Christmas books for read-aloud

After the first term (or trimester) of our first school year finished last week, I was searching for good Christmas books to read to the boys. Below are a few favorite (more could be added as a few more books will be picked up from library next week):

The Advent Jesse Tree
We've been using this book for our Advent Jesse Tree devotion starting from December 1. Although it has been a challenge to have both Daniel and James sit, follow directions, and pay attention for 20 minutes, the book has helped me a lot by having scriptures, devotions, and even hymns for each day all in the same place.

An Orange for Frankie

A very sweet Christmas story that made me cry while reading it to my boys. We just read it for a second time tonight (Christmas Eve) while peeling and eating oranges, and it made my eyes moist again.

The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey

A simple yet beautiful and heartwarming story. Love the illustration too. I bought a copy, either to keep or to give away as a gift.

This is the Star

Read like a poem, constructed like "This is the house that Jack built". Very nice artwork too.

The Best Christmas Pageant Ever

We had the movie before I bought the book (both were from library book sale or garage sale, I believe), so we had watched the movie before  read the book. The movie did a pretty good job capturing the spirit of the book, but, not surprisingly we still found the book more enjoyable than the movie. It took me about a week to finish the read-aloud (one chapter a day).

The Light at Tern Rock

A beautiful story that keep you in suspense till the last chapter.

Counting down to Christmas begins! --With a Advent Jesse Tree

Celebrating Christmas was something relatively new for me, a young Christian (11 years young in the Lord) who grew up in Communist China with nil exposure to Christianity. All the Christmas traditions, secular or religious, were pretty foreign to me too.

Several years ago, we began  hanging Christmas lights, setting up Christmas tree, and getting gifts for our children. Our family almost always participates in carols and children's Christmas play at church. Sometimes we have get-together with friends or with my sister's family. But overall, our Christmas is quite low key. My husband and I don't exchange Christmas gifts. My sister and I don't exchange Christmas gifts. Let alone our friends and extended families in China.

This year, I want to keep it low key in regards to gift exchange (at least among adults), but feel the need of starting some meaningful and fun family traditions for Christmas. Something centered on the true meaning of the season. A couple of hours online searching and surfing landed me on two words:  Jesse Tree. I got excited about the idea behind it (Old Testament prophecies pointing to the coming of Christ) and really like the visual symbols (symbols tracing the heritage of Jesus from the beginning of creation) that kids can understand. Starting out the planning late and being not crafty at all, I somehow managed to make an Advent calendar with the kids and set up a Jesse Tree the night before December 1.

Our home-made Advent calendar. I made the paper pockets and outlined the numbers. Daniel and James did the coloring of the numbers and helped with gluing the border on the poster.

Nativity scene. I bought this set on Wednesday (11/30) night, the night before our Christmas countdown.  Because the poster is not big enough and has no room for number 25, we made a separate mini poster for 25. While making it, I joked with the boys, "Oh, there is no room in the inn. There is no room on the poster for 25!" Daniel colored number 25 with rainbow color. Can you see it?

Jesse Tree with the Advent calendar and the Nativity scene. I bought a 2-feet Christmas tree at Michael's. Yesterday, the children and I made the first ornament and hung it on the Jesse Tree. As we count down to Christmas, we will do a daily devotion with scriptures,  prayers, and songs, and will make and add more ornaments to the little tree.

Update: Here is the Jesse Tree after we put some maybe not all the ornaments.

Veteran's Day Parade

These were pictures from several weeks ago, Veteran's Day Parade that Daniel's Cub Scout pack had participated. It was a fun and meaningful event, although we had to wait for our turn forever.

An unforgettable Thanksgiving

Peaceful Thanksgiving morning. While washing and cutting vegetables to take to our fellowship's annual Thanksgiving day hot pot lunch, I remembered the load of laundry that I had put in the washer earlier.

"Daniel, please go and check the laundry. Put the load into the dryer if it's done." One minute later, Daniel cried from the laundry room, "Mom, you better come and take a look! It's hard to explain."

