Tough Chicks

After a wild and crazy day at the zoo (where there was an attempted attack on Erin and my nephew by a baby Siamese Crocodile and the tigers were more playful than we've ever seen them), we had dinner, the two middle girls had a bath, and we pulled out a couple of library books to read.

I picked up the first one, a book called "Tough Chicks" that Carolyn had checked out. When I started to read, I quickly got the feeling that I would be getting more out of the book than they would.

Not that it isn't a light, fun story. Three baby girl chicks are born and immediately prove to not be the normal variety of chicks. They do all sorts of wild things, getting into things they aren't supposed to, doing things they shouldn't.

"Make them be good!" called the animals.
"They are good!" Mama Hen clucked.
But sometimes even she worried.

I had to chuckle at one page in particular because I'd had a similar experience today at the zoo. When we go, we always joke that they zookeepers are going to think Carolyn is one of the monkeys and try to keep her there. She will usually ask a zookeeper if she can have a monkey, and when they say no, she'll ask if she can pet one (she hasn't talked anyone into it yet). She thinks the whole place is one giant jungle gym. In several areas of the zoo they have guardrails in front of the cages that are perfect for swinging on, and she sits, hangs, flips, and sometimes flops on them. Today we went with my two sisters and their kids, and as Carolyn was swinging away on one of them, my niece, who had been told not to do that, walked over to me and said, "Isn't she supposed to stop doing that?" I didn't respond, thinking, "But she's so GOOD at it!"

In the book, one of the three chicks likes to swing off the cow's tail, and after one particularly wild swing which causes the other chicks to run for cover, Mama Hen calls to her to be careful, then adds quietly to herself, "Nice form."

When a crisis happens on the farm, they are the ones to come to the rescue and save the day.  Happily ever after and all that.

This book is a treasure. A wonderful reminder for this mom that I have good kids too. They may be wild, loud, boisterous, active, nutty, playful, and disruptive, but they are good kids. And I can't wait to see what all that craziness becomes. If I'm still sane by then.

Book Review: Little Women

I love "Little Women." I've been basking in the glow of its wonderfulness since I finished it a couple weeks ago. This is the first book I've wanted to study deeply and write about since graduating from Utah State 10 years ago (no, this isn't that). It is on my list of books I want to study for the rest of my life.

In a very small nutshell, this book is about values, and most especially, family values. I found the simple teachings to be deeply refreshing.

"Learn to know and value the praise which is worth having."
"Watch and pray, dear, never get tired of trying, and never think it is impossible to conquer your fault."
"Trifles show character."
"A woman's happiest kingdom is home, her highest honor the art of ruling it not as a queen, but as a wise wife and mother."
"Principles...may seem like prison walls to impatient youth, but will prove sure foundations to build character upon."

Mrs. March is a wise mother in every way. One of my favorite passages comes after Meg has been out with friends and overhears her friend's mother gossiping about the "plans" Mrs. March has put into play for her daughters by encouraging them to be close to their wealthy neighbor and his grandson. Meg is upset by the assumption, and upon arriving home and discussing it with her mother, she eventually asks her if she does have "plans" for them.

"Yes, my dear, I have a great many; all mothers do, but mine differ somewhat from Mrs. Moffat's. . . I want my daughters to be beautiful, accomplished, and good; to be admired, loved, and respected; to have a happy youth, to be well and wisely married, and to lead useful, pleasant lives, with as little care and sorrow to try them as God sees fit to send. To be loved and chosen by a good man is the best and sweetest thing which can happen to a woman, and I sincerely hope my girls may know this beautiful experience. . . My dear girls, I am ambitious for you, but not to have you make a dash in the world--marry rich men merely because they are rich, or have splendid houses, which are not homes because love is wanting. . . I'd rather see you poor men's wives, if you were happy, beloved, contented, than queens on thrones, without self-respect and peace."

Mrs. March's words, actions, and example were perfect to help her daughters reach that vision. Her wisdom and teaching to help them reach it were so pure, I underlined just about everything she says. Her determination in this shows by how firmly she has trained herself. Apparently she had a temper of her own like Jo's, till she finally decided "I must try to practice all the virtues I would have my little girls possess, for I was their example. . . The love, respect, and confidence of my children was the sweetest reward I could receive for my efforts to be the woman I would have them copy."

