Cool toys...

When I was a kid one of our favorite toys were the two Nerf Men we got for Christmas one year. We threw them all over the house. They were probably confiscated to prevent damage because I don't remember much more of them. Maybe they were so much fun we didn't do our chores. Or maybe my dad made good on his threat that he'd "cut it in half if you throw it in the house."

Anyway, I read an article on Monday in the Deseret News about toys. It highlighted a blog, The Toy Snob, kept by Nicole Bradley that reviews creative, aesthetic, classic-type toys. I took a peek and found a toy that I almost bought for my nephews last year- the Automoblox cars:
You can drive one of these for just $32 plus shipping from a great on-line game and toy store, Fat Brain Toys. They have great deals on pretty unique games and toys. The article also talked about the purpose of toys. I remember that a lot of our play as children was invented and much of it took place outside. I remember spending hours driving our Hot Wheels and Matchbox cars around a dirt hill with my brothers and friends.

These Automoblox cars come apart and even come in smaller versions ($10) and in sets of three for $26. Pretty cool.

The mini-cars:

I had better get married and have a kid so I can get some of these... for the kids, of course.

Why do we write? (re-post)

Alternate title: "Loren's Excuses for Blogging")
(original post was started on Feb. 2nd, but never finished and published until now)

I've thought the last week of the topics about which I could write. As a student at Utah State University I did a research project on the value of students to engage in reflective writing for students. This is one of the reasons that I like to write- in order to reflect. Often in the act of expressing ourselves is when we begin to bring greater understanding to our own thoughts (if we are actually thinking as we express them). There is a philosophy that exists in education that is termed, "Writing to Learn." The basic premise is that the writing requires us to summarize and synthesize our understanding in our own words. It reveals what is inside each of us.

Writing also brings clarity to our thoughts- it expresses what is inside us. Many times I have begun to understand concepts not only as I think on them, but as I seek to relate my thoughts to others. One goal I have as an educator is to help children read well, think well, write well, speak well, and serve well. We attempt to sow good, with the hope that their lives will yield a veritable harvest of attitudes and skills as they set out to change their world.

My mother gave me my first journal when I was about 7 years old and I have some entries I penciled in- full of mistakes and a mix of upper and lower-case letters. The first memorable entries are about fighting with my brothers and also about some ducks my brother had just brought home. I think we write about things that have impacted us or that we're thankful- see Bamamoma's blog about keeping a gratitude journal. I think we also write about compelling topics, about things we are particularly concerned or passionate. We share things that we want others to hear- or we just write because we want to remember. Just after I had started this blog entry I read Monica's blog on writing.

In early February I made a list of topics for about which I hope to write and reflect:
1. Writing (this entry)
2. My Mother
3. My Father
4. Where does a guy buy a good pair of shoes? (a plea for good shoe-stores for men)
5. Emergency preparedness & food storage
6. Home projects (tiling, yard, fences, flowers, trees, sprinklers, grass... can you tell that I have a lot left to do?)
7. Human Dynamics
8. Good, Better, Best
9. More favorite books (two recent ones)
10. 6 Thinking Hats (a model for decision-making/perspective-taking)
11. Mark Lambert's bread recipe (and my variations on it)
12. Another topic I yet have to reveal... (I don't feel yet qualified to even mention it here)
13. Automobiles
14. "Trick or Treat" - a Halloween lesson from some kids in Clearfield, UT

Boyd K. Packer writes in his book, Teach Ye Diligently, that the reasons for us to gain knowledge and understanding are that we might both live and share it. That reminds me of an experience I had that I could also write about...

15. Second-grade pea-plant experiment on gravitropism (geotropism) and phototropism.

Primarily, I think I write to share.

16. Oh yeah- I need to respond to Bamamoma's blog entry on furnaces and fireworks. What a great post!
17. And another update on presidential candidates! If you enjoy reading about the candidates, visit RealClearPolitics.com 2-3 times a week and read all of the articles they list there. Many of them are excellent and written by leading political analysts from leading papers. It is interesting to me to discover more and more about the three leading candidates.

Why do we write?

(Alternate title: "Loren's Excuses for Blogging")

I've thought the last week of the topics about which I could write. As a student at Utah State University I did a research project on the value of students to engage in reflective writing for students. This is one of the reasons that I like to write- in order to reflect. Often in the act of expressing ourselves is when we begin to bring greater understanding to our own thoughts (if we are actually thinking as we express them). There is a philosophy that exists in education that is termed, "Writing to Learn." The basic premise is that the writing requires us to summarize and synthesize our understanding in our own words. It reveals what is inside each of us.

