A Simple Woman's Daybook - December 8, 2013

It is time for a Simple Woman's Daybook for the month of December.

Outside my window...it in the 30's here in Maryland with our first snow of the year.  It is Sunday and the kids are playing in the snow and drinking hot chocolate.

I am thinking...that even though we could not find our Advent Wreath this year, we are making due with just a single candle during our Advent prayers.

I am thankful...that I was able to manage all right when my illness resurfaced this past week.  I have been unable to concentrate fully but was able to manage to get by.

In the kitchen...we ate my hubby's lasagna last night.  It was very good and Patrick had seconds.

I am wearing...black sweat pant, grey tee, and grey and pink hooded jacket.

I am creating...a post for our new Christmas class Journal Writing Class.  The link doesn't appear to work anymore so one has to go to Meetup.com and search Nucleus of Life.  Just join the group and get some ideas if you have young writers.

http://www.meetup.com/nucleusoflife-com/events/154533382/

 We'll be reading a great Christmas story, playing Stay Out of the Thorns, enjoying Christmas cookies, doing a Christmas craft, and making a topic sentence. Come celebrate the season with us. Just join the group if you have a beginning writer.

This group's content is available only to members - Nucleus of Life (Gaithersburg , MD) - Meetup

www.meetup.com

Come to enhance the writing abilities of your young children and learn their Christian faith at the same time. It is a fun 

I am going...to get some advice on how to scrapbook my grandmother's scrapbook she made years ago next week so my mother can journal in it.

I am wondering...how my youngest and second youngest are faring in the snow right now.

I am looking forward to...attending one my two daughters' indoor swim meets soon.

I am hearing... hubby with sports on the t.v. downstairs, someone walking up the steps, and the kids playing outside.

Around the house...we put up the Christmas tree last weekend and this seems to be the only Christmas decoration we have room for in our house this year.

I am praying...for peace in the world.

One of my favorite things...was spending time together as a family today with no where to go and no outside commitments to attend to.  We went to Mass last night and are enjoying the snowy day together here.

A few plans for the rest of the week...is to bring my game I invented to Religious Education classes tomorrow night.

Here are some recent pictures to share.

A Simple Woman's Daybook - November 20, 2013

It's time for A Simple Woman's Daybook for the month of November.  Just click on this link to participate.

Outside my window...it in the high 40's / low 50's here in the evening in Maryland as the sun is lowering in the sky.  It was a bright and sunny day.  Yesterday it was 70.

I am thinking...that it will be a nice change of pace to start thinking about the holidays.  It is so difficult to hear all the trouble affecting our country and our world all the time.  Furthermore, it will be a nice break from the usual responsibilities.  A time to focus on friends and family and be thankful for the simple things in life.  I can't wait!

I am thankful...that I had good luck in making muscles last year for a science experiment.  I do not have to teach my religious education class this Monday and will be able to get the supplies for this experiment again for our homeschool coop science class.  This is because I do not have to plan for the religious education class.

In the kitchen...we are cooking chicken tonight.  We grilled our chicken in the microwave last week and it was very good.  We will probably do this again tonight unless my husband wants to barbeque.  It is cool but sunny and nice enough for this.  The microwave does not give us the nice grill marks.

I am wearing...black sweat pant, white tee, and blue and grey hooded jacket.

I am creating...a new plan and craft for my journal writing class for Christmas time.  It is a heart warming story called "A Bear's First Christmas." 

I am going...to possibly go to my two daughters' swim meet this weekend.

I am wondering...how my youngest daughter will enjoy her Latin field trip next week.

I am looking forward to...our journal writing class this Thursday.  We will play Stay Out of the Thorns, read a book about giving thanks, complete a craft about the seasons, write our topic sentences, and play pin the pilgrim's hat on the turkey.

I am hearing...nice and quiet - except for hitting the keys on the keyboard.

Around the house...we cleaned up a bit this morning and I'm hoping my cleaning lady can come before Thursday.

I am praying...for my therapists' family.  I really enjoyed talking with her today.

One of my favorite things...was playing the game I made up at religious education class.  I think it ignited a desire to study in the children.  I plan on helping them with studying by giving them some pointers at our next class.  It is a challenge because they all (except for one other) go to public school and class is in the evening.  They do not have the time homeschoolers have to learn their faith.  I plan on suggesting that they have a prayer table set up in their bedrooms to give them a place to focus on the Lord...even if it is for just 15 minutes.

A few plans for the rest of the week...is to make something yummy for journal writing class for the moms.

