As my house turns

Migrating

2010-11-23T13:06:00.002-05:00

For anyone who reads this blog, an FYI : I am blogging now at my own website. You can find me at www.homeschoolingmama.com . You will find that most of my reviews, both of books and curriculum are over there now, and I will not be keeping up over here. I have enjoyed this site, but it is time to move on.
Pax et bonum,
Christine

Homeschool Buyer's Co-op

2010-11-04T09:31:00.003-04:00

I have seen the Homeschool Buyer's co-op mentioned for at least the last two years. I had looked at the website a couple of times, but something held me back from joining. I finally joined after I was on a webinar with Brett Walter who started the buyer's co-op. The information he provided reassured me that my name and information would be safe on the Buyer's Co-op site. By buying in large quantities, Homeschool Buyer's Co-op provides a way for homeschoolers to get the same kind of discounts that school districts receive. If you look at the website, you will see the comments of veteran homeschoolers who are so glad to have a better way to purchase curriculum.
I recently purchased some software from Digital Frog through the co-op. It was an excellent value, and my children love it! I could not have afforded the software I bought if I had not had the co-op discount.
There is something for everyone at the co-op, and there is no pressure to buy a particular amount. There is a field trip finder which lists destinations in every state. If your favorite field trip destiantion isn't there, you can add it. There are contests and the "Reading Champions" program. There is no cost to join. If you have need of software or curriculum, check out the Homeschool Buyer's Co-op. It could save you money on your homeschooling needs. I know it has saved me money.

A new DVD about St. Gianna Molla

2010-10-21T17:15:00.001-04:00

Catholic Action for Faith and Family
PO BOX 910308
San Diego, California 92191
United StatesContact: Thomas McKenna
Phone: 858-461-0777
Email: tmckenna@catholicaction.org
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE New DVD Tells Story of Modern Day Hero of Divine Love“St. Gianna Beretta Molla: A Modern Day Hero of Divine Love” is a new DVD about a saint who lived in our own time. The DVD is a visual delight, featuring photos and home movies of St. Gianna, who lived from 1922 to 1962. One gets to see her getting married and playing with her children and living out her career as a doctor. Viewers see her laughing and smiling and loving life. This is a real woman. She is someone like us. Here we get to know a woman like so many of us who struggled to balance work and family. She was highly intelligent, excelling in her studies. She also loved music and art and being in the mountains. She loved her family above all else, but saw her career as a physician as a calling from God. Not only did she run her own practice, she was an active volunteer and sought to bring medical care to those who needed it, especially mothers and children. She would tell other doctors that “when you have finished your earthly profession, if you have done this well, you will enjoy divine life ‘because I was sick and you healed me.’” St. Gianna was raised in a Christ-centered family and sought to raise her children the same way. Her life was one of service and was deeply rooted in prayer. She attended daily Mass as often as possible and prayed her rosary daily. She was always ready to encourage others in their relationship with God. She was a woman who viewed life as a gift from God and trusted in the power of prayer. Totally pro-life, her ultimate sacrifice was to give birth to her last child, even though she was advised against it and knew it might result in her own death. After giving birth, she bravely bore her final suffering with grace and prayer. She died on April 28, 1962 at the age of 39. Beatified in 1994 and canonized in 2004, Pope John Paul II held St. Gianna up as a role model for mothers, physicians, and the pro-life cause.“St. Gianna Beretta Molla: A Modern Day Hero of Divine Love” was produced by Catholic Action for Faith and Family which includes the St. Gianna Physician’s Guild. The mission of the Guild is to unite and encourage Catholic physicians and health care professionals, to promote and defend Catholic principles in a public way by word and example, and to inspire sanctification in their lives.To order the video, please visit http://www.stgiannaphysicians.org/ or Amazon at http://www.amazon.com/Gianna-Beretta-Molla-Modern-Divine/dp/098163141X/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1286848315&sr=8-2

Amazon.com: St. Gianna Beretta Molla A Modern Day Hero of Divine Love (9780981631417): Thomas McKenn
www.amazon.com
Amazon.com: St. Gianna Beretta Molla A Modern Day Hero of Divine Love (9780981631417): Thomas McKenna: BooksShare

Complaints

2010-09-20T12:07:00.001-04:00

My youngest child has never been to a “brick and mortar” school and thinks he is missing out on something. Today we are having scheduled class times and only minimal breaks between “classes” in order to demonstrate what “real school” (as he calls it) is like. I have just told him that if he continues to make noises he will sit in a corner. I hate being so rigid, but it seems some days like that is the only way to get through to him. I know that “unschoolers” would not worry so much, but I am not there. There are certain things he really must learn. He is very bright, but I don’t seem to be able to find a teaching method that he enjoys. Ah well. We can’t have everything, can we? At least I have discovered that my 14 year old likes to learn by lapbooking/notebooking. It has taken me only 4 years to figure it out.
Lord,
Help me today to be a kind, loving mother. Help me to discern which things to let go of and which things are less important. Please help me to not “lose it” with my son today as he tries to push every one of my buttons.
Amen.

Giveaway at Lapbook Lessons

2010-09-15T09:41:00.002-04:00

There is an awesome giveaway at Lapbbook Lessons. In the Hands of a Child is giving away a 1 year SUPER MEMBERSHIP. The is an opportunity you don't want to miss if you do any lapbooking with your children. HOAC is a resource I use frequently to reinforce lessons and to provide a lasting reminder of the unit we have studied. They have frequent specials throughout the year. Check out the offer Here.

Bones: What they do, why we need them.

2010-09-14T14:35:00.006-04:00

The second module of the anatomy book is about bones. This "experiment" of making a person out of clay (or in our case, playdoh) demonstrates what a body would be like without bones. Our person could not stand until she had toothpicks strategically implanted in her back and limbs. Making our playdoh person^

Standing up after a "surgical intervention" of toothpicks inserted to help the "jelly body" stand.

Videos of the process:

First Anatomy project of the year

2010-09-10T17:40:00.004-04:00

We made edible cells with gelatin as the cytoplasm and different candies to represent the organelles. They came out pretty good, but looked better in the science book photos. They were fun to make and reinforced (I hope) the lesson.

"old" friends

2010-08-26T15:55:00.002-04:00

This past Sunday, August 22, I had the privilege and pleasure of getting together with a group of people with whom I attended high school many moons ago. As can be the case with any event, I was not really sure what to expect. Most of us have reconnected recently on Facebook. I had avoided Facebook until my daughter decided that she simply MUST have a Facebook account. I agreed that she could be on if, and only if, she agreed to "friend" me and allow me to see everything that is posted on her page. I was pleasantly surprised to find many of my "old" friends were online this way, and even more pleasantly surprised to find that they were interested in what was going on in my life.
While we may not agree on all topics, we all certainly had a really good time on Sunday. I was pleased to have intelligent discussions on many issues in a respectful manner. Too often people will spiral down into name calling when they don't agree. That did not happen on Sunday. I hope to be able to spend more time with these people, my "old" friends.

Dear Lord,
Thank you for the opportunity to renew these relationships. Your ability to bring people together and help us to build community never ceases to amaze me.

Amen.

Check out this valuable resource!

2010-08-18T12:41:00.002-04:00

Discover Secrets from Homeschool Super Heroes

Audio interviews with well known homeschool veterans!

Big News at Notebooking pages!

2010-08-17T17:08:00.003-04:00

The Notebooking Pages Treasury

After Labor Day, we will open the first ever Notebooking Pages Membership Site
at NotebookingPages.com!
. . . Join NOW and get instant access to the full-product line and freebie package!
From now until Labor Day, they are offering a special pre-kickoff sale on all memberships to get as many families subscribed and ready for that opening day. Whether you are a new customer, old customer, or someone who has enjoyed their freebies over the years, this will be something EVERYONE will want to join!

The Notebooking Pages Treasury - What is it?
The Notebooking Treasury will host ALL of the notebooking pages collections. All pages, both free and paid products, will be added to the treasury organized by subject, topic, area of study, etc. Don't worry the free pages will still be free! Then each month (or more likely, more than once a month!), NEW pages will be added to the treasury!

So go take a look and see if it is right for you!

My Review of Book-of-Saints-Picture-Book,-I---Soft-Cover

2010-06-06T16:26:00.001-04:00

Originally submitted at Aquinas and More

Rev Lawrence G Lovasik S V D This full color illustrated children s Book of Saints Part 1 has stories about the following St Elizabeth Ann Seton St John Bosco St Patrick St John Baptist de La Salle St Anthony of Padua St Thomas More St Anne St Lawrence St Pius X St Pet...

Just what I was looking for

By ChristineH from Chicopee, MA on 6/6/2010

I am pleased with the brief biographies presented in this series of books. It is a great way to introduce children to the saints and pique their interest in learning more.

(legalese)

2010-05-03T21:24:00.001-04:00

NotebookingPages.com 4th Birthday Sale-a-Bration!

Tired of Busywork? Seize the Most from Your Day . . . with Notebooking!

Visit during the first three days (May 5-7th) and every product and specially priced combo set is 50% off! You can get ALL of their products for just $57.50 ( a value of over $170!!!). PLUS, spend $40 through May 14th and you will receive a bonus e-gift homeschooling package worth over $60 with your order - FREE!

This 50% off portion of their sale is only in effect May 5, 6, & 7th. (After May 7th, sale prices will be 35-40% off.)

Check it out here:

NotebookingPages.com Birthday Celebration Sale

Free Activity e-book!

2010-05-02T18:16:00.000-04:00

FREE Book!
Click for Information

Bullying

2010-04-09T21:21:00.003-04:00

A local story from South Hadley, Massachusetts has made the national news. A beautiful young woman took her own life in January after being bullied by other students at her high school for three months. The young lady, Phoebe Prince, had recently emigrated to the United States with her family. Photos show a beautiful girl with bright eyes and a contagious smile. Apparently, she was seen as a threat by some of the other girls at South Hadley High School, and these girls proceeded to torment her both at school, online and by calling her and texting her. Things escalated to the point where the "mean girls" threw a canned energy drink at Miss Prince while she was walking home from school on the last day of her life. Some of these students even put up a Facebook page page titled "We murdered Phoebe Prince" after Phoebe died. They went around in school mocking her death by pretending to hang themselves. Even Dr. Phil and CNN talked about this story. A photo of Phoebe was on the lower right cover of People Magazine.

It strikes me as terribly sad that a young woman had no hope left in her young life. She hung herself in a closet and her younger sister found her. What a traumatic day for her younger sister, as well.

Many are condemning the teachers and the school system for this tragedy. While I do think that more could have been done at the school level, I cannot help but wonder where the parents of these bullying students were during all of this. I wonder if maybe this could be a case of the apples not falling far from the trees. As I write this, nine students from this high school have been charged with numerous criminal charges, yet I have not seen or heard a word in the news from the parents of these young people. They are, to me anyway, conspicuous by their absence. The lives of these young people are forever altered. The media says that things did not have to get to this point.

The Prince family has asked, through a spokesperson, that no one resort to vigilantism and that the judicial system be allowed to work. I applaud them for this. I cannot even begin to imagine how sad and broken they must be right now. I have had times when my children have been gravely ill or critically injured. The heartache I felt at those times must be only a fraction of the pain this family is feeling.

I pray for the repose of the soul of this poor young lady and I pray for the family to find peace. I pray, also, that the perpetrators in this case have remorse and seek God's mercy and forgiveness.

Notebooking Pages Spring Sale

2010-03-17T17:10:00.001-04:00

Get Ready for Spring - Nature Notebooking Sale

Spring is just around the corner! Get outside and seize the most from your day . . . with Nature Notebooking!

Now is a great time to try some of NotebookingPages.com's nature products during their Get Ready for Spring Sale Event!

See below: a great list of ways to use their popular "Nature Notebooking Pages".

Check out all of the sale details here:

NotebookingPages.com Spring Sale Event

Save even more with these special coupons!