Funny, the week after I finished "Little Women" I read a little snippet about an article where the author calls it not only "stale" and ranks it with other "badly written" books, but he also says it's "a little creepy." No, I am not bitter. Just sad that those of lesser vision don't realize the beauty of this book.

I could say much more about it, but suffice it to say, I definitely definitely definitely recommend it.

P.S. Just found this review that has a lot of good points as well.

Review - Stories of Jesus

I'm subscribed to an interesting podcast called The Cricket and Seagull, hosted by Steven Kapp Perry. In it he "features the unique voices of authors, artists, musicians, scholars, and fellow Saints." I've learned about some great books and music through the Cricket and Seagull.

About a month ago I listened to a podcast on the CD "Stories of Jesus" by Melanie and Roger Hoffman. Follow the link to hear it yourself, where Perry talks with the composers and they share samples of the music. I was so impressed by the short samples that I had to buy it for our family.

As the title suggests, the songs are all about the life of Jesus, starting with his birth and ending with remembering Him and His life. In a way I guess this could be like Handel's Messiah for children. All the songs are so beautiful it is tough to pick a favorite. I asked the boys if they have one - Adam said "the run one" ("Run to Egypt") and Sammy said "the news one" ("Good News!"). I'll ask the girls in the morning and add them on. One unique song is "Gethsemane," a song about the atonement. Like the composers mention on the podcast, there really isn't a children's song about the atonement.

The CD insert quotes Melanie Hoffman: "I know that as children learn who Jesus is, they will look to Him, anticipate His coming, and want to be like Him, because they will know Him and love Him."

The music and lyrics are done so well that it is a CD our whole family enjoys listening to. Learning more about the Savior's life through this music has been a great testimony strengthener for all of us. I highly recommended buying this for your home or as a gift.

Book Review - Country Bunny and the Little Golden Shoes

I learned about this wonderful story while reading this book (thanks Lara for posting about it). I'm so happy our library had a copy!

"The Country Bunny and the Little Golden Shoes" (written in 1939) is about a little country bunny who wants to be one of the five Easter Bunnies someday. Low and behold, she ends up with 21 children, which means a lot to take care of. She realizes that she can't do it all alone and be the Easter Bunny, so she teaches her children how to help around the home so she could fulfill her dream. When her chance comes, originally she is told she can't because of all her responsibilities at home, but she explains all the things her children can take care of on their own, and she is given a chance. Of course she is wonderful at it, and she returns home to find the house entirely in order.

It is one of the most beautiful and enchanting stories I've read, and it is definitely one that will be joining our home bookshelf before long. I thoroughly enjoyed it as a lesson to me, that I need to allow my children more opportunities to grow and learn by teaching them how to help take care of our home. The kids loved the story as well, and after reading it together it was an easy sell to get them to sign up for things they would like to be assigned to do here at home.

I thought it was quite interesting that a review on the book cover calls it a feminist book, and another says she "managed to realize her ambition in spite of her twenty-one children." I don't see it that way at all! She embraced her role as a mother, teaching and training her children to be self-sufficient while she fulfilled her dream one night a year. She became the Easter Bunny because of her children, not in spite of them.

Run out and find this one. It's a keeper!

* Here is more from Lara and Talk about Tuesday. *

Why DI is Better Than eBay

...at least when you're trying to get rid of things.

Express Lane Cookbook - took up residence in my kitchen cupboard, keeping my other cookbooks company. I sent several off to DI to find new homes, but as this had hardly been cracked I thought I would try my luck.

eBay Sale Price: $1.45

Not wanting to overcharge anyone too terribly on shipping I used eBay's calculated shipping option and entered the weight a bit above the true book weight to cover any extra costs.

Calculated Shipping: $3.17
Total Payment I Received: $4.62

Unfortunately, the options offered at the post office weren't the same as those I had chosen on eBay, and the dimensions were such that it couldn't be shipped like I expected. Media mail would have been fine, but they had paid with the intent of faster shipping than that.

Total Shipping I Paid: $4.60

My Earnings: $.02

Worth the trouble? No.

