First Tumbling Class

I didn't post about yesterday because I was EXHAUSTED!
We had so much fun!
We started the day off with bouncing Mommy out of bed, then we breakfasted, got our gear together and went off to the rec. center. Peter had tumbling classes and I was blown away at his enthusiasm, attention and ability. I am very comfortable with the teach, Miss Jan, and can't wait for next week's class. He also made a friend instantly and they bonded over Spiderman. Peter was wearing spiderman socks, and his friend was wearing a spiderman shirt. Unfortunately you won't be getting any pictures from tumbling class because photos are not allowed per the teacher.
After tumbling class we went to the swimming pool to meet up with friends for a playdate, and another boy from tumbling class was there too! This kid is a natural swimmer! He wore goggles and his mom told me he just taught himself to swim. Well my boys were as enthusiastic as he was and kept showing me how they could put their faces in the water and blow bubbles. Peter even did a little underwater swim where he kicked his feet and held his breath! I was so impressed.
We then went to the Commissary for some necessitates, the boys wanted blood oranges, I got a bag of mineolas (also knowns as honey bells and tangelos), along with other goodies. Driving in the car we were listening to audio books of Peter Rabbit and other Beatrix Potter stories, and the boys wanted to watch Peter Rabbit on TV. I have a Peter Rabbit VHS that a neighbor gave me from 1993 (the 100th anniversary special) and the tracking is really bad. They struggled through watching it with little to no patience as they yelled at the TV every time it had to reset itself. Afterwards they had me read them the treasury of Beatrix Potter books. We then had a tea party with their Peter Rabbit mugs. We then took a bubble bath to get the chlorine off our bodies, and we changed into our warmest pajamas to watch some TV as I was supposed to be making dinner, but I was so tired I sat on the couch and took a nap. As I heard the second episode of Wild Kratts start, I got up and prepared dinner - bagels with cream cheese, it's what the boys wanted and I was so tired, I was happy that's all they wanted. After dinner the boys colored a little as I cleaned up the crumbs, then we picked out books, brushed teeth, read the books and went to bed. I asked Peter what the best part of the day was, his reply, "tumbling class and swimming." Made me smile that I enrolled him in both!

Reading, Dancing, Swords, and Hide and Seek

What did we do today? Oh boy. We did a lot and yet it feels like I got nothing accomplished. Both boys were very self sufficient today. In the time it took me to get out of bed, use the toilet, wash my face and come downstairs, the boys helped themselves to the last chocolate chip cookie, the melba toasts, a pear, and DS1 got out bowls, had cereal poured, and was pouring the milk. Impressed, yet a bit annoyed at the amount of spilled milk, crumbs, and the eating of a cookie for breakfast - but it was made out of oatmeal and whole wheat, and they were sharing it.

play silks were attached like this

After I made myself breakfast and ate it, we read a ton of books on the couch, most of which I already listed in prior posts. We then listened to Making Music, Praying Twice - Winter Ordinary Time - as I unloaded and reloaded the dishwasher. DS1 colored, and DS2 played quietly in another room, then I played some CDs I borrowed from the library. The boys got out their tinker toys which they fashioned into swords, their play silks, which I had to fasten into capes, and their cardboard shields. I danced, they fought, then then told me I was Peter Pan and had to fight them, "man-to-man."

Snack time consisted of a small helping of goldfish crackers, half a toasted english muffin with peanut butter, and half a clementine (all for each boy).

We then played a long game of hide-and-see
k. DS1 was having a rough time finding me today. DS2 must hide with whoever is not seeking. In DS1's defense I did have the music turned up nicely so we could hear it all over the house, that probably hindered him from hearing DS2 giggling and shutting doors, trying to give our hiding space away. At one point I was able to sneak upstairs and hid next to my bed behind a pillow. I was sure they would find me, but they just popped their heads into my room, didn't see me and walked right out. I got some decent Facebook time in - LOL!

As I was making lunch, enchiladas, DS1 decided he was hungry and had to take matters into his own hands - he got out cereal for himself and his brother again. We are now officially out of cereal. I will be heading to the grocery store tomorrow after our schedule at the local recreational center. DS1 starts gymnastics tomorrow and then we have a swimming play-date to follow. A friend called as I was getting my lunch ready - chicken enchiladas with plain yogurt. We had them for dinner since and after the boys tasted it, they loved it and wanted more, which I didn't have anymore since I had to eat it twice today. But they got to eat more of their pear from the morning. I cut up the pear since it had half a dozen bite marks and was put down in the morning. I guess they really didn't like the green pears that they insisted on buying. That was the final pear of the four I bought and they insisted on eating before they were ripe.

A surprise Valentine's package arrived in the mail from my in-laws for the boys and I. We all got a heart shaped box of chocolates, both boys got a spiderman sweatshirt (which they just LOVE), a life sized baby alligator that squeaks (so it sounds like a real alligator - and they LOVE it too), lovely board books about how much they are loved (the books had them giggling in stitches and I had to read them again and again and again), and a Harry Potter Valentine; and I got a pair of Valentine themed socks (can't go wrong with socks!), along with a nice little note tucked into my card. My in-laws are very sweet and generous with the holidays.

The boys were hungry again around 2pm because a bowl of cereal just doesn't hit the spot very well, so I gave each of them a hard boiled egg while I was finishing my lunch.

