Our school year

Recently I've been doing lots of thinking and planning for the coming (current) school year.  At this point we don't intend to send Gemma to formal preschool, but I like the idea of doing some formal learning at home this year and next before she starts kindergarten (which at this point we are planning on Catholic schools, while still being open to homeschooling).  I have found several sources that I am looking forward to trying and thought I would share them here along with our (planned) daily schedule.  I want things to be "formal" enough that it is special and out of the ordinary, but not so formal that it becomes a drag or something that she (or I) resents.  And of course we're working around and with Kolbe as well which I know will be fun but challenging!  Just the little bit of planning I've done has given me soooo much more respect and awe for those who homeschool.  Not that I didn't have it before, but wow.  Just wow.  Hats off to all of you!  Right now the plan is to spend 10-30 minutes a day working on "preschool" and everything will be centered around the Letter of the Week.  Here are my resources:

The Alphabet Path

The Flower Fairy Coloring Book

An Alphabet of Catholic Saints

Museum ABC

Catholic ABC's Preschool Curriculum from Catholic Icing

Catholic ABC book and coloring book

A is for Altar, B is for Bible

I also really like what I've read from Teaching Montessori in the Home: The Preschool Years, and am excited about using our new busy bags (which I hope to blog about in the near future)!

You can click HERE to view our tentative daily schedule for school (we're intending to start the week of September 12th).  I'd love any feedback and advice or tips.  We'll definitely be learning as we go!!!
And while we're on the subject of schedules, I thought I'd share our "daily schedule" (click link) as well, which is really more of a daily to-do list than a schedule.  We have a pretty regular routine that we follow each day, but this list helps me remember everything else that needs done (the items in parenthesis are items that are not always done weekly).  In the big open section I am able to write things that come up and need done/places we need to go, etc., and I have a place at the bottom for meal planning (which I try to do a week in advance).  I typically keep at least a month's worth of these printed out, and they hang on the side of our fridge where they can be easily referenced.  Head over to Catholic Icing to read about others' schedules and link up your own if you'd like!!

the kids working on their pattern blocks together one morning

Improvising

Improvising = putting a spare pair of children's (yes, girl's) underwear and a cloth wipe on your son's head upon arriving at the park on a sunny day and realizing you forgot his hat. Amazingly, this worked quite well. Don't judge.

And yes, of course I took pictures.

Bathroom redo - FINISHED!

The final stages of our bathroom redo have been completed!  We did floors, toilets and fixtures two years ago, and finished up with countertops, sinks, faucets and backsplashes this summer.  We are very pleased with the finished product.

Master bath wayyyyyyyyy before!

 

Master bath vanity (which is in the master bedroom) before and after

Master bath toilet/shower area before and after.

Main bathroom wayyyyyyy before!

Main bathroom pre and post new countertops.

Main bathroom pre and post new backsplash in shower.

The Fathers

When we were at Mass a few Sundays ago, Gemma noticed how our celebrant (who happened to be the associate pastor Fr. M.) was wearing green, but then when our pastor Fr. O. came up to the altar to help distribute Communion, he was wearing white.  I told her a little bit about why and didn't think much more of it.  Later that week I was folding laundry and Gemma asked to try one of her daddy's shirts on.  She does this often.  Then she asked me to put one on Kolbe so I did.  She looked at him and then down at herself (apparently she had never really thought about how she looked) and exclaimed, "look mommy! we look like Fathers!"  Then she wanted me to get a green shirt for her so she could be Fr. M. and Kolbe could be Fr. O in his white shirt.  It was pretty cute.  I shared this story (and picture) with Fr. M. later that week and he got quite a kick out of it.  Here they are all dressed up.

"The Fathers"

Small successes XLII

1.  Blogged about some recent reads.  (click here if you're interested in any of the titles)

2.  I'm not much a coupon person, but I've gotten some good deals on laundry detergent recently by combining coupons and sales.  Purex Naturals and Arm and Hammer FREE if you're curious.

3.  Have been making it to daily Mass (some days, which is better than no days) early before anyone is up at my house.  Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!

4.  THE BATHROOMS ARE FINISHED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Pictures to come...

5. Got socks, shoes and jackets for my children for Fall/Winter.  I am slowly working on finishing out their wardrobes for the coming season.  It just never ends!

6.  Did some more purging and organizing in the sewing room and storage room.  That always ALWAYS feels good.  The sewing room had kind of become the "catch all" room during the bathroom renovations, so it's nice to have it "back".

