I’m a huge fan of Far Side by Gary Larson. If you aren’t familiar with it, it’s a syndicated comic that was usually one pannel. The figures are distorted and the humor is quirky. One that has stuck with me was titled “Classic Conversation Stoppers.” The panel is divided into four squares and depicts four men talking to guests. Each of the men is saying something that is guaranteed to end a conversation. My favorite is the guy saying, “‘Contagious? Contagious?’ I asked my doctor. ‘Realy contagious,’ he tells me.” Insert awkward pause. Have you ever experienced something like this? You say something and people respond with awkward silence. 
       Last year I created a presentation about World War I to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the end of the war. After completing that I decided to work on a presentation commemorating the 100th anniversary of the 19th amendment to the Constitution, which grants women the right to vote. I thought World War I had been tricky to investigate, but nothing could have prepared me for the mess that I’ve found during my study of the women’s suffrage movement. 
       In my research, I’ve studied Biblical anthropology - the study of humans as they relate to God, the history of women in the United States and Western Culture, and the philosophical foundations of the feminist movement. Phew! I’ve read about Upity Women of Medieval Times, Wild Women of Michigan, 12 Extraordinary Women of the Bible. I’ve read The Women’s Hour, Roses and Radicals, and (I truly loved this one) Cinderella Ate My Daughter. Relating to business I’m reading Lean In and, as a counterpoint, Lean Out. I’m intrigued and immensely enjoying this research, but all these viewpoints and counterpoints leave my brain a tangled mess. When my thoughts become tangled, I find the best method of unraveling them is talking. I’ve come up with some of my best party planning ideas when talking to the cashier while at the supermarket checkout. (Probably why I’m not interested in curbside pick up or grocery delivery.) 
       In the past few months, I’ve learned that the phrase, “I’m studying the history of women’s rights,” is a classic conversation stopper. People become uncomfortable and shift around looking for an out. One person abruptly stated they had to leave and ran away. I think most people are afraid of getting involved in a controversial conversation because of the tension in our current culture. 
       Viewpoints collide and emotions run deep, but I believe that this is a very important and vital study. I keep typing and deleting as I’m trying to explain further, but I’ll never be able to fit everything I want to say in this post. I’m going to state a few truths I’ve discovered, and leave it at that for now.

• God created man in his image and laid down commands that establish what we call human rights. (E.g. God said, “You shall not kill.” You do not have the right to kill me. I have the right not to be killed.) 
• Media and marketing send out subtle messages that impact us much deeper than we realize. 
• Women and men are both loved by God and designed with unique roles. We sometimes add to God’s expectations for men and women because of the influence of our culture.
• The need to protect women’s rights is going to continue to be a heated debate and it is one that Christians need to become active participants in. (Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity - SOGI - laws are trying to eliminate the fixed terms “men” and “women” and instead argue that a person’s identity is fluid. To protect women’s rights, we must be able to say what a woman is. We cannot legally protect a category of people if we cannot identify that category. From Love Thy Body by Nancy Pearcey) 

       That’s all I’m going to say about this for now. I can already feel the discomfort and I can hear the, “Well, I don’t know what she means by that,” running through your mind. Feel free to comment below or message me if you want to talk more about this and look for future posts about women’s rights. Wait! Where are you going? I need someone to talk to about this! ​

     The news reports statistics that demonstrate an increase in cancer and heart disease. Desperate to prevent and cure these, we spend ample resources protecting ourselves and our loved ones. We take supplements, exercise, buy organic, and spend fraught filled hours researching the safest household products. Could my water bottle be killing me? Yet even with all this, careful prevention people die of heart disease. People still get cancer. Each year over 600,000 people die of each, which amounts to more than 1.2 million deaths per year in the United States alone.        
       I share these statistics because I want you to know that I understand the devastating effects of diseases. I have friends who are fighting and suffering through these and know many who have lost their battles. What I would like to offer today is some perspective and a dose of hope into the devastation and brokenness of modern diseases. 
       One of my favorite genres to read is medical mysteries and histories. My three favorite examples of these are Quakery: A Brief History of the Worst Way to Cure Everything, The Royal Art of Poison: Filthy Palaces, Fatal Cosmetics, Deadly Medicine, and Murder Most Foul, and Get Well Soon: History's Worst Plagues and the Heroes Who Fought Them. My family is often horrified by these books, but I just can't get enough. Anyone who reminisces for times gone by and wishes they could live in the olden days should be slapped and forced to read any one of these. I say that jokingly, but our minds are skewed by watching historical dramas on film and wondering at the beauty and ornateness of palaces and castles. Sickness reigned supreme and in our days of nervousness over how many and which types of supplements should we be taking, we forget just how bad life was. Let me explain.

