Our week…

This week we are so very close to finishing school. The kids have been agonizing for the news that they will have summer school…just a few hours a week. They’ve been so distraught that they have even tried to persuade me to change my mind by saying “Summer school is for kids who are stupid.” Not going to work kiddos! You will keep your mind engaged AND work ahead just a bit too!

Kids had their own field day. Although not highly attended, it was seriously fun! (Clare even got in on the fun. She was so thrilled to have the playground just a few yards away!)

Michael, who was so uncertain, had a great time! He’s such a stinker having to be “forced” to try something new only to find out that he loves it. He declared, “This was the best day of the year.” Katie was so great to help a young boy with autism learn how to do the 3-legged race. As a reward for coming in last place every time, I agreed to run with her for a bit. So silly!!!

I love our booster leads who think of so many of the details. Ms. Ginger awarded all with a medal! So cute! Mine were happy to get their first competition medal. Cute, right?!

This picture speaks volumes about Clare’s personality. Oh how we love her!!

It is true that God grants special graces to those hearts who are entrusted to form ones with such spirit. She is a goose for sure!!

Katie was honored to have stepped over to the next level of AHG. She is now an Explorer first year.

It was also awards night. She earned a few more badges for her Tenderheart vest which we will now retire and begin decorating her Explorer vest.

What a fantastic year. We are so thankful for this influence upon her life and the great families and girls she has come to call friend throughout the year. It’s good!!

She also got her new eyeglasses after having worn out the spring on her first pair. These came from Coastal.com and we are thrilled. I love especially the anti-glare lenses. $18 well spent!!! Now, to order a back up for Michael!

Gotta love summertime festivities! Who doesn’t love ice cream?!

Clare thinks she is as big as Katie & Michael. I have to admit that my heart skipped a beat seeing her sit next to them on this wall in our backyard. It’s always been the “get away from there” wall certain that the kids were going to fall off it. However, now it has become the primary means of movement between our house and the two houses behind us as the kids play with the neighbors. Instead of yelling and jumping on the big kids for encouraging the wall play, I picked up the camera and said a prayer to their guardian angels. It won’t be the last time I’m certain I see her there and catch my breath.

Clare has really taken to “ite” and “aw” just like the big kids. This particular morning she demanded they “write” and “draw” with her. Too cute! We really love the Crayola slick stix but boy are they messy. Easy to clean up, but seriously just like an oil crayon. Beautiful color quality but really soft!

We will officially finish up the kids’ school curriculum (a grade above for both of them) next week, take a week for VBS and then start a few hours in the afternoon for enrichment and working toward next year’s curriculum. This momma likes to play during the school year so we spread the year out over the summer too. Summer is almost here! It is sure to look a little different this year as the kids have made neighborhood friends! I can’t wait!

Night at the Museum

Oh how we love the Atlanta History Center and their special programming. Last night we partook in the members appreciation Night at the Museum event.

We brought with us some friends. Neighbors in fact. It was such a great way to spend a Friday evening (even if it did mean battling Atlanta’s Friday night traffic during rush hour). We had a little picnic on the back porch (not knowing ahead-of-time they were hosting with pizza & drinks). Oh well. We had a great little dinner together and then carried the baskets back to the cars before touring the museum.

Katie was so excited to have met Cleopatra. She has read at least a handful of books on this famous woman in history. Admittedly, as much as our little girl is growing up, she was a bit starstruck by seeing “her” in person. It made her happy!

Nate admitted to buying lots of war bonds and was reminded that “loose lips sink ships”. Yes. We are happy to remind our children not to sass. HA!

Unfortunately, we didn’t get a good picture of Bruce Jenner (he really did have a fantastic costume) running the Olympic track with the kids. However, the boys did run and Reilly took the gold medal. Katie was happy to honor him with the winner’s pose. “Bruce” is also one of our favorite museum person’s during previous Atlanta History Center events.

Michael was hesitant to shake the President’s hand, but did after some cajoling. Both JFK and Marilyn Monroe are pieces of history this little boy doesn’t yet know. I think I see at least a quick lesson this weekend.

