Rebekah's Insights

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In Pre-School Liam...

---learned the #6 Q/A from the Catechism: Is there more than one true God? No. There is only one true God.
---learned new songs and rhymes such as, Five Little Fishies and Old MacDonald Had a Farm.
---Liam counted from 1 to 10 independently while counting out "fishie" crackers for snack. He is now working on counting from 11 to 15.
---recognized/identified 24 out of 26 capital letters when presented in random order and 20 out of 26 lower-case letters, also presented in random order. (The randomness ensures actual identification, rather than reliance upon memorization of the order of the letters from the song.)
---demonstrated understanding of the concepts of big and small.
---practiced making the letter F with Mommy's help.
---generated a list of F words based on books read and discussions throughout the week.
---enjoyed many new books, including, the Frances series by Russell Hoban, "Fire Engines," and "Curious George and the Firefighters."
---helped Mommy make Fudge brownies. He also helped to eat them! :)

(As a side note, the three words I choose to represent the letter for each week on the blog are actually taken from the list we make during the week. I will try to get Will to help me post a picture of the word list and calendar with this week's school blog.)

Whew! I believe I left off reporting on school back at Dd week! This week I will attempt to take a few moments and catch you up on what the children have been doing. I am still figuring out this whole blog thing, and am not yet adept at embedding photos, etc. I am taking baby steps! :)

---We began learning the hymn "This is My Father's World" and the Psalm 128. We work on one hymn and one Psalm set to music each month during Family Worship.
---We began reading through the book of Genesis.
---Liam reviewed the first five questions and answers from the Catechism.
---Liam learned the Bible verse and accompanying song for Matthew 7:12, "So in everything you do, so to others what you would have them do to you. For this sums up the Law and the Prophets."
---Liam practiced making the letter E and generated a list of words beginning with E.
---We read a variety of books, including, "The Strange Egg," "Eating Out, and "Eating the Alphabet."
---Liam helped Mommy make Elephant Ear Cookies.

Many thanks to all of you who remembered my birthday last week and sent well wishes via e-mail, postal service, or telephone! While some days I DO feel "old," for the most part it still doesn't seem possible that I am in my thirties. (Okay, so I don't look at the gray hair in the mirror very often! LOL!) All humor aside, I AM thankful to the LORD for all He has brought me through these past thirty-two years and for His many gracious blessings to me.

I would like to take this opportunity to express my gratitude for the blessing of my husband and to share how he celebrated my birthday this year. It was rather like a birthday weekend for me, beginning with an opportunity to go out on Friday night with the ladies from our "neighborhood." It was only at the last minute that I learned I would be available to go celebrate the birthday of one of the other ladies. William offered to take care of the children and put them to bed, so I could go to dinner. ("Going to dinner" is also a bit more involved here than I am accustomed to and so I was gone longer than I had anticipated, but enjoyed myself very much.)

I was able to sleep in on Saturday and then spent a lovely day with Will and the little ones as we visited some of the British stores we do not frequent often. Usually, I shop with the two children and although we always have fun on the "adventure" it is a NICE change to have Daddy to help while I compare prices, especially with the price conversion. Then, I was able to sleep in AGAIN on Sunday! I was informed that I needed to be dressed to go out by 1100 and so by 1055 I was ready and was about to get the children ready when friends unexpectedly arrived at the door to babysit the children while Will took me to our favorite pub down the road! I was SOOOOO surprised! We enjoyed a LOVELY three-course meal in the dining room, then adjourned to the "pub" to enjoy coffee and chocolates by the roaring fire. (I intend to blog later in the week about the fabulous food, so stay tuned!) All in all I felt like it had been a WONDERFUL birthday, but was looking forward to getting home to the kids.

Well, was I in for a surprise! As I stepped through the front door, Liam yelled, "Surprise!" I noticed that my house was decorated with balloons, streamers, banners, and there were friends and neighbors there with food and a cake! I NEVER guessed a THING! William REALLY outdid himself with the planning and the couple of friends whose help he enlisted pulled the whole thing together. I never, in my wildest dreams, would have suspected a surprise party mere months after moving! It was a wonderful surprise!

