Pinewood Castle

Saintly Attire

The controversy over these costumes: quite the buzz! Honestly, I agree with both sides. Yes, they are expensive. Yes, they are well made. Yes, wearing them might be a mockery of the virtue of poverty many saints embraced. Yes, they are a great alternative to the CPC Halloween costumes made in sweatshops and sold in big-box stores. Yes, there are many ways to go about putting together a saint costume with much less expense. Yes, the hefty price tag goes to the support of Catholic homeschooling families.

My justification? In case anyone cares to criticize? (Do I sound defensive?)

1. I discovered these online last year and planned to purchase them this year.
   
2. There are a lot of other things we DO NOT spend money on so that we can, from time to time, purchase well made items that will last.
3. Although I can do some sewing by hand, I have never operated a sewing machine and do not own own. And last I checked, most are made in China!
4. I asked my husband if I could order them and he said yes.
   

Now, spending $16 on pumpkins that will end up in the trash can next week made me feel rather ill. And don't get me started on the cost of things like toilet paper, paper towels, paper napkins and trash bags! Highway robbery!

Finally Friday

Are you having a great week, what with all of these feast days? A book and cake and coloring page marathon? I just love reading everyone's ideas and I hope you tried many of them. Or at least one. Every year when October rolls around I always think I should just pick one feast on which to focus but every year I end up trying to do something for each of them. And we did. And I am glad we have a little break tomorrow before the Feast of St. Francis on Saturday. I'm a little tired. We finished Z week last week and I think we just need a short break.

Where's my stamina? I have to admit that the last three weeks have been rather grueling. Just as we returned to our full school routine, my husband has been faced with an important deadline at work and has had to work late pretty much every night and Saturdays too. He is around to help out in the morning (thank you thank you), but after he leaves we have a full day of school and lessons as well as practicing both violin and piano Suzuki style with each of my three school aged children.

The weather was so nice today that we ditched some of our plans and spent time outside. We collected a few remaining hazelnuts to put out on a rock for the chipmunks and squirrels. We had reading time in the backyard on a blanket near the sunflower house. My son played barefooted in the sandbox. We saved science experiments for after dinner. I let the kids have as many slices of angel food cake as they wanted. I am not even sure who brushed their teeth tonight before bedtime. It was that kind of day.

On Monday he is taking a well-deserved day off, as we have tickets to Vatican Splendors. And we have a babysitter coming for all four children.The same babysitter for whom the baby cried for a solid hour last Saturday. We are having her come again this Saturday with the hope that the two of them will get used to one another. Why put an almost 17mo through such agony? Because it's been so long since we have enjoyed an audio tour at a museum - is it selfish to want to be baby-free for just a few hours? If it doesn't go well we can always try the backpack. If "they" will let us in with it. "They" are so picky about things like that these days.

Many thanks for all of your kind words on the first birthday of my blog. They were the highlight of my week!

My Morning Project

When I went into Dino's room this morning he mysteriously said, "I don't want you to come in here."

The mystery was solved rather quickly upon the sight of his new dinosaur PJs.

It will be a long, long time before I buy Silly- Putty again. Maybe never.

Bummer

For the Minnesotans out there -- I know this is really old news, but I am just as bummed about it today as I was when I first heard that WCCO let Paul Douglas go! And CBS thinks this will help anything? That's like NPR canning Garrison Keillor!