Book Titles I Recommend

On a friend's blog, The Mom mentions some books she loves and recommends.  I thought I might do the same.  (I know copy cat).  But she had a very good idea.

I like Hooked on Phonics.  I have taught four children to read with this program and I love it.  However, it can be very expensive.  I have used the same books and tapes for all four kids so it was a good investment for me, seeing that number five is now using the 10 year old books.  My friend, The Mom, recommends Teaching Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons.  I have seen it at the library, but I have never tried it.  I didn't know about this program before I stared with HOP.  Free is good!

I love Singapore Math.  Last year was the first year I used their Kindergarten math with the Aesop's Fables books.  Loved it.  It was fun and engaging.  Stories and Math (not unlike the Mom's recommendation of Five in a Row for Preschoolers) together is engaging for that grade level.  My son loved it.

When it comes to Junior High and High School we now switch to Life of Fred.  My oldest took Beginning Algebra (Algebra I) in 8th grade, my second son in 9th.  This series is humorous and engaging, and almost self-teaching.  With minimal help from mom, my oldest has aced math up through Trigonometry.  Stan Schmidt (the author of the series) was a college math teacher and developed this series after he saw the deficiencies in the public school systems methods of teaching math.  He was also a protestant minister at one time, so he has employed Christian principles in the stores without being overtly Christian.  IOW, anyone can use them.  I cracked up one time when I read a negative review of his books because he mentions Fred, who is 6 entering a bar.  The writer was quite offended.  However, she apparently didn't read the story very thoroughly because it was a JUICE bar.   (Note:  I am happy to see that Mr. Schmidt is now developing more Life of Fred Books for the younger grades.  I look forward to looking at them and perhaps getting them for my younger ones.) 

We use the Faith and Life Series for religious education up through 8th grade.  While I also have my children read various saints stories and we try to do fun crafts and activities tied to the Church year, the material is solid and engaging.  It is thoroughly Catholic and the kids actually have a solid foundation in their Faith.  We use the texts and the activity books.  I use the teacher's resource manual but it is not strictly necessary for home use.  We use Fr. Laux High School series later on.  Plus, The Catholic Catechism by Fr. Hardon, the current Catechism of the Catholic Church, and various other recommendations by Kolbe Academy Homeschool for High School Theology. 

I will add to this as I have time in the coming week with History and English.

The Adventure Begins

Well, we are now in our third week of the home school year.  One of my five students is up where he should be.  I can't keep my Freshman busy.  My Junior is about 3 days behind schedule already.  I'm pushing him to catch up because once you get behind on High School work it is impossible to make any semblance of a schedule work.  I have high hopes that my fifth grader will be 90% caught up by tomorrow.  My sixth grader is going down in flames.  He pays too much attention to his kindergarten brother's work and not his own.  I got fooled last week into thinking he was doing work.  He pulls out a book, shuffles pages, waves his pencil around, and makes me think he is doing his work.  Well, mom is on to him now.  He is more than a week behind in two of his subjects, and a couple of days behind in most of his others.  I have hope that he will be about 75% there by tomorrow.  My goal is to have him back on track by next Friday.  Now, my kindergartner is not as big a deal, except that I can already see that he is bored.  I can't keep him busy and I can't keep up with the other kids' questions and help requirements while I spend more time with the Kindergartner.  How did those in the one-room school house do it?  I really admire them greatly, now.

In the meantime, I have started my new odyssey in degree completion.  I have an Associates that I earned over 15 years ago.  I started my skills course and my Latin course this week.  My first written assignment for Latin is due Tuesday.  I almost turned in a written assignment for my skills class last night, but didn't trust my bleary brain to make my 2-4 paragraph assignment make sense.  The teacher was really grilling the students' work and I got a little intimidated.  As a Latin course, I'm having my Freshman "shadow" my college course.  He will be reading the same text and doing the same exercises along with me, but I will give him the "school" tests for his High School course.  I hope in that way to fulfill both our requirements.  My older son missed out.  He only completed one semester of Latin.  I have no knowledge of Latin and couldn't help him.  No one I knew could help.  Hopefully, my learning Latin, will help me, help my kids.  Yes, it is a requirement for my degree completion--I have to have a year of foreign language and the school just happens to offer Latin.  However, my main goal for taking the class is to be able to teach my kids.

