The Simple Woman's Daybook 2

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FOR TODAY May 29, 2008

Outside My Window...

the sun is shining on the crabapple tree and it's creating a beautiful pattern of sun and shadows on the ground. There is also a gentle breeze. It looks very inviting.

I am thinking...

of Alexa's recital this weekend. She was very nervous on stage at the dress rehearsal. Please say a quick prayer for her if you can.

I am thankful for...

this house. It is in a suburban area, but we are so fortunate to have our backyard face a strip of old woods. Even though it is only a strip, it is filled with birds, squirrels, rabbits and we even get an occasional turtle.

From the kitchen...

at the moment, nothing, but I will be making dinner in a few hours. What is dinner? I have no idea. What I was originally planning requires some things we don't have in stock, but I thought we did....oops.

I am wearing...

ankle socks, pastel striped capri jammie pants and a light green jammie shirt to match. Yes, it is after lunch and I am usually dressed way before now. But I need a shower and so now that Evan is down for his nap, that is where I am headed next. Then I'll be dressed......by 2:30 in the afternoon........wow.

I am creating...

a shopping list. We need many things at the grocery store (including dinner).

I am going...

upstairs to get a shower.....woo hoo!

I am reading...

Teaching Montessori in the Home: The Preschool Years by Elizabeth C. Hainstock

I am hoping...

the weather is nice for Saturday for Alexa's recital. The forecast is not looking so good at the moment.

I am hearing...

Taylor talk to a friend on the phone, and the clothes dryer.

Around the house...

we are making plans for summer. (VBS, vacation, trips to PA to see family, a visit from G-ma, library reading program, Alexa, John and Evan's birthdays and a new nephew due at the end of July!)

One of my favorite things...

the library

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week:

A trip to the library and grocery store, straightening up the house for a surprise visitor (we cleaned really well yesterday), finishing school for the week, a teatime for Friday afternoon (hopefully) and Alexa's Recital!

Here is a picture thought I am sharing...

Soaking up the sun!

TTFN

~Tina

Reflecting on this past weekend....

Friday Night

• I went to a used curriculum sale that our homeschool group held, and got a couple of really great buys including this book for only $2! (Happy day, happy day!) And these books, too for $4 total for the teacher and student books! It was also nice to see some friends there.
• Taylor went to a friend's sleepover BD party.

Saturday

• John mowed and weedwacked the yard.
• I weeded most of the front landscaping, trimmed bushes and shrubs and put out fresh mulch (I still have another section to get to, though.)
• I put out a new garden flag.
• Alexa and Sky helped me in the yard for a while and Taylor watched Evan for me. Then Alexa and Sky played in the yard for quite a while.
• Pizza for dinner.....yum!

Sunday

• The girls and I went to Mass for the feast of Corpus Christi and the weather was beautiful. We also got to witness more children receive Our Lord for the first time. They were so adorable! What a great day to make your First Holy Communion....on the feast of The Body and Blood of Christ.
• Relaxing afternoon, although Evan wouldn't nap. He eventually did around 3:30.
• We went to dinner at Logan's. It was nice and relaxing......and delicious.

Memorial Day

• Kids and I went to Target to get new gardening gloves, a large pot to plant flowers in for the front porch and a new front door mat. Also, Alexa needed a new bathing suit (only around $8-yay!). And we were long overdue for some new beach towels and Target had them for $6 and they feel pretty thick and absorbant for the price......I'm loving our new Target!
• Took Taylor to meet some friends to swim for the afternoon.
• Got out the Slip-n-Slide and let Alexa and Sky have a ball (Evan was sleeping at first), but then he eventually joined in.

Here's some pictures of Slip-n-Slide fun!

Alexa took these pictures of Evan and I. She did a pretty good job, eh?I love this little swim outfit on Evan! The swimtrunks we got from another homeschooling mom who always thinks of me when her son outgrows his clothes. I really appreciate that! And the shirt was yet another Target buy for only around $8. And his sandals even match! My little blue-eyed boy looks so handsome in royal blue!

On a more serious note, we certainly don't want to forget what Memorial Day is all about. Below is a prayer for the safety of soldiers.