• Your doctor was just as likely to kill you as he was to help you. In The Royal Art of Poison, the author describes some royal deaths then uses modern forensic science to determine if the death was natural or murder. Whether natural or murder most of the royal deaths were aided and abetted by physicians. Doctors routinely prescribed mercury and other toxic remedies. Much is made of the process of bleeding, but bleeding isn't the worst. Bleeding is based on the theory that bodies contain four humors - blood, yellow bile (from the stomach), black bile (from the bowels), and phlegm. Depending on your sickness they would attempt to balance these humors. Physicians would bleed patients, give them powders and enemas to make produce vomit and diarrhea, AND work to draw puss from wounds. Trip to the ancient doctor anyone? Many of these people would have healed had they been given chicken soup and sent to bed. Plague doctors (incidentally, Logan's Halloween costume) wore the long beak mask thinking it would protect them from the bad air that caused the disease. It did protect them but not for the reason they thought. In reality, it kept them from breathing in the bacteria that caused the sickness. Centuries would pass before the real known cause of diseases (bacteria, viruses, and mutating cells, etc.) would be known.
• Your beauty products were poisonous. In England during the time of Elizabeth I, the style was for women to have broad foreheads and very pale skin. They would apply copious amounts of powder and foundation which were full of lead and other toxins. I know that much is made of the chemicals in today's cosmetics, but those are minute when compared to those of yesteryear. Besides causing paranoia and sickness the lead also kept sunlight off the royal face and many nobles suffered from rickets and other vitamin deficiencies. 
• The decor may have been lovely to look at, but that would probably kill you too. In the early 1900s radium was all the rage. People were obsessed with glowing things and marveled at the beauty. Only later did scientists realize just how dangerous all those glowing items were. Lead paint and mercury are partly responsible for the image of the eccentric artist and the mad hatter. These people weren't just weird, they were being slowly poisoned. 
• Poop was everywhere. I'm sorry, there just isn't a polite way to word this. Because it is so gross most historical dramas and histories gloss over this point, but it is unfortunately true. Chamber pots were used in the house but then dumped into the streets or into a cesspit that seeped into groundwater. Sometimes families would cohabitate with livestock. In some living situations, according to Get Well Soon and Act Natural: A Cultural History of Misadventures in Parenting, the cattle lived on the top floor. Yes, you read that right. Above the family. Think about that next time you are in a barn. Ever wondered why royals had so many palaces? I have and I finally got my answer in The Royal Art of Poison. According to Eleanor Herman, royals and their courtiers would defecate and urinate in hallways, stairwells, and occasionally chamberpots. The air was foul and unbearable. To alleviate this, court would move to a different palace until the servants could clean the previous one and the whole cycle would start again. 
• Bathing was thought unhealthy. Doctors inflicting misery, beauty products and decor poisoning users, cities filled with the stench of human and animal waste and to top it all off bathing was considered dangerous. Louis XVII is said to only have bathed twice in his life. Elizabeth I was considered odd declaring, "I take a bath once a month, whether I need it or not." Granted that the water was usually nasty and full of filth but - UGH! - can you imagine the stench?

    So what's my point? Here it is. We are all going to die. After reading these books I'm astounded that any of us have made it to 2019! Cancer and heart disease are just two of the illnesses we don't have cures for (yet), but perhaps more people are being diagnosed with them because we aren't being killed by our doctors, cosmetics, decor, lack of sanitation, or lack of hygiene. We are living long enough to get cancer and heart disease. A universal truth is that death will come to us all because of sin. Romans 5:18 states "Therefore, as one trespass [Adam's sin] led to condemnation for all men [and women], so one act of righteousness [death and resurrection of Christ] leads to justification and life for all men."
    I look forward to a future free from death and misery, but we aren't there yet. Because of sin, we will all die of something. The hope I offer is that by God's grace in preserving my life and your life through medical science and investigation He has given me more time than those who lived before. We are now living longer and enjoying greater health than that of any other time in history. Give thanks for the health (no matter how little) you have and praise God for his gift of salvation! 

       I recently had the amazing opportunity to present at a teacher's convention. This particular convention included Christian educators from all over the Great Lakes Region. I presented about World War I and about teaching history with a Biblical worldview. I think I'm supposed to be all calm and professional about it, but can I just say -- THAT WAS SO MUCH FUN!!! I got to talk to teachers and talk about nerdy history stuff and it was just the best! Okay, back to sounding like a calm adult. I would relish any other opportunities to speak to groups in the future should the opportunity arise. 
   Although my presentations weren't specifically about reading books, I had stacks of books to recommend at each. I see immense benefits in students reading across a broad spectrum of genres and topics. Reading allows students to take their education into their own hands and study what they are interested in. Because we all differ so much in personality, it is always difficult if not impossible to find books that please everyone. When teaching 6th-grade reading, I used a method that I learned from Donalyn Miller in The Book Whisper. I assigned a total of 36 books for my students to read throughout the school year. I know this sounds daunting, but here's how it worked. 