After dinner we listened to The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, from The Chronicles of Narnia by C. S. Lewis, on the computer in my room up stairs while the boys played who can hop on Mommy in bed while she's trying to listen to the story. They beg to listen, but they never seem to pay attention…I guess that's just what happens with you're almost five years old. It's just much more fun to do tumbling on the bed and see how hard we can body slam each other. While I wasn't getting body slammed, I went onto our library's catalog and put items on hold on different topics: alligators (because we got the toys), owls, animals in winter, poetry, and books regarding the tender topic preventing sexual abuse (how to say no, be the "boss of me", and the right touch - because stories such as these: "MONSTERS SPEAK OUT: Molesters tell how they 'groom' children for sex" keep coming up). By the way, have you read Protecting the Gift, by Gavin de Becker? If you haven't, I totes (do you like how I'm keeping up with the times? It feels so weird to write that) recommend it to ALL parents.

We then did our bedtime routine, brushed our teeth - the boys have been asking me to push an imaginary button on their toothbrushes and pretend that it's the dentist's polisher - I have to make the buzzing noise. It's fun except when the two year old decides he doesn't need help getting his teeth brushed anymore so you have to wrestle him to get into his mouth, but the four year old needs lots of prodding to get started on brushing his own teeth and still loves you to do the final go-over.

We re-read the books from the in-laws in bed along with another goodnight book they bought us over a year ago which always ends in giggles as we say goodnight to the body parts - especially when the mama hippo hugs baby hippo's bum and we say good night to the bum. Prayers were next, then the begging for water, DS2 spilling water all over himself because he didn't want to sit up, and then he needed a full change. Oh the life of a 2 year old - so stubborn. DS1 didn't want to go to sleep and wanted to ask endless questions about Narnia: Is the White Witch good? Why is she nice to Edmund? How is she fake nice?

how is the White Witch so evil? why do her eyes turn black in the movie? why do we have black in our eyes? does that mean that we're evil? what's the white in our eyes? what's the White Witch's name? does Aslan kill the White Witch? why doesn't he kill the White Witch? does he love the White Witch?….and on, and on, and on, and on, and on until I answered so many I just said, "you have to wait for tomorrow to ask me, I'm too tired." I then pretended to fall asleep and he started pulling my ears and elbowing me to get me to wake up so he could ask me if he could get a drink from his cup at his bedside table. I told him he didn't need to ask me, he just needs to go to sleep. Oi vey!

Every Little Bit Helps

I love dragonflies, I love The Hunger Site. The other day they advertised on my Facebook wall a mug that is right up my alley. It's ceramic, yet able to travel - so it's more eco-friendly in my book than plastic travel mugs, plus it is beautiful, AND with a great message: "Everything happens for a reason. Just Believe."

Plus it funds 25 Cups of food!

There may have been a few other things I bought through the hunger site. It's hard to stop when you know your purchases are helping to feed people.

Here's How Rich Every U.S. State Really is — In One Eye-Opening Map

By: Tom McKay

You knew the U.S. was rich, but did you know just how rich?

On Saturday, Redditor Phaenthi posted this map showing us the countries that each state's GDP overtakes. The result is compelling, and oddly troubling when you mull the results.

For example, this map is not adjusted for population size. That means that "Minnesota has a population of ~5.5 million and Nigeria has a population of ~175 million," or in other words, that the statistically average Minnesotan has at least the same wealth as around 32 statistically average Nigerians.

Texas' 2012 GDP of $1.4 trillion is considerably bigger than Mexico's $1.18 trillion. But Texas had an estimated 25,145,561 people in 2012 to Mexico's roughly 116,900,000. New York's 2012 GDP was $1.2 trillion (turns out hosting the world's center of finance has its benefits), beating out the entire nation of South Korea's $1.12 trillion.

Some other surprises: The tiny state of Maine is more wealthy than Uzbekistan, while California beats out the entire nation of Canada. California's $2 trillion in in 2012 far exceeded our neighbor to the north's 2012 total of roughly $1.82 trillion. Illinois ranks very highly, beating out oil-rich Saudi Arabia, but that's because Chicago happens to be one of the richest cities on earth.

Looking farther South and Southwest, though, the comparisons are a little less impressive. Utah beats Angola, while Mississippi beats Oman and Louisiana overtakes Pakistan. And Florida's GDP per capita is $40,231, while Switzerland's GDP per capita is $78,925 (seventh in the world), meaning that it's actually not a very impressive showing.

What you can take from this map is that the U.S. remains very, very wealthy, and its productive capacity outranks much of the world put together. But at the same time, this map doesn't track more useful statistics like Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) — a measure that is essentially an adjusted cost of living measurement. Alternatively, median household incomewould be a more telling measure. While this map shows us just how much wealth each state is capable of generating relative to the rest of the world, it doesn't tell us very much about how the people in those states are faring.

Here are some other organizations and projects I would like to spread the word and get other people to donate:

Catholic Relief Service 

Catholic Relief Services carries out the commitment of the Bishops of the United States to assist the poor and vulnerable overseas. We are motivated by the Gospel of Jesus Christ to cherish, preserve and uphold the sacredness and dignity of all human life, foster charity and justice, and embody Catholic social and moral teaching as we act to:

• Promote human development by responding to major emergencies, fighting disease and poverty, and nurturing peaceful and just societies; and,
• Serve Catholics in the United States as they live their faith in solidarity with their brothers and sisters around the world.

As part of the universal mission of the Catholic Church, we work with local, national and international Catholic institutions and structures, as well as other organizations, to assist people on the basis of need, not creed, race or nationality.