It didn't end there, either! On Monday, I was told to relax, while my husband cleaned up from the party and cooked dinner!!!! He told me to enjoy the children and take some time to get used to the new camera he gave me for my birthday! So now all my hopes of learning about photography can be put to the test! I have now taken so many new photos that we need to upload and organize them all. You will see them in the coming weeks, and hopefully there will be steady improvement in my technique!

So suffice it to say that I had a VERY memorable birthday this year, and although I DID enjoy each and every part of it, what meant the most was the fact that my beloved cared to show in such an overwhelming way that he loves me. It was a wonderful beginning to my thirty-third year. For as many breaths as He grants me, I will give thanks to the LORD for His lovingkindness expressed in so many ways, so undeservedly!

"...Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth,
Thine own dear Presence to cheer and to guide,
Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow,
Blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside!...
Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord unto me!"

(Selected lyrics from "Great Is Thy Faithfulness" by Thomas O. Chisholm, 1923)

Monday’s Memoir

Last evening we experienced our first fireworks display in the cold. Yes, the explosions of light and color we usually associate with the celebration of United States Independence on a blistering hot day in July were seen in various areas of England this weekend. For our little family it was a “neighborhood” effort as the men folk from our little “farm community” set off the fireworks display for the enjoyment of the rest of us. Preceding the fireworks was a delicious potluck dinner of the following: assortment of pork pies and pasties, British “hot dogs” (I thought they were sausages with an unusual flavoring,) twice-baked potatoes, broccoli salad, mini pizzas, vegetarian sausages, dips, snacks, mulled wine, and other beverages. Directly following the dinner and accompanying socializing, most of our crowd headed outdoors for the fireworks where a sumptuous assortment of desserts and hot drinks were served out in the cold! (Liam had had QUITE enough fireworks the evening before, when they kept him from going to sleep at bedtime, so he came back into our friends’ house to play with toys. Aine is not one to keep a hat on her head for long, so she and I stayed indoors, as well, while I sipped Peppermint Tea and chased her around.)

Why, you may be asking? Why fireworks in November? The answer is that today, November 5th, is known as Guy Fawkes Day around here. Traditionally, it has been the celebration of the execution of Guy Fawkes, who is notorious for having been among those who plotted to blow up Parliament and King James I on the fifth of November in 1605. This was referred to as the Gunpowder Plot. While other traditions for celebrating this “holiday” are quite gruesome and morbid, in my humble opinion (as I said it was originally in celebration of the execution of a terrorist) not a word was mentioned about Fawkes at all at our little child-friendly gathering! :) (In British schools, Guy Fawkes and his death are taught about as early as Pre-school. We learned this because one of our neighbors was horrified during her child’s first year of school when he came home retelling her all the gory details!)

So we have experienced our first “holiday” British-style now. Many of the other “holidays,” here referred to as Bank Holidays, are simply a Monday when banks and some businesses are closed, but there is no name for it and nothing is celebrated. Interestingly enough, THIS holiday IS celebrated, yet no one gets a day off. It is fascinating to note the differences, small and great between here and home.

Imagine that Usama Bin Laden is finally captured. In order to send a clear message to terrorists again, a public trial and execution are held. Then, in remembrance, people celebrate his conspiracies and execution, traditionally by burning effigies.

Sound like something that would not happen in America? Well, it happens in Britain, whom doesn't have the death penalty. Guy Fawkes day is pretty big here in the UK, especially in Yorkshire. The short of the story is that in 1605, Guy and his fellow conspirators planned to blow up England's parliament building while King James I of England was in it.

Now children run around asking,"A penny for the Guy" to help buy fireworks. It ends up being a lot like the 4th of July, except it is all throughout the countryside with great personal fireworks. (Availability of fireworks here are definitely better than a lot of US states.)

I thought that the idea was a little morbid, but it is a fun get together. Most people don't have burning effigies. They just have fireworks, bon fires, and fun. There is also a lot of things about Guy Fawkes in pop culture. The biggest of which is "V for Vendetta", which is a decent movie to watch.

I still have more questions about the "holiday" and look forward toward more Guy Fawkes days. "Remember, Remember the 5th of November..."