Well, we finally have gotten around to making Week 4 craft from the Craft-of-the-Week on the 4Real Learning Forum, these fun apple weaving projects.This craft was posted by MaryG at her blog, St. Athanasius Academy. I wish I could say truthfully that we have made each craft, each week, but I can't. Because we haven't. Hopefully we will catch up, although we may skip a few of them. Week 5's craft (actually it's two crafts) is posted here
and here. They are fun ideas from Maggie that I hope to use sometime this week.

Happy Birthday, Mom!!

Owl Time

We're using Five in a Row this year, and the first book we are rowing is "Owl Moon" by Jane Yolen. This was a perfect
week to make owl cookies, which we traditionally make in October.




This recipe was a bake-off winner in the 1960's copied by my mom from a flour
bag. It's been a family tradition each fall ever since.

OWL COOKIES

2 1/2 cups four 2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt 3/4 cup shortening or butter
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 unbeaten egg 1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 squares unsweetened chocolate or substitute four Tblsp cocoa and 1 tblsp
shortening
1/4tsp baking soda chocolate chips
whole cashew nuts wax paper or aluminum foil

Sift flour, baking powder and salt in a mixing bowl. Cream shortening and sugar in
a separate bowl. Add egg and vanilla, beating well. Melt or mix chocolate and set it aside. Mix dry and wet ingredients. Remove 2/3 of dough to floured board. Stir soda into chocolate and blend mixture into remaining dough in bowl. Refrigerate bowl dough
at least 1/2 hour. Roll out half of light dough to 10x14 strip. Shape half of chocolate dough into a 10 inch roll, place in center of light dough strip. Mold sides of light dough around dark. Chill 2 hrs.Cut into uniform slices. Place 2 slices together on greased cookie sheet, pinching top of each to resemble an owl's ear-like tufts. Place cashew in center for beak. Bake at 325 degrees for 8-10 minutes, or until lightly browned.

And so it begins...

Well, it started off fun. Some ladies on the 4Real Forums had discussed these treat filled cones, called schultuete, that are
given to students on the first day of school in Germany. These are the ones I made, filled with small inexpensive toys,
school supplies and some snacks. Of course, the older kids made dunce cap and Roaming Gnome jokes, but no one seemed to mind.

A Special Day of Prayer and Celebration

The Grotto


The Log Chapel

Mass was very crowded and long, but beautiful in the Joyce Center


The main tabernacle in the Basilica of the Sacred Heart



Our Lady atop the Golden Dome

I wish we had gotten more pictures at the Eucharistic Congress yesterday at Notre Dame, but honestly, the day moved so
fast, I scarcely had a chance. Here are some that we did get, though.

Eucharistic Congress tomorrow!

Today, besides the ongoing preparations for the school year, we are getting ready to
go to Notre Dame tomorrow. No, not to drop off a new undergrad, nor, to 8yr old
Tiger's disappointment, to watch football. It's the site of a Eucharistic Congress
to commemorate the Sesquicentennial of our Diocese. Some of the highlights will be:
praying the Rosary at the Grotto, touring the glorious Basilica, attending some
inspiring workshops, and the crowning event of the day will be Mass at the Joyce
Center, with the bishop all the priests of the diocese.Praying for good weather!

Things I hope to do more of this school year...

Our new school year is fast approaching, in fact, we start next Tuesday. This year I hope to:

* have teatime at least once a week (haven't worked out
when yet)
* do a better job of living the Liturgical Year
* do a lot more crafts with my kids
* work more patiently on good habits/virtues
* be more organized/keep the house cleaner/ keep the laundry
put away *sigh*
* read aloud more, let my kids play video games less
* find time during the day to work on quilting

I'm really trying not to get overwhelmed by this, to just take it a step at a time.
I love what Elizabeth Foss has posted on her blog under " A Considered Childhood"
here. These
beautiful goals so often seem far from where we are now, but they are good things
to reach for.

Hummer Fun and Stargazing

We've fallen in love with hummingbirds! We recently put up a feeder and are really enjoying watching these little charmers.
I think the birds in the above picture are the kind coming to our feeder, but am not sure yet. Since I haven't successfully taken a
picture of one yet, I found this picture at www.hummingbirds.net. At dusk on Sunday, my three little boys and I stood by the feeder just watching them flit over our heads, from the feeder to the trees, and back again.
We also piled in the van after dark, and headed out to the country to look for the Perseid Meteor Showers. Spent a lot of time driving around trying to find a place with little to no light pollution where we might actually see something. Finally we stopped at a nearby nature preserve and parked in the entrance drive, since the place was closed. A couple of the kids said they did see shooting stars/meteors/ I don't know what. It was a little disappointing, but I think we might have seen more if we had gone later. As it was, the kids were up quite late, but it was worth it because they did get quite excited just seeing all the constellations we were able to see.

A Furry Friend (?)

This small bat was hanging on my daughter's bedroom window screen yesterday. The kids were thrilled to be able to see him up close as he slept.