A New To Do List

Elder Aaron emailing from the church in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario

Elder Aaron emails us each week. I almost always get a fairly long email and he often sends an email to the immediate family.  This week John and I both got very short emails of a couple of sentences, but Marianne and Evan both received long emails.  Evan asked his big brother for advice about what to do in his spare time.  Aaron replied with a long list of ideas.

I thought I would share it with you in hopes it might spark an idea for you or for a family member. Sometimes we just need a little inspiration to get started on a project!

1. Learn how to operate ham radio and talk to people over the radio. 
2. Write in your journal about meaningful experiences in your life. Write about your goals, what you want to accomplish, and who you want to become. Take a video logs of yourself answering these questions. 
3. Play the piano. 3.5 Take voice lessons 
4. Find a service that lets you video chat with deaf people and practice ASL with a native speaker. Or find deaf people in Poway and practice with them. There has to be a deaf group somewhere in Poway. They would probably be impressed that you're striving to learn their language. [Marianne & Evan are taking an ASL class at the community college.] Don't worry if you can't communicate very well just practice. 
5. Interview Grandpa about his life and record the interview by video and/or audio. Have him record stories from his life. How did he join the church? How did he meet grandma? What were his pastimes as a teenager? What are his memories of his parents? 
6. Learn about computer hardware and build a computer. 
7. Work out at Brother Killen's house. [A friend with weights and equipment we can use for free.]
8. Seriously research universities. Why would you want to go there? What do you want to study there? What do you want to do when you graduate? Will you go to graduate school? 
9. Start taking a picture of yourself every day. By the time you're 25 you'll have a photographic history of growing up. That would be awesome! 
10. Have Dad teach you about financial stuff and develop a financial plan for your life. 
11. Play with Lavender or plant a garden with Evan. 
12. Build a password scheme for your different accounts. 
13. Make your passwords stronger than they are now. 
14. Check out the original papyrus for facsimile no.1 in the Book of Abraham on josephsmithpapers.org. 
15. Plan a Family home evening and carry it out. 
16. Work on your Eagle Scout project. (This one doesn't apply to Marianne directly. Maybe it can be "Help Evan with his Eagle project")
17. Convince Mom and Dad to take the family to a Jewish worship service on a Saturday. Find a good synagogue that would be happy to have you. Study a little about Judaism before you go. It would be a good cultural experience. 
18. Take principles from chapter 3 in Preach My Gospel and learn what other faiths believe about those principles. If possible, ask a real person. Write a paper about it. Do Roman Catholics believe in a premortal life? What do orthodox Jews think about baptism? How does the Islamic perception of God differ from your beliefs? 
19. Take pictures.

Did you know Elder Aaron will be home in 15 days?!  The kids told him we can visit a Jewish synagogue together after he gets home.

Can't wait to see him in two weeks!

Love's Labour's Lost at Hogwarts

What would happen if the worlds of Harry Potter and Shakespeare collided?  

Can you imagine Hagrid or Dobby spouting off in Shakespearean verse?  

Join us this weekend to see the most magical Shakespeare play ever!

This and that

Elder Aaron and his companion found an apartment, so he doesn't have to sleep on the couch anymore! They had to move in with other elders at the last minute to make room for all the new sisters serving in Toronto.

I had a date with my sweetie to the symphony.  It was one of the best performances ever.  We enjoyed Bach, Schumann and a Concerto for two pianos by a modern composer, Poulenc.

Brianne started ballet lessons. She is the cutest little ballerina ever.

I went wheat-free this week after reading this book recommended by a dear friend. I had been praying about my health and wondering what to do.  Just a few hours later we were finishing a conversation when she said, "Wait, I have to tell you about this book."  The results have amazed me.  I have much more energy and none of the cravings for snacks and sweets.  We shall see how the weight loss goes.

Lavender took her very first steps just a month ago and now she is running around everywhere.

Marianne and Evan dissected a sheep brain with their cousins as part of their biology class. Their Uncle Brian is a great lab instructor.

I got to go the temple this week!

