~ 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...!

~ Labor of Love ~

Pope John Paul II Rose

One of my favorite things to do is to be in my garden, to work in my garden - I don't even mind pulling weeds.  Honostly.

Pulling weeds is actually very therapeutic.  I'm removing something potentially harmful from something that I care about and love and want to make sure that it (my garden) grows and thrives and becomes the best and most beautiful that it can be...
 

Similarily, keeping potentially harmful things away from our children, teaching them to recognize things that are not so good, things that can limit them, things that may bring them distress - pulling weeds is a constant battle.

 You have to be diligent, attentive, persistant.  You need to have PERSEVERANCE (good tools are helpful as well).

I guess weeds can even be a little helpful, in some odd ways.  For instance, when I pull up a weed, the ground beneath is moist & workable (because it's been stealing the water from the plants nearby).  Now your ready to use the ground for good.

There are plenty of "weeds" in the world - giving us the opportunity to teach our children virtues, allowing them to see and discern right from wrong, good from bad, recognizing dangers, temptations, evils...The tools of prayer & the sacraments are essential.                                       " I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them that are evil, and thou hast tried them, who say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars"  ~ Revelation 2:2

Gardening takes WORK - But the benefits are beautiful...and soooo worth it.

When the blooms come, you know all your hard work has paid off.  Now you can sit and enjoy the work of love...

"For God is not unjust, that he should forget your work, and the love which you have shewn in his name, you who have ministered, and do minister to the saints."   ~ Hebrews 6:10