Drying my hands on the apron, I walked toward the laundry room, "What's hard to explain? What's the matter? ... Oh, NO!" Our laundry room was flooded with half-inch deep water! The carpet of the hall way next to the laundry room was soaking wet too, while the washer was still running. I called out to Guibo, "Honey, come quick! The washer is leaking!" Then, we frantically took actions to stop the washer, search for a bucket, scoop water from the floor, and throw sheets and towels on the laundry room threshold and the wet carpet. One package of training diaper, leftover from James' potty training, was put into good use for absorbing water.
When we pulled the clothes off the washer, I noticed that a piece of folded paper towel was stuck in the washer's water outlet.
"Could it be this that has caused the leakage?" I asked Guibo.
"Who knows. But you really need to inspect all the pockets before you put the clothes in." He thinks that I'm often absent-minded, and I am sometimes. So I didn't say anything, believing that it could be my fault, although I was mystified at why somebody would have paper towel in his pocket. Tissue paper, very likely, but why paper towel?

After we finished phase one of the disaster recovery, dear hubby graciously volunteered to stay home to do  phase two work, so the kids and I could go to the hot pot lunch at Olivia's house. The kids and I (and everybody there) had a good time and tons of yummy food, but the disaster zone was always on my mind. I did call Guibo around noon and knew that he was still working on it.

Long story short, by late afternoon, the situation was largely under control. While Guibo and I were blotting the carpet and the padding with paper towel, Daniel came to us,
 "Dad and mom, I have to confess. I did it."
Quite puzzled at his confession, I asked, "You did what?"
Daniel: "I put the paper towel in the place where water comes out. I want to know what would happen, and then I forgot about it."

Oh! Mystery solved. Even though the disaster recovery was not all done yet, and our dryer was not working after the flooding, I was actually very delighted with Daniel's confession, and I let him know this clearly and right away.

It does take courage and integrity to admit one's wrongdoing when nobody is even suspecting, doesn't it? My little guy is far from perfect (in fact, he often drives me nuts!), but at that moment I am proud of him. It is truly a Thanksgiving moment.

By the way, the act of sticking paper towel into the water outlet is a typical Daniel exploration. One time when he was about two and half years old, he put a Lego block on a burning candle which caused smoke filling the bathroom and triggered the smoke detector. Because the Lego block was melted beyond recognition, it took me many days to find out what had happened.

The Reign of Law in Education

I've been reading Home Education by Charlotte Mason (1842-1923) with a yahoo reading group for over a month now. It's definitely not an easy read, partly because of her Victorian style of writing. In fact, somebody has complied a sentence-by-sentence modern English paraphrase as an  attempt to make Charlotte's words accessible to modern parents. 


Anyway, something in last week's reading was so enlightening to me that I have to quote it. 

It is a shame to believing people that many whose highest profession is that they do not know, and therefore do not believe, should produce more blameless lives, freer from flaws of temper, from the vice of selfishness, than do many sincerely religious people. It is a fact that will confront the children by-and-by, and one of which they require an explanation; and what is more, it is a fact that will have more weight, should it confront them in the person of a character which they cannot but esteem and love, than all the doctrinal teaching they have had in their lives. This appears to me the threatening danger to that confessed dependence upon and allegiance to Almighty God which we recognize as religion––not the wickedness, but the goodness of a school which refuses to admit any such dependence and allegiance. (Vol I page 39)

Although my children have not been confronted by the fact that some nonbelievers are living a more righteous life than some believers, this fact has indeed been one of the stumbling blocks for a few of my non-believing friends and acquaintances.

