We celebrated Christmas at our house today. Yes, on January 25. One month after our traditional Christmas celebration, a date that is total coincidence and in no way planned. You see, a couple of weeks before Christmas, the boys shopped the AWANA store night for gifts for one another. The good folks at our AWANA…
We’ve made gingerbread houses each year at Christmas-time for years. It’s a highlight of the holiday season for the boys: candy, sugary icing, gingerbread cookies… a likely favorite for any child, right? Traditionally, we purchased a gingerbread kit, complete with precut cookies, tubes of royal icing, and an assortment of colorful candies. These kits worked…
For years, I’ve wanted to make a birthday cake for Jesus with the boys on Christmas day, but for one reason or another, this is one tradition that never came to be – until this year. This year, Connor’s Classical Conversations co-op teacher gave each of the children in her class a “Birthday Cake for…
Joy to the World: Advent Activities for Your Family by Kathleen M. Basi [Liguori Publications (July 1, 2010)] is a book of advent readings, activities, and rituals. Published by Liguori Publications, a Catholic publishing company comprised of a “community of religious priests, brothers, lay people, and contemplative nuns,” Joy to the World: Advent Activities…
A walk through the mall or down a city street, a trip to them mailbox, a glance at the television: all will surely help to emphasize the fact that Christmas is coming! Store aisles are lined with Christmas trees, ornaments, stockings, and lights; mailboxes are filled with holiday catalogs, and television commercials are clearly the…
For the past couple of years, Patrick has been on the opposite coast of the US for our anniversary, so we have had to celebrate at other times. Last year, we celebrated in April with a trip to Ireland three years in the planning (a 10th anniversary gift taken in the year of our 13th…
… And a Happy New Year!
Spark & Tina pose for their 2009 Christmas Greeting; Theirs is the most awaited card in our home each and every year.
One of the biggest challenges for a homeschooling parent, or perhaps for any parent, is being able to distinguish a child’s fleeting interest from a developing passion. Homeschooling parents rely heavily on their children’s interests to provide new and interesting learning experiences, but is there a time when interest is enough and parental meddling can…