Welcome to my Curiosity Journal, a weekly exercise in which I keep track of what I, as a busy, homeschooling mom of four, have been doing in reading, playing, learning, reacting and writing.

On Monday, we sang Happy Birthday to my boy, Edmund, who is now nine. I include this picture due to it’s completely goofy nature. That’s Susan blocked by the arm of Peter. That guy on the right is my big bro, John, aka Uncle Pizza.

Reading: I’m reading the first Harry Potter book aloud to my boys. They hang on every word, especially eldest boy. Peter is my biggest fantasy fan of all my children. So far (fantasy story fan, not number of children).

I read Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone when it first came out in trade paper. I liked the writing, liked Harry, but I had many voices warning me of the bad influence of witchcraft that I never read the rest of the series. At the blogging conference I attended recently, my roommate raved about the books.

She’s not the first Christian I’ve come across who loves these novels.

Honestly, it’s confusing. I know the warnings in Scripture about witches. Yet all the believers who call these books friends . . .

Opinions? Let me have it.

Playing: Mahjong on my iPhone. I can’t get enough! I’ve known of mahjong for years (remember the opening scene of Joy Luck Club?) but never played, now I want to get a game set that we can use for Game Night. Anyone have an opinion on mahjong for kids?

Learning: This week I want to mark a milestone in learning for one of my children: Lucy, who finally, FINALLY put her entire face into the swimming pool. She’s six, and like the rest of my tribe, resisted true swimming because of the getting-the-face-wet-thing. Well, yesterday was finally her turn to take the plunge.

We cheered her on. Susan promised her a new Barbie if she did it, the same bribe I tried on her years ago when learning to swim. I got teary; my baby is a swimmer!

And Lucy slept with her new “Ariel” doll last night.

Reacting: I didn’t watch one second of the Casey Anthony trial, I certainly have no clue as to all the evidence presented to the jury, so why does the verdict bother me so much? Is it because I’m a mom?

Writing: A poem. Perhaps someday, I will share it . . .

What was your week like in reading, playing, learning, reacting and writing?

Add your Curiosity Journal post to the linky tool below.

Of all my writing here, I think it’s the Curiosity Journal that has the greatest potential to be of lasting value. It’s important to be able to keep track of what we do. I know as a busy mom, it’s easy to forget what I’ve read or learned or had an opinion about. It’s been awhile since I wrote an entry, mostly due to me being lazy in the reading department. Today I want to start the habit of the Curiosity Journal again.

For those of you interesting in how the Curiosity Journal works: answer the basic categories for what you did the previous week in reading, playing, learning, writing, and reacting. Don’t worry if you have nothing for one or two – like me this week for reacting and writing. Just be honest. This is not a competition. It’s just you keeping track of how you are spending your time and what you want to remember.

It’s okay if you want to include what your kids are doing, just make sure you specify it was kids’ reading, etc. Try to make this about you and not all about them.

Ready to play? I like to add an interesting picture to the top of my Curiosity Journal. It’s optional, but it gives us all a visual. Make it anything you want, but try to make it a shot you took the week of your journal. The picture above is from our geocaching adventures this week.

Reading: The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. This is one of those books you hear chatter about in your social networks, but don’t read for awhile. We all do that, don’t we? I bought an e-version back in January, downloading the Nook app to my desktop.

New discovery: I”m not a fan of reading full novels on the computer.

That’s how I read The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo – on the desktop. (By the way, I did not like said Girl. Also not a fan of the violent, detailed r*pe scenes. Pass if you haven’t read yet.)

Then a wonderful thing happened – I got a better (smarter!) smartphone and – oh, my GOSH – the awesomeness of reading on the iphone.

Love. LOVE.

So that’s how I finally read the first Hunger Games book. More about Katniss and company after reading all three.

Playing:

Lots new here. Turns out I like harvesting zombies. Wii Party and Just Dance 2 are a big hit here with my kids. There are a few songs on Just Dance 2 that make me roll my eyes at the lyrics. A play-by-play post is in the works. The Game of Things (Amazon affiliate link) is tons of fun. Awesome for Family Game Night. You do have a Family Game Night, don’t you? Give yourself extra points if you use games that don’t require batteries or a screen.

Learning:

I fell off the Livemocha wagon. Boo me. I think I’m halfway done with bahasa Indonesia.

Not sure what else to put here. Didn’t I learn anything last week?

Took the kids for our second geocache last Friday. Is that more play than learn? This is one of those activities where the line is blurred. Rowdy, fun time. Attempted to climb up steep cliff-like structure. Crazy.

Reacting:

Must leave blank. Not paying attention to what I normally like to pay attention to.

Writing:

At least I’m thinking about writing. Not the same thing, but it’s a start in the right direction. Less TV at night would help.

And less zombies. Must back away from the Zombie Farm.

Ok. This is me from the last week.

How about you? What have you been doing?

Write up a post and come share!