The Catholic Values of CRS

Catholic Relief Services is a pro-life organization dedicated to preserving the sacredness and dignity of human life from conception to natural death. Catholic Relief Services is a manifestation of love for our brothers and sisters around the globe by the Catholic community of the United States. We protect, defend and advance human life around the world by directly meeting basic needs and advocating solutions to injustice.

As a part of the Universal Church, Catholic institutions are our partners of preference in our work. To reach all those who need our help, we also participate in humanitarian initiatives undertaken by a wide range of groups, such as governments, other faith communities and secular institutions. Although some positions and practices of these institutions are not always consistent with the full range of Catholic teaching, CRS' association with them is always and only focused on activities that are fully consistent with Catholic teaching. Furthermore, CRS neither facilitates, endorses nor enables any violation of those teachings. CRS and its board of bishops and laypersons have a careful review system to ensure fidelity to Catholic moral teaching and to ensure that all funds under CRS' direct control are used only for purposes complying with that teaching.

Archdiocese for the Military - if you are Catholic and serve in the Military, I believe that it is essential that we help support the Archdiocese for the Military Services to through tithing to help keep our service members with this essential service.

Our Mission

The Archdiocese for the Military Services was created by Pope John Paul II to provide the Catholic Church's full range of pastoral ministries and spiritual services to those in the United States Armed Forces. This includes more than 220 installations in 29 countries, patients in 153 V.A. Medical Centers, and federal employees serving outside the boundaries of the USA in 134 countries. Numerically, the AMS is responsible for more than 1.8 million men, women, and children.

Our History

Archbishop Joseph T. Ryan was named and installed as the first ordinary of the Archdiocese for Military Services in March 1985. In January 1986 he created the administrative headquarters of the newly independent jurisdiction in the Washington, DC area. When Archbishop Ryan retired in 1991 the Most Reverend Joseph T. Dimino, who had been an auxiliary bishop, was appointed the second ordinary for the Military Services. Archbishop Dimino retired in 1997 and was succeeded by the Most Reverend Edwin F. O'Brien, an auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of New York. Archbishop O'Brien was installed as Archbishop of Baltimore on October 1, 2007.

AMS Today

On November 19, 2007, Pope Benedict XVI appointed Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio, a priest of the Diocese of Cleveland, as Archbishop of the Military Services. Archbishop Broglio was serving as Apostolic Nuncio to the Dominican Republic and Apostolic Delegate to Puerto Rico. Archbishop Broglio was formally installed as Archbishop for the Military Services on January 25, 2008, at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, DC.

The Archdiocese serves as the sole endorser (certifier) of Roman Catholic chaplains to the United States government. A Roman Catholic priest cannot serve within the United States Military as a priest without the express permission of the Archdiocese. As of 2008, 285 Roman Catholic priests were endorsed by the Archdiocese for active-duty military service. These chaplains serve on loan from their diocese of incardination or religious order/society and are released for a term of military service. Chaplains never become members of the Archdiocese; instead, they always remain subject to their home bishop/religious superiors. The only clergy incardinated into the AMS are its archbishop and auxiliary bishops.

Once a priest receives the endorsement and the subsequent faculties of the archdiocese, he becomes a commissioned military officer of the United States. A priest's assignments are provided by the Office of the Chief of Chaplains of each respective branch of the U.S. military.

The Archdiocese is the sole endorser of chaplains for the Veterans Administration hospitals. In 2008, 242 priests were endorsed for service in the Veterans Administration. Approximately 1.5 million Catholic men and women are served by the Archdiocese. To meet the needs of the faithful, the Archdiocese has three auxiliary bishops to assist the archbishop in his pastoral duties. All are former chaplains; Bishop Richard Higgins from the Air Force, Bishop F. Richard Spencer and Bishop Neal Buckon from the Army. The Archdiocese is currently headquartered in the northeast section of Washington, DC, adjacent to The Catholic University of America.

Unlike a conventional diocese, the Archdiocese has no parishes or parish registries. Chapels are property of the United States government. Although the Archdiocese exercises jurisdiction over the religious education programs and the celebration of Catholic Liturgy, it maintains no legal jurisdiction over the physical property of the chapel. Because base/command chapels are United States government property, all records of sacraments performed on U.S. Military installations are maintained by the Archdiocese in its Office of Sacramental Records. This starkly contrasts with the model used in conventional parishes, where all sacraments are recorded in the parish registry. The Archdiocese currently maintains more than 2.5 million records of sacraments performed on military installations.

The Archdiocese receives no funding from the United States government. Rather, the Archdiocese is solely funded by the generosity of its chaplains, men and women in uniform and private benefactors.

Heifer International

Heifer International's mission is to work with communities to end hunger and poverty and care for the Earth.

Dan West was a farmer from the American Midwest and member of the Church of the Brethren who went to the front lines of the Spanish Civil War as an aid worker. His mission was to provide relief, but he soon discovered the meager single cup of milk rationed to the weary soldiers once a day was not enough.

And then he had a thought: What if they had not a cup, but a cow?

That "teach a man to fish" philosophy is what drove West to found Heifer International. And now, nearly 70 years later, that philosophy still inspires our work to end hunger and poverty throughout the world once and for all.

HOW IT WORKS

We empower families to turn hunger and poverty into hope and prosperity – but our approach is more than just giving them a handout. Heifer links communities and helps brings sustainable agriculture and commerce to areas with a long history of poverty. Our animals provide partners with both food and reliable income, as agricultural products such as milk, eggs and honey can be traded or sold at market.

