Pinewood Castle

Continuing Ed

The conference has come to pass. Talks were heard, books were bought and curriculums compared. I almost stuck to my limit of purchasing only what was used or on sale with the exception of fun projects from Illuminated Ink. This was all somehow accomplished between dozens of conversations exchanged at every turn with friends old and new. (The real draw!)

My mind is still swimming with all the gems I took to heart and all the details of the math and language arts programs we are considering. Equally important were the lessons learned outside of the conference hall:

1) Bringing a wheeled suitcase for books is worth the efffort. I used to think this was way too business-like!

2) Bringing your husband along to comparison shop and pull the suitcase is smart too - especially if you also have a stroller to push.

3) Even better is the extra room in a suitcase for diapers, baby clothes, burp cloths, and an extra shirt for mom in case of diaper blow-outs.

4) Two days with your husband even with short windows of uninterrupted conversation is priceless.

5) A babysitter who makes sure you come home to a clean kitchen and sleeping children is worth.every.penny.

6) An introverted person such as myself should never agree to host a family gathering the very next day. Especially the fifth one within two months of having a baby. I will be in my woman cave today should anyone need me for emergencies involving fire or blood.

7) A homeschooling family can never have too many bookshelves. Where in the world am I going to put all of this?

Little Princess

"Mommy, I princess with yellow hair!"

One Less

My tooth fell out and left a space

So big my tongue can touch my face,

And every time I smile I show

The place where something used to grow.

I miss my tooth as you can guess

But now I have to brush one less!

Savoring the Baby

BABIES DON'T KEEP

Mother, oh Mother,

come shake out your cloth,

empty the dustpan,

poison the moth,

hang out the washing

and butter the bread,

sew on a button and make up a bed.

Where is the mother whose house

is so shocking?

She's up in the nursery,

blissfully rocking.

Oh, I've grown shiftless as Little

Boy Blue (lullaby, rockaby, lullaby loo).

Dishes are waiting and bills are past due

(pat-a-cake, darling, and peek, peekaboo).

The shopping's not done

and there's nothing for stew

and out in the yard there's a hullabaloo

but I'm playing Kanga and this is my Roo.

Look! Aren't her eyes the most wonderful hue?

(lullaby, rockaby, lullaby loo).

The cleaning and scrubbing

will wait till tomorrow,

for Children grow up,

as I've learned to my sorrow.

So quiet down, cobwebs.

Dust go to sleep.

I'm rocking my baby and babies don't keep......

~Author Unknown ~

Wordless Wednesday

Prep Time

I had good intentions of saving next year's home school shopping until July. That is, until I remembered the good deals on used books available at the Catholic home school conference coming up this weekend! So, lists were copied, needed titles highlighted and now I hope to find the bulk of my fiction and living history books this weekend.

What else besides looking forward to the excellent talks?

I plan to check out the Institute for Excellence in Writing's spelling program, hear the shpeel about Math U See and consider a switch, check out Total Language Plus on a recommendation and sign up for a year of Shirley's Prepackaged Crafts. I've been meaning to blog about those craft kits - no perks involved here, just want to spread the word!

Each box has everything needed for twelve crafts that focus on the color of the month, shape of the month, country of the month, holiday, etc. They are available individually or as a 3 month or 9 month subscription. Twice now I have won a box as a door prize at our home school mom's meeting and the Little Princess has been excited about the projects each and every time!

Here are some pics:

the opened box

the instruction sheet

Absolutely everything but crayons and scissors are included.

At this point in time they are too difficult for my just-turned-three-year-old to do by herself, but any of her siblings love to help her. And I do mean LOVE to help her. Maybe the September she will be more ready to master scissors and glue! Right now she would rather run around with a string for the cat to chase. Anyway, I am thinking that these craft kits, activities from Slow and Steady Get Me Ready and the Preschool Activity Bags will be a good fit for her. When she is four we will start the Alphabet Path and Before Five in a Row.

One more conference thing - one talk I would attend if I had not already heard it twice is Nancy Bjorkman's Meal Management in an Age of Fast Food. I used everything I learned from her to put over two month's worth of meals in the freezer that we are still enjoying. This has made for the easiest babymoon ever! Dinner time has been a cinch and I am planning some Saturdays in August to get more meals in the freezer for school nights.

