A Difficult Week

This past week has been quite difficult. My mother-in-law was in the hospital and hospice was called in for my brother-in-law, John. Despite these difficulties, I was able to find comfort in the facts that my mother-in-law is now home recovering and we were able to visit with John right before he left the rest home and opted for hospice.

I have always admired John for his loving spirit, his musical talent, and above all, his complete faith in an unseen Heavenly Father. This is a faith shared by my husband, daughter and I as well as our family. It is the reason that John, despite incredible pain and weakness of body, smiled at us the entire time we visited him. It is the reason for the unexplainable peace he had about dying. And the belief that we will one day see him again makes the loss that we are going to soon experience a bit more endurable.

Unfortunately these events meant I was unable to visit the library and gather a new stack of books to review, but I am put in mind of a wonderful book by a friend of mine that explains the concept of life and death to children. It is entitled The Life of Bud and is the story of a leaf from formation to falling from the tree. 

Well, that about wraps it up for this week. Join me next week, same crazy time, same crazy channel. Also be sure to drop by Literacy Musings Mondays for more great blogs as well as my personal website Fun With Aileen where you will find more on reading, writing, and my very own chapter and picture books. And finally, you can find me on twitter if you want an extremely brief glimpse into my days.

Give Them A Hand - They're Wearing Two Hats!

 

Last week was a great experience as we headed into week two of our homeschooling journey. We even managed to fit some unexpected fraction practice in when Emily made Amish Sugar Cookies as her contribution for Cook Book Club last Tuesday. As she placed the balls of dough deliciously rolled in cinnamon and sugar onto the baking tray, I told her there would always be three rows of four on the tray. After she quickly calculated that there would be twelve balls on the tray and had actually placed six, I asked her what fraction she could make. She came up with 6/12 and we discussed how that was equal to 1/2 when reduced. She added three more yummy balls of dough and I asked her what fraction that would be.

I was completely taken by surprise when she answered 3/4. Of course that was correct, but I was expecting the answer of 9/12. When I asked her how she came to that conclusion she told me, "I saw a pie in my head Mommy. And three of the four pieces were in the pan so it had to be 3/4." I was wowed. She had looked at the dough, had seen that three of the four rows we talked about were filled in, and had come up with a fraction. Next, we needed 3/4 a teaspoon of cream of tartar. Unfortunately, there is no 3/4 of a teaspoon; so she figured out that she could use the 1/4 teaspoon three times to equal three fourths. I was excited because we were able to make math fun. Not the strange mean, mode, median math that no one ever uses, but practical math one uses use every day in real life.

 

 

While I truly love being able to spend so much time with Emily and being able to instruct her in her daily lessons, I still respect those great teachers in the school system that love children and work hard to make learning fun. Teachers that go beyond just showing up for the job. Many of the teachers that I am proud to call my friends are also children's authors. Wearing two hats, that of author and teacher, is definitely going beyond the call of duty in my opinion. So please give a sincere round of applause to these fine folks below and take some time to check out the books they have lovingly created.

Lisa Tortorello is a teacher in Chicago and has written two books for children. The first is The Moose at the Manger a unique telling of the nativity tale, and the second is Mark the Missing Moose a story of sharing grief and not keeping it bottled up inside.

Laura Eckroat is a teacher in Fort Worth and has written four books for children. Her first book Life of Bud is the story of life and death and all that is in-between as perceived by a tree bud. Her second book, and my favorite is A Simpler time. It is the story of slowing down and appreciating the simple things. Her third book, Went Out For a Donut and Came Back With A Muffin, is the story of her rescue dog Muffin. And finally, What's In The Corner - A Muffin Tale.

 

 

 

Judi Cheshire is a teacher in Pipe Creek, Texas who has written My Finny, Fin, Fin which is a wonderful retelling of The Three Little Pigs done with dolphins and a big bad shark.

 

 

 

 

Well, that about wraps it up for this week. Join me next week for another exciting episode, same crazy time, same crazy channel. And feel free to drop by my personal website, Fun With Aileen, any day of the week for even more on reading, writing, my very own early grade chapter book, Fern Valley, and my sequel, Return To Fern Valley! I'm also on twitter @AileenWStewart if you want an extremely brief glimpse into my days.

The Therapy of Faith and Writing

It has been a tough year for my family so far. First my daughter and I were sick for close to two months catching one bug after an other. Then, early this week my father went home to be with the Lord. Having already lost my first husband, two father-in-laws, one mother-in-law, and my best friend of 28 years, I can say that this is not the first time I have been dealt the hand of grief and it will probably not be the last. But what I have found through it all is that my faith and my writing are both therapeutic.

When my first husband went to be with the Lord, my grief was so deep, that despite believing he was in a place of wholeness and perfection, I needed some kind of an outlet. As I cried unto the Lord for relief I was amazed to hear a tune in my head that was soon joined by words. Never having had any musical talent whatsoever, I was amazed to find that I had been sent a song from heaven which I titled "Let the Joy Return". Shortly thereafter I also had the inspiration to start writing letters to my dearly departed. I would write down what I had been doing, how I missed his company, and how I knew despite it all that the Lord would comfort and guide me.

The mere acts of  trusting in the Lord and writing down what was inside me brought immeasurable comfort. I found this to continue to be true when my father-in-law, who I loved dearly, went to be with the Lord. I wrote a poem expressing that despite our family's grief, we were elated that he walked the streets of gold. So in keeping with past practice, when my father made his journey home  I worked hard at remembering where he now was, who he was now with, and how he was no longer a man of sorrow, pain, or tears. And I wrote. I wrote a poem of remembrance which I would like to share with you now.

I am saddened you're not by my side
But I rejoice at the same time
For you are in a better place
A place of great design

I think of the small caterpillar
Emerging from his cocoon
Amazed he is a butterfly
Dancing to a new tune

I think that's what you're doing
In your new body whole and fine
Delighting in your Savior
Forever and all time

It brings me such great pleasure
To know your holy fate
No more tears and sorrows
Just a perfect state

And while I'll shed a tear or two
I know I will survive
Because my loved and cherished dad
You're the one who's truly alive!

So in parting I would like to say that when life get's you down or gives you large burdens to bear, turn them over to the Lord and then turn your thoughts to writing.

Signing off for now with wishes for a bright and beautiful day!