Terrific Tilmas

House Cat and Snuggle Bug did a GREAT job on their tilmas. Snuggle Bug also made some pretty roses from coffee filters and pipe cleaners. Pretty crafty, huh?



Buck's and Honeybee's Tilma's turned out soooooo cute!


Our Mexican Wedding Cakes turned out yummy! Although I did have to add a litle extra milk to get them to stick together. I also baked them about 18 min.


My honey made the enchiladas this time and did a GREAT job!

We hope your day was as full of fun and blessings as ours was.

Our Lady of the America's
Pray For Us!

St. Lucia

Just want to share this great
post for tomorrow. God Bless

Our Lady of Guadalupe

Tomorrow is one of our favorite Marian feast days of the year. During his 1999 visit to Mexico, Pope John Paul II declared Our Lady to be the Patroness of the Americas.

Older children can look up Our Lady of Guadalupe, and then share what they learned to their siblings. A couple of great books to read are The Legend of the Poinsettia
by Tomie dePaola and Our Lady of Guadalupe
by Francisco Serrano. The CCC video on Juan Diego is also a wonderful visual of this. Go here for a free activity on how to draw Our Lady of Guadalupe.

In Our Lady's honor, bake: Mexican Wedding Cookies

1 cup butter, softened
8 Tablespoons of powdered sugar
2 cups flour
1 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon milk

(Bag of powdered sugar to roll cookies in after baked.)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray sheets with non-stick spray. Mix all the ingredients togetherwith a mixer. Roll the dough into walnut-sized balls and place on cookie sheets. Bake 10-12 min, Cool then shake in a plastic bag of powdered sugar.

We will also make a batch without nuts.

We may try our hand at a couple of activities. Go here and here for a couple of great ideas. We'll definitely be coloring this awesome sheet from Waltzing Matilda. Thanks so much for sharing these with us all!

If Honeybee's feeling better, we'll go out and buy a poinsettia.

Happy Feast Day, everyone. God bless you and your families!

2nd week of Advent

I've decided to put my computer time and blogging at the end of the day for a while. I have to say my days are definitely running more smoothly and definitely more productive. With that being said, my posts may be a little more sporadic. We'll see what God's plan is. Here are some things that we've been working on this past week. God Bless!

We are all enjoying working on our Jesse Tree (Jesus' family tree)

My hubby pointed out we should be starting from the bottom instead of the top, then The House Cat, noticed the weeks would be out of order(the pink strip needed to be moved up one). Beside from the fact that it's crooked on the wall, I think we've got the rest of it straight now:)

I bought purple folders for everyone to keep their work in for Advent. I also did this for November. It seems to help to keep all of the months activities in each child's own folder. I may continue this into next year and see if I feel a little more organized with it :)

I started Hooked on Phonics with Buck,5, and Honeybee,3 1/2, this week. I had been using "The Ordinary Parent's Guide to Teaching Reading but was having a little trouble keeping them interested. It was probably because I never got around to purchasing the magnetic board and extra letter magnets you need :(

We were so blessed to be GIVEN the complete set. God is so good! Anyway, they are off to a terrific start with it and asking to do more. I really like how the lessons are laid out, with a book to read after a couple of pages in the lesson book. They LOVE putting the stickers on the chart as they read the books. Buck was so excited yesterday to read his own book. He jump around saying, "I can read, I can read!"

The House Cat,12, is really coming along with her guitar playing. We are working on Christmas songs now to be played at our home school Christmas play and also at Children's Hospital. We try to sing/play carols each year for those who are not able to be at home with family. This will be our first year at the children's hospital. Previously, we've played at nursing homes.

Snuggle Bug and Buck have also picked up the guitar and learned a few chords this week. Honeybee's upset she doesn't have a "pink" guitar to play. We'll have to see what we can do about that!

Snuggle Bug's still progressing nicely on the piano. We'll carry the electric keyboard along for her to play while we carol.

St. Nicholas Slippers







After morning prayers we enjoyed watching
this wonderful video.

Buck remembered that daddy had a special rosary with Our Lady of Guadalupe's image inside the cross. He ran and got it to share. Honeybee was sooooo cute trying to squint and look inside.

