Good Friday

/ Stacie / 1 Comment

As part of our Easter preparation, we did a preschool version of the Stations of the Cross Friday morning.  We used a beautiful book The Story of the Cross by Mary Joslin to guide us through our experience.  I read the description of each station while Joseph matched the picture of the station with the title of the station (I downloaded these from here) and then Joseph read the prayer for each station from the book.  The best part?  I know Joseph was imagining how Jesus must have felt because when we got to the 9th station and Jesus fell the third time, Joseph very compassionately asked, “oh, Jesus, you fell again…are you okay?”

 

Daybook

/ Stacie / 1 Comment

Outside my window…it’s beautiful and sunny!

I am reflecting on…Josef Pieper’s words, “the rational ‘useful’ world which preoccupies us is but a partial environment for our humanity; we need to be able to transcend the purely pragmatic, the visible and verifiable, and embrace the whole as marvel, as gift.” 

I am praying for…Jenny Johnson as she prepares to enter the Catholic Church. 

From the learning rooms…Holy Week.  We’re reading and re-reading books like The Easter Swallows by Vicki Howe and The Story of the Cross by Mary Joslin, The Best Thing About Easter by Christine Harder Tangvald and The Easter Cave by Carol Wedeven and we’re imagining what it was like to be there. 

From the kitchen…it’s pizza night.

I am wearing…jeans and a brown t-shirt. 

I am creating…some homemade band instruments for my nephew, Alex, hoping to get back into Leslie and Dustin’s good graces (I sent some pots and pans for Alex a few months ago and I can hardly hear Les on the phone these days…Alex has discovered pots and pans make the most joyful music!)

I am going…to plant the strawberry plants and hang our new hummingbird feeder.

I am reading…Medjugorje: The Message by Wayne Weible and am in awe of Our Lady.

I am remembering…Grandma Nury’s wingspan…


I am hearing…the neighbor’s lawnmower and Joseph practicing a new song he learned on the keyboard.

Around the house…I’ve been doing spring cleaning in bits and pieces.  I just washed the blinds (or rather Basic H washed the blinds, I just rinsed them).  

One of my favorite things…beautiful spring weather and opening the windows.

A few plans for the rest of the week:  The Way of the Cross for children on Friday; dye eggs and bake lamb cake on Saturday. 

Here is picture I thought worth sharing…


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

Air Show

/ Stacie / 1 Comment

Yesterday we took Joseph and William to Kingsville for their first air show.  We stayed just long enough walk around and see some aircraft, sit in a helicopter, and watch the first plane fly in the show.  William slept through most of it, only waking up just in time to gobble down his lunch before we headed home.  Joseph loved the thrill of sitting in the helicopter and is still telling me about the tricks the plane did in the air.  All in all, I’d say it was worth the 45 minute drive!

There were about 2 minutes between the first picture and this one...apparently the car ride wore him out!

Just in time for lunch!

Spanish Lessons

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Every Tuesday we have a special visitor.  Grandma Nury comes to teach Joseph Spanish.   A few weeks ago to celebrate the beginning of Spring, we focused our Spanish lesson on spring time words.  Combined with painting, it was a delightfully fun lesson! 

Joseph’s Spanish paintings are now hanging in the playroom…such a beautiful way to review!

Just being

/ Stacie / 1 Comment

Sundays are the perfect day to just be.  A few weeks ago after Mass, we went to visit Grandma Nury and Grandpa Larry.  We stopped by with the intention of just saying hello and playing for a few minutes, but we were lured into staying a few hours by the gentle sway of the hammock and the opportunity to play catch with Grandpa.  William and I napped in one hammock, while Grandma Nury and Walker rocked in the other.  Joseph and Dax played ball with Aunt Jessica and Grandpa Larry.  There was no rush to move onto something else.  No commitment to steal away our time.  It was just Sunday.  And we just were. 

Playtime

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Now that William is more mobile (and getting much faster), the two boys just love chasing one another.  Here are some pictures I thought worth sharing:

Where'd Joseph go?

Oh, there he is!

I'm going to get you!

Daybook

/ Stacie / 1 Comment

Outside my window…it’s dark.   So very dark because it’s so very late.

I am thinking…it would be nice if I could add a few hours to my day…or maybe it would just be nice if I could function on a little less sleep.

I am thankful for…sunny days. 

