The Tenant of Wildfell Hall

After reading The Tenant of Wildfell Hall, I don't know why we don't hear more about Anne Bronte than we do of her sisters. She was such a talented writer. This book is a bit disturbing, but it is beautifully written and has a happy ending. It was also a page-turner. Once I got about 3/4s of the way through the book, I just had to keep reading until I finished it. Wuthering Heights was a bit of a let-down for me, but I liked this book almost as much as I liked Jane Eyre. Now I want to read Agnes Grey!

Villette

I just finished reading Charlotte Bronte's Villette, and all I can say is, "Wow!" Jane Eyre is still my absolute favorite book, but this one would have to be a close second. It saddens me to think about how short Bronte's life was. I with she could have lived to write many more novels. I can't even put into words how beautifully she writes. Here's one of my favorite paragraphs:

"Happy hour - stay one moment! Droop those plumes, rest those wings; incline to mine that brow of Heaven! White Angel! Let thy light linger; leave its reflection on succeeding clouds; bequeasth its cheer to that time which needs a ray in retrospect!"

The Importance of a 5-Point-Harness Booster Seat

(Pause my playlist at the bottom of this page.)

This is not a book review, but it's something that's been on my heart since my daughter was about 2 1/2 years old. Most parents I know put their kids in belt-positioning booster seat when their child outgrows their carseat, or when the child turns 3 years old. My daughter goes to 4-year-old preschool, and when her class had a field trip I was shocked to see that she and one other girl were the only kids in harness booster seats. Most 3- and 4-year-olds are not ready to use the car seatbelts, even with a booster seat. They tend to either not fasten the belts correctly, or they lean out from the shoulder straps, in which case the shoulder strap is useless. I observed this when I drove my daughter and some of her classmates on a field trip.

Until recently, only two or three companies manufactured harness booster seats that keep a child in a harness up to 65 or 80 lbs. And the few seat in this category were quite pricey. But I noticed today that more companies are realizing the need for these seats, and parents now have more (and less expensive) options. I bought my daughter a Britax "Regent", and I've been very pleased. It's huge, though, so you have to make sure it will fit in your vehicle. The benefit to its large size, though, is that she's very comfortable, and she's even able to sit "indian-style" in it. She can stay harnessed in this seat until she weighs 80 lbs., which is great since she's big/tall for her age. I just found out that Britax is coming out with a model called the "Frontier" that is also a harness seat to 80 lbs., but it can be a belt-positioning booster to 100 lbs. That's a great option to have (the "Regent" does not have a seat belt option). It also doesn't look as bulky as the "Regent."

One seat that I might look into for my son is this one. The product description says that this booster can be installed safely without using the top tether, which would be a great feature if you move your seat to a different car or take it on trips. It also folds up and has a carry-strap.

Graco just came out with a model called the "Nautilus," and I'd love to find out what people think of it. It can be used with the harness for kids up to 65 lbs., and it can be used as a belt-positioning booster for up to 100 lbs. Has anyone out there reviewed this seat? I'd love to know more about it before my son turns 3 in September. It's only $150, which is about $100 cheaper than our "Regent" was.

Please consider using a 5-point-harness for your kids for as long as possible. Why not invest a little money to protect your most precious assets. It's better to be safe than sorry!

Well, I finally finished reading Wuthering Heights, by Emily Bronte. I wasn't very impressed. It was definitely better than Northanger Abbey, by Jane Austen, but not nearly as good as Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Bronte. I guess since the authors were sisters, I thought that I would love it since I thought that Jane Eyre was one of the best novels ever written. Oh well.

I read Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen, and I thought it was one of the worst novels ever written. I was so disappointed because I'd always wanted to read one of Austen's novels! Did I just read the wrong one? Should I try Pride and Prejudice? Anyone have an opinion on that one? In Northanger Abbey, the characters just talked through the whole book. I kept waiting for something to happen, and it just didn't. They walked, talked, went to balls, talked some more...yawn. This was only the second book I've ever read where I closed the book after finishing it and said, "Well that was a huge waste of time."

