I have begun thinking about our situation again here. Our house has been on the market for almost 1 1/2 years, and no one has made an offer. In about a month or so our current contract will expire and if our house does not sell between now and then, we are not going to renew it right away. We will enjoy the thaw of the snow (I HOPE!!!), and I will plan a big vegetable garden to grow with the kids this summer. We are planning on painting the rooms in the house in the colors we like, not just what "will sell" since that doesn't seem to be working anyway.
We're also, incidentally, trying to budget in some goat shares (for milk) and have friends who can sell them to us, as well as sell us fresh eggs, and my In-Laws this very night offered to go in with us on a side of beef (grass fed, no hormones, etc), even though we had not yet mentioned our thoughts to them yet.
A year ago I was on bed rest, very anxious about having my 6th child out here during a snow storm. I though for sure the house would sell on the day I went into labor and i would be hauling boxes through a blizzard to the moving van between contractions, and my midwife wouldn't be able to get to us. Such were the mad ramblings of a stressed-out pregnant woman! Now, a year later, I would still like to move, but I am at peace with staying here as well, if that is His will.
Well, tomorrow is my Sabbath, and it is getting late. I must go to bed so I can get out early and have a good mini-retreat tomorrow (Monday). Please say a prayer for me for a fruitful day.
For some reason this did not get posted on Sunday, so I'll try again today! I will be off-line for a week or so while we get a new Internet provider. If you submit comments and they bounce back as undeliverable, please check back here on or around Feb. 5th. I should have a new email address by then.
Wednesday, January 31, 2007
Friday, January 05, 2007
Primary Art Winter 2007
I am co-teaching a class to 7-9 year-olds this winter. We are taking the class over from a teacher who is unexpectedly moving out of state, and we have to somehow teach the basics of art on a very small budget. ($4.12 per session for ALL 12 children). One other Mom (Erin) and I are alternating weeks, so she is in charge of week 1, I am in charge of week2, etc. Another pair of Moms is taking the 5-6 year-olds for the same class.
Week 1 (Jan 10) Epiphany
Project: Erin had mentioned making treasure boxes representing the gifts of the Magi, but that was before we realized how little money we had. One other possibility is making paper crowns and painting or coloring them (Thank you, Mimi, for the idea).
Week 2 (Jan 17) January is Dedicated to the Holy Name of Jesus
Project: make a monogram of "IHS" using stiff paper as a background, and outline the letters with yarn, gluing it in place. Then paint the "badge" gold and use yarn to hang it around the child's neck, indicating that we belong to Him.
Week 3 (Jan 24) Conversion of St. Paul
Week 4 (Jan 31) Presentation of the Lord/Candlemas
Project: make "tin" lanterns out of foil-covered cardstock and punch holes in it in Christian designs. Parents can add a tea light at home.
Week 5 (Feb 7)
Week 6 (Feb 14) St. Valentine
Project: quilling with strips of pink, red, or purple paper. Make a Valentine for Jesus, our True Love.
Week 7 (Feb 21) Ash Wednesday/ Lent
Week 8 (Feb 28) Ember Days
Project: Make a set of sacrifice beads if I can find pony beads, strong cord, small crucifixes and holy medals VERY inexpensively or free. OR make a "Pocket Rosary Card" on a piece of cardstock (business card size or index card size): make indentations around the edge with an embossing plate or something similar, and paint or draw a Marian picture on the card.
Week 9 (Mar 7)
Week 10 (Mar 14) St. Patrick & St. Joseph
Project: make a shield out of cardboard, cover it with foil, and glue on symbols of the saints
Week 11 (Mar 21) Annunciation
Week 12 (Mar 28) Palm Sunday/Holy Week/Easter
Project: Make a cross out of tongue depressors and glue, paint it, and sculpt a Corpus out of air-drying clay and glue it onto the cross.
We are trying to follow the Liturgical Year as much as possible. If you have any ideas for themes, projects, or where we can get supplies for nothing or next-to-nothing, please feel free to comment! I cannot figure out how the original teacher was going to teach painting, sculpting, etc., with so little money! As it is, our class is going to be more "Crafts" than "Art." I do have to mention a few rules we have: No glitter or sequins or other small hard-to-pick-up objects, and no burning things like candles or incense.
