Learning from the Master

My two Wii Lads...

Mom's Retreat

Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist hosts a short but highly effective Mom's Retreat the first weekend in Advent. This year it's Saturday fternoon December 5 'till Sunday afternoon December 6th up in Ann Arbor, MI. The cost is $25.

THESE ARE SOME EXCEPTIONAL NUNS!! My girls call them "Mama's Nuns" because they hold such a special place in my heart. They're the kind of nuns that appeal to a party girl like me. They come from all walks of life and have so many girls/women asking to join their order, they can't build fast enough to keep them all in beds and the girls keep coming!! They wear a traditional habit (to the floor) and a rosary from their waist to their feet. Hearing them sing the Psalms at vespers is honestly a piece of heaven here on earth. Their focus is Christ in the Eucharist (see their name, above) and they play volleyball and teach as many people about Jesus as they can. Their passion and joy just pours out of them. SERIOUSLY KEWL NUNS, here!

My spot is reserved to go, who wants to carpool?

Reserve your spot online or e-mail or by phone.

Here's a flyer about it.

I'm sooo excited to go, again this year. Due to illness, pregnancy, nursing, etc., I haven't gone in a few years -- but GOD WILLING I can go this year!! Ohhhhhh....I can hardly wait!!

Whew!

WHAT a busy week!

I'm going to have to figure out how to pare down or get LOTS more energy. Times include travel time

M 8:30-10:30 Band for 3 kids (& me trying to keep the youngest 2 busy)
M 12:00 - 2:00 Co-op (& me keeping the youngest busy)
M 2:00 - 4:00 Gym (& me keeping the youngest busy - are we noticing a pattern here?)

T 12:30 - 4:30 Dd#1 Shakespeare Class

W 8:30-10:30 Band for 3 kids (& me trying to keep the youngest 2 busy)

Th 7:30-10:00 Mass & pray at abortion clinic (this one gets set aside way too often sometimes twice a month)

F I have 2 monthly committments on Fridays that take a half a day.

I also have to fit in breakfast & lunch, cleaning, SCHOOL, and outside meetings for 2 pro-life groups. The kid whose about to turn 2 is my biggest challenge right now (did I ever say I'm not all that crazy about 2-3 year olds? NOT my favorite age.)

I keep telling myself, "no one has a fatal disease, no one is presently in mortal danger, etc." God's gifts are WONDERFUL! (but they can require a bit of energy to keep up on them.)

January Sledding brrrrrrrr

Gingerbread houses in April?

A friend and I have been putting forth a great effort to get together since I was pregnant. Last week we finally got together. She'd been saving a surprise that she'd bought and saved for all the kids -- 2 gingerbread kits. We poured a cup of tea and went into the other room and let the kids have at it. They had fun and then the houses fell down.

Homemade crafting materials

This was just too much cool crafty stuff to pass on.
This site has homemade...almost everything for crafts - glue, paper, puffy paint, wax seals...

First Reconciliation Craft - Lapbook

An illustration of this is listed on my website at First Reconciliation Lapbook.

Ds#3's First Reconciliation will be tonight. With the pregnancy and birth, I was thankful for CCD. However, his preparation wasn't as complete as the girls' had been (with CCD & preparation at home) and I didn't realize it (or pay attention) until last week. So, we did a crash course. He understood the concept, but not the specific procedures or vocabulary. I'd worked with him early in the school year on the concepts, so he was great on that.

I used Dd#1's lapbook we created for her 1st Reconciliation as the primary "text" to teach him. It turned out to be just perfect.

Here is the lapbook Dd#1 created 4 years ago for her First Reconciliation :

We took a file folder and covered it's front and back with white typing paper (to make it white - with the significance of purity). Then we covered all of that with a fine tule. We also tied gross-grain ribbon on each flap that opens with the bow on the front covers.

Front :

• On the front cover is a booklet she made about The Good Shepherd and the procedures of Reconciliation.
• We also attached a pin she received from her Godparents on the occasion.

Inside :

* In the shape of the 10 commandments, we cut 8 pieces of construction paper that we attached together with string. We folded the 10 commandments and she wrote 1 of each commandment, in her own words, on the inside so it was like a book form. Then, we glued the front and back cover of the commandments so the book was "open" to the inside left of the file folder at the top.

* The piece of accordion folded pink paper you see next to the 10 commandments is the Act of Contrition she wrote out from memory. Then we folded it accordion style and glued the top fold to the center top of the lapbook.

* Below the 10 commandments, is her handprint cut out in 5 different colors. On one finger of each hand she wrote the procedures of Reconciliation. So that on the first handprint, in the thumb she wrote 1. Make the sign of the cross and tell the priest how long it's been since your last confession. On the 2nd hand print in the pointer finger she wrote 2. Confess your sins. On the 3rd handprint in the middle finger she wrote 3. Listen to the priest. On the 4th handprint in the rimg finger she wrote 4. Say the Act of Contrition. On the 5th handprint in the pinky finger she wrote 5. Listen for Absolution. Say Amen. Thank the priest. The handprint booklet was stapled in the bottom of the palm (so that it opened down) to the bottom of the inside left flap.

