Plodding Toward Holiness

Dentists are our FRIENDS...

2010-08-30T07:58:00.002-05:00

I am briefly reminded of a short clip from one of the Disney movies where Bruce the shark tries to convince himself that fish are FRIENDS, and not food. Although I am by no means a cannibal, I still have a hard time convincing myself that my dentist is my FRIEND....a 20+ year phobia still exists, and even though I personally think my dentist is a wonderful man, I am just NOT looking forward to going -- EVER.

A couple of weeks ago I had a temporary crown put on a back molar, and when I went for the permanent cap, it was hurting every now and then. He filed it down a bit more and told me to give it another week. Well, that week is over, and much as I want to smile and tell a little lie and say "oh, yes, put that cap on; it feels great!", I know that I have to be a "big girl" and tell the truth. The result will most likely be another root canal, which I have decided is a form of torture that I'd trade in for many other things.....during the last one I sat and speculated on which of the Saints who were tortured would be best to pray to....I guess I'll have to start a new list today!

Trusting God in those tough moments...

2010-08-21T14:57:00.002-05:00

I found out today that a family from our parish will have a funeral tomorrow for a foster/soon-to-be-adopted baby in their family. My heart just breaks along with theirs, as I can not fathom the sorrow that losing an infant or child brings. This family has always impressed me in their willingness to serve God as foster parents to babies and young children; to give of oneself totally and completely, knowing that your love and bonding may be taken away at any time must take an incredible amount of love and faith.

To finally have a child who will truly be a part of the family, and then lose them to death, must bring a particular pain to the heart. I can only think of Mary, standing at the foot of the cross, and find some comfort in knowing that she is watching over them as well as her Son.

May their new little saint in heaven intercede for them as well, asking for a special blessing of God's peace and healing to their breaking hearts...please keep them in your prayers.

Shall we try ONE more time?

2010-08-16T07:20:00.002-05:00

A friend just launched her blog, and as always, that inner voice starts screaming "write yourself! Get back to your blog!".....if only life didn't get in the way! However, recently I heard a piece of advice that I tucked away inside, and it seems to also be fighting to get out. Basically, that small goals are better than none. So here I am again, trying one more time to resurrect the faithful writing that lived long ago.

While my blog tends to focus more on homeschooling than Catholicism, I couldn't focus on ANYTHING without the latter....homeschooling is my vocation, no doubt, but my faith is the source of all in my life. Without it, there would be no need to "plod" toward holiness, or anywhere else for that matter.

Even the cats have spring fever....

2010-03-03T06:40:00.002-05:00

Or maybe CABIN fever is more accurate! Our two felines have been racing around the house (and we have a SMALL house!) for the past couple of hours, and yet they still have no desire to head outside this early into the rain.

All of us have been feeling "cooped up" for the past week, which is why it was so nice to get back to the co-op for the day yesterday. My English Composition students got their rough drafts in on time (with the exception of one, who wasn't there), and so I'll be grading extensively this week. I am still amazed at the breadth of topices that were chosen for their research papers; I love teaching the older kids, as their individual personalities propel them in all different topic directions.

In trying to re-enter the blogging world, I'm going to try the same structure that my blog had, which means that today is "What's Cookin' Wednesdays". I'll pull out my crock pot today and throw together my "Fuss Free Chili"...I'm the only one that eats chili in this house, and I make a batch and freeze it in small containers. While I prefer the more "homemade" versions, this is a quick pantry version that's great for days when you don't have time to prepare the real thing. I use ground turkey, but ground beef can be used as well. I use kidney beans, but I've used other types of beans as well...

Brown lb. of ground turkey
Mix in slow cooker with one onion chopped up, one can beans, and one jar of salsa.
Cook 4-5 hours on low heat (you can use slow cooker or stove top), adding a can of mushrooms for last hour.

Monday's Meanderings: Plodding Toward Holiness.....take 37!

2010-03-01T09:15:00.002-05:00

My blogging life has been nonexistant the past couple of years; helping to get the homeschool co-op off the ground just took most of my energies. However, Lent always is a time of retrospection for me, and I always feel a need to journal. I thought that instead of using my journal, I'd just blog instead.

