Introducing The Saint Michael Times

 

    

    Happy October! I hope you are all doing well and enjoying fall. Below is a copy of the first edition of The Saint Michael Times Newsletter - a homeschool project we'll be working on throughout this school year.  Much of this first copy was choosing our title, discussing the overall concept and goal, and working together to choose content. I hope future issues will contain more original content from the boys, but we tried to keep it simple for now. 

    The idea for this project came from the "Sharing the Good News" book from Catholic Heritage Curricula.  I've used other curriculum from this provider since I started homeschooling - 14 years ago! My boys have all enjoyed using their Language of God series and Catholic Spellers for language arts as well as several other materials to make up our curriculum each year. When I was browsing their website in anticipation of this coming school year, I read the description for the "Sharing the Good News" book and thought it was a great idea! I hoped it would be a fun, engaging and unique project for the boys and I to work on together. 

    Our plan is to produce an issue each month and if you'd like to be added to the list of email recipients (that way you'll get the PDF version delivered to your inbox) please let me know! You may also be wondering if this is going to replace regular blog posts and the answer is - I'm not sure! I hope to get back to writing regular blog posts, but in the meantime I hope you enjoy our newsletter. 

~ Dori

Tour 1 Weeks 22 and 23

 

What can I say? The school year is winding down and I may have lost some momentum in the area of blog writing. 

Among other things. 

BUT - as a result of my procrastination, I can announce that Matthew was a winner in an art contest! Even though the three people who actually read this blog probably know that already.

The contest was through the Indiana State Museum, specifically the Friends of the Lincoln Collection. I was reading my email one day and a message from the the museum about the art contest caught my attention. Matthew was in the next room so I read the information aloud and asked him if it interested him at all and he enthusiastically replied yes! The contest was for ages 10-14 and residents of Indiana. The theme was "Re-imagining Lincoln" using any medium of the artist's choice and required an accompanying statement explaining the piece.  Matthew immediately knew that he wanted to make a mosaic and his final project turned out really well! 

He won an Honorable Mention in the 3D/Mixed Media category and will receive a check for $50. Which he plans to spend on...more art supplies.

Celebrating 20 Years of Outstanding Service

 

Last week we celebrated our 20th wedding anniversary. 20 years. 

Twenty. Years. 

To be more specific: 20 years, 5 kids, 4 dogs, 2 turtles, 8 houses/apartments in 3 states later...

We have a trip to Cancun to look forward to in the fall, but decided that, in the meantime, we would steal a few days away together.  Especially since we were unable to properly celebrate last year - thanks Covid.  

After much time spent researching different getaway ideas, we settled on our old standby - a secluded cabin in beautiful Brown County. This cabin was adorable, peaceful, and still convenient to Bloomington and Nashville for venturing out.

Such as for picnicking at a lovely winery.

Tour 1 Week 21

 

Clearly I spoke too soon about the whole "spring has spring" business in my last post. As much as I like snowy, winter weather, having a small snowstorm in late April seemed a bit much. The dogs were especially confused whenever they went outside. 

We started our week with Family Game Night in the sunroom/porch and our last dog guest, Lucky, returning to his person. The 14 year-old spent the week preparing a Dungeons and Dragons adventure for us, including 3-D printed visual aids. I never really understand what's happening when we play D&D, but have a fun time with my boys nonetheless. I remember my brother trying desperately to explain the game to me a billion years ago when we were kids, but I just couldn't wrap my brain around it. 

I'm sure he gets a laugh out of his little sister now engaged in regular role-playing games with his nephews. 

The things we do for our kids. 

Tour 1 Week 20

 

Spring has sprung! I took these pictures on one of my recent walks in the neighborhood - the beautiful colors of Spring are blooming all around us and it's especially promising after the long, long winter we've all had. Despite the constant high pollen warnings from my weather app and the inevitable sneezing and itching that accompanies it, I love spring weather.

We met some friends at a local park this week and of course managed to pick the only day that was cloudy and chilly. The boys enjoyed running and climbing and playing with their friends anyway and I got to catch up with a friend I haven't seen in awhile. As a bonus, we also visited the small nature center while we were there. 

Tour 1 Week 19

 

We've spent a lot of time watching foxes lately. Something about Spring has encouraged them to consistently roam in the area surrounding our house. They're beautiful creatures and fascinating to watch. It's interesting to see how much they behave like dogs. I don't have a picture, but one rainy day I looked out the kitchen window and saw a fox curled up in a "donut" shape out on the hill in the ravine. He (she?) napped there in the rain for several hours, while occasionally standing up, circling in the opposite direction and "re-donuting."

Much like our little dog, Bella.

For several days we had TWO foxes to watch frolicking in the sunshine.

