All posts by Nichole

Reading

A new favorite poem

Last weekend I found myself downtown with a little time to kill, so I went to the bookstore. I’m usually slow to make a decision at the bookstore, but this time I marched straight to the poetry section and picked up some Billy Collins and checked out. Then I sat on a bench, listening to a banjo-strumming busker and straining my eyes in the friscalating dusk light while I waited for my dining companions to arrive.

Collins’ “Today” was on Poppy’s memorization list a few years ago, because it makes me feel buoyant every time I read it and I hoped it would do the same for her. (As it turns out: She doesn’t remember memorizing it. I guess we’ll put it on next year’s list!) I wasn’t familiar with his other work, and I was happy to find that most everything in “Aimless Love” is just as accessible as “Today.” Here’s one of my favorites:

Litany

by Billy Collins

You are the bread and the knife.
The crystal goblet and the wine …
– Jacque Crickillon

You are the bread and the knife,
the crystal goblet and the wine.
You are the dew on the morning grass
and the burning wheel of the sun.
You are the white apron of the baker
and the marsh birds suddenly in flight.

However, you are not the wind in the orchard,
the plums on the counter,
or the house of cards.
And you are certainly not the pine-scented air.
There is no way you are the pine-scented air.

It is possible that you are the fish under the bridge,
maybe even the pigeon on the general’s head,
but you are not even close
to being the field of cornflowers at dusk.

And a quick look in the mirror will show
that you are neither the boots in the corner
nor the boat asleep in its boathouse.

It might interest you to know,
speaking of the plentiful imagery of the world,
that I am the sound of rain on the roof.

I also happen to be the shooting star,
the evening paper blowing down an alley,
and the basket of chestnuts on the kitchen table.

I am also the moon in the trees
and the blind woman’s tea cup.
But don’t worry, I am not the bread and the knife.
You are still the bread and the knife.
You will always be the bread and the knife,
not to mention the crystal goblet and — somehow — the wine.

menu plan Monday

I like mine with lettuce (no tomato)

Last night I made soy-scallion flank steak on the grill Rockford and the kids gave me for Mother’s Day. I didn’t marinate it as long as I usually do, and the cherry wood chips I tossed in overpowered the marinade. It was a delicious learning experience.

It was also the first chance I’d had to use the grill, other than seasoning the grates and making some s’mores with it. Most of the kids’ evening activities ended last week, though, which frees my evenings up for grilling a variety of meats in the backyard.

Monday: Cheeseburgers
I didn’t quite get flame-broiled grill marks, but the burgers were the juiciest I’ve made in quite awhile.
Tuesday: Grilled chicken
I generally use my sister-in-law Chloe Poppins’ grilled chicken recipe, which calls for a brief soak in Italian dressing before hitting the grill. Rockford was in charge of the grocery this week, though, and he opted for a sesame marinade. I’m sure it will do the job.
Wednesday: Peanuts? Cracker Jacks?
We might be going to a baseball game.
Thursday: Spaghetti
Can you grill meatballs? I wasn’t really planning to try, but if you tell me it’s possible I might give it a shot.
Friday: Grilled pizza
I have been wanting to grill some pizza for years. My research suggests that the pizza stone I use in the oven will crack at the temperatures I’ll be using in the grill, so I need to get a grill-happy stone. It’s on my to-do list for the week.

I’m hoping to do a low-and-slow smoked something on it soon, but for now I’m still working to learn to keep the temperature steady. Do you have a go-to grill meal? If it’s not a top-secret recipe, share it with me! I’d love to try it out.

Homeschool

Tactile tactics and other activities for the reluctant speller

6 Comments

We started using All About Spelling with Pete last year in an attempt to address his difficulties with spelling, but apparently it hasn’t done the trick. It was the only area he struggled with on this year’s annual testing. I was surprised, because he seems to have learned the rules presented in AAS pretty well. He just isn’t applying that particular information outside of our designated Spelling Time.

The lady who administers the test said, “Pete is like a river. If he runs into an obstacle, he just goes right around it without a care.” And she’s right. He hasn’t had to do much writing yet, so he hasn’t had much incentive or opportunity to apply the rules.

At her suggestion, we’re trading in All About Spelling in favor of a slower, more hands-on approach to see if maybe that will help. I’m not sure what to do yet on the incentive front, but part of our exercises will be writing-based so Pete has the opportunity to use the words he’s studying more often.

To that end, I’ve been scouring the internet for fun and engaging ways to study spelling, and I’m saving every great resource I find on Pinterest. Here’s the board!

Follow Nichole E’s board spelling activities on Pinterest.