Saint Ia Rides a Leaf Book Review

 

First of all, I want to share how excited I am to have a board book about a female saint!  I have 6 daughters, so it’s nice to have female examples for them.  I also appreciate that this book is about a saint I have never heard of.  It’s exciting to learn about new Saints and hear more examples of living the Faith.  I decided to test this book out on my youngest daughter, she just turned 5.  I let her know ahead of time that she was going to have to give her review as well.  The pictures are very inviting and beautifully designed.  I really enjoyed how the sentence structure was not too complicated.  I think this would be a good read for much younger children as well.  The pages did not contain too many words, so my 5 year old easily kept her attention to the story.  We were able to talk and ask questions throughout the story, building anticipation and enhancing understanding.  I also enjoyed how this book covered the topic of being a missionary, we were able to talk after reading the book about what being a missionary is and why they are important.  When I asked my daughter what she thought of the book she responded with a solid “Good!” and said she liked the part about the leaf growing.  This is definitely a book that I will be recommending to friends and even giving to my goddaughters as gifts.  This is a great story that all children will enjoy!

Preparation for Dormition

Dormition will always hold a special place in my heart.  It was on the Feast of Dormition two years ago that our family joined the Orthodox church.  Especially fitting for new converts still a bit uncomfortable with the Theotokos!  I've grown a lot since then!  

Fasting seasons are a bit harder to teach to my little ones since they don't observe the same fasting guidelines that Josh and I do.  They would rather not eat meat in the first place!  So when I saw this cute countdown board on Pinterest, I knew it would be a great way to show my kids that we are preparing for something really special.  Besides, who doesn't love a good countdown!?  

My original idea came from here, but of course, when I got to Michael's there were no felt pieces the size that I needed.  Since I had my 3 babies with me, I used my quick creative juices (complements of the two cups of coffee this morning) and came up with this idea.  The concept is to add a new flower to the board each day until Dormition.  The board is made of foam, which I taped to the wrong colored felt board I was going to use to make it stronger.  I took pipe cleaners cut to about an inch long and poked them through the foam (before I attached it to the felt board).  I curled them around so they would stay in place with the hopes that they would look like the center of a flower.  Each day we will stick a new flower on the board.  The foam flowers I found just happened to have a hole right in the middle, and they were also on sale, Win-Win!  As you can see, I also mounted a color print of the Icon of the Dormition as well as the Troparion.

On the back of the board I taped the Bible verses found on the above link.  There is a scripture to read for each day of the fast and the actual feast day as well.  This way, everyday when we put on our new flower, I can quickly reference the reading for the day.

We will also be doing some celebrating on the Feast.  I will blog about that as well (Lord willing), but just in case you want to prepare ahead of time....  We will be coloring icons of the feast, listening to our Theotokos songs from Gigi, making blue flowers from tissue paper for our icon corner, hopefully playing with some hand made manipulatives, and we will most definitely be feasting that evening to celebrate not only Dormition, but also our 2 year Orthoversary!

Feast of the Transfiguration

Training my children to know and fall in love with the Lord is my main goal in life.  There are many things that I want to teach them in this life, but if I fail in this area, I have failed completely.

Lately I have been collecting some resources and tools to help me in this lofty goal.  There are so many beautiful opportunities in the Orthodox faith, after two years, I am still learning how to take advantage of this in my home.

With no better time to start than the present, today we set out to fully celebrate the Feast of the Transfiguration.  Yesterday I spent my day cutting and laminating this Liturgical timeline for our wall.  It has all of the major feasts and also the feasts that are important to our family (like our Patron Saints).  I really wish I could remember where I found the exact link to the pictures you see on my wall, but I can't remember where I found them, but you could always print some off from here.  Although, the cute ones I found have scripture for each Feast and an activity.  Google search, I bet you can find it ;)

Our timeline of the church year

So we started off our day by reading our daily Gospel from the Daily Reading App while eating breakfast. Of course it was the passage from the Transfiguration.  After I cleaned up the table, I made copies of the Icon of the Transfiguration from my new book A Way of Life:  Introducing Your Child to the Orthodox Faith (of which I can't seem to find a good link, unless you want to pay $125 on Amazon).  They also include a simplified version of the story that I read while they colored.  We also listened to the Transfiguration song from the CD Celebrate the Feasts by Gigi.  It's always nice to have a good song get stuck in your head for the rest of the day!

Our church celebrates most Feasts with a Divine Liturgy in anticipation the evening before (unless it's on the weekend).  So we snacked on some blessed grapes as we colored too!

Based on the suggestion from Following a Sacred Path by Elizabeth White, we took a walk outside around our neighborhood to find things that change to help us remember that Transfiguration means change.

