New Picture Book for Our November Book Basket: Saints on the Go! {Review & Giveaway}

by | Oct 30, 2016 | , , , , | 0 Comments

We are getting ready to celebrate All Saints Day (November 1st) and I have a beautiful brand new book to add to Our November Book Basket this year! Like the author’s previous book, The Virgin Mary Around the World and all the coordinating dolls, my little ones are going to love seeing more of their favorite dolls pictured in this story while learning interesting little facts about each of the saints lives. 

The feast of St. Martin de Porres is also coming up this week on November 3rd! 

In addition to Saint Martin de Porres, Saint Teresa of Calcutta, and Saint Padre Pio, this book also features St. Joan of Arc, St. Ignatius of Loyola, St. Kateri Tekakwitha, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, St. John Bosco, St. Francis Xavier Cabrini, St. Katherine Drexel, St. Maximilian Kolbe, St. Josemaria Escriva, and St. Pope John Paul II.

.: Giveaway :. 

Shining Light Dolls has generously offered to send one of my visitors a copy of Saints on the Go! plus three of the saints featured in this brand new book: Saint Martin de Porres Shining Light Doll, Saint Padre Pio Shining Light Doll, and the Saint Teresa of Calcutta Shining Light Doll.

Please enter the giveaway using the Rafflecopter box below: 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

You can find our complete list of saint books for the month of November here:

All Saints Guessing Jars {18 More Saints!}

by | Oct 28, 2016 | , , , , | 13 Comments

The All Saints Guessing Jars have been such a hit at our past All Hallows’ Eve Parties.  Last year we coordinated the jars to (mostly) match the third edition of our All Saints Scavenger Hunt.

It’s always so fun looking for ways to connect yummy treats to saints and their symbols. We also made sure to include the saints who had been recently canonized! We included Candy Watches for St. Louis Martin, Lace Cameos for St. Marie-Azelie Martin, and Chocolate Mission Bells for St. Junipero Serra.

As usual I used my Wide Mouth Mason Jars with White Storage Lids for each jar.

There were a couple tags I made that I didn’t get around to filling jars for: candy spiders for St. Felix inspired by the book Saint Felix and the Spider and candy roses for St. Elizabeth of Hungary inspired by Roses in the Snow. Maybe this year!
Here are some pictures of this jars all filled and ready for the party:    

St. Louis Martin ::  Candy Watches

Together with his holy wife, this watchmaker nurtured the sanctity of all their children, but especially their youngest, a Carmelite Saint known to us as the Little Flower who wrote: “God gave me a father and mother more worthy of heaven than of earth.”
Together with his holy wife, this watchmaker nurtured the sanctity of all their
children, but especially their youngest, a Carmelite Saint known to us as the Little
Flower who wrote “God gave me a father and a mother more worthy of heaven
than o
f earth
.
“

St. Marie-Azélie Martin :: Lace Cameos

After repeated attempts to enter religious life, she became a highly skilled lacemaker. Canonized in October 2015, she and her husband are the only married couple ever to become Saints at the same time. 

St. Lucy:: Chocolate Eyeballs

Virgin and martyr who is invoked by persons suffering from eye trouble. Her name derives from the Latin word for light. 

St. Cloud :: Mini-Marshmallow “Clouds”

Grandson of Clovis, King of the Franks. The English form of his name Clodoald is also the patronage name of a Minnesota town. 

St. Junipero Serra :: Chocolate Mission Bells

Spanish Franciscan missionary who founded nine California missions. 

Sts. Mary & Martha :: M&M’s

These two sisters were close friends of Jesus. 

St. George :: Hot Tamales

Suffered martyrdom and revered as a patron Saints of the Crusades. He is often depicted slaying a fire-breathing dragon. 
Madonna and Child with Six Saints :: Sixlets 
Art historians call this kind of painting a “sacra conversazione,” a holy conversation, as the saints are seen ‘conversing’ with Mary and Jesus in heaven. 

St. Brigid :: Chick-O-Sticks and Cow Tales

Revered as one of Ireland’s three patron saints, she is now for spreading monasticism throughout Ireland.
St. Modomnoc ::  Bit-O-Honey
Responsible for the introduction of bees in Ireland. 
Sts. Cyril & Methodius :: Alphabet Cookies from Trader Joe’s

Two brothers who became missionaries. One of them invented an alphabet, still used in some Eastern liturgies. 
St. Benedict ::  Lifesavers
The Rule he developed prescribed a life of liturgical prayer, study, manual labor and living together in community under a common father (abbot) and is still used in many monasteries and convents around the world. From his cell, he envisioned a drowning and ordered the victim’s rescue. 
Sts. Cosmas & Damian :: Twix (The name Twix is a portmanteau of twin biscuits, or ‘twin bix’)

Twin brothers who suffered martyrdom in Syria during the persecution of Emperor Diocletian. 

 

 
St. Thomas Aquinas “The Dumb Ox” ::  Dum-Dums
Though he was ridiculed for his humility during youth as “the dumb ox”, he became a Doctor of the Church. 

St. Elizabeth of Hungary ::  Candy Roses (not pictured above)

While taking bread to the poor in secret, she was asked to reveal what was hidden under her cloak. Upon unfolding the cloak a vision of white and red roses appeared thereby proving God’s protecting hand at work. 
St. Christopher ::  Big Hunks! 😉
 

To keep each person’s guesses secret I also created little sheets of paper for each contestant to write their name and guess, before folding it in half and dropping it into an empty jar or bag with a matching label.