Picked up the Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis to read again. It's always been one of my favorite Lenten reads, and every few years I find myself coming back to it. This morning I read in one of Screwtapes' letters to his nephew the following:

When He talks of their losing hteir selves, He means only abandoning the clamour of self-will; once they have done that, He really gives them back all their personality, and boasts that when they are wholly His they will be more themselves than ever.

This just really speaks to my heart, as it is what my blog's title has always been about. The more I give myself TOTALLY to God, the more I become the person He created me to be. In essence, a better ME. It's one of the faith's paradoxes to be sure. In the past six months, I've been working hard at giving up my self will, and trying to let His guidance direct ALL paths of my life. One of the areas I have struggled most with over time has been in my food choices -- wanting to eat WHAT I want WHEN I want it. Over time that self will has resulted in a body that was not only out of shape, but a body that was almost an insult to its Creator. Since last summer, when I just said "okay, I'll do this Your way", I've lost 50 pounds, and feel better than I have in years.

More and more I see the countless number of times throughout my day when I take that self will back, and I know that my "plodding" has just begun. My prayer for Lent is that I take that extra time each day to do exactly what Screwtape has described above....the more I give my will and life over, the more it truly becomes mine.

Blogging - Take 21....action!

2009-10-21T08:06:00.002-05:00

There was a time when I was a pretty regular blogger....and then a co-op was born, and my time just seems to be so limited. At the same time, my partner -- the director of the co-op -- still manages to post somewhat regularly, and so I'm back to try this one more time. Even if I'll have about 5 followers at this point!

Wednesdays is supposed to be "What's Cookin' Wednesdays", but I don't have much of a fancy recipie for the day. I've been pulling out the slow cooker more now that fall has arrived, and find that a pot roast or pork roast feeds the family for several days, so I'll be using it more and more....besides, the house smells so good ALL DAY when you use a slow cooker! This week's meal was as simple as it gets: throw a boneless rolled pork shoulder roast into the slow cooker (take netting off first!), and smother with a small applesauce container (about 1/2 cup). That's it. Nine to ten hours later, dinner is ready....okay, you'll have to make the other items on your own, but we use this meal at least once every few weeks. The leftovers are then great for sandwiches and stirfrys!

Letting the girls sleep in as I usually do on Wednesdays; we've been finding that afternoon school is working pretty well, and I love having time in the mornings to get things done around the house or for administrative/teaching responsibilities for the co-op. Today I expect that they'll sleep in a bit later than normal as The Authoress had two friends over last night, and they left pretty late. I love my daughter's friends -- all of my students/alumni, actually. They are such incredible young people, with some wonderful ideas and even better questions about life. I love the fact that, as teenagers, they are already comfortable talking with adults about things that matter (and many things that don't!). Some of them have become like adopted children at this point, and I am grateful that my home -- cluttered, dusty, and cramped as it it -- is still considered a haven for them. As long as the floorboards in the living room continue to hold, I'm good for entertaining teens anytime!

Teachable Tuesdays -- Let the Lesson Planning Begin!

2009-06-30T09:09:00.002-05:00

Now that my show is over (new photo is from my role of Carmen Bernstein in the show "Curtains"), I'm hoping to get back into a bit of blogging. Seems that last year the co-op just took all of my free time, but I think I can discipline myself to sit down at least a few times a week.

Yesterday I took almost an entire day off, but last night the urge hit to pull out the books for the coming year and begin again. Since we actually start our homeschool year later this month, I thought it best to do some prelimary work! Summer weeks are pretty light--especially since the girls take a lot of their core classes at the co-op. I sketched out the first month of math, spanish, world cultures, and chemistry. That plus drama camp in August is all they need until the year begins in earnest in September.

This morning I searched the web for various study guides and class activities for my theaer arts class....we'll be starting with Julius Caesar by Shakespeare, and I found lots of great resources. Will spend some time today typing up some specific weekly activities. I'm looking forward to teaching this class so much!

I also just got the scripts and music for the Music Theater class for next year; we'll be doing a 50's show, and the material looks pretty decent. Now I have something to do in the coming few weeks of free time!

Nine months later....

