A New Springtime

Homeschool and a Well Balanced Day

 The days around our house are always filled with many activities. It is very important to balance out the day, learning can include many different facets. Keeping our minds, bodies and souls healthy can be a challenge. This requires a well balanced diet of work, prayer, and play. Because I have the duty of making sure everyone else is keeping up with their daily chores, hygeine and school.

 My own needs can be easily left by the wayside but I try not to let that happen. Simple tasks such as brushing my hair can be challenging if I get caught up into the hustle and bustle of the day. Finding nice second hand clothes allows me to have a decent wardrobe and new clothes for spring usually gives me a sense of refreshment. Our community center has a thrift shop and it sells clothes for $1 a bag!!

 We have been using the Core Knowledge Series," What Your 3rd, 4th, and 6th Grader Need to Know", for school this year. In each book there is information for each grade level, divided by subject.

 The kids read a section in history and science, write about it and draw a picture to go with their journal entries. They can look it up on the computer or use another book for more info.

 We always take a break starting at 12:00 for lunch and a bit of play, too. If is nice weather the kiddos always go outside, the older ones play b-ball and the younger ones watch or do their own thing while soakin' up some sun.

 Even though they can get on each others nerves at times, I can usually find one or two siblings taking some time out to do good things together. An older sister or brother will help a a younger one learn how to play a game. We have been into Dr. Suess lately since we went to see the Lorax earlier this month. We were thrilled to get this game free at our community center. The ladies there are so good to us. They usually spoil the kids and get a few hugs in return.

 I am not always so good at getting the meditational prayer part in so that is what I will be focusing on the rest of Lent. I do offer my works, joys and sufferings each day in union with the sacrifice of the Mass.

 Although my efforts are meager these days, I do enjoy decorating. I am not Martha Stewart but I try to put up a few seasonal decorations. It isn't a priority any more but it is enjoyable.

 The main thing I try to do is maintain some kind of order with the toys and have them look neat so they don't take over the house in an unsitely mess. Keeping a balance can be difficult when managing a household, a school, playtime and my own sanity but when I focus on offering it all up to God it all falls into place.

 It is like a vocation of a monk or hermit not doing things for the self. I often have to get back on track and not worry about being praised or appreciated but doing it  as a prayer in union with Jesus for the Father above.

  At the end of the day when the battle has been fought and my will has been submitted, there is always something good to look back on.  A  peace-filled well balanced day between work and play can be the best prayer of all!!

Lead Us Not Into To Temptation

Lately I have been missing out on the joy of life due to my lack of faith in Jesus. It is a hard thing to admit since He has shown me His great love and faithfulness many times over. I have been a bit angry at some of the things that have taken place in the Church, forgetting my own imperfections and listening to the opinion of others and their misconceptions  about the Catholic Faith.

                                          
The whole time I have been saying my routine prayers and sort of going through the motions and finally asking Jesus if He could once again prove himself to me. I know that sounds so horrible but that is the place I have been these past couple of weeks.

It hasn't been a very bright place for me. The kids have been sick and I have been trying to re-establish a relationship with my oldest son. There has been spiritual battle raging but as always God is The Victor. He worked a miracle in my life yesterday!

Sweet lil' baby boy had become quite sick so off to the doctor we went. He had a rash of tiny prickly red dots and the doctor diagnosed it as petechiae. She wanted blood work done, STAT,  because it can be associated with Lukemia. Children with Down Syndrome are more prone to getting it.

As you can imagine, I was worried. I tried to pray the Divine Mercy in the office but I just couldn't get it together.  On the drive to the hospital to get the blood, I called my good friend and asked her to pray. She said she already did that she was inspired to pray at 9:45, the very time we were on our way to the doctors. The prayer she said was the Divine Mercy. Heaven had us covered.

 

At the very moment she was telling me this I spotted our parish priest in the hospital parking lot. My heart began to swell and I knew Jesus had sent him there. I pulled up to him and beeped the horn as he was about to get in his car to leave. I told him about the possibility of the Lukemia and without hesitation he asked me if I wanted him to give Malcolm the Anointing of the Sick.

   

We walked into the hospital and sat down in the lobby where he gave Malcolm the sacrament, crossed his forehead with the oil and we prayed the Our Father together. I began to cry and felt as if I  had a healing, too. I had such peace and knew once again my faith had been restored. I had been searching for answers to questions and I should know better.  Jesus doesn't make it that difficult for us to know Him. I am humbled once again by God's love and humility.

Two hours later the tests results came back negative for Lukemia, Malcolm has a case of Bronchiolitis but has recieved the best care and treatment from his doctor and is already on the road to recovery. I am sure all is well due to the awesomeness of the Sacrament of the Sick.

The Catholic Church has many wonderful signs of God's love to offer and there are many members who do wonderful acts of charity and service. There are also many priests who sacrifice their time and lives for the care of others. I am so thankful to Jesus for giving me His mercy through them.  Next one will be confession!
 

