A Good School Year

The 2017-2018 school year was sooooooo much better than last. Last year we had good teachers and a lot of fun but this year lacked things like incredibly difficult IEP meetings and open heart surgery. There were a few bumps along the way - which is life - but overall we loved 4th, 2nd, 1st, Kindergarten, and Pre-K4.

This year L loved her teacher, broke her right arm roller skating, began altar serving, and earned eight badges in American Heritage Girls.

Ben had a beloved teacher this year, made his first confession, and received his First Holy Communion. He also had a lot of fun in Boy Scouts, got braces, and impressed us with his penmanship and ability to retell Bible stories.

JF spent his mornings at our parochial school for Religion and then headed to the public school for the rest of the day. His teachers and aids were all amazing and he really made ground in speech and reading.

Resa L O V E D kindergarten. She loved her classmates, she loved her teacher, she loved learning, she loved recess. The only thing she didn't love was being hot in the air condition-less school.

Jofis got a lot out of pre-k4 but he also struggled a bit. Some of his classmates were a year older than him and the gap was obvious at times. He had a great teacher and some really good friends last year but he'll be doing pre-k4 again next year so he can really be ready for kindergarten instead of struggling and hating school.

"I am excited about learning. I want to be a Mommy and a baker when I grow up. I love to color and bake."

"My favorite part was EVERYTHING. I want to be a baker. I love all my teahcers, baking, Granma Bert and Papa, Mormor and Grandpa, reading, PBS Kids, Daddy and Mommy, Tomas, Meriam"

"I am excited about First Communion. I want to an engineer, train driver, when I grow up. I love pizza, friends, fishing, and working with Daddy."
"My favorite part was Math! I want to be a priest when I grow up! I love God, playing ball tag, and pizza."

"I am excited to play at recess. I want to be a choo choo man when I grow up. I love to play with cards, play Old 97 with Joseph, fishing and going on a walk."
"My favorite part was Math. I want to be a train engineer. I love hamburgers, sausage, inside recess, Star Wars, Grandma Bert, Mormor."

"I am excited about going to school. I want to be a Mommy and a rock star when I grow up. I love
Thomas, going to Neighbor's house, reading books, and going to Mrs. H and Bill's house."

"My favorite part was Math. I want to be a Mom. I love Jesus, strawberry pretzel salad, playing at school, Mommy and Daddy."

 

"I am excited about riding the bikes and trikes. I want to be a Dad who's not allergic when I grow up. I like to ride bikes and trikes and scooters and eat. some. bacon! And ice cream with sprinkles and oatmeal with sprinkles."

"My favorite part was playing. I want to be a train driver. I love chocolate bars, ball tag, B from school, and Jesus."

We have some fun things planned for the summer - the library reading program, a trip to a Lodge, and lots of adhering to the Summer Daily Schedule. We'll see how this goes.

Five Reasons I Love Our Catholic School

It's Catholic Schools Week and I didn't want it to pass without pointing out some of the things I love about the Catholic school our children attend. If you are considering where to enroll your kiddos next year then I hope this list might help you see some of the perks of a Catholic education.

Now, we have had a great experience with our local public school and we are very fortunate to live in such an amazing school district. We have also had some experience with and lots of exposure to homeschooling so we know how wonderful that can be. But this isn't a week for celebrating public schools or homeschools. It's a week for celebrating the parish ministry that is brick-and-mortar Catholic schools. So let's get going!


1 - Caring about people is a part of the culture
This isn't about building up a politically correct culture, this is about serving, loving, and reaching out to others. Students at our school regularly have service projects such as visiting the local nursing homes, making Thank You cards for our troops, and collecting donations for food banks and crisis pregnancy centers. Older students are partnered with younger ones to serve as prayer partners, helping them through Mass and being their general Big Buddy. And when I brought my kids with their severe food allergies to the school parents, faculty, staff, and students were all on board with keeping my boys safe and included. Once I popped in during lunch time and saw two of JF's classmates heading to the bathroom. "We have to wash our hands so JF doesn't have an allergic," they told me. I mean, how sweet is that?

2 - It's not nominal
Our Catholic school is 100% orthodox and proudly Roman Catholic. Pre-K through 8th grade students attend Mass weekly and appropriate grades attend monthly confession. Each class, K-8, makes a weekly holy half hour before the Blessed Sacrament. They pray throughout the day in class, celebrate feast days, and talk about saints, morals, ethics, virtue, and faith. When my grandfather was dying my kids were able to go to school and tell their classmates what was happening and then their entire class prayed for my grandfather (as Ben told the story he added, "Even Sister!"). When Grandpa's funeral was held (he belonged to the same parish as us) we learned that every time there is a funeral a class is sent over to attend the Mass so they can pray for the dead. How amazingly beautiful is that?