* UPDATE: It is now Feb. 13th and I was thinking this morning that I didn't even account eBay and PayPal fees into the calculation, so without checking the exact fees by far I was the loser. Then lo and behold, I got a surprise e-mail this afternoon from the buyer with $3.00 to help cover the shipping (how sweet is that?). I think I came out a little bit more on top.

That was Brilliantly Amusing

This never ceases to cause a lot of giggling at our house. Definitely our favorite Harry Potter Lego video. Probably even our favorite of all Lego videos, just because it's so silly. When I read book 4 to the boys I read most of it calling Hermione "Her-me-own" because it amused them so much.

Adam and I were having a "bother" fight a bit ago because he needed someone to bother and the baby didn't like him bothering her.

What's that Mysterious Ticking Noise?

If you haven't seen this, you're missing one of the true gems for which we all love the dubya-dubya-dubya.

And faster!

Review: Clearing Your Clutter with Feng Shui

If you read past posts of mine, you know keeping the house clean is a real issue for me. I've tried so many systems and schedules, till I realized one day that it was all the 'stuff' that was killing me and I needed to get rid of more 'stuff' before I could even start to feel ahead. Unfortunately, it is deeply engrained in my genes to hold tightly to whatever enters my home. While opening wedding presents my mom told me I should save the paper and bows. I'm not sure where the paper is, but I still haven't been able to toss that box of bows! Weeded it down, but many still there ("If I ever wrap a present ahead of time, I could dig through the box for a nice bow to top it off!").

Anyway, wandering through the library at the end of October I noticed this book on the shelf and thought what the heck, I'm always looking for good ideas. I knew nothing about feng shui (not entirely sure I know much more now) but I figured I would take that with a grain of salt and go digging for the good clearing clutter ideas.

What a find! Since I've been reading this I've found myself tossing and organizing like crazy. If I didn't have so many things to do besides, I could truly "ninja through [my] home like a white tornado, decluttering with glee" as Ms. Kingston mentions at one point in her book. As it stands, I'm just part-time ninja, or when-I-get-the-chance ninja, though still doing it with glee.

Here are some of her other words of wisdom as a record for myself, if nothing else:

"[When you hold on to clutter] you tend to look back rather than forward in your life... You have to release the past to create a better tomorrow."

"After clutter clearing you are likely to surprise yourself by wanting to do things you have put off for a long time."

"Write a list of all the things you would love to do if only your clutter were sorted, and let this be the inspiration for you to get on with it."

"Keeping things 'just in case' indicates a lack of trust in the future... The more you can learn to trust that life will take care of you, the more life will take care of you."

"Life is constant change. So when something comes into your life, enjoy it, use it well, and when it is time, let it go. It is that simple. Just because you own something, it doesn't mean that you have to keep it forever. You are just a temporary custodian of many things as they pass through your life."

"Get in the habit of leaving a trail of discarded clutter in your wake, and start to think of it as a sign of progression!"

"Everything you are holding on to through fear is blocking you having more love in your life; clearing it allows more love to start pouring in. Fear stops you from being who you truly are and doing what you came here to do; clutter clearing brings you greater clarity about your life purpose... Letting go of clutter leaves you free to be you, which is the greatest gift you can ever give yourself."

On books, "Your books symbolically represent your ideas and beliefs... Learn to let your books go when it is time." Besides all the obvious ones like cookbooks you don't use and textbooks you haven't used for years, "There are books that inspired you deeply years ago but whose concepts are now so much a part of you that you no longer need to read them anymore. Aim to end up with a collection of books that represents you as you are today and the intended 'you' of tomorrow."

"Sit down and make a list of the many things [you] want to do in [your] life that [you aren't] allowing [yourself] to do because of unfinished jobs."

"Working with a clear desk increases productivity, creativity, and job satisfaction... It is psychologically far more uplifting to start with a clear desk than with mounds of paperwork, which makes you feel defeated before you even start."

She goes a bit into physical, emotional, and spiritual clutter as well, but I think I'm doing okay there, with a big yikes at her discussion on colon cleansing (I'll stick with my basement, thanks). All the advice has been motivating so far. So much to do, so little time.