I Prayed Before my Game

These are the words I heard my son say to his younger brother in the dorm room after the game on Saturday, "I prayed before my game." That's all I needed to hear! Joseph was named, Rookie of the Week, by the NECC. I am so happy for him!!

September 5, 2011

 

Coleman Named NECC Rookie of the Week in Men’s Soccer

 

ATTLEBORO, Mass. – Elms College freshman forward Joseph Coleman (Easthampton, Mass.) was named the New England Collegiate Conference (NECC) Rookie of the Week in men's soccer as announced by the league office on Monday.

 

Coleman netted his first collegiate goal which was the equalizer in a 3-2 come-from-behind victory over New England College in the Blazers' 2011 season-opener. Coleman's score came with 23:48 remaining in the contest and set the stage for Elms' impressive comeback win

Down Syndrome and the Not So Moody Blues

God gives a peace that surpasses all understanding. Sometimes things aren't perfect or they do not turn out  the way I think they are supposed to but lately I am able to experience joy in these events.

 
Having a child with Down Syndrome is nothing like I ever expected it would be. I am just so absorbed in all of the love and blessings that have been poured out upon our family from the gift of this precious little one. His siblings feel the same way and are always entertaining him with toys, hugs and even music.

 
I am learning to give thanks to God even when things do not go my way. By no merit of my own, only by His grace I have come to understand His love in the " less than perfect situations" in my life. When things look bad there is always something beautiful that God brings forth from it.  I am becoming enlightened to think even more in the opposite direction of what the world says.

 
"Seek ye first the Kingdom of Heaven and all things shall be added unto thee."   Down Syndrome has no power over God and I am seeing so much beauty in imperfection. 

 
So as my ears  hear the harmonica play I am savoring the tunes of the not so moody blues. The melody is sweet and the tunes are up beat even when times are a bit out of sync.  Play that song  baby and praise God in all things!!

Human Dignity

 
The wonder of God shows through each one of us as human beings because we are all made in the image and likeness of God who revealed himself to us in the man of Jesus Christ.

 

 
God became man to show us how much He loves us and we only have to look at each other to see this is true. I ran into some people this weekend while going to tag sales who believe that energy or the universe are the source and power of healing but when God became man He told us, " I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life.

 
Turning away from God and worshiping His creation instead of Him takes away from our own human dignity. It puts as equals with a rock, a tree or a piece of grass. God says humans have dominion over these  things, they are there for us to utilize and to advance ourselves.

 
Many times when I look at my children and the younger and more innocent they are I can see the face of God. He reveals himself to us through the beauty of His creation of nature but no where is His revelation  stronger than in His creation of mankind.

 
Our human dignity is under attack in many forms today but we know God himself took on life as a baby in the womb of a virgin and manifested Himself to us on this Earth.  His great love for us shows us that we are lifted up to a level of holiness and divinity because He created us in His own image.

 

 

See with New Eyes

Summer is coming and I am already enjoying the cute, colorful, little summer outfits and the lil'boy who wears them. As you can tell, he is the apple of my eye.

 
I never get tired of looking at him and with his Down Syndrome his uniqueness makes him even more precious. There is an even stronger bonding going on especially during nursing.

 
When I was younger and wasn't walking with the Lord, I had certain thoughts and expectations of how I wanted things to be. I would always worry about having a child with a mental or physical disability. I wanted my children to be perfect in a wordly way.

 
After learning much about my own  illnesses and limitations over time, God showed me the beauty of it all. In time, I came to learn that  Jesus is my stength,  my Divine Physician and  He loves me with all of my imperfections.

 
Baby Malcolm is always losing one of his socks and I just love looking at his piggies. Because of his Down Syndrome he can move his big toe quite far apart from the other toes. The first time I witnessed this I began to laugh and I yelled to the kids, " Come and see what Malcolm can do!" Luckily he did it again and we all began to giggle with joy. Right away the kids began to tell me how they can move their double jointed thumbs, and bend their knees far backwards, etc.  It was a great show and tell!

 
The important thing I am learning is not to see as man sees but as God sees. When God sent Samuel to anoint one of Jesse's sons he was surprised when God chose David to be king, the youngest and seemingly weakest of them all.

It is amazing, the works of God, and I feel so blessed and priveleged to be the mother of all  my children who all have sicknesses, weaknesses, and imperfections but who are all sons and daughters of our  Lord Jesus Christ.

Something Very Divine

The Blessed Mother has blessed us during the month of May!   Three of our children were born in May, one on the thirteenth, the eighteenth, and the twenty- fourth. This year we are having an even busier May...

Abigail made her First Holy Communion!

 

 and Malcolm was baptized!

 

 

We also celebrated Mother's Day and it was the best one yet!  (DH says I say that every year, lol)

 

We sat around the patio enjoying one another,eatin' some good ole' KFC!
 

Malcolm was taking a snooze in the warm afternoon sun. I feel so privileged to be his mother. He has brought new meaning to motherhood for me! It is a wonderful feeling of being needed even more because of his Down Syndrome and the love that exudes from his very being is indescribable! There is something very divine going on around here.











