Daybook

March 4, 2015 / Stacie / 1 Comment

Outside my window…is where I am. It is sunny and so beautiful. A little tease by mother nature since tomorrow begins a new cold front with chilly days and lots of rain to come. So looking forward to spring.

I am remembering…this interview with William almost 4 years ago. Some things haven’t changed (at least he knows his name on the first try these days!).

What’s your name? “2.” No, not how old are you. Your name. (a look of ah-ha) “William.”

Very good. How old are you? “William.” No, sweetie, this time I want to know how old you are. How many years you are. (another look of ah-ha) “2.”

What’s your favorite color? “Black.” (he’s signing it as he says it)

What’s your favorite book? “Black books.” Okay.

What’s your favorite sport? “Baseball. They hit the ball with the baseball bat.” (he swings his arms like a bat as he says it)

What’s your favorite thing to eat? “Bread. Bread. Bread.” (frantically signing it as well) Bread? Got it.

What’s your favorite fruit? “Blackberries.”

What’s your favorite vegetable? “Raspberries.” That’s not a vegetable. Do you like vegetables? “No.”

What’s your favorite thing to do? “Go outside.”

What do you like to do outside? “Play in the mud.” 100% boy.

I am wondering…if I could make it through a GK Chesterton book. Sometimes I read a quote of his and am so inspired but I haven’t actually read anything of his. Any first time Chesterton suggestions?

I am thankful…for this treat that Daxson whipped together for me last night. As he handed it to me, he proudly proclaimed, “Whole30 Compliant.” I am absolutely thankful to have such unwavering support.

I am looking forward to…spring. Sunny days. Warm days. Play days. Beach days. Picnic days. You get it.

I am considering…what I am going to do with Andrew for school next year. I’m revisiting all of our old preschool curriculum, trying to find the right fit for him.

In the refrigerator…Day 10 of the Whole30. I am learning lots of things about food and myself. Redefining the definition of treat and waiting for the sugar demon to completely release his hold on me.

I am wearing…a black knit skirt and a blue fitted t. I’ve got this adorable hairband in (made my Mom, of course!). Andrew looked at me several times this morning and finally said, “Why are you wearing two hairbands (my hair is in a ponytail so he was counting the rubberband and the cloth hairband)?” I said, “So I look beautiful for you.” He replied, “Oh Mommy, you do. You really do. You are just so beautiful!”

I am creating…a pot of silky zucchini soup. Seriously, Melissa Joulwan has created a masterpiece with such simple ingredients.

We are celebrating…a warm day. I just saw a kid run by in nothing but underwear.

I am reading…Hold the Dream by Barbara Taylor Bradford and still working my way through The Little Oratory (such a wealth of awesome ideas!).

In our learning room…finishing up our grammar books already (how did we manage that?!). Trying to decide if we move forward or find a supplement to finish out the year.

One of my favorite things…helpers in the kitchen. Andrew asks to make applesauce every week. Very faithfully. And it’s oh so delicious. Just apples and cinnamon. (See, already we’re learning to appreciate nature’s sweetness…no sugar added!)

A peek into my day…Katie went through a Dixie Chicks phase. She kept asking to watch their video Ready to Run. Then she saw these ballerinas. Now she’s on a Taylor Swift kick.

Please visit The Simple Woman’s Daybook for more daybook entries.

Catching a Pet

March 2, 2015 / Stacie / 2 Comments

One day, after our picnic lunch, we all laid around watching the birds at the feeder.

Suddenly William was struck with an idea. “Where are you off to?” I asked.

“I think I can lure a bird to me with some bird seed,” he replied.

He waited patiently. No luck.

Then he had another idea. “I need a butterfly net, Mommy.”

William waited patiently with his net to see if he could catch a bird. “I’ve always dreamed of having a pet, Mommy. Today I’m going to catch one for myself.”

He eventually changed his mind. “I’ll try again later…Daddy told me I could probably catch a seagull at the beach if I drop some bread next time I’m there.” Gee, thanks Dax.