Use coupon code: spring15p to save an additional 15%.
Use coupon code: spring5 to save $5 off any purchase of $10 or more.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Some Ideas for Using Your NotebookingPages.com Nature Pages

by Debra @ NotebookingPages.com

These are some of the ideas behind why I created each of these pages.

Maybe they will help spark an idea for your use of them as well.

7 Days of Creation
Draw &/or write captions & narrations for each day of creation.

All About Animals
“Cover Pages”
Print these pages on cardstock and laminate/put in sheet protectors to make divisions for your notebook.

“Animal Tracks”
Use these to draw the paw (foot) prints of the animals you study and record their name on the line provided. You could draw one print or a set of front/back prints.

“General Pages”
Use these pages to draw or paste a picture of the animal being observed/studied.

Allow children to use the Word Bank to help them write a detailed entry about the animal’s characteristics.

Use the “Special Characteristic” box to draw the animal’s special beak, feet, paw print or other feature that has a uniquely designed purpose.

“Observation Jar”
The only difference between these two pages are the pictures at the top—boy/girl.
Allow children to catch their critters and bring back home to observe.
Use this page to draw/write about their observations.

Animal Pages
Print out several of these pages and file them in the appropriate section of your notebook—ready for your nature studies! Or just print out several pages of each and keep them handy!

Use the side box on these pages to jot down details to remember about the critter you’re observing or reading about. Then write a summary below your drawing.

“Frogs and Toads”
Fill in the life cycle of frogs/toads using pictures or words. The first page gives a caption for each box and the 2nd page leaves this blank.

“Beaks & Feet”
Observe the special beaks and feet of birds. Draw a picture of those you observe/study and jot down their purposes.

“Arthropods, Insects, Spiders”
Several pages are given for drawing the arthropods you are studying by their segments. Space is given to write the details about each segment.

The next pages can be used to draw/write about arthropods. Word banks are given to help children remember what to look for when drawing/writing.

There are several pages for the life cycle of insects—some for complete and incomplete metamorphosis. Some have details, some do not.

There are 2 pages given for drawing the web of a particular spider. Use the smaller box to draw a picture of the spider and the larger box for the web. One page gives a box for any details you would like your child to write about.

Habitats
Use these pages to record what you find in a variety of habitats or to draw a picture of the landscape.

Have children take a magnifying glass when observing tiny creatures, a jar for any catches they want to bring home, and a digital camera to take pictures of those fast-moving creatures.

Nature Log & Journaling Pages
“Log Pages”
Use the nature log pages to record all your finds—especially the dates of the birds arriving in spring and the first flowers opening in spring—first day of snow—???? Keep this simple and keep it handy! There are pages for each season.

“Vine Bordered Journal Pages”
Use these for journaling/drawing about your nature studies. Use the divided four boxes (with/without lines) to compare different animals or plants—like all the different black-colored birds in your backyard or poison ivy and other *imposters*. Use the boxes with lines to record four different topics about a particular animal/plant.

Plants, Flowers & Trees Pages
Use the first page as a divider for your notebook.

Use the first tree page to draw detailed sketches (or add pictures) of a specific tree/shrub.

Use “Leaf of a Tree” & “Bark of a Tree” to add samples of your tree.

Use “Plant & Flower Parts” to draw detailed sketches of the parts of a plant/flower. Let children use the Word Bank to help them remember which parts are needed (and how to spell them).

Use the last page to draw detailed sketches of the leaves/flowers or to add samples.

Rocks & Minerals
Use these pages to draw & glue photographs of collected rocks. Use the space provided to describe your finds or to narrate what has been learned about the types of rocks & minerals.

Seasons Pages
Use one of the first couple of pages for a division in your notebook. You could use the empty boxes to record your observations of a certain animal, plant, tree through the four seasons or to draw the locations of the sun/moon for each season.

Use the rest of the pages for journaling/drawing about seasonal studies.

Weather Pages
Use the first page as a divider for your notebook.

“Week of Weather” - use the pictures to draw the day’s weather.

“Precipitation” - Fill in the small boxes with the dates for the month and then record the amount of rainfall for the day—by collecting it yourself, watching the news, looking it up online…

100 Fun Frames & Borders—Great for nature copywork, narrations, drawings, journaling, etc.!

Catholic Heritage Curriculum Discounts and giveaways

2010-03-02T09:18:00.002-05:00

Catholic Heritage Curriculum has just put up a new Virtual Conference where you can check out all their curricula. They have added a discounts and giveaways page there, also. CHC has wonderful Lesson plans that are step by step daily guides. I absolutely loved their second grade lesson plans for First Holy Communion preparation! Check it out!

The Way of the Cross for Children

2010-02-16T14:09:00.002-05:00

The Way of the Cross for Children is a beautifully illustrated coloring book of the stations of the Cross that can be used for Lenten catechesis of children. It was written by Kathryn Mulderink, illustrated by Fr. Victor KyNam, with cover design by Clare Mulderink. The cover is an illustration, framed in purple, of Jesus falling under the weight of the Cross. The book opens with a space to write your own prayer and draw a picture followed by an introductory prayer that reminds us that Mary was with her son along the road to Calvary and at the foot of the cross.
Each station begins with the traditional “We adore You, O Christ and we bless You because by Your holy Cross You have redeemed the world” and is then broken down into “I think of Jesus” which describes the action of the station and “I talk to Jesus” which is a conversation with the Lord that should help a child to gain understanding of the significance of each station. This is an important introduction to personal prayer which teaches children how to speak intimately with God as if he were right there with them. Each “I talk to Jesus” section ends with a reminder of the penitential theme “Teach me to love You as I should and help me never to sin again” prior to closing with a simple two line rhyming prayer.
For example, the “I think of Jesus “section of the third station demonstrates the completeness of Christ’s humanity and His acceptance of the frailty of His human body: “Jesus is God but He does not use His powers to make His cross easier. He falls because the cross is so heavy and He is so weak from the scourging and rough treatment of the soldiers. Our sins have made Him very, very sad. But He wants us to be very, very happy so He gets up and continues to carry His cross all the way to the end.”

The sixth station, Veronica wipes the face of Jesus, calls to mind the words of Isaiah:

And he shall grow up as a tender plant before him, and as a root out of a thirsty ground: there is no beauty in him, nor comeliness: and we have seen him, and there was no sightliness, that we should be desirous of him: Despised, and the most abject of men, a man of sorrows, and acquainted with infirmity: and his look was as it were hidden and despised, whereupon we esteemed him not. Surely he hath borne our infirmities and carried our sorrows: and we have thought him as it were a leper, and as one struck by God and afflicted. But he was wounded for our iniquities, he was bruised for our sins: the chastisement of our peace was upon him, and by his bruises we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray, every one hath turned aside into his own way: and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all – Isaiah 53:2-6 (Douay-Rheims 1899American Edition).

Then under the “I think of Jesus” section:

Jesus does not look like Himself; His face is all covered with blood and bruised and swollen. He cannot see well because of the blood in His eyes. Veronica feels sorry for Him and risks making the soldiers angry by stepping out of the crowd and wiping His face with her veil. Jesus is grateful and leaves a picture of His face on her veil.

“I talk to Jesus” for the tenth station leads children to the understanding of their own part in Christ’s crucifixion:

Jesus the soldiers hurt you over and over again. When I am mean to others, I hurt You too, because You live in their souls just as You do in mine. I hurt You also when I am selfish, because You gave everything for us, even Your clothes and every drop of Your blood. Help me to be kind and generous to others. Teach me to give to others and not take form them. Teach me to love You as I should and help me never to sin again.

This reaches out to us even beyond Lent to remind us of the need to be giving. Another reminder that can reach our hearts even beyond the Lenten season arrives in the closing rhyme of the thirteenth station, “Jesus I will never go astray or make a mistake if I obey.” This is a reminder of Christ’s obedience to His father even unto death.

The book ends with a closing prayer which continues to instruct, “Jesus, on Easter morning, Your body will rise from the tomb and You will continue to give and teach for forty more days.” The prayer continues and asks our Lord for help to remember His sacrifice and love as well as the joy that follows sorrow. There is a space at the end of the book that children can use to copy a scripture verse and illustrate it and another page on which children are encouraged to write a prayer or poem of their own for Jesus.

Over all, I found this book to be well written at a level that will be easily understood by children. The black and white illustrations are very well done and the purple cover sets the tone of penance for the Lenten journey.

I found the description in the fourth station’s “I talk to Jesus” section problematic. It refers to Mary, Mother of God and reads, “…she knew that You had to die so that I could live forever with You, but it hurt her heart to see you suffering so much.” While Mary certainly was hurt by watching her son suffer, it is presumptuous to assume she knew or understood the reasons for Christ’s death until after His resurrection.

This book does not have a nihil obstat or imprimatur, although it has been submitted for such approval. Canon 827 of the 1983 Code of Canon Law says that writings dealing with catechetical formation cannot be used without an imprimatur. So this book can be freely used in a home setting, but might have to wait until it will be a good fit for a CCD class or school. It could be used as a supplemental in a parish with permission of the priest.

The author, Kathryn Mulderink is a homeschooling mother of seven, President of the local Community of Secular Discalced Carmelites, and the Director of Faith Formation for St Isidore Parish in Grand Rapids, MI. She is also a Marian Catechist. She was the only English-speaking writer to be a finalist for the Rielo Mystical Poetry Prize in 1998. She is a sometime poet, oft-time blogger, and author of several books for adults and children.

Clare Mulderink is a graphic design student who published several book covers before graduating high school. She has designed promotional materials for the local Harbor Fest and other large events. She continues to offer her services in formatting graphics for publishing, particularly book covers and business cards. She is also Kathryn’s daughter.

Fr. Victor KyNam was a seminarian and artist from Vietnam when he first found Kathryn’s poems and was moved to illustrate them. He worked with her again on her Way of the Cross coloring book for children. He is an accomplished artist and has completed several large statues in the Grand Rapids diocese, where he is currently pastor of St. Anthony and St. Edward parishes.

"Warshing" clothes recipe

2010-02-16T08:40:00.002-05:00

I received this in an e-mail and had to share it. I do not know who the original author was.

Never thought of a "washer" in this light before; what a blessing!"Warshing Clothes Recipe" -- imagine having a recipe for this!!!Years ago an Alabama grandmother gave the new bride the following recipe:this is an exact copy as written and found in an old scrapbook - withspelling errors and all.
WARSHING CLOTHES
Build fire in backyard to heat kettle of rain water.
Set tubs so smokewont blow in eyes if wind is pert.
Shave one hole cake of lie soap inboilin water.
Sort things, make 3 piles
1 pile white,1 pile colored,1 pile work britches and rags.

To make starch, stir flour in cool water to smooth, then thin down with boiling water.

Take white things, rub dirty spots on board,
scrub hard, and boil, then rub colored don't boil just wrench and starch.
Take things out of kettle with broom stick handle,
then wrench, and starch.
Hang old rags on fence.
Spread tea towels on grass...Pore wrench water in flower bed.
Scrub porch with hot soapy water.Turn tubs upside down.

Go put on clean dress, smooth hair with hair combs. Brew cup of tea, sitand rock a spell and count your blessings.
Paste this over your washer and dryer
Next time when you think things arebleak,
read it again, kiss that washing machine and dryer, and givethanks.
First thing each morning you should run and hug your washer and dryer,
also your toilet---those two-holers used to get mighty cold!
For you non-southerners - wrench means, rinse ;)

A Review of Dear God, I don't get it!

