April's Books

A typical stack of library books

I did a better job this month keeping track of books, although don't expect much in the "Emma's Reading List" as the kid is a sneaky reader. And pretty fast. She is typically finished reading a book before I even realize she had started.

For a little bit I was worried that she wasn't comprehending what she was reading, so I've "quizzed" her a few times after reading a book out loud to me. She seems to absorb what she's reading pretty well. It will be interesting to see how she does with a longer book.

Anyway, our lists.

Audiobooks
Pinoccio by Carlo Collodi. Wow. Another book that I thought I would know, but was totally blown away by how different this book is from the movie. Thankfully, Emma hasn't seen the movie yet.

Dr. Dolittle by Hugh Lofting. I didn't really listen to this one with my full attention, but Emma really enjoyed it. I've seen the movie with Eddie Murphy, but thankfully, the book was so much better.

Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson. This was a pretty long book, but Emma really seemed to like it. I only listened on and off, but it was all about pirates and treasure, loyalty and dastardly deeds.

Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine. We listened to this in one day as we drove from Iowa to South Dakota. Such a fun story! Ella is "gifted" by a fairy, though it turns out to be a curse. On the day Ella is born, she cried and cried for hours. The fairy pronounced that Ella would always be obedient. She must do anything anyone tells her. Ella fights her "affliction" but becomes ill if she does not obey. With a bit of a Cinderella theme thrown in, this is a great story about overcoming obstacles, being obedient, but not becoming a slave. I think we'll probably listen to this one again at some point, or perhaps read the book.

Wings of Fire (#1): The Dragonet Prophecy by Tui. T. Sutherland. About a world where dragons are at war and a prophecy foretells of 5 dragonets that will bring an end to the war. This was a pretty good story. Also about friendship, loyalty, and accepting others. We are on the look-out for book #2.


Read Aloud (typically read at bed-time)
Wild Horse Summer by Hope Ryden. This is a chapter book about a 12 year old girl from Chicago who is off to spend the summer in Wyoming on her relatives ranch. One of her cousins is the same age, but blind. A very good book about over coming fears, disabilities, and all that good stuff.

American Girl: Saige by Jessie Hass. Emma and Gramma are reading this one together. All I know is that Saige is artistic and loves horses. Emma seems to be enjoying it.

Horse Diaries: Darcy (book #10) by Whitney Sanderson. Emma and Gramma are reading this one together.


Emma's Reading List- Keeping track of this is a little tough, but I will do my best.

Pony Scouts: Pony Crazy by Catherine Hapka. We have read all the books in this easy reader series out loud before, but Emma has started to read these on her own now. The story is about 3 friends who all love horses.

The Perfect Pony by Corinne Demas. This book is a step 3 book. Whatever that means. It's about a girl who is finally allowed to get a pony, but the one she wants has been sold already. The pony, however, ends up deciding who he wants to belong to.

One Whole Day: Wild Ponies by Jim Arnosky. This is a National Geographic Society book. A beautiful picture book about the Assateague Island wild ponies.

When a Dragon Moves In by Jodi Moore. I picked this beautiful picture book up from the library because of the wonderful illustrations (by Howard McWilliam). Emma actually grabbed it up soon after I got home and read it.

Bone by Jeff Smith. She is reading more of the series, not sure which one though. She has asked that we pick up the rest in the series.

Glitterby Baby by Stephen Cosgrove. This is a Serendipity book. We picked it up at good will yesterday and Emma has already read it and enjoyed it. In fact, she started reading it to us in the car on the way home, but finished it up on her own tonight. We have one or two more in the series, but I think we will be on the look out for even more of them.

Starlight: Breyer Stablemates by Kristin Earhart. About a girl who discovers that raising a goal is tough work. Emma has a few of these in the collection. They are short chapter books (34 pages) with bigger print and beautiful artwork. She flies through these books, but it's always fun to listen to her read them.

Snowflake: Breyer Stablemates by Suzanne Weyn. About a trio of girls who find a way to help out a rescued horse.

She is making her way through all of her Breyer Stablemates book. Not sure how many she has read, but she still enjoys them.


What are you reading? Do you have a suggestions for good books?

All About Drawing and Reading

As I was working on April's book list, I realized that I haven't posted anything other than book lists for the last three months.

Wondering if we've been actually learning anything?

