Some of my Favorite things...Books.

I know every book of mine by its smell, and I have but to put my nose between the pages to be reminded of all sorts of things.  ~George Robert Gissing


My favorite quote from the book "Cheaper by the Dozen":


Mailman: All those kids yours? 
Frank Gilbreth: Oh, these aren't so many. You ought to see the ones we left behind.
Mailman: How you ever feed 'em? 
Frank Gilbreth: Oh, they come cheaper by the dozen.


This movie was based on the Gilbreth family and was one of the books that helped me have some sort of organization to raise my large family. The other book I depended on was the biography Susanna Wesley the mother of John and Charles Wesley. Susanna was the 25th child of 25 children in her family. She married Samuel Wesley and gave birth to 19 children. “…although she never preached a sermon or published a book or founded a church, (she) is known as the Mother of Methodism. Why? Because two of her sons, John Wesley and Charles Wesley, as children consciously or unconsciously will, applied the example and teachings and circumstances of their home life.”
I would hope that what my children learned while raising them in the home they would apply the examples and teachings of how they would live their lives once out on their own.


Frank B. Gilbreth was a pioneer in Motion Study and used his techniques to teach his children the "one best way" to do just about everything. You would be surprised to know that his wife, Lillian E. Gilbreth, came up with the idea of creating apartment sized kitchens where you could stand in one area and take as few steps as possible. To be able to reach for a pot in the cupboard, turn to get an item out of the refrigerator and then place it on the stove to cook a meal all in just a few steps. Lillian discovered this by moving the appliances in her own "huge" kitchen to discover the "one best way" to cook. I absolutely LOVE this book "Cheaper by the Dozen" and encourage everyone with children to read it also! 


Another great book is by Emilie Barnes, "More Hours in My Day." This helps you to discover the chores children are capable of doing for various ages. I also had a booked that helped me organize my cleaning schedule but lost the book and my index cards and ever since I've never been able to get back on track. I can't even remember the name of the book and wish I could find that book. I know it has a blue cover and it's somewhere......in my house. 


There is a sequel to "Cheaper by the Dozen" by the title of "Belles on Their Toes" and movies were made on each of these books. I'm not talking about the 2003 version with Steve Martin and Bonnie Hunt, these movies were made in the 1950's. I don't want to give away the plot to either of these books so find them and read them for yourself and read them to your family. "Little House on the Praire" books were a favorite of mine as a young girl and I read them to my children. They are a good read for young families and if you have the opportunity to visit the state of Missouri you must go to Mansfield, Missouri and see where Laura Ingalls wrote the Praire books. Oh, the stories I could share with you about the places I have taken my children.


Here I sit in my Blog Corner of the World. I'm not sure what I'll do with this Blog Corner, I don't have enough "Hours in My Day" and I haven't learned the "One Best Way" to do everything. I do know when it comes to raising children and making purchases..."They Come Cheaper by the Dozen!"