December 10 -14

School is starting to slow down. Although in saying that, I mostly mean the "book work". After all, I feel we are schooling by living. Each girls's math is winding down. The lesson they are on now is the last they'll do until January. Sky is done with spelling until January also. Science is continuing with our study of Christmas/winter plants. Next week we'll look at pine trees. Taylor actually said she's enjoyed this month's science. I hope to continue these same practices into the new year but only with different themes. In January I hope to study snowflakes in detail, but also make it fun by "winterizing" our house with paper snowflakes and stained glass snowflakes etc. I also want to look at more flowers and trees of winter. And study birds of winter also, some of which should happen out our "schoolroom" window where there are 2 trees. I bought some birdseed and a suet feeder and suet to get the birds started. We will be reading Night Tree next week and feeding the wild animals in this way ties strongly into the book.

We will also continue with the Liturgical year part of our schooling. After all, how do you take that out? Today we (the older girls and I) read about St. Juan Diego and Our Lady of Guadalupe. Some of what we read about the Aztecs was, shall we say, "harsh" so it was good we got started while Alexa was still sleeping. Then all the girls colored a coloring sheet of the Blessed Mary's image like it appears on the Tilma of Juan Diego. And they each also composed a prayer to her.

Tomorrow we celebrate the feast of St. Lucy. I made sugar cookies tonight and used a cookie press that I bought online with St. Lucy's image in it. The only problem is that sugar cookies "rise" and so the image is faint. Next year I might try one of the recipes that came with the cookie press. The girls will enjoy them just the same. I made them for teatime. We will also be rolling beeswax candles for the girls to give as gifts to teachers and maybe some neighbors. I figured that ties in with St. Lucy since Lucy means "light".

We will also be baking cupcakes for Sky to take to co-op Friday morning to share for her birthday. And Taylor will be baking Sky's cake for her Birthday sleepover with Kira.

I guess this isn't all school stuff. With us it is hard to separate the 2 sometimes.

Love to all!
TTFN!
~Tina