Favorite Books

I made this list of my favorite books back in 2006.  I kind of forgot about it until a friend asked me for a copy a few weeks ago.  I thought I'd share it here.

Melanie’s Favorites

Picture Books

See the Before Five in a Row Book List (for ages 2-4)

See the Five In A Row Book List (for ages 4-8)

Thank You Mr. Falker by Patricia Polacco (Fabulous author!  All of her books are great!)

Abraham Lincoln by Ingri & Edgar D’Aulaire  (Read all of their beautiful biographies!)

Miss Twiggley’s Tree by Dorthea Warren Fox

Any book by Margaret Wise Brown

Series you won’t want to miss:

The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis

Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder

Short & Easy to Read:

The Box-Car Children Gertrude C. Warner

The Hundred Dresses by Eleanor Estes

The Chalk Box Kid and The Paint Brush Kid by Clyde Robert Bulla (great author!)

Great Read Alouds:

Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll

Caddie Woodlawn by Carol Ryrie Brink

Carry on Mr. Bowditch by Jean Lee Latham (also a math classic)

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl (my son’s favorite author)

Charlotte’s Web by E. B. White (don’t miss his other great books)

Fairy Tales by Hans Christian Andersen

The Indian in the Cupboard by Lynne Reid Banks (this is a series of 5 books)

Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O’Dell (writes great historical fiction)

The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling

Little Britches by Ralph Moody

Mr. Popper’s Penguins by Richard & Florence Atwater

My Side of the Mountain by Jean Craighead George

Number the Stars by Lois Lowry (sweet story set in WWII)

Paddle to the Sea by Holling C. Holling (Wonderful illustrations. See his other books)

The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster (also a math classic)

Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lindgren

Pollyanna by Eleanor H. Porter

The Search for Delicious by Natalie Babbitt

The Secret Garden and A Little Princess  by Frances Hodgson Burnett

Strawberry Girl  by Lois Lenski (teaches neighborliness, homesteader vs. squatter)

Treasures in the Snow by Patricia St. John (beautiful tale of  forgiveness)

Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls

Winnie the Pooh by A.A. Milne

A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle (great author, look at her other books)

For teens & adults:

Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery (read her other books too!)

The Chosen and The Promise by Chaim Potok

The Hiding Place and Tramp for the Lord by Corrie Ten Boom

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee

Uncle Tom’s Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe

Poetry:

Casey at the Bat by Ernest Lawrence Thayer, Illustrated by Christopher Bing

A Child’s Garden of Verses by Robert Louis Stevenson

Favorite Poems by Emily Dickinson

Hailstones and Halibut Bones by Mary O’Neill (Lovely poems about color)

Mammalabilia & Insectlopedia  by Douglas Florian (Great paintings & funny poems)

A Pizza the Size of the Sun by Jack Prelutsky

Poetry for Young People by Edward Lear (kids love his funny limericks)

The Spider and the Fly by Tony DiTerlizzi (based on the tale by Mary Howitt)

Tales from Shakespeare by Mary and Charles Lamb

Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein

Art:

Degas and the Little Dancer by Laurence Anholt

Linnea in Monet’s Garden by Christina Bjork

Science:

The Cloud Book & The Quicksand Book by Tomie de Paola

Pagoo, Minn of the Mississippi by Holling C. Holling

History:

See Let the Authors Speak by Carolyn Hatcher

Childhood of Famous Americans Series

The Declaration of Independence Illustrated & Inscribed by Sam Fink

Thank You Sarah: The Woman Who Saved Thanksgiving  by Laurie Halse Anderson

The Tree in the Trail by Holling C. Holling

We the Kids Illustrated by David Catrow

Homeschooling related:

Dr. Seuss’ Hooray for Diffendoofer Day! By Jack Prelutsky & Lane Smith

Leo the Late Bloomer by Robert Kraus

A Bad Case of Stripes by David Shannon

A Thomas Jefferson Education by Oliver DeMille

Math:

www.livingmath.net is a great resource for math literature!

http://www.stuartjmurphy.com/index.html The Mathstart Series by Stuart J. Murphy is fabulous!  These books aren’t just math problems disguised as stories; they are real children’s literature.  Kids will read these beautiful books over and over and the math concepts become part of them.

