Wordless Wednesday~ Wishing for Snow

Till Next Time,

Monique

Living Like a Saint~ January 28, 2018

Till Next Time,

Monique

Traveling Thursdays~ Fort Frederick, Maryland

This past summer, we participated in a field trip with our local homeschool group. We visited Fort Frederick in Maryland. The fort lies just south of a town named Big Pool. It's actually is located near the Potomac River. 

The star-shaped, stone fort was used during the French and Indian War and the American Revolution. During the American Revolution, it was a prisoner of war camp.

During the Civil War, the fort was used as a gun emplacement to help protect the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal and the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad. After the wars, the fort was no longer used.

In the 1920's, the fort was bought by the state of Maryland. It became Maryland's first state park. The walls of the fort had deteriorated, but through archives and archaeological digs the fort was completely restored to its former glory. 

While there, we were able to tour various buildings and see how the men and their families lived there. 

The kids participated in drills, were bale to dress up in period time clothing, and performed various chores they were requested to do. It's a lot harder to carry two pails of water than you think.

Fort Frederick currently offers tours, displays, and exhibits to explore. You can even camp there! The fort sites next to Big Pool Lake. You can picnic, fish, and hike a few nature trails.

Till Next Time,

Monique

Wordless Wednesday~ Snow Kitty

Till Next Time,

Monique

CCD Week 9~ Sacrament of Baptism

This was a busy week in our classroom. We took all 16 kids into the church to learn more about the sacrament of Baptism. We explored the church and then headed over to the baptismal font for a hands-on example of this special sacrament.

Saint of the Week~ Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton

Elizabeth Ann Seton was born in America. She wasn't born Catholic, but was drawn to the Catholic faith. She helped found the first Catholic school in America. She later became known of Mother Seton. She was the first American to be canonized a saint. The kids colored in a picture of this American born saint to take home with them.

Virtue of the Week~ Hope

Hope is trusting in God's loving plan. We talked about how Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton trusted in God's plan for her life. She allowed God to work slowly through her life. She worked hard in the plans God wanted her to do. She was an amazingly strong woman.

So up this week is the sacrament of Baptism! Before heading to the church, we talked about the importance of this sacrament. We let the kids know that this is when we become part of God's church and family. It washes away original sin and lets us start our life with a clean slate. We did ask the kids what was our original sin and almost all the kids were able to tell us about Adam and Eve. We have such a smart class this year.

After our brief talk, we headed off to the church! We went over our church rules before entering the sanctuary....No loud talking, no running! We practiced blessing ourselves upon entering the sanctuary and genuflecting as we entered the pews.

After a brief prayer, we headed over to the baptismal font. Here I went over what the priest would do and say. One of my little girls had a stuffed animal, so we pretended it was a baby and baptized it. This caused a few giggles, but it brought one even more questions on what and why the priest does certain things. It was exciting to see their eagerness in learning about this sacrament. Before leaving we stopped by the Mary statue, prayed a Hail Mary, and headed back to class.

We ended class by working on a Baptism mobile. I found the craft years ago, but sadly I can't find the link anymore. It has the word Baptism at the top and has a candle, water, and oil hanging from it. It's a simple coloring page the kids color, cut out, and create the mobile with. If I find it, I'll come back and share it!

Another craft I've used in the past is one I found over at Catholic Inspired.

Till Next Time,

Monique

Living Like a Saint~ January 21, 2018

Till Next Time,

Monique

Traveling Thursdays~ James Monroe's Home

The kids and I were lucky enough to visit James Monroe's home Highland this past fall. James Monroe was the fifth President of the United States. Did you know that Virginia is called the mother of presidents? We've had 8 presidents born here.

The grounds are stunning! 

We enjoyed a tour of the main house, the beautiful grounds and garden, and a few other buildings.

We saw a bust of John Carroll. He was the first bishop and archbishop in the United States.

The kids even got to ask a few archaeologist about the area they were excavating. Currently, the foundation is working on excavating an area of the land where slaves lived. They are recreating smaller buildings to help visitors see how the lives of the slaves were during James Monroe's time there.

Till Next Time,

Monique