Tuesday, January 8, 2008

Fun with the Dad of the family

I grew up in a family that could sing in harmony, if we so desired. But, with the 'Happy Birthday' song especially, it was usually most fun to see how out of tune and tempo and loud we could be. It just made it seem more festive to sing with gusto!

Now, in my little family, we have a nightly tradition of kneeling in family prayer, and we sing a song to let the children (or parents) know that it is time to gather in a circle. My husband is blessed with perfect pitch. I'm blessed with being able to sing out of tune and enjoy the 'interesting' harmonies. (Or should I say dissonance?) He used to join me in whatever key I happen to be singing in. I like to sing alto and that song is in the soprano range.
When he is the one to start the song, (hardly ever!), then he sings it in the right key.

Lately, he tries to sing it in the right key no matter what key I sing in. It's actually become quite fun for the kids and I to watch his pained expression as we are all singing whatever notes we want, while he tries hard to stay in the 'right' key.
Good times.

He compared it to living the gospel, trying to stay on the strait and narrow, while the world goes wide and crooked.
Good analogy.

Wednesday, January 2, 2008

37 Books in 2007

I'm posting this here for my own record. My sister-in-law inspired me by writing down every book she read in 2006, then set a goal to read more in 2007. So, I started keeping track at the beginning of last year, to see how many I read on average. Now that I have a baseline, I can set a goal to read more, or whatever. Most of these are kids books, because I like to know what my kids are reading, but I got a few classics in there. (Although I didn't write down every little book I read to my kids.)

Here is my list:
The Anybodies, by N.E. Bode
Shepherds Why This Jubilee?, by Jeffrey R. Holland
Man of the Family, by Ralph Moody
each little bird that sings, by Deborah Wiles
Beauty, A Retelling of the Story of Beauty & The Beast, by Robin McKinley
Just Ella, by Margaret Peterson Haddix
Becoming Naomi Leon, by Pam Muñoz Ryan
Uncle Tom's Cabin, by Harriet Beecher Stowe
Messenger, by Lois Lowry
Goose Girl, by Shannon Hale
The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, by Steven Covey
The View From Saturday, by E.L. Konigsburg
The Final Farewell, by Patricia Wiles, A Kevin Kirk Chronicle
The Last Unicorn, by Peter S. Beagle
Ultra Marathon Man, by Dean Karnazes
Doll Hospital #1, Tatiana Comes to America, by Joan Holub
Walden; or, Life in the Woods, by Henry David Thoreau
Fairest, by Gail Carson Levine
Austenland, by Shannon Hale
What Child Is This, A Christmas Story, by Caroline B. Cooney
Uglies, by Scott Westerfeld
Pretties, by Scott Westerfeld
Doll Hospital #2, Goldie's Fortune, by Joan Holub
Specials, by Scott Westerfeld

Audio:
Hans Brinker, or the Silver Skates, by Mary Mapes Dodge
Tennis Shoes Among the Nephites Series #5-10
A Short History of Nearly Everything, by Bill Bryson
The Story of My Life, by Farah Ahmedi
109 East Palace, Jennet Conant
The Alchemist, by Paulo Coelho
Around the World in Eighty Days, by Jules Verne
Black Beauty, by Anna Sewell