{this moment}

February 27, 2015 / Stacie / 1 Comment

{this moment} – A Friday ritual. A single photo – no words – capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. If you’re inspired to do the same, visit Soulemama to leave a link to your ‘moment’ in the comments for all to find and see.

Lent

February 26, 2015 / Stacie / 1 Comment

I know I already posted these plans in a Daybook not too long ago, but I wanted to repost our plans here now that Lent is underway…that way you can “see” how our Lent looks.

1. Bury the Alleluia…we do it every year. We have these beautifully painted wooden letters that spell out the word. The day before Ash Wednesday, we sing it, we say it, we chant it…we get it out of our systems. Then we bury it and we fast from it. For those of you who don’t know…during Lent, as a Church, we do not say the word Alleluia. At all. Alleluia is meant to be an Easter word. And so for 40 days, we bury it and we don’t let it slip…then on Easter morning, there is much rejoicing as we reclaim the missing word…we are literally filled with joy as we proclaim Alleluia on Easter!

Everybody grabs a few letters so we can bury our “alleluia!”

We bury our “alleluia” in our Lenten box.

Putting the lid on our “alleluia.” Time to bury it.

We replace the “Alleluia” with the word “repent” to remind us what Lent is all about.

2. Stations of the Cross each Friday. Sometimes we use the DVD to pray the stations, sometimes we pray the stations that line our hallway, sometimes we visit the cemetery and the stations there. We almost always use the book The Story of the Cross to aid us in our devotions. However we do it, we make sure we do it because it is a deeply rooted tradition that allows us the opportunity to meditate on the Way of the Cross and really, is there any better devotion than that during Lent?

3. The Good Shepherd Parable and the Jesus Tree.

4. Our family devotions…this year, we’re going to be using Bringing Lent Home with St. Therese of Lisieux by Donna-Marie Cooper O’Boyle and as a read-aloud for the older boys, Amon’s Adventure.

5. A Calendar Countdown.

6. Our individual sacrifices. We don’t eat meat on Fridays…that’s called for by the Church, but considering the fact that my kids eat whatever is served to them, it doesn’t feel like much of a sacrifice over here (not even to Daxson or I, who usually eat fish on Fridays year-round), so I also ask each of the kids to give up something that’s a big deal for them for the duration of Lent…it could be as simple as juice with dinner or syrup with breakfast. I like it to be tangible, though. (When they make sacrifices like “I’m going to quit whining,” it’s a little hard for kids to “see” that and therefore, they tend to forget about their sacrifice over the course of Lent and they lose sight of the purpose of making a sacrifice…which, of course, is rooted in the idea that Jesus willingly sacrificed his life for us…surely, we can suffer a little during the 40 days of Lent in our own small ways in an effort to grow closer to Him.) Making these small sacrifices is actually a big deal in the spiritual life of children…it forces them to call to mind how incredibly blessed they are each time their sacrifice is repeated. Even though it feels small, to us who are overindulged and spoiled, the act of giving something up…anything, no matter how small, rewires our thinking and makes us grateful for all the many blessings in our life…even the small things in life…juice with dinner or syrup with breakfast. I also ask the older kids to make one positive change in their lives during Lent (this is a sacrifice, too! Changing habits is hard!)…this is usually a little more intangible…maybe to commit to exchanging a good habit for a bad habit or making a commitment to do something that makes them a better person (or a better brother or a better son, etc.).

We all spent weeks (literally) thinking of what we wanted to sacrifice. Then on Ash Wednesday, we sat down together and wrote out our plan.

After coming up with a plan, we wrote our individual sacrifices on slips of paper and did a bit of a sacrificial ceremony. Each child read out their sacrifices, then folded their paper and placed it in our black sacrifice bowl where they will remain for all of Lent.

