Day 13

Thursday is our outing day with the homeschool co-op.  Today we went to the Limestone Heritage where we learnt how stone is cut.  There were also some lovely animals to see and a punic tomb.

At home we continued school by baking a cheese cake.

Gregory was disappointed that we did not have formal schooling today and for me THAT was the best part of it!

85 days of Summer (days 1-11)

We started the holidays with a holiday.

However, the vacation wasn't quite successful as we got sick before, during and after those 4 days!

The children though had some special dad time in the end and that was awesome.

Last week, we were still in sickness land but we also started the homeschooling programme.  Which has been a success so far.

top is mine, left is Greg's & right is Maya's

The beach happened only twice, but we intend to make up for it.  Benjamin loved it!

Christmassy thoughts

It's been so far one of the best Christmases ever.

I am already finding ways of improving our celebration of Christ being born.

We need it even simpler then this year.  The food this year is stuck in my throat.  Why are we eating so much food like there is no tomorrow?  We do not even fast any more before Christmas.

One of the things that glared out at me this year is too much food and so next year it will be a very simple normal affair of food.

The presents have still been the centre of attention by the kids.  Would love that to change....because ultimately they do not show much appreciation for them- just a matter of OK I want the next one- especially my big boy.

This year it was lovely having our small family at Christmas Eve starting a tradition and would be so happy to expand that.

I am looking forward to continuing the celebration with the 12 days of Christmastide this year.  Normally the day after Christmas usually feels empty.  Christmas celebrations stop with the birth but this season carries on longer and it is nice to make sure we celebrate it to the max.

WE finished the crib and did more...

Our 3 and 4 Advent day activities were to finish off the crib and we did.  I only did the shaping of the initial stage the rest was all the children; and I think its lovely!

Our next activity was to take a family photo.  Here is one of the many we took!

6th Dec, being the feast of St Nick, we read a short story on St Nick as well as the poem Twas the night before Christmas by Clement Moore.  We also bought a nice Christmas sack and the kids chose a book and a toy each plus they chose some food for the kids that live in the creche and took it to them.  We did not see the children there but my babes could see how life is completely different and how thankful we should be.

for the feast of the Immaculate Conception, we learnt that the Lord had us on our minds from a long long time and so we did some crafts as presents to our grandparents as we have them on our minds often.

This is actually Maya's present to her teacher.  She loves her way too much :)

We've also written our Christmas cards and did one for the teachers to show our appreciation.

Maya's card

Greg's card

Christmas is in the air

This year I feel like I am late with my preperations but then I realised most of the stuff is done from last year so there are only a few tweaks that needs to be arranged and now I can say I am ready and happy.

Here is how our Advent and Christmas will look like and these are the books we will be reading more or less daily.

26 November do an Advent wreath with the kids to start lighting 30^th Nov

Advent activities

 Mon - Put on the decorations

 Tues - Start contructing the crib

Wed - Finish off the crib

  Thurs - Put in the statues of the crib

 Fri - Take a family photo

 Sat - Celebrate St Nick by reading story, poem, activities: gift giving to crèche a big nice stocking; as well as do the Christmas grass

 Sun - See film – Home Alone + light second candle

 Mon - Celebrate the Immaculate Conception by reading story, drawing, explaining that God always had us on his mind even before birth, activity: do a small present for the grandparents because we have them our minds

 Tues – Visit the toy shops for gift ideas

 Wed – Do Christmas cards for teachers /family

 Thurs - Buy food for the needy & give it to parish priest to pass it on

 Fri - Celebrate St Lucia by reading story, drawing & doing St Lucia buns

 Sat - Go to Valletta enjoy the Christmas lights, train ride & dinner together + visit Christmas fair in Phoenicia till 6 pm

 Sun - Visit crib in Zejtun + light third candle

 Mon - See film- The Polar Express

 Tues - Send money to a charity

 Wed – Bake Christmas pudding together

 Thurs – Leave a small gift to our rubbish picker

 Fri - Do Advent Kindness Tree

 Sat -  Go to Gozo visit live crib in Ghajnsielem (4.30 pm)

