The Good Shepherd’s Garden Party :: Week 5
I wanted to try and make an actual “olive tree” this year, but didn’t have a chance to pick up a cone shaped piece of styrofoam… I decided to try and modify it using a round styrofoam ball, but it was pretty much a flop… Turned out looking more like an ugly olive bush on a stick but my kids still thought it was great. lol
On Mother’s Day
{pretty, happy, funny, real}
I hadn’t realized we had installed a rock climbing wall in our living room!
{real}
Despite telling myself I would not wait until the last minute to prepare for Little Flowers, I put it off once again and have been scrambling all day! Our meeting will begin any minute and my cute little Bud is still in his pajamas. I suppose I should have been changing his clothes instead of hopping online! 🙂
Wildlife Images
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Our family recently attended a field trip to an Animal Rehabilitation & Information Center which cares for over 1,000 wild animals every year at no charge to individuals or organizations. When we arrived they asked everyone to break up into 4 groups of 15-20. Since Amy and her family were there as well, we joined up with them and immediately had a group of 19, with just our two families!
Our children have been studying Zoology this year, particularly Flying Creatures, so this field trip tied in perfectly. We learned all sorts of “Fascinating Facts” that we are adding to our science journals (or lapbook for TT), especially about some of the various “Birds of Prey” that we were able to meet! We’d like to introduce you to some of them:
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| Beauty the Harlan Hawk |
This is Beauty. She is a Harlan Hawk, a sub-species of Red Tailed Hawks, and is considered one in a million because of her unusual color phase!
This crazy bird arrived after she hurt herself flying into a building. After she was rehabilitated and released, she flew into the very same building again! I guess they later found out that she was blind in one eye and has limited vision in the other, making her unable to survive in the wild.
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| Petri the Barn Owl |
This cute little Barn Owl got her name from the “Petri” brand cigar box that her egg (and 3 others) arrived in, after her nest traveled in a haystack by truck to our area. She was the only one that hatched.
Fascinating Facts: The Barn Owl has acute hearing, with ears placed asymmetrically for improved detection of sound position and distance, and it does not require sight to hunt.
Barn Owls are referred to as Nature’s Mousetrap because of their efficiency at catching mice and rats. They weigh less than 1 pound, but will eat up to their own body weight in mice each night!
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| Chase the Peregrine Falcon |
Despite her damaged wing, which prevents her from being released, I thought Chase was gorgeous! And we learned so much about Peregrine Falcons… What an amazing bird!
Fascinating Facts: Peregrine Falcons have been called nature’s finest flying machine. They are nature’s fastest fliers. Peregrines have been clocked diving at speeds up to or a little over 220 miles per hour!
The peregrine falcon is probably best known for its spectacular method of capturing prey in mid-air. It flies faster than other birds and, when hunting, it increases its speed by making aerial dives with the wings partially or fully pulled in, to attack its prey, which is killed instantly.
Peregrine falcons have adapted to living in cities. Cities offer tall buildings with ledges for nesting, water sources, large populations of pigeons and starlings for food, and have few natural predators. In some places, where pigeons are especially a problem, Peregrine falcons have been introduced.
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| Cazadero the Red-Tailed Hawk |
Cazadero has a permanent eye injury, and since hawks depend on both eyes for hunting, he isn’t able to be released.
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| Augi and Beruti the African Augur Buzzards |
Fascinating Facts: Augur buzzards are one of the most numerous types of hawks in Africa. In the Americas, the term “buzzard” generally refers to vultures, but in the Old World, the word’s original meaning was “hawk”.
Some of the other birds we were able to see inside their cages included: Golden Eagles, Great Horned Owl, Turkey Vultures, an Western Screech Owl, American Kestrels, a Ferruginous Hawk, and more!
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| Bald Eagles |
We saw four Bald Eagles – two in the first cages and these two in a bigger cage with an open window. I wish I could remember their names… I’m pretty sure one of these two is “Miss Jefferson” but I could be wrong.
Fascinating Facts: Bald Eagles don’t actually acquire their white feathers and yellow beaks until they are 3-5 years old. They are usually around 7 years old before their heads are completely white.
