Happy Un-Birthday to You!
And, to me, too! :)
I do have a friend who is NOT clelebrating her un-birthday today!
Happy Birthday to Bethany!
Bethany is a new friend.....my girls love her...and Malachy finds her a delightful and patient ballroom dance partner :) I think she is 23 years today. Birthday prayers for you, too!
Happy Birthday to Bethany!
Bethany is a new friend.....my girls love her...and Malachy finds her a delightful and patient ballroom dance partner :) I think she is 23 years today. Birthday prayers for you, too!
And because I am here today.. ..I do not want to forget that Sue is not celebrating her
UN-Birthday tomorrow either.......
Happy Birthday to Su(e)!!!
Sue is my friend who goes all the way to the age of 14 years. I think she may be my only friend from that time period with whom I am still in contact....from Agoura High School, in Agoura, CA. We have fun and wonderful...and stressful.....memories of that time.....Happy birthday prayers, for you!
Happy Birthday to Su(e)!!!
Sue is my friend who goes all the way to the age of 14 years. I think she may be my only friend from that time period with whom I am still in contact....from Agoura High School, in Agoura, CA. We have fun and wonderful...and stressful.....memories of that time.....Happy birthday prayers, for you!
In the meantime...just some random thoughts.....aka Haven Heartbeats.....
GRATEFUL & LOOKIN' GOOD:
I am so grateful to my friend Patty who has been tutoring my kids in math in the past two years.....I think this is the third year. My kids have blossomed in math under her tutelage...she got Matthew to and through Alegbra I & Geometry, and of course, this positively affected his SAT scores. She helped Anne get caught up and was there any time Anne had a math question while taking classes at the college. And last semester, she began working with Sarah & Maddleyn.....and these girls have made great progress though their books......and they are addicted to being tutored by Patty. They just loathe missing a date with her.
Did I mention I was so grateful? THANKS PATTY!
And, as aside, Patty & her husband have been working very hard, eating right and walking like crazy......and Patty, you are looking good! Congratulations on all of that hard work paying off! Now, to see if I can be inspired........
THE WEATHER, CURRENTLY:
The below was written orginally on October 14th:
I hear tell we have received over 3 inches of rain yesterday.....three outings yesterday were cancelled due to the high winds and heavy rain.......this was a good thing for us....we got to stay close to home and get some schooling in! Our woodstove was most efficient and we were melting, even one slow log at a time......it was 80* when we went to bed...and 78* when we awakened. Good enough for me...no fire till tonight.
And, as the clouds lifted behind our house a bit last evening, I saw snow in them thar mountains........we have not seen Mount Shasta since Monday evening...can't wait to see what it looks like after this storm! It has been quite bare lately........I have a photo I took a day before this storm.......so we can compare. Eventually.
And, now an update on the weather now, as of Nov 4th.........we have had five gorgeous UN-November days.....near 70*...hear tell tomorrow, November is returning for good. Brrrr.
HOMESCHOOLING:
Since it is ME we are talking about here, you will not be surprised that we still do not have a rhythm going.......but, we are geting somewhere....and I am trying to bring back more of the method of homeschooling I used for my older kids, when they were the same age as Malachy & Garrett. We now have five read alouds going as well as studying a "composer of the month" and reading a picture book author, one at a time. This moment we are reading through Steven Kellogg's picture books, listening to Mendelssohn, reading Greek Myths, Howard Pyle's second King Arthur book and Back of the The North Wind by George MacDonald....as well as books about Leif Erikson and Saint Therese.
We are just finishing up a study of Bald Eagles, a good choice because we see them frequently enough near where we live....and we have done our first lapbook. Malachy enjoyed this immensely and Garrett tolerated it. We are about to start a study of animal classification and have started watching BBC's The Life Of Mammals. GREAT series!!! Our library has it, if anyone local wants to check it out. We will also do a lapbook with the classification. The boys and I are geting more intimate with the Vikings in history.
They are zipping through their Math-U-See books because they have already learned the concepts. Both will be starting new books very soon......Malachy next week....actually, as an update, Malachy is already through 5 lessons in his nBeta book. He loves the new concepts: inequalities, place value notation, rounding and estimation. Both of them are all over the piano, starting to give Maddelyn competiton for time at the ivory keys. Garrett is currently reading through a chapter book series......and this is very encouraging. I cannot wait till he can read the Lord of the Rings Trilogy. That will be a happy day indeed.
The girls are managing their high school curricula fairly well. This is the first time I let the high schoolers just study whatever history period for the year they wanted.......instead of what the family was doing (actually, the family always studied what the high schoolers' were doing)...and it is going just fine, and it is almost easier. I miss the family-wide study and conversation...but this seems to be what is working best for our family now.