Pay no attention to the mural that literally and figuratively looks like Hell. 

3 - It's the perfect size
One of my kids is dual-enrolled at the Catholic and public schools. At the public school when he is pulled out for extra help he is with four other kids, working at a table with one teacher. At the Catholic school he is in a class with 12 other kids and there is one other Kinder classroom. When he is pulled out for extra help he is by himself or with one other student and the teacher. At recess my first grader plays kickball with boys from his class and second and third grade. My kids, the oldest is in 3rd grade, know most of the other students at their school and they know who is siblings with who. That size means they are cared for and looked after by their fellow students and all the faculty and staff. When one child or team succeeds the whole school celebrates and when one child or family suffers the whole school rallies to support.

4 - The whole family is more connected with the parish
There is definitely a wide variety of people involved at our parish but, for us, it has worked out that because of the way our family has benefited from the parish ministry that is the parochial school  we have also been more inclined to partake in other parish events. Our children are comfortable at our church and we all know they are welcome there so penance services, adoration, Holy Week Masses, parish retreats, speakers, and yardwork clean-up days - we attend these events without batting an eye. Doing so has broadened our connections and friends beyond the school pick-up line and our small groups. It feels good to give back to and be engaged with a parish that has given us so much.

5 - Academically it's just as good if not better
Yes, the building is old, but the technology is good and the teachers are excellent. Beginning in Kindergarten students are having experiences in public speaking by doing readings at the weekly All School Mass. The school has been recognized nationally for its excellence in academics and it's not uncommon for the local public and Catholic high schools to have the Valedictorian be from our elementary school. Along with the core classes, students have Religion, Spanish, Computer Class, and even Art. Sports, band, and choir are available. My children are learning, having fun, and surrounded by people who love Christ and His Church. It's literally the answer to our prayers.

I know that we are incredibly fortunate to live in a town with good public and parochial schools. I would love to hear about the things that make your Catholic school great! And if you live in my area and you're interested in learning more about our school please feel free to contact me.

A future train driver, a pirate, and a mom sum up their school year AND the Best of the Web

Summer is in full swing in these parts. Of course it's raining almost every day but there's still time for swimming lessons, playing in the sprinkler, and checking in on our small garden and pumpkin patch. 

Today we tried something new: handwriting and math worksheets for the older three while Resa and I worked on shapes, colors, and numbers. L read aloud to us all and then I sent them to play - I have some very important blogging to do!

Important blogging, like posting the last day of school pics for the sake of my adult children who will read this blog when I am dead and shed tears over how embarrassing I was.

Onward! 

Ben finished his school year first.

At the beginning of the year Ben wanted to learn how to make boats. Sadly that didn't happen for him this year but he did learn his ABCs, as in how to write, identify, sign, and say their sounds. I had at least taught him the song. He also wanted to be a farmer when he grew up and he said he likes trains.


JF's last day came next.

I didn't do the survey with JF at the beginning of the year, probably because I didn't have my act together. Sorry future JF! But how cute is it that he wants to be a pirate when he grows up? arrrrgh

L finished up third and here's what she had to say for herself:

Math was what L was excited to learn at the beginning of the year and I'm so glad she takes after her daddy and enjoys the thrill of numbers. (That actually wasn't sarcastic.) In August she wanted to be a veterinarian when she grew up, which was heavily influenced by a visit from Resa's godmother who is a vet, and she liked flowers. Now she likes playing on the slip-n-slide.

Travis finished up his school year last, spent a week working at his parents, and then started an intensive masters' class. So here we are now. The baby is sleeping, Travis assignment for the day has been submitted, JF just got tossed on the sofa, and Ben is calling someone a Tickle Turd. 

And on that note, may I introduce you to 

This week (and it's only Wednesday!) has been a fabulous one for blog posts. Here's some of my faves.

On fairy tales and letting my children believe at Svellerella

The one thing every parent needs to stop doing at Team Whitaker

State of the blog: Going forward at House for Five

20 states + 6 weeks + 3 kids + 1 van = Our next crazy idea at Carrots for Michaelmas

Changing the world with a bonfire, and a giveaway! at Like Mother Like Daughter

What we'd like new moms to know podcast from The Visitation Project

I want the tidying up, but not KonMari's brand of "Life Changing Magic" at Ordinary Lovely

#5Faves: Things about my husband at Everything to Someone

Raising Boys to Men - 12 insightful guidebooks for parents at Sole Searching Mama

God cares about skillful design, a guest post at Look to Him and Be Radiant (be sure to check out her giveaway!)


