Overheard in the backyard

A couple of days ago I overheard a conversation between Evan and our next door neighbor (about Evan's age) over the back fence. It went something like this:

Neighbor: Evan! Why do you have a "Mitt Romney" sign in front of your house?
Evan: He's running for President and . . .
Neighbor: NO! It's Obama!!
Evan: Well lots of people are running for President right now.
Neighbor: It's either gonna be Obama or that girl!!
Evan: You mean Hillary Clinton? She's running for President too.
Neighbor: Yea, but everybody says it's OBAMA and the girl against each other!
Evan: Well, they're both Democrats. Right now it's just the Primary election, but in the final election it will be a Republican running against a Democrat.
Neighbor: NO! They said on TV it will be OBAMA or the girl!
Evan: There are lots of candidates right now, and we don't know who will run in the Presidential election.
Neighbor: It's OBAMA! OBAMA!!
Evan: See you later.

I got a good laugh over the neighbor's dogmatic views and I was really pleased that my nine year old son knows enough about politics and good manners to have a polite conversation about the election. I've met some adults who could learn a thing or two from him.

Ryan's Ready for College

I've been helping Ryan work on his college applications this week. He put together a list of all the books he has read during high school and I was amazed at how much he has read.

We all know that Ryan is blessed with a friendly and outgoing spirit, but he also has a studious side. The entire list is below for you to browse.

I just wish he could have a personal interview to apply for college. He is fabulous at oral exams, interviews and public speaking. If anyone has any connections at BYU or BYU-I to get him an interview, let me know!

Mathematics

200% of Nothing by A. K. Dewdney
Arithmetic for Billy Goats by Donald Barr
Cashflow Quadrant: Rich Dad's Guide to Financial Freedom by Robert Kiyosaki
Euclid’s Elements by Euclid
How to Lie With Statistics by Darrell Huff
Mathematicians Are People Too Volumes 1 & 2
The Motley Food Investment Guide by David & Tom Gardner
The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster
Rich Dad, Poor Dad by Robert T. Kiyosaki
Scientists Who Changed the World by Lynn Poole
String, Straightedge, and Shadow by Julia E. Diggins

Classic Literature

Across Five Aprils by Irene Hunt
The Agony and the Ecstasy by Irving Stone
Alas Babylon by Pat Frank
Around the World in Eighty Days by Jules Verne
Call of the Wild by Jack London
Carry on, Mr. Bowditch by Jean Lee Latham
Cheaper by the Dozen by Frank Gilbraith
The Chosen by Chaim Potok
Complete Works of Roald Dahl by Roald Dahl
Ender’s Shadow by Orson Scott Card
The Giver by Lois Lowry
Great Expectations by Charles Dickens
Harry Potter Volumes 1-3 by J.K. Rowling
Hound of the Baskervilles by Arthur Conan Doyle
Journey to the Center of the Earth by Jules Verne
Laddie by Gene Stratton-Porter
Les Miserables by Victor Hugo
Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
The Lonesome Gods by Louis L’Amour
My Side of the Mountain Trilogy by Jean Craighead George
The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
The Promise by Chaim Potok
To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee
Uncle Tom’s Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe
Utopia by Thomas More
The Well by Don Collette
War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy
Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls
White Fang by Jack London
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle

Leadership

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens by Sean Covey
The 8^th Habit by Stephen Covey
As A Man Thinketh by James Allen
Blink by Malcolm Gladwell
The Color Code by Taylor Hartman
How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie
The Inspired Executive by Granville M. Toogood
Leadership and Self-Deception by Arbinger Institute
Lincoln on Leadership by Donald R. Phillips
Martin Luther King on Leadership by Donald R. Phillips
The New Birth Order Book by Kevin Leman
A Thomas Jefferson Education : Teaching a Generation of Leaders for the 21^st Century by Oliver Van DeMille
The Tipping Point by Malcom Gladwell
Understanding the Times (Abridged) by David A. Noebel
The Quick and Easy Way to Effective Speaking by Dale Carnegie
The World Is Flat: A Brief History of the Twenty-first Century by Thomas L. Friedman