• 36 books worked out to one book per week. I didn't assign books, but rather genres. Students had to read 3 fantasy, 3 science-fiction, 6 books of the Bible, 3 realistic fiction, 4 non-fiction, 3 historical fiction, 3 classics, 2 traditional literature, 2 mystery, 2 poetry, and 5 of the genre of their choice. 
• Students were given time to read during class multiple times each week. This would not give them all the necessary time to do the reading, but it significantly helped. During this time I would read with them. Sitting there quietly absorbed in whatever book I was reading, I modeled reading behavior. Sometimes I would be angry with what I was reading, sometimes I would look sleepy and have to move to focus my attention, and sometimes I would read quickly with concern. Then we would talk about how we felt about what we read. I would not quiz them about it, but more as a discussion using the language we of literature. "Did you get to the inciting moment yet? The climax of that book comes so late in the story! Isn't she the BEST antagonist!?"
• After reading a book, students would turn in a reading response, not a report. Based on their responses I could generally tell whether or not they had read the book. We also discussed and read our books in class so if a student was without a book or had nothing to report it became clear that they were not reading. They would turn in their reading responses and I would either pass them with a seal (the animal) stamp (the seal of approval) or ask them to redo it with a "You Shall Not Pass" and Gandalf stamp. I created my own responses for Bible reading and altered a few that I found on line. My favorite pre-made responses were these available on Teachers-Pay-Teachers.
• Each student received a reading notebook to keep track of their reading and notes. This was checked and graded each quarter.
• After finishing a book, students wrote the book's title on a strip of construction paper and made a chain that circled the classroom. 

​       There are places for book studies and I'm not denying the benefits of reading together as a class. My classes read short stories together and did book studies that included The Lord of the Flies, Midsummer's Night Dream, and Macbeth. The advantage of letting the students choose their books is that they will like reading more if they are interested in what they are reading. Non-fiction is a huge category and includes a history of football, Undefeated, or a funny history of our language, Much Ado About English, or a historical thriller like Chasing Lincoln's Killer. Motivation to learn grows as students read about things they find interesting.
    I used this method for three years and saw immense success. Pitfalls could arise so it's important for each teacher using this program to consider the definition of success that best matches their goals. My goal was to encourage literacy and get students reading. I had some students that only managed to read 5 or 10 books. I saw this as a win. As long as they noted everything and turned it in they at least got a C grade. (By the way, a C is and is acceptable. I'll write about that another day.) 
     I also allowed and even encouraged students to read graphic novels. Nathan Hale writes fantastic graphic novels in the historical fiction genre. Some graphic novels, such as Snow White, have little to no words but tell a compelling story. I would talk with students and make sure they understood the symbolism and picked up on the literary devices the author employed in the illustrations. Learning to "read" pictures is a very powerful tool especially in this day when images are king.  
       For my class, success equaled books consumed. And did my students consume books! During the 2015-16 school year, I had 52 students and we read over 1,400 books. Below, you can see a picture of our book chain. So that's how I taught reading. I got to read and learn with the students and we all grew. Maybe it isn't for every classroom, but I can't imagine my life without this experience.
​       What was your classroom reading experience like as a middle school and high school student? Comment below and let me know. 

       So, back to the bus. In just the few minutes it's taken to type this, almost 50 people have climbed on and off the bus. A docent inside tells the story of that December day in Alabama and points out the seat that Parks refused to give up. The children inside excitedly vie to sit in the exact spot then skip off happy that they've experienced a part of history. There's even a Scandinavian tour group with professional film equipment filming about it. I have no idea what they are saying but it’s interesting to watch them explore the history of our country. 
       In my research about American women, I've come across Rosa Parks several times. Each time I've read that she is brave because she sat.  When I read this it's felt like something has been missing. There were several people before Parks who were arrested for refusing to give up their seats which made me wonder what was different about their story. They sat. Why don't their names go down in history? 
       Oddly enough the answer came when I was reading the book The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business. In the chapter referring to habits of societies, Duhigg explains that Parks was a unique individual because of her character and her community involvement. "Parks' many friendships and affiliations cut across the city's racial and economic lines. She was the secretary of the local NAACP chapter, attended the Methodist church, and helped oversee a youth organization at the Lutheran church near her home. She spent some weekends volunteering at a shelter, others with a botanical club, and on Wednesday nights often joined a group of women who knit blankets for a local hospital. She volunteered dressmaking services to poor families and provided last-minute gown alterations for wealthy white debutantes." He goes on to connect the facts and mentions that the previous riders who refused to move were arrested, but nothing came of it because they were unknowns, yet when Rosa Parks was arrested it caused a ripple through the community. She had invested her time in the community and that community came to her support. 
       But all that community doesn’t explain my discomfort with celebrating Rosa Parks for "sitting." Duhigg, after detailing Parks' community involvement, explained that the former leader of the Montgomery NAACP and a white lawyer named Clifford Durr bailed her out of jail. Community leaders had been looking for a case to challenge bus segregation and with Parks' sterling reputation they believed they had found a worthy cause to take to the courts. Parks' husband was initially opposed to the idea because he knew the danger she was putting herself in. Her husband's warning, "The white folks will kill you, Rosa," was not an empty worry. Threats of violence and death were common for those who dared to alter the status quo, but despite the possible danger, Parks allowed her case to be the rally point for the protests and the boycott. Both she and her husband lost their jobs and received multiple death threats. Yet, she didn't give in and she allowed her case to move through the courts. Eventually, they moved to Detroit hoping to start over after losing so much. 
       There! There it is! Now, I am beginning to understand what was so remarkable about her. She shouldn't be remembered as a woman who sat. She should be remembered for 1.) Her kindness and community involvement. 2.) Refusing to move despite knowing the possibility of arrest or physical violence. (I was told by the docent that the bus drivers often carried clubs or guns to enforce the rules.) 3.) Standing and allowing her arrest to be used in the court case that changed a city and became a major event in the Civil Rights Movement despite the costs. Too often we relegate people's stories to a paragraph and forget that their lives are as complicated and as deep as our own. 
       Rosa Parks' story is one of compassion, community, and courage. She didn't receive the notoriety she has today until much later in her life. In our culture of instant gratification, it is important to share that standing up for something and being remembered rarely happens for those who don't have a depth of character. We need to remember that standing for what you believe in is not easy and will likely not lead to fame and success, but doing something because you believe it is the right thing to do may just change the world. 

