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My Daybook :: August 21, 2012

Aug 21, 2012 | | 21 Comments

Outside my window…
The boys are in the process of cleaning the deck. The kids have been eating outside alot this summer and it shows.  They just finished moving all the furniture and are now hosing it down before they get started with the scrubbing.  It’s a good thing they changed into their swim suits. I think they have gotten more water on themselves, than they have on the deck…  😉  At least they are having fun!

I am thinking…        
about all the half finished blog posts in my drafts folder.  A couple of field trips from this last year, recipes, lap books, and state-by-state posts, to name a few of the forty.  The last post (letter Z) from the girls’s fun Along the Alphabet Path is still in there too.  I’m trying to decide whether I should attempt to finish them, or just delete all the drafts.

I am thankful… 
The kids and I were trying to kill some time in town on Saturday, so I decided to go to Staples and splurge on some Martha Stewart Office Supplies.  I had no idea that it was “Teacher Appreciation Day!” I was so excited when the sweet girl at the checkout asked if I happened to be a teacher and then gave me a gift bag while scanning a 40% off  ENTIRE Martha Stewart purchase coupon.  She let me keep the coupon and I’ve already started making a wish list for when I am able to go back for a few more goodies. Yippee!

Learning all the time… 
We are soaking up the sunshine and enjoying every last minute of our summer break.  September is nearly here though, and I have been spending a little time each day getting ready.  I stocked up on some candy to make the kids each another Patron of Students Back-to-School Treat, and I also went to the dollar store for more poster boards and white tissue paper for our Schultutes.

Celebrating the liturgical year… 
tomorrow is the feast of the Queenship of Mary and the traditional feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary.   We’ll be out all morning, but I do have a little bag of Lemon-Lavender Shortbread Cookies that I bought for the kids when I was out Friday night.  I was excited to see that the cookies even happen to be heart shaped!  Perfect!!


Lavender was said to be one of the plants most loved by the Blessed Virgin because it represented purity, cleanliness and virtue.

From the kitchen… 
Hubby was at work on Saturday so I ended up taking all the kids to the Grower’s Market.   We came home with all sorts of goodies including a 25 pound box of apples, another box of peaches, cucumbers, zucchini, squash, chard, onions, and a variety of garlic.  The garlic lady even sent us home with a bag of complimentary plums “for having such a beautiful big family.”  Everyone seemed to be in an extra good mood on Saturday!


I am creating… 
a couple new pages for this blog.  One for Homeschooling and one for Books, Books, Books.   I’m not sure how many of you actually even use the seasonal book lists that I try and rotate on the sidebar, but I’ve been considering deleting that sidebar altogether and creating permanent lists for each month.  I’m just not sure yet.

I am working on… 
a few social media icons so streamline and replace some of the links I have in the left sidebar.  As I simplify and declutter our home, I’ve been feeling like this blog needs a little decluttering too.

I am going… 
out with friends!  On Friday I went out with my sister Julianna, sister-in-law Meagan, and two of Meagan’s friends, to celebrate Meagan’s birthday.  We packed a picnic (or rather ordered dinner to-go) and headed to a “Girl’s Night Out” at a (somewhat) local U-pick Lavendar Farm.  Apparently it isn’t the “popular” place to be on a Friday night, and we were pretty much the only people there, but it was a fun night filled with laughter.  I have another “Mom’s Night Out” next week with some of the Catholic Mom’s from our Homeschool Group and/or area Churches.


I am hoping… 
to finish cleaning and decluttering our school room this week.   I’ve already removed the table (the room just isn’t big enough for it) and organized most of the bookshelves.   I still have one big stack of paperwork to sort through and a few more shelves but, after filling up two big trash bags, it’s finally starting to feel organized.

I am reading… 
lots of books about books! It’s just that time of year.  One of my new favorites is Reading the Saints.  I’ve had this book on my wishlist for a couple years now and finally was able to add it to my collection.  I haven’t been disappointed, it seems like it is going to be another excellent resource for my ever growing collection!

I am praying… 
for wisdom and guidance as I finalize our plans for the coming school year, choose reading material, and create a new schedule to use as a guide for our days.