Almighty and eternal God,
those who take refuge in you will be glad
and forever will shout for joy.
Protect these soldiers as they discharge their duties.
Protect them with the shield of your strength
and keep them safe from all evil and harm.
May the power of your love enable them to return home
in safety, that with all who love them,
they may ever praise you for your loving care.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.

Amen.
[Source: United States Conference of Catholic Bishops]

TTFN

~Tina

Dress Rehearsal

Alexa has the dress rehearsal tonight, for her very first dance recital which will be this weekend. So that is the main focus of our day. We are still doing school, but nothing extra. I don't want her to be nervous or stressed, so we are taking our time in getting her ready. Tonight they allow photos to be taken, but not during the actual show. She will be in full costume with her hair done up and makeup on (yes, though this is new to me, little ballerina's apparently need light makeup when they perform on stage). She seems confident and excited about this whole thing, but say a prayer for her just in case, please, because she just might get a little stage fright.

I'll let you know how it goes......

TTFN
~Tina

Many Are Praying for You, Mr. Pagano!

Like all of these women.......... in Maryland, Arizona, California, Michigan and even Australia, and many more places.

And right here in Virginia where you and your family are in our thoughts and prayers every day.

Getting "Tick"ed Off

This afternoon, on our way home from Taylor's last co-op meeting, Skylar announces from the back seat that she believes she has a tick.......again. A friend of Taylor's who is with us and can see it from where she is sitting, confirms Skylar's discovery. Ewww. Again. Poor Skylar is the only one of my children to ever get a tick on them. I've never even had a tick on me. But dear Sky has had, well, .......let's see. I think this was her 4th. When we got home, I went upstairs with her, got out the tweezers and began searching for petroleum jelly. Skylar's Dr. actually recommended putting that on first, then pulling it out with tweezers. We couldn't find ours, so I made due. I used Evan's Vick's BabyRub. Worked like a charm. He came right off, all in one piece and Sky said it didn't even hurt. So next time, I'll just go for the Vick's from the start. Oh, and I recently read that we should keep the tick in case Sky gets sick from it. So we did.....in a tissue....in a baggie. Eww.

Sorry, no pics with this post. I know, you're sad.

TTFN
~Tina

Chocolate Field Trip

The Friday before Mother's Day, we went on a field trip with our homeschool group. We haven't been able to go on many this year, so the girls and I were excited. Especially considering where we were going......Aunt Joanie's Chocolate Shop!They dunked Oreos in white chocolate, then decorated them.

They dipped pretzel rods, then put sprinkles on them.These girls both love horses , so the fact that they got to make chocolate horse lollipops was thrilling for them! And look how cute they turned out!

And how irresistable! Yum!After watching the girls work with this chocolate and create some really nice looking pieces, I thought, "We could so do this at home". So we might create some more chocolate masterpieces in the future, as gifts. I think the girls would really enjoy it.

On our way out I picked up a chocolate car on a stick for Evan and some chocolate for Taylor who wasn't able to attend because this was a K -5 field trip. And I also purchased this.......

It's a dove mold for the chocolate lollipops. I thought it would come in handy at Pentecost. And wouldn't these make cute favors for Taylor's confirmation in a couple of years?! I can just add a medal or holy card of the Saint she chooses as her confirmation name and tie it on with some pretty ribbon.

After this post, I'm getting hungry, so gotta run.

TTFN

~Tina

The Simple Woman's Daybook

I have been seeing this post on many of the blogs I frequent and have enjoyed reading the entries. So finally I just had to see what it's all about. It is a wonderful way to take a moment at the start of your week to reflect on your day, your life. Here goes....this is my first

entry in my Simple Woman's Daybook.

If you want to join in the fun go here to get started.

FOR TODAY May 19, 2008

Outside My Window...it is very dark because it is late. My children are in bed and I now finally have time to be on the computer.

I am thinking...about my sister's father-in-law. He is in the ICU and in very critical condition. He and his family have filled our thoughts today and we have been praying hard and waiting for news.

I am thankful for...my oldest daughter taking the time to read stories to her younger sisters tonight. It put them in a pleasant, relaxed mood for drifting off to sleep.

From the kitchen...all is quiet. The dinner dishes are loaded in the dishwasher and the counters have been wiped down. Although I believe my husband has to head back in there for his evening snack.

I am wearing...very soft grey sweatpants, a brown polo and white ankle socks. I also have removed my contact lenses for the day, so I'm wearing my glasses.

