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Monday, October 12, 2015

{This and That}

We are finished with term exams and have launched into Term 2.  Exam week went a little rockier than usual because we all got hit with a bad cold (me on down to the baby).  We got a nice light day of exams in on Monday and then crashed.  By the end of the week, the kids were well enough to take their exams back up again, but I wasn't well enough to administer any but the written portions and some audio-recorded questions.  It will be funny to look back on these recordings, with my barely-there voice and the kids' raspy, nasal replies.  So it was a lighter rounds of exams this time but still successful, I think.  I'll share more about them another day.

I always schedule a special teatime to celebrate the end of the term and of exam week, but this time I was too sick to manage it and the kids were asking me every few hours when we were having our treat a tad disappointed.  But we finally got around to it a few days later, when in my sick-and-tired state, I stumbled upon these at the store and popped them right into my cart:


It was the perfect post-nature study snack.  Thank you, Trader Joe's!

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We read this line from Age of Fable today and I immediately thought of my girls:
"Their faces were not all alike, nor yet unlike--but such as sisters' ought to be."

I see very little resemblance other than hair and eye color, actually, but we get comments all the time on how similar they look.  (And often we're asked whether they are two sets of twins--I definitely don't see that!)

I took my girls for birthday treats (above) and then haircuts (below) this weekend and we had such a fun time.


I love that all four of my girls are old enough to enjoy a (very rare) outing alone with Mommy!

(And the short hair is perfect for the triple-digits weather we're having this week.  You know, just in time for fall. ;))

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We also spent a few minutes over the weekend planning All Saints' Day costumes.  Since my due date is All Saints' Day, I'm not planning a party this year (like I have in the past), nor am I entirely sure we'll even make it out trick-or-treating the night before.  So I strongly encouraged them to pull out the ones from last year so that they don't get too disappointed if not much celebrating (other than Mass, of course) happens.  We went through the bin and are reusing all of them, so I just need to assemble a veil and crown for St. Bridget of Sweden and we should be set.

I am, however, promising them coloring pages and apple cider either way, and they can dress up all they like here at home!

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Another bit from this week's reading that immediately struck me, this time a section on the brown pelican from O'Dell's The Cruise of the Arctic Star, which we're reading for California geography/history this year:
"Two years ago when you sailed along this part of the coast early in the morning, you would always find them skimming the sea, ten or twelve birds in a flight.  They flew without moving their wings, in a long glide and one after the other, along the line of the surf where the waves were just beginning to crest, so close to the water that they were at times covered with spray, touching the water now and again with the tips of their wings, so close that you marveled that they did not crash.  It seemed that they were not searching for food, nor were they on their way anywhere.  It was a flight of pure joy."



See that line along the horizon?  We comment on them just about every time we're at the shore.  They fly in single file all morning long and are beautiful to watch.

~~~

The cold put me behind a bit in my nesting plans, but I did get my big project for this pregnancy finished and I couldn't be happier about it.  I spent a long day cleaning out the garage, really for the first time since we moved into this house four years ago.  My saintly husband, who always puts up with my crazy nesting schemes, pulled down just about everything from our storage shelves so that I could sort through them, took a huge load to the dump, pulled another couple loads of donations and recycle to the curb for pickup, and just generally served as my heavy lifter.  It feels like we cut the garage clutter by half and I am so happy every time I walk through there that I almost don't even care that I haven't done much else on my nesting list yet.

Almost.  I'm a bit behind, but now that I'm not sick, I'm back on the warpath!  This week: sewing Christmas gifts, preparing Italian activities for Terms 2 and 3, and going through the filing cabinets.  Wish me luck!

(I know I have quite a few pregnant friends right now: anyone else in crazy-nesting-energy mode?)

~~~

Have I mentioned Mother Mary Loyola?  Oh, I have?  Like a thousand times? 

Well, I can't help but mention her again!  We just began Hail Full of Grace for my 4th graders' spiritual reading for Term 2 and it's fantastic.  The introduction alone ignited my kids' excitement about our daily rosary, and they are highly anticipating our journey through her meditations on the mysteries.  As always, the depth of her insights on the topic are rich and her writing both simple and literary.  And it's the perfect length to enjoy over a school term.  

I also picked up Forgive Us Our Trespasses for this Lent, which should coincide nicely with our Term 3.


(By the way, you can also find her works free online also!)

~~~

I'll be back early tomorrow with this month's Keeping Company link-up.  Looking forward to chatting about notebooking with all of you!

11 comments:

  1. Our two middle-ish boys, about 2 years apart, often get asked if they are twins and practically everyone outside the family gets them confused. They've always kept pace with each other height wise but otherwise they are as different as chalk & cheese. Have your two older girls had a growth spurt recently??

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    1. How funny! Yes, they both got quite a bit taller over the summer; my oldest daughter actually surpassed my oldest son by half an inch a few months ago. :)

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  2. The O'Dell quote and photo are lovely, as are your children.

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  3. Sorry y'all got hit with a virus. I always feel like when that happens in our family it takes me about two weeks to catch up. From sleep, laundry, an everything else that got put on the back burner. But with nesting mode in full swing maybe you will actually get caught up and ahead. =)

    Your girls are lovely. They definitely look like sisters. But twins, not seeing it at all. Similar noses as well as hair and eye color. And two with a similar face shape. I could see as the littles get older them looking even more alike.

    Do you ever deliver early? Because you could have a baby by All Saint's Day! I'm so excited to see pictures of your new little one!

    I also have been LOVING the blog you linked to in a recent post, Pondered In My Heart. I've tried one of her recipes, ordered two of her book recommendations, and love seeing her close family. Thank you for the recommendation.

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    1. Hi Virginia Lee!

      Yes, two weeks--exactly. It has been 2.5 weeks now and I am finally over my cough, I think! I'm just glad we got it through our systems before baby arrives. Hopefully we won't come down with anything else between now and then. I really detest bringing a newborn home to a sick household (though I have had to do that once before).

      My girls' similar noses are definitely thanks to the Filipino side of the family! I have my Italian dad's side to thank for my, ahem, bigger-nose genes. ;) I hoped that my kids would take after my husband in that area and they do. LOL

      Can you believe that all my babies have been late? My earliest was three days late, so I'm thinking a November baby is a surety but probably not on All Saints' Day itself (though that would certainly be lovely!).

      I am so glad you discovered Kimberlee. She is a gem and her homeschooling family has inspired me for years. :)

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  4. We love Mother Mary Loyola too! We are reading First Communion right now. I get so much out of it myself, so it's not just for the kids!

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    1. Exactly! We read First Communion together over two years and I learned so much. It is now one of my very favorite spiritual books. I'm glad you are enjoying it too. :)

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  5. HAHAHA! I love your nesting projects...come on over, Rover! I have tons of areas that need major help! :) ;) So glad you guys are getting better!

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    1. If I run out of things to do here, I'll hit your house up next! LOL Really, it is so much easier for me to endure the last couple weeks if I stay super busy--it keeps me from going stir-crazy. :)

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  6. We love Mother Loyola, too! You will love Forgive Us Our Trespasses!!!! It dramatically improved our preparation for confession! I jotted copious notes and outlined the entire book - it was just so good!!

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    1. So glad to read your recommendation, Jen! I always trust your judgment and I'm certain we'll appreciate it too given how much we have enjoyed her other works. She's a gem.

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