The Most Frequently Asked Question: Now Answered

/

UPDATED 2010

Newsflash:  The Navigation Bar at Serendipity will help you find your posts.

Pam asks a variation of a question that is popping up almost daily:

Hi Elizabeth

I was wondering if there’s a quick answer as to just how to get started with the alphabet path.  I’ve searched all over your site and can’t figure this out.  Is the “Mrs. Applebee” story your creation used in conjunction with the “Flower Fairies Alphabet” book?  Do you start with those and just go with the letter you’re working on and all the activities you want to do?

Last week, I sat with my friend Linda and gave her a guided tour of the Alphabet Path. This was a good exercise for me, particularly since we get lots of questions from people asking for a detailed "how-to." So, I'm going to try to recreate the morning that we spent together. We had the benefit of being in the same room and that room was stocked with all the books, notebooks, and printed files from our Alphabet Path adventure last year. Linda has a very systematic and logical mind and she's not spent much time trying to navigate Serendipity, so I benefited tremendously from her perspective.

  • First step: Go to Serendipity and find the navigation bar across the top of the page.
  • Click on the tab that says "Along the Alphabet Path."
  • Click on "Alphabet Path Storybook" and print all the PDF files, placing them in page protectors in a three-ring binder. Print the cover art and slip it into the cover. This book will be a read aloud and reading practice for the whole year.
  • Now, return to the alphabet path webpage. Click on "A is for Apple Blossom." This is the introductory post that will set the tone for the year. First, you will see the original story of Michael and Mrs. Applebee, two characters who will introduce your child to letters and flowers and saints. These stories were created by Katherine and me and largely written by my daughter, Mary Beth. Each letter has an installment of the story. You've already printed them in the step above. When you read the story, you will need to have both the Flower Fairies Alphabet and An Alphabet of Catholic Saints. With these books, your child will meet the flower fairies and will meet a saint for every letter.
  • The flower fairy song will serve as copywork for older children and memory work for every child. The Flower Fairy Alphabet CD has all the fairy songs and will help memorization tremendously.
  • There are several nature study ideas which you will need to read carefully in order to discern what's best for your child's interest and abilities. some of the ideas will change with each letter. Some are offered every week. Every week, we'll provide a link to botanical information on the wildflowers. No matter how young your child, it's strongly suggested that you take some time to read about the real flowers, sketch them and make notes of the botanical information.
  • We want children to use their hands, so we've provided a link to a two-part post on making wee felt saints. Part 1 and Part 2
  • You are encouraged to give children time to copy the saint-letter picture in An Alphabet of Catholic Saints. The short poems that go with each saint can be used as copywork.
  • In the picture book section you will find reading suggestions for faith-related books springing from the letter-of the-week theme. You will also find subject matter picture books for a specific subject for most every letter (for instance, "sunflowers' on "S" week and "eggs" for "E" week). And there is a big stack of picture books that are connected by title or contact to the letter of the week. All the books are listed on this PDF.
  • There is a picture study suggestion for each letter. The lessons uses the book Museum ABC. We focus on one print per week and encourage you to follow the links and print the images for your personal use.
  • there are chapter books and writing suggestions provided for older children.
  • Several recipes for tea time or other mails are offered and it's really encouraged to cook according to letter. This is a favorite of our children!
  • Many posts have links to Kim Fry's "funschool" posts, which extend the letter themed activities for young children.
  • For further subjects organized around an alphabet theme, please consider
    • P is for Poetry
    • M is for Music
    • G is for Geography
    • A is for Art

We're going to be updating almost constantly. Take some time to click around the whole Serendipity site.

Final Answers on the Chore Chart (I think)

/

In an email with "email the chore list" in the subject line, someone wrote:

I was wondering if you could send me the chore document in the original program. You have it posted as a JPEG and it would save time retyping if you sent the word or txt file along.Thanks so much!

No, I'm afraid I can't. As as said in this post, it was saved as a [.pages] file.  I also mentioned that a previous chore list is available to download here. There's another one here. They are both Word files that you can use as templates.  Incidentally, I found these by searching "chore chart" on the Blogbar on the righthand sidebar of this blog. I offered a JPEG this time so that you could have a literal picture of what my chore chart looks like. I don't think there's any way to avoid retyping. Your children don't have the same names as mine. Your rooms and chores and priorities are bound to be different. I bet even your trash pick up day is different. There is real worth in thinking through the system. When you think it through for your house and your family, you benefit enormously from being intentional.  If you really want a chore chart all made up for you, Motivated Moms sells similar chore charts, but they are geared to Mom and not children. For our family, it was well worth the time to make a chart geared specifically to us.

In another email, Monique wrote:

Do you actually mark things off as they are completed either daily and/or weekly?  I used your chart last time a spring board to create a chart for the things I wanted the children to do weekly with their school work.

I do actually mark things off. There are seven "bubbles" beneath the daily chores. After I inspect the job I fill in the bubble. For the weekly tasks, there is a line to left of the job for a check mark after inspection. Making a similar chart for school work is a great idea--I just might give that a try!

Incidentally, there are no complicated reward systems attached to the chore chart. Basically, in this house, we go with 2 Thessalonians 3:10 "If a man will not work, he shall not eat." Generally speaking, food is a great motivator! ;-)


Every Family Has a Mission...

/

After reading my post yesterday, my friend Barbara put her thoughts on virtual paper. It's one thing to sit and philosophize about who should use NFP and who has just cause to delay childbearing. It's another thing entirely to throw one's door open to the very people others judge. Barbara and her husband are NFP proponents. They've been a teaching couple as long as I've known them (and that's a very long time). But more importantly, they are proponents of charity in the culture of life. Their home is a haven for moms who have said "yes" but who have real, tangible, and often urgent needs.  Barbara writes:

I think every family has acalling, and this is ours. I'm hoping to inspire other families to consider this mission to help pregnant women. Our diocese has just two homes right now, and has recently been getting more and more calls. It would be a shame to turn away someone who is asking for help.Read the rest here.

Babies are Only and Always Blessings.

/

In her wisdom, the Church never says we must use NFP; she says we may. We must however-- always-- be charitable. Contrary to so much popular press, NFP is not the default. NFP is not necessary for holiness or for strong marriages. Charity is.Are you growing in charity? Are you living in charity and acting in charity and working in charity for the culture of life? Read this and then think real hard about that.