Fifteen

When I was a young mother I would hear of people with teen-aged children and wonder what that would be like.  The thing is, I was married so young, that honestly my teen years were not very far behind me (two years and twenty days to be precise).  In addition to that, I had siblings who remained in their teen years for nearly a decade into my marriage (I think my youngest brother was 11 when I got married).  So, while my own children were mere tots, I had lots of encounters with teen-agers.  They weren't some foreign species.

What is my 15-year old son?  

Well, growing.  And growing means eating, and sleeping.  

Birthday boys are still super sweet, still happy to get a DQ cake and blow out the candles.

He's funny.  He's sassy--definitely sassy!;)

I'm not comfortable with how thick his shoulders are growing or how he's not-quite-yet-taller than me.

He's gathering his courage for high school.  He's determined and hard working.  He's a boy who is growing into a man.  And, while I have always found teens fun, interesting, exciting, now that I find myself in the position of MOTHER to several teens, I think that I am surprised to find myself entirely sentimental.  I savor these days and years, because I know they will soon launch.   This time is precious and I have my work to do as a mother.  To mother them, as young adults, into greater independence, confidence, competence.  Academically, socially, and of course spiritually.

It all occurs to me.  That's what runs through my thoughts as we light candles and eat ice cream cake. My heart bursts with love and gratitude for this child.  I gather my strength, and together we go out into "fifteen"!

Happy birthday Aragorn!!

Summer

Well, we officially finished our school year.  I am pretty sure that most home schooling moms look forward to summer as much as their children do.  Speaking for myself: I am ready for a break!!

 I NEED my summers to finally make time for those projects that I simply do not have time for while I'm teaching.  I have big goals for this summer, but of course, I always have big goals...we'll see what I get to!  My huge project this summer is to replace all of the nasty old stained carpet that is in our upstairs.  And in truth, my kitchen really needs some attention itself.  That said, I know that none of us are up for any sort of grand-scale remodel.   I'm thinking "face lift".

My current projects include packing away our school room for the year.  Going through the workbooks and deciding what gets saved and stored, and what workbooks were used and get recycled.  Believe it or not, it's a pretty big task.  I guess it really entails detailing the schoolroom shelving, closets, and whatever's inside of the kids' desks.  Imagine big messes.

And if I don't feel inclined to head to the schoolroom, then my bedroom is waiting for me with bins of winter clothes to process.  They need to be stored or donated.  I've already been going through the bins and have managed to donate 5 black trash bags of clothes.  I have no explanations.

That said, summer is ON! So, that means water tables, baby pools and sprinklers in my sister's back yard.  I can't work ALL day after all! ;)

That's my world in a nutshell!  Have a  good week!!

Red, White, and Blue

Happy Memorial Day!

May

I'm almost too late to post this, but since it's still May, I'm going to do it!  I guess everyone knows that the month of May is dedicated to the Blessed Mother.  A few years ago I found a beautiful brown toned statue of Mary at a garden store.  It has since turned almost white.  I placed it on a slab of rock that was in our forest and we cleared out a little place in the woods to make a small shrine.

This year we had a few extra petunias leftover from our window box and I let the kids plant them in pots for Mary.

I can see this statue from all of the back windows of my house, which means I see her as I close my bedroom window at night and as I open the back living room shades in the morning.  In the moonlight, in the early morning sun, she looks so beautiful.

While I don't have an "official" "Mary garden", because the forest is so shaded and it is hard to grow flowers, we do have a huge swath of "Lily-of-the-Valley" that just happen to grow wild in our forest.  I planted "Marigolds" around our garden this year.  We have a couple "Bleeding hearts" along a border of our home.  I try to use these plants named in honor of Mary to help foster a love and devotion to her in myself and my children. 

I love May.  I love the end of the school year and the promise of summer.  There really is a great sense of peace that comes at the end of a long year of hard work and effort to teach and learn together.  Now our tasks will turn elsewhere.   As my kids turn to the outdoors to play, I start making lists to attend to all of those details put on hold while school was in session.

We start a new rhythm to our days where many hours of schoolwork are now open and free.  I need this free space.  I need the peace of having nothing, really, to do.  And I want to keep this peace throughout the summer.  So, in May, we turn to Mary, Queen of Peace, and receive the gifts of grace that we need from her loving and Immaculate heart.

AN 8TH BIRTHDAY

Rosie is the third of four girls, number 6 in our family of 9.  She has five brothers: three older, two younger.  It's hard to get more "middle" than Rosie.  

I guess people say middle children get lost in the shuffle.  Rosie is much more often in the midst of the action.  She is rarely left out, whether she's playing up or down, with older siblings or younger, with brothers or with sisters.  She's pretty quick to snatch the spot next to Mom on the couch or jump in the car to run errands.  It seems that Rosie is right in the heart of the family.

She is usually playing with someone, and she doesn't like to be bored.  She has a very loud laugh and she loves to laugh.

ballet performance with Eowyn

A little bit like Bilbo, Rosie is up for anything!  Bilbo bought her a fishing pole for her birthday this year, because he likes to let others in on his favorite pastime.  And because he and Rosie are good friends.  I love how siblings will play together and don't segregate like boys and girls tend to in school.

chicks at Aunt Buffy's farm

 Galadriel and Rosie make up dances on a daily basis, and dance for me before bedtime.  Believe me, it's entertaining!  While Galadriel is a "tween", she gets to have as much fun as she wants with Rosie, playing paper dolls or with the neighborhood girls.  I'm so glad she has Rosie to keep her young and sweet.  I love how siblings help each other do that.

puppies at Aunt Ann's

Rosie has the prettiest blue eyes, and I have six children with blue eyes.  I didn't say hers were prettier than her siblings, they are just the prettiest!

Did I mention she has dimples?

"Two-headed monster" with Legolas

 She is fun and silly

 she loves her sisters

 and her brothers

Sam loves her a lot, and everyone wants Sam to love them!  Rosie's just lovable.

This year Rosie has read over 15 "Nate the Great" and a bunch of "Magic Tree House" books.  She's really getting to be a good little reader!  She's also awesome at getting her school work done for me, and she always wants to start with math!  What an answer to prayer!

Rosie really was an answer to prayer!  I couldn't wait for her to come, and when she did, she was perfect!

Each of her 8 years have been a blessing to us all!

Happy Birthday, Rosie!

Overheard

We had a thunderstorm this morning.  The storm had passed and Bilbo asked if he could sit on the front porch and work on his fishing stuff.

My husband said he could unless he heard any thunder.  I added "It wouldn't be great to hold a long metal rod in a thunderstorm."

Bilbo walked away and shouted over his shoulder: "They're fiberglass!"

I stand corrected.

Overheard

I was looking for summer clothes on-line with Eowyn.  I saw a dress that I liked for her, but she did not like it.

"Do you like that one?" she asked.

"Yes" I said.

"Then you can buy it for someone else" she replied.

And that was that.  No shopping today.