Changing seasons

The last few days have felt like the end of summer and beginning of autumn. Some trees are changing colour and we are definitely in apple season..

The books that I have chosen for the children, this week, reflect this and include some of my favourite children's books.

The tiny seed by Eric Carle follows a seed through the year, starting in autumn.

Hepzibah's woolly fleece by Jill Dow is the story of a sheep and her coat through the seasons. Realistic illustrations-the blackberries look edible. Mr Exuberance, who loves blackberries, keeps talking about the pictures.

Out and about through the year by Shirley Hughes. This is a collection of poems about the seasons. I love this book-this is our second copy as the first wore out. I'm only planning to read the end of summer and autumn ones. There is a great one about the beach which fits in with an outing last week and plenty for the autumn.

Ox-cart man by Donald Hall has been one of our 5-a-Day choices before but this is such a beautiful, simple book about the seasons with a little history thrown in.

How to make an apple pie and see the world by Marjorie Priceman isn't really about the changing seasons but is about apples which are a frequent topic of conversation here, at present. Whilst this book doesn't talk about the seasons it covers so much else-geography, cooking, numbers and is fun too. I have frequent requests to read this book and cook apple pie with the children.

 This is a Five in a Row book but we aren't formally "rowing" this week but may "row" this on another occasion.

For many more book choices, see 5-a-Day books.

More inspiration

We've had a busy week as we near the end of the holidays. It was good to have some fresh air at the sea and meet up with friends. 

Again, we've been blessed with an abundance of apples.

This is from a previous year. We have even more this year but I've learnt only to pick the number that I can process in one go. 

While I was at the sea, I learnt more about bottling fruit-thank you to the kind person who was prepared to go through the bottling process while watching the children make sand structures. My first bottle was made up last night. Sadly, I think that I failed to remove a bubble so it will have to be eaten quickly.

The Bramley apple site is a useful source of recipes. The tomato and apple soup is one of the recipes we have enjoyed.
We are now having to think more creatively about the apples! Earlier this week was the turn of apple art. Today, we made apple juice.

We blended some quartered apples and then seived and finally strained through a muslin. The result tasted fine but was a brown colour due to oxidisation. We need to research making juice more and whether lemon juice would work sufficiently well as an anti-oxidant.

I've been reading the Prudent Homemaker which has made me more determined not to waste our fruit. This is the website of a family who survived 8 months of no income, and little income since then, by careful storing and growing food.

We are coming up to the start of term. Whilst some of the children have done some work each day over the holiday, things will go up a gear or three. National Poetry Day has some ideas for including poetry. We are planning to have a time for poetry each week. It is worth looking at the lesson plans under the education section as there are some interesting ideas. As I write the plans still related to the 2010 Day but are due to be updated soon. Unlike some lesson plans, they would be easy to use at home.

This link isn't particularly new but is a list of favourite picture books by children's authors. A fascinating list with some beloved books. Please note that I'm not recommending all of these books as there are several that I haven't read. Some ideas for when we are in the library.

Finally, and by no means least, I think for the first time, the Metropolitan Tabernacle School of Theology is available as free downloads. The sessions on assurance, by Dr Masters, are particularly worth hearing.


 

Children and appointments

We are a large and three generational family and so tend to have many appointments. I wrote a about this here.

This post is specifically about children and appointments.

I am sure that the counsel of perfection is that children should attend all appointments of other family members and wait, beautifully behaved, in the waiting room. I aim for the latter part of this but if they are having to attend many appointments, I may be provoking them. So,

• we try to avoid taking children to multiple hospital appointments where the waiting rooms may not contain toys.
• we schedule appointments, where possible, in the holidays when the older children can babysit.
• our local general practitioners' surgery has plenty of toys so it is easy to take the younger children
• Hospital appointments in term time often mean taking the younger children.

Managing hospital appointments with little ones

• Read the appointment letter. A very few appointments, such as some nuclear medicine appointments, do not allow children.
• Explain your expectations to the children, both for the appointment and behaviour, and be realistic. The appointment may take a long time.
•  Beware water machines-they seem to cause chaos and I always forget to give the children instructions about use-once, not too much and please, please don't spill the water.
• Pack a backpack with drinks, books and small quiet toys.
• If there is a long wait, does the receptionist know how long it will be? During some long waits for a relative to have treatment, I was able to have an arrangement that the receptionist would phone me at the end. Waits for blood tests are often by number so it is possible to guess whether it is possible to walk for half an hour.
• Don't think that you can read your own book. That is reserved for those occasions when children aren't allowed. 
• Have a story or two ready for when boredom sets in. The story of Mummy's holiday aged three or the made up story of the local princess can work wonders at difficult moments.
• Praise good behaviour.