Fear not, there has been tons of learning. The two biggest focuses for the last few months has been reading and drawing.

Emma's reading is amazing to watch and hear. And she LOVES to read. I'm not really surprised, as she comes from a long line of readers on both sides of the family. But I still find it amazing. She'll try reading anything, especially if the words are bigger (she loves reading billboards and other signs we pass as we drive).

Expect to see more and more books in the "Read by Emma" list.

Now, the drawing. I've picked up the book, "Drawing With Children," by Mona Brooks. I hope to start working through the lessons with Emma maybe starting in May.

Why teach her something she already seems to love and be pretty good at? Research shows that children typically stop drawing around age 8 or 9 for the simple fact that they get frustrated because they can't draw realistically.

Expect to see more posts about this in the future. For now, how about a few photos of her creating art.

"Mama, can you give me something to draw?"

Still life with her boots.

Drawing while listening to bedtime stories.

Hard at work on her still life. 

The first boot was a bit wonky, but the second one came out pretty good. 

Well, that's what we've been learning these last few months. Hope your days are full of fun and learning! 

March's Books

Wow, March flew by. Emma's reading has exploded in the last two months, and I am excited to share the books that she has read on her own, as well as the books we have read together and listened to!

*Disclaimer- I suck at recapping books. I'll do my best, but if you are interested, it may be best to click on the link (or google it) and read the description from there*

Books Emma has read to herself:

Bone Series by Jeff Smith. These are graphic novels that Emma was fascinated with about 2 years ago.   I read them to her, she loved them, we bought the series (or so I thought). The other day I caught her reading one of the books. Unfortunately we seem to be missing a few from the series, not that Emma really minded. 

Rediscovering the "Bone" series by Jeff Smith

The First Dog by Jan Brett. It's fun to watch and listen to Emma read some of her picture books. This book is a cute view on how dog became man's best friend. As always, fantastic illustrations in this book. 

Reading, "The First Dog," by Jan Brett

Rainbow Magic by Daisy Meadows. Another series that we read a year or so ago. I read the first in the series to Emma at bedtime a few nights ago, but had to stop cause my throat was getting sore (dry hotel air will do that to a person). Emma wasn't tired so I suggested she read the rest of the book herself. She did, then decided that she'd like to work on the rest of the series. 

There may be more, but I can't remember. 

Audio Books we listened too:

The 39 Clues. We finished the first series and started on the Cahills vs. Vespers. We really are enjoying these series. Full of history, geography, drama and excitement while also being easy to follow. 

Percy Jackson: The Lightening Thief and The Sea of Monsters. We are really enjoying this series as well. We probably won't listen to the rest of these until Da gets back from his 3 months of training, but that's ok, we have plenty of other books on our list. 

I, Coriander, by Sally Gardner. This was a pretty good story full of magic and mystery. The story takes place during the time of the Puritans, but also in two separate worlds. One of fairies, and one of mortals.  

Bridge to Terabithia by Kathrine Patterson. This was NOT what I was expecting. It was a great book, but I guess I had false ideas about this book. Reminded me a lot of the movie "My Girl." Emma really enjoyed it as did I. 

The Prophet of Yonwood by Jeanne DuPrau. Part of the Ember Series. This one provides a bit of history about how the City of Ember came about. 

Diamond of Darkhold by Jeanne DuPrau. The last in the Ember Series. We liked the entire series. 

King of the Wind by Marguerite Henry. We have loved all the books we've read by this author. This particular book tells of the history of the Arabian horse breed. This would also be a great one for boys who love horses as the main human character is a stable boy who cares for the Godolphin Arabian. 

Read Aloud:

Yatimah (Horse Diaries #7) by Patricia Hermes. This story is about the Arabian horse breed as well. It was fun reading this while listening to King of the Wind (though not at the same exact time). 

Black Cloud (Horse Diaries #8) by Patricia Hermes. This story is about the mustangs. While the parts about Wild Horse Annie are not accurate, the rest is pretty close. The book does explain some real facts about Wild Horse Annie in the back of the book, as well as factual info about mustangs and how they almost became extinct. 

Tennessee Rose (Horse Diaries #9) by Patricia Hermes. This one is about the Tennessee Walker. A good story, we enjoyed it as much as we enjoyed the rest. Can't wait for the next one to come out!

