And now ...

... Emma thrives. And I am happy to report, there is no evidence of swiss cheese - except that which she likes to eat ... on crackers, nonetheless!

A Nook, a Book ... and an Epiphany ...

My beautiful and generous children presented me with this little beauty for my birthday - a Nook. 'Cause I really like to read. And it is very nice. But it has made me ponder the need for a gadget that holds 1500 titles. It is sort of like the Wal-Mart of libraries. Sure, I can go to Wal-Mart and get great prices on things I really do not need ... And that is the part that has me feeling pretty guilty inside.

I do not need 1500 books on an electronic gadget that eats up my time with trying to figure out how to get 1500 books on this little gadget. I have already wasted valuable time playing with the thing. It is cute and there are literally thousands of free titles on the internet - sites such as Ambleside Online, that I reference for extra lit and historical titles throughout our school year, have a plethora of books available for immediate download.

I have decided not to fill this device up unnecessarily like a pantry cupboard that overflows with food no one will ever eat. Rather, I will find a few treasures at a time, and let the children read at their will. I never have to coerce my kids to pick up a book, and we never leave the house without a tome in each person's hands. So this will just be an addendum to an already full, literature-loving life for all of us.

I also need to add that I could never give up the priceless volumes I have acquired during my journey as a home-schooling mom. There are books so integral to my growth as an educator, as a parent, and as a person that I could never not feel the weight of that voluminous manual in my hands again -

The Holy Bible, The Well-Trained Mind, Honey for a Child's Heart, Harp and Laurel Wreath, Trial and Triumph, Home Improvements for Dummies ... the list goes on and on. It is these that leave my shelves to overflowing, to list from side-to-side with an anxiety-provoking creak. They deserve to be read and re-read, in true form, not digital. They represent a growth in character, as they have educated me in a way the public school system did not, and will allow me to educate my children in much better fashion than if I had not read them.

I do not want to imagine a world without books - real books, with dusty, torn covers, pages slightly askew from loosening from the binding, a spine that no longer creaks but rather helps you open to a favorite, much perused passage. No digital device could ever replace that experience, that tangible quality of a well-loved book. So I am grateful to my children for taking their birthday/holiday/tooth-fairy/left-over change-that-Mom-let-them-keep monies and pooling them for this sweet gift. I not only received the Nook, but also a lesson in what is really important to me.

Sunday Outing #2 ...

After a week off from academics, of purging, deep cleaning, and rearranging the home, and adding yet another therapist to Emma's retinue, we took advantage of the glorious fall weather to participate in the area's "Open Farms" tours. We were able to visit three of the 29 farms during the four hours they were open today. It was a beautiful day, and it was interesting to see the farms that inhabit our area, tucked away in their little niches in the mountains. Only one was a disappointment, specifically because we drove quite some distance to traverse the corn maze, only to find the cost so prohibitive that we only took some pictures and drove away. Really, $8.50 to walk through a maze? The kids and I decided to put on Emma's eye patches and try to find our way around our home.

These are the grounds of the gold-encrusted corn maze. Quite beautiful - had me singing The hills are alive ...

A hay-bale slide

A gratuitous cute baby photo

A really big goat - really big

A really little goat - and sooo cute

Alpacas - in Pennsylvania? Yes. Abandoned, nonetheless. This farm is staffed by volunteers, and they care for abandoned, abused, and neglected animals. One of these alpacas had a tooth that was growing out of its mouth, and was slated to be slaughtered. They saved the animal.

This horse belonged to an Amish farmer who worked the poor thing to near-death. If you zoom in, you can see the welts on its body. It barely moves, due to its feet and legs being so damaged from abuse. The vet on staff has determined it is not in too much pain, so it will continue to live out its life on this farm.

My little guys taking a donkey-cart ride. I'm not sure about the history of this pair of animals - the donkeys, of course, not the kids.

The weather was gorgeous, a bit windy but not a biting wind, and the autumn colors were amazing. Fall is just a wonderful time for outings, in my opinion. Why wait in long lines, sweltering under a blazing summer sun, lotion drip-drip-dripping in your eyes? I'd rather be indoors when the temperatures rise above 85. I feel so blessed to live in such a beautiful part of the world, and this time of year just brings all the beauty rushing to the surface ...

Sunday Outing ...

The kids and I went to Hawk Mountain on Sunday. It was a beautiful day for a hike in the mountains. The trails were a bit difficult to navigate, especially with a baby stroller, but the kids enjoyed themselves. I gave them the camera, and they really did a great job capturing the vistas.

I love this shot. Something about this stranger's silhouette against the view ...

She is just too cool.

Week in Review ...

Everyone must help out at chore time!

There are many books to be read!

Pre-Algebra is FUN!!!

Smile!

Everything she does is funny, so of course her crawl can't be normal!

The girl who does NOT think Pre-Algebra is FUN!!!

Weekly schedules keep us on task!

How will we ever find the table for lunch?!!

After Another Full Week of School ...

I know just how he feels!

Living, laughing, loving ...

I have felt less than inspired to blog lately. Family responsibilities, fatigue, and summer have worn me down. And the world just seems ... too confusing and nonsensical to me, too much to comment on, too much frustration and exasperation to be able to clearly think and expound on any one topic. The kids' birthdays have come and gone - all are officially one year older and wiser. The little darling in the photo is crawling everywhere, pulling herself up, babbling like a brook ... She is an amazing specimen of strength, courage, conviction, prayer, faith, and a bit of Western medical technology mixed in. She is soooo happy, laughing and loving life, an example to me of unbounded joy. Two of my children possess this gift of laughter that I can only envy - laughter that comes from somewhere deep inside of them, an endless well that bubbles to the surface each and every day, spreading its warmth over those blessed enough to be in its presence. They love without reserve, my youngest son almost toppling the recipient of his embraces with his sheer joy. From where did they learn this? Not from me. I catch myself often frowning, my default expression it would seem. And yet, I have in my possession a photograph from my own childhood, taken on picture day for Little League. I am the only one who is disheveled, uniform untucked, hat slightly askew - yet the only one smiling. At some point in life, I, too, possessed the well of laughter and enjoyment of life. At what point I lost it I cannot tell ... but it can not be completely gone for I believe if it were, the laughter of my children would not exact such a response in me as it does, a response that warms my soul, that keeps me going on the path less traveled, sometimes trampled upon by life because it is the less traveled, less acceptable way of living. If it were not for the smiles and the laughter and the brightness of their eyes as they twinkle, slightly mischievously in my son's case - well, I can honestly say, there would not be much to this whole living thing for me.