Math is not a problem for anyone this year.  Praise God for Life of Fred!  I love Stan Schmidt's books.  I can't praise his High School Math series enough.  My son has learned Algebra I, II, Geometry, and is now on to Trig--in 11th grade.  They are wonderful, almost self-taught books.  I've had to help him with a few hurdles along the way, but very few.  My Junior, as I said, is learning Trigonometry this year.  My Freshman is in Algebra I.  My other three are too young but I plan on using Life of Fred Fractions and Life of Fred Decimals and Percents for 7th grade next year, and Pre Algebra for 8th grade.  Looking for a good upper-middle school to High School mathematics program?  Look into Life of Fred.  You won't regret it.

Keeping up with the chores and outside activities becomes the hard part.  I have gotten my lesson plans in for my R.E. year already.  Yay!  All the credit cannot be mine though, as I relied heavily on the Faith and Life Parish guided lesson plans on their website.  It helped me tremendously and got the job done in time and off my shoulders.  I can't wait to get started with class.  I have to contact my assistant teachers and go over all the material with them so they know what is going on and will be able to help me teach.  I also like to consider their ideas.  Fresh perspectives always bring new ideas.

Anyway, that is just the beginning of this year's adventure.  I hope and pray that anyone who home schools and reads this humble blog is also having a great beginning to their school year. 

You Don't Want to See Me When I'm Angry

Yesterday, we went to the only second hand bookstore in town. It is the only place in town that sells the paperback series my 13 yo is reading. He begged me for 3 days to go to the shop, and it is too hot out to ride his bike. We went on a quiet Sunday afternoon. I made the mistake of bringing my rambucious 5 yo.

Yes, he is high energy. Yes, he can be loud. Now, really I thought we were going to a book store not a library. I led him to the miniscule kids' section to look at kids books. However, he was not interested in used Elmo or chewed-on alphabet books. He took me on a tour of the "Historical Romance" section, which is like a mini maze. He was a little loud and I shushed him a couple of times. I stopped to see if I could find an author whose books had been adapted to movies I've enjoyed. After about 2 minutes looking at the alphabetically arranged shelves, I could not find her. I heard my 5 yo being lound again. I turned the corner to see him oohing and aahing into the floor fan, and laughing. I've enjoyed that myself, in the past. The sour look on the clerk's (maybe owner, not sure) face, made me shush him again. I picked up a book in the "new" books section that I was interested in and browsed the inside of the cover. Then my son talked into the fan again and I asked him to stop. He trotted over to my 13 yo and talked rather loudly exclaiming over the pictures on the covers in the comic book section. Then the clerk said, shaking his head, "He's gotta go. He's gotta go." While boiling inside, I put the $13 book, that he apparently didn't care to sell to me, back on the shelf, took my son by the hand, and walked out. I started the car because it was 98 degrees out and I wanted to start the AC. I didn't want to disappoint my teenager, so I walked back in, with the car running, and handed him some money. I looked straight into the clerk's face and said, "We won't be back," and walked out.


Really? My 5 yo was what? Disturbing the one other customer in that tiny shop? To offend the homeschooling mother of 5 kids is not a very smart business practice when you're a book store constantly on the brink of bankrupcy is it? For heaven's sake, we were in his precious shop for less than 5 minutes. Apparently, he doesn't actually need business.

Did you ever?

I was just thinking about forgiveness.  It is a very hard concept to follow.  Jesus was our perfect example of forgiveness.  I heard about how Our Lord Jesus Christ told us to forgive "...seventy times seven times" in a homily recently.  It is so hard to forgive even once, sometimes.  I am have a personal struggle with forgiveness.  I know someone whom I have a lot in common with but struggle to be friends with.  This  person wants help for his child, and I have trouble not having the "well that's what you get when you reject other people's kids."  I mean I have forgiven this person a slight of one of my kids, but it is hard to forget about it.  I know I should only think of the welfare of that child, but I have a hard time forgetting the parent's complicity in the hurt of mine.  It is now a struggle to be Christlike--to pray to be Christlike when it is against my own will.  How does one do it?  Pray, pray, pray.  Forgiveness, for a human, also requires some taming of the will.  Thank God, He doesn't need that.  He is Love and He always forgives.  I need forgiveness for the hardness of my heart right now.