Home education and hospital appointments

My husband works from home so I can leave Middle Son with him with some reading or writing. I don't like to do this often hence scheduling anything that can wait for the holidays.

Miss Belle is almost school age but not old enough for it to be appropriate for her to work alone. Reading aloud seems the way ahead.

The other possibility, which I've not yet had to try, is to take the day off and catch up later.

Do let me know if you have other suggestions for children and appointments.

This is linked to the Homemaking Link-Up


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Apple art

We have some very fruitful apple trees and have been enjoying the fruit in various guises. There are a fair few windfalls in reasonable condition so we used these for some art.

If you do this, please be careful to make sure that the apples used aren't harbouring wasps. I used fresh windfalls which were either in good condition or had some bruising.

First, the apples were painted

and then rolled on a long piece of brown paper.

Different coloured paints to add different trails.

We then cut some apples in half and did some printing. Not quite sure why the foot was involved although hand and foot prints inevitably happened a bit later.

Finally, at least for now, we made some apple faces using acorns which also seem to be plentiful this year, twigs and leaves stuck on with a bit of force and PVA glue.

This is linked to It's Playtime.

For Saturday evening

Last Saturday evening, I found this sermon by Joel Beeke on preparing children, and yourself, to listen in church.

He makes the fascinating comment that there are hundreds of books on preaching sermons but very few on listening. I'm certainly no expert on the literature on the subject but that rings true.

There are useful thoughts on preparing for church, how to listen and how to apply what has been heard afterwards-very practical.

Appointments 1

In any large household, but especially one with three generations, appointments are a major feature.  Many weeks there is at least one. Usually, it is the mother's job to co-ordinate and accompany.

These are just a few of my thoughts about appointments. Hope that they are helpful and not just teaching you to suck eggs.

I've struggled with my attitude to appointments. Sometimes, it seems that there are several a week and organising them and around them takes so much time. It should be a joy to serve but it is easy to be like Martha cumbered about much serving and to forget Mary who had chosen the good part by hearing Jesus' word.

Appointments attended by the mother in a large family are usually those where either someone is young or old and needs help remembering and putting their point of view across and needs help travelling. Always take

• diary-electronic or otherwise for making future appointments
• change for parking-often very expensive
• phone to inform others if the appointment is longer than expected.

and if possible, leave the next meal prepared! I'm not good at the latter.
Please note that what follows is not about emergency situations which, of course, override most of this.

Anyway, some practical points about avoiding appointments:

• Does the appointment really need to happen? Some simple medication issues can be sorted out over the phone.
• Does the appointment need to happen now? A routine six month appointment can wait a week or so until a convenient time.
• Can the appointments be bunched? Three dentist appointments together, for example. I find that this doesn't work if one person has more complex issues but sometimes a more complex appointment can be put with a parent's appointment.
• Can two issues be covered at once? For example, a nearly due medication review with another problem. It is worth warning the receptionist as a double appointment may be needed.

Some further thoughts about children and appointments to follow.

This is linked to Works for me Wednesday.

Bible picture books

I'm having a bit of a book week but this is something that I've been thinking about for a while.
These are our criteria for a good Bible picture book

• reverent
• keeps to Biblical facts-no Jonah being swallowed by a whale. A whale isn't the same thing as a fish, no way.
• no pictures of the Lord Jesus. This article by John Murray explains this far better than I could
• attractive pictures
• proof read. I know that people in glass houses shouldn't throw stones but having the same word spelt in different ways on the same page jars.
• narrative that isn't so summarised that is makes very little sense

So what do we like?

• Psalm 103 and 127 by Johanna Bluedorm. These are illustrated versions of these psalms using the King James Version.
• The series by B Ramsbottom. We do read the chapters with full colour illustrations more than those without but this is a minor problem.
• Some of the old Ladybird Old Testament books. The New Testament books tend to have pictures of the Lord.
• Some of the Famous Bible stories by Carine Mackenzie.

Not a long list.

Don't forget reading the Bible itself. Little children can often understand a short reading from a Gospel better than a retelling.

If anyone else has suggestions please share them.