Pondering these Words…
from Fr. John Hardon:

“A thousand lifetimes would be too short to read everything readable.  Nor is everything in print worth reading.  Common sense, not to say enlightened prudence, tells us we must be selective.  The secret is to know what to read.”

I am listening…  
to Rose ask for another sticker.  I’ve attempted potty training again today and she just made it to the bathroom on time, after quite a few accidents this afternoon.   It’s been a rather long day, but we are making progress!

Around the house… 
We have only used the babies crib once or twice this year, and I don’t even know why I bothered to move the mattress to the highest position before Bud was born.  He did have fun playing in the crib yesterday, while I sorted through the 3-6 month baby clothes to store, however he quickly figured out how to stand up and lean over the side.  Time to lower the mattress!



One of my favorite things…  
watching my babies crawl around and explore.  So, so cute!

This week’s plans…
  • Orthodontist Consultations on Wednesday
  • Dentist Appointments on Thursday
  • Mass on Friday
  • Saturday Morning Grower’s Market
  • Mass on Sunday

A little peek at my day…

Spending time (last Friday) with my little sister Julianna while she was in town visiting…
It’s actually her 24th birthday today!  Happy Birthday sis! 

Little Flowers Girls’ Club ~ The Gift of Fear of the Lord

Aug 17, 2012 | , | 11 Comments

A couple weeks ago we had our 7th Little Flowers Girls’ Club meeting for Wreath IV, which completed all four wreaths of the Little Flowers program.  It has been a busy four years and the girls have grown so much, both physically and spiritually!

Anyhow, about this last meeting, which focused on the Gift of Fear of the Lord and St. Maria Goretti… Well, for the first time, I was not prepared!   I put off getting ready until late the night before, when I started putting together my notebook page. I baked cupcakes in the morning, but the baby was so fussy I wasn’t able to get much else done.   Thankfully I was able to print coloring pages and the craft printouts while holding him, and the lap book supplies were waiting in a file from the beginning of the year when I printed them all out.

Twenty minutes before the meeting I still needed to put together a sample notebook page, and decorate the cupcakes!  Aahhh!!  It didn’t happen.   I figured, after 4 years of making notebook pages, the girls really didn’t need a sample page – they know what to do, so I started on the cupcakes… More on that below!

Rose wanted to know where her Sash and Lap Book were… In a few years, Rose, it will be your turn!  

I still can’t believe that we have completed all four years!  It has been such a great experience for my girls.   I’ve really enjoyed leading our group and am really sad to see it come to an end but, honestly, I am looking forward to a break.   It’s been a lot of work, but worth every minute!   {and just think how much easier it is going to be, in a few years when it is time for me to start a Little Flowers Girls’ Club for Rose! I always wished I had something like my plans to use as inspiration and notebook pages all ready to just print!  lol}

~ Coloring Pages ~
~ Wreath IV Lap Book ~

I had the girls all come an hour early to this meeting, so we could spend time finishing their Lap Books.  They all turned out lovely, and will make such nice keepsakes from the year! 
Here is an overview of what was completed:

Additional Resources:

Movie Suggestion from Member’s Guide:

~ Notebook Pages ~

For the notebook pages, I used the motto for Fear of the Lord, a traditional prayer to St. Maria Goretti, an image of St. Maria Goretti, a definition on the gift of Fear of the Lord from My Catholic Faith, along with a short prayer for Fear of the Lord, with an invocation to St. Maria Goretti.

You can download my document here.

Here are all the girls’ completed notebook pages:

~ Craft ~

Since this meeting focuses on St. Maria Goretti and the gift of Fear of the Lord, we made Spiritual Bouquet Cards.  Each of the girls took these home to complete (offer prayers, etc) over the next month, and will give them to each of their Mothers at our Mother/Daughter Tea on September 8th.   

Supplies:
  • Spiritual Bouquet Cards by Alice Cantrell printed on white card stock
  • Scissors and Hole Punch
  • Ribbon in various colors (yellow, pink, green, lavender)

I ended up reading the article on “What is a Spiritual Bouquet?” to the girls, from our latest edition of St. Mary’s Messenger.  What perfect timing!