"On Friendship"--An excerpt from the treatise by Cicero (106-43BC)

"To begin with, how can life be worth living,...which lacks that repose which is to be found in the mutual good will of a friend? What can be more delightful than to have someone to whom you can say everything with the same absolute confidence as to yourself? Is not prosperity robbed of half its value if you have no one to share your joy? On the other hand, misfortunes would be hard to bear if there were not some one to feel them even more acutely than yourself. In a word, other objects of ambition serve for particular ends - riches for use, power for securing homage, office for reputation, pleasure for enjoyment, health for freedom from pain and the full use of the functions of the body. But friendship embraces innumberable advantages. Turn which way you please, you will find it at hand. It is everywhere; and yet never out of place, never unwelcome. Fire and water themselves, to use a common expression, are not of more universal use than friendship. I am not now speaking of the common or modified form of it, though ever that is a source of pleasure and profit, but of the atrue and complete friendship which existed between the select few who are known to fame. Such friendship enhances prosperity, and relieves adversity of its burden by halving and sharing it."

Women and Friends

Dear Reader,
I had a terrific time at the Oklahoma Catholic Women's Conference.  I was happy to hear that although Oklahoma has one of the relatively lowest percentages of Catholics in its state, but we have one of the largest Catholic Women's conferences.  There were over 750 women there!  Praise the Lord.  I enjoyed the fellowship with all the women I talked to.  Teresa Tomeo was my favorite speaker.  She is a true women's libber.  The Church has been an advocate and champion of women and women's rights from the beginning of her existence and Teresa gave us a lot of spiritual weaponry on the score.  Speaking of spiritual weapons, Elizabeth Ficocelli's presentation on many of the Marian apparitions of the last 200 years, gave us many pointers on the spiritual weapons we could use today for the health of the world.  More on that later...

I enjoyed the spirituality of the conference.  I got to confession and got some things off my chest.  I talked to some lovely women I hadn't seen in a very long time.  Hi, Joanne!!  Hi, Joelle!!  Hi, Jane!!  It was really great seeing you.  (How come they all start with J?  Hmmmm.  Interesting) 

Then I thought of others I consider(ed) friends.  Why are so many women hard on other women?  We need each other and can help each other.  Why do women always feel that other women are competing with them?  I wish women could always be supportive of each other and were willing to support each other no matter what.  But, if wishes were horses....  Even when I show support for my 'friends', I feel that I am being suspected of competing.  We do have a lot in common, but we also have a lot that is definitely not in common.  I don't need to compete.

 There have been sooo many times that I have been alone in searching for and getting help and resources for homeschooling, only to come to find out many 'friends' already knew those things.  Why does it have to always be such a lonely pursuit?  There have been many times where I've given someone advice and they just blow me off and do it the hard way, anyway.  I've taken advice from others, some has been good and some not so good.  But, I listen and take it into consideration.   One of the reasons I started this blog was to try to help others.  I plan to get back to that pursuit.  If I help one homeschool mom, or one mother, or one woman who wants to be a friend in just one aspect of their life, I will have succeeded. 

God bless all women and mothers, everywhere.

"Discard not an old friend, for the new one cannot equal [her].  A new friend is like new wine which you drink with pleasure only when it has aged....As best you can, take your neighbors' measure and associate with the wise.  With the learned to be intimate; let all your conversation be about the law of the Lord.  Have just [women] for your table companions; in the fear of God be your glory."  (Sirach 9:10, 14-16)

God is a Trapeze Artist

Today I attended a sponsor/ candidate confirmation class with my son. No, I am not his sponsor but his sponsor cannot come to every meeting as he lives about 6 hours away by car. Anyway... today they played one of those silly games that always seem to be current for youth groups. It was a game of either/ or decisions. You decide if 'God is more like _______ or ________' and then give a reason for your choice. Well, the choice was 'Is God more like a trapeze artist or a circus clown?' (Remember, I said it was silly) My son's answer actually moved me almost to tears. He said that God was like a trapeze artist. God is on one trapeze and we are on the other. God stretches His hands out and waits for us to come to Him. We have to let go of our 'bar' fly through the air and grab His hands in order not to fall. God, unlike a real trapeze artist will always catch us....Wow, I don't think there could have been a prouder parent in the room. One of the other parents said we (his parents) must be doing something right. I say that my contribution was minimal. I think the Holy Spirit moves in that boy; quickly turning him into a very good man.