Saint Juan Diego Pray For Us

December Copywork

The House Cat is copying S Is For Star: A Christmas Alphabet

Snuggle Bug is copying
"B Is for Bethlehem: A Christmas Alphabet Board Book

These books are a couple I'm using from

Christmas Mosaic, An Illustrated Book Study for Advent and Christmas

Saint Francis Xavier

December 3rd St. Francis Xavier

"Lord I am here! What do you want me to do? Send me anywhere you like."
In honor of this great missionary, we'll have tempura tonight. I've got some frozen shrimp ready and waiting. I'll probably include bell pepper and onions. Here's the recipe if you'd like to try it yourself or you can follow the link to the Catholic Cuisine site on my sidebar for another idea.


Since St. Francis is the patron of foreign missions and one of the Church's most illustrious missionaries having traveled to and labored in western India, the island of Ceylon, Malacca, Moluccas Islands, Island of Mindanao (Philippines), and Japan, an option for dinner on this feast day would be tempura. Tempura is generally regarded as having been introduced to the Japanese culture by the missionaries from the Iberian peninsula (Portuguese most likely) - and being as St. Francis was the most famous missionary to the orient this would be fitting.

Tempura Batter
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup cornstarch
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg
2/3 cup ice water
Oil for deep frying
Your choice of dippers; shrimp, scallops, and vegetables are good.

Sift together the dry ingredients. Beat egg slightly and mix with the water. Add the dry ingredients. Stir only until mixed; mixture will be slightly lumpy. Dip shrimp or vegetables into the batter and deep fry until golden brown. Drain on paper towels.

Advent Prayers

Advent Prayers You Can Use When Lighting The Candle Each Night.

We also enjoy singing our atrium songs. From Sing with Joy (The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light, Light one candle for hope, and Sitting by the advent wreath) I continue to be incredibly blessed through my work with the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd. I highly recommend learning more about this if given the opportunity.


1. O God,
as light comes from this candle,
may the blessing of Jesus Christ come to us,
warming our hearts and
brightening our way.
May Christ our Savior bring life
into the darkness of this world,
and to us, as we wait for his coming.


2. How dark outside!
but see -- a star's in the sky;
Mary and Joseph are passing by.
So let's light a candle to welcome them
as they go on their way to Bethlehem.
We'll light a candle in church each day,
We'll light one candle each week and pray.
We'll light a candle at home each day,
We'll light a candle each week and pray


3. Children and Their Families Pray:

Each Week of Advent
The prayers for each week of Advent are based on the "O" antiphons, found in the Old Testament prophets' writings. In medieval manuscripts, the first letter was elaborately ornamented. The first prayer each week is for adults; a prayer for children follows.

First Week

O Jesus Christ,
Emmanuel, come and dwell with us.
Desire of all nations;
Gift to every generation,
Come, make your home with us.

All nations, everybody,
is waiting for you,
Indians and Esquimos
are waiting for you,
People in New York
are waiting for you.
People in Beijing
are waiting for you.
Jesus, come to us.


Second Week

O Jesus Christ, Prince of Peace,
come and save your people.
Joy of every heart,
Strength of those who are poor,
come quickly to help us.

Prince of Peace,
teach the lion and the little lamb,
teach the cat and the mouse,
the the hawk and the tiny bird,
teach everyone who doesn't get along
to live in peace.


Third Week

O Jesus Christ,
Key of David,
come and set your people free.
Open the gates of heaven for us;
come, deliver us from evil.

King David was a mighty king
who built a city long ago.
He left a key
that Jesus found in the manger hay.
Key of David, Jesus Christ,
open heaven's gates for us.


Fourth Week

O Jesus Christ, Holy Wisdom,
come and teach us your way;
Word of life, Word made flesh,
come, speak your truth.

Jesus, come and teach me,
how to sing and play,
how to learn new words;
tell me what to say.
Teach me how to be a child,
for you know the way.

My Daybook Entry

FOR TODAY
Monday December 1, 2008...


Outside My Window...
Cold and cloudy. A thick blanket of leaves cover the deck and the ground

I am thankful for...
The gift of shelter that is warm and snug and a loving family to share it with.

From the learning rooms...
Looking forward to starting our Christmas Mosaic, An Illustrated Book Study for Advent and Christmas
The girls will keep up their Saxon Math this week.

From the kitchen...
Need to put away lots of things that seem to find their home on the breakfast bar :)
Later today we'll make more pies to take and share with my parents tomorrow for our Thanksgiving feast with them.

I am creating...
My December section in "my" notebook.

I am will be reading...
Lots of Advent and Christmas books listed in The Christmas Mosaic book.


I am hearing...The Rescue Heroes movie.


Around the house...Advent wreath, Jesse Tree, lots of cleaning to do.


