In stark contrast to yesterday, we accomplished very little seat work today. And, at
5:29 p.m., as I type these very words, I am really behind on supper and tidying up. Thursdays are supposed to be for cleaning the learning and living rooms and for starting next week's plans. Usually, we are home all day and these tasks are very easy (or at least not difficult) to incorporate into our day - but today we had afternoon plans that threw a serious (albeit fun) wrench in the works! All in all, though, we had a good day. As usual, I have some photos to share!
First let me tell you about our morning. Crackerjack needed to finish Mr. Popper's Penguins for our Book Group meeting at 1:00. So we all pulled together to help him do just that. Because I was called to household and Earlybird matters, Bookworm took over the read-aloud and the two brothers spent most of the morning in the reading room (as BW now calls the living room). Once that last chapter was finished, we gathered around the learning table and read this week's Catholic Mosaic title, Brigid's Cloak: An Ancient Irish Story. (As you probably guessed from my post title, if you did not know already, today is her feast day!)
After we read this beautifully illustrated, gives-you-goosebumps kind of story, we made a page for our family faith notebook:
This is an image of St. Brigid I printed out from the internet, taped to a piece of bright blue paper and embellished with star stickers (in remembrance of Brigid's beautiful cloak). We added shamrocks in each corner and a quote from the book.
(Here I will tell you, we tried - valiantly so - to make St. Brigid's crosses. Not for lack of excellent directions, did we fail. We used the beige pipe cleaners I had on hand, and after several attempts, I turned the whole thing over to Bookworm. He's so good (and patient) with directions, but he too was confounded, so we put the craft aside. Maybe until next year, lol!)
Then it was all hands on deck, grabbing a quick lunch and readying ourselves for the trip to the library. I had filled the returns bag and printed out pick-up sheets. My mum came over to stay with EB and the older boys and I headed out.
Book Group, as usual, was great fun. Each boy sat with his age group and discussed this month's selection. I got to chat with some mother friends and fill up that library bag to bursting! We brought home lots of great books on the Crusades and a train video for EB. (I'll update our sidebar book lists this weekend!)
By the time we got home it was 2:30 and I was beat (I don't know how those on-the-go mums do it!), but I really wanted to get to our Thursday tea. Thanks to my liturgical books and the ladies at 4Real, there were so many neat ideas to consider. I had found a simple recipe for Brigid's Bread in Catholic Traditions for the Home and Classroom, but once we got home, I was just not up to scratch baking. So we set out yesterday's cookies, sliced Irish cheddar and crackers, and we also brewed (decaffeinated) Irish tea.
The cheese fit the theme, actually, as Brigid is the patroness of dairy farmers! We used my Irish china, and the boys were very careful with the cups. Bookworm, who really loves tea, was pleased to hear about my grandfather (his Pa) who loved Irish tea and drank it daily.
I picked up the blue glass candle at the grocery store last weekend - the shade immediately made me think of this book. You can't see it here but there is a beveled cross on the front. The candle is set on a bright shamrock doiley which I have on hand for St. Patrick's next month!
As we ate, we went over the CM vocabulary and discussion questions, and then we began our Mass preparation time.
I read Sunday's Gospel from Magnifikid (Luke 5:1-11) while the boys worked on CatholicMom.com's weekly coloring page. We also read the corresponding story in our Children's Bible.
As a follow up activity, I had the boys brainstorm the ways they would have helped Jesus by being "catchers of men." What would they have done as disciples, I asked? The boys wrote their answers on paper fish shapes which we then hung from a branch tacked up over our window.
Their ideas: Believe in Jesus, Pray with people, Be kind to everyone, and Talk about Jesus. :)
One of the (many) lovely things about following Cay's Catholic Mosaic Book Study is that we are in such pleasant company! Please stop by Mary Ellen's (who made delicious Brigid Bread) and Mary G's (who made gorgeous Brigid's crosses) today!
As always, thank you so much for stopping by and Fa bhrat Bhrighde, or ...
~ May God keep you safe under St. Brigid's cloak ~