~ Snack Time ~

Saintly Symbols Cupcakes :: St. Maria Goretti
Chocolate Cupcakes (baked in silver liners), sprinkled with powdered sugar, and topped with mini lilies made with mini marshmallows, mini yellow M&M’s, and a slice of a green gumdrop

Originally I had planned to make the Flames of Forgiveness Cupcakes that I had come up with last summer for our Saintly Summer Fun with friends.  However, when I went to get out the white candy melts for the candy and found that I didn’t have any – just every other color, which doesn’t really work for white lilies representing purity… Oops!   I searched my cupboard to see what else I could decorate cupcakes with for St. Maria Goretti, and came up with a few green gumdrops, a partial bag of mini marshmallows, and a bag of mini M&M’s.   I skipped making frosting (not enough time), sprinkled the cupcakes with powdered sugar, and homemade mini lilies.  
To make the lilies I flattened a mini marshmallow with a roller, pinched the two sides of one end together, placing a mini yellow M&M inside and a slice of green gumdrop for the stem/leave.  
St. Maria Goretti and St. Therese must have been helping me out… I thought they surprisingly turned out really pretty, despite my lack of time and organization!  They are very simple, but aren’t they cute? 

~ Group Photo ~ 

Grant me the Gift of Fear of the Lord that I may bear my cross with You and that I may overcome with courage all the obstacles that oppose my salvation.

St. Maria Goretti, pray for us! 

{pretty, happy, funny, real}

Aug 17, 2012 | , , , | 7 Comments

~ Capturing the context of contentment in everyday life. ~

{pretty}

© Marc Salvatore – Used with Permission
© Marc Salvatore – Used with Permission
© Marc Salvatore – Used with Permission
© Marc Salvatore – Used with Permission
We were very blessed to be able to attend Mass at Rascal’s godparents home on the feast of the Assumption, offered by Father Carmelo.   
{happy}
This week’s Mexican Polenta Pie.   My new favorite, for sure!  

The girls made Charlotte’s Ptasie Mleczko this week, to celebrate the feast of St. Maximillan Kolbe!

{funny}

Bud seems to wait for a special occasion for his teeth to come in!  The first tooth popped out during Captain’s birthday party. The second (top right) arrived during the Wedding Mass of a friend.  And the third (top left) finally broke through yesterday, during Mass on the feast of the Assumption.  He has been much happier today!

{real}

The last couple days I’ve been working on cleaning and organizing our school room for the new year.  Today I decided to round up all the unused paper and file folders from around the house to see what I needed for this coming year.  Um… I think we are good!  Apparently I tend to hoard paper…

Visit Like Mother, Like Daughter for more pictures of contentment


Little Flowers Girls Club ~ Notebook Pages

Aug 16, 2012 | | 1 Comment

I’ve had quite a few emails lately letting me know that my “Faith” notebook page over at Scribd hasn’t been working properly. I’ve emailed some of you my file directly, but my online time has been limited and I wanted to let the rest of you know that I finally uploaded a revised document, which seems to have fixed the problem.  I also just uploaded the Notebook page for Wreath IV’s Gift of Piety – which I somehow missed doing when I shared our meeting.  We had our final Little Flowers meeting a couple weeks ago, and I am hoping to blog about that meeting sometime soon, but in the meantime I also uploaded our Notebook page for Fear of the Lord as well, so that completes my “Notebook Pages”  for all four Wreaths!

These Notebook pages ended up being such a great supplement to the program and I have been more than happy to share them with you all.   I’ve compiled the Notebook Pages for each Wreath into a “Collection” folder over at Scribd. (You can also find the direct links to each page in this post.)   Here are the links:





Note: All of these documents are © Shower of Roses.  Permission is granted for them to be printed and used within your own clubs, or for personal use.   However, I do ask that they are not re-published online, and that if you link to them on your own websites and/or blogs that you link to my original posts, and not directly to Scribd.  Thank you! 

