Catholic Artwork at Co-op

Our mid-month meeting of Catholic homeschoolers was FUN today! The Blue Knights made helmets, and the Little Flowers made bracelets. My older students worked with oil pastels to create a snowy scene.
We analyzed the many colors of snow (light blue, gray, cream) and learned how to draw branches and a Cardinal bird with its black face. The twins said my addition of popcorn made the class more pleasant.

Dorito's on left

New Year's Resolution

I had a date night with my oldest son tonight. Dorito and I signed up for a Bible study on "Acts of the Apostles" for a few Tuesdays this month. What a good way to begin the New Year--  together with another homeschool mother-and-son duo. I am happy to focus more on Dorito while Meggar is away at college, and the extra driving time to Kansas City gives him time to open up and tell me things. Just little things, but so important when they are added up. We both enjoyed the Benedictine College professor who is teaching! And we learned some new things from the first 5 chapters of Luke's account of the beginning of the Church. May this extra time in the Word help restore us, even as Christ is restoring the Church.

Epiphany Party

On the 12th day of Christmas, my True Love gave to me... the feast of Epiphany! (It even rhymes.)
Last Sunday was Epiphany and last Sunday, I helped organize a potluck feast for the Catholic homeschoolers to celebrate. It's always bonus when the Dads can join us socially and there was plenty of good food, drinks, and conversation that evening. We had a coloring contest and short lesson about the Three Wise Men. After the meal, my twins called out rounds of BINGO until everyone won a prize.

And we concluded with a re-enactment of the Epiphany. Lovely!

Serving at the Soup Kitchen

"I've never made brownies from a box mix," will usually mean that a homeschooler only follows homemade recipes. But in this instance, it was a boy who had never cooked before. Later his brother said, "I don't know how to wash dishes. I never have." He had brownie batter all over his cheeks, lips, and chin from the beaters so I elected him to be the first dish-washer in hopes some of the water would splash on his face.

Later I heard: "I don't want to be around the people who smell."  SO... it was a good learning experience all the way around. We cooked hamburger for the sauce, sweetened green beans, garlic bread, cupcakes, and brownies.
The Catholic homeschool group served spaghetti and fiddle tunes to about 50 people at the Southside Food Kitchen last night.

Traveling Back in Time

Meggar requested me to send her the key points from Literature 9 on "The Odyssey" for some class at Truman State. How lovely that my scanner is fast and efficient! How lovely that I remember most of the key points and literary analysis of Homer from 9th grade. Classic literature keeps its richness and has lasting value because its themes are universal and timeless: fidelity in marriage, loyalty to your boss, shameless suitors, vengeful youth, loneliness, temptations of the flesh, etc. Go Penelope!

Downton Abbey - Part 2

A year later, we are finally able to watch Part 2 of the "Downton Abbey" series on PBS. Captain and I thought the first episode was better than last year's! And it's free online to watch.

Christmas Tree

Time to take down the Christmas tree. It still smelled good! We bought it on Dec. 19 only 5 minutes before the place closed up. We kept waiting for Captain to go with us for a picking-it-out trip, but it never worked with his schedule. So we finally went without him, and we managed to load it on Dorito's roof rack especially with three Scouts who could tie knots! We also neglected to decorate his office at the Herzog hangar--another scheduling faux pas. I won't say I am always right, just that our traditions are not always an annual success. Better luck next year!