7 Quick Takes Friday

1.

You can't see in this short video clip, but baby Thomas was fussing (before I began filming) until Mary began playing the piano, at which point he stopped abruptly.

She often "soothes the savage beast" with music by holding Thomas in her lap and playing.

2.

This week I had the unusual occasion to buy ginger root for a recipe I was making. (Right? I actually made a recipe, not a frozen something!) Someone who remains unidentified absconded with the strange-looking thing and it was found by Daddy on the floor of the girls' bedroom. He returned it to the kitchen with a bit of eyelet pinned round it to make a dress since the root looked like a baby doll, and the girls happily named it Ginger.

Unfortunately, Ginger met her demise when I grated her into a marinade for teriyaki chicken.

3.

I am always interested in helpful Book Lists (and readers might like to check out my books label or my Worthwhile Reading page).

I came upon an interesting blog post--"How to Choose Age Appropriate Books for Advanced Readers"--within an overall interesting website chock full of book lists and reviews created by a woman long immersed in children's literature. Tanya Turek is not writing from a Christian or Catholic perspective, so I'm sure there are books she recommends that a religious parent would avoid, but, by employing some parental discretion, this website should be very useful!

Finding age-appropriate reading material for advanced readers can become a part-time job for a homeschooling parent (or any parent, I suppose)! One can have a goal of previewing (reading ahead) all unfamiliar books before they are given to a child, but when one has a growing number of readers in the home (now three over here) and less and less free time, any shortcuts one can take with previewing are a help.

4.

After I had our fifth baby, following about a month on bed rest, a very challenging labor, and a lengthy postpartum recovery time in which Chris still took care of much around the house for another six weeks or so, I wanted to write an article. And it would be a raw article. I never did write that article and, lo and behold, Ann Voskamp wrote it better than I ever could.

I present you this gem and advise you to have Kleenex on hand:

"The Real Truth About 'Boring' Men--and the Women who Live with Them: Redefining Boring" by Ann Voskamp

5.

Photographic proof that the big siblings really do love Margaret, no matter how they act sometimes . . . we went on a two-mile walk, which fatigued Margaret greatly so John and Mary volunteered to give her a piggy back, which they did for most of the one-mile way back.

6.

Speaking of Margaret, she now joins her siblings in being able to swing from the rope swing like Tarzan in the jungle. She loves it!

7.

For your reading pleasure, may I direct you to Simcha Fisher's resumed blog series, "What's for Supper?" I read this weekly and it usually has me laughing with tears streaming down my face, as it did this past week (read here).

What's for supper around our household isn't nearly as delicious or funny. But the word 'frozen' is used only three times in this week's meal plan instead of up to seven, so that is a really big improvement.

Saturday--I had cooked a meal for another family who just had a baby, so doubled the meal for us.

Chili

Corn bread

Pasta-veggie salad

Sunday

Leftovers

Monday--We went to a house blessing and potluck, to which I contributed . . . 

Sweet potato casserole
Mac and cheese

Tuesday
Chicken teriyaki (new recipe, enjoyed by two, eschewed by three, with the vegetarian mama abstaining)
Rice
Broccoli

Wednesday--I cooked a meal for another family who just had a baby, so doubled the meal for us.
Slow cooker sweet and sour meatballs (using store-bought frozen meatballs)
Rice
Salad
Pumpkin pie (because John asked me to make this so he could decide if he likes it before Thanksgiving)

Thursday--With music lessons and a visit to my personal trainer, something easy was in order.
Frozen pizza

Friday
Frozen eggplant Parmesan

Over spaghetti with marinara

Check out 7 Quick Takes Friday over at This Ain't the Lyceum!