Come Read With Us!

Madeleine is a speed-reader.  I think she gets it from her Grandma!

Last night, Madeleine and I held the first meeting of our Mother-Daughter Book Club.  I've been wanting to start one for awhile now and a month or so ago, I finally got it organized and off the ground.  We have four mother-daughter pairs and we are reading the autobiography of St. Therese of Liseux, The Story of a Soul.  St. Therese is a doctor of the church and her "little way" is a great path to holiness for anyone--Catholic or non-Catholic.  

We all had a fun time last night.  I love seeing Madeleine with her friends and I really enjoyed getting to know the moms better.  The best part so far though is the one-on-one time I've spent discussing the book and the questions with Madeleine.  Her insights and responses surprised and impressed me.

I thought I would share our discussion questions with you in case you want to read along with us.  You can start your own Mother-Daughter Book Club, discuss the book with a friend or spouse or use the questions as topics for journaling.  St. Therese's story will change your life and your relationship with God.  Enjoy!

(Madeleine and I bought two copies of the TAN edition of the book on Amazon.  It is edited by Mother Agnes of Jesus.)

Discussion Questions for Chapters 1-4:

Chapter One:  Therese tells her sister Pauline, "So it was your example which drew me to the Spouse of virgins when I was only two"  (p.9)  We all follow the example of others.  Who do you look to as a role model in your life?

Chapter Two:  Therese writes, "earth seemed to me a place of exile, and I dreamed of heaven".  In the Hail Holy Queen prayer at the end of the rosary, we say that earth is a "valley of tears".  In what ways do you feel like an exile on earth--or do you?  What do you imagine heaven will be like?

Chapter Three:  In this chapter, Therese describes a sickness she had to undergo.  Can you think of a time you have suffered because of illness or separation from a loved one?  How did you make it through that difficult time?  Did your faith increase or decrease as a result?

Chapter Four:  At the beginning of this chapter, Therese tells us that she was confident that she would be a great saint.  God has big plans for all of us.  In what way has God used you to bring Him glory in your life so far?  Do you feel called to a particular ministry or to work on a particular virtue?

Also in this chapter, Therese talks about her extensive preparation to receive her First Communion.  How do you prepare to receive Jesus in the eucharist?  For the daughters--how are you preparing to receive the sacrament of Confirmation?  Do you have any ideas about things you could do to be better prepared?

At our meeting, we started with the Memorare and then listened to the song Be Still by David Kaufman.  We will take turns bringing songs that inspire us and at the end of the year, I plan to compile them into a soundtrack of the MDBC.  The girls really liked this idea.

Next, we divided into two groups--daughters in one room and mothers in another--to discuss which part of the first four chapters really struck us.  After about fifteen minutes, we came back together and shared what we'd talked about.  After that, we went through the discussion questions and shared some of the things we'd discussed at home before the meeting.

I plan to start each meeting with some kind of ice breaker.  Last night, I asked each person to tell two things the group might want to know about her mother/daughter.  That turned out to be pretty funny.

I have to admit, I was a little nervous about how this would go.  I didn't know any of the moms well beforehand and I wasn't sure how the book would go over.  I think we got off to a great start though.  Madeleine's friends left telling me how much fun they'd had* and Madeleine gave me a huge hug and a thank you.  

We meet again in June.  Order your book, start reading and I'll post more questions then!

*I think one key to the fun for the teens was the snack table I set up.  There was nothing left!  

 

Ouch!

I've said that if Grace ever participates in a beauty pageant, her talent will be to walk around the stage on her toe knuckles.  She can actually run on them and can do it on any surface--grass, carpet and even our hard saltillo tile.  Her sisters have asked her to help them do it and she holds their hands and tries to lead them but so far, no luck.  Somehow it doesn't surprise me that Maggie G has this kind of special gift.  It fits her perfectly.

A Simple Dream

The last time I cleaned the homeschool closet.

Poor Ella was scared I was going to put the next pile on top of her!

If I discovered a genie living in one of our cabinets and if he offered me one wish, I think it would be--and I know this is a little boring--for a homeschool room.  When Chris and I bought Casa Doyle, we were reading a series of books about the "Not So Big House".  They are written by an architect who designs houses for the way we live--with no wasted space.  That idea appealed to me because I am into simplicity and less-is-more anyway.  So we did the unheard of--we bought a house smaller than the one we moved out of.  Then--we had another baby, Chris started working at home and we started homeschooling again.  So these days, we're a little space-challenged and I homeschool out of a not-so-big closet.  Today, I spent half of the day organizing and cleaning it.  I don't really mind schooling in the kitchen and Chris recently moved some things around so that I could have a cabinet there for all of the things we use on a daily basis.  With books filed away and crowded together in a coat closet though, it's easy to forget they're there.  We also have nowhere to hang the girls' work, maps or the things we're studying.

