THE TABERNACLE With each of my kids we built a model of the Tabernacle for part of our Bible time. It's time to do it with my youngest. They no longer make the model I used to use, so this year I purchased the Rose Books model to use alongside their wonderful Bible Charts, Maps, and Timelines book. (I'm just going to put a plug in here that their books are marvelous resources. I have several, and they are amazing reference books for all sorts of Biblical information. ) This is always a project we look forward to. There are little pieces to keep track of, so be aware! If you choose to do this, I highly recommend keeping everything in ziplock bags or a storage container. Take time to read the scripture about the Tabernacle, the pieces inside, the High Priest's garments, etc.

HOW TO READ A BOOK by Monica Wood All truth be told, this is a book that I quit two times, and then picked back up. It's not because Monica Wood is not an amazing writer. She is. The content pushed me further than I like to go, but I have to say I held on, because I find some books to be so revealing about an author and also about ideas in our current culture. This is one of those books. If you are familiar with Lessons From Chemistry, this book is a little reminiscent of that one. However, where Lessons From Chemistry was very blatant and in your face on the author's views, I find How to Read a Book softer in its tone. How to Read a Book is a story that circles around the bad decision of 22-year-old Violet Powell. She's about to be released from prison after serving 22 months for killing a local kindergarten teacher while driving drunk. Violet's world shattered with that decision. Incarcerated alongside murderers and about any other crime you can think of, she joins a book club led by a retired English teacher, Harriet Larson. All of the women who attend seriously need saving including the book club leader, widow Harriet. They bond together over books, initially starting with classics they remember from high school when life wasn't so complicated, but then move to poetry. These women find release for their souls and a window out of their barred walls. Then Violet gets released early for good behavior, and Harriet is fired because she shared personal information and accepted a homemade gift from the women. Violet struggles on the outside of the prison. Her Christian family hates her. She no longer knows how to function on her own, let alone get a job with a felony on her record. One day while wandering around she steps into a local bookstore and runs into Harriet and Frank Daigle, the husband of the woman she killed in the crash, who happens to work there. After an emotional encounter of pain, Harriet takes Violet home with her and a friendship/mentor/parental relationship forms that eventually includes Frank. This book will leave you stunned by some of the plot twists and turns. So as I close the book I find myself addressing Monica Wood mentally and asking her what she wants me to walk away from this book with? I really think there are several things she says. 1.) I think she tells us that when people get out of prison they have paid their debt to society and deserve to be allowed to live again. She doesn't pull any punches that there are consequences to what happened. Violet still has a felony that she has to explain at every job interview. She mourns over the loss that she caused both to the family and to the community (school), and as stated before, she lost her family. 2.)Forgiveness- This was the kicker. Her family, who clearly attend church, are unable to forgive her. They are the bad guys of the book. Yet the man whose wife she killed is able to forgive and honestly, comes to accept her as almost a daughter. Overall, I think what is so revealing in this book is prison life and the reality of it, and also the way people are viewing the church and Christians. The Christian faith is founded on Christ's death for our sins which offers us a forgiveness we could never earn. However, Christians are viewed as hypocritical, because they are often thought of as not turning and offering that same depth of forgiveness to others even when they are seeking it as Violet does in this story. We are called to forgive, and we are called to share the gospel which could bring about the new life that Violet desires. The gospel teaches us to follow Christ which means a turning away from our former sins and following Christ and His commands/way of life. It is tough that Christians are considered the bad people when Christ offers such an amazing gift! Obviously, there is a lot more that could be said, but I'll leave it here. HEADS UP- There is a lot of language including many f-bombs as it is a prison read. There are a lot of references to sex. Some are crass as these women are counting on that being the first thing they want to do when they get out of prison. No intimate details. There is the mention of lesbian encounters/rape while in prison. No details, just an acknowledgement that it happens. After prison you know of some sexual relationships that occur, again no intimate details. It is mentioned that the pastor of the church solicits sex from the girls in his congregation. We find out he approached Violet, but she denied him when she was in her teens.

