We are having the most lovely days–making stews, putting together Halloween costumes and Saints Costumes for All Saints’ Day, playing instruments and reading books.     Clare has finished her first novel, Pinnochio, and is onto her second, Little House in the Big Woods.  It is such a huge milestone!     Mary…

    Yesterday morning before school started, I asked the kids if they wanted to make croissants.  After we worked on that, I scrambled everyone some eggs.     At the end of breakfast sweet three year old Annie exclaimed, “Thanks, Mom, for the party!’     So precious!

    If you can believe it, I am taking piano lessons with the kids.  I love it!    I took piano for SO MANY years growing up.  But learning to play Beethoven (which I once could do), the teacher does not teach the major chord progressions and how to play regular show tunes, folk…

   Oh, I was so mad.   Clare has asked me if she could watch the English version of a cartoon after watching the Italian version (for school).  I said she had three things left to do, and then she could watch the English version.  She begged and begged, promising that she would do all three…

   Mary has had the worst clothes for the past year or so.  I took her shopping almost 2 years ago, but since then, it has been a steep decline!   We went out today, and got her all set up again.    Watching her little feet under the dressing room door, dancing to the music,…

Wow, having a challenge come up in your marriage is always hard.But having it handled in Dialogue format is SO MUCH BETTER than a fight! Oh, how grateful I am to this process, for sparing us the harshness of human nature and helping us transcend our own selves!  What safety there is in this structure….

   Jake just got the lead in the home school play, the “Romancers,” which is a modern adaptation of Romeo and Juliet.    Apparently, Jake has to KISS Sally Jones, who was cast as Juliet.    Jake says to me, “This might be the most significant challenge of my life to date.”

   I have an aunt that is very funny.   She left her conservative Christian upbringing for a more lively, unorthodox life of giving to the poor.   The funny thing about her is that, in her lack of what some would call “faith,” she has no trust that anyone will ever help this one, or that…

1) Opening a box from Amazon with more phonics workbooks and classic lit. books, and the kids going wild with excitement. 2) Annie directing the older kids in a play and the older kids taking her direction and asking her what their next lines should be. 3) Clare reading 40 pages of the novel Pinnochio without any…

   I am still learning how to have total dependence on God!   Will I be late to the doctor’s?  I made myself relax and depend on God.   Will I be late to an event with my cousins?  I made myself relax and I asked God that I be seated in my chair at the table…