Seasons of Joy Looking for a way to bring peace and joy to your day?
Seasons of Joy is my 10-week seasonal guidebook to add rhythm and fun to your daily routine. Each guidebook has ten weeks' worth of circle times, stories, arts, crafts, and handwork, painting, playtime activities and more!
Seasons of Joy seeks to empower families to create peaceful rhythms and routines and joyful celebrations that follow the circle of the year. The blog also chronicles our adventures in living simply, loving exuberantly, and Waldorf inspired homeschooling.
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Written by Michael
The Hunger Games Review THIS MAY CONTAIN INFORMATION THAT RUINS THE STORY. READ AT YOUR OWN RISK.
When I went to see The Hunger Games, I had mixed feelings. I was excited to see the movie, but I was worried that they would ruin the movie, and make it completely different from the book. Those of you who read The Lightning Thief, and then saw the movie and hated it, know what I’m talking about.
But thankfully, the movie was not disappointing. The beggining, which was set in District 12, led up well to the reaping. The reaping , in which Katniss Everdeen volunteers to take her sister’s place in The Hunger Games, a fight to the death on live TV, was done very well, and though District 12 was not how I imagined it while reading the books, it looked very real.
The Capitol, was amazing. It fit the description in the book, where the citizens were altered so they have things such as cat whiskers, gems implanted into their skin, and other oddities that the Capitol views as fashion. The set for The Capitol was very nicely done as well.
In The Capitol, Katniss, and Peeta Mellark, the male tribute, meet Cinna, their stylist. Cinna designs for them a costume which is a black suit, and that is lit with synthetic flame, and gives them the appearance of being on fire. The tributes than train together, and Katniss impresses the Gamemakers, the people who control the artificial arena where the tributes train, by shooting an apple out of a roast pig.
In the interviews, Katniss wears a scarlet dress, that Cinna designs to flame when Katniss spins, and earns the title “Katniss Everdeen, the girl who was on fire.” Peeta also confesses that he has had a crush on Katniss for as long as he can remember.
This brings me to discuss something that was a key in the film: Reality television. The Hunger Games is a fight to the death on live TV, where children murder other children. Only one out of twenty-four kids live. How different really is this from reality television. I’m not talking about shows like Iron Chef, or America’s Got Talent, but things like The Real Housewives, where people tear lives apart. No, it’s not killing a person, but it still hurts people.
Caeser Flickerman ,was portrayed very well, and it was very well done how they would show Caesar interviewing Seneca Crane, or running commentary on the games.
The games themselves were very good, although I would advise audiences under thirteen to stay away because of the violence. Mainly it showed Katniss, but there were moments where they would show Caesar Flickerman’s commentary, or they would show the gamemakers devising some sort of death-trap for Katniss to fall into.
The love story between Katniss and Peeta was not quite as exaggerated in the movie, but the nightlock scene was very well done, and it led up very well to the next movie. It is very clear that they will be making another movie, and the series will most likely be a trilogy like the book.
It was a great movie, and it stayed true to the book. I highly recommend it for audiences age 13 and up.
4.5 stars out of 5
10. Because in our house, you’re not allowed to see the movie until you read the book, which my 13-year-old did… 4 times.
9. Because he sat in a large room with a whole bunch of his peers and wasn’t allowed to talk. That’s the socialization thing people are always whining about, right?
8. Because after watching it, we had a stimulating discussion comparing and contrasting the book and movie versions of The Hunger Games, the Harry Potter series, and The Lightning Thief. (Spoiler Alert: The Hunger Games wins.) Read more...
I’m the guest poster over at Homespun Waldorf today, and I’ve shared the Winter Lights Circle from Winter Seasons of Joy. Stop by and check it out!

True story: I was working on writing this last night (Valentine’s Day) and Ms. Molly just would not go to sleep! My husband happened to be passing through the room just as I said, rather exasperatedly, “Please, Molly, stop climbing on Mama. I’m trying to type.” He looked at us and said “Yeah, Mama is too busy writing about how much she loves you to love you right now.” Um… ouch. So of course I turned off the computer and snuggled my sweet little girl. And now here I am tonight with a little boy on my left and a bigger boy on my right, completing yesterday’s Valentine post. I hope your day was full of love!
Read more...
I have a little project in mind for the next 7 months or so, starting now in February. The plan is to use this space both to tighten up our rhythms and routines as well as to (hopefully!) give you some practical ideas and inspiration as well. This month, we’ll have a month of Mondays.
During the first week of February, I’ll introduce you to our Monday homemaking rhythms. In our house, this means laundry and caring for clothes.
During the second week of February, we’ll look at Monday homeschooling rhythms. This includes our planning meetings, assignment sheets, and crafting for others, among other things. Read more...
Molly is sick.

She’s not very happy about it either.
What started out as a simple cold has morphed into bronchiolitis, and we ended up in the emergency room last night for a breathing treatment and a chest x-ray. It’s not RSV, thank goodness, but seeing her struggle to breath and feeling her baby heart race was certainly scary!
Even having a stuffy nose can be frightening for a baby. Infants are obligate nose-breathers, God’s design for allowing them to breathe and nurse at the same time. So when little noses get stuffed up, things can get very difficult very quickly! Read more...
My lack of blogging speaks to two ongoing issues in my life right now.
First, no camera. It hasn’t been the same since Michael accidentally spilled his drink on it at the Little League World Series. It hung in there for a bit, but finally gave up the ghost right after Christmas. I had my eye on a really nice replacement until my hubby decided to renew his on-again off-again relationship with Dave Ramsey and pay off our two remaining credit card bills and the remainder of my student loan instead. So instead I have a cute little purple point-and-click Nikon on its way instead. Ah well- easy come, easy go. Read more...

You know, typically if I had arrived at Wednesday night and still not posted this, I’d just skip it for the week. But as we’re attempting to transition to real/whole foods, it feels important for me to document our progress in this space. So… away we go! Read more...
Happy Thursday! Here is a peek inside our day.
Daddy had to leave early– 7:30, that’s early for us!– for a doctor’s appointment, so the early morning routine was a bit crazier than normal. And on Tuesdays and Thursdays, Michael walks up to the middle school for chamber orchestra from 7:30 to 8:00, so I was missing one of my big kid helpers.
I usually get my shower the night before so that’s out of the way in the morning. I got the babies dressed up in the bedroom and by the time I was finished, Katie Grace was dressed and helped me take them downstairs. Read more...

I was so excited to review this book, not only because I’m a music geek and love finding new ways to share music with my children, but also because I know one of the authors! I went to college with Melissa, sang with her in our choirs, and know what a wonderfully fabulous person and musician she is. So how could I pass up an opportunity to check out the book she wrote? Read more...
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Our Current Read Aloud: On the Banks of Plum Creek
In the car we’re listening to… The Incorrigable Children of Ashton Place and the Hidden Gallery
Nursery Rhyme Nursery School Rain on the green grass,
Rain on the trees,
Rain on the rooftops,
But not on me!

Character Counts! This month we’re learning about… Sincerity
2 Corinthians 1:12
For our boast is this, the testimony of our conscience, that we behaved in the world with simplicity and godly sincerity, not by earthly wisdom but by the grace of God, and supremely so toward you.
Blessed Mother Teresa, Pray for Us! 
Love begins by taking care of the closest ones - the ones at home.
~Mother Teresa
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