I ended up having extras so we used some for the party and then had a second round the following evening for our family All Saints celebration.
Here are the links to the free printable documents:
Here are the links to some of our past All Saints Guessing Jars:

All Saints Scavenger Hunt {Third Edition}

by | Oct 25, 2016 | , , , , | 12 Comments

Back in 2012 my husband and I created an All Saints Scavenger Hunt {Printable Party Game!} for our annual All Saints Party. The following year we created a second version featuring sixteen additional saints with new clues.

Last year we came up with another new version of the game, with sixteen additional saints including some of the newly canonized saints!  (We actually matched the saints to our All Saints Guessing Jars, which I will try and share the details and printables for next, so that the children could learn a little more about each of the saints featured.)

To play the game, the 16 saint cards are handed out to some of the adults, along with the details if they aren’t familiar with the saint. The children each receive the list of clues. Sometimes we pair the younger children with the older children to form teams of two.   The children need to match each clue to the correct saint. Once the child thinks he knows who it is, he will ask the person representing (holding the picture of) the saint. If he is correct the “saint” signs the line next to the correct clue on his child’s clue sheet. You can see some pictures of the game being played here.

(the printable file includes the answer sheet)

Advent, Christmas Eve & Epiphany Candles

by | Oct 21, 2016 | , , | 10 Comments

I actually planned ahead last year and ordered extra candles to have blessed on Candlemas (Feb 2) and then have on hand for this upcoming Advent!

I really love the 100% pure beeswax Advent Candles from The Cloister Shoppe, handmade by the Dominican Nuns. They are made in limited quantities each year and only available for a limited time, so I wanted to give you all a heads up with Advent coming up at the end of next month.

The last couple years we’ve had two Advent wreaths in our home. The taper Advent Candles are placed in an Advent Wreath on our dining room table and we light them during dinner each night. We also have a larger wreath on the coffee table in the living room which we light during our family rosary each evening. We’ll be using these short pillar candles in purple and pink again this year.

The Advent Candle Kit from Illuminated Ink (pictured below) is such a fun Advent activity for children.

The Cloister Shoppe makes amazing Jar Candles. I ordered extras of the Three Wisemen Candle (prefect for Epiphany!) to give as gifts last year and everyone loved them!

I’ve also been using their jar candles throughout the year and all the various scents we have tried have been lovely. This year I’d love to order the Bayberry Tumbler Candle!

Note: They have more of the St. Nick’s Goat Milk Soap available! It was one of our Seven Fun Finds for Advent a couple years ago.

The Cloister Shoppe also has some of their Bayberry Christmas Eve Candles available again:

There is an old colonial tradition of burning a bayberry candle on Christmas Eve. Often these very special bayberry candles were given to a friend with a little couplet that says,

This bayberry candle comes from a friend
so on Christmas eve burn it down to the end.
For a bayberry candle burned to the socket,
will bring joy to the heart and gold to the pocket.

Bayberry was chosen because usually poorly burning tallow candles were used for everyday use. Bayberry was and stil is considered special because it takes nearly 18 pounds of bayberries to make 1 pound of wax!!!!

Meanwhile, in Ireland it was the custom to leave a candle in the window to welcome the Christ Child and the Holy Family on Christmas Eve. During penal times it became a means of telling priests in hiding that a Catholic family was in that home.

We have brought these two traditions together with our Bayberry Christmas Eve Candle! This is an 6″ 100% bayberry candle hand-poured here at the monastery. (Because bayberry is so brittle it is customary to add a small amount of beeswax as well.). This is NOT a bayberry scented candle but made of real bayberry wax! Each candle is packaged in a wood crate made especially for us along with a colonial-style star shaped tin candle holder signifying the Star of Bethlehem. Each gift crate is tied with a unique “Merry Christmas” bow. (Not seasons greetings or happy holidays!)

Each 6″ candle will burn for approximately 5-6 hours. Depending on the area that the candle is burned it is nearly drip free.

Comes with a little booklet describing the origins of the traditions. We encourage you to start your own tradition and burn the candle while praying the family rosary on Christmas Eve or before Midnight Mass!

Another beautiful addition they have this year is the Christmas Tree Creche Candle. I’m not sure I’d ever be able to actually burn it though!

Like I said, the sisters only make a limited quantity of their beautiful Advent Candles. They always sell out quickly so be sure to order them soon if you are interested!

Four Favorite AIP Fall Breakfasts

by | Oct 18, 2016 | , , | 23 Comments

I haven’t posted an update on The Autoimmune Protocol :: My Journey Towards Better Health & Weight Loss with the AIP Diet in a long time… It was a rough summer! I started seeing a new doctor last spring and let him convince me to try a couple medications… I was frustrated that I hadn’t been able to add much back into my diet and my energy levels had plummeted again.  Six months later, after watching my reactions to the different medications, everything from extreme nauseousness with one to a quick spike in weight with another, not to mention the medical bills from all the testing he ordered which basically just confirmed that I still have very low cortisol levels (extreme adrenal fatigue) and nearly non-existent progesterone, he took me off everything (back to just my usual supplements) to see if that would help… sigh… I won’t be going back.

I’ve pulled out all the books I read when I first started this diet and have recommitted to improving my health on my own. I’ll be honest with you, it is not easy. Some days I just want to give up and pour myself a bowl of cereal or order a pizza. It’s hard not being able to go out to dinner with my husband without fighting tears as I try and find something (anything!) on the menu that I can actually eat without dealing with bad side effects for weeks afterwards. I keep praying for perseverance and am very grateful that our girls love spending time in the kitchen and surprising me every once in awhile with treats I can eat!

I have found some breakfast recipes that I absolutely love, especially this time of year. Three of these recipes are from my current favorite cookbook: The Healing Kitchen: 175+ Quick & Easy Paleo Recipes to Help You Thrive. Seriously, this cookbook has been a lifesaver. It’s worth the investment if you are on the autoimmune protocol or even just the paleo diet.