In addition to all of the birds, we also saw Wolves, Grizzly Bears, Black Bears, a Cougar, Badger, Bobcats, Coatis, a Gray Fox, and more!
I didn’t get a good picture, but I was the most, ummm, freaked out, by “Clark” the Cougar, as he paced back in forth in his cage. I guess he is larger than the cougars that have been spotted in our neck of the woods by some of my neighbors, but I’d rather not see another cougar again. Ever! Let’s move on…
Oh, this cute little River Otter, Nestle, is a retired movie star! Her last movie was Evan Almighty. We all had fun watching her play in “Critter Creek.”
Overall it was an excellent field trip and we learned all sorts of interesting things about wildlife.
Book Review :: Past Suspicion
I recently was asked to read and review the book Past Suspicion by Therese Heckenkamp. The author, a home-shooled student from Wisconsin and originally Australia, was only eighteen when she completed her first draft of this book, finishing it by the time she was twenty-two!
I really enjoyed reading this book! As Regina Doman (author of a number of other wonderful young adult books that I have read and enjoyed) is quoted saying on the cover, Past Suspicion is “A riveting mystery that will keep readers turning pages. An outstanding effort by a first-time novelist.” This well-written Catholic Suspense Novel about Robin Finley, a 17-year old girl who has recently lost her mother, was indeed a page turner. I had a very hard time ever putting it down from the moment I began reading the first chapter! The plot is very interesting, as Robin tries to unravel the dangerous secrets of her mother’s past, yet at the same time believable. It has an excellent cast of well-definifed characters, is filled with all sorts of twists and turns, and even has bits of Catholicism woven throughout the story. I highly recommend this book to all young adults (and adults!) that enjoy reading mysteries.
I have the paperback copy (which is also available directly from the publisher), but I just noticed that the Kindle edition is only $2.99 at Amazon or FREE for those with a Prime Account! Click on over to download a copy or to read additional reviews.
My Daybook :: May 7, 2012
Outside my window…
I am actually sitting outside my window at the moment! The weather is perfect (sunny with a high of 86˚) and we are enjoying the sunshine. Even though today is suppose to be the warmest day of the week, we are all very happy to have a forecast of sunshine all week!
I am thankful…
for our treadmill! We purchased it the day after Thanksgiving and I am finally able to use it consistently. It sure makes it easier to exercise! At this point running for more than a minute or so is still too hard, but today I walked (with a little running) 4.062 miles in 60 minutes. I started at 3.5 miles per hour, so at least that is a little progress!
I am thinking…
about this post that was shared by a couple friends on Facebook. My favorite paragraph:
“But lots of us are homeschooling because it’s what works best for our family. We don’t need to “keep it real” by pretending that our children are running wild (or did when they were little) because they didn’t–but then, homeschooling and discipline are two different issues, aren’t they? We don’t need to pretend that we’re raising geniuses (unless we are–but we, personally, are not, and that’s fine). We don’t look down our noses–most of us–at our fellow Catholics who public school or Catholic school or co-op school or small private school, because we’re big believers in doing what works for your family. And we don’t have some burning need to make-believe that the only sane people are the ones who tried homeschooling for a year before coming to their senses–because we’ve been doing it for a long time, and it still works for us.”
Growing up I never, ever, pictured myself home educating my own children. In fact, I was very adamant that I would “never do this to my poor children” when trying to convince my parents to put me back in school. But God has a sense of humor and somewhere between growing up, and becoming a mother myself, we decided that home educating was the best option for our children. (And I am very grateful that my parents made the sacrifices necessary to homeschool me and my siblings, despite my protests!) It isn’t for everyone, but it really is what works best for our family and I feel so blessed that it is an option!