2010-02-06T21:46:00.003-05:00

Aaron Ajax is a sixth grader who has not had much change in his life. He has had the same best friend since the first day of kindergarten. He has never moved. There has been no hardship or uncertainty. That all changes when his father loses his job as a local radio personality and the family is faced with moving from their hometown in Montana to Bismarck, North Dakota. Aaron has a difficult time dealing with these changes. Dear God, I don’t get it! takes us inside Aaron’s head as he tries to understand why God is not answering his prayers the way he would like.
Not only is Aaron angry with God about the move, but he has preformed opinions of the area to where his family is moving: “I opened my eyes to see a lady in the car next to me blowing her nose. ‘What am I doing sleeping with my face smashed against the car window?’ I wondered. My mind was in a groggy, just-woke-up fog. It took only seconds for me to remember the awful truth – we were leaving Montana and headed to a place I had thus far only heard about in jokes.”
Aaron fears he will be unable to make friends. The first person his age that he sees is a girl who pelts him with a snowball and the first boy he meets is openly hostile — all this before he even starts school. He is jealous of his younger brother Luke’s ability to make friends easily wherever he goes. When he does start school, he discovers that the hostile boy, Josh, is in his class and worries that will Josh influence the other kids against him.
He begins daydreaming about being a hero and his attempts to make this happen lead to a series of misadventures — including recruiting his little brother to pretend he has locked himself in the bathroom so that he can be “rescued.” When Aaron finally has to explain everything to his parents, his father tells him, “Real heroes don’t cause problems and then act like they saved the day. It is dishonest.”
Things turn around for Aaron when he stops trying to make things happen and begins to rely on God. He prays for forgiveness for the dishonest things he did and asks God to help him to put God first. Once he realizes that he should just be himself, things get better. He risks losing his new friends by doing what is right instead of what is easy, and he winds up helping the class troublemaker to fit in and become” just one of the guys.” This, along with another surprise chance to be a real hero, shows Aaron that God is still on his side — even in North Dakota.
There are vocabulary words and thought-provoking questions for each chapter located in the back of the book. The only thing I would have done differently would have been to place the questions and vocabulary for each chapter at the end of each chapter, instead. An advanced third-grade reader would have no difficulty with this book, and it would be appropriate for children through sixth grade.
I will be using this book in my home school to help my son understand to trust God always, even in difficult circumstances. But this book is useful for parents who are not homeschooling also, to open up communication about the prayer lives of their children.
Patti Maguire Armstrong does a great job exploring Aaron’s feelings as he goes through these changes, skillfully demonstrating that children often have the same difficulties in their faith lives as adults, and that they may feel alone and unable to express these feelings. As a mother of ten children, two girls and eight boys, including two adopted AIDS orphans from Africa, she has a great deal of experience dealing with children’s emotions. Her husband Mark was a broadcast journalist for many years and she draws on this for the father’s job in Dear God, I don’t get i! She has co-authored the Catholic Amazing Grace book series and is often featured on Catholic Exchange. Her website is raisingcatholickids.com.
Freelance commercial artist Shannon Wirrenga illustrated the book in a style reminiscent of the Beverly Cleary books — a style very appropriate for this story of a boy’s blunders and recovery. Her cover art captures the frustration that Aaron was feeling when he was leaving his home in Montana to move to North Dakota. Wirrenga also illustrated The Little Cloud by M.G. Maher and Chicago Bob by Scott Eide. A resident of Bismarck, North Dakota, she seeks to serve God through her artwork and is the coordinator of Artists Celebrating Christ (March 18-21 at the Benedictine Center at the University of Mary in Bismarck). You can learn more about her at http://www.shannonsartroom.com/.

Science Homework

2010-01-26T09:26:00.002-05:00

My children attend science classes with a retired science teacher at our homeschool co-op on Mondays. This morning, my son did his homework. The photos show my children using the "telephone" that DS made for his science homework.

The 37th anniversary

2010-01-22T11:14:00.002-05:00

of Roe v. Wade, of legalized murder of the most innocent. 50 million lives lost. Who knows what advances those lives may have held? What potential those lives all held.

May God have mercy on us all for being complicit in this.

Winter sale at Notebooking pages

2010-01-14T16:17:00.004-05:00

Details you need to know!
1) NO discount code needed. Prices already marked. What's so great about that? see #2 . . .
2) If you have a discount code, you can use it for even MORE savings!
3) AS ALWAYS . . .add any order to a CD for $10. Shipping is FREE & we'll add our collection of Old & New Testament Pages to your CD for FREE as well!
4) Yes, one "disclaimer", our sale prices do not include the Getting Started Packages because they're already priced SO low.
5) Changes in percentage discounts will change at midnight EST.

Greatest Deals!
Wed-Thur: 50% off Fri-Sat: 40% off Sun-Mon: 30% off
Full Set of Notebooking Pages . . .
Wed-Thur=$55.00 Fri-Sat = $66.00 Sun-Mon = $77.00
Ancient Times Complete Wed-Thur = $9.98 Fri-Sat = $11.98 Sun-Mon = $13.98
States Complete w/BonusesWed-Thur = $14.98 Fri-Sat = $17.98 Sun-Mon = $20.98
Copywork Complete SetWed-Thur = $14.98 Fri-Sat = $17.98 Sun-Mon = $20.98
Complete Set of Bird PagesWed-Thur = $9.98 Fri-Sat = $11.98 Sun-Mon = $13.98

Special coupons for my readers:
Use coupon code: winter15p to save an additional 15%.
Use coupon code: winter5 to save $5 off any purchase of $10 or more.(Coupons good for one use and expire January 19th at 11:59pm (EST).)

Subjects

2010-01-03T13:20:00.002-05:00

I have a hard time coming up with subjects to blog on. Many days I have so many ideas swirling around in my head that I don't know which thing to choose. Other days my brain seems so woefully empty that I wonder how I continue to function. I am not being a blog fader. I will try to be more discilplined in the new year and find topics to blog on. :)

Potato Fudge

2009-12-15T17:08:00.003-05:00

This fudge is a favorite of my family. I started making it 5 or 6 years ago. My DH talked about it frequently as a favorite of his growing up so I asked my in-laws for the recipe. They have since passed on, so this is a way to remember them during the holidays.

1 potato, boiled and mashed ( I use a little milk and butter to get a nice consistency)
confectioner's sugar at least a pound. It may be more or less depending on the size of your potato
peanut butter

While your potato is still warm, add confectioner's sugar 1/2 a cup at a time until the consistency is that of pie crust dough.
Roll out the dough into a rectangle (depending on your potato, this could wind up being 2 rectangles)

Spread the rectangle with peanut butter (I guess you could use something else as filling if you don't like peanut butter. I bet it would taste good with Nutella.)

Roll the dough up like a jelly roll, wrap in wax paper and refrigerate for at least an hour.
Slice into very thin slices, approximately 1/8" thick or thinner.

This is VERY sweet and rich, so you don't want to do more than nibble.

A loving example

2009-12-13T17:22:00.002-05:00

My Auntie Mary passed away this morning. She was elderly, and had been in poor health for quite some time. I understand she was not suffering. I had not seen her in years, but she was in our thoughts at every family gathering.
She was one of two aunts left on my mother’s side. You see, she was my mother’s aunt, my great aunt. She was just Auntie Mary to all of us, however, and there were many of us. She was one of many children. Her siblings included Jim, John, Patrick, Siobhan, Nonie, and Tess. I am certain I have missed someone in that list. Now only Tess is still living.

Each of the siblings had at least a few children of their own. In fact, there are so many cousins on my mother’s side that I cannot name them all. I know Mary had Maura and Alice, but I know that she had others. Alice is not too terribly older than I am.

Tess had Jim, Kathy, Maryann, Theresa, Johanna, and Patty. Patty is several months older than I am. Patty is my mother’s first cousin. She and I graduated from high school together. My mother’s father was Patrick, also known as Patsy. He sired Stephen, Mary, Norah, Bridget, Kathleen, Hanna, and Patrick. Mary is my mother. Her brother Patrick is only seven years older than I am, and his children are close in age to my children. I have children who are older than some of my first cousins, and first cousins who are just old enough to have baby sat for my older children. One of my cousins is sixteen years old. She and my thirteen-year-old daughter get along really well. One of her older sisters is right between my older two children in age.

I am the oldest grandchild of my grandfather Patsy. My children are older that the children of most of my first cousins on my mother's side. Many of my cousins have very young children, and several are not old enough to have children yet.

This gives you some idea of the family dynamic. Anyone from a large family understands the challenges that trying to keep track of all the nieces, nephews and cousins brings. Auntie Mary always made you feel like you were the most special child to ever walk into her home, which is no small feat when on Christmas day you could have anywhere from fifty to a hundred relatives stop by to visit.

When I was about thirteen years old, the age my younger daughter is now, we stopped in at Auntie Mary’s for a visit on Christmas day. Not only did she appear delighted to see us, but she also had gifts for my brother and for me. I was thrilled that she had thought of me, and thrilled with the gift. If you grew up when I did, you would remember the “kissing potion” and oversized, flavored lip balms and glosses that were all the rage. This is what Auntie Mary had for me. It was a cola flavored lip balm, and may have been one of my favorite gifts that year.

In retrospect, I realize that Auntie Mary had several “extra” gifts under her tree. A few were for boys, a few for girls. She was the type of person who sought to include everyone. I was not very confident at thirteen. I felt very awkward in most situations, but I felt loved at Auntie Mary’s.

Thank you, Lord, for the example that Auntie Mary was to my family, and many others. May she rest in peace.

A giveaway from the Homeschool Lounge

2009-12-13T08:09:00.002-05:00

The Homeschool Lounge is giving away a GPX 4GB Digital Audio MP3 Player with Stereo EarbudsRetail Value: $66.00
Favorite tunes play on with this 4GB digital audio MP3 player. At home or on the go, just plug and play to hear songs through the stereo earbuds. The headphones give easy access to volume control and preset equalizer settings let the sounds come through loud and clear--all the time. From GPX.

You can join me in this giveaway by checking out the Homeschool Lounge and this event here.

Merry Christmas!

A review of Map Trek

2009-12-06T18:11:00.003-05:00

A couple of years ago my daughter was studying Ancient Egypt and Ancient Israel. One of the exercises her lesson plans called for was to use a map of Ancient Egypt and to fill in certain cities, rivers and landmarks. I could not find a map in any of the homeschool resources that were available to me at the time. Fast forward to a couple of months ago. Terri Johnson of Knowledge Quest and Bramley Books put out Map Trek: Ancient World An Atlas and outline maps of world history. There are lesson plans, chronological maps from the Descendants of Noah, Mesopotamia, Ancient Africa, Ancient Egypt, The Exodus, Early Greece, Solomon’s Kingdom, The Founding of Rome just to name a few. I use Mother of Divine Grace syllabi, and they frequently call for the use of maps. Map Trek lists the following curriculi as using chronological maps for their history programs: TruthQuest History, Story of the World, Biblioplan for Families, Tapestry of Grace, Sonlight Curriculum, Mystery of History, My Father’s World, Living Books Curriculum, Ambleside Online and Winter Promise. I am certain that any geography program would also benefit fro the use of these maps. The ability to contrast how different areas of the world look today with how they were laid out in ancient times is of great value to anyone currently studying geography or history.

If you are in need of maps, I recommend taking a look at this resource. It is not the only map resource I have purchased through the years, but I really am glad I have found it. When my son studies Ancient Egypt and Israel, I will have the resources he needs to more fully understand what he is learning.

Thank you Terri Johnson for a great product. I am looking forward to looking at the Map Trek Medieval World next. My daughter is studying that time period now.

I have placed links to Knowledge Quest products at the top of my blog. Feel free to go check them out.

Teacher's Book Bag

2009-12-03T10:26:00.002-05:00

The Teacher's Book Bag is monthly unit studies. They are available as Preschool-Kindergarten, First through third, and Fourth and beyond units, or as a package of all three "grade" levels. I just purchased the December Book Bag for Fourth and Beyond. It is all about the Human Body. In looking through it, I was pleased with both the information and the activities. It is a well put together unit, and the information is professionally presented so that anyone could easily teach the unit.
Teacher Book Bag also has lapbooks and other unit studies available. They can be found at Currclick.com

Advent

2009-12-03T10:22:00.002-05:00

I wrote a short essay on an advent traditions. It can be found on Catholic Exchange. I hope you will hop on over there to read about Jesse trees.