— Sunrise Hash —

I posted the picture above over at Instagram on Sunday: 
Sunrise Hash for brunch on this stormy Sunday afternoon! 
#autoimmunepaleo #thehealingkitchen #whitetrufflesalt #jacobsensaltco

I’ve made the “Ollie’s DIY Sunrise Hash” from The Healing Kitchen a few times now and it is sooooo good! I actually had leftovers for breakfast again this morning.
Ingredients:
  • 8 slices bacon, chopped
  • 1 cup chopped yellow onion
  • 1 1/2 pounds orange sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 bunch green onions, sliced
  • 1/4 tsp fine sea salt or truffle salt
I picked up the White Truffle Salt from Jacobsen Salt Co. when I was up in Portland last month along with a few other flavors as well. They are all excellent! 
Helper’s Natural Applewood Uncured Center Cut Bacon
from Costco
Ingredients: Natural Pork, Water, Sea Salt, Organic Honey, Celery Powder. 

I found this AIP compliant package of bacon at Costco last year and it’s been a staple in my kitchen ever since. Lately I’ve been mainly using it for Sunrise Hash. 

Directions:

1. In a large, deep skillet over medium heat, cook the bacon and onion until the fat has rendered and the bacon has begun to crisp up, 3 to 5 minutes

2. Add the sweet potatoes and garlic to the pan and increase the heat to medium-high. Cook without disturbing for 4 to 5 minutes, until the bottoms of the sweet potatoes are lightly browned. Toss and continue to cook in the same manner, tossing every few minutes, until the potatoes are crispy and cooked through.

— Oven-Baked Pancakes —

This recipe, from The Healing Kitchen, doesn’t make very many, only seven 3-inch pancakes, and I didn’t think I’d like them, but they are delicious. My little ones love them too! I usually double the batch, eat a few, save a few for the next day, and let the kids eat the rest for a little snack. 

These are made with:
3 green bananas
1/4 cup coconut flour
2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon arrowroot starch
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
maple syrup

Puree all ingredients in a blender until smooth. (Our Vitamix is over 10 years old and still going strong!) Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and scoop a scant 1/4 cup of batter onto the parchment paper. Repeat seven times, leaving 2″ between each pancake. Using the back of a spoon, smooth each pancake into a 3″ circle about 1/3″ thick.  Bake at 350 for 23 to 25 minutes, or until lightly browned and cooked through. Let rest for 5 minutes before serving. Drizzle with maple syrup. 
— Apple and Butternut Squash with Sausage Hash —

I had an email today asking about the sausages I have mentioned in the past. They are from Trader Joe’s, pictured above. I didn’t include these in my diet until I had been on the autoimmune protocol for over six months, but now they are staple for busy days when I don’t have much time to spend in the kitchen. The Smoked Apple Chardonnay is my favorite, however the Garlic Herb is more AIP compliant…

Garlic Herb Chicken Sausage 
from Trader Joe’s
Ingredients: Chicken, contains less than 2% of salt, parsley, basil, roasted onions, roasted garlic, celery juice powder, marjoram, oregano, black pepper, white pepper, in a natural pork casing.
Note: You need to be cautious with White Pepper and Black Pepper on the Autoimmune Protocol… I eliminated them completely for my first six months, but then added them back without any reactions.  For more info see Spices on the Autoimmune Protocol from The Paleo Mom. 

Smoked, Apple Chardonnay Chicken Sausage
Ingredients: Chicken, dehydrated apple, contains less than 2% of salt, roasted onion, celery juice powder, white pepper, nutmeg, thyme, ginger, chardonnay, rosemary, in a natural pork casing.

These are not 100% AIP, mainly due to the tiny bit of nutmeg. It’s one of my “cheats”… These also include some chardonnay. However, according to The Paleo Mom, “Cooking with alcohol is also probably okay for most people, even if you don’t tolerate an actual drink.”

One of my favorite fall breakfasts is the Smoked, Apple Chardonnay Chicken Sausage combined with cubed butternut squash and apple (I leave the skin on and use red or green, whatever I have on hand), and then sauté it all in coconut oil. Mmmmm!

— Baked Carrot-Banana Bread N’Oatmeal —
  
This was another recipe, from The Healing Kitchen, that I wasn’t sure if I’d like, but it’s really good and I love that I can make a batch on the weekend, divide it up into my glass containers, and have quick and easy breakfasts available for the rest of the week. It takes less than 10 minutes to get in the oven and smells amazing while it’s baking! 
Ingredients: 
2 (10-ounce) bags shredded carrots (I’ll usually just shred my own with my SaladShooter.)
1 can full-fat coconut milk (I buy this brand, unsweetened with no added guar gum.)
1 cup mashed medium-yellow bananas (about 3 medium) 
3/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut, plus more for garnish if desired
1/2 cup raisins, plus more for garnish if desired
2 tablespoons, honey, liquid
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
Directions:
Mix all the ingredients together until the shredded carrots are well coated everything is evenly mixed. Spoon the mixture into a 9×13″glass casserole (I use my Pampered Chef Rectangular Baker)  and press down firmly. Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 55 minutes or until the carrots are tender and the n’oatmeal is still moist. Let cool for 5 minutes before serving. 
For more inspiration pick up a copy of:

Our 2016-2017 Curriculum Plans and Checklists

by | Oct 15, 2016 | , | 30 Comments

Well, I had this whole post ready to go the first week of school, just waiting for a few photos, then blogger ate it. I nearly cried. I had been using the draft post to keep track of all my plans for the year and I didn’t have them written down anywhere else… sigh. Lesson learned. Thankfully I had already ordered most of the books we needed for the year so it wasn’t too hard to recreate my plans at the last minute. Now let’s see if I can “quickly” recreate all the links to share here on the blog! 😉

This year I am home educating all seven of our children. We have two 10th graders, an 8th grader, 6th grader, 4th grader, 1st grader and our youngest is officially Pre-K! This could potentially be our last year with a pre-schooler. Crazy! With our children all arriving 1 1/2 to 2 years apart, I never thought this day would come… It’s been over two years since my last miscarriage and I’m starting to think our youngest might just be our last. Seven is a great number and I’m really enjoying this new season in our family!