Head on over to Chocolate For Your Brain each Thursday to share in others' successes!

Recent reads (Summer 2011)

Mountains of Spices by Hannah Hurnard

This book is the sequel to Hinds' Feet on High Places, which I read (and loved) back around the first of the year.  I am reviewing it now and it's been several months since I finished it, but I found it to be a very touching story and even cried at the end (sorry if you think that is lame).  But I won't tell you why because I don't want to spoil it.  If you want to read this book, I would definitely recommend reading Hinds' Feet first or it really won't make much sense at all.  Both allegories were great reads though, I enjoyed this deviation from my usual fare immensely.

Conversing with God in Scripture: A Contemporary Approach to Lectio Divina by Stephen J. Binz

This book was a great introduction to praying with Holy Scripture.  Several months ago I couldn't have told you a thing about Lectio, and then it just kept coming up.  Totally a Holy Spirit thing.  I don't have a whole lot to which I can compare this book, since this was really the first I read about Lectio Divina, but it seemed very sound theologically and I learned a lot.  It was recommended in The Word Among Us, which is a publication that I like.  If anyone else out there has some good recommendations for books on Lectio I am definitely open to suggestions!

One Thousand Gifts: A Dare to Live Fully Right Where You Are by Ann Voskamp

This book was pure candy, I absolutely devoured it.  Voskamp is not a Catholic author, but absolutely Christian, and some of her ideas were very Catholic probably without her even realizing.  In fact, at the end I was honestly left shaking my head as to how someone could write a book like this, and experience what she experienced and not convert.  But that's neither here nor there I suppose.  I took a lot of good away from this book and am very grateful I stumbled upon it.

Honey for a Child's Heart by Gladys Hunt

I really liked this book, as I mentioned in this post about poetry.  It reaffirmed to me just how important books are in our home and family, and gave some fabulous book recommendations from infant all the way up through the teen years and beyond.  This book made me nerd-out about reading even more than I normally do.  I also liked the fact that while discussing/recommending mainly secular books, it looked at them from more of a Christian perspective, but without seeming too overboard when it came to things like syndication and controversial books like Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings (does that make sense?).  It all seemed very reasonable and balanced.  Hunt also addressed Santa Claus in one of her chapters, and I really appreciated her perspective on that whole "debate".  There was a good section on book recommendations for holidays towards the end of the book, which I found extremely helpful.  I sat down with this book and added lots of new titles to my lists on the library website.  Because I am just weird like that.  If you have young children and appreciate reading, this is a good book to help you further that appreciation while instilling a love for the written word in your children.

Sing like a Catholic by Jeffrey A. Tucker

I wasn't able to read this entire book.  I was late picking it up from ILL due to a misunderstanding on my part so I didn't have it for long, and at the same time was wading my way through several other titles that kept distracting me.  I sped-read the parts that really piqued my interest though (the book is basically made up of about 40 or so "essays" on liturgical music) and can see requesting this book again to read it in a bit more depth  I. LIKED. what it had to say.  I will be completely up front here, 10 years ago I was all for guitar Masses, praise and worship music, you name it.  The jazzier and schnazzier and more contemporary, the better.  I don't know what has happened to me other than to say the older I get the more I tend towards the orthodox/traditional.  It would not hurt my feelings one bit if most of the Mass parts were in Latin, Gregorian Chant was used on a regular basis and the main instrument to aid worship was the organ.  Bring on the incense.  And please, stop the random applause (but that's a whole different rant).  This article really sums up my thoughts on the matter quite well.  Anyways, back to the book...Tucker's style of writing is incredibly witty, even a bit snarky at times, which makes it all the more an enjoyable read in my opinion.  He is spot-on and you can tell he knows his stuff.  I am amazed (and annoyed) - after the small amount that I read - at the huge liberties the American (western) Church has taken with the Liturgy.  It's sad really.  Sometimes I think I would feel more at home in a more Eastern (Catholic) environment.  But who knows.  We have nothing like that in our area so I am certainly happy where I am, but I do often wonder...  Anyways this book would be great required reading (if not as a whole at least in parts) for Church musicians or really anyone involved in the liturgy.

I'm currently reading another Jacques Philippe book, and waiting on Walking With God: A Journey Through the Bible from inter-library loan.  Any other recommendations?

Monthly update - August 2011

Gemma Grace - 3 yrs, 7 months.