Carry on Mr. Bowditch by Jean Lee Latham

One Grain of Rice by Demi

The Man Who Counted by Malba Tahan

Mathematicians Are People, Too (Vol 1 & 2) by Luetta Reimer & Wilbert Reimer

The Number Devil by Hans Mangnus Enzensberger

Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster

Marianne's Big Week

The first week of February was an exciting one for Marianne!

On Monday, February 4th she graduated from TJYC.  What is TJYC?  Thomas Jefferson Youth Certification is an incredible scholar project.  It is 3 semesters full of demanding reading, focused writing and hours of discussion.  Each student works with a personal writing coach on a weekly basis. TJYC scholars study the lives of great men and women throughout history.  They read biographies and study original documents.  They give powerful speeches that teach and inspire others.  They complete an in depth research project on a subject that they feel will help change the world. Each semester the scholars have written exams and an oral exam before an audience and a board of examiners.  The scholars study world views, principles of government and landmark Supreme Court cases. They apply all they have learned to current events and even write a personal manifesto   Finally, they research and write a law brief and participate in a mock trial before a panel of attorneys who serve as judges.  This project requires 20-30 hours of study each week and the scholars who complete it are transformed!

Marianne has done all of this and it has given her a great foundation not only for college, but for the rest of her life!  Here she is with her graduating class of eight students (one of the boys is not pictured).  The class started out with fifteen students.  Two moved and five others dropped out during the course of three semesters.  It really is that challenging!

Marianne enjoyed having some of her best friends (including her cousin Emma) in the class.  Here she is with her lifelong friend Natalie.

Marianne was fortunate to have her Aunt Lacy as her writing coach.  She also had two wonderful mentors for her class.  A huge thank you to Becky and DaNell for everything!

On Tuesday, Marianne took her driving exam.  It was rather stressful for her because the day before her driving instructor cut her final lesson short and our car was in the shop for repairs.  But everything came together and Marianne passed her test and got her driver's license!

On Sunday,Marianne played a flute duet in Sacrament Meeting at our church.  They gave a lovely perfomance of "All Creatures of our God and King."  What a beautiful way to end a spectacular week!

 

Utah Part 3 - Fun Stuff

Yes, there is still more to post about our trip to Utah!

I told you about John's wonderful sister Susan, but I didn't tell you about his other sister Jean.  She is wonderful in her own right.  Jean and her husband Mark homeschooled their three oldest children and then when their baby was 13, they had a bonus baby.  So John and I really aren't weird, we're just following in the footsteps of his big sister.  Gotta love a good family tradition!

Jean, John and Susan

Jean is also special because that little bonus baby became the only cousin on John's side of the family that isn't older than all of my kids. Kevin is just a year older than Marianne.  Evan and Josh have a great time with him when they get together.

Kevin, Evan and Marianne goofing off at Stadium of Fire

We also made the most of our time in Utah by hitting up the BYU Creamery.  Marianne insists we make it part of any trip to Utah.  The rest of us go along to keep her happy whether we like it or not. Do you  notice the sun shining down on this ice cream?  This is clearly a sign from the heavens.

Another highlight of the trip was our apricot picking adventure.  John's parents lived around the corner from Susan in a house built on a cherry orchard.  John's dad made sure the builder kept as many cherry trees as possible when their home was constructed.  Consequently, the family spent many hours picking cherries together.  Now the home belongs to someone else and we don't go cherry picking.  Fortunately, Susan's neighbor came over asking for a bit of help and offering to let us pick apricots from her tree.  Several years ago the tree fell over and the trunk is now parallel to the ground, but the huge tree still produces an abundance of apricots!

We also had dinner with John's good friend Marty who was the best man at our wedding.  Yes, Marty is holding a baby toy.  No, I don't know why.  And for some reason, although they live in the Las Vegas area, we could only manage to see them in Utah!

Here we are with Marty's wife Charlaan and their own little bonus baby Anna who is 10 years younger than her big brother.  Can you tell that she and Lavender connected?