Glory to God, A Miracle!

 Yesterday, we took Malcolm to the pediatric cardiologist again and we received some  wonderful news. After 45 minutes or more on the ultrasound the doctor looked 
at the images and could not find the hole that had been there previously. He said, " I wonder if I was seeing things last time?" He said he can't say the hole is there and he can't say that it isn't. He doesn't see any flow of blood crossing the chambers.

On Holy Thursday, our family prayed the rosary and DH asked Jesus for a healing for Malcolm.

On Good Friday, at 3'oclock the Hour of Mercy, the kids and I prayed the Divine Mercy  Chaplet and asked Jesus to heal Malcolm's heart.  I thank everyone for all of your prayers as well.  They have been answered. We have to go back in one month to check it out again but all looks well!

 

                                  

                       

  I give all glory to God through the intercession of Saint Andre Bessete who always tells us to go to St. Joseph, who always leads us to the Blessed Mother, who in turn leads us to her Merciful Son, our Lord, Jesus Christ!

Jesus, I trust in You!

Peace to His People on Earth

 I find that if I stay in the house long enough I start to get a get a bit depressed. There are so many tasks that need my attention though that sometimes I find it difficult to take the time to go outdoors.

( Our beautiful Hydrangea)

I have read many articles that have emphasized a need to be outside for at least one hour a day and I know why it is needed. God has given us so much beauty in His creation that when we gaze upon it it brings peace to our souls.

 
(a garden zinnia)

 Nature is a nuture for our spirits and connects us who are here on this earth with God. He wants us to experience him here on this Earth!

(another zinnia)

Seeing the intricate details and brilliant colors of each flower never fails to bring a smile to my face and starts my on the path of imaginative thinking.

The textures and shapes of the garden veggies and the way they grow into these magnificiant sculptures are  fine art masterpieces.

Black- Eyed Susan's imitaite the sun's rays and have a glow all of their own.

 
( Angel's Trumpet) 

This trumpet point's staight to Heaven blasting a silent song for all to hear.

 
 This spiral shape of the opening trumpet allowed me to see God's glory, it is so awesome and I would have missed it if I hadn't gotten outside amongst His lovely creation. It took my breath away.

I was able to gather the fruits of our garden and bring a bit of this wonderful nature indoors. It was so worth it to spend a few moments away from chores and electronics. I had so much of His peace when I was through, it made for a much better evening.

 ]

He knows exactly what we need and He brings peace to His people on Earth.
 
 
  

Sanctifying Everyday Duties

 In today's world one is measured by their degrees or money one earns, this is in contradiction to Catholic Christian beliefs. Human dignity comes from being made in the image and likeness of our Creator.

 God chose to be born through a humble women, a stay at home mom, who had no accredited degrees or job outside of the home. She had something much greater and that was her holiness. She trusted in her Creator and offered up everything she did united with and to him.

 
 Reading, The Imitation of Mary, it discusses  our states in life and how we can make them holy by doing  as the Blessed Virgin Mary did. We can offer our daily humble duties too with our Lord, Jesus Christ. We will probably be looked upon as lowly, and unimportant or maybe even lazy and despised by the modern world but we can offer that up to God, too.

 Something as simple as loading the dishwasher can have great value if offered up to God. St. Therese of Lisieux said this was called," The Little Way ", when we offer little things to God. I have heard to that she said to try doing 10 little things a day.

Mopping a kitchen floor can help to end abortion when it is offered up to God. 

Organizing the kids recreational items can help to alleviate world hunger when it is done for God. It has merit and becomes holy when united to Jesus. These little jobs are actually huge in the spiritual life. In the temporal they may seem insignificant and meaningless, but a soul that follows our Lady can become holy through the hidden tasks she/or he may do.

Folding laundry and bringing order and loveliness to a home can help to find a cure for Autism when done for our Lord. Small works of art done for God, a basket of pretty towels can also be a masterpiece. We don't have to paint frescoes if that is not our state in life. We need to accept where we are and what we have a and be thankful for it.

   Caring for and Playing with our children and loving them for who they are can be a holy task. Sitting back and watching these precious little ones can be given to God to show our appreciation for each blessing, this can be holy, too. If our duties are a prayer done with love and humility it pleases Heaven.

I have found joy in being a stay- at- home  mother who homeschools and who has the opportunity to cook, clean and create a comfortable home.  By no means am I perfect at it and I could never do any of it without God's grace but my heart  yearns to be holy and united to Jesus so I keep trying through worldly persecution,  earthly temptations to give it all to Him, for He is the one who will humble the exalted and exalt the humble.

So for all of us who have been given the calling to stay at home and for those who and tend our lil' ones and tend our homes and live a contradictory lifestyle and for those who haven't may we all sanctify what we do each moment of the day. Know that God is with the us whatever state of life He has chosen for us; may we do it joyfully and eagerly for He who is holiness itself.