A few other things I wanted to share: Ash Wednesday is not a holy day of obligation. Since I have lots of littles, I’m a bit nontraditional in that I prefer to celebrate our Ash Wednesday as a family at home in our Domestic Church. We have a container of blessed ashes that we use each year and we follow the readings by using the MagnifiKid!

We also set our Lenten altar on Ash Wednesday. We replace our green ordinary time altar cloth with a purple cloth. We add the Station of the Cross tree and the Station of the Cross eggs to the altar. We place three big nails in the plain wreath (wrapped with a purple ribbon) and place a purple candle in the center. We keep our Bible and rosary box on the table and add a rosary mediation book. Last year Dad made us a beautiful Lenten cross that we fill with six purple candles and each week we light another candle (yep, just like our Advent wreath). I love this addition to our Lenten traditions.

Daybook

February 25, 2015 / Stacie / 1 Comment

Outside my window…it’s cold and wet, again but the boys have donned their coats and are out there regardless.

I am reflecting on…Joseph’s sweet comment last weekend when Trammie (my parents’ neighbor) came over. She was showing them how to do cartwheels and back flips. As she was leaving, William said, “Check out my cartwheel!” and then he did a perfect cartwheel. Trammie responded, “Great job! Now you just have to work on your back flips.” Joseph said, “And I just need to work on my courage…being that high off the ground scares me!”

From the learning rooms…our horse unit study has begun! Lots of talk around here about breeds and horses in history.

From the kitchen…the Whole30 has begun! Lots of veggies around here!

I am wearing…black pants, a gray long sleeve Gap t-shirt, and these awesome slipper boots that Mom gave me. Nice and cozy.

I am creating…a list for curriculum ideas for next year.

I am laughing…about our visit to the petting area at the Snake Farm. Those were some seriously aggressive (or maybe just really hungry?!) petting zoo animals. Before we even made it through the gate, the llama grabbed Andrew’s entire bag (bag and all) and went off to devour it, a goat tried to snatch the bag out of my purse, and two goats made it through the entrance gate (Uncle Dustin had to herd them back into the petting area). Even once we were in, a sheep grabbed Joseph’s bag (as you can see in the picture where he’s running from the sheep!) It was pretty entertaining!

I am going…to try my hand at making bone broth soon. There’s a whole bag of bones in the freezer just waiting for me.

I am reading…The Little Oratory.

I am remembering…our trip to the Snake Farm for Alex’s birthday. Everyone enjoyed it…especially the birthday boy! He’s such an expert on all animals…it was like having our own personal tour guide!

I am hearing…Joseph’s voice on the Sparkup as Andrew listens (seriously, for a pre-reader, this thing is awesome! You can record ANY book on it…we’ve filled our Sparkup with lots of our favorites, all read by us!).

Around the house…you know, laundry, cooking, cleaning, playing, reading. All the usual.

One of my favorite things…filing taxes…not the whole process, just the completed product.

A few plans for the rest of the week: Joseph wants to start sewing again…Mario characters. This should be interesting.

Here are some pictures I thought worth sharing…from our trip to Pioneer Farms (these donkeys were much nicer to feed!)

Don’t forget to visit Peggy’s blog for more daybooks!

Feeling Good

February 23, 2015 / Stacie / 1 Comment

Spring is almost here and with it, new beginnings. This is the first spring in 8 years that I’m not pregnant or nursing incessantly to meet the demands of an infant (still nursing but now that she’s nearing 2, the relationship is much different…not nearly so demanding). It feels good. And I want to feel good because it’s been awhile since I’ve felt good…between fluctuating weight from having babies, dealing with anxiety and panic and an overwhelmed state of mind, suffering from a lack of spiritual life as I deal with the daily demands of my vocation, and the universal lack of sleep that plagues all parents, I’m ready to feel good again.