Mexican Polenta Pie

Aug 15, 2012 | | 9 Comments

I’ve been craving this Mexican Polenta Pie ever since I had multiple servings tasted it at our friends 4th of July Party/Potluck.  It was soooo good!  Thankfully my friend Michele emailed me her recipe and I was able to make it recently for dinner.   Oh boy, is it delicious!  I’m making it again right now, for a potluck after Mass at a friend’s home this evening, and thought I’d take a second to share the recipe with you all.  Happy feast of the Assumption!  🙂

Mexican Polenta Pie

Ingredients:

1 medium onion, chopped (1/2 cup)
1 medium green sweet pepper, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoonsolive oil
1 pound uncooked ground turkey
3 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoonground cumin
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 15-ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 14-1/2-ounce can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 cup bottled salsa
2 16-ounce tubes polenta
2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
2/3 cup chopped fresh tomato
1/4 cup snipped fresh cilantro

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degree F. In a 12-inch skillet cook onion, sweet pepper, and garlic in 1 tablespoon hot oil until tender. Add turkey, chili powder, cumin, and cayenne. Cook until turkey is no longer pink, stirring to break up the meat. Add beans, undrained canned tomatoes, and salsa. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer gently, uncovered, 15 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, grease a 3-quart rectangular baking dish with the remaining 1 tablespoon oil. Cut 1 tube of polenta into 1/2-inch cubes and press evenly into prepared baking dish. Halve remaining polenta lengthwise and cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices; set aside. Sprinkle 1 cup of the cheese over polenta in dish. Top with meat mixture. Arrange sliced polenta over meat; sprinkle with remaining cheese and fresh tomato. Bake, uncovered, for 35 minutes or until bubbly. Sprinkle with cilantro. Let stand 15 to 20 minutes before serving. Makes 12 servings.

Our Curriculum Plans :: 2012-2013

Aug 13, 2012 | , | 33 Comments

Our new school year is just around the corner!   This coming year our oldest boys will be going into 6th and 5th grade, the older girls will be in 3rd and 2nd, and Snuggles will begin Kindergarten.

I have been busy working on creating our curriculum plans for this coming year, and making some changes, as usual… I was very happy with last year’s choices for Math, Spelling, Science, History, Geography, Religion, and Music, but we definitely needed to make some changes for Writing and Grammar.   Even though we really enjoyed the first couple levels of Writing With Ease and First Language Lessons, the later levels just weren’t a good fit for us anymore.  Since we have all been so happy with The Phonetic Zoo, we decided to take the plunge and try a few more of the products from Institute for Excellence in Writing.   (They offer a 100% guarantee, so what did we have to lose?)  I bought Teaching Writing with Structure and Style for me, the Student Writing Intensive, Level A and Fix It! Grammar for our oldest three, Primary Arts of Language: Writing for Chiquita, and Linguistic Development Though Poetry Memorization for everyone.   We worked through a couple lessons during the summer and so far I have been very happy with everything!

Our History Study from this last year was a favorite!   I had planned 6 units for the year, and we were only able to complete the first four:  New World Explorers, Colonial Life, The American Revolution, and The Early 19th Century.  This year we will complete the remaining two units on The Civil War and The Industrial Revolution through the Great Depression, as well as a unit on U.S. Presidents and the Election Study and a unit on World War II.   The plan is to spend one semester on each unit, allowing plenty of time for our reading selections and activities.

With our new little guy this last year, we also weren’t able to finish our Holling C. Holling Map Study… So this year we plan on finally completing the 3rd and 4th Maps, based on the books Minn of the Mississippi and Seabird.  I’m also hoping that we can wrap up our State-by-State Study this year…  It should be fun!

One other addition to our lesson plans will be the formal study of Latin.  I had purchased, and planned to use, Prima Latina a few years ago, but at that time (since we were focusing on correcting auditory processing challenges, and improving reading skills) it just wasn’t a priority and didn’t happen.   This year the four oldest will be completing the course together.   Looking though the Student Workbook, it is going to be really easy for my oldest two, but a gentle introduction will be perfect for them.  They can move on to either Latina Christiana or First Form Latin next year.

I’m still working on Kindergarten plans for Snuggles…  Last year we began the All About Reading’s Program (Pre-1), but after progressing through the first lessons I realized that Snuggles just wasn’t quite ready for formal reading instruction.  We went back to just reading lots of pictures books and will pick up where we left off this year.   He is very excited to get back to “his” school work!