If I had a schoolroom, I would draw a timeline around the whole room.  It would go right in the middle of the wall so we could hang things above and below it.  One section of one wall would be reserved for a world map, photos of Pope Benedict and the patron saints of the Doyle Homeschool along with our mottos.  The rest of the walls would be filled with pictures of the events and people we've studied as well as our ancestors.  If I had a big enough room, I would have a large table where we could all sit for group work as well as individual cubbies that I would make by using bookshelves as partitions.

So--that's my dream for the Doyle Homeschool.  We'll be in the market for a house pretty soon and we'll surely keep that in mind--that and Chris' dream of a home gym! 

Sam I Am

Who knew?  The largest statue of an American is of Sam Houston.

It stands 65 feet tall and overlooks Highway 45 

Having grown up in Virginia, I know a lot about Virginia state history but almost nothing about Texas.  Last week, I had the opportunity to learn a little bit when I went with Madeleine on her field trip to Sam Houston's home in Huntsville, TX.  Before the trip, the only thing I knew about Sam Houston was that the city was named after him and that he'd had something to do with Texas' independence from Mexico.  With my MIL Barbara watching my babies, I was able to really listen and learn a lot about him and now, I know quite a bit.  A few of the highlights:

*He was born in Virginia 

*He is the only man to have served as governor of two different states--Tennessee and Texas

*He led the Texas Revolutionary Army to defeat Santa Ana at the Battle of San Jacinto and won Texas' independence (Apirl 21, 1836).  Incredibly, the battle lasted just eighteen minutes.

*He lived with the Cherokee indians twice.  The chief considered him as a son and called him "Raven" and, during a particularly difficult period when he was drinking a lot, "the big drunk".

*He wore a simple gold band, a gift from his mother, for his entire life.  It was inscribed with the word "Honor".  

I love visiting the homes of important figures in US history because, in addition to their contributions to the building of our great nation, they are such interesting people. 

Of course, the best part of the day was being with Madeleine and her friends.  She's growing up so fast and I know the next five years will fly by.  Then she'll be off to college and on to all of the adventures the Lord has planned for her.  I'll take all the time I can get with her--my first baby--of whom I'm so incredibly proud.

Fun on the bus

Madeleine's buddies Gabby and Lauren

I wish I'd had all this fun stuff as a teen!

First stop--Woodland

Home built by Sam Houston and his bride Margaret

Madeleine and Stephanie listen intently

I've never seen a house like Woodland.  There was a very wide hallway in the middle with an open door at either end.  That part of the house was called the "Dog Run" and the bedroom was off to the left and the living room to the right.  It was called a Dog Run because the dogs and other animals would lie there to get out of the heat of the day and benefit from the breezes blowing through the house.

Stephanie, Madeleine and Gabby in the kitchen

Cooking on the hearth.  

This was the most interesting part of the field trip for me.  This kitchen was in a separate building just as the kitchens in colonial homes back east.  The fireplace is made of stones that are stacked without any mortar to hold them together.  I think she called it a stack stove.  She heaped coals under and over the pot to make the most delicious popcorn.  Apparently, they also cooked corn bread that way to make sure it baked evenly.  Back at home, Madeleine has made popcorn in a pot on the stove two or three times since that day.  It's not quite the same.  I suspect that's because in Sam Houston's kitchen, they added lard.

One thing is certain--I would not have made a good pioneer.  Making everything from scratch, cooking all day in the heat, washing all of my laundry by hand.  I guess you do what you have to do and one thing that did occur to me is that, with such a hard life, it would not be difficult to remember that I am truly not made for this world.  Even so, I am very thankful for my dishwasher, washing machine, microwave and especially, the local grocery store!

The seventh grade class from SMM on the steps of the Steam Boat House

The Steamboat House is where Sam Houston died

His last words were, "Texas, Texas, Margaret"

We learned about the firearms the pioneers used.

"Fire in the hole!"

Beautiful day for a picnic

Next stop for the SMM seventh grade--San Antonio and the Alamo!  

Lucky Chris will be going on that trip.

Yesterday

Chad with some very nice young men

It's Sunday again and if you want to be inspired, read the latest post (Yesterday) by my friend Chad Williams (Tiny E Blog).  It speaks about the simple things in life, particularly the joys of family and fatherhood.  Perhaps my favorite part is the way he talks about his wife, Kim.  As an almost forty-something, there's nothing I find more romantic than seeing long-married people so obviously still in love.  Only God can do that. 

I look forward to Chad's next post--What God Did For Me Today--and I wonder--what is God doing in your life?

