Lucy partook of PBS this morning.  I’m not sure what she actually learned from Curious George (about recycling) and The Cat in the Hat (about tails), but it was better than watching the same Disney movies she usually watches at Nana and Papa’s house, I guess.

Today we went to mass at SJV and had donuts afterward.  Lucy is getting better at being quiet, although she still lets it be known that she is not really enjoying herself.  Samantha spent most of the time outside, since she kept throwing very noisy fits.

Lucy practiced drawing pumpkins with Mimi, and decorating them as family members.  It was very important that Dad and Uncle John have their glasses.

Samantha and I took a walk around the neighborhood.  The weather this week has been so beautiful, we had to get out again before the day was over.

After they brushed their teeth before bed, Lucy was standing in front of the medicine cabinet saying, “Goodnight, floss.  Goodnight, brush.  Goodnight, temperature (=thermometer).”  Samantha, of course, was repeating everything Lucy said.

Bedtime stories included Brother Juniper and The Song of Francis. Craig and Lucy were laughing out loud at Brother Juniper’s antics.

Ah, Saturday.  It was family day for a change.  We went to Lafrinere Park and walked around.  The girls and I toured the bird/nutria walk while Craig did some reading for his comps, and we had a picnic lunch on a park bench.

The rest of the day was spent driving in circles looking at properties between here and Baton Rouge, and with Mimi and B-Bob.  Pork roast was enjoyed by all.  🙂

Homeschooling journal:

Trip to the library this morning for fairy-tale books.  The castle was closed so the girls actually looked at books and did the coloring sheets instead of running around in it.

Lucy spent close to an hour sitting on the couch looking at (non-library) books before lunch.

We went to the Pax Christi peace liturgy – time for socialization, cookie sampling, music watching, saint statue and stained glass identifying, and liturgical experiencing.  Part of the evening is that everyone processes to the front to sign in a book that they pledge to live peacefully in the coming year, and Lucy signed her name.  And she actually tried to write it, not just draw a squiggle like she usually does.  There was a definite “L”, an upside-down “u”, about three attempts at a “c”, and finally a nice “y”.  I was very proud.  Samantha signed her name with a squiggle that looked like Lucy’s usual work, which was also impressive for her.  This is the first time Lucy has really attempted to write her name on her own like that.  So it was an exciting day, all in all.

Homeschooling journal:

Our first trip with the girls to adoration.  Theresa’s school has a short one followed by pizza, and most of the prayer time was busy with music, so it went surprisingly well.  Samantha still needs to learn an inside voice, but Lucy sat still and looked at her picture Bible most of the time.  And they enjoyed the pizza.

I read Lucy a good chunk of the Rhyme Bible and the story of Daniel from one of the others today.

We played Cooties this evening, which Lucy followed very well, and then played the make-up-a-story-in-turns game, which she was way better at than I expected.  It’s past time for me to write more of her stories down.

Lucy’s story today:

“A long time ago I didn’t feel very good because I needed to go potty but I couldn’t because my tummy was just like throwing up to the ceiling because I needed to go potty and I was about to throw up.  And I needed some chicken to make me feel better and I ate the chicken and I felt better.  That was all.”

Homeschooling Journal:

Art time this morning involved stickers.  And scissors.  The were quiet for a remarkably long time!

Lucy has been spending time (especially nap time) with her snail and slug books lately.

Lucy and Samantha have been playing “communion” all day with an old martini glass.  Lucy still thinks you say, “Peace to you” when you hand someone the chalice, but we’re working on that.

I’m hunting for Catholic All Hallows’ Eve things, particularly about the communion of saints.  I’ve come up empty at the library (as far as kid’s books go) and am off searching elsewhere!

Homeschooling journal:

We visited the relics of St. John Bosco at the Alario Center.  Lucy didn’t want to look, but Samantha and I at least got a glance.

We went grocery shopping, and the girls walked almost the whole way through the store.  Lucy is getting good at putting things on the conveyor belt at checkout.

Craig started lessons on how to say the Rosary this afternoon.

Homeschooling Journal:

So that I can feel like we are doing something, I thought I’d start keeping track of some of the things that are “educational” that happen here during a day.  Here’s entry one.

Lucy and Samantha each decorated a Thank You note for Nana and Papa, for watching them while Craig and I were on retreat this weekend.  Lucy dictated the message for hers and (following my examples) wrote her own name.  The “u” was upside down, but it was pretty good.

“There was a time when good academic qualifications guaranteed a job, but not any more.  One reason is academic inflation.  In the next 30 years, more people worldwide will be gaining academic qualifications than since the beginning of history.  But as more people get them, their currency value is falling sharply.  A university degree used to be an open sesame to a professional position.  The minimum requirement for some jobs is now a Master’s degree, even a PhD.  What next?  But there is a second problem.  Many companies are facing a crisis in graduate recruitment.  It’s not that there aren’t enough graduates to go around; there are more and more.  But too many don’t have what business urgently needs:  they can’t communicate well, they can’t work in teams and they can’t think creatively.  But why should they?  University degrees aren’t designed to make people creative.  They are designed to do other things and often do them well.  But complaining that graduates aren’t creative is like saying, “I bought a bus and it sank”.

-Ken Robinson, Out of our Minds: Learning to be Creative

Today’s lesson: how the bread machine works.  Including discussion of the heating element, the rotary motion of the mixing paddle, basic and more elaborate bread ingredients, etc.  The bread machine then got a good scrubbing.  What subject does that go under?  : )