1. Date Night at Home
Going on a date when you have six kids--even having a conversation in which one isn't interrupted every single sentence--is really tough. We told the children that we want to start trying to have in-home dates with some regularity. We'll see if we can manage this with our busy schedule!Well, the novelty was grand for the children. We set them up with frozen pizza and a movie selected by us, assigned each kid a little sibling with whom to be a "buddy," and forbade them to come talk to us . . . and meanwhile used Uber Eats to deliver take-out food to us, which is a fraction of the expense of hiring a babysitter!
There was much scurrying about and we were forbidden to go into the dining room until this beautiful scene was revealed: the children had set the table with a table cloth, lit candles, and had classical music playing. We have a tradition at Thanksgiving and Easter of allowing each child to drink out of his or her own silver baby cup, so the children put out our (teeny tiny) baby cups for us to quench our thirst! (The water cups in the above photo were the ones we secreted in later to have enough to drink.)
There was a note directing us to slowly open this heart tacked to the wall, into which the children had gathered the very last of their own chocolates and given them to us so we would have dessert. Cue the tears of tender feelings from Mama now!
Lastly, our three-year-old got his 25-piece puzzle of the United States and told us solemnly, "I put it under the table so that you can play it after you eat dinner."
2. Ice Skating for All!
John continues in Saturday ice skating-for-hockey lessons, which are loads of fun. This week, we signed up the other four kids to join ice skating lessons at the same time.
John got to assist in the three-year-olds' class.
3. NCMTA
John and Mary participated in the North Carolina Music Teachers Association regional competition and both scored highest honors! (Again, I have no photos as certain people are in a streak of not wanting photos taken.) Now, they're off to state competition in a few weeks!
"The NCMTA Piano Performance Festival is a prestigious contest. The judges are always cordial and pleasant, but they are strict, and Highest Honors ratings are hard to come by. Students earning a Highest Honors rating in NCMTA are considered very talented. In the Charlotte District, we average about five Highest Honors per fifty junior entrants.
Mary (10) performed:
- Aria by Handel
- Perpetual Motion by Andre Previn
- Inquietude by Moskowski
- Sonata in C Major K. 95 L. 358
- Consolation by Mendelssohn
- Jazz Exercise by Oscar Peterson
They're also preparing the same songs for the Forum competition in a week, and that one involves a Theory exam, so they are studying daily for that.
4. Sunday Fun
Sunday was a big, enjoyable family day. We went to an earlier Mass than usual, then out to brunch at an old favorite restaurant we haven't visited in years. Then Chris took the boys home for naps while the girls and I went to a Lilla Rose party and tried various hairstyles and beautiful accoutrements.
Then we zipped home for dinner before attending for our first time the solemn vespers so beautifully sung by the seminarians at our parish each Sunday at 5:30 p.m. This week, the bishop was there, too!
5. Ash Wednesday and Lent Plans
Each family member completed the "Lent Is Coming" worksheet.
This involves each family member:
- making a voluntary amendment of life (giving up a bad habit that has to go sometime anyway)
- doing an act of penance (training ourselves to say 'no' in the little things)
- doing an act of charity
Each child went through his or her personal worksheet with his or her dad's spiritual direction. Also, we parents made some choices for the whole family, such as:
- no sweets, except for Sundays
- watching only religious movies or TV for Lent, including Sundays
- children may choose to do extra chores to earn money for alms for the poor
- stopping to pray certain prayers when sibling fighting occurs
- doing Stations of the Cross on Fridays, at home or at a church (using these printables)
I made the Lenten calendar from Shower of Roses to post in the dining room.
I put out a basket of books on the subjects of Lent and Easter.
I will leave these out for children to discover and read on their own, as well as have big sibs read to little sibs (which they began doing the very first day).
I plan to lead "My Path to Heaven," an Ignatian retreat for children over Lent.
There are 12 meditations so I hope that aiming for even two per week is not too lofty of a goal--we shall see. We plan to do this instead of our normal morning prayers in the 8:00 hour, as I have learned that I can't just add on more and more and more: if I add one thing, I have to take something else out of the schedule.
Meanwhile, I plan to read through "The Month of St. Joseph," (1874) a book of daily meditations and resolutions. While intended to be read straight through in St. Joseph's month of March, my imperfections will probably cause this to last all six weeks of Lent.
On Ash Wednesday, we enjoyed the albeit very early 7:00 a.m. Mass and then, even though I was tired and suggested we simply go home to start school, the children insisted on going to our regular Wednesday Confession at another parish at 8:30, so we did.
We then baked our salt dough crown of thorns, a tradition which I skipped last year, I believe, causing much protest among the children.
6. Margaret and Joseph
These two, the closest born to each other, are the best of friends when they want to be!
7. Miscellaneous
It was quite cold this week, even in the 30s on Ash Wednesday, but we enjoyed SUNSHINE and were active outdoors a few times.
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| Margaret (7) reading aloud to her brothers in the crisp sunshine |
My growing-up son John mounted a new rosary display/organization shelf near the sitting area in our master bedroom where family rosary is said most of the time these days. I love it!
Artwork continues to abound in cracks of available time. I have two children currently writing fiction stories and children drawing pictures daily, so that we are drowning in paper, but that is okay.
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| Drawing of a fox by Mary (10) |
After a few months of bedtimes, I finished reading aloud James Baldwin's "Fifty Famous People" (1912) to Joseph (6)! He was engrossed in this book of famous people throughout time and across our world, and there were Big Emotions on the nights I read only a story to the three-year-old and not also Joseph's book. Well, Thursday night we finished the very last story, I closed the book, and beaming Joseph begged me to open the book up again and start over at the first story . . . so you know it was a great book!
I would not trade reading aloud to my children and the memories created!
For more 7 Quick Takes Friday, check out This Ain't the Lyceum--this is a great post about stopping trying to invent creative, complex ways to "do Lent," but just follow the traditional teachings of Lent.
For more 7 Quick Takes Friday, check out This Ain't the Lyceum--this is a great post about stopping trying to invent creative, complex ways to "do Lent," but just follow the traditional teachings of Lent.
What a rich and inspiring family life you lead!
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