Praying for Grace: It Takes Courage

Praying for Grace: It Takes Courage

Please click here to be redirected to the new Bonny Blue House, please update your blogroll if you are kind enough to include me.

Blogger still seems unwilling to let me post pictures of the Baptism. I am working on a Type Pad blog which I will hopefully have up and running in a few days. I am trying to work it out so that if you come to this blog you will be automatically transferred there. Stay tuned.

The Big Day

Yesterday was a wonderful day to become a Christian! Bridget and Sean were wonderful on their big day. They didn't cry at all and slept through most of their party. I will post pictures as soon as Blogger lets me. It seems to be rejecting all of my attempts to upload photos today.

Thank You Peggy Noonan

Peggy Noonan wrote a poignant piece in remembrance of the terrorist attacks. Please click to the Wall Street Journal read and weep.

This motley looking crew....

belongs to me. Thanks be to God!!

First Nature Walk

It's never to early to begin homschooling.....

Remember The Fallen

Eternal rest grant unto them O Lord, and may the Perpetual Light shine upon them. May they rest in peace. Amen. For the innocent people who lost their lives, may their families find comfort and peace. For New York's Finest who bravely gave their lives and New York's Bravest who rushed in without fear we are humbled by their sacrifice. Heroic does not seem adequate to describe them. For those brave men and women who are now fighting to keep this country safe, we are immeasurably grateful. Saint Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle. Be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil. May God rebuke him, we humbly pray; and do Thou, O Prince of the Heavenly Host - by the Divine Power of God - cast into hell, satan and all the evil spirits, who roam throughout the world seeking the ruin of souls. Amen

Alice is back!

The Cottage has opened it's doors again and there is a lovely post to welcome us inside....

Happy Birthday Blessed Mother

Litany of the Blessed Virgin R. Christ, have mercy on us. V. Lord, have mercy on us. Christ hear us. R. Christ, graciously hear us. God, the Father of Heaven: -- Have mercy on us. (repeat at end of each phrase.) God, the Son, Redeemer of the world: God, the Holy Spirit, Holy Trinity, One God, Holy Mary, -- Pray for us. (repeat at end of each phrase.) Holy Mother of God, Holy Virgin of virgins, Mother of Christ, Mother of divine grace, Mother most pure, Mother most chaste, Mother inviolate, Mother undefiled, Mother most amiable, Mother most admirable, Mother of good counsel, Mother of our Creator, Mother of our Savior, Virgin most prudent, Virgin most venerable, Virgin most renowned, Virgin most powerful, Virgin most merciful, Virgin most faithful, Mirror of justice, Seat of wisdom, Cause of our joy, Spiritual vessel, Vessel of honor, Singular vessel of devotion, Mystical rose, Tower of David, Tower of ivory, House of gold, Ark of the covenant, Gate of Heaven, Morning star, Health of the sick, Refuge of sinners, Comforter of the afflicted, Help of Christians, Queen of Angels, Queen of Patriarchs, Queen of Prophets, Queen of Apostles, Queen of Martyrs, Queen of Confessors, Queen of Virgins, Queen of all Saints, Queen conceived without Original Sin, Queen assumed into Heaven, Queen of the most holy rosary, Queen of Peace. Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world, Spare us, O Lord. Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world, Graciously hear us O Lord. Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world, Have mercy on us. v. Pray for us, O holy Mother of God. r. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ. Let us pray: Grant, we beseech Thee, O Lord God, unto us Thy servants, that we may rejoice in continual health of mind and body; and, by the glorious intercession of blessed Mary ever Virgin, may be delivered from present sadness, and enter into the joy of Thine eternal gladness. Through Christ our Lord. Amen

Lesson For The Day

When using the little baby bathtub on the bathroom counter top to bathe Sean move the toothbrush cup out of tinkle range.

Not much to report

I haven't been blogging lately... well because I just had twins and it's been busy. The twins are wonderful, content babies but babies still require a lot of time and there has been some disruption to the schedule. The first thing to go is my computer time. I'm hoping my readers will be patient. I have some new pictures that I will post later or tomorrow. We started official school yesterday. Thank God for the good people at Seton. I was able to have everything ready and all the lesson planning was done for me. I don't think we would be starting for another three months if it had been up to me to do lessons for four children this year. The day went well and everyone was very enthusiastic about their new school supplies and books. We accomplished a lot and I think it's going to be a good year. Since I am not posting much I will direct you to some essential reading. Elizabeth wrote a wonderful essay about submitting to our husbands. I wouldn't miss it if I were you - it is profoundly wise. This is going back a bit but I have to point you toward Dawn's post on Christmas in August. Yes Dawn is planning for Christmas already and in a beautiful way. She is planning on a handmade Christmas this year so it requires some forethought. She mentions a lot of great resources. Danielle Bean has a great first day of school post today. Everyone knows how much I love Catholic Mosaic. Now Hillside Education is exploring the idea of offering a book package to go with Advent. Go here to Cay's Cajun Cottage for more info. You can also check Hillside's blog. At Our Magnum OpusBridget gives some good advice about having a merry heart

Boy Country

I am not a particularly outdoorsy type of person. Anyone who knows me at all knows that I merely tolerate the outdoors as a means to an end, the end usually being a well air conditioned or heated restaurant. I don't much care for picnics and I would rather be tossed off a bridge than go camping. I do these things because I want my children to love God's creation and to experience it's beauty and perfection in every setting possible rather than just on the National Geographic channel which is where I prefer to experience nature. I do it for them and I have managed to fake it pretty well for the last few years. I take them on nature hikes and to game farms. I let myself be licked by llamas and goats and I have stuck my hand into the sting ray tank at the aquarium. I have inspected bugs in bug boxes and raised tadpoles to frogs. I have taken charge of Rosie the hamster and I have stood still for deer and moose in Maine. I haven't enjoyed any of it but I do love the pleasure the children get from it all. In my defense I was unlikely to turn out any differently. I was raised by a woman who considers nature a vast conspiracy to muck up your nice shoes or to drop things on your head. Mom's idea of roughing it is a three star hotel and being any more than forty miles from Lord and Taylor. (Sorry Mom but it's true). There is nothing wrong with this, it takes all kinds to make a world and Mom and I would definitely be considered the indoor kind. Lately nature has been intruding into my house. This makes me very uncomfortable. Kevin has developed a love for all things crawly and has decided that I must share his fascination. I don't. Last week he came running to me as I was feeding one of the babies. "Momma look" as he tossed a big dead bug (I mean a BIG bug) on my lap. My screeching and leaping up from the chair did not deter his joy in the creature. "It's a big bug Momma," he says bursting with pride as he fished it off the floor where it landed. I finally convinced him that it would be missing its friends outside. I didn't even get into the fact that it was dead as a door nail. I just wanted the big ugly thing out of my house. Since that day I have been brought a few worms, in varying states of trauma, a cricket, a fuzzy catapillar, two spiders and I caught him trying to entice a stray cat into the house. I am so nervous I could jump out of my skin at any moment. I never know when a "look Momma" is going to result in some slimy creature being tossed to me or a cloud of locusts being ushered into the house. I am in boy country. Dave assures me that this is perfectly normal behavior for a boy and a good mom would encourage his fascination with nature and teach him to respect his buggy friends. Of course, he then gets on the bug-free train to go to his bug-free office and talk to his colleagues who are unlikely to start throwing worms at him or to ask his advice on feeding a cicada. I am living in stark terror of the next time a dead bird shows up in the yard. Boy country - an unattractive place, but never boring.

Big boy, little boy

Looks like a lifetime friendship is forming.........

Handy Helpers

There are some advantages to this bottle feeding thing.

Homeschooling Book Meme

I was tagged by Bridget (one of the homeschool moms I would most like to be like) for my list of homeschool books. I love participating in these things.... 1) ONE HOMESCHOOLING BOOK YOU HAVE ENJOYED There are so many but I think Elizabeth Foss' Real Learning, Education in the Heart of the Home has to be my favorite. 2) ONE RESOURCE YOU COULDN'T BE WITHOUT My laptop and wireless internet connection, it's my window to the homeschool world. 3) ONE RESOURCE YOU WISH YOU HAD NEVER BOUGHT Learning Language Arts Through Literature. It works really well for some but we all hated it. 4) ONE RESOURCE YOU ENJOYED LAST YEAR Math-U-See 5) ONE RESOURCE YOU WILL BE USING NEXT YEAR Catholic Mosaic - I can't wait to use it. 6) ONE RESOURCE YOU WOULD LIKE TO BUY I would like to buy all of the books featured in Catholic Mosaic. 7) ONE RESOURCE YOU WISH EXISTED Self changing diapers. 8) ONE HOMESCHOOLING CATALOGUE YOU ENJOY READING Catholic Heritage Curricula 9) ONE HOMESCHOOLING WEBSITE YOU USE REGULARLY http://4real.thenetsmith.com/ www.setonhome.org 10) TAG OTHER HOMESCHOOLERS I can't really find anyone else who hasn't already been tagged. I'm always late to the party!:-)

Introducing....

Bridget Claire and Sean Francis with their proud papa.. and their proud but weary momma. Cradle cuddling. Holding hands.

Carnival of Homeschooling

Phat Mommy is a hip, homeschooling mom with a great blog. She is hosting this week'sCarnival of Homeschooling so please go on over. There is so much great stuff over there. It is a Galatic Adventure in homeschooling!

Late yesterday afternoon the sky grew ominously dark. I knew that the toddlers had left some toys around the backyard and that our big heavy shed doors were open. This was a job for Ryan. Ryan was upstairs in his room and I was directly below him the living room. Now my preferred method of communication is generally NOT shouting from across the house but since it now takes one adult or two strong children to hoist me out of a chair and I am completely unable to climb stairs shouting is what I am reduced to. So I call him, and call him, and call him. After about ten minutes of intermittent screeching I am completely aggravated both at my inability to get around and what I thought was his refusal to hear me. So I call Katie (who came right away) and ask her to go upstairs and send her brother down to me. "DIDN'T YOU HEAR ME CALLING YOU?" I asked , not really bothering to keep my annoyance out of my voice. "No, I'm sorry". "What are you doing up there that prevents you from hearing me when the whole neighborhood can"? "I was praying for you and the twins". Ouch. So of course I wanted to cry but I didn't. I just hugged him until he begged me to let him go and then he went out back to pick up the toys and lock up the shed. Natural piety is a pretty enormous lesson to live with. How often am I so deep in prayer that the distractions around me disappear? Uh, never. Through this child God often shows me who is the more disabled in this world and it's not the child who is struggling in school it is the adult who lets the temporal cares of the world outweigh the eternal cares. I sincerely hope that when Ryan reaches heaven he continues to pray fervently for his mother. I have a feeling I am going to need it.

What's the Goal?

In home education I think every parent faces the question, at some point or another, what are they working towards? School teachers are working toward the last day of school so they can get some peace and quiet until the next batch of students roll in. In the case of the homeschool family the goals are much more eternal in nature. We have a vested interest in the future of our students that an elementary or high school can't possibly share. We start to formulate these goals much earlier than a school district or administration would because we are blessed to be able to see their gifts an abilities at a very early age. We can explore more thoroughly how best to set them on the right path. In the case of our homeschool and all of the others in the community which we belong the ultimate and first goal is heaven. We are educating our children to know,love and serve God; to be devout Catholics; to love their faith; to love their families and their neighbor. In addition, it is important to know the more temporal goals. I know some families who homeschool with the idea of getting their children into a great Catholic high school. Others homeschool in order to make time for the study of an instrument that the child is gifted with. Still others know all the facts about homeschoolers scoring higher on the SATs and getting into more prestigious colleges and universities. These are all good goals. Choosing to homeschool is very personal and the reasons and goals are as individual as each family who makes the choice. What if your goal isn't as clear cut? What if you have a child with special needs for whom high schools, SATs and universities are not an option. Then how do you discern the goal? The primary goal remains the same. Heaven, a relationship with God, a good prayer life all as best as can be accomplished depending on your child's abilities. And don't worry if it takes five years for him to learn the Hail Mary - God knows this child's abilities and loves and glorifies the efforts. Tremendous grace shall come of it. The big question for parents of special kids is what shall they do when school is complete? Now in some cases this might be really simple. A child might have a disability but be gifted mechanically or with computers, they might be a great artist or a gifted musician. In that case finding the right situation, vocational training or job might be the challenge but at least there is a path on which to forge ahead. There are those people who are aware from a very early time that their special child will always be with them. A child who will be unable to effectively take care of themselves or function alone. What are the teaching goals for that child? That child may not go to college but it is still very important that they feel like they are contributing something. That there is a reason to get up in the morning and have somewhere to go where they can earn respect and feel pride in accomplishment.It is so important in case like this to pray ferverntly for direction. God will reveal His plan in His time but it is important to be in communication with Him so that we don't miss out. In my house the teaching goals for Ryan are quite different than those of my other children. Each child is very different as are their methods of learning but for my more typical children the goals are to educate them well by teaching them to love learning, to have inquiring minds and to want to do well and take pride in their work. These goals are pretty broad at the moment since they are still quite young. Ryan's goals are different. It is unlikely at this point that Ryan will be able to learn higher math or embrace great literature such as Shakespeare and Milton. He can memorize facts about history but lacks the ability to fully understand the causes and effects of the events he is memorizing. The same applies to any science he picks up. So what is the goal? For what are we educating him? Functioning well in everyday life is the primary. Ryan needs to know enough math to use an ATM, to go to the market and to balance a checkbook. He needs to be able to make or count change and avoid being cheated. He needs to be able to read and follow directions well enough to fill out a job application or an insurance form. He needs to be able to read a map and find his destination. These are not lofty goals but they are likely to take the next ten years to accomplish. We will not ignore the other things, he will still listen to Shakespeare and Milton and will visually be taught geometry and algebra. He will be exposed to all the History and Science I can cram in there but the true goal is functioning in the world around him well enough to get by. Anything else will be a tremendous blessing. Ryan does have some gifts that make discerning God's plan for him a little easier. He is a gifted musician with a great love of God. He is gifted with great piety. Before he could tell time Ryan instinctively knew when it was 3:00 p.m. and would say the Divine Mercy Chaplet. I did not teach him this, it just came to him. He spends a great deal of his time in our yard walking with his rosary, praying fifteen decades. His great joy comes from playing the guitar for our weekly family rosary night or for the occasional home Mass said by one of the Franciscan Friars we know. He loves the Mass. Tridentine, Novus Ordo, Life Teen, whatever.... he just loves to be part of it. This has given us some direction. He has on many occasions over the years expressed a desire to be a priest. While I do not believe the rigors of the seminary would be possible we have great hopes for the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal. We love these friars and know many of them well. They are so good with children and Ryan loves nothing more than to be at one of the friaries. We have talked to several of the priests there about people like Ryan who might have a vocation but not the capacity for seminary or vows. They assure us that there can be a place in religious life for those people. Thanks be to God. Ryan is only 11 years old but since his preparation for the real world will take a great deal longer it is not too early to pray, plan and begin the process.

Catholic Homeschooling Blog Directory...

...has moved. Check it out here. Many thanks to Esther for doing such a beautiful job setting it up, it's so pretty.

A New Book

Please go to the Cajun Cottage and congratulate Cay on her new book contract. Cay is the author of Catholic Mosaic and House of Literature. It's wonderful to have such literary friends.

Habit Forming

Pay a visit to The Bonny Glen to read a great and funny post on forming good habits in your children. I do like Lissa's style. Edited for truly idiotic typo.

Since I am regulated to the couch most of the time Katie decided this would be a good time to rake in some cash. She and Erin set up a lemonade stand and have been rolling in dough ever since. Two days ago they made $18 in about an hour and a half. Today seems to be shaping the same way. They have all become adept at adding .25 increments. Math lessons seem much easier when there is cash involved.

This little devil does not wear Prada

This was Kelli's idea of a good outfit for today. She is wearing a kitten costume over which she layered a shirt, skirt and sweater. The addition of the winter socks and my wedding shoes complete the look...

Hospitality, Charity and Love

Imagine my surprise on Sunday when I walked into my friend Mary's house and there was a surprise baby shower for me! They sneakily kept my mom here on Long Island when I thought she had left to go back home to Georgia. Dave's sisters and my dearest friends completed the guest list. The picture shows some of the generosity they bestowed on my little ones. There was also a high tech top of the line stroller (thanks mom) and another car seat. Whew! It looks like we are all set. The last few weeks I have been out of commission in many ways. I can't stand up for very long and walking further than the kitchen is a feat that brings applause from my children (they picked up a sarcastic gene from somewhere - can't imagine how that happened). I can't sleep much and yada, yada, yada..... you know I'm eight and a half months pregnant with twins. So all of this has given me the opportunity to be humble. I am generally someone who likes to do things alone. I hate giving up control and I like being the one who directs the household and takes care of things. I like to think of these qualities as part of my fiercely independent spirit, Dave thinks of them as part of my control freak nature and my parents have words like thickheaded and stubborn to describe it. Well not any more. I have had to learn to accept help and help is what I have been given, in the most loving spirit possible. My friends Joan and Chris has been providing meals several days a week to spare me cooking. They have also teamed up to take my children on various play dates and outings to keep them amused and allow me some peaceful rest time. My parents took Katie and Erin to Savannah for two weeks and showed them the time of their lives. They are now back home in Georgia waiting for the word to come up and stay for the duration. It should not be long now. So this time in my life has been a great lesson. Learning to accept the help so lovingly offered. Learning that charity is not only giving but also receiving. Receiving with a loving and grateful sprirt. Learning to offer up my discomforts and curb my bad mood for the sake of my children. All in all, as usual, God has sent me the lessons I need to learn while also providing for all of my needs and those of my family. His loving care is obvious in the loving care offered by my friends and family. Thank you to all of you!

Belly Picture

A few people have asked to see a belly picture so here it is. We are at 33 weeks and 5 days. The twins were checked by sono yesterday and are growing beautifully. Baby girl weighed in at 5 pounds 6 ounces and baby boy is 4 pounds 12 ounces. Baby girl has hair. I'm not telling what mommy is weighing it at!

How Are You Peeling?

Years ago when Ryan was a pre-schooler a friend of my parents who has a Special Education background recommended this book. My mom, of course, immediately ran out and purchased the book. Each one of the children have loved this book and Kevin is currently obsessed. How Are You Peeling? by Joost Elfers and Saxton Freyman is a wonderfully photographed book illustrating feelings people have in a unique and wonderful way. The author and illustrator use fruits and vegetables cleverly carved with the addition of black-eyed peas (for eyes) to express different emotions. The book was particularly valuable for an autistic child since they have such trouble reading faces. It was a wonderful way for Ryan to visualize happy, sad, amused, confused and jealous. Kevin just enjoys laughing at the carved out coconut faces. Lately compiling booklists for Ryan is much more difficult. He reads very well but has serious comprehension problems. Since he tends to learn more visually finding books that are not babyish but are still visual in nature has proven a challenege. He read the Great Illustrated Classic version of Treasure Island. It helped a bit but it was still a stretch for him. So suggestions are appreciated. Right now we are reading Ribsy, by Beverly Cleary together but even with me reading aloud he is having trouble following along. I am going to be using Catholic Mosaic a lot in the coming school year and I am hoping Cay's wonderful activities and vocabulary lists will help bring the stories alive for all the children but particularly Ryan. Any other ideas from moms of challenged learners would be deeply appreciated.

What Kind of American English Do You Speak?

I love these quizzes. Hat tip to Cajun Cay.

Your Linguistic Profile:

45% General American English

30% Yankee

15% Dixie

5% Upper Midwestern

0% Midwestern

What Kind of American English Do You Speak?

Where I am from...

I am coming to the party late with this poetry exercise. Elizabeth, Cay and Lissa already posted excellent reflections using this template. The whole thing is based on a poem written by George Ella Lyons Here is my very humble effort... I am from bell bottom jeans, asthma medicine and Baby Chrissy dolls. I am from the golden house on Oceanside road, there was no ocean nearby but it sounded nice. I am from a huge hydrangea bush, a Rose of Sharon tree humming with the sound of bees and alight with colorful butterflies and a tall pin oak too large for the small yard. I am from a running bases ditch worn in the backyard over years of play. I am from annual car trips up and down the east coast with me being car sick and Jim flying over the front seat, with crayons melting in sun in the back seat and a Viewfinder cartridge purchased at every battlefield, playing count the cow and license plate bingo with an ongoing list of how many states spotted. I am from quick Irish tempers and sentimental streaks a mile wide. I am from “don’t wake your father he worked all night” and “if you kill yourself doing that don’t come crying to me”. I am from seventies feel good Catholicism with Sister Barbara teaching CCD in American Flag jeans and singing kumbya while playing the guitar, from 11:15 Mass every Sunday, from an all girls Catholic prep school that bought modern feminism and a Catholic University with a Buddhist temple on campus, I am about the long journey home. I am from a Brooklyn born Irish family with a passion for spaghetti sauce and lasagna. From my mom’s super chocolate chip cookies and huge Thanksgiving feasts and blueberry pies for my birthday, Nana’s roast beef and Grandma’s Irish soda bread. I am from Gunnysacks dresses and Chaminade dances, from video killing the radio star. I am from my dad showing me how to bait a hook with a live worm on a rickety fishing boat in the middle of a huge lake in Maine and my mom getting sick from the smell of a skunk under the cabin, from my brother carrying the first fish he ever caught in his pocket for three days and my mom asking, “what in the name of all that’s holy stinks around here.” I am from Nana and Papa’s apartment with boxes of black and white photos of ladies in dresses and hats and babies posed in ruffled outfits, of drawers of beady 70s costume jewelry, games of Perquacky, Scrabble and Trivial Pursuit. I am of riding bikes and building forts, of tea parties and a Barbie dream house, of Monopoly tournaments and adrenaline shots. I am of a houseful of cousins on weekends and family dinners every night and traditions to carry on and love that never ends…

It's official....