I am creating...plans......so many plans for the rest of this school year, and next school year, too. And for summer vacation, and activities. And plans for clubs I hope to coordinate next year. It's so hard to settle my restless mind.

I am going...to try to get to bed at a decent hour. I am a night owl. I always have been. But my little guy isn't, so we'll be up bright and early no matter what time I go to bed.

I am reading...many different books on the Montessori methods for teaching my young son next year.

I am hoping...that something grows successfully from our garden. This is our first crack at a vegetable garden and I do hope something comes of it. I am also hoping I can figure out how to "permalink" these posts. Being a fairly new blogger, this is a new one for me.

I am hearing...the slight hum of the computer and my fingers tapping on the keyboard. It is very quiet in the house right now.

Around the house...are many things that need organized. We are trying to purge so much stuff, but since we are still busy with finishing up our school year, I am short on time. So the excess stuff is just sitting there, staring at me.

One of my favorite things...homemade gifts. My children gave me homemade cards, and picture frames, a decorative box, jewelry and cards for Mother's Day and my birthday. I love to see how excited they are as they present them to me and tell me all about it.

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week: We have many places to be....Girls Club, Speech class, a final co-op meeting, a library run, a used curriculum sale and a birthday party outside the home. In our home we have some cleaning to do, school lessons to finish, and a Teatime to enjoy. And I still hope to work in the garden.

Here is picture thought I am sharing...

And thanks so much to Peggy, the creator of The Simple Woman's Daybook.

TTFN

~Tina

Pentecost Teatime Pics (late-sorry)

I had a little trouble accessing these pics due to a new file storage system we have, so it took me a little while to get this up , but here they are.

We read about Pentecost from the Children's Bible and discussed it. We also did the activity sheets that G-ma sends.

We had orange sherbert with red and yellow sprinkles and cherry 7 Up. The colors represent the Holy Spirit coming as tongues of fire.
Then the girls did a craft using scraps of red, orange and yellow foam as tiles to do mosaic designs around a holy card.
They turned out really nice, don't you think?We really had a good time. And Taylor made our last "stained glass" for the schoolroom window. Thanks again to Dawn at By Sun and Candlelight for the idea.
Evan had to get in on the action too, of course, so he had his first experience with "paint with water". I picked this book up at a dollar store some time ago because they are so hard to find these days. He had a blast!
It turned out great and he loved it, although he did eventually end up doing this.....(notice the orange fingers)......
and this (notice the orange-tinted forehead).

So we stopped after 2 beautiful paintings.

TTFN

~Tina

These are a few of my favorite things......

• coffee with creamer to start my day
• taking lots of photos
• Autumn and Spring
• how Evan repeats the last word of every sentence we say
• the ride home from the library (very peaceful with everyone's nose in a book)
• Sundays (the day, not the dessert)
• emails from mom
• cake with vanilla frosting (I wish I didn't, but I do......I so do)
• Subway's tuna sub on wheat
• a freshly dusted and vacuumed van
• this pencil
• Taylor's creativity (She is so talented)
• Skylar's inner strength (She bounces back so fast)
• Alexa's wit (She cracks everyone up)
• Evan's sweetness (He touches everyone's heart)
• John's dedicaton (He works hard for us every day, so we can homeschool)
• these books
• Tomie dePaola
• this craft store and this one, too.

So maybe these are more than "a few" of my favorite things.

TTFN

~Tina

Learning About the Weather

These are a couple of the books I used to teach Sky and Alexa about clouds. They did pages in their nature journals, too.

Alexa drew and colored the different types of clouds (above) and labeled them. Skylar did that, too, (below) but also had to write a description of each type. Sorry, I know the pictures are kind of dark.We also printed out these and keep them as reference to use in the van. We got them from this great site.

Taylor has been doing weather pages for her science/nature notebook, too. She uses her creativity, but also has to be informative.

Taylor used many resources for her pages, but I don't have time to list them right now. Most of them are in my Amazon booklist in my sidebar.

All the girls seem to retain a good bit of what we cover by doing it this way. And they always enjoy the "art" part of it, too.

TTFN

Tina

Evan's School 2008-2009

Some things we purchased for Evan for school next year....