Learning all the time…
I can’t believe I am saying this, but I’m so not ready for summer break in just five weeks! 🙂 I feel like we are finally making all sorts of wonderful progress after a difficult winter. But thankfully, one of the many benefits of home educating is that we can just keep going! Of course my children will be ready for a break from their few workbooks/textbooks, but so much of their “learning” happens all the time, through fun activities. Last month I ordered the Lab Kit made to go along with our Science Book for this year. I thought it was too expensive at the beginning of the year, but since we ended up skipping so many experiments, I took another look at the kit. Yes, it is expensive, but worth every penny! We have gone back to the beginning of the book and are working on some of the experiments we had skipped. And now that it is Spring, it is a much better time of year to study all of the “Flying Creatures.”
Living the Liturgical Year at Home…
When I was compiling my past links for the month of May I noticed that their really wasn’t very many. Most of the ways we live the liturgical year at home during this time of year revolve around The Garden of the Good Shepherd and our weekly Garden Parties. This week’s theme is “The Gardener Plants Paradise” and I’ve been thinking about any changes I’d like to make for our “party” this coming weekend. I’m thinking that it would be really fun to make some Owl Cake Pops, but then our little Owl Cake from last year was so cute too… Decisions, decisions!
From the kitchen…
too many tempting treats. Way too many! The girls recently made some amazing “Dogwood Bark” for the state of North Carolina and then “Banana Berry Pancakes with Maple Syrup” for the state of Vermont. Next they’d like to make a “New York Cheesecake” for the state of New York. Perhaps I can talk them into saving that one for Mother’s Day!
I am creating…
(or rather stocking) a “Snack Basket” in the kitchen pantry. It’s been so nice to be able to just grab various snacks on our way out the door, which has been frequently these past couple weeks.
I am working on…
a few different blog posts from recent field trips and school projects. I am starting to think that I take way too many pictures!
I am going…
to purchase some more Spice Jars, the next time I’m in town, for my sprinkles! If we had The Container Store in our area, I would have been tempted to get these pretty jars with the chrome lids, but the black is nice and they are just half the price anyways. Just looking at them all lined up in the glass jars makes me happy! 🙂
I am hoping…
to have a chance to prepare for this week’s Little Flowers meeting on St. Thérèse de Lisieux and the Gift of Piety before Thursday!
I am reading…
Amy has me completely intrigued by the 17 Day Diet: A Doctor’s Plan Designed for Rapid Results. I’ve ordered the book and have been reading about the plan. Even though it isn’t recommended for those that are pregnant or nursing, some of the ideas and tips can still be incorporated into my daily routine. It might just take a little longer to see those “Rapid Results!”
I am praying…
for sweet little Simeon, as he recovers from surgery, and his dear momma.
Pondering these words…
from our dear St. Thérèse de Lisieux:
I am listening…
to more Baby Giggles! Bud has been making everyone around here smile lately, except when he is fussy at 2am every night… He is such a cutie!
Around the house…
The stone on our fireplace is all finished, now we are just waiting for the wood stove to be re-installed. Doesn’t it look so pretty?!
One of my favorite things…
Sprinkles! For some reason Hubby said he thinks I have plenty and doesn’t want me purchasing any more for awhile! 😉
A few plans for the week…
- Teacher Wednesday morning
- Piano Lessons Wednesday afternoon
- Little Flowers Meeting on Thursday
- Our 5th Good Shepherd’s Garden Party
- Order a new daily planner for this next school year
A little peek at my day…
The weather has been all over the place lately!
The Good Shepherd’s Garden Party :: Week Four
Rose missed all the cake decorating fun since she happened to be napping, but Bud was having a grand time watching everyone, especially each time Snuggles tried to make him laugh! (We just re-watched the video of Snuggles and Rose that I posted with last year’s 4th Garden Party! So cute!! And funny that I had another video to post this year! Our little Snuggles is such a great big brother!)
(I’ll have the link-up posted sometime tomorrow.)
{pretty, happy, funny, real}
Last year was our first year attempting a Garden and it was pretty much a flop due to us building our fence and getting started late in the season, combined with a very short growing season. We hope to do a little better this year!
Thankfully, the teacher I have come once a week loves to Garden and we spent this Wednesday having a “Science” class as we began to prepare our garden and plant some seeds. At the very least it will be a great learning experience for the children!
