12 Days of Christmas

Now that Willy Wonka is over I can concentrate on preparations for Christmas! Shopping is done, presents are wrapped, and baking (my favorite part) has begun. The kids have no extracurricular activities for 2 weeks so we can enjoy some family time playing games and watching movies. We had a few school items to take care of early this week, but we are also done with that.

For a fun school project we made a lapbook to learn about the meaning behind the 12 Days of Christmas song. It is one of the songs that Michael is constantly singing, so he may as well learn something about it, right? Legend has it that it was written in England a few hundred years ago as a way to help young Catholics learn their catechism during a time when it was a crime to practice or teach Catholicism. Whether this legend is true, I don't know, but it can still be used to help learn our Catholic faith, especially for my child who learns anything better when music is involved. I also try to remind the kids that despite Christmas items appearing on store shelves in October, the Christmas season in the church starts on Christmas Day and ends 12 days later on the Epiphany.

Here are the meanings of the 12 days:

1-Christ who died on the cross for our sins

2-old and new testaments

3-three theological virtues - faith, hope, and charity

4-four gospels

5-the Pentateuch, or first 5 books of the old testament

6-six days of creation

7-seven gifts of the Holy Spirit

8-eight Beatitudes

9-nine fruits of the Spirit

10-the Ten Commandments

11-eleven faithful apostles

12-twelve points of the Apostle's Creed

I found instructions for this lapbook on www.homeschoolshare.com/Twelve_Days_of_Christmas.php .

Willy Wonka

Our lives are pretty much consumed with Willy Wonka right now. Zack and Michael are Oompa Loompas and Michael is also a squirrel. After several weeks of rehearsal the play opened 4 days ago. So far it has been a huge success. Michael continues to make us proud with his love for the stage - he is so animated and just glows. Some days he can't remember the answer to 2+2, but he always remembers exactly what to do when he is performing in front of the audience. This is Zack's first time in a musical production, and it has been a joy to watch him come out of his shell and see him sing and dance. It is really neat to see him enjoy something besides sports.

One of the highlights of their Willy Wonka experience was performing a medley from the play on the Good Morning Texas show. The cast looked and sounded great, and even though we had to be at the studio very early in the morning it was well worth it. It was so fun to see how they put on the TV show.

We are all enjoying our time now that the show has started. Corey, Nick, Luke, and I watched in the audience opening night. The energy of the audience has been super, and there are so many talented people in the cast from the little kids to the teens to the "grandparents". We also love getting to know the cast and parents backstage. Seeing the show makes all the late nights of rehearsal worth it.

To see the video clip go to www.wfaa.com/good-morning-texas/The-Uptown-Theaters-Production-of-Willy-Wonka-111465049.htlm .

Sunday Is For Rest

As I've said before, I am always learning things right along with the kids as we go through our adventures in homeschooling. In this particular instance I needed to be reminded of something I already knew. In the last couple of weeks Nick, Zack, and Michael have all been studying the 10 Commandments. Michael is memorizing them as part of his preparation for First Reconciliation and First Communion, and they have come up in the others' catechism books.

In our discussion of the commandment to keep the Lord's day holy, we were talking about how it means more that just going to church on Sunday. Now, we never miss Mass on Sunday unless someone is sick, but we easily forget that there is more to it than that. It means not doing any unnecessary work on Sunday and to do things that honor God. So preparing meals and taking care of the kids is certainly necessary, but I am always doing laundry and catching up on cleaning on Sunday. It also means not doing anything to cause others to work, like going grocery shopping or going to my favorite store Target.

So I am going to make a better effort to make Sunday a day of rest. I'm going to try to get all my errands run and shopping done during the week and take Sunday's off from doing laundry. This is harder for me than it may sound since I typically do laundry every day.

It seems funny to me to call it a day of rest since I hardly ever feel rested. We don't do much resting when it come to child care since we have an active little guy and 3 busy big kids. Luke has started crawling and yesterday he figured out how to climb stairs. Still, there are ways that we can do better in keeping the Lord's day holy, so my goal is to improve and strive to live out that commandment the best I can.

Birthdays and Ballgames

Once again our October was full of activities, visitors and excitement. Nicholas turned 12 years old on the 9th. We celebrated at Alley Cats with a couple of his friends. They bowled, played laser tag, and played video games. On the 20th we celebrated Zachary's 10th birthday. We took him and a couple of friends (and Uncle Todd) to a SMU soccer game. I can't believe how fast the time has gone! We also had family come visit on two different weekends to see them.

All of our Saturdays were consumed with soccer games. Nick, Zack, and Michael all had great seasons and proved themselves to be super goalies! Luke enjoyed being outside and loved watching all the kids run around.

