Yes. The Feast of Saint Augustine in which we talk about St. Bernard.
OR
The Day We Celebrate ‘Happy Not the First Day of School’ with a party that we planned on Philip’s secondary feast day.
Are you confused? That makes two of us.
Here’s the dilly . . . Friday was the feast of St. Augustine, great patron of students. It was fitting, then, that we should celebrate the beginning of another year of home-school. Something in my classroom educated self sorta misses the fuss of the first day of school (even though, growing up, the first day of school -even with it’s excitement – was cause for much stress and consternation, upset stomach, tears and the like). You know, the new clothes and school supplies, seeing your school friends again after a long break and the the fresh start of a new grade.
We’ve been schooling low-key-style all through the summer, but we wanted to mark a change for the kids and show them we’ve come one full year since we started this crazy adventure.
TA-DA! Behold ‘Not Going Back to School Day!’
(We didn’t really call it that.)
We took the evening to have a fancy dinner (our celebratory favorite: chicken on a stick, white rice and apples with blueberry salad), introduce our family theme for the year (Zeal and Fidelity), and encourage one another. We also took some ‘Not the First Day of School’ photos. Not the scrubbed clean, kitted out versions I remember from my childhood, but we’re homeschoolers. We gotta look the part, right? And let me tell you, in these photos they REALLY do. It makes me wonder, how did we get here? Who are these people? What have I done?!?!
Started another year of school at home, that’s what. Check it:
And with that, we’ve begun. That makes today the first day of our new year. What do we have planned, you ask? Why, grocery shopping, of course.
Two more things:
If you live near a Safeway, go out right now and get a bottle of their Safeway Selects Sparkling Limeade. BEAUTIFUL! It was our “fancy drink” that we turned into cherry limeade by adding a marischino and some of the juice right from the jar. Better than Sonic, I-tell-you-what!
I can’t take credit for this evening of fun. I got the idea from Nie, here. She’s amazing. No, really. Keep her and her family in your prayers, will you?
And while you’re on your knees, remember us not heading back to school. I’d appreciate it.
