In Caddie Woodlawn by Carol Brink, the Woodland family is faced with a dilemna.  They can choose to stay in wild Wisconsin as pioneering homesteaders, or return to an unexpected large inheritance as Lords and Ladies of an English manor.  The children are allowed to discuss before voting in the matter:
         "Father's the kind of man that likes to do things for himself and be at the front of things," said Caddie.  "He likes to be free and help build new places.  I think he'd rather go on West than go back to an old country where everything is finished."
         "I would, too," said Tom.  "I'd rather build a new mill in America than live in a castle in England that somebody who'd died hundreds of years ago had had the fun of building."

         A great testament to the American spirit their father infused into their lives is shared in this dialogue.  This is a glimpse into what it meant to be an American, and still should.  What are you doing to build the American Spirit in your family?  Is your face turned to the "west?"  Are you building and striving and living like freemen....Americans?

"The budget should be balanced, the Treasury should be refilled, public debt should be reduced, the arrogance of officialdom should be tempered and controlled, and the assistance to foreign lands should be curtailed lest Rome become bankrupt. People must again learn to work, instead of living on public assistance."


- Cicero - 55 BC
 
 

 
Interesting how the same follies have affected men throughout all times.  What are you doing to be a producer, what are you doing to understand how to be free?

Homegrown PE and Sports Entertainment

I don't know if we consciously chose to simplify our reaction to the


sporting extravaganza guilt trip available to every parent in America

(after all, if those darling kiddo athlete aren't in every possible activity available, well I don't know, but something bad has gotta happen...,)

 But, we are totally loving the time spent in our own backyard "stadium" antics...

                                                 Hockey, anyone?

                   Oh, the joys of a frozen pond, and a stick, and brothers...

                                        
                                             Fortunately, I don't think he looks too deprived.

You might not have a frozen pond available to you, but snow is great for circle tag games, fort building and snowball wars, building snowmen, sledding, and snow angels.

Don't forget the hot chocolate.