Tour 1 Week 18

 

Cinnamon and Sammy

In getting ready to start our school week, I realized I hadn't yet posted about last week. I meant to write something over the weekend, but stayed busy on Saturday with Birthright, a couple phone calls, and a trip to the grocery store. Yesterday I enjoyed a lazy day working on my latest stitching project and watching Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory with the youngest boys. We recently finished the book as our latest read-aloud and they were excited to learn that there is a movie! And, yes, we watched the Classic Gene Wilder version, not the Johnny Depp version. Obviously. 

We also had one of our regular Dog Duos staying with us this weekend - Cinnamon and Sammy (pictured above) are tiny, cuddly, lap dogs. We're looking forward to welcoming back many of our regular dog clients this month as more people get out and about for Spring vacations. 

Tour 1 Week 17

 

Thanks to a random and somewhat lengthy power outage over the weekend, I failed to accomplish some of my routine Saturday tasks. Like writing a blog post. 

I spent a few hours at Birthright on Saturday morning, came home, ate some lunch then - boom. Power went out. We all assumed it would come back on in a timely fashion, but alas, this was not the case. The time estimates from the energy company kept moving farther back (something about an equipment failure) until it became clear that we would not have power until well after bedtime. While the boys played games on their Kindles until their batteries ran out, I took the opportunity to finally sit down and design a stitching project I've had in my head for some time now. 

I mean, it's not like I could be expected to do any laundry or other housework without power, right?

I am definitely the person in the family who could go the longest without power and screen time. Assuming I have access to crafting materials and/or a good book. It's good to be reminded of things we take for granted, though. Like electricity. 

Saturday night is our Family Game Night, so we ordered pizza and played games by candlelight. 

The power came back on sometime around midnight. Fortunately, I had the forethought to go around turning things into their "off" positions on my way to bed so we weren't all woken up by bright lights and noises. 

We started our week with a rainy day of crafting (apparently I'll take any excuse to spend time on creative pursuits). I worked on several projects and the younger boys broke out the Perler beads to make some Saint Patrick's Day decorations for the fridge. 

Tour 1 Week 16

 

Given my forgetfulness in writing about Week 15, I decided I should write about Week 16 as soon as possible. 

While it's all still fresh in my mind and all.

Okay, I still had to look back at my pictures to cheat remember how the week went. 

After an appropriate amount of time spent mourning the loss of the snow, the younger boys embraced the sunshine and warmer temperatures with more time playing outside. Having a walk to the park to look forward to also helped motivate them to finish their schoolwork in a timely fashion. 

This week our history timeline moved into the beginning of the 20th century. We learned about Henry Ford and the Model T/Assembly Line, Silent Movies, World War I, Prohibition and Women's Suffrage. 

Tour 1 Week 15

We finished our Week 16 work this week, but I honestly kept forgetting that I never wrote about our Week 15 work. Throughout this past week, I have had moments in-between homeschooling and housework and physical therapy and grocery shopping and crafting and laundry and volunteer work where I would think to myself, "I feel like there's something I should work on right now, while I have some time..." 

And then someone would ask me for a snack and that moment was lost forever.

Now that I've finally gotten around to it, this will probably be a short post, since I can barely remember what I did two days ago, let alone two weeks ago. 

I know there was much playing in the melting remains of the previous week's snowstorm. 

And some tears shed when the snow was gone completely.

True story. The seven year-old cried. 

He really, really liked playing in the snow. 

Tour 1 Week 14

 

There's nothing quite like the homemade gifts of affection from young children.  All their sweetness and innocence and unabashed love for their mother manifested in one hand-drawn, crayon-colored, construction paper masterpiece. 

Or cookies. 

They do know their mother well.

Tour 1 Week 13 (and a Birthday!)

 

Happy February!  Yes, I realize we're already eight days in as I write this. Maybe it's a good thing that 2021 seems to be moving along at a brisk pace. I think we're all a bit anxious to resume some semblance of "normal" activities - at the very least more time outdoors. 

Except that my youngest "baby" turned seven last week and my oldest "baby" turns nineteen (19!!!) next week. 

So never mind - time definitely needs to slow down. 

Tour 1 Week 12

Every once in awhile life likes to remind us of things we take for granted.

This week I was reminded of at least three things I normally take for granted:

1) Working (kitchen) plumbing.

2) Working joints, like shoulders.

3) Warm weather. 

Carefree Pomeranian

So as not to leave you in suspense about the aforementioned impediments, I can say that:

1) After two days and the valiant efforts of the Husband snaking the drain, a quick visit from a plumber fixed the clog and restored function to the kitchen. 

2) I've started physical therapy twice a week for the shoulder - which makes it feel better and worse simultaneously (if you've ever had physical therapy for something, you'll understand). Apparently, I've been walking around with my shoulder sitting slightly out-of-socket for months. True to my nature, I put off going to a doctor longer than I should have. I've been admonished by my Physical Therapist and reminded that if something hurts for more than four weeks, it's not going to go away on its own. 

