Becoming

I tool a little break from this blog, I'm happy to be back.

A few changes have happened to our family over the last several months.

Our children, the oldest three, have all gone back to school. Public school.

I lost sleep over that decision, but now that we are almost 4 months into the school year, all my fears are gone. My children are doing well, and are enjoying the new experiences they have been having.

The biggest change would have to be what my family and I are becoming. We are becoming Orthodox.

We have been attending a Western Rite Antiochian Church.

We are in the process of learning about the Orthodox way, it is quite different from any religious class I've ever took. There is more of an emphasis on our connection with God, prayer, etc... more so than all knowledge. That is one of the reasons I was drawn to Orthodoxy in the first place.

Don't get me wrong we do have to learn the faith. We do study and discuss topics with our priest. It's going very well and I'm learning a lot. I'm thankful that my spiritual relationship with God is the most important topic.

It is a big change. Not just the way things are done in the Mass or some of the beliefs, but a change in thinking, a change in me as a person.

That means discipline and a change of being. Those are tall orders.

Right now I feel as though I don't have a spiritual home. But I think it is a good thing, because I feel God is preparing me. And the anticipation that I feel about "becoming" is so joyful!

I look forward to the learning, friends, home, truth, love, mercy, and becoming.

"Cast yourself into the arms of God and be very sure that if He wants anything of you, He will lift you for the work and give you strength."

—Philip Neri

Lent and The Sacred Heart

At the beginning of Lent I was determined and gung ho about everythig I was going to do and not do.

I was doing well until life set it and I got off track. At the end of the day when I would lay in bed I realized I was too busy and I did not pray that day, I fell short on my diet restrictions, and my mind and heart were not focused on Lent.

This lasted for about a week. My husband and I briefly talked about it this past Sunday and once again I was determined to give my all.

This past Sunday night my husband and I were relaxing and watching tv. We turned on EWTN and listened to Archbishop Timothy Dolan. He was talking about the exact thing I had been going through that week. He told a story of when he was in school and a nun, who was his teacher, gave some great advice which included The Sacred Heart. My ears perked up.

I have always had a special pull towards The Sacred Heart. The Sacred Heart calms me, helps me in some way.

His teacher told him that we must try to do our best during lent when it comes to fasting, almsgiving, and prayer, but the least you can do is say these three prayers...

When you awake say, Sacred Heart of Jesus, all for you.

During the day when temptations, worry, and stress want to knock you off track say, Sacred Heart of Jesus, I put my trust in you.

Before going to sleep say, Sacred Heart of Jesus, have mercy on me a sinner.

The Archbishop went on to explain that we are like Peter walking on the water to Jesus. If we focus on Him we will succeed. When we take our eyes away and concern ourselves with the waves of life, we will sink.

I felt this was a immediate answer to my prayer for help that Sunday night, and I am grateful for it.

I am going to try my best to move onward and to keep my eyes focused on The Sacred Heart.

I wish you all a blessed and meaningful Lent.

Sacred Heart of Jesus, all for you

The Homeschool Mother's Journal

In My Life This Week...

This week has been a blur. I was not able to find the time to workout and that upset my mood. It has just been one of those weeks where I jump up and down because it's Friday! I'm feeling much better. Next week is going to go much better.

In Our Homeschool This Week...

I was the worst homeschooling mom this week. We didn't get much done. See above for reasons why. It seemed all motivation flew out the window. I am determined to leave this bad week behind and move on with a positive attitude.

Places We Are Going And People We Are Seeing...

This weekend is going to be busy. My best friend turns 36 today and tonight we are going out to celebrate her birthday. My son turned ten this week, double digits! And we are inviting family and friends over on Saturday to celebrate his birthday. I have a lot of celebrating to do!

My Favorite Thing This Week...

I would say my favorite thing this week is when I was really not feeling that great, I snuggled under the covers and fell asleep. My wonderful children behaved and let me take a little nap. Yes, a nap!!

What's Working/Not Working For Us...

I am ready to ditch our current curriculum. I'm sticking with it because the kids don't really seem to mind it. As I research what others are doing and what's out there I know we could be doing something so much more interesting. I'm debating on what I should do.

Homeschool Questions Thoughts I Have...

I though I was set on the curriculum I wanted to move on to, then a friend recommended Heart of Dakota. I had never heard of that curriculum before. I checked it out and it seems good. Has anyone tried this curriculum before? What do you think of it?

A Photo, Link, or Quote to Share...

Because I was having a rough week I was doing some extra praying. I read this blog, I Have to Sit Down. The post is called, What I Say to Mary:A Mother's Prayer. I thought it was so cute and funny. The post brought my spirits up.

May God bless you, your families, and your homeschool!

10 Day Homeschool Hop

Thinking about homeschooling? If you are and you have been researching you already know that all the information available can be overwhelming! This is why I love the internet and blogs. It gives you a peek into what other homeschooling families are doing, gives you encouragement, and often times friendship.