History

1776 by David McCullough
Abraham Lincoln and The Union by Oscar Handlin
The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin by Benjamin Franklin
The Communist Manifesto by Karl Marx
Democracy in America by Alexis DeTocqueville
Endurance: Shakelton’s Incredible Voyage by Alfred Lansing
The Federalist Papers
Fiery Vision: The Life and Death of John Brown by Clinton Cox
Flags of Our Fathers by James Bradley
The 5000 Year Leap: The 28 Great Ideas That Changed the World by Cleon Skousen
Gandhi: Fighter Without A Sword by Jeanette Eaton
Give Me Liberty: The Uncompromising Statesmanship of Patrick Henry by D. Vaughan
The Greatest Generation by Tom Brokaw
The Hiding Place by Corey ten Boom
The Humanist Manifesto by Paul Kurtz
John Adams by David McCullough
My Life with Martin Luther King by Coretta Scott King
Never Give In: The Extraordinary Character of Winston Churchill by Stephen Mansfield
A Place to Stand: The Word of God in the Life of Martin Luther by Gene Veith
The Real Benjamin Franklin by Parry, Allison & Skousen
The Real George Washington by Parry, Allison & Skousen
The Real Thomas Jefferson by Parry, Allison & Skousen
Roots of American Order by Russell Kirk
Things We Couldn’t Say by Diet Eman
With Malice Towards None by Stephen B. Oates

Classic Plays

All’s Well That Ends Well by William Shakespeare
As You Like It by William Shakespeare
Braggart Soldier by Plautus
Clues to Acting Shakespeare by Wesley Van Tassel
Comedy of Errors by William Shakespeare
The Crucible by Arthur Miller
Hamlet by William Shakespeare
Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare
King Lear by William Shakespeare
Love’s Labours Lost by William Shakespeare
Macbeth by William Shakespeare
A Man for All Seasons by Robert Bolt
The Merchant of Venice by William Shakespeare
A Midsummer Night’s Dream by William Shakespeare
The Misanthrope by Moliere
Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare
Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare
Taming of the Shrew by William Shakespeare
Tartuffe by Moliere
Titus Andronicus by William Shakespeare
Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare

Religion

50 Signs of the Times and the Second Coming by David J. Ridges
Approaching Zion by Hugh Nibley
Are Your Standards Fences or Guardrails by John Bytheway
The Book of Mormon
The Book of Mormon Made Easier by David J. Ridges
The Doctrine and Covenants
How to Be Totally Miserable by John Bytheway
The Miracle of Forgiveness by Spencer W. Kimball
Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis
The New Testament
No One Can Take Your Place by Sheri Dew
The Pearl of Great Price
The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis
Standing for Something by Gordon B. Hinckley
Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith by Joseph F. Smith
The Weight of Glory by C.S. Lewis
Way to Be by Gordon B. Hinckley

My Profile

Aaron is especially good at taking pictures that make me look really goofy!

I filled out the whole blogger profile page. Then I realized that the purpose of it is to connect you with people who have similar interests & tastes. I'm not really interested in making connections that way, so I decided not to make my profile public. Instead, I'm going to share it here. . .which of course is still public, but somehow I feel better about it.

Interests: Reading, travel, children's literature, teaching, walking, writing, & homeschooling my kids!

About Me: I spend my time: Making things happen, getting my kids where they need to be, teaching, mentoring, Primary-ing , studying, thinking and praying!

I wish I had more time for: dates with my husband, traveling with my husband, talking to friends, visiting my family, reading, writing, scrapbooking, exercising & giving service!

I wish SOMEONE ELSE had time to: decorate my home, do my laundry, clean the house. And yes, I know you can pay someone to do all of this, but I was hoping little elves might come and do it while I'm sleeping.

Favorite Movies: Sound of Music, Phantom of the Opera, Princess Bride, Evan Almighty, Much Ado About Nothing, A Midsummer Night's Dream

Favorite Music: Anything my children play (on their instruments not the radio), Classical & Christmas, music. Actually, I like just about anything other than rap.

