Thursday 26 January 2017

Writeup on HE

As soon as a married couple blessed with a child, it is natural that they started making plans. When the child is about to start education it is obvious that we select the best Catholic school and make other arrangements in education so that he/she could face the changing demands of the future world. We were also the same. As a couple who received Christ’s love through youth formation and being parts of the pre-teens ministry; God allowed us to hear the unseen cry of the children. So when our kids started school, God allowed us to see the peer pressures they undergo even at the age of 4 and the various influences they were having from the school environment made us to listen to what God want us to do. Like all who walk in the light of God hear the voice ‘This is the way, keep to it’ whether you turn right or left (Isaiah 30/21), we reached a stage in relation to the education of our God given kids. Our journey of home education commenced after a long time of discernment and trusting in God. This journey was very similar to an ‘Exodus’.

The first point we discern was the definition of education. The primary meaning of education as per dictionary is the act or process of imparting or acquiring general knowledge, developing the powers of reasoning and judgment and generally of preparing oneself or others intellectually for mature life. The secondary and tertiary meaning of education is connected with schooling.  When we look through the Bible we could see Jesus, a 12 year old who was able to debate with scribes. Also in Daniel 13,the young Daniel able to help Susanna out of wisdom .Catechism of Catholic Church  teaches in 2221 ‘the role of parents in education is of such importance that it is impossible to provide an adequate substitute. The right and the duty of parents to educate their children are primordial and inalienable. In article 2223 she teaches as ‘Parents have the first responsibility for the education of their children. They bear witness to this responsibility first by creating a home where tenderness, forgiveness, respect, fidelity and disinterested service are the rule. The home is well suited for education in the virtues, the home is the natural environment for initiating a human being into solidarity and command responsibilities (2224).  While reflecting these thoughts we could easily say that only through home education the above virtues and formation of a child is possible.

The definition of education clearly shows academic learning or schooling is only a small part of education. The family is the heart of society. Majority of learning happens through various experiences one undergoes. Through home education children is able to spend most of their time with family and thus able to see the beauty of the family life. They are able to witness how parents resolve conflicts and continue the beauty of the marriage with Thy help. They also learn the trust in God’s providence as in home educating families need to depend on single working parent where most family survive with dual income. These learnings help them to face any adverse difficulties in that life with trust in God. Children see new babies coming into families and its joy and struggle, they see how sickness and financial struggles been addressed with faith in God. All these learnings are beyond the walls of a classroom. Love begins at home. In fact home schooling is the continuous act of giving and sacrificing for the best people in the world – your own children in reflecting the life of Christ.  
There are many days when the day begin with the toddler wants to fed her selves, pouring cereals and milk on flour, baby is crying , middle schooler who is not able to dress properly and clock ticking to start the school. There my husband pop in on the way to do something realises my struggle and step in calming the baby and feeding the child, making a cup of tea for me and reassure things and to get on with the rhythm of the day. It is important to be connected and united with the spouse to continue the roles of God given responsibility as a home schooling parent. Every year we come back and look at his insights, activities and work together as a family.
  
The key advantage in home education is on passing on the faith. One of the great blessing in home schooling is living the sacramental life in the family. As a family we have been able to attend daily H. Mass. One of the main thing our family enjoyed being together is celebrating the annual feasts and seasons of liturgical year at home which is the domestic church; it brings a lot of happiness, life, joy and creativity to little children to adults. It could be an art project, doing a craft, reading and following the traditions, making a cuisine with children. Stories of the many saints are incorporated into our daily routine and many insights drawn from their lives has become a great source of encouragement in many of our struggles in the daily lives. The best thing we found through home education is meeting up a number of extra ordinary people. Prolife families both Christian and non Christian who are very concerned about the society. All families are very welcoming and share most of their resources with one another. One day we have been talking to a Catholic family with 7 children and the mother was saying we are in the process of making saints not scholars, so there is not much pressure about the competitive world.
 
We consider this as our primary vocation. Our family gained many blessings through home schooling, it has broadened my perspective about education, my vocation as a mother, inspired me a lot and empowered me. Moreover this has helped me to grow in faith and developed a deeper love towards the Mother Church and a love towards my fellow beings around through my thoughtfulness, time and understanding. Many times in doubts and in difficulties, I look up to Mary our mother who experienced the highest peaks and lowest depths of motherhood.' Let her name depart from your lips; never allow it to leave your heart'.

I am reminded of these words of Theresa of Avila that He leads me always:
                 Let nothing disturb you.  Let nothing frighten you.
                  For all things pass save God, Who does not change
                            Be patient and at the last, You will find all fulfilment
                                   Hold God and nothing will fail you

                                    For he alone is all.              

Budding scientists

Little Geokuttan peeping through the telescope.

Science Experiments

Munnu is doing an experiment with acetone and fire. In fact he covered the surface with acetone and lighted the fire, it won't burnt the material as the acetone catches fire and vapourise instead of catching fire.