Rosa Parks visited the Greenfield Village in 1992. These photos are of her at the Mattox House.

        Last week in my post about summer break, I emphasized that school does not have a monopoly on learning. Summer can be all about the best kind of learning. The kind of learning that expands the mind. The kind of learning that leads to interesting places and people. The kind of learning I hope Logan will continue with for the rest of his life. 
       There are two parts of our summer bucket list this year. I want to visit some interesting places and try some fun things with Logan, but I also want to work organizing some areas in the house, improving math skills, and  strengthening language skills. When considering academic work over summer break, I like to think of it as bonus time. We had too much homework for me to add on more during the school year so summer is the perfect time to learn a few things that will help with next year. I also want to play some fun games that teach as we play such as the periodic table battleship and the Pringles ring.
       The second part of the list is all about the go. I'm currently obsessed with my National Park Passport book and I want to collect several stamps available in our area. Detroit is part of the Motor Cities National Historic Area so several museums offer the National Park Passport stamp. On the list below, the areas with the available stamp have the green letters next to them identifying what they are. (Key below). Will we make it to all these places? Absolutely not, but we will have fun trying and often we get to them during days off school and weekends.
       Without further ado, here is the Gies 2019 Summer Bucket List. 

Visit Niagara Falls
Visit Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural NHS
Take piano lessons
Visit Whiting Forest
Clean out guest room closet
Visit River Raisin NBP
Visit Derek 
Study Men and Women in the Word with She/He Reads Truth
Learn about the law of diminishing returns with ice cream
Visit Cranbrook Gardens
Go to a baseball game
Make milkshakes
Host a class party
Day camp at the Henry Ford
Visit Stahls Automotive Foundation NHA
Ride bikes to downtown Rochester
Family game night
Pick Blueberries
Visit the Edsel Ford House and Gardens NHA
Play the license plate game
Visit Cambridge Junction Historic State Park NHA
Build an egg drop
Visit the Detroit Zoo
Read and complete Big Life Journal
Visit the Toledo Zoo with Fougeres
Watch fireworks
Family movie night
Visit Caseville
Star gaze
Memorize the definitions for the parts of speech
Visit Sleeping Bear Sand Dunes NL
Jackson Pollock Painting
Visit Yankee Air Museum NHA
Play periodic table battleship
Visit the GM Renaissance Center NHA
Build a LEGO fortress
Visit Meadowbrook Hall NHA
Visit Michigan Military Technical & Historical Society NHA
Make a Pringles Ring
Nerf Games
Plant giant sunflowers
Read a biography of Bob Ross
Finish London puzzle
Visit the Detroit Historical Museum NHA
Finish toy puzzle
Visit the Detroit Institute of Arts NHA
​Memorize times tables
Read Treasure Island

We're ready to grow and go!​

      Yes, okay. It is very unprofessional and definitely not grammatically correct to use all those exclamation points but this is a whole month dedicated to reading. A whole month! Dedicated to reading and books!!!! That deserves the use of gratuitous exclamation points if ever anything did. Every March, reading month is celebrated in schools across the country. Why March? Well, it's because Ted Geisel, Dr. Seuss, was born on March 2, 1904, and he made significant strides in encouraging children to read. If you want to know more about his contributions I would recommend Dr. Seuss & Mr. Geisel by Judith Morgan and Neil Morgan. 
       Anyway, schools across America will be doing all kinds of different reading programs to encourage reading among the students. Being a dedicated reader, this is a topic near and dear to my heart. When I was a first year English teacher I required the reading of the text book and possibly one outside book, but other nothing in addition. I was often asked by parents, "How can I get my child to read?" As my teaching progressed and I grew as a teacher, reader, and learner, I discovered that motivating others to read was more about leading by example than finding clever external motivations. Here are some things I learned along the way and have helped me grow reading programs and encourage life long learners. 