Five years ago, just before our youngest was born, I knew I needed help and solid deadlines to keep up with my goals for our home school. I enrolled our children in a local home-based charter that started in our hometown that year. The following year I nearly withdrew, but a good friend of mine was hired as an ES and assigned to our family. It was such an incredible blessing having her come to our home once a week and help tutor our children. She resigned at the end of last school year and now the benefits (an excellent tutor, allotment to use towards books, sports, driver’s ed, etc) no longer outweighed the drawbacks (so. much. paperwork, incompetent teachers/classes, all the required testing taking up weeks of our school year, inappropriate questions on the tests, etc) and we withdrew all six that were enrolled last year for this new school year! I sent in our state’s required “Home School Notification” (got a copy back that has been stamped “Approved”) and we are once again exclusively homeschooling! It was such a great feeling.  I’ve had to be creative in finding ways to pay for this year’s school books (basically work more along with selling the books we no longer need), and we will most likely have to cut back on sports, but my husband and I are confident that this was the best decision for our family at this time.

When I was filling out the Home School Notification I had to assign grades once again and we decided to move out rising 7th grader up to 8th grade. She has a late summer birthday and when she was enrolled in the charter we decided to “hold her back” (like we did with our oldest son who also has a summer birthday) just in case she struggled to keep up, but she is definitely going to be ready to start high school next year, so we officially made the switch.  She was excited to start this school year as an 8th grader!

Like I mentioned before, we decided to enroll our high schoolers in Kolbe Academy. They are working towards the Magna Cum Laude Diploma. My youngest two brothers (currently both seniors in college this year with full golf scholarships!) both graduated high school with Kolbe’s Magna Cum Laude Diploma. In addition to all the benefits of enrolling, I’m really loving the flexibility that Kolbe offers and that we can continue tailoring our curriculum to our family’s preferences and our children’s needs.

The one challenge we have had with transferring our high schoolers from the home-based charter school to Kolbe Academy has been with their Foreign Language credits. To graduate with the Magna Cum Laude Diploma they need 3 years of Foreign Language, with at least two years in the same language. The charter allowed them to earn 1 Foreign Language credit for completing First Form Latin. Kolbe requires both First and Second Form for Latin 1 credit… The boys were not fully prepared to move on to an approved Latin 2 course. I gave the boys three options:

Option 1: Complete Second Form Latin over the summer to complete Latin 1 for Kolbe, and then continue on with Third and Forth Form to earn credit for Latin 2, before switching to a second language for their third and final year of required foreign language.

Option 2: Retake Latin 1 using either Henle or Wheelock this year. No additional credit will be earned on your transcript this year, but you’ll be well prepared to continue on to Latin 2 as a junior and Latin 3 as a senior.  (Ranger choose this option and we enrolled him in Latin 1 with Lukeion.  He LOVES the class, even though it is bright – soon to be dark! – and early out here on the West Coast.) 

Option 3: Switch Languages. You already have one year of foreign language credit at this point, and you need two more. Choose a second language and complete two years. (This was the option Captain choose. After so many years of Latin from Memoria Press he has completely burned out on studying Latin… He is taking this year off foreign language and will most likely continue with French with either an online course or at the community college next year.) 

He’s not the only one taking a break from studying Latin this year. I sold almost all of our Memoria Press Latin materials and all the younger children are also taking a break. Combined with our writing and grammar courses it has been too much the last couple years, and I’ve missed having that extra time to focus on history and science.  I’m also not convinced that all the time we have spent has been very productive. To quote Lukeion: “There are many programs now available for younger students. In our experience, however, these programs demand a lot of busy work but deliver very little in the way of learning the functional nuts-and-bolts of Classical languages. Students are not generally prepared to master these languages until they have reached the logic stage. You will accomplish much more in a fraction of the time if you wait until your student is 12 to 15 before you start formal instruction in Latin and Greek. Better still, waiting to start these logic based languages may mean your student will enjoy them more.” 

 UPDATE: I was able to rename the Latin class Ranger took at home last year to “Intro to Latin” and now he’ll be able to earn Latin 1 credit this year after all for the online class he is currently taking! Kolbe Academy has been so great to work with this year.

Anyway, enough about all the changes… Here’s the list of books we are using this school year:

Captain and Ranger :: 10th Grade 

Theology: 
Understanding the Scriptures: A Complete Course On Bible Study
Understanding the Scriptures Student Workbook (Ranger)
Understanding the Scriptures – My Catholic Faith Delivered (Captain)
Preparation for Confirmation According to the Baltimore Catechism (with Dad)

Additional Resources:

Ignatius Catholic Bible (compact)
The Ignatius Bible: Revised Standard Version, Second Catholic Edition (leather bound)
Catholic Bible Indexing Tabs

Love this bible and ended up ordering a 2nd copy for our other high schooler.

English 10: 
Student Writing Intensive Continuation Course: Level C (Year 1 of 2)
Fix It! Grammar: Little Mermaid (Book 4) with Teacher’s Manual
Phonetic Zoo, Level C (continue)

Literature – Introduction to Literary Analysis:
Teaching the Classics DVD Seminar and Workbook

History – World History II:
A Light to the Nations, Part II: Development of Christian Civilization and Teacher’s Manual
with Kolbe Academy’s Course Plans & Tests (with high school options)
Additional Literature, Audio Books, and DVDs. 

