{SQT} Zipping Back and Forth From Nebraska

1. Two Parties in One Day

Last Saturday was one hustle-and-bustle day, with chores in the morning, youth orchestra, attending a surprise fortieth birthday party in the afternoon, and then straight on to a Barn Bash at our parish.

I took few photos at the Barn Bash because I wanted to respect the teenaged dancers, especially in case any of them were already mustering braveness to be out there dancing. However, nobody seemed shy!

The many families prayed the rosary together, then ate an extensive potluck before a professional caller taught everyone how to square dance to wholesome music. Attendees were asked to wear Western Wear (prizes were given), which by its mere theme encouraged quite modest dressing.

All ages danced together and I so much appreciated watching the joy in dancers' faces, whether on this round a 12-year-old boy was dancing with a toddler, a pretty girl his age, a high-schooler, or an old, slow mom!

On Sunday, we got to attend a baptism as well (no pictures), so it was a big weekend of celebrations! God is so good to us.

2. Grandma Camie's Memorial

We rushed home from all those festivities for me to pack up Sunday evening for a Monday flight out to Nebraska for my grandmother's memorial: I wrote about my trip here.

3. Dad Managing the Home

The four children at home enjoyed their time with Dad. I wish I could say that everything went Amazingly Perfectly and all my lists were followed to a tee, but that wouldn't be accurate, nor would it probably be good for my soul for me to have that much control and success.

Chris had to juggle an emergency dental appointment, two music lessons, six scheduled online classes for students, Mary's teaching appointment with her piano student, taking everyone to Confession, and arranging a ride to get John to the annual Corn Maze event (more on that below).

I had written out independent school lists for the seventh and fifth graders and I wish I could say that I'm such a Superior Mother that I've trained them to obediently do all their work unsupervised  . . . but that would be a lie! I wrote out their chore lists so I would not come home to backed-up laundry and I wish I could say I'm such a Superior Mother that those chores were done due to my sheer authority from 1,500 miles away . . . but, again, I'd be lying about my own capabilities!

I did assign Mary to cook dinner on Monday and John to cook dinner on Tuesday, and this they did beautifully and independently, which was a big help to their dad.

Mary served store-bought rotisserie chicken, (frozen) bread rolls, a green salad, a homemade rice-and-vegetables dish, and, for dessert, a homemade apple crisp.

John served homemade fried chicken, boxed mac and cheese, and (frozen) corn niblets.

Honestly, these are the meals I prepare on my best days and I am so proud of their contribution to the family in my absence.

4. Corn Maze

This year, John attended for the first time a Fall Corn Maze event for the youth sixth grade and older in our homeschool group. Virtually everything these kids in large families attend involves a gaggle of little siblings, so this is a treasured event with only big kids. Plus it is at night, which adds to the excitement!

Stock photo from Country Days Corn Maze

Many moms and dads attended, so the event is pretty darn well supervised. The families arrive via a wagon ride and then get to roast hot dogs and s'mores over the bonfires. Young folk then run around playing farm games--that sounded so cool, involving things that shoot and fire and boom hundreds of feet away--and then they gather into groups, with the dads as well, to tromp through the corn maze that should take an hour . . . but some groups that shall remain nameless needed to be rescued and escorted out by the staff after they took too long!

I greatly appreciated Country Days Corn Maze for its family-friendly atmosphere. There were no creepy or ghoulish decorations. One could select from three sets of clues to run the corn maze and the themes were capitols, something else clean (I forget), and the Bible. Included among the posted rules for the facility were no foul language and no alcohol.

It was loads of fun and the fellas did not get home till about ten at night.

5. Theater

Our life hasn't slowed down in years it seems . . . my plane landed at 5:00, John's corn maze went from 5:30 p.m. till 10:00, and the next morning, Chris and I had to be at a notary public to sign paperwork at 8:00 a.m. before I whisked four of the children to see "The Adventures of Madeleine" at the community theater.

