in the thicket

What I've been reading and (mostly) loving

Recently a facebook friend lamented that she had to turn in "Maise Dobbs" because she couldn't renew it, but was tempted to keep it a few days extra to finish reading. I immediately wanted to know more, that is the kind of book recommendation that I appreciate! Thanks to that comment, I've discovered Jacqueline Winspear's "mystery" series featuring Maise Dobbs. These books are a bit hard to categorize, but I would say they are psychological mystery novels. Each book does have one or two investigations that the insightful private detective Maise Dobbs is engaged with, but there is a great deal of character development and backstory packed into these relatively slim little books. The setting is England after the First World War, which is a time that I am fairly ignorant of so I have really been enjoying that as well. (Another similar series that I like, but not as much, is by mother/son writing team Charles Todd- it also features an independent young woman investigating things, but she currently a nurse during the war during the course of the stories- the Bess Crawford series, also worth checking out though!) There is a bit of "spiritualism" and a sort of new-age vibe in some of Winspear's books, but I think that reflects the time period as well. (She likes to sit in a room shortly after a crime was committed and make observations and try to sense what the spirit/personality/mood of the person involved had been.) So far, I've read the first book, "Maise Dobbs", "Pardonable Lies", and then going backwards, I'm currently reading "Birds of a Feather".

The next book I've finished recently qualifies me for a "I can't believe I read the WHOLE THING!" award. If there isn't such an award, I hearby make it up and give it to myself. "Fall of Giants", by Ken Follett. I read and really enjoyed the other two historical books he wrote ("The Pillars of the Earth" and "World Without End"). I had some concerns about starting this book, because I had started it as an audio book and didn't get very far. It is definitely a book that I needed to be able to read on my own. There were certain parts/story lines that really drew me in, and others not so much. This is book one of the Century Triology, covering the time leading up to the first World War (I can't say WWI, since at the time they obviously didn't know about the second one to come, thank goodness!) I really enjoyed most of the storylines, though there were really some unlikeable characters, though no villians per say. (Unlike Pillars of the Earth in particular, which had characters I loved to hate.) I've described Ken Follett's writing style to my husband as excessively detailed at times- in terms of actions (building a cathedral, but a good kind of detailed), relationships, and ummm intimate bedroom scenes. Almost more like a man describing a detailed battle (which he does quite a bit) except he is describing a more intimate encounter- almost a dry, clinical, detached description at times. One positive is that really there was a bit less of the latter in Fall of Giants than in his other two books, which as a mom who is often reading while watching her kids at the park or taking care of them generally, I do appreciate. I hate to be a kill-joy but some things are best left inferred, don't necessarily need a word picture!

That leads me nicely into a book which I also truly loved, and was quite an undertaking for me to read. "When Christ and His Saints Slept" by Sharon Penman. This was a wonderful historical novel about Empress or Queen Maud and her cousin Stephen, and their bloody decades-long battle over England's throne. I had some curiousity about this time period because of "Pillars of the Earth" by Follet (same time period), and also because of the history readings we have done for my daughter's homeschool. I felt this author had a wonderful writing style, character development and told a darn good tale that spanned decades and countries. And thankfully, the bedroom scenes were very tastefully done and appropriate. I am excited that I enjoyed this book so much, because this author has been quite prolific so I have a lot of good books to look forward to! Next up is "Time and Chance" which picks up with Henry II's marriage to Eleanor of Acquitaine. Between Penman's books and the Winspear series, I will have plenty of good "curl up and read" books to keep me occupied this winter!

Oh, but how could I forget- I'm also getting current on old favorite, Father Tim! I have "In the Company of Others" by Jan Karon in my reading pile as well. It will be nice to pick that up if I am feeling overwhelmed by all the historical fiction I'm reading!

 

 

 

Why did I wait so long?

I think that sometimes there are books or movies that are so popular that the rebellious side of my hesitates to jump onboard, so to speak. (Maybe it's a form of snobbery on my part?) Harry Potter fell into that category for me. Which is really too bad, for me! I could have been enjoying it along with everyone else!

I did read the first book, years ago, but for some reason it did not grab me. Maybe I was too loyal to the favorite authors of my youth (Madeline L'Engle in particular) that I didn't want to let myself get drawn in? Who knows! I remember when I was in graduate school, I was shocked when a classmate of mine spent a week or so heading over to Borders (the "flagship store" in downtown Ann Arbor) to read the entire series. She loved it and seemed surprised when I said I didn't find it that interesting. I should have listened to her!

We've been going through Harry Potter as a family for the past year. Our 7 year old was immediately a huge fan! I was amazed at how much she loved it. My husband or I (mostly my husband) read it out loud to her. Then I would sneak and read what I missed. I had also seen the movies through book 4 at my in-laws. Finally, I started reading them ahead of my daughter, so I could gauge when she'd be ready for the more intense later books. I read Book 5 over a couple of weeks, then read Book 6 over a week or so and then... I couldn't help it... started Book 7 two days ago and finished it up today! It's been a while since I've had a late-night reading marathon, but I really just could not stop reading. Love when that happens!