As always, there are so many good poems that it's hard to choose which ones to write about, but I finally narrowed it down! FOUND- I have to start with this one, because I've joined the ranks of writing things down. After hosting a large outdoor homeschool event at our house I inadvertently left my brain outside (my notebook). The next morning I was searching all around the house for it when it dawned on me where it was. It had poured down rain all night long. I found my very soaked notebook right where I had left it, at the bottom of the slide, where it received a continuing river of water running over it. It was a mess. I couldn't bring myself to throw it away. It had past notes from 4-H projects, curriculum choices, field trip information, contact numbers, etc, etc. I gingerly placed it on a shelf and tried to fan open the pages as best as I possibly could. It eventually dried, and I did lose half the information in it. I'm a little more watchful where I leave my notebook now. SMILES II - There are those of you in this group who are more qualified to write about this poem than I am. Some of you are foster parents, teachers, etc, and I know you walk life's journey alongside some of the children this poem is referring to. But- we all see these children, don't we? We may run into them in the grocery store, school events, neighborhoods, and so on. They're the little ones whose eyes are hard from all the times they've had to pick themselves up or so filled with sorrow from being tossed to the side time and time again. Their little faces are aged well beyond their years from all the weight they've had to carry. You know who I'm talking about. While I'm not here to tell anyone what they should or should not do with the big decisions in life regarding these precious children, Donahue is absolutely correct when she reminds us that we can give out "smiles, grace, and favor" just like Christ gives to us. ON WAITING IN LINE- This poem really hit home with me, because when my grandparents died it became very clear to me that I moved up a rung on the ladder of life to carry on the family traditions. My parents now occupied the spot of my grandparents and I now occupied the spot where they resided. I come from a strong family lineage of faith, family, heritage, and tradition. My grandparents were active in their communities, and they loved their families deeply. It is hard for me to imagine them as having a "faltering step" as they moved forward, because they always seemed so sure in everything they did. I'm sure they must have had, though. How I miss them. I wish my kids would have really known them. How thankful I am for the road they laid for the rest of us to follow. Well, I hope you enjoyed this wonderful book of real life poetry. I hope it spoke directly to your soul the way it did to mine.For all its beauty, sometimes poetry can be a difficult nut to crack open. Not so here. Just straight, over-the-table with a cup of tea in hand conversation about the life of a momma. Now excuse me while I go switch the laundry load!

BUTTERFLIES Here's another peak at what we'll be doing during our school day. While my flowers are at their peak, we'll be starting our morning studies off with BUTTERFLIES. I have shared butterfly books in the past that I love, so you can put butterflies in the search bar, and more great resources will pull up! I really enjoy using Dover Coloring Books. Their pictures are accurate and the information concise, but engaging! (I receive nothing from Dover. I am purely sharing resources I love!) I am really looking forward to this!

THE WESTING GAME by Ellen Raskin The Newberry Winner from 1979, The Westing Game, is a murder mystery book of who-done-it surrounded by left behind puzzle clues.Set on the shores of Lake Michigan, the book opens with the completion of an expensive apartment building by the name of Sunset Towers. Sixteen people have been specifically chosen to live in the building. Barney Northrup has sent each of them a letter inviting them to come and tour the modern structure. The only thing is there is no such person as Barney Winthrop. Thus begins The Westing Game. Set above Sunset Towers, nestled in the cliffs, the old Westing House rises up to the sky. Home to millionaire Samuel W. Westing, the house has been abandoned for fifteen years. Rumors abound, however, that his corpse is in there, sprawled out on his Oriental rug rotting. On Halloween night, a dare is given to creep up and peer inside the monstrosity. There's no rotting corpse on the floor, but there is a dead man laid out on one of the beds, and it's Samuel Westing. At noon the next day sixteen letters are delivered to the tenants of Sunset Towers. They have been summoned by attorney E.J. Plum to the south library of Westing House the following day. They have each been named in Westing's will worth 200 million dollars. The only catch? Westing claims in his will that one of them is the murderer, and the one who figures it out stands to inherit the sizable fortune. This is a clean read with lots of twists and turns. While it is mentioned that Westing's corpse is rotting in his mansion with "maggots crawling through his eye sockets and out his nose holes" this is really just kid exaggeration, and the book is not a gruesome read.

