Duties

If you think children should not learn to work and manage a house then stop reading now. And go watch Mary Poppins.  And sorry for such a wordy post... I prefer picture posts but some asked so I'll answer.

I think if I were the type to dedicate posts, I'd dedicate this one to a beautiful priest in Spain who I have met 2 or 3 times.  Each time he asked, "Can they cook?" "Can they change diapers?"  He knows and understands the value of training children.

I feel a little awkward, silly and embarassingly humbled talking about Chore Charts and what are applicable jobs for children to handle.  The only reason is that I could name a number of people who have done a much better job than I have in the organization and up-keep of their home.  I was simply not born organized. I thought I had achieved organization in college through my teaching years but I can still recall the giant pile of laundry in the middle of my bedroom floor that I had not tended to while I was lying sick all day on the couch with my first baby.  I never caught up... but am getting there. However, I have trained my children to be *able* to work.  Unfortunately children suffer the effects of the Fall of Man thanks to Original Sin, so it is always a Battle in the Army of the Lord. 

Incidentally the colors on my chore chart have no purpose or reason.  It's what I had the most colors of in my card stock piles (knowing me, I will re-do them all sometime with colors that have significance to me like red for the Sacred Heart, blue for the Blessed Mother, etc).  But I do have them color coordinated by time of day: after breakfast, after lunch, 2:00 jobs, dinner and miscellaneous extras.  That way I can just shuffle the pack and put them in and I'm done.  That said, it did NOT work to have the children do the job sorting-delegating:
1.  they miraculously always had the easiest jobs for themselves
2. the others would fight over the unfairness, how the other did it to be mean and nobody likes me
3. then there would be the sneaks who secretly rearrange.

On the other hand, Mom's got power.  All I have to do is say "I said so.", "Life is unfair", "Right away obedience", "offer it up". "take time off Purgatory now" ETC.  I can't avoid "sibling quibbling" but I can at least not go provoking it!

Because we all like to eat around here most of our prayers and our chores are settled around mealtimes. Prayers before meals, duties after meals. My ideal of kneeling as a family around our little family prayer altar never seems to happen often enough, but meals happen. I'm not sure I like the idea of "Will pray for food" but even Our Lord satisfied the desires of the body. (Prayer is another topic for another time)

The hardest part of the chore chart is being consistent, checking, making sure jobs are done, and never letting down. I say that as I see that no one but Galadriel, did their 2:00pm job...  (read:  the loft and bathrooms aren't done but 2pm will come around and we'll try again!)

Age 10 and up can do anything I can do from cook (follow a recipe) to diapers, to laundry, to cleaning. But they don't always do it *with joy* (or well). How does one train children to do everything for the love of God, how does one teach a child to love God with one's whole heart, to accept sacrifice? That is the real battle. For those who have no Faith... I don't know what your battles are or why you'd have them, except that God is calling you to the fullness of the truth.

Now I will start from the bottom up to 10.
Ages walking to 3 - Fetchers and Gophers (for example Poppy is 2 and goes to get Aragorn his Water Joe for the road, she can put something in the garbage can, she can do simple jobs that are 1 step, but she still isn't potty trained, argh)

Age 4+ - empty the little garbage cans into a big garbage can, dusting, make bed
Now that is kind of embarrassing as by 4 my oldest was cooking french toast, pancakes,  eggs and simple things in an electric skillet by himself.

If you have a dishwasher they can help put dishes away.

Age 5-6+ - dry and put away dishes, wash dishes (attended), sweep, prep simple food (wash fruit), wash the fresh eggs, feed and water animals, work alongside a bigger who can give them little jobs to do (if your children are all young, you get the be the "bigger" so train your children well when they are little!)

Age 7+ - Food prepping (cutting, mixing, etc...), clean a whole room, follow a whole series of instructions for cleaning (chore cards)

That said.... I am *not* Martha Stewart so if you ever come here be prepared to say, "Oh.... I thought you said you had a chore chart?"  We are the reality show around here. And I"m alright with you coming and putting your feet up on the furniture.