The most fun we had in Utah may have been at Stadium of Fire.  We all had a great time rockin' out to the Beach Boys, despite the fact that Elder Aaron declared, "I didn't know they were still alive!" The crowded bleacher benches were not the most comfortable, especially when nursing a baby in a sling.  Fortunately, there was plenty of room below us and we were able to sit with our backs against the wall and our feet out on the benches.  Much more comfy and it gave us a great view of the concert and the fireworks!

Finally, I have to document that Lavender was an absolute angel throughout our trip.  She slept well despite being out long past her bedtime most nights.  She even slept through the fireworks.  I kept her in the sling and I covered her years, which I think helped!

She was a champ in the car and cried very little.  In fact, she cried more on our drive to SLC than she did on the rest of the trip.  I think she loved being seated between Marianne and Evan and having their undivided attention!

Part 4 of our trip will be coming in a few days!

Gardening - Virtuous and Tasty!

Thomas Jefferson said, "cultivators of the earth are the most valuable citizens.  They are the most vigorous, the most independent, the most virtuous, and they are tied to their country, and wedded to its liberty and interests by the most lasting bonds." 

This year with our homeschool commonwealth, Evan studied the principle of georgics as described by Jefferson above.  For a school project he made boxes, planned and planted a garden.  We have been enjoying delicious, fresh tomatoes, cucumbers and zucchinis.  I thought I'd share a couple of my favorite zucchini recipes. 

The first one is a main course dish.  I got the recipe from my friend Maren and it is yummy!  I doubled the original recipe (everything except the meat) because we always need that much.

Thai Chicken Pasta

2 cups Picante sauce
1/2 cup peanut butter
4 Tbs honey
2 Tbs frozen orange juice concentrate (or 4 Tbs oj)
2 tsp soy sauce
1 tsp ginger
1/2 cup peanuts
2 large chicken breasts cut into pieces
12 oz fettuccine pasta
1 large or 2 small zucchini cut into pieces

Directions:

1.  Begin cooking fettuccine in boiling water.


2. Combine picante sauce, peanut butter, honey, orange juice, soy sauce and ginger in a sauce pan over low heat.  Stir until mixed well and keep warm.

3. Cook chicken and zucchini in frying pan with 3 Tbs oil until done.

Add fettuccine and sauce to frying pan.  Top with peanuts.  Serves 4-6.

Next up is my zucchini bread recipe.  The secret is to add LOTS of zucchini.  It makes the bread moist and delicious!

Zucchini Bread

1 cup oil
2 scant cups sugar
3 eggs
1 TBS vanilla
4 heaping cups shredded raw zucchini
3 cups flour
1 tsp soda
1 tsp salt
1 TBS cinnamon
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup chopped nuts

Combine oil, sugar and eggs in large mixer bowl.  Beat well.  Blend in vanilla and zucchini.  In separate bowl mix dry ingredients.  Add to oil mixture and blend well.  Add nuts.

Pour batter into 2 loaf pans sprayed well with PAM.  Bake at 350 for 1 hour until loaves are done.  Cool on rack.

It's Groovy Man!

Please join us for this FUN version of Shakespeare.  It is set in the 60s with hippies, protests, Beatles' songs and tie-dye!  Evan plays Bottom, the lead guitarist in the band who is turned into an ass after he falls in love.

Bring the Family for a Great Show!

Millennial Scholar Academy’s 

Classical Acting Troupe presents

Admission is FREE

                                                                                                                                                

 Starring LDS youth from Vista, Escondido, Poway, and Penasquitos Stakes

             in FULL Elizabethan costume.   

                          

Friday March 16th at 7 pm – LDS Church at 1545 S. Melrose Dr. Vista, CA 92083

Saturday March 17th at 7 pm –LDS Church at 15750 Bernardo Heights Pkwy. San Diego, CA 92128

Wednesday March 21st at 6:30 pm – LDS Church at 1917 E. Washington Ave. Escondido, CA 92027

Friday March 23rd at 7 pm – LDS Church at 2255 Felicita Rd. Escondido, CA 92026

Saturday March 24th at 1 pm – LDS Church at 3260 Bear Valley Pkwy. Escondido, CA 92025

Sweet Sunday

One December night I went to bed feeling lonely and kind of sorry for myself.  When I awoke, my mind was filled with some of my blessings.  God told me that he had given me true friends.  These are not the kind of friends who go shopping and out to lunch and then wave goodbye.  Rather, these are friends and family members who have loved me enough to help me teach and raise my children.  Some of these women have selflessly spent hundreds, perhaps even thousands of hours loving and teaching my children at church, seminary, homeschool classes and in their homes..

