Parish Homeschoolers' Afternoon Co-op 2014-15

We arrived back home just in time to leap back into the routine. On Wednesday we were asleep in our own beds by 1:00 in the morning, then on Thursday were piano lessons, and Friday was our first day of homeschooling co-op and the children's Latin choir concert.

I have been feeling grateful for a fairly well-established routine for homemaking because I feel less overwhelmed unpacking us from nine days of traveling. Sure, on Thursday I did six loads of laundry, but otherwise we just stepped right back into our regular schedule . . . that day we'd clean the bathrooms, the next day we'd clean the van, the next day we'd vacuum . . . . There is no need for me to feel entirely out of sorts and distressed that we're transitioning back into our own nest at home.

I am feeling the fruits of order and calm . . . because we have enough frenetic and exasperated moments as it is! We don't need more.

Friday was our first day of the homeschoolers' Afternoon Co-op at our parish.

(Do I have a cute representative photo? No, I forgot!)

I am liaison of the organization this year and I think it's going to be a good year as we've increased our meetings from every other week to weekly and we've tripled the number of classes.

Courses offered this year are:

• Boys' Club (my brainchild, taught by a dad, currently ages 4-9--going to be so great!)
• Writing class (IEW curriculum, grade 4+)
• Drawing (ages 9+, taught by professional)
• Sign Language (for all ages, taught by professional)
• Chess (for younger and older, taught by professionals)
• Arts and Crafts (for ages 3-6ish)
• Free play in gymnasium

After two weeks off, our Mater Dei Catholic School will start back to academics on Monday and I'm working on a refreshed schedule to represent our time now that Shakespeare and Latin choir commitments have ended.

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Bonus Reading: What 10 Priests Say About Video Games. Obviously these are the opinions of ten priests, not of the Catholic Church herself, but they certainly echo the opinion of Chris and myself as well. My favorite quote, while not very moderated or nuanced, is from Fr. Edward Connolly of Pennsylvania:

"Reality is where I work out my salvation. Reality is where I meet Mom and Dad, Brother and Sister, Son and Daughter, Wife or Husband, God and Neighbor and, come to think of it, Myself. Video games are Alternate Reality. There I can pretend that I don’t have Mom, Dad, Brother, Sister, Son, Daughter, Wife or Husband, God or Neighbor. Only Myself. It’s kind of like Hell."