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Well it has taken us a while to get back into our routine after the holidays. It’s been a particularly slow go due to illness. But inspired by Mary Ellen’s posts (here and here) that I had saved in Bloglines, we are back into our “morning basket routine”. This routine includes reading aloud to the three younger children while they draw, hand sew, etc. I’ve added a sidebar with our current reading selections which include poetry, religion (basic cathecism), saints, and literature. It is a great way to start our homeschooling day after breakfast, chores, and daily mass. If you have any book suggestions, I’d love to hear them.
Last weekend we spent a WONDERFUL weekend with our “Pondered in My Heart” friends in PA. Kimberlee did a great job of chronicling our adventures (in film-making, eating, singing around the piano, and more eating…). I’ll just add a few pictures…
Kateri joins in on the musical fun…
Beware of Lenny…
Mary Rose, Lily, Hope, and Lenny…
Eliza, enjoying the bird call book we brought…
And finally, Kimberlee and I, the happy mothers of these wonderfully crazy children…
This is the time of year when I look to simplify and streamline my life. Of course I got a stack of this type of book out from our local library. Yes, that’s my personality… if one is good then twelve is better… at least when it comes to books.
Well this one was definitely the best of the bunch. So far, it has helped me to deal with my email inbox and organize my busy life a bit more. If you’d like a taste, you can check out his free ebook called, Thriving on Less. Enjoy!!!
Sometimes God just plops me on my butt… and this is one of those times… walking pneumonia… ugh… I am not used to being so inactive… in fact I hate it… but I know that my body needs rest and recovery… so here I sit… praying for a quick recovery… Lord, please grant me the patience to wait this thing out… and not to rush back into the busyness of life… before I am fully recovered…
Only for today, I will seek to live the livelong day positively without wishing to solve the problems of my life all at once.
Only for today, I will take the greatest care of my appearance: I will dress modestly; I will not raise my voice; I will be courteous in my behavior; I will not criticize anyone; I will not claim to improve or to discipline anyone except myself.
Only for today, I will be happy in the certainty that I was created to be happy, not only in the other world but also in this one.
Only for today, I will adapt to circumstances, without requiring all circumstances to be adapted to my own wishes.
Only for today, I will devote ten minutes of my time to some good reading, remembering that just as food is necessary to the life of the body, so good reading is necessary to the life of the soul.
Only for today, I will do one good deed and not tell anyone about it.
Only for today, I will do at least one thing I do not like doing; and if my feelings are hurt, I will make sure that no one notices.
Only for today, I will make a plan for myself: I may not follow it to the letter, but I will make it. And I will be on guard against two evils: hastiness and indecision.
Only for today, I will firmly believe, despite appearances, that the good providence of God cares for me as no one else who exists in this world.
Only for today, I will have no fears. In particular, I will not be afraid to enjoy what is beautiful and to believe in goodness. Indeed, for twelve hours I can certainly do what might cause me consternation were I to believe I had to do it all my life.
I’ll admit it. I tend to have an “all or nothing” personality. So when Advent started on Sunday and I hadn’t gotten my rear in gear, I figured, “Ah well, there’s always next year!!!” Well a well-timed email from a blessed friend and mentor encouraged me to jump into Advent. She, of course, didn’t know about my delay, but her words roused me to start.
Another friend instigated me to “do” Advent for the sake of the little ones (Lily, 9 and Peter, almost 5). Because as she pointed out, the older ones have all these wonderful memories of Advents past (when I was enthusiastic), but really the little ones don’t. She told me of an Advent tradition in her home where she wraps up all their Advent/Christmas books. One child per day (starting with the youngest) gets to unwrap a book and it is read to all. This creates excitement and suspense AND pushes to make sure at least one book gets read aloud per day, which is challenging during this busy season. So our newly wrapped books in a basket are my first Advent activity and the littles did enjoy our first book together this evening. I hope that this will be the first of many memorable Advent activities…
So I say, jump into Advent. And no matter how little or much you do, enjoy the season!!!
Lately my four year old Peter has taken up a new hobby – catalog coveting. With the Christmas season nearly upon us (at least for the retailers), he can be often found sitting in a chair “reading” a Lego or toy catalog uttering phrases akin to “Can you get me this for my birthday?” or “Can I have this for Christmas?” I may have to start throwing out those catalogs BEFORE Peter gets his hands on them because he doesn’t seem to understand the commandment: “Thou shall not covet”…
We participated in a WONDERFUL All Hallow’s Eve party with our Immaculate Heart of Mary homeschooling group on Saturday. It was truly a terrific afternoon celebrating the origins of the true Halloween. Our family had not celebrated this holiday for about 10 years. However, last year we were introduced to the Catholic origins of this meaningful holiday. I reluctantly participated trusting in the goodness of the party’s organizers. It was a real treat (no pun intended  ) and this year’s festivities were even better!!!
Peter (4) in a costume made by his sister Hope (17)
Patricia Bissex, Tracey Bellucci, and yours truly
Lily (9, on right) with one of her best friends Annie Collorafi
Me and Annie’s mother, Julie
Lenny (13, in black) as a priest in the skit
The adorable Trevor and Anna Barton
The Girls Schola with Theresa Bissex, Sarah Goodman, Hope, Theresa Santos,Nora Goodman, Mary Collorafi, and Megan Kierstans
While buying a new pair of sneakers at a local running store the other day, I saw a shirt that simply said, “Because I can..” I had to buy it because it perfectly describes why I run – because I can… It is something that I could never do even in my overweight youth and it is certainly something I couldn’t do 90 lbs. ago. So I thank God that I can run, because I can!!!
Hope(17), Lenny(13), and I ran another 5K today. Poor Lenny who was in the front group was misdirected by a policeman and ended up running much more than 3.1 miles. You should have seen the look on Lenny’s face when he crossed the finish line …with his slow mother. It was priceless. Hope came in in front of us both and teasingly refuses to acknowledge that Lenny ran farther than she did!!!
In spite of pouring rain AND thunder and lightning, Lenny (13) and I competed in our first 5K race today. Mercifully, the rain stopped just as the race began. How’s that for answered prayers!!! Lenny placed 3rd in his age group with a time of 25:49 and I was thrilled with my time of 37:51. The rain actually took the pressure off, because my focus went from worrying about my time to just enjoying my run. I was even able to chat with a couple of the runners along the way. I started out slowly and continued to speed up as the race progressed (as my favorite running coach, Jeff Sabol, recommended!!!).
We both had fun and we’re looking forward to our next race later in the month!!!
Len (my favorite photographer) and the other children stayed home due to the weather, so you are stuck with a couple of terrible pictures taken on my camera phone.
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St. Gertrude’s Prayer Eternal Father, I offer thee the most precious blood of thy divine son, Jesus, in union with the masses said throughout the world today, for all the holy souls in purgatory, for sinners everywhere, for sinners in the universal church, those in my own home and within my family. Amen.
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