{SQT} Surgery

N.B. What would edify others to read or see in a Catholic homeschooling blog? I feel like I truly have nothing to say that isn't straw and that most families are homeschooling, disciplining, organizing their homes, and practicing their faith far, far better than am I. Just recently, I had the opportunity to chat with some women and came away thinking everyone of them should be a light in the cyber-world for others while I should pack it up for my lack of anything truly worthwhile.

1. Non-Scholarship Federation

John, Mary, and Margaret participated in Non Scholarship Federation last Saturday, all earning Superiors on their Theory tests. John had already earned a Superior at Scholarship Federation for his piano piece, and on this day the girls played piano in Non-Scholarship, each earning Superiors. We are proud of all their diligent hard work for months!

2. Visiting the Orchestra

Margaret (8) joined her sister for a Bring-a-Friend event to the youth orchestra: she enjoyed herself so much!

3. Lent Begins

This Lent has started a little rocky because I was preparing pragmatically and emotionally for John's surgery (see below), but I forgave myself for not having everything completely planned the way I like it. Even a "Type A" personality is allowed to keep developing Lent while in Lent!

On Shrove Tuesday, Joseph helped me make traditional pancakes for breakfast.

We are reading aloud from Around the Year with the Von Trapp Family from my yellowed first edition 1955 copy: the section on Lent is quite edifying.

The children each have a Lenten calendar to color, which we are doing at entirely random times as the Spirit moves us.

After coming home from John's surgery on Ash Wednesday, we made probably my sloppiest-ever salt dough crown of thorns.

Individuals are giving up or doing various things, but one thing our whole family is embracing is watching only "holy shows" during Lent: shows that have something to do with Catholicism or Christianity in general. We've ordered a few new DVDs of Catholic movies that cannot be found streaming. While it is a hard transition at first (especially for the little tots going through withdrawal from "Fireman Sam"), we really enjoyed this sacrifice last Lent.

(Note that I've added reviews of Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson Story and The Case for Christ to my movie reviews.)

Various of us are reading particularly holy books during Lent; given the number of deaths in my extended family of late, I have chosen as my daily reading Preparation for Death: Considerations on Eternal Truths by St. Alphonsus Liguori.

Even little Thomas (4) has his Lenten reading! I have read to each of our children the 20 books of the Catholic Children's Treasure Box series right around ages four or five, so now Thomas' time has come . . . but big sister Mary is doing his daily catechism with him! He absolutely loves it.

4. Ash Wednesday: Surgery

With John's permission, I post . . . For John (13), the last nine months or so have been an odyssey of painful flare-ups investigated by a half dozen specialist doctors before John was diagnosed with having a calcified stone in his salivary duct (the kind one more commonly has in a kidney). The statistics I've read are that this effects only 0.45% of the population and most of the professionals we saw had never or rarely seen this in their entire careers. We arrived at five in the morning on Ash Wednesday for John to have endoscopic surgery under general anesthesia.

Patient status screen in the waiting room

The organizational system at the surgical center was superior and the medical staff were absolutely wonderful. Ultimately, it was God's will that this much easier endoscopic surgery was not successful. The stone is too large to be removed in that low-risk manner. The surgeon presented us with several options for John and we foresee that he is going to need the more invasive, riskier surgery to remove the stone, the risks involving facial surgery always being permanent nerve damage. However, we will know more after we go next week for a post-op, in-depth consultation with the surgeon.

This experience affected us parents emotionally more than we were prepared for and I have grown greatly in empathy for my parent-friends who have children who have experienced much more serious surgeries (brain, heart, vital organs, etc.). I possessed ignorant sympathy (and that's fine) but no empathy, as I could not have understood what it is like to send a child into surgery and to witness them so vulnerable afterward.

John is exceedingly blessed to have the faith, two married parents who are devoted to raising their children, health insurance, and the best health care system in the world--but really, mostly, I think the faith is his greatest asset. This ongoing experience is an opportunity for him to lean on God and grow in maturity in his faith.

5. Creativity

The children have been drawing a lot this week, as well as writing numerous snail mail letters (always!) to relatives and pen pals plus one child is writing a novel. Even Thomas (4) keeps having me help him write letters to a little friend, "Dear ____, You are my friend. I love you. When is your birthday? From, Thomas"

Drawing by Joseph (7)

Drawing by Thomas (4)

Our eight-year-old has been working on a cross-stitching gift all week and takes it with her everywhere she goes.

In the past two weeks, I haven't been able to focus so much on Joseph's first grade beyond reading and math, but I hope it is still reflective of learning that he is getting out his tool set daily to build things entirely of his own design.

Brothers deciding to draw together

Even musically, the children are being creative: by this time of the year in the competition season, the are bored of their songs, so they've all picked "fun songs" to work on independently from their teachers. Margaret is learning Mozart's Piano Sonata No.16 in C major, K.545; Mary is tackling Joplin's The Entertainer; and John is working on Joplin's Maple Leaf Rag. Very fun and so much better than those hours spent on passive TV or video games!

I keep a fairly organized home because clutter causes me great stress. That said, I find that my husband and I really do value all these opportunities for creativity and non-screen entertainment, even though these pastimes all require messes. A sewing closet, a dress-up closet, a Lego closet, building blocks for the little kids, tools and wood scraps available in the garage, a large cabinet of art supplies, a cupboard full of family board games, plants for gardening indoors and out, binders of sheet music and piles of sheet music that escape that bonds. As I guide clean-up each evening, but still mostly am doing it myself, I have adopted a practice of quietly being thankful for the creativity that led to the mess. It works a good percentage of the time on my attitude, but not always, not yet!

6. Nature

One day we were doing math at the table when we noticed this hawk had landed right outside our window! We think it may have been stunned because it would only hop around a couple of feet at a time. After a few minutes--during which we'd already planned to cancel the day of school and call the local birds of prey rehabilitation center--the hawk regained her strength and flew off.

Oh well, back to the math books!

7. Miscellaneous Moments

This week, we attended "Pinocchio"at the children's theater (no pics).

Cooking mashed potatoes

One day it was drizzly, so big sister wrapped up the two-year-old in towels and plunked him on the front step to watch his brother: he just loved being cozy!

During history one day, we were discussing Uncle Tom's Cabin and abolitionists, and the toddler joined us and kept saying, "Uncle Tom's cabin!"

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