Have a fun day, all, and thanks for stopping in!

7QT - geesh, I'm done with today.

1 - Falshed Junk Mind by Milky Chance. I like their stuff.


2 - Today I got out of bed a little after 5am so I could get a head start on the day. Within fifteen minutes two of my kids were walking down the hall. Fifteen minutes later four of them were up. The day pretty much went downhill from there. Not that anything really went wrong, well, until L's thumb got smashed by a landscaping rock and we had to take her to a prompt care (not broken). But all day it just felt like I was losing; I was actually looking forward to the "Game Over."


3 - When L's thumb got smashed she was in intense pain - the worst of her life she kept telling me. However, in the midst of her really incredible pain she kept saying really sweet, cute things.

Talking to her thumb she sobbed, "I love you but why do you have to hurt so badly?"
After I asked her if she'd rather Daddy or I stay with her at the prompt care she replied, "I'd like Daddy to stay with me. If that's okay with you."
And my favorite: Trying to get her mind of the pain so she could calm down she said, "I'm going to think about rainbows."

4 - Today closes out Catholic Schools Week. I had every intention of writing a post about how much we love our school as I listed off all the reasons why, but it just kept sounding like some stupid "let's add to the mommy wars" post about how much better my parenting decision is than yours. That's not at all what I was going for, but I was in a funk (see above) and so, in the end, I edited it all away and just want you to know this:

Seven years ago I did not have a favorable opinion of Catholic schools. In my experience, the vast majority of Catholic school families were rich snobs who cared more about a hoity-toity private education than vibrantly living out an orthodox faith. My experience with several Catholic schools in my area has changed that perception, though, especially my experience with the parish school my children now attend.

Is our Catholic school perfect? No. There's a few things I'd like to change about it (like a new building, grass and a swing set for the older kids to play on, air conditioning, and there's a few excellent Catholic books I'd like to sneak into the curriculum / teacher book baskets.)

But our school is amazing and we are very, very fortunate to belong to the parish and school community.

If, for any reason, you want to hear more about why we send our kids to Catholic school please feel free to ask. Or you can read all of Kathryn's good posts on it.


5 - JP is 18 months and he is really, incredibly trying. Exhausting. Future JP, if you are reading this, I love you buddy, but oi vey!

If you follow me on Instagram on Facebook then you know that he climbs onto the counters and gets into the cookie jar. He climbs into his booster seat and buckles himself in and then cries because he can't get out. He opens the garage door and wanders around, in his bare feet, sometimes pushing the swivel sweeper. I've caught him swivel sweeping the driveway when it was 36 degrees outside. He reaches up to the counter and pulls down raw chicken, milk, knives, eggs, dirty dishes... AND he's still waking up at night!


6 - I know there are a lot of worthy people and places to tithe to, but if you have an extra $5, or $250, to give away please consider giving to my friend Emily who is hoping to be trained as a Creighton instructor. Thank you!


7 - When you watch the Super Bowl commercials this weekend pay attention to the pretty blonde playing the wife and mother in the Nissan commercial. She's my friend, Jolene.

Rome. I brought her on a pilgrimage with me even though she was a non practicing Presbyterian. It was the best. 

Thank you, Kelly, for hosting!

Ben and JF's first days of school

Remember waaaaay back in late summer when all the kids went back to school? All the moms posted pictures of their kids on the first day of school.

I did that for L, except I totally messed up and marked that she was a second grader instead of a first grader. Oops.

I never did it for JF, who began school the week after L. Double oops.

Nor did I do it for Ben, who began the week after JF. Triple oops.

So here I am, trying to make up for past mistakes.

JF was so excited for his first day of school (pre-school at the local public school so he can continue his speech therapy services). His brother and sisters kept talking about the bus (the bus!) and so he was excited too. Even though it was a new district and classroom for him, he seemed really pumped.

For some reason my camera fogged up, but that didn't stop me from getting a group picture. Look at how happy they are! The bus! The bus! JF gets to ride the bus!

 And then the bus came and JF realized he had to get ON the bus and LEAVE - ALONE!

I could hear him screaming as they drove away. :(

The next day I didn't stand and wave, just walked him to the bus, said good-bye and walked away. He still cried. The next day I asked him if he wanted to take flowers to his teacher and he loved that idea. For weeks we would pick flowers from our landscaping and, clutching them tightly, he would climb the steps of the bus with a huge, proud smile on his face and not even a hint of fear.