As for this superior morality of some non-believers, supposing we grant it, what does it amount to? Just to this, that the universe of mind, as the universe of matter, is governed by unwritten laws of God; that the child cannot blow soap bubbles or think his flitting thoughts otherwise than in obedience to divine laws; that all safety, progress, and success in life come out of obedience to law, to the laws of mental, moral or physical science, or of that spiritual science which the Bible unfolds; that it is possible to ascertain laws and keep laws without recognizing the Lawgiver, and that those who do ascertain and keep any divine law inherit the blessing due to obedience, whatever be their attitude towards the Lawgiver; just as the man who goes out into blazing sunshine is warmed, though he may shut his eyes and decline to see the sun. (underlines were added by me) Conversely, that they who take no pains to study the principles which govern human action and human thought miss the blessings of obedience to certain laws, though they may inherit the better blessings which come of acknowledged relationship with the Lawgiver. (Vol I page 40)

Reading this was like having a light bulb went off for me. I have not read elsewhere that explained so clearly why law-biding lives are often more blameless and accordingly more blessed than pious lives. A quote from Francis A. Shaeffer seems to strike a cord with what Miss Mason was saying. (No, I have not read Shaeffer's book. Just saw the quote a while back and was able to locate it.)

When I say Christianity is true I mean it is true to total reality--the total of what is, beginning with the central reality, the objective existence of the personal-infinite God. Christianity is not just a series of truths but Truth--Truth about all of reality. And the holding of that Truth intellectually--and then in some poor way living upon the truth, the Truth of what is--brings forth not only certain personal results, but also governmental and legal results.  (A Christian Manifesto, page 19-20)

Random moments, abundant blessings

Culinary practice 

Daniel has yet to own his Cub Scout pocket knife, but he's quite good at using a small kitchen knife helping mom out. He is cutting tofu.






In Dad's pants

James tried on dad's pants and t-shirt. I guess that he's serious about wanting to be a dad when he grows up. :)










Cuddly bears and buddies

Jeremiah, the boy in the middle, is Daniel's good friend. They knew each other when both were very young because Jeremiah's mom babysit Daniel for six month (from age 6 month to 12 month).

Now that their family has moved back from bay area, Daniel is always eager to meet with his buddy.

Father-Son tennis

Daniel is at the other side of the net, and James doesn't really know how to play.

October field trip to Apple Hill

Perfect fall weather. Sunny. Clear blue sky. Warm breeze. It was three weeks ago -- the SCOPE field trip to High Hill Ranch at Apple Hill.

The small fish pond on the hill was teemed with rainbow trouts, some of which would occasionally leap out of water. Looking out by the pond was the beautiful view of the hills and trees against the autumn sky.

There were about ten families in the group and quite a few boys. While Daniel and James were having a very good time playing football with the other boys on the hill, hubby and I sat by the pond watching the fish.

Lady bug ... eggs

When: Friday, October 28, 2011, about 3:30 pm
Where: a tree in Daniel's piano teacher's front yard (sorry for my poor knowledge of botany that I don't know the name of the tree)
What: tiny lady bug eggs
Side note: Daniel was so busy trying to climb the tree that he forgot his book bag on the front lawn. We had to stop by the next day to get it.

When I grow up...

While mom was preparing meal in the kitchen, James walked up with the following statements:
"When I grow up, I want to be a daddy and have...", with his fingers spread out like doing a high-five --"5 kids!"

It's not the first time that James had mentioned wanting to be a dad, but it was the first time that the number of future children (my future grandchildren!) came into discussion.

Mom: "Hmm, five is a good number."

James: "I want 3 boys and 2 girls".

Overhearing our conversation, Daniel chimed in: "When I grow up, I want first get a car, then get a job, then get married, then buy a house, and then have children. I only want 2." A few days ago, he had said that he would never get married.

Mom: "Are these things in the right order? Don't you need to work and earn money first to buy a car?"

Daniel: "MOM, you need a car to get a job!"

Later that day (yesterday or today? I can't even remember), after we read a book together, James came back to the topic: "When I grew up, I want to write books and draw pictures and give them to kids."

Daniel: "I want to be a Marine Seal, because they specialize in everything."

Mom: "Let's see, what dose specialize mean? Specialize in everything? ..."

A day in our home school, and some thoughts

We've just completed 4 weeks of schooling. I have not started James on kindergarten yet, so Daniel is the only student. As said at the start of the school year, I was and still am NOT well prepared at all; more subjects and chores need to be added. As a result, school has been quite relaxed for my student. I chose Ambleside Online (short for AO) curriculum which implement Charlotte Mason's educational philosophy.