THE BOY IN THE BLACK SUIT by Jason Reynolds Matt Miller has recently lost his mom. She was the glue holding the family together. Now his dad's been in a horrible accident due to his drinking and Matt needs a job. When the local funeral director offers him one at the funeral home helping set up the chairs and flowers, Matt takes it, but it requires the wearing of a suit. So Matt starts wearing his black suit from his mom's funeral, and even though it makes him stand out, he doesn't really care. Then, something really weird happens. He finds out that he's drawn to the funerals he's helping out with. He scans the crowd for the person that is hurting the most and watches for them to explode over their loss, because the truth is, he's still hurting. That's how he really meets Lovey. Oh he knows that she works at the local Cluck Bucket, but now he actually meets her at her grandmother's funeral. Even though Lovey is hurting over the loss, and she's been through some tough stuff in life, she doesn't explode. Matt can't really understand this, but what he does know is that he really wants to get to know her. Jason Reynolds is a unique author. His books come from the heart of inner city street life, and it's clear he knows about that life. His writing deals with a lot of raw emotions and brokenness. With that comes some issues that you need to be aware of. HEADS UP- There is a lot of language in this book. There is some mention of sex. Matt has a friend that you know is experienced and when Matt starts spending time with Lovey it is assumed that sex is the goal. It doesn't happen, and there are no details about the friend's intimate relationships. Also Reynolds drops in some anti-police lines at one point.

TORPEDOED: THE TRUE STORY OF THE WORLD WAR II SINKING OF THE "CHILDREN'S BOAT" by Deborah Heiligman It is common knowledge that during World War II some of the parents in London sent their children out into the countryside to live with strangers to hopefully escape the bombing of the Germans. What I wasn't aware of was that some parents boarded their children onto ships bound to places like Canada. In September of 1940, 100 children boarded the ship City of Benares. What started out as an amazing, luxurious journey for the children turned into a horrible tragedy when the ship was torpedoed by a German submarine. Unfortunately, the story is reminiscent of The Titanic in its outcome. Author Deborah Heiligman follows the stories of several of the children as they cross the ocean. Ultimately, some of them survive and some do not. This book is a true testimony to the hard decisions people make in war for their loved ones. It is also a tale of courage as many children (and adults) were forced to step up in situations they would never have dreamed they would encounter. HEADS UP- The only heads up I have for this book is the tremendous loss of life. The book is not gory in any way, but you are dealing with children who drown and whose bodies shut down in freezing cold water.

REAL POEMS FOR REAL MOMS by Rachel S. Donahue Alright, Mommas! It's time to get ready for our next book club read! This one is going to be a dig down into the nitty gritty of motherhood. I wouldn't trade this job for the world, and I LOVE BEING A MOTHER, but that doesn't mean there aren't some struggles at times! So, this time we're cracking open a book of poetry! We're going to try and read about 20 pages a week for the next 4 weeks. The pages are not long at all, but if we need an adjustment I will definitely do it! So for next week read pages 1-20. Then choose 1 or 2 poems out of the reading that brought to mind memories whether they are sweet, hilarious, or tough and share away! I'll lead out with an example next Thursday, and then you guys can follow! Can't wait to travel this journey with you all!