For 'Bob' and All Those Ignorant of the Meaning of Intelligent Design

I got the following from Intelligentdesign.com.
http://www.intelligentdesign.org/whatisid.php I hope it will help those who are ignorant of the difference between Intelligent Design and so-called "creation science."

[quote]
What is intelligent design?

Intelligent design refers to a scientific research program as well as a community of scientists, philosophers and other scholars who seek evidence of design in nature. The theory of intelligent design holds that certain features of the universe and of living things are best explained by an intelligent cause, not an undirected process such as natural selection. Through the study and analysis of a system's components, a design theorist is able to determine whether various natural structures are the product of chance, natural law, intelligent design, or some combination thereof. Such research by observing the types of information produced when intelligent agents act. Scientists then seek to find objects which have those same types of informational properties which we commonly know come from intelligence. Intelligent design has applied these scientific methods to detect design in irreducibly complex biological structures, the complex and specified information content in DNA, the life-sustaining physical architecture of the universe, and the geologically rapid origin of biological diversity in the fossil record during the Cambrian explosion approximately 530 million years ago.

Is intelligent design the same as creationism?

No. The theory of intelligent design is simply an effort to empirically detect whether the "apparent design" in nature acknowledged by virtually all biologists is genuine design (the product of an intelligent cause) or is simply the product of an undirected process such as natural selection acting on random variations. Creationism typically starts with a religious text and tries to see how the findings of science can be reconciled to it. Intelligent design starts with the empirical evidence of nature and seeks to ascertain what inferences can be drawn from that evidence. Unlike creationism, the scientific theory of intelligent design does not claim that modern biology can identify whether the intelligent cause detected through science is supernatural.

Honest critics of intelligent design acknowledge the difference between intelligent design and creationism. University of Wisconsin historian of science Ronald Numbers is critical of intelligent design, yet according to the Associated Press, he "agrees the creationist label is inaccurate when it comes to the ID [intelligent design] movement." Why, then, do some Darwinists keep trying to conflate intelligent design with creationism? According to Dr. Numbers, it is because they think such claims are "the easiest way to discredit intelligent design." In other words, the charge that intelligent design is "creationism" is a rhetorical strategy on the part of Darwinists who wish to delegitimize design theory without actually addressing the merits of its case.

Is intelligent design a scientific theory?

Yes. The scientific method is commonly described as a four-step process involving observations, hypothesis, experiments, and conclusion. Intelligent design begins with the observation that intelligent agents produce complex and specified information (CSI). Design theorists hypothesize that if a natural object was designed, it will contain high levels of CSI. Scientists then perform experimental tests upon natural objects to determine if they contain complex and specified information. One easily testable form of CSI is irreducible complexity, which can be discovered by experimentally reverse-engineering biological structures to see if they require all of their parts to function. When ID researchers find irreducible complexity in biology, they conclude that such structures were designed.
[unquote]

I hope you've learned something today.
Go in Peace.

St. Nicholas Day

The Feast of St. Nicholas is December 6th. It is a fun day to celebrate with the family or within your homeschool setting.

We celebrate by putting the kids shoes on the porch. St. Nicholas deposits chocolate coins and a small gift upon each shoe. The kids have a fun time discovering their prizes. We also do some of the activities such as turning chocolate santa into St. Nick. This is one of our favorite days of the Advent season.

Go to the Saint Nicholas Center for all the information and activities you can think of on St. Nicholas. http://www.stnicholascenter.org/Brix?pageID=23

Enjoy! Happy St. Nicholas Day!

Advent Adventures for Kids

Go to their website at: http://www.holyheroes.com/ and you will get an Advent Adventure every day for FREE. I signed up and already received a link for 3 coloring pages, a crossword, a word search, and a multiple choice quiz--all fun for kids. I can't wait to see what else they come up with for the kids. Happy Advent.

