Dear Em,
I subscribed you to our blog so you get an email when there's a new post. I'm assuming you have not already done this, or surely you would respond to my posts the minute they go live. Because we all know that a working mother of three pursuing a Master's degree spends most of her time painting her toenails and waiting for emails to arrive.
Love,
Al
Wednesday, September 4, 2013
Apple Pie
Dear Em,
The kids and Grandma and I picked apples at New Hope yesterday, and now we have about a million pounds of apples to do something with. I think we're going to can apple pie filling: http://www.pickyourown.org/applepiefilling.htm. I think we're also going to do this instead of school today. Surely it will involve some math and reading and teamwork, right? And history, since it harkens back to a time before refrigerators and freezers and ziploc bags? I am calling it our "hands-on" apples unit study. It will involve a trip to the store, which is good because I'm out of dish soap and makeup (the latter was all destroyed yesterday during a five-minute phone call with your husband about HR Connection. I came into the bathroom to find everything covered in lipstick, including Grace). And, of course, we must visit the New Hope store in search of an apple peeler.
If it turns out okay, I will give you at least one jar. If it turns out kind of okay, I will still give you a jar. If it is an absolute mess, I will send you amusing photos.
Love,
Al
The kids and Grandma and I picked apples at New Hope yesterday, and now we have about a million pounds of apples to do something with. I think we're going to can apple pie filling: http://www.pickyourown.org/applepiefilling.htm. I think we're also going to do this instead of school today. Surely it will involve some math and reading and teamwork, right? And history, since it harkens back to a time before refrigerators and freezers and ziploc bags? I am calling it our "hands-on" apples unit study. It will involve a trip to the store, which is good because I'm out of dish soap and makeup (the latter was all destroyed yesterday during a five-minute phone call with your husband about HR Connection. I came into the bathroom to find everything covered in lipstick, including Grace). And, of course, we must visit the New Hope store in search of an apple peeler.
If it turns out okay, I will give you at least one jar. If it turns out kind of okay, I will still give you a jar. If it is an absolute mess, I will send you amusing photos.
Love,
Al
Wednesday, August 28, 2013
Crucifix Project
Dear Em,
The kids and I made these today. The boys added lots and lots of blood, but I think I'm going to hang them in their rooms anyway. I think your girls would have fun with it...
http://www.catholicinspired.com/2011/04/good-friday-craft-clothes-pin-crucifix.html
Love,
Al
The kids and I made these today. The boys added lots and lots of blood, but I think I'm going to hang them in their rooms anyway. I think your girls would have fun with it...
http://www.catholicinspired.com/2011/04/good-friday-craft-clothes-pin-crucifix.html
Love,
Al
Thursday, August 22, 2013
Story Writing and Time in Allison's Brain
Dear Em,
This is the book written by the blogger at Red Bird Crafts. I bet you already looked at it, but just in case, here it is (go look at it!):
http://www.amazon.com/Show-Story-Activities-Childrens-Storytelling/dp/1603429883/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1337263460&sr=8-3
This is what I want to do!!! I want to be this woman! I want to have a "home" studio and write award-winning books in it and charge people $800 a day to learn how to use painted rocks to inspire their children. The only thing that annoyed me was that she kept referring to her "award-winning" book. Enough already.
I had a very deep but unrelated thought this week and just have to share. I have been so tired lately of thinking about food and my weight and whether I need to exercise and whether I should be fatter or thinner or exactly the same size, and whether these pants feel tighter than last time I wore them. I feel, at times, that food and whether or not I should eat it totally consumes my thoughts. Which is SO stupid. I mentally tally up calories and feel guilty - do you do this? - and then eat more snacks anyway. And then vow to do "better" and fail. And have "fat" feeling days and "thin" feeling days, and of course, the "fat" feeling days are miserable. And I'm not fat! It makes me feel like a crazy, self-obsessed, bad person. So, I had this revelation about my body that I have seriously never had before: my body is a gift from God, and my focus needs to be on treating my body like a gift, rather than something to hate or struggle with or obsess over. And when I remember that, all of the obsessing (shouldn't that have four S's?) seems silly. Like a weight (ha ha) lifted off my shoulders. Or my butt (double ha ha). I am going to do the best I can to pamper my body with good food and exercise and TLC and not worry about fitting into my size 2 pants. Who wears size 2 pants, anyway? Crazy, self-obsessed people. Or maybe people with diseases. I can use that extra mental time to pray or solve crimes or invent new vegan recipes or dream up ways to inspire children to want to write.