May the Lord bless us all this Advent season.

Giving Thanks

2009-11-24T15:43:00.004-05:00

Nearly 400 years ago the pilgrims sat down for a feast with their native neighbors to give thanks to God for surviving their first year in the "new world." This week we remember that first Thanksgiving. I pray that all those who are able will give thanks to God for surviving another year. We have different hardships. We do not have to worry about the same things they did. We have H1N1, they had the flu, or diphtheria, or small pox. We have vaccines for the worst of those diseases that claimed many of those pioneering folks of old, so our worries and fears are probably different than their were. Our prayer, however, should be the same: "Thank you, Lord!"

"Black Friday" sale at Notebooking pages!

2009-11-24T08:29:00.003-05:00

BLACK FRIDAY SALE EVENT
WHEN: Tuesday, November 24th - Monday, November 30th
WHERE: http://notebookingpages.com/store
HOW MUCH: 35% OFF ALL Notebooking Products & Combo Sets
DETAILS:
1) NO discount code needed. Prices already marked.
2) If you have a discount code, you can use it for more savings!
3) Sale excludes "Getting Started Packages".
4) Add any order to a CD for $10 (shipping is free).

As the first quarter ends....

2009-11-05T14:44:00.002-05:00

we find ourselves settling into a routine for the week. We still have a few logistical bumps here and there, but for the most part, we have things figured out. Each of the children is finding things a bit more challenging this year. The 9 year old and the 13 year old have each been "bumped up" a grade level. I did this in order to challenge them and see if they would rise to the occasion. For the most part, they are both doing a pretty good job. DS is really enjoying both his art and science classes at co-op. He does not particularly enjoy his writing class, as it is a challenge for him, but he is putting forth decent effort. DD is enjoying her art class, Apologetics class, Church history class, literature class, and "gym" class. She is doing the work for science, but it is not her favorite. Both of their grades are a little lower than they would be at a lower grade level, but that is because of the difficulty of the work expected from them.

Lord,
Thank You for helping us to make a good start. Please be with us as we continue along this path You have set us on.
Amen.

Emergency Dollar Summit

2009-10-24T09:35:00.004-04:00

Click here for an opportunity to hear Steve Forbes discuss financial threats and solutions.
I had the opportunity to hear Steve Forbes speak in September. I thought he would be dry and boring, but I was wrong. He was quite an engaging speaker. If you can find the time to listen, sign up for this free online seminar.

Srodowisko at Quiet Waters

2009-10-04T09:54:00.000-04:00

This is a video of my daughter's youth group at their srodowisko retreat in August. The song that is playing is the youth group singing a song that they wrote that week. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j6I2a1FbHF4
This is an incredible group of young people ranging in age from 12 to 20 something. The older youth mentor the younger youth and they are all hoping to attend World Youth Day in Spain in 2011.
Pray for them to be able to raise the needed funds, please.

How NOT to invite someone to a BNI meeting

2009-09-27T10:00:00.002-04:00

This is the way someone else in the carpet cleaning industry was invited to a BNI meeting, with the obvious results of being frustrated and uninformed about the real purpose of BNI, or business networking of any type:
"A BNI breakfast. Why did I fall for it? Client has begged me for years. I caved in & had to get up early for it only to find food that wasn't. No meat? Scones, fruit & flavored gay coffee. Before I was to make my intro speech I said screw it & apologized to my client only to run to MacDonalds for some pork & man coffee. I have never listened to anything as sorry as what I listened to this morning! It was as if I was listening to congress as corrupt as they are. When the numbnuts realtor started talking about writing reviews for each other on our websites I made my exit. The stuff I heard confirms that small business America will commit sodomous acts to stay in business and can be bought at any price. "

The proper way to invite someone to a BNI meeting is, "I am going to a business meeting on __________. I would like to introduce you to these business people. I think it could help your business. Would you like to come?"

You can see in the "invitation" above that this carpet cleaner was invited to a BNI breakfast. BNI is not about breakfast. It is about business. My hope is that this poor carpet cleaner did not burn some bridges with the business people in that room. He may have lost a valuable "sales team."

How to behave in the public square.

2009-09-20T10:50:00.002-04:00

Here is an excellent article about how Christians (and really, everyone else) should behave in the public square. There has been a breakdown in discussion to the point of name calling and mud slinging recently. The truth and compromise become the victims when no one is willing to have an exchange of ideas.

Back to School

2009-09-14T16:42:00.001-04:00

We started co-op classes today. YDS has 3 classes and his sister has 6 or 7...I lost count! Our co-op has a very full junior high/high school level "program" and she will participate in that. It is 2 days and will probably fill most of her week after "homework" is assigned. I had won a Picturing America grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities, and we are sharing it with our co-op. One of the other mothers has a degree in art and agreed to teach with the grant. Both of my children had her class today. She is teaching twice...once for the younger group and once for the older group. They used clay today to sculpt after looking at and learning about southwestern pottery. Both of my children enjoyed it.
YDD has a literature class this year. I was informed by her teacher that she was enthusiastic during class and even asked if they might get to read and study more than just the 3 books currently on the syllabus. I wondered if it could possibly have been my child she was talking about, or perhaps a body snatcher alien.....

Both students have science classes with a wonderful retired science teacher. We will see how the year goes. It is the first time YDS has been sent off into classrooms without mom hovering around.

I get to be hall monitor. I don't mind being the mean mom who has to corral little ones back to pre-school music, or tell teens to lower their voices. I also monitor the door to the building we use. There is an office there for a missions group and there are elderly sisters who live in half of the building so we are not the only people in and out. It is an old convent building. We are grateful that we have use of the building. It has given us the opportunity to have a really full co-op.

Dear Lord,
Please guide us on the path of your choosing this year. May we be humble and loving. We ask this through Christ our Lord.
Amen.

Vacation

2009-08-31T14:59:00.002-04:00

Well, we tried to go away for a few days. We went to Orleans, MA. We left Saturday morning and came home Sunday evening. We were supposed to stay until Tuesday. Our 19 year old was supposed to help out and do our cleaning for us. DH had the feeling on Sunday that we needed to come home. No sooner were we all packed than my phone rang and 19 was telling me he had car problems. Oh, well. Maybe next time we can actually enjoy a couple of days away.

A rotten tree

2009-08-26T14:13:00.004-04:00

Photographic evidence of the rotten tree that once stood right on the tree belt outside my home.

I have been calling the city about this tree for years.

This is a brand new stump, not one that has been sitting. Look at all the rot!

You can see in this photo how rotten the tree was all the way to the edge and in the center.

This shows how part of the trunk brok apart from the rest before the chainsaw even hit it. Half of the upper trunk had broken off. This is not clear enough to show the rot that was visible in person.

I am so relieved to have this tree down!

Since around 1994 I have made calls to the city about this tree. Since it was on the tree belt, I could do nothing about it except call. I am glad that my neighbor's home is now safer, and that the transformer is in less danger. In the long run, the removal of this tree will save my city money.

I will have a lot more morning sun in my home now.....maybe my winter heating bills will go down. I can hope anyway!

A congressman with a conscience

2009-08-04T10:44:00.002-04:00

I would love to have a Congressman like this one in Massachusetts! He quotes scripture and supports life! He does not kowtow to the "powers that be" in D.C.! We need to pray for him to persevere and for all other congressmen to see the light!

Notebooking pages sale!

2009-08-03T08:58:00.000-04:00

Subject: 50% off Back-to-School Sale Event at NotebookingPages.com

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Save 50% August 3rd - 7th (details here).

Notebooking is a powerful tool that captures what your children have learned, turning it into a concise, artful piece of work. Visit NotebookingPages.com for free and affordable templates to help you get started today! Simply print out a selection of free notebooking templates or choose pages from one of their themed sets.

Now is a great time to try some of NotebookingPages.com's products during their 3rd Annual Back-to-School Sale Event! Every product and specially priced combo set is 50% off! You can get ALL of their products for $50 (click here for full details) - save almost $90! PLUS, all customers purchasing their full set of products (for $50) will receive a free BONUS gift package from the following homeschool publishers:

Talks given at the NECHC

2009-08-01T13:46:00.002-04:00

The talks have been posted here. Please take a look at them and rate them. The sound quality is not the greatest (this was a learning process!), but the content is awesome.

What we saw....

2009-07-31T16:36:00.004-04:00

When we went to Skinner State Park.

A Review of Thank God Ahead of Time

2009-07-09T09:26:00.005-04:00

Thank God Ahead of Time, The Life and Spirituality of Solanus Casey by Michael Crosby, O.F.M is exactly what it describes itself to be: a book about the life of Solanus Casey.
Prior to reading this book, I had been hearing the name of Solanus Casey frequently. Fr. Benedict Groeschel had mentioned him on Sunday Night Live, and I had heard him spoken of on several different podcasts. My curiosity was piqued. As I read about what a humble man Fr. Casey was, and about his sincere belief that all prayers are answered, I found my own way of praying changed. I found myself thanking God for answering my requests as I prayed instead of waiting for a result.

Solanus Casey often referred to himself as a poor sinner and requested the prayers of those who sought him out. He believed that God's power was available to each and every one of us if only we had the faith. He lived his life in the service of the Lord as a Capuchin Friar, and he lived the corporal works of mercy by example. He sought to help those in poverty, whether spiritual poverty or a lack of wordly means. He was obedient to his superiors and sought to accept criticism with grace and humility. While he sought justice for those who were downtrodden or wronged, he never sought it for himself, and it is said that he never spoke ill of another.
I pray that his example of how to draw closer to Christ will help me on my journey, and I recommend this wonderful book to any who would also seek to be closer to God.

Solanus Casey is Venerable Solanus Casey. His cause for canonization is being reviewed.

This review was written as part of the Catholic book Reviewer program from The Catholic Company. Visit The Catholic Company to find more information on Thank God Ahead of Time The Life and Spirituality of Solanus Casey by Michael H. Crosby, O.F.M., Cap.

wrapping up

2009-07-06T13:48:00.002-04:00

I am still processing all the end of the school year stuff. You know what I mean. The essays and papers that still need to be corrected, the portfolio that still needs to be assembled. I am also waiting for the standardized test results for my 3 children who are at home. We are also thinking about next year and planning for curriculum. We are venturing back into a co-op for many of our classes next year after staying home for all of our classes this past year. I love the co-op as far as opportunity to be with other families goes, however, I am afraid my children see only the social opportunity, and do not understand that this is a wonderful learning opportunity.

I am wondering about how to balance the co-op with the rest of the week. I am also trying to determine if I will continue to attend the Ladies Bible Study that has been a part of my life for so many years. I am not sure if I can justify another day out of the house with 2 co-op days.

In the mean time, one of my dear homeschooling friends is taking classes and talking about becoming a public school teacher. I will miss her if and when she starts teaching in brick and mortar schools.

Dear Lord,
Thank You for opportunities and changes. May we follow Your will for us. Please help us to discern the way You would have us follow.

Amen.

Happy Independence Day!

2009-07-04T08:21:00.002-04:00

Have you ever thought about what would happen today if a group of people decided to oppose the government in the way our forefathers opposed the government in 1776? Or even what would happen if there was a true "Boston Tea Party" in today's world? Those involved would be considered treasonous and terrorists.

Just some to think about.

Happy Fourth of July!