Favorite Books: Any and all Shakespeare, The Hiding Place, Chronicles of Narnia, To Kill A Mockingbird, Uncle Tom's Cabin, Les Miserables, Anne of Green Gables

Random Question: What kind of tape is best for creating a sculpture?
Definitely duct tape! It comes in lots of great colors. It is also great for making wallets, fixing things, holding life together and subduing unruly children.

Aaron's Photos

A few days ago the family was gathering for scripture study and Aaron seemed anxious. I was surprised because he usually loves reading the scriptures. Finally he said, "Mom can we please hurry?"
"Why the rush?" I asked.
"We need to finish before the sun gets on the clovers!" he explained.
That's my Aaron. He has always loved nature and lately he's gotten into photography. He reminds me of Henry David Thoreau who said,

"I seek acquaintance with nature, to know her moods and manners."

Princess Anne

My Mom recently celebrated her birthday. I won't say how old she is, but I will say that she's 24 years older than me. The princesses who live close by all decided that we should celebrate with a princess theme. We went to see "Enchanted" and then out to lunch. On Sunday we invited the princes to join us for Sunday dinner and they came to a table set with a princess tablecloth and pink plates. We didn't make them wear tiaras.

My Mom really is a princess, I think she's even queen material. She has always been a blessing in my life. She is unfailingly patient and loving. She was a peacemaker in our home while I was growing up and she continues to be a peacemaker in our extended family. I can count on one hand the times she's really gotten mad at me. I wish my kids could say the same of their mother.

My Mom is a true princess because she knows how to serve. One of my earliest memories is of her extending a hand of friendship to a lonely neighbor. Over the years I have seen her make countless casseroles, quilts and phone calls as she reached out in love to everyone around her. She has served faithfully in church callings, volunteered at every school her kids attended and been involved in her community. She has always been a great visiting teacher even when she's had some challenging assignments. She's worked in the Family History Center and she continues to serve and help care for her aging parents.

Most importantly, my Mom is a great wife and mother. That has always been her first priority no matter how busy she was with other responsibilities. She continues to be a wonderful grandma. Grannie Annie is always looking for opportunities to love and help her grandkids. She has taught my daughter how to sew and quilt. She has helped my kids with their school assignments & writing. She always has a treat for them. She knows how to give wise counsel in a loving and non-threatening way.

I am so blessed to have a true princess for a mother!

Delicious History!

I love studying history with my kids! We're starting on a study of the middle ages and they've done some fun activities with our homeschool group. For some reason our favorite ones seem to involve food! Here's Evan with his gigantic soft pretzel.

Legend has it that the first pretzels were made by monks with leftover bread dough. They were shaped like someone praying with their arms folded and given to children who memorized their prayers. Now I'm not teaching my children to memorize prayers, but I love to hear them offer faithful prayers from the heart.

Marianne made a more petite version, but still very yummy. Did you know that the first pretzels were called pretiola? That's Latin for "little reward"

Here they are wearing the jester hats they made and eating homemade "stained glass" gingerbread cookies. Stained glass and gingerbread were big in the middle ages, so this was a fun activity to combine the two.

I thought this one with the marbled look turned out really pretty! All it took was a cookie cutter and one red & one white lifesaver. Nice work Marianne!

It's About Time!

I decided it's time for my own blog!

We've had a family blog for about a year now. It's been a fun way for my parents and all the kids and grandkids to keep in touch. It is a private blog, so we can't share it with the world, but that's okay. The world probably isn't ready for all of us!

Anyway, I have lots of pictures and thoughts that I would like to post, but I don't want to monopolize the family blog and turn it into "Melanie's Personal Blog". Especially after my sister hijacked my password and posted from my gmail account. She did an "It's All About Me--Me and only Me" post including pictures of me! It was actually very funny, but the family may still be worried I'm going to take over the blog.

On this blog, I won't feel guilty if I post a million pictures of my kids or tell you "all about me"!