6th Birthday of our Miracle baby

Our little miracle baby turned 6 .It was a great day and thank God all these years .Theresu wishes to celebrate her birthday in Benny's house and we decided to go to Worcester. Packed all things and took everything. Together Thomas family it was a memorable day and our Theresu really enjoyed and she had lots of gifts and we decorated the house with Ballerina theme and the colour was light pink. Anni already did decors with banners, we hung some ballerina's , made ballet shoes cake  from home, cupcakes with ballerina toppers

                Our birthday girl with a sweet smile





This time pinata was made with cardboard papers and stayed well and children enjoyed breaking the pinata and was really fun for parents watching too.


Our birthday girl is helping her sister decorating cake.



     Children bursting into the pieces of pinata in search of sweets.

Anni and Joby celebrated their thirteenth wedding anniversary too.


Ideas to how to make a pinata here.

Wednesday 18 January 2017

Athletics

Children are going for athletics in sports city and it has been a great privilege to practise many skills. Thersu's team won leading points for athletics and  Thersu bagged the medal as she was the captain.





Ralph Hunting

Just went for a walk in Dunham Massey. Children were hunting Rudolph with their map and we had a long walk and enjoyed the fresh breeze.








Transport/ROCKTS, pLANES

Snaps from Scotland's science museum where lot of information about James Scott who invented the steam engine, dolly the sheep etc..
















Experiments with aerosols

It has been a very nice idea to see how Munnu invents many science experiments from science books from libraries and you tube. One of the latest things was using aerosols and spraying it on the flame and explore how that affect the flame. The flames get distorted when aerosol is sprayed on it.


Friday 6 January 2017

Twelve days of Christmas

The party must go on. The modern tendency to start Christmas early. However, Christmas is not over, like Easter the Christmas will go on for the next twelve days which ends with Epiphany.
This year we  celebrated twelfth day of Christmas or called Epiphany which means ' manifestation'- we celebrate the day which Our Lord was shown to a wider public, and in particular  wise men from a far country came to worship Him.

The feast of Christmas or Christmastide goes on. we don't keep  by putting trees out..The celebration of the Lord's nativity cannot  disposed of in a singe day. Ideally we shouldn't give up on Christmas until Candlemas on February 2 according to tradition (Advent to Epiphany book by Vincent Ryan OSB).

In Britian it's old name is twelfth Night and tradition to take decors down. Shakespeare wrote play in honour of twelfth Night. The keynote of the feast is joy and fun; Christ is with us,...He is among men, A child who is to become our Savior.

One of the other element in this feast is the guiding star which led wise men to Bethlehem and star as a symbol of faith..reward of faith is face to face vision of God.

''On this day, Lord God
by a guiding star you revealed your  only begotten son
to all peoples of the world.
Lead us from the faith by which we know you now
to the vision of your glory, face to face''.

The above prayer represents our own life as a pilgrimage, a pilgrimage of faith. We are the Magi, Faith is our guiding star.Bethlehem is our goal.

The traditional way is to get house blessed by using the chalk blessed day before.
This is the climax of Christmas and a day for a party and make the enthusiasm for this day infectious.

Today we went for Holy Mass and then It was a great chance to do Carols in St Joseph Home with Seymour family. There were lot of songs especially children sang ''We three kings of orient ...and  On the first day of Christmas my true love send to me....'' Annu and Munnu played in piano and was great. Theresu was so keen in singing Twelve days but gave up once reached home.



There was some feasting at home once we reached home . Annu and Theresu helped with preparing different dishes with 'twelve days of Christmas song'...Prepared pear for the first day , two turtle doves, three french hens with ...four calling birds with ... five gold rings with onion rings, 6 geese are laying with some eggs, seven swans are swimming...and go on...


'Twelve days of Christmas song came in Elizabethan period when faith was prohibited to practise with a hidden catechism...


In the front is Galette des rois which is a traditional french cake  for Epiphany and a small token was hid for who to be the king in our family. It was so fun and none of us got it and Geo didn;t want to try as he is not having much food these days and finally came to realise Geokuttan's piece got the token. Whoever recieves the token will be preparing the epiphany cake and wear the crown next year


Children dressed up as wise men and our wise men nearly reached baby Jesus as we were moving wise men a little steps closer to Him every day. Also reminds us Christina Rossetti's nice Epiphany song...In the bleak mid winter.....


If you're keen you can can make twelve days of Christmas lapbook and have a look at shower of roses blog.

Moreover today we have baptism day of both Munnu and Geo in our family. Later tonight with the blessed chalk Jobychayan did Epiphany blessing on the door lintel.

'' When they saw the star they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. And going into the house, they saw baby  and  Mary the mother. They worshiped Him and offered gifts'' Mathew 2

About Me

Manchester, United Kingdom
A catholic mum with four wonderful children and my wonderful husband. My interests includes my family, faith,home education.Would love to do n enjoy Craft and arts,baking, journaling and reading when I get time,celebrates liturgical feasts in the family, likes Charlotte Mason philosophy, passionate about nature study, Montessori fan.To keep innocence, I would like to keep Annu as the eldest, Munnu and Theresu and Georgu as the youngest. Likes to read on parenting, lousy housekeeper,would love to work for the kingdom of God. I am a Homeopath too, member of Faculty of Homeopathy UK and anyone who like to have a safe, natural medicinal approach, feel free to approach me.