.....summer is here. The pool is open. Let the fun begin!

Bonny Irish Lasses

I was recently reminded that I did not post pictures of Katie and Erin after their dance recital. Sorry.

Happy Birthday

...to the dearest friend God ever blessed anyone with. Your life has blessed mine more than I can say. Have a wonderful day!

A New Cottage Cutie

We are finally able to announce the arrival of Alice's beautiful baby girl! She arrived on June 13th and I have been DYING to tell people. Lissa started the ball rolling at the Bonny Glen. Mother and baby are doing fine. Thanks be to God! I can't wait to get my hands on her for a cuddle.

Yummy burgers

Please zip over to Kitchen Comforts and take a look at Patrick's Greek hamburger recipe. This eleven year old culinary master made dinner for his family and it looks wonderful. I'm saving the recipe for when I am more mobile.

Off to Savannah

Katie and Erin left this morning for their adventure. They were accompanying my parents back to their home in sunny Savannah where there are many plans to keep them busy and entertained. They will be gone for two weeks. I miss them terribly already. I am only comforted by the fact that they are going to have so much fun with my parents (who are a lot more fun now than they were when I was a kid) and their cousins. Ryan is enjoying the freedom from his two closest siblings. If truth be told being the oldest boy with two girls close to you can be a harrowing experience. He gets bossed around a lot and seems to always be in the wrong. He is precluded by a gentlemanly code of conduct from responding in kind. So today he is helping out with the toddlers and is free to play with them outside as he sees fit. Right now he is simultaneously pushing Kevin in a swing and spraying Kelli with a hose, much to her delight. No doll tea parties and fairy houses today. Mud puddles, a dirt trail and rides in the huge Tonka dump truck are on the agenda. It's good to be the king....

You Belong in Dublin

Friendly and down to earth, you want to enjoy Europe without snobbery or pretensions. You're the perfect person to go wild on a pub crawl... or enjoy a quiet bike ride through the old part of town.

What European City Do You Belong In?

I would enjoy a good pub crawl right about now. Thanks to Cay and Alice for the fun quiz.

Grace

Please go over to Every Waking Hour and read about the beautiful Irish song Grace. There is a detailed explanation of the story behind the song and an introduction to the Irish poet Joseph Mary Plunkett and his tragic end. HT: Alice

What Does an Otter Say??

Kevin has developed a fondness for a Baby Einstein book that features one animal per page with a list of facts about that animal. He could care less about the facts, he wants to hear what each animal "says". This is not difficult for the cow and the duck but could someone tell me what noise an otter makes? A squirrel? A rabbit? In my world, and now in Kevin's, they all make the same noise. Kind of a chattery clicking. I was ok with a lion and a tiger but a turtle? Glub, glub I decided. Kind of an underwater noise since the turtle in the picture is underwater. How do you explain to an insistant three year old that giraffes do not have vocal cords and therefore do not "say" anything. You put your finger to your lips and say, "shhhhhh". Or at least that is what you do if you are me. I have watched many National Geographic shows and enjoy all of those animal shows on the Discovery channel but I now realize I am going to have to start paying better attention to the important things - what kind of chatter is happening in the animal kingdom. In the meantime if anyone knows what a gazelle sounds like, drop me a line.

Light Blogging Time

The blog time has been non-existent this past week. Let me update you on what we are doing. The children have finished up school, taken their required standardized tests (done very well too) and are now basking in the freedom of a non-school schedule. It is also time for the various activities that they are involved in to start winding up. Last week Erin had two make-up soccer games (she scored in each one and was a shut out goalie in one!) and her end of year soccer party. The girls had their Irish step dance recital yesterday. It was a wonderful show and they each performed three times. Two soft shoe and one hard shoe dance. We were very proud of them. I will post a picture later today. Ryan's baseball season ends soon but the annual night game is coming up this Friday, that is always a lot of fun. Ryan plays in a Challenger League for special needs children. It is so nice that the baseball experience is made available to children who would otherwise miss it. Dave now serves on the board of the league as well as being a coach and all around "helping out with everything" kind of guy. We love our involvement with this great organization. We have also been readying the house for our eagerly anticipated new arrivals . Last week Katie moved her bed upstairs to her sisters room (well actually, David moved the bed).It is a tight squeeze in there but judging by the late night giggling it is working out fine. I bought all three girls new quilts (pink, of course) and made them new curtains in a blue angel toile they picked out. If you don't look too closely they came out nice. We had a gentleman in last week to paint the nursery (Benjamin Moore - Wheaton Flax) and the downstairs bathroom (Benjamin Moore - Bleeker Beige). We bought a new dresser for Katie, which went upstairs, so Dave has spent every last moment hauling large Rubbermaid containers of clothes around for me. Katie's clothes, baby clothes, sheets, blankets and towels all had to be rearranged. It was quite an undertaking. I also in the midst of this have to write up quarterly reports for the state; look through the books from Seton for next year and make sure everything that I ordered has been sent and get going on lesson plans for next year. Can you tell I'm nesting? Spare a thought for my patient husband who is just following orders and helping me accomplish everything my demented-hormone-overrun mind can come up with. He has taken St. Joseph as his example and has been loving and supportive. So that's a few reasons I've been too busy to blog. This week will be devoted to getting the room all finished and getting Katie and Erin ready for a vacation in Savannah. My mom and dad will be coming up (arriving Friday) and taking the girls back to their house for a few weeks. I am going to miss them terribly but I am really grateful to may parents for giving them a vacation. I will get a picture of the nursery up when it is done. So dear readers, please be patient and check back often I will be posting as often as possible.

I Never Knew

I knew that pregnant women suffer more in the summer, that the heat is much harder to take. I knew that intellectually the same way I know an internal combustion engine powers my van and that chlorophyl makes plants green. What I did not know... IS HOW HOT IT IS WHEN YOU ARE PREGNANT. Good heavens it's awful. I had no idea. Now you have every reason to assume a person about to have seven children would know everything there is to know about being pregnant. Nope, no, no way - I know nothing. Previously I have had my first trimesters in the summer months. That can be awful but in a different way. Nausea and fatigue are the same no matter what the temperature. This is the first time I have experienced the third trimester in the summer. It is not going to be fun. I idiotically assumed that the anemia that kept me shivering all winter would protect me from the heat of summer. I don't know why I thought that but I did. Boy was I wrong. The last few days have been hovering around 80 degrees, which is not even that hot. I am completely overwhelmed by it. Dave has not gotten the air conditioners up and running yet so I am relying on cool breezes and lots of cold water. I am pretty sure the A/C will be up and running soon (I keep gazing longingly at the unit) and I am pretty sure I will spend the next 8 weeks standing in front of the vent. Until then if you stop by the Bonny Blue House and don't see me, I might just be sitting in the refrigerator.

Never Forget

I am able to sit here in the comfort of my home writing this due to the sacrifice of millions of young Americans who gave their lives for the cause of liberty. Never forget their sacrifice or the grief their families endured. Never forget the precious liberty we often take for granted and what it has cost. Never forget that for everything you have to first thank God and secondly to thank an American soldier. God bless and protect our troops.

"In this country, we are apt to let children romp away their existence, till they get to be thirteen or fourteen. This is not well. It is not well for the purses and patience of parents; and it has still worse effect on the morals and habits of the children. Begin early is the great maxim for everything in education. A child of six years old can be made useful; and should be taught to consider every day lost in which some little thing has not been done to assist others." p.1 The American Frugal Housewife by Lydia Marie Childs 1828. Hat Tip to Lissa in the Bonny Glen for this little gem. When I read some of the quotes Lissa posted earlier this month I had to see this book for myself. The above quote appeared on page one perhaps calling attention to how important the author thought the point was. The only thing about this that I would change to reflect modern times is to change the ages from thirteen and fourteen to twenty and twenty-one. I recently read an article in a major New York newspaper that told of parents who are supporting their children into their twenties and thirties so that the these "kids" would not have to begin a career with any student loans or the inconvience of having to work longer hours or have an extra part-time job to make ends meet. I couldn't believe it. There were people close to my age who still brought their laundry home to their mother's house and brought home cooked meals from mom home to the apartment for which dad pays the rent. Several of the parents interviewed were working long past retirement to provide an easier lifestyle for their children. Huh? Shouldn't your twenties and thirties be the time you put in the long hours, work hard and start at the bottom and the sixties and seventies be the time you slow down and start and easier lifestyle? I am hoping that by training my children early to take care of themselves and others that they will naturally take responsibility for themselves and for their surroundings at a very early age. I want them to know the satisfaction of doing a job well and the pride that comes with taking care of yourself. I want them to be independent. Dave and I were both raised this way and we feel that our parents gave us a great gift. To earn your own way and to learn to care for a house are skills that can be taught at a very early age. I remember last year sitting in the waiting area of the girl's ballet class. The ladies were discussing the ever fascinating household topic of laundry. These women were appalled when I let it drop that my children from the age of four on were responsible for putting away their own laundry. I fold and sort (this task has since gone on to Katie with some help from me) and they must get it to their room into the correct drawer. These women looked at me like I confessed to regularly beating my kids with a stick. They were shocked that I would interfere with the childhood experience by having them do a little honest work. It is my belief that God blessed us with this little corner of the world and it is up to us, as parents, to teach our choildren how to take care of it and simultaneously teach them how to care for themselves and each other. So what kinds of chores do your children do? At what age do you start them? Let me know..

Carnical of Homeschooling

Another Carnival! This one is a Progressive Dinner hosted by Dana at Principled Discovery. There is a smorgasbord of wonderful stuff to consume there!

Carnival of Children's Literature

The Carnival of Children's Literature is up over the Bonny Glen. There is a lot of really good stuff there. So set the kids up for something independent, grab your cup of coffee or tea and sit down and read for a while. Lissa was kind enough to include the Bonny Blue House post on Summer Reading Lists. There is tons of good stuff there. Enjoy.....

Action-Adventure Mom

I am an "Action-Adventure Mother" "I can’t do anything the same way more than one or two times. Today can’t be like yesterday. Let’s do something different!” **Active and spontaneous, the ESTP mother can turn ordinary life into a fun-filled adventure. She makes dull routines exciting and chores a “let’s do it again” kind of game. Her best times are those spent with her children actively doing, particularly if it’s spur of the moment, innovative, and unconventional. **Full of energy and enthusiasm for living in the moment, the ESTP mother gives her children every opportunity to experience all that life has to offer — touching, seeing, moving, doing ... and meeting people. She’s interested in stimulating their senses so they can take life in and live it. **The ESTP mother is matter-of-fact—“what you see is what you get.” She mothers without hidden agendas and takes life and people as they are. Her children know where they stand. She is able to develop a close relationship with them based on honesty and a strong family orientation as well as sharing a wide variety of experiences. Now all I need is a cape! Check out what kind of mothering style you have at this quiz HT: Cay at The Cajun Cottage

Catholic Mosaic

My pre-ordered copy of Catholic Mosaic arrived in the mail yesterday. It was love at first sight. It is a good sized 8 1/2x 11 and has a sturdy spiral binding. I love that it lies flat while reading it. Cay Gibson, the author, quotes John Donne in her acknowledgements and since he is my favorite poet, she had me at hello. Cay has used the Liturgical Year to highlight a few great picture books per month. While not all of the books are strictly Catholic in content they all reflect the virtues, truth and beauty that parents want good literature to convey to their children from the earliest ages. Cay has made each book study so easy for the parents by including vocabulary lists, copywork, discussion questions, a variety of enrichment activities and a parents help page for each book she highlights. Included in each month are books for which there is no book study but will round out the reading for the month. I have to mention the Appendixes as well. Cay has added so much depth to the book with the lists and resources in the back, that alone is worth the price. There are outline maps to help with geography studies, lists of prayers, and lists to help integrate the books studies with Seton Art and Catholic Heritage Curricula's wonderful book A Year with God. This book lends itself to so many applications. You can begin a beautiful Liturgical Notebook with your children, you can lapbook each book or if you are a scrapbook person that would also be a beautiful presentation of the new knowledge. If you teach religious education this book will also be a lovely resource. Cay is obviously a woman who loves her faith, literature and children. Hats off to her for sharing her wonderful talent and making this beautiful resource available to Catholic homeschoolers.

Carnival of Homeschooling

A little bird dropped a note in my mailbox to tell me that the Carnival is in need of submissions for next week. Details for submissions are here. Submissions are due Monday.

Goodbye Godmother

I haven't posted yet this week due to a family situation. My godmother passed away on Mother's Day due to complications from Lupus. She had been very sick recently but had taken a turn for the better. She was getting stronger and feeling better so her death was a great blow to those who loved her. She had worked for our diocese her for over twenty years and had an important position that she held with grace and great ability. She had a devoted and loving husband with whom she raised three great kids (kids - they're my age!) and from this she was blessed with nine perfect grandchildren (how come grandchildren are always perfect but those who raise them are vastly imperfect? I am looking forward to seeing how that works out someday). She will be sorely missed here but in heaven there was rejoicing and I am sure her parents were longing to welcome her into their arms. It was a sad time. I have wonderful childhood memories of my godmother and of being at her house with my cousins - it was always fun. So that is why I haven't posted, but I have a few drafts going. If you have a moment say a quick prayer for Kathleen and her family. Thanks.

Happy Mother's Day

Happy Birthday Ryan!

You were born 11 years ago today. It seems like yesterday. You were the beginning and a joyful beginning it was. I was in awe of you every minute of the day. I still am. I am so grateful to God for you, for blessing us with your extraordinary life. Happy Birthday dear Ryan, Mommy and Dad love you.

Summer Reading List

I had a public school elementary education. I coasted along getting very good grades with very little effort. I was a voracious reader and I enjoyed most of my subjects. The big exception was math and even there I did not need to put too much effort into the struggle. Teachers were grateful for a quiet student who made some effort so my grades in math were not as appalling as they probably should have been. Then my parents made the decision to send me to a private Catholic girls school. I was happy about the change and looked forward to going. I didn't put much thought into how different it would be I was just happy to be going. I thought that if I was a good student in public school in eighth grade I could be a good student in Catholic school in ninth grade with not much more effort. The first inkling I had that I was deluding myself was early in June of my eighth grade year. I received a letter from my prestigious girls school. It was three pages long and detailed my school work for the summer. Huh? School wasn't even over and I was being expected to begin my high school work over the summer? I was flabbergasted. The work consisted of a long summer reading list and a list of essay topics which I should be ready to sit down within the first week of school and write up in English class. I thought they must be kidding. "They're not," was my mother's brusque reply. Many of the nuns who would be teaching me had taught her in a similar private Catholic girls school in Brooklyn twenty years previously. My principal had taught her science, so mom was sure as sure could be that this particular group of nuns was not given to practical joking. "What is the big deal?" asked my mom. "You constantly have your nose in a book." Well the big deal was that I never had my nose in these books before. Nancy Drew, Little House and a whole bunk of junk and nonsense that I don't recall but never things like this. The Book of Ruth and The Book of Esther. The Bible? I was supposed to read the Bible? Over the course of my high school career we were required to read the Bible in it's entirety. Fortunately I did not know this at the time. The Collected Stories of Katherine Anne Porter, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, two Shakepearean Sonnets, Ethan Frome, (that one was just mean), A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court and a few other things I can't recall. I began wih Mark Twain, that book is still one of my favorites and after many years (never mind how many) can still make me laugh out loud. Having had a successful beginning I tackled the rest with a lighter heart. I remember hating, absolutely hating Ethan Frome and I have never tried Edith Wharton again. I should just probably get over that and re-read it. I loved Ruth and Esther and was delighted when I found out later that the I would be reading the whole Bible. I continued that love of Scripture into college taking a few Bible history classes and a class on the Letters of Paul. My point is that reading lists and book lists can be good. Some of my die hard unschooling friends mught cringe when they read this but I stand by my opinion. A carefully crafted reading list can expand horizions and help a child get out of rut. Looking back on this reading list I am a little puzzled by some of the choices but I commend the attempt. There was a summer reading list mailed to my home for the following two summers and I never dreaded it the way some of my classmates did. There was usually a jewel waiting to discovered by me and I looked forward to the opportunity. There was always something I hated but I am certain it never did me any harm to read a book I didn't care for and it was a good preparation for college where I often had to read things I didn't care for. A class in Contemporary American Poetry comes to mind. So this summer my children are getting reading lists. Don't think I am cruel. I have reluctant readers who would happily spend their summer in the pool or in front of a playstation game without a little direction and since it is likely I will be bedridden at some point this summer the direction will have to be given early and emphatically. Their summer is likely to be a long one since we will finish up in a week and we may not be able to do our customary August 15th start since I am due to deliver that week. We may have to wait until September 8th - I like to start on a Marian Feast Day. Don't worry Ethan Frome is not on the list. I met with each child to get their input and most of the books are of their own choosing with one or two put in by my decree. An effort to broaden their interests and help them appreciate other types of literature, or another time period. I am going to post their lists in the sidebar. I hope if you, dear readers, have suggestions or comments you will post them in the comments box for me. I am always willing to talk books.

Catholic Mosaic

I've been waiting for this. Cay Gibson has written, what sounds like, an amazing book called Catholic Mosaic: Living the Liturgical Year with Literature, An Ilustrated Book Study for Children . I just discovered that you can pre-order the book and if you do so by May 17th you will receive a free shipping deal! Wow! Click here for a sample page and for order info. Cay is the author of House of Literature and is a contributor to Heart and Mind Magazine. She is a dear and wonderful person who has a great wealth of knowledge and experience that she is always generous enough to share. I anticipate this book as being a great resource and a staple in many homeschools. I will definitely write up more details when I receive the book.

Carnival of Homeschooling

This week's Carnival is at Why Homeschool. Don't miss it there is too much good reading!

Time off for Good Behavior

I haven't posted lately for the wonderful reason that Dave and I had a two day respite from being a mom and dad. At Christmas we were the happy recipients of a gift certificate to a lovely local hotel and the dearest friend in the world insisted on taking my children so Dave and I could have some time off before the twins come. She is a treasure. So we had some nice dinners and spent some time in a lovely little art museum, we window shopped and spent over an hour browsing in a great book store. Heaven! So we were absent from our real lives for a time but now we are back refreshed and ready to tackle our real lives. The life we love but that an occasional break from is necessary.

Planting time

As part of her science lesson on plants Erin spent the morning starting seeds. We planted Shamrocks, of course, Zinnias, Sunflowers and White Carnation. She also "planted" some dried beans on wet paper towels. Erin plans to compare how quickly the paper towel plantings grow as opposed to the soil method. She will be narrating the progress of her plants weekly.

Song in Spring

This is a dreadful picture. The digital camera was not being cooperative last night at the parish spring concert. The various music ministries in the parish all performed. The adult choir, the school choir, the boys choir and the Life Teen band all did a wonderful job. Ryan may have his disabilities and his difficulties but here he shines. He sings on key and beautifully. Several people, some of whom we didn't know, made a point to compliment him. It was a proud momma moment. He has so few things which make him feel accomplished but music is all his. God gifted him with this ability and gave him the capcity to enjoy it. We are truly blessed by his talent and the dear people who foster it. His patient-beyond-words guitar teacher and his wonderful choir teacher and conductor. They all work with Ryan so well and understand his difficulties in a truly Christian way.

Weekend Fun

This weekend Dave took the kids bike riding to a local park. Kevin and Kelli ride in a buggy attached to the back of his bike. Usually I lug them behind me but I already have two passengers! I sat this trip out but I don't think I was missed, everyone had a great time.

