Boys Book Club - Robin Hood

Robin Hood was our first book club selection for this year. All the boys really enjoyed this medieval tale. We read different versions and compared some of the details. We had a very fun Robin Hood themed meeting.

 

One of the boys "aged out" of our club and we added a new friend this year.

 

Mom helped me make some simple Robin Hood hats out of felt. They were a big hit!

 

We discussed and summarized the story and then played a game that helped us sort out the main ideas and significant/less significant details.

The boys each designed their own targets.

Then we headed outside and practiced shooting with some simple dollar-store archery sets.

 We also practiced shooting at some balloons.

 

We dipped those suction cup arrows in paint and shot them at the targets they made.

 Finally, we used a "javelin" to pop some water balloons tied to our trees. (Again, my neighbors likely think that we are NUTS!)

It was a super fun afternoon of celebrating our love of literature. The girls group is studying American Girl books this year and having a blast as well. We are so blessed to have great friends to learn and play with us.

Our Middle Ages Unit Study

 

We had a great time learning about the Middle Ages as our first unit study of this school year. I continue to be amazed at how much I learn right along with the boys. I know for a fact that I did not study the Middle Ages in grade school.

 

We kicked off our study during our end of summer trip to Myrtle Beach.

Medieval Mini-Golf

 Yes, I know these weren't the most "authentic" medieval experiences, but they definitely got the boys' attention and enthusiasm.

When we got home from the beach and got serious about school, we did lots of reading.

 We designed our own coat of arms and illuminated letters.

 

 

 



The boys really enjoyed this castle-themed mapping activity.

 We made our own stained glass windows.

We played fun medieval-themed games.

 

We (well, mostly Daddy) even constructed a catapult! It has become our newest cat-teasing toy.

They love to chase the bean bags we shoot with the catapult.

 

We're still working on painting this wooden castle, but we've had fun playing with the knights, dragons, and royal figures.

 

To celebrate the culmination of our study, we prepared and enjoyed a medieval "feast."

First, we designed custom goblets and costumes.



How do you like the knight's custom "Crocs?"
The rubber mat stapled to his tunic is "chainmail."

 

Do I have the most awesome husband or what? Not only did he "procure" the main course and dessert for our "feast" but he also agreed to don this magnificent ridiculous hat and cape and take on the quirky and dramatic character of a visiting king AND eat with no utensils. AND he allowed me to post these pictures here! Three cheers for the King!

For dinner we enjoyed potage (potato soup), roasted chicken (which our visiting "King" - aka "Daddy" - procured for us on the way home from work from a wild-sounding place called "Kroger"), green beans, homemade applesauce, and cherry pie (also procured by the King). The meal was served on trenchers (thick slices of toasted bread) as was tradition in the Middle Ages. Adam and I prepared a delicious mock mead for our beverage. And of course there were no utensils for eating.

 

 

 Though we lacked jesters, poets, and musicians to entertain us, we did enjoy recitations of the boys' summaries of the Middle Ages.

And after the meal, there was, of course, sword-fighting!

 

I'm sure my neighbors get a real kick out of evenings like this in our yard!

We really enjoyed the Middle Ages unit. The boys are beginning to get a sense of "the order of history" and they enjoy placing people and events we study in our Book of Centuries and along our timeline in the schoolroom.

Here are some close-ups of the resources we used for our study:



Our first book club selection of the year was "Robin Hood" and we had a blast with it.

My favorite resource is called Great Medieval Projects You Can Build Yourself by Kris Bordessa.
We completed several projects from the book and learned a lot of information.
The medieval feast ideas came from this book as well.

It was fun to learn some Church history in this unit.
Cathedrals. Monks. Saints. Woo hoo!!!

Fun stuff!

I bought this super-cool castle-themed stacking blocks set years ago at a thrift store.
We had fun studying the different castle rooms.

 Obviously, we could have spent much longer on this unit. We will continue to learn more and enjoy our projects and activities. But time marches on.... we're studying a bit about Islam this week and then moving on to a fun Chemistry unit!