Mathematics: 
Saxon Algebra 2 with Mastering Algebra John Saxon’s Way: Algebra 2 DVD Set
Saxon Algebra 2 Solutions Manual and Homeschool Testing Book
1 hour (shared with other students) of tutoring at weekly co-op 

Science: 
Prentice Hall Chemistry
with Kolbe Academy’s Course Plans & Tests and Answer Key
with weekly science lab at co-op

Foreign Language: 
Lukeion Latin I (online class – Ranger only)

Fine Arts:
Meet the Masters: Track D
(Maybe Track E too, but I’m not going to commit to that at this time. One Track might be all we are able to finish this year.) 

Physical Education:
High School Hockey
High School Golf

Additional Non-Academic Credit and/or Activities:
FIRST LEGO League Robotics (Mentors)
Drivers Education (at community college next summer – Ranger only)
Train to serve at a Pontifical High Mass next summer

Twinkle Toes :: 8th Grade

Religion:
Saint Joseph Baltimore Catechism No. 2 (continue with Dad)
Living For Holiness (Living My Religion Series, Book 8)
Additional Reading Assignments/Saint Stories

Mathematics:
Saxon Math 8/7 with Pre-Algebra with Mastering Algebra John Saxon’s Way: Math 87 DVD set
Solutions Manual and Saxon 8/7 Tests and Worksheets
1/2 hour of tutoring each week as needed

Language Arts:
Student Writing Intensive Continuation Course: Level C (Year 1 of 2)
Fix It! Grammar: Frog Prince, or Just Deserts (Book 3) with Teacher’s Manual
Phonetic Zoo, Level C
Better Handwriting for Young Catholics
Additional Literature for Independent Reading

History & Geography:
From Sea to Shining Sea: The Story of America
U.S. Elections Unit Study from Homeschool in the Woods
Maps Charts and Graphs Level G: The World (first semester)
Maps, Charts, Graphs: United States, Past and Present, Level H (second semester)
Additional Literature for Independent Reading, various Audio Books, and Family Read-Alouds along with additional projects/lap books and activities. 

Science:
Physical Science: Concepts In Action; With Earth and Space Science (Prentice Hall)
with Kolbe Academy’s Course Plans & Tests and Answer Key
Nature and Observations Notebook (continue weekly nature study)

Health:
Teenagers & Nutrition
Yourself and Your House Wonderful

Fine Arts:
Meet the Masters: Track D

Physical Education:
Middle School Golf

Computer/Technology:
FIRST LEGO League Robotics

Typing

Chiquita :: 6th Grade

Religion:
Saint Joseph Baltimore Catechism No. 2 (with Dad)
Living In God’s Church (Living My Religion Series) Book 6
Additional Reading Assignments/Saint Stories

Mathematics:

Saxon Math 7/6 with Mastering Algebra – Math 76 DVD
Saxon 7/6 Tests and Worksheets and Solutions Manual
1/2 – 1 hour of tutoring each week as needed

Logic:
Orbiting with Logic
Logic Safari Book 3

Language Arts:
Following Narnia Volume 1: The Lion’s Song
Chronicles of Narnia:
The Magician’s Nephew, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, and The Horse and His Boy
Fix It! Grammar: Frog Prince, or Just Deserts (Book 3) with Teacher’s Manual
Phonetic Zoo, Level A/B
Better Handwriting for Young Catholics

History & Geography:
From Sea to Shining Sea: The Story of America
U.S. Elections Unit Study from Homeschool in the Woods
Maps Charts and Graphs Level F: Eastern Hemisphere
Additional Literature for Independent Reading, various Audio Books, and Family Read-Alouds along with additional projects/lap books and activities. 

Science:
Focus on Middle School Astronomy with Laboratory Workbook, Quizzes, and Teacher’s Manual
Nature’s Beautiful Order with Student Guide and Teacher’s Key
Nature and Observations Notebook (continue weekly nature study)

Spanish:
Spanish for You!
(at weekly co-op)

Fine Arts:
Meet the Masters: Track D

Physical Education:
Middle School Golf

Computer/Technology:
FIRST LEGO League Robotics
Typing

First LEGO Robotics Meeting and Introduction, just before the school year started. 

Snuggles :: 4th Grade 

Religion:
Saint Joseph Baltimore Catechism No. 1 (with Dad)
Living For God (Living My Religion Series) Book 4
Supplemental Religion Books and Saint Stories from Our Monthly Book Baskets

Mathematics:
Saxon 5/4 with Saxon Teacher 5/4 CDs
Solutions Manual and Saxon 5/4 Tests and Worksheets

Logic:
Logic Countdown
Logic Safari Book 2

Language Arts:
Student Writing Intensive, Level A
Phonetic Zoo, Level A
Fix It! Grammar: The Nose Tree (Book 1) and Teacher’s Manual
Handwriting for Young Catholics

 

History & Geography:
Maps Charts and Graphs Level D: States & Regions
State-by-State Study
From Sea to Shining Sea: The Story of America
U.S. Elections Unit Study from Homeschool in the Woods
Additional Literature for Independent Reading, various Audio Books, and Family Read-Alouds along with additional projects/lap books and activities. 