Here is the breakdown for each of our students:

Captain :: 6th Grade

Math:
Teaching Textbooks 6

Math Facts Drill and Practice
Times Tales

Language Arts:
Phonetic Zoo, finish Level A, start Level B
Student Writing Intensive, Level A
Handwriting 5 for Young Catholics
Fix It! (applied grammar)
English from the Roots Up (with flashcards)

Literature/Reading::

Latin:
Prima Latina

Science:
Exploring Creation With Zoology 2: Swimming Creatures of the 5th Day
Exploring Creation with Zoology 2 Notebooking Journal with Lab Kit

American History: (complete 1 unit per quarter)
U.S. Presidents and Election Study
Civil War
Industrial Revolution through the Great Depression
World War II

Geography: 
Maps Charts and Graphs, Level E and Level F
Continue/Complete State Scrapbook 

Complete Holling C. Holling Geography Map Study

Religion:
Saint Joseph Baltimore Catechism No. 2

The Bible (Chapters of Mark & Luke with discussion questions)
Living in God’s Church (Living My Religion Series)
Music:
Continue Composer Study
Piano Lessons

Rascal :: 5th Grade

Math:
Teaching Textbooks 5

Math Facts Drill Sheets
Times Tales

Language Arts: 

Phonetic Zoo, finish Level A, start Level B
Fix It! (applied grammar)

Literature/Reading:


 Latin:

Science:
Exploring Creation With Zoology 2: Swimming Creatures of the 5th Day

Exploring Creation with Zoology 2 Notebooking Journal and Lab Kit

American History: (complete 1 unit per quarter)
U.S. Presidents and Election Study
Civil War

World War II

Geography: 
Maps Charts and Graphs, Level E
Continue/Complete State Scrapbook 

Complete Holling C. Holling Geography Map Study

Religion:
Saint Joseph Baltimore Catechism No. 2
Living through God’s Gifts (Living My Religion Series)

Golden Legend of Young Saints
Blue Knights – Year Three (continue)
Music: 
Continue Composer Study
Piano Lessons

Twinkle Toes :: 3rd Grade

Math:
Teaching Textbooks 3 (complete and then move on to level 4)
Math Facts Drill & Practice

Language Arts:
Phonetic Zoo, Level A
Student Writing Intensive, Level A
Italic Handwriting – Level C & D
Fix It! (applied grammar)
Wordly Wise, Book A and Book B

Literature/Reading::

Latin:

Science:
Exploring Creation With Zoology 2: Swimming Creatures of the 5th Day
Zoology 2 Notebooking Journal – Junior and/or
Corresponding Lapbooks for Lessons 1-5 and 6-13

American History: (complete 1 unit per quarter)
U.S. Presidents and Election Study – Marie-Grace & Cecile Unit Study (1853)

Civil War – Addy Unit Study (1864)
Industrial Revolution through the Great Depression – Samantha & Kit Unit Study (1934)
World War II – Molly Unit Study (1944)

Geography:
Maps Charts and Graphs, Level C
Continue 50 States Study with Baking and Notebook Pages
Complete Holling C. Holling Geography Map Study

Religion:
The New Baltimore Catechism No. 1
Living through God’s Gifts
Catholic Tales for Boys and Girls
More Tales for Boys and Girls

Music:
Continue Composer Study
Piano Lessons

Homemaking & Hospitality:
Little Women Hospitality Program – Year 1 with Student Companion
Tea & Cake with the Saints
Mother’s Little Helper
Sewing With Saint Anne

Chiquita :: 2nd Grade

Math:
Teaching Textbooks 3
Flashcard Apps 
Calendar Journal

Language Arts:

Primary Arts of Language: Writing with DVD-ROM (Part 2 & 3)
All About Spelling  – Level 1 (complete) and Level 2
Wordly Wise, Book A and Book B
Explode the Code 3 and 4
Italic Handwriting – Book A, B & C
Daily Reading (including aloud)

Latin:

Science:
Exploring Creation With Zoology 2: Swimming Creatures of the 5th Day
Zoology 2 Notebooking Journal – Junior and/or
Corresponding Lapbooks for Lessons 1-5 and 6-13

American History: (complete 1 unit per quarter)
U.S. Presidents and Election Study – Marie-Grace & Cecile Unit Study (1853)

Civil War – Addy Unit Study (1864)
Industrial Revolution through the Great Depression – Samantha & Kit Unit Study (1934)
World War II – Molly Unit Study (1944) 
Geography:
Maps Charts and Graphs, Level B
Continue 50 States Study with Baking and Notebook Pages
Complete Holling C. Holling Geography Map Study