Late May Daybook

Outside My Window:: We had thunderstorms this morning but now it is clear, sunny, and breezy. Beautiful!

I am hearing:: The breeze blowing the leaves in the trees.

I am wearing:: Denim capris, lavender v-neck tee and Birkenstock sandals

I am Thankful:: For having an iPhone while our home telephone and internet service was out this week. After a second service call we think the problem is finally fixed.

I am Thinking:: About getting caught up on my to-do list. Finish Circle Time plans, work on recipe project, catch up developing photos, reserve the rest of the 50 states books from the library, copy more Colonial Crafts, list stuff to sell.

I am Pondering:: I am re-reading Mitten Strings for God and getting back in touch with that nurturing, serendipitous, compassionate mother I used to be.

I am also pondering my on-line time after being without our regular service for a few days. The break enabled me to catch up on things around the house but now I am behind on the tasks I really need the computer for. 

One more thing - outside activities. I so admire families that focus all their kids on one thing like violin or piano. (I so wanted a string quartet in the family!) But I also feel called to recognize and foster each child's unique talents and interests. Unfortunately this will require more running around next fall than I am used to if I sign each child up for different activities. Looks like they will all be in piano and one or two other things.

Books on my Nightstand:: Mitten Strings, Simplicity Parenting, The Mitchells (read-a-loud), the Emmanuel Books catalog.

From the Kitchen:: Still eating freezer meals! Tonight - t-bone steak, asparagus, scalloped potatoes.

I am Creating:: Revised daily schedules, tweaks and additions to syllabi for next year, book lists to bring to the conference.

I am Watching:: Lark Rise to Candleford. I am hooked.

In the classroom::  We actually did a few art projects lately in addition to our regular work. I think I have to schedule art in another slot besides Friday afternoon or it won't get done.

We went on a nature hike for the first time this spring and broke out the nature journals. Yeah!

Eldest completed three projects from Colonial Crafts and loved it. I am resolved to add more hands-on activities to MODG next year! I already have tons of notes penciled in the margins.

Towards Rhythm:: Hmmm, the children's bedtime is getting later (more like 9pm), rising time is later, lunch is later (like 1 pm), dinner is later (after soccer) so I am trying to go with the flow! I don't really like it, but this is what the approach of summer tends to bring anyway.

Liturgical Fun:: Last week we did a Fatima grotto kit, made that blue jello/whipped cream desert for the Ascension and made three different edible rosaries on the table: strawberry & blueberry, dates & raisins, and rolos & chocolate chips.

This week we are putting away Easter decorations. I am filing the Garden Party plans to use next year. I really need to get to the grocery store today to purchase the ingredients for the Pentecost Twelve Fruit Salad.

I am Hoping and Praying:: For our family's future. For guidance in selecting next year's homeschool materials. For all those preparing for the homeschool conference.

Around the House:: We are tackling all the chores that have been neglected the last eight weeks.

On Keeping Home:: Tidied and dusted the den. Took a stuffed bag of my husband's work clothes to the cleaners. Still taking bags to Goodwill. Have lots to sell on Craig's list and Amazon in order to make more room on my bookshelves. The kids cleaned some windows and wiped off the porch furniture.

In the Garden:: I went to my favorite nursery in the world to get my annuals today. Now to get them in the ground!

Joe planted something in every square of our square foot garden. I desperately need to weed and thin out the lily of the valley, lamb's ears and black-eyed Susans. Anyone living around here is welcome to come buy and dig some up to take home!

Otherwise we have some nice spring blooms:

One of My Favorite Things:: Online library reservations.

Toward Personal Care:: Do I ever feel old lately! I have tons of gray hairs coming in that beg to be plucked, my elbow is barking from baby holding and awkward co-sleeping positions and my throat hurts every time I swallow. (I know I have fall allergies, but am usually not bothered in the spring.) I really need to start walking again now that the weather is better to ward off the post-partum fat & frumpy syndrome.

A Few Plans for the Rest of the Week:: Last violin group lesson and year-end picnic, soccer, last piano lesson until fall and The Conference. 

The Little Princess:: I made a shelf of books our three year olds have liked and am pulling out one a week to use FIAR style. This week she loved the Three Bears illustrated by Barbara McClintock. Now she is retelling the story as she plays with this set.