Morning routine: He is a having a hard time following the routine (get up, get dressed, put away PJ, make bed, and come to breakfast), and I'm tired of reminding/nagging him. There got to be a better way to train this. I had used rewards before with some success, but it was short lived.

Bible reading:  After breakfast, it starts around 8:30 to 9:00. Daniel and I take turns reading selected passages from the Bible, while James doodles in his salt box. The passage is relatively short, 20-30 verses at most. We would have a brief discussion and a word of prayer afterwards.

After putting away Bibles, I have the boys recite Pledge of Allegiance in the kitchen. The magnetic U.S. flag on our refrigerator door comes in handy.

Between 9:00 and 9:30, we start Math at the kitchen table. I'm trying to keep it short at 15-20 min. Singapore Math (2B) Standard Edition is our textbook. Daniel likes math but his math facts became quite rusty after the long summer break.

Depending on the day of the week, next comes History, Literature, History Tales/Biography, Geography, or Science. Each lesson takes about 15-20 min, but sometimes drags longer. I read most of the books to Daniel, or have him listen to audio book, then he narrates to me what he remembers. I place him in Year 2 in AO curriculum.

I simply love those living books (not textbooks) used in this curriculum! Some I have read myself but many I have not.  About a year ago, it was an "Aha" moment when the living book idea was introduced to me while I was reading about Charlotte Mason's educational philosophy. I thought to myself, "It makes perfect sense! Aren't those books labeled by my parents as leisure or pleasure books (闲书) living books?" The limited amount of "leisure books" that I loved to read as a child were forbidden or discouraged by my parents because they were not textbooks and were considered useless for getting good grades. OK, here are some of the books that Daniel is reading with me now: A Child's Story of the World, This Country of Ours, Little Duke, Trial and Triumph, Pilgrim's Progress, Understood Betsy, and Tree in the Trail.

Usually I'm only able to do two readings before lunch, partly because both the teacher and the student is still learning this new way of schooling/learning, but mostly, I suspect, because we have a long way to go regarding character training and habit forming. Compared to academics, these are much much harder. I feel that I desperately need to be trained to be the trainer.

Noon is lunch time. Lunch is and has to be simple. Leftover dishes if there is any. Fried rice with scrambled egg. Peanut butter and Jelly sandwich. Microwaved  dumpling. Microwaved chicken nugget. While we eat  or prepare to eat, we listen to Radio Reading Circle on Family Radio. Current reading is a biography of Nate Saint, the missionary hero who laid down his life for reaching the unreached tribal people.

No formal schooling in the afternoon right now. Besides his piano practice and very few chores, Daniel has the afternoon for free reading and free play. He's very into Lego's now.

James is mostly on his own while I do lessons with Daniel in the morning. He is very good at entertaining himself, wandering from room to room exploring or digging stuff out. Feeling a bit guilty of having neglected him, I would read to him or play with him for while in the afternoon.

While the boys are having free play or free reading time, I do housework, check emails, and do reading and planning for home school.  The challenge is how to prioritize all the tasks. Several weeks ago, a minister in his sermon used this quote: "You are what you think." Come to think about it, my choices do depend upon what I deem as essential or pressing. Seems that I need to clarify my thinking now because judging from my doings my thinking is not very clear. :(

 I try to have a quiet time with the Lord after lunch clean up, while with a full stomach sometimes it becomes a drowsy time. ".. but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better,..." But alas, I have the Martha blood running deep in me. Running around doing all sorts of things, or sitting here reading and planning and scheduling; that's what I do so naturally. It takes the Supernatural to transform me to be a Mary.

So far, I wouldn't call any of our school days easy. Oh, maybe except for Fridays, which are reserved for P.E. with Dad and outside activities (choir, library trip, and piano lesson). Sometimes I became quite frazzled and the kids knew it too. Nevertheless, I will not trade any of these days (not even the bad days) with our old days.

James' 5th birthday

James' birthday is September 18. He was very proud that he turned 5 this year.

A dear sister at our light house fellowship remembered James' birthday. She ordered a Tiramisu cake that everybody attending fellowship that Saturday shared for celebration. With tiny candles too! Our family celebration took place on his birthday (Sunday) and we had ice cream in place of cake because we all had too much cake that week.