NECHC

2009-06-07T11:04:00.005-04:00

Well, we survived the First Annual(hopefully)NECHC.
If you had asked me a month ago if I thought this conference would be successful, I would have scratched my head and and mumbled "ummmmm...." as a vague kind of "I really don't think so, and I think we have been absolutely crazy to undertake this!" After yesterday, though, I am pleased to say that the conference was a success. We had a beautiful day, a great turnout, and happy vendors.
Our lovely Challenge Club girls (with a lot of help from Mrs. Seaver and Mrs. Hill) put together and manned a "food court" to raise money to help defray the costs of the Challenge Summer Convention for the girls who would like to attend this year. Attendees raved about the food.
Dr. William Fahey, President of Thomas More College in NH presented a talk about homeschool fathers. He was very well received by the mixed audience of moms, dads, grandparents and religious who attended. He was at turns witty and serious, and touched on the disconnect that can occur if fathers are "divorced" from the homeschool situation.

Cynthia Montanaro spoke of her years as a homeschool mom and all the lessons she learned along the way. Dr. Jean Golden-Tevald shared her faith journey as a doctor, wife and mother of natural born and adopted children.

There was a music workshop done by Making Music, Praying Twice which seemed geared toward younger children and the importance of surrounding our children with all different types of music from an early age. Nick Morganelli rounded out the afternoon with some fun science experiments that can be done at home. He also demonstrated a "here comes the rain" rhythm with clapping, snapping, stomping that he has used in co-op classes. I am certain that children in a class would love this so much we might have a hard time returning to quiet.

The Daughters of St. Paul presented a lovely hour of Eucharistic Adoration for the hour before Mass. The readings and music brought great peace to the room and very nicely helped to lead everyone into the close of the day. The two sisters also manned a table for Pauline Books and Media.

I think my favorite part of the day, however, was the attendees. People came from as far away as Quebec, Canada, and as near as right here in Chicopee, MA. We had a large turnout of Catholic homeschoolers from CT, RI, and NH. One family came in from Boston very close to the end of the day, having only just heard about the conference on Friday June 5th.

There were several Catholic support groups represented from different areas including this one and this one. It was wonderful to meet so many people dedicated to teaching their children at home. Many people seemed excited about having a Catholic Homeschooling conference.
I know that the Holy Spirit led those of us involved in planning this conference. He laid on our hearts an ache for something that we miss at other homeschool conferences. Our Catholic identity makes us yearn for the presence of the Lord in a way that only Catholics truly appreciate: Our Lord in the Eucharist.

Having both Adoration and the Holy Mass available fulfills in us something that other forms of prayer simply don't give us. It brings the Lord more fully into our hearts and souls.

Dear Lord,
Thank you for Your guiding hand in the NECHC. I am truly awed by the spirit of joy that surrounded all who volunteered and attended the conference. You have blessed us with children who not only help out when "forced," but who also cheerfully offer their assistance where ever they see a need. Please help us to continue to lead them to have servant's hearts. Thank you, Lord, for all those who volunteered at the conference. There were so many who arrived and pitched in. I am humbled by their generous spirits, Lord.

Amen.

Conference boxes

2009-06-02T18:57:00.002-04:00

The tower of boxes shown below arrived today for the NECHC. I will be manning a table for HSLDA. It is hard to believe that 2 years of planning have gone by and the day has nearly arrived!

New additions

2009-05-30T14:38:00.006-04:00

We have added a new member to our menagerie. His name is Fitzie. He is soft and white and weighs in at 6 pounds. Can you guess what he is?

If you guessed a small dog, possibly part Bichon, you are correct. We adopted this 11 year old last Friday. I didn't think I would like a small dog, but I was wrong. He plays fetch. He tries to climb on the bed, but I make him get down. He follows me around and sleeps near me where ever I am.
I also added something else to our home. My brother sent me "an old friend." I had one of these when I was a little girl:

Her name is Mrs. Beasley. She was the doll that "Buffy" of the "Family Affair" TV program that ran from 1967-1971 had. I watched that show when I was little and I had a Mrs. Beasley doll. She was the only doll I ever wore out. My brother sent me this one. She is actually an original, and she still has her pull string and talks.
I was really surprised to receive her, and I am thankful to my brother for thinking of me. He sent her without any sort of special occasion....just because he thought of me and Mrs. Beasley.
I am enjoying having her. I had recently been reminiscing about her, so it was that much more of a surprise that my brother sent her. He lives in Ireland and I am in the U.S. and he was not the person I was reminiscing to......

A notebooking give away

2009-05-20T17:15:00.002-04:00

Apologia is now producing notebooking journals that accompany each of the elementary science books. Both Botany and Astronomy are now available. You can see samples on the Apologia website here:

These journals are beautiful spiral bound notebooks that will save you time and money. You won't have to print and keep up with your child's notebook pages, buy and maintain page protectors, or purchase and compile binders...everything that makes notebooking time-consuming and labor intensive for mom. Also, your child will adore having their own notebooking journal.

Each of the notebooking journals include:

A daily schedule for those who like to have a plan or would like their children to complete the book on their own
Templates for written narrations, the notebooking activities and experiments
Review Questions
Scripture Copywork, with both print and cursive practice
Reading lists and additional activities, projects, experiments for each lesson
An appendix with beautiful, full-color, lapbook-style Miniature Books
Field Trip Sheets to keep a record field trips
A Final Review with fifty questions the students can answer either orally or in writing to show off all they remember and know at the end of the course.

See the sample pages here:

Botany: https://apologia.securesites.net/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=1&products_id=128

and

Astronomy: https://apologia.securesites.net/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=1&products_id=127

Jeannie is giving away four Astronomy Notebooking Journals and four Botany Notebooking Journals to bloggers who post about this on their site. Visit her blog to learn more about this contest: www.jeanniesjournal.com

A Review of Five Minutes with the Child Jesus

2009-05-14T12:16:00.003-04:00

Five Minutes with the Child Jesus A Christmas Story by Alvaro Correa, LC
Illustrations by Gloria Lorenzo
While this story has been called A Christmas Story, I believe it is really a story about the corporal works of mercy and the faith of a child that happens to take place at Christmas.
The main character is Michael, a ten year old boy who knows to be respectful in church, and who truly speaks to Jesus as his friend. School has just let out for Christmas break and Michael has stopped in at Our Lady of the Snow Catholic Church with his friend Andrew, whose father is a sacristan there. While Andrew speaks to his father in the sacristy, Michael sits in a pew and speaks to Jesus.
Jesus not only speaks back to Michael, He brings Michael on a series of visits to the lonely, the impoverished, the sick, and the hard of heart. Michael listens to the instructions of Jesus for each of these visits, and we see people being helped and healed throughout the "five minutes."

This book is written as a children's book, however, it is really a story from which anyone who seeks to do the Lord's will can learn. Jesus said, "Let the children come to me; do not prevent them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Amen, I say to you, whoever does not accept the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it." (Mark 10:14b-15 NAB) This book demonstrates what our Lord meant about the faith of a child.

This review was written as part of the Catholic book Reviewer program from The Catholic Company. Visit The Catholic Company to find more information on Five Minutes with the Child Jesus.

Rosetta Stone Contest

2009-05-13T22:25:00.001-04:00

Rosetta Stone is the fastest way to learn a language and has been the #1 foreign language curriculum among homeschoolers for a while — and you can WIN the *all new* version 3 Rosetta Stone Homeschool LATIN program… FOR FREE! This is the first year you can get Latin in the brand new Version III update.

This is a $259 program (and believe me it’s worth every penny!)
This is a computer based curriculum and Rosetta Stone will also include a headset with microphone, and a supplementary “Audio Companion” CD so you can practice lessons in the car, on the go, or where-ever! Students participate in life-like conversations and actually produce language to advance through the program. Rosetta Stone incorporates listening, reading, grammar, vocabulary and writing along with speaking and pronunciation lessons. For parents, the new Parent Administrative Tools are integrated into the program to allow parents to easily enroll up to ten students in any of 12 predetermined lesson plans, monitor student progress, grade completed work (the program grades the work automatically as the students progress- I love that!), and you can view and print reports for transcripts. Homeschooling a lot of kids at your house? This program is designed to enroll and track up to ten students (five users on two computers) and will work for nearly all ages — from beginning readers up to college students.

To win this most excellent Latin program copy these paragraphs and post them in (or as) your next blog post, and/OR link to the contest from your facebook page and/OR email the information to your homeschool support group – Then go to the original page http://Jeneralities.com and leave a comment saying that you’ve posted about, or have linked to, the contest. Please make sure the link works to get back to the original contest page when you post. And good luck!

I would love to win this!

First Game

2009-05-09T16:47:00.007-04:00

These photos are from YDS' first baseball game of the season. They still don't keep score and they get 6 pitches, but the kids know which team really won the game. If you get tagged out, you are out. I am not sure if they are counting outs. It would appear they are not. They go through the entire batting order (9 batters). It is coach pitch.
My little guy made a couple of really great plays and got a couple of outs. This is physical education in my homeschool world. This and jumping on the trampoline!Playing first base
Running to first base
He swings and connects!
First up to bat.

Anniversary Sale at Notebooking Pages

2009-05-05T10:12:00.001-04:00

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NotebookingPages.com Birthday Celebration Sale

More on Notre Dame

2009-04-27T14:17:00.003-04:00

Mary Ann Glendon, who had been chosen as the recipient of the Laetare Medal at Notre Dame, has decided against accepting the award. You can read the article here. I know I am applauding Ms. Glendon in this decision. It is sometimes difficult to stand by your convictions, but Ms. Glendon is doing so. Catholics should be thanking her.

growing crystals

2009-04-27T12:45:00.004-04:00

We did some crystal growing experiments. These crystals are Magnesium Sulphate (Epsom Salts) By mixing the packaged Magnesium Sulphate with water and allowing the solution to dry over a period of 2 weeks, we grew these crystals.This is another photo of the Magnesium Sulphate crystals.
We also used Sodium Chloride (table salt) to grow crystals. The next 2 photos demonstrate the growth of sodium chloride crystals. Notice the difference in texture!

These crystals grew in a different shape than the magnesium sulphate crystals. The sodium chloride crystals were smaller. They also were more defined. The magnesium sulphate crystals reminded me of the shape that quartz and amethyst grow in.

Water, water everywhere

2009-04-27T09:54:00.010-04:00

We signed up for an online video science class by that title through Currclick.com. Here are some photos from some of the experiments we have done. This one is an air pressure experiment. We learned that 1 atmosphere is 14.6 pounds of pressure per square inch and that the air pressure will keep the water in a submerged glass and even push more water into it. The second photo is also the air pressure experiment.
We made a water clock last week. This photo shows the finished product held by YDS.
This photo shows the lines within the bottom cup. It took 90 seconds for water to reach the first line, another 60 seconds to reach the second line, another 105 seconds to reach the third. The total time it took for water to reach the third line was 4 minutes, 15 seconds.
We did an ice cutting experiment using dental floss and an ice cube. Unfortunately, the cut in the ice from the floss did not show up in the photos we took. It was fun to see the ice being cut by dental floss, though. We are looking forward to more experiments in the weeks to come.

Alleluia!

2009-04-12T08:15:00.001-04:00

Christ is Risen! He Is Risen Indeed!

Amen

What do you do when....

2009-04-10T12:36:00.003-04:00

One of your children lies to you? We are struggling with this on a couple of levels right now, and it is frustrating. We expect the best effort our children can give, and we expect honesty. I don't think that is too much. We are getting neither of these things right now. Some of it I attribute to spring fever. In the youngest, some of it relates to his vision and the huge amount of growing he has been doing. In the oldest one at home, I don't know what to attribute it to. I know he is struggling through his first year in college. I also know he is having a difficult time prioritizing. He is unsure what he wants to do with his life, but then, how many of us at 18 or 19 (or even my age...44) know what we want to "be when we grow up?"

My frustration lies in the dishonesty. If they are truly having a hard time, I want to know it. I can't assist if I don't have a clue.

What have you done in this type of situation?

Dear Lord,
Please be with all our children as they go through the "growing pains" of life. You know their needs, Lord. Please help DH and I, as parents, to guide them when necessary, and to set them straight when needed.

