Troops of St. George Campout

The weekend before Thanksgiving the Troops had their big campout.  They had the BEST time and learned a lot!  They learned about making fires, chopping wood, using an ax, and rope tying while singing and praying together.

The boys had made hobo dinners and cooked them on the fire!

The weather was a bit cool- perfect camping weather.  Marc said they slept great.  In the morning they had breakfast and prayer time before the activities. 

Marc said the boys got to watch this hawk attack a squirrel's nest and dive after the fleeing squirrel.  This all happened right above their heads.  (The squirrel got away).  

This was such a great time with some great boys with loving fathers.   So happy that we could go!

This and that

Well I had a little blogging break this week as I did my "get ready for Christmas" extravaganza.  It all started in November of 2008 when I was 8 months pregnant with Tucker.  I bought and wrapped every single Christmas gift before December and that was the happiest and most reflective Advent/Christmas I had ever had.  So now I try to do it every year.

I've gotten presents for all the grandparents, great-grandparents, sister-in-law, niece, 4 Sunday school teachers, 6 godchildren, art teacher, Latin teacher, piano teacher not to mention my four children!  And we have some December birthdays and anniversaries to celebrate.  So this is the start on wrapping-

We had Little Flowers last Sunday.  They learned about St. Catherine Labore and the miraculous medal and made their own out of tin foil.  :) 

 
Then they played outside-

On Friday after homeschool gym day some of the little girls came home with us.  The boys were on the Troops camp out so we had the house to ourselves!  On the way home we stopped by Chuck E Cheese to play. 

 

They decided that they wanted to put on a play and they did "St. George and the Dragon."  :)

The boys planted pumpkin seeds in October and they believe they have sprouted!

I have to get back to preparing for Thanksgiving.  Everyone is coming to our house this year- such a treat!

Alabama Museum of Natural History and black leggings reflections

Friday we took a field trip to the University of Alabama to see the Alabama Museum of Natural History.  We had never been there before and had a great time.

We had a great docent who taught the children all about the geology and natural history of Alabama.  

Some of us were less interested in all that than others.   Some of us are "tired about dis". 

Some of us just like to sit and ponder.  :)

Towards the end of the tour they broke the children up into groups and while one group went to a rocks and minerals lab the others stayed behind to do a scavenger hunt and play in the museum.  The older children went first.   
 

 

 

 

After the tour we ate lunch at the food court.  It was so interesting watching these college kids.  I would say 95% of the girls I saw had on black stretch "pants", t-shirt and tennis shoes.  I mean- ALL of them looked exactly the same!  The boys actually had much more fashion diversity- they had khaki pants, jeans, cords, etc.   I asked one student worker if this was a "casual Friday" thing or they literally ALL wore black leggings and t-shirts every day.  He said, "They wear it every single day.  They don't even wear jeans anymore."  I said, "what about the sorority girls- isn't there a day of the week they have to dress up?"  (There was when I was in college).  He said, "yes, on Wednesday they are supposed to, but they wear it to the first class and then go put the black stretch pants back on."  I said, "It doesn't seem like anybody is making an effort to put an outfit together?"  And he said, "you are right- it's demoralizing."    Kind of sad, isn't it?

We drove home and Marc had his first basketball practice!  (See how we had that nice three day break between sports seasons)  :)  Since Daddy was out of town I had to sit and wait with the three amigos.  They had their own fun playing on the gym stage. 

Of course when we got home I learned about the terrible, terrible news from France.  We are lifting them up in our prayers.  Yesterday was the first day of the Christ the King Novena.   It seems appropriate for these dark times.  Miserere nobis. 

 

Martinmas

Today is the feast day of St. Martin of Tours.  He was a roman soldier who famously cut his tunic in half to give to a poor, freezing beggar.  That evening he dreamed that Jesus was wearing the torn tunic.  He awoke, was baptized and became a monk and bishop.  It's perfect that today is also Veteran's Day because he a patron saint of soldiers. 

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They colored while I read stories about St. Martin from these books.    

And they were excited to make our St. Martin's cake- his torn tunic.  

This afternoon while I was cooking dinner I walked on the porch and saw this.   They said, "We made a spider web with tape!   We are spiders and are catching bugs with our tape web!"

 

Today one of the children was really upset at an assignment I gave to write a poem.  The child totally froze up and could not move forward.  We had to really take time to name the fears, address the fears and work through the stage fright.  When it was time to write I said, "how about I sit beside you and I will write a poem too?"  And that's what we did.  The child wrote a precious poem they won't let me share, but here's mine.

I have four children I adore.

They are my joy and I find I pour

My life out to them and yet someway

In pouring out I'm filled each day.  

Our Lord has said a seed must yield

It's life to grow a healthy field.

And my cross I carry confident

That life's riches are best when spent.

Dying is living; spending is earning

Our Lord's currency I'm still learning

Lord, teach me the mystery to which You call-

To climb Your mountain I first must fall.