Merry Christmas wishes to all of you from the Sweetness and Light Gang.
Our prayer is that you will find joy in the newborn Christ child and that he fills your homes and your hearts with love and peace!
Many many blessings and thanks for visiting on Christmas Day in the morning!!
Hail Mary full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed are thou amongst women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death, Amen.
O holy and Immaculate Virgin, I know not with what praise to extoll thee, since thou didst bear in thy womb the very One Whom the heavens cannot contain.
Rejoice, O Virgin Mary, rejoice a thousand times! (from The Little Crown of Mary, St. Louis de Montfort)
Looking forward to keeping Christmas with you all :)
Our dear sweet Violet was Confirmed in the Traditional Latin Rite on this past Thursday evening with about 27 other children, mostly from home educated families. It was a sight to behold indeed. And it was a first in our diocese in over 40 years!! (She's the middle one in violet ironically).
The Archbishop had many wise and beautiful words for the Confirmandi, and most especially at the conclusion of the service the Bishop held up his crosier and blessed them saying:
Wishing you all a great 4th week of Advent, life has been moving at faster than lightning speed as of late, so if you don't see me here again until after Christmas Day, I'll see you then :) Many blessings and good tidings to you all!!
"Rejoice in the Lord always: again I say, rejoice. Let your modesty be known to all men: for the Lord is nigh. Be not solicitous: but in everything by prayer let your petitions be made known to God. (Psalm) Lord, Thou has blessed Thy land: Thou hast turned away the captivity of Jacob. Glory be to the Father and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost. Amen." (Introit, 3rd Suday of Advent, Traditional Latin Rite)
I do hope yours was as warm and cozy and filled with joy as was ours!
Gaudete Sunday always reminds us of the joy and hope of the season amidst the darkest hours!
"Incline Thine ear, we beseech Thee, O Lord, to our petitions: and, by the race of Thy visitation, enlighten the darkness of our minds: Who livest and reignest with Thee world without end. Amen." (Collect, 3rd Sunday of Advent, Traditional Latin Rite)
May you be blessed with the light of Christ as we near the birth of Our Lord and Saviour!
December is off and running. We took a beautiful day this past week to get outside and spend some time in nature and the very welcome sunshine!
Frst we encountered this litle critter just off the parking area. He was pretty tame (SP thought he was going to catch him, HA), he posed for us for a while and then loped off into the underbrush.
Lots of berries out this time of year, including holly, rosehips (techinically not a berry, but beautiful nonetheless), Osage orange, crabapple, and some that we have yet to identify ~
Anyone know what these white berries are???
Here's a closer look...we're trying to remember from summer what the flowers looked like and we can't seem to put our finger on it ~ There's lots of Oregon grape leaves mixed in, but they are not part of the white berry plant as far as we can tell...
A few excited boys running across the meadow - here's Seamus caught in mid-somersault, backpack still attached ~
We are so blessed living near the water again, and can never get tired of looking at the view from our park ~
And lastly, a peek at the explorers taking a break from their scurrying around ~
Upon returning home from our lovely outing a few of us decided to sketch our little friend ~
And my attempt ~
Here's hoping you'll be able to get outside and discover some wonders of nature this early winter!
Many blessings in this 2nd week of Advent!
Our History focus this year has been the World Wars, touching briefly on the WW I, the Depression years and then on to WW II. We have enjoyed several historical fiction books thus far and will continue on with more in to next year.
Twenty and Ten was a quick read and enjoyable as it had a lovely element of surprise at the end! Violet had previously read this one and thought the boys would really like it, and they did :) It's a nice entre into WWII as a delicate subject for the younger listeners as well. Rated 4 stars by all!
Another great read aloud was Snow Treasure by Marie McSwigan. Set in Norway, it was fast paced and compelling throughout. We really liked the ending and I won't spoil it here, we checked ours from the library. Excellent for all ages! Rated 4 stars.
The Winged Watchman was by far our favorite so far (at least mine ;-) If you've read any of Hilda von Stockum, you can't miss this one. It's beautifully written and gives some lovely descriptions of the Holland countryside and what life was like in the wind mills during the Nazi occupation. So many good parts wrapped up in a nice read aloud package! Rated 5 stars!