Duty Cards

#1 Question this week had to do with what the duty cards looked like on my duty chart (see previous post down a couple).  And I have time to answer now that it is 2:15am and all are sleeping like babies... except the baby.  They look like this:



†

Dining Room

Clear Food & Dishes

Clear Hutch

Wipe Table twice

Sweep Floor

With a little box-border around it. Simple. Basically step by step what they are suppose to actually do. Mine like to skip to the last step, kinda sorta sweep the floor and call it done and say, "I did my job".  Go ahead and say it, "What is this chore charts for dummies?!"  Um... yes.  In the real world, that's what I'd call it.  In my dream world, I'd have cherubs floating around around me with golden halos presenting me with gifts of fine chocolate (the kind that makes you less matronly) and have a nice picture on the wall.  In the meantime....

Now my question follows a brief introduction.... Mine would rather take 45 minutes trying to get out of a job than 15 minutes just doing the job.  Is this universal?

And before you ask, "So, is your house spotless?" I'll just tell you, "By desire" (which is a nice way of saying "nope").  I just ain't Martha Stewart.... except by desire.  However, if you were one of the penitential lucky ones here post-brain surgery you'd see a very different place.

So, what were you doing at 2:15am? 

Let me guess, you were sleeping like a baby.

*chuckle*

Arrows In the Hand of the Mighty

Behold the inheritance of the Lord are children: the reward, the fruit of the womb.   As arrows in the hand of the mighty, so the children of them that have been shaken.   Blessed is the man that hath filled the desire with them; he shall not be confounded when he shall speak to his enemies in the gate.

Psalm 127: 3-5 (126:3-5)

I like being rewarded.
I like being a mighty warrior for the Lord. 
I like having lots of arrows.
I like being shaken.  I like doing God's Will.
I like having lots of children... most of the time. (chuckle)
I like the Battle for the Lord.
I like confounding the orcs enemies.
I like confounding evil.

I've heard that Biblical verse many times but I never remember hearing the part about not being confounded by enemies at the gate.... I LIKE THAT!

What does your armor look like?
Is it all shiny and pretty?
Mine isn't.
The gift of Hope is why I LIKE THAT!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I couldn't help scheduling this to post at 11:11 on 11/11/11. :)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Ordinary and Extra-Ordinary

 I can't top that delectible smile with words.

 I got my second razor sharp tooth, my mommy is thrilled.

 My desk reminders. The crucifix was given to me from Fr. Kunz's desk after his death.  The crown of thorns picture.  Our Lady... a gift to me from Frodo.  And a drawing of St. Francis and St. Claire (before he cut her hair and she became a nun) from Galadriel.

 We were invited to a Baptism. 

 Proud and happy God Parents of Bonaventure Abraham. 

St. Bonaventure, known as "the seraphic doctor," was born at Bagnorea in Tuscany, in 1221. He received the name of Bonaventure in consequence of an exclamation of St. Francis of Assisi, when, in response to the pleading of the child's mother, the saint prayed for John's recovery from a dangerous illness, and foreseeing the future greatness of the little John, cried out "O Buona ventura"-O good fortune!

Isaac spoke up and said to his father Abraham, "Father?"
"Yes, my son?" Abraham replied.
"The fire and wood are here," Isaac said,
"but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?"
Abraham answered, "God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son."
Genesis 22:7-8

(Ever wonder what was going through Isaac's head at this moment?  Ever wonder if Isaac ever wanted to go anywhere with his father after this?  I have! But I suppose he was a man of Faith!)

 Beautiful cake or what?!  And delicious with Bavarian Cream filling, which, incidentally is custard which is my favorite! 

 We got our first ... and second... snow with about a total of 5 inches (says Sam).  I guess the snowman pictures must be on another camera.  (the old cameras become the kids' cameras)

Keeping track of duties is an on-going issue and tedium around here.  So many little bodies, so many jobs to check. Finally I put together a duty chart.  It's not completed quite yet but I did get the necessaries done.  I laminated cards with jobs on them (breakfast, lunch, dinner, 2:00 and miscellaneous) and just shuffle them and put them in randomly.  All I have to do is go to *the wall* and see who didn't do what.  It's right there, simple.  The other handy feature is I also know specifically which name to call, rather than call every single name before finally getting the right one.  And there is room for at least 15 names!  I am also working on "job jar" cards so when there is some *ahem* discipline needed (not that there ever is) they can just draw a card and keep themselves busy for a time and I can get the house cleaner (though I suppose it will all be well-neglected since discipline is never needed in our house.....)  but it will come in handy when someone doesn't do their job the first time right away they can get a second job, just as a reward for a job not well done.