Science:
Focus on Middle School Astronomy with Laboratory Workbook, Quizzes, and Teacher’s Manual
Weekly Nature Study

Art: 
Meet the Masters: Track D

Physical Education:

In-House Hockey League (Nov-Mar — still undecided due to cost and time commitment)

Rose :: 1st Grade

Religion:
St. Joseph First Communion Catechism (with Dad)
Saint Stories from Our Monthly Book Baskets
Additional Supplemental Religion & First Sacraments Books
(the following pictures show some of the catechism resources we use in our home) 

My Path to Heaven: A Young Person’s Guide to the Faith
Chat’s With God’s Little Ones • Their Hearts Are His Garden • Manner’s in God’s House • My First Communion Catechism • The Little Children’s Prayer Book • True Stories for First Communicants
My Confession For Little Catholics • Leading The Little Ones to Mary • Jesus and I 
My Confession Book • My Jesus and I • Illustrated Catechism • Catholic Nursery Rhymes

Mathematics:
Saxon Math 1

Language Arts:
Primary Arts of Language: Writing and Reading
All About Spelling
Handwriting 1 for Young Catholics
Supplemental Readers and Additional Literature

History & Geography:
Maps, Charts and Graphs Level A: The Places Around Me
Early American History (lots of picture books) 
Presidential Election Unit Study (maybe)

    Science:
    Focus on Elementary Astronomy with Laboratory Workbook and Teacher’s Manual
    Miracle of Life Coloring & Activity Book

    Art: 
    Meet the Masters: Track D
    various Arts & Crafts projects throughout the year

    Bud :: Pre-Kindergarten 

    Catholic Children’s Treasure Box Books
    Little Saints Pre-School (various themes as we can fit them in)
    Primary Arts of Language: Writing and Reading (he’s ready so we are starting now)
    All About Spelling Level 1 (once it’s added to our P.A.L. lessons)
    Miracle of Life Coloring & Activity Book
    Early American History (lots of picture books)
    Misc Workbooks for Practice & Fun: Do It Carefully, Everywhere We Go (he loves workbooks)
    Math Manipulative & Worksheets

    Some Additional Family Resources:

    A Year With The Saints: A Virtue for Every Month of the Year
    My Catholic Faith
    Treasure and Tradition

    Natural Science Through the Seasons: 100 Teaching Units
    The Laws Guide to Nature Drawing and Journaling

    “A goal without a plan is just a wish.”
    Choosing our curriculum and setting goals for the year is just the first step…  The next step is to create a plan for achieving our goals in a timely manner, especially for the older children who will need to complete their courses in order to earn credit on their high school transcripts. I’ve created weekly checklists for each grade and have included the links to my documents above. I’m still working on fine tuning my own routine and schedule, which has been much harder to pin down since my work schedule varies from week to week, but I’m getting there even if it’s very slowly. So far our school year is off to a great start! 

    Shining Light Dolls :: Saint Thérèse of Lisieux

    by | Oct 14, 2016 | , , | 2 Comments

    I think we have a new favorite from Shining Light Dolls! 
    St. Thérèse of Lisieux is even cuter in person than she looks online. ♥
    Dear St. Thérèse, thou wert always good and obedient and always did the Will of God. Now thou art a great saint in heaven with God. 
    Thy loving and tender heart rejoices to send down roses upon earth. O give me the sweet flower of a great love for Jesus! Pray for me that I may have all the graces I need.

    – Little Flower prayer from Jesus Make Me Worthy

    The Virgin Mary Around the World Birthday Cake

    by | Oct 14, 2016 | , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

    September 8th – Happy Birthday, Blessed Mother!
    Rose decorated the cake herself this year and surrounded it with some of her favorite dolls ♥

    A Pilgrimage of Faith Board Book by Chantal Baros
    Our Lady of Kibeho, pray for us! 

    Our Lady of China, pray for us! 
    Our Lady of Lourdes, pray for us! 
    Our Lady of Aparecida, pray for us!
    Our Lady of Knock, pray for us!
    Our Lady of Czestochowa, pray for us! 
    Our Lady of Fatima, pray for us! 
    Our Lady of Guadalupe, pray for us! 

    Not pictured but will most likely “appear” in our home on the feast of St. Nicholas or Christmas this year 😉 
    (Note: All links are affiliate links to the book and dolls on Amazon.) 

     Our Lady of Mount Carmel, pray for us! 

    Our Lady of Charity, pray for us! 

    When Calls the Heart Birthday Party

    by | Oct 12, 2016 | , | 23 Comments

    Just before our new school year began, our oldest daughter turned thirteen! Seems like just yesterday we had those first three babies in three years… I blinked and now we have three teens! They really do grow up fast. 
    The girls and I have been enjoying watching Hallmark’s When Calls the Heart series on Netflix this year. For the 13th birthday celebration we decided to: 

    #PartyLikeAHeartie

    We started the day with a trip to town. The birthday girl ordered a White Chocolate Mocha for her birthday drink from Dutch Bros. Coffee (have you seen the LEGO Dutch Bros. her brother made?) and I “cheated” on my AIP diet with a Coconut Milk Chai Tea (oh how I have missed my favorite Oregon Chai!), then we headed to the mall to try and find her some new clothes. Not an easy task at this age, but we had fun! 

     

    After we got back home, I quickly baked a heart shaped cake (the pan is currently 39% off!) and pulled together some birthday treats. 

    Meanwhile, the birthday girl had a blast visiting with out-of-state friends, including her penpals over at JoyFilledFamily on FaceTime, and all the kids finally got to “meet” Charlotte’s kids! Someday we will make the trip to Texas so our youngest can meet his godparents in person… 

    .: Chalkboard Birthday Banner :. 

    “School is in session, Mr. Thornton, if you’d like to speak, please raise your hand like all the other children.”

    .: Heartie Party Treats :.

