Category Archives: Motherhood

Book Lists for Children

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Book Lists by category

Did you ever want to find the perfect book to read as you snuggle as a family and read by the fire? Did you ever want to see your pre-teen boy thinking on the adventures of being the hero of the family? Have you ever wanted your little girl to be curled up on the couch with all of the Little Women of whom Louisa May Alcott wrote? I have! I love lists and I would love to sit here and tell you all of my wisdom of what books to read and at what age. However, after reading Thomas Jefferson Education, I see that my list would simply be plagiarizing the list that Oliver DeMille previously wrote, so I will not. Instead, please go to the resource list of classics at DeMille’s site, TJEd.org to see his list of recommendations for family reading, followed by links of other classics by category. I couldn’t agree more with his list.

Another list that has been helpful since it is divided into age groups is found at Amblesideonline.org. Ambleside is a free homeschool curriculum that uses reading as its core teaching source. It has a list of “normal” public school grades with a link to a booklist for each grade. Though their books are mostly intended to be schooling, they also have a “free reading” list in each grade, which I believe I pretty much own.

I am thankful for HSLDA and their free webcast about the following list of books for boys. Below are notes from a meeting which I “attended” online in 2011. The meeting was to discuss “Books for Boys,” which is such an important topic, I wanted to tell you what I learned!

The list of books

Act like the Mom!

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Dear Lindsey,

When J.R. was 3, I had such an embarrassing night!  I invited my pastor’s wife and daughter over for dinner, since our husbands were traveling together. She innocently asked who would like to say the prayer and J.R. was the first with his hand up. His prayer went like this: “Dear God, please make all these people go away so it can just be our family for dinner.” Read more

Trip Advisor on the Guilt Trip: Terrorism

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Terrorism.

Dictionary.com defines it as “systematic use of intimidation to achieve some goal.”

I never thought of using it to describe my child’s methods, but Chris was using the word correctly (of course!) when he referred to our 17-month-old.

The word could well describe the methods of many mothers, husbands, wives, friends, bosses, children, and …of course foreign radical religious leaders. Read more of this letter

Family Traditions

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GOLDEN AGE CHRISTMAS TREE ORNAMENTS

“These days should be remembered and observed in every generation by every family.”  Esther 9:28

I have tremendously enjoyed taking a few days off this week – as much as any mother of four can take a few days “off”. I have read more, slept more, worshipped more, “blown more bubbles” (my term for whiling away the hours with my children–in their love languages) and wondered why I don’t do this MORE?!

In these days of rush-hour lives, it seems almost impossible to slow down  and fight against busyness (B.U.S.Y. = bound under satan’s yoke) to enjoy each other. It’s easy to let hours, days or years go by and wonder where they went. Families need to combat the unraveling and stay tightly knit;  one way is through family traditions. 

“Chips!” my three-year-old screamed when he came down one Christmas morning, despite the toys that surrounded the chips. On video, it truly sounds like a 4-letter-word, but our funny home video reminds the Bradys that Christmas mornings bring chips, since our son’s food allergies prevented the “normal” Christmas morning sweets.

As Christmas approaches, fresh cranberries are strung with popcorn to hang on the Brady tree; Chris’s favorite cookies are decorated, and the Legend of the Candy Cane is repeatedly read.  Dad’s calendar is opened to reserve a day for “stealth” family shopping and an evening for ornament painting.  We buy (or make) one new labelled ornament for each child, so when he or she leaves the home one day, his or her new tree will bear years of memories on which to build new ones.

Some traditions bless others while creating family bonding. When I was growing up, my mother would volunteer to work holidays at the nursing home where she was a nurse. My father, brothers and I would then join her and convene with the elderly, bring dessert and lead singing.   My 14-year-old son recently worked 5 hours at the Operation Christmas Child warehouse – something that could become a tradition as our family gets old enough to participate.  Caroling in the neighborhood, adopting a family, cleaning the house for toys & coats to donate, visiting the sick, and making cards for the elderly are great ways for the family to act as a team in blessing others.

Most important would be those traditions that revolve around God’s message to us. Traditional attendance of a church service, memorizing Scripture, and singing songs are wonderful “habits” for my children to take along to their own families one day.  One family of nine visited us last Christmas and simultaneously recited all of Luke Chapter 2 at the dinner table (upon our request once we heard it was in their repertoire). What a great family Christmas tradition each of the children will remember forever!!

What are your traditions? I would love it if you attached a comment below with a tradition- even if it is one already mentioned -even if it seems silly, like “chips!”. (note: Comments here stay with this letter, although Facebook comments disappear with the timeline.)  You may inspire another reader -including myself- with a new tradition that knits families for generations to come.

Enjoy your family,

Terri

Coyotes and Jesus

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Dear Lindsey,

Years ago, at the soccer field with my older boys, I heard this exchange between my daughter, then 4, and another parent on the sidelines:

Parent: ”What’s your name, little girl?”

Daughter: “Christine, after Jesus and Daddy”

Parent: “Oh! Well what’s your daddy’s name?”

Daughter: “D-A-D!” 🙂

Once when my children were young, I took them up onto the back deck after sunset, so we could behold the amazing sky of stars God had displayed that night. As the breeze swept across the surrounding woods, the leaves sang and animals scurried. In the distance, an ominous howling reminded us of the nocturnal hunts occurring, while we simply enjoyed a peaceful moment as a family.

“I’m sccccccared,” my 3-yr-old said, crawling into my lap. “I don’t want the coyotes to get us.”

I was amused, since the coyotes were clearly far away, and we were clearly 30 feet off the ground on the upper deck. Before I could console, Nathaniel (then 6) said, “It’s ok, Christine”

His tone was so comforting. I smiled at the irony that he was probably the one who had introduced her fear, but I was thrilled that this time he was being so kind.

Then he continued in the same joyful tone: “You believe in Jesus, so you will go to heaven when the coyotes are done eating you.” 🙂

The talk of Jesus in our house is evident in the language of my children. But a few months ago, our pastor here in North Carolina, Stephen Davey, asked a key question that I thought I would bring home to my kids, now 14, 11, 8 and 6. “On a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being 100% sure: how sure are you of what happens to you if you died today?”

I thought this heaven/hell question would be an easy one for the Brady Bunch in my house. We have read the Bible together, attended church, have sung hymns, and prayed together; but their answers took my pride right to where it should be – in the Lord’s hands. They didn’t know.

I am not here for a theological discussion, but I AM here as a mother who loves the Lord, and wants the same for my children. Do you know the answer to the question, on a scale of 1 to 10? Do your children? Shouldn’t we ask? Their answers that morning were eye opening; I realized I had improvements to make in my most-important job. Feeling tugged in so many directions, I tend to look for perfection, but I know that my children’s answers to that question shook my attention forward. I love to serve at church, business, and in the community, but my priority is teaching my kids the answers to crucial questions in life.

Love you, girlfriend!
Terri