On Learning Latin: Katie's Perspective

This post is for the purpose of making sure that readers are not left with the idea that we live in a perfect homeschool world. There are some things that are not so pleasant to my children. Though others in the family may not share her - shall we say strong - opinion on the subject at hand, she has been heard. Loud and clear. By all in the family. Now YOU know, too.

The night I came home from a meeting and checked my email, I laughed heartily when this appeared. I still laugh when I read it:

Thoughts on Latin
By: Katie Brown
Date: September 23rd, 2009
 
Katie does not want to do Latin. She would drop it in a heartbeat if she were allowed to, but Noooooo!- not while her Mama draws breath. Oh well. Katie really wishes she never had to do Latin EVER again. She wishes foreign language didn't exist, but those sinners just had to build the tower of Babel. My goodness, really? You guys couldn't come up with anything better to do?!?! I mean, really?? Now we, generations and millenniums later, are suffering for YOUR sins... now WE have to bore ourselves with studying Latin.

Oh, Latin- "you rattlesnake, you reptile"... oh how I so strongly dislike you! You are the worst thing that ever happened to me. Oh, most horrible Latin, how you ruin each day and burden an otherwise happy soul and make it so bitter! I will never forget you (well, I'll forget the language, just not the pain you put me through to forget it in the end!).

Love you, Mom!
Katie

Hope you enjoyed the laugh, too!

Inflation: According to the Elf (hmmm....)

Inflation Explained to the Economically Challenged: Or What kind of strange things happen inside the mind of Jane Ellen when she has to compose an exam for her Economics course

Two girls stared awestuck at their computer screen. Slowly, Beatrix scrolled the mouse while she and her sister continued to drool over the vintage pictures Grandma Mary had sent them. Picture after picture flaunted darling dresses, vintage kitchens and antique cars, all in their prime. Towards the end of the slideshow, the picture appeared. A sudden gasp escaped from both the girls' lips. An inattentive passerby would only have seen a group of teens from the 195-s ordering at a drive through. What startled Beatrix and Rosalie was the menu. Hotdogs for fifteen cents? A soft drink for five? Were they dreaming? Indeed they were not. To their 21st century minds, such low prices were definitely worth gaping over. However, what they didn't realize was that the price rise over a course of 50 years was more than a coincidence. In fact, a logical explanation can be offered for it.

Prices rise as a result of either inflation or runaway inflation. Diamonds are valuable; this fact is well known (especially by the male variety of human beings who, seeking to please their lady-loves, take out a loan to purchase the glittering pebbles). Because few flawless diamonds exist, the meager amount that are around have been highly priced and prized. If diamonds were as common as, say dirt, would all the lady-loves feel special upon receiving one? I think not. This idea -- that an item's value is proportionate to it's quantity -- is an important one when it comes to economics. Inflation is purely and increase, or a rise, in the amount of money. Following the logic explained above, when more money is circulating amongst the population, the money is less valuable. A runaway inflation, like a toddler on a caffeine high, is simply out of control. Prices rise over a matter of hours when runaway inflation occurs! Obviously inflation is a very serious matter, buy how does it effect a rise in prices?

When money isn't valuable, desirable items are going to cost a lot more. To illustrate my point, imagine the infamous muffin man's plight. Once up on a time in A Land Far, Far Away, the Drury Lane dweller sold decorative tins brimming with delectable muffins for two dollars a piece. But then Old King Cole, not wanting to be outdone by his brother, Good King Wenceslas, decided to rebuild his gingerbread palace. Rashly, he began to purchase all the various building materials (you know the sort -- gingerbread, frosting, gumdrops) and hired plenty of construction workers (mainly elves -- they really are the most efficient creatures in A Land Far, Far Away). Unfortunately, before Old King Cole finished his melt-in-your-mouth mansion, the Royal Treasure Chest ran out of money. Impatient for the castle's completion, the monarch demanded money. Quickly, all the king's men started manufacturing extra pennies, dimes and dollars.

All that money started dancing around A Land Far, Far Away and, living up to the law of inflation, decreased in value. The mill workers, chicken farmers and orchard owners had to start raising the prices for their flour, eggs and blueberries. Therefore, the muffin man had to pay more for the ingredients he needed to create his munchy morsels. Just getting by with two dollars for a tin, the muffin man didn't see how he was going to survive on it in it's inferior state and keep all the king's horses from knocking him off a wall, the consequence for indebtedness. (You didn't know that's what really happened to Humpty Dumpty, did you?) So, as much as he hated to, that good old muffin man raised the prices on his tins of muffins. Meanwhile, Jack had to require more money for his brobdingnagian beanstalks, Prince Frog for his rescue diving services, the Three Little Bears for their slow-cooked porridge and Truly A. Princess for her royal pea replicas. After a little while, everything in A Land Far, Far Away cost much more than it did before the palace renovation began.