In the Kitchen with Everybody

"Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another; Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord; Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer; Distributing to the necessity of saints; given to hospitality." Romans 7 Some people live that. I had occasion to be driving home late yesterday afternoon from our outing at the Cottage. It is about a half hour drive and during it I was contemplating getting Erin home, dressed for soccer then to soccer practice. Ryan's medicine need to be picked up and in there some type of nourishment had to be provided. The cell phone rings. It is the dearest friend in the world. She had been unable to got to the Cottage due to a few under the weather children. She tells me that she had gone crazy cooking and she had made me dinner. Who is luckier than me? It was a delicious meal complete with HOMEMADE BREAD and HOMEMADE BROWNIES. It was so wonderful. True hospitality. This friend and another and I recently spent many hours in a kitchen together on a Saturday. We made about seven meals for each household sharing equipment and basic supplies. Another friend had shopped for us at Restaurant Depot. The cost was minimal and the benefit was enormous. Inspired by that I spent this past Saturday making a few meals for the freezer. I also made a few batches of oatmeal cookies and an apple pie much to the delight of everyone here. While experiencing this urge to cook I have noticed that a lot of the 4 Real Moms have started their own cooking blogs. I love this idea. I have to tell you it is very tempting to me to start one. Although I am barely keeping up with this blog and my email and some other writing I am doing. I do see this in my future. Perhaps I can convince dearest friend to do it with me? In the meantime I'll be updating my sidebar to include some delicious new blogs you should not miss.

Spring time at the Cottage

I think spring is officially here to stay. Despite the torrential rainfall this weekend. The rain was not altogether unwelcome - the result being that both baseball and soccer were cancelled giving us here in the Bonny Blue House that rare treat of a completely free day. Yesterday was our weekly trek to the Cottage. It was a lovely spring day. The children were delighted to partake of Alice's Easter Tea. There were about 100 children there and all listened beautifully as the Gospel of John was read and the symbolism behind each menu item explained. Then, of course, they lined up eagerly for the treats. Lots of sweets and savories. There wasn't a thing left when they were through. In her typical generous fashion Alice provided some lovely little pastries and tarts and eclairs for the moms. We sat and chatted and mourned the fact that next week is the last Cottage outing until fall. Alas, the Cottage dwellers must get ready for the newest addition due to make his or her appearance in a scant six weeks. What a lucky little lovebug that baby will be! Maybe next week I can get on the ball and bring my camera to show how much fun the children have. Maybe, but don't count on it. Pregnancy brain is an unpredictable thing.

That Sam I Am...

"That Sam I Am, that Sam I Am, I do not like that Sam I Am." Dr. Suess Really? I know how you feel, I am beginning to detest the little freak. I think every mom who encourages reading in her toddler has had the experience of having that child latch on to a particular book and want to have it read to them numerous times during the day. It is wearing but not a bad thing since the key is develop within them a love of reading. My little guy seems to have taken this to an extreme I haven't had to deal with before. Kevin is currently enamoured of Green Eggs and Ham; There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed A Fly; and A Crack in the Track. On Friday I was obligated to read each of these books eighteen times. That is a lot of Sam I Am which not my favorite children's book at anytime. Now I would cheerfully flush it down the toilet if I thought the plumbing would handle it. We have been stuck with these selections continously for about three months now and I find my sleeping hours occupied with dreams of Sam I Am trying to force that Old Lady to chase down the fly with a plateful of green eggs and ham. All while Percy and Thomas are still stuck at that crack in the track and a goat pops open his throat to swallow a horse that chased a cat, that ate a rat, that lived in the house that Mary Ellen built!!! AAAAHHHHHHH!!!!! Ok, I'm ok now. Don't get me wrong I am very glad that he enjoys stories with mom. We snuggle up in my big chair in the living room, it is a hidden recliner so mom can put her pregnancy weary feet up and we read and read. The same three books. Every day. Many times. Now when I see him coming with them my first instinct has me hiding in the basement store room telling the spiders to "SSHHHH, he'll hear us!" Yesterday I sat him in front of the low bookshelf in the schoolroom that is filled, actually overfilled, with wonderful picture books and board books guaranteed to enthrall a three year old. Not this three year old. "How about Brown Bear, Brown Bear?" "Sam!" is the determined reply. "Peter Rabbit, look at the bunny." "Sam and ham," says he pushing the dreaded orange book in front of me. "Cordoury? Paddington? Aesop? Goodnight Moon? The Big Red Barn? Look here is one about a boat" "Sam!" He looks up at me with a big grin. I lose again.

Divine Mercy Sunday

"Jesus told Sr Faustina: "Humanity will not find peace until it turns trustfully to divine mercy" (Diary, p. 132). Through the work of the Polish religious, this message has become linked for ever to the 20th century, the last of the second millennium and the bridge to the third. It is not a new message but can be considered a gift of special enlightenment that helps us to relive the Gospel of Easter more intensely, to offer it as a ray of light to the men and women of our time." His Holiness Pope John Paul II, Sunday April 30, 2000-MASS IN ST PETER'S SQUARE FOR THE CANONIZATION OF SR. MARY FAUSTINA KOWALSKA More information about Divine Mercy Sunday can be found here.

Katie received a few craft kits from Illuminated Ink in her Easter basket. She did the Marian Grotto yesterday. I think it came out beautifully. The poor photography doesn't do it justice.

Talented Goddaughter...

Made this adorable Easter dessert!

Bonny Barretts

Happy Birthday Papa!!!

“Grant that we may be one flock and one shepherd. Do not allow your net to be torn, help us to be servants of unity.”

He is Risen!

John 20: 1 - 9 Now on the first day of the week Mary Mag'dalene came to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb. So she ran, and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, "They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him." Peter then came out with the other disciple, and they went toward the tomb. They both ran, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first; and stooping to look in, he saw the linen cloths lying there, but he did not go in. Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb; he saw the linen cloths lying, and the napkin, which had been on his head, not lying with the linen cloths but rolled up in a place by itself. Then the other disciple, who reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed; for as yet they did not know the scripture, that he must rise from the dead Have a Happy and Blessed Easter from the Bonny Blue House!

A Bonny New Bairn

Please join me in welcoming a new baby to Melissa Wiley, amazing homeschool mom and author of the Martha and Charlotte series of Little House books! I am told mother and beautiful baby girl are doing well!!!! Check here for more details.

Easter Tradition

Please go over and read Danielle Bean's post regarding an annual Easter tradition. It had me laughing out loud.

The Triduum Begins

A friend from our local homeschool group sent this meditation to our e-mail list. I thought it was worth sharing. Thank you Thea. Excerpts from the book the Way of Divine Love by Sister Josefa Menendez by Tan Books Jesus speaks to Sister Josefa and she records His words about His passion. “And I washed the feet of my apostles with my own hands, so that those who have consecrated themselves to apostolic work may follow my example, and treat sinners with humility and gentleness, as also all those that are entrusted to their care. I girded myself with a white linen cloth to remind them that apostles need to be girded with abnegation and mortification, if they hope to exert any real influence on souls. . . I wish also to teach them mutual charity, which is ever ready to excuse the faults of others, to conceal them and extenuate them, and never to reveal them. Lastly, the water poured on the feet of my apostles denotes the zeal which burned in my heart for the salvation of the world. The Last Supper (pg. 248-258) “I want to tell them of the poignant sorrows which filled my heart at the Last Supper. If it was bliss to think of all those to whom I should be both companion and heavenly food, of all who would surround me to the end of time with adoration, reparation and love . . . This is no wise diminished my grief at the many who would leave me deserted in my tabernacles and who would not even believe in my real presence. It is for love for souls that keeps me a prisoner in the Blessed Sacrament. I stay there that all may come and find the comfort they need in the tenderness of my heart, the best of fathers, the faithful of friends, who will never abandon them The holy Eucharist is the invention of love. . . I live in the midst of sinners that I may be their life, their physician, and the remedy of the diseases bred by corrupt nature. And in return they forsake, insult and despise me! You dear souls, why coldness and indifference on your part? . . . Do I not know that family cares, household concerns, and the requirements of your position in life, make continual calls upon you? . . . But cannot you spare a few minutes in which to come and prove your affection and your gratitude? Do not allow yourselves to be involved in useless and incessant cares, but spare a few moments to visit and receive this prisoner of love? When about to institute the Holy Eucharist, I saw the privileged throng who would be nourished by my body and blood; some would find there the remedy for their short comings, others consuming fires for their imperfections. . . I likewise saw them gathered round me as in a garden, each separately rejoicing me with her flowers and their scent . . . As a vivifying sun, my sacred body gave them life and warmed their cold hearts . . . To some I went for comfort, to others for refuge, to others again for rest. . . Would that all these cherished souls knew how easily they can console me, harbor me, or give me to rest their God. And while I looked at those many souls that would feed on this heavenly Bread, I could not but see also the indifference by which so many others . . . Consecrated souls . . . Priests . . . Would wound me in this sacrament. Their were those who would grow cold, gradually yielding to routine, to weariness and lassitude, and little by little to tepidity. Still, I wait all night and watch in the tabernacle fervently hoping that she will come and receive me. That she will converse with me with all the trust of a bride. Telling me of her sorrows, her temptations, her sufferings, and asking my advise and begging for the graces she needs for herself and others. Perhaps she has dependent family or in her family souls that are in danger and far from me? Come I say to her, let us discuss everything with perfect freedom. Be concerned about sinners. Offer yourself to make reparation. Promise me that at least today you will not leave me alone. Then see if my heart is not asking something more of you to comfort it. This is what I hoped to obtain from that soul and many another. Yet when she receives me in holy Communion she barely says a word to me. She is distracted, tired, or put out. Her whole mind is absorbed with her occupations, her family cares, her acquaintances or maybe anxiety for her health. She dose not know what to say to me, she is indifferent, bored, wished it was time to go. It is thus that you receive me, O soul whom I have chosen and for whom I have watched with all the impatience of love throughout the livelong night? Yes, I yearned for her coming that I might rest in her and share in her anxieties. I prepared fresh graces for her, but she dose not want them. She has nothing to ask of me, neither advise nor strength, she just complains to herself without so much as addressing me. Alas, that soul dose not possess the delicate love I had hoped to find in her. Gethsemane (pg.259) I withdrew into the garden of Gethsemane, that is to say into solitude. God is to be sought within away form distraction and noise. To find him the soul must enforce silence on all the disturbance by which nature often fights against grace; on interior arguments prompted by self love or sensuality. These constantly tend to stifle the inspiration of grace and keep her from finding God within. It is thus I offered myself to carry out the redemption of the world. At the same moment I felt all the torments of my Passion burst overwhelming upon me. All these suffering thronged before my eyes and pressed upon my heart while at once and the same time I saw all the offenses, sins and crimes that were to be committed throughout the ages. Draw near me, and when you see me submerged in an ocean of grief, rise, and go with me to the three disciples whom I had left a stone’s throw away. I had chosen them that they might share my agony, pray with me and by their company afford me some consolation. What were my feelings to find them asleep? O the pang of loneliness, and to have none to share in my sorrow. How often my heart suffers this same grief, how often, hoping to find solace among the souls it loves it finds them slumbering! Beloved souls learn from this how useless it is to seek comfort from creatures. I went back to my prayer and again falling on my face I worshipped my Father and implored His help. I did not call Him “My God” but “My Father,” it is when harrowed with pain that you must call God your Father. Beg for His help, expose your woes, your fears, your longings, and let your cry, of anguish remind Him that you are His child. Tell Him that your body is exhausted, your heart is sorrowful even onto death. That your soul is experiencing what seems a very sweat of blood. Pray with a child's confidence and expect relief from your Father's heart. He himself will comfort you and give you the strength necessary to endure the tribulation of suffering.

Whatever happened to checkers?

Dave and I both had occasion to be in toy stores this weekend. He took the children to Toys R Us to spend some birthday money which was burning a hole in their pockets. While he did that I was at a smaller store locally doing some shopping for Easter baskets. I try to go light on candy and fill up with little things of religious significance or craft items. Since it wasn't crowded and I was alone I took some time to browse around, just walking aimlessly around the store. There were very few things I recognized from my own childhood. We were a game family. Checkers; chess; card games; Parchessi; Scrabble; Battleship; Life; and many more. Everything I saw seemed based on a cartoon character or an electronic device. Very little of what was there encouraged imagination or logic or even a bit of creativity. I found it kind of sad. Even the craft section seemed, to me, a little inappropriate for encouraging artistic ability or creativity. There were many kits to make your own lip gloss and nail polish and for some reason, sticking little rhinestones on your belly to imitate a tatoo (recommended age 4 and up). I am not saying there is anything wrong with making your own lip gloss (we are, after all, a house full of girly girls here) but when there are more offerings to make lip gloss and feather pocketbooks than paint-by-numbers; weaving looms and sewing kits I think the wrong message may be getting across. Everything does not have to be glittery and accomplished in ten minutes. Some things are worth taking time over. Last year I taught Erin how to play checkers. She loved the game and took to it immediately. She can now whip me at a game in no time flat. I was never very good at checkers and I am abysmal at chess because these are games that require patience (I have none) and a keen eye for what's coming ahead. Wanting to become better at the game has encouraged Erin to slow down and think. It's a shame the game didn't have the same effect on me. The value of these games of my childhoood is that by playing and mastering them a child increases problem solving skills, logical thinking and learns the value of healthy competition with an actual human being. Sportsmanship, fair play and courtesy also are developed and tested in playing board games and games of imagination. I just don't see some of the toys I observed this weekend doing any of that. So I decided then and there that here in the Bonny Blue House we will eschew all of that "twaddle" and play the old fashioned, slightly more complicated, games. We will continue to make candles, sculpy crafts, paper crafts, and handwork. Dave brought the children home with a few new PlayStation games and a DVD. Sigh..... As always, here is Mom going against the tide.... Some nice toy resources Catholic Child HearthSong Magic Cabin Insect Lore Julie's Stuff

Real Learning

Real Learning, Education in the Heart of the Home is the first homeschooling book I read. It was recommended to me by the mistress at Cottage Blessings and it is one of those books you have to keep handy. It comes off the shelf a few times a year. Elizabeth Foss encourages fostering a love of learning that should be the goal of any homeschool. Her book put into words what I thought the learning process should be for children and it has helped me create our own learning environment here in the Bonny Blue House. My way is not her way but the foundation is similar. I have gotten to know Elizabeth a bit through the CCM list and the 4Real Learning boards. She is a wonderful source of inspiration; concrete, practical help and has an encyclopedic knowledge of homeschool resources. She is a lovely lady. Now we can keep up with her wisdom on a more regular basis as she has joined us here in blog world. Check out her Real Learning blog. It is a welcome addition to a wonderful community.

We have gender!

The boys wanted boys, the girls wanted girls. I wanted peace and harmony. So in my ongoing attempts to make everyone in the house happy I am giving them one of each. Baby A is a beautiful girl that looks remarkably like Erin. Baby B is an active little boy that bears a striking resemblance to Ryan. Girl baby weighs 1lb,1oz and Baby boy is 13oz. They each have a heart rate that is 156, which I am told is very good. All organs checked out fine and we have some neat pictures which are defying all of my attempts to be uploaded on the blog. We have decided on a girl name and are close to a boy name. Names will be announced when they are born (we have to have some surprises)! The 3-D sonogram was the most amazing experience. It lasted over an hour and they took a total of 116 images. You really can see features and expressions as clearly as in a regular photograph. You can watch them move and see their little hands curl and un-curl. Just beautiful. Lucky me, I get to go back next week. Our little girl was sleeping on her back and refused all attempts to get her up so the technician could get a good shot of her spine. They are certain it is fine since her head and brain are well developed but they need to make sure. I was kind of glad I get to check them out again. It will be wonderful to see what changes a week will bring. Thank you dear readers for all who email me that you are praying for us. I am so grateful. It is a real blessing to be able to share our wee one's progress with such dear friends.

Curious George

This is Kelli and Kevin on my counter watching the Jack Johnson video Upside Down featuring Curious George. The movie was a nice family one that all of my kids enjoyed. I downloaded the video onto my laptop from Yahoo Music (hat tip: Jessie) and took their picture with my digital, downloaded that onto this blog for you to enjoy. All in the space of five minutes. I love my gadgets.

Lenten Tea

If you haven't been over to Cottage Blessings please swing by and check out the Lenten Tea post. This mom, who is so inspired and creative, developed a beautiful Lenten Tea Menu based upon chapters 14 and 15 of the Gospel of Mark. What is even more lucky is that our homeschool group was over at the Cottage today for a Little Flowers meeting and the children actually participated in the Lenten tea and accompanying lesson. Usually Little Flowers meetings involve the girls while the boys organize themselves into a football game. Today everyone was involved. The children paid attention beautifully as the symbolism for each menu item was explained and the Gospel was read to them. After tea all of the children dispersed for some playtime. It was nearly sixty degrees and sunny - our first real taste of spring here on Long Island and the children had a wondeful time. So did the moms. We sat and chatted and caught up with each other while enjoying the beauty of our surroundings. A day at the Cottage - heavenly.

We're talking baseball

Opening day for the Mets is coming up - April 3rd. All the little leaguers we know have already begun practices and Ryan's league starts soon too. Spring must be coming (although no one seems to have informed the weather). So in anticpation let's spend some time with two of my favorite things. Baseball and poetry. If you are having difficulty getting the kids involved in their poetry lesson this might be your antidote. Casey At The Bat by Ernest L. Thayer The outlook wasn't brilliant for the Mudville nine that day, The score stood four to two, with but one inning more to play. And then when Cooney died at first, and Barrows did the same, A pall-like silence fell upon the patrons of the game. A straggling few got up to go in deep despair. The rest clung to that hope which springs eternal in the human breast. They thought, "if only Casey could but get a whack at that. We'd put up even money now, with Casey at the bat." But Flynn preceded Casey, as did also Jimmy Blake; and the former was a hoodoo, while the latter was a cake. So upon that stricken multitude, grim melancholy sat; for there seemed but little chance of Casey getting to the bat. But Flynn let drive a single, to the wonderment of all. And Blake, the much despised, tore the cover off the ball. And when the dust had lifted, and men saw what had occurred, there was Jimmy safe at second and Flynn a-hugging third. Then from five thousand throats and more there rose a lusty yell; it rumbled through the valley, it rattled in the dell; it pounded through on the mountain and recoiled upon the flat; for Casey, mighty Casey, was advancing to the bat. There was ease in Casey's manner as he stepped into his place, there was pride in Casey's bearing and a smile lit Casey's face. And when, responding to the cheers, he lightly doffed his hat, no stranger in the crowd could doubt t'was Casey at the bat. Ten thousand eyes were on him as he rubbed his hands with dirt. Five thousand tongues applauded when he wiped them on his shirt. Then, while the writhing pitcher ground the ball into his hip, defiance flashed in Casey's eye, a sneer curled Casey's lip. And now the leather-covered sphere came hurtling through the air, and Casey stood a-watching it in haughty grandeur there. Close by the sturdy batsman the ball unheeded sped -- "That ain't my style," said Casey. "Strike one!" the umpire said. From the benches, black with people, there went up a muffled roar, like the beating of the storm waves on a stern and distant shore. "Kill him! Kill the umpire!" shouted someone on the stand, and it's likely they'd have killed him had not Casey raised his hand. With a smile of Christian charity, great Casey's visage shone, he stilled the rising tumult, he bade the game go on. He signaled to the pitcher, and once more the dun sphere flew, but Casey still ignored it, and the umpire said, "Strike two!" "Fraud!" cried the maddened thousands, and echo answered "Fraud!" But one scornful look from Casey and the audience was awed. They saw his face grow stern and cold, they saw his muscles strain, and they knew that Casey wouldn't let that ball go by again. The sneer has fled from Casey's lip, the teeth are clenched in hate. He pounds, with cruel violence, his bat upon the plate. And now the pitcher holds the ball, and now he lets it go, and now the air is shattered by the force of Casey's blow. Oh, somewhere in this favored land the sun is shining bright. The band is playing somewhere, and somewhere hearts are light. And, somewhere men are laughing, and little children shout, but there is no joy in Mudville -- mighty Casey has struck out.