When many families gain this new sustainable income, it brings new opportunities for building schools, creating agricultural cooperatives, forming community savings and funding small businesses.

St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital

Mission

The mission of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital is to advance cures, and means of prevention, for pediatric catastrophic diseases through research and treatment. Consistent with the vision of our founder Danny Thomas, no child is denied treatment based on race, religion or a family's ability to pay.

Vision

Our vision is to be the world leader in advancing the treatment and prevention of catastrophic diseases in children. This vision will be pursued by providing outstanding patient care; by conducting basic, translational and clinical research designed to elucidate biological mechanisms, understand disease pathogenesis, improve diagnosis, enhance treatment outcome, prevent diseases and minimize adverse consequences of treatment; and by educating health care and scientific research professionals. Through these efforts we seek to cure and enhance the quality of life for an increasing proportion of children who come to us for treatment, and by expanding and sharing knowledge, to advance treatment of children with catastrophic diseases worldwide, while developing strategies to prevent catastrophic diseases in children.

Values

Our foremost responsibilities are to the children with catastrophic diseases, their families, and to the donors that have committed their personal resources toward our Mission. To fully meet these responsibilities, we are committed to an explicit set of values. These values are the standards of behavior that we use to guide our daily actions and decisions. We will ensure that these standards of behavior are adhered to through ongoing training of all personnel working at St. Jude, and by annually evaluating the executive leadership, faculty and staff in their adherence to these values.

Our values of ethical behavior are an important part of who we are, and their incorporation into the fabric of the institution directly impacts our ability to make progress toward achieving our Mission, while simultaneously strengthening our reputation.

• A commitment to provide our patients with the highest quality of medical and supportive care, and their families with the level of information and support necessary for them to make informed decisions and to become active participants in the care of their children.
• A commitment to respect the ethnic, cultural, religious and lifestyle differences of patients, their families, our colleagues and our supporters.
• A commitment to our donors that every dollar donated will be wisely spent toward achieving our Mission of advancing cures, and means of prevention, for pediatric catastrophic disease through research and treatment.
• A commitment to a culture of excellence, innovation and creativity, not only in our research, but in everything we do.
• A drive and a sense of urgency to succeed.
• Honesty, integrity, and accountability in our actions and decisions.
• A culture of trust and teamwork.
• Respect for the employees under our supervision.
• A commitment to the continual development of our employees.
• A commitment to diversity.
• A commitment to social responsibility and institutional citizenship on a local, state, national and global level.

To effectively live up to these ideals, institutional leaders and all employees must maintain a culture that promotes adherence to these values in all that we do.

GravityLight

The Challenge

Today, over 1.5 billion people - about 21% of the world's population - have no reliable access to mains electricity. In several countries, the grid is failing to keep pace with population growth, which mean the number of people without reliable electricity will continue to grow. These people rely instead on biomass fuels - predominantly kerosene - for light.

Hazardous and polluting, there is a real need to replace kerosene with a safer, sustainable and affordable light that eliminates the many negative impacts of kerosene lights:

Fumes: The World Bank estimates that 780 million women and children breathing kerosene fumes inhale smoke equivalent to 2 packs of cigarettes every day. 60% of adult female lung-cancer victims in developing nations are non smokers. These fumes kill an estimated 1.5 million women and children in Africa every year.

Injury: In India alone 1.5 million people suffer severe burns each year, primarily due to overturned kerosene lamps.

Sight: Poor quality of light and fumes that cause eye infections and cataracts.

Poverty: Fuel burns quickly and is comparatively expensive, so individuals have a never-ending high overhead burden, in many cases equivalent to 10%-20% of their income.

Sustainability & Climate change: not only does burning kerosene deplete our finite fossil fuel resources, it also has a huge cumulative contribution to CO2 emissions: Used for 4 hours a day, a single kerosene lamp emits over 100kg of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere per year.

Deciwatt is a product development initiative with a mission to explore how to do more with less; in turn empowering people through sustainable and affordable low power solutions.

This approach led Martin and Jim to create GravityLight.
Faced with the charity SolarAid’s challenge to create an LED lantern under $10 to replace damaging & ubiquitous kerosene lamps, Martin & Jim quickly realized the need to look beyond solar and battery power.

They took a different approach to benchmarking the amount of power and light needed asking “is it better than a kerosene lamp”. Along with the ever-increasing efficiency of LED lights, this led them to explore what much lower levels of power could deliver.

GravityLight only generates a deciwatt or two of power but has a superior light to the majority of kerosene lamps used by those without electricity, as well as being significantly more sustainable, safe and healthy. With no running costs, at $10, a GravityLight would pay for itself within a few months, freeing people from fuel poverty and the increasing costs of kerosene.

As LEDs continue to rapidly increase their lumens per watt and – as Koomey’s Law predicts – the energy efficiency of devices doubles every two years – this has huge implications for low cost, off grid lighting as well as computing and communication equipment. This is the driving force behind Deciwatt’s mission to explore how to do more with less.

Happy 101st Birthday Rosa Parks!

Last night before bed we read three books: Let's Read About…Rosa Parks, by Courtney Baker; Mufaro's Beautiful Daughters, an African Tale, by John Steptoe; and Jonathan and His Mommy, by Irene Smalls. All the books were great. I vaguely remembered the story of Mufaro's Beautiful Daughters from when I was a little girl - the story was beautifully captured in the illustrations. And Jonathan and His Mommy had the boys giggling and excited to go on a walk with me to try some of the moves. This morning DS2 and I sat and read again, Let's Read About…Rosa Parks.