A bird egg

A ripe tomato

Roses

more tomatoes

Flowering trees

Our raspberry bushes

And while I was Googleing around trying to find links for the timeline, I stumbled upon this great activity!  A Transfiguration Box!  This beauty will be great to pull out each year for the kids to play with.  My three oldest girls helped me work on this during nap time.  We have:  An icon of Moses and Elijah, a playdough Mt. Tabor, a cloud that reads "This is my Beloved Son, in whom I am well please.", a ray of light, stick figures on Peter, James and John, the icon of the Transfiguration and the Troparion.  Makayla was very bothered that there was so stick Jesus, so if you want to make a Jesus, that probably wouldn't be a bad idea!

  And finally, once I thought I was done, the girls asked if they could paint. Since we had already made a big mess, I figured 'Why not?'  So here they are, painting.

 One out of three actually completed the icon.  Their friend came over while they were painting and Makayla was able to correctly explain to her about Transfiguration.  Success?  ABSOLUTELY!!!

My Rebuttal: Are you Really Mom Enough to Homeschool?

This past week the author from The Homeschool Diaries posted about being "Mom Enough" to homeschool.  While I'm sure her intentions were good, I came away from the article feeling quite overwhelmed and honestly feeling like maybe I was not mom enough to homeschool my kids, which is just silliness!  While some of her points might be valid, they are definitely not truths.  While her homeschooling world might look like her questions, I have some criteria of my own that might better quantify if you are "mom enough" to homeschool your children.

Do you love your children unconditionally?  To the point you want to give them the best you can offer? If yes, move to the next question.

Are you able to follow Harry Wong's teaching advice of "Steal, Steal, Steal!" There is NO NEED to stress about reinventing the wheel, someone has probably done it before. Google it, steal it and do it! If yes, move to the next question.

Are you looking forward to spending your days in jammies and sleeping in until your kids wake up on their own? If yes, move to the next question.

Are you looking forward to taking whatever field trips or family vacations you want because you are not confined to a school schedule? If yes, move to the next question.

Are you ready to enjoy the excitement in your childrens' eyes when they learn something new? If yes, move to the next question.
 
Homeschooling does not have to be stressful or complicated.  If the day is not working out so well, stop.  There is always tomorrow.  There is no time minimum of completion.  Do what you can when you can and enjoy it!  Who says you have to do school when your toddler is screaming from the potty?  Wait until they take a nap!  Enjoy your children, God has given them to you as a blessing!

Fire Department Field Trip

We had our second homeschool group field trip a week ago.  This time we got to go see the Fire Department.  Maybe it was because it was in a small town, but it was not as professionally set up as the Police Department was.  It's a good thing that I don't have to rely on good grammar if my kids are in a fire!  All in all, the kids enjoyed themselves and it served as a good reminder to prepare are kids in case there is a fire in our house.

 

This would be the only picture I took during the tour.  Caroline has deemed herself the field trip photographer, so my camera rights were quickly revoked.  Here the girls are enjoying a sneak peak at the monitors used for tracking calls, weather and such.  I am thankful I have only one computer screen to deal with on my desk!

The inside actually looked very much like the inside of a house.  There was a full kitchen and living room and a few bedrooms too.  I guess since they work 24 hour shifts it's nice to have a bed around if there are no calls.



I just love being reminded of what things look like from a 5 year old perspective.  This is Caroline's shot of the fireman speaking in the conference room. 

 



Sticker badges are a must at any public safety event!

 



 

 

Here is the fire man all geared up.  He showed us how he gets dressed.  There are so many different layers!  I forget exactly, but I think his gear adds about 50lbs. And then they have to go fight a fire! 

 



I thought this was truly smart thinking!  It never crossed my mind about kids being scared of a fireman, but it totally makes sense!  Especially when they talk to you, they sound like an astronaut!  So, after getting all dressed for a fire, the fireman went around and shook (or at least attempted) all the kids hands.  This way they could realize that he is a friendly person and here to help. 

 

We also learned all sorts of handy fire safety tips that we reviewed once we got home.

 



 

 An old time fire truck.

 



 

Both my big girls took turns climbing through the fire truck.

 

Of course, Sydney was being her 2 yr. old self and didn't want to be in the picture, so here are 3 of my girls :)

Ladies Day: Training my Daughters in Manners and Modesty

Homeschooling to me is more than just ABC's and 123's.  There is so much knowledge that I want to give to my girls.  For some it might seem a bit taboo, teaching my daughters how to cook, clean, mother and such.  Shouldn't they be independent and professional minded?  Nope...not it my house :)  Someday, regardless of whether they marry and have a family, they will need to know how to take care of a household, no matter what  the size. 

 

Twice a year it's shopping time.  Once in the Spring, once again in the fall.  Being the mother of 5 girls, I have to be quite methodical in how we buy and plan our clothes.  There is only so much space in our house and drawers for clothes, and whatever we get for #1 needs to last through #5.  Our budget doesn't allow us to do retail shopping so I hit up my favorite consignment sale for our seasonal clothes. 

 

Since Makayla turned 5 I have been taking her along as I clothes shop to teach her lessons in modesty and budgeting.  Caroline of course now likes to tag along...until she realizes that she's not walking away with a whole new wardrobe. :)  I have turned our outing into an educational experience.  They learn skills in being ladylike, budgeting and thriftiness and modesty.

