Sonlight Garden

Catherine's First Holy Communion

Catherine received her First Holy Communion on Mother's Day. A mother can not ask for a better gift than her child receiving our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament for the very first time. What a gift!!! And dear Catherine, what a beautiful, gentle soul she is. She is just so very sweet. It was a beautiful day as you can see. I love our church. I don't just love the building but I love the people, our brothers and sisters in Christ.  We are so very blessed!

We have another busy week ahead of us. Julia receives her Confirmation into the Church. She also has graduation Mass. The kitchen better should be going in this week, along with carpeting. I have to finish packing so that we can move in this weekend. We shall see. Actually it has to be this weekend. Our lease is up here at the end of the month. 

Our little Thomas is kicking and rolling and moving around in there. I am enjoying and cherishing every minute of it. I wish that all I had to do was sit and feel him move around. These days have been so difficult. It is a waiting game and I feel an impending doom. It is silly really though because God is in control of all of this. I'm still learning how to surrender. I have been praying for strength and grace for us to get through everything that is ahead of us. I'm trying to be present to every moment and thankful for everything, like our sweet girl and her very special day. God is good. Always.

Are you bored?

Try spreading packing popcorn all over the floor in the middle of winter, in a heated house, and try, just try to pick it up and put it back in the box it came in. It's almost as impossible as stapling water to a tree.
This afternoon's activity brought to you by the resident three year old.
Ugh.

gingerbread day

 

It was gingerbread house day yesterday. I had just poured myself a nice cup of coffee, sat down with my bunch with my camera in hand, and then...Henry, little stinker, reaches up and knocks my coffee over. John Paul was not happy, pour guy. We cleaned it up quickly and proceeded. No reason to cry over spilled coffee, however, I almost did because I used up the last of my half and half on that spilled cup. Oh well.

It was bittersweet this year. We assembled these while Joe and Julia were at school. It made me a little sad not seeing their faces around the table. They are getting older. All of them. As we were putting them together I was reminded of years past and how much fun we've had keeping this little tradition. When we started doing this a few years ago I never thought there would be a day when they wouldn't all be here doing this together. So, I am learning to savor these everyday moments. These children are growing up. Next year I think we will do our house building during Christmas break when mid term exams are over and see if I can lure some "big" kids in on the construction.

Christmas Picture Out Takes

Last Sunday after Mass we took the kids to the park for a photo shoot. It was sooo windy. I think the gusts were around 35 mph. Out of the 372 pictures that I took I think I have one, maybe two where the kids are all looking at the camera with their eyes open. We did get some great pictures though. I thought I would share a few with you all. 

I recently purchased Lightroom 4 I have been having so much fun playing around with it. It is a lot of trial and error because I have absolutely no clue what I am doing and every time it is different. Maybe in a couple of years I will be a lightroom master ;0) Does anyone know of a good Lightroom tutorial? 

 

My book end boys:

Apparently Patrick did something hysterical at the other end of this picture. I'm not quite sure what, but being that he is a nine year old boy I can only imagine:

Love this picture:

 

Amelia!! Julia and her are two peas in a pod. She is so full of life as you will see in the next couple of pictures:

Again, that darn wind blowing dresses and hair:

John Paul was not interested in picture taking. He just wanted to find sticks and bugs and leaves. Just as any three year old boy would be. So sweet:

 

Henry and Highschool

Oh Henry! Isn't he sweet? He is such a happy easy going baby. Except for when he is teething. Which is now. Poor baby. Those top teeth are ready to pop through and his little gums are swollen and sore. Bless his heart! I wanted to make sure I captured a picture of him toothless, because when a baby gets those top teeth in it just changes the way they look.

He has taken a couple of steps, like two, unassisted. If you let him hold your hands he is off and walking. Oh goodness. I am not ready for that. I imagine before the month is over he will be on his way and won't sit still for long. 

Joseph and Julia started school this week. Joe had freshman orientation the last two days. Today is the first full day for the entire school. It was busier this morning dropping him off. Lots of guys walking in the building with their backpacks. (Joe didn't have his) I pulled in the roundabout, he opened the door, grabbed his big stack of books, juggled his football duffel bag over his shoulder. We exchanged glances. He gave me a look that I will never forget. He raised his eyebrows and sighed. I could see the look of fear and excitement in his eyes. I can't even tell you how strong the urge was to get out of the car and run over there and give him a big hug, and then help him inside and make sure he got to his locker ok, and was able to remember his combination and make sure he could find his classes, and that he didn't eat lunch alone. I know, I am ridiculous. Instead, I sat in my van that was loaded with his siblings. I told him I loved him. "Keep your eyes and ears open. Call me later.", I said. I watched as he blended into the crowd of 1400 other young men. He is on his way.

Time Flies

(doesn't he look tough! hee hee)

I just finished a week of carpooling Joe and five of his football buddies.

What a hoot!

Six teenage boys!! (six stinky teenage boys on the way home from practice, thank you God for my big van. But I digress.)