Not a page into the book and DS1 joined us reading and asked some very good questions. We discussed chivalry, how no man should ever ask a woman for a seat, unless there's something wrong that would require him to sit (say he has a broken leg, or is in a wheel chair, etc.). We talked about how at one time the laws were very unfair, despite that we knew all people are equal, and Rosa Parks was very brave standing up for what she knew to be right. Her bravery helped get the laws changed. God created us all in His image, and we all are valuable, precious and equal. 

After the boys and I breakfasted on cereal with strawberries, the boys played swords with the K'nects, I did some laundry, washed the kitchen and powder room floors. The boys helped me for a little bit of washing the floor. We discussed how it is important to keep the floors clean. We don't want to invite bugs into our house and we want to keep bad germs away. I then put on their BOZ DVD while I went up to take a shower and get dressed. When I came downstairs, the boys helped themselves to the leftover wacky cake that was sitting in a container on the counter. There were crumbs everywhere - on the freshly washed kitchen floor, all through the living room…oh my! Well, no more television for the day. I vacuumed, and swept and wiped up the floors. Since the BOZ video was about numbers, we practiced our numbers by trying to call my mom, and my MIL by telling DS1 the numbers and him finding them on the phone and pressing them. That way we not only identified numbers, he had to listen to me, push them the correct number of times, and in the correct order, so we could make the phone call the person we wanted. If he got the numbers wrong, the wrong person would be called.

The plumber came to look at why our shower in the master bath wasn't working. A handyman said it was the diverter. The plumber sensed it was just the shower head that went bad. DS1 was following him around asking questions and showing him his plush alligator he got from his Babci for Christmas. The plumber is impressed that he could pronounce aerator so well. 

After lunch, we headed out to run some errands and we ended at the library, see the new list of books on the blog. When we pulled up to our house, we had a stack of packages from Amazon and other places. It was exciting because when we did talk to Babci, she said we would be getting a package in the mail. Unfortunately, the packages weren't from her. They were all for Mommy - bummer for the boys. Mommy was happy with a surprise Valentine's gift from Daddy.

Four new Springerle Molds from House on the Hill. I love their molds, and I actually had two of the four molds in my shopping cart. I love window shopping their stuff and saving things in my cart to dream. I have the best husband in the world, even though he's currently on the other side of it. 

After our running around, we ate dinner, the boys wanted cereal again, I wasn't arguing. I was taking out all the leftovers from the past month and chucking them, getting disgusted at how much food I waste, despite my best efforts to try to eat my leftovers. I reheated a stuffed pepper from last week, for myself for dinner. DS2 was cold as he was finishing he dinner, so after we had a cookie for dessert, we got changed into our pajamas early. The boys wanted to read. We snuggled onto the big red couch with the red and black pirate blanket Nana crocheted for the boys, a boy tucked on each side of me, and we read for over an hour. Here's the impressive list:

Make Way for Ducklings, by Robert McCloskey, BIGMAMA'S, by Donald Crews, King Arthur's Very Great Grandson, by Kenneth Kraegel, Little Tad Grows Up, by Giuliano Ferri, Froggie Went A-Courtin', by Iza Trapani, Groundhog Day!, by Gail Gibbons, The Gingerbread Man Loose on the Firetruck, by Laura Murray, Mr. Groundhog Wants the Day Off, by Pat Stemper Vojta, My Pig Amarillo, by Satomi Ichikawa, Air Show!, by Treat Williams, The Kissing Hand, by Audrey Penn, ZATHURA, by Chris Van Allsburg, and Insect Detective, by Steve Voake.

PHEW! That was a lot of reading, and by the end both boys started getting antsy. DS2 was very tired, so we went upstairs and brushed teeth, read three more books (short board books about going to sleep), said our prayers, and went to sleep. 

Library Book List February 4, 2014

Continuing my new obsession to keep track of all the library books we check out, incase I want to find a book again:

Insect Detective
By Steve Voake
Illustrated by Charlotte Voake
ISBN: 978-0-7636-4447-5

Right now, all around you, thousands of insects are doing strange and wonderful things, wasps are building their nests, ants are collecting food, and dragonflies are readying for the hung. But it's not always so easy to catch sight of these six-legged creatures….
Become an insect detective and find out just what the insects around you are up to!

Groundhog Phil's Message
By Barbara Birenbaum
ISBN: 0935343-69-5

Story Within a Story® Story- Life of Groundhog Punxsutawney Phil, history and traditions of Groundhog Day. Story within a Story-Lives of other groundhogs of PA, WI, NJ, NC, GA and FL that also predict weather and their traditions. Includes Indian folklore of Punxsutawney, Old World to New World history of forecasting Feb 2nd. Locator map, dictionary, sheet music w/lyrics

The Giving Tree
By Shel Silverstein
ISBN: 0-06-025666-4

"Once there was a tree…and she loved a little boy." So begins a story of unforgettable perception, beautifully written and illustrated by the gifted and versatile Shel Silverstein. 
Every day the boy would come to the tree to eat her apples, swing from her branches, or slide down her trunk…and the tree was happy. But as the boy grew older he began to want more from the tree, and the tree gave and gave. 
This is a tender story, touched with sadness, aglow with consolation. Sel Silverstein has created a moving parable for readers of all ages that offers an affecting interpretation of the gift of giving and a serene acceptance of another's capacity to love in return.