Religion: 
The New Baltimore Catechism No. 1

Living by God’s Law
Complete First Confession Lap Book
Complete First Holy Communion Lap Book

Music:
Continue Composer Study
Piano Lessons

Homemaking & Hospitality:
Little Women Hospitality Program – Year 1 with Student Companion

Snuggles :: Kindergarten

Math:
Singapore Essential Math A & B 
Calendar Work

Language Arts:

Letter Formation (Handwriting without Tears Hands-On Materials)
Picture Books and Narration
Science:  (Alphabet Theme)
Picture Book Science 
Arts & Crafts:  (Alphabet Theme)
Picture Study
Modeling Wax Creations & Letters
Letter Themed Crafts, Recipes, and Activities
Religion:
Bible Stories and Narration
Our Heavenly Father
Catholic ABC Coloring Book
Saint/Virtue/Catholic Theme of the Week (Alphabet Theme)
Blue Knights Saint and Virtue Study, Year 1

* We will be doing a simplified version of Along the Alphabet Path, which the girls enjoyed so much a couple years ago – spending two weeks on each letter for reinforcing letter formation, picture books science, arts & crafts, and religion.   

Family Work 
Religion:
Celebrating the Liturgical Year (as always)
Saints for Young People for Every Day of the Year – Volume 1 and Volume 2 (Dad reads at dinner – we have the old hardcover versions)

Poetry:

An Introduction to the Classics – The Vox Music Masters Collection (Including The Story of Bach, The Story Of Handel, The Story of Beethoven, The Story of Mozart, and more…
Composers Lap Book
Various Books by Opal Wheeler

Test Preparation:
I also plan to have the tutor (who will be coming over once a week) work with the boys on test taking skills using Core Skills: Test Preparation Workbooks, as well as logic skills using Logic Countdown, Logic Liftoff, and Orbiting With Logic.

Now I just need to finish creating our checklists and lesson plans, and we’ll be ready to get started!

My Daybook :: August 10, 2012

Aug 10, 2012 | | 23 Comments

Outside my window…
it has cooled off a little bit.  A friend of ours was married this past Saturday, on the hottest day we have had all year! Of course, the reception was outside… Despite the heat, the wedding was beautiful and we all had so much fun at the reception!

I am thinking…        
about how nice it is going to be to really slow down the next two weeks.  I’ve already cancelled the last golf camp the kids were going to attend, and so far we don’t have anything scheduled other than attending Mass.   I want the kids to have plenty of time to just play outside during these last couple weeks before school starts, and I’m hoping to have the time to finally finish our plans for this coming year.

I am thankful… 
that God always provides!   I wasn’t sure how we were going to pay for all the medical bills I wracked up last month (on top of our school book orders), but we now have just enough thanks to some overtime Hubby is working, and all of your book purchases.  Thank you!

Learning all the time… 
the kids are still working on Math everyday.  The boys are getting close to finishing, and the girls are getting a jump start for this coming year.  Other than that we are still reading some books for our Olympics Unit Study, but watching clips on youtube is just not the same as watching it live…  I sure wish there was a better option for those of us without cable and/or tv reception… oh well.

Celebrating the liturgical year… 
the feast of St. Clare is coming up this weekend!  Since St. Clare is the patron saint of embroiderers, I printed off Charlotte’s Saints ‘N Stitches pattern for St. Clare.  I embroidered a couple saints back when the girls were making there way Along the Alphabet Path, but now I think they are old enough to embroider one on their own.  We’ll start this weekend and it will be a perfect project for them to continue this coming week here at home.

From the kitchen… 
Our pastor came over for dinner Wednesday night, for the first time!   (We had invited our newly ordained parochial vicar as well, but it somehow didn’t get on his calendar and he wasn’t able to make it after all.)    We ended up serving Teriyaki Pork Tenderloin, along with Roasted Brocolette & Garlic, Sautéed Summer Squash, Garden Salad with those fresh picked tomatoes, and Dinner Rolls.

I am creating created… 
another Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake to serve with Vanilla Ice Cream for dessert! YUM!!  The ganache hardened way too quickly, and didn’t drip down the sides very well, but it tasted amazing!