I am grateful for these women and their influence on our family.  This quote by Spencer W. Kimball describes them well.

To be a righteous woman during the winding up scenes on this earth, before the second coming of our Savior, is an especially noble calling. The righteous woman’s strength and influence today can be tenfold what it might be in more tranquil times. She has been placed here to help to enrich, to protect, and to guard the home – which is society’s basic and most noble institution. Other institutions in society may falter and even fail, but the righteous woman can help to save the home, which may be the last and only sanctuary some mortals know in the midst of storm and strife. . .


Selflessness is a key to happiness and effectiveness; it is precious and must be preserved as a virtue which guarantees so many other virtues. There are so many things in the world which reinforce our natural selfishness, and neither our men nor women should be partakers thereof. We have grown strong as a people because our mothers and our women have been so selfless. That ennobling quality must not be lost, even though some of the people of the world may try to persuade otherwise.

If you are wondering if you are one of these women, the answer is yes. You are!

Our Musical Weekend

Friday
Evan and John went to the symphony to hear Liszt's piano concertos.  Marianne was watching the movie Gandhi with her class from our commonwealth school and I was home alone listening to the rain.

Saturday
Evan performed a piano solo "Machines on the Loose" at the Popular Music Festival.  He also won the door prize:  A Charlie Brown Christmas CD, which he promptly put on his ipod.

That evening he performed with the San Diego Mormon Youth Choir at the Vista Stake fine arts festival.  Marianne, John and I got to go play with Brianne, Leighton and Molly.  Actually it was John and Brianne who played on the playground while the rest of us sat and talked while Leighton napped.

Sunday
Evan sang with the San Diego Mormon Youth Choir at an interfaith choir festival.  Marianne and I were home sick with colds.

Monday
Marianne and Evan sang with a homeschool choir at a Veteran's Day concert at a local middle school.

I thought it was funny that all of these musical events were scheduled for the same weekend!  I also thought it was funny that only two girls performed in the popular music festival. Thanks to the teachers, conductors and musicians who made it all possible.  And thanks to my sweet husband for driving everyone around where they needed to be.

Our Life in Lists

Finished:
1 bouquet of flowers ordered
2 loads of laundry
3 closet shelves organized
4 packages mailed at post office

Music enjoyed:
Moonlight Sonata on piano
Now Let Us Rejoice on organ
Eric Clapton on ipod

You Tube videos watched and discussed:
Kennedy's "Ich bin ein Berliner" speech
Reagan's "Tear Down This Wall" speech
Fall of the Berlin Wall

Books read from:
The Book of Mormon
Key to Algebra
Hershey's Chocolate Lover's Cookbook
The Elements: A Visual Exploration of Every Known Atom in the Universe

Ingredients for the perfect FHE:
Casual discussion of dreams and goals
Frisbee at the park until we couldn't see anymore
Mint chip & rocky road ice cream

Have you ever heard of . . .

a rhombic hexecontahedron?

Geometry was the only math class I really loved in high school, but I had never heard of this shape until a few weeks ago.

With our school year winding down, Evan has had a bit more time on his hands and he's been exploring one of his favorite websites http://www.wolframalpha.com/ It is a computational knowledge engine. If you (like me) don't know what that means, you can take a tour HERE.

What does this website have to do with geometric figures? Well, the WolframAlpha logo is, you guessed it, a rhombic hexecontahedron.

Evan wasn't satisfied with just learning to pronounce or define it. He needed to make one for himself. He found a small pattern online at this fun site. Of course my origami loving son couldn't stop there. He needed different colors. Then he figured out how to make progressively larger versions.