Lenten Reflection

Every Friday in Lent I wake up with an overwhelming desire to eat meat. Usually a Big Mac. This is an unusual craving for me. We are, in this house, meat eaters and I enjoy a hanburger as much as the next person but I can't think of another time when I have actually craved meat. I look forward to the Thanksgiving turkey and enjoy cold fried chicken on a hot summer day but it is hardly a passionate response. So why the craving, especially for a Big Mac? On the rare occasion that I have eaten one of them, they are good, but they leave me feeling slightly sick. It's just too big of an indulgence. You might think my explanation a trifle odd but I honestly think these small temptations come directly from the Evil One. Stick with me a minute. It would serve no purpose to tempt me to rob a bank. I have no ability to get out of the house without five children trailing behind me and that would make me somewhat conspicuous as a bank robber. The only disguise I could adopt while sporting this large pregnant belly is Santa Claus and I can't think where I would get a Santa suit in March. That coupled with the fact that it is an absolute that stealing, all stealing, is a sin would make trying to tempt me to rob a bank pointless. Same thing with murder. I honestly can't think of anyone I feel that strongly should be out of the world. I also have watched enough CSI to know that no matter how careful you think you are -you are going to get caught. For a person like me these "BIG TEN" sins are fairly easy to avoid. I might look longingly at my neighbor's lovely new house with the pretty porch and the new landscaping but I don't covet it in a sinful way. More of a wistful way (my yard is decorated with bikes, basketballs and buckets). My life is fairly sheltered in that it revolves around my faith, my husband and children, and our loving circle of friends and family - all of whom share our values. So the Evil One, who is not dumb, tries to chip away at my soul a little here and a little there. I am reminded of a lesson I teach to my first communicants (I teach an autism CCD class in our parish program). My little guys are visual learners so I cut out a large circle of white posterboard and thread a long string of yarn through the top, so they can wear it around their necks. On one side of my demonstration piece I mark it up with little black marks all over. "This is your soul when you are born" I explain holding up the perfectly white side. Every time we sin it is like a black mark dirtying up your soul. Then I show them the marked side. If you commit a mortal sin you actually lose pieces of your soul. Then I show them a circle with other big circles cut out of it. I then go on to explain that going to confession, receiving forgiveness and completing our penance will wipe their souls clean and make them whole again. So my little guys march up to the confessional with their marked souls and their lists (they are not functionally verbal) and walk out with clean shiny, souls and bright, beautiful faces. A simple lesson for children of diminished understanding - but a visual we could all do better to keep in mind. Or at least I could. These small temptations can lead to small sins and thereby destroy our souls and our wills a tiny bit at a time. I think after a long time of succumbing to little temptations that we become weakened to resist the big things. So little by little the soul gets marked and dirty and chipped and we think that big things aren't so big. I could go fro thinking a Big Mac on a Friday is no big deal to - Why shouldn't I have more money? Why not do something dishonest to acquire some? Other people have big houses and nice things, why shouldn't I? All of this is, of course, very wrong and very destructive. So I persevere. I didn't eat the Big Mac. I had tuna. I don't pass on that tibit of news I heard at the parish fundraiser, I don't cut corners in my work around the house and I try to keep my temper when I am tired and feeling like it's all too much. I go to confession often (I should go more) and I endeavor to be like those sweet little boys I have had the privilege to teach. A clean soul and a clean heart.

Prayers Please

Danielle Bean's dear son is in the hospital. Please offer a prayer for his quick recovery.

Letter writing day

Most Fridays here in the Bonny Blue House we spend a good chunk of the morning writing letters. In these techno-times I think the children should be mindful of the importance of writing letters to friends and family. On paper, with pens and pencils. I love writing and receiving letters. Unfortunately, it is a rare ocurrence in these days of cell phones and email. I don't dispute the value of these things, I use them and am grateful for them all, however nothing beats the excitement of finding a missive in the letter box addressed by hand and meant only for you. I still get a thrill upon finding such things among the junk mail and bills. When the children receive replies to their letters the house becomes electric with excitement. Everyone wants to share in the letter and hear what the sender has to say. I am really glad they get excited about these letters and I am always grateful for the generosity on the part of the sender. It takes time and effort to write and post a letter or card and I think that is what makes the whole processs so special. Katie received some pretty note paper and cards from her Aunt Allie for Christmas and I always have a supply of stationary and note cards for everyone to pick from. Ryan prefers plain loose leaf, which is very boyish. Who do they write to? Cousins in Connecticut, North Carolina and even some who live locally but we don't see as often as we'd like. We also write to a few Friars that we are fond of, they are delighted to recieved letters and pictures from children. And of course, the grandparents - all of whom live far away. Ryan has a nice pen pal I arranged for him from the CCM list about a year ago. A young man his age living in another part of the country is a faithful correspondent and his letters are always greatly anticpated. Let's all try to revive the lost art of letter writing. Homeschoolers are the perfect people to get the trend started.

Lenten Regulations

Maureen Wittman posted this interesting exchange she had with Canon lawyer Pete Vere regarding some questions (really funny ones) that her children had regarding some of the Lenten regulations we follow. If you read the exchange you will discover the wonderful news that we are now o.k. to eat lizard on Friday. Whew, that's a load off....

Happy Saint Patrick's Day

From everyone in the Bonny Blue House Beannachtaí na Féile Pádraig oraibh! St. Patrick's Day Blessing Upon You Some bonny wee lasses.

An Ode to Whiskey

If anyone tries to serve you green beer tomorrow, politely decline. Or maybe not so politely. I never understood the appeal of that particular concoction. A Black and Tan, some Guinness, even a long tall Killian's is acceptable but the true drink of the day is that liquid amber, that ambrosia of Eire....Whiskey. The custom of imbibing alcohol on St. Patrick's Day comes from an old Irish legend. As the story goes, St. Patrick was served a measure of whiskey that was considerably less than full. St. Patrick took this as an opportunity to teach a lesson of generosity to the innkeeper. He told the innkeeper that in his cellar resided a monstrous devil who fed on the dishonesty of the innkeeper. In order to banish the devil, the man must change his ways. When St. Patrick returned to the hostelry some time later, he found the owner generously filling the patrons' glasses to overflowing. He returned to the cellar with the innkeeper and found the devil emaciated from the landlord's generosity, and promptly banished the demon, proclaiming thereafter everyone should have a drop of the "hard stuff" on his feast day. This custom is known as Pota Phadraig or Patrick's Pot. The custom is known as "drowning the shamrock" because it is customary to float a leaf of the plant in the whiskey before dowing the shot. Taken from Saint Patrick's Day History by Peggy Trowbridge. Here in the Bonny Blue House Jameson's is the hands-down favorite but there are many good ones out there. Another traditional libation is Irish Coffee. This is awonderful close to a meal with friends. Irish Coffee 2/3 part freshly brewed coffee 1/3 part Irish whiskey 2 tsps brown sugar lightly whipped cream Into a stemmed glass, put two teaspoonfuls of sugar, preferably brown; add one-third Irish Whiskey and two-thirds really hot, really strong black coffee, preferably freshly brewed, not instant. The glass should be filled with this mixture to within half an inch (1cm) of the brim. Stir well at this point to ensure all of the sugar is dissolved, and then carefully float over the back of a spoon a collar of lightly-whipped cream, so that the cream floats on the top of the coffee and whiskey. Do not stir any more. Serve the drink without a spoon or a straw, as part of the pleasure comes from sipping the hot coffee and whiskey through the cool cream. From the book The Spirits of Ireland, written by Ray Foley, Foley Publishing. A more feminine cocktail... Dublin Handshake 1/2 oz Baileys Irish cream 1/2 oz Irish whiskey 3/4 oz Sloe gin Combine in shaker with ice. Shake well and strain into rocks glass with ice. From the book The Spirits of Ireland, written by Ray Foley, Foley Publishing. An of course just a Bailey's on the rocks is wonderful. You can't truly imbibe on this great day with out a great toast, so here is one for you to memorize... When we drink, we get drunk. When we get drunk, we fall asleep. When we fall asleep, we commit no sin. When we commit no sin, we go to heaven. So, let's all get drunk, and go to heaven! Since I will not be indulging this year be sure to have a wee dram for me. Being pregnant on Saint Patrick's Day is a true Lenten Penance.

Stobhach Gaelach

That is Gaelic for Irish Stew. I don't remember where I came upon this recipe. May have been my Nana, she liked lamb. I susbstitute beef for the lamb because the children hate it. If you make it today, put it in the fridge overnight. The longer the flavors have together in the pot the better, so this is a meal that takes very well to re-heating. It will be delicious. A few dioceses have rescinded the meat fast for St Patrick's Day. You are still obligated to observe the fast another day. If you choose to eat meat tomorrow this is a nice kid-friendly recipe that is a good alternative to Corned Beef. Irish Stew 1 pound of bacon roughly chopped 3 pounds of boneless lamb shoulder cut into about 2 inch pieces (if you do not like lamb you may use stew beef instead) salt and pepper to taste 3 cloves of garlic peeled and chopped 3 large onion peeled and roughly chopped 3 tablespoons of flour 1 cup of red wine several sprigs of fresh thyme 1 bay leaf 4-5 cups of beef broth - Homemade makes a big difference in taste, the canned stuff just isn't as good. 3-4 carrots cut into about 1 inch pieces 2 pounds of potatoes, peeled and cut into about 1 inch pieces (to keep the peeled potato and its cube from turning dark on you place them into a bowl of water until you need to add them to the stew) In a large pot over a medium to medium high heat saute bacon until the fat is rendered and the pieces start to get crispy. Remove bacon with a slotted spoon. Season lamb with salt and pepper and then toss with flour. Being careful not to crowd the pan saute in batches until meat is got a good brown color, removing each batch and setting aside (The meat can be a little underdone as it is going back in the pot to simmer later). After all of the meat is browned and removed, saute chopped onions until they start to soften, turn translucent and edges start to brown slightly. Add garlic and saute until it becomes fragrant and starts to soften. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside. Add carrots and saute until they start to get a little color. They do not need to become soft because they will go back in the stew later. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside. De-glaze pot with red wine. Add lamb, half of the onion/garlic mixture, the sprigs of thyme and bay leaf. Add enough stock to slightly cover the meat. When it comes to a simmer, reduce the heat to medium-low and cook covered until meat is tender - About an hour and a half. When meat is tender add carrots, potatoes and remaining onion/garlic mixture. Cook until vegetables are tender - Close to 45 minutes. Serves about 6 (8 if a few are children). If you do observe the fast I have a winter vegetable soup recipe that is really wondeful. The Irish lived mainly on the sheep they raised sheep and the root vegetables they grew. Potatoes, until the famine, were the mainstay of their diet. This soup is hearty and filling. Roasted Winter Vegetable Soup 3 turnip roots, peeled and cut into large cubes 2 parsnips, peeled and cut into large cubes 2 onions, peeled and cut into large cubes 1 large potato, peeled and cut into large cubes several cloves of garlic, peeled and slightly smashed olive oil salt and pepper to taste chicken stock (canned chicken stock is much better than beef. It is easily substituted here) cream Preheat oven to 400° Add all vegetables to a large roasting pan, toss with olive oil to coat, and season with salt and pepper. Roast until vegetables are tender - about an hour. Working in batches, puree vegetables in blender adding enough chicken stock to thin soup to the consistency you prefer. After all vegetables have been pureed smooth transfer to a pot on the stovetop. Add cream to your taste - between one half cup to a cup. Bring back up to temperature and season with salt and pepper again to taste.

Irish Soda Bread

When Grandma landed at Ellis Island those many years ago she brought very little with her. One treasure she did pack was her Irish Soda Bread recipe. I hope you enjoy it as much as we do. Grandma's Soda Bread 4 cups flour 1/3 cup sugar 1 tsp salt 2 tsp baking powder 1 tsp baking soda 1 tbsp caraway 1 stick butter cut up 1 cup raisins 1 1/3 cup buttermilk 2 eggs Sift together flour, sugar, salt, baking powder & baking soda. Stir in caraway. Cut butter in using a fork. Squeeze flour together. Add raisins. Beat buttermilk and eggs and add to flour mixture. Knead about 25 times shape and bake @350 for one hour.

Everything Irish This Week

Since Friday is St.Patrick's Day we are incorporating a lot of Irish into school this week. For us this means lots of books. This narration by Erin features Saint Patrick by Ann Tompert and illustrated by Michael Garland. Ann Tompert is a wonderful children's story teller who also has written two other saint books; Saint Nicholas and Joan of Arc, Heroine of France. These books are an accurate account of each's saint's life and the illustrations are beautiful. We really enjoy them. I strongly urge you to check out some of her picture books from your library, The Errant Knight is also wonderful. I found St. Patrick's Day by Gail Gibbons at the library last week. It is a really nice book about the life of this great Saint for the early readers. Not great literature by any means but if you come across it you should pick it up. The back of the book is devoted to some of the legends concerning Patrick. Gibbons also touchs on the different types of celebration that take place on March 17th. The illustrations are cartoon-y and engaging for a young one. The Blackbird's Nest, Saint Kevin of Ireland made it's appearance here last year in Kevin's Easter Basket. He, being two, was unimpressed. However, this is a book that will become a lasting part of our celebration and an enduring keepsake for him. It is the story of one of Ireland's lesser known but beloved saints and the process of his transformation from awkward boy to a devout and holy monastic. The illustrations, by Doug Montross, are so life-like and beautiful they leap at you from the pages. This is a great Irish story and a necessary Lenten one. Saint Ciaran, The Tale of a Saint of Ireland by Gary D. Schmidt and illustrated by Todd Doney is a beautiful book. The paintings are exquisite and really give you a sense of the the depth of color that abounds in this lovely green country. Saint Ciaran was called to worship a God whose name he did not even know and traveled the great distance to Rome to learn all about God. There he met Saint Patrick who encouraged him to return and begin the work of converting the Irish. Saint Patrick soon followed Ciaran. Ciaran was a hermit who was never to be alone, his prayerful ways attracted many men and women who took vows and became some of the first monks and nuns in Ireland. This is a wonderful story about following God's call. Of course, no feast day in this house would be complete without a Tomie de Paola book. Patrick, Patron Saint of Ireland is wonderful. Mr. de Paolo is a true friend to a Catholic homeschooling mom. Our more secular reading will include..... Wild Irish Roses, Tales of Brigits, Kathleens and Warrior Queens by Trina Robbins is a fun read. Katie received this for Christmas and has been dipping into it ever since. It is a collection of stories and myths about the great women of Eire from Saint Brigid to the pirate Queen Grania O'Malley. Great fun! Saint Patrick's Day in the Morning is a fun read. The story of young Jamie trying to prove he is not too young to march in the St. Patrick's Day parade. Tomie de Paola's Jamie O'Rourke books are so much fun. Erin and Kelli love the tale of Jamie O'Rourke and The Pooka . Told with his own brand of Irish wit Mr. de Paola has, yet again, given us some fun holiday classics. It is likely that by this time I will have no voice left. So time to take a break with a video. Saint Patrick Brave Shepherd of the Emerald Isle is a great choice for the little ones. St. Patrick Apostle of Ireland is a great choice for the older children. Of course, mom and dad need to watch The Quiet Man at some point this week. This week there will be copy work from Saint Patrick's prayer, popularly known as "Saint Patrick's Breast-Plate" (or "Lorica"), and is believed to have been composed by him in preparation for this victory over paganism. I bind to myself to-day The strong virtue of the Invocation of the Trinity: I believe the Trinity in the Unity The Creator of the Universe. I bind to myself to-day The virtue of the Incarnation of Christ with His Baptism, The virtue of His crucifixion with His burial, The virtue of His Resurrection with His Ascension, The virtue of His coming on the Judgment Day. I bind to myself to-day The virtue of the love of seraphim, In the obedience of angels, In the hope of resurrection unto reward, In prayers of Patriarchs, In predictions of Prophets, In preaching of Apostles, In faith of Confessors, In purity of holy Virgins, In deeds of righteous men. I bind to myself to-day The power of Heaven, The light of the sun, The brightness of the moon, The splendour of fire, The flashing of lightning, The swiftness of wind, The depth of sea, The stability of earth, The compactness of rocks. I bind to myself to-day God's power to guide me, God's Might to uphold me, God's Wisdom to teach me, God's Eye to watch over me, God's Ear to hear me, God's Word to give me speech, God's Hand to guide me, God's Way to lie before me, God's Shield to shelter me, God's Host to secure me, Against the snares of demons, Against the seduction of vices, Against the lust of nature, Against everyone who meditates injury to me, Whether far or near, Whether few or with many. I invoke to-day all these virtues Against every hostile merciless power Which may assail my body and my soul, Against the incantations of false prophets, Against the black laws of heathenism, Against the false laws of heresy, Against the deceits of idolatry, Against the spells of women, and smiths, and druids, Against every knowledge that binds the soul of man. Christ, protect me to-day Against every poison, against burning, Against drowning, against death-wound, That I may receive abundant reward. Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me, Christ within me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me, Christ at my right, Christ at my left, Christ in the fort, Christ in the chariot seat, Christ in the poor, Christ in the heart of everyone who thinks of me, Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks to me, Christ in every eye that sees me, Christ in every ear that hears me. I bind to myself to-day The strong virtue of an invocation of the Trinity. I believe the Trinity in the Unity The Creator of the Universe. ------ That should keep us all busy for a while. I'll be posting more this week about food and other customs and traditions we have here in the Bonny Blue (Green this week) House.

Saint Patrick

A Narration by Erin Saint Patrick By Ann Tompert Long, long ago a baby was born and his name was Succat. He was born in Southwest Britain near the Irish Sea. He was known later in life as Patrick. Patrick’s father was a Deacon. Patrick grew up in a nice house. He was not good in school, he did not study. When he was sixteen Patrick was captured by Irish pirates and he was sold into slavery. He was sold to a chieftain and taken to northwest Ireland near the Western Sea which was the ancient name of the Atlantic Ocean. He was made to become a shepherd and watch over the sheep and cattle. He used his free time to say hundreds of prayers. God’s love came to him more and more. After six years Patrick heard a voice in his sleep telling him he would soon go back to his own country. A few nights later the voice told him his ship was ready. So Patrick left to find his ship. He had to travel to the Irish Sea two hundred miles away. Patrick was very brave to start looking for his ship all by himself. The journey was very hard. Patrick traveled at night so his master would not find him. He was hungry all the time. Patrick knew that God was directing so he was not afraid. When he got to the port and found a boat the captain wasn’t going to let him on. Patrick walked away and prayed that the captain would change his mind. The captain called him back and let him sail with them. When they landed in Britain they wandered in the woods for a long time. The captain was afraid they would never find a way out. He asked Patrick to pray to send them food. Patrick told the captain to ask God to send them food. So the captain and his men did that and then they came to a herd of pigs. From then on they had plenty of food. When he finally got home he saw his mom and dad. They asked him to never leave home again. One night Patrick had a dream that he thought meant he was supposed to go to Ireland to convert the people to Christianity. First he traveled to Gaul to become a priest. This took several years. In time he was made a bishop. Then he set sail with a group to Ireland. Patrick baptized and confirmed thousands of Irish people. He preached all over Ireland. It was not easy trying to convert everyone. Patrick enslaved and imprisoned. After fourteen days in jail God delivered Patrick and his group from the jail and returned their things to them.. Patrick stayed in Ireland for thirty years. He was known as the apostle of Ireland and became the patron saint. Patrick died on March 17th in about the year 461. His work lived on and Ireland became Christian. The priests, monks and nuns continued spreading Patrick’s message. They were inspired by him. The End.

10th Carnival of Homeschooling

The Bonny Blue House is featured at this week's Carnival being hosted by Palm Tree Pundit. There is a lot of great stuff over there. Sweetness and Light also has a post featured and you should definitely go there. It is a great inspiration. That blog has become one of the ones I check daily. There is always great stuff to be gleaned.

One of the supermoms over at the 4 Real Boards posted this poem for me. I loved it so I had to share. Names for Twins By Alastair Reed Each pair of twins, Rabbits or dogs, Children or frogs, Has to have names That are almost the same (to show that they’re twins) but are different too; so here’s what you do. Find double words, Like Higgledy-Piggledy (good names for pigs) or Shilly and Shally or Dilly and Dally or Knick and Knack. Namby and Pamby are better for poodles; Whing-Ding for swallows; Misty and Moisty and Wishy and Washy especially for fish. Call twin kittens Inky and Pinky or Helter and Skelter, or Pell and Mell. (It’s easy to tell they are twins if their names have a humdrum sound.) Crinkum and Crankum are perfect for squirrels, like Hanky and Panky or Fiddle and Faddle; but Mumbo and Jumbo Are mainly for elephants. (Airy and Fairy would never suit them.) Willy and Nilly will fit most any twins. Hubble and Bubble or Hodge and Podge or Roly and Poly Are mainly for fat twins. Chitter and Chatter or Jingle and Jangle or Pitter and Patter, of course, are for noisy twins. Further than that, there’s Harum and Scarum, or Hocus and Pocus, or Heebie and Jeebie, but these are peculiar, and have to be used, like Mixty and maxty, for very odd pairs….. You see what begins When you have to name twins

Thank you

I received a nice blurb over at Maureen Wittman's blog. She is very kind. Maureen mentions that an essay I wrote about Ryan's hospital experience this fall will be published in Heart and Mind Magazine this summer (6/1/06). I am thrilled and honored to be included in this terrific publication. Heart and Mind is a periodical that focuses on issues close to a Catholic homeschooler's heart. My favorite part is the pull out unit study included in every issue. Zip over to the website and check it all out.

Do You Teach Courtesy or Live it?