Sour Cream-Chocolate Cake, made from scratch, topped with Cream Cheese Peanut Butter frosting and Chocolate Peanut Butter Ganache… Yumm!  Totally worth cheating on a diet to eat a piece!!!  Now someone needs to get the leftover cake out of my house!

I am working on… 
staying out of my laundry room – away from our extra fridge and all that leftover cake…  Good thing I’m caught up on laundry at the moment!

I am going… 
to stop by the library so Rascal can pick up his $15 gift card to Barnes and Noble, which he just won for participating in the Summer Reading Program!  I guess our family had pretty good odds of winning at least one prize from the drawing, living in such a small town and all!  😉

I am hoping… 
to make it to the Grower’s Market again tomorrow morning.   I’d have to take all the kids, since Hubby will be working all day, but it has been so nice to have all the extra produce in the house each week.  

I am reading… 
We are all really enjoying G is for Gold Medal.   One of our favorite little tidbits of information that we have learned from this book was about all the “Extinct Events.”  My kids have been having their own backyard Olympics, and including some of these extinct events!

“E is for extinct events, Dozens are no more, 
like motorboating, rope climbing, croquet, and tug-of-war.”

Croquet and Tug-of-war are fine, but I drew the line at the discontinued weight lifting event from the 1904 Olympic Games, which was called “the all-around dumbbell contest.”  We don’t allow any name-calling in our home!  😉

I am praying… 
for my husband, and a job interview he has coming up on August 14th.   Not only would the job be a promotion, it would also possibly allow us to transfer to an area with a traditional parish that offers the Extraordinary Form of the Mass – something he has been praying for since he married me and got stuck here for years!

Pondering these words…
from Mother Teresa:

“Everybody today seems to be in such a terrible rush, anxious for greater developments and greater riches and so on, so that children have very little time for their parents. Parents have very little time for each other, and in the home begins the disruption of peace of the world.”

I am listening…  
to Roses for Mamma.  My boys heard it playing awhile ago on one of our Pandora radio stations, and Captain said it is his “new favorite song, even though it is so sad.”  When it played again this past week Captain came running to pull me into the living room and listen to the whole song.   It really is such a sad song, but so sweet too.

Around the house… 
clean floors!  I just finished sweeping, mopping, and vacuuming the whole house.  With our little guy crawling all over the place, I’ve been cleaning the floors much more frequently!

One of my favorite things…  
garden salads during the summer!  My favorite salad is inspired by the “side salad” at an awesome little restaurant nearby, made with a mixture of romaine lettuce, spring mix, red cabbage, grated carrots, cucumber, Colby-Jack cheese, tomatoes, and a mixture of raw cashews, honey-roasted sunflower & pumpkin seeds. Yum!  I prefer Honey Mustard dressing, but lately have been opting for just olive oil and balsamic vinegar or Bragg’s Healthy Vinaigrette.

This week’s plans…

  • Swimming Lessons Monday-Thursday
  • Mail out all book orders
  • Pastor for Dinner Wednesday Night
  • Visit from my Cousin and her family on Thursday afternoon
  • Visit with Friends and Lunch at the pool on Friday
  • Saturday Morning Grower’s Market
  • St. Anthonty Festa/Mass on Sunday

A little peek at my day…

The kids all had so much fun teaching Father how to play Settlers of Catan after dinner. 

{pretty, happy, funny, real}

Aug 9, 2012 | | 5 Comments

~ Capturing the context of contentment in everyday life. ~

I was working on a daybook post yesterday, but never had a chance to finish it… maybe later, after we get home from swimming lessons.   In the meantime, here are a few pictures I took this past week with my phone using Instagram!

{pretty}

 This pretty bouquet of flowers has been making me smile every time I walk into my kitchen.   They are from my neighbor, who sells flowers at the Grower’s Market each weekend.  
Don’t you just love gladiolus? 
{happy}

The dipped (shell) cones from DQ after swimming lessons on Captain’s baptismal anniversary were a huge hit and oh-so-easy!