One of my favorite things...A comfy bed to crawl in after a day filled with God's work


A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week:
My honey's on vacation this week. Yeah!! I'll also celebrate a birthday and we hope to have some good friends over on Friday to "jam" with us. Lots of musicians around here. We also need to have a family photo taken.

Here is picture thought I am sharing...

Advent has arrived!

We are all so excited that Advent has begun! We have our Advent wreath ready for tonight. We will have Dad bless the wreath using this blessing. Then we'll light our first candle for HOPE and sing Oh Come, Oh Come Emmanuel and Light One Candle from The Catechesis of the Good Shepherd. We will also begin work on our first Jesse Tree. Jessica has an awesome post on the readings used and also includes links for coloring sheets, etc. Thanks so much for sharing all of your hard work with us! It looks like our tree will be made out of construction paper this year, which I'm ok with. I'm just looking forward to traveling this path in preparation for CHRISTmas. May we all draw closer to HIM and the TRUE meaning of Christmas! God Bless.

New Thanksgiving Favorites

The Pilgrims' Thanksgiving From A To Z is a book I'll be adding to our library. A must have for Thanksgiving reading!












I just had to share this adorable video. Mouse on the Mayflower is so cute and informative about the pilgrims journey and the first Thanksgiving! We borrowed ours from the library but, I'll definitely be on the look out for a copy to buy.

I want to wish everyone a very Blessed Thanksgiving and share this acrostic poem written by The House Cat. (Sorry I don't have time to work on making it look better. Hope you can click on it and read it. Our children are such an inspiration!)



oops. I noticed after posting this that she had whited out a word on V. the missing word is raised. God Bless :)

Gobble, Gobble

This is a really good book, with a great message! After reading it you may want to make these cute turkeys. Here's how ours turned out.

Honeybee's(above)

Buck's

FOR TODAY Monday,November 24, 2008 ...

Outside My Window...Looks like November should. Lots of leaves that crackle underfoot and are fun for the kids to play in.

I am thinking...How much my honey and I enjoyed Teams last night. It seems to be a rare occasion when we are ALL together.

I am thankful for...Gas logs that warm the room and warm coffee to warm the bones :)

From the learning rooms...All is quiet at the moment. Our blessings spent the night with their grandparents last night. Soon they'll be home and we'll get started having fun studying our Thanksgiving Unit Study that I've put together. Hope to post some pics later.

From the kitchen...Not much today but, tomorrow the scents of apple pie, vanilla cake and pumpkin will fill the air.

I am praying for... Jessica. So many of us know the pain of losing a child. Trust in God and His divine plan.



Here is picture thought I am sharing

Meet Buddy




Create your own day book entry at The Simple Woman.

Preparing for Advent

Advent is quickly approaching! If you're like me, you're not nearly as prepared as you'd like to be. I feel as though I'm still learning "how to prepare" for things. :)

What I need to do today:

-Make a list of all things needed for Thanksgiving and Advent. Since we'll be going out of town Wed. thru Sat. I need to be prepared!

-Buy Advent candles and pull out our Advent wreath.

-I had hoped to buy a ready made Jesse Tree but it didn't work out that way. So.. I guess we'll try our hand at making one using Domestic-Church's as a guide.

Looks like I'll spend a pretty good bit of time in the craft dept. Need: construction paper, twine, googly eyes, wooden dowels, wooden discs,etc..

I'm hoping my copy of Christmas Mosaic, An Illustrated Book Study for Advent and Christmas comes in before we leave. It'd be great to have it to read on the trip!

A Prayer of Thanksgiving by Snuggle Bug

A Thankful Prayer

I wake up in the morning,
With the sun warming my face.
And I know You’re showering down
For me; Abundant Grace.

As I start my brand-new day,
I know You’re there beside me,
And I feel so reassured
That You are there to guide me.

I know as I go feed my dog
That it’s a lovely day,
I feel so grateful for Your love
To make it feel this way.

My day goes on, filled with love
And gentle kindliness.
My family loves me very much,
I love them back with bliss.

The sun goes down, my day is done,
And I thank You that I’m living.
This day that You have sent me, Lord,
Ends with my Thanksgiving.

Pilgrim/Thanksgiving Unit

I forgot to add this to my post last night. This is another website I've come across in my research for study/activities for Thanksgiving. There's so much info here that it could be all you use to plan with. I especially like the worksheets close to the bottom of the page. Enjoy!

How Time Flies!