Sarah is doing a medieval study that I wrote just for her and her learning style. Maddelyn is doing Mother of Divine Grace American history syllabus. For science, Sarah is doing biology and Maddelyn is doing Mother of Divine Grace's earth science. It is kind of cool to live in volcano-land and take field trips to make her science more "alive"...if rocks can be alive ;) Maddelyn is tackling Latin and doing fairly well....I appreciate her motivation and determination. I look ahead....and eventually she will be passing my brain power up....Willa will have to help her then!!! Sarah is taking a German class through our charter school. She has a fantasy about joining a youth exchange program and going to a German-speaking country, like Austria, perhaps. She wants to be more ready than Matthew was.....she is also appreciating Patty letting her use the Rosetta Stone when she visits Patty's house.
They are both starting their high school projects now. Both will be sewing and Patty has agreed to mentor them.......they are both sewing different skirts.
WORK:
I have worked a bit more lately. At least that is what the paycheck reflects. :)
Last night I started the November series of childbirth classes. I teach three classes in a series, every other month, excluding summer. The demographics were a different situation than I have experienced in the last year. I have nine pregnant women. Three came without any partner......another with her 16yo cousin, another with her mom. Of the other four, one is a married couple. That's it. Just one. They almost looked out of place.....no, they did. Of the nine, three had no transportation of their own.....and two had no idea how they were going to get home. I offered both a ride....one's dad showed up for her ride....and the other disappeared.....just simply vanished.......weird. One pulled me aside to share one of her deep secrets with me. The dad who picked up his daughter is worried about who will be with her when she has the baby..........wow. There is a lot of stress in that room.
And, here was a phone call I received just before my class yesterday: a girl called for her cousin who is 16.........to sign her up.........so she does not miss the class.......she says "I really want her to go to the class....she needs to go, right?"........and is also informed me that she is begging her cousin to breastfeed her baby......I ask the caller how old she is...she says, 16 years also....my!
I am so glad these girls are choosing life for their babies......last night's class is a reminder that that the support must continue now that they have chosen life......they need parenting support, and more. I am not referring to the government social services either.......that is another whole story...and I am not going there right now. I am so grateful to the local pregnancy center in our little town. They SHINE at this kind of support. One of my friends is the director.....God created Donna for this job. She is awesome. I am so proud of her and the work her people do. Thank you!
Nurses only have a moment with their patients.....it really does take teamwork for all of us to work together.....we see the needs, but there is not much time for us to do much. So, we model appropriate behaviors, we care non-judgementally.......and we smile and hug. Research has shown that the nursing care a woman receives in her childbirth experience can affect her parenting......we really can do important work in our little windows of opportunity.
BIRTHDAYS:
Why all of the posts about birthdays last month? Well, I had been neglecting my blog......and so I challenged myself to post more by focusing on the Octbober birthdays, of which there are a lot...and I missed some, too!!
Happy Birthday to my friend Lisa, on the 28th! And, maybe a nephew, too......I believe Damien's birthday is the same date, or right around there.
Damien's brother Joseph had a birthday on the 15th.....and he and his wife are due to have a little girl in about 8 weeks.
My cousin Mark had a Halloween birthday.
I am sure I might be missing someone.....if so, I am sorry!
Matthew has a birthday coming up on Thanksgiving Day this year......I hear he is worried about a birthday post.......maybe full of incriminating photos?
ST. GERARD'S LIST:
My friend Maria is expecting her 8th baby!! She is due May 20th. Prayers for a low risk pregnancy appreciated!
Gloria's sister-in-law Jody is due in December with baby #5.
Our niece Suzanne is due any moment, I think, with baby #3.
And her brother Joseph and wife Christine are due in early January with baby #1.
I wonder who I am leaving off the list......
We pray a daily Memorare for all expectant moms and in thanksgiving for all delivered.
Clara, our niece, had her 5th baby, Eden Rose, on Anne's 21st birthday.
And, Suzanne, Gloria's sister, had her 5th baby in September.
Louise had her wee fella in July....of which I gratefully got to be a part of that experience.
They were all on our list of friends expecting in the past few months.......
PRAYER REQUESTS:
I know I will have a hard time remembering these right now.........but......
For a friend's baby, who may have something wrong with him.....his name is Ephram.
For another friend and her family.....for the dad's job situation......he has a temporary job at the moment......we are begging God to beg the owners to keep him on. Join us?
For a friend who is an older lady, a "pen pal" of mine....her husband has health issues and her son has health issues......and various other needs.
The girls are managing their high school curricula fairly well. This is the first time I let the high schoolers just study whatever history period for the year they wanted.......instead of what the family was doing (actually, the family always studied what the high schoolers' were doing)...and it is going just fine, and it is almost easier. I miss the family-wide study and conversation...but this seems to be what is working best for our family now.
Sarah is doing a medieval study that I wrote just for her and her learning style. Maddelyn is doing Mother of Divine Grace American history syllabus. For science, Sarah is doing biology and Maddelyn is doing Mother of Divine Grace's earth science. It is kind of cool to live in volcano-land and take field trips to make her science more "alive"...if rocks can be alive ;) Maddelyn is tackling Latin and doing fairly well....I appreciate her motivation and determination. I look ahead....and eventually she will be passing my brain power up....Willa will have to help her then!!! Sarah is taking a German class through our charter school. She has a fantasy about joining a youth exchange program and going to a German-speaking country, like Austria, perhaps. She wants to be more ready than Matthew was.....she is also appreciating Patty letting her use the Rosetta Stone when she visits Patty's house.
