Enjoying the Journey Through October 2010

I have enjoyed re-making  list for the month. I do find if I have an overall monthly list like this x tend to be more on the ball so hopefully having this posted now, all be it a little late will help with our monthly rituals and plans.

♥ Faith: Month of the Most Holy Rosary
-2nd Holy Guardian Angels
-3rd St Therese of the Child Jesus
-4th St Francis of Assisi
-5th St Faustina Kowalska
-7th Our Lady of the Holy Rosary
-8th St Bridget of Sweden
-11th The Divine Maternity of Our Lady
-12th Our Lady of the Pillar
-13th St Edward the Confessor
-15th St Theresa of Avila
-16th St Gerard Majella
-17th St Margaret Mary Alacoque
-18th St Luke
-22nd St Mary Saome
-23rd St Anthony Mary Claret
-24th St Raphael the Archangel
-28th Sts Simon and Jude-31st FEAST OF CHRIST THE KING
-31st All Hallows Eve
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♥Homemaking:
- Put up the Spring Wreath on the door
- Spring Menu Planning~Work with children on ideas for meal plans as well as snacks for the month,
Keep a written record for future use.
- Investigate new and different salads, use on line recipe sources for this.
- Light spring deserts for 2 times a week
- Revise the cleaning to allow for more outside jobs to be done~mowing, weeding, gardening and whipper snipping
- Keep the firewood for the stove (and the fire, if needed) 3 days in advance at least.
- sort out the clothes from the past year and hand down, pack away or discard ones that don't fit.
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♥Crafts:
- finish Arwen's cross stitch and Corbyn's quilt
- try to finish other unfinished projects so I can concentrate on Christmas ones
- Make the feast day crafts
- make knotted cord Rosaries for everyday wear
- making Christmas presents
- make plant markers for the Garden plants
- press the spring flowers and then ;
- make bookmarks from them
- continue to make Spring/Summer clothes for all the girls and myself
- make butterfly's from tissue paper, felt and fabric
- sew some doorstop ducks
- knit some ducks, chicks and lambs,
- make a nest from wool and glue ~then;
- felt a bird and eggs for it
- make caterpillar bookmark
- start decorating Christmas paper for wrapping
- make a Spring transparency to go on the window.
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♥Nature:
- Daily time outside
- Bush Rambles 3 times a week
- Observe where the birds are nesting especially the Swallows on the veranda.
- Plant a "small" garden~ each person can have a small one.
- Watch the tadpoles develop into frogs in the dam.
- Watch for Butterflies and Moths as they start to re appear.
- Choose a deciduous tree and observe the changes with the new growth.
- Go to the beach at least 3 times over the month for Rock Pool Adventures.
- Go to Cradle Mountain for a Spring Wildflower Walk.
- Go to the Arboretum for Spring
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♥Goals:
- Prepare the children for the  Christus Rex Pilgrimage
- Order Vellvin's birthday books form Book Depository
- get all the children to make up Christmas wish lists
- Prepare and plan for Christmas presents from us (homemade and bought). If from overseas plan to buy in plenty of time, so research first.
- Prepare for the Feast days ahead of time ~ especially for the All Hallows Eve Party Like last year, and All Saints and All Souls Day as they are so close together and do not allow for last minute planning very well. So be prepared by 20th of month?
- Start the 6 O'clock club again ~ Prayer, Bible Reading, assigned Reading and Exercise.
- Plant a "small" garden~ each person can have a small one.
- Give each child 3-4 herbs to grow and care for and learn the uses for.
- Have all preparation for lessons done the night before
- Start 'school' on time and finish with plenty of play time so we can go outside together and enjoy the Spring weather.
- Continue on with the Alphabet path with the little Girls
- Create daily Rhythms/Pegs to mark the day by
- 10 min tidy ups through out the day and School stuff put away EVERY day.
- start to prepare for the Advent Feast days ~ materials for crafts and meals~ at least lists for plans.
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♥Rituals:
- Set up the Month of the Rosary Display
- Have "the bookcase" set up with the Spring Theme and renew it often
- Change the bulletin board to Spring and also the little 'oven' space for spring display
- Make sure we do the Rosary Every day
- Keep family altar fresh with changing the linens and fresh flowers (when we have them) and Change Father Pine to match.
- Have a "TV FREE" week, no DVDs (or computer time? perhaps)
- Re-establish the Bible Reading and Chapter Reading, This is harder to do with working boys and children away for periods of time
- Make sure each Morning tea person makes something on his/her day
- the last week of the month "Show time" (see Special Days)
- encourage "creative time" especially with little ones at 'happy hour'. Read, Make or Do.
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♥Learning:
- a Star Wars Week for the middle children while others at the Christus Rex Pilgrimage
- Alphabet Path with the Girls
- Catechism of the Good Shepherd presentations
- keep the older children up to date with their studies and not be distracted by other events
- Craft specifically weekly with everyone
- Keep up with Math lessons
- more physical out door time for Corbyn and sensory exercises for both Moran and Corbyn
- Learn the Rosary parts off by heart ~The Mysteries, the reading and meditation and the fruit of the Mystery (for the younger ones)
- Use Catholic Mosaic books for the month
- Start "Orchard House Circle" every Tuesday afternoon. Using sewing and Advent/Christmas as our focus this year.
- start to Prepare the Advent study
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♥ Special Days:
- 27th Moran's Baptism Anniversary
- 27th Kynan's Confirmation Anniversary
- 29th Braedon's Birthday
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♥ Inspirational Thought:
SPRING ~
"I knew when Spring was come-
Not by the murmurous hum
Of Bees in the willow-trees,
Or frills
Of daffodils
Or the scent of the breeze;
But because there were whips and tops
By the jars of lollipops
in the two little village shops..."
From "The Calendar" by Barbara Euphan Todd

Enjoy your Month
Blessings to you and your homes,