{SQT} Feast of All Souls and More

1. Feast of All Souls (celebrated over two days)

On Saturday, after bustling about all morning doing our weekend housecleaning chores, we attended a Solemn High Requiem Mass for the Feast of All Souls. Then a family new to town came over for "linner" (late lunch, early dinner!) and the eleven total children had a grand old time.

I was just walking in the door straight from Mass, so the other wife and I put out a picnic meal that was quite satisfactory to all: hot dogs and buns, chicken nuggets from Chik-Fil-A, deli potato salad, seven-layer salad made earlier, fruit and cheese tray, boxed mac and cheese, chips, and store-bought pumpkin pie for dessert.

This time I remembered to put out all the food, but not any forks, so I am improving.

On Sunday after Mass, we organized praying for the poor holy souls at the local Catholic cemetery. The priest led many parishioners in the prayers and then we all enjoyed "soul cakes" (doughnuts and various sweet treats), cocoa, and coffee.

2. Scholastic Scenes

At the doorway entering to our school room . . .

A new history unit means new history novels put out to read!

Listening to the history chapter while playing with Flexees . . .

Doing history mapwork, even the four-year-old doing a good job!

Drawing the Boston Tea Party for history while listening (again) to the chapter . . .

First math test of the year . . .

 Reading . . .

Preschoolers sorting colors . . .

An hour-long class through Our Journey Westward: No Sweat Nature Study! on the subject of squirrels and other rodents . . .

Our first lesson was on photosynthesis and the one in two weeks will be on seed dispersal--highly recommended so far!

Also education . . . John and Chris were certified in CPR by the Red Cross this week, so now we have four family members who have been trained.

3. Hosting

On Monday, Chris had some men over, which turns out to be the easiest type of hosting. I made sure the downstairs was clean, tucked in the children early (oh darn!), and then disappeared upstairs for an early night of reading in silence, having not even had to plan any food because the fellas just grabbed a beer and some peanuts out of a jar.

On Tuesday, I hosted a meeting of the Confraternity of Catholic Homeschool Mothers (see Rosie's wonderful book--highly recommended!), which took more planning than peanuts and beer, but was wonderful. Actually, my two daughters saw what I was doing and stepped right in, insisting on laying out everything  and decorating themselves--if you've read Rosie's book, you know Rosie would have been pleased!

It is so important to have pragmatic and spiritual support for the venture of homeschooling: other women walking the exact same path at the same time, women who can remind you of all the incredible positives and blessings, and women who can hear your heartbreaks without telling you just to quit homeschooling.

4. Scripture

We have waxed and waned at how much actual Scripture the children read or hear. I'm much better about requiring holy reading each morning (which, in execution, is a few mornings each week): actual meditative books or hagiographies (saint biographies), but not so often actual Scripture. I've been on a kick for two months of reading a chapter-a-day of Scripture, as encouraged by an online pal of mine and I've wanted to get the kids back to Scripture exposure as well. 

Listening to Scripture while eating cereal . . . no cartoons!

This week, I've been playing the Truth and Life New Testament CDs during the early morning hours. It sure does quiet down children who mostly sit and listen. Joseph (6), in particular, will get right up next to the CD player and listen for an hour straight!

Thus, we will carry on this experiment as long as it is working.

I'd love for us to actually memorize scripture, but that seems like one of the many enrichment activities I yearn to do and never have time to do while simply trying to cover the basics.

5. Creating a Prayer Corner

Speaking of reading more scripture, I will share photos of our Prayer Corner, as I think of it. This is where I send kids as many mornings per week as I can manage to go say their daily offerings and do five to ten minutes of holy reading. This is also where I make it a daily goal--but do not achieve that perfectly!--to sit and do my morning prayer time while the earliest risers are awake, little tots climbing in my lap, people asking for me to pour cereal ("just a few minutes, honey . . .").

I have two chairs to sit in with a reading lamp, as well as a prie-dieu for kneeling. There is a lamp for reading by.

I've collected good material for meditation and holy edification for all ages and placed it in this desk.

There is a laminated prayer sheet for basic morning prayers, a box full of examinations of conscience for going to Confession, and our current holy reading books.

On the shelves above are numerous other books I have found to be good material for morning reading, which I make more easily available to inspire children and myself.

Of course, a Prayer Corner can be created in many different ways! It might be a simple basket in the corner of the living room by the couch. It might be a converted closet. It might be an entire bedroom turned into a chapel. Do you have any family Prayer Corners designs or morning prayer routines to share?

6. Miscellaneous Moments

The first fire in our new home has turned into many evening fires this week--very conducive to praying the family rosary!

I love siblings reading to each other (way more than I love their bickering) . . .

Second-ever haircut (I think!) for David (28 months old)!

In pragmatic life skills (also learning!), John baked bread this week and Margaret planted my pansies and ornamental kale . . .

7. Movie Review

I've added numerous movie reviews lately to my document "Movie Reviews from a Traditional Catholic Perspective." It isn't slick and professional in its presentation, but some friends might find it helpful!

“Night Crossing” (1982), rated PG, review by KTL

Our family watched this movie and was on the edge of our seats the entire time! It led to a fruitful political discussion and everybody raved about it. We let our 8, 10, and 12 years old watch it, but covered our 8-year-old’s eyes during the one violent scene. I highly recommend it!

Review from “Deep Roots at Home”:

One reviewer writes:

“Tired of superheroes and special effects? Weary of ear-damaging noise levels and gore-fests? Had it with bumbling parents and their smart mouth kids? Rent “Night Crossing,” the 1982 Disney release based on the true story of two families who escaped from East Germany in 1979 in a homemade hot air balloon.

"Night Crossing opens with three families — the Kellers, the Strelzyks and the Wetzels — all of whom are close friends. When the Keller’s oldest son, Lukas, is killed trying to escape to the west, his family is destroyed by his death and the cruel treatment of the survivors by the secret police, or Stasi. (The violence here is brief, but disturbing. We see and hear as Lukas is torn apart by automatic machine gun fire from weapons imbedded in the border fence. Be prepared. This is the only such scene.) The other two families realize that they can no longer live as prisoners in their own land. They resolve to escape.

Inspiring Theme: Holding out hope for freedom for your family, going against the odds to secure liberty for your posterity. This true story is incredibly inspiring and one that should be watched and discussed with older children. Truly remarkable."

WORTH WATCHING AND DISCUSSING in light of many of the things that are currently happening in America.

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