Desiderata

Go placidly amid the noise and haste, and remember what peace there may be in silence. As far as possible without surrender be on good terms with all persons. Speak your truth quietly and clearly; and listen to others, even the dull and the ignorant; they too have their story. Avoid loud and aggressive persons, they are vexations to the spirit. If you compare yourself with others, you may become vain and bitter; for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself. Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans. Keep interested in your own career, however humble; it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time. Exercise caution in your business affairs; for the world is full of trickery. But let this not blind you to what virtue there is; many persons strive for high ideals; and everywhere life is full of heroism. Be yourself. Especially, do not feign affection. Neither be cynical about love; for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment it is as perennial as the grass. Take kindly the counsel of the years, gracefully surrendering the things of youth. Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune. But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings. Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness. Beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself. You are a child of the universe, no less than the trees and the stars; you have a right to be here. And whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should. Therefore be at peace with God, whatever you conceive Him to be, and whatever your labors and aspirations, in the noisy confusion of life keep peace with your soul. With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be cheerful. Strive to be happy.

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Max Ehrmann, "Desiderata".^[1]

Pre School Reading Comprehension Exercise

Hello- I wanted to start making a note of some of the things I've learned. Here is a pre-school / kindergarten level reading comprehension exercise that I think is just awesome and fun.

Plus I'm a "mean mom" and want to make sure my kid is paying attention during story time!

Prep Time- About 8 minutes with the photocopier
Activity Interaction Time - About 12-16 minutes plus however long to read the book

1) Get a book with a plot (pick a book that has a story line, with a beginning, middle and end).
2) Read the book together. Here I'm illustrating the steps with "Where the Wild Things Are"

This exercise is best with a picture book that has a plot.

3) Photocopy some pages from the book that have the key points. No more than 4-6.

4) Lay them out but not in order.

5) Now you ask your kid, "Which came first?" Now if this is a little overwhelming, you can always narrow it down to a choice. So you would say, "What happened first in the story? Did Max make mischief of one kind or another, or did Max sail away?"

6) Have them select the appropriate page.

Here I've laid out the options on a table.

6. Pin them in order on a wall.
7. Repeat until they are all in order.

Here Matt and I are doing the exercise. He really enjoyed it!

This is a lot of fun.

Timing Dinner, shrimp in shallot and white wine sauce

Some Fall Updates

This is one of the views on the way to our train station. I like these peaceful Philly streets.

Meanwhile, Matt and I have done some alphabet activities this week.

I need to get back on my food photography but this week we kept it simple. Meatballs....

... And a staple I like to make in the fall, butternut squash and red cabbage stirfry with tofu and ginger. This is just perfect in the fall, even though the picture looks weird.

Camping on the Beach-

We somehow pulled it together for our annual camping trip on the beach, even though it was a quick one. Ger really spearheaded this one, even though he was exhausted from shifts he still managed to get all our stuff in the car in record time.

Muesli!

Used the last of homemade vanilla to whip up a batch if everything muesli. I'll have to post the recipe later in but it rocked the house, almonds, walnuts, flax, oats, poppy seeds, sesame seeds, coconut, goji berries, cranberries, apricots and more. It was truly luxurious.

Fall Craft