So my focus this spring? Exactly that…do things that make me feel good. I’m not talking about pleasurable things…like taking a vacation without the kids or spending the day at the spa or lounging about eating Godiva and reading romance novels (although all of those things would be lovely!). I’m talking about the things that just make me feel good….things that make getting up each day less of a chore and more of a joy…the things that fortify my body and mind. You know the things that might not be easy, but are completely worth it. Things like cleaning up my diet, making my workout a routine again and feeding my soul and brain. I’m going to fill my spring with things that nourish me because this mothering thing…well, it’s not a sprint, it’s a marathon. And I need to fuel up if I’m going to keep going.

I love that the end of Lent coincides so beautifully with the beginning of spring…it just seems natural to begin to reshape myself at the beginning of Lent so that by Easter, I am reaping the benefits of this “new” me.

Physical: Physically, my goals are to do the Whole30 and to make working out a REGULAR part of my routine again. My goals for the Whole30 are first, and foremost, to break the sugar addiction and to finally be free of the sugar demon. However, I have some fun, little goals too…I want to learn to make my own bone broths and curry. I want to try meat 3 new ways (or maybe 3 new meats…bison, maybe? lamb?) and incorporate veggies that I rarely ever use (rutabagas, bok choy, brussel sprouts, just to name a few). I also want to visit the farmer’s market a little more often and find a good source for our meat (yep, you guessed it…I finally watched Food, Inc.). As for working out, I’m going to reincorporate weight training (I am finally thankful that Daxson has lugged that Bowflex with us all these years) and stay consistent with some form of cardio (walking, running, chasing my kids).

Mental: I’ve always read to my kids. Always. But in the last few years, I’ve only read for myself late at night after the house is quiet and all those little interruptions are limited. I thought that seemed logical until the other day. I realized that here I am, trying my best to making reading (and reading-aloud) a culture and a way of life over here, yet I’m cheating my kids of one of the greatest examples…me as a reader. Reading isn’t just something we do only as kids…it should be a habit that follows us into adulthood. And for me, it is, yet my kids aren’t seeing that…all they’re seeing is me reading to them. So I spent the last week with a book in my hand during every spare moment (the moments that weren’t spent in the kitchen or folding laundry) and you know what I noticed? They started picking up their books and toting them around JUST LIKE ME…we were reading everywhere and much more often…outside, at the beach, first thing in the morning, after lunch, all together in bed at night. So my goal? Read. Read. Read. I’m always reminding the kids that every moment is a choice. When you choose to do one thing (for example, when I check Facebook or email), you’re choosing not to do something else (like read). Hmm. Wisdom noted. Advice taken.

Spiritual: It’s time to reread the Bible. It’s been awhile since I’ve read it cover to cover (I think maybe the last time I did that was when William was a tiny baby and life seemed considerably less busy). So it’s definitely time. This time I’m going to journey through the Bible with C.S. Lewis using this Bible.

Emotional: Time for myself. Seriously, that’s my goal. I’m not talking about carving out days or weekends here. Minutes will do. An hour would be extraordinary. Whatever it is, I need it. And I’m not talking about minutes after they’re in bed at night and I’m exhausted. Whether it’s Daxson offering to take over for a bit of time or while Katie takes her nap (and the boys have some quiet time), I’m taking it. And I’m not paying bills or preparing dinner. I’m breathing. I’m relaxing. I’m rejuvenating. Not because I deserve it. Because I NEED it.

That covers the basics. I could continue with a list of goals in all the other areas of my life from my marriage to my relationships to housekeeping, but I won’t. I have a million lists of books I want to read, things I want to do with the kids, conversations I want to have with Daxson, but listing it all would be overwhelming and it would begin to feel like a bit of a burden when this whole idea is meant to lessen my burden (because making yourself FEEL GOOD makes life much easier). That’s why I only focused on the four areas I listed. My final thought to share is this: I just have to keep in mind that as long as I stay focused on the moment and make those four areas my goals, I’m bound to reap the benefits in ALL areas of my life. Sometimes life just needs a little re-prioritizing. When I make a conscious effort to be present in each moment, all the other areas of my life flourish.