REAL POEMS FOR REAL MOMS by Rachel S. Donahue Well dear Mommas, I don't know about you, but as I read these poems the floodgates of my mind swing open and the memories rush in faster and stronger than a river that's been rained in for a week straight. They wash over me, and I bask in the sweetness of the days that have gone by too quickly. It's going to be so hard for me to pick 2 or 3 poems each week, because I could wax lyrical about them all! What a blessing to have this treasure chest inside where each memory is worth so much more than the most costly ruby. So mommas, whether you are surrounded by littles grabbing your legs right now, or watching as your biggers are stretching their wings and taking first fluttery flights on their own, or you are surrounded by quiet rooms most of the time until you hear the sound of a car and then suddenly the house is filled with your children and their children for a long overdue visit, sit back a few moments and steep in the memories of what God called you to. My first pick has to be "On Blueberries." To start this reminiscing I really have to go back to my childhood, and the blueberries my Swedish grandfather grew in Michigan that were a throwback to his childhood growing up in the UP. Claire, especially, was my blueberry eater as a toddler. As a mom just figuring things out with her first child, I let her eat tons of them, sometimes with dire consequences later when changing time came! When she was two and Lauren 6 months old, we built our home in the country and happily discovered a berry farm just down the road from us. During the summer we spent hours picking there. With each baby that arrived, I would settle them on a blanket under the shade of the bushes surrounded by books and toys, and the older kids and I would grab buckets and pick away. Then back home we'd go to enjoy our harvest and, at least once during the season, the reading of Blueberries for Sal. Over time we planted our own bushes and even now during harvest season, we all spend hours out in the sun picking the delicious bounty. There is the occasional berry that comes flying from nowhere bouncing off my head. When I look up there's my son grinning at me. Yes, I had to start with the blueberries. "Boy Sonnet" - I have one son smashed in the middle of four girls. I told him that after birthing three girls, I was sure that number four was also a girl. When the doctor announced it was a boy, I told him jokingly that I asked "what do you do with a boy" since I had never experienced one. (That was just a joke as I grew up with a brother and so did my husband.) My son longed for a brother, but was extra blessed when his younger sister arrived to now be surrounded by 5 mothers.  Boy does Donahue hit the nail right on the head in this one! As mommas we do have big dreams about the kind of men our sons will one day be. I can talk all day long with him about character, work ethic, the importance of becoming a Godly man, etc (and those things are very important), but if I want to truly meet him as a person, I must meet him where his interests lie. That doesn't necessarily mean that I play video games with him, because all truth be told, I'm not much of a gamer, but I give him some space in his areas. I support him in his interests and let him know that I see all of him as important. My last pick will be the "Diaper Haikus." Oh my goodness, Mommas. We've all been there, haven't we! I just roll with laughter when I read these! I've had some diaper changing experiences that bordered on an Amazon jungle adventure where I was blazing a trail. One of my children had one particular outfit they received as a shower gift that they wore 5 times. 4 out of the 5 times they had major blow outs in it, and it was the kind of outfit that had to be pulled off over the head. The first time it happened was at church. I can still remember looking at all the poop and just wondering where in the world to start. Needless to say I stripped the baby completely down and rinsed them off in the bathroom sink. After four go arounds, the little outfit was officially retired! I hope you enjoyed your Week One reading. My biggest problem with this book is going to be word counts on Facebook posts!  I'm looking forward to your thoughts!

REAL POEMS FOR REAL MOMS by Rachel S. Donahue I want to start this week off by saying how much I enjoyed the sharing that went on last week. This book brings out the sweetness of motherhood, but it also shares the weariness and frustrations that occur along the journey as well. With that being said I have to start with "It's Going to be a Good Day." I don't know if since having children I have had a day that has gone exactly as planned. I've let go of that expectation, and I'm a firstborn. Those of you who are as well know that we are trailblazers, "do it or die all the way" mentality. Lack of sleep is a real thing even today with 4 in their teens and twenties and 1 under 12. They love late nights! The house can be a mess. Dishes and clothes multiply like rabbits. Every appliance around here beeps at me constantly. We are always running about 10 minutes late. But it's going to be a good day, because for me, I would take this over any other career. I am constantly reminding myself to put my "best foot forward," because that is all I can do, and Donahue's right. God's mercies are new in the morning when I fall flat on my face. The "Diaper Haikus' just keep me rolling with laughter. Sunday morning blowouts felt like a weekly event just as we were about to load in the car for church. "Whosoever Planteth a Tree" is going to be my third poem. I loved the line " In a world of the instant, the planting of a tree is an act of sheer defiance- a statement to the world that significant things take time to grow." Most days we are entering a battlefield when we step out the front door, and I don't know about you, but that is what exhausts me the most about parenting. It's the constant bombardment of Now, Now, Now, and Agenda, Agenda, Agenda! Being faithful and present in the growing up days of our kids is so important. Sucker branches will shoot out of our young trees, but if we are there, we can help them prune those back. I hope you enjoyed this week's reading as much as I have. I find Donahue to be such a breath of fresh air in the face of reality. I look forward to hearing your thoughts.