The Others:: The Eldest Princess went out on a special outing to the Mall of America with her Aunt Charlotte - this was her birthday gift. She went to the American Girl store & cafe as well as the amusement park. She was trilled about riding the roller coaster five times in a row!

The Little Prince - 8 Weeks! He is cooing, smiling, and nursing great, and waking up only once in the night for nursing and a diaper change!

More Wordless Wednesday

Wordless wednesday

Still Here

Yes, still here, just busy. We had a wonderful week with my mother and sister here. I was totally spoiled to have two extra sets of hands and ears to help out with the children and homeshooling this week. We are blessed to have them visit regularly. Our kids will definitely have good memories of their aunt and grandma from Oklahoma when they are older.

A week ago we had snow on the ground, and then it rained all week. Today it is 74 and sunny. Now that our celebration marathon has come to an end we can turn our attentions to yardwork. Well, my husband is anyway. He is going to get the mosquito and gnat sucker machine going and plant out square foot garden. (Yesterday a gnat flew inside my daughter's ear and bit her!) After the yard is good to go he is going to install more shelving in the basement for all of those storage tubs on the floor. That project should make for some great before & after photos!

I still have plenty to do inside with organization and planning. Our summer is planned out and I am making book lists in hopes of finding used titles at the upcoming conference. Postpartum is really not a great time to get so many homeschool catalogs in the mail. I already feel fat, frumpy, scattered, irritable and insecure about homeschooling with a three year old and a baby. Each catalog sucks me in and looks like THE ANSWER to my heart's desire of running an inspirational home school. Each one makes me wonder why I haven't been using that one all along. But then I realize the downfalls of each and remember that few pre-planned curriculum programs are perfect for any one family. So what I have found that helps is to imagine the one I am using presented and marketed like some of the others I am drooling over and realize how very good it really is. Really great book selections. Wonderful history and poetry. Not that there isn't room for tweaking some subjects when really needed.

Speaking of which, I THINK I have the math and language arts tweak narrowed down. Math: either Teaching Textbooks or Math-U-See for 5th grade and Math-U-See or Horizons for 2nd and 3rd. Language arts: either Easy Grammar and Phonetic Zoo OR the literature based Total Language Plus.

I have 24 preschool activity bags to assemble this weekend for a swap on Monday so I had better get to it while the baby is sleeping. (He is eleven pounds now and still cute, cute, cute!) I would love have time to post some photos, maybe later next week.

Sweet Weekend

Did you have a very happy Mother's Day weekend? I do hope so.

Saturday we woke up to this, which was not so sweet -

We had the last of four parties since the Little Prince was born, this time to celebrate the Little Princess' third birthday. My kids are actually tired of cake! This time I made a box mix instead of buying store bought and it was much less sweet - and much more tolerable.

Our little yellow-loving girl was thrilled with her new yellow dress and yellow cupcakes -

Mothers and Grandmothers were also honored with chocolate and photo sessions - it's not too often we have two grandmas and one great-grandma in one place -

Great Grandma always enjoys holding the babies!

The next morning I was served a delicious breakfast in bed the next morning and enjoyed some peace and quiet before heading out to Mass. My DH remembered something that has been on my wish list for quite some time - you see, every time I used my Pillsbury Baking Cookbook pages fell out so he took it to Office Max and had it spiral bound. Woo-hoo!

This week I get to hang out with my sister and mother who are here for a visit. Unfortunately we have to get in another week of school since we are so behind but it is luxurious to have two wonderful assistants to help out with math and reading and such. Now they know what I do all day! We will get to take one afternoon off to have some some fun.

Hope you have a great week.

Quote for the Weekend

I finished Sally Clarkson's new book today: Dancing with My Father.

This is more than just a "stop and smell the roses" book. It is that but so much more. Sally tells of a time in her life when she made a conscious decision to choose joy. She encourages her readers to recognize God and enjoy the life he gives us through the wonder of nature, relationships, our relationship with Him, and recognizing His handiwork in our daily lives even in the midst of conflicts and stressful situations. Her own personal stories are memorable, both her accounts of miraculously answered prayer as well as her honesty in relating the times of her life when she felt downright discouraged and depleted.