Here are some recent pictures to share.  My daughters and husband are ushers at Mass.

Deos Gratias

It is time for Deos Gratias on Colleen's blog where we list five things we are thankful for during our past weeks.  Just click on this link to participate.


1.)  I am so thankful for these three simple books I am reading to my second grader now.  One is about the true story of Fatima, another about two boys who travel back in time in a time machine to the middle ages, and the other has wonderful questions to ask your children.

2)  I am grateful for the little homeschool coop we are in once a week.  I help teach a science class and my plan worked out good.  Here are our students holding up the solar system.

3)  I am thankful that I went to visit my mother as she is not feeling well.  I have my grandmother's photo album that I'm going to prepare for my mother to label all the people in it.  My hubby and I are also going to be visiting her on this Monday to get her will straightened out and speak to a lawyer.  It is the only day my hubby has off from work to go.

4)  I am grateful that I have a good partner to teach my religious education class on Monday when we have to drive to West Virginia to see my mother.

5)  I am thankful for the dog my son can cuddle and play with during the day in between our homeschool classes.  All his siblings are older.  The closest one to his age is 7 years older.

A Simple Woman's Daybook - October 2013

I would like to post to A Simple Woman's Daybook today.

Outside my window...it has been beautiful weather here in Maryland for the month of October.  Now it is dusk and some clouds rolled in with the temperature in the 50's.

I am thinking...that it has been great to be part of a small Catholic home school co-op once a week this year.  The moms are great and it is so much fun helping all the children in their classes.  My second grader is taking a literature, religion, and science course at this co-op.

I am thankful...that the science class has been productive in the co-op.  We were concerned with the book we have to use but we have come up with some good ideas for astronomy for the first and second graders.

In the kitchen...my husband has been helping out so much with the dinners.  He has been barbequing and cooking delicious meat while I make side dishes like rice, potatoes, and vegetables.

I am wearing...black sweat pant, grey tee, and grey hooded jacket.

I am creating...a treasure box with laminated bible verses of the Kingdom parables from the bible for our prayer table in the religious education class I teach at a local parish.

I am going...to another Maryland home football game this Saturday to tailgate with my five beautiful children.  I hope the weather is good.

I am wondering...when my friend and I can get together before the co-op and test out our science experiment together.  We may be measuring on a string how far away each of the planets are away from the sun and recording our data on a form.

I am looking forward to...our third class for journal writing in November will be on giving thanks.  The children have such a good time and we will be playing pin the pilgrim's hat on the turkey.

I am hearing...The Five on the t.v. and my son playing with the dog.

Around the house...we cleaned up the downstairs but still need to hang my white board.  My daughter made her school project in the basement this past week and it needs to be cleaned up a bit again.

I am praying...for our military.

One of my favorite things...was attending a woman's empowering group with my friend for six weeks.

A few plans for the rest of the week...are to visit my daughters' school for parent-teacher-advisor conferences.

Here are some recent pictures to share.

The Homeschool Mother's Journal - September 6, 2013

It's time for the Weekly Wrap Up for my homeschool week.

In my life this week...My son's new sling shot came in the mail.  I showed him how to use it by shooting a grape across the kitchen.  He found some crab apples from a tree in the middle of our court.  Boy, does it shoot far.  We went for a long walk with the dog and he brought his sling shot with crab apples in his pocket.  We've had beautiful weather this week in Maryland.

Now that the private school my daughters attend have a bus service, I get home thirty minutes earlier than last year when I had to drive them all the way into Virginia.  It is nice not having to drive the beltway.  When the weather is cold or rainy though, I know they will want to wait in the car until the bus comes.  Therefore, we may only save fifteen minutes or so.  

On Labor day, my husband took the kids to the pool before it closed for the summer.  The kids played so well together that day.  The girls got all their homework done for the return to school on Tuesday.  It was a very relaxing day for all of us.

In our homeschool week...

Religion:  Devotion, Bible and Prayers everyday.

Math:  Word problems, patterns, addition, equal groups, fractions, time, money, line segments, regrouping, subtraction, hundreds, liquid measures, shapes, dates, hundreds, speed drills, greater than and less than, expanded numbers, place value, fact families, length

Latin:  Started Lesson 2 - Learned six Latin words, some consonants, diphthongs, and watched instructional CD, and I bought some index cards for studying the vocabulary words.

NOL Journaling:  Wrote draft on My Cool Sling Shot.  Drew and colored picture and neatly wrote the final.

