Mantoan Family Traditions – September
Homeschooling is going well so far, but that means everything else has fallen off my radar. When I do have free time, I’m still struggling to figure out what to do with myself. But, I’ve been down this road before. Right now, I’ve been busy with “special projects” and I’m hopeful that once I cross all those off my list, I can figure out some sort of balancing act (and refrain from accepting any more special projects which seems to be my biggest problems – there’s so many worthwhile things!!). In the meantime, here’s another belated Family Traditions post!
School
I already covered most of our back to school activities in August, but September is when things are in full swing. It’s also when I’ve had the usual back to school nights and school photo days (which I don’t miss at all this fall). It’s when activities like music lessons, scouting, fencing, etc. all picked back up for us. We have less of that now and honestly, I don’t miss all that running around too much either. I’m certainly glad for all the opportunities and experiences we gave our kids, and I’d love to find more of those types of things for Fulton and Teddy, but it’s nice to have more relaxed evenings. Right now we’re maintaining a set routine during the week; certain nights are family game night, some are for watching a movie/ TV, and other are “project nights” in which everyone works on a creative project of their choosing. Fulton’s been painting a lot of Warhammer figures and Teddy’s been working on 3D animation.
Marian Feasts
- Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, October 8
- Feast of the Holy Name of Mary, October 12
- Our Lady of Sorrows, October 15
Through the years we’ve celebrated these feasts in various ways, usually with crafts and picture books. Nowadays, I tend to focus on OL of Sorrows with either a novena or special OL of Sorrows rosary. I also have a statue of OL of Sorrows I move from my bedside table to the living room during the month.
Exultation of the Holy Cross , October 14
Our church has a relic of the true cross and so we often try to attend this mass and get a blessing with the relic.
Oktoberfest
Tony and I discovered the Lancaster Liederkranz back when we were either in college, or had just graduated. While home and looking for something to do, we convinced our friends to meet us at a local Oktoberfest. We’ve been hooked ever since.
The Liederkranz holds an Summerfest and so we try to make one of the festivals each year, though sometimes that’s not always possible. This year, we also attended the annual Oktoberfest in Cleveland which is held over the first two weekends in September. This may also become a yearly tradition. I love the small, local Liederkranz festivities, but the larger Cleveland event was much easier for the boys to navigate in their chairs, had more seating, and more entertainment options. Tony and I have finally invested in some authentic German clothes and I made my debut at the Liederkranz stein holding competition in my new dirndl. We love the music, the food, the atmosphere – all of it. Will we ever make it to Munich for the real deal? Who knows, but it’s on Teddy’s bucket list so we’ve managed to pass on our love of Bavarian culture to at least one of the kids.
My Birthday, September 26
This year I turned 46. I’m closer to 50 than 40 which seems insane. Some years I write a thoughtful or nostalgic post. Other years, the date goes unmentioned on the blog. The weird thing is, when Addie was still at home, it was easy to forget my own birthday and just focus on what she wanted to do and her family celebrations. Now that we don’t see her around her birthday, I’ve become the focus and I’m not used to it. But Edie took me to breakfast, and I am HERE for the phase of life where your kids take YOU out for meals/ activities. I talked to Byron on the phone, he remembered to send gifts on time without prompting from me(!!) and the boys got me candy which is always appreciated. Tony and I even went out for dinner.
Birthday Posts
Addie’s Birthday, September 27
Addie is now 22! Thankfully I got to speak with her on her birthday and it sounds like she had a great weekend celebrating and fencing. We always did experience gifts for the kids birthday growing up, but with her so far away, these days I’m buying her presents (though I’d honestly rather spend more time with her). It’s definitely changed the dynamic of the month to not be celebrating together in the same location.
That’s the highlights for September! What is the month like for your family?
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