I believe this might have been Thomas' first theater experience. He certainly knew how to dress, since he is in his Mr. Rogers phase, and his behavior was wonderful, still, and quiet for the hour-long performance. (I wish he behaved this way for even five minutes at the dinner table.) The script was excellent and true to the books, and the production and acting were delightful.

6. Schooling versus Learning

It is so easy to make an idol out of homeschooling and making it look exactly perfectly how it "should be" for one's family. I admit to feeling really frustrated lately that I just can't seem to have all kids completing all of their lists every day. Why can't I be absent--whether a three-day flight to Nebraska or a simple doctor's appointment or simply be downstairs changing a diaper--and expect older kids to do their independent work? Why on earth can't the three Rs get done every day by every one?! Why is it such a challenge to get kids to do music practice?

Life is so busy, so full, sometimes with joyful activities, but sometimes with challenges, illnesses, and difficulties.

I keep trying to tell myself that learning (not "school") might not look prissy perfect like I want it to look, but surely they are learning . . .

This week, our seventh grader finished up two books he has spent two months reading:

• "With God in Russia" (1964) by Walter J. Cisnek, S.J. for his morning holy reading
• "The Deerslayer" (1841) by James Fenimore Cooper for his literature

Mary and I got certified in CPR on Sunday, while John and his Daddy are scheduled to get certified in a couple of weeks. That's learning!

During our time in airports this week, I had Margaret (8) guide us through the entire airport, stopping regularly to read signs and try to figure out, amidst everyone going to and fro, where on earth we were to go next. I stood quietly and waited for her to figure it out and tell me. She also learned how to pump gas for me this week. That's learning!

My older kids learned further how to cook independently for others, which does not just involve the making of the food, but getting it all timed to come out hot at once and presenting it beautifully. That's learning!

On Friday, we tried a new class called "No Sweat Nature Study." This woman teaches nature/science classes--with experiments!--for grades Kindergarten through eighth (all together) once monthly live. For the $10 monthly subscription (for the whole family), one can attend live or watch the class recorded anytime and it never expires.

We attended our first class (on photosynthesis) recorded today and, frankly, I'd rather attend it recorded so we could pause often to manage our supplies, change a diaper, or quiet a four-year-old.

My ten-year-old girl gathered all the supplies ahead of time for me!

The two-year-old only lasted a few minutes before I transferred the loud protester to watch a cartoon in the other room. The four-year-old lasted for half an hour and a few pictures in his nature journal before throwing a tantrum and leaving.

We did chromatography with black ink and drew various images showing photosynthesis in our nature journals.

After the class, we did a chromatography experiment with green oak leaves. One child was so inspired by nature journaling that much more was observed and journaled about in the back yard later.

This was a very popular session and something I really look forward to doing once monthly! (Next month: Squirrels!) That's learning!

(For 2019-20, I had the children read a Tiner or an Apologia science book last summer and that counted as their formal science for the year. However, I now wanted something throughout the year, so I signed us up for this monthly class and I purchased some excellent, Christian nature DVDs--which I will review on this blog in the future.)

All that said about how everything is good learning to make well-rounded students, despite the (numerous) imperfections--trying to encourage my dejected self!--my wheels are still turning to try a new format of assignment lists and a new Morning Basket time starting next week to get this place running more ship shape!

7. Bonus Content

"Katie's Greatest Desire"--a free coloring book in pdf format about a girl discovering her vocation as a nun

"Catholic Sprouts"--we have begun listening to this podcast, which is available daily, and I believe it is excellent. It is not particularly "traddie" and I bet it won't talk about the traditional Latin Mass at all, yet it has thus far (after about a month of listening) been entirely orthodox and meaty, yet it speaks at a children's level, yet without being pandering.

My goal, not yet achieved with consistency, is for us to listen to this 10-minute podcast daily over lunch. As it is, we listen when I remember.


For more 7 Quick Takes Friday, check out This Ain't the Lyceum.