Advent is Coming

Advent is coming too soon, again. It is one of my favorite times of the year. It can be hectic and it can be a lot of fun. I want to share some links for ideas on celebrating advent. These are the sites where I could find FREE stuff to do with your kids at home or in an RE class.

St. Nicholas Center for celebration of St. Nicholas Day, December 6th: http://www.stnicholascenter.org/Brix?pageID=23

One of my FAVs online, Cathmom.com, has this page of resources: http://www.catholicmom.com/advent.htm

Catholic Home and Garden has tons of ideas for celebrating advent: http://www.catholichomeandgarden.com/advent.htm

Catholic Online has this page on Christmas & Advent 2008: http://www.catholic.org/advent/

American Catholic. org has Advent to Epiphany: http://www.americancatholic.org/Features/Advent/default.asp

Happy Advent.

Field Trip

Today St. Walburga's Academy went on a field trip. My five students and I went to the art museum downtown OKC and saw Roman Art for the Louvre. You can view their website here: http://okcmoa.com/romanartfromthelouvre/ We had such a great time. It was better than I expected.

1- The three year old did not fuss--much.
2- Very few incidents of running.
3- We only set off one alarm.
4- I actually got to read about 1/2 the material posted for the exhibit.
5- I actually got to look at things up close.
6- One of the curators was happy to give us a lot of information about items in the exhibit without '3 weeks notice' posted for group tours.
7- The art was bigger and more detailed then expected from the pictures. Of course, a 2 inch picture on a screen does not prepare one for an enormous 5 foot tall bust of Lucilla. Just trying to imagine a full sized statue with that 5 foot head is awsome. And...there were statues MUCH bigger than that in Rome. Wow!
8- It was great to see these portraits (mostly) in marble. You can picture the historical people in a more realistic light.

All the students had a good time despite the late lunch afterward. I look forward to more, interesting field trips. The best part was that on the initiative of one of the homeschool mothers we got a group rate. The admission was only $12 (plus $1.50 for parking) as opposed to the $52 for the regular rates.
Whoo, hoo! Thanks Nici!

Praise God for a WONDERFUL DAY!!

Why can't anything be easy?

Today I finally got all my school lesson plans. Wow! One and a half boxes of paper. I can't believe how much paper that is. But, they forgot my whole third grade. So far, I have found two books I forgot to order and I ordered the wrong Latin program lesson plans. I want to wait until I've checked over everything to make sure I don't need to order more--oh, and I accidently ordered my daughter's science workbook twice. I know the homeschool we enroll in is VERY busy at this time of the year but I want to get started now. I am anxious to get school set up and start soon. Aren't I their most important customer? ;-)

Another problem I'm having...I cannot pay for an item on ebay. My paypal account does not seem to work. I wrote the security center. They sent me a nice note back that they were happy to inform me that my account now works. So, I go to pay and...it doesn't work! So, I CALL the "help" center. Of course, you have to go through a 'phone maze' first. Then I talk to some woman who talks fast and has some kind of accent. She talks to me like I am stupid...Do you know your password? Is your caps lock on? Did you try this way? Did you try that way?....IF I didn't already try those WHY WOULD I BE CALLING YOU?????? Anyway, after an hour of repitition and stupid questions (hers I mean) I just said, "Thank you very much, let's not waste each other's time," and I hung up. I sent another message to the so-called help center. We'll see.

I am trying to get my three year old potty trained. I think I already missed "the window of opportunity." You know, that window where they are willing and able to train but you're too busy. Anyway, I hope it doesn't take as long as son #3 did. I had to make a deal with him. I asked him (picture my pulling my hair out), "When will you use the potty????" He said when I am four. So, since his fourth birthday was 2 1/2 months away by then, I didn't mention it again. Yes, I kept wiping his poopy butt. On his fourth birthday, we had a heart to heart. "You promised you would use the potty when you were four." (picture the honey tones here) THREE DAYS later he said, "I did it! Wanna see my poop?" It was one of the best days of my life...sad, huh? Anyway, I hope it doesn't take son #4 that long. He was very excited to wear his new training pants today but sat on the couch and went in them. So, now I have to change him and dry the couch.

Storm clouds outside, leaky basement, ugh....