    Coal Valley Cookies 
    Canadian Maple Leaf & Coal Lumps

    “I’m staying here in Coal Valley. This is where I belong.” ~ Jack

    Mountie Jack’s Trail Mix

    Abigail: Hope is in the air.  Jack: That… and a little coal dust.

    Miss Thatcher’s Schoolbook Cookies
    “The schoolhouse doesn’t really matter to me. It’s the children.”
    ~ Elizabeth

    When Calls the Heart Strawberry & Cream Tea Sandwiches
    “As a teacher, I’m drawn to the truth. Numbers don’t lie, and facts are indeed facts, but sometimes, we need to trust each other, because the truth isn’t always what it appears to be. Sometimes an oil can found in a fire is not what seems to be, and, sometimes, love comes just in time to save your life.” 
    .: Birthday Dinner :. 

    Elizabeth’s Shepherd’s Pie

    At her home, Elizabeth tells Jack about the situation with Hattie. Elizabeth describes figuring out children like figuring out a puzzle. Jack says that Elizabeth will make a great mother because not only can she figure out children but she makes great shepherd’s pie.
    “Isn’t this where you’re supposed to tell me I’ll make a great dad someday?” he asks. Elizabeth says she is not sure if he will make a great dad…because she’s never tried his shepherd’s pie!

    Abigail’s Buttermilk Biscuits

    Would a hot biscuit make you feel better? ~ Abigail

    I had every intention of making Shepherd’s Pie, along with all the ingredients, but I ran out of time so we had chicken and grilled corn on the cob instead…

    .: Mountie Jack :. 

    “Do you think we could dispense with the “Constable”, and could I persuade you to just call me “Jack”?”
    Our little guys took turns wearing it during the party.
    .: Birthday Gifts :. 
    May I let you in on a little secret, Albert? Girls don’t care if a gift is fancy, not even girls who used to be rich…What we care about are gifts that come from the heart. ~ Elizabeth

    So your cooking is only rivaled by your sewing? ~ Jack

    From Mom: Apron, Sweethearts Pot Mitt, Heart Cakelet Baking Pan, and Sewing Basket

    Oh my dear, never commit your heart unless there is jewelry. 
    ~ Rosemary


    From Dad: Diamond Heart Necklace

    From Brothers: Homemade Cards and LEGO Vacation Getaways

    From Sisters: Homemade Cards and Six Plays for Girls and Boys to Perform

    From Dad & Mom: Notebook, Autumn Seasonal Book of Days, and Colored Pencils

    And, of course, the Collector’s Editions of Season 1 and Season 2
    … maybe she’ll receive Season 3 for Christmas!

    .: Birthday Cake :. 

    I apologize for embarrassing you, but, uh, I think you’re underestimating your cake. It looks delicious. ~ Billy
    Lemon Berry Heart Cake 
    (Baked in this Elegant Heart Bundt Pan)
    Happy 13th Birthday! 

    Autumn Daybook

    by | Oct 11, 2016 | , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

    “And when it rains on your parade, look up rather than down. Without the rain, there would be no rainbow.” – G.K. Chesterton 

    Outside my window…
    Hockey season is coming up! The boys have been sorting through all their gear and getting ready. So has their Dad… He just completed a training so that he can be assistant coach for their high school team this season!

    I am thankful… 
    We celebrated our 17th Anniversary on the Feast of the Holy Guardian Angels, right in between the new and traditional feasts of St. Therese.  I was so impressed that our girls pulled off this {100% AIP dairy-free, sugar-free, grain-free, gluten-free, egg-free} Pumpkin Spice Cake with Gingersnap Crust completely on their own, before and after our power outage that afternoon and evening!

    “I hope you enjoy your anniversary cake! (I have no idea if it turned out alright :P) It was fun making the cake even if [Twinkle Toes] and I thought it would poison you. 😉 I love you!” 
    – excerpt from the homemade card from our 11 year old

    They said they felt like they were doing a chemistry experiment, using all those weird ingredients like beef gelatin and arrowroot starch, but it turned out amazing! I enjoyed some of the leftovers the next morning for breakfast. Mmmmmmmmm!

     

    Learning all the time…
    Every morning this little “preschooler” of mine is up, dressed, and ready to “DO SCHOOL!”

    He is really enjoying Primary Arts of Language. I’m really enjoying using the program with both of my little ones too! Such a great program. 


    Time for a break! “Awwww, MOM! Can we please keep going?!? Pleeaaaassseee!”
    Celebrating the liturgical year…
    Our favorite fall feast day celebrations were very simple this year, but still fun and memorable!

     
     

    From Instagram on Michaelmas: “I’ll just be at the office 2 hours” this afternoon turned into 6+ hours and I didn’t think I was going to be able to pull anything together for today’s feast… but the girls took care of the decorations and little gifts (including sewing St. Michael’s leg back on!) for their brother, and I just pulled some cupcakes out of the oven. They should be ready by the time the boys get home from a football game! #wehaveanamedaytocelebrate #happymichaelmas

     
    St. Jerome Saint Block from Almond Rod Toys

    I love being able to stretch one batch of cupcakes to cover three feast days! Eight cupcakes were frosted for Michaelmas, eight more became our “lion” for the feast of St. Jerome (I dyed the frosting yellow with some turmeric and nobody noticed), and the remaining eight were decorated with strawberry roses for the feast of St. Therese.

     
    Rose was excited about her little nameday gift. She loves her collection of Shining Light Dolls so very much and St. Therese is definitely our new favorite! 
    Saint Therese from Shining Light Dolls
    “Our Lord needs from us neither great deeds nor profound thoughts. Neither intelligence nor talents. He cherishes simplicity.” 
    – St. Therese

    From the kitchen…
    On the feast of St. Therese: “Life has been so incredibly full lately and I’ve been struggling to keep up… After spending some time at the office (payroll to process before Monday), I came home to catch up on some school lessons from this past week and deep clean the little boys’ room… Now I’m making some AIP Hamburger Stew for dinner, decorating the last eight chocolate cupcakes (leftover from Michaelmas) with strawberry roses, and enjoying a rose colored strawberry kombucha! Cheers!”