Wow! Time sure is flying by quickly. It seems as though it was just Wednesday yesterday! Well, every one's well now, only the house cat has a sore throat. Hopefully that will not turn into anything. I praying for good health for all, at least until the Monday after Thanksgiving :)



Buck had a great birthday.Now he likes to tell people that he's five big ones :)
One of my favorite family traditions is to make my child's birthday cake WITH them. This year the kids an I learned that an entire bottle of red food coloring only changes white cake batter to hot pink! Well, that just wouldn't do for our little man! So, at the House Cat's suggestion, we added a few blue drops and some yellow and ended up with an orange cake.

My honey had a birthday, too. He's such a blessing to us! The kids made a hand print poem book that turned out precious. I truly believe gifts from the heart are true treasures.

As for me, I'm trying my hardest to prepare for Thanksgiving and Advent. Yesterday I joined Enchanted Learning for the year. I'm also waiting on my copies ofChristmas Mosaic, and For the Love of Literature to come in. I need to remember to purchase our Advent candles. We'll need them the day after we return from our Thanksgiving trip.

Speaking of Thanksgiving, I'm hoping to make these turkeys,thankful tree's, and of course study the pilgrims and their voyage. Jessica over at Shower of Roses has a GREAT post sharing some books with us. I also hope to try out Jessica's cute cookies and her
Frosty Pumpkin Dessert.(recipe below)

Well I guess I'd better get busy! Thanksgiving is a week away and we have SO many things to prepare and be thankful for! God Bless, Lori


Frosty Pumpkin Dessert
32 gingersnap cookies, finely chopped (1 1/3 cups crumbs)
1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted
1 (1/2 gallon) container vanilla ice cream, divided
2 1/2 cups frozen whipped topping, thawed, divided
2/3 cup toffee bits
1 cup solid pack pumpkin
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons Pantry Cinnamon Plus Spice Blend
Directions:

Chop cookies with Food Chopper, Place butter in Small Micro-Cooker; microwave on HIGH 30 to 40 seconds or until melted. Stir in crumbs. Firmly press crumb mixture onto bottom of Springform Pan. Place in freezer.
Scoop half of the ice cream into Classic Batter Bowl using Ice Cream Dipper. Place in refrigerator 10 minutes to soften.
Fold 1 cup of the whipped topping and toffee bits into softened ice cream just until blended. Spread evenly over crust using All-Purpose Spreader. Freeze until firm, about 1 hour.
Place remaining ice cream in refrigerator 10 minutes to soften. Meanwhile, mix pumpkin, brown sugar and spice blend in batter bowl. Scoop softened ice cream into pumpkin mixture. Mix just until blended. Spread evenly over ice cream layer. Freeze until firm, about 8 hours or overnight.
When ready to serve, place dessert in refrigerator 20 minutes for easier slicing. Fill Easy Accent Decorator with remaining whipped topping. Run Utility Knife around outside of dessert; remove collar from Springform pan. Smooth sides with spreader. Cut dessert into wedges. Garnish each serving with whipped topping and sprinkle with additional spice blend, if desired. Yield: 16 servings

Happy Birthday Buck!

Thank you God for the gift of a son. Please help him to grow in virtue and manliness as he spends the majority of his time with all of us girls :)

Thank You Veterans!

The name “Old Glory” was first applied to the U.S. flag by a young sea captain who lived in Salem, Mass. On his twenty-first birthday, March 17, 1824, Capt. William Driver was presented a beautiful flag by his mother and a group of local young ladies. Driver was delighted with the gift. He exclaimed, “I name her ‘Old Glory.’” Then Old Glory accompanied the captain on his many voyages.

Captain Driver quit the sea in 1837 and settled in Nashville, Tenn. On patriotic days, he displayed Old Glory proudly from a rope extending from his house to a tree across the street. After Tennessee seceded from the Union in 1861, Captain Driver hid Old Glory by sewing the flag inside a comforter. When Union soldiers entered Nashville on February 25, 1862, Driver removed Old Glory from its hiding place, carried the flag to the state capitol building, and proudly raised it for all to see.

Shortly before his death, the old sea captain placed a small bundle into the arms of his daughter. He said to her, “Mary Jane, this is my ship flag, Old Glory. It has been my constant companion. I love it as a mother loves her child. Cherish it as I have cherished it.”

The flag remained as a precious heirloom in the Driver family until 1922. Then it was sent to the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C., where it is carefully preserved under glass today.