I am now out of cardstock and glue sticks for my glue gun, but otherwise this was a very low cost project. Let the summer fun begin!

Hope you can join us!

Millennial Scholar Academy presents

Set in the roaring 20s
complete with
gangsters, bootleggers, flappers and more!

Friday, May 27 at 7 pm

Saturday May 28 at 2 pm

North County Church of Christ

130 Woodward Ave

Escondido, CA 92025

$5 per person

$20 per family

Sweet (Shakespeare) Sunday

Several years ago I read and watched Shakespeare's Two Gentlemen of Verona for the first time. Then my son Aaron was cast as Proteus in the play. Proteus is the guy who betrays his true love, manipulates his best friend, and then he tries to force himself on his best friend's girl. What a jerk! I saw Proteus as a very evil character.

Early this year, we decided to perform Two Gentlemen with our Classical Acting troupe. Since I would be directing, I spent hours reading and watching the play. I came to realize that Proteus isn't really evil; he is a self-centered teenager. He wants what he wants and isn't thinking of anyone else. It made even more sense when I realized that all four lovers in the play are immature and more like teenagers than adults.

Whenever I direct a Shakespeare play, there is a moment of epiphany--a time when I suddenly realize, "Oh that's what this play is really about!" But that moment always catches me by surprise. This year it was quite late in the process, just a few days before our performances.

The play ends rather abruptly. Proteus is about to force himself on Silvia, who has refused his advances. Fortunately, he is stopped by Valentine, who is his best friend and Silvia's fiance. Proteus apologizes immediately and just as quickly Valentine forgives him.

The play ends in one big love-and-forgiveness-fest!

Julia forgives her lover Proteus, even though she has witnessed all of his terrible behavior.

The Duke forgives Valentine for his deceit and trying to elope with his daughter.

Silvia forgives both Proteus (for his attack) and Valentine (for offering to give her up).

The Duke even forgives the outlaws and pardons them.

Initially, I thought it was ridiculous, even wrong, that everyone in this play is so forgiving. Then it hit me. That's the point! The message of this play is to forgive quickly and love freely.

Actually, that's the point of our life on earth!

Dallin H. Oaks explained it this way:

"To achieve our eternal destiny, we will desire and work for the qualities required to become an eternal being. For example, eternal beings forgive all who have wronged them. They put the welfare of others ahead of themselves. And they love all of God’s children.

If this seems too difficult—and surely it is not easy for any of us—then we should begin with a desire for such qualities and call upon our loving Heavenly Father for help with our feelings." (Desire, April 2011 General Conference)

My Week

I have finally entered the 21st century. I got an iphone. I've never even had an ipod before, so that's been my favorite part of my new phone. I am also having fun with the camera and the Hipstamatic app. So here's a view of my week . . .

Much of our week was spent on Two Gentlemen of Verona. We did two shows on Tuesday. First we performed for a small audience at a local charter school. Most of the kids were young, but they giggled and giggled and it was fun to see them "getting" Shakespeare. That night we performed at a church for mutual night. We had a huge audience--about 150 people. It was mostly teenagers and they were a really fun audience. They laughed like crazy!

Two shows meant a 12 hour day with lots of loading and unloading. Here I am carrying part of our set to the van. Why does it still have the price tag on it? Hope it wasn't visible onstage! Shonda looks very calm in the background. It's good to have calm people around!


Here is my friend Sheree's van fully loaded. She is an expert at fitting in everything and using blankets as padding so that nothing gets scratched.
We also got to spend some time with sweet Brianne this week. Here she is signing "more"


She already knows how to pose for the camera!

And speaking of posing, here I am with a rubber ducky. I think I must have been tired after all those performances.


My final picture was definitely not posed. It should be titled "Frustration". I think I picked the wrong week to insist that Evan increase his practice time.

March Madness

Evan has been working very hard as the stage manager for our production of Two Gentlemen of Verona. It is a big job to be in charge backstage! He also has a small role as Thurio, the rich but obnoxious suitor. Here is Evan enjoying the tide pools and waves at La Jolla Cove.