1. this sort, count and stack toy
2. this beginner pattern block set
3. and a set similar to this

I know these aren't exactly Montessori, but I think they will be fun and educational just the same. I think, too, that a lot of what he gets out of this will be directly related to the one on one attention. Other than the hammer pounding pegs set, I plan on working with him every time he uses these.

Also, I don't know if I mentioned this or not, but a good friend of mine suggested that those of us in our co-op with toddlers and preschoolers get together and exchange activity bags. We can make 20 of the same activity and exchange them. This is such a good way to give our little ones something to do (other than TV or videos) while we work with our older children. So between spending some one on one quality time with Evan and having a fun bag to give him to occupy himself, things should run smoother next school year.

Don't worry. I'm not delusional. I know there will be days where he wants nothing but me. And that's ok, too.

TTFN

~Tina

The Excitement of the Car Wash

I know I'm going to come across sounding lame, but here goes anyway. We stopped to get gas yesterday after S's swimming lesson and I was facing the carwash. It's the kind you drive through. I said to T, I should do that sometime, but it makes me nervous. "Why?" she said. "Because I'm always afraid I won't know what to do, or I'll be the one to break it or something." She was laughing hysterically. "Mom, it's a carwash, you can't break it." "I know," I said, "but things like that kind of freak me out. I've never driven through one before." It's that whole "comfort zone" thing again. She was shocked. So I had to do it. We filled the tank and got in line.
As we waited, I read the info on the type of carwash we were going to get. There were 3 different types. T continued to crack up (at my expense) as I read all that our "Ultimate" wash included. I guess I was acting a little excited thinking how clean the van would finally be after this dirty winter, so maybe I did seem silly to a 12 year old (or anyone else who's ever used a carwash before).

The girls thought it was cool, except S who hated it because it made E cry. But it really was a piece of cake and no, I didn't break it.

(There, go ahead and laugh.)
TTFN
~Tina

They're Back

And the girls couldn't be happier about it. The caterpillars (AKA tentworms) have come back with a vengence. They are all over the place.

I haven't spotted them on any of our trees, thank goodness. Taylor saw them on a neighbor's tree, though. My girls and their friends love these critters. We had 2 friends over on Friday and this whole group of 5 girls went to work making habitats for our new fuzzy friends.

Even the princess was thrilled to have a couple "pets" of her own. Although she was freaked out when one of them peed on her (that's my girl!).

It was nice to see the girls work together on something like this. I love to watch the kids enjoy God's creation. Even if they creep me out a bit.

TTFN

~Tina

Next Week's Teatime Plans

I am in the midst of planning a Pentecost Teatime. Here's what I have so far:
Decorations:

• the red fabric remnant
• use the dove ornament as part of decoration (hang somehow?)
• framed Pentecost holy card
• red candle

Activities and Crafts

• Mat holy cards of Pentecost onto (yellow? black?-not sure yet) scrapbook paper/cardstock
• Use little cut up foam scraps (red, yellow and orange) as mosaic tiles around the picture (been wanting to try this for a while) as a frame.
• Taylor's turn to make the stained glass
• G-ma's children's bulletins/read from Children's Bible

Food/treat:

• If I'm on the ball, I'll do something creative (cookies or cupcakes or cake with flame colored icing; or fire colored fruit on toothpicks or skewers-nice for a hot day).
• If not, the girls are ok with storebought treats.

I'll post some pictures next weekend of how it all turned out!

Have a great weekend!

TTFN

~Tina

Tea and Cupcakes for the Ascension

Our teatime this week was on Ascension Thursday. We had yummy chocolate cupcakes from Giant (I needed more mini greenhouses). And we read about the Ascension from the Children's Bible and the younger girls did their children's bulletins from G-ma.

They also painted! My girls LOVE to paint! Really, what child doesn't? They painted cloud backgrounds and put a holy card of the Ascension on the paper.
Each girl created a beautiful sky picture, and yet they were all totally different!

By the way, in Science, S and A are learning about weather and today's lesson was on clouds (how cool is that?!). They did notebook pages on different types of clouds. I'll give the details in my next post.

And Skylar did this week's "stained glass". She did a beautiful job!

It looks lovely next to the others!

I hope to post plans for next week's teatime sometime this weekend. And at some point I want to describe how our teatimes "work".

TTFN

~Tina