Zack and Michael auditioned and got roles as Oompa Loompas in Willy Wonka with the Grand Prairie Arts Council. This was Zack's first time to do anything like this, and he did great. Michael had been in 2 other GPAC performances and auditioned like an old pro with much confidence. It's going to be a great show!

We finished our super busy month with Halloween festivities. Nick and Zack went as Mario and Luigi. I even made their hats to go with their costumes. Michael was Darth Vader, and Luke was Yoda - what a cute pair! We went to the carnival at church and trick-or-treated in our neighborhood. Michael helped me carve pumpkins, and we drank swamp punch.

It's been quite a while since I posted last, and lots has happened! We had a fabulous trip to Disney World, and since we've been back we are back in the full swing of things. Nick is in Boy Scouts, Zack and Michael are in Cub Scouts, all 3 are playing soccer, Corey is coaching Michael's team, Zack and Michael are taking tap and hip hop dance classes, Nick is taking a Cotilion class, Michael has church class, and Nick has piano lessons. And Luke is growing and changing every day.

Our trip was wonderful! This time our "theme" was to try new things. So in addition to visiting the theme parks as usual, we also tried out the water parks - Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach. We loved them. It will be hard to be excited about the water park we normally go to in the summer here after that. We could hardly get the boys to leave. We took advantage of the Disney Dining Plan to try out some new restaurants. Chef Mickey's, Tusker House, and Whispering Canyon Cafe had delicious food and great entertainment. My parents even joined us for 4 days of the trip. It was fun visiting the parks with them and showing them around.

As usual we hated to leave, but as Nick said "I can't wait to get home so we can rest!" A trip to Disney is an awesome vacation, but it is not exactly relaxing. So we were happy to be home and get back to normal.

Luke's Baptism

Luke was baptized on Sunday, August 24th. Our church no longer does baptisms during Mass. We got there for our 2:00 baptism expecting a couple of other babies and their families. We were pleasantly surprised to find out that we were the only ones there. It was very nice and quiet (other than the crying baby). Uncle Todd and Aunt Hanna are Luke's godparents. Nick and Zack took video, and Michael took the pictures in the church. We came home to celebrate with finger foods and cake. It was a great day!

September Happenings

We have had a hectic couple of weeks. Our washing machine still isn't fixed (I'll write about that in another post). During a storm a few days ago a big branch split from the tree in the front yard and landed on our house. Luckily it missed the big front window by a few inches, and was just leaning against the brick, so no damage to the house. We are still figuring out our schedule and activities for the school year. Corey was out of town for a week and a half. It's time to set up our draft lists for our fantasy football teams (I have a team, Zack has a team, and Nick and Michael are going to have one together). And last but not least, we are getting ready for our trip to Disney World!!!

I never thought I would say this, but all 3 of the big boys will be taking dance lessons this year. I asked Michael if he would be interested in dance lessons since he is always dancing and performing, and after he tried out a tap class Zack said he thought it would be fun. He tried the class too, and loved it. So, Zack and Michael will be taking tap and hip hop. We think it might even help improve their soccer skills. It turns out it is much cheaper for boys to take dance lessons because the studio wants more boys. We found out that a friend of Nick's is taking cotillion classes, and Nick said he really wanted to do it. They will do different ballroom dances, line dances, and some etiquette. Today I registered him for that and bought tap shoes for Zack and Michael.

Now that Corey is home we are in high gear getting ready for our Disney trip. I can't wait! We have been watching Disney movies and playing Disney Trivial Pursuit and Disney Monopoly. We have also been making lists of all the rides and attractions we want to do and places we want to eat. We are going to have a family photo session while we are there, so I hope all the children cooperate and we get some great shots. We have never visited the water parks there and are anxious to try out both Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach. The theme of this trip is trying things we have never done there before. I went shopping yesterday for snacks and last minute things we will need for the trip. Only 9 more days! I will post much more about it when we get back.

We're Bored

I walked downstairs this afternoon and was greeted with a melancholy "We're Bored" as they were wrestling with each other. These boys have a houseful of Lego's, board games, toys, and books, plus a ping-pong table, and they are bored!?! They are not allowed to watch TV, play video games, or play on the computer until 4:30 on school days, and it is kind of wet and rainy outside today, but bored? Really???

I'm tempted to assign more chores, but they had cleaned off the kitchen table and counter just like I asked them to. I don't think I should always have to keep them entertained. Not everyday has to be Disney World (which is less than 3 weeks away, by the way). Do I just let these complaints go, or should there be a consequence? Soon we won't have this issue. All of our activities will begin again soon - weekly piano lessons, soccer, scouts, church classes, P.E. sports club. Then none of us will have time to be bored.

School Is Back In Session

We have been back to school full time for two weeks now. So far it is going fairly smoothly and attitudes have been mostly happy and positive. We are reading some great books. Nick and Zack are reading Redwall and listening to Tom Sawyer and I just finished reading Charlotte's Web to Michael. We also had some fun talking about and writing using onomatopoeia.