We are currently reading The Small War of Seargeant Donkey, a bit slowly as we are also immersed in all of our Advent reading, so we'll probably finish this up by the end of the year. It has started off well and the writing stye of Maureen Daly is enjoyable.
Matthias read this one in November and claimed it so good that Violet snatched it up and whipped through it as well. I am awaiting their narrations and will update when available! Rated 5 stars! I imagine the audio Cd version is very exciting, may have to put that on our wishlist for Christmas :)
Violet has also read some Girls of Many Lands books and Dear America books relating to our time period. They are reviewed on her 2009 Reading Page: Surviving the Storm: The Dust Bowl Diary of Grace Edwards, When Christmas Comes Again: The WWI Diary of Simone Spencer, Kathleen and the Celtic Knot (Ireland, 1937), My Secret War: The WWII Diary of Madeleine Beck. Other books that are worthy of mention and inclusion that she has read are:
And she'll begin The Endless Steppe soon.
Matthias is curretnly reading On the Wings of Heroes by Richard Peck.
Other Historical Fiction we'll tackle after the new year:
A few pictures books we have sprinkled in along the way are:
A few still in the queue:
There will probably be others to pop in here after the first of the year, but this is a nice place to stop. I hope this will be helpful to someone and let us know if you have enjoyed any of these of others that we simply have to read!!
UPDATE :: Already, an update! I just noticed in the comments that Sarah N. mentioned The Mitchell's Five for Victory, and DOH!!! I am reading that with Seamus right now for bedtime, it's his 2nd time through, but he was only about 4 when he heard it the first time, such a great book!!
Many blessings in your day!!
After a crazy week of Nutcracker rehearsals and finally opening night for Violet, and much volunteering by MOI, we were at last very excited to see her on stage! (Only 15 more shows to go...)
Oh and there was Thanksgiving in there too wasn't there??
The first Sunday of Advent was a welcome sight and our Mass was beautiful as always with my boys serving and my littlest finally being able to make it all the way through without having to leave the pew, yeah!
"Stir up Thy power, we beseech Thee, O Lord, and come: that from the threatening dangers of our sins we may deserve to be rescued by Thy protection, and to be saved by Thy deliverance."
Our tradition for the beginning of Advent is to "stir it up" literally in the form of a delicious and easy White Fruitcake that Rebecca shared several year's ago. Each child takes turns stirring in the goodies (three times each) in honor of the Holy Trinity. Then each child makes a special Advent wish and my dh or I will bless them "In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen." Then each of us takes a turn and we bless each other. Each time the batter is stirred we say the above Collect. It's a lovely, prayerful way to begin the season. And of course there's the wreath which we light at dinner with Matthias accompanying us on the piano. "O Come O Come Emmanuel".
Many blessings in this first week of Advent!
Hail and blessed be the hour and moment
in which the Son of God was born
of the most pure Virgin Mary, at midnight,
in Bethlehem, in piercing cold.
In that hour, vouchsafe, O my God!
to hear my prayer and grant my desires,
through the merits of Our Saviour Jesus Christ,
and of His Blessed Mother.
Amen.
Wishing you a beautiful Advent Season with all your sweeties!
Wishing all my visitors, friends and family far and near abundant blessings on this very special Thanksgiving!
We are so thankful for so many things in our lives, but first and foremost our faith and our family. It is the core of our Sweetness and Light :)
I will be taking a little blogging break to prepare my home and my family for the First Sunday of Advent this weekend!
My prayer is that you will be able to spend time with the ones you love the most, pray for the ones who are not with us any longer, and enjoy the goodness and bounty of the Lord as you celebrate the freedom of our country on this Blessed Thanksgiving Day! God Bless you and God Bless America!
Just wanted to thank you all for your kind notes and comments on my What's Cookin' post! We are passionate about what we feed our family, aren't we?
A few things to note on the blog ~ I've updated my sidebars a bit to include many of my Advent and Christmas seasonal sharings. You'll find direct links to single posts and also a few with a compilation of links as well, so enjoy browsing through to see if anything strikes your fancy for this year :)
Also, don't miss the newly re-vamped and updated O Night Divine site for Advent and Christmas this year, it's going to prove to be the "go to" site for celebrating Advent, Christmas and all the way through to Epiphany for me!!!