Amen.

The Passion of the Lord

2009-04-05T11:07:00.002-04:00

Today is Passion or Palm Sunday. The gospel reading is from the Gospel of Mark and is quite long. I recall being a teen and attending the Passion of the Lord on Good Friday. As on Passion Sunday, at the Passion on Good Friday, the congregants are to read the parts of the gospel when the crowd is yelling for the crucifixion. I had great difficulty with this. I didn't want to shout "Crucify Him!" I did not recognize my own part in the horror of Christ's suffering. I loved Jesus. I did not want to participate in his crucifixion. It took me many more years to realize that my sinfulness contributed to Christ's death, and that He died for my sins as well as for those who shouted "Crucify Him." I may not have been there yelling, but every time I have sinned, my actions have shouted those words. I can only hope that my repentance is pleasing to Him.

Dear Lord,
Please forgive my blindness to my own sin and to my part in Your suffering and crucifixion. Help me to turn my heart toward You and to live the life You would have me live. Please help me to be an example of Christian love for my children so that their lives will be less sinful than mine and their hearts will turn toward You in all they do.
Amen.

Democrats and charitable giving

2009-03-11T19:29:00.002-04:00

I found this article by Ann Coulter very interesting. She compares the charitable giving of our former President George W. Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney with the charitable giving of our current leaders Barack Obama and Joe Biden. While claiming poverty, these democrats are in the top 1% of earners, and while one tax year (see the article for details) Bush earned 1/3 less than Obama, he gave around the same amount.

Food for thought.

March Madness contest

2009-03-10T09:50:00.002-04:00

There is a contest going on at Homemaking 911. It is a March madness contest. There are many great prizes including homemaking helps and homeschooling helps. You can enter by leaving a comment, blogging about the contest, adding it to your facebook page, and by "tweeting" about it through Twitter. Go on over and check it out. You could be a winner!

Which Father of the church are you?

2009-02-24T11:02:00.000-05:00

You’re St. Melito of Sardis!

You have a great love of history and liturgy. You’re attached to the traditions of the ancients, yet you recognize that the old world — great as it was — is passing away. You are loyal to the customs of your family, though you do not hesitate to call family members to account for their sins.

Find out which Church Father you are at The Way of the Fathers!

A great homeschool resource

2009-02-16T12:29:00.003-05:00

I have been using The Homeschool Freebie of the Day for about a year now. It has saved me money and trips to the library. There are special freebies each week for subscribers to the weekly e-mail reminder newsletter that are not available on the website.

I am so excited!

2009-01-15T16:45:00.003-05:00

My homeschool received a grant from the National Endowment for Humanities. It is a Picturing America Award. It includes 40 reproductions of American art and a teacher resource book.

I am looking forward to discussing this with my homeschool group to see if we could use it for an art/art history class so more students can benefit from the wealth of this grant.

Dear Lord,
I was so surprised by the letter I received via e-mail today telling me about this grant. I had forgotten about applying for it. Thank you for sending this to brighten things up here during the cold dreary winter. It is a reminder that spring will come as the package should arrive in March or April.
Amen.

MRI results

2009-01-02T08:52:00.003-05:00

YDS had a "hypno" appointment with his pediatrician. The doc teaches children self hypnosis to aid in dealing with headaches. While we were there, I got the MRI results which showed a little fluid in his sinuses, but nothing to worry about and no brain abnormalities. HURRAY!!!!! YDS is supposed to practice the self hypnosis daily, but it is supposed to be "his thing" and I am not supposed to remind him/help him. Hopefully this will help him with the headaches.

Lord,
Thank you for the good news.
Amen

Seen on our fence post

2008-12-26T14:49:00.006-05:00

He was much more spectacular to look at in person. He was either a hawk or a falcon. I looked up and there he was.

Lord,

Thank you for reminding me of Your beautiful creation all around me by sending this beautiful creature to sit on the fence.

Amen

Merry Christmas

2008-12-25T15:32:00.005-05:00

My husband loves me so much, that he got me this for Christmas. Only a man who truly loves his wife would do this. Okay, maybe an insane man would do this. After all, I have lots of old Barry Manilow, and Air Supply albums I can now listen to. The albums that are dreaded most by my DH, however, are probably all the Bruce Springsteen ones I am looking forward to playing! (singing out loud..."Born in the U.S.A.") I can even copy them to CD to listen to in the car now!!!!

Of course, the best gift was watching my YDS serve Mass at midnight and thinking about the priest's sermon on how Jesus wants to dwell within us. The Incarnation, the Word made flesh means so much more than a cute little baby. The birth means very little without the death and resurrection.

I am always awed by the sacrifices Mary made. I know that the Annunciation was celebrated back in March, but the key to Advent really is Mary's "yes." Without her cooperation, the whole story might have been different. So today I am thankful to Mary for her cooperation in Grace, and to Christ for his submission to the will of the Father.

A very Blessed and Holy Christmas season to all.

A contest to enter by answering a poll.

2008-12-22T12:00:00.005-05:00

This poll is part of a contest over here. Sagerat scribbles is part of the HSB blogging network. I have another blog over there at this location.

1. Why did you start a blog? I started blogging when I was on MSN. A "space" came free with my subscription, so I tried it out.
2. What did/do you hope to accomplish with your blogging? I never had a particular goal for my blogging. I have found that it helps me work through things, though.
3. Have you found that you don't post as much as you did when you started?yes
4. If yes, why not?I blog when I have some free time. This is a rare occasion these days, so I do not blog as often as I used to.
5. How important are comments to you?It is always nice to have people comment.
6. Do you ever find yourself wishing people would not always leave comments that agree with you? no.
7. Do you comment on other people's blogs a lot, sometimes, or very little? Sometimes
8. What determines why you don't post a comment on someone else's blog? If I find the content is something that I completely disagree with, I usually will not comment. I figure if I can't say anything nice, I should not say anything at all.
9. What determines why you do post a comment on someone else's blog? If I find a particular post strikes a chord, I will comment. usually anyway..
10. Do you have more than one blog? Yes. Where? MSN spaces, HSB and Blogger
11. Do you read random blogs either off of random blogger or friends lists? yes. It is fascinating to read blogs from all over the world.

update/what we have been up to

2008-12-21T13:16:00.015-05:00

YDS had his MRI last Sunday evening. We are still awaiting results. He saw the ENT on Thursday. An area in his left nostril was cauterized. He had had 6 nosebleeds in the 24 hours prior to the ENT visit. He has had no nosebleeds since the cauterization. Hopefully he is "cured" of the nosebleeds.

Here are a few photos of things we have been doing:

A giant nutcracker at Yankee Candle. We went on a field trip there on Wednesday 12/17/2008. They have an area devoted to the history of candle making within their flagship store in South Deerfield, MA, as well as a history of the founding of Yankee Candle.

A "wax hand" made at Yankee Candle as a Christmas gift for our wonderful neighbor who already has everything.YDS with "Santa and Mrs. Claus" at Yankee Candle.We did a fair bit of baking this week.

A tray of finished Christmas cookies: A kitten named George who was helping to get out storage bags. (hehe)

Decorated cookies

A few cookies that had been made into sandwiches with chocolate and sprinkles:

The baked cookies prior to decorating:

Cookies and pumpkin bread were distributed to neighbors and friends.

A gingerbread house that we assembled and decorated. Gingerbread is not my forte, so I bought a kit for this. It was a fun activity.
Wishing all of our family and friends a Blessed and Holy Christmas!

Health issues

2008-12-05T19:16:00.004-05:00

Well, YDS had his physical in October. I mentioned to the pediatrician that he has been complaining of headaches for about 6 months. I didn't think much of it as I get migraines, and my older son has been a migraine sufferer as well. The pediatrician asked me to keep a headache diary and schedule a follow up. I mentioned nosebleeds as well, but since the little guy had not had a nosebleed too recently when he had his physical, not much was said/done about the nosebleeds. Well, I decided to keep track of the nosebleeds as well as the headaches. These are not your typical kid picked at his nose nosebleeds, but rather they are kid wakes in the middle of the night with a gushing nosebleed.
I kept track of these things for a month. He had 4 nosebleeds and 7 headaches that I documented. While at the doctor's office for the follow-up, however, YDS says, "Oh, I had a headache that woke me up at 4:25 this morning."
Doc says, "How do you know it was 4:25?"
YDS replies, "Oh...my alarm clock said 4:25."
So, the conclusion after checking him out and finding a bit of tension in his neck and shoulders is that it is probably stress/tension headaches or migraines, but that an MRI of his brain is necessary to rule out anything else. oh, and the pediatrician called me at the end of his work day to say, "In all the talk fuss about the headaches, I forgot to refer him to the ENT. I want him to see a specialist for the nosebleeds."
So my calendar is suddenly full of medical appointments for YDS. He has an MRI, a consult with the ENT a couple of days later, and an appointment with his primary for a visualization/biofeedback consultation. Given that fact that in the last year we lost YDS' Pepere(DH's dad), MSS has been in and out of the house, and just the fact that YDS is a perfectionist, my money is really on the stress/tension headaches or migraines given the family history.

Next, I went to my primary for a regular physical. I had not had a physical in at least 5 years. All of my labs were done fasting, and all of them were normal EXCEPT my fasting blood sugar. I have known for years that my blood sugar could be an issue. All of my babies were over 9 1/2 pounds at birth, and several relatives (grandparents) on both my mother's and father's side had adult onset or "type II" diabetes. I know that I have not taken proper care in recent years to keep my weight under control, so I was not really surprised. I have been informed that my sugar level is such that it is "pre-diabetes." I need to reduce that amount of carbohydrates I am eating. My doctor (this is the first time I met her) also promised me a mammogram (oh joy) and told me I need to make a GYN appointment. I don't have dates for either of those yet.

Lord,
Please help me to not worry about any of the medical issues that I cannot control. Please help to make the changes necessary to lose some of the excess weight and get my blood sugar into the normal range. I really would like to be around for my children, Lord. Your will be done...

Amen

Just a couple of projects

2008-11-29T12:15:00.003-05:00

I have been meaning to make this Liturgical Year wheel since August. I finally made it last night...just in time for Advent.

We made these pine cone, peanut butter and bird seed feeders for the birds, but the squirrels stole them right off the tree!

Power outage

2008-10-26T22:56:00.001-04:00

We had a power outage for an hour and a half tonight. It was interesting to see the reactions of the children. Our oldest tortured the youngest with stories of zombies initially. We (DH and I) were not home when the power first went out. We got home and YDS was extremely glad to see us as his older brothers had told him that zombies had driven up in our car. We quickly stopped the torture and lit some candles. All of the children sought out battery powered devices with which to shed some artificial light and sound. I sat down at the kitchen table and read a book by candlelight. I had many candles lit! I think I need to invest in more unscented candles, however. The Yankee Candles smell good, but too many different scents will make anyone sick. I wound up putting one of the scented candles out as it was overpowering.
I like to think about life on the prairie before the advent of electricity. You can probably guess I loved the Little House books as a girl. There was only candle light and firelight, and possibly an oil lamp. Homes were heated with wood or peat in a central fireplace. Food was cooked on the fire or on a wood burning cook stove. I shudder to think of the skills that have been lost over the years. All of our technology has made us soft, weak people in many ways. Yes, information is accessible at the touch of a button, but the search for information, the mystery, is gone. If the power ever went out for good, many would be lost.
Books are available, but many folks listen to "audio books." I like these for in the car on long trips, but to me, there is nothing like the feel of a book in my hands, and imagination that creates a world in my mind from what is described on paper. I think I need to try to cultivate this imagination in my children. They need to know how to occupy themselves when the power does go out.
Lord,
Please remind us that what we truly NEED is You. We do not need computers or CD's or television. You should be the One to whom we turn in times of need. When the artificial lights go out, You, the Light of the world, are there.
Amen

Stem Cell Research

2008-10-19T11:51:00.002-04:00

There is a website called Answers in Genesis. They have scientists who debunk many Darwinian claims. This video is about stem cell research, cloning and abortion. There are no gross images, but a lot of really good information. It is 53 minutes long, so if you decide to watch it, make sure you have some time. You can find the video here.