I'm so glad we ripped out those bushes and planted flowers.


The week after JF started was Ben's first day of Pre-K4 at our parish's school. After having his brother and sister go off to school every day without him for a whole year, he was ready. He was pumped!

We did the first day of school questionnaire and I love his answers.

Poor little boy, boat building is not a part of the curriculum.

But he has learned so much. Both my boys have. They are having so much fun and they love school.
It's such a delight to see my boys thrive.


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What I Learned in Kindergarten

In the next three weeks I will have three first days of school. L begins first grade on tomorrow, Monday. The following Monday JF will begin pre-k 3 and the week after that Ben will begin pre-k 4.

"It's the most wonderful time of the year!"

 If you can't tell from my mantel, I am looking forward to it.

Last year I was so nervous, so sentimental. This year I am so tired. But I also understand things now that I didn't a year ago, especially after some recent conversations, one with some friends and one with a priest .

In kindergarten I learned that I am definitely an introvert and often I am shy, even if I sometimes test ENFJ. Even so, I want a strong community of women of all ages and stages - real, Catholic women who celebrate feast days and go to confession and are embracing their crosses or just trying to because it can be so hard sometimes, dangit! I want women who laugh and drink and pray and I want to them to exist as a group which is full of mentors. I want the older moms to teach the younger moms and the younger moms to teach the youngest moms. I also learned in kindergarten that such a group does not exist at my parish and I have no idea what to do about it. I just learned that maybe that's my problem to fix and maybe it's not and I need to pursue that answer with real humility. (Lord, have mercy and help me with that one, please.)

I learned in kindergarten that I'm looking for whole families of fellow parishioners (I don't even care if your kids attend home, public, or the parochial school) who will walk with my family as we embrace our faith which is true, beautiful, sometimes weird, sometimes hard, and often very fun.

Wise owls.

I learned in kindergarten that I am not the only one wanting my children's school to be a place filled with the Holy Spirit, engaging kids academically and spiritually. I also came to understand that there are parents at my children's school who have chosen it because they went to private school, liked it, and want something similar for their kids. I understand that all of us are at different stages of life, grief, holiness... we are all doing the best we can with what we have.

Politically incorrect chalkboard, anyone? Yes, please.

More than anything, what I learned in kindergarten, after two years of pathetic attempts at super basic "homeschool" preschool (we're talking letter, shape, and number recognition here along with a little catechism), is that I need structure and I am really bad at giving it to myself. Our days ran so much more smoothly when the school day made us get up, get dressed, and be out the door by a certain time. Our home was immeasurably more peaceful following the school day routine. And perhaps most importantly I thrived with that schedule. Thrived.

I understand that through the next three weeks my life will be pretty rough. Grumpy kids, tired and worn out from new schedules, learning, playing, and new friends, will come home hungry and ready for a nap. I also understand that after those adjustment weeks we will hit a pace and we will all thrive.

JP's birthday present worked perfectly.

I was reminded recently that God called us to this school. He made it obvious that to me over the course of one weekend that my children should be at the parish school. Kendra told me recently that she thinks "some of us are called to a modified cloistered vocation and some of us are called to a modified missionary vocation within our vocation to motherhood. Both are good." Wow, I could not agree more and I'm so grateful for that perspective. Obviously because God has called us to our parish school there is some aspect of missionary work He wants us to do and to also be the recipients of. That's exciting to me and also a little intimidating but God is good and wants what is best for me.

In kindergarten I saw again and again how blessed we are and how good people are. In kindergarten I saw how wonderful a Catholic education* can be. Looking back at the last school year I can tell you confidently that this really is the most wonderful time of the year: school is starting and there are friends to be made, new learning experiences to be had, a little bit more quiet in my home. ;)


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About my mantle:

My friend Amanda inspired my mantel with her awesome one:

I was so inspired that I literally pulled up her picture on Facebook and ran around my house, collecting things to use for my own.

I took some objects from other parts of my house - owl candle from the kitchen, books from the living room, chalkboard and alphabet toy from playroom - and put them all together. Not as cute as Amanda's but still pretty cute, if I do say so myself.

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* I feel like I should make a disclaimer. I know that Catholic education is not an option for a lot of you. Some Catholic schools are more elitist private schools and they very much lack any sort of orthodoxy and faith. Some Catholic schools are just too expensive, have no scholarships or multiple-children discounts, or are too far away. This post is not to make anyone feel bad about not giving their kids a Catholic education. Public, private, or homeschool: you do NOT have to defend your schooling choice to me! No way! I support you! And salute you! And cheer you on!