Tired

I was told I was being lazy that I hadn't written in awhile. I have been waiting for a moment of peace and quiet in which to put together a cogent post. But thought I'd put a few things down.

Let's see I've got to get my homeschool clean, set up, and my lesson plans done in the next two weeks. I know some people will say that that is a self-imposed deadline but if there is no deadline at all things will NEVER be organized or taken seriously. I have started on my lesson plans for material not included in the school's plans. I am still waiting for plans in the mail. I do hope they come soon!!! I also have to complete my quarterly reports to send to the school for last year.

We've been in this house for almost a year and it still looks like we just moved in. I sure would like a clean garage to park my car in this winter--but I'll not hold my breath.

I just met the new DRE at church. She seems nice. We had been missinig each other on the phone--my kids do not relay messages. And, I emailed her without knowing the email address had changed. We each thought the other was not responding. I have mixed feelings about this year of CCD. My lesson plans are retreads from last year but it will have a whole different feeling starting on my own this year.

Saw the 'old' DRE today also. She is teaching 1st grade this year at the parish school. What a lot of work she was stuck with! Cleaning blinds and windows, wow! She also got furniture damaged by the carpet installers. They want her to store all the extra 1st grade material (for a second class they are not having this year) in her room somewhere--where? I rather like the sky blue they painted her room (only about a shade lighter than my breakfast-room-turned-office, but she hates it. I think it is bright and cheery.

I sure wish I could afford to finish painting and decorating. I think we may just paint another room soon. We'll see.

I discovered our dog has been "leaving his mark" in my youngest two children's room--AGAIN. Of course he doesn't respect either one of them. But, the real problem is that if I leave the house with my oldest in charge, the dog is ignored. The kids are oblivious to the dogs needs and don't see him wandering into the bedrooms to use them as a toilet. He is over a year old now; you'd think he'd be done with that by now.

In my mind, I am working on a cooking/cleaning schedule for the kids. I have to put it down on paper and get them going. I have to work out a reward system also. I am also trying to figure out how to fit some sewing in before serious work on school is completed. Oh, and I have to plan the Webelos Scout year as well.

I also have elements of a novel floating around in my head. I don't want to give away anything because I don't want my ideas stolen. The initial impetus for the story came from my 13 yo plus elements from various sources. It has some theology in it but it is mainly fiction. I hope to start work on it soon before I start to forget my ideas.

I'm feeling so overwhelmed, I can't seem to get anything done. Anyway, tired....

It's Been Awhile

To whom it may concern:
I can't believe it has been almost a month. But I guess it is just coincindental that my husband has been home for a month, also?. I has been an eventful month with 3 weeks of camps, swimming, rafting, and library trips for the kids. I am still waiting for my vacation. Hah!!

I'm exhausted. I get even more so when I think of all the work I have to do be for school starts in a few short weeks. I have to get the basement classroom clean and organized. The mountain of unpacked boxes in enormous; the space designated for the storage of all that school "crap" is small in comparison. Our basement floor is a lake every time it rains hard. We have no money to fix the foundation so must mop up and patch it the best we can each time.

I have gotten my kitchen and office area, my bathroom, and one kid's room painted since we moved in August of last year. I have only taken down the wallpaper trim in the dining room and living room so far--wow, the ceilings rose a couple of feet! I promised the kids in the other two rooms that we would paint this summer--I have no idea when we are going to do that.

My diabetic son went rafting with the youth group. I was nervous about it from the start. I am continually being laughed at as overprotective. Yeah... He lost his insulin and drowned his meter. His father went to get him--three hours away. Dad did not bring insulin because our son did not tell us he lost it. So he had to take a large corrective insulin dose when he got home. Yeah, I'm overprotective, right...

Anyway, the end of summer is fast approaching and I have no idea how I am going to get school, CCD, and cub scouts ready for the fall. And, I need to have my house ready, the kids clothes ready, school paid for, chores set up, etc, etc, etc... It never ends.

I love my life. I love my life. I love my life. I love my life.

Picture: Close up of "The Holy Family Resting - The Flight to Egypt" from the Crypt Church of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, Washington, DC.

