Tuesdays with Andrew: Lilly's Birthday Edition

Though Thursday is February 1, we read Brigid's Cloak today because our friend Andrew comes on Tuesday's to do Catholic Mosaic.

So here's what we did:

• When Andrew got here I had already started the soda bread. The kids added the baking powder, baking soda and salt. Next came the wet ingredients of melted butter, buttermilk and one egg. Though in our case three eggs because Sam crushed the first egg before it made it in the mix and Lilly managed some amazing trick of cracking the egg over the bowl, but somehow sliding it out of the shell at just the right angle that it hit the rim of the bowl and slid down the...outside of the bowl. Everyone agreed the buttermilk was stinky. The breads made it into the oven. We made two, one with currants one without.
• Next we read Brigid's Cloak. Before we read it we talked about the druids that lived in Ireland before they became Christian. We talked about St. Brigid being born right in that time when pagans were still just learning about Jesus. We took note of the Celtic patterns in the borders and how they changed when Brigid found herself in Bethlehem.
• Narrations. Everyone did an excellent narration. I am always amazed on how different children pick up and emphasis different details. For example, both six year olds made a note of the leaves in the druids hair. (The bread finished baking as we were writing.)
  
• Made butter to go with soda bread. Lots of shaking fun. Amazed at the "magic" of a thick glob of cream suddenly a ball of butter and buttermilk. "Tried" to teach about the science behind it.
  
• Ate bread with fresh butter. YUM!
• Read a short bio about St. Brigid. Tomorrow the older kids will read a longer one and narrate as well. Sam and Carmen will read some other stories about her and narrate.
  
• Made St. Brigid crosses from green pipe cleaners. I REALLY wanted to use a more traditional material, but I wanted the younger kids to succeed at it and I knew the pipe cleaners would allow for that. Even so, they're pretty neat. Told them the story of Brigid converting a sick chieftain by telling him the story of the Gospel as she wove a cross by
  
• Lunch.
• Playing, yelling, running, hiding, yelling, running...did I say running and yelling?
• Found Ireland on the wall map.
• Talked about generosity. Briefly mentioned Corinthians 12. Do we remember to love our family this way?
  
• Made holy cards.
• Copy work-May God keep you safe under St.Brigid's cloak. We then cut out the copy work and glued it the bottom of blue card stock. Above that we glued a small image of St.Brigid. Then we put glitter glue stars on blue felt and glued it as a flap over her image. My friend had brought a book of Irish crafts and it had a Celtic alphabet so they all wrote their names that way on their pictures.

Wow, we did a lot!

And of course, Happy Birthday Lilly! Now its time to finish a cake and make dinner.

And (big sigh) I still have to plan properly for Candlemas on Friday, though lovely Alice (despite a water disaster) has planned a lovely tea and generously shared it with all of us, as always. So some of my work is done for me. Thank you, dear Alice.

One more thing...Elizabeth has a great post up...don't miss it.