The kids and I are off the surprise Pop-paw with some homemade goodies and a little presentation. The House Cat and Snuggle Bug are going to try their hand at makingOrigami Stars and I'm going to help Buck and Honeybee with Patriotic Candles. Of course we'll sing some patriotic songs and recite the Pledge of Allegiance. The highlight I'm sure will be Buck and Honeybee's rendition of I'm in the Lord's Army!

Papa, we wish we could surprise you too! We can't wait to see you on Thanksgiving!

Copywork by Snuggle Bug

We are praying for all of our deceased loved ones this month. May God bless us all with His peace and grace.

Pasta, Parmesan, and Poetry

Not to mention pudding, pops (Tootsie Roll) , and peppermints :)




What do you do when every one's got a cold and it's raining outside? Make some comfort food and open a good book. Our favorite selection today, a request from Snuggle Bug, was from The Harp and Laurel Wreath : Paul Revere's Ride.

My Daybook - Better Late Than Never

FOR TODAY... Friday Nov.7, 2008...

Outside My Window...The leaves are absolutely gorgeous! They are starting to fall from the Red Leaf Maple out front.

I am thinking...God is incredible!

From the learning rooms...Tissue boxes, Faith and Freedom Readers, creative writing.

From the kitchen...Coffee my honey made before he left for work:)

I am creating...Our reading list for November(letter B, Thanksgiving study)

I am hoping...Our colds go away soon.

I am hearing...Holy Baby DVD, Buck and Honeybee excited that the garbage truck is out front and that their "friend" on the back waved to them.

Around the house...BOOKS, BOOKS, and more BOOKS!

One of my favorite things...Clear sinus passages :)


A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week:Staying in, trying to get well. I hope to begin work on our history timeline in the school room.

From my front yard...

Election 2008 Work

We really enjoyed our D is for Democracy unit study. (see below for links)


Snuggle Bug(9-right) and The House Cat (12-below) learned about The Electoral College and how it works. Choosing the President 2008: A Citizen's Guide to the Electoral Process was an excellent resource for this.








Buck(4) did a great job on his first notebook page. He and I had such a good time working on it together! At the top of the page he drew George Washington's belt with his knife and money bag. I thought it was so sweet that he told me, "this is where he kept the money he gave to help people."





Even though the election outcome was not what we prayed for, we trust in God and continue to pray for an END to abortion. GOD BLESS THE U.S.A.

Great site for coloring sheets, etc.!

Just wanted to share this great link for crafts, coloring sheets, etc. Tonight we're going to use the picture of the U.S.A. to keep track of the states, their electoral college votes, and how they end up voting. Hopefully I'll be able to share the outcome with you tomorrow.

Congratualtions to the Foss Family

Congratulations to Elizabeth Foss and her family on the birth of Sarah Anne. Many blessings are wished upon you all. Thanks so much for the inspiration you shed upon us all!

I am currently immersed in Serendipity,finding myself wanting to redo all of my curriculum!? :( or :)? I'm not sure what to do. I bought ALOT of Seton this year and have started Along the Alphabet Path, with Buck and Honeybee. I'm finding myself wanting to include the House Cat and Snuggle Bug in more and more activities. ARGGGGGGG! I love our Seton books but, I also love the Catholic Charlotte Mason approach. I know for now I'll probably continue to TRY to do both. However, I'm beginning to wonder about next "school" year's approach. I'm a planner so I need to see things laid out in front of me to a certain extent. At the same time I want to allow The Holy Spirit to guide our path. So it seems for today I'm confused about the future. Another good opportunity to "practice" trusting in God!

Thanks Mary for listening today!

What a Celebration!

We had an awesome ALL Saints Day! This year our homeschool group wasn't able to meet for our annual party so we had our own at home. Dad and I were so impressed with the kids work on their costumes and games. We enjoyed The Bountiful Bakery ran by St.Anne(Honeybee), St. Andrew's Fishing by St. Andrew(Buck), Armor Yourself With God by St. Joan of Arc(Snuggle Bug) and St. Cecilia's Angel Craft Corner By St. Cecilia(The House Cat). We had WAY too much food, but were happy to take and share at church this morning:) Hope you had a blessed day as well.



Thanks Eileen on Him for sharing the inspiration to surprise the kids with decorations. Seeing their faces light up was such a gift.












We had quite a feast!

Holy Ghost Cookies and Heavenly Haystacks


Saintly Subs and Sides


ALL YOU SAINTS OF HEAVEN - PRAY FOR US!