Bad Blogger Transforms

So much to blog... so little time. 

In an attempt to get myself back into the blogging swing of things, I'm going to join in with Jen for the 7-Day blogging challenge.  That is, I will publish posts 7 days in a row, starting today. 

Think I can do it? 

We shall see.  I can't guarantee the quality of writing and/or photography, but I'm up for the challenge...  If you'd like to check in with us in the next week, I promise to be here, documenting all the drama.  :) 

Have a great week! 

Birthday Alert!

 This son of ours is turning 9 in 2 days!!  Seeing as how it's nearly impossible to get a non-goofy smile out of him for a photo op, thought I'd just go with this one.  It captures his personality, his delight in the little things of life, and the weather conditions surrounding his big day this year. 

Our original plans involved visiting a raptor rehab center in the southern part of the state.  Unfortunately, due to the extreme weather we've been having, the kind volunteers there let us know they wouldn't be able accommodate us right now.  It seems they have moved all 20 birds (hawks, owls, eagles) into someone's living room due to the cold. 

Can you even imagine?  I don't really want to.

Anyway,  they encouraged us to try again, so we'll be heading there in June. 

So, instead, we're loading up Grandma and Pada, all of us and a cousin and heading east to Columbus, OH.  Some of our very best friends in the world live there.  Plus, there's a really cool science center, zoo, and all kinds of other fun stuff.  Like a hotel pool.  What else do you need, really?  Did I mention the hotel has a happy hour?  Good for the parents. 

Have a happy and safe weekend, everyone, and please say a birthday prayer for Mr. Kid118, our bookworm, science guy, martial artist, soft-hearted middle child. 

Free Range

As a brand new homeschooler, I read book after book on different homeschooling and general educational philosophies. I still read about teaching and learning all the time.  I love the ideas behind a classical approach, and I love Charlotte Mason.  Over time, I realize how much more important it is to decide what works best for each child and for our family than to strictly adhere to one approach or another.

So, we're pretty eclectic about how we learn.  Mostly, we read lots of books.  We also do daily lessons and practice in Math and writing.  We have texts for poetry memorization, history and science, which we follow religiously at times and very loosely at others...

Down deep in my heart, though, I'm an unschooler.  I truly believe, from my own experience as well as from observing my family, that learning happens most thoroughly and permanently when the learner is following what interests him most at the time.  I will never turn my kids loose to do whatever strikes their fancy all day long (because they're kids, you know, and they need to learn to do chores), but if they come across a topic that thrills them and stirs their spirit and creativity, by all means I let them dig deep and explore. 

I have one child in particular who thrives on 'delight-based-learning,' as I've heard it called... 

A little Friday night rainbow looming...  on their fingers.

When he is interested in something, we read every book on the subject from not only our own local branch of the library, but every book we can get our hands on from any source.  He cruises the internet (with supervision, of course), searching to fill his mind and satisfy his curiosity.  He truly does best with a free range approach. 

Silhouette of a Snowy Owl over the Northern Lights

Sometimes, convincing him to sit down for a math lesson is a struggle.  With maturity, he does better and better at cooperating.  However, I never need to worry that his mind will be idle, left to his own devices. 

A couple of well-loved books.  Aunt Sara and Uncle Phil, your gift (on the right) is already well-used, as you can see...

For example, his current passion is birds of prey.  I believe it started with his reading this series.  From there, he began searching the library for any and every book on hawks, owls, eagles, etc.  Then, he began sketching.  And sketching.  And painting.  And writing.  At times, I think the number of papers sitting around our house may drive me insane, but when I see what he's done, I take heart that a bit of creative clutter is totally worth the joy he gets from learning, thinking, creating. 

And the rest of us learn, too!  Little sister has learned to draw kestrels:

And I've heard more about different varieties and habits of these creatures in the past 3 months than I had previously gleaned from 41+ years of existence on this planet. 

Frequently used in Baby's vocabulary is the phrase 'baby owls.'  And 'hawks.'  Funny to see him toddle after big brother saying these words, clearly wanting to be part of his world.  And they do sit together reading about birds, looking at pictures. 

The other kids follow their own paths... sports, an era in history, a ballet, a particular animal...  different things at different times.  And when they decide to investigate something on their own, the learning is meaningful and it sticks. 

Like I said, we have lessons and plans for every subject, but when left to freely follow a topic of interest, it's amazing what they can do. 


And just for fun, in light of the 10-day weather forecast, here's Kid118's 'Arctic Survival Guide.'  Funny.  Hope our power stays on! 

Have a great weekend!  Stay warm! 

One Man Demolition Crew

This is my baby.  We call him 'Baby.'  But, really, he's a solid toddler now. 

It took him a while to become steady on his feet, but now that he is... watch out!

 

 

 Unlocked cabinets, open drawers, piles of books and papers are all fair game for destruction! 

He LOVES books, and generally does a pretty good job of turning pages, but the ones we really don't want destroyed are in hiding.

 He leaves a trail of whatever he can get his hands on in his wake...

 His other talents include singing (his own songs), identifying owl and hawks, and 'playing' the piano.
His newest words are 'book,' 'chips,' 'soup,' 'wook-a-dat (look at that!),' 'wazzat (what is that?),'  'hoo-see (for his sister),' 'all done,' 'baby owl,' 'football,' 'pizza' and some others I can't remember right off hand.  He recognizes the Pittsburgh Steelers emblem and says, 'football.' 