The kids and I brainstormed and we think we've decided to do a Scandinavian Christmas and Lapbook this year as we are hitting on many of these themes and customs from our current WW II studies. Violet and Matthias had so much fun putting together their lapbooks, now it's the younger two boys' chance! Should be a fun and cozy time, enjoying all things Jan Brett, Astrid Lindgren and many other favorites with a Scandinavian flair!! Hope to have booklists in the side bar by the end of the weekend....Please note that I've added a sample of our Lapbook just under the new Advent and Christmas links!!
I have a new learning notes post up at Mama's Muse today :) Enjoy this next week of learning and loving with your family as we enter into Thanksgiving week! We will be busy watercoloring "thankful leaves" and cooking up some goodies! I am so grateful for beautiful and kind friends far and near! Many blessings in your weekend!
Autumn is upon us in full swing and Thanksgiving is right around the corner, but for now I thought I'd share some of our favorite meals and snacks that have sustained and kept our home humming along these past several months.
I have many recipes and Menu plans located at Sweetness in the Kitchen, but I wanted to share here on the main blog as it is the true hub of our Sweetness. Please click around over there if you feel like it, we've enjoyed all of those goodies, many times.
Here are some favorites that we are enjoying right now and what has kept me sane and able to manage on busy activity days as well as not having to think through the It's 4 O'Clock, Do You Know Where Your Dinner Is?? dilemma.
Favorite Weeknight Meals ~
Meatballs and pasta (Marcella Hazan's Italian Cooking)
For the Meatballs:
a slice of good-quality white bread, crusts removed
1 pound ground beef, preferably chuck
1 tbsp onion chopped very fine
1 tbsp chopped parsley
1 egg
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
3 tbsp freshly grated parmigianno-reggiano cheese
Whole nutmeg, about 1/8 tsp grated
Salt
Black pepper, ground fresh from the mill
1-28 oz. can stewed or crushed tomatoes
Directions: Heat the milk in a small saucepan until just before scalding, add the bread and let it soak up all the milk. Mash it up and then put all the ingredients in a bowl and gently mix it together wtih your hands. But don’t mix it up too much or the meatballs will be tough. Marcella says “Gently knead the mixture with your hands without squeezing it”. Roll them into about 1 1/2 inch balls. Meanwhile heat a large skillet with about 1/4 inch of olive oil reachng up the sides. Roll the meatballs in dry breadcrumbs and fry them in the heated olive oil until nicely browned. Drain them on paper towels and pour off all but about one tablespoon of the oil. Degalzed the pan with the crushed tomatoes and bring to a simmer. Now add all of the meatballs back into the simmering tomato sauce, turning to coat and continue to simmer them together with a lid on for about 30 minutes. Serve with grated parmesean over your favorite pasta or they are even delicious alone with good hunk of crusty bread!
Lettuce Wraps (Ellie Krueger, Food Network) Note :: I leave off the chilli-garlic sauce and serve with red chilli pepper flakes at the table for those who like it spicy :) I have made this dish repeatedly with either ground beef or ground turkey and it is gobbled up every time, no pun intended ;-)
Chicken Piccata or Parmesean Chicken (Ina Garten's Barefoot Contessa cookbooks) Note :: I usually always serve either of these with a simple green or arugula salad dressed with lemon juice and olive oil with parmesean shaved on top :)
Greek Salad (with or without grilled chicken or salami added)
1 head romaine lettuce chopped
1/2 c crumbled feta cheese
1 sliced red or green bell pepper
1 english cucumber halved and sliced
1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives
sliced red onion (optional)
1/2 cup cherry or grape tomatoes halved
1/4 cup pepperocini thinly sliced
Shanti Chicken and Couscous (Suzanne Somers' Get Skinny on Fabulous Food) (Yeah, I know, just email me for the recipe, it'll be worth it ;-)
Marinated Flank Steak (with brown rice, couscous, jasmine rice or orzo)
Two Marinades to try: #1 - Freshly squeezed lemon juice (about two lemons) chopped garlic (about two cloves) salt and pepper (directly on the meat, both sides). Marinate about 30 minutes and then grill to medium or medium rare. Serve with lemony couscous. #2 - Asian style: 1/4 c low sodium soy sauce, 1/4 c olive oil, 1 Tablespoon sesame oil, 1/4 c. brown sugar, 2 cloves garlic chopped, salt and pepper directly on the steak. Marinate overnight or about two hours ahead of cooking. We like to grill this one too and serve with your favorite rice and steamed edamame beans on the side :)
Make-Your-Own Pizza's Kids usually like cheese and pepperoni or canadian bacon, Violet likes roasted red peppers and olives with a little cheese, and for my dh and I "Pissaladiere" the BEST pizza dough recipe and I make mine in the bread machine, so easy!! (Barefoot in Paris, Ina Garten)
Crock BBQ Beef Sandwiches (Saving Dinner) Note: This is a pretty standard Crock pot roast or beef brisket style recipe, add whatever spices/seasonings you prefer, but the best part is serving them with french rolls or hoagies smothered in your favorite BBQ sauce!
