The Weekly Photo + Some Thoughts

I love this picture of these two. Elanor being goofy and Alice watching and trying to figure Elanor out.

Some thoughts:

I am generally an optimistic person that believes there is much good in this world--and I still do. But I was having a real Theoden moment today. In the Two Towers film, Rohan seems to be on the point of destruction and the battle lost and the king, Theoden, says "What can men do against such reckless hate?" He said it in a moment of despair. I felt a bit like that after hearing and pondering much on the massacre in Florida. Also, added to that is all this built up sadness over the plight of so many refugees and my brother (who is on a mission in Sweden) hearing first hand so many horrible stories and knowing how burdened he feels because of it all and add that to an absolutely horrible and callous person running for president (ie Trump), and the fact that there are so many Americans who support him, and that gets me back to thinking about all these hurts and wrongs, and mean people and prejudice and racism and sexism and men getting away with rape and murder and what in the world is wrong with people?

But. 

Feeling pain and anguish and love is human and makes us human, to not feel means you must not be human, as Dumbledore explains to Harry (Book 5). Feeling these things is good, even if they break your heart. Harry did not beat Voldemort with violence or fancy wand waving. He sacrificed himself for the love of others (+plus some smarts and the Elder wand). This is the only way we can win too. Love. Sacrifice. Empathy. Service. I do not like the title "The War on Terrorism". We cannot fight evil with violence. It will not work. We can all be better. I can be better. We can love more. And I know in so many ways it does not seem as simple as that and there are so many complex and difficult things going on, but if everyone acted a bit more like the Good Samaritan all problems would cease.

I don't want to go on and on, but if you need to feel like there is good in this world or would like to feel some hope you should check out these videos:

I wrote a letter to my brother talking more about Harry Potter and love and if you would like to read it go here: https://scottboys.wordpress.com/2016/06/07/help-from-harry/ 

While there, you should also check out some of his letters about his experiences in Sweden.

To close, we cannot let fear get the better of us and stop us from helping those who need it. We are all human in this world and our differences should not stop us from rescuing those in need. All that matters is that we are all related and we should all love one another.

Also, sending so much love and many prayers to those in Florida affected by the horrendous massacre.

All About Elanor

It has been awhile since I have posted an update on Elanor. I did not even do one for her 5th birthday! She is 5 1/2 now and getting so tall. 

Elanor is really the same girl she has always been: funny, goofy, smart, passionate and a bit fiery. She feels things deeply and will cry during movies, loves her family and friends fiercely, and is generally caring and motherly to Alice. Elanor is reading now. We have been doing the "Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons" and we are almost done with the book. I highly recommend the book, by the way. She loves reading and has started reading books such as "Go, Dog. Go!" and the harder Bob's books. She also loves to be read to, which has been a part of her update since she was born. We have read many books out loud to her the past year such as "The Secret Garden", "Peter Pan"and her very favorite, "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" (she is on her third time reading it). We read Harry Potter to her out of the new illustrated book (which is one of the most beautiful things you will ever see). A new one will come out each fall, so we will read the Harry Potter books slowly as the illustrated ones come out (that way she has to wait like I did). Elanor is always playing Harry Potter and wants a Hermione doll from Santa.

We have decided to homeschool Elanor next year for kindergarten. There are a variety of reasons and some of them are: there are no half day kindergarten classes in Oregon, I want Elanor and Alice to be around each other more, so that despite their age difference they are close, I think that school is getting way too intense and kindergarteners now have homework (I'm pretty against homework until middle school), kindergarten is optional anyway, so no homeschooling paperwork, I am home and can teach her and want her to have more free time to play, explore, and have adventures, and I would really miss her. I am excited to teach her next year and have been getting ready to do so. She can read already, which will make it easy and my goal is to foster a love of learning. I am not too concerned about being overly academic, as I do not think that is too necessary yet. I am not sure if we will homeschool the year after, as I do think it is good for Elanor to learn from someone other than me. I am excited to see how it will go.

Elanor is such a special and fun girl. She has a great imagination, loves acting and being in plays, loves to dance, craves attention, loves her little sister so very much, loves going to church and loves reading scripture stories, loves to ride her two wheeler and is very good at riding it, loves being around people and can make a friend with anyone and is not shy at all, and is so funny. But also, she can be hard. She is spirited, opinionated, passionate and sometimes a little sneaky. We love this wonderful girl and know all of her hard things can also be her strengths. She has never been a boring child and I am just so glad she is ours. 

Also, Elanor is no longer sucking her thumb! Hallelujah!

We love our Elanor so deeply.

The Weekly Photo(s)

Late again. I am kind of the worst at this.

Should have been posted Monday, May 23rd:

 We celebrated my mother-in-law's birthday. What a wonderful mother and grandmother she is!

Should have been posted on Monday, May 30th:

 Hiking at Beacon Rock.

For today:

We went on a one night camping trip with just Alice, as Elanor was having a sleep over with her Mema and cousins.