I often get compliments on how my children answer the telephone. This is nice but honestly the credit goes to them. I never made a conscious effort to teach them phone manners but they seemed to absorb it from our life here. Just as they have absorbed things like holding doors open for people and giving up their seats in waiting rooms. Dave is unfailingly courteous (still opening the car door for me after all of these years..) and I make a special effort to be a good example. It is one of the many and huge benefits of homeschooling is that our children learn their manners from their parents exclusively. They are not inflicted with an overworked school teacher's idea of courtesy or playground adversaries to muddy the waters. I also believe that a school bus full of children is the seventh circle of hell in terms of manners. We behave with courtesy to them and they, eventually, respond in kind. We speak softly and distinctly and expect the same from them. We address each other with respect and even when upset never resort to name calling. Mostly. Usually. Infractions are disciplined immediately and are rarely repeated. Discipline reflects our desire for the children to reach our ultimate goal for them, heaven. Not the "in crowd". There is no "in crowd" in homeschooling circles. We are all "in" this together and the children seem to reflect those values. In my two years of homeschooling and attending group functions on a very regular basis (not a vast experience - I know) I have yet to see any pettiness or selfishness exhibited in the children. The children all treat each other and their elders with respect and courtesy. They live this day in and day out in their homes. It is obvious and beautiful. In the nice weather our wonderful homeschool group spends Wednesday afternoons at the grounds of an old Long Island Mansion that is now a beautiful museum. The grounds are gorgeous with many beautiful gardens and ponds and tree lined walkways. This St. Francis Nature Club is a wonderful respite in the middle of the week. When I was discerning the homeschooling call a friend who had already taken the plunge asked me to come to one of these Wednesday outings to meet some of the other moms. It was a great surprise to meet an old college friend and a dear friend of my sister-in-law. You all know her as Cottage Blessings. I had not seen her or her lovely children in a very long time. I was so blown away by their manners, their poise and how articulate and interesting they were to talk to that I came home telling Dave, "we have to do this, I want this for our children." Homeschooling is like a beautiful island of peace and devotion in the midst of this rude and rancorous world. Alas, the world intrudes.... I had a series of incredibly annoying phone calls over the course of the last two days. Yesterday afternoon I called the radiology group that my doctor referred me to in order to have a Stage II Sonogram. I have never been to this practice before so I was a little shocked at the rudeness of the woman answering the phone. She abruptly asked for some basic information and then informed me she was too busy to give me an appointment so she would call me back. Of course she didn't. I called back at 9:00 a.m. today to try again and, unfortunately, got hold of the same cranky woman. With a sigh that began at her toenails she agreed to take my information and make me an appointment. I tried to tell her that my doctor wanted me seen the week of March 20th. She interrupted me three times and refused to hear me. I ended up with an appointment for April 4th. I am sure everyone has these experiences. I often have this kind of trouble when calling the pediatric neurologist to make appointments or request a prescription renewal for Ryan. They seem to think I sit up all night trying to think of a way to annoy them and this is what I could come up with. I mean, who says to themselves "I have some time to kill so let me call a busy neurology practice and annoy some people." Who does that? Do they think I want to be in touch with them? It's maddening. I understand that dealing with the public it can be overwhelming and frustrating but I am of the opinion that if you just slap a smile on your face and spit out a lot of please and thank you's you will eventually feel better about your job. I hope that when their time comes and my children enter the world in their vocations that they continue, through their manners, to reflect the love and gentility I have tried to instill.

The twins say hi

Yesterday I went for another OB visit. There was some trouble finding one of the twins heartbeats so off to the sono I went. I really don't mind doing it because I love looking at them. Well they were both there and wiggling all over. One was waving at his mama. Like a big goofball I waved back. So there were two perfectly healthy spines, hearts, brains and all kinds of hands and feet dancing around. They were snuggled up together and bouncing off one another. It was pretty funny. It did occur to me on the way home that in a very short time all of that bouncing is going to be incredibly uncomfortable. Oh well, it is Lent and we are called to suffer. Next month I go for a Stage II sono and that should be great fun. I will also probably know the genders then. I confess to being very anxious to know. No reason for it, just excited. I wish I could post some pictures but when I scan them they just come out at a black blob. If someone has a better let me know and I will try it.

Lent begins

This morning we began our Lenten observence with our Easter Vigil study. The children are excited about their notebook project and did a nice job on their first page. I hope that you all have a fruitful and holy Lent.

The Catholic Homeschool Companion

Back in January I posted about this book that was soon to be published. Well it arrived in my mailbox this week and I just could not put it down. This is a collected of essays written by 43 homeschooling moms and dads that has been compiled and edited by Rachel Mackson and Maureen Wittman. You have to have this book. There is so much wisdom in these pages that it will become your "go to book" for almost every situation that will come up in your homeschool. Go here to see the Table of Contents. You will see that the essays cover everything from how to teach certain subjects to preparing your high schooler for college. How about interview techniques for your high schooler trying to land that first all important job? It's in there. There is an entire section devoted to schooling a special needs learner (my first stop in the book) and the section written by the Dads is unique and invaluable. You don't often hear from the Dads but their participation is essential to a succesful homeschool. There is just tons of great stuff and this book is bound to become a homechool classic. So many of the authors are people whose work and talent I have benfited from and enjoyed. MacBeth Derham, Maureen Wittman, Susie Lloyd, Steve Wood, Cay Gibson, Holly Pierlot, Kim Fry and many more. There is also a great resource section. I know, I'm gushing.... But you really have to have this book. Go here for more information and to buy!

Lent

This year I have followed the Liturgical seasons for our religous studies. For Lent I am fortunate to have the plans of a fellow homeschooler (and blogger) to prepare the children for the beautiful ceremony of the Easter Vigil. You can find the plans here. The plans are a detailed journey through the whole Vigil. Read a little more about it at Cottage Blessings. The children will prepare notebooks and then bring them to the Vigil Mass to use as a missal. Or at least that's my plan at the moment. If you are needing resources to make your Lent more meaningful check out Danielle Bean's website. She has a sidebar listing many great resources. There is still plenty of time to get ready.

Craft time

A fierce wind and cold temps kept everyone in for the usual afternoon recess time so we pulled out a stash of Model Magic I had recently purchased. The yellow blob on the left is a spider. Credit my poor photography and not poor craftmanship. Model Magic (a Crayola product) is great stuff. It air dries quickly and it takes paint nicely. It helps a craft impaired mother! :-)

We left this kind of fun in Long Island... ...and arrived in Georgia to enjoy a whole new kind of fun. This photo was taken at Tybee Island, a gorgeous beach community with pristine white sand and blue water. There wonderful shops and restaurants and a pier you can fish and crab from. They even provide sinks on the pier for cleaning and filleting the fish. These folks are serious about their fishing. The day we went to the beach was a balmy 72 degrees with a lovely breeze coming off the ocean. I believe it was about 24 degrees here in New York that day. (hee hee hee) Right there at the beach is the Tybee Island Marine Science Center. Pop came to rescue to pay our admittance fees (I left my wallet in the car) and we spent a pleasant half hour in this small center dedicated to preserving the natural marine life at Tybee. There was a "hands on" tank supervised by a very knowledgeable volunteer. She allowed the children to handle Horseshoe Crabs, Hermit Crabs, and a whole bunch of other stuff with which I was unfamiliar. Kevin was fascinated by the crabs The next day was River Street. I love River Street. There along the river is a cobblestone street lined with these beautiful buildings which house shops, restaurants and some of the loveliest people ever. Southerners are utterly charming and mannerly behavior is so much the norm down there. Being from New York this is a bit of culture shock. The kids favorite part of River Street is the candy stores. One of these stores, Savannah's Candy Kitchen is HUGE, occupying three stores. There you can watch candy being made or just browse through the many barrels of candy filling up your bag. There is also a large selection of made-on-the-premises Saltwater Taffy. Yum. I dropped quite a few dollars in there. The girls made a friend on River Street The rest of the week was spent lazing around Nana's house and visiting with family. This was great fun for me and the kids. Our Southern cousins are some of our favorite people ever and the children made promises to write and email their cousins on a regular basis. I was even treated to a wonderful dinner out with two cousins on Saturday night. We had such fun reminiscing and laughing together. I miss them already. The drive back was grueling, the highlights being Cracker Barrel and Cinnabon but we made home safe and sound having done battle with a freakysnow storm in Virginia and many traffic hold ups. It was good to come home. But I am looking forward to going back!

We're Back!!!

We have returned from our trek south and are very happy to be home. I am planning to post pictures and tales of our adventures very soon. In the meantime please check out last week's Carnival of Homeschooling which features a post from the Bonny Blue House. How exciting to have been included in such great company!

Off We Go....

This weekend we, at the Bonny Blue House will be preparing for a long trek. We are leaving Daddy home to hold down the fort (and work on a loooooong list of house projects) and are hitting the open road. We will be journeying south toward our Savannah Nana. And Pop. First stop, Rocky Mount North Carolina. Next stop Nan and Pop's new house. And hopefully some warmer temps. Tomorrow will be devoted to packing (in between, music lessons, karate, soccer and basketball). And Sunday to praying for the blizzard to pass. I will be taking the laptop so hopefully I can update the blog on the road. Dear friends, please pray for our safe and pleasant journey.

Baby names

We have been spending some time on the Baby Names of Ireland website. Let me know what you think of the list so far.... Boy Names Brendan Sean Seamus Ronan Conan (Dave's pick - I voted off the list) Padriac (my pick - Dave voted off) Girl Names Brigid Ciara Mairead Dierdre Siobhan (Dave consistently votes off the list) We will need two of each until we find out what we have here.

The Story of Saint Alice

A Narration by Erin Once upon a time there lived a princess named Alice. One day when she was just a baby her father the king asked another king to let his son marry Alice when they got older. They signed a paper and had a feast with raspberry ice cream. When Alice was sixteen she became Queen. Alice married Lothair. They were happy. Then Lothair died, maybe his brother poisoned him. Lothair’s brother, Berengarius was not nice and tried to get Alice to marry his son. She did not want to. So Berengarius put Alice in his castle dungeon. There were black bugs that she was afraid of. She was very sad. Alice prayed and God spoke to her. God told her that He would rescue her at just the right moment. God sent a priest to dig a tunnel so she could get out. She escaped and got stuck in the mud in a forest. She cried out to her guardian angel to get her out of this mess. Her guardian angel sent Otto the Emperor of Germany to rescue her. He had come to defeat Berengarius. He won and married Alice. After Otto died Alice became a nun. Alice was very brave.

Latin for Dollars

Remember Bowling for Dollars? That old T.V. show. If you don't remember don't tell me, it will surely depress me. Well, I found that the children's enthusiasm for their Latin studies was waning "Why do we have to do this, this is boring, isn't this a dead language for a reason?". My detailed and patient explanations of how this was improving their minds and aquainting them with the language of the church as well as all of the Romance languages, for some reason, did not muster up a revival of previous enthusiasm. So I resorted to cash. Ok, so I won't be featured in any parenting books any time soon. Cash works. We learn our vocabulary and translations in a game show sort of format. The rules are made up by me and no amount of nagging will change them. Cheaters are charged $5 and each answer is assigned a monetary value (usually .25). Is it working? Well when we finished today I informed the kids that I did not have enough dollar bills to pay them and they would have to wait until after we ran some errands and I recieved some change. Katie's solution, "that's ok, I'll take a check." I don't think she'll ever be a language scholar. I'm just hoping she doesn't turn out to be a loan shark.

Nine years ago she arrived in the middle of the night. Pink and perfect. She came easily into the world and was welcomed with tears of joy. My first daughter, my best friend, my dream come true. Happy Birthday Katie!

The Feast of The Presentation

“And when eight days were completed for the circumcision of the Child, His name was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before He was conceived in the womb” (Lk 2:21). Today's resolution from Mary Vitamin is well worth a try! Resolution: Today, one time, I will try not to complain. Instead, in trying to be silent, I will remember Our Lady’s silence during Her great interior suffering. I will try to imitate Her manner in enduring suffering. She gazed upon the Lord and lovingly conformed Herself to God’s Will.

State of the Union Address

"Human life is a gift from our Creator – and that gift should never be discarded, devalued, or put up for sale." President George W. Bush State of the Union Address January 31, 2006 I thought it was a great speech. Read the text here

St. Brigid's Day

Today is the feast of St. Brigid of Ireland. I saw that my friend over at Cottage Blessings posted this link giving directions regarding making a Brigid's cross. We will attempt it. Being craft impaired the results are not a given. We will definitely make time to read Brigid's Cloak.

Alito Confirmed!

This just in. May God grant him wisdom.

Essay Contest

Anyone who knows me know that To Kill A Mockingbird is one of my all time favorite novels. It is nice to see that the author of this great work of American Literature is a supporter of homeschooling. I would imagine that not many American novelists would make such a distinction. I saw this New York Times link posted at Cottage Blessings and another mention of it at the Bonny Glen. Apparantly those in Oprah's camp are falling over themselves to deny having excluded homeschoolers from their essay contest. Of course exclude them is exactly what they did. Funny, I am guessing the vast majority of the one million homeschooled children in this country don't watch Oprah. Maybe her staff thinks that makes them somehow unqualified to participate in a writing contest. I would be willing to bet a years worth of chocolate that some of the homeschooled teens I know could write circles around any Oprah producer they would chose to put up. Maybe that's why they were excluded.

SURPRISE!!

And he was! Surprised that is. On Saturday night I gave Dave a surprise 40th birthday party. I enlisted the help of his two best friends to get him to the party and everything worked perfectly. The party was held at the Bulldog Grille, a local establishment that has had our patronage from time to time. They often have great classic rock bands on Saturday nights. Dave's sister Melissa blew me away. She is a talented graphic artist and the Art Director for a major retail store. I had asked her to make a collage of some pictures donated by myself and my mother-in-law to use as a sign-in board. She outdid herself. She made 7 large posterboards with the pictures blown up. We hung them in chronological order starting with his baby pictures. It was an awesome presentation. It was so cool to see how much Erin and Kevin resemble their dear old dad in his childhood. The next day as he sleepily looked through his gifts and cards we were both overwhelmed by people's generosity and kindness. The notes that people wrote really moved us and made me so proud to be married to this man who is so loved by his friends and family. I am glad I threw the party, he deserves it. His actual birthday is Thursday but here is another early wish for you. Happy birthday love of my life. You make all things wonderful!

Carnival of Homeschooling

I am really delighted and honored to be included in the Carnival of Homeschooling this week. For those of you who are unfamiliar the Carnival features homeschooling moms and dads whose blog posts are in some way enlightening, useful or funny. Please check it out here and show your support!

Two Hearts

I saw the OB again today. This time they did all of the blood work and other tests that are normally done in the beginning of pregnancy. Dave was able to see the twins on ultra-sound. Baby A was wiggling around and it looked like he/she was rolling. Poor Baby B was stuck under Baby A and wasn't as visible. There were two strong heartbeats and they measured perfectly at 11 weeks and 5 days, which is exactly what they should be. The second trimester begins soon! How about this for good news. I told the doctor I was always hungry and he said, "so eat." My kind of guy. My last OB acted as if every pound I gained was a personal disappointment to him. This doctor told me that I could expect to spend the twins first year running around like a nut and they weight would come off. He told me to eat when I was hungry, rest when I was tired and not to worry about it. I do like him!

Lessons Learned

Things have been a little sketchy here at the Bonny Blue House in the last few weeks. Morning sickness seems to come at odd intervals lasting several days and disappearing suddenly for a week or so. Yesterday was one of the bad days, leaving mom "indisposed" for a large portion of the day. A violent migraine coupled with nausea is a lethal combination. The result was that not too much school got done. On days like these I insist that the basics get covered, math, reading, writing and religion. If it is not too cold everyone is outside for a while as well. Not much else got done though. So what did they learn? Ryan learned to guard his sleeping mother from toddler attacks by engaging them in a sing-a-long to his guitar. It woke me up but fed my soul. He also learned that bringing a blanket to a sleeping mommy and gently covering her earns you extra ice cream at dessert. Katie learned the valuable lesson that she can prepare, serve and clean up dinner for her four siblings. It was scrambled eggs and cereal but everyone was fed, full and happy. She is growing so quickly and becoming such an enormous help to me. Erin learned how to help her little sister and brother dry off and get into their pajamas. She gently combed hair and tidied the bathroom. Wisdom beyond her six years. All five of them joined in to help the babies they are so eagerly awaiting. Helping mom is helping the twins stay healthy and they are so on board with the agenda. So the lessons learned? We are a family and taking care of each other is one of the many ways we serve God. "CCC 2208 The family should live in such a way that its members learn to care and take responsibility for the young, the old, the sick, the handicapped, and the poor. " I think my children will be well prepared to embrace this teaching of our church, they will have spent their childhoods realizing the importance of helping others and have great experience in taking care of themselves and others. So today was a better day. I woke up with that inexplicable energy that often follows a bad bout of baby sickness. We were able to do a full day of learning in addition to catching up on some much neglected household duties. What did they learn today? Ryan had quite a breakthrough in math, Katie wrote a winter poem and executed a great pencil drawing after studying Van Gogh's painting Bedroom. Erin nailed down the Doxology in Latin. She had been struggling with the last line. All in all a lot was learned this week, some planned, much unplanned, but all of it valuable.

Yesterday's Funny Exchange

Kelli (crying): Momma I fell down and have a boo-boo. Mom: Poor sweetie, should I kiss it better? Kelli: YEEESSSSS! Mom: Where's the boo-boo? Kelli: My butt! Mom: How about a lollipop?

Life, What a Beautiful Choice

Today is the March for Life on the Mall in Washington. Many of my friends brave the weather and witness to the world the importance of valuing life from conception to natural death. Join me in praying for all of those attending and those whose lives are in danger due to the culture of death that prevails in this otherwise great nation. "America needs no words from me to see how your decision in Roe v. Wade has deformed a great nation. The so-called right to abortion has pitted mothers against their children and women against men. It has sown violence and discord at the heart of the most intimate human relationships. It has aggravated the derogation of the father's role in an increasingly fatherless society. It has portrayed the greatest of gifts -- a child-- as a competitor, an intrusion, an inconvenience. It has nominally accorded mothers unfettered dominion over the independent lives of their physically dependent sons and daughters. And in granting this unconscionable power, it has exposed many women to the unjust and selfish demands from their husbands or other sexual partners. Human rights are not a privlege conferred by government. They are every human being's entitlement by virtue of his humanity. The right to life does not depend, and must not be declared to be contingent, on the pleasure of anyone else, not even a parent or sovereign." Blessed Mother Theresa Wall Street Journal 2/25/94 A14

A Great Love Story

When most people think of a great love story literary examples like Romeo and Juliet come to mind. Actual examples of great love are usually a little less glamorous. They are, however, much greater. Grand passion can create an enduring story but it is the little, nitty, gritty life and sanity sustaining sacrifices that make a great and enduring love story. A great love is worked on daily and lived faithfully. When I think of great love stories I think of my Nan and Pop, married over 50 years and still holding hand when they walked down the street together. I think of my parents, married 40 years and still laughing together and enjoying their life enormously. My in-laws married a little more than 40 years and also enjoying their retirement. Then there is the example in my own house. A man who works sixteen hour days and still makes time in the morning to set up the coffee pot and get it all ready for when I drag myself out of bed. A guy who gets very little sleep but starts up the dishwasher before he comes to bed and empties it before he leaves in the morning. That is great romance. Last Sunday he took one look at me collapsing into a chair, starting a cold, exhausted from pregnancy and said, "Why don't I take the kids to a movies so you can rest?" This is a true hero. He IM's a few times a day to check on us. To find out how the kids are, to ask if I need anything from the store on the way home, or the best, should he bring home dinner. (the answer is always yes) It was one of these IM's yesterday that lead to this essay. I should and could write everyday about the many gestures that he makes that make my life so wonderful - but some gestures just smack you in the head. I was having a "day". Pregnancy exhaustion, a bad cold and children who were, shall we say, less than cooperative. He IM's that he will be late but can he bring home anything. CHOCOLATE, I say. Now I respond with that request often and sometimes, if he can manage it, I get a Hershey Bar from Penn Station. That great man must have sensed some desperation in my capital letters. He stopped at Godiva on the way home. He picked out my absolute favorite chocolates and brought home a lovely gold foil box, wrapped in pretty tissue and in a gold gift bag. It was such a huge surprise. I am not eloquent enough to express how much this little side trip to the chocolate store meant to me. This is a love story that is being written everyday. It will never end because we intend to leave this legacy of love to our children. To show them the joy in living for someone's happiness, the necessity of putting God first in your marriage and that sacrifice can bring great contentment. This is a love story that I am grateful to be a part of and that I thank God for many times each day. This is a great love story.

The Catholic Homeschool Companion

Maureen Wittman was kind enough to write and tell me that several dads contributed to her book as well as talented moms. I am so glad she did! Steve Wood, Greg Pocak, Dan McGuire, Fred Cabell, Pete Vere, and others are featured. I think this gives this book a unique perspective. So often we hear from the homeschool moms (we are, after all, the one in the trenches everyday) but not so often from dads. I am familiar with the work of all of these guys and I look forward to seeing how they write about their homeschooling experiences.