• Read together. At home, instead of making your child go up to their room and read alone like a punishment, make reading something you do together, them with their reading material and you with yours. Sit with them for 20 or 30 minutes and read with them. A physical book, magazine, or newspaper is best so your child knows you aren't distracted and looking at something else on your phone or tablet. One of the best ways to encourage children to read is to model it for them. Parents get mad that their children don't want to read, but if the parent is unwilling to spend time reading themselves, it sends a very clear message, "Reading is for kids not for grown-ups." While teaching in Romeoville, I was inspired by the Book Whisperer, Donalyn Miller. Her methods challenge kids and teachers to read deeply together. She encourages teachers model reading in front of their students to show them what a reader looks like. I remember thinking as I lay on my couch during the summer that this was a great idea, but when I got to school and it was time for the students to read in class I looked over at my desk and was tempted to use this time to get some papers graded so I could go home early. I gulped hard, told the students we were going to read for 15 minutes and picked up my book. I will never forget the looks on their faces as they realized with surprise that I was going to read for pleasure along with them. As the year progressed, we talked about the books we were reading and I read as many of the books they recommended as I possibly could. Their behavior and interest in reading was always much better when I was reading along with them.  It was also better when I told them to be quiet so I could focus on my reading. If I said, "Be quiet! It's reading time and you are supposed to be working," the students would continue murmuring and distracting each other. Instead I would say, truthfully, "I really like this book and I'm at a good part. Can you be quiet so I can read?" Every time they would quiet down so as not to disturb me. I still use this method when I'm subbing. It is amazing how cooperative students can be when you tell them you are enjoying yourself in a book. They grow quiet with a reverenced hush and usually try to look in their own book for that kind of connection. During reading time I would allow my class to move to a comfortable spot and curl up with their book. Occasionally, they would mess around and I'm sure not everyone was engaged, but the majority of the class was and we read a LOT of books. That year my 52 students read over 1,000 books! 
• Be honest about reading. It is okay to admit to a student that there are some books they won't like. I was reading through a book once that I refused to abandon because I was so far into it, but it was just awful. As I read it in front of my students, I would happily shut it after the timer ended because I was so happy to be done for the day. They knew I didn't like the book, but was pushing myself to get through it. Sometimes, I would make faces if the part I was reading was upsetting or gross. The students would watch me and ask about what I had read that day, "What happened? Why are you upset?" Often, they would pick up the book and read it after I was finished. Being honest and telling them that not all reading is good is more likely to hook them than guilting them into thinking that all reading is equal and they should never dislike it. I remember one student who told me he hated reading. At the time he had a book on his desk which I knew he was enjoying. I said," What do you mean you hate reading? Aren't you enjoying that book?" He responded, "Yes, I like this, but this isn't a real book," and then he gestured toward his textbook and said, "I hate reading this stuff." I assured him that most all normal people hate reading text books because they weren't meant to be read for high interest reading. Sure, publishers try, but it's an uphill battle to make a textbook something that anyone would call fun to read. I also assured him that he would only have to read textbooks for a few more years. The pleasure book on his desk was the real deal. 
• Discuss the books you are reading with them. According to Jim Trelease in the Read Aloud Handbook, many students don't understand that reading is a lifelong pursuit. They are told to do it by teachers and parents, but don't always connect it with adults and pleasure. Partly because it is generally a solo activity done in seclusion and partly because they just don't think about it. Teacher's posting signs outside their classrooms or telling their students what they are currently reading can make a deep impact on students. It's a type of solidarity that shows the students that learning is a life long pursuit. It says to the students, "Reading for pleasure and personal growth are not only what we tell YOU to do. It is something WE are doing too." 
• Read aloud. Students and children can be influenced to become readers when they are read to regularly. Jim Trelease has a list of suggested read alouds here. My favorite read aloud for babies is The Big Red Barn by Margaret Wise Brown. The words put babies into a trance making it the perfect bedtime story. For preschoolers the best read aloud is The Monster at the End of this Book. I would read this book anytime anywhere. Maybe I'll post a video of me reading it. This is one that my mom read to me and I just adored. As kids get older their interests will drive their preferences, but all stories come alive when read by a dynamic reader. 

