A Little Known Fact About Large Families
The green patrol should give us a conservations award for record low water use per child on bath day!
Rub-a-dub-dub, four men in a tub, and who do you think they be?
Alexander
All Saint’s Eve 2010
It’s been two years since we’ve had a homeschool All Saints Eve party, but this year it was announced on Oct 20 that we were starting up the tradition again. I spent Friday and Saturday sewing costumes, which turned out pretty well. Maria was St. Bernadette, Johnathan was St. Anthony, Alexander was St. Michael, and Joseph was St. Juan Diego. Maria and John slipped out the door before I could get a picture of them, but here are the little boys:
Daniel thought Joseph’s makeup was really interesting. (“What is it with you people in the last week? First Sarah makes her eyes really strange and now you have black on your face!”)
I made my first pleat on Alex’s bottoms, and it turned out pretty well.
Daniel was a lion from Noah’s Ark. This costume I didn’t make.
He found the mane a little annoying.
But that’s OK, because he has a mane of his own!
When we got home, everybody dived into their candy. Maria didn’t like caramel apples, so she gave hers to me.
Chewy pieces of candy are a good way to lose teeth.
From Alexander
As Alexander was eating a hard boiled egg a few days ago, he decided that his egg looked a little bit like Baby Jesus. He really wanted me to put it on my blog, so here you go:
Baffling
Alexander (noticing a crescent moon around noon): “Sarah, it’s night and day at the same time!”
Feast of Saint Philomena
J+M+J
St. Philomena is my confirmation saint, so I was very happy to hear that our priest was having a special mass on her feast day, August 11, and that there would be a blessing with a first class relic (part of Philomena’s bone) and the oil that burns before her tomb afterwards. It was in a beautiful little church in the town of Salem about forty minutes away, and our whole family drove out for the mass.
The altar is decked in red and gold in honor of Philomena's martyrdom.
The Carmelite nuns made this special Saint Philomena vestment.
Alexander with a holy card of Philomena.
After mass we were anointed with the oil, and then had a chance to kiss the relic. Alexander was a little confused when it was his turn to kiss the relic, and opened his mouth instead. I think he thought he was about to receive his First Holy Communion. Fortunately, Dad was next to him and he told Alex what he was supposed to do.
The anointing with the oil. (Different than the anointing of the sick)
Daniel waits for his turn.
The end procession, with Landon at the front.
After Mass, I took a close up picture of the pretty statue of St. Philomena and her relic.
A+M+D+G
The Muffin Man
J+M+J
Sunday after church, Alexander declared he was going to be a priest. When we asked Joseph if he was going to be a priest also, he responded, “No, I’m gonna be the muffin man, remember?”
“Do you like eating muffins, Joseph?” Dad asked.
“Yes, but I even more like making muffins,” he replied.
So, today I made lemon poppy seed muffins with the muffin man.
Tasting the batter
Rewards of Baking
Waiting impatiently
Making the lemon glaze.
A+M+D+G
Christmas Photos-Part Two
J+M+J
Alexander adds to his pile.
Maria’s much wanted bean-bag.
My scarf.
John Paul, Alexander, and Joseph all got Leapster learning game machines. They’ve been a big hit.
Landon and his ‘camera fund’. He’s also wearing a Saint Patrick medal if you look closely.
A+M+D+G
The Nativity Scene
We got out a light-up, outdoor nativity scene today, and the youngest boys were thrilled, especially Joseph. When I first pulled Mary out of the box, his eyes grew wide, and he knew that there was more to it than just that. He shouted, “Where’s God?” and began to run through the house wildly, not stopping till I had shown him the Baby Jesus.
He inspected all of the figures carefully
Plugging in the statues
A+M+D+G
Another Sleepy-Head
J+M+J
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Conversations During School
Alexander: “Mom I need to go to the doctor.”
Mom: “Why?”
Alexander: “Because I just coughed.”
Mom: “I don’t think a cough isn’t enough to go to the doctor.”
Alexander: “Oh, well, I have a sore throat, too.”
Mom: “Really? I haven’t heard you complain about it.”
Alexander (grimacing and putting his hand to his throat): “OW!”
Methinks this could be solved by only offering the foul tasting cod liver oil.
Halloween
J+M+J
Sadly, this year there was no All Saint’s Eve party so we decided on Oct. 30 that we would be going trick or treating. For lack of ideas, the boys immediately decided that they would be exactly what they were last year. So, I set The Illustrated Book of World History on the kitchen table and asked Alexander if he wanted to be King Tutankhamun. “Is that a mummy?” he asked, very concerned.
“No, no, of course not,” I answered.
“But he got to be one when he died,” John Paul (who talks too much) put in.
Alexander’s eyes grew wide. “Uh-Uh, I’m not being him,” he firmly announced.
I questioned him about several more historical characters, including Caesar, a viking, a king, and Sitting Bull. He didn’t want any of them. So, I handed him the book and said, “You look through it, I have to go clean the kitchen countertops.” Not five minutes later, he told me he had found something, a Roman Centurion. I though it was a great choice, and began to form a plan in my head as to how to do it.
I wasn’t able to work on it until the afternoon of Halloween, and Alex pestered me every five minutes until then. Finally, I collected materials I thought I would use: a red tunic from past All Saint’s Eve parties, a red turtle neck, a red cape, and cardboard. I put the turtleneck and tunic on him, and then went to look for some string in the All Saint’s Eve box. Instead, I found some shiny grey fabric left over from Maria’s Joan of Arc costume. I knew this would be a perfect substitute for the cardboard. I cut it to the right size, made a head hole, and put it on him. Alex began to ask when I was going to be done making the costume, even after he had been so excited to make it. I told him to give me five more minutes, and put a belt around his waist, a sword in his hand , and a helmet on his head. Voila!
Joseph decided to be Robin Hood, and his costume was easier. Here he is with Johnathan, who made his own costume:
I wasn’t planning on dressing up this year, but after making Alex’s costume, I decided I had to because I couldn’t stand watching the other kids in their costumes for the kids who came trick or treating to the door. With the bed-sheet tunic I used for Shakespeare camp, a piece of brown fabric, one of Mom’s shirts and an hour’s work on the sewing machine, I had a costume! (And I was so glad I did, because it turned out some of my friends were trick or treating in the neighborhood and they invited me along!)
I am dressed as Éowyn from the Lord of The Rings books, which I read this summer before watching the movies.
Maria put together her own princess costume.
This is Landon in his own homemade Darth Vader costume.
A+M+D+G
Pictures From the Apple Orchard
J+M+J
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Heated Discussion
J+M+J
John: “Landon, in the sixth episode of Star Wars, did Boba Fett die by rolling sideways down into the pit?” (Here he laid down onto the ground and rolled sideways to demonstrate)
Alexander: “Or did he fall down like this?” (bending his head down almost to his feet to indicate somersaulting head over heels)
Landon: “I don’t remember.”
John: “I am really sure he went sideways.”
Alexander: “No, I think he went like this.” (Again bending up and down.)
John: “He went like this,” (rolling on the ground) “and that’s final.”
Alexander (not satisfied): “Mom, did Boba Fett go down into the pit like this?” (bending) “Because in the sixth I thought I saw him go like that.”
Mom (While making supper): “Why does it even matter?”
John: “Because we’re playing Star Wars, and Alex really needs to know, because he’s pretending to be Boba Fett!”
A+M+D+G
Alexander and His Friend
(While Alexander and his friend are building things with legos) Alexander: “Oh, that’s a cool ship!”
Alexander’s friend: “It’s an organic bomber!”
Alexander: “That’s so cool!”