Yes, I'm turning 5! A big boy now.

James has become quite Lego-mania lately, He plays with those little Lego people (and their weapons/tools) all the time. So it's no surprise that he wanted Lego for birthday. We were lucky to find some Lego sets on sale at Target. I helped him pick two small sets. He was very happy and thanked me after we got home. Oh, he also received presents from 潘德爷爷 (an older brother at church who loves James since he was a baby).

After ice cream, we did the same thing for James. "Tell at least one thing good about James."
Dad: "He can do many things on his own now, like brushing teeth, picking up toys."
Mom: "He is thoughtful and thankful. He sees other people's needs."
Daniel: "Hmmm..." Too busy playing Lego with James.

Since babyhood, James has always been sweet and gentle (although lately he's becoming more rumbustious).  His tenderness and sweetness tugs at my heart. Could it have something to do with him being the younger one? Maybe. While we were at China this past August, my step sister asked me if I favor one child over another. I said NO, and I meant it.  I may have shown my love for them in a different way because each of our children is unique, but one simply can not do a math equation (>, =, or <) for the comparison of a parent's love for his/her children.

What's more blessed than becoming a mother of a child?
Becoming a mother of not one but two!

Daniel's 8th Birthday

Daniel's birthday is September 13. He turned 8 this year.

How did we celebrate? With present, food, cake, and good wishes. Daniel had several things on his wish list: Smurf books, an alarm clock, and Nook e-reader, etc. I bought him a digital alarm clock, something useful and practical. Because I didn't have time to wrap it, I played a little gift-hunt game with him, letting him guess where I put his gift. I gave out clues, and he guessed. After several rounds, he was still not getting it. Then James burst out "trunk of your car!" That's how Daniel got his birthday present. He liked it and I liked it too, something useful and practical. We went out to one of his favorite place--Hometown Buffet for dinner and had a mango cake too. While at the restaurant, I asked each family member to say something good about Daniel. Here are a few of them:
Dad: "He has grown a lot and did not lose his temper as often."
Mom: "He is becoming sweeter. He's willing and quick to admit his wrongdoing."
James. "He plays with me."

Dad and mom also prayed for Daniel that he will grow bigger, stronger, and wiser in the coming year.

It's hard to believe that he is already 8 years old. The tiny little thing that entered the world with a full head of hair and a very loud cry. The extremely chubby baby who crawled through the hall way like a champion and who clung to mommy like a magnet. The hot-tempered toddler who tested his parent's limits again and again. The kindergartner who loved to draw and play basketball. The first grader who struggled with classroom and home rules. The second grader who excelled in math and cannot resist origami.

God, thank you for putting this precious little people into my care. What a blessing to be a mother!

Daniel is 8 years old! 

Mid-Autumn Festival

A walk of the whole family toward community park after dinner. The sun has just set, leaving subtle and soft hues of pink, blue, and purple above the horizon. Temperature is just right. A very pleasant walk under the twilight.

Tonight is Mid-Autumn Festival. As we were looking at the bright round moon ascending from East, several Chinese poems that I had memorized as a child came back to my mind. I recited two of the most familiar ones to my boys on the way back home. Daniel got the basic idea of the first one after my explanation, but showed no interest to Su-Shi's poem. Hope one day that my children could know the language well enough to appreciate the beauty of these poems.

Oh, we did had moon cake after our walk.

静夜思 
李白 
床前明月光，疑是地上霜。 
举头望明月，低头思故乡。 

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
水调歌头 苏轼（北宋）

丙辰中秋，欢饮达旦，大醉，作此篇，兼怀子由。

　　明月几时有，把酒问青天。

　　不知天上宫阙，今夕是何年。

　　我欲乘风归去，又恐琼楼玉宇，高处不胜寒。

　　起舞弄清影，何似在人间。

转朱阁，低绮户，照无眠。

不应有恨，何事长向别时圆？

人有悲欢离合，月有阴晴圆缺，此事古难全。

　　但愿人长久，千里共婵娟。 

I am by no means a fan of pop music, but I like this song which took the poem as its lyric.
     但願人長久-王菲

First day and first week of school

My two students holding handwritten signs.