ZATHURA: A Space Adventure
By Chris Van Allsburg
ISBN: 0-618-25396-3

On the last page of the Caldecott Medal-winning book Jumanji, young Danny Budwing is seen running home with a game tucked under his arm. Now, after twenty years, Chris Van Allsburg is ready to reveal what happens when Danny and his brother roll the dice. This time the name of the game is Zathura and Walter and Danny Budwing are in for the ride of their lives. 
Only the mind and hand of Chris Van Allsburg could create such a fantastic world where shifts in time and space and perspective take the reader on an extraordinary journey.

The Kissing Hand
By Audrey Penn
Illustrated by Ruth E. Harper and Nancy M. Leak
ISBN: 978-1-933718-00-2

Chester Raccoon doesn't want to go to school--he wants to stay home with his mother. She assures him that he'll love school--with its promise of new friends, new toys, and new books. Even better, she has a special secret that's been in the family for years--the Kissing Hand. This secret, she tells him, will make school seem as cozy as home. She takes her son's hand, spreads his tiny fingers into a fan and kisses his palm--smack dab in the middle: "Chester felt his mother's kiss rush from his hand, up his arm, and into his heart." Whenever he feels lonely at school, all he has to do is press his hand to his cheek to feel the warmth of his mother's kiss. Chester is so pleased with his Kissing Hand that he--in a genuinely touching moment--gives his mom a Kissing Hand, too, to comfort her when he is away. Audrey Penn's The Kissing Hand, published by the Child Welfare League of America, is just the right book for any child taking that fledgling plunge into preschool--or for any youngster who is temporarily separated from home or loved ones. The rough but endearing raccoon illustrations are as satisfying and soothing for anxious children as the simple story. (Ages 5 and older) --Karin Snelson 

Air Show!
By Treat Williams
Illustrated by Robert Neubecker
ISBN: 978-142311185-6

"Fuel full?"

"Check!"

"Flaps?"

"Check!"

"Radios on?"

"Check!"

"Ready for takeoff!"

Ellie and her brother, Gill, are in for a special treat. Their dad is taking them to the air show! And even better--he's taking them on his plane!

The air show is filled with every imaginable model of aircraft, from a World War II B-17 to a huge Boeing 787. And, of course--stunt planes. Big sky loops, huge nosedives, even barrel rolls--every stunt is amazing!

Ready, set, ZOOOOOM!

Ages 3-7

Mr. Groundhog Wants the Day Off

By Pat Stemper Vojta

Illustrated by Olga Levitskiy

ISBN: 978-1-934960-79-0

Mr. Groundhog tries to give his Groundhog Day duties away. He is tired of everyone getting mad at him when they see his shadow. He does not want to be blamed for six more weeks of winter anymore. He asks his friends to take on the responsibilities, but they are not interested. Instead, one by one, his friends who him how he is perfectly suited to the role. As the day progresses, Mr. Groundhog finds a way to enjoy his special day. 

To create the illustrations for Mr. Groundhog Wants the Day Off, the drawings are made in full scale and then are transferred to watercolor board. Watercolors, and at times acrylic paints, are built up in layers. This is followed with colored pencils, which are used to finesse the details and add texture to the painting.

Groundhog Day!

By Gail Gibbons

ISBN: 0-8234-2003-5

Every February 2, people all across America wonder about the groundhog Punxsutawney Phil. Will he see his shadow on that day or won't he? Will spring come early or late? Here is information about Groundhog Day and its origins, as well as facts about the animal at the center of this delightful annual event.

Froggie Went A-Courtin'  

By Iza Trapani

ISBN: 1-58089-028-8

Froggie went a-courtin', and he did ride.

H'hm, h'hm.

A dapper young frog, dressed in his best, sets out to find the perfect bride. But as in all great romances, this young suitor encounters a few bumps along the way. Children will cheer as the determined young hero overcomes disappointment to discover that his heart's desire, his perfect match, has been waiting all along in his own backyard.

Iza Trapani keeps her audience smiling and singing as they move through the pages of this delightful retelling of a 400-year-old Scottish folksong.

Black History Month

My lot of books ordered from ebay came in time for the start of Black History Month. Here's my collection:

D is for Drinking Gourd: An African American Alphabet 
by Nancy I. Sanders
Illustrated by E. B. Lewis
ISBN: 978-1-58536-293-6
The tapestry of American history is made up of countless threads marking the contributions of people from many different backgrounds and cultures. In D is for Drinking Gourd: An African American Alphabet, author Nancy I. Sanders highlights many of the remarkable achievements of and contributions from African Americans throughout our history.
     Evocative watercolor paintings from acclaimed artist E. B. Lewis perfectly capture the spirit of each letter topic's poem and expository text.

D is for Drinking Gourd,

and the North Star that led through the night

from station to station on the Underground Railroad,

escaping on a dangerous flight.

     From the bravery of the early abolitionists to the cultural legacy of the Harlem Renissance, D is for Drinking Gourd illuminates the amazing and ongoing role the African American community has played in the shaping of our country.

BENJIE

By Joan M. Lexau

Illustrated by Don Bolognese

ISBN: not available

Bright Eyes, Brown Skin

By Cheryl Willis Hudson & Bernette G. Ford

Illustrated by George Ford

ISBN: 0-590-45416-1

Bright eyes,

Brown skin,

A heart-shaped face,

A dimpled chin.

We love who we are!