Anyway, as I was driving them to practice I chuckled inside and wondered how in the world I had gotten here. How was my son old enough to be going to high school and playing football. It was surreal. It was just yesterday that we finished his first year homeschooling. Just yesterday that he was out back hunting for frogs and playing with his Tonka trucks. How did we get here? I know we still have four years of highschool to go through, I still have time with him here at home before he heads off to college and find his own way in the world. I don't mean to be dramatic. But I know how quickly these years go by. These next four years will go by just as quickly. So if I have any young mommies who visit this space let me tell you to enjoy every moment. I know the days are sometimes long and exhausting, it is hard and draining at times(I know, I'm still living it) but it will go by fast.  Someday you will look back and wonder where the time went? You will look at your child in awe and amazement at the person they are; at the person they are becoming, and you will also wonder how exactly you got here. So,enjoy every. single. solitary. moment, the good, the bad, the ugly. Feel blessed that you are able to be there for all of it. Feel blessed for God's plan.
Oh, and most especially don't blink!

Our Sweet Girl

The day before her baby brother was born Mary Jane turned eleven. Henry had an extended stay in the nicu, I was recovering from a c-section and trying to keep this household running. I never did get to write about her birthday. I don't want to let the year pass without writing about her and about who she is right now. 

Her nickname is sweets. That is truly what she is. She smiled at me when she was a week old and has been smiling ever since. She is my right hand "man". She loves her siblings intensely and is always willing to play or help; Most of the time with a smile.
At the age of seven her first ballet teacher came up to me and told me she was very musical and was a natural when it came to rhythm and music. I have watched her blossom and grow into a beautiful ballerina. I wish I could dance like her! I am not exaggerating when I say I could watch her dance all day. It is incredible to see how God has gifted each one of my children. It is a beautiful thing to watch. Mary Jane, you are blessed, and it is a blessing and a privilege to be your mom!

Growing in Virtue

If you want to grow in the virtue of patience cook in the kitchen with your children. I was reminded of this just this past Christmas. One afternoon when we had started baking some cookies, my little ones had gathered around. They were adding ingredients, all complaining about whose turn it was. "She got to crack the eggs." one of them said in a whiny voice. There was flour flying everywhere. It was crazy. I had dropped the spatula while using the hand mixer. I turned the hand mixer off, put it on the counter and bent down to pick up the spatula. As I was bent down the mixer comes crashing down on my head. "That's it!" I yell, "everyone out!" the two little ones run away crying. I stay bent low. I start crying. I failed again.

Every moment we have a choice. Acting patiently is a choice. I have to choose to smile. I have to choose to soften my heart. Not always, but sometimes being patient isn't easy and natural. When people find out how many children I have, and that I homeschool, I always here the comment, "you must be so patient?" Well, I'm not. I pray for it constantly. I want to be a wonderful example for my children. They also must know I am human, that I fail, that I struggle, and that I am humbled; for someday they will have their own babies to raise.

 I went and found those crying little ones, and hugged them and kissed them and apologized. I don't want their memories of baking with their Mama to be not so happy. It was humbling. Another virtue.

You know, I think about how as parents we are to teach our children to be virtuous, to know right from wrong. I then think about all they teach me.  God puts us together as a family to teach each other, to help us grow virtuous.  These 9 beautiful souls God blessed me with are helping me grow. I look around, the opportunities are bountiful, I am blessed. Lord, help me to make it so. 

 

Go ahead, sing along...

Our church choir played this song today with the organ and harp and trumpet. It was just beautiful. I have been humming it all day long. I think Alison Krauss did a lovely job with this version. I hope you are having a restful Sunday. Someone in my house is. Oh, to still be able to crash like that.
Be well and rest in Him. That is the only rest we need.

A good...no, great day

Somebody took his gnome.

We had such a great day yesterday. We kept to our key subjects. The little ones played with math using the gnomes and gems. The gnomes led to the bigger kids finding the box that the gnomes tree fort was packed away in. We finger painted. That was great fun. The conversations in my kitchen were priceless. We made caramel apples. We first tried to make homemade caramel, but without a candy thermometer it went from awesome to burnt in a matter of seconds. That led to a trip to the grocery store for packaged caramel and a candy thermometer. We will conquer homemade caramel one of these days!!

We are in the sixth week of our school year. I am evaluating what is working and what isn't.

Of course all of Amelia's items we pretty much ditched. It just wasn't working for her. She was willing to do the work but I could see it just wasn't clicking with her. We are now just reading more and "playing" with math. She is working on a phonics workbook and we are following the Alphabet Path. And of course crafts.

For the most part I am happy with the choices for Catherine. Math is an everyday occurrence, I have also added the manipulatives. I have lightened up on the workload for her as far as how often she is doing each particular subject. We ditched the phonics workbook, she didn't need it anymore and it was just busy work. She has turned into an incredible reader. At the age of six the words she can pronounce and her comprehension is amazing. I really want to encourage this so I want to make more time for reading for her. 

For Patrick and Mary Jane math, science, and history are keepers. The science and history are great spines. I am not happy with the Language Arts aspect of their curriculum. The workbooks are overkill and just silly busy work. So I am researching and thinking about the best approach for them. Again I am so drawn to Charlotte Mason's methods. I am not sure why I fight it. Maybe it is because I don't feel sure of how to implement it or if I am doing it correctly. 

Julia is enrolled in the cottage school and is doing great! I compare her education to Joe's and the difference is amazing. The difference is between a child who loves to read EVERYTHING and a child who will only read when he has to. There is a huge difference in how these children express themselves on paper, from their spelling to their grammar. 

Anyway, I have much more to say about this but the natives are restless so it is time to hit "publish". No time to link to anything also. I will be back soon.

Have some fun today!!