I actually read an adult book this month! (Well, I started one anyway)

Wild Horse Annie by David Cruise and Alison Griffiths. This is a biography of how Velma Johnston almost single-handedly saved the wild mustangs from extinction. A very interesting tale of a women who was forever disabled by a childhood bout of polio, though refused to let it ruin her life. I am still reading this book, but so far I have found it very interesting and one that I think Emma will enjoy when she is a bit older. 

What was your favorite book you read/listened to this month (kids or adults, we still want to know!)?

February's Books

I have been inspired by Charity over at Indietutes to do a blog post listing the books we have read and listening to this past month. I realize I need to read a few more adult books, but why when the kids ones are so much fun!

These are not in order, and as Da would tell you I am HORRIBLE at summarizing a book (there are just so many good parts that you need to know about!) so bare with me here, I'll do my best to keep them short.

Icefall by Matthew J. Kirby- About the second daughter of a Viking king and her siblings. They are trapped in a hidden fortress by the frozen sea, hidden away while there father wages war. They are guarded by her fathers best warriors, but there is a traitor among them. The main character is strong, and kind. I loved this book, as did Emma.

The Land of Elyon Series by Patrick Carmen. There are 5 books in this series, though I think the 4th and 5th were after thoughts. It's hard to know what order to read the last two in. Anyway, this series is about a girl named Alexa who is destine to do great things. With talking animals, mystical lands, and giants, the series is fun and fantastical. We are currently enjoying the 4th book.

Ghost Knight by Cornelia Funke. We love this author. A year or two ago we listened to the Inkheart Trilogy and LOVED it. More recently we listened, multiple times, to Igraine the Brave, which we also loved. Ghost Knight was another good one by Ms. Funke. The two main characters in this story are on an adventure that involves killer ghosts, a ghost knight, a wrongly buried heart, and loyalty. We really enjoyed this one as well.

The City of Ember by Jeanne Du Prau. This is another series that we discovered. We have only listened to the first one so far and we have enjoyed it. Set in an isolated city where electricity provides the only source of light, time is running out for the citizens of Ember. The electricity keeps flickering. Blackouts are getting longer, light bulbs are scarce, as are other supplies necessary for life. The fate of the city lies in an odd discovery made by two twelve year-old children. This is an interesting story, and I think someday when we are learning about atomic bombs, it will be a good book to reread as I have a feeling this might be where the series is leading us. We'll see!

Coraline by Neil Gaiman. This was a fun and creepy book that we didn't finish. Not because we didn't want to, but because we were listening to it on the computer and we didn't finish it before the book expired. We really enjoyed it and I need to remember to re borrow it so we can finish it.

Matilda by Roald Dahl. Loved this book. SO so much better than the movie (not that Emma has seen it yet). About a little girl raised by neglectful, mean, dishonest parents. She goes to a school run by a horrible woman that hates children and swings little girls by their pigtails. Yet she finds hope through her teacher, Ms. Honey, who sees the awesome potential in Matilda. A wonderful story.

The Witches by Roald Dahl. What can I say, we have fallen in love with his books. I believe he even narrates this story himself. A fun story about a boy who discovers a group of witches while he and his grandmother are on holiday. Unable to escape them, he is turned into a mouse, but that actually helps him out in the end. And he doesn't mind being a mouse, really.

The Borrowers by Mary Norton. We actually read this one as a bedtime story. It may have been last month, I can never keep track. Emma and I really enjoyed this and I hope to find more in the series to read at bedtime.

The White Stallion of Lipizza by Marguerite Henry. I want this book. I would love to add this book to our collection. We inter-library loaned this book and it was so worth it. A great story about determination, passion, and the Lipizzaner horses. We follow the journey of a boy named Hans Hupt who wishes to become a Riding Master at the Spanish Riding School. At the time, only well-to-do boys made it into the school, not a bakers son. Hans did not give up. He spent endless hours researching the breed, how they do their beautiful maneuvers, and managed to teach his old cart horse a few of the moves. Anyway, a great story that I hope we read again soon.