It has been awhile

My it has been quite awile; I have been neglecting my blog. I don't have anything deep to say but wanted to update my blog before my vast number of readers (about 4 or so) tire and move on.

I have been extremely busy the last few weeks. I have five kids (as I said in my introduction to my blog) and homeschool four of them. Two of my boys, the diabetic one referred to in my previous blog, and the one just younger then him were both entered in the district History Day. My oldest won a gold medal in his category and my other son won a silver medal (on his first time in the contest). Getting both of them ready interrupted our school schedule and I have been working hard at catching up ever since. BTW, this Wednesday they will both be showing their projects at the state competition. If either one wins, we'll have to scrape together money for a trip to DC. We'll see.

I teach CCD. Today was the last day for this school year. It is quite a relief. I started the year as an assistant, became the "craft lady", assisted teaching, and ended the year as the main teacher. The transition was deliberate as I am the only first grade teacher returning next year. That put a strain on things also.

I am my third son's Scout leader. The den leader they started with is in the military and was called to work so much that the boys had no meetings for over a month. Guess who stepped in? I just couldn't see them not having scouts. So, that was quite stressful as I have never been a Bear leader (I was a WeBeLoS leader for four years--two years for each of my older sons) before. I had to learn from scratch and on my own. No stress there at all. ;-(

I have few friends. I really don't know why. It seems I am usually expected to be the one to work at the friendship not them. But I can't do it. I need them to be at least 50/50--at least. Those friends are hard to find. I wrote a whole paragraph of complaints about "friends" and acquaintances but decided against publishing them because I know of at least one who actually reads my blog. So I think it prudent that I not air my complaints here as that will leave me no friends. So, as I have been 90% of my homeschool experience, am alone again (naturally ;-).

I considered teaching vacation bible school but I have changed my mind. I soooo desperately need a break. Besides, no matter how much one tries to say anything about using a Catholic program (there are at least a dozen that I am personally aware of) instead of a white washed protestant one, no one listens. If you want to teach children that they are part of the True Church Christ founded, why use the same program (with a few Catholic things like a paragraph about a saint and prayers) that the Baptist Church down the street used last year? What better way to send the message to our kids that it really doesn't matter which church you attend--it is all the same right?

My daughter will receive her First Communion soon. I have made her a beautiful dress designed by her. Of course you've got to have detractors. Someone asked me (because their daughter is close to the same age but more advanced in home school--which I don't believe in doing at that age--junior high/high school, maybe) why I was pushing her so soon? After all she was keeping her daughter in the proper grade in CCD. My daughter is seven, she is in second grade, and very intelligent. She meets all requirements and has done beautifully in class. Her teacher said she is an exceptional and bright student. What more can I expect of her? What more proof that she is ready? I should make her wait because the other mother did? I am not quite sure what that's about.

I have to try to wrap up school by the third week in June. The two younger ones will have no problem, but my eighth grader--that is another story. He is sweet and special but he really lives in his own world in his own time zone. No amount of cajoling will bring him back to this world. I worry about him alot. He will absolutely have to find a career that will enhance or appreciate his finer attributes. He really wants to go to college now; A college where he can learn to program, animate, and create. I pray to God that this can come about.

I have been working very, very hard at changing my temperment and projecting more of my Christianity into the world. I don't seem to get any credit for it from my husband or my couple of friends. But I have noticed, now that I have changed my attitude, that complete strangers react differently to me now. I used to get lots of dirty looks and snide or rude comments from complete strangers in public places. After changing my attitude (I now smile, say "that's okay" when they cut me off in the grocery isle, or just say "Hi, how 'you doin' today?"), I get more smiles and end up in more friendly conversations with perfect strangers than I ever imagined. I owe it mostly to my wise mother who seems to get smarter as I get older. She said that you get what you give. She is soooo right.

This way too long already--and rambling. I'll be back very soon--if anyone is out who cares. Writing is theraputic but mine is not so interesting as so many blogs out there are. I will leave you with one of my favorite "zingers" from Bishop Fulton Sheen (1895-1975).

"A heckler asked Bishop Sheen a question about someone who had died.
The Bishop replied, "I will ask him when I get to heaven."
The heckler replied, "What if he isn't in Heaven?"
The Bishop replied, "Well then you ask him."