Tamale Round-About (from the infamous Suzanne :) This was a HIT! Serve with a green salad and dinner's done :)
Favorite Weekend Staples ~
Breakfast/Lunch ~
Blender Pancakes (scroll down past the yummy looking whole wheat dough recipe that looks like something I need to try ;-) Note: These are by far the BEST pancakes ever!! It's perfect if you happen to have a Bosch Mixer/Blender combo as you need the high speed grind (like for grinding grains) on the blender function. (I have the old model pre-2008 and it's still awesome).
Poached Eggs, Bacon and Toast (lovingly known as the "3 things") and best eaten all mixed together :)
Baguette Sandwiches Simply created to taste with ham and cheese or loaded with salami, pepperocinis, arugula, provolone, balsamic and olive oil, heaven :)
Weekend Dinner ~
Crouton Lemon Roasted Chicken (Barefoot in Paris, Ina Garten) Note :: You will thank me for this one, trust me, it's amazing!!!
Ina's Company Pot Roast (Back to Basics, Barefoot Style by Ina Garten)
Favorite Sides ~
Roasted Vegetables including - carrots, cauliflower, broccoli, beets, parsnips, butternut squash, sweet potatoes, red or yukon gold potatoes, acorn squash, red onions. Any combination of these or as a separate item are delicious tossed in olive oil and sprinkled with salt and pepper just before roasting. I usually toss the butternut squash in melted butter and brown sugar.
Favorite Homemade Breads ~
Five Minute Artisan Bread Note :: It really works and it really IS amazing bread, even if you like your bread machine bread everyday, this is worth the five minutes for "bakery" or truly artisan style loaves. You must befriend your oven and a steam pan on the broiler rack!! Bon Chance :)
Naan (The Bread Lover's Bread Machine Cookbook by Beth Hensperger) Note :: dough made in bread machine, then shaped and baked in the oven)
Maple Oatmeal Bread (bread machine) (Also from The Bread Lover's Bread Machine Cookbook, this is my all-time favorite bread machine cookbook)
Sticky Buns Note :: using Kimberlee's Cheat Sheet Buttery Rolls recipe, these are perfect every time
For the Sticky part: combine about 1/4 stick butter and 1/4 cup brown sugar and 2 tablespoons corn syrup in a sauce pan to melt and combine. Add about 1/2 cup chopped pecans and heat through. Pour this mixture into the bottom of a bundt pan or 13 x 9 inch rectangular pan and bake off the buns in this yummy sauce for about 25 minutes at 350 degrees. YUMMO!!
I hope you'll let me know if you are hankering to try some of these recipes or if you have some of your favorites to share, I'd love something new to add to the queue!! Many blessings and have a great rest of week before Thanksgiving!! I am so thankful for YOU :)
Yes, you did read that correctly, it says Mid-November, aack!!! How can this be?? Are you already irritable with the plethora of Christmas ads flooding your inbox? Is it just me or do we really have to have Christmas (or excuse me Holiday) displays in the grocery stores the day after All Hallow's Eve??? (Oh, I'm sorry, was I screaming?)
Okay, rant over.
