Martimas has been a family tradition for many years thanks to my dear friend Karen whose family hosted the feast day party and bonfire. In Germany it was a local holiday as well. I don't know that it is in England but since it is a three day weekend we will make our lanterns and have a little parade after dark.
If you want to incorporate some simple crafty or kitchen goodness today visit here or here.
Gorgeous lantern inspiration from this German site.
Happy feast!
One boy's football season wrapped up today with a win, placing them first in their league. This made for a very happy boy. I am a very happy mom as well, not only because they performed so well.
You can learn alot about people from the sidelines. Youth sports brings out the best…and the worst…in people. Coaches run the gamut from those who stack teams and find every loophole to make superstars to those who throw water bottles and argue with the referees to those who maintain a persistant cheerful demeanor come what may. We got the latter this year and were ever so grateful.
I have come to realize athletics is a sort of metaphor, especially for guys. All of life's major challenges play out on this small stage – preparation, teamwork, taking direction, dealing with authority, playing fair, and learning to deal with those who don't. So it is especially important that those responses and attitudes being cultivated are those you'd like to see kids have in analogous situations. It is a big relief when the coach's vision lines up with your own in those areas.
Good work. Great season.
Awesome kid.
Obladee, oblada…
It's been a little surreal from this vantage point. I hope you will understand if I just step away from the Facebook feed scrolling wildly still and rest my eyes here for a minute remembering a quieter day last week. Maybe you'd like to join me for a minute too and think about something else for just a moment? Sit. I will tell you about it.
(all pics from the phone in the dark – my apologies)
(vintage Dickens set)
(this peasant girl caught my eye, reminding me of the German countryside we left behind)
(here with a friend on either side – what better place to find oneself : ))
Do you remember these? : ) My Gram had a set of salt and pepper shakers like these. Made me smile to see them here.
Just a collection of lately-ness so I don't forget.
I have been teaching for nearly a quarter century now. It was high time I got a proper laminator, yes? I have a driving urge to laminate EVERYTHING in sight now.
(game freebie from CHC)
Soup on the stove. Applesauce on the stove. Chili on the stove.
I love this stove.
I watched them putting away the size matching sticks the other day and as always they got stuck and had leftovers. I was thinking of Steven Covey's "big rocks first" analogy and realized that this current group of kids had never heard this metaphor. The older boys had read the 7 Habits for Teens. It's been a while.
We got on youtube and watched a 'big rocks' presentation and quickly restacked the sticks. Then we talked about the ipods, the fantasy football, the many things that eat up the day and how we often find tasks undone at day's end. I need this reminder as much as the rest of them.
My silly kids. : ) What I love most is the laughing.
Speaking of youtube, Aidan mentioned an experiment in his text that he couldn't do because we didn't have the supplies. It was about water testing and ph levels. It occured to me that surely there was such a test in cyber space. And indeed there was. Many of them. Five minutes later we learned all about acid/alkaline balance and the pro's and con's of many brands of bottled water and sports drinks.
Youtube – it's a beautiful thing.
Bowling with the homeschool group.
and some thoughts about when to discipline. And when to just hug.
Autumn is a busy season for us. Sports practices keep children up later than usual in the evenings and out the door early on the weekend. A midweek holiday stirred up lots of excitement. Timing for a homeschool outing might have been less than ideal but important for children who are meeting new friends in a new place. So we went.
Tess and the older boys had a blast. Brendan was so very excited to go. He had mentioned early on he didn't need bumpers on his lane anymore so I didn't program his lane that way. However the other children did have them and his scores were quickly dropping behind. He was soon in tears and fixing the program to provide him bumpers did not help his distress.
The girls who delighted to play with the children at the center likewise promptly fell to tears on the way home. Seatbelts too tight, jackets too warm, everything suddenly just…wrong. There are times like this when you pause, look deeply into a child's eyes and err on the side of mercy.
How often does this happen to moms after all? Up all night with a baby, running from appointment to appointment, laundry to fold, and finally a broken cup or paper cut and it all spills out. It isn't a character flaw. It's fatigue.
Sometimes naps are better than nagging.
There was plenty of day left after resting. And it went better then.
It always does. : )
Ok I was really REALLY happy with B's costume. I am still laughing. The wind blew so hard he lost parts of his beard as we went but still. He was so darn cute.
Kieran is ten, which means he still wants to trick or treat but he is now old enough to be self-conscious about wanting to trick or treat. Dressing up as a grown up (Someone pegged him as Jim from The Office ; )) seemed to help him reconcile the whole thing with himself.
The sugar plum fairies. I wish I had a better shot of their wings. Do you hear that husband? I need a wider angle lens my dear….
Aidan is 13, which means he is old enough to now think its cool to dress up, as long as you dress up in something cool. Like this. And then perform for your candy.
And Miss Moira who feels it is only right to make herself up a bit while escorting the fairies to the doorstep.
Whether you are home or about on this All Hallow's Eve I hope you have a grand evening and laugh much.
Early in the month we were talking about making homemade playdough when I ran across a recipe for pumpkin scented dough. (actually this links to the basic recipe with a link to the scented) We had all the ingredients on hand so Alannah made up a batch for the littles one morning while I was working with the olders. Divide and conquer.
Yay-ah! <g> Seriously now, don't be a hater ok? 20 some yrs ago when I was teaching a five yo to read while my three year old was attempting to climb out the windows (not kidding, ask my neighbor) and my nursing one year old was beginning to toddle through the house I would probably have had some choice words for the woman with a built in extra pair or two of adult hands. But a) I had to be in your shoes to walk to where I am now and b) those extra adult hands don't linger long. They get jobs and go to school and move away all too soon. It is a teeny tiny window of wonderful collaboration. A grace God sometimes grants which helps to make year 25 of preschool as much fun as year one was.
Back to playdough. The post mentioned refrigerating the dough to boost its longevity. This recipe has lasted all month. In fact we had it out today and I am amazed at how pliable it still is.
We have made rolled out pumpkins with cookie cutters and added dry beans to make faces. We also made pumpkins from balls of dough and noodle stems. I want to point out though to any new teacher-moms that might see this that it is especially nice to organize a blog post around thematic colors and shapes. In real life though, it is the rare child who feels compelled to restrict his/her play to preselected, holiday appropriate themes. Hence, we have also had orange apple pie and pumpkin scented snowmen with the dry beans becoming snowman wigs. Which actually went sorta well with the Christmas story book from the library. In October.
You should know this happens. It's ok. : )
“I'm so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers.”
Anne of Green Gables
Moira and have had a big week. Dinner for 30 on Monday. Yep. Thirty. Alannah flew to Germany early Tuesday. There was a co-op class, several football practices and games, and a trip to a haunted house. There were cookies and cupcakes made, some tiny girl dress up days.
And there were pictures, because the season is changing and so is my daughter. Moira, working diligently through regular schoolwork as well as delving into a worldview class, trying to master the new steps at the new dance studio, and now training for a 10k. Seems like more than ample reason for some spoiling, to celebrate who she is right now. : )
Looking at this reminds me of a conversation I had with Rebecca several years ago when she asked me if I was an essentially cool color person or warm. I insisted cool because all the pictures I had saved and all the rooms I admired were composed of gray or robin's egg blue walls and white slipcovers. Neither of which I had lol.
Starry Sky Journal 