I really haven't had the details panned out for the brand new school year for our homeschool when we started on  Tuesday, September 6, the day after Labor Day. I feel that I have to start with something and then add and adjust as we go.  If I don't start until all the planning and scheduling is done, I'm afraid that it probably will never start!

Anyway, week 1 has passed and I haven't lost all my hair ;). I stayed up till midnight everyday this week though, just to get ready for the next day. No, I'm not doing a whole of things with my students. In fact, for now we're only doing school in the morning. I need to add more subjects (Bible study, handwriting, nature/science, geography, Chinese, art, music, and handicraft).

Even for the subjects that Daniel is doing (math, literature, history, poem), I have not got the weekly schedule worked out yet. Oh, I have not even gathered all the books needed. I don't know how to use narration more effectively for his learning.  There is so much to do! Not to mention that I want and need to read Charlotte Mason's original educational series to really understand her educational philosophy. Yes, I do feel a bit anxious, but thankfully not overwhelmed. Because in spite of all these "not"s, Daniel is showing a love for learning, which is so precious.

Daniel working on math.

James working on math.

And let's not forget about James. He loves to learn too! I'm only doing minimal "schooling" with James, Math 15 mins a day using a simple math workbook that teaches numeral 1 to 10. Phonics (15 min a day): Noah Webster's Reading Handbook and the first set of Bob book. Besides, I do as much as possible read-out-aloud with him, in both English and Chinese.


Snack time of the first day.

Turning back the clock in Old Sacramento

September 5, Labor Day, Dad took Daniel to old Sacramento to the annual "turns back the clock" festival. The Sacramento historical district was transformed into a scene straight out of the 1850s. I wanted the whole family to go, but James didn't want to but insisted on going to a local park.

Gentle from the olden days.

Daniel panning for gold.

Trip to China (part 10), Qingdao, with grandparents

During our stay in Qingdao, we walked to my parents' place almost everyday, for lunch and/or dinner. The kids sometimes dreaded the walk, but they always wanted to be at grandpa's place. "Because grandpa's place has TV! Cartoons! And always something yummy to eat!"

Because it was hot and humid outside, because there was not much toys or room to play with, and because there was no book for Daniel to read, Daniel (and James) watched a lot of TV at grandpa's place, mostly kids cartoon. I didn't like them watching TV, but, well, at least they were picking up some Chinese that way. :)

Grandpa bought a cake for Daniel and James' upcoming birthdays. 

With cousin (my step sister's son).

Daniel was watching cartoon in grandpa's room. 

This cousin (my step sister's son) is closer in age with Daniel.  They just loved each other's company.

It was really hot! See, the cake is melting and we had to take our shirts off.

Family portrait in my dad's bedroom.

Farewell. At the airport.

Hope that we will go back soon!

Trip to China (part 8), Jinan, a short visit and college reunion

In front of a spring water pond/swimming pool.

Although I always consider Qingdao my hometown, I actually lived more years in Jinan, capitol of Shandong province, than in Qingdao. All but one of my elementary school years, middle and high school, plus 6 years of teaching job after college graduation.

Oh, hard to believe that I haven't been back to Jinan since I left China for U.S. 13 years ago. In my memory, Jinan was dirtier than Qingdao, but not this time. The tourist attraction that we visited was renovated several years ago; it was cleaner than what I had remembered and was expanded and managed much better. We went with my friend's family. The kids had fun wading in the cool spring water. James managed to get himself all wet.

Jinan is known as the City of Spring Water, with a long and rich history. Within the old city boundary, there are still many spring wells, bubbling with fresh water. People coming from areas with bad-tasting drinking water often comment on how sweet the water here tastes. I didn't understand it when I was young, until I went to Shanghai once. Oh boy, did the water there tasted awful.

The most famous spring in Jinan.

There are many fish in the pond.

The boys with a relative, a cousin. 

With my friend's son.

Reunion with my college classmates.