What We Are Reading Part 2

Last February I wrote about the chapter books we had been reading to the kids.  You can read that post here: What We Are Reading (part 1)

We just wrapped up Stuart Little, so I thought it would be a good time to post what we have read over the past year and what we plan on reading next.  This helps me keep track of what we have read and might inspire you and your family to grab a few of these titles too!

We went through a rough spell after Contessa was born where we were not reading for several months.  But recently at the suggestion of the mom from Steady Mom, we have started reading at breakfast, lunch or both.  Some days breakfast reading doesn't happen, but lunch has been very consistent for us.  I either eat a bit before hand or I wait and eat afterwards.  We are getting in so much more reading this way and the kids sit and listen much better.  Give it a try.

Last February our goal was to read Never Cry Wolf, Misty of Chincoteague, The Trumpet of the Swan, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, and three part history book set.  We read Misty of Chincoteague and The Trumpet of the Swan but then made some adjustments to our other books we had selected.  We got a few chapters into Huckleberry Finn and I realized I needed to read Tom Sawyer first.  The history books were very dry and boring, so we donated them.  And Never Cry Wolf got put back on the shelf for some reason.

We added Sailing to Cytheria, Sarah Plain and Tall, Stuart Little, A Lion to Guard Us, and The Adventures of Tom Sawyer.  The kids and I have loved them all!

When we finished the last of Stuart Little today, I had the kids pick out four books to read next.

The kids selected Never Cry Wolf, Where the Red Fern Grows, James and the Giant Peach and Sea Star, which is the sequel to Misty of Chincoteague.  I am excited to read these to the kids except for Where the Red Fern Grows!  That book made me cry back in 5th grade and I am sure I will not be able to get through it at 33 years old without crying some more!  Oh well!

Nathan sent me a quote from C.S. Lewis the other day that I found so profound.  He said "No book is really worth reading at the age of ten which is not equally - and often far more - worth reading at the age of fifty and beyond."

Let C.S. Lewis inspire you and your family to read books that fit that criteria!  Go grab a classic and get reading today!

Vitamin C and Vitamin D3

I know I have been very neglectful of this blog.  Let's just say I can barely keep my head above water with all the important things in life, so the blog will have to patiently wait until I have more time for computer activities.
But, I do hope to still occasionally pop on here and put something of worth together to share with everybody.

These past few months our family has been using therapeutic amounts of Vitamin C and Vitamin D to try and stay healthy this winter.  We have been so blessed by the results, that Nathan and I can't seem to shut up about it.  If you have spent any amount of time with us you have probably already heard us talk about it.  I wanted to post some links on my blog so that people could read up on it themselves and see if it is something that would work for them and their family.  We have used it for everyone from the baby and toddler all the way up to the grandparents and great-grandparents in our family.  I hope you find some value in it.

The site to read up on for Vitamin C and other therapeutic vitamins is doctoryourself.com
Here are a few articles from that site

http://www.doctoryourself.com/vitaminc.html
http://www.doctoryourself.com/ortho_c.html
http://www.doctoryourself.com/titration.html
http://www.doctoryourself.com/klenner_table.html
http://www.doctoryourself.com/ckorea2008.html

Nathan and I have been taking about 4,000mg or so of Vitamin C daily when we are healthy.  The kids have been averaging 2,000 to 4,000 a day.  When we feel we are getting sick we take much more throughout the course of the day until our symptoms subside or we hit the saturation point (read the titration link to know about that).

Dr. Mercola has wonderful information on the importance of Vitamin D and how the government recommended amounts are ridiculously low.  You can read up on some information at mercola.com
Here are a few important articles

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2011/11/21/how-to-get-your-vitamin-d-to-healthy-ranges.aspx
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2010/04/20/the-vitamin-d-solution.aspx
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2006/10/26/beware-of-most-prescription-vitamin-d-supplements.aspx

Nathan and I try and take about 10,000 IUs daily of Vitamin D3.  We give the kids a few thousand IUs.  This is the amount we take when healthy.  If we start to get sick we up the dosage quite a bit for just a few days.

Let me know if any of this is helpful!  Stay healthy!

Watch...think....repeat

You Like Ron Paul, Except on Foreign Policy - Watch This

Almost 8 Months Old!

Contessa turns 8 months old on the 4th.  She is getting better about sitting on her own, but is still very prone to tipping over.  She has started sitting in highchairs at restaurants and thinks she's a really big girl when she's in one.  Her first tooth broke through last week and she had her first taste of food.  I mashed up some avocado, but she didn't really like it.  That's ok though, because Gunnar polished it off.  She has begun to make bubbles with her spit.  She bounces like a crazy woman in her door bouncer and she thinks all her siblings are a hoot.  Contessa is a true mama's girl.  She fills my arms for a good chunk of the day and she wakes me up a million times a night to nurse.  I can't believe she is growing up so fast!

Fun times with trees

So about a month ago when we had a bad wind storm, a big chunk of one of our trees split off.  The kids were amazed by this and spent much time climbing and exploring the big mess.  Every morning I would open my back curtains and remember there was that darn tree back there waiting to be chopped up.  Fortunately, last week, Nate snagged a chain saw from my grandpa and made quick work of the tree.  What a relief every morning when I look in the back yard! Now I just have to keep the kids from throwing the wood around.  Julius came in crying the other day saying that Layla hit him in the head with a log. Kids!

Halloween 2011