Tuesday, February 28, 2006

Dear Mr. President







Occasionally, the kids and I find a library find for school that we enjoy so much we want to share it. Arielle, Nolan and I just finished reading *Dear Mr. President: Abraham Lincoln Letters from a Slave Girl (Dear Mr. President Series)* by Andrea Davis Pinkney, yesterday.

As the title suggests this book is centered around fictional letters between Lettie, a slave-girl in SC, and President Lincoln. The book clearly brings out the struggle that A. Lincoln faced with defining what actions he would take on slavery. I did find the book to be implausible (a young girl corresponding with the President during a time of war) but it was an effective way to give our young ones an overview ofthe Civil War period.

The Children's Blizzard


I found parts of this book to be “slow” reading; but I’m glad I persevered through until the storm hit.

This book traces the big blizzard on January 13, 1888, that came to be known as “The Children’s Blizzard” because so many children were sent home from school and died in the storm.

I loved the way the author went back to the original home places of the characters in the story and showed WHY these families had left Norway, Germany, Sweden, Russia etc to settle on the American Plains. I was able to identify with this book and its story as we’ve ministered in a farming/ranching community in MT where the old-timers had stories of blizzards and such like this one. It was also fun to pause and think of the Russian/German families we met while living on the plains and the stories they told from this time-period.

This book tied in incredibly well with our study on the western-expansion of America. I even found mention of Laura Ingalls Wilder in the book. I think that anyone who is interested in this time period of history, weather, or even medical differences between the 19th and 21st century, will enjoy reading this book.

Thanks to members of Support4HomeSchool for adding this book to my reading list….now if I can get to the other 50 or so books on the list. {G}

Monday – 27 Feb

Mike was given Monday and Tuesday off. These are sort of “reward” days for all the 14-18 hour days he’s put in over the last two months. {G}

It is nice to have him around home. He slept in. We got started on school. He went for a run, got dressed and went to base for a retirement ceremony. The problem with being military is that you, or those you form relationships with, are constantly moving. Tim H. has been the boy’s (youth) Sunday School teacher since we got here. They formed a strong relationship and respect for each other during the Christmas Play Preparations. The high school youth were in charge of the play and Josiah (being the oldest) was named the leader of the pack. {G} Josiah, Jamin and Jared drove up to base to attend the retirement ceremony as well.

I held down the fort with the little ones. I had quite a bit of extra time to be in the Word and in prayer today. That was great.

The day ended with Mike, Stacia and I attending Tim’s retirement dinner at Zentners. It was fun to have some adult socializing time. Retirements are always bitter-sweet. This is a good one, in that Tim already has a job lined up and is moving “seamlessly” into the civilian workforce. Most military members earn two retirements (military and civilian) before their “true retirement”.

It sure doesn’t look like we did much today but I’m exhausted! {g}I guess some days are like this. Oh, received notice that two more of my books have been requested on Paperback Swap….that means I can order two more free books. {G} I also wrote the March edition of our women’s ministry (PWOC) newsletter in the early a.m.

Josiah arrived home safely....closes again tomorrow night.