They are both starting their high school projects now. Both will be sewing and Patty has agreed to mentor them.......they are both sewing different skirts.
WORK:
I have worked a bit more lately. At least that is what the paycheck reflects. :)
Last night I started the November series of childbirth classes. I teach three classes in a series, every other month, excluding summer. The demographics were a different situation than I have experienced in the last year. I have nine pregnant women. Three came without any partner......another with her 16yo cousin, another with her mom. Of the other four, one is a married couple. That's it. Just one. They almost looked out of place.....no, they did. Of the nine, three had no transportation of their own.....and two had no idea how they were going to get home. I offered both a ride....one's dad showed up for her ride....and the other disappeared.....just simply vanished.......weird. One pulled me aside to share one of her deep secrets with me. The dad who picked up his daughter is worried about who will be with her when she has the baby..........wow. There is a lot of stress in that room.
And, here was a phone call I received just before my class yesterday: a girl called for her cousin who is 16.........to sign her up.........so she does not miss the class.......she says "I really want her to go to the class....she needs to go, right?"........and is also informed me that she is begging her cousin to breastfeed her baby......I ask the caller how old she is...she says, 16 years also....my!
I am so glad these girls are choosing life for their babies......last night's class is a reminder that that the support must continue now that they have chosen life......they need parenting support, and more. I am not referring to the government social services either.......that is another whole story...and I am not going there right now. I am so grateful to the local pregnancy center in our little town. They SHINE at this kind of support. One of my friends is the director.....God created Donna for this job. She is awesome. I am so proud of her and the work her people do. Thank you!
Nurses only have a moment with their patients.....it really does take teamwork for all of us to work together.....we see the needs, but there is not much time for us to do much. So, we model appropriate behaviors, we care non-judgementally.......and we smile and hug. Research has shown that the nursing care a woman receives in her childbirth experience can affect her parenting......we really can do important work in our little windows of opportunity.
BIRTHDAYS:
Why all of the posts about birthdays last month? Well, I had been neglecting my blog......and so I challenged myself to post more by focusing on the Octbober birthdays, of which there are a lot...and I missed some, too!!
Happy Birthday to my friend Lisa, on the 28th! And, maybe a nephew, too......I believe Damien's birthday is the same date, or right around there.
Damien's brother Joseph had a birthday on the 15th.....and he and his wife are due to have a little girl in about 8 weeks.
My cousin Mark had a Halloween birthday.
I am sure I might be missing someone.....if so, I am sorry!
Matthew has a birthday coming up on Thanksgiving Day this year......I hear he is worried about a birthday post.......maybe full of incriminating photos?
ST. GERARD'S LIST:
My friend Maria is expecting her 8th baby!! She is due May 20th. Prayers for a low risk pregnancy appreciated!
Gloria's sister-in-law Jody is due in December with baby #5.
Our niece Suzanne is due any moment, I think, with baby #3.
And her brother Joseph and wife Christine are due in early January with baby #1.
I wonder who I am leaving off the list......
We pray a daily Memorare for all expectant moms and in thanksgiving for all delivered.
Clara, our niece, had her 5th baby, Eden Rose, on Anne's 21st birthday.
And, Suzanne, Gloria's sister, had her 5th baby in September.
Louise had her wee fella in July....of which I gratefully got to be a part of that experience.
They were all on our list of friends expecting in the past few months.......
PRAYER REQUESTS:
I know I will have a hard time remembering these right now.........but......
For a friend's baby, who may have something wrong with him.....his name is Ephram.
For another friend and her family.....for the dad's job situation......he has a temporary job at the moment......we are begging God to beg the owners to keep him on. Join us?
For a friend who is an older lady, a "pen pal" of mine....her husband has health issues and her son has health issues......and various other needs.
For a family who has adopted six children (a sibling group), adding to their four they already have.
For all college students.......as they cope in the world without their family support.....and try to maintain their faith in this hostile world.
For a certain person I know to get into the college of his choice.
And, of course, for all women who are pregnant and have no support.
For other private intentions.......
Do you have any requests for us to pray for you?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Well, I think I will wrap this up and get it posted before it becomes extremely outdated!
Blessings to you and yours!!
For all college students.......as they cope in the world without their family support.....and try to maintain their faith in this hostile world.
For a certain person I know to get into the college of his choice.
And, of course, for all women who are pregnant and have no support.
For other private intentions.......
Do you have any requests for us to pray for you?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Well, I think I will wrap this up and get it posted before it becomes extremely outdated!
Blessings to you and yours!!
With love & Prayers,
Chari
No comments:
Post a Comment