Lord,
Please help us all to know that each child, born and unborn is fearfully and wonderfully made in your image and likeness.

Amen

Excellent video!

2008-10-12T19:31:00.001-04:00

You can find this video and more at RealCatholicTv

My answer

2008-10-12T18:57:00.002-04:00

This was my comment in answer to a post at my friend Katy's blog:

As a Catholic, I will not vote for anyone who is pro-abortion. I know there are "other issues." I believe, however, that anyone who claims to care about the downtrodden and underprivileged is not being truthful if he/she also supports abortion. An unborn child is the most vulnerable and innocent of our society. These same "bleeding hearts" are also less likely to protect people like Terry Schiavo, and support selective abortion for children who are the wrong gender, or who have "defects." Every person is valuable. This includes those with developmental disability, injury acquired disability, age acquired disability as well as those who are "healthy." I agree that we need to care for the less fortunate, however, in my experience, that is best accomplished through churches and private organizations, not through bigger government. Neither party is perfect, as no human is perfect. Neither party will accomplish all of their campaign "promises," and only the Supreme Court or Congress can overturn Roe-v-Wade. In many ways our president is a figure head. Of course, our founding fathers believed that they had set up checks and balances so that no one area of our government could become too powerful. I imagine they are turning in their graves at what our country is becoming.
My 2 cents.

Lord,
Help me to cast my vote by truly examining my conscience and voting as you would have me vote...even if that means not voting. Be with all of our politicians, please, Lord. May they follow a path that leads to your purposes.
Amen.

Older children, or am I crazy yet?

2008-10-12T12:38:00.000-04:00

Sometimes I think that the older children are much more difficult. Of course, my situation is not the same as everyone's, so maybe it is just the situation that makes things more difficult. My step sons have lived with us full time for about a year and a half now. It took us nearly 12 years to get custody, and it has been a challenge every step of the way both when they were with their mother, and since they moved in here.
The 18 year old is very immature. I sometimes refer to him as 18 going on 12. While the content of video games and computer games and websites he views are more adult than those of the younger children, he still behaves very much like a child and spends much of his time in video games, computer and TV. He needs to be reminded to do his homework (he is in college). He needs to be reminded that he cannot eat all the food that is cooked for supper; that others need to eat. He needs to have priorities pointed out to him(e.g. buying yourself new shoes because you need them is not wasting money, going to buy candy at the store because you want it is a waste of money). He expects to be taken "back to school" shopping. These things annoy me. I guess it is because I was raised to be independent of my parents, and I was expected to purchase my own clothes and shoes long before I reached 18. Indeed, he finally has a job that is going to be more than 2 days a week.
Our 14 year old does all his schoolwork except science experiments and essays. He is more than capable of the essays and experiments. He just does not like them so he refuses to do them. I keep giving him zeroes in his transcript for these things, but he doesn't care. He has been told numerous times that this is expected of him, and that everyone is expected to do things in life that they don't like.
The 12 year old and 8 year old are both driving me crazy with the same things that have always driven me crazy. It seems that every few months, they must test to see if the limits have changed. They are doing what is asked of them for the most part.
Do you have any good ideas as to how to bring older children into the "real world" or how to get a reluctant writer to write? Please comment if you do!

Am I more gray?

2008-09-29T14:06:00.001-04:00

I certainly feel more gray.
My children, instead of settling down and being obedient and joyfully fulfilling their homeschool duties have been rebellious, slothful and downright disobedient. I have tried being strict, I have tried taking away privileges, and I have tried yelling and spanking. All to no avail. I am about ready for a padded cell somewhere. I know all of my children are more than capable of the work that has been set for them. I pray that we find a way to get them to do the work without the "this is stupid" that I am continually hearing.

Lord,
You have called me to homeschool these children. Please help me to motivate them. Please help me to demonstrate obedience in my own behavior and in my work.
Amen

School

2008-09-09T19:34:00.003-04:00

Well, we started school last Tuesday. So far it has been frustrating. My children do not seem to want to cooperate.

Lord,
I am so frustrated with our homeschool already this year. I feel like it is your will that we do this, but it seems to be a constant uphill battle. Please show me what you want and help me to follow your will for our home school.

Amen

Getting ready

2008-08-28T09:35:00.003-04:00

As homeschoolers, we are getting ready to begin our new school year. I am trying something different this year, well, at least with the youngest and oldest....I did not purchase pre-written lesson plans this year. The last several years, I used the CHC curriculum lesson plan guides for my youngest. This year I borrowed a friend's MODG third grade syllabus. I will adapt this to suit our books and needs. This really means a good deal more work on my part. The oldest(at home-we have 2 in college and one who is floundering right now) is a freshman this year. He will be using Saxon Algebra 1 and Switched on Schoolhouse for language arts, science and history. He enjoys the computer, so I am hoping SOS is a good fit for him. My daughter, who is 12 and driving me crazy with the attitude, will be following a MODG syllabus. Again, we will use only some of the books that are listed. We will substitute in other areas.

The biggest difference for her, however, is her math program. Her math program is called Applying Mathematics and is from Systematic Mathematics. I started using "Systemath" last year, and we saw a 57 point increase in DD's standardized test scores. Systematic Mathematics does not use a spiral method as most math programs do. It, instead, teaches one concept at a time until it is mastered. It also uses real life applications (recipes, sqare footage of houses) to demonstrate a concept. This year there are amortization schedules for a mortgage in the packet.

My daughter does not enjoy math at all. She does not even like this program. The program includes DVD's and a CD-ROM that includes all the worksheets, answer sheets, tests and other data for the year. I enjoy the dry wit of the teach on the DVD's. His name is Paul Ziegler, and he is a retired math teacher who set out to create a math program for homeschoolers after retiring. He occasionally makes an error, but usually catches himself. I know my daughter usually catches the errors. Of course, maybe this is part of the education...if the student is catching the errors, the student is really learning.

Well, I need to make a couple of phone calls and gather the last few books I will need for the school year. I also need to drop off a book to a friend.

Lord,

Please bless our little homeschool as we begin a new year. Please be with me as I write out lesson plans. Please help me to be more attentive to my children's needs. I need to remember that they learn better from hearing things. This really means I need to read out loud to them at least some of the time. Please help me to do this. Our little homeschool is dedicated to Your Grace. Help us to remember to call on You in prayer each morning as we begin.

Amen.

My children were upset.

2008-08-25T09:37:00.002-04:00

Yesterday my children returned from Holy Communion upset. The Eucharistic minister had said "The body of Christ's son" instead of "the Body of Christ."
How would you address this? I was flabbergasted.
Here's what I did: I told my children to go only to the priest for Communion. I told our pastor about it and which Eucharistic minister it was. It was a woman. This may or may not be part of the issue.
Personally, I do not think that women belong distrubuting Communion. I also do not like to see girls serving on the altar. Call me old fashioned. I don't care. Christ did not make women priests. He conferred that role to men. Putting women in the positions that have always been held by men only strengthens the desire of some for women priests. My 2 cents on this subject.

Lord,
Please help this misguided woman. She may be a Eucharistic minister out of a desire to serve your church. If she is there to serve you, please show her the error of her words. If she is attempting to change things by abuses such as this, weed her out of this area of service, please. Please help me to guide my children and to teach them that such changes are an abuse.
Amen.

It finally stopped...

2008-08-24T11:19:00.003-04:00

...raining, that is. We have had almost 2 whole weeks without thunderstorms and torrential rains. I am SO grateful! I got to mow my lawn which had begun to resemble a hayfield. We took the 2 hour drive to Hampton Beach, NH not once, but twice. We went up last Sunday and yesterday. Both days were absolutely gorgeous. No one got sunburned yesterday, but my DH, who normally tans, did get a burn last week. He actually wound up blistering and peeling. He said it only hurt on his belly, although, his arms and shoulders were also quite red.

Normally, a trip to the beach would mean a lobster-red me, but I found a new sunscreen. The Coppertone spray on, 70 SPF sunscreen. It is easy to apply, and it worked..well, that and knowing enough to stay under my beach umbrella in the height of the sun between 10 and 2....
I did not get burned at all. I am excited about this. I have glow in the dark whit skin, so not burning is an achievement.

Last Sunday we stopped on the way home and explored some tide pools. There were snails more than anything in them, but it was fun for the children and a great way to show the effects of the tides. We were able to show the high tide line by the way the seaweed was in a line. What a great visual of a science topic!

I have come to realize that many of our everyday experiences are learning experiences. This means that, even though I do not formally do any school work with the children during the summer, we can slip in some "school" just about every day. We can discuss the science of tides at the beach, we can discuss chemistry while doing laundry (laundry detergent changes the ability of plain water to remove soils from clothing by making the water more "slippery"). The longer we homeschool, the more I realize how every day holds some learning experience, and the more I appreciate just how much "teaching" involved parents do on a daily basis.

Lord,
Thank you for the opportunity to show my children so many of the wonders you have placed in the world. Please help me to have a sense of wonder and to be like a child in examining all these wonders. They all point to you. Help me to recall that, please.

Amen.

The Old Schoolhouse Digital Magazine

2008-08-15T09:19:00.002-04:00

I have also had a chance to review the Old Schoolhouse Digital magazine. This is an online, interactive version of the Old Schoolhouse. I find it is easier for me to use than trying to keep track of a paper magazine in my already overflowing home. On days when my aging eyes need bigger print, I can make the print bigger. If a photo spans two pages, I can look at the two, but I can then “zoom” in on the text to read the article.
The articles themselves span throughout all the topics of homeschooling: special needs, different styles, and different types of families (adoptive, small, and large). There was a wonderful article in the summer edition about using the Charlotte Mason method to help children with special needs.
As my children are getting older, and I no longer have little ones of my own, I can read and appreciate the articles about smaller children and put the information away for when I have grandchildren. The Lord may even use the information I have garnered for some other purpose.
I love the way the pages “turn” just as though I was thumbing through the physical magazine, but I also love the fact that as long as I “bookmark” my TOS digital magazine, I am not going to have to hunt for it.

A review of The Schoolhouse Planner.

2008-08-14T23:41:00.001-04:00

I have had the opportunity to check out The Schoolhouse Planner from The Old Schoolhouse. This resource, which is divided into 3 sections, is much more than just a planner! The first section contains a two page, whole year calendar. This section then is divided into 12 months. The planner runs from July 2008-June 2009. Each month includes resource lists, calendars and recipes.
Also included in this section are lists of presidents and their wives, kitchen conversion charts, lists of artists, composers, countries and capitals. There are articles on various homeschool topics such as, "Making Math Stick." Each monthly calendar includes space for notes. Holidays have not been labeled so you are free to label according to your beliefs.
There is a periodic table which includes quotes from Marie Curie and George Washington Carver. There is a history timeline. This resource is a Christian resource and includes the Reformation in the timeline.
One of the most impressive parts of the homeschool resources is the inclusion of transcripts of historical documents including the Declaration of Independence and the Gettysburg address. These are only a few of the resources included in the first 120 pages of the planner which is 247 pages all together.
The second section is made up of homeschool forms, and the final section is household forms. There are annual plans, annual goals, report cards, curriculum planning and curriculum recording sheets. There are also pages for co-op and support group information. The household forms include grocery lists, menu plans, and chore lists, just to name a few.
I am looking forward to having so much information at my fingertips while we learn at home this year. The Old Shoolhouse has put together a wonderful resource.

Forms

2008-08-02T21:02:00.001-04:00

Registration forms and Vendor applications are now available for the New England Catholic Homeschool Conference. If you are in New England, I hope to see you there. You can find more information here.