This post has nothing to do with any of the above other than the fact that time appears to be racing and someone forgot to tell me where the starting line was located :)
Seen ~ Lots of Autumn beauty, only a small portion of which I have been able to capture on film:
~ Squirrel drey Sean-Paul and I spied on a Sunday afternoon walk to the market...
~ Some glorious park days in bits and snatches when the sun pokes itself out from behind our November rain clouds and windy blustery-nous.
~ A recently spied lego creation of the "dungeons and dragons" sort. I feel kind of sorry for the dragon ;-)
Heard ~ Many afternoons of train track construction and chatter from the boys. Each comparing themselves to their building abilities.
SP: "I'm a professional train track builder."
Seamus: "Well, I'm a champion builder."
SP: "Is that better than a pro?"
Seamus: "Yeah."
SP: "Well, then I'm a champion too."
I am so pleased to have them working together building and creating, as the tracks have been idle for a long time and when they were built in the past, they were immediately knocked over by a certain smaller someone. Teamwork is a blessing :)
Read ~ Many books have been devoured since my last Seen, Heard and Read post, but here are a few spied in passing the past few weeks..
Current lunch or teatime Read-Aloud ~ The Winged Watchman by Hilda von Stockum, SO good!!
Violet ~ National Velvet, Princess Academy, Invincible Louisa, Further Chronicles of Avonlea, The Family Manager Takes Charge, Gingerbread, Back to Basics (Barefoot Contessa) Anne of Windy Poplars, Escape from Warsaw by Ian Serralier
Matthias ~ almost finished with Enemy Brothers, WWII Eyewitness books, including a nice one on Submarines (I'm thinking a lego sub is on the Lego factory queue). Just starting White Fang (from his grandfather's bookhelf :)
Seamus ~ Billy and Blaze (and other CW Anderson books), Dr. Doolittle - bedtime RA (he thinks it's a tad boring, so we're trying to whip through it), D'Aulaires George Washington.
Sean-Paul ~ favorites as of late, Beatrix Potter stories (to my heart's content :), he's loving The Children of Noisy Village for bedtime RA, various non-fiction goodies mostly animal books - Looking at Wild Cats, Cheetahs, and Lions by Sandra Markle.
Moi ~ just finished The Little White Horse, still reading Kilmeny of the Orchard (a newly discovered LM Montgomery), gearing up for Anne of Avonlea and The Golden Road both by LM Montgomery.
Okay, that just about sums it up, I have a What's Cookin' post in the works in an attempt to share some of our weekly staples! Have a great weekend everyone! Many blessings,
I've recently been enjoying snippets of Charlotte Mason's teaching as I usually do throughout each new learning term. Currently I'm perusing "Laying Down the Rails" available at the Simply Charlotte Mason site. (This is a site well worth visiting if you are inclined to a CM lifestyle of learning as we are, and I still learn something new each time I visit.) Much like each time I pick up one of my well-worn copies of the Six Volume Series by Charlotte Mason.
Anyhoo, "Laying Down the Rails" focuses on Habit Training, and as many of you know, Charlotte was big on this. How could a child be expected to behave in a learning atmosphere if he/she is misbehaved in any other aspect of his or her life? They even have a handy habit training checklist for parent's to keep track of yearly progress for their children. The Habits are are indexed as well with references to the 6 Volume Series. This is nice for quick reference. You can download a sample of "Laying Down the Rails" if you think it might be beneficial in deciding whether or not to purchase this useful homeschool companion. Additionally, there are many other great articles and valuable information at Simply Charlotte Mason for you to peruse as well and the site is a nice way to introduce yourself to this gentle learning lifestyle that has been successful in many homes for over 100 years :)
So what am I doing to intentionally initiate habit training in my home and family??? Good question, it's a process for sure (said with a long "o")! Aside from the usual mommy banter that plagues my home daily and potentially some "loud" inferences to poor behavior in some un-named individuals, we kind of just work on it bit-by-bit. It certainly isn't rocket science in my home, but particular temperments tend towards better behavior than others. Most especially if they are over aged 6 years or so. Hmm, that leaves the littlest guy in my possesion to be the "trainee" of sorts at the current moment. Not that the others can't use some spit and polish now and again, but the age factor definately plays into the whole "habit training" genre.
