So I’m sick. And spent more time on the computer today than usual, owing to my being in bed most of the day. I did try to work on one of Yena’s summer outfits this morning, and got as far as the sleeves. Then I realized I needed to have lining, and I’m out. So that will have to wait until a trip to Joann’s or Hancock Fabrics.
We have 30 books waiting for us at the library!!! DH will be picking them up tomorrow. The boys worked through a similar number of books in December-January. I know now the secret to keeping them from reading junky, twaddly stuff. Keep a steady supply of good/great books!!! Most of the books I have on hold are recommendations from Michael O’Brien’s A Landscape with Dragons. More than any of my guides to good books, this is my favorite. Why? Because it has so many older titles, some classics, but not all heavy reading as to turn off a child. Plus, he has recommendations by age, e.g., same author, but some books for 11 and up, some for 9 and up. AND he’s got LOTS of wonderful book suggestions for BOYS. For instance, 11-yo just loves “The Story of a Bad Boy“. Just the title is enough to get your attention. The book is so well-written that our 16-yo read it and INSISTED that the boys must read it. I haven’t read it myself… yeah… I gave up on that game a while back. If I try to catch up on every single book my kids are reading I’ll have to read 24 hours a day, more if God will grant me more. Next best thing? Rely on the recommendations of known Catholic moms/fellow homeschoolers and authors. The only type of book really that I am still able to catch up on are the picture books, since 6-yo, though she reads on her own, still asks me to read to her daily (with pleasure!!). Had I had this many choices in good books, picture and otherwise, I probably would have avoided some of the icky material I was exposed to in elementary and high school, and might have formed my conscience better at a younger age.
I am now reading Emma. Then perhaps after the Jane Austen marathon I will go back to reading Don Quixote which I pushed aside last year — it’s just sooo much work! Dd-16 reminded me again today that I haven’t read Lord of the Rings. Ugh. I have yet to finish The Hobbit. Sigh…. the Jane Austen books are so entertaining, and me having such an attachment to Old World things, they’ve easily become my favorite books. And though every Austen book I’ve read so far has lessons to impart, I particularly was struck by the lessons from Mansfield Park. I could almost call it the Jane Austen novel for homeschooling moms — lots of teachings, especially at the end of the book, about how important it is that we focus on the inner person, on principles, rather than outward accomplishments and proprieties. Though story-wise to me it’s the most unsatisfying Austen book. (I’ll elaborate more maybe one of these days.)
This morning I did finish re-reading Sins of Parents. It’s funny how these books, no matter how many times you reread them, always has something NEW jump out at you as if you’ve never read it before. I’ll be reading parts of it aloud to hubby the next few days.
Oooh, and guess what I had time to do today, finally!!! My categories! I’ve narrowed them down to 10, though I still have cleaning and tidying up to do. I am not looking forward at all to fiddling with those tags. Tried that before and spent too many hours, only to be rewarded with a non-working blog and having to go back to square one. Hopefully not this time. AND! I’ve worked a bit on the recipe index — after more than a year of blogging at this domain, I just today realized that the links I’ve got on that index are still my old ones from Stefoodie.net. Duh. Still in progress, but at least most of the links should be working now.
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for our spine, with various living books as supplements. But it’s been dry and dragging recently…. I think having the book almost in tatters doesn’t help. At least it’s been well-loved. But it is time for a change, and I’ve been looking forward to using this book from the 
. But hey, that’s why we’re homeschoolers, right? We make up our own schedules. And anyway, the senior is still planning to graduate by August. I can’t imagine the feeling — being DONE with a schoolyear just as we’re beginning… LOL. Should be fun. I’m not sure how the younger ones will like that. DD-17 will be planning her graduation party while they have to work-work-work…