 Sun – Sing Christmas Carols together + light last candle

 Mon - Write a letter to Jesus and burn it

 Tues - Write a family letter and affix it in the living room

  Wed - Put baby Jesus in the crib

12 days of Christmas activities

 Sun - Christmas day Mass and spend with family

 Mon - St Stephen day celebrate by reading story, drawing

  Tues – see the film curious George a very monkey Christtmas

 Wed - Read the poem 12 days of Christmas and explain meaning

 Thurs - Go to the aquarium

 Fri -  invite a few mummies & kiddies for tea

 Sat - Do Qaghaq tal-ghasel

 Sun – New Year Day family time

 Mon - Feast of Mary Mother of God read story of St Mary, activity: do a rosary (http://www.ehow.com/how_4856821_make-rosary-kids.html)

 Tues - Go to Buskett for a picnic

 Wed – Do candles (http://www.kidspot.com.au)

 Thurs – story of Epiphany; end of Christmas season we take down decorations

Changing winds

The days are rolling in.  Summer is coming to an end.

So many things to plan and do.  So many updates need to be made.  So many projects need to be finished.

It is all kinda overwhelming and exciting. For a change I am looking forward to kids returning to school.  To be able and meet up with the fabulous ladies that are pushing me, helping me and changing me to reach my full potential in my work.

This coming year will have a lot of newness in it.

Taking school outdoors

We've been doing some exploring in school.  So we did some night hikes with the dad and enjoyed it so much we are doing them on a daily basis.(or maybe we can call them sunset hikes really as mostly are done before the sun completely sets).

the super full moon a few days ago

Today we also went to explore in Buskett, together with some new friends.  It was mighty fun and we have seen a lot of interesting stuff.

Summer Days

Apart for beaching alone or with family and friends most days, we have also been doing some fun schooling.  I admit I am enjoying schooling so much more this year that I am forgetting the camera to memorise that moment.  But here are some of the things we've been doing.

We updated our nature table to picture Summer in all its glory (the painting was done by Greg at school)

Here you can see a variety free drawing and form drawing and the things they love

Form drawing is something we do everyday. I draw something and they have to try and copy it.  More geared towards Gregory but Maya ain't doing a bad job of it either

Free and sensory painting is another thing we do often.  This is paint and sand and Greg's interpretation of fireworks

This week we were doing our 5 senses.  Apart for these sheets we did a lot of feel, taste, hear, smell and see experiments

We also role play a bit and today was at the restaurant.  We took it in turns to be waiter, chef and customer.  The above are Maya's idea of a pizza and Greg's idea of a pizza - can you see how particularly perfect it is?

We also learn through fun P.E.  Last week we had masking tape in straight, zigzag, wavy lines for the kids to walk on forwards and backwards.  This week we had the ribbon sticks which we used to learn more on curves and circles and waves.

Gregory is also learning to read and write a little and next month we will also introduce maths.  As part of the curriculum there is bed making for the little man and dusting, cleaning bathrooms, cleaning and feeding the birds as well as watering the plants for both.  I hoped they would also be more involved in the cooking but they are not interested so had to let go of that.  Please note that the kids are still 5 and 3 so for the chores I am present at all times, helping them, directing them and reminding them to do them.

Living Lent

Lent, the time to grow spiritually, the time to give, the time to mend starts today.  The following explains Lent much better than I can do:

Taken from Karen Emisten's Blog: During Lent, we are called to "pray, fast and give." (See this document for more info.) In taking on additional prayer time, or attending daily Mass more often, or praying the Stations of the Cross, or other devotions such as the Chaplet of Divine Mercy, in fasting from festive food and drink, or from various entertainments or areas of excess, and in freely giving of our time and money, we see that it's not a matter of "either/or." We don't ask, "Should I pray more? Or should I fast from something? Or should I give of my time? Give away a few more dollars?"
To pray, to fast and to give are all intimately connected. Progress and growth in one area fuels further progress in the others.
Pray.Fast.Give.
This trinity is the foundation of a meaningful Lent. When I start there, good things happen.

The first time Lent came into my mind this year was while I was taking down the Christmas decorations.  It is probably strange actually but there I was taking everything down and thinking how much we celebrate Advent & Christmas but Lent and Easter - the biggest feast in Christendom - not really.

So that really got me thinking, because I wish to give it the importance due.  And as always I scoured the internet for ideas because outside Malta they get all these beautiful ideas and have come up with a plan for this year which if successful will be carried on for years to come.