Writing also brings clarity to our thoughts- it expresses what is inside us. Many times I have begun to understand concepts not only as I think on them, but as I seek to relate my thoughts to others. One goal I have as an educator is to help children read well, think well, write well, speak well, and serve well. We attempt to sow good, with the hope that their lives will yield a veritable harvest of attitudes and skills as they set out to change their world.

My mother gave me my first journal when I was about 7 years old and I have some entries I penciled in- full of mistakes and a mix of upper and lower-case letters. The first memorable entries are about fighting with my brothers and also about some ducks my brother had just brought home. I think we write about things that have impacted us or that we're thankful- see Bamamoma's blog about keeping a gratitude journal. I think we also write about compelling topics, about things we are particularly concerned or passionate. We share things that we want others to hear- or we just write because we want to remember. Just after I had started this blog entry I read Monica's blog on writing.

In early February I made a list of topics for about which I hope to write and reflect:
1. Writing (this entry)
2. My Mother
3. My Father
4. Where does a guy buy a good pair of shoes? (a plea for good shoe-stores for men)
5. Emergency preparedness & food storage
6. Home projects (tiling, yard, fences, flowers, trees, sprinklers, grass... can you tell that I have a lot left to do?)
7. Human Dynamics
8. Good, Better, Best
9. More favorite books (two recent ones)
10. 6 Thinking Hats (a model for decision-making/perspective-taking)
11. Mark Lambert's bread recipe (and my variations on it)
12. Another topic I yet have to reveal... (I don't feel yet qualified to even mention it here)
13. Automobiles
14. "Trick or Treat" - a Halloween lesson from some kids in Clearfield, UT

Boyd K. Packer writes in his book, Teach Ye Diligently, that the reasons for us to gain knowledge and understanding is that we might both live it and share (teach) it. The purpose for every good thing that goes "in" to us is meant to "come out." That reminds me of an experience I had that I could also write about...

15. Second-grade pea-plant experiment on gravitropism (geotropism) and phototropism.

Primarily, I think I write to share.

The Farmer in Me...

A friend at work sent an e-mail to all of us bout a farmer, some puppies, and a little boy (see at the bottom of this post). When I read it I pictured the farmer standing at the fence with the little boy. I don't know what it is about farmers and farms- and maybe I am the only one that feels this way- but something inside me either IS or WANTS TO BE a farmer. Maybe it was growing up with cows and lots of other miscellaneous animals in 'Farmington' (of all places) that causes me to connect with farms and farmers. I must admit that when I "bought the farm" to build the house I am in now, that standing on the soil and looking over the old Rigby Edge-End Farm was probably what tempted me to do so. The farm feel and smell (I swore I smelled that sweet-manure-dairy smell) is what made me do it. It was my second visit to the lot- I had come with my brother, Kimball, to get his opinion. It was then that I made up my mind. I also must admit that I felt guilty demolishing and removing all that was left of the old farm (required by the city to get a building permit). I will not rest until I have written a short photo-history of the place.

We had a discussion some time ago as a family. It was started by my brother and sister-in-law, who asked if I considered myself as one who "grew up on a farm?" I'll let you decide...

I remember feeding our first five Hereford steers when I was in kindergarten and first grade. My dad had bought them to raise and sell for beef. Afterwards we had about four milk cows: Rose, Polly- who loved apples, Cocoa, and Susan. Susan, the biggest Holstein milk cow I have ever seen, gave us 10 gallons of milk each day- about 5 gallons each milking. In comparison, Rose gave my dad 5 quarts each milking (by hand). My oldest brother milked Susan using a milk machine and my brother Richard and I washed out the milk equipment.

We also raised several calves for beef. The first two were owned by my two oldest brothers- a Holstien and a Jersey. Then came Ralph (belonged to my brother & I) and Chester (my own) and two or three others that were born to some of our milk cows. In addition to the cows I estimate that over the years we had about 3 geese, several ducks and chickens, lots of cats, and a dog for a little while. If being a farmer meant selling your product- we produced milk, beef, and also sold hay from an alfalfa pasture purchased by my father in west Farmington. I think that the only purpose the eggs served was to feed the local varmints- skunks and raccoons that lived around. We even raised a litter of raccoons at one time. They were a lot of fun.

What do you think? Do these experiences in our growing-up years make our home a little farm and our family farmers? Farmers are unique- there is something pure and wonderful about them- making their living straight from the earth and nature itself. It is a great title- and I don't know that I would consider myself a farmer, but would consider myself lucky for the experience that my father gave us to work on fences, with animals, and to buck hay on to the old '66 red Dodge and then ride home on it (about 15 feet up) with Ribsy, our springer spaniel, next to us. I was on top of the world.

Thanks, Debbie, for sparking my thoughts!

