The Month of May

Despite the fact the May always follows April I am again surprised to find myself in the month of Mary. Like Minnesota Mom, I'll be running out to gather a few things for the day.

One thing I've always wanted to try was a Mary Garden. The dear man that he is, my husband recently indulged me in the purchase of an old book called , "Mary's Flowers: Gardens, Legends and Meditations" Although a dingy green thumb may lead us to a nice patch of hearty marigolds this year, I can at least learn more about the different flowers whose names gave honor to our beloved Mother. One place to take a peek is these fine folk in PA http://www.mgardens.org/ .

Here's an amazing list of possible flowers and their meanings: http://www.fisheaters.com/marygardens.html as well as May crowning ideashttp://www.fisheaters.com/customseastertide5.html.

It's Spring in the GWN

It's Spring, finally, in the Great White North. How do we know this? Daddy asked eldest son to find his baseball mitt, I gave the car a swish (really is was more than a swish, but I will call it like it looks. They were REALLY dirty from a long, mushy meltdown) and garage sale and "for sale" signs are popping like dandelions.

One of the other sure signs of spring? Curriculum fairs! Yeah! I am still processing from our local, non-sectarian, fair and am praying fervently for the grace to attend the fair in the lovely city of Minneapolis, MN http://www.mnconference.org/. With God's generous grace, I'll fly to hear Andrew Pudewa and Danielle Bean, among others, inspire and encourage.

I wanted to add a couple notes from a slightly less than postulant curriculum fair go-er. I discovered that curriculum fairs are mountains of info to be admired and selectively scaled. One tip I read recently helped me a great deal. Find out who is going to be there and research what they carry. Keep a list of things that look like they need some hands-on research.

It sounds simplistic and perhaps time-consuming. However, I knew that Borders Books and Music would be at the local fair. I knew, too, I was looking to get Susan Wise Bauer's newest offering http://www.susanwisebauer.com/books.php. When I asked their representative if she could bring it to the fair, she did so and was able to sell every copy she brought, as well as order the corresponding curriculum to be carried in the store. This may sound silly, but in AK, knowing that I can go and look at a piece of curriculum and buy it at the teacher's discount--and not have to pay postage!!! Well, add a coffee and you're in mini-teacher-inservice territory.

Second, prepare for the curriculum fair the way you did for the ACT test. (I lived and went to college in MN--we didn't need to even take the SAT!) Go to bed early, eat a good breakfast (attend mass--they didn't offer THAT before the ACT) wear your comfies...and enjoy the experience. Bring a tote or backpack and the list you made when looking at the vendors. Bring a snack and consider letting the kiddos have a day with a trusted someone. It's a long day for them, especially toddlers. You'll especially appreciate this when you come home and they've had a nap.

Thirdly, never forget that no matter how much or little you have for resources, or time to incorporate new "fixes", remember who is the Lord of your little school. "It is vain that the laborers build it..." Trust that He will guide you--if you ask for guidance--and inspire you and provide all that you need for your saints in training. They're all his resources, anyway.

Spring is God's gift to us; to recover from the winter, to breathe freely again, to rejoice from our long fast and to revel in HOPE! Hope for heaven, hope for handwriting, hope for finishing the race. Happy (still) Easter!

Storytime

When I was little, there were no pre-k's in the little town we lived in. Instead, as each of us reached the necessary maturity, we were duly walked to storyhour two or three times a week. We listened to stories in a circle for about an hour and then trundled home. The only memory I have of this time is an intense longing to decode the hidden messages of letters and read at my own pace. No, wait. I had forgotten the great literary treasure, "Peas, Cheese, and Chocolate Pudding," which is a riveting story of one's child's unwilling adventure into culinary variety.
In any case, I love to hear stories to this day. I love to read them to myself and to my children. I will often, when visiting the library, not even venture into the adults sections. I know there are a great many treasures there, but I have children to share gems with now!
So when I heard this gentleman http://www.greathall.com/onlinebro.html speak at a local homeschool conference, I was enchanted. He has the one essential quality of a good storyteller; he loves stories. So we spent a bit and are now listening to his voice quite a bit each day. Who can complain when their children want to hear great literature?

Thinking new thoughts

Just finished the IDEA Curriculum Fair, flush with new thoughts and hopes for the coming year. It's such a delicious thing to attack old patterns and look for solutions. Hope springs eternal...now let me at books! It's time for a teacher inservice.

Stop the Presses!

Baby sleeps through Night!

Parents Amazed!

Yes, it's true. As much as we love his sweet, warm little face,Bunka graced us with 7 consecutive hours of rest, broken only by the neighbor's strange-sounding car. Ahhh... What will we do with 7 hours of sleep? Hmmm....a nap sounds nice.