Nothing here is earth shattering, but all of it is life altering. Nothing here requires you to add more hours into your day to do (maybe re-prioritize a few things, but add extra hours? Nope). You can do this and you’ll thank me (and so will everyone else in your life!) Care to join me?

{this moment}

February 20, 2015 / Stacie / 1 Comment

Daybook

February 18, 2015 / Stacie / 5 Comments

Outside my window…lots of cheerful noise…birds, lawn mowers, and kids. A lovely cacophony of sound!

I am remembering…lying on the picnic blanket after lunch, relaxing. And then these two curious creatures interrupted.

I am listening to…Sparkle stories these days as we drift off to sleep. Here are some free ones for Valentine’s Day!

I am wondering…how we are already seeing mosquitoes around here…it’s only February!!!

I am thankful…for the week we took off. Much needed. Now we’re ready to move forward.

I am looking forward to…our next trip to the beach.

I am considering…grammar options to supplement our IEW writing lessons. We’re currently using First Language Lessons by Jessie Wise. We’re very happy, but I’m wondering what comes after level 4…any suggestions?

In the refrigerator…meatloaf, roasted veggies and mashed potatoes (simply so I can make Mom’s mashed potato pancakes).

I am wearing…jeans and a red shirt with red heart socks (okay, you caught me…I’m writing part of this Daybook on Valentine’s Day, but I probably won’t finish it until the day you see it posted…I write in short spurts, as kids, I mean time, allows.)

I am creating…the plans for the last 12 weeks of our school year. We’re getting ready to enter the 2nd half of the year (so our 4th six weeks) but I like to get a little ahead on my planning so it doesn’t sneak up on me!

We are celebrating…Valentine’s Day, of course! I know this is a little late to offer, but I love the suggestions of gifts for the 5 love languages here. We got lots of ideas from here (Joseph was inspired by her ideas and even made his own list of clever sayings!) and each of the kids chose which one they like best and then they got busy and made their Valentines. I found these adorable plates and cups at Pottery Barn Kids and transformed our dull, ordinary meals on Valentine’s Day into extraordinary meals. I even got away without having to offer dessert…sweet!

I am reading…Home in Carolina. My brain needs a break. Although putting the link here, I just realized this is just one in a series…which would explain why I felt like such an outsider when I first started reading it!

In our learning room…back to school this week.

One of my favorite things…this hair.

A peek into my day…Joseph and Katie reading together.

Please visit The Simple Woman’s Daybook for more daybook entries.

The Backdrop of Our Lives

February 17, 2015 / Stacie / 2 Comments

There is a backdrop in our lives, literally, that might not grab your attention at first glance, but it’s there. It’s my mother, present, in our everyday lives, despite the fact that she’s 200 miles away. How? you might wonder. Through her art – her quilting. Every stitch, it seems, is sewn in love and we drape that love beneath us as often as we can so we can feel her presence even when she’s not really here. We literally roll in it, nap on it, snuggle up with it and feel closer to her through a compilation of threads and fabrics.

This is how I remember my mother throughout my childhood (even though this picture is only a few years old, it’s reminiscent of my childhood):

And with that pose, here is what she can create…

One of the first quilts she made me…

She began a tradition to make each grandchild a quilt and present it to them on their first birthday. First there was Joseph and his John Deere quilt…

Then along came William and a beach themed quilt…

Next was Andrew, with a bug quilt (and by this time, Mom had become an expert on her embroidery machine)…

Finally, Mom had a chance to use some pink! Here’s Katie’s ballerina bear quilt…

Mom made me a quilt for my birthday one year (it’s the New York state star since that is my birthplace). This is the same quilt that I snuggled under every night in my first trimester with the babies when the morning sickness was unbearable and all I wanted was to be close to my mom.

There have been other exciting projects along the way. When I was pregnant with Andrew, for my baby shower, we supplied all the tools and each attendee made a personalized, appliqued quilt block. Mom sewed it all together and quilted it for me.

Mom’s quilt was even there as our backdrop when our family was featured in a local magazine!