What works for me may not work at all for someone else, and this is all a bit tongue-in-cheek, but my guess is that consistency is the key to forming positive lasting habits in our little people. Discipline is as it's root suggests, to be a disciple or student, and it helps if the learning atmosphere is conducive to discipleship. The gentle art of teaching is just that, it isn't forced. Those of us on the teaching side of things are trying to remember this on a daily basis ;-)
Some things that are working for us right now ~
I like using the Character Building Cards found in the CHC First Grade Lesson Plans even at the preschool level. They are very sweet and affirming and for sticker loving little fingers, perfect for awarding little triumphs along the way to forming good habits :)
I'd love to hear what you are doing in terms of intentional or even un-intentional habit training in your neck of the woods. Especially if you have something that has worked particularly well and would like to share it with others here!
Many blessings and have a great day!!
It was a snippet kind of day, so here are of few clippings of what we endeavored for today:
~ I truly LOVE this site and found this article particularly refreshing and encouraging as to how we approach our history studies:) Enjoy clicking around if it's your first visit to Heritage History!
~ Violet has Leaf work for Sean-Paul this week, he didn't get to much of it last week, so we're carrying it over, ya know, he's in preschool ;-) It's nice and windy and rainy here, so the leaves are certainly flying, good time for collecting specimens.
I managed one and a half of these delicious "Toasty" fingerless gloves that I spied on Jenn's blog. (She always has the best knitting projects going :)
The kids liked reading and watching the events of today about the Berlin Wall! This site has been good for keeping up with current events occaisionally, (please preview for objectionable content first) H/T: Lissa ;-)
~ This is what the younger two played during our morning reading time! The fun part was the dominoe effect of course :)
~ I encountered this scene at one point during the afternoon play session, "Oh great football man, give us a kick!!!"
~ Violet has lovingly updated our Liturgical Altar display for the month of the Holy Souls, I really like the lace over the blue :)
Wishing you a wonderful week ahead, thanks for visiting us today!
For Today ~ November 5th, 2009
***
Outside my window ~ It is dark already...such is daylight savings time, sigh. (Yes, I started this post yesterday afternoon and was never able to return to it). Now it is a lovely Fall morning, a bit over cast, but warm and no rain looming, I hope...AND now it's raining, no, it's pouring, oh well, grass will be greener :)
Fleeting autumn, oh, don't leave us yet....For more Daybook entries, please visit Peggy at The Simple Woman anytime!
It's hard for me to wrap my brain around the fact that October has passed and we're already on to November. In just four short weeks it will be Advent, "Jimmeny Christmas" (as my paternal grandfather would say)! I might say it a little differently, but woowhee, it's all going too fast!!!
Living a life of learning and loving your family is and can be a whirlwind of exhilaration and excitement, and it can also be exhausting. Thanks be to God we have been mostly healthy and well this Autumn. Here are some not-so-fleeting scenes of our past month, in all it's autumnal glory and splendor...
Someone tried soccer for the first time and decided they'd rather just kick the ball round with brothers and daddy ;-)
Some quilting for friends ~ (Jenn)
Pumpkin picking ~
Being on top of the world with a friend!!
His first pony ride ~
A very imaginative cast of characters for All Hallow's Eve ~
Forever grateful for these fleeting grace-filled days ~
1000 gifts ~ #61 - 73
61. for playlists
62. no activity days at home
63. a four year old who wants his own math book
64. free online e-books and free homeschool materials
65. a sweet girl who is feeling better (from last week's tiring activities)
66. our amazing priest!
67. knitting projects in the queue
68. tea and storytime with my littlest man
69. books my daughter keeps handing me saying "oh, mommy, you have to read this one too!"
70. a dear, sweet husband who works and plays from home
71. Out-of-print books available free online
72. poetry podcasts
73. a new month, and new adventures!!!
Have a blessed November friends, thanks so much for visiting today!
It's project week for all the Field Workers!! (Or at least it was last week, we're a titch behind...)
Violet presented her project on Orcas in the Puget Sound to us last night, with the help of a pint-sized assistant.
She did a great job!! We'd love for you to check it out at Nature's Sweetness :)
Many blessings on this 3rd day of November, brrr....