Jonathan and His Mommy

By Irene Smalls

Illustrated by Michael Hays

ISBN: 0-439-07948-9

Take big giant steps,

then some

hip-swaying reggae steps

as you explore

the neighborhood with 

Jonathan and his mommy.

Let's Read About…Rosa Parks

By Courtney Baker

Illustrated by Robert Hunt

ISBN: 0-439-56413-1

Rosa Parks believed in herself and worked hard to succeed from the time she was a girl.

Read about Rosa, a young woman who helped change history when she fought for black people's equal rights.

Bigmama's

By Donald Crews

ISBN: 0-440-84631-5

Free at Last! The Story of Martin Luther King, Jr.

By Angela Bull

ISBN: 0-7894-5717-2

Martin Luther King Jr. had a dream that one day all people would be treated as equals, whatever the color of their skin.

Ty's One-man Band

By Mildred Pitts Walter

Illustrations by Margot Tomes

ISBN: 0-590-40178-5

Ty's One-man Band is featured on Reading Rainbow, the acclaimed PBS-TV series celebrating books and reading. Consultants to this award-winning series include the American Library Association, the National Education Association, and the National PTA.

Beatrice's Goat

By Page McBrier

Illustrated by Lori Lohstoeter

ISBN: 0-439-37599-1

When This Box Is Full

By Patricia Lillie

Illustrated by Donald Crews

ISBN: 0-590-48762-0

Mufaro's Beautiful Daughters: An African Tail

By John Steptoe

ISBN: 0-590-42058-5

Mufaro's Beautiful Daughters was inspired by a folktale collected by G. M. Theal and published in 1895 in his book, Kaffir Folktales. Details of the illustrations were inspired by the ruins of an ancient city found in Zimbabwe, and the flora and fauna of that region. The names of the characters are from the Shona language: Mufaro (moo-FAR-oh) means "happy man"; Nyasha (nee-AH-sha) means "mercy"; Manyara (main-YAE-ah) means "ashamed"; and Nyoka (nee-YO-kah) means "snake." The author wishes to thank Niamani Mutima and Ona Kwanele, of the Afro-American Institute, and Jill Penfold, of the Zimbabwe Mission, for their helpful assistance in the research for this book.

RAP A TAP TAP: Here's Bojangles -- Thank of That!

By Leo & Diane Dillon

ISBN: 0-439-45597-9

The Snowy Day

By Ezra Jack Keats

ISBN: 978-0-670-01270-1

Corduroy

By Don Freeman

ISBN: 978-0670013111

A Pocket for Corduroy

By Don Freeman

ISBN: 978-0142410400

Celebrating St. Brigid of Ireland's Feast day

Who is St. Brigid of Ireland?
According to fish eaters:

Per the 1962 Missal, today's Feast is that of St. Ignatius of Antioch, but St. Brigid, though not celebrated liturgically by those using the 1962 Missal, is still honored today, especially among the Irish.
St. Brigid -- her name is correctly pronounced "Brigg-id" or "Bree-id" but almost never is -- was born in A.D. 451 or 452 to a pagan father (Dubthach) and Christian slave mother (Broicsech) just after the time that St. Patrick was preaching (St. Patrick died in A.D. 493). It is said a Bishop -- a follower of St. Patrick -- met the pregnant slave woman and predicted that the child she was carrying would do great things. It is said, too, that a Druid of Dubthach's household had predicted that there would soon be born one who "shall be called from her great virtues the truly pious brigid; she will be another Mary, mother of the great Lord." 
Brigid's mother was sent away at the insistence of her father's wife -- sold to a Druidic poet in Connacht -- but Brigid was to be returned to her father after she was raised (it was undoubtedly he who gave her her name -- most likely in honor of the false goddess, Brigid, whose name means "Fiery Arrow" and who was akin to the Roman goddess Minerva, who concerned herself with fertility, prosperity, and poetry, and who was symbolized by a spear, crown, and globe). Her impoverished, enslaved mother did her best to raise her well, and a white red-eared cow is said to have provided all the food St. Brigid needed to grow, indicating that she was special indeed as white red-eared cows are rare in Ireland. 
When she was around 10 or so, she did move back to be with her father at Faughart Hill. She was given charge of the dairy -- but gave much of the produce away. This enraged her father, but she was strong-willed and continued in her charity.
While still young, Brigid went to visit a Christian mission. The Bishop there was recounting a dream he had in which he saw Our Lady, and as he spoke, Brigid entered the room. He stopped and said that she was the one he'd seen in his vision -- another sign of the special graces she'd been given.
Not too long later, Brigid returned to her mother and found her working hard in a dairy. Brigid stayed on to help her mother, leaving the relative luxury of her father's house out of love for her mother. She continued her charity, of course, churning butter in 13 portions in honor of Christ and the Apostles -- one portion larger than the rest which she'd give to the poor. Despite her giving away much of the produce, her pantry was always full -- miraculously so. This miracle and Brigid's charity changed the hearts of the Druid who'd bought her mother, and he and his wife converted to the Faith and gave Brigid's mother her freedom, whereupon she and Brigid returned to the land of Brigid's pagan father.
Brigid was hated by her father's wife, and her charity wasn't pleasing to her father, either, as she gave away some of his wealth, so her father took her to live as a bond maid with Dunlang, King of Leinster, a Christian. When they arrived, Dubthach went in to speak with the King, leaving Brigid in the chariot. A leper came to her, and she gave him her father's sword so he'd have something of value -- even as Dubthach was complaining to the King about how Brigid was always giving away his things. King Dunlang, after meeting and speaking with Brigid herself and seeing Christian greatness in her, convinced her father to give her her freedom, and then gave him his own sword to compensate for the one Brigid had given away. 
As a freewoman, she became a part of her father's clan, and being a part of the clan made her marriageable to the clansmen. They began to seek her out as she was beautiful, but she consecrated herself to Christ and wanted no part of marriage. It is said that she, like St. Rose of Lima was to do later, disfigured her face so that no man would even want to marry her. Her resolve convinced her father to allow her to take the veil, and she became the first nun in Ireland.
Now, women consecrated themselves to Christ before then, but lived in private homes; Brigid formed the first religious community for women in Ireland. She and 7 companions met with St. Mel, Bishop, in Mag Teloch. On meeting the women, St. Mel "recognized" Brigid, saying that he was the one who'd made the prediction about her when she was still in her mother's womb. He gladly consecrated the women, and when he did, it is said that Brigid's self-disfigurement was healed and her beauty restored.
Brigid and her sisters first set up a convent in Ardagh, but then moved to what is now known as Kildare, "The Church of the Oak," on land given to them by the good King of Leinster who'd convinced Brigid's father to grant her her freedom. The fantastical Irish legend told to children is that she was refused the land near the oak tree that she loved, so told the King she'd be happy to accept whatever land her mantle could cover. The King assented, but her mantle miraculously covered all of Curragh!
Her convent grew, and she travelled to set up others all over Ireland and also a school of illumination and metallurgy. In those travels, she became known for her Christ-given ability to heal and wisdom. Bishops, priests, and chieftans sought her counsel, and she was so beloved that she became known as "The Mary of the Gaels." A common blessing became "Brigid and Mary be with you." 
When St. Brigid died an old woman in A.D. 525 , her sisters kept a fire burning in an enclosure at her Kildare convent. This fire burned for centuries, tended by the Sisters and not burning out until A.D. 1220. It was re-lit and burned for 400 years, when the effects of the Protestant "Reformation" extinguished it again. St. Brigid's association with fire and the proximity of her Feast to Candlemas tomorrow -- a day celebrating Christ as the Light Unto the Nations, make the two Feasts entwined in the Irish imagination. On the day following Candlemas, the Feast of St. Blaise with its blessing of the throats with two crossed candles make for three days associated with light and fire.
St. Brigid (she is often affectionately known as "Bride," "Bridey," or "the Mary of the Gael") is the patroness of dairy maids, infants, midwives, blacksmiths, poets, nuns, and students. Along with SS. Patrick and Columba (Columcille), she is the patroness of Ireland. St. Brigid is depicted in art as a nun with a Cross woven from rushes (see below), with a crozier, with fire (a candle, lamp, or bowl of fire), and/or with a cow.