I'm pretty sure that everyone else I know has really read them. But just in case anyone stumbles across this who hasn't read them, then please, reconsider and start reading immediately! They really ARE as good as everyone says. Now I have that disappointing sense of let-down that happens when you finish a really wonderful story.

I think I'll still have to wait on the last two (three?) movies, though... I can't figure out a way to see them without my 7 year old knowing, and she would NOT like it if I saw the movies before her, but we have a family rule that you read the book before the movie. Oh well, something to look forward to!

Blowing the dust off and making some changes!

After considering what my blogging goals are, I've decided to make some changes! I have just created a blog where I will post specifically about homeschooling and family life, located at Dogwood Homeschool. Homeschooling is an important part of my life and certainly occupies a lot of my thoughts, time and energy. It is not my only interest, however, so I hope that this blog will become a place where I can write about my own personal interests... books, home arts (decorating, cooking, celebrations), Christianity, my quest to take better care of myself, parenting issues that don't specifically pertain to homeschooling, and maybe even some photography and digital scrapbooking again if I can fit that into my life!

So, if you are specifically interested in my homeschooling posts, you might want to follow my new blog. I'm writing for myself here, not any specific audience, and I anticipate that some months I might write a lot about books and other months I might blog about home decorating projects. Some days I might have the occassional deep thought or two that I want to get down in written form. Who knows! I just need a place where I can explore my own interests and passions that are not necessarily "child-centered" (though so much of my life really is, it's just the season!)

I will be "cleaning up" this blog shortly and I hope to update the header and overall look. I will leave all my posts here for the current time (including homeschooling posts) until I can figure out if it's possible to move them or not. Otherwise, I will just move forward with posts on this blog and hope that I will have a chance to write here regularly.

 

Two very different personalities

One of the hardest things for me to accept as a parent is that my children are as they are right now, not as I wish them to be. I need to remember how hard it is for *me* to learn this lesson even as I’m trying to teach my children and encourage them to make better choices or more mature choices… they can, but they are limited by where they are developmentally and the particular aspects of their personality. But I am learning how I can push and encourage, and when to back down or when to let them struggle a bit and come through OK.

An example is today. We went to go see “How to Train your Dragon” in 3-D, which is a new experience for them. After talking with several parents, I felt that the movie would not be too intense for them, overall. My biggest concern was Gwendolyn (VERY active, very wiggly) sitting through the whole movie, but I hoped that the dragons (she likes them) and 3-D would help engage her more. I completely forgot that Charlotte struggles with sensory issues and will have an initial strong “flee” response when she is overwhelmed. So in the theater when the previews started she got upset and started crying because it was too loud. I encouraged her that she would get used to it, and she covered her ears and huddled next to me.

I hadn’t thought through the 3-D mostly because I haven’t seen a 3-D movie myself. Gwen happily put on her glasses and started watching, with no problem. Charlotte put them on and took them off because she said it was weird. Then she said she didn’t want to be watching the movie and she wanted to go home. (All the way home… we’re visiting grandparents now.) But I knew that she had to go through her initial “adjustment” freak-out period. She cried. She whimpered. She held onto my arm. Then after about 15 minutes I peeked at her, and she had her glasses on, and was watching the movie. From that point on, she was totally fine.

Gwen, on the other hand, was OK at first, and then got her usual case of the wiggles. I think at just-turned 4 years old she’s just not quite ready for movies. I need to accept that she will probably stand up and wiggle around. (She danced through much of “The Princess and the Frog.”) I think a lot of it is the theater being dark, she needs more sensory stimulation, because the darkness makes her sleepy and she needs to wake up more. I will continue to take her to movies, but chose times when it won’t be crowded, when there would be other kids, and maybe have her on the end so she could trot up and down the stairs a bit if she needed too- probably better than patting people on their heads in front of her like she did inadvertently today! (The person was very nice about it, thankfully!)

Charlotte’s initial reaction was a bit surprising to me simply because in some ways she has moved past some of those issues, but I was proud of her that she stuck it out and didn’t get TOO disruptive when she was upset and was able to enjoy the movies. I have to admit I dream of just being able to do something like go to a movie without a hassle or worrying about a child getting upset or disruptive… but at least we made it through and I think all enjoyed the movie and I hope didn’t ruin anyone else’s experience.

I have kids who have rather extreme responses to things, and at times I wonder am I too easy on them or to harsh with them, and whether I am accepting of their immaturity or should expect more from them. I think this is a pretty normal struggle, though. I really appreciate Sally Clarkson’s writing and ministry, and a book that she recommends is “Hints on Child Training” by Henry Clay Trumball. I’ve read it before, but I’m re-reading it. The first chapter talks about “training from birth” which does get my hackles up a bit, but he goes on to make some points which I think does have some wisdom. I’m not sure that I’ll agree with everything I read, but I am willing to thoughtfully read the book to see what insights I can get as I try to sort out how to bring out the best in my kids without expecting them to be someone they are not (idealized children who always act in a way that reflects positively on me, for example.)