"Ora et labora" (Pray & Work) a quote by St Benedict

We've started another year of learning at home... okay, we really never finish!  It is pretty "seamless" around here. We just refer to the next grade come Fall. :)

For our wonderful nature studies we are using Anna Comstock's Handbook of Nature Study and I'm just CrAzY about this blog to help me utilize this truly amazing book. Since we are nearing the end of summer, I thought it would be perfect to begin our study with an in depth look at trees!  This is a great time to study their transitions from Summer to Autumn.  Each kiddo chose their own tree to analyze, draw, and learn all about these next four seasons.  We are using these pages for our study. I highly recommed these resources!

Freckles took this photo of her tree!

Freckles is most excited about studying nature!  She draws a lot and enjoys singing.  She is very creative in the story writing department, too!
We've also started LATIN! I am so excited to hear the children chant their new conjugations and their new words!! :)  Latina Christiana is our Latin program -- and we'll be learning our favorite prayers in Latin soon!

One of my favorite bonuses to educating the children at home is the opportunity to really live out our Catholic faith!  August is a RICH month in honoring our Blessed Mother's Immaculate Heart.  We celebrated her Queenship with friends... we memorized the Consecration to Mary which is also the prayer that we chose for the back of +Smiley's funeral card.  We enjoyed a crown cake and sang Immaculate Mary (one of my favorite hymns) and the kids sounded beautiful!

And FOOTBALL has started!  Dollar is in full swing and gets on with hitting in pads next week!  He is flying in math and likes the new program we are using (Teaching Textbooks).  His 24 hens have started laying beautiful eggs and we are getting just over a half dozen a day.  Freckles is his business partner!

The Raminator has to wait a couple more weeks for flag football.... patience, dear, patience!  He really likes the Five in a Row program we are doing (read the same classic kids' book each day and do activities that correspond with the book).  We just finished Mike Mulligan and the Steam Shovel (some activities here) and he enjoyed reading the book out loud to me!  We are all amazed at his wonderful reading abilities!

Jellybean had her first "real" babysitting job (not siblings!) a couple of weeks ago and did GREAT!  She is preparing for CONFIRMATION this year!  How exciting!

Critter is showing off his speaking skills by saying things like bug, football, me, momma, dada, ball, please, chicky, moo, bird, dog, nana.  He puts his little hands together in prayer and is trying to make the sign of the cross but when he dips those chubby fingers into the holy water font the fingers go in his mouth!  Oh, and we have to keep the holy water bottles up high since he keeps drinking it!  :)

And this coming week my Beloved and I celebrate TWENTY-ONE years of wedded bliss!  What a blessing to have a supportive, loving, encouraging husband to walk this journey with!  Thank you, God, for my hubby!!

As I work through each day, I try to focus on "praying always" and offer the joys and struggles to our Lord.  It is all good!

Never too late to celebrate!

After hearing the story of my son's 8 1/4 birthday party cakes, my dear friend, Anne, insisted that I start a blog to share these stories with others! So, here goes!

How does one go about getting a birthday party for eight and one quarter years? Er, uh neglectful parenting?! Poor kiddo! We had Dollar's party planned for the end of July... his actual date of birth. Well, one thing led to another and next thing we knew, the end of October arrived!

The day before his party, we went to the military recruiting offices. They were so generous! We got bumper stickers, folders, two life size cutouts of army soldiers, miniature footballs and pencils from the navy, tattoos and highlighters from the air force.

Six of his buddies came over Friday afternoon for boot camp and military style fun. Upon arrival to our Base HQ, we issued their camo gear. They got all tattooed, donned their uniforms (courtesy of Granny's & Papa's trips to military base thrift shops during last year's seasonal adventure in their motor home), stopped for a photo op in front of the flag of the USA and the cardboard army folks, before heading out to raise Old Glory on our flagpole. The boys, er, soldiers said the Pledge of Allegiance while the birthday boy hoisted her up.

The obstacle course was set up with a dozen old tires borrowed from the local tire shop along with several bales of hay from the barn for our front yard boot camp. The boys went wild! They divided themselves into two teams and encouraged their teammates along the way.

After several rounds of PT (physical training)we headed to the 'Mess Hall' (aka our garage) for some grub! What a beautiful sight to see these young men pause to give our Father thanks for the food they were about to receive from His bounty. This energized them enough for the tug-o-war competition.

They were now ready for the cake! I made two tanks. There was one that was in quite rough shape as it had battled the USA. It had a 'white flag' sticking out the top! Dollar loved this special treat!

A soldier must know how to rescue a wounded comrade. Each team took an entire roll of toilet paper and wrapped it around the smallest guy. After he looked like a mummy, they had to carry him across the finish line. If he wasn't wounded before, he sure would've been after! What a laugh we had at these antics.

I had just as much fun as the boys! God is so generous with His blessings and I am so grateful that He chose me to be the mother to my precious kiddos. I love making a fuss (no matter what age!) celebrating their birth since I am so glad they were born!