May :: Month Dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary
Month Dedication ~ The Blessed Virgin Mary:
- A Marian Titles May Crowning Luncheon (2011)
- Mum Cupcakes (2011)
- An Alphabet of Mary (2012)
- May Crowning Garden Party (2012)
- If Only (2013 – prayer)
- The May Magnificat (2013 – prayer)
- The Catholic Child and the Blessed Virgin (2013)
- Madonna and Child Cards (2014)
- Art for Our Lady {Marian ATC Swap} (2014)
May 1st ~ St. Joseph the Workman, spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Pt. of Carpenters (New, Trad.):
- see various St. Joseph’s Day ideas in my March post or scroll through the label for St. Joseph.
May 5th ~ Cinco de Mayo:
- Cinco de Mayo (2009)
May 12th ~ Blessed Imelda Lambertini, Pt. of First Communicants (Hist.):
*And other ideas for those celebrating their First Holy Communion
- Preparing for First Holy Communion (2008)
- “My First Holy Communion” Party Favors (2012)
- First Holy Communion Gift Ideas (2012)
- Scroll through all posts labeled First Communion.
May 13th ~ Our Lady of Fatima (New):
May 18th ~ Pope John Paul II’s Birthday:
- Celebrating the Beatification of John Paul II (2011 – Cake and Cookies)
May 22, St. Rita of Cascia, Pt. of “impossible” cases (New; Trad./some places):
- On the Feast of St. Rita (2010)
- Happy Anniversary! (2008)
May 30th ~ St. Joan of Arc (New, Trad.):
- Summer with the Saints :: St. Joan of Arc (2009)
- Little Flowers Girls’ Club ~ Wreath I, Obedience, St. Joan of Arc (2009)
- Little Flowers Girls’ Club ~ The Gift of Fortitude (2012 – Little Flowers)
May 31, Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary to St. Elizabeth (New) and Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Trad.) :
- May Crowning Garden Party (2012)
- A Marian Titles May Crowning Luncheon (2011)
- Honoring Our Lady (2009)
- Our Cookie Crown Cake (2008)
Little Flowers Girls’ Club ~ The Gift of Fortitude
Last Thursday afternoon we had our 5th Little Flowers Girls’ Club meeting for Wreath IV, and first meeting since December!
I hadn’t intended on taking such a long baby break – just January and February – but March and April were filled with sickness for half the girls in my group, so our meeting kept getting postponed.
My girls (and their momma!) were so excited to finally have friends over again. The meeting began at 3:30, but we happily visited with guests until about 9pm, long after the meeting had ended. It was so nice!
This meeting focused on the gift of Fortitude and St. Joan of Arc. Despite the months I had to prepare, by Thursday morning I hadn’t done a thing to get ready, but thankfully everything fell into place. Here are a few highlights from our meeting:
- Review last month’s gift and add Mini Books that were completed at home
- Add Definition and Motto for the Gift of Fortitude
- Add the correct Jewel to the Treasure Box
- Complete the Saint Profile*
- Complete the Convert Profile*
- Research and Complete the Mini Book “Church Struggles from History that required Fortitude” to share at the next meeting*
For the notebook pages, I used the motto for fortitude, a quote from St. Joan of Arc, an image (in the public domain) of St. Joan of Arc, a definition on the gift of Fortitude from My Catholic Faith, along with a short prayer for Fortitude (St. Augustine) with an invocation to St. Joan of Arc.
You can download my document here.
(and cropped from the picture above):
Last summer, I had planned to order the Banner and Woven Cross Kits from Illuminated Ink for St. Joan of Arc and the Gift of Fortitude… Lena also shared an excellent craft for the gift of Fortitude, that I would have loved to try had our meeting taken place during Lent as we had originally planned. Instead I ended up using a craft that I purchased a few years ago, having the girls paint Stained Glass Cross Suncatchers. I’m pretty sure that I had purchased these at Walmart.
We hung them on the window to see how they’d look:
*my girls’ are missing from this picture, and currently hanging on their bedroom window.
We adore Thee, O Christ, and we bless Thee.
Because by Thy holy Cross, Thou hast redeemed the world.
One of the symbols for St. Joan of Arc is the Fleur-di-lis.
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