Another thing he enjoys is fighting sleep.  Just when I think he's conked out for the night, he wiggles and wiggles until he's wide awake again.  He likes to stay up until midnight or 1am sometimes.  Daddy and I would be shoo-ins for the cast of 'Walking Dead' right about now...

He's so cute, we don't mind too much, though.  Have a happy Tuesday!

50 Years

This handsome couple is my parents-in-law (parents-in-love is another term I like, but I'm sure my husband would cringe at its cheesiness). 

 On December 28, we all celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary. 

They have 5 children - 5 sons - who have turned out OK.  Three are doctors, one a lawyer, and one priest.  All are steadfast in their Catholic faith. 

 They have 15 grandchildren and one granddaughter in heaven. 

Although I wasn't around to witness, I know they went through their fair share of ups and downs in the early part of their married life.  They lived around the world from family.  They both furthered their training and education in America while raising a household of active children. 

 Dad worked hard to establish a successful solo medical practice and serve his patients with dignity.  He has stood for life at all its precious stages and has swum against the tide whenever necessary to make the voice of the Church heard on various difficult issues. 

 Mom made sure her children were academically and spiritually prepared for life in their various chosen professions.  She taught them the value of putting family first and of doing their very best at every endeavor. 

 They love their grandchildren with their whole selves.  They embrace their daughters-in-law as their own. 

They are a shining light in a world where righteous living has become increasingly difficult. 

 So, we partied it up, joyfully honoring their marriage and the family they have created. 

 Family and friends gathered from India, Canada, and all over the US. 

These are my sweet parents.  They're not too far behind - 47 years! 

 We dined on Indian food...

...and ate mango ice cream.  It doesn't get much better than that!

Happy Anniversary, Mom and Dad!!  We love you and are so proud of you!! 

Frigid

This was Sunday...

 

 

And this was Monday...

And as the temperatures dropped to ridiculous lows (such as -20 degrees, -35 windchill), we moved indoors...

 to dissect owl pellets, of course!! 

And eat crackers...

 

And in one of my less intelligent moments, I took my good camera out in the snowstorm to play with my macro lens.... (snow=water=damage=duh!) 



 

My camera and all of us survived the storm and are doing fine in the extreme weather (because we have a nice warm house and no need to travel.  Daddy made it to and from work and is now home for a day.  We are grateful.)

 

Offering prayers for those who are without heat and/or shelter. 

 

Also praying for several friends and family members who are suffering.  Would you please join us?  For Mary Ellen, Joe, Gloria, Steve, Trevor... 

 

 

Thank you and stay safe, wherever you may be!!  

 

Happy Legs

Of all the important things I’ve learned from my mother, one nugget of wisdom stands apart as her signature:  layer up!  It’s a practice for keeping warm that she forced us to follow as children and to which she still religiously adheres to this day.  I have followed in her footsteps to a degree…  Although I’ll admit I sometimes find myself shivering at a football game or on a hike in the woods only to realize I should have listened to my mama.  When it comes to my kids,  I keep them in onesies under their outfits until potty training time.  After that, they’re on their own.  (just kidding – I tell them to put more clothes on, but if they choose to ignore my advice, it's the school of hard knocks.  And I’m more than happy to give them a little ‘I told you so…”)

 

Perhaps there’s good reason for my rebellion.  And here it is:

 

My mom made me wear tights.  All the time.  To church with dresses, of course, but also as an extra layer under pants.  And this was not just when we went out to play in the snow, but even to SCHOOL, if the temperatures were cold. 

 

So, what’s the big deal about that?  Well, let me tell you. 

 

These tights were sweater-like.  And itchy.  And, especially  if you were super-skinny and tall, tended to shimmy down your legs so the crotch ended up about mid-thigh and pulled your underwear down while they were at it.  

 

Pure misery.  And I have distinct memories of sitting in my second grade classroom sweltering in my tights-under-corduroys combo when the afternoon temps rose higher than expected.

 

Granted, not only did we face outdoor recess, but we also had a 1/3 mile lane to traverse when the bus dropped us off at home.  So, in theory, wearing those crazy devices of torture was a good idea. 

 

Fast forward 30 plus years and here I am with a houseful of kiddos of my own.  Two days before Christmas, I made a mad dash to Kohl’s for last-minute wardrobe pieces for the 3 dressy events we needed to attend over the holidays.  Possibly because of my traumatic childhood experiences, I’m not great about keeping necessary leg-coverings on hand. 

 

But, let me tell you, what I discovered on the racks of that store is pure genius.  A new invention.  Lives of little girls all over the country, at least the Midwest, possibly all 50 states and maybe even the world, will be forever changed. 

I found….   Fleece-lined tights.  Microfiber fleece-line tights.  They’re warm!!  They’re comfortable!!  The elastic works!!  I bought 6 pairs!! 

 

When I came home and gleefully shared my good fortune, I was initially met with eye-rolling and skepticism…  (‘they’re tights, Mom, how good can they be?’) 

 

But let me tell you, me and my sweats-loving girls have never been so happy to get dressed up and put on tight leg-coverings in our entire lives. 

 

We might even start wearing them under our jeans….