{funny}

We attended a friend’s wedding last Saturday, and the bride choose pink, black and white for her colors.  So pretty!!!  😉  Anyways, we all thought it was funny when the Bride & Groom pulled up to the reception in a Pink Hot Rod!  My girls loved it, and were so excited when they got to climb up inside.   It was such a beautiful wedding and fun reception! 
{real}

It is so nice to have freshly picked tomatoes from our own garden this summer! 
Visit Like Mother, Like Daughter for more pictures of contentment

2nd Annual Online Curriculum Sale Blog Hop

Aug 6, 2012 | | 3 Comments

~ Rules for Posting ~ 
  • Create a blog post with your gently used curriculum (and any other books/items) that you’d like to sell or pass on to another family, with pictures if possible.
  • Add a link to your post, referring back to this post, so that others can find the link up. 
  • Using the linky below, enter the direct link to your post. 
  • Thank you for participating!

Note:  This linky is for friends/visitors of this blog (Shower of Roses) to sell their own books and materials – please, no resellers or small businesses.   The linky will remain open until Aug 7th, so be sure to check back for new links! 
Happy Shopping! 

Our Family

Sean & Jessica, Captain-24, Ranger-22, Twinkle Toes-21, Chiquita-19, Snuggles-17, Rose-14, Bud-12, Grace-7 and Joy-5 (blog nicknames)

A Little About Me

Hi! I'm Jessica, a Roman Catholic wife and home educating mother to our nine children. I was home educated myself, along with my eleven younger siblings. I have a special devotion to St. Therese, through whom I have been given much help and many blessings--the beautiful "Shower of Roses" that she has sent my way! Here I will record a few of the blessings I treasure. Please remember that what you see here is just a little glimpse at our lives, so please say a prayer for us, as we continue to strive for holiness.

Enter our current giveaways:

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Christmas Gift Guide Giveaway (Ends 12/5/2024)

Advent Book Basket (coming soon)

O Antiphons (coming soon)

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Prayer of Mothers

Father in heaven, grant me the grace to appreciate the dignity which you have conferred on me. Let me realize that not even the Angels have been blessed with such a privilege—to share in your creative miracle and bring new Saints to heaven. Make me a good mother to all my children after the example of Mary, the Mother of your Son. Through the intercession of Jesus and Mary I ask your continued blessings on my family. Let us all be dedicated to your service on earth and attain the eternal happiness of your kingdom in heaven. Amen.


Our Family

Sean & Jessica, Captain-24, Ranger-22, Twinkle Toes-21, Chiquita-19, Snuggles-17, Rose-14, Bud-12, Grace-7 and Joy-5 (blog nicknames)

A Little About Me

Hi! I'm Jessica, a Roman Catholic wife and home educating mother to our nine children. I was home educated myself, along with my eleven younger siblings. I have a special devotion to St. Therese, through whom I have been given much help and many blessings--the beautiful "Shower of Roses" that she has sent my way! Here I will record a few of the blessings I treasure. Please remember that what you see here is just a little glimpse at our lives, so please say a prayer for us, as we continue to strive for holiness.

Enter our current giveaways:

Wooden Advent Wreath (Ends 11/19/2024)

Lord, Have Mercy (Ends 11/25/2024)

St. Nicholas Giveaway (Ends 11/26/2024)

Christmas Gift Guide Giveaway (Ends 12/5/2024)

Advent Book Basket (coming soon)

O Antiphons (coming soon)

My Other Blog: Catholic Cuisine

Please Visit My Sponsors…

This Week's Popular Posts

Shower of Roses Affiliate Links

All About Spelling
All About Reading
All About Reading Pre-reading
All About Reading Giveaways
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Our Advent & Christmas Books

Shower of Roses Christmas Gift Guides

Looking for Something?

looking-back

  • ▼2024 (31)
  • ►2023 (30)
  • ►2022 (48)
  • ►2021 (48)
  • ►2020 (57)
  • ►2019 (61)
  • ►2018 (90)
  • ►2017 (128)
  • ►2016 (148)
  • ►2015 (172)
  • ►2014 (227)
  • ►2013 (238)
  • ►2012 (308)
  • ►2011 (297)
  • ►2010 (313)
  • ►2009 (486)
  • ►2008 (564)
  • ►2007 (148)

Posts About:

Shower of Roses Alphabet of Saints

A Papal Unit Study & Lap Book

Shower of Roses Easter Gift Guides



All Saints Party Printables

All original photographs and written material are ©2007-2025 Shower of Roses. I'd love for you to link back to me, but please do not copy or take content from this blog without permission. Click here for my Copyright Terms & Conditions. Thank you for visiting!