The 39 Clues by various authors. We are currently on book 8. These are books that we only listen to when Da can listen as well, so we are going through them a little more slowly. We love listening to these stories, and it's really interesting how the writing style differs from one author to the next. So far, I think there has only been one where we were not so impressed, but the rest we have really enjoyed. The series is about a sister and brother who are given the choice- Take a million dollars each, or participate in the hunt for the 39 clues which, once collected, will make them the most powerful people on earth. It's a really fun series and I just realized (when looking up the link) that there is an entire world outside of the books dedicated to the series.

The Children of Green Knowe by L.M. Boston. Emma seemed to like this book. It's part of a series and so far we have only listened to the first book. I had a hard time paying attention to this one (I think I was just tired of audiobooks that day), so I didn't follow it as well as she did. You'll need to click on the link to figure out what it's about.

Heidi by Johanna Spyri. This audio was a theatrical thing with different people for different characters and sound effects. Once I got past that, I really enjoyed this classic tale of an orphaned girl sent to live with her grandfather in the mountains of Switzerland. It's a good story. Emma and I really enjoyed it.

Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie. Wow. Having never read the book and only seeing the Disney version (well, and Hook with Robin Williams) this book was a big surprise. And awesome. I love Disney movies, but man did they miss a lot. The book is so much better, with a lot more awesome details and fun. It's also a little darker in spots, but Emma and I both really enjoyed it.

Well, that is a crazy ton of books, but when you listen to 3 or 4 a week, the list gets long. I probably forgot a few, but you get the idea.

What have you read recently?

Hiking in Decorah, November 2012

Life Skills- Hand Sewing

In our abandonment of the structured schooling thing, we've found ourselves happily occupied indeed.

At Emma's request, we did some hand sewing.

Tag-Along Doll 

(I actually purchased a pattern for this)

Emma's Tag-Along dog face

Mama's Tag-Along Doll

Emma needle felting her doll's hair on

Our two new dolls!

Emma worked really hard, and very intensely, and finished her new doll in just a few hours. After lunch, she wanted to work on a new project. She chose Lambkins (free pattern). 

Stitching on the nose.

Mama's and Emma's lambs meet.

Lambkins meet Tag-Alongs

And, once the Lambkin was done, Emma wanted another project to work on. I ended up drawing up a pattern for a mini horse. It turned out pretty good, so I am in the process of making a tutorial. 

Once I get the tutorial finished, I will add a link!

For more photos of Emma hand stitching, check them out here. 

What We Learned- 4-8 Feb 2013

We learned this week, that I need to cut back on how much I try to cram into the workboxes. We managed to get Monday and most of Tuesday done. We were suppose to do Thursday on Wednesday and Wednesday on Thursday ('cause we were going out to town Wednesday night, getting home Thursday evening), but we sort of hit a crabby wall on Wednesday morning that was 2 people thick so we just said forget it. For the rest of the week.

Oh, I only managed to take one photo. I had Emma playing with volume in the tub, so I took a picture of that. Not gonna put that up here though.

AND, I managed to forget that Friday was Friday until 2:30. That's an hour and 30 minutes after Emma's horse lesson was suppose to start.

I have successfully won the worst mama of the month award.

So, this last week was kinda a bust, but I think it was also a reality check. I need to remember that Emma likes to learn, but on a more relaxed pace. So, over the next week or two we will be reevaluating our approach to learning.

I will let you know what/when we figure out our next plan of attack! If you have suggestions, I would love to hear them.

What We Learned 28 Jan - 4 Feb 2013

This week we learned...

That Mama can walk for 30 minutes when it's really cold outside when she talks to Auntie Amber on the phone (and not rush Emma too much). 

That Emma's view of the world is pretty cool.

That marble painting is still fun.

That Gramma makes some pretty cool worksheets (even when she misses hugs).

That some mornings it's just hard to get moving, and even harder to just go back to bed. 

That making things out of Borax and pipe cleaners is really fun. 

That Da getting an unexpected 1/2 day off means family game time (Lego Minotaurus). 

That Emma can get a half-way decent photo of me (and that we really need to hang our Borax creations up somewhere else)

That a heart riding a bicycle (made out of model magic) makes Da smile.

That Emma draws a pretty great map of Austria

That Gramma is a great inspiration to Emma

That Gramma misses hugs :0)

That the Electric Company is AWESOME -wait- we already knew that. 

That writing letters in our giant recliner is a bit cramped, but cozy.

That Emma is really good at Checkers.

What have you learned recently?