REAL POEMS FOR REAL MOMS by Rachel S. DONAHUE How do I choose a handful of the poems this week to write about when so many of them are windows to my life? Shucking Corn - Only one time have I shucked corn in large amounts preparing for winter. Typically the shucking around my house equals a dozen ears thrown in a pot for supper. But there is an element of this poem that sticks out to me that I have been pondering since the death of my grandparents. When they passed away it became very clear to me that the baton passed to my parents, but that I was next on the ladder. It was now my job to start to step up and pass down the legacy to the next generation. My grandparents left big shoes to fill. They taught us about our heritage, traditions, creating a strong family bond, and such. Even more, though, was their Christian faith. All four of my grandparents were Christians and well known in their communities and churches. Now my children are getting older. It is amazing to look at my two oldest and realize that I was married at their age. (I was married at 20) How fun it is to see them launch out and lead in their lives. The next rung is forming. Trampoline- My youngest is always looking for someone to jump on the trampoline with her. Sometimes she ropes her older siblings in and sometimes it is me. At the Beach - In my children's younger years this was absolute truth. I would pack tons of books and hardly touch them, but I'm finding the beach days are changing. They no longer need me to hold onto them in the water or build sand castles. The books are being read. It is bittersweet. Little One Lost - This is where I'll end. To all of us that have experienced a miscarriage (or more than one), I have to say a few words. Those were some hard days. After experiencing successful pregnancies and then to lose a baby to miscarriage I know I wondered if I would be able to successfully carry a child again. The possibility of loss was very real, and all the ways that it could happen in these amazing, yet complicated, bodies that we live in became evident. I mourned that little baby. After carrying our next little one to full term, I distinctly remember crying when we pulled out of the hospital to take my newborn daughter home. I looked at my husband and told him, "We did it! She's here, she's okay, and she's coming home with us." (Actually God did it!) Her middle name bears that happiness, "Joy." There was another successful pregnancy and then another loss. It was still very hard, but I knew the journey I had to walk through personally, because I had done it before. I remember looking out a window when the bleeding began and saying to God that He knew how much I would love to have this child, but I also told Him that if that didn't happen, I knew where that little baby would be, and as hard as it was for me to imagine, they would be loved even more than I could possibly love them. I mourned and let the go. One more successful pregnancy followed and that is our tribe. The world sees me as a mother of 5, but I am actually a mother of 7. I just have 2 that are waiting for me in Heaven. I don't know if they are boys or girls, but their earthly names are Hope and Faith. They will always be a part of me, and I have a birthstone necklace that I wear that bears not 5 stones, but 7.

ARCHITECHTURE: A VISUAL HISTORY by Jonathan Glancey Okay, here's Share #2 of what I'm incorporating into our homeschool studies this year. This will be my fourth pass through World History for high school! Whew! As I shared before, my son is showing interest in architecture and engineering, so I thought I'd change his World History up a bit. I've got the curriculum I typically use, but I'm going to add in a look at the structures during the key time periods. The first book that I've purchased to go along with this study is DK's Architecture: A Visual History. This beautiful book goes through 350 buildings over the history of the world. I chose this book, because it looks like a good foundational book that we can then launch even deeper from if we choose. This will be a work in progress as we go throughout the year, but I'm looking forward to adding an element that will customize this study a bit to my son! UPDATE - This was such a fun addition for my son. Instead of doing traditional art curriculum, he began choosing one of these buildings once a week to build out of cardboard and then paint it. He became very proficient with the x-acto knife and a glue gun. It was unbelievable what he created, and I have an amazing collection as a result!