Cottage Blessings

Please swing by Cottage Blessings and read this post by my dear friend. It is such a wonderful observation and a great reminder.

Big Boy Bed

On Monday, Dave set up the extra twin bed we had and we had a delivery of a new mattress. Kevin was all ready. He loves his new big boy bed and is very proud of himself. I was able to get the same bedspread that Ryan has (pictured) for half off as well. Now if only I could sell him on the big boy underpants......

What the kids are reading

Ryan recently began reading Treasure Island. This is going to take a while due to his comprehension problems, but the pirates seem to be making it worth the effort. He has walked around singing, "Yo Ho Ho" and brandishing a sword for a few days so I think he is enjoying what he can get from the story. Erin is enjoying The Princess Test by Gail Carson Levine. She finished The Fairy's Mistake in record time and now is racing through this book. Thanks to the The Bonny Glen for the recommendation. Katie will embark on Little House in the Big Woods this week. She just finised Charlotte's Web and will be writing a book analysis for the next few days. For the Little House book we will be using a study guide from Hillside Education. We also continue to read, The Magician's Nephew the first book of the Chronicles of Narnia, aloud together. And since we will be studying the first settlements in the New World for history there are some Living Books coming up as well. I just have to get that organized. I am reading Queen of this Realm by Jean Plaidy. It is part of her series on the Tudor women. It's an excellent read. Since it is both tax season and NASD audit time Dave is reading work stuff (dull dull dull) and the inside of his eyelids whenever possible. What are you reading?

A New Book

Maureen Wittman and Rachel Mackson have compiled and edited a new homeschooling book that is sure to be a staple in this house. There are chapters written by veteran homeschool moms including Cay Gibson whose work has inspired me for a while now. Maureen is also someone whose work I have enjoyed! Thank God for all these talented moms!

Friends

I had a day yesterday that would have been completely impossible without the help of my friends. I am so blessed in my friendships that I often fall asleep thanking God for the people he has placed in my life. Last night a HUGE thunderstorm woke me up and as I was laying there trying to fall back to sleep I was reflecting on my day and how important these women have become to me. A lady at ice skating shared with us a poem about sisters she had been e-mailed and I was listening thinking "well, I don't have sisters." Then God slapped me in the back of the head (I need that sometimes) and I looked around the table I was sitting at. Mary, Chris, Theresa, Angela, Cathy. My sisters, not in biology, but of the heart. I have friends whom I don't have to call, they just anticipate needs and act. They are there in a loving and giving way that touches me everyday. I honestly have no idea where I would be without them. And I know that they know that they can count on me for anything. They laugh with me, pray with me, have cried with me, come through for me, counsel me, guide me, tell me when I'm wrong, applaud my successes, and ignore my failures. They are mostly, homeschool moms, all Catholic, all beautiful and all heaven bound. I am so grateful we are journeying together.

Huh?

Under the category of odd questions... Me: "Do you understand how to find the direct object in a sentence?" Katie: "Yes." Me: "Tell me." Katie: "Find the verb and ask who or what is receiving the action." Me: "Great, do you have any questions?" Katie: "Have you ever met the Pope?" ??????????????

And two more makes seven...

One of the best moments of my whole life occured today. Going to the OB for the first time during this pregnancy was a little nerve wracking. I was a little concerned because of the miscarriage I had about eighteen months ago. Sensing my nervousness the doctor asked me if I would like to have a sonogram right away instead of waiting until the usual 10 week time.He thought it would relieve my mind and he was right. I knew the Ultra-sound technician from previous sonos. She's a really nice lady and was squeezing me in between some regularly scheduled patients. She had the screen turned toward her as the sono began. Suddenly there was this funny look on her face. "How many children do you have?" she asked. "Five" says I. "No," she says "you have seven." It took me a second. She swung the screen around and there they were. Two little babies, shaped like jelly beans with stumpy arms, teeny, fluttery beating hearts. Baby B was wiggling. I could have watched them all day. I think the technician could have as well. We were both stunned. When I finally came out of the room she had stacked up patients waiting to go in. "Don't worry," she said, " you made my week." Then I started to giggle. I just couldn't help it, twins. Me. Us. Who would have thought that we could be so abundantly blessed. It is so wonderful to not only be given this gift again, the goft of a new baby but to be blessed with two is more happiness than anyone has a right to expect. I have this goofy grin that I just can't wipe off my face. God is good, all the time.

Saturday Craziness

A lot goes on in the Bonny Blue House on Saturday. Or, more accurately, a lot goes on as we are frantically running out of the house trying to get where we are all supposed to be. Saturday mornings begin with me teaching a special-ed CCD class. I return home, get Erin geared up for her indoor soccer game. Kevin and Kelli join us as we drive 20 minutes to the arena for her 12:45 game. Meanwhile Dave is taking Katie, Ryan and himself to music lessons. We all meet back here at about 2:00 to get Ryan in his Gi and out to Karate. Dave usually makes this trip. Then all that remains is Katie's basketball game which can be anytime from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. We generally collapse at about 9:15 p.m. around here. It sounds brutal and it is but I am grateful it is on Saturday and Dave can help (and he does, hugely). Since many of the activities land on Saturday we are able to spend more time at home during the week and school time is realtively peaceful and uninterrupted. We can also participate in more homeschool activities without the stress of having to be elsewhere at a certain time. So yesterday was pretty wild but more so for Dave on this occasion. His and Ryan's guitar lesson was cancelled so he was able to take Erin to her game. He was able to see her in goal (she is awesome in goal) and not give up any points for the entire time she was there (the whole first half). They won 3-1 which makes five games in a row they have won. Ryan's karate class was made up of older kids this week and he did well. Holding his own and able to fend off some of the bigger kids. He recently earned his orange belt and is working hard to get to the blue belt. Katie's basketball team won 10-9 and she played well. She didn't score but she did come close. She also got a few new pieces to learn for violin and her "Ode to Joy" sounds wonderful. Mom spent most of the day queasy and on the couch. Dad spent most of the day running around like a nut. Typical Saturday.

Skate away....

Today began the local homeschool group ice skating Fridays. For seven or eight Fridays during the winter we meet at a local ice rink and are offered a discount on lessons and rentals. The children get some much needed winter excercise and the moms get exhausted. Some from skating and all from the sheer effort it takes to get gear for 4,5,6,7 children (and some families have more) packed up and in the car. Then dragged into the rink with toddlers and strollers and all else. Then the fun of making sure everyone is in their helmets, snow pants, skates lace and good heavens where are your gloves? Get all that accomplished, occupy the toddlers with some play-doh, trains and little ponies, sit down to chat and here they all come... Is there anything to eat? I do enjoy it but I am fairly certain it gets us moms out of a little time that would otherwise be spent in Purgatory.

The Feast of the Epiphany

The precious gifts which the Magi brought to the Lord this day are threefold, and they are signs of divine mysteries. By gold the power of the King is signified, by frankincense His great priesthood, by myrrh the burial of the Lord. Glory be to the Father, The Son and the Holy Spirit. As it was in the begining, is now, and ever shall be. World without end. Amen. Happy Twelfth Night!

Solemity of the Blessed Virgin Mary

"Mary, the all-holy ever-virgin Mother of God, is the masterwork of the mission of the Son and the Spirit in the fullness of time. For the first time in the plan of salvation and because his Spirit had prepared her, the Father found the dwelling place where his Son and his Spirit could dwell among men. In this sense the Church's Tradition has often read the most beautiful texts on wisdom in relation to Mary. Mary is acclaimed and represented in the liturgy as the "Seat of Wisdom." — Catechism of the Catholic Church 721

What He Said....

Mt dear friends over at Bruggie Tales posted their reasons for homeschooling. It is a well thought out presentation of the main reasons why most families make this choice. I can't think of anything they missed...

Third Watch

Last night poor Kevin was up with a cough. It was one of those relentless, croupy coughs that all parents are familiar with and dread. After a long session in a steamy bathroom and several barfing incidents that left us with three extra load of laundry, he finally settled down. The cough subsided a bit and since his bed was not really fit for human occupation we brought him in to sleep with us. There he was snuggled into the crook of his daddy’s arm, my hand resting lightly on his chest and his arm resting over my hand. His breathing became more regular and I watched as he finally slipped into a restful sleep. Several years ago a priest, whose homilies always taught me something, gave a great one about a time of night called third watch. That time when no one is awake except policemen, firemen, emergency workers, priests and mothers. He spoke of how on every third watch he covered he had to go out and minister to someone in their last hours and comfort those who mourned. Many people seem to die in the early hours of the day. This priest said that mothers too were often up at this time tending to their sleepless children. Teething and colic; nightmares and strange sounds; tummy aches and sniffles. All conspire to keep parents from their regular and greatly needed slumber. He made the point that mothers could be a great resource of prayer at this time of night. They could do God’s work so easily as they minister to their children. His words came back to me last night as I watched my baby sleep. How I had, many times, used this time to say a rosary, offer up prayers for some intention or begged the Blessed Mother to intercede on my behalf, mostly for more sleep. I thought that maybe this time was ordained by God for mothers and fathers to offer up for those in need. Those who leave this world in the dead of night and are in desperate need of prayers. Maybe this time should be for the Holy Souls in Purgatory. So as I watched a little chest rise and fall and sweet little eyelids flutter I prayed for those who had no one to pray for them. I offered up my exhaustion and major laundry chores for those in purgatory. I contemplated those who didn’t have a warm bed, a roof over their heads and a loving family. I asked God to protect them and the saints to pray for those who are alone. When you are a busy mom you find it difficult to carve out time for prayer. There really can’t be a contemplative time in the day that can be dedicated to Our Lord. So these little moments of quiet can become our prayer time. Maybe that’s why a baby periodically needs a mother in the night. God is, perhaps, calling us to prayer. Perhaps these times He uses to call us to think of Him and to make our vocation of motherhood our constant prayer.

Oliver Twist

I received some inspiration from Melissa Wiley's blog yesterday. She was stating her intention to spend the year with Charles Dickens. Reading his novels in order of publication seems a daunting task to me but I was inspired to pick my copy of Oliver Twist off the shelf where it has languished for many a year and begin. I was quickly immersed. So maybe not a whole year of Dickens but definitely Oliver Twist, The Pickwick Papers, David Copperfield and perhaps The Old Curiosity Shop.

My Computer Geekiness

My friends over at Bruggie Tales posted this quiz, so of course I had to take it. Evidently I am a geek wannabe with some potential. I think I would have scored better had this blog been hosted by my own server. I am working on that but right now I barely have the ambition required to type. Take the test and see how you rate!

A New Book!!!

Happy news from my friend over the at the House of Literature. Cay Gibson is finalizing her new book Catholic Mosaic, Living the Liturgical Year Through Literature and it is expected to be available in the Spring. This is wonderful news for those of us who need a little help in living a literature lifestyle. Cay is an experienced homeschool mom who has already been published in many Catholic publications as well as her first book Literature Alive (which I am posting the order for tomorrow). Great work Cay, I can't wait to see the final product!!!!

O Come Let Us Adore Him...

For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son John 3:16 May the light of our newborn Saviour shine brightly in your hearts. Peace be with you. Merry Chirstmas!

The New York Sun 1897

Since I am in a Santa mood I am re-printing the famous newspaper column. Catch anyone at the New York Times writing this now. The ACLU would tar and feather them. Yes, Virginia, There is a Santa Claus Editorial Page, New York Sun, 1897 We take pleasure in answering thus prominently the communication below, expressing at the same time our great gratification that its faithful author is numbered among the friends of The Sun: I am 8 years old. Some of my little friends say there is no Santa Claus. Papa says, "If you see it in The Sun, it's so." Please tell me the truth, is there a Santa Claus? Virginia O'Hanlon Virginia, your little friends are wrong. They have been affected by the skepticism of a sceptical age. They do not believe except what they see. They think that nothing can be which is not comprehensible by their little minds. All minds, Virginia, whether they be men's or children's, are little. In this great universe of ours, man is a mere insect, an ant, in his intellect as compared with the boundless world about him, as measured by the intelligence capable of grasping the whole of truth and knowledge. Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus. He exists as certainly as love and generosity and devotion exist, and you know that they abound and give to your life its highest beauty and joy. Alas! how dreary would be the world if there were no Santa Claus! It would be as dreary as if there were no Virginias. There would be no childlike faith then, no poetry, no romance to make tolerable this existence. We should have no enjoyment, except in sense and sight. The external light with which childhood fills the world would be extinguished. Not believe in Santa Claus! You might as well not believe in fairies. You might get your papa to hire men to watch in all the chimneys on Christmas eve to catch Santa Claus, but even if you did not see Santa Claus coming down, what would that prove? Nobody sees Santa Claus, but that is no sign that there is no Santa Claus. The most real things in the world are those that neither children nor men can see. Did you ever see fairies dancing on the lawn? Of course not, but that's no proof that they are not there. Nobody can conceive or imagine all the wonders there are unseen and unseeable in the world. You tear apart the baby's rattle and see what makes the noise inside, but there is a veil covering the unseen world which not the strongest man, nor even the united strength of all the strongest men that ever lived could tear apart. Only faith, poetry, love, romance, can push aside that curtain and view and picture the supernal beauty and glory beyond. Is it all real? Ah, Virginia, in all this world there is nothing else real and abiding. No Santa Claus?Thank God he lives and lives forever. A thousand years from now, Virginia, nay 10 times 10,000 years from now, he will continue to make glad the heart of childhood. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!!!

Santa is Getting Ready For Flight

I know a lot of homeschool families don't "do" Santa Claus. If you have, like me, made Santa a part of your holiday celebration then a really enjoyable thing to do is to log on to Norad's Santa Tracking Site. From the site: "NORAD is the bi-national U.S.-Canadian military organization responsible for the aerospace defense of the United States and Canada. NORAD was created by a 1958 agreement between Canada and the United States. This is the 50th Anniversary that NORAD and its predecessor, the Continental Air Defense Command (CONAD) have tracked Santa. The tradition began after a Colorado Springs-based Sears Roebuck & Co. store advertisement for children to call Santa on a special "hotline" included an inadvertently misprinted telephone number. Instead of Santa, the phone number put kids through to the CONAD Commander-in-Chief's operations "hotline." The Director of Operations, Colonel Harry Shoup, received the first "Santa" call on Christmas Eve 1955. Realizing what had happened, Colonel Shoup had his staff check radar data to see if there was any indication of Santa making his way south from the North Pole. Indeed there were signs of Santa and children who called were given an update on Santa's position." If you go to the website they are radar pictures of Santa in a sleigh and his progress around the world. Keep in mind if you live in the Western Hemisphere to start checking early Christmas Eve. Santa starts early on the other side of the world. The site is worth exploring for a wealth of Santa lore. Another cute site is Merriest Place in Cyberspace. The kids can go to Elf School and earn an Elf Diploma. There are Elf buddies and for those who need to be whipped into shape you can log on to Santa's naughty and nice lists and see where everyone stands. If you are feeling particularly merry (or crazy) you can pay $4.95 to call Santa on his sleigh phone. Sounds like the kind of thing a grandma might be talked into doing.

A lily???

You Are A Lily

You are a nurturer and all around natural therapist. People see you as their rock. And they are able to depend on you. You are a soothing influence. You can make people feel better with a few words. Your caring has more of an impact than even you realize.

What Flower Are You?

War on the gingerbread

I spent all afternoon Sunday meticulously decorating a gingerbread Nativity I had baked. I frosted wise men and with a tweezer decorated with silver dragees and sanding sugar. The Holy Family was iced with the appropriate colors and they were all carefully staged around the gingerbread stable and stuck with Royal Icing. It was not the best cookie creation ever, but I was pleased. Yesterday Kevin noticed the whole set up and decided, for some reason, that it made a lovely war game. I don't know why a depiction of the birth of the Prince of Peace brought out the war in Kevin but it did. I found him rolling two tanks through my stable and at the end of the battle there were two headless Wise Men and a broken up baby Jesus. While commiserating on my fallen stable Dave thought it was hilarious. I like to think that in the beatific vision there was some chuckling at my military genius.

Mary Sunday

"I am the handmaid of the Lord," said Mary "let what you have said be done to me." Luke 1:38

Lesson for today is.....

...never leave two year old unattended with a full roll of paper towels!

A Christmas Carol

External heat and cold had little influence on Scrooge. No warmth could warm, no wintry weather chill him. No wind that blew was bitterer than he, no falling snow was more intent upon its purpose, no pelting rain less open to entreaty. Foul weather didn’t know where to have him. The heaviest rain, and snow, and hail, and sleet, could boast of the advantage over him in only one respect. They often “came down” handsomely, and Scrooge never did. This afternoon we began our annual reading of Dicken's A Christmas Carol. The children find the prose a little difficult but are willing to make an effort to get to the ghosts. The above passage was our copy work assignment for today. It makes a wonderful description. This morning we read Country Angel Christmas by Tomie dePaolo. It is an absolutely charming story about some small angels in heaven trying to contribute to the Christmas celebration taking place in heaven. We also re-read, for about the fourth time this Advent, Jan Brett's The Wild Christmas Reindeer. Erin loves this story of Teeka the elf who learns how to tame Santa's reindeer in time for Christmas Eve. We are wallowing in Christmas today...

A Charlie Brown Christmas

Dave went out yesterday to the Christmas tree sale that our parish holds annually. We have always found really nice trees there and it has the benefit of profiting the local Catholic school. A win-win situation. Usually... This year the trees were skimpy and scraggly and my dear husband felt bad that no one was buying them so he bought one. For us. For our tree. It is the most Charlie Brown of Christmas trees with long scraggy branches that droop under the weight of even the lightest of ornaments. He offered to go buy another tree from another tree place and we could use this as our school room tree but I said no. The children didn't notice the difference, they were just thrilled to have a tree and danced around like happy little elves hanging ornaments and exclaiming over the memories they trigger. I have always loved Christmas and I love having a pretty tree but a perfect Christmas does not require a Norman Rockwell tree or even any tree. It requires joy about the coming of Our Saviour, it requires love and then more love. It requires family and church and goodness and peace. So this year the tree is less than perfect. What is perfect is a husband who cares enough about his community to buy an ugly tree, children who are so enchanted by the magic of the season that they don't see an ugly tree and a wonderful and giving Heavenly Father who has provided for us so well and with so much more than we deserve.

Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe

Our Lady of Guadalupe, mystical rose, intercede for the Holy Church, protect the Sovereign Pontiff, help all who invoke thee in their necessities. Since thou art the ever Virgin Mary and Mother of the true God, obtain for us from thy most holy Son the grace of a firm faith, unceasing hope, an ardent love, and the precious gift of final perseverance. Amen

This one is a keeper!

When you have a few minutes go over the Bruggie Tales blog and try this amazing cookie recipe. Erin made these wonderful molasses cookies for us a little while ago. The whole house smells terrific and they were quite easy to do.

A Day That Will Live In Infamy

At 7:55 a.m. on this day in 1941 a treacherous attack took place at Pearl Harbor. An assault on the freedom of the American people. By 1:00 p.m. there were 2,403 dead, 188 destroyed planes and a crippled Pacific fleet. Despite all of this, six months later the brave men whose lives are dedicated to our freedom began the fight at Midway Island which led to the complete destruction of the Japanese forces in the Pacific. Let's not forget those who gave their lives and those who fought so valiantly for our freedom. Let's pray for those who continue their legacy of courage and selflessness today. Thank you great warriors. Be safe and God bless you.

Dental Epidemic

There seems to be an epidemic of dental appointments in the Catholic homeschooling world. I took all five children yesterday for check-ups as did Cay and Danielle Bean. Funny. The appointment went well. The good news was.... 1. Kelli loves getting her teeth cleaned. 2. Erin's six year molars are all in. 3. Ryan was great about getting a small filling. 4. Katie was a terrific patient too. 5. They were all really well behaved. The bad news was... 1. It cost more than my couch. Way more.... 2. Kevin does not like getting his teeth cleaned and protested...loudly. 3. There is a rash of teeth brushing around here today which might seem like good news but you aren't here cleaning my bathroom. 4. Erin needs to get sealants on her new molars. 5. That will cost more than my coffee table. We had a 1:30 p.m. appointment and they managed to get us out within about an hour which is not bad. They are pediatric dentists specializing in special needs children. We began by just taking Ryan but the other kids wanted to go too. The office has two giant video machines. There are a few playstations and a tv tuned to Nickelodean. There are tons of toys and stuffed animals to play with and while you are in the chair you can watch tv or look at the murals painted on the ceiling. When you leave each child is handed a balloon, a goody bag containing a piggy bank, a coloring book, crayons, a toothbrush and a cache of stickers. It's nice but I wish they would just charge less. I need a new couch.