• she has discovered dress up clothes
• she can write most of her uppercase letters and her name with a little help
• her legs are full of summertime bruises
• I have caught her saying "mommy, I love your dinner" several evenings when we're eating.  I thought I'd never live to see the day...
• speaking of thinking I'd never live to see the day...she requested pigtails one day...and actually followed through!!!!  but it was short-lived.  she took them out after a few hours and hasn't wanted them since.  I do have pictorial proof however.
• she's very good at riding her tricycle
• not only is she biting her fingernails, but her toenails as well. ugh.

 

Kolbe James - 19 months

• he is starting to understand the concept of puzzles and likes to do our farm animal chunky puzzle, complete with making all the animal noises himself!
• still not talking, except for "ball-ball", but as mentioned above, he does well with animal sounds.  his latest two are the lion and the snake
• he understands a lot and still uses a handful of signs, so this helps a lot with communication
• he likes to copy whatever big sis is doing, and often gets quite upset if it's something he can't do (IE play with markers)
• he is still pottying consistently at least once a day in his potty chair.  his awareness amazes me.  Gemma never had that with potty until she learned to use the potty full-time.
• he got his first full haircut...top and everything
• he has started enjoying books more, and will sit and look at them on his own for awhile if they interest him, and even sit for longer spans when I'm reading to Gemma
• he still doesn't have any of his eye teeth. grrrrrrrrrr, come on teeth!!!
• he looooooves "helping" me unload the dishwasher

Really a pretty slow month all in all, not much new I guess!  We're enjoying the cool(er) weather.  Still spend some time in the kiddie-pool on the deck after naps, but not as much now that it's not as hot (we were hitting it every day there for awhile).  We've taken several trips to the zoo, the jungle is always a fave!  We enjoy evening walks and time at the park.  We have two new cousins...little baby boys, one on each side of the family.  Gemma and Kolbe have started playing (fairly) well together for longer periods of time which is super great.  Sometimes Gemma even invites (errr, demands) that Kolbe come play in her room.  At any rate, it is good to see them entertaining eachother more and more.  As always, life is good at our house. 

Gemma - 3yrs 7 months and Kolbe - 19 months in their jammies

Baby blankets

Here are some recent baby blankets I've sewn.  Two layers of 36"x45" cotton with binding.

Poetry

I recently read Honey for a Child's Heart and really enjoyed it.  It gave me all kinds of wonderful tips and ideas when it comes to the use of the written word in our home.  One of the genres of children's literature of which this book spoke very highly was poetry.  We read a lot around here, but have never read much poetry aside from Nursery Rhymes.  I, for one, have never been a huge poetry fan.  I have very distinct memories of memorizing it in the first and second grade, and I always thought that was fun; and then there was Shakespeare in high school, and I didn't think that was quite as much fun.  ;-D  I do enjoy the poems of Jessica Powers occasionally, but for the most part a book of poems is not going to be the first or second thing I am inclined to pick up.  Even so, I know it's important to instill a love for - or at least an awareness and appreciation of - all types of literature in my children.  So I checked out When We Were Very Young by A.A. Milne from the library and have been pleasantly surprised at how well it has gone over.  I decided to pull it out at lunchtime and read a few selections each day.  Gemma really likes this (and I've even caught Kolbe signing "more" when I finish a peom), and she already has certain poems she will request to hear.  I even forgot one day and she went and got the book out of the drawer and brought it to me.  It's been a good tool to use as well...Gemma isn't always the best eater, and I've found myself saying, "take another bite and then we'll read another poem," and she happily acquiesces.  (YAY!)  I also purchased Eloise Wilkin's Poems to Read to the Very Young from Thriftbooks (THANKS DEBI!!!!!!) and this is just a lovely little book.  It is a board-book, so very sturdy, but much larger than most of the board books we own.  The illustrations are (of course) Wilkin at her very best...each one more pleasant to look at than the last.  Definitely a good buy for $3.95 shipped!  So all in all, the incorporation of poetry into our day has been an easy and positive one!!  I love it when things work out the way I picture they might in my head, because heaven knows for every one idea that works out splendidly, there were a dozen or so that fell flat on their face.  ;-D  What are some of your favorite poetry collections for children?

