction in finding the kinds of flowers that would do well with the limited amount of sun we get in our flower beds. Each child picked 2 6-packs of flowers, based on the lady’s suggestions. We consulted together to make selections for Ellie, and she approved once we brought everything home.
I divided the 2 larger front beds into 4 sections so each child could arrange their flowers how they liked and plant them by themselves. Ellie had a wee bit of assistance, but she didn’t mind. I think they’re very proud of their gardens!
Ellie’s layout.
Andy and Katie choosing their layouts
I am so counting this for school.
We decided this was a good opportunity to repot some houseplants that needed attention, too.
Gettin’ dirty for a good cause.
We had some surprise volunteers from last year’s flowers. These snapdragons are flourishing!
We even managed to get a hybrid! These were white last year and must have gotten friendly with the next door purple plant. Hubba hubba.
Jonathan & Ellie’s flowerbed.
Cleaning up.
Here’s hoping we still have some survivors in a month’s time!
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The JAKE and I went to see Prince Caspian yesterday afternoon. (As an aside, one nice perk in being a homeschooling family is that you can go to early afternoon showings of movies on their opening weekends without worrying about crowds!) Someone asked what we thought of it, so I’ll share a few things, but don’t worry…I hate spoilers!
First, don’t go to the movie with high expectations of faithfulness to the book. I read somewhere that the movie makers had spoken to Lewis’s heir about the changes they had made in the plot. He acknowledged that the book, as it stood, wouldn’t make a terribly exciting movie. The movie makers added a very significant chunk of plot, but it’s a good chunk, if you can get over the fact that Lewis didn’t write it. There’s another very minor plot thread that the movie makers wove into the story, I think for the sake of romantic teeny-boppers. I didn’t care for it, but it was very minor and didn’t really detract.
Second, be prepared for battles. Lots and lots and lots of them. What is amazing, considering the percentage of the movie that is centered around battles, is the complete lack of gore. You know what’s happening, but there is very little blood. Almost none. One warrior loses his head, but you don’t actually see it happen. I thought it was a wonderful thing to make battle scenes intense and feel genuine, and yet not feel bathed in gore. These are the kinds of battle scenes children can reenact in their backyards without worrying their parents.
Third, if you’re sensitive to “creepies”, you’ll find fewer of them in this movie than in the first one. The movie is darker overall, but it is the kind of darkness brought about by evil and greedy men, not the kind brought about by the White Witch…until she enters the picture. Again, I don’t wish to spoil, so I’ll just say this: The movie makers were faithful to the book in this scene. Seeing it on screen was very powerful, and there is no waffling about the evilness of the White Witch, her 3 followers, or the temptation to take a false step.
Fourth, the characterizations were a mixed bag. Lucy was endearing. Susan was more likable in the movie than she is in the book, and very brave. Edmund was wonderful. Aslan was magnificent (much moreso in this movie!). Caspian was good. However, although I really like the actor they chose for Peter, the writers maligned Peter’s character in a manner similar to how Peter Jackson ruined Faramir in the Lord of the Rings. It’s all “sorted” at the end, and no lasting harm is done, but it was sad for me to see one of my most beloved Narnia characters degraded for the sake of a plot element.
The effects are better, the music is wonderful (although the last song rings a bit modern for the movie), and the actors have all grown into their roles. It was a good one, and we’ll certainly purchase it for our family library once it comes out on DVD.
One final note: make sure to avail yourself of the facilities before you sit down for the movie…it was about 2.5 hours!
I saw this on Elder Hale’s blog and decided to play. 
1. One movie that made you laugh:
The Wedding Singer
2. One movie that made you cry:
Les Miserables
3. One movie you loved when you were a child:
Star Wars
4. One movie you’ve seen more than once:
Pride & Prejudice
5. One movie you loved, but were embarrassed to admit it:
I’m too embarassed to admit it!
6. One movie you hated:
The New World
7. One movie that scared you:
I Am Legend
8. One movie that bored you:
Cars
9. One movie that made you happy:
Sense & Sensibility
10. One movie that made you miserable:
Saving Private Ryan
11. One movie you weren’t brave enough to see:
Psycho
12. One movie character you’ve fallen in love with:
I’m pretty sure I was determined to be Mrs. Han Solo when I was a girl.
13. The last movie you saw:
Prince Caspian
14. The next movie you hope to see:
Indiana Jones and the Crystal Skull
15. Now tag five people:
Anyone that wants to chime in…feel free.
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This week has brought a great challenge for this technophobic girl. We have begun to dip our feet into the morass of what is available now for home schoolers with computers: Entire courses on “enhanced CDs”.
It was time for Jonathan to begin formal science classes, so we placed an order with our favorite resource for home schooling materials, Veritas Press. We ordered a “complete course” and I thought that meant textbook + study guide & tests booklet. Not so. What appeared on our doorstep was a CD that contains the textbook and all sorts of internet links/resources, and another CD from which I can print tests and study guides. Just in case this is slipping past you, let me emphasize that I received a science course with no book. Yes, the text is all contained on the CD. Yes, it is perfectly manageable and user-friendly. Yes, the internet tools are cool. But there’s no book.
Do I look itchy to you? I think I’m getting hives.
My father understands. Dad and I talk about the merits of legal pads and pencils that you actually have to manually sharpen while my husband and mother wax poetic about the latest gizmo that uses terrorbytes (I think it’s terabytes? but I like my word better). Sean, very practically, pointed out that we could return the CDs and exchange them for the textbook and the manual, but it would actually cost more than the CDs, and besides, we had this one in our hands and it might be good for me Jonathan to have a wee introduction into using the computer for something other than games.
But there’s no BOOK!
Pardon me while I go make yarn with a centuries-old technique.
(Seriously..do I look itchy?)
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She says it’s a helmet.
She probably wants to wear it in public.
Not. Happening.
The Wichita RiverFest is a big deal for us. Only a few months after meeting Sean at K-State, he invited me to come along on one of his family’s traditions: attending the RiverFest final concert and fireworks show. Whenever we can, we participate as much as we can. For the cost of a festival button ($5 this year), you can gain admittance to concerts, musical theater, local museums, special playgrounds and other events. We look forward to this week!
The RiverFest begins with the Sundown Parade through downtown…
Waiting…
This wagon is always near the front of the parade, carrying the honorary Admiral of the Windwagon (there’s more tot hat story, but for the life of me I can’t remember it at the moment). We wondered how they were going to navigate the stoplights, but they’d planned ahead and engineered a retractable mast.
These balloon people are always one of my favorite groups…they come up with amazing things each year.
The peanut gallery.
And then…EXCITEMENT!
Ellie thought this was way cool.
This one, too. I think the excitement went to her head…
My favorite float:
And finally, my nomination for the worst advertising campaign ever:
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Sometimes their writing really reflects their personalities…
My Chores
I have two chores to tell. These chores are bathroom mirror and wipe our Daisy’s crate. My first chore is bathroom mirror. I do this chore because the mirror gets lint and hair and who knows what else on it. My second chore is wipe our Daisy’s crate. I do this chore so that Daisy feels comfortable at night. I do these chores to make our house look cleaner.
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