Yes, I know the original fairytales are better, but my version fulfills my purposes beautifully by illustrating an important fact -- when inflation (more money in circulation) occurs, prices rise. Some people confuse the steps and believe that after prices rise, the government inflates to give people more money to buy things. Indeed, the opposite is true. If my cheesy allegory didn't make things click, you're welcome to memorize this: when the amount of money increases, the value of money decreases and prices increase. I'd suggest just remembering the story.

How's that for an explanation? I have no idea if it is right. What I mean is, I have no idea if it is sufficient as an answer to the essay question: "So what ever did happen to penny candy?".

But it made me laugh. And it sounds good. Enjoy.

This is what happens....

...when Joe is unattended.

Wonder when she took this photo?!?

Dear Lord, Thank you for food...and Emmy Xiang

Since she learned to pray before meals (shortly after she came to live with us, and really began talking), Emmy Xiang's prayer has been the same:

De-ah Lord, Thank you for food. Nourish it to my body. Jesus' name. Amen

We would knowingly smile at each other and say, "Sure are glad SHE'S being nourished!" But, really, how could we not?!? It's no secret she probably wasn't properly nourished before she came to us (though she was extremely well fed!). We would offer up our own silent prayers that this gift of food would nourish our bodies, too.

Recently, though, we've encouraged her to pray for "everybody's" food. So her prayer changed (a bit):

De-ah Lord, Thank you for food - for EVERYBODY. Nourish it to my body. Jesus' name. Amen.

I giggled to myself this morning when I realized that my girl is growing up. She's learning so much, and is beginning to distinguish differences. This was her prayer at breakfast with Gracie:

De-ah Lord, Thank you for food - for two people. Nourish it to my body. Jesus' name. Amen.

It is FINALLY finished!

IT....is done. It's been almost done for about 6 months now, though it was started over two years ago (yikes). I just haven't pulled out the sewing machine to get the last few stitches on. So, finally on Sunday, after a lovely, productive, wallpaper-stripping, garage-cleaning, movie watching Saturday, I gave myself permission (ahem....an ultimatum is more like it) to drag out the machine and sew on the binding. Then, I sat and handstitched it closed.

Drum roll, please. Friends and family, may I present OUR gift to Emmy Xiang. (Remember, we all contributed. I'll get to the scrapbook thing next year. Just kidding):



I'm so grateful that my little daughter doesn't have to sweetly ask (again and again), "Mommy, when you gonna sew my blanket?"

Emmy Xiang is absolutely thrilled with it. She spreads it out and sprawls on top of it....and sleeps with it and hugs it. Thank you, Lord, for reminding me again WHY I love to sew!



If you're new to us and want to know what this "blanket" REALLY is all about, check out these old posts....they tell the story (wow, it really was over 2 years ago! I guess waiting for a gift to be completed is just part of being one of dearest my family members. Is it like that for you, too? Do you take advantage of the ones you love? Forgive me, Lord.):

http://downtownwiththebrowns.blogspot.com/2007/06/100-good-wishes-quilt_01.html
http://downtownwiththebrowns.blogspot.com/2007/11/last-call-for-real-for-quilt-squares.html
http://downtownwiththebrowns.blogspot.com/2008/05/burning-up-sewing-machine.html

But don't go into Mr. McGregor's Garden, Peter...

Though you're welcome in our yard!

Meet Peter. Peter Rabbit.


Peter's been a frequent guest this year. In fact, he's given us a great reason to read the many tales of Beatrix Potter.

Emmy Xiang loves to hear the stories, but has enjoyed even more the BBC productions of the same tales. She's been inspired in many ways, quite the natrualist, especially in nature walks! Additionally, when she asked tonight to "do watercolors," I gathered the necessary supplies. She'd been busy setting herself up outside to paint there. You see, the opening of each episode of the Beatrix Potter tales shows Beatrix painting a landscape when rain, frequent in England, begins to drop. Emmy Xiang, the observer, gathered a cloth to sit on, her paint supplies - and an umbrella.

So, you see, we welcome Peter, though he eats the herbs on the front porch. He's not shy. But neither are we.

Buried with Christ in Baptism....

Raised to walk in newness of life.

Thanks be to God. Our Gracie publically proclaimed Jesus Christ as her Lord and Savior. She was baptized yesterday (by her Daddy), along with several other friends who attend our church. What a joyous day for her to look back on.

It was a bit tense, however, for the spectators. It was raining, quite hard, with many pops of thunder and lightning. Needless to say, the service was brief, but still as happy.

Thanks to my sweet friend Brandi for the video. Now our dear family and friends (who could not attend) can join us in the moment! Enjoy the photos and video.