Logan's Call to Radio Station

I Love to Read, but. . .

I also love audiobooks! We use a lot of audiobooks in our schoolwork. We have listened to several books from our curriculum from mp3 files on the computer or CDs in the car. Currently we are listening to An Island Story and Burgess Animal Book for Children on Librivox. I have become a big fan of Librivox, an online provider of free audiobooks from the public domain. As a general rule, if it's a classic book, it's on Librivox.

Since I'm frugal to the core (I prefer the term "smart"), I also utilize my library for a lot of audiobooks on CD. Right now, we're listening to Farmer Boy on CD. We've listened to all the Little House books this way. We listened to Pinocchio, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, and Wind in the Willows while traveling. Listening to books in the car eliminates sibling bickering, and since they have nothing better to do, they love it!

Another gem I was recently introduced to is Old Time Radio Programs. "You Are There" is a fantastic program for teaching kids history. You can listen to a news reporter reporting events of history as they happen. Try the episode The Sailing of the Mayflower. After you try one you'll want to use the rest to supplement your history studies.

Back to Work

Now that the weather's getting colder, Halftime is over and school is back in full swing. This morning we did our Bible study, nature study, poetry, math, and phonics. Then we headed to the library to get a few videos. It rained for the past couple days so we're having video time in lieu of playing outside.
After lunch, the kids had rug time while I read "Understood Betsy" and "Pilgrim's Progress". (The big kids always ask for "just one more" chapter of Pilgrim's Progress, but I like to end with a cliffhanger, so they don't always get their wish! Better to keep them wanting more than to have them beg to stop - that's my theory.)
Back to rug time- I keep special toys for this purpose in our under-stairs closet. To be considered a rug time toy, it has to meet two criteria: it has to be something you can play with alone (although they rarely do!) and something you can play with quietly.

Isaac playing with gears

Daniel and Lydia playing with magnetic dress-up dolls. (LOVE these!)

Chloe was very proud of her doll creation.

When I finish reading a portion of the story, I pick a kid to narrate back to me. Most of them do very well at this when their hands are busy. It's amazing! Chloe does much better narrating through drawing (it's impressive the details she can remember if she draws out the story), so I've learned to make sure she's doing a mindless task on the rug. Otherwise, the whole story is lost on her. Figuring out everyone's learning style has helped me so much. Then I knew what skills I needed to work on with each of them!

The contest is ending soon!!!

If you want to be entered in the drawing, you still have a few more days! The drawing will take place on December 1, 2007.

To enter, click on the link on the right panel. Put "Book Contest" in the subject line.

Our Daily Doses

Someone left a comment recently asking what herbs we take on a daily basis. The answer is different for everyone in the family as our needs are different, but here's the rundown:

We all drink herbal tea on a regular basis. The kids drink Alfalfa Peppermint tea because Alfalfa is such a great blood purifier. It's also really good for the Liberians, because Alfalfa prevents tooth decay as well as rebuilds decayed/decaying teeth. The Peppermint leaf gives it good flavor. I let them have as much as they want. We sweeten it with raw honey.
Chloe and Lydia take bee pollen everyday. I mix a spoonful with an equal amount of raw honey. They think it's candy and beg for it. Bee pollen is good for strengthening the immune system against allergy symptoms.Chloe and I take Cod Liver Oil in maximum doses everyday. It would benefit all of us to take this, but Chloe and I need it the most to heal and prevent eczema. Cod Liver Oil contains both Omega 3 fatty acids, DHA and EPA, and is also an extremely good source of Vitamin D.
I drink Nettle Leaf tea everyday during the fall and spring for allergies, and I'm also currently taking Fenugreek Seed capsules to strengthen my lungs. (I have allergy-triggered asthma.)

Daniel and Isaac take Black Walnut Hull power everyday still to rid their bodies of parasites. I am still seeing positive changes in Daniel with this, so I'm not ready for him to stop taking it yet. Daniel's been taking Black Walnut for five weeks now, Isaac's been on it for 3 weeks.

I buy all my herbs here:

Thanksgiving Traditions

This morning, Maya found this in her cereal, so she got to be the first to name three things she is most thankful for. Without hesitation she said: breakfast, lunch, and dinner. (I expected this kind of answer from Isaac the Hollow Legged, so it was really funny to hear Maya say it.) After she heard herself say it out loud, she quickly changed her answer. Here are the Clark kids' thankful lists:

Maya:

• my new family
• all the things Mommy & Daddy buy for me
• Daddy has a job so we can buy all the things we need

Elena:

• my new brothers and sister
• Mommy & Daddy
• my house

Isaac:

• I can run fast!
• lots of food to eat (see, I told you!)
• books Mommy reads to us

Chloe:

• my baby dolls
• my bed
• I'm in this world.

Lydia:

• brothers, sisters
• Mom, Dad
• water

Daniel:

• my mom and dad
• my food
• my cars

I'm very grateful to have such thankful kids. I am so very blessed.

"Blessed are those that can give without remembering and receive without forgetting."~ Author Unknown

You say, "If I had a little more, I should be very satisfied." You make a mistake. If you are not content with what you have, you would not be satisfied if it were doubled.~Charles Haddon Spurgeon

"In ordinary life we hardly realize that we receive a great deal more than we give, and that it is only with gratitude that life becomes rich."~ Dietrich Bonhoeffer

"And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful."~Colossians 3:15