3) As I mentioned in my previous post, the Husband and I have embarked upon a Healthy Habits Challenge, which includes 30 minutes of exercise every day. My preferred form of exercise is a nice, long walk, preferably outdoors. This has been a challenge given the unpredictable weather of January in Indiana. As long as the sun is shining, I can find the mental wherewithal to just bundle up and go, but when it's gray and spitting ice from the sky it's a No Go.

Tour 1 Week 11

 

Like most people, I didn't want Christmas break to end.  

And yet, I did. 

There's nothing quite like the feeling of content that comes with facing a much-deserved break from the normal, often-demanding, routine of daily home school life. The idea of days, even weeks of gloriously unstructured time was the well-earned reward for surviving the first part of the school year. 

In a pandemic.

With everyone home. 

Together. 

All. The. Time.

Happy New Year

 I think we all heard the collective sigh as the world ushered in a New Year. 

Of course our optimism is already waning given the events of January 6th and the escalating pandemic situation. 

But nevermind. It's early days and we haven't even sworn in the new guy, so maybe there's hope. 

Christmas Break - We Made It!

 Christmas is one of those Very Special Days that, unlike some other holidays (looking at you Easter), is always, always on the same date every year. And yet, I am always, always working through my Christmas To-Do List at the last minute. 

I've come to accept this about myself and no longer fight against my procrastinating instincts. 

We've been able to move at a more leisurely pace this holiday season compared to previous years - another silver lining of the Pandemic Situation. Other than scrambling to get packages sent to my brother before he moved out of the country, I've mostly been able to take my time and stay on task. We've been enjoying cookie-baking and movie-watching and lots and lots of Christmas stories (so far my plan has actually worked and each week I've been able to pick up a new pile of Christmas books from the library). 

Tour 1 Week 10

 

I may have gone a little overboard with the Christmas and Advent themed books this year.  But that doesn't look like an abnormally large stack of books, you might be thinking.  

I have 55 more on hold at the library. Fifty-five. 

It's a problem. 

Unless it works out as I hope and the books I've requested become available at a steady trickle over the course of the Christmas Season. In that case, I'm a genius. What's more likely, however, is that I will become bombarded by a sudden influx of Book Availability and will have more library books in my home than I can be trusted to keep track of. 

I blame the Pandemic. Like most people these days, our regular activities have been cancelled or moved online. Sure, I already home schooled, but that previously included a lot more busyness.  Homeschool co-op and religious ed classes and science classes and community college classes and sacrament prep meetings and volunteer work and fencing practice and dogsitting and...you get the point.  

Now we have time. Time for morning snuggles and reading just one more story. Time to just sit and look at beautiful books and figure out the story from the pictures when it's still too hard to read it all on our own. 

I'm choosing to see the Silver Linings of this whole Pandemic Experience. 

Tour 1 Week 9

 

I was sure I would have this post written days ago. On Monday morning the week stretched before us; lazy (but productive!) days off our normal school routine, Thanksgiving visit with Nana and Papa and decorating for Christmas.  I decided we would take a much-needed break from our usual school work since we've been moving along since September without any time off. Yet somewhere there must be an unwritten rule that vacation time moves faster than regular time. 

This week included more mask sewing, Thanksgiving, (I found myself in a grocery store the day before, despite my best efforts), and finally, Christmas decorating. I'm trying not to get too excited about the prediction for snow tomorrow...

Honey Farm Tour

 

I realized after I took this picture how creepy those bears look.  It probably would have helped if I'd taken them out of the plastic bags but I'm lazy.  So there will just have to be a creepy army of honey bears staring at me from my kitchen counter instead.  

Because that's definitely better than the effort it would have taken to remove them from the bags to get a decent picture.  

I wanted to try and fit at least one more field trip in before the holidays and impending cold weather are upon us. 

Not to mention the Raging Pandemic.

Tour 1 Week 8

When I was in high school, I lived away from home at a dance conservatory in Florida. While it was the opportunity of a lifetime, I missed not only my family, but the usual signs that mark the changing of seasons.  I enjoyed evening bike rides to the beach and the occasional day at the pool, but as the school year marched on, I lamented the unchanging weather. No crisp, fall air. No changing colors of leaves. As the holiday season approached and strands of Christmas lights appeared on the palm trees, I longed for snow and cold. Fortunately, I spent holiday breaks back home in the Midwest - my parents at the ready with my winter coat when they picked me up from the airport. 

All this to say that my appreciation for the seasons has remained and I've come to relish the changing weather that each time of year brings. 

I could do without summer though. You know, if we could pick a season to get rid of. Fall, Winter and Spring are really all we need, right? 

Proof that sometimes they get along...

Indiana weather can be predictably unpredictable.  We have consistent, seasonal weather that's punctuated by days of unseasonably warm or cold weather.  It becomes necessary to take advantage of the pleasant weather days whenever possible because you never know when they will return. 

Mother Nature likes to keep us on our toes like that.