Spelling:  homophones and test

Reader:  Finished work on the book Keep the Lights Burning Abbie and wrote the draft paragraph on My Happiest Moment.  Also read Never Ask a Bear by Louise Bonnet-Rampersaud and related following the Ten Commandments to the story because it was about following rules.

History:  Did notebooking about the Celts and Anglo-Saxons of Britain.  We also learned about Beowulf.  Did map work, test, and oral questions.  Learned about St. Augustine of Canterberry and great monasteries.

Helpful homeschool tips...I use my journal idea every week.  Here is a link on my website for some of the most recent stories we drew and wrote about:  http://www.nucleusoflife.com/apps/blog/show/32669614-nol-sample-stories-group-4

Places and People...My friend and I went to a meeting to empower women.  It is almost like a prayer meeting but the women are so nice and it felt good to get out and have some time for ourselves.  I love meeting new women.

My favorite thing...was spending time with my friend and letting our sons play together.  Also attending our first home Maryland football game together.

Things I'm working on...I'm still working on getting a learning center for homeschooling in our basement.

I'm cooking... I made chicken in the crock pot one night.

I'm grateful for...being able to homeschool.

I'm praying for...The country of Syria

I rewarded my kids by...buying the sling shot for my son.

Something I have my eye on...A day to put up my white board (still).

A photo...Here is Bella sleeping on the couch while we homeschool.

Labor Day: The Value of Work

We are so blessed as a family to be able to work at homeschooling our children, finding productive jobs for our teens, and take advantage of some very beneficial volunteer endeavors.  We've always taught our children to help out whenever they can.  Being able to homeschool has helped us display and dialogue about a hard work ethic.  Whenever we observed someone with a lazy attitude, we knew that this was not the way Christ has taught us to serve others.  You can see it in people all around you when your out and about.  One can easily tell if a person enjoys their job or not.

In Maryland, I've noticed that the employees who work at Chic-Fil-A in our area are much more pleasant, confident, and timely than other drive through windows we've visited.  Have you noticed anything similar in your area of the woods?  It is a stark contrast between the two.  It is very interesting.

We also have a local gas station with an anniversary date of their start up this month in our town.  They still come out and put the gas in your car for you.  There is no self serve.  It is just a small no-frills gas station and they are so friendly and quick.  I want to bring them a birthday cake this month because I'm so grateful for their old fashioned service.

Some of the volunteer work and teen jobs my children were able to participate in are listed below.  Maybe you can get some ideas for your own kids.  Let's honor the jobs we've held in the past and value the work we are able to participate in on this labor day.  Here is my list:

1)  My daughters assisted me teaching a dance class for pre-schoolers at a local dance studio.

2)  My husband worked with my sons in boy scouts and worked hard every year with them to sell Christmas trees and wreaths.  Two of them received their Eagles and for their Eagle project were able to build a Stations of the Cross with a nice brick path up at our Church.  It was hard work.

3)  When the kids were young, I was a Pastoral Visitor at my Church.  We were able to bring weekly communion to the frail and elderly.  We would pray over them and get to know them.

4)  My daughter was able to help at our local American Legion serving food to customers on bingo night.  Veterans are wonderfully hard workers and so friendly.

5)  My husband was a swimmer growing up and our three oldest children were all able to be life guards for their first job at our local swimming pool.

6)  My daughter has been a coach-in-training with the swim team teaching little ones how to swim.

7)  My daughter was able to volunteer one day a week at a local hospital.  She wants to go into nursing.

8)  My two daughters help my husband usher at Mass every week.

These jobs were a great benefit to our family.  As you can see, some of the jobs are a family affair.  In other words, mom or dad worked with the kids.  The older the kids became...the more independent they were in the jobs they held.  Let's honor the work we've been able to participate in on this labor day.  The value of work is very important.

10 Things that Make this Summer Memorable

I'm hooking up with Monday Listicles and listing 10 things that made my summer memorable:

1)  Being on the beach in Ocean City, Maryland with the family in the cool of the evening observing the beautiful sky and ocean, watching the kids play volleyball and skin board.

2)  My seven year old's first time on swim team and his first lap across the entire pool

3)  Swim Team's Ice Cream Social

4)  Swim Team's Potluck Breakfast

5)  The Swim Team Bonfire and Dive-in Movie

6)  4th of July at Baker Park and dancing in the parking lot

7)  Driving my daughter to and from her life guarding, coach-in-training, and volunteer jobs

8)  My son's breakup with his girlfriend

9)  Tailgating at University of Maryland football games

10)  Watching Duck Dynasty with the family and having dinner on the back deck on nice evenings