* We cut heart 3 shapes and stapled them into a booklet on the inside right flap. She wrote Examination of Conscience on the front cover. Opening the booklet on each page she wrote one reflection that she felt applied to her. "Have I said my morning offering?" "Have I minded my parents?" "Have I paid attention in Mass" "Have I talked to God through my day?" "Have I acted like Jesus would to my siblings?"

* She listed her sins in a rectangular booklet we taped at the top and glued to the bottom inside right flap.

*In the middle of the center inside page, we stapled the program the church put together for her First Reconciliation ceremony.

* At the bottom of the center inside page, we stapled a booklet of pictures with her and her friends at the cookie reception after First Reconciliation.

Park Days

Park Days are a HUGE part of our homeschool in summer. We look forward to park days all year and relish every moment. While some busy moms come for an hour, we come early and stay late and love every minute. The moms sit together with all the lunches we've brought, and the kids come to us when they need us. It's a near perfect arrangement!! (One of the benefits of bringing the camera is that I don't have any pictures of ME in them!!)
My kids are in orange. Many of the larger families choose a color so they can find their kids easier. I just have to count to 4 when searching the playground. Every Thursday of the summer, you'll find our family at a local park.
On a particularly hot day, the kids found a shady tree

Sometimes the moms have to intervene.... Today they fought over whose turn it was to use the straw they found on the ground to dig in the dirt. At least they're past the stage of putting things in their mouths.
The kids are sure to come home filthy!
But they come home filled with friends and fun ...and EXHAUSTED from all the play!!! What a perfect summer day!!

First Friday Fun

Our Catholic homeschool group gets together once a month to celebrate First Friday Mass and has an activity aferwards. The activity varies, but we try to keep it free, easy & of wide appeal. Some months the activities are the same year to year.

• June is a highschool graduation ceremony & party.
• July & August is just a park day after Mass - bring your own picnic.
• September is some sort of Field Day activities, although last year, it worked out better to do this the following Saturday when the Dads could participate.
• November is usually an All Saints party.
• December has been an Advent play.
• January is caroling at a Catholic nursing home (other places think you're crazy to sing Christmas Carols on January 4th).
• We usually book a rollerskating rink for a winter month.
• A local homeschool family opens their gymnastics' facilities to us once a year.

Here are some of the activities we've done in the past in the other months :

Square Dancing Class, Spiritual Bouquet banner, zoomobile, rosary making, Gym Day, Creating craft decorations for an upcoming activity, Advent Art display, Bowling, Pre-lent Carnival, & Winter Olympics coinciding with the President's Physical Fitness Day.

In May, the First Communicants crown Mary, every child has an opportunity to bring her flowers, and this year we did a sidewalk chalk rosary. Sometimes, there are miscommunications, so not very many people stayed...but the girls were dedicated - the boys mostly wrestled in the parkinglot after each doing their own cross or some religous symbol in chalk. The girls' huge creation says "Pray the Rosary."

Dd#1 is on the left squinting because of the sun.

A Trifle of a problem

I'm helping with a baby shower today. Last night, Dd#2 made a trifle for the party. She was sooo proud of it. We put it in a beautiful glass bowl and in the fridge. She spent the night at homeschool friend's house after the poetry recital last night.

She'll be soooo disappointed when she comes home to find that her Daddy ate half of it in the middle of the night......

Trifle
*Bake a chocolate cake. Don't ice it. Let it cool.
*Cut it up in small squares (1"ish).
*Make up 2 pkgs of pudding (we used chocolate).
*Layer half of the cake squares in the bottom of a glass bowl with half the pudding and 1/2 small tub of whipped cream. Then do another layer of the same using up the whipped cream. *Sprinkle with chopped candy (we used frozen penut butter cup, but the recipe called for Heath. You could also chop up cookie (choc. chip or oreo...).

PUT A SIGN ON IT IN THE FRIDGE SO IT DOESN'T GET EATEN IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT! (Awesome the next day, too!)

Farm Fun

Between baby chicks, baby ducks...

...sheep, chickens, pigs, dogs...
(the girls were sooo excited that they got the chicks to fall asleep on their laps)
and kickball...the kids had a WONDERFUL afternoon last week!! What a joy to homeschool and an even greater blessing to have friends who share their lives with us!!

Wednesdays is Co-op Day

Co-op has been wildly successful on many levels for our family this year. They've learned things I wouldn't have thought to teach them. They've utilized resources I wouldn't have had available for them. They got to see their friends, and make new ones. And I didn't have to do all the work. We're looking forward to next year! This is a sampling of my kids throughout the year at Library Club - thanks in full part to Kim and her wonderful photography business.

Mindless Meetings

I really hate meetings for meetings' sake. I'm not good on a committee and don't work well with others. Give me a task - a tiny bit of direction - and I'll make up the rest and run with it. Usually I can accomplish some modicum of success.

