Reading to the Kids

One of our favourite authors in the homeschool room is Mo Willems. Although until today the kids didn't realize how many of his books we'd read; they don't keep track of authors, just books that they enjoy!

Since September we have read:

Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!

Knuffle Bunny

Knuffle Bunny Too

Leonardo the Terrible Monster

The Pigeon Will Ride the Rollercoaster

Sam the Most Scaredy-Cat Kid in the World

That is NOT a Good Idea

The Duckling Gets a Cookie?

and today we added Goldilocks and the Three Dinosaurs to the list.

The kids love them. The slightly older kids (7-9 or so) get more jokes than the little ones (5-6), but they all enjoy the stories. I like some of the extra little jokes that all the kids miss, like the Go Asteroids! sports poster on the wall in the dinosaur's bedroom.

Mo Willems writes and illustrates good, fun stories that can be enjoyed by both parents and children. I'm very happy that I found one of his books on a list of best Caldicott Medal books and started looking for more.

Happy Easter!

The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. 6 He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. 7 Then go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.’ Now I have told you.” ~Matthew 28:5-7

3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,  ~1 Corinthians 15:3-4

He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. ~2 Corinthians 5:21

Ham

It is almost Easter, so ham was on sale. I got an almost eight pound ham on Saturday.

Today I cooked the ham. I also made fried potatoes with carrots, onions, and bell peppers. I ended up with enough dinner for 6 meals (based on the amount of potatoes and veggies).

I saved some ham to make fried ham and eggs for breakfast on Saturday.

I put enough in the fridge to make ham and pineapple on rice on Friday (enough for at least 4 meals and maybe more).

The bone and some bits are in a container in the freezer for future soup (several more meals).

And I have another container of ham in the freezer that can be made into sandwiches or a casserole or whatever I want at a later time (even more meals).

At a conservative count, that ham will help me make 21 meals.

It's a good thing I like ham!

Librarians and Scholars Rock

Yesterday I finished reading Book and Dagger by Elyse Graham. It is, as the subtitle says, about "How Scholars and Librarians Became the Unlikely Spies of World War II". 

I really, really enjoyed it. I like books about spies anyway, especially nonfiction. I like knowing how the world of spies really works, and while I like spy movies, it's not really that way in real life. Throw in librarians and university professors, and I'm in my happy place! 

Basically, they needed people who can read large amounts of less-than-thrilling materials (and often enjoy it), do piles of research, and put all the ideas together in a way that makes sense and helps with strategic planning. It was just the job for scholars who like to do that anyway.

And no one suspects a librarian or scholar; they're too boring and too academically-minded to be any good at spying or warfare. They're just around to look at some books, right? Not to use those books to figure out how the enemy thinks, or where to sabotage a factory to do the most damage, or what type of ink the enemy uses on their paperwork so the forgeries look extra legit. Move along, nothing to see here.

They're also incredibly easy to overlook. One gentleman was so forgettable that he ended up basically running one branch of they spy agency in Istanbul, the one place where it was assumed that everyone was spying on everyone else, and no one suspected a thing. He was just that guy who sometimes came by to purchase rare books.

The book was interesting and entertaining and a good lesson on the importance of librarians and scholars in the world of espionage.

How to be Content as a Single Christian Woman

This comes up regularly in discussions about being single (of which I am an expert by now), and here is my attempt to answer the question. 

1. Remember that God is sovereign. You're not single by mistake; you're single because this is the best for you at this time. This is for your good and His glory.
2. Think about why you are discontent and deal with the underlying issue.
1. Is the problem not trusting God's sovereignty? 
• I suggest reading Trusting God by Jerry Bridges with a trusted friend who will help you figure things out.
2. Do you believe that God is holding out on you? 
• Again: Trusting God.
3. Have you been lied to about the role of women? Have you been told that marriage is God's highest calling for women? Or that marriage is better than singleness? Or that you are somehow less of a godly woman for being single? (I know that people may not have said all this, but they often say enough that seems to mean all this.)
• First, read 1 Corinthians 7.
• Then, listen to Pastor James preaching about this: https://gracelife.ca/sermon_book/1-corinthians/page/7/
• Start with May 21st, skip June 4th, listen to June 11th, 18th, and September 10th.
3. Live your life. Don't put it on hold because you're waiting for marriage (or anything, really). This is the life God has given you, so live it. And enjoy it! Serve the church. Get a job. Go to school. Invest in the lives of the people around you. Practice hospitality. Be who God has called you to be right now.
4. Finally, don't believe anyone who says "You just need to be content in your singleness and then God will send you a husband." This is nonsense and obviously untrue (note the number of discontented people who are married and the number of contented people who are single). You're not being content to manipulate God into sending you a husband; you're being content to obey God's commands to trust Him and to submit to His sovereignty in your life.

The End of March

March often seems like a very, very long month. It may have to do with it being winter, then spring, then winter, then spring, then winter again. In a few hours, it will be over.

It was a bit of a frustrating month as I had trouble booking my spring meetings and then had several cancelations because if illness, family emergencies, and weather. Although nothing can beat the year I had seven families in a row cancel! I am behind on where I should be by now, but not so much that I can't catch up and be done (roughly) on time.

It was a hard month because of some decisions a friend made. I was dealing with confusion and grief and anger and trying to understand things that don't make sense to me at all. And trying to help others deal with it.

It was a fun month as I read many picture books to the small ones, played many trivia games with the bigger ones, spent the night with my Edmonton family, took a couple boys on a public transit adventure and had them over for lunch and Lego, cuddled a wee baby, met with families I hadn't seen since fall, and acquired more art and crafts from the children.

It was a growing month as I prayed fervently and deeply for my friends, dealt with my own heart issues, turned to God again and again with my hurt, prayed fervently for others who were hurt, reevaluated my own choices (of how to spend time mostly), prayed more, and reached out to others, both to love them and to ask for help.

It was a good month. 

What I'm Thankful For: Spring Snow Storm Edition

Indoor heating

Getting home safely

Not having to go outside tomorrow

Indoor plumbing

My bed

Grocery delivery

Public libraries

A collection of blankets

Hot chocolate

Fuzzy socks

Flannel jammies

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