I know. We are terrible parents. Katie & Michael don’t know about Lucy!! What do you think when you hear Lucille Ball.

Repeatedly, I shared this realization and everyone immediately commented, “You have to show them the stomping grapes and the chocolate assembly line episodes”. I completely agree. YouTube here we come! Gotta love Lucy!!

Charlie Chaplin!!!

He had everyone in stitches! What an incredible actor who really earned his weight in gold last night. He was such an entertainer!!

Again, however, the kids really didn’t know him from history. They were intrigued for sure! So what does every modern homeschooling family do? Turn to YouTube of course.

Katie was convinced that he liked her. After-all, he came up to her several times. She even got to dance with him! I only wish I had been there to see it. She’ll talk about it for weeks to come I’m certain. As we were leaving, one of the directors mentioned “He really doesn’t dance with just anyone. You must be special!” Well played Ms. Hillary! Well played. What a great memory for our Katie!!

Nate was enamored (really we all were) with Bobby Jones! Sadly, I have to admit it’s an exhibit that we had never taken the time to tour. We aren’t big golfers nor are we originally from the south. Just wasn’t one of those things we prioritized in our visits with the kids. However, Mr. Bobby really brought history to life (no pun intended). What a phenomenal presentation and a wealth of historical information. THIS IS WHAT Night at the Museum means! Truly…history coming to life!! Awesome!!! Now we have to come back and tour his room!

Thank you Atlanta History Center for a great night spent together as a family! (Sweet Clare, next year you can come when it’s not so crazy past your bedtime and Ellie can stay with friends!)

Welcome to Hogwarts

The kids have many friends who have read the Harry Potter book series so we decided to introduce it slowly. Nate read them all when they were first published many years ago, but we’ve been hesitant to introduce them to the kids. They just finished the Heroes of Olympus (The Lost Hero, Son of Neptune & Mark of Athena) books by Rick Riordan and loved them. For months, we have been listening to the audio books as we drive about town. Given the content of those books and their interest and maturity in asking questions and pondering, I decided we could give Harry Potter a chance.

One book at a time and maybe over several years. We’ll see how the kids manage the content.

They were a bit bummed that at the end of the Sorcerer’s Stone I took the opportunity for a parallel on good vs. evil in light of our faith. It was a great discussion and made our oral reading time a legitimate moment of formation.

They have especially loved that it has become a time to stop everything and just listen to the story. Sometimes I read and sometimes daddy is home in time to read. He goes to great lengths to change his voice for each character…this boring mom just reads. Regardless, it’s nice to take the time together for something intentional.

Friday night last week I received a special birthday present…a homemade dinner delivered by a friend. It was so much a beloved gift that I hope I can impart it upon more mom friends for their birthdays. What a great gift…not to have to make dinner on a Friday night.

We had our neighborhood friend over for dinner and movie night. He brought the movie and joined the kids in drawing while dinner was prepared. Clare has a particularly adorable crush on Ry-Ry as she calls him. He’s a huge Harry Potter fan so it was fun to watch the movie with him on the heels of having finished reading the first book.

And so we begin book #2.

Happy Mother’s Day

“We never know the love of the parent until we become parents ourselves.”
–Henry Ward Beecher

Although, this picture really drives me crazy…these ridiculous cell phone photos—blurry, out of focus, and subjects a little disheveled…that’s real life, right?! Today, I’m proud to have this less than perfect photo as a reminder that life is less than perfect and yet filled with so much love. I’m not perfect. My children won’t be perfect. God doesn’t expect perfection just a desire and attempt for holiness and authentic love! That’s a hard lesson for me.

Today, I’m so thankful for my kiddos and my husband who gave them to me.

Mass. Brunch at Golden Corral. Nice relaxing and relatively quiet afternoon. Pizza for dinner. Fabulous Mr. Fox movie night with homemade ice cream.

I LOVE my gifts!!!

Michael drew a picture of him handing me this picture. Love it.

Thanks to a $1.99 make ‘n take at Archiver’s, I also received this sweet little photo “frame”. Well done Katie Girl. I love it.