 

A little while ago we had our biannual outing.  We started off at a "nicer" restaurant (meaning there was no fried food).  We talked specifically as we ate about polite table manners, such has where we put our napkin, how to sit at a table, and proper and polite disposal of food. 

Here are the girls tasting some bread samples with some yummy oils that were put out while we waited in line.

 



My sweet ladies ready for a fun meal!

And of course, so special outing is complete without a special treat, chocolate covered marshmallows, yum!

 

 

 

Now the real work begins!  Consignment shopping!  We arrived a little bit early, so we had some time to snap some shots while we  were in line. 

 



We begin the madness by going down the rows looking at clothes.  Makayla has a chance to look through and find clothes she likes, while I look along side her.  Each outfit must meet my approval before getting into the basket.  I review all clothes based on our family standard of modesty and by price.  Makayla quickly catches on to how much is a good price for an item and what clothing is modest, by the end, she is baulking at all the "improper clothes" and putting anything that is $6 or more back on the rack with out any prompting from me. 

 



 

 

Once we fill our basket, or Makayla gets tired of looking, we go to an open area and start sorting our clothes.  I sort by shirts, pants, pjs and dresses.

 



Once I sort by type of clothes, then I sort by price, placing the least expensive items on top.  We go through each item, choosing the cheapest first.  Once we have met our max number (8 shirts, 8 pants, 4 pjs and 4 dresses), everything else goes back on the shelf... promptly.  That way we are only spending money on the least expensive items and any of the more costly items are put back.  We don't look twice! 

 



This process happens with each article of clothing, here are the pants sorted by price. As we go through each item, I also talk about what makes them modest and inspect for stains. 

 



 

 

All the selected pants go in the basket!

 



Here is each dress sorted by price, Makayla is allowed to pick her favorites, starting at the lowest price.

 



In the end, our basket is full of our final choices. When budgeting is tighter, there may be some shuffling based on how much money there is to spend.  I total up our purchases before we get to the register.  If I have gone over the budget, it's back to the shelves to find some cheaper items. 

 



 

This year we are starting the "one week of clothes" rule. All the girls will only have a weeks worth of clothes in their drawers, with one extra outfit just in case craziness happens.  This is an idea that I stole from another mother with many children.  This will limit the clothing chaos that happens in our drawers and closets!

 

It's a thorough process, but it does only happen twice a year.  We do no other clothes shopping (other than replacing socks and panties) throughout the year. 

 

Once the clothes are home we give daddy a show of our purchases and then put them away to be detagged and washed.  Then we prepare for the "changing of the seasons" when we switch out everyone's clothes from one season to another...which is another post in itself!

 

 

Field Trip to the Police Department

This year I joined a couple of home school groups so that I can have some educational fun with other homeschooling families.  I am in a secular group and a Christian group. 

This is the FIRST time I have been able to do something with any group ALL year! 

It's January! 

Having 5 kids 6 and under really inhibits my outings...

That and church...but I'd rather do church...

Anyways.. I took my 3 oldest (Josh stayed home with the babies, Go Superdad!) to the local Police Department for a field trip.  We watched a power point presentation and took a tour of the station.  It was all nice, brand new and sparkly.  There weren't many people there, which I guess is a good thing, they were all out working.  

 

Here are Makayla, Caroline and Sydney sitting at their desk getting ready to hear an oh so very thrilling power point about what a police man does.  This was Makayla's favorite part, sitting at a desk that is.  I think she felt like she was in "real" school (aka Public School).

This was my favorite part, real fake money!  It was taken from a man trying to use them at our local Walmart, read all about it :) I pretty much felt famous being connected so closely to the news....

Caroline had the camera for the most part during the tour, we came home with 79 pictures!  This is a police car...not like you didn't know that...but this is taken from a 5 year old perspective.  I forget how short they are!  This was also Caroline's favorite part.  We also saw the motorcycle, bikes and ATV.

This is a memorial for the 3 Clayton officers killed in duty.  Since the first was in the early 1970's, I think our record is pretty good, but I guess one cop killed in duty is one too many!  I really liked the design of the memorial, on the flip side you can actually see the image of a police officer.  It shows him going out into the world and the void left behind when they are taken from us too soon.  I also loved how they included Matthew 5:9  Blessed are the peacemakers...  The Bible is not lost in our small towns, Praise God!

Here's the whole group!  Well, at least the ones who hadn't left yet.  It was quite the crowd! 
Yay for good field trips!

The girls with a real police officer.
I'm pretty sure he's the same guy that came to help me when I locked my kids in the car at the pediatrician, a block from our house, only to realize once he got there that a door was left unlocked.
Thanks Officer
The girls made sure they mentioned that story.

 

And here is Makayla showing of the tooth she lost recently, on the bottom.  How does one eat with no teeth :)