Singing, Mass prayers and readings, and the rosary at home.
Breakfast bowls, streusel muffins, and coffee for brunch.
Blogging while everyone else helps Dad shovel the driveway.
Mugs of tea to soothe still-sore throats.
A home recital in lieu of a public one at MacPhail. A missed rehearsal too. Sigh.
Kitties to pet.
Quiet walk on the path.
Time, luxurious time.
Seek Love in the pity of others' woe, In the gentle relief of another's care, In the darkness of night and the winter's snow, In the naked and outcast, seek Love there!
I didn't mean to take a blogging break for the rest of Lent, but I did.
I didn't intend to interrupt the blogging break once it began, but I am.
Why? Because life changes so very quickly. For the last four years, this blog is where I have gone to document my family's milestones.
My baby turns two this week. TWO! Here he is pictured disassembling his birthday ring. I let him do this until he starts throwing the figures on the floor, which is a sure sign he's ready for a nap.
My other baby (almost 12) had her first babysitting job! She managed four children (one of whom is 9 and was a great help) and their parents enjoyed a well deserved break.
Winter turned to spring. The snow is gone.
I have an uneasy feeling that it will snow at least one more time. This would be bad for the flowers and birds, but my children would love another snowball fight like this one they had in February.
We took a hike by the river. Normally, the Mississippi is climbing it's banks this time of year.
The urge I had a month ago to enroll my daughter for kindergarten next year - it passed. February is a cruel, cruel month for home schooling mothers; a month in which decisions regarding your children's education should never be made.
School is going much better these days, especially when I wake up on time and stay faithful to my role throughout the day. I find that I must present clear expectations to my preschooler regarding the transition time from school-with-mom to independent work time. Activities arranged on her shelf, along with a timer and reward of snack-time when it beeps works like a charm. Most days.
I learned two cool new things lately: one is that the Funiculi, Funicula song was written for the opening of the funicular railway that climbs Mt. Vesuvius - the very same volcano that destroyed Pompeii. The other is that there is a saint named Deo Gratius. What a great name!
St. Patrick's Day was celebrated with plenty of Irish stew, soda bread, and celtic music. For some reason I have no photos of this day, just memories to cherish in my heart.
Sunshine fractured her foot after jumping off the swing and landing funny. She hopped around on one foot for over a week.
Group violin concerts were presented. Dancer performed the Bach Gavotte in D with her Book 3/4 class. Sunshine did not perform that day since she was still hopping on one foot.
The girls attended Suzuki graduations at Orchestra Hall. Now I understand why moms and teachers get goosebumps at the sight of Twinkles through seniors crammed on stage performing together. Just think of how many hours of loving and dedicated practice this group represents.
Sunshine performed half of Suzuki Piano Volume 2 in a home recital with her Aunt Charlotte and Uncle Aron in attendance. She's looking forward to moving on. Here's Mozart's Arietta.
She also won $20 in an art contest sponsored by the city water department. Pretty exciting stuff in the life of a ten year old!
Three more poems from the MODG curriculum have been memorized, copied, illustrated, and recited. I remember memorizing the Jabberwocky in middle school. I think my 6th grader enjoyed it as much as I did at that age.
Catalogs and flyers for summer camp opportunities are stuffing the pretty pink file folder that sits on my desk, blank forms just waiting to be completed and returned before the looming deadlines. Decisions regarding who can do what and how much it will all cost and how we will ever pay for it all await an answer. With artistic endeavors, summer maintenance is crucial; intensive day camps are ideal.
But - the van needs new brakes, the play set area needs fresh wood chips this year, the oldest child needs new (or used) and bigger clothes, the gasoline and grocery bills are rising, and homeschooling curriculum costs are around the corner.
So, if you have tips on cutting your grocery bill in half (while still eating healthy, unprocessed, preferably organic, high in protein and low-carb) please share! Our ideal amount for the grocery budget happens to be just a smidgen over the $30/week per person that an average Minnesotan would receive in food support - another interesting tidbit I learned recently. Our mayor recently undertook the "Hunger Challenge" and had a difficult time eating for just $30 a week. No wonder I am having trouble meeting this goal with a family of seven.