I promised Michael I’d add his to the blog when he finishes it, but I love Katie’s Mother’s Day card.

Thank you to my own mother for giving me life and raising me to cherish family, teaching me what it means to be a stay-at-home mom, and mixing all of it with creativity and love. Happy Mother’s Day to all moms. It’s a blessed vocation that never looks perfect, but is indeed perfectly designed. Katie, Michael, Clare and Elizabeth I LOVE YOU!

We are a Eucharistic People

Today our 2nd grade PSR class made their first communion.

It’s been such an honor to prepare them and watch them grow throughout the year. It’s my first year in 2nd grade after having taught 1st grade for the last 7 years.

They have experienced so many emotions this year from intrigue with the lesson content, fear in facing their sins (and Father) in their Reconciliation, wonder about tasting the Eucharist, and of course the celebration of today.

They were so proud to done their new clothes, come sit together for one last time, process into the church, and of course get the chance to become one with Christ in a way that they are experiencing for the first time this afternoon.

Such holiness in these young hearts. There is something really renewing in being able to experience the Eucharist through the anticipation of young innocence and purity.

Having shared in Katie’s graces two years ago as our first to receive this sacrament, there was something really special about today’s sacramental moments. I could watch the children receive Jesus and bring him to their mouth knowing concretely what it took to be here in this moment. Just as you share certain heartfelt moments as a parent, tonight I got to share it as a catechist with similar movements of the heart.

The kids received and I offered my own personal prayer for each of them in that moment, but I also was washed in my own moments of grace…those moments when you can almost tangibly feel the wind of the Holy Spirit upon your arms and the back of your neck as you get what I call “the holy chills”. The Spirit was indeed present and the graces real within this beautiful church filled with souls near and dear to Jesus’ heart.

As Father reminded us, I pray that you will always act as though you believe in Jesus’s grace. I’m so proud of you! I’m honored to have shared it with me. Thank you for blessing me too! To the parents, thank you for sharing your children with us, for making our faith important in your home, and for bringing new life to our Church with the graces of your children’s soul. Happy Mother’s Day to all the mothers. May you rejoice in the love of this weekend!

Strawberries are for picking

Yep. Despite the fact that we have been out of the house everyday this week, I was lured to the strawberry patch for their Red Alert Special – Buy 2, Get 1.

It’s crazy really to drive an hour to pick berries, but they are so juicy and it’s so much fun to come home and prepare them for our year of strawberry ice cream. The ice cream is really that good that I couldn’t imagine not restocking the freezer. So…we piled into the car with the ipod for musical entertainment, and we drove, enjoying the sunshine that has been ellusive this week.

What a beautiful morning!

They weren’t kidding! The bushes were indeed loaded with berries! However, sadly the rain really had taken its toll and many of them were rotten.

However, as Katie said, sometimes you are lucky enough to just hit the motherload of ripe berries.

It really didn’t take long for Mikey to be over this berry picking adventure. He was hot, tired, and bored out of his mind. Really, I think he was mostly just frustrated that the berries weren’t all worth picking.

It was cumbersome to have to sort through the ripe from the overripe and the few that just weren’t ripe enough. Poor guy. He tried not to complain as him and his sister were the biggest proponents of this adventure and I warned them even before agreeing to make the drive that it entailed filling an entire bucket each AND they had to help prepare the puree over the next two days.

Michael might have been “over it”, but this girl was all about her buckets. She was so possessive of HERS and proud to carry it through the rows of berries. So…now I’m done sitting and its time to finish canning this puree for this year’s ice cream feasting. If you like homemade ice cream, here’s your recipe. It’s really the best thing ever!!!! You can find the recipe HERE.

Happy summer all. It’s finally starting to shine brightly here!

As an aside…I’ve been so delighted with the mother’s day blog posts floating around this year. Here’s one I read tonight that I find myself still pondering. I love A Holy Experience.

Happy Mother’s Day & son’s day too

To all the moms in my life…here’s to you!

http://www.facebook.com/video/embed?video_id=10201080019072851