This is the book written by the blogger at Red Bird Crafts. I bet you already looked at it, but just in case, here it is (go look at it!):
http://www.amazon.com/Show-Story-Activities-Childrens-Storytelling/dp/1603429883/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1337263460&sr=8-3
This is what I want to do!!! I want to be this woman! I want to have a "home" studio and write award-winning books in it and charge people $800 a day to learn how to use painted rocks to inspire their children. The only thing that annoyed me was that she kept referring to her "award-winning" book. Enough already.
I had a very deep but unrelated thought this week and just have to share. I have been so tired lately of thinking about food and my weight and whether I need to exercise and whether I should be fatter or thinner or exactly the same size, and whether these pants feel tighter than last time I wore them. I feel, at times, that food and whether or not I should eat it totally consumes my thoughts. Which is SO stupid. I mentally tally up calories and feel guilty - do you do this? - and then eat more snacks anyway. And then vow to do "better" and fail. And have "fat" feeling days and "thin" feeling days, and of course, the "fat" feeling days are miserable. And I'm not fat! It makes me feel like a crazy, self-obsessed, bad person. So, I had this revelation about my body that I have seriously never had before: my body is a gift from God, and my focus needs to be on treating my body like a gift, rather than something to hate or struggle with or obsess over. And when I remember that, all of the obsessing (shouldn't that have four S's?) seems silly. Like a weight (ha ha) lifted off my shoulders. Or my butt (double ha ha). I am going to do the best I can to pamper my body with good food and exercise and TLC and not worry about fitting into my size 2 pants. Who wears size 2 pants, anyway? Crazy, self-obsessed people. Or maybe people with diseases. I can use that extra mental time to pray or solve crimes or invent new vegan recipes or dream up ways to inspire children to want to write.
Inspired by Al
Dear Al,
I went to the state fair and avoided the butter cow. I didn't want to see the "blood" and be reminded that it may be wrong and sort of disgusting to eat a cow. I think most of us have looked the other way when it comes to meat production in order to be able to eat. And most of us don't have the discipline or desire to be vegan, or can't convince those around us of the merits of an all organic diet.
For some reason this week, everything I have read has been inspiring me to tell you about it. I am going to share it all with you here, rather than call you 18 times:) Because probably you are feeding a baby or refereeing a fight or trying to get someone to finish an assignment.
#1 cool thing: Miniature library. This man inspired this movement of little free libraries where you make a little house looking box and fill it with books and put it in your front yard. You leave it unlocked and put a sign on it somewhere that explains that if you take a book you replace it with another book. The website sells kits and has lots of cool ideas and you can join the "club". How cool is that? www.littlefreelibrary.org
#2: This article I found on Tumblr about the author Elmore Leonard who recently died. He has written 10 rules for writing fiction, which I agree with as a reader of fiction and I think you would appreciate as well. http://thepierglass.tumblr.com/post/58804351611/politicsprose-elmore-leonards-ten-rules-for
#3: This woman who wrote this book called "Show me a Story" which helps kids use art and objects to inspire storytelling. She has a blog and teaches writing classes. You want to teach writing classes. I thought you might want to check it out. www.redbirdcrafts.com
#4: Challenge based learning. I have heard of this, but found this website (also on Tumblr, which turns out not to be a total waste of time). The website explains it as using technology and hands on activities to solve problems instead of traditional teaching methods. Example: The challenge is to improve recycling in your community. https://challengebasedlearning.org/pages/welcome
At this point in my writing, you texted me to see what I was doing. ESP?
I am waiting for my classes to open up so I can see how bad this semester is going to be. I am taking Applied Statistics (gag) and am frightened. I downloaded the software and I don't understand any of it. I am also taking an education class- which means lots of paper writing and threaded discussions (double gag).
It's kind of lonely here with no kids. And also kind of quiet and wonderful. Oh, and the kids are taking the bus home this year, saving me like a whole hour! I am adding their first day of school pictures for the non-Facebook crowd.
Love, Em
I went to the state fair and avoided the butter cow. I didn't want to see the "blood" and be reminded that it may be wrong and sort of disgusting to eat a cow. I think most of us have looked the other way when it comes to meat production in order to be able to eat. And most of us don't have the discipline or desire to be vegan, or can't convince those around us of the merits of an all organic diet.
For some reason this week, everything I have read has been inspiring me to tell you about it. I am going to share it all with you here, rather than call you 18 times:) Because probably you are feeding a baby or refereeing a fight or trying to get someone to finish an assignment.
