Enjoying the Journey through January

As January is a Summer holiday for us we will be taking the month of structured activities.
These are just some outlines for us to work with.

♥Faith: Month of the Holy Name.
-1st Octave Day of the Nativity( First Friday and Trad.)
-3rd St. Genievieve . (Hist.)
-4th Feast of the Holy Name of Jesus.(Trad.)
-6th Epiphany of Our Lord. (Trad.)
-11th Feast of the Holy Family. (Trad.)
-13th Baptism of Our Lord.(Trad.)
-15th Our Lady of Prompt Succor. (Trad , some places.)
-16th Our Lady of Refuge.(Hist.)
-18th Chair of St. Peter at Rome.(Hist.)
-21st St. Agnes. (Trad.)
-23rd Arwen's Birthday and feast day of the Espousals of Our Lady.
-25th Conversion of St. Paul. (Trad.)
-27th St. John Chrysostym. (Trad.)
-28th 2nd Feast of Saint Agnes.
-29th St. Francis de Sales. (Trad.)
-31 St. John Bosco. (Trad.)♥ Homemaking:
Menu plans for the month of January and maybe February
Routines and cleaning re organised for the New Year.
Make a stack of Morning Teas and freeze them for hungry Boys especially
♥ Crafts:
These will center around making clothes for the older girls. we are currently working on a design page of fabrics along with patterns for a complete wardrobe for the seasons starting with Summer.
Bee's wax modelling for the little ones
Poor Box Toys Inc as we are continuing this throughout the year
Planning a list of crafts to be done through the year
Finish the Marionette's finally with Autumn so we can use them this year for the little one's learning programme♥ Nature:
Butterfly catching
Insect watching
Going for walks on the property
Going for walks along the beach
Collecting shells and rocks and driftwood on the beach
Looking for hatching birds etc
Go to the Arboretum and look at the various trees♥ Goals:
To have all my plans for 'school' for 2010 ready before the start of February.
To make progress on my own personal goals for 2010
To work on Moran's Sensory programme with her, adjusting this into our routine
Sort and tidy the play room, library room, study and learning areas in preparation for the start of lessons.
Organise the games cupboard and have a programme of rotating games to be played as a family and alone.
Decrease DVD's time and increase reading, games and crafts. This is more of an issue with Myffwyn and Corbyn, Myffy especially.
Help Moran to be more able to play alone especially when bored and not insist that the others play with her - so have some activities pre-planned for her.
♥ Rituals:
Take down the Christmas Decoration on the 6th
Work on the bedtime ritual. I saw a great post by Amy Caroline a few months ago. I just need to find it as I loved the gentle approach.
Work on 'Time with Mummy' as there are a few children wanting this private time alone. Try and work out what the needs and desires are and fit them into a routine.
Daily walk
Daily exercise
Daily reading for each person♥ Learning:
As it is Summer Holiday's here we are not 'actively' learning. However the children have a reading programme for the year they have set up and are starting that.
Girls are sewing and crafting
Making and painting shields with personal crests on them
Planning and working on the person goals each child has worked out for the year

♥ Special Days:
23rd Arwen's First Birthday
26th Australia Day

♥ Inspirational Thought:

We have a little Garden~
a poem by Beatrix Potter

We have a little garden,
A garden of our own,
And every day we water there
The seeds that we have sown.

We love our little garden,
And tend it with such care,
You will not find a faded leaf
Or blighted blossom there.

Barefoot Days~by Rachel Field In the morning, very early,

That’s the time I love to go
Barefoot where the fern grows curly
And the grass is cool between each toe,
On a summer morning – O!
On a summer morning!

That is when the birds go by
Up the sunny slopes of air,
And each rose has a butterfly
Or a golden bee to wear;
And I am glad in every toe –
Such a summer morning – O!
Such a summer morning!

Blessings,