Violet has been having a grand time putting together weekly (mostly) activities for her littlest brother including many Montessori and literature based ideas. He has been totally excited about this and the fact that he gets to do most of these with sissy is a big PLUS!!! Here's a little tour of the past three weeks or so of his Preschool Learning Center activities:
Forest Animals Theme ~ This one was very easy to put together for him as we had everything already in the Learning room to pull from:
Forest Animals Picture Books ~
I wish I'd gotten some other pictures during this week as he really did do more than just distribute sea creatures in his forest scene ;-)
Next up his week was all based on Dog's Colorful Day a delightful picture book all about Dog's adventures and all the "color" he gets in to ~ Such a fun little week of activities for him. She found all of her printables at Making Learning Fun (this site is invaluable, a true treasure trove of preschool fun)!!!
Other Literature Selections ~
From the top shelf down ~
Here is Sean-Paul pretending to sleep through his Sound Bin lesson ;-) (That's his "Newsies" hat)
THIS was quite a fun week for him, I'll not be surprised if he asks to do many of these activities again! (Violet rocks!!)
And now we're on to PUMPKIN week!!! She has some great stuff that he has already been exploring and enjoying, off we go ~ let's see what we have...
Literature Selection ~ It's Pumpkin Time by Zoe Hall
And here's our little man working through one of the fun activities this week ~
This was the Pumpkin Seed Game; and instead of real pumpkin seeds, Violet cut out felt shapes! He and I played it numerous times and then he has played it with Violet a couple of times as well :)
We'll keep you posted on how the rest of the week goes and don't forget to visit my Daily Learning Notes blog if you like the minutia :))))
Many blessings and thanks for visiting our Preschool Learning Corner today!!
It's truly autumn in our area of the country. The Pacific NW is bursting with fall color, and I hope to snap some pictures of it soon, just as soon as it stops raining again....(remember the green, remember the green). I can be comforted by the fact that we haven't had any snow, yet....
We are busier than I would like to be at the current moment, hence the light blogging, but as this blog has always focused on the "Sweetness and Light" I am assured that someone is still peeking in here now and again!
We have successfully dodged illness so far, except for a sniffly thing this week for Violet, thankfully it did not slow her down too much (just ME!!!). Am hoping and praying all our friends and family stay healthy this year :)
Seen ~
Here's a look at Violet's Forest Animal setup for Sean-Paul after he got busy adding marine animals and amphibians to it!!
A mama caught on film giving out some lovin'! It was a long day for this little ball player :)
Heard ~
Lots of nice music this week! Seamus and I had the pleasure of hearing his cello teacher this past weekend with her symphony, so he was naturally inspired to excel at his own cello playing! Little brother likes to play along on his Glockenspiel too :))) He keeps time pretty well, if I do say so, perhaps another budding musician....
SP: In the car on the way back from Mass friday, "I wish I could get a star and put it in my pocket and save it for a rainy day." (Guess which movie that was from and I'll send you a signed copy of my book :))) Hint: It was done in song "Catch a Falling Star...."
Read Around the House ~ (In no particular order, just random sightings)
Me - way behind on catching up my Goodreads reviews, but LOVED Revolutionary Road, couldn't put Jane of Lantern Hill down (but sadly fell asleep on most nights trying to read just "one more page") am currently working on Betsy's Wedding and loving it!
Matthias - The Motor Boys Over the Rockies (an oldie found at 1/2-price books), Captain Nobody by Dean Pitchford, still working on The Singing Tree...
Violet - Blue Willow by Doris Gates, Miss Happiness and Miss Flower by Rumer Godden, Maggie's Door by Patricia Reilly Giff, Winding Valley Farm Anne Pellowski, many other miscelaneous books.
Seamus: He and I are reading aloud Trumpet of the Swan by E.B. White a classic and he loves it! Sean-Paul listens in on it too, especially at bedtime!
Lots of picture books to Sean-Paul, mostly listed in my Enjoying this Week sidebar!
As always, posting our daily learning notes at Mama's Muse, if you truly have nothing better to do ;-)
Well, that about wraps it up, hope you enjoy a lovely weekend with your sweeties, many blessings to you all!