If I could pick a passage that represents the biggest gold nugget I will take from this book it is the following:

Many Christians tend to defend fervently their theological underpinnings and argue rigorously the tenets of doctrine. Yet often I have observed that in choosing to live only in the cerebral world of "what I know intellectually about God," they miss so much of his personality and nature, which can be observed through his role as the Artist . . .

Such an overemphasis on the academic determines that a relationship with God will be dryly but obviously absent of feeling and delight. It would be like writing or defending a long treatise on the role of a father, his character, and the history of fatherhood - separate from relating personally and intimately with him. No "report on fatherhood" would ever satisfy our need to experience life with an actual father, the life that comes from engaging in the personality, friendship, and companionship of a real live person.

God intended that we become witnesses of his beauty, design, color, and pleasure to that we could gain a more intimate, real, and personal knowledge of him. God does not want to be just a thought to know, but a personally engaging friend and Father whose relationship with is is filled with memory, delight, and moments to be experienced and enjoyed.

This book is exactly what I needed to read. In this stage of life I am struggling trying to homeschool three children with a distracting chatterbox of a three year old who rarely plays quietly with the plethora of educational toys I get for her each day and a new baby who obviously needs and demands my arms and attention. By 10:00 am I often feel scattered and short tempered and anything but joyful. I help the children memorize answers to the Baltimore Catechism (and while it is helpful to develop the memory and have ready answers) I wonder what kind of personal relationship with God each of them are really developing. Do we "say" our prayers as a family or intimately pray them? Do we sit through Mass waiting for the end or really worship God? Does the beauty and reverence of the Traditional Mass we attend inspire closeness to God or make religion too formal and academic for our children?

Questions to ponder and pray about . . .

First Smiles

I Fwee!

Wordless Wednesday

The Children's Turn for Tea

Last week the Little Prince went out for his first field trip with the school aged kids while Pipsqueak stayed with Dad while he worked from home. Our destination: a theater performance of Nick Tickle Fairy Tale Detective. Being a most accommodating little babe, he was still asleep in the sling when the performance ended so we walked a block down Main Street to the very same tea room where several MN bloggers have enjoyed three annual luncheons. Each year I have slipped out of the house for this gathering feeling slightly guilty for going and each year my children have felt slightly jealous at my going - even my little boy asked when I would take him to the tea room! Needless to say they were thrilled to have a turn.

Although I remembered something printed in their menu that stated their "inability to accommodate infants" I approached the proprietor and politely asked if I could treat my children to lunch. Seeing that the children were nicely dressed and the baby was safely sleeping she showed us to a table by a fountain.

Even better than the delicious tea, chicken salad, fruit and scone was the experience the children gained from dining in a tea room. I could not believe how unusually mannerly they behaved. Dino asked, "Do people who have bad manners here get kicked out?" To which I answered, "No, but the beauty of the surroundings helps inspire people to use their best manners."

As we were discussing the play, a lady at the next table who was out with her three year old granddaughter asked if we home schooled. We entered into a nice conversation about education, teas (she hosts an annual tea at her senior community center), sewing (she is a seamstress) and music (her granddaughter was named Elsa and I mentioned how much I liked Wagner's Elsa's Procession to the Cathedral).

I have to admit that it felt good to have represented homeschoolers well and to finally have three children old enough to behave in public, at least for a couple of hours. Like most parents we have endured our fair share of public embarrassments. When things actually go well (and even when they don't) I give myself permission to smile and feel grateful to be a mother, to have received a calling and granted the freedom to homeschool, and to receive the graces God provides to continue this vocation, day by day. Not in a gloating or bragging way, just out of appreciation for our family life and God's goodness.

This was a refreshing break for all of us, not just me. It was nice to just enjoy the one another's  company without the constant chatter or a two year old or a fussy baby. At home it seems my patience is tested at least once every three minutes so three hours of peace was a Godsend!

 

P.S. My husband thought it was a Godsend that I resisted the store-wide 20% off sale in their gift shop.

P.S.S. if you are a MN blogger I didn't know about last year or you were inadvertently left off the invitation list and would like to participate in our annual tea this summer please pipe up and I will add you to the guest list!

Bread of Angels

 

 

Corpus Domini nostri Jesu Christi custodiat tuam in vitam aeternam. Amen.

May the Body of our Lord Jesus Christ preserve your soul unto everlasting life. Amen.