    I’m still loving all the recipes in The Healing Kitchen: 175+ Quick & Easy Paleo Recipes to Help You Thrive. I made a few little modifications (I used sweet potato and turnips instead of plantains) to the Hamburger Stew recipe and it was amazing! Everyone loved it and I’ll be making it again soon.

    I am working…
    on rebuilding this year’s curriculum post… still… and making sure I save a back up copy this time.  I’m also working on scheduling some fun giveaways for next month, leading up to Advent and Christmas!

    I am creating…
    I haven’t been creating much lately, but our 4th-8th graders have been creating New World Explorers Lap Books. The covers turned out awesome! Our 6th grader used oil pastels for her cover.

    I am going…
    We recently took our high schoolers to see Hamlet at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival! Our boys read Hamlet last year, as a supplement to their history class, and this year they will be studying it in their Introduction to Literary Analysis class. The tickets are usually too expensive, but we were able to purchase our tickets at 40% off during a weekly web special for this particular showing!

     

    I am hoping…
    that my permanent retainer doesn’t break again. It’s broken twice (the metal actually snapped!) in the past few months and my orthodontist spent a few hours on a Friday afternoon recently removing the retainer (and all the glue!) and replacing it with a Kevlar version. I guess it’s the strongest option available. My husband joked that my mouth is now bullet proof… So far it’s working!

    I am praying…
    the rosary, with my family, every night at 8:00pm just before the little kids go to bed. The month of October is dedicated to the Most Holy Rosary. The Rosary Flip Book from Sacred Art Series, with beautiful art images from the 16th Century work of Goswign van der Weyden, is an excellent aid to help avoid distraction and reflect on the mysteries of the Rosary.

    I am reading…
    The Friar and the Knight: Bartolome de Olmeda and Cortez aloud a few days each week.  I’ve also filled a basket with lots of picture books about New World Explorers. Sometimes the older girls read them aloud to the little ones, sometimes I do, and sometimes they re-read them again on their own.

    Leif the Lucky by Ingri & Edgar Parin D’Aulaire

    Pondering these words…
    from St. Therese. I find them so encouraging and inspiring, especially during this month of October which is dedicated to the Most Holy Rosary:

    “Reciting the Rosary costs me more than using an instrument of penance. I feel I say it so bad; in vain do I strive to meditate on the mysteries of the Rosary; I am unable to fix my attention. For a long time I was sad because of this lack of devotion which surprised me, for I love the Blessed Virgin so much that it should be easy for me to say in her honor prayers which please her so much. Now, it saddens me less; I think that the Queen of Heaven being my Mother, she must see my good will and be content with it.”

    The Catholic Daily Planner from Michele Quigley • Rosary Bracelet from Loreto Rosaries

    I am listening…
    to my four year old pointing out “Squeally-e’s” all the time… Even at the end of Mass, on Sunday morning, while we were praying our diocesan Prayer for the Jubilee of Mercy!

    Around the house…
    A new little computer desk.  It’s not ideal, but it fits in the corner of the dining room and it’s so nice to finally have somewhere other than the kitchen counter (or my closet floor!) for the iMac.

    One of my favorite things…
    I love giving my mom birthday gifts that I know will become one of her favorite things! For her 60th birthday this year I ordered her the St. Benedict Tenner from Loreto Rosaries. My mom is a Benedictine Oblate and every year, on the weekend closest to her birthday, she attends her annual retreat at Mount Angel Abbey. I loved being able to give her this tenner before she left this year! We also gave her some finishing salt purchased during my recent trip to Portland, and a journal and some spring water from the Mother Cabrini Shrine I visited this past summer just outside of Denver.

     

    This week’s plans…
    It’s going to be another full week with our homeschool schedule, co-op, work, Mass, and a few other activities. It’s off to a great start!

    A little peek at my day…
    {or yesterday, since it’s taken me two days to finish this post} we met up with my brother and his family at a pumpkin patch.

    “I’m so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers.” 
    – Anne of Green Gables

    (One of the girls was reading her Puffin in Bloom edition of Anne of Green Gables on the drive to Mass this morning. The quote seemed fitting.)

    Happy October! 

    Four Favorite AIP Fall Breakfasts

    Four Favorite AIP Fall Breakfasts

    by | Oct 18, 2016 | , , | 23 Comments

    I haven't posted an update on The Autoimmune Protocol :: My Journey Towards Better Health & Weight Loss with the AIP Diet in a long time... It was a rough summer! I started seeing a new doctor last spring and let him convince me to try a couple...

    Our 2016-2017 Curriculum Plans and Checklists

    Our 2016-2017 Curriculum Plans and Checklists

    by | Oct 15, 2016 | , | 30 Comments

    Well, I had this whole post ready to go the first week of school, just waiting for a few photos, then blogger ate it. I nearly cried. I had been using the draft post to keep track of all my plans for the year and I didn't have them written down anywhere else... sigh....

    The Virgin Mary Around the World Birthday Cake

    The Virgin Mary Around the World Birthday Cake

    by | Oct 14, 2016 | , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

    September 8th - Happy Birthday, Blessed Mother!Rose decorated the cake herself this year and surrounded it with some of her favorite dolls ♥The Virgin Mary Around the World! A Pilgrimage of Faith Board Book by Chantal BarosOur Lady of Kibeho, pray for...

    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.


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    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.

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