This Week's Plans and Projects

All week long: Orchestra!
Monday: Scouts (Michael)
Find out what's up with Michael's cello pegs.
Michael starts fourth grade math, assuming we can find the books.
Tuesday: Make Earth Day Bars for Earth Day.
Wednesday: Soccer Practice (Michael)
Do some fun St. George and the Dragon stuff for St. George Day. It's all rather nebulous at this point.
Thursday: Ballet Recital Practice (Katie Grace)
Friday: Co-op-- Last day! In the first class they're doing St. George and the Dragon from Catholic Mosaic. In my (last!!!) geography class, we're doing England. Then after the pot luck, we're going to the park to hang out while the big kids have their final rehearsal.
Saturday: Soccer Game (AM)
Katie Grace's Ballet Recital (Afternoon)
Sunday: Michael's Play (Rumpelstiltskin)

Another crazy busy week!

This week's feasts and festivals

All Week Long: Turn Off TV Week!

Tuesday, April 22: Earth Day
Wednesday, April 23: St. George's Day
Friday, April 25: Arbor Day
Friday, April 25: St. Mark
Saturday, April 26: Our Lady of Good Counsel
Sunday, April 27: St. Zita

Puppet Power!

I can't believe I forgot to post this. Gigi from Inca Kids sent some great finger puppets for my kids to play with.

Not only are these awesome, open-ended, multicultural, safe (lead free!), cute, and fair trade-- they're just a lot of fun. All that, and reasonably priced, too. At about $2 per knitted finger puppet, you can't go wrong.

We took them with us to co-op when we were learning about South America and all the kids agreed they were a hit.

I hope to have some pictures up of my kids playing with these soon, but meanwhile, check this out:
These would be awesome in an Easter basket (maybe next year!) or as party favors, or just as an "I love you" gift.

This Week's Plans and Projects

It's one of those crazy insane weeks where all I can hope for in not to forget anything or leave anyone behind anywhere.

Monday: Katie Grace had Brownies. Michael went to the mayor's office with the Boy Scouts (with explicit instructions not to tell the mayor we didn't vote for him) and I had a baby shower for two co-op moms which I almost forgot about, despite the fact that it was my idea in the first place. God bless Rachel, our wonderful sitter, who showed up with basically no notice to watch Nicholas!

Tuesday: Katie Grace has ballet. Chip is picking up our new-to-us picnic table we found through Freecycle.

Wednesday: Michael has soccer practice. I'm going to see Evita.

Thursday: Chip goes on retreat and we host La Leche League here at our home.

Friday: Co-op! Also, in the evening we have a pizza party to celebrate with the Scouts who earned their God and Me award.

Saturday: Chip's parents are bringing us some new-to-us furniture- whoo hoo! Also, Michael has a soccer game and Katie Grace has a birthday party she might not be able to go to.

Sunday: Sunday School and church, of course, followed by WVIA Member Day at Reptiland.

This week's feasts and festivals

Tuesday, April 15: Tax Day
Tuesday, April 15: Leonardo DaVinci's birthday
Tuesday, April 15: Swallows Day (England)
Wednesday, April 16: St. Bernadette of Lourdes
Thursday, April 17: Blessed Kateri Tekawitha
Sunday, April 20: James the Greater

Meal Plan Monday

Monday: Turkey cutlets and couscous, crispy carrot ribbons, and vanilla pudding with bananas
Tuesday: Chicken and Dumplings
Wednesday: Spring veggie soup and popovers
Thursday: Beef stroganoff with homemade egg noodles; fresh green neans
Friday: Pizza with the Scouts
Saturday: Baked spaghetti with zucchini
Sunday: Dinner at the church with the youth

Save Some Money!

Scholastic is having their Spring Dollar Sale!

(And no, I don't get a referral credit for this, LOL!)

Free money!

Did that get your attention?

I signed up for this new online money exchange, sort of along the lines of Paypal but NO FEES and not owned by Ebay. I researched it, and it is legit.

When you join, you get $25. In the interest of full disclosure, I do get $10 for each referral.

Spring Break?

My biggest boy and my littlest boy, making beautiful music together. Of course, I could have done without looking up today to discover that Daniel had been left sitting alone on the piano bench playing for 5 minutes, but it's nice to see them enjoying music together.

I've decided that next year, I am ordering things so we have a bit of a spring break. We certainly have spring fever! We've been getting the basics done--reading lessons for Katie Grace, math for both, Story of the World. We just started reading A Wrinkle in Time. I'll need to update the sidebar, but tomorrow. Sigh. It seems like everything gets pushed back to tomorrow.

What's really happening tomorrow is co-op, and a trip to the library, and a car ride to the dairy for milk and cheese and eggs and hopefully some produce. I've made kugel and a noodle pudding to share at the potluck--we're visiting Germany in our Many Lands class--and tomorrow I'll need to make something for the LLL potluck on Saturday. And there are four loads of laundry waiting to be folded, and two porches I meant to get cleaned up this week, and an attic to be completely decluttered.

It gets a little overwhelming sometimes. I was praying, and asking God, "Is this it? Get up at six, fold laundry, shower, dress, clean, make breakfast, clean, teach, clean, mother, clean, cook, clean... and then go to bed and start all over again?" And God just said, "Yes." I could almost here something that sounded like "Duh!" And I guess this is it, just the daily stuff, chopping wood and carrying water. Like my Mary Engelbreit calendar says, "Life is just so DAILY!"






We did get our nature table updated for spring. See the little seed babies sleeping in the underground cave? We needle-felted them yesterday! And that beautiful flower child? I made her myself at a workshop at the Susquehanna Waldorf School! Katie Grace and I made the snail last spring. Mother Nature and her Root Child were made by another Waldorf mama in California. One thing I love about the homeschooling community and buying WAHM goods is the feeling of connectedness.

I'm not just an April fool...

Every April Fool's Day, I'm reminded of 1 Corinthians 1:25--
For the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men.



Here's to my fellow fools--hope you had a happy day!