From the learning rooms…patterns galore this week…pattern blocks, teddy bear counters, snap cubes, anything we can find that we can make into a pattern!  Our book this week is The Carrot Seed by Ruth Krauss…since Spring has sprung and planting seeds just seems like the spring thing to do. 

From the kitchen…cinnamon rolls (yes again!) for Grandma Nury’s birthday breakfast and what a surprise…Grandpa Larry joined us too!

I am wearing…comfy pajamas.

I am creating…a book about the story of Easter to go along with my own version of Resurrection eggs…and looking very forward to our Easter egg hunt. 

I am sharing…this exciting news…William is walking!

I am reading…still reading How to Grow a Young Music Lover by Cheri Fuller.  I’ve been too busy taking Cheri’s advice and dancing and listening to music with the kids to read but I plan to finish it this week! 

I am hearing…the deep sigh of a sleeping baby.

Around the house…You’ll never believe it…I found the remote (do you remember that story?)!  What a cause for celebration.  It turns out I’m not the only mindless one…I found it in the side of William’s swing in a pocket.  Daxson didn’t know the pocket existed so he didn’t put it there.  I actually forgot there was a pocket (probably because I’m mindless) so I didn’t put it there.  Turns out even the littlest people in our house are a little mindless sometimes too…Joseph is the only one who could have put it there but everytime we asked him if he remembered where the remote was, he simply said it was on the table.  So let that be a lesson to each and every one of us…focus, focus, focus and be ever present in the moment.   

One of my favorite things…listening to the laughter of two little boys chasing each other around the house.

A few plans for the rest of the week:  Taxes (deep sigh).

Here is picture I thought worth sharing…

Ready for a walk at Cole Park with Grandma Cindy.

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

St. Patrick’s Day

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March 17, 2010:  I just love holidays.  Any excuse for a celebration!  And a saintly celebration is even more exciting because it brings our faith alive in tangible ways.  Grandma Cindy was in town and we invited Aunt Jessica and Walker over to join with us in our breakfast celebration.  Joseph and I made cinnamon rolls and decorated them with St. Patrick’s Day sprinkles. 

Learning to knead dough

Spreading the filling...mmm, the best part!

We baked our rolls in St. Patrick's Day cupcake liners...very festive.

William, stay down...I'm trying to decorate with sprinkles!

Grandma Cindy decorated the table with plenty of shamrocks.

 After breakfast Grandma Cindy read Tomie DePaola’s book Patrick: Patron Saint of Ireland to Joseph, which really does a beautiful job telling the story of St. Patrick.  Joseph loved the idea of the shamrock and how St. Patrick used it to teach the Trinity, so I cut out a shamrock sponge and Joseph spent the afternoon painting shamrocks. 

Daybook

/ Stacie / 2 Comments

Outside my window…it’s dark, finally.  I’m still having trouble adjusting to it being light so late!

I am thinking…it’s late and if I don’t go to bed soon, I’ll regret it tomorrow morning when two little chipper boys wake me up!

I am thankful for…Grandma Cindy and the rocking chair…she’s happily rocking away with William so I can write my daybook. 

From the learning rooms…St. Patrick’s Day and St. Joseph’s Feast Day celebrations this week.

From the kitchen…a cherry pie, if I ever make it to the grocery store.

I am wearing…a brown t-shirt with flowered cream pants.

I am creating…memories, always creating memories.

I am going…for a walk at Cole Park with our wonderful friend Marjorie tomorrow morning. 

I am reading…How to Grow a Young Music Lover by Cheri Fuller.

I am hoping…for beautiful spring days before the heat of the summer sets in.

I am hearing…just the hum of the computer and the clicking of the keys.

Around the house…still haven’t found the remote, but I did finally give in and program the universal remote.

One of my favorite things…playing games with Joseph…after someone moves their player, he always, without fail, says “Leave it there!”

A few plans for the rest of the week:  Build a birdhouse for St. Joseph’s Day; take advantage of the beautiful weather and play outdoors!

Here is picture I thought worth sharing..

September 2009: Out for a stroll

Don’t forget to visit Peggy’s site for more blogs!

A thought for today

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In Mimi Doe’s book Busy but Balanced, she tells about Ellen, a mother of two, who has taped a note to the front cover of her daily planner to remind herself to remain attentive to her children.  Her note says, “Spend time with my children today as if they are dear visitors who are about to leave, because they are.”