... at the END of October? ...in freezing northern Michigan? St. A's kids.
St. Augustine's first ever outdoor trip. Led by Monica and Inshal and company. Dominic couldn't go as he had other commitments than weekend, but Regina and Maria went with the girls group. It was a resounding success, with the participants asking when the next outdoor trip will be!
Joe (aka Mr. F.)
Celestine (aka Miss K.)
During the crazy, busy fall some of my most peaceful, happy moments were my walks around Domino's Farms during football and volleyball practices. Sometimes alone, sometimes with my girls. We made some good friends on that 3 mile walk around the complex. I'll miss these guys when the season is over. We always joke about playing a ring toss game with them.
see the red tailed hawk perched on the clock?
These two are named Cheech and Chong
Aunt Kari and Uncle David came over to watch the kids while Kevin and I were in VA. (Regina was farmed out to the Hayes household.) By all accounts it was a fun, action-packed weekend. As always Kari took fabulous pictures!
Nature Center
notice the snake in the fencing
love Will's expression
They made Mentos rockets
Played games and more!
Our first day at home with only the two little girls was pleasantly productive and quiet. The girls like to linger over a hands-on project and enjoy the details of my homeschool plans. The boys tend to have a more linear, check-the-box approach to school work and we have been boy heavy in our homeschool for a long time. The dynamics are shifting with the predominance of girls learning at home.
(You can see I have not figured out what to do with Lydia's hair as it grows out.)
Since we have been catching, observing, and identifying butterflies for science, we used these printables from Homeschool Share to wrap up our unit and teach Lydia some early learning concepts.
We read a few books as we flitted through butterfly studies.
watched this movie
And when you are the two youngest at home with all the bigs gone for the day (or the semester) you get ice cream after lunch!
Several difficult events, illuminating conversations, and the good influence of friends have converged this summer, all pointing to a longing for beauty around me. Beauty, peace and goodness. Life is hard, our culture can be ugly and I need to fortify my family with what is good, true and beautiful. People are hurting and the love of God and His beautiful gifts to us will carry us through the pain. Then we return the glory to Him.
In our homeschool, history and literature come easily, they are our natural favorites. Math is a given because we all know we must plug away at it. Living in the boonies, even nature study pretty much comes right to our door. However, what is beautiful often gets set aside for what seems to be more urgent in many aspects of our home life. Function over form. My pragmatic nature will quickly chose what is practical over what is beautiful. But what if I can chose both?
My intention is to plan for beauty. But beauty and charm can be expensive. I have to be creative to stay within the practical.
We are surrounded by lovely parks and walking trails. Lets keep nature notebooks again. And take the time to fill them. Our shelves are lined with good books, lets step away from the screens and read them. There are plenty of able bodies here to tidy and clean, we can't redecorate but we can polish it all up! We have easy access to beautiful music right on our CD shelf, not to mention our children's voices. Lets be quiet sometimes and listen. Great art is balm to the soul, lets slow down and study the details.
I have never been a crafty mom, and Pinterest makes my eye twitch. But I have a few old art project books here. With two little girls who love to craft, and two talented big girls, surely we can make our own beautiful creations. Our boys have pretty creative minds too. Let me see what I can find that will interest them!
Homeschooling, homemaking and mothering are all so intricately linked that little touches of beauty in one small area can spill over and permeate other details of home life. Much of it will be intentional, much of it will just be a more observant eye and appreciation for what is already there.
What is beautiful, is comforting and strengthening. What is good and true and beautiful directs our hearts to God and that is the greatest comfort of all.
The local nature center hosts a variety of injured animals indigenous to the Michigan area. It also has a very nice hiking trail.
with our friend, Angela
In spite of our best turkey gobbles, we couldn't get the tom to fan out his tail.
with my favorite, Kili, the Bald Eagle (you can see the kids are done posing, Kili didn't seem bothered though)
Oh boy, I could get used to this!! Michiganians for global warming!! Temps in the 40's. I think it was 50's yesterday. I know snow will come, the roads will be bad, I hate driving in snow. But right now we are enjoying this delightful blessing of mild temps in January. Aunt Kari and Monica took the kids to the nature center.
Our local nature center is a habitat for injured animals who would not survive in the wild. They have indigenous animals from a bobcat to deer to birds. They offer many classes, camps and teaching opportunities there but we are just down the road so we visit often.
Mr. Bobcat
a one eyed (Red-tailed?) hawk
Dominic
Maria
Monica
Regina
Dom sketching something
Dom and Will making muscles
...in January... amazing...
Critters of all kinds have been popular here this fall. We have had many jars of bugs, salamanders, frogs, toads and slugs collected and researched lately. Nature study is laudable, however I don't want live critters in the house. shiver We have a table on the front porch where they can be parked. Regina would sleep with her live critters if I let her.
Regina the naturalist, assembled a lovely bug collection for her St. Augustine's science class.
First, because my brother reads our blog, Uncle Bill you rock!
You see, awhile ago he shared a secret fishing spot with us. Well, this morning I took the oldest 6 kids and 2 dozen earthworms on an excursion to the "Secret Spot." Uncle Bill wasn't kidding! Within 2 hours, we 7 anglers landed between 25-30 various fish.
One of Michigan's finest Bluegills (Lepomis macrochirus) a member of the sunfish family... yum.
Dominic caught some smaller "gills"
Most, like this one, put up a much bigger fight than you would think from their size.
Alex caught the only non-bluegill of the day. Anyone want to guess what it is? Too bad it was too small to keep.
If you want to know where the Secret Spot is, you'll have to come fishing with us.
Rumor has it, my oldest brother Uncle Frank, is looking for a place to retire to on Long Lake. Woo-hoo!
~posted by Kevin
My sons are not home right now but I do not want to forget to show them this. And I can think of a lot of other people who will enjoy it too! Beware The Eye!