St. Andrew Avellino and That Blessed Abode

Will that beautiful abode of the Blessed give admittance to so miserable, so contemptible, so sinful a man as I am?
St. Andrew Avellino

After a holy youth, Lancelot Avellino was ordained priest at Naples. At the age of thirty-six he entered the Theatine Order, and took the name of Andrew, to show his love for the cross. For fifty years he was afflicted with a most painful rupture; yet he would never use a carriage. Once when he was carrying the Viaticum, and a storm had extinguished the lamps, a heavenly light encircled him, guided his steps, and sheltered him from the rain. But as a rule, his sufferings were unrelieved by God or man.
On the last day of his life, St. Andrew rose to say Mass. He was in his eighty-ninth year, and so weak that he could scarcely reach the altar. He began the "Judica me," and fell forward in a fit of apoplexy. Laid on a straw mattress, his whole frame was convulsed in agony, while the fiend in visible form advanced to seize his soul. Then, as his brethren prayed and wept, the voice of Mary was heard, bidding the Saint's guardian angel send the tempter back to hell. A calm and holy smile settled on the features of the dying Saint, as, with a grateful salutation to the image of Mary, he breathed forth his soul to God.
His death happened on the 10th of November, 1608.
Butler's Lives of the Saints

Prayer to Saint Andrew Avelino Against Sudden Death I. O most glorious saint, whom God has made our protector against apoplexy, seeing that thou thyself didst die of that disease, we earnestly pray thee to preserve us from an evil so dangerous and so common. Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be
V. By the intercession of St Andrew, stricken with apoplexy.
R. From a sudden and unprovided death deliver us, O Lord.
II. O most glorious saint, if ever by the just judgment of God we should be stricken with apoplexy, we earnestly beseech thee to obtain for us time enough to receive the Last Sacraments and die in the grace of God. Pater, Ave, Gloria.
V. By the intercession of St Andrew, stricken with apoplexy.
R. From a sudden and unprovided death deliver us, O Lord.
III. O most glorious saint, who didst endure, before dying, a terrible agony, through the assaults of the devil, from which the Blessed Virgin and St. Michael delivered thee, we earnestly beseech thee to assist us in the tremendous moment of our death. Pater, Ave, Gloria.

V. By the intercession of St Andrew, stricken with apoplexy.
R. From a sudden and unprovided death deliver us, O Lord.

Our Blessed Mother, Jesus And Me

A friend sent this precious picture to me.  I like to think the little girl is me.... no... I want the little girl to be me!

Testing, Testing

 Since my children did *something* to my last camera was got our gazillionth digital camera.  We opted not to count exactly or we may have been depressed... gazillion felt better.  This one is tiny, so tiny I can't get hold of it.  But I like that I can probably get a little case for it and it might be better protected from the barbarians.  I like I can stick it in my pocket.  I will admit... I'm a picture-holic and always have been. 

 Let's try auto correct.  Yuck.

 Blurry

 Blurry again.

 Auto-correct blurry.

 Marigold helped un-center this one on the blog.  She's got talent.

 These two pictures of Poppy are so typical Poppy-ish-ness.

 Marigold's new face.  I fear her fate is doomed to "America's got talent."

 A HUGE Thank You to our wonderful neighbors for this adorable sweater and booties!  I squeeled.  And you know what, Marigold is a sweater kind of baby. 

 And it fit perfectly! Thank you again!  Is anything more beautiful than a gift of love?

I know, I know, she's still got that *thing* in her mouth. It's my Baby # 11 humiliation. But it could be worse, right?  We can't find the high chair, yes, you read that correctly... we can't find the high chair, (how do you misplace a high chair?)  and the children brought this one up.  I couldn't for the life of me figure out where this came from.  I guess I have so many generous friends I overlook things now and then.  So now she can sit at the table and not grab everyone's stuff.  She has not started solids... except those that Claire has given her, like paper and crayons.....