       So how will you celebrate reading month? I recommend curling up with a good book then telling someone about it. Here's your challenge. Take a photo of a book that you are currently reading and post it on social media. Tag me! I would love to be part of the reading fun. Let's fill our feeds with encouragements to keep reading and growing. Subscribers will receive a copy of the poster I made for school. Encourage the teachers in your school to post what they are currently reading. We laminated ours so they can be updated with dry erase markers. 
       Never stop learning, Friends! 

       While in Kennebunkport on a church trip as a high schooler, I purchased a funny puppet. It was Lowly Worm from the Richard Scarry stories. Lowly cracked me up and I was a impulsive kid with disposable funds. We had fun with him on the trip even posing him with sites as we drove across the country. After coming home Lowly went into a box that wasn't opened again until Logan was around two years old. ​

       It was love at first sight. Since Logan was two Lowly has been his favorite companion. Watching Logan cuddle wit his worm has been entertaining to say the least. Logan has stacks of Richard Scarry books which have increased his curiosity and reading skills. Over the years Lowly has become dirty and his cloth has worn thin. Last year, we found the Doll Hospital and Toy Solider Shop in Berkley and had scheduled to bring Lowly in for repairs, but it went out of business before we could have Lowly fixed. Logan was crushed. He was heartbroken about Lowly's seemingly irreversible condition. Jason searched the internet and found a shop out in California. For over year we've talked about sending Lowly out west, but Logan wouldn't hear of it. 
       Finally after much convincing and confirming that the nice lady who fixes children's beloved stuffed animals wouldn't do anything to hurt Lowly we have sent him off. 
       This morning my heart ached to see Logan so scared and afraid. He was worried about Lowly getting lost in transit. He's worried about the California wildfires. He worried about earthquakes. He's worried. So we prayed. We prayed that Lowly would return to us safe and sound. We prayed that he would come back good as new and last for many years to come. Then after we prayed, I prayed. I prayed that Logan's prayers would be answered. I know he's just a worm, but if anything happens I'm afraid of how it will impact Logan's faith. He is convinced that God will take care of Lowly, but life experience has taught me that things do not always go the way I want them to. God sometimes chooses not to answer with, "Yes," but how would Logan deal with that loss? 
       "Trust God," is excellent advise and I believe that is true, but it's also hard. God's way is best, but often there are trials associated with that trust. I remember what it was like to love my stuffed animal friends. I didn't have a house full of siblings or tons of friends. The bond I felt with my stuffed animals was strong enough that I still feel emotionally connected to them. As I pray for Logan, I know that it will be alright. Whatever happens. But that is hard. So tonight I find myself praying for a worm and his cross country journey. Lord, I believe, but help my unbelief.

       One of my favorite shows growing up was the A-Team. The falsely accused Green Berets hid out in the Los Angles underground helping underdogs that were being oppressed. Often they would be overtaken and locked up by the bad guys or trapped by some scheme. (Inexplicably, they were always trapped with lots of power tools and fixable equipment.) The leader, Hannibal Smith, would devise a plan and the team would execute it. After achieving victory, he would always say, "I love it when  plan comes together." 
       As a learner, I love it when my reading combines to form a concrete and deeply understood idea. As silly as it seems, I get that satisfied feeling of everything coming together as it was planned to be. Today's word is an example of this coming together of ideas. 
       In my previous career as an English teacher, I was teaching Macbeth and discussing the concept of a tragic or fatal flaw. In Shakespeare's tragedies, the characters have a tragic flaw which is the ultimate cause of their destruction. In the plays we studied, the characters get what they want, but not in the way they saw it happening. Romeo and Juliet want to be together forever. They get that, but their togetherness is in death, not life. Macbeth is ambitious and wants to be above the rest as their leader. At the end of the play, he is raised up, but it is his head on a pike that is raised. As I was teaching this concept, a student said, "There's a word for that." Questioning her I said, "A word for what?" She said that there was a word for a tragic flaw, but she couldn't remember what it was. She had read it in The Fault in Our Stars by John Green. I had read the book myself and but had missed that part. Fortunately, she knew where it was mentioned in the story and I had a copy of the book on my Kindle. We looked it up and, sure enough, found it. The word was hamartia. 
       Around the same time, I purchased the book The Ology: Ancient Truths Ever New by Marty Machowski. It was recommended to me by a friend. The book teaches systematic theology to young children by breaking down the concepts into very understandable ideas with many illustrations. They call things "The Ology of of God" or "The Ology of Christ" instead of Theology or Christology. This helps kids understand and grasp the understanding that "ology" simply means "the study of." One of the "ologys" mentioned is "The ology of sin". I was looking up the actual name of this ology and discovered that it is Hamartiology. 
       At this point, it hit. Sin is our tragic flaw. When I looked up Hamartiology the sources said that in Hamartiology, hamartia is defined more as the missing of a mark, because sin keeps us from missing the mark of God's glory and perfection. (Romans 3:23) But I think that the tragic or fatal flaw definition also makes sense here. I brought this back to my class and we discussed the impact that sin has on us. Although mankind was created perfect in God's image, sin marred that perfection and became our tragic fatal flaw. 