Week 1 (Jan 10) Epiphany
Project: Erin had mentioned making treasure boxes representing the gifts of the Magi, but that was before we realized how little money we had. One other possibility is making paper crowns and painting or coloring them (Thank you, Mimi, for the idea).
Week 2 (Jan 17) January is Dedicated to the Holy Name of Jesus
Project: make a monogram of "IHS" using stiff paper as a background, and outline the letters with yarn, gluing it in place. Then paint the "badge" gold and use yarn to hang it around the child's neck, indicating that we belong to Him.
Week 3 (Jan 24) Conversion of St. Paul
Week 4 (Jan 31) Presentation of the Lord/Candlemas
Project: make "tin" lanterns out of foil-covered cardstock and punch holes in it in Christian designs. Parents can add a tea light at home.
Week 5 (Feb 7)
Week 6 (Feb 14) St. Valentine
Project: quilling with strips of pink, red, or purple paper. Make a Valentine for Jesus, our True Love.
Week 7 (Feb 21) Ash Wednesday/ Lent
Week 8 (Feb 28) Ember Days
Project: Make a set of sacrifice beads if I can find pony beads, strong cord, small crucifixes and holy medals VERY inexpensively or free. OR make a "Pocket Rosary Card" on a piece of cardstock (business card size or index card size): make indentations around the edge with an embossing plate or something similar, and paint or draw a Marian picture on the card.
Week 9 (Mar 7)
Week 10 (Mar 14) St. Patrick & St. Joseph
Project: make a shield out of cardboard, cover it with foil, and glue on symbols of the saints
Week 11 (Mar 21) Annunciation
Week 12 (Mar 28) Palm Sunday/Holy Week/Easter
Project: Make a cross out of tongue depressors and glue, paint it, and sculpt a Corpus out of air-drying clay and glue it onto the cross.
We are trying to follow the Liturgical Year as much as possible. If you have any ideas for themes, projects, or where we can get supplies for nothing or next-to-nothing, please feel free to comment! I cannot figure out how the original teacher was going to teach painting, sculpting, etc., with so little money! As it is, our class is going to be more "Crafts" than "Art." I do have to mention a few rules we have: No glitter or sequins or other small hard-to-pick-up objects, and no burning things like candles or incense.
Thursday, January 04, 2007
Merry Christmas and Back to School
I hope everyone is having a blessed Christmas season! We had a good time with relatives ad are now enjoying the large amount of snow we have here at home. The kids spent hours outside sliding down a steep drift beside the house, while I made them some herbal tea and ginger snaps.
We began our new semester of school this week, and although my 6-year-old said she does not like school because it involves Math, we are off to a pretty good start.
Next week is the first week of our homeschooling co-op, and I am teaching a Primary Art class to 7-9 year-olds. Some other moms and I are taking this class over from the original teacher, who is unexpectedly moving out of state this month, so we are having to use our imaginations to come up with a program! Not only do we not have a plan, we have only $4.12 to spend on each class period (for all 11 students, NOT each student). We'll be doing a lot of paper projects, but I don't know how we are supposed to buy supplies for the "painting, sculpture," etc. that are in the course description! We are planning on tying in each of the 12 classes with some part of the Liturgical Calendar that falls close to the class date. So the first one will deal with Epiphany, the second with the Holy Name of Jesus, etc. Any ideas?
We began our new semester of school this week, and although my 6-year-old said she does not like school because it involves Math, we are off to a pretty good start.
Next week is the first week of our homeschooling co-op, and I am teaching a Primary Art class to 7-9 year-olds. Some other moms and I are taking this class over from the original teacher, who is unexpectedly moving out of state this month, so we are having to use our imaginations to come up with a program! Not only do we not have a plan, we have only $4.12 to spend on each class period (for all 11 students, NOT each student). We'll be doing a lot of paper projects, but I don't know how we are supposed to buy supplies for the "painting, sculpture," etc. that are in the course description! We are planning on tying in each of the 12 classes with some part of the Liturgical Calendar that falls close to the class date. So the first one will deal with Epiphany, the second with the Holy Name of Jesus, etc. Any ideas?
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