Marriage Symbols

When you think about marriage, what symbols come to mind?

Hearts?

Flowers?

A white dress?

Rings?

All of those are great.... very romantic and common/mainstream images of married love.


What about Catholic marriage?

I always think of a cross like this ---

We had one of these on our wedding cake and it now hangs in our home. We even had this image (along with hearts and flowers of course) on our wedding invitations. I love the entwined rings, symbolizing never-ending love and connection. But what makes it most powerful is the cross. The union is centered and based on the cross of Christ... the ultimate symbol of love.

 

It's easy for us to forget what a radical and important image the cross really is. It is through the cross that Jesus won for us our salvation. It wasn't pretty or easy, yet Jesus picked up the cross, carried it a long way, and paid the ultimate price of His life upon it.

 

The cross is a very accurate and powerful symbol of what Catholic marriage is all about. I don't mean that it's a "death sentence." Rather, it's a symbol that shows how true love involves hard work, sacrifice, endurance, and sometimes even pain. True love doesn't run away when things get tough or old or different. True love is focused on the other rather than the self. And most importantly, true love involves a union of three. Catholic marriage is a union of man, woman, and God.

 

I recently came across this beautiful article which describes a wedding tradition in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The bride and groom carry a crucifix to the church and place their hands upon it as they recite their vows. They kiss the crucifix and then take it home, display it in their home, and teach their children to venerate the crucifix every day. The article claims that there is NO divorce in this town. I don't know if that's true, but it's definitely a beautiful tradition that puts the focus where it needs to be in a covenantal marriage.

 

There will be times in every marriage when the going gets tough. At those times (and every day really), we need to look to the crucifix. We need to truly see this most powerful image of love. We need to bring our hurts and hearts to Jesus on the cross and allow Him to pour His powerful Grace over us. He can and will help us live out our marriage vows. He will help us not only be faithful, but also filled with joy and love for one another.

 

Another powerful symbol for Catholic marriage is the washing of the feet. I'm not sure if I've ever written about it here, but I had the privilege of attending a beautiful wedding of a former student. I was stunned when the Gospel proclaimed was the story of Jesus washing the disciples' feet at the Last Supper. I was even more touched when I learned that Michael proposed to Jessica by washing her feet. Their entire marriage is built on the value of Christian service.... serving one another and others. Indeed, the vocation of Marriage calls us to serve our spouse and our children in ways that are not glamorous. And it is precisely in and through that service that we journey to Heaven together.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Holy Ground

We are blessed to live close by to a lovely diocesan retreat center. It is holy ground for us with much history. I have gone on and given many retreats there with many holy women. Jon and I made our Engaged Encounter weekend there. Our homeschool moms gather there for retreat every summer. I even remember my mother going on retreat at this center when I was a girl. There is a tree planted on the grounds in memory of my grandma.

 

One of my favorite places to go and pray has long been the grotto at the retreat center. Many years ago some friends and I took our children to the grotto to celebrate the Feast of the Assumption.

 

 

 

Well, the grotto was old and crumbling. It had to be torn down. Over the course of the past few years it was completely reconstructed. We were honored to contribute to the effort of building a new grotto.

 

Today, on the Feast of the Holy Rosary, the new grotto was dedicated. The boys and I were privileged to attend the dedication.

 

The new grotto is beautiful! The statue of Mary is exquisite, the stonework is amazing, and there is even a water feature. There are gardens around the grotto planted in honor of a young man from our parish who passed away a few years ago. This will long be a lovely spot for people to come and pray. I know that we will stop there frequently to light a candle, leave some flowers, and say some prayers.

 

The dedication ceremony, presided over by our bishop, was very nice. The rain held off until afterwards. We walked the Stations path and then even got to visit with the Bishop during the reception. It was a great celebration honoring Our Lady on a special Feast day.

 

 

Even though Ray's eyes are closed, I just love this picture of him with his arm around "Mossy Mary."

 

 

 “Say the Holy Rosary. Blessed be that monotony of Hail Mary’s which purifies the monotony of your sins!”
St. Josemaria Escriva