Today's Word: Hamartia

Four syllables. Pronounced [hah-mahr-tee-uh]. Noun. Defined on dictionary.com as a tragic flaw. Today, I challenge you to contemplate your own tragic flaw. The sin that you cannot conquer on your own that only Christ can clean up for you. It can get overwhelming, but praise God that he didn't leave us without hope and offers us salvation from our hamartia. 

I would also like to mention that this discovery was made possible by three things. (1.) The Holy Spirit guiding and directing in my life. (2.) Reading a wide variety of books on a wide variety of topics and reading what the students in my classroom were reading at the time. (3.) A classroom that allowed for expression and curiosity. I allowed the student to question me and my limited knowledge regarding the word for a tragic flaw. I indulged the curiosity of the moment by stopping the lesson and searching for an answer. I came back to them with updates as I learned from The Ology. This all took time away from my original plans, but the impact was much greater than had we just moved on. Shortly after this, a student brought in a page from his Word-a-Day calendar. I still keep it hung on my wall to remind me of the lessons we learned and the joy I felt in teaching those students. 

       Every year during the summer we go to a bunch of places and have a pretty great time together. I post about the things we do with the intention of motivating others to get out and experience life. I never intend to brag or shove our happiness down the throats of others or make others feel like we are winning some weird life competition. A comment that I've seen a few times on my posts reads, "You are such a good mom!" or some other variance of the statement. This. Makes. Me. Cringe. Please forgive my lack of grace in accepting this compliment, I just don't think its fair. No, I don't think I'm a bad mom, but I don't think of my adventures with Logan as making me any better than a mom who is unable to go to these places. I only have one child. I am a teacher which means I am free during the summer. This is not the case for the majority of the people I know. Some moms have full time jobs. Some have more than one child. Some have other things keeping them from travel and/or local adventures. I can participate in these summer adventures because of the circumstances God has placed me in. 
       So often we look at other people and compare their lives to our own without understanding the trade offs they make. For example, we travel a lot. When we fly, we fly Delta and stay at any variation of Hilton hotels. This is great and I'm happy to be a loyal customer of both, thanks to the loyalty points collected through business travel. As a family we've been to Paris, Disney, and other places and it's fabulous. But the cost of this is my husband's constant business travel. During a few months last year, thankfully non-consecutive, he was home less than seven days. This gets frustrating for many reasons, but we live this way because it works for us. Our travel allows us to reconnect and grow as a family and Jason's hard work pays the bills. 
       For some families, dealing with a parent traveling wouldn't work. They would be unwilling to deal with the stress or unable due to a variety of unique issues. That doesn't mean either family is better. Jason's failure to be home every night allows us to have the success of being a family that travels. For some people they are happy to fail to travel but enjoy the success of being home together every night. There's a trade off. 
       This trade off applies to everything.  If I run a marathon I miss out on time I wanted to spend with family and friends. If I spend time with family and friends I give up my chance to run a marathon. If I spend a day cleaning and caring for my home, I miss a coffee date out with my friend. If I go for coffee with a friend, I miss out of time necessary to care for and clean my home. In these four examples there isn't anything better than another. I like running. I like spending time with family and friends. I like having a clean home. I like coffee dates with friends. But I can't have it all. 
       Marketing and our social media feeds makes us think we can have it all. We see the highlights of the lives of others but rarely see their struggles. We. Can. Not. Have. It. All. It's just not possible. Women's magazines or family themed magazines like Parents offer parenting hacks or how to balance work and life, but the cover images show families smiling and happy with clean and organized kids. We're usually pretty cleaned up for my Instagram posts too.

A little behind the scenes view of my social media: 
Me: Logan, smile. Logan. LOGAN!
Logan: I am. 
Me: No, not like that. You look like you're in pain. Come on. We're doing this cool thing together. Just SMILE!
Logan: (looking like he's holding in a fart). 
Me: Aughhhh!!!!! (this makes him laugh). 
Me: Caption photo "Just an easy going day at ______. So much fun."

Please tell me I'm not the only one. Please.

​       One book that has influenced me and given me courage to be bold and pursue my writing is Year of Yes by Shonda Rhimes. I do not agree with everything that Shonda says, but her writing style, personality, and personal challenges deeply connect with me. On June 8, 2014, she gave the Dartmouth commencement address in which she addressed the question, "How do you do it all?" This was her answer. 