A Little Less Pink

A wonderful homeschooling mom and author left me a comment with a suggestion on how to change the blog to lavender. Find the background color area in the template, erase what is there and type in lavender. Sounds easy. I tried that and all of my text disappeared. So I typed in purple and the text returned in purple. Whew, getting there. It'll be Lent by the time I figure this out so the purple will still work. Sometimes it's the easiest solution that is the best and it takes someone else to point out the obvious. I was struggling with HTML language, it never occured to me to try the actual color.

Happy Saint Nicholas Day!

Dear St. Nicholas, in this most holy time of year when we look forward to the celebration of the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ, help us to focus our minds on Him rather than on self-centered, worldly celebrations. Pray for us that we will take time to reflect on His Incarnation. And dear St. Nicholas, may we have a generous spirit like yours and a constant and abundant love for others. Amen. The children found many treats in the shoes they left out last night. Check out St. Nicholas Center for other traditions and information about this great and holy man.

Second Sunday of Advent

"Since everything is coming to an end like this, you should be living holy and saintly lives while you wait and long for the Day of God to come, when the sky will dissolve in flames and the elements melt in the heat. What we are waiting for is what he promised: the new heavens and new earth, the place where righteousness will be at home. So then, my friends, while you are waiting, do your best to live lives without spot or stain so that he will find you at peace." 2 Peter 3:8 - 14

Advent Books

Inspired by the inspiring work of Elizabeth Foss over at the 4 Real Forum we have been doing some special Advent activities and reading. Elizabeth has some wonderful plans for Tomie de Paolo'a books about Christmas. She also has a plan for Jan Brett's Gingerbread Baby. We are using these plans as well as reading: Christmas Lullaby, by Nancy Jewell The Christmas Story, Illuminated by Isabelle Brent Mary Mother of Jesus, Tomie de Paolo Christmas Trolls, Jan Brett The Story of Christmas, Vivian French & Jane Chapman Who Was Born This Special Day? by Eve Bunting & Leonid Gore Visions of Christmas A Renaissance Nativity The Wild Christmas Reindeer, Jan Brett

Pink?

Why is the Bonny Blue House pink? I was making an effort to decorate for Advent and was using my minimal HTML skills to change some colors. Anyway, it's a long story and I don't come off too well in it. I ended up having to switch to a template provided by the blog host and in doing so swept away my sidebar (see I told you I didn't come off well in this) so pink it is. Still an Advent color but not the look I was going for. Live and learn. It was an opportunity to do some new things on the sidebar and I hope to post some other things of interest soon. I am looking into launching my own website, this will take some time because it requires skill. I have no skill. Dave and I were joking the other evening about the dead languages we know. BASIC, COBAL, FORTRAN.... Anyone who went to college in the 80's will know what I am talking about. Anyone else will need to check an excyclopedia.

Advent

One of the wonderful things about having the children home all day id that we can do so much more for the different Liturgical Seasons. The last week or so I have been teaching them about Liturgical Seasons in the church. Now we can incorporate Advent right into our whole school day and live the season in a meaningful way. This would be completely impossible if they were in school all day. Last year in Advent I hosted a St. Nicholas party ably assisted by the good people at the St. Nicholas Center. We had a great deal of fun making St. Nicholas puppets, learning the life of this great saint and then that night we put out our shoes and were surprised by the treats left in them. I will continue this tradition. The Feast of the Immaculate Conception is December 8th. After Mass we will read Tomie de Paola's Mary Mother of Jesus. The Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe is on December 12th. We read the beautiful story of St. Juan Diego and the promise of Our Lady in Tomie de Paola's lovely book Our Lady of Guadalupe and make paper roses. This year we may even try to make a tilma. December 13th is the feast of St. Lucy, virgin and martyr. On this day on Sweden it is customary for the eldest daughter to don a white gown, crimson sash and stockings and a wreath with candles on her head. She then awakens her family at dawn to serve them hot coffee and saffron bread. I could probably get Katie in the outfit (not real candles - grandparents relax) but I am thinking she will balk at getting up at dawn. However it is a Croatian custom to plant the Christmas wheat on the feast of St. Lucy. So if I can scare up some wheat seeds we will do this. The story of the martyr will have to be carefully edited for my little ones but it is a worthwhile exercise to teach the importance of purity and living God's will for your life. On December 17th we begin the "O Antiphons". We touched on this a bit last year but I would like to delve more deeply this Advent. These antiphons address Christ with seven magnificent Messianic titles, based on the Old Testament prophecies and types of Christ. "The "O" Antiphons are the verses for the ancient hymn O Come, O Come Emmanuel. The first letter of the Messianic titles: Emmanuel, Rex, Oriens, Clavis, Radix, Adonai, Sapientia spell out Latin words ERO CRAS, meaning, "Tomorrow, I will come." (source: .Catholic Culture). It is a really rich study of redemption, one which I hope will become more meaningful to us each year. So that is the plan for Advent. Of course, we will continue Math, Science, Latin and all of the other things but for Art, Music, Literature and Writing this season shall provide it's own curriculum. Hopefully I will get around to posting a more complete booklist soon

Post Holiday Bliss

Things I LOVE about the day after Thanksgiving..... Not going out to shop. I honestly can not figure out why people subject themselves to this. I was barraged this morning with no less than twenty-five emails from different catalog companies and stores announcing their free shipping offers and sale prices. Why go out? It's cold, it's crowded, there is traffic, there is no where to park and all of this conspires to turn reasonable people into lunatics. So I spend some time looking at all of the emails and if there is anything interesting I will order from the comfort of my dining room table. Sitting with a steaming cup of coffee and wearing my fuzzy slippers. Turkey sandwiches for lunch. Lightly toasted wheat bread with slice or two of turkey, press on some stuffing and a dollop of cranberry sauce. Yummy. Clearing out the fall decor. I love to decorate for the seasons with things from nature but by this weekend the pumpkins, gourds and wheat is all looking pretty sad. To the compost heap it goes. The ceramic pumpkin and some dried flower arrangements get wrapped up and stored. Advent is coming!! So the advent wreath is out now and I am going out later to a local religious store to buy new candles. I pulled out our Holy Family statues and new Nativity Set I just bought from Julie's Stuff. Friday night rosary. Wherever we go on Thanksgiving we all come together on Friday to share our love of our faith and to pray with and for each other. Another thing for which I am truly grateful.

Happy Thanksgiving

Things for which I am grateful... An eight year old who wants to learn to cook... A ten year old who makes beautiful music all day... A six year old who is filled with joy... A three year old who knows all and tells it... A two year old who adores mommy... A husband who works for 10 or 12 hours a day and then comes home and empties the dishwasher... Friends who make me laugh... Parents who have loved me always... A laptop to keep in touch with everyone... Internet friends... Homeschooling my chick-a-dees.... My new digital camera (which I will learn to use this weekend)... Hot coffee...all day A nice glass of wine... The bonny blue house...

You're gonna love this one...

I honestly couldn't believe this article. I came across a reference to this at LifeSite and I had to check it out. It's true, there is a website called Teaching Tolerance which is a web division of the Southern Poverty Law Center. On this website is an article by Rebecca S. Bigler, Ph.D., is an associate professor of psychology at the University of Texas at Austin. She seems quite accomplished. She also seems nuts. I am not even go into the drippingly sweet idiocy of calling a website Teaching Tolerance. Suffice to say I could go make a meal of it. The premise of the article is that all over the nation, every morning teachers address their students by saying "good morning boys and girls" and this is incredibly damaging. Evidently it promotes stereotyping to acknowledge that there are, in fact, boys and girls in the room. Dr. Bigler goes on (and on and on...) about how the use of gender to label students has a negative effect on their ability to shape the proper gender attitudes. The entire fate of future gender equality is in grave jeopardy because of a few teachers who are polite enough to say good morning in a pleasant manner. This is wrong and the politically correct police who insist on trying to equate what can not be quantified are doing so much harm in this country it will take generations to recover. Here is a news flash for the good Dr. Bigler. MEN AND WOMEN ARE DIFFERENT AND IT IS OK TO TREAT THEM DIFFERENTLY. IT IS OK TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT GIRLS AND BOYS ARE NOT THE SAME. Now before everyone freaks out I am not talking about issues of life and liberty. No one person is any more valuable than any other person. Hear that NARAL?! Preborn to natural death. The word equal has morphed into this talisman for the politically correct crowd. Equality is fine when we are talking about equal pay for equal work or health benefits for employees. When we are talking about roles for men and women it screws up more than it helps. To recognize that Our Creator gave us different strengths, weaknesses and abilities that actually complement those of the opposite gender is just doing justice to ourselves and recognizing that God knew what He was doing. Nothing screws up a marriage like trying to be completely equal. We've all seen these couples who have all of these elaborate rules designed to make sure that neither one of them does more chores or has more responsibilities than the other. It is like a big balance sheet hanging over the marriage and it becomes a dark and evil force. "If I cook dinner, then he HAS to clean the kitchen." "I put gas in the car last week so now you have to go put gas in the car this week." "I mow the lawn so she MUST rake the leaves." All of these statements uttered in prayer to the god of equality and all them incredibly damaging to a relationship. It denies that love and commitment require sacrifice. It makes light of those sacrifices and diminishes the value of God's grace in marriage. Dr. Bigler also fails to address what the effect of gender neutrality has on a child's sense of self. If little boys can not be encouraged to think of themselves as little boys what kind of men will they be? Girls too need to be treated as little girls to help them become the women they were created to be. This equality agenda seeks to reduce us to a sameness that robs us of our uniqueness of being. It is a great deal more grievous than this "inequality" language this academician is so concerned about. Little girls, for the most part gravitate towrd the twirly dresses and baby dolls. Little boys to swords, plastic army men and anything that makes a lot of noise and lights up. It is as it should be. To Dr. Bigler I would say relax and start worrying about some of the real injustices in the world. If you are unsure of what they are email me - I'll provide you a list

Happy Anniversary

Thirteen years may seem like a long time, unless you are as happily married as I am. For us thirteen years equals five children, two apartments, two houses, three cars two minivans, two swingsets, three VCRs, two refrigerators, three washing machines, two dryers, sixty million loads of wash, five cameras, two camcorders, three computers, and about ten million diapers changed. There have been priceless memories, happy times, countless blessings, and five joyous miracles. Thank you for a wonderful life.

A great answer to an oft asked question.

I too have been asked why I don't put the kids in school, especially given Ryan's increasingly difficult medical problems. Melissa Peterson is the wonderful author of the Little House on the Prairie Series depicting the Martha years. She writes the books about Laura Ingalls Wilder's grandmother and her childhood. I have only read two of them so far but they are wonderful. Lissa is also an experienced homeschool mom whose youngest child has a serious hearing impairment. Because she is now expecting her fifth baby Lissa has been asked the same question and wrote eloquently on her blog about homeschooling life and why it is more suitable for a family with a challenged learner. Check out her wisdom here. You'll have to scroll down a bit to the post entitled "In Case You Were Wondering" on November 17th as I am having trouble linking directly to the post.

Another Lie....

Could anyone not see this coming? When are the feminists going to get incensed about the fact that drug companies lie to them on a conintual basis. Telling them that these chemicals are safe only to come back a few years later and say, "oops - by the way this might kill you." Here's a flash for everyone. Birth control is not healthy. It is not medicine and you are trying to fix something that is not broken. Cut it out. Live longer. Have kids, enjoy the benefits of big families. To quote John Paul II, "deprive your children of anything except brothers and sisters".

Score!!!

Erin scored three goals this morning in her soccer game. She also had one awesome assist. That was her first half. Second half she played in goal and didn't let one thing past her. Her team won 7 - 0.

Hospital Stay Continued.....

Well we were supposed to be out of there on Thursday. When the nuerologist came to see Ryan and I on Thursday morning she told us that they did not yet have enough information to really medicate Ryan's seizures so we had to stay longer. The poor kid was devastated. He wanted out of there in the worst way. Dad, as usual, was able to save the day. With the generous help of the dearest friend that ever lived, Dave left the kids in her capable hands and came to the hospital bearing Doritos and Gatorade. The effect on Ryan's brain was comical. The EEG monitor showed all kinds of crazy lines when he caught sight of the big blue bag. When Dave left there were some tears but he was finally able to settle down and sleep. When he had been asleep about 15 minutes a nurse came in with the idea that she was going to wake him up and take his temperature. I soon pointed out to her that this could be dangerous to her own well being. When I told her that I didn't want him disturbed until the morning she was quick to point out that it was hospital policy to do a "stat" review every two hours. I had to inform her of my personal policy of never waking a sleeping child. Particularly one that is distressed. There was a brief but intense discussion. The hospital policy was suspended in Ryan's case until 6:00 a.m. I try very hard not be a pain in these situations but this was an argument that I did not intend to lose. Wake up my poor little guy? I don't think so! Anyway, he did end up having several seizures between Thursday evening and Friday morning. Three of them I caught and two I missed. So his meds have been nearly tripled and he is very happy to be home. When the nurse brought me the discharge papers she asked Ryan if he would like to ride out in a wheelchair. "No thanks," he says, "I'll just run". And we did.

My Hero

When you think of heroes you often imagine those that keep up safe and protect us. At least I do. I think of firemen and police officers and all of the brave soldiers who live and die for our freedom. Today I witnessed a different kind of heroism. It is a little lower key and less showy than burning buildings and gun fights but in its own way these little acts of heroism require just as much courage. The courage to put aside your fear and think of others first. I am sitting here in room 315 of Schneider Children’s Hospital. Ryan has a bunch of leads glued to his head and a gauze wrapped cap holding it all down. The leads are connected to a box which has been placed in a Shark Tales back pack. He wears the back pack, which is connected by a long cord to a plug in the wall, to the bathroom but that is as far as he can go. We’ve gone about twelve times. The doctor is trying to get a better handle on what kind of seizures he is having. The seizures are less frequent than they were in the past but the memory loss and other effects last longer now. It is a little disturbing. Anyway the poor kid was in the admitting office for three hours, then on to the lab where they hooked him up. After about forty-five minutes of that we got to his room where he and I would spend the night. He immediately asked for his guitar. I told him to play softly as the little girl in the bed next to him was sleeping. He was softly playing Margaritaville and signing along when three staff neurologists stopped by. They were just listening to him play. Eventually they had to go off and do some work (at least I am assuming that’s what they did – they may have gone off to buy Jimmy Buffet CDs) and then he attracted a few nurses. All in all about ten people stopped by to listen and sing-a-long. Here is this child who is hot, itchy and uncomfortable. He wants nothing more than to home and he is afraid to move because he thinks the leads will pull and hurt him. Yet he still finds it within himself to play his music and let others enjoy his talent. He patiently answers questions about his guitar, his lessons and his preferences in music. When everyone had left and he put down the guitar he reached over and rubbed my shoulder, “don’t worry it’ll be ok,” he said. He may never learn square roots or what happened at Pearl Harbor. Philosophy and geometry may always remain a mystery to him. Yet somehow this extraordinary child knows when his mother needs reassurance. He knows that he is loved beyond words and he knows that sharing his gifts and his love is his primary purpose. He knows so much and I have so much to learn. He is truly my hero.

Loving the Laundry

Last weekend I had the opportunity to help a local Catholic School raise some money. I used to do event planning when I worked for Morgan Stanley and someome at the school got hold of that information. Since that time I have been asked to help oiut with a few events. This one was an American Girl Fashion Show. Before you get all upset with me, let me tell you that this was not an easy situation. The connection with Girls Inc. was revealed only after a great deal of money has already been spent by Our Lady of Hope and Our Lady of Perpetual Help Schools to mail over 25,000 invitations, place ads and another $5000.00 commitment to American Girl which had to be paid whether the show went on or not. There were many meetings and the conclusion of the lawyers for OLH and both pastors was that the show had to go on but would not be repeated. So we had about 100 girls modeling over two days in four shows. The girls wore both historical and contemporary outfits and carried a doll in the same outfit. It was great fun for the girls and I really enjoyed how much their little faces were lit up as they paraded down the runway. What has this got to do with laundry? Well I will tell you. I spent all day and a large portion of the night on Friday at the school helping decorate, I spent all day Saturday and Sunday from very early in the morning until late working at the show (my feet hurt until Tuesday) and I didn’t see my children at all. Katie and Erin were in the show Saturday but I was seriously missing my family. Dave had kept up with the laundry in that he washed and dried it but faced with about twenty pairs of little girl underpants he gave up on folding. He has no idea what belongs to who and made no attempt to get the right stuff into the right drawer. Normally I am not a big fan of laundry but after having been gone for a while I was reveling in the mundane domestic task that filled most of Monday morning. There were four full baskets and I took my time smoothing wrinkles and folding things “just so”. It somehow restored my soul. To connect with my family and to perform these tasks for them brought me back to my vocation. It strengthened my resolve to never again get involved in such a big project while my family is young and needs me. It was as if God was gently nudging me, telling me that my place is here and these little people need me more than others do. I got the message. So the rest of the day was spent reading books and tidying up our little corner of the world. Erin and I baked cookies, Katie caught me up on everything everyone did while I was absent and Kevin remained glued to my feet. It was a great day

Mr. Poppers Penguins

Mr. Popper’s Penguins By Richard and Florence Atwater In the city of Stillwater there was a man called Mr. Popper his wife Mrs. Popper and their children named Janie and Bill. The lived at 432 Proudfoot Avenue. Mr. Popper was a housepainter who wanted to travel all over the world. Mr. Popper loved to read books about the artic. He even wrote a letter to Admiral Drake who was an explorer in the South Pole. One day while listening to the radio Mr. Popper heard Admiral Drake say hello to him on the radio. Mrs. Popper was so surprised and Mr. Popper was so excited because the Admiral said he would send him a surprise! One day, a month later, the mailman brought a large wooden box. There was a penguin in it. Mr. Popper was very happy. He named the penguin Captain Cook. Captain Cook was helpful around the house. He played with the children and everyone loved having him there. After a while Mrs. Popper noticed Captain Cook wasn’t feeling too well. She checked his temperature and it was 104 degrees. The Poppers called the vetenarian and he said that penguins were not meant for this hot climate. There was nothing he could do. HE gave them some pills for Captain Cook and left. The Poppers were very upset to see Captain Cook ill. They did not know what to do. Mr. Popper’s heart was breaking, their life would be so dull without Captain Cook. Mr. Popper decided to write a letter to Dr. Smith at the aquarium. Two days later they received a letter back. Dr. Smith said that Captain Cook might be lonely. He said he would send another penguin to the Poppers. That is how Great came to live at 432 Proudfoot Avenue. Captain Cook did not die. Now there were two penguins in the refrigerator, one standing up and one sitting under the ice box. Mr. Popper moved Captain Cook and Greta into the cellar. It was there that Greta laid her first egg. Three days later there was another egg and soon another. When the penguins hatched they were called Nelson, Columbus and Lucy. It wasn’t long before the family grew to twelve penguins. The Poppers needed to make some extra money to feed all of the penguins. They decided to train the penguins to dance and perform and Mrs. Popper would play the piano. Mr. Popper saw and article in the paper saying that the owner of the Palace theatre was in town. The whole Popper family and the whole penguin family went down to see him. His name was Mr. Greenbaum. It turned out that on that day the tightrope workers could not perform so Popper’s Performing Penguins went on instead. The audience loved them. The Popper family and the penguins went on the road. While they were in New York Mr. Popper mistakenly brought his penguins to the wrong theatre where there were seals performing. The seals and the penguins had a fight, caused a scene and Mr. Popper and the penguins were thrown in jail for a few weeks. Admiral Drake read about it in the newspaper and bailed them out. Admiral Drake wanted to take the penguins to the North Pole to start a new race of penguins there. Meanwhile a Mr. Klien made the Poppers an offer to put the penguins in movies for $25,000. Mr. Popper decided it would be best for the penguins to go with Admiral Drake. At the end of the story Mr. Popper went to the North Pole too. I loved this story very much. It was super funny. A Book Review by Katie

Summertime in the Big Woods

Summertime in the Big Woods There were two girls named Laura and Mary they were sisters. They had a baby sister named Carrie. They lived in a little house made of logs in the Big Woods. The Big Woods were in Wisconsin. They had a good old bulldog named Jack. It was summertime in the Big Woods and the whole family was busy. Pa worked in the fields, Laura and Mary gathered eggs and helped Ma. Their friends came to visit. Laura and Mary went to visit Mrs. Peterson. They liked to do this because she makes nice cookies to eat on the way home. They saved some of the cookie for Carrie. They were good at sharing. Ma made some cheese in the summer. Mary and Laura likes cheese because it squeaked in their teeth. One day Pa came home with a surprise, honeycomb. For dinner they all had a lot of honey.Pa told them that the tree was hollow but filled with honey. Laura felt bad for the bees but told there was plenty of honey left for them. So she felt better. After dinner Laura and Mary helped Ma wash the dishes. Then they went to bed. The End. A Narration by Erin Barrett

A lesson learned

Every so often your kids hit one out of the park for you. Ryan has been on a hitting streak lately that rivals Reggie Jackson in the late 70's. First off, the flood. For a kid who has sensory problems spending several hours ankle deep in cold, dirty water while listening to a bunch of pumps and a shop-vac is tatamount to torture. He didn't complain (something I can't really claim) and he pitched in and worked as hard as anybody. Ryan is also a person who doesn't function well in disorder and the house was just a wreck for several days after the flood so he could have been off-kilter (as I was) but he was fine. Then came the EEG. He was ordered to undergo a sleep-deprived EEG. This meant he had to be kept up until 2:00 a.m. and then be woken at 6:00 a.m. driven to a hospital and have about 40 electrodes glued to his head and lay still for 20 minutes. That would have made me crazy. Actually, it did make Dave and I crazy because we are the ones who had to stay up with him. We were like the walking dead the next day. He was fine. Performed like a champ for the EEG and was very well behaved the whole day. Dave and I though, were quite cranky. The final Grand Slam was the boys choir. A dear friend called to tell me that our parish was looking for a few more boys for the boys choir. Would Ryan like to join? That was a big yes. Ryan's two greatest loves are the Mass and music. To combine them both is his greatest joy. I was, however, very conflicted. He wanted so badly to do this and I wanted him to do it but a room full of ten year old boys? Would he behave? Would he stand out? Would they make fun of him? Quite frankly I was a little panicked. On the day of the first practice we arrive at the music room and there was a parakeet flying loose in the room. No one could figure out how it got there and about ten little boys were whooping and hollering at the poor little thing, chasing it around the room. Ryan is terrified of birds - all animals actually. I thought, "well this is not going to work." I told Ryan that if he was going to be upset by the bird that we would have to leave. If he chose to stay he would have to not pay any attention to the bird. He assured me that he wanted to sing and he would not be afraid of the bird. Frankly, I thought that this was unlikely and that there was going to be some kind of scene involving him, screaming and the bird. I then told the choir master about his being autistic but gifted musically. I told him that if he felt Ryan was incapable of this I would not bring him anymore. He kind of gave me a funny look and shooed me away. I said a quick prayer to St. Cecilia, patroness of musicians and left. "He was the best behaved kid here." That was the phrase I was greeted with an hour later when I came back to pick him up. "He was great," said the cantor. They probably thought I was the one with the serious disability. Sometimes I am the more disbledof the two of us. That Sunday as I sat at Mass and prayed for my oldest child I heard his sweet voice carry over the others and there was such peace in this mother's heart. I was immensely grateful for the what God had revealed to me that week. My son was clearly being loved and protected by our Almighty Father and he would always find his way through his prayers and his gift and the Mass. Ryan knew he would be fine and his faith in God showed me clearly that mine was lacking. He is truly my path to heaven. My son, my teacher.

