Harvest, Autumn, Fall...

I am giving thanks and feeling mighty grateful for another season of Autumn...my favorite season!

The months and years are slipping by...and now, I have another graduate.  She is away at college, thankfully in California.  This mama is happy about that!

And so a new Academic year begins...

Blessings to all our homeschool families, students and teachers everywhere, and college students near and far...

"But those who hope in the Lord, will renew their strength.  

They will soar with wings like eagles; 

they will run and not grow weary, 

they will walk and not be faint."  

~ Isaiah 40:31

First Days 2015 - 2016

Back to School.  Yes!

Having my little cyber-journal blog, makes it so convenient to quickly look back at the past several 'first days of school'...looking back brings such good memories, and allows me to see just how much we have matured as a family.

Cornucopias

Me:  "After Mass today you can have your schultute."

Butterfly:  "What is a schultute?"  "Do you mean our cornucopias?"

Me:  "Hahaha.  Yes!"

Butterfly:  ":o)  yay!"

~ Back To School - 2014-2015 ~

Although my teens are now in their second week of school, we officially began our Home School classes - today.  

Since we began home schooling, 12 years ago, we have used the Nativity of Mary as our official school start date.  Today was no different.  
Vespers at St. Albert's Priory, to celebrate the Vigil of Our Lady's Feast Day.  

Our morning included sharing our school supply surprises and I brought back an even older tradition:  "Sunshine Omelets". I first made these for my husband, 24 years ago!  
I made sure to use our Fresh Eggs.  

Well, we have our schedules in place, and calendars to help keep us organized and (hopefully) on top of things.  Please pray for us!  We are praying for all the Home Schooling Families out there!!

+AMDG+

Joining CBN Link-Up Blitz

~ Life on the Rock ~

When we think of Life on the Rock,
we think of the EWTN show.

But Life on the Rock took on a new meaning for my children last week...

Heading towards "the Rock".

Getting ready to dock

(on the Rock). 

 

 

Self tour before we started the audio tour.

Life was tough on the Rock...even the plants are tough!  Check out those thorns...wicked.

~ Traditional First Days ~

It's here! 
For the past 10 years we have traditionally started our school year on (or very near to) the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary - September 8th.  This year, Our Lady's birthday landed on a Saturday...so TODAY is the official start date for us.

For the past several years, we've started a newer tradition, to take a field-trip on our First Day of School.

Model version of our mystery field-trip

So, after Mass, we drove to our destination...
I didn't tell the kids until that morning, what we were doing or where we were going.  Boy, did that make for a very happy and cheerful rise-n-shine! lol.

We had the traditional  "Schultüte" or School Cone that the kids, no matter how old they are getting, look forward to. 

Little Lamb thanked me with a big hug and said, "Momma, I love how you give us lots of fun things to eat, but then give us the tools to take care of our teeth...it's like giving a party, and then giving a dust pan".  LOL
Their Easter baskets are pretty similar; tools and all.  lol. 


I didn't have a chance to give our regular Standardized Tests at the end of our school year - which ran until almost the end of July; so I will be giving them their tests this week.  We are trying something new this year.  Conductor & Butterfly will take both Math & Language Arts tests.  They actually like to take the CAT/5 and look forward to their testing. 

Let the fun begin...!

~ Incentives ~

Summer is coming to a close.  My favorite season is fast approaching. 

I have been spending the past week re-organizing, de-cluttering, super-simplifying and searching for the perfect incentive for...

All new assignments.  With age, comes bigger responsibilities and bigger protests.
Some little reward...to increase productivity, to maintain cheerfulness, and to squelch avoid whining disquietness.

Unfortunately, "gold stars" are not enough any more...

And rather than deal with the consequence of nagging the "green square" or yelling "red circles"...I have decide to use a few new colors of my own...
meet the new gold, red and green brown "incentives":


Where are the green ones?!  New "Fall" colors.

Who can resist!?
Bribe?  I think not.  Brilliant?  You bet!

It is a mother's desire to maintain peace in the household...and to keep an orderly and tidy home.

I love this Season.

Lord, Make me an Instrument...

First Days of School...

Lord, make me an instrument of Your peace. Where there is hatred, let me sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; where there is sadness, joy.

O, Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console; to be understood as to understand; to be loved as to love; For it is in giving that we receive; it is in pardoning that we are pardoned; it is in dying that we are born again to eternal life. 
                                                                                                                         ~ St. Frances of Assisi

Conductor opens his Schultutes

A "Schultüte" or School Cone:  Parents in Germany & Austria present these decorated "cones" to help make the first day of school a little sweeter.  It's traditionally filled with toys, chocolate, candies, school supplies,...

Butterfly displays her school "supplies"