If you look at the Huffington Post, you'll see the pagan side of things. It's always good to have balance, and know that God can make beauty out all things through the lens of faith. Tomorrow is Candlemas, Groundhog Day, my grandma's birthday, and one of my Aunt's birthdays! Exciting day in our family.

Now that you know everything from that site, here are some traditions of St. Brigid of Ireland:

A Saint Brigid's Cross is to be made every year on the feast of St. Brigid of Ireland, blessed, and put over the doorway of your home. The prior year's is to be burned ceremoniously. If you'd like to make a cross of your own, check out this neat slideshow tutorial. I will post a picture of one if we get around to making it. :) I'm thinking I will hit the craft store for some pipe cleaners.

Printable of St. Bridget of Ireland from Waltzing Matilda's blog.

Peter's (4.75yrs old) is on the left and Edmund's (2.75 yrs old) is the right

Irish Proverb: May your laughter be from God

Bairn Brack
2 packages of dry yeast
1/2 C warm milk
1 C brown sugar
1 stick unsalted butter
1/2 C lukewarm water
4 1.2 C flour
2 tsp salt
4 eggs, well beaten
3-4 Tbsp caraway seed
1/2 C currants
1 healthy pinch each of nutmeg, allspice, cinnamon
Optional 1 small pinch cloves and ginger

Optional glaze:
1 Tbsp water
1 Tbsp sugar

     Dissolve the yeast in the milk. Stir in 1 teaspoon of the brown sugar. Let the mixture sit for about 10 minutes, or until it is bubbly.
     In a saucepan, melt the butter in the water; cool slightly. Pour into a large bowl. Sitr in the flour and the salt. Add the eggs, stirring well, and the yeast, then stir in the remaining sugar, the caraway seeds, currants, and spices. Beat for 2 or 3 minutes.
     Turn the dough out onto a floured surface, and knead for about 10 minutes, or until it is smooth and glossy. The dough should be fairly soft.
     Place the dough in a buttered bowl; turn to grease the top. Cover and let rise in a draft-free spot until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.
     Punch the dough down, and form into a large round cake. Place on a buttered pan, cover lightly, and let rise until again doubled in blk, about 1 hour.
     Bake at 375 degrees F. for 45 to 55 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean, and the bread sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom. (If the bread begins to get too brown, cover it with a piece of aluminum foil or brown paper.)
      Optional: Glaze the loaf, while hot, with a mixture of 1 Tbsp water and 1 Tbsp sugar.

Yield: 1 12-inch loaf.

Recipe Source: 

A Continual Feast 

by Evelyn Birge Vitz 

Illustrated by Parker Leighton 

ISBN: 0-06-181897-6

It turned out huge, beautiful, and the house smells wonderful from it!
We can't wait to taste it tomorrow morning.