{SQT} Successful Strewing

1. St. Patrick's Day

We had a large family over for supper on Saturday, so the 18 of us enjoyed a St. Patrick's meal in advance: corned beef brisket, potatoes and carrots, cooked cabbage, pasta, green salad, and fruit salad.

Then on Sunday, the actual feast day, we had great fun at a festive potluck at church. John (12) had the idea to make Irish soda bread to contribute, inviting his 3-year-old brother to help him.

After Mass, the girls' choir, including Mary (10), sang festive songs for the parishioners.

2. Margaret's birthday

On Wednesday, we celebrated Margaret's eighth birthday: click here to read about it!

3. Spring Is Sprung!

It has still been crisp with highs in the low 60s, but the sun has been shining and the trees are blossoming!

How cute are these brothers going on a walk with their swords?

The birds who made a nest inside our garage last year returned. After they spent all day flying in and out of our open garage door, we found where they were trying to nest: in our bins of socks!

4. Strewing Books

I find common ground with unschoolers in the practice of strewing books: click here for a lovely article on the practice of strewing.

"Strewing is the art of casually yet strategically leaving “invitations” for learning and creativity out for your kids to discover on their own."NOTE: Strewing is not about adding to the clutter. It’s about creating subtle but irresistible invitations. Product placement if you will. Strewing works best, in fact, in an uncluttered space."

I have been strewing for years, mostly with books, but with other learning opportunities as well. It works like a charm and no children have figured me out yet. For example, I have been desiring my 6-year-old who is only a beginning reader to start having his own 'holy reading' time using something pictoral. Rather than assign him something, this week I placed in our den "Art Through Faith" and when he came downstairs in the wee hours of Monday morning, he found it. I said nothing. He picked it up, got himself a blanket, and looked at it carefully, then began asking questions. He did this most mornings this week.

His three-year-old brother picked up the book after him and did the exact same thing. And on Thursday, I found my 12-year-old spending a full 45 minutes in the morning quietly reading this book.

I bought this tome containing 292 of "The World's Greatest Speeches," knowing I wanted my children to immerse themselves in the fine language used by such orators and wondering how I would fit that in. I fit it in by casually leaving this book out in our Bonus Room. Suddenly this week, my 12-year-old disappeared numerous times at length and then I'd find him deeply ensconced in reading this book. He's read many, many speeches this week.

For years and years, when I have wanted a child to read a book, I simply lay it in a place where I know the child is likely to sit, eat, or sleep, and it usually tempts them to dive in all by themselves.

Art appreciation is something I don't have time to teach formally right now, but it is a subject that tugs at my heart. Therefore, I tacked up an art print from "Art Masterpieces" at Catholic Heritage Curriculum. I flipped open the teacher's guide, wrote out a few key facts in Sharpie pen on a simple lined sheet of paper, and tacked that up, too, saying nothing to introduce this to the children. Throughout the week, I saw various kids stand by the picture and read all about it, and finally one of them came to me and requested to see the next picture posted.

I put up a wall map with no announcement, knowing I don't have time to teach formal geography right now beyond pointing to a map sometimes when we're reading aloud History. Well, guess which 12-year-old brother gave his 6-year-old brother a half-hour lesson on the states, with plans to continue teaching more later?

5. Creative Pursuits

Older teaching younger chess before breakfast . . .

Making an effort to have us listen to a story during breakfast or lunch in order to encourage QUIET instead of CACOPHONY. I highly recommend the "Your Story Hour" CDs! They offer so many patriotic and historic stories of Americans.

I realized I haven't been recording the piano pursuits of Joseph (6) but he's really taking off, including in figuring out popular music on his own, like Star Wars. Ha!

The kids have been making bird mobiles since attending Bird Camp last week. I have paper birds all over my home.

The 8-year-old set up this bird-making art station.

Thomas (3) is drawing up a storm, including a whole series of robots (which he still calls "rosebots") this week.

John (12), the chef, making his famous fried chicken for dinner . . .

7. Miscellaneous

Lenten meditations continue

Margaret reading aloud school work to Joseph and Thomas

I read a childhood story about a girl who ate the first bite out of all the apples in the bushel because the first bite tastes best. Similarly, my Thomas (3) has been taking a single bite out of deli chicken slices and leaving the remainders around the house.

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