Pro-life

2008-07-30T13:58:00.003-04:00

I am pro-life. God has recently pointed out to me that this means much more than being anti-abortion.

Being pro-life means accepting and respecting even those people who make life difficult. My DH and I have made some poor decisions in our lives. We have to deal with the repercussions of those decisions and the effect they have had on our children. This often means doing what is right in the lives of our children even though it is not easy. It means sacrifices made by the entire family. It means trying to teach our children to love those who persecute you, and pray for those people we do not necessarily really LIKE. Christ calls us to love one another. He does not say those who love you. He does not say love those who treat you well. He wants us to love everyone. He wants us to love as He loves.

This is a tall order, but He promises to be there with us. We need to remember that He is with us. He will help us to do whatever He needs us to do. After all, if God brings us to it, He will bring us through it.

Lord,

Please help our family as we deal with some difficult situations. I know that You know what our needs are, and You will provide. Please help me to remember this.

Amen.

giveaway

2008-07-29T18:34:00.000-04:00

Click the link. They are giving away an iPod.

Excellent article

2008-07-28T13:28:00.003-04:00

I just read an excellent article by Star Parker called Kumbaya Falls Flat in Berlin. She was able, in this article, to articulate much of what I have been feeling about this man, Obama. Go visit and read it for yourself. There are so many contradictions in every speech Obama makes. I just hope that Americans wake up to his waffling before we are stuck with him in the White House.

Lord,
Thank you for the articulate way in which this article was worded. Ms. Parker put into words what I have been thinking.

Amen.

What to do

2008-07-27T14:51:00.003-04:00

Part of my property is an open "meadow" with a steep wooded hill/ravine/dingle (pick your word) behind it. For years, the neighbors have been dumping their leaves and brush in this area. They used to push it back. Now they just dump it. My DH and I are quite aggravated. I even saw a yard work company that did some work for a neighbor dump there. I was not quick enough to get out there and make them pick it back up, though. The board of health will come out and write us up for the dumped brush, but we didn't even put it there. I think we are going to post "No Dumping" signs. Hopefully this will help. I wish I had the money to fence in my entire yard. That would prevent the problem. Given the dynamics of the yard, however, it would be cost prohibitive at this point. Of course, I would also like to rent a "Bobcat" and push back all the brush into the woods. We enjoy all the wildlife and birds that we see because there is a "habitat" there, but we are thinking about cleaning it out a bit so it could be more useful to our family (think winter sledding).

Does anyone know how to get rid of "Japanese bamboo?" This is growing in abundance in the woods and on the hill. It is ugly and keeps coming back no matter how often we cut it down.

Lord,
Please help us to stop the dumping in our yard. Our neighbors have come to think they have the right, I guess. Please help this "brown-thumbed" woman to get the yard looking halfway decent, Lord. Thank you for all the beautiful birds and the little rabbits that hop through our yard. They are a reminder of your greatness.

Amen.

New computer

2008-07-26T11:31:00.003-04:00

My DH surprised me by bringing home a new computer the other night. My old one was getting to be VERY slow, and the drivers could not be updated anymore. DH said that I needed a better computer for all of the school things I do. I didn't need a monitor as my old died quite a while ago, so DH had already replaced that. The biggest change is the operating system. This computer has Windows Vista. My old one had XP. We will swap around some hardware and create an updated computer for our children. The hard drive on the computer they have been using is larger than the hard drive my old one, so we will swap that hard drive into the tower and possibly leave my old one in as a slave drive for backup. This will make their computer faster. Of course, I have been slowing tightening up on the amount of computer time, and I will be adding stricter parental controls. It never ceases to amaze me how sneaky they can be. Even YDS will try to play games we have told him are not allowed. Right now YDD has been a bit defiant and ignoring the computer use rules.
She is away at the Challenge summer Convention. I am praying that the Lord can break through to her heart while she is there. I have been seeing an awful lot of vanity and "boy craziness." I am not liking it one bit. I think I need to borrow my friend Mary's book about how to find a good spouse......

Dear Lord,
Thank you for giving me a considerate husband. He tells me frequently how much he loves me and he does things around the house to help out when I least expect it. Please be with YDD while she is at camp, Lord. Shine in her heart and soften it. Show her how much she is loved, please, and help to realize how shallow her behavior has been. Bless the Consecrated women and co-workers who have charge of the girls at the convention. May Your Spirit guide them as they seek to lead the campers closer to You.
Amen.

As my House turns

2008-07-22T15:44:00.001-04:00

Concert Review

2008-07-20T12:30:00.004-04:00

Well, Joe Cocker opened for the Steve Miller band, so I will address his show first. While Joe Cocker's show is still a real rocking concert, Joe Cocker himself has lost some of his ability. The vocals were very difficult to hear over the music, which was the fault, I am sure, of someone at a mixing board, and not the vocalists themselves. Joe has lost some of his range, so his lows are not as low, and his highs are not as high. There were a couple of times throughout the show when he seemed to substitute volume for tone. All in all, it was enjoyable, and everyone in the audience seemed to have a good time. Joe is fun to watch as he "plays" the music with his hands at his sides while he sings. His bass guitarist really rocked as did his saxophonist and keyboardist. I wished that his bass guitarist and his backup singers had dressed a little more modestly. Showing a lot of skin does not make up for a lack of talent or highlight true talent.

Now, on to The Steve Miller band. All I can say is WOW! Steve Miller plays so many different types of music, that unless you really followed his band, you would not know they were all Steve Miller. He had at least 8 guitar changes, with at least 6 different guitars, and the whole place was on its feet dancing and singing along. Unlike Joe Cocker, Steve Miller does not seem to have lost any of his vocal range. He played a variety of music that included a couple of covers of R&B music and a tribute to Bo Diddley as well as many of his standards. Space Cowboy was not in his original line up for the night, but one of the stage crew asked for it, so he played it. We left during the encore because we had family obligations (our oldest at home needed to be to work for midnight), so I don't know if he played the Joker. He had not played it when we left. The light show and stage set were spectacular and complemented the music extremely well.

My DH and I discussed music all the way home from the concert (an hour and 20 minutes). We bemoaned the fact that so much of the music on the radio that our teenagers hear is vulgar and there is no subtlety to it. While some of this new generation of "musicians" (for lack of a better term), may have talent, they seem to have no finesse. What we saw and heard last night, while some of it was definitely suggestive, was so much more technically brilliant that I sat in awe while watching Steve Miller play the guitar. He can make sounds with a guitar so effortlessly that it looks easy.

I am not uncomfortable having my kids hear Steve Miller's music. For the most part, it is fun music. It gets you dancing. It does not denigrate anyone. There is no nasty language. It was refreshing. The band looked like they enjoyed themselves, too.

Now, the best part of the evening was being alone with my DH for 7 whole hours without interruptions of any kind. We walked around the Comcast Center in Mansfield and held hands and chatted and just enjoyed ourselves. We have not done anything like that in many years. Normally we have oodles of children around us no matter where we are, and due to the nature of our business, we don't get out much.

Dear Lord,
Thank You for giving DH and I an opportunity to just be together and have a good time. We appreciated the talent you gave to the musicians. We enjoyed each other. We enjoyed watching Your children all around us dance and sing. Thank You for keeping our children safe while we were apart from them for the evening. I feel refreshed from having had this little break in the normal. Also, Lord, thank You for the new babies You have sent to my friends. They are beautiful and true blessings.

Amen.

Podcasts

2008-07-18T23:50:00.003-04:00

I work outside our home Monday through Friday for a couple of hours in the evening. I clean a small preschool/kindergarten. I have found that I love having an MP3 player (in my case, an iPod Shuffle). I listen to Catholic podcasts. I love Fr. Roderick's Daily Breakfast, Rosary Army, Catholic in a Small Town, and The Catholic Hack. I also listen to Catholic Moments, Catholic Connection, The Journey Home, and Sunday Night Live with Fr. Benedict Groeschel. I get the occasional episode of Catholic Answers Live and Life on the Rock, as well. Once in a while, I mix it up by listening to the Rosary or a Scott Hahn talk on my iPod. I find that I get a good mix of information by listening to these podcasts. Once in while, I disagree with something someone says (mostly on the Catholic Answers shows). My disagreements are not on doctrinal matters, but rather on things more based on opinion, like books.

I must say that my favorite show is really Sunday Night Live. I just love Fr. Groeschel. I heard him speak in person in March at a women's conference in my diocese, and he was wonderful. I waited in line to have a chance to say hello and have my book signed.

I listened to many of the podcasters talking about the Catholic New Media Celebration that took place in June in Atlanta. It sounds like it was a really great time. Maybe next time I can go and meet some of these people who try hard to live out our Catholic faith.

Lord,
Thank you for the gift of faith. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to be inspired by New Catholic Media. It is a help to me in my daily life.
Amen

Going on a date

2008-07-18T09:32:00.003-04:00

My DH surprised me by purchasing two tickets to the upcoming Steve Miller concert. My ringtone on my cell phone for when my DH calls me is Steve Miller's "Wild Mountain Honey." I am looking forward to hearing the band, but I am even more excited about having an actual, get-away-from-the-kids-for-the-evening date. DH and I often have "dates" by going grocery shopping, or to pick up cat food at the big box store down the street. Now I just need to figure out what to wear......

Lord,
Thank you for inspiring DH to surprise me with this rare treat. Thank you for putting this man, who loves me as I am, into my life. Your love is reflected through him in so many ways.

Amen.

Rest in Peace

2008-07-10T13:46:00.004-04:00

My neighbor, a 42 year old father of 2, passed away this morning from complications of cirrhosis of the liver. Please pray for his children, his wife and his father who all live in my neighborhood. This is going to be rough, I am sure. Please also pray for his soul. I am not certain if he had faith in our Lord, but his lifestyle seemed very worldly.

Lord,
I ask you to send Your love upon the G family. They will need Your support through this time. I ask for J to rest in peace, Lord.

Amen.

Found

2008-07-08T23:09:00.002-04:00

MSS was picked up by police tonight. He will be remanded to DYS custody. Thank you for you prayers.

1930's wife

2008-07-08T19:15:00.000-04:00

102

As a 1930s wife, I am
Very Superior

Take the test!

New England Catholic Homeschool Conference

2008-07-08T17:12:00.004-04:00

Our homeschool group is planning a Catholic homeschool conference. We have been discussing this for over a year, and it appears that it may actually happen. We have a location booked, and we have begun all the necessary work of getting in touch with vendors and other home school organizations that are willing to give us pointers. You can read more about it here.

Dear Lord,
We ask that you send Your Spirit upon our group as we plan this home school event. Please help us to seek Your will in all we do so that this conference may be to Your glory.

Amen.

Thinking

2008-07-06T17:33:00.004-04:00

I was just thinking about how we lay people have a tendency to expect our priests to be perfect. I was remembering a priest who was at our parish many years ago (over 20). He was not a very nice person. He did not give very good sermons, and he did not know how to deal with elderly people. It occurs to me that I can be very much the same. Granted, I don't give sermons (except to my kids, who don't listen anyway), but I can be short with people, I can be judgemental, and heaven knows I can be a not so nice person.

I don't know if the priest I was thinking about today is still in this diocese, but I think the lesson is all of our priests need our prayers, not our judgments.

Lord,
Bless Fr. D.R. where ever he may be. Guide him in Your paths. Help him to shepherd Your people. Bless all those whom You have called to the priesthood. Help them to be the men You would have them be.

Amen.

P.S. MSS is still missing, although we think he is still safe.

Please pray for MSS

2008-07-03T21:07:00.003-04:00

He has been missing for 2 weeks and 1 day. He has been logging in to his Myspace, so he is alive somewhere. Please pray for him to come around and straighten out.

Lord,
I know that you have MSS in Your hands. Please keep him safe.

Amen