Marianne has also been busy with the play. She plays two roles: Pantina and an outlaw pirate! She also planned a fantastic birthday party for her cousin Cammi, complete with wonderful cupcakes. Hopefully she will blog about it soon. Marianne also passed her Certificate of Merit evaluations on her flute! Here she is taking pictures at rehearsal.


Aaron is still working hard at BYU, but he is making time for some fun too. He enjoys delicious Sunday dinners at Aunt Muff's house and he went to the Holi festival of colors at the Krishna temple in Spanish Fork. Here's a video he took of the chalk throwing.

Ryan, Molly and Brianne have been busy too. This little girl is moving up in the world. She can climb the stairs, stand up, sign and say "more" and wave and say "hi". What a talented girl! The biggest news is that she is going to become a big sister this fall. Yes, that means I am going to be a grandma again. I love it, even though I am much too young for the job!

Please Join Us for . . .

MILLENNIAL SCHOLAR ACADEMY'S

production of

William Shakespeare's

Two Gentlemen of Verona
Friday, March 25th 7:00 PM
Saturday, March 26th 2:00 PM
Friday, April 1st 7:00 PM

at North County Church of Christ
130 Woodward Ave., Escondido, CA 92025

Tickets: $5 per person or $20 per family

FYI - This will be a very funny show presented by high school students
in our commonwealth school.
They all have 3+ years of Shakespearean acting experience.
This is your chance to see some great acting complete with gorgeous
Elizabethan costumes!

And yes, I'm the director!

I love Shakespeare!

But I didn't used to.

In college, I wanted to love Shakespeare so I took a class. I enjoyed reading the plays and sonnets, but they were confusing and attending class didn't help much. The professor gave long, rather dry lectures. There was almost no discussion during class and the professor never had us watch (or even suggested that we watch) a live or film version of a Shakespeare play. Frankly, this is baffling to me! The very best way to understand Shakespeare is to see it. The more you watch, the more you understand.

I know that even way back then, there were many Shakespeare plays available on film or video. I also know that there was at least one Shakespeare play performed at BYU that semester. I know because I decided to go see it. I don't remember which one it was and I didn't understand all of it, but I know I enjoyed it. I remember thinking, why is my best experience with Shakespeare completely separate from my class?!

This school year I am blessed to mentor high school students who have studied Shakespeare for at least three years, many of them for much longer. In the past I have worked with younger, less experienced students. This is my first year mentoring the advanced students and it is exciting! They've watched their older siblings perform in A Midsummer Night's Dream or Twelfth Night or Comedy of Errors. They've seen more than 20 (or 30!) Shakespeare movies. They've written a dozen or more papers about the plays they've studied and discussed. They've acted in several Shakespearean comedies. Last month, they worked together to re-write a Shakespearean tragedy in modern language and then performed it after only 5 rehearsals!

Today we started rehearsals for Two Gentlemen of Verona. This is our major production for the year. We will have three performances at the theater and then travel to several different locations to perform the show. (We still have room for one more performance during our tour. If you know of a local upper-elementary class or two that would like to have us come and perform during the week of March 28th, just let me know.)

This was only our first rehearsal, but I was amazed. These kids get Shakespeare. It is part of them! I can't wait to see where they are after seven weeks of rehearsal.

P.S. None of my own children were at today's rehearsal, so I'm not just a bragging mom. Well at least not in this post.

Why Read? Part Three

I've thought about this some more and I realized that there is another reason I am motivated to read. As I looked over my list of books read last year, I pondered WHY I decided to read them. I was surprised to find that I read most of them because I was inspired to read them.

Take a look at the list below and you'll see what I mean.

1. Evan was reading these and convinced me to join him:
Sea of Monsters by Rick Riordan
Swiss Family Robinson by Johann D. Wyss
Hound of the Baskervilles by Arthur Conan Doyle -He loved this one and literally "hounded" me to take turns reading aloud with him. I actually fell asleep one night while he was reading and he was kind of insulted.
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde - Actually I was "previewing" this book for Evan. I was fascinated with it, but I don't think he ever got around to it!