#1 cool thing: Miniature library. This man inspired this movement of little free libraries where you make a little house looking box and fill it with books and put it in your front yard. You leave it unlocked and put a sign on it somewhere that explains that if you take a book you replace it with another book. The website sells kits and has lots of cool ideas and you can join the "club". How cool is that? www.littlefreelibrary.org
#2: This article I found on Tumblr about the author Elmore Leonard who recently died. He has written 10 rules for writing fiction, which I agree with as a reader of fiction and I think you would appreciate as well. http://thepierglass.tumblr.com/post/58804351611/politicsprose-elmore-leonards-ten-rules-for
#3: This woman who wrote this book called "Show me a Story" which helps kids use art and objects to inspire storytelling. She has a blog and teaches writing classes. You want to teach writing classes. I thought you might want to check it out. www.redbirdcrafts.com
#4: Challenge based learning. I have heard of this, but found this website (also on Tumblr, which turns out not to be a total waste of time). The website explains it as using technology and hands on activities to solve problems instead of traditional teaching methods. Example: The challenge is to improve recycling in your community. https://challengebasedlearning.org/pages/welcome
At this point in my writing, you texted me to see what I was doing. ESP?
I am waiting for my classes to open up so I can see how bad this semester is going to be. I am taking Applied Statistics (gag) and am frightened. I downloaded the software and I don't understand any of it. I am also taking an education class- which means lots of paper writing and threaded discussions (double gag).
It's kind of lonely here with no kids. And also kind of quiet and wonderful. Oh, and the kids are taking the bus home this year, saving me like a whole hour! I am adding their first day of school pictures for the non-Facebook crowd.
Love, Em
 |
| Haley- 7th grade |
 |
| Alyssa- 4th, Sarah- 3rd |
Wednesday, August 14, 2013
Meat
Dear Em,
Some over-zealous vegans poured red paint all over the butter cow at the state fair this week. Did you hear about this? I think that what they did was wrong, and silly, and counterproductive to whatever they thought they were going to accomplish, but it made me wonder: is eating meat (and dairy) wrong? We've stopped eating meat mainly because of health concerns, but there is a part of me that's started to wonder exactly what God meant when he told us to have dominion over the animals and subdue the earth. God ordered animal sacrifices. He had rules about clean and unclean animals. I'm pretty sure He's okay with eating meat in general terms. But is he okay with hog confinements? With genetically altering animals so they taste better? With cutting off those poor chickens' feet and beaks? With artificially inseminating cows and making them half calves one after the other for years in a row? Am I being weird?
Love,
Al
Some over-zealous vegans poured red paint all over the butter cow at the state fair this week. Did you hear about this? I think that what they did was wrong, and silly, and counterproductive to whatever they thought they were going to accomplish, but it made me wonder: is eating meat (and dairy) wrong? We've stopped eating meat mainly because of health concerns, but there is a part of me that's started to wonder exactly what God meant when he told us to have dominion over the animals and subdue the earth. God ordered animal sacrifices. He had rules about clean and unclean animals. I'm pretty sure He's okay with eating meat in general terms. But is he okay with hog confinements? With genetically altering animals so they taste better? With cutting off those poor chickens' feet and beaks? With artificially inseminating cows and making them half calves one after the other for years in a row? Am I being weird?
Love,
Al
Sunday, August 11, 2013
Fuzzbutt the ferret?
Dear Al,
I think you should name the ferret either Fuzzbutt or Bacon. Did you know that a group of ferrets is called a 'business'? Weird.
I have some sore legs today. Here is some advice: before you run a 5k, you should probably train for it. I'm just saying maybe run a few times first. More than once anyway.
I am going to try to catch up on house work today. I have to pick up Haley- who is having a great time, by the way- sometime this afternoon. It's an exciting life.
Here is a cool website I found this morning: frugalfun4boys.com. I was looking at this cool chain reaction with popsicle sticks. Check it out!
Love, Em
I think you should name the ferret either Fuzzbutt or Bacon. Did you know that a group of ferrets is called a 'business'? Weird.
I have some sore legs today. Here is some advice: before you run a 5k, you should probably train for it. I'm just saying maybe run a few times first. More than once anyway.
I am going to try to catch up on house work today. I have to pick up Haley- who is having a great time, by the way- sometime this afternoon. It's an exciting life.
Here is a cool website I found this morning: frugalfun4boys.com. I was looking at this cool chain reaction with popsicle sticks. Check it out!
Love, Em
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