Review: Lafe's Natural Deodorant Spray

After reading my dear friend Erika's hilarious commentary on deodorant shopping, I thought I'd review the product I've been using for the past six months or so.  Since having children, I have begun more and more to see the value in "less is more" when it comes to personal care-type and cleaning (etc.) items that we put on, in or around our bodies.  ...My children don't need lotion after every bath, they have baby soft skin!  Wait, do I need lotion after every shower?  What's in this cleaner anyways, the smell is about to knock me off my feet?!!...  It's kind of been a snowball effect, but suffice it to say it has really got me thinking.  I've cut back (or out) a lot on things like lotions, shower gels etc., and the items we do use I try to find a more natural alternative with less chemicals and other potentially harmful ingredients.  Deodorant has been one of those items.  Last December I ordered some Lafe's Natural Deodorant Spray from Cotton Babies, my favorite cloth-diapering website (free shipping, all the time, any order no matter the size!!)  I thought I'd try it in the winter when I sweat less and then kind of go from there.  I like it.  I think I don't smell.  It's always difficult to smell yourself unless you smell reallllllly bad.  I ask Aaron, but he just laughs at me or says of course I smell.  He's no help.  So if you know me and think I smell bad, send me a private message or something to clue me in!  But anyways, it seems to do a decent job at neutralizing odors, and I don't sweat terribly profusely in the first place so the fact that it's not an antiperspirant hasn't been a huge issue.  I still keep some Secret on hand to use if I'm going somewhere nice.  You know, like once or twice a year.  But, for the most part this has been a good product to have and a purchase that I'm glad I made.  The thing I like most is that it is natural, and doesn't interrupt my body's natural process of doing things.  It seems pretty cost-effective as well.  I paid $5.99 for the bottle last December (no tax, free shipping) and still have about 1/4 bottle left.  I would recommend this product to try if you are looking for a more natural alternative to mainstream deodorant.

Stacking cups

Stacking cups have been a perennial favorite toy at our house with both children.  Here is Kolbe - very proud - he did this all by himself!!

Bathroom progress - master vanity

They are sloooooooooowly but surely (I think?) completing our bathroom renovations.  I thought I'd post some pics to sneak-preview the work that has been done.  The master bath vanity is the only part that is complete so far.

BEFORE

AFTER

Sweet siblings IX

Small successes XLI

1.  Despite the oppressive heat, some of my summer annuals are doing very well...particularly the lantana and moss rose.  AND IT RAINED LAST NIGHT!!!  2.5 inches!!!!!!!!  YAY!!!!!!!

2. Finished some sewing projects for some new babies in the family!  Pictures to come!!!

3.  Did some planning for our "school year".  Gemma is 3.5 yrs and while we don't intend to send her to preschool, I would like to do some structured learning with her at home.  She's definitely ready.  I'm going to be using the Alphabet Path and this new book from Catholic Icing (SO EXCITED!!!) 

4.  Got a good deal on some school supplies (crayons, markers, water-colors, storage tubs, construction paper, glue, etc.) and got them all organized and stored in the cabinets in our laundry room.

5.  My husband (yes this is his success, not mine) spent time cleaning up some trash that blew in the neighborhood lake.  We're not able to participate in the HOA (besides paying our dues) or do many of the neighborhood activities and projects, so it was nice to be able to contribute in this way.  I did play outside with the kids while he worked though.  ;-D  

6.  The bathroom remodel is coming along.  It is taking way too long, but I'm trying to be patient and the end product will be so worth it.  The joy of the pink formica being gone makes the weeks that this has been going on and things have been torn up and/or out of order a bit more bearable.

7. Scored some cool books I'd been wanting to read on inter-library loan.  Yes I am lame and get excited about things like that.  Speaking of scoring good deals on books though, have you checked out Thriftbooks?  It is fast becoming my new favorite venue for ordering used (and like-new) books!  FREE SHIPPING all the time without a $25 minimum purchase!!!

Share successes each week over at Chocolate For Your Brain!!

Another Gemma funny...

A couple weeks ago I was brushing Gemma's teeth before showers and she let out quite the toot.  "Gemma!" I exclaimed, to which she replied, "mommy, I think that was my toot-brush."  I actually had to have her repeat herself, I really didn't think she was capable of making a joke like that, but alas "toot" brush it was.  Aaron and I were very, um, impressed with this fabulous display of potty humor at such a young age.  ;-D

Five years

My dear husband and I celebrated five years of marriage this past month.  If I have learned one thing about marriage these past five years (and hopefully I've learned more than that), it is that the power of a Sacramental Marriage rooted in Christ is amazing.  Takes my breath away.  It's no wonder the divorce rate is what it is in our nation, because there is no way we would survive without Christ at the center of our marriage.  So here's to many more blessed years!  (And here are a few "flashback" pics I thought would be fun to share!)

my side of the family - July 2006

his side of the family - July 2006