This one you may of heard before I had but the lesson was a good reminder for me. - Debbie
A farmer had some puppies he needed to sell. He painted a sign advertising the 4 pups And set about nailing it to a post on the edge of his yard. As he was driving the last nail into the post, he felt a tug on his overalls. He looked down into the eyes of little boy.
'Mister,' he said, 'I want to buy one of your puppies.'
'Well,' said the farmer, as he rubbed the sweat off the back of his neck, 'These puppies come from fine parents and cost a good deal of money.'
The boy dropped his head for a moment. Then reaching deep into his pocket, he pulled out a handful of change and held it up to the farmer.
'I've got thirty-nine cents. Is that enough to take a look?'

'Sure,' said the farmer. And with that he let out a whistle. 'Here, Dolly!' he called. Out from the doghouse and down the ramp ran Dolly followed by four little balls of fur.
The little boy pressed his face against the chain link fence. His eyes danced with delight.
As the dogs made their way to the fence, the little boy noticed something else stirring inside the doghouse.
Slowly another little ball appeared, this one noticeably smaller. Down the ramp it slid. Then in a somewhat awkward manner, the little pup began hobbling toward the others, doing its best to catch up...
'I want that one,' the little boy said, pointing to the runt. The farmer knelt down at the boy's side and said, 'Son, you don't want that puppy. He will never be able to run and play with you like these other dogs would.'
With that the little boy stepped back from the fence, reached down, and began rolling up one leg of his trousers.
In doing so he revealed a steel brace running down both sides of his leg attaching itself to a specially made shoe.
Looking back up at the farmer, he said,
'You see sir, I don't run too well myself, and he will need someone who understands.'
With tears in his eyes, the farmer reached down and picked up the little pup.
Holding it carefully handed it to the little boy.
'How much?' asked the little boy. 'No charge,' answered the farmer, 'There's no charge for love.'
The world is full of people who need someone who understands.

Pictures courtesy of the National Archives website from the "Picturing the Century" galleries I and II. Check them out- some awesome photos. Click on the two above to see the large versions- they're even better full-size.

Favorite Books

I've thought for some time that I needed to publish a list of my favorite books. Here goes! I will start with my current favorites and list even my favorite picture books from my childhood and those that I became familiar with as a teacher. The list of books I want to read will have to wait until I have more time. Here it is:

Favorites:
• Children of the Dust Bowl: The True Story of the School at Weedpatch Camp, by Jerry Stanley
• Jonathan Livingston Seagull, by Richard Bach
• The Autobiography of Parley P. Pratt, by himself, of course
• The History of Joseph Smith (by his Mother), by Lucy Mack Smith
• The Peacegiver: How Christ Offers to Heal Hearts & Homes, by James L. Ferrell
• Reframing Organizations, by Bolman and Deal
• My American Journey, by Colin Powell & Joseph E. Persico
• Children of Topaz, by Michael O. Tunnell & George Chilcoat
• The Man Who Listens to Horses, by Monty Roberts
• The Read-Aloud Handbook, by Jim Trelease
• As A Man Thinketh, by James Allen
• Peter Pan, by James M. Barrie
• Positive Discipline, by Jane Nelson



Adolescent Literature:
• Because of Winn Dixie, by Kate DiCamillo
• Woodsong, by Gary Paulsen
• Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, by Roald Dahl
• Matilda, by Roald Dahl
• Danny the Champion of the World, by Roald Dahl
• The Giver, by Lois Lowry
• Number the Stars, by Lois Lowry
• Esperanza Rising, by Pam Muñoz Ryan
• A Year Down Yonder, by Richard Peck
• My Life in Dog Years, by Gary Paulsen
• James and the Giant Peach, by Roald Dahl
• Brian's Winter, by Gary Paulsen

Picture Books:

• A Fly Went By, by Mike McClintock
• The Book of Giant Stories, by David L. Harrison (with great pictures by Philippe Fix)
• The Wretched Stone, by Chris Van Allsburg
• Cyrus, the Unsinkable Sea Serpent, by Bill Peet
• Cowardly Clyde, by Bill Peet
• Big, Bad, Bruce, by Bill Peet
• The Ant and the Elephant, by Bill Peet
• The Wump World, by Bill Peet
• The Spooky Tail of Prewitt Peacock, by Bill Peet
• The Flying Hockey Stick, by Jolly Roger Bradfield
• The Empty Pot, by Demi
• Hop on Pop, by Dr. Seuss
• Sneetches on the Beaches, by Dr. Seuss
• Arrow to the Sun, by Gerald McDermott
• Where the Wild Things Are, by Maurice Sendak
• All the Places to Love, by Patricia Maclachlan

More later! Books in each section are roughly in order, with most favorable favorites at the top.

"Read. Read like a wolf eats." - Gary Paulsen, author