       Even that seemingly unattainably perfect woman described in Proverbs 31 made trade offs. She was not always there for her family. Look at the passage. She's buying land, she's making and selling garments, she's amazing. Verse 21 says, "She is not afraid for her household when it snows, for all in her household are doubly clothed. " I imagine that just as she's sitting down with her sewing a little one begins demanding her attention. "Not now, little one. Mama is working on warm clothes for us. I said, NOT NOW." Okay, maybe she wouldn't raise her voice, but I imagine she was firm and when the snow came she could say, "See, that's why I worked so hard. Now you are nice and cozy warm." Maybe they would grudgingly acknowledge her work as young children, but as they grew up they understood her incredible work ethic and appreciated her. She works hard and verse 31 says, "Give her the reward of her labor and let her words praise her at the city gates." She made choices and she is praised for her work. Part of her diligent teaching was training her children to figure things out for themselves. Success. Failure. 
       This is the key to intentional living. Evaluating why we do things. Recognizing the successes and the failures and accepting those choices and their consequences. I'm trying to teach Logan this. Sometimes he wants to two things that are occurring at the same time. Both are good choices, but it is only possible to do one. I think it's important for him to see those success and failures instead of me giving him the impression that either of us can do it all. It's not always easy, but that's life. 
       I hope I didn't discourage you today. Being a success and a failure is hard, but if you accept the choices it can be very rewarding. Stand strong! Be an example to those within your circle of influence by admitting that you can't do it all. I'll go first. I'm Edy, and I'm a success because I'm a failure. 

       My last few posts have been a bit heavy. From ultimate school commuting with Mrs. Mendeleev to the discussion of suffering and the beautiful ending to stories, we've covered some weighty stuff, so let's lighten this up and switch gears. 
       Learning new words can be a chore when the task is formalized by an academic assignment, but when they are discovered in their native territory, written and spoken language, learning words can be fun. My son has a extensive vocabulary for someone going into the sixth grade and people sometimes comment on his knowledge of words. They assume I've been busy teaching him or we learn it from the literature we listen to, but if I'm being candid here, he's learned a ton of words from Phineas and Ferb. He tells people he is an Anglophile (someone who loves all things English) and points out the aglet on people's shoelaces. Both of these words were the centers of P&F episodes. We laugh about these words and talk about them and soon after they enter our everyday language. 
       One of the things on our summer bucket list was to read Something BIG Has Been Here by Jack Prelutsky with drawings by James Stevenson. If you aren't yet familiar with Jack Prelutsky's poetry you need to familiarize yourself with it immediately. His poetry is published in books about the length of Shel Silverstein's Where the Sidewalk Ends or A Light in the Attic, but Prelutsky's work is more lighthearted. He is silly and writes in nonsense much the way Edward Lear wrote his Nonsense Poetry. The poems are light-hearted, fun, and silly, but they contain some pretty high-level vocabulary. 
       Nonsense is good. Nonsense is great. Especially when you are tired and just want a laugh. It's a way to intellectually stimulate your brain without being intellectual. For sake of copyright, I cannot write out any of Prelutsky's poetry, but Edward Lear wrote a very long time ago so his work is now public domain. Here's an example of Lear's work. 

       Isn't that delightfully nonsensical? Yes, yes, I know it is stupid and doesn't make sense, which is why Mr. Lear titled it Nonsense Poetry. If his title was "Romantic Poetry" we could be confused together, but he made his intention clear. But even this silly limerick can be a great teaching tool. First, geography -- Where is Hong Kong? Second, pronouncing the words. Rhyme and repetition can build confidence and increase comprehension. Third, do you see that fabulous word in there? Innocuous -- not harmful or offensive. Bonus -- why is he laying with his head in a bag? (Remember, keep it silly.)
       Note: There are some limericks in Lear's collection that could cause offense because of underdeveloped racial acceptance during his time period. I would recommend reading ahead and only reading the ones that are appropriate with your child or class. 
        Although I love Lear, I chose today's word from our summer book, Something BIG Has Been Here. Possible options of fun words we read in this collection were as follows: 

• monotonous (until the final s every other letter is an o) 
• vastly
• promptly
• gruesome
• unbenignly
• unseemly
• conniption

But the word that takes the cake, or at least this week's spotlight is disputatious. 
Today's Word: Disputatious
       Four syllables. Pronounced dis-pyoo-tey-shuh s. Adjective. Defined in the OAD as fond of having arguments. The poem is titled "The Disputatious Deeble" and is about the Disputatious Deeble who argues about everything. If you say, "It's freezing!" he says, "It's far too hot!" The illustration shows a very disgruntled old man with his arms crossed. After reading the title of the poem and realizing I didn't know what disputatious meant we googled it on my smart phone, heard the pronunciation, read the definition, and went back to read the poem. We cracked up because Logan has a bit of the Disputatious Deeble in him sometimes. Later in the day he was contradicting me and when I started to get upset he pointed out that he just realized that he was being disputatious. The moment calmed and we both laughed. In this case, a vocabulary word has helped a mother and son relate and take a step back in a heated moment. 
       So that's it for today. Enjoy your Wednesday and look for wonder words everywhere. 
       

Bonus Poem:
       I can't not share this poem. It is ludicrous. I love it. Maybe next time I'm disgusted with life I'll try a ballad and a salad too.