Rained In

The view from the front door of Casa Doyle

Last Saturday was a day of a couple of firsts.  Chris celebrated his first thirty-______th birthday and we were all rained in for the first time in our lives.  We've been snowed in before and when we lived in Fredericksburg, Va, I looked forward to those days when everything stood still and the world was quiet for awhile.  Being rained in didn't feel quite as peaceful.  It just felt strange.  We watched trucks roll slowly down our street with water covering the large tires and we heard about a family who hydroplaned into standing water.  Five small children drowned.  Our hearts and prayers go out to them.

When the water finally receded later in the afternoon, Madeleine and I got out to do some last minute birthday shopping for Chris.  Madeleine had put aside some of her babysitting money and wanted to buy her Dad Guitar Hero.  She didn't have quite enough to cover the whole thing but I was so impressed with her generosity that I agreed to put in the rest.  Chris has been an aspiring guitar player for a long time and loved the gift.  In fact, several nights this week, we have sat together in the living room--him with Guitar Hero and me with Frodo Seven.  At least we're in the same room but I think I may need to work on my guitar skills if I want to have any meaningful interaction with my "guitar hero" in the next few weeks!

The water covered the curb and--incredibly--moved my heavy clay planter about two feet

Receding

Inside CD: We're at the beach!

Happy Birthday, Daddy!

Even Ella watches with interest

Madeleine knows her Dad

A new hobby is born

So what--he's a rock star!

Birds of a Feather

From left: Kim, Catalina, Briana, Amber, Alice, Misty and Pam

They say, "Birds of a feather flock together" and "Tell me who your friends are and I'll tell you who you are".  I hope that's true because, as a homeschooling mom, I hang out with some amazing ladies.  We get our kids together weekly for field trips and other group activities and one night a month, we leave the kids at home and meet for Mom's Night Out.  My friend Misty and I recently took over the responsibility of organizing MNO--she does the food part and I play Julie the Cruise Director and plan our activities.  Last night, we met at Las Palomas, a Mexican Restaurant close enough to the church for us to say a rosary together first and then move on to dinner.

We all brought our favorite quote to share.  The assignment was to put it on something to send home with another mom.  We also started something new that we will be doing at all of our meetings from now on--sharing an "Ah-hah" moment or, a moment when we could see a bit of the fruit of our labor with our kids.  My hope is that we will all start to look for these moments throughout the month and find them more often than we might think.  I plan to write mine in a notebook and read them whenever I ask myself, "why am I doing this again?" (I can tell it's time for summer vacation because that question seems to be coming up almost daily!)  

As she was leaving last night, one of the moms commented on how much this group and the positive, encouraging time together is changing her life.  I know that she and the other ladies cheer me on and make me a better homeschooler, a better mother and a better person.  What more could I ask of my friends?

Favorite Quotes of SAMS Moms

From scripture:

Kim W:  Kim made her own bath salt and attached this quote to it.  "Come to me all you that labor and are heavy burdened and I will refresh you."  Matthew 11:28

Pam M:  This quote is a Miller family motto.  They remind each other of it often and Pam told us that when her kids get up on the block at a swim meet, they strike a muscle pose to show they're thinking of it.  I love this idea and may borrow it.  If so, it will be the second great idea I credit to Pam and family.  Thank you!  

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.  Philippians 4:13

How can there be too many children?

That is like saying there are too many flowers. (MT)

Briana M:  We can do no great things, only small things with great love.  Mother Teresa

Catalina G:  Found written on the wall in Mother Teresa's home for children in Calcutta:

People are often unreasonable, irrational, and self-centered.  

Forgive them anyway.

If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives.  

Be kind anyway.

If you are successful, you will win some unfaithful friends and some genuine enemies.  

Succeed anyway.

What you spend years creating, others could destroy overnight.  

Create anyway.

If you find serenity and happiness, some may be jealous.  

Be happy anyway.

The good you do today will often be forgotten.  

Do good anyway.

Give the best you have and it will never be enough.  

Give your best anyway.

In the final analysis, it is between you and God.  

It was never between you and them anyway.

Mother Teresa

You are Peter and upon this rock I will build my church and 

the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.  MATT 16:18

Misty C:

It is when we attempt to avoid suffering by withdrawing from anything that might involve hurt, when we try to spare ourselves the effort and pain of pursuing truth, love and goodness, that we drift into a life of emptiness, in which there may be almost no pain, but the dark sensation of meaninglessness and abandonment is all the greater.  Pope Benedict XVI 

Someone I look forward to meeting in heaven.

Imagine it--story time with C.S. Lewis!

Jade:  (Jade couldn't join us for dinner but met up with us in the rosary garden for prayer time and brought copies of this terrific quote):  If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world.  C.S. Lewis

And finally, for the poetry lover: 

Amber M:  On the world-altering importance of motherhood.  "Blessings on the hand of women! They say that man is mighty, He governs land and sea, He wields a mighty scepter, O'er lesser powers that be, but mightier power and stronger, Man from his throne has hurled, for the hand that rocks the cradle is the hand that rules the world" (from What Rules the World  William Ross Wallace 1865).