Well, Holy Week is upon us, just a few days away. We are utilizing the Lingua Angelica program to brush up on the Tantum Ergo and Stabat Mater. Next week we will take a few days off to clean, pray, and attend services. Here are some magnificent musical selections on CD to set the mood around the house for the Triduum.
Before I sign off on this catch-up post I want to share with you this post at the new Mom-Heart Blog - The Myth of a Perfect Life. Let Sally's soothing voice encourage you today as you meet the multitude of responsibilities of raising a family.
Last week I felt antsy to get out and photograph some of the late wildflowers along the path. Much to my dismay, many had fallen victim to the big mowing machine the city send out periodically. Gone were the evening primrose. Gone were the butter & eggs.
Here's some of what we did enjoy:
The butterfly weed gone to seed and ready to blow around - yes, it's related to milkweed!
The last of the hazelnuts -
Michaelmas Daisy, right on time -
Leaves half green, half red -
Pine needles all over. Well, they were more all over before the mower -
Leaves dappled in sunlight -
AUTUMN by Florence Hoatson Yellow the bracken, Golden the sheaves, Rosy the apples. Crimson the leaves; Mist on the hillside, Clouds grey and white. Autumn, good morning! Summer, good night!
A few Sundays ago we took the whole family to the farm to explore the trails
by the Mississippi. What a wider variety of plants were there! I am not sure what some of them are -
I thought this was Mullein but in my book the Mullein is yellow -
Wimp that I am, the heat and humidity have kept me off the nature path lately.Combined with the deer flies that have nothing better to do that buzz in circles around your head while you walk - it's enough to keep me inside with the a/c for a few weeks!
Before it got too bad around here we were still keeping track of the blossoms. The day that Mary came to visit we saw many interesting things -
Butterfly Weed -
Daisy Fleabane -
Some kind of caterpillar that encloses itself with leaves. I would love to know what this really is - the same thing was happening to the leaves on my sunflowers that week.
A nature walk first thing Monday morning was a refreshing way to begin the week. A few years ago I would have noticed the bugs and little else but with the help of curious children and a field guide we can now identify much more than just mosquitoes and deer flies . . .
Timothy going to seed
The Prairie Rose (again)
Canada Hawkweed
"Leaves of three, leave them be!"
Harebell - my favorite!
Spreading Dogbane
Oak Apple Gall
Hoary Puccoon - a stange name for such a beautiful flower!
A few more wildflowers are at their peak this week.
The white campion is whiter than white. We love when these flowers go to seed and make a little vase with the seeds inside. So fun!
I am not sure what these seed pods are, but I pick them off and tell the kids, "Here's a penny for you!" THey collect them and use them for admission to the new fun ride.
Here's some common yarrow
And there are fuzzy wuzzy caterpillars everywhere!
Last June it was so hot and dry that many wildflowers did not bloom so it is a real treat to see some of our old favorites and see some we have not noticed before like this prairie rose. The children are complaining less about being weaned from their scooters and bikes and seem to understand and enjoy how much more they see when they walk. We save the scooters and bikes for other trails with fewer blooms!
Prairie Rose
Vetch
Solomon's Seal
Mating dragonflies
June Bug (the ones that bang at your windows at night!)
When we look out of our front windows we see green green and more green because the is a city park across the street. It is mostly full of oaks dying from oak wilt with a paved walking trail around it, but the wildflowers growing along the path in June make up for the eyesore of tree stumps.
Although the children love to ride their bikes or scooters on the trail I often make them walk so they can listen and look. Otherwise they might will miss the
Spittlebug
Bird's Foot Violet
Tent Caterpillars
The symmetry of ferns
Baby Crab Apples
And many flowers I am not finding in my copy of Wildflowers of Minnesota field guide! Tell me if you know what these are -