When I had a close friend almost lose his life in a helicopter crash, I asked Mom if I organized a prayer quilt…friends and family members would each make a quilt block with each stitch representing a prayer…would she put it together and quilt it for me. Of course, she said yes.

There is the wall hanging she quilted that no Christmas would be complete without…

I see these quilts so often. One thing I can promise is that they are used. They don’t sit up on a shelf, collecting dust. We use them almost every day. It makes my heart glad (and I bet it makes Mom’s heart glad, too!). And Mom’s house is filled with more beautiful pieces of her art (our family’s favorite is the 4th of July quilt…my kids love snuggling under that quilt every night that they sleep at Granny’s!) so the art tour has only just begun…hopefully Mom and Leslie will post more pictures soon!

Thank you, Mom, for sharing your talents and your love with us in such a tangible way. Your art gives our lives a beautiful background to roll and tumble on!

The Second and Third Six Weeks

February 16, 2015 / Stacie / 1 Comment

Wow, I thought I was long overdue when I wrote my first six weeks post…if that was overdue, I’m not sure what word to use to describe the timeliness of this post! We just finished our third six weeks (so that portion of this post is on time!). Here are the highights of both the 2nd and 3rd six weeks (this won’t make for highly entertaining reading…plus I apparently ditched the camera for school-related things during all that time!)

Geography studies: 2nd 6 weeks: We covered Russia, the UK, France, Italy, Greece and Germany. 3rd 6 weeks: We covered the Netherlands, Spain, Canada, and the United States.

Chemistry: We continued our Chemistry studies supplemented with lots of fun experiments. We read Marie Curie’s Search for Radium. The boys each made their own periodic table pillowcase…apparently sleeping on the periodic table is worth “experimenting” with!

American History: 2nd 6 weeks: We covered the Pilgrims (just in time for Thanksgiving, of course!). 3rd 6 weeks: We covered early colony life, Daniel Boone and began a novel study of The Courage of Sarah Noble.

World History: 2nd 6 weeks: We finished up our Early Church and early saint studies and began to move into the Byzantine Empire (using Pandia Press…which you’ll see in just a moment that we didn’t stick with for long!) 3rd 6 weeks: After a King Arthur lapbook (lovingly prepared for Joseph by Auntie Leslie!), we switched programs (again) to Simply Charlotte Mason’s Medieval studies…ahh, love this. Simple, straightforward and filled with real books. Perfect fit for us. And all are engaged in their learning.

Wee Folk Art: 2nd 6 weeks: We focused on harvest time…lots of apples, pumpkins and of course, with fall, leaves! 3rd 6 weeks: We started Winter Wonderland…lots of snow stories and nonfiction about winter and groundhog stories. Not quite as engaging as our first trimester, but we’re enjoying the reading (and wishing we could visit some snow!)

Other highlights: We added back in our Catechesis of the Good Shepherd lessons (didn’t realize how much we missed this, until we started back!) We are continuing our Shakespeare studies, Hoffman Academy lessons (supplemented with Alan Jemison lessons…they’re finally reading music!), and Nature Study lessons using Simply Charlotte Mason’s Nature Study book. We switched over to Memoria Press’ picture study cards and are alternating our art lessons between Lindsey Volin and See the Light DVDs.

In between our 2nd and 3rd six weeks, we took the month of December for our Advent plans (we always spend the month of December doing school a little differently…we still do our Grammar and Math plans but we spend the remainder of our days soaking up the liturgy of the Advent season…lots of focus on feast days and preparing our hearts for the birth of Christ). This year we spent Advent studying Christmas Around the World. All the usual feast day celebrations took place (St. Lucy’s day with our annual tour of the lights; St. Nicholas’ day with card and cookie making; The Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, with Grandma Nury’s help to make flan) along with preparation for Christmas (our Jesse Tree, the O Antiphon house, plus the gift making, cookie baking, present wrapping) during this time. This was our first year using the O Antiphon house, which added an extra depth to those dark days right before Christmas.