2. These books came highly recommended to me by someone I respect:

The Talent Code by Daniel Coyle - My dad wouldn't leave me alone until I read this. Apparently Evan inherited his skills of persuasion.

The Story of the Trapp Family Singers by Maria Trapp - Marianne loves the Sound of Music and asked me to read this one to her and Evan. It was fun to re-read this gem.
Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortensen - My friend Angela kept mentioning this book, so I read it in 2009. In 2010 I read the young reader's edition to my kids for a girl's group my friend Rachel organized.
The Yearling by Marjorie Rawlings - I read author Lois Lowry's blog and she loves this classic.
Song of the Lark by Willa Cather - A tour guide at the Chicago Institute of art, showed us the painting by this name and mentioned the book. My mom and sister love Cather, so I knew I had to read it!
A Man for All Seasons by Robert Bolt - My friend Patti made major changes in her life after reading this play.
Yearning for the Living God by F. Enzio Busche - My friend Sheree loved this book & so did I!

Clues for Acting Shakespeare by Wesley van Tassel - Another book Sheree told me I needed to read to prepare for the Classical Acting project I mentor.
Weakness is Not Sin by Wendy Ulrich - I had been wanting to read this enlightening book, so when my sister bought it, I figured it was a sign! (Thanks for saving me some $ Jenny)

The Enoch Letters by Neal A. Maxwell - My sister Jenny kept talking about this one. I've read it twice now.
Satan's War on Free Agency by Greg Wright - our Bishop mentioned this book one Sunday.
Consciousness Beyond Life by Pim van Lommel - also recommended by the Bishop (though not in his ecclesiastical capacity)
Silence of God by Gale Sears - my friends Becky & Becki used this in a history class they teach. It is historical fiction, but tells the true story of the only LDS family in St Petersburg during the Bolshevik Revolution.
Angle of Repose by Wallace Stegner - my friend Kathy told me how much she enjoys Stegner's work and I wasn't disappointed.

The Autobiography of Santa Claus by Jeff Guinn - I read about this one in a catalog, but Jenny confirmed that it is a great read that includes lots great people, places and events from history.

3. Nothing inspires me to read a book like having to lead a discussion!
Here are a few we discussed at our commonwealth school.
Thomas Jefferson Education for Teens by Oliver DeMille & Shanon Brooks
Oedipus the King by Sophocles
Tartuffe by Moliere

4. A great author inspires me to keep coming back again and again!
Shakespeare - As You Like It, King Lear
Truman Madsen - Eternal Man, Four Essays on Love, Christ and the Inner Life, The Highest in Us, The Radiant Life

C.S. Lewis - Till We Have Faces

5. Sometimes I receive inspiration from the Lord that I need to read a book.
I feel that I was being prepared and strengthened before the loss of my mother by reading the Madsen listed books above as well as these:
The Book of Mormon
50 Signs of the Times by David Ridges
To Him That Believeth by Frederick W. Babbel - an old favorite that my family loves
Bring Forth Your Light by Frederick W. Babbel

6. Occasionally a book review is enough to inspire me to read!
Educating for Human Greatness by Lynn Stoddard

Enslaved by Ducks by Bob Tarte - It didn't quite deliver the hilarity promised.

A Christ Centered Christmas by Emily Freeman

Deliverance From Depression by GG Vandagriff - A great book about the atonement, even if you're not depressed!

Poetry Matters by Ralph Fletcher

Sounder by William Armstrong - This led me to read Sourland and The MacLeod Place by the same author.

7. Sometimes I feel inspired that there is something my children need to hear.
Growing Up by Brad Wilcox
What's the Big Deal About Pornography? by Jill C. Manning

8. Finally, I am inspired by FREE books!
As a Man Thinketh by James Allen was free on my Kindle, so I re-read this little pearl.
Drive by Daniel Pink - When I had to wait 3 hours for John at a mall in Palm Springs, I headed to Borders and read this book. I enjoyed it, but not as much as his A Whole New Mind that I blogged about a couple of years ago.

It amazed me that I didn't read a single book that I wasn't inspired to read. If you would like a review of any of the above books, just let me know. Maybe I'll inspire you to read something new!

Who or what inspires you to read?