I always enjoy learning along with the kids. In the past couple of weeks I have learned that cold water is heavier than hot water (that is what causes deep ocean currents). Also the reason the area where a river empties into a sea or ocean is called a delta is that where the Nile flows into the Mediterranean Sea is in the shape of an upside down triangle, the symbol for the Greek letter Delta.

I mentioned to Corey that Michael's reading has improved dramatically. Nicholas said, "Well he is dramatic." Nick is developing quite a since of sarcasm - I love it.

Nick and Zack are studying Anatomy and Health for science, and I had them brainstorm about things they wanted to learn about and things they did not. Two subjects that ended up on both lists were throwing up and how men could produce milk. I'm not sure if I should be a bit worried or just laugh at that.

Two weeks down, 34 to go!

Luke Is 4 Months Old

I can't believe my baby is already 4 months old! It is so fun to watch Luke's personality developing. He loves his big brothers, being outside, chewing on things, nursing, and bathing in the big bathtub. He hates riding in his car seat, and although he has his days and nights straight, he is not the best sleeper. He has the brightest eyes, the cutest smile and the sweetest little face! He giggles a lot, especially for his daddy.

To mark his 4 month birthday, we decided to try to feed him some rice cereal. It was really exciting for all the boys - they all gathered around to watch with the video cameras ready. Luke was not real sure about it. He didn't know what to do with it and even gagged a little. So, we will wait a couple of weeks and try again.

The Inspiration I Needed

We are just beginning our 7th year of homeschooling. I love teaching the boys at home and I have no doubt that it is the right thing for our family at this time, but I have to admit that I have been a little apprehensive about this school year. Nick is entering the middle school years, so it's time to step up his program. Michael is not reading well on his own yet. That coupled with his short attention span means that I pretty much have to be right there with him for almost all of his school work. What makes me the most nervous is schooling with sweet Baby Luke. He likes to be held all the time, doesn't nap well, and will be crawling and walking before we know it! Will I be able to give each of the boys the time he needs from me?

This past weekend Corey and I attended our first homeschool conference - www.ihmconference.org . I always enjoy shopping for school books and looking at things I might want to use in future years, but listening to some of the speakers was just what I needed. I heard some things I really needed to be reminded of. God would not call us to homeschool without providing a way for us to get it done. Although not every day is perfect, we have always been able to get through our school work. I need to remember to keep a sense of humor. The most important phrase I heard was to "bloom where you are planted". For me this means that if I am being called to homeschool my children, that is where most of my time and energy need to go. It is easy to fall into the trap of volunteering for many things since I am not out of the house at a paying job every day. I need to choose carefully where I spend my time at things like teaching religious education at church or running Vacation Bible School or coaching the kids' soccer teams, especially when it takes too much time away from my home and my family.

Now I really feel like we are ready to kick off our 2010/2011 school year. I've got everyone's books on their places and schedules all written out. I know it will be hard work, but I'm ready. I'm excited about all the things we (because I learn new things along with the kids) will learn this year and to see how it will all work out.

Twins 11 Years Apart?

It never ceases to amaze me how many people talk about how much Luke looks like Nicholas! I mean, I see the resemblance, but I have access to all of Nick's baby pictures. If I hold Luke up next to Nick's baby pictures you can hardly tell the difference. I just find it funny how many strangers just tell us that they look just alike.

What not everyone knows is that they act just alike too! As a baby Nick wanted to be held all the time, he nursed what seemed like constantly, we could seldom lay him down without him waking up, and his temper was horrible - when he wanted something he wanted it right away. And he hated riding in the car seat. He could cry endlessly and never give up and go to sleep. Now I feel like we are reliving Nick as a baby. The only difference is that I have alot more help around with Luke. Corey works from home a lot and the other boys are old enough to help a lot.

The nice thing is that now Nick is so well behaved, helpful, and obedient! So if Luke continues to act like his oldest brother we will be very lucky in a few years.

Chocolate Milk in Church

I saw something quite disturbing during Mass this morning. A little girl (about 9 or 10 years old) walked into church with a bottle of chocolate milk. She proceeded to sit down with her mother and drink it. My first thought was that it was not appropriate, but maybe she wasn't going to communion. Sure enough she went up and received the host! This was not a toddler with a sippy cup - I understand that. I'm trying not to be judgemental, but this family attends church regularly and her dad teaches religious education classes, so they really should know better. What is wrong with people!?!

Learning How to Blog

I'm having fun figuring how to set up this blog. Two of the boys just finished baseball season this week, so hopefully I'll have some more time to play with it. Maybe I'll have them post some happenings as part of their writing for school this year.

Today we are at the house visiting with family. The kids are outside on the slip and slide. It's a little too hot for me to sit out there and watch them. They really play well together most of time.