Taking a Baby Break

Our first official day of homeschooling was on Monday (Hard to believe that was only yesterday.) This week will be our trial run. It was exhausting trying to occupy the toddler and keep the baby happy while at the same time focusing on our studies. Today it didn't feel as crazy though I'm not sure why not. Was I better rested? Perhaps.

DS is really excited about starting schooling. We are making a galliant effort to be more organized this year. I am trying the basic version of Homeschool Tracker to record what we will be working on and to keep track of what we have done. You can pay a one time 50 dollars and get the plus version which I think I will do when I'm feeling less like I need the dough for other things. I hope we can keep it up.

"Nature Walk"

Yesterday my almost two-year-old daughter and I just went around the corner a little ways from our house on a "nature walk." Here is what we brought back with us. A still maturing apple and a sprig of Queen Anne's Lace (or is it wild carrot?) I'm so excited to post a picture of a homeschool "project." In the top picture my 13 year old son is holding up his sisters hands holding our new found treasures.

Lord Help Us Sell the Condo

"Lord, we have planted the seed, tended the shoots and watered the leaves. Now it is up to you to grant us the yield of our labors." --Living Prayer: Daily Catholic Devotions July August September 2009

This is the line from a prayer I found in the back of the cited devotional booklet yesterday. It made me think of the work we are doing on our condo in order to sell it. Our realtor tells us that now is the time to be aggressive. So we are "tweaking" and making improvements that we were putting off until a possible offer was made. After we've done all we can do it is really up to God to bring us the right person to buy this place.

This quote shows that it is up to us to do all we can before we expect God to take over. We have our part and God has his. It is at the same time wonderful and terrifying that God gives allows us part of the responsibility for the outcome of our own lives. I guess this is what is called free will.

I'm so Proud

Today my 13 year old son was enrolled in the brown scapular. He took the initiative to ask Father before mass if he would enroll him. I did not know he was going to do this. He was watching a Mother Angelica Episode about the brown scapular. I think this is what got him excited about it.

Four Weeks Old

My new born son EA is 4 weeks old today. He was born July 3.

Inner Peace

I was reading a book specifically about inner peace. Inner peace allows Jesus to work through you. The illustration of the sun reflecting on the water was used. The sun is much better reflected off of calm waters than it is off of rough waters. God is the sun and the water is our soul.

Out of the Meal Time Rut

I am so happy that I actually made something aside from the usual for our evening meal today and yesterday. The best part was that I was able to use ingredients that I already had and the meals were really very simple to make. I got the recipes from a bargain cook book I bought a few years ago. Yesterday I made beans and rice and today I made meat balls and had them on spaghetti. Mmmmm. I loved the spaghetti and meat balls!

I was really beginning to dread supper time when I would make the same thing over and over agian. It was the same with grocery shopping, buying the same ingredients to make the same thing week after week. The more you put into something the more you will get out of it applies in this situation. I just decided to look for something different to make and lo and behold I did it! Just a small variation seemed to make all the difference in my feelings about cookingl.