The weekly co-op we've been doing this year was more work than I wanted to put into it. So, when people started asking me about doing it again next year, and I knew they were right and it was time to get moving on it...I was plain discouraged. I prayed about getting out of it. I asked Dave and told him all the pro's and con's from my perspective. He advised me to stick with the co-op for next year and just try to diversify the work load. I was even more discouraged. I just wanted to be done with it! The Co-op allowed us to get in most of our extra curricular activities during the day so it didn't take away from family time in the evenings and it allowed us to stay home 4 days a week and get all our school done without the incredible stress of running in and out the door and trying to pick up where we left off when we were tired and cranky from running around. The house stays in better order when we aren't running out the door. It was really working for every member of our family but me and I wasn't doing it for my sake to start with so...

FINE, GOD! If you intend on being mean and MAKING me do this, FINE!

(while I stomp off to my room to pout.) -this is what a terrible Christian I am and an example of what a sucky job I do with submission.

So, I scheduled a planning meeting with the people who seemed interested in helping. Last night we finally got together for the planning meeting (February weather in Indiana can be unpredictable and it took some doing to get another date).

God is SO good! We accomplished an incredible amount at the planning meeting and some of the women had suggestions of how to diversify that really makes it completely do-able and enjoyable for me to participate next year. As a matter of fact, I won't be doing anymore than any other participant!! I AM SOOO PSYCHED about next year!! God took my teeny, tiny bit of submission and gave me everything I needed (in His time).

Garage Play

This play is on the little side. Just 3 of my kids are in it. Dd#2 wrote it. It was her assignment of choice from her religion book. We usually fall back on Faith and Life Series. However, I got a copy of Our Holy Faith from e-bay cheap last year when she was looking for more reading material. She REALLY likes it, so it's what she's using this semester. She had to "write a play about loving your neighbor." She had a delimma because she just went to Escape School where she wasn't supposed to talk to strangers. So, she made all the characters kids so there wouldn't be as much risk (this was a topic of discussion among my children this morning as she was assigning roles).

IT WAS SOOOO CUTE!! (if only I had a digital camera, I could show you!) I taped it with the camcorder. She staged Ds#4 walking down the "sidewalk" (those foam floor alphabet puzzles in a loooong rectangle across the garage) calling for his lost dog. Ds#3 rides by on his scooter with a hosiery bag tied with elastic over his shoulder and rolls of paper closed with rubberbands that he tosses around the garage on his "paper route". Ds#3 helps Ds#4 and Dd#2 walks in with our dog, Maggie, who they renamed Christine so she could be in the play, too. SOOO CUTE!! I love homeschooling.

Drama Class

Is putting on a play considered a drama class? I don't really know. But we are. We're doing a Christmas Pageant this year. A few years ago, I was anxiously looking for an Advent Play for our Catholic group to put on. I ended up writing one since I couldn't find one that fit. This year we're doing a Christmas Pageant, instead. I'm a little disappointed that the timing won't be liturgically acurate (we'll perform it December's First Friday), but it was a group decision. In case anyone was looking for material, I put the scripts on my website. www.thmg.com/highlanddove/plays.htm

"I'll never be a saint, so I'll have to be a martyr." - St. Joan of Arc

If she didn't think she could be a good enough person for sainthood, no one will convince me that I'm supposed to be confident or impressed with my own measley attempts at obedience. It's my validation for a healthy dose of insecurity. When a person sees her faults smack in front of her face all the time, there's room for improvement, there's motivation for effort, but not much room for pride.

Park Day

What a beeee-auti-ful day! The kids got all their school by lunch time, so we packed a lunch and joined 8 other families at the park! It was wonderful! The leaves, the wind, the slight chill of the air and warmth of the sun...We were there for over 4 hours. What a wonderful last hurrah!

We're around the 80 day mark as far as how many days of school we've done, and we're right on track for where we should be in our curriculum... so a day of reasonable accomplishment with lots of free form fun was very well-placed. Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, Jesus!

To clean or to kite

I was sort of thinking of using this blog as a daily (or weekly or whenever I get to it) log of our activities. I thought rather than archive things, or in addition to it, I could copy and paste and eventually have a diary of my thoughts & cute actions of the kids.

Today, the kids are outside trying to fly kites. It's pretty windy out. The preschooler has been done with all of this school since 10am and has been patiently waiting (or not so patiently, depending on the hour) for the 1st grader to get done - who didn't start until 11am. They both have been waiting until the 3rd grader got done - now they're busy flying (or trying to fly) kites in our fenced in backyard.

The dishes are done, but the table isn't cleared from lunch & afternoon snack. I've got to get off the computer and get it done before Dave comes home and accuses me of being a lazy homeschooler! Poor Dave. I have fights with him in my head about things that haven't happened. I can just picture the fight we'd have if he actually called me that...he never has...and he probably never will. Of course that time in the hospital when he was having an alergic reaction to the drugs he did actually yell a little... BUT THAT'S OFF THE TOPIC.

-- oops, I have to go fix a kite first (is fixing a kite more important than clearing the table? which is being lazy?...hmmm....) "Let's go fly a kite, up to the highest height. Let's go fly a kite and send it soaring. Up to the atmosphere, up where the air is clear. Oh, let's go -- fly a kite."