Garden of Francis

My website is finally up and running!

I have several items in progress, but the ones visible are all available right now. Next week, I'll have the clothing posted (modest long skirts and other *girls* clothing (boys clothes will come soon)) and a few Montessori materials; more added all the time ;)

From the main page:

We strive to provide the items that are so hard for our own family to find: modest clothing, educational materials, homemaking resources, Montessori materials - for a reasonable price.

Free shipping on orders over $200. All books ship free all the time.

We take special orders on homeschool and Montessori items as well - right now, items are added as they are used in our home or as other circumstances allow or dictate, but if a request is made, materials will be created :)

Come on over and take a look (and come back later to see what I've added) :)

Here it is! Garden of Francis

Catechesis of the Good Shepherd Musings

I am both happy and sad to see this final CGS weekend come up - happy because I LOVE the training (always have!) and this is the last of the last.


There is talk of an atrium for the younger ones, but I’ve had my son in the 3-6 year old atrium since he was 1, and have had other 1-2 year olds join us, so I’ve seen those modifications – I’ve made them! I’ll be interested in learning others’ experiences and insights, but the training itself, if ever offered, I likely will not take.


And for older kids, if they have gone through the entire atrium, they know how to study Scripture and church teaching at a much deeper level than the norm and each parish and each class have to make their own adjustments from there. There will likely never be an adolescent training.


So this is it. I'm sad to see it end in a way. This is the one thing for which I have routinely sacrificed my child with very few qualms. I am a mom above all else and it has been difficult to give up that role for a day or for a weekend. But the fruits reveal the root – and the fruits of this work are beautiful.


I can't say I've learned too much MORE while in this training (I have a degree in theology, studying at two well-to-do, reputable Catholic universities), though I have certainly learned some new things; I have been able to go much deeper with it; study teachings with children (and adults); importance of so many key aspects that so many people think are frivolous to a child's upbringing, but are actually so essential.


Obviously, I'm still not a purist, but the lovely thing with CGS is that I don't have to be - CGS is not meant to be a "complete" religious ed program, meaning that when parents come and ask, "well when do they learn these particular prayers?" we can say, "You're doing those at home right?" Because while all prayers are used in potentiality, only particular ones are lifted up for meditation on specific lines, exploration of origin, etc.


And there is plenty of room for doing the Baltimore Catechism or other religious ed programs outside of the atrium. It's not part of it, but it's not exclusive either. They complement one another – one with a heart experience that leads to words and the other with a more or less strictly intellectual experiments that feeds the longing of the heart to understand.


I look forward to being a trainer, so I know this is not the last training for me; it’s simply the last one on which I’ll be a participant only. In many ways, being a trainer will help me to continue to grow in this work, always learning from one another, addressing questions, exploring Scriptures and church teachings in another light.


I am happy because I get another weekend of CGS training! I am sad because this is the last of the trainings. I am happy because this starts a new chapter in my CGS experience and my walk with God, but sad and a touch scared (nervous anticipation???) at the same time. It’s new territory. I am sad because I will be leaving my son, but I am satisfied that he will be in the care of cherished loved ones. I am both happy and sad that the full-effort album page writing and material making is coming to and end (I still have materials to make though!), but I know that in an effort towards ever-increasing simplicity, these things will continue on some level – and now I can be there to help others on their first steps.


Pray for me, please.

Who needs a sandbox anyway…

...when you have THIS much snow!

[caption id="attachment_76" align="alignright" width="300" caption="This had already been partially cleared and this was on our *covered* balcony!"][/caption]

He’d already swept most of our balcony clear and had started to clear out the wagon (with the dump truck no less) while watching the plows clear our parking lot, when he realized that he was doing just what he did with sand box before all the sand was lost over the sides of the balcony! So he played in snow-sand for a while.

Of course, momentarily that excitement was nothing compared to the thrill of standing on the wagon, holding onto the railing and pulling himself along, to clear all snow from the top of the railing. That was to collect more snow, which was much more efficiently brought up from groundlevel via buckets.

What fun we find when we don’t have a decent play area. ;)