The first thing I wanted to do was decorate the house just like we do for Christmas.  So I have put up purple drapes and on it there is a lovely Crucifix and 14 candles.  We will soon be adding to that a Lenten calendar (a picture of a lamb done in 40 squares and every day we glue some cotton wool to count down the days to Easter).  Also a Jesus Tree; this was an interesting concept really.  You either draw a tree without leaves or get a piece of wood with lots of branches and glue or hang paper ornaments which symbolise a story from the Bible you wish to share.  Other decorations will also be on the way during our 40 days activities to remember that Jesus will be dying and resurrecting for the love of us.  There will of course be additional daily praying at this time to help us grow and to strengthen our family.

Lent after all is a wonderful time to prepare ourselves, to go within ourselves, before the bursting of love and light into the resurrection and Spring.

Here are our 40 activities

decorate the house in Lenten symbols
do a crown of thorns
do a Lenten caterpillar
Make a sacrifice bin were everyone puts something in it only to be returned on Easter Sunday
bury the Hallelujah - explaining that during this season we do not sing it at Mass because it is considered an Easter word and that we come to appreciate  more just how joyful this acclamation is after 40 days.
Temptation cookies - you bake some cookies while explaining the story of temptation of Jesus in the desert and teach them how we can be strong in face of temptation.  Once cooked leave on the table but they must not touch them before the following day
memorise the Act of Contrition
say the Rosary
create an almsgiving box and put all change during Lent in it to give to a charity of our choice
light a candle in Church and dedicate it to someone
fill a bag with stuff from home to donate
learn an Easter song
learn about St Joseph on his feast day
Palm weaving
Easter colouring page
make a kidney bean jar  for acts of kindness
make a prayer chain including intentions/people to pray for and every day strip one out and pray on it
colour eggs and explain why they are part of Easter
go for an Adoration
do a cross with pics the children wish
plant Easter grass
do pretzels and explain their significance in Lent
visit a Church
browse in a Catholic book store
go for a daily Mass
cook a meatless meal and explain why we do so
watch an Easter film
do Karamelli tal Harrub
make a tomb scene
visit a cemetery
resurrection eggs (bought through ebay)
make figolli
make an Easter basket
read the story of the last supper
visit petting farm and explain why Jesus is considered the sacrificial lamb
do resurrection cookies
go on a garden walk and explain the story of Gethsemane
go for a Good Friday procession
Visit an exhibition on Easter

for more information on these activities you can go here and here

I wish you all a wonderful Lenten experience

Towards Advent

Advent and Christmas are practically round the corner and I honestly have no idea how another year has passed!

As always I am thrilled to get to this season.  And seeing that the kids are finally tuning in to the meaning of it all and the beauty of it all, I am even more excited and I have been planning a lot of stuff for this lovely season.

Advent, starting Sunday 1 December is the new year of the liturgical calendar.  Most importantly, Advent is the preparation for the coming and birth of the Lord. Christians observe this season as a season of prayer, fasting & repentance followed by anticipation, hope & joy.

Each year I do an Advent wreath.  Every Sunday we light a candle in remembrance of hope, preparation, joy and love.

We also do an Advent calendar.  however, we do not use the traditional sweet calendar because I want to teach and give to my kids the real meaning of this lovely season.  This year, our Advent calendar was bought from a local crafter and I love it.

Than what I did was put little papers in each pocket with scripture readings which I got from here but I translated them in Maltese.

Than I added little family things we are to do together for every Advent day.
The list:

putting up the Christmas decorations
having a family photo in front of the Christmas tree
watching a Christmas film together
doing cookies together
going out to Valletta to see the lights and go around the train
visit a crib
visit the live crib in Xaghra, Gozo
do a kindness Advent tree
go out to eat
write a letter to Jesus  to give thanks for all he has given us during this year
write a family letter
do a Christmas craft
do a snow globe
plant Christmas wheat grass
read the book of the first Christmas
read the book 'Twas the night before Christmas
singing Christmas carols
Buying food for those in need and giving them to the Paris Priest to pass them on
donate a toy
searching for little gifts around the house
go ice-skating
write Christmas cards

In addition, I bought the kids Advent colouring books to help understand more the meaning of this season of preparation.

And in preparation myself, I will be reading more scripture, contemplating more on my role in this beautiful house and doing a small fast.