Alice D:  Two lines from a sonnet that hung over the stage in the gym of St. Mary's Academy, my high school.  It has been my personal motto for a long time and is now one of the mottos of The Doyle Homeschool:  "Thou, my mind, aspire to higher things!  Grow rich in that which never taketh rust." (from Splendidis Longum Valedico Nugis Sir Philip Sydney 1554-1586)

A Princess Thing

Grace and buddy Alex Rouselle

If you ever need a test to determine whether or not you are dealing with a real princess, put her in water.  Real princesses are excellent swimmers.  This is because they may be required to walk a plank, swim across a deep, crocodile-infested moat or maybe even rescue Prince Charming.

All of the princesses of Casa Doyle will be working on their swimming this summer.  Ella will get her second taste of "under, bubbles, kick", Sophie will (hopefully) learn to breathe and will jump off the diving board and swim to the end of Grandma and Paka's pool and Grace will finally join her big sisters as a Wahoo.  

It cracks me up a bit that our swim team mascot is a Wahoo.  As a graduate of the University of Virginia, I am a Wahoo (and a Cavalier) and unfortunately, many UVA grads earn their nickname along with their giant diploma by graduation day (a wahoo is a fish that drinks twice its weight in water.  At Mr. Jefferson's University, the Wahoos are drinking something a little stronger).  It seems a funny choice for the mascot of a family swim team although I'm sure many of the kids--ours--can drink twice their weight in juice boxes!

 Monday, we entered into the swim season.  We are now committed to daily practices, all day meets and lots of volunteering.  I love being a swim mom though and it will all be worth it when the girls are safe, strong swimmers who can have fun in pools, rivers and oceans and maybe even be excellent triathletes!

*All of our talk about princesses is partly a game but not a joke.  We really do believe that we are raising princesses--not the Disney kind--though we enjoy those--but the daughters-of-the-King kind, destined for the kingdom of heaven.

Coach Brad warms up the troops

(Grace is in pink and white and Mia in black with blue straps)

"Hi Mama!" Mia practices freestyle

Sophie helps Ella with her walking while we wait

Last year, Madeleine was given the Coaches' Award.  When Coach Brad finished talking about her dedication and spirit and how she never missed a practice, he called Madeleine up, "And here's to the girl who's always there for her team--Madeleine Doyle?  Madeleine Doyle?"  We weren't there.  We had skipped the award ceremony.  Oops.  We won't do that again.

The First Day of Easter

Chalk masterpiece by the Williams/ Doyle kids

We started the Easter season with a very fun day.  The girls got up before sunrise to put on their Easter dresses and start asking, "When can we look for our Easter baskets?"  The Easter bunny ordered their gifts online only a week ahead of time and UPS didn't bring them until five days after Easter but the girls were thrilled with their candy and colored eggs.

Madeleine and Mia sang at the 9:00 A.M. Mass which was so crowded I had to park on the street across from the church.  It was raining and a very nice policeman walked me and Grace and Sophie to the door of the church.  

Our friends Chad and Kim Williams decided not to go to Lousianna for the holiday so we invited them over for an Easter egg hunt and cook out with Jack and Barbara.  Chris and Chad hid what seemed like a thousand eggs at our neighborhood playground which is wooded and has many great hiding places.  We all enjoyed watching the kids tear around filling up their bags.  I think Elliot came away with the most but they all had so much candy there were no complaints.

Back at home, we played and ate and Chris broke out our guitars for a jam session with Chad.  Chad is an excellent guitar player and the two of them played a little bit of everything, my favorite being Country Roads.

We didn't say goodbye until after 9:30 P.M. and, after putting the kids to bed, Chris and I watched the controversial House episode I still hadn't seen.  Poor Kutner.  They should have at least given him a believable send off.

Walking to her basket

She goes for the Peeps just like big sis' Madeleine

(the Easter bunny brings them but personally thinks they're disgusting)

Yum--candy for breakfast!

Don't tell Dr. Mohsin!

"I found it!"

"Okay, when I say three....now let me tell you a story about when I was a kid..."

Sister conference

"Look, Grandma!"

And another one

YAY Me!  (Notice Grandpa D in the background)

Evan and Elliot find one

Sophie spies one on the ground

A lot of ground to cover

Baby Dillon-- so cute

Grandma's girl

Happy hunters

(Madeleine, Mia, Grace, Sophie, Ella, Evan, Elliot & Drew)

Sophie and her buddy Drew

Serious (?) musicians

(FYI Chad has a blog too.  It's called Tiny E and there's a link on the side of 

frodo seven if you want to check it out.)