Raising Saints & Martyrs

Healthy living, clean eating, natural lifestyle...

All of these are very common today, especially with ADD, ADHD, Diabetes, Autism, and other various health issues on the rise. Because we homeschool, and we are together so much, I have a little more control over what my children eat. No unhealthy school lunches or vending machine meals.

Starting this week I am re-overhauling our food intake:

NO high fructose corn syrup allowed...
YES fresh fruits and veggies galore
SOME meat...fish and chicken mostly
We are LIMITING carbs, but not so much the amount, more like the kind. I am using whole grain only

WATER, WATER, and more WATER

This is all, of course, in addition to multivitamins and smoothies we normally drink. 

It is important to note, most medical professionals will tell you that a great many of the issues we have today with the health of our children can be helped a lot with a more controlled diet. Bear's anxiety dropped a great deal, while not totally because of, but at least in part due to a change in diet. 

I also have PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome), and more vegetarian diet helps immensely. I have less mood swings, and less pain. No secret fad diets, no special pills or drinks, just vitamins (I use Melaleuca) and healthy eating. 

This week I am following a one week clean eating routine. Basically I have a menu laid out, ready for the week (we usually do anyway) and I am starting with five days. Then I will add more as I go. I will build a habit again...

Who wants to join in?

Hop on over Tuesday morning for a list of recipes, and feel free to join in and follow along!

As we slowly progress back into the groove of school, we get more organized for the year. I am organizing the girls with 3 inch binders, and myself with a 3 inch binder and some smaller 1.5 inch binders as well. We have the house organized for homeschool as well. When we moved in I bought a china cabinet, we use it for school books and crafty stuff at the moment. Here is a quick look into how we will be organized for the year.

Kids

Each girl has a notebook for a reading log, and will be given prompts for book reports, journaling, and reading logs. In each notebook she has three reading logs, once she reaches a goal she will get a pizza dinner with Mom.

Each girl has a 3 inch binder. Each of these binders will have the following tabs for classes:

Language Arts
     Vocab/Spelling
     Grammar/Writing
     Literature {Boo}

History
     Each week/unit has a sub-tab for work

Science
     Each chapter will have a sub-section for work
     Field trips

Geography
     Sub-sections as needed {we have never worked with this, so this will be a work in progress}

Math
     Basic notes
     Laminated speed tests

Religion
{I have not yet found a curriculum I love though}

Language
{Second semester we will be adding a language!}


Mommy

I have 1.5 inch binders for each girl. These will be used as daily attendance reports, test storage, and final book reports. Sections:

Laminated school year calendar
List of subjects and corresponding books {for Dad's house}
Copies of weekly lesson plans for each child
     Kind of like this, but for a whole week because they need it for Dad's place
Pre-printed copywork and pages as need for Dad's place
Copies of current grades for Dad
Laminated copy of all websites and current passwords

I also use {for my own personal use and planning} the Well Planned Day planner.

33 Days. That's all it takes.

I enjoy my rosary. So much so that I have several, and intend to make more. I am becoming increasingly interested in the different types of rosaries available to pray on. I want my own children to have an interest in revering the Holy Mother. I want them to look at her as I do and see a woman that God saw fit to not only bear, but raise His Holy Son. I am in amazement that such a person has ever even lived.

I want to be like her. I want to have her grace. I want to feel her love.

I want the same for my own children. I want them to know this level of grace exists.

I am rereading 33 Days to Morning Glory. I also found a podcast I plan to use as well this time around.

Join me for the next 33 days. Consecrate yourself to Mary.
Join me and make this a retreat for your own homeschooled children.

I will leave you with how I taught my children to recite the Hail Mary with meaning:

Hail Mary, full of grace 
The Lord is with thee

God filled Mary with grace. She loved him. She followed God at any cost.
God is with Mary during her pregnancy, experiencing every moment she experienced.

Blessed art thou amongst women,
Blessed is thy fruit of thy womb, Jesus.

God blessed Mary with a child. God gave her himself.
Jesus grew within her to become man, like us.

Holy Mary, mother of God,
Pray for us sinners,
Now and at the hour of our death.

Even God sees Mary as the Holy Queen. He sees her as his mother.
Mary prays for us daily. She answers our prayers as she sees fit. 
Mary prays for the sinners. She pulls you in and loves you to redemption.

Amen