I've read some good non-fiction lately. I'm not sure if I'll ever homeschool, but I've been reading up on it a bit just in case. Lisa Whelchel ("Blair" on "Facts of Life") has written a great book called, So You're Thinking about Homeschooling. She has fifteen homeschooling families tell how/why they homeschool. It was very informative. The appendix has great resources too. I liked Lisa's writing so much that I just bought her book, Creative Correction. I need all the help I can get when it comes to discipline!

Does anyone out there enjoy reading Dickens??? I've tried to start A Tale of Two Cities SO many times, and I get stuck after about 50 pages. I'll read three paragraphs and think, "What in the world is he talking about?" Can anyone relate? When I try to read his novels I feel pretty dumb. I think I'm just going to have to accept the fact that I'm not a Dickens kind of girl and move on to other authors. Sorry Charles.

On another note...could anyone tell me how to underline words/phrases in html? I hate to write all of the book titles with no underlines.

Another one

(remember to pause the playlist at bottom of page)

Have a Blessed Easter

I posted this last year, but it's worth listening to again. Praise God that Friday wasn't the end of the story! It's Sunday, and Jesus lives!!!

Lucky Foot Stable

The generous folks at Sourcebooks recently sent me a set of children's books to review. I'm starting to read one of them to my kids, so I'll write up a review when we're finished.

Here is the description of the series from the publisher:
"The winner of three “Book of the Year” National Awards, writer JoAnn Dawson tells the tales of epic friends, Mary and Jody and their talented ponies, Lady and Gypsy. This series would be wonderful to share with your family because it emphasizes the importance of a healthy active lifestyle, imagination and a connection to nature. A delightful and engaging series, Lucky Foot Stables will have young readers wanting to play outside and create their own adventures!"

If your kids love horses, this sounds like a great series! Here is a link where you can read more about the books. I hope to be able to post a review soon!

Mwanahamis and Juan

On his blog, Shaun has asked us to share our experiences with Compassion International. Click here to read other bloggers' stories, and if you sponsor a child through Compassion please post your own story!

About a year ago, my husband came in from work and said he'd been talking to his carpool buddy about giving money to worthwhile causes. He said that his friend's family gives money to Compassion International and he thought it was a wonderful organization. My husband asked me if I'd like to sponsor a child as well. This was an answer to prayer! I'd wanted to do something like this for a long time. I'm ashamed that it took me so long to take action. We went to Compassion's website, and I saw a teenaged girl with the most beautiful smile. Her name is Mwanahamis. We signed up to sponsor her, and we soon received a packet in the mail. The packet contained information about her country, Tanzania, a recent photo of her, and stationery to use to write a letter to her. We were so blessed by this sponsorship that we decided to sponsor another child a few months ago. We're now anxiously awaiting a letter from Juan, a 9-year-old boy in Mexico. Looking at his photo, I see a little boy who's had to grow up too soon. I pray that we'll be a blessing to him and that the next photo we receive will show him with a smile on his precious face.

Mwanahamis writes us the sweetest letters, and she always draws pictures. She labels the pictures, and her translator includes the English translation. My kids and I have enjoyed learning a little Swahili! Mwanahamis will tell us Bible verses that have meant a lot to her, and she asks us to pray for certain things. She tells us her hobbies, and she always wants to know what sports we enjoy. I can tell that she's such a sweet girl. I would love to meet her one day! Please take a moment out of your day today to pray for Mwanahamis and her grandmother. Pray for her faith to remain strong no matter her circumstances. And pray for all of the people of Tanzania and other parts of Africa that have been devastated by AIDS. Many African children have lost their parents to the virus. When you sponsor a child from an area like Tanzania, you can add an additional $8 to your $32/month contribution, and this $8 goes to Compassion's AIDS Initiative. You don't have to contribute the extra $8, but I think it is the least that we can do to help fight this deadly virus. You can make a huge difference in a child's life by sponsoring a child here.