I am not participating in the writing of the 10 Day Homeschool Hop, but I will be a faithful reader. Head over to Heart of the Matter, to read the blogs in the 10 Day Homeschool Hop. These are good reads for those thinking about homeschooling and those of us who already are.

Happy Reading!

The Homeschool Mother's Journal

In My Life This Week...

We had the supposedly big snow storm this week. I wrote about surviving the Snowpocalypse HERE. My husband didn't go to work on Wednesday because of the road conditions. (He works an hour away) We had a nice day of relaxing together as a family. I am on the 3rd week of the work out/diet challenge. I have been doing the best I can with that this week. I can't wait to find out the results at the end of the 5 weeks!

In Our Homeschool This Week...

We are continuing with our narration. We do oral narration with literature and the older kids have been writing their history narrations. They write so much more than what is asked of them in the review questions. I have also learned that the next day when I ask them to repeat what they learned the day before (without looking at their writing) they remember!

My first grader is all about learning to read. We are still working with Alpha-Phonics and reading beginner reading books. I think she is doing well. When she talks to me, she likes to spell words out. She will say, "Hi m-o-m I l-o-v-e y-o-u!" She spells out other words she knows while talking to us and I think that's cute. :)

Places We are Going and People We are Seeing...

On Saturday my family and I are going to a Game night at our Knights of Columbus hall. We aren't going to play games, we are going to eat game! The only game I have ever eaten is venison and buffalo, I love buffalo. It will be interesting to see what type of food they will have for us.

My Favorite Thing This Week...

My favorite thing this week is watching our homeschool fall into place. I have read so many things about making your homeschool fit your family. I finally feel I am letting go of what I think school should be and doing what works for us. I am not totally there yet, but I think I am going in the right direction.

What's Working/Not Working For Us...

School is working for us. There are changes I want to make but I am waiting. What is not working for me is cleaning the house! I manage to get the house in semi good order by the end of the day, but I'm talking about deep cleaning. I need to do the walls, floors, fans, windows etc... I have no idea when I can get this done. I followed The Fly Lady's advice before and it worked great, it was keeping up with it that was a challenge!

Homeschool Questions/Thoughts I Have...

I am going to go back to my cleaning dilemma. I was thinking of maybe hiring someone to help me with the big cleaning of the house. I'm not sure about it yet. How do you homeschool and do all the other things that you need to do and still find the time to throughly clean your house?

A Photo to Share...

Here is one of the reasons my house doesn't stay clean. I call him my walking tornado. I guess if I'm going to have a messy house it's good to have a very cute reason.

You can read more Homeschool Mother's Journals by visiting The Homeschool Chick

How to Have a Fun Snow Day: Surviving the Snowpocalypse

We survived the snow storm that has been called the Snowpocalypse! Actually the snow fall wasn't as bad as a lot of people thought it was going to be. But I'm sure the people like my husband who are without a snow blower and have to manually shovel the snow think differently.

A lot of people are home from work and I believe all kids are home from school today. We still did school, and as you can imagine I heard many cries of, "That's not fair!"

With all the kids being home, here are some things they can do outside in the snow. The kids can have some fun, and mom and dad can have a little break. That is until 10 minutes later when one child (or all of them) will be pounding on the door saying they're cold and begging for hot chocolate.

Snowscape Stomp

Snow Snakes

Seven Snow Games from Family Fun

If your like me and don't enjoy being cold, or if it's too cold for the kids to go outside, here are some fun snow day crafts to do inside.

Snowstorm Art

Warm Fuzzy Snow

Danielle's Place

(There are many snowy crafts to be found here)

Make some snow day treats to go along with the hot chocolate.

Ice cream From Snow

(This is were you have to remember NOT to eat yellow snow.)

Maple Taffy on Snow

No Bake Snowball Cookies

Edible Snowflakes

Marshmallow Snowmen

When the snow day is over and the kids have had fun playing, making crafts, and eating their treats, it's time for mom and dad to make a snowy Winter treat for themselves. This recipe is from a friend, and I think it is a perfect treat for an adult snow day.

The Snow-tini

3oz Stoli Vanilla Vodka

1oz Creme de Cacao

1oz Godiva White Chocolate Liquor

Pour Stoli, Creme de Cacao, and the Godiva Liquor into a cocktail shaker half filled with crushed ice. Shake well and strain into a chilled Martini glass and enjoy!

If you have a lot of snow, stay warm and have fun!

Keeping Homeschool Simple

As I was reading my daily blogs I stopped by Happy Hearts At Home and there was a link to a wonderful article called Helpful Advice For Homeschooling Elementary School Aged Children. The article is about keeping homeschooling simple and I was happy to read it.

There are so many things to think about when it comes to homeschooling. It's nice to have a reminder that simple homeschooling can benefit everyone.