Reading, Muscles, and the Voice of Reason

I have been reading Gary Paulsen books to the boys to go along with their studies about Alaska and the Iditarod. We haven't read any of his fictional books, but the two non-fiction books we've read are simply outstanding. Even Brian will find reasons to linger and listen when I'm reading these books aloud. Recently in the car, I read until I was hoarse, tried to take a break, and Brian said he'd like to hear more. The two books we've loved have been "Woodsong" and "My Life in Dog Years." Tender-hearted Elijah has struggled with the stories that directly talk about a dog dying, but all the same, he loves these books even though a couple chapters have left him sobbing. The book hound in me wants to own these books just because. Oh, and on my soon-to-read list is "Little Britches", coming highly touted by one of my homeschool muses

I read "Unbroken." Highly recommend it. It's a difficult book in some ways. The truth of human depravity is a beatdown, but it's a book of redemption. Ultimate redemption.

In Bible reading, I have been working through an in-depth study of the life of Christ in addition to my annual read-through of the the Bible. More than ever, the book of Judges has made me want to vomit. And the life of Christ has slammed into yet more of my "comfy faith." I don't recommend reading the Bible if you don't want God getting all up in your business of pride, materialism, idolatry, and self-sufficiency. It can make you cry. True story.

This morning the boys and I read yet more in our science encyclopedia, the surprise hit learning tool of the year. Soon after, they went out to grab some fresh air and sunshine ahead of the predicted snow. As I pulled my marked-down brisket from the fridge, it hit me. Striated muscle!! We just read about this. I hurled the brisket in the crock pot and raced out to the driveway lugging it with me hollering, "Hey guys! You've gotta see this. Striated muscle! Like we just talked about! We're having striated muscle for dinner!" Best part? They were actually impressed. Perhaps they were more impressed by the sight of beef after a solid week of chicken (mostly due to some sort of mental lapse on my part during menu planning); nonetheless, they were impressed.

Adding that right now to my list of moments that affirm this wild endeavor called homeschool.

Finally, so glad a small voice in my head talked me out of cutting an onion in half with my large butcher knife....in the palm of my hand. I'm just so tired of dishes and thought for one lunatic moment that I could save a dish by not using a cutting board. Just so glad for the little voice of reason there at the last minute as the knife was poised above the onion in my fleshy little, still firmly attached hand.