Oktoberfest

This weekend we had our second annual Oktoberfest. Usually we have the whole thing outdoors. Well it rained and rained and rained. You get the picture. We decided to go ahead and have the party because so many people came from out of town. So there were tents set up in the back which no one could sit under due to rain and wind of biblical proportions. And we put the covering on the deck so I could have the food set up out there. There was no room in the house for two long tables of food. I had about 100 people and it actually all worked out fine. The kids had a blast and even ventured out on to the zip-line in the rain. They had to abandon the whole thing pretty quickly when it began to come down in buckets but that just added to the adventure. We had the outdoor fireplace going and for a while it was warmer outside than in the house. Some of our braver musicians ventured out there to play. That's Dave's sister Allison and our friend Dan. Ryan chose to entertain in the house. He played a few Jimmy Buffet selections and then moved on to some Christian rock type stuff. He really brought the house down. He was ably accompanied by Sarah our virtuoso violinist. Chris and Theresa toughed it out on the deck... and others stayed warm and dry. There were teenagers, and toddlers.... and lots of cute babies. All in all a great party. Soggy but great.

Ding, Ding, Ding

That was the school bell. As of Wednesday, October 19th school was back in session. We cleaned, dried and generally threw out a bunch of stuff and with the installation of new carpet the schoolroom looks wonderful. For now.

The Ceaseless Rain is Falling Fast...

The pool pump working on the coal room, yes those are heavy paint cans floating! Those words of Longfellow's never seemed so applicable as they did this past Friday. I called David and asked him to come home early because the ceiling in our bedroom was leaking. It had been raining in sheets for a good eight hours and coupled with the previous eight days of rain I felt our roof was sagging under the burden. This turned out to be the least of our worries. Dave came home and got up on the roof in high winds and rain to find the source. He wasn't able to so I called the handyman, who was up to his eyeballs in leaky roofs, and left a message for him to come when he could. I went downstairs to throw some laundry in the dryer and found a large puddle on the floor. Dave got the shop-vac and as he was vacuuming up the water we discovered that the old coal room in the basement had about 12 to 14 inches of water. This was the lowest it would be for about 12 hours. Within a very short time the water began to flow in from every nook and cranny in the foundation. The kids were frantically running upstairs with armloads of books and toys. We called our friend Joe who arrived with the best work crew in town, his three oldest children. Angelica, Sara and Joe proceeded to work like dogs alongside Katie, Erin and Ryan. It took six kids, three adults, two sump pumps, a pool pump and a sixteen gallon shop-vac about six straight hours of bailing to keep the water at an even ankle height. At about 11:00 p.m. the rain finally ceased and our dear friends went home. They truly saved the day. Without that momumental effort we might still be under water. Some of our neighbors are not so lucky in friendship and as of this morning they are still pumping. My carpet is in tatters on the front lawn, we lost some books and quite a few puzzles. I lost a few sewing patterns and my mop gave up the fight and died. For the most part though, this was not a big deal. The basement is dry as a bone, thanks to two de-humidifiers going non-stop (I can't imagne what the electric bill will be) and a new carpet will be installed tomorrow. We have sore shoulders and backs but nothing a little Tylenol and a glass of wine didn't ease. We lost very little. We gained a great deal. The kids learned that hard work and teamwork can be fun. They learned a great lesson in loving your neighbor and the bonds of friendship. They learned that God provides what we need and turns dark hours in our life into great spotlights of warmth if we allow Him to do so. I again had the oppotunity to gain insight into Dave. He is a man who can cope with any manner of crisis. He always knows what to do, what tool to use and who to call. His ingenuity and problem solving abilities always amaze me and while I am more apt to rail against fortune his "let's just do it" attitude keeps me focused. We gained the great gift of friends who will do anything for you. Including spending a Friday night ankle deep in dirty water hauling buckets upstairs. Throw in the homeschooling mother who thinks it is a good time for a geography quiz about state capitals and you have some kids who are going straight to heaven. The kids made the best of it, worked hard and actually seemed to have fun. (Dave and Angelica working hard) Just that morning I had finished a novena to St. Theresa, the Little Flower for Ryan,. I was asking for her intercession with his reading comprehension. That morning I was praying and asking help in finding my own "little way" to become more humble and helpful. As I was scooping water from the floor into a bucket with my hands that night I got it. "OK," I said to St. Theresa, "I get it, do each little thing for love of Jesus." So each scoop became a pledge of love and each bucket became a sacrifice for Ryan. It was so easy then to smile and have peace about what was happening. Then I started to get silly and ask the kids questions about how we should use our new body of water. A koi pond was the best suggestion. Honestly at that point it seemed like a good idea. Well, that was Friday. By Saturday morning all the standing water was gone. Dave and I ripped wet carpet out (Note: wet carpet and padding is very, very heavy and cimbersome) and I went to the carpet store to order more. I suggested they set up some kind of frequent buyer program for me. They didn't do that but they did give me 5% off and a quick install. Very nice people. We can skip the measuring process since they have my whole house on the computer. So here I sit among the furniture, toys and pantry items that should be neatly stored away downstairs, waiting for carpet. Trying to do school work (we can't find some books - I have a sneaking suspicion they were deliberatley misplaced) and offering it all up. St. Theresa may be chuckling.

A Narration by Katie

Leif the Lucky By Ingrid & Edgar Parin D’Aulaire This book is about a young boy named Leif, he was the youngest in his family. They lived 1000 years ago. His father was Erik the Red. He was called that because of his red hair. Erik the Red was a Viking leader. He was very strong and he had a quick temper. He was in a fight and was banned from Norway. When he was banned from Norway he sailed to Iceland where he built a farm and got married. Soon he was fighting again and had to leave Iceland. He sailed to a new land. He did not know the name of it but we call it Greenland. Erik built houses and he called the village Brattali. He had three sons the youngest was Leif. He grew up very strong as the cheiftan’s son. He learned from his father to hunt seals but sometimes he got so excited he forgot to whisper under his breath and he said “I’ll catch you” very loudly. Then he would scare seal away. When Leif was older he liked to hear sailor stories and one time this man named Bjarne told everyone about how he sailed off course and he saw a land but he was too scared to go ashore and explore. Leif then wanted to see the land for himself and explore it. He decided right then that someday he would go. One night Leif had a dream about how he threw two spears at once. He could play with three swords and run along the blades of the oars while his men rowed them. He wanted to sail to the court of the glorious king. When he was grown up he sailed to Norway to meet the king of his dream. When he got to the King’s hall everyone was eating. When the king stopped eating everyone was supposed to stop. A little fat man did not see the king stop and continued to eat. The king was very, very mad and told his servants to get a big bowl of porridge and the man had to eat it. The king wanted to kill him with overeating. The man ate until belt broke, his shoelaces broke and his cheeks turned blue. The little fat man begged to kill some other way. The king spared him. The king saw Leif then and told him to come into the hall. Leif gave King Olav gifts. The king was pleased. King Olav was Catholic and Leif was not so the king taught Leif about the Catholic faith. After King Olav taught Leif everything he knew about the faith he asked him to return to Greenland and spread the gospel of Jesus Christ. Leif sailed off to the West and got stuck in a fog. They were lost. When the fog lifted Leif saw land with trees and flowers. He got off the boat to explore the land. He sent Haig and Haigie to see if there were any people. Haig and Haigie were given to Leif by King Olav to help him. They did not find any people but they found fruit trees and many good things to eat. Leif and his men stayed all through the summer. When Leif started off home to Greenland he saw people stranded on a big glacier, so he sailed off course to go help those people. He saved them and then sailed back on course to Greenland. When he reached home his father came to greet him. Leif brought back wine, grapes, and lumber to his father. Erik was angry that Leif was now a Catholic. He did not want to serve only one God he liked the old gods. Leif’s mother became a Catholic and he baptized her and almost everyone in the village of Brattali. After his mother was baptized she told all the new Christians to build a church in Brattali. They built a beautiful church with a cross on the roof. Later he made another voyage to Vinland and his brothers Torvald and Torstein also made a voyage. Torstein was lost at sea and his widow Gudrid came to live at Brattali. She was a lovely lady. When a merchantman named Torfinn came to Brattali they fell in love and got married. They wanted to go to Vinland and Leif did all that he could to help them. He even gave them his house and Haig and Haigie. They sailed with 150 Norseman including Leif, cattle and household goods. They sailed toward Vinland. First they stopped at an island they called Stone Slab Land. After leaving there they sailed along the shore for a very long time until they came into a fjord. There was a current and in the middle of the current was an island. The island had so many birds and eggs that they had to walk on their tip toes. Torfinn sent out Haig and Haigie to see what they could find. When they came back three days later they had grape vines and wisps of grain. Torfinn knew then that they weren’t far from Vinland so he put ashore his cattle to graze. They stayed through the winter and there was enough food. That winter Torfinn and Gudrid had a baby boy. Torfinn named him Snorre. He was the first white person to be born in the Americas. In the spring Torfinn set sail for Vinland. The native people of Vinland found the Norseman. The Norseman called them Skraellinger. They traded items and got along very well. The Norseman gave the Skraellinger red cloth to wear. The red cloth aggravated Torfinn’s big bull. The Skraellinger had never seen a bull before and they very afraid and ran away from the bull. The Norseman laughed at the Skraellinger left. Three weeks later the Skraellinger came back in great numbers to fight. The Norseman no longer felt safe in Vinland so they left and on their way home to Greenland they saw Skraellinger whenever they came close to shore. They passed by Forest Land and Stone Slab Land as they sailed. They stopped once and caught two Skraellinger boys and took them onto the ship. When they returned home everyone agreed that the Skraellinger made Vinland too dangerous to live in. The boys learned the language of the Norseman and told stories of their people. Torfinn and Gudrid left for Iceland where they sold the fine furs and wood they found in Vinland. They became rich. Leif stayed in Greenland. After his death the story of Leif the Lucky, the first white man to discover the Americas, lived on. Katie Barrett October 17, 2005

Imogene's Antlers

A Narration by Erin Imogene’s Antlers By David Small One Thursday Imogene woke up and had grown antlers in the night. It was hard for her to get dressed. It was hard for her to get through the door. She even got hooked up on the chandelier when she was going downstairs. Her mother fainted when she saw Imogene. They called the doctor and he came and could not find anything wrong. Her principal came and looked very angry. Her brother Norman looked in the encyclopedia to find out what happened. He thought she turned into an elk. Imogene’s mother fainted again. The maid hung towels on her antlers to dry. The cook gave her a donut and then hung some on her antlers and then Imogene went outside to feed the birds in the garden. All of the birds came to eat donuts. Imogene went upstairs to her mother’s room and her mother said that she had to wear a hat. Norman called a milliner. The milliner came and made a big hat with bows, and flowers and wings. Imogene’s mother fainted again. After dinner Imogene practiced her piano lesson with candles on her antlers. Then she went to bed. She went to sleep with her dolls. On Friday when she woke up and came downstairs everyone was happy because she was back to normal, until she came all the way into the room. She had grown a peacock’s tail.

Clearing the closets

Today is a light school day due to the holiday. Just some math and a Columbus lesson. The rest of the day is being spent cleaning out the closets and putting in the heavy clothes. Kevin has been his usual big help. When he saw the Thomas the Tank Engine sweatshirt he immediately stripped and wiggled into it. Then he emptied a tub and climbed in. Don't worry I won't be storing him in the attic.

Yankee Fever

Something about this team is magic. I am fairly convinced God is a Yankee fan. How else they can continually come from behind and win is a mystery. Rivera is a gift from God. I was up too late and I predict I will be again tonight.

Deck Schooling

Looks comfy doesn't it. SInce the weather is so nice and I am remembering how much cabin fever we get in February I have been doing "deck school" as often as possible. This picture was taken yesterday afternoon. This morning we had school on deck as a matter of necessity. Yesterday while baking I made the mistake of using too small a pan for a cake. There was a BIG mess in the bottom of the oven so this morning afer breakfast was cleaned up and school began I turned on the self-cleaning. About ten minutes later we were driven out of the house through clouds of smoke. Tears streaming down my face I was running in and out bringing out school supplies. I then spent the next hour teaching on the deck and silently praying that none of my neighbors would notice the smoke pouring out of every window in my house and call the fire department. No one did. I don't know if I am relieved or annoyed that I could potentially burn to death and no one here would notice. All's well that ends well. The oven is clean the smoke cleared and the children got some fresh air while doing their math and religion.

Apples, Pumpkins and Fun

On Friday we went apple pciking with the Coughlin and Volpe families. Dave took the day off and we had a wonderful time. Kelli became very attached to a white and green striped gourd while digging around in the pumpkin and carried it around for the rest of the day. The farm where we picked also has a stand where they sold their own honey (their were hives all over the place) and homemade donuts. They were delicious. It was cool, crisp and sunny. Perfect harvest weather. I love autumn. The picture doesn't do the apples justice. Many are already in an Rich Apple Nutmeg Cake from the Yellow Farmhouse Cookbook. Some are in an Apple Honey Slaw Salad for tonight's dinner and many have just been scarfed down by the kids. That satisfying "crunch" has been resounding all over the place here for the last few days.

All dressed up ........

I just told the kids to get ready to go out and run some errands. This was the outfit Kelli came up with. She actually took off a really cute dress to don this outfit.

What we're reading

We have a few read-a-louds going at the moment. In history we are studying the first explorers who discovered the Americas. We covered Saint Brendan the Navigator and moved on to Leif Eriksson. So as a read-a-loud I am reading Leif the Lucky We are also spending some time in The Discovery of the Americas and an Eyewitness Book on Vikings. This in addition to our history textbook. The kids are doing narrations and copy work as well as some sketching and mapping out of routes. This is all kept in their history binders which will, I hope, evolve into a Book of the Centuries. In science Katie and Ryan are using a great text, Behold and See. Last week we covered mass and volume and did a few small experiments. They are learning about the scientific method and how to record their observations. Erin is studying mammals. She asked if she could study bunnies, bears and deer so I am pulling together some books to go more into depth on those animals. Individually the children continue to enjoy reading. Erin is a voracious reader. This week she tackled, Madeline, Ping, A Dick and Jane anthology and several Old Testament stories in our picture Bible. Katie is reading On the Banks of Plum Creek. She is nearly done so look for a narration in the near future. She is also purusing a Junie B. Jones book (I forget which one) and just finished up an American Girl book, Happy Birthday Samantha. Ryan just finished up The Drinking Gourd and I am going to start him on a biography of St. Frances of Assisi this week. Just for fun I am reading Huckleberry Finn aloud to everyone during quiet time. Kelli is currently having a Dr. Suess week. She is loving Green Eggs and Ham and Cat in the Hat. She also loves Alphabears and will pretty much sit through anything else I read aloud. Kevin's interest in trains remains high and I read The Crack in the Track at least ten times a day. He also loves the Dr. Suess books and anything with a car, plane, boat or train in it. He tolerates Curious George but since there are no trains he finds it mostly a waste of time. I am quite hoarse by days end.

Winter Days in the Big Woods

A Narration by Erin Winter Days in the Big Woods Pa, Ma Laura, Mary and baby Carrie lived in the Big Woods of Wisconsin. They lived in a little cabin made of logs. They liked it there. They are getting ready for the winter. Ma, Laura and Mary picked vegetables from their garden and put them in the attic. Mary and Laura played in the attic and used the vegetables for baby dolls. Pa went hunting everyday for meat to store for winter. When the work was finished, Ma cut out paper dolls for Mary and Laura to play with. She gave them ribbons and cloth to make clothes. When Pa got home he took out his fiddle and played Yankee Doodle. Sometimes Pa would tell stories. They had fun. It was nice in the little house in the Big Woods.

Ryan's Book Narration

The Drinking Gourd By F.N. Monjo A boy named Tommy Fuller was at church. He had been there all day long. He was wiggling around. He had some fishing line in his pocket and an apple in the other pocket. He took a big bite out of his apple in church. Out of the window Tommy saw a flock of geese. He took his fishing line and tied one end around the apple core. He opened the window and threw the apple core out. A goose got the apple and started to fly with it in his mouth. Tommy pulled the string and was flying the goose like a kite. These made such a racket that it bothered the people in church. Tommy got in big trouble. He had to leave church. Tommy was sad because he thought he might get spanked. He walked to the barn and gave an apple to the horse. Tommy saw the hay piled up high in the wagon. It made him think he wanted to jump off the hayloft into the hay wagon. So he went up the ladder to the hayloft and hollered down to the horses. Then he jumped into the hay wagon.. Tommy heard a baby crying. He was scared. He found a family hiding in his barn. They were running away because they were slaves. They were from Carolina and they were going to Canada. The family was following the drinking gourd which was the Big Dipper. The Big Dipper is up in night sky. It is made of stars. The family’s names were Little Jeff, Vinnie, Pearl and Big Jeff. They were going to Canada to be free. Tommy’s father came and told him to help hitch up the horses. Deacon Fuller and Tommy put Little Jeff, Big Jeff, Vinnie and Pearl in the hay to hide them. They headed toward the river. Jeff told Tommy that he had been a slave all his life and now he was running away on the underground railroad.. Father told Tommy about the Underground Railroad. It was a secret group of people that think slavery is wrong and helped slaves get north to Canada. Tommy’s father told him that it was very important to keep the Underground Railroad a secret. Soon they came to a riverbank where there was a boat hidden. Tommy heard horses coming on the road. Four men on horseback stopped Tommy and his dad. They were looking for the runaways. They wanted to search the wagon for the slaves, Tommy was scared. He was afraid Little Jeff and others would be found and then they would never be free. Tommy told the men that he was afraid of getting a spanking so he was the one running away. The men knew what he did in church and they believed him. The men told Tommy to go home to his Pa and they left without finding the slaves. Tommy’s dad told him he did “just fine” and to take the wagon back alone. Deacon Fuller had to row across to the station on the Underground Railroad. Tommy said goodbye and then went home. He could not sleep so he waited for his father to come home. Father came up to his room and they talked about the law being wrong. The law was wrong because God doesn’t want people to own other people. Deacon Fuller hated the law and was trying to change it. Tommy went sleep thinking about Little Jeff and the Drinking Gourd.