2009-06-20T00:43:00.001-05:00

No, I wasn't pregnant! Although, in a sense, this past year was one full of rebirth with the new co-op. It did seem to consume most of my free time. I've been feeling the desire to get back to blogging, and will try to get back to my normal schedule, but I'm not going to be too anal about it, either!

Maybe turning 50 was a good thing....seems I've finally come to that point in my life where I'm truly comfortable with who I am. What a gift that is!

Many things going on, but it's now 1:45AM, and I'm going to bed!

Monday Meanderings

2008-09-15T11:00:00.002-05:00

The Second Smartest Decision I Ever Made....was to stand before God 18 years ago today and share my vows with my cherished Ape Husband. It's been an amazing 18 years, and thanks to the Grace of God, a relatively easy ride compared to so many of the marriages in today's world.

The only thing I did that was SMARTER was to follow God's call home to Rome. I often tell my husband that my Catholic faith was the greatest gift that he gave to me, for he was the catalyst.

The only thing I DIDN'T seem to know at the time we set our date was that we were getting married on the feast of Our Lady of Sorrows!

My summer in the desert

2008-09-13T23:10:00.002-05:00

I didn't REALLY spend my summer in the desert; however, that's what I've come to call the dry spells in my writing throughout my lifetime. Sometimes it is truly a case of writer's block, where just sitting at the keyboard brings empty pages and frustration. THIS summer it was the result of just being BUSY. With a major project to help plan and implement, I found I had little time left over for the blogworld. Whatever creativity I seemed to find was poured into writing new curriculum for the classes I teach this year. All in all, the summer passed by so quickly, and I now yearn for the quiet times with my blog and those that I used to read on a regular basis.

I was reflecting this week -- now that my planning time has settled down -- on how God has used my "desert" times for all kinds of growth in my life. Whether it be my writing, or my quest for better health, or my spiritual growth, my desert times have always felt dry and barren. Don't get me wrong; this summer was extremely productive and I'm thrilled with the result. However, in looking back at the past few months, I feel that the time was definitely less creative on a personal level. On the same note, my prayer life suffered, my diet and exercise regime fell back into stress eating patterns of long ago, and generally I felt like the little gerbil on the wheel.

Finally, I feel that the oasis is ahead, and that refreshing springs are within reach again. My desire to write, and to visit my favorite blogs (and find some new ones!) is growing, and I feel that I may actually have time to DO so! Most of all, I feel a new and deeper connection with my God, which always seems to be the case after a desert time. I really believe that God calls me to the desert....if only to experience the barrenness, and therefore turn to my faith to sustain me, so that I can better appreciate the lushness of newly found faith on a deeper level at the other end.

I also recognize that summer has ALWAYS been my least favorite season, and fall my favorite. I'm sure that the cooler nights and the crisp mornings has a lot to do with my attitude as well! With the first day of autumn just a week or so away, I'm looking forward to the year ahead. I hope to get back into the structure for my blog that I found just before the dry spell hit. For now, it just feels good to sit at the keyboard and feel the keys tapping below again!

The dawn has finally come!

2008-08-02T05:28:00.002-05:00

As dawn breaks, my Authoress daughter is finally going to bed after finishing
Breaking Dawn. Last night we headed to the mall around 9:00 for a pre-release party, and I was amazed at how instant friendships are formed over book series. The minute she walked in she bonded with one other excited fan, and before the night was out she had been hanging out with another girl who I suspect will be an email buddy.

I went back and forth into the store, spending some of my time on a bench in the mall with a couple other parents and the security guards. They were amazed at how the crowd would yell out a trivia answer before the question was even totally out of the bookstore director's mouth! My daughter ended up being the "model" for her group when they had to make Bella's wedding dress out of toilet paper. Her group was chosen the winner by our security guard/judges, and once I get pictures back I'll post....it really was an amazing dress considering it was toilet paper! I tried to convince her that the duct tape prom dress scholarship was really something worth looking into, but somehow that's money I don't think we'll ever be in the running for! :O)

Several hours later we took our place in line, and by 12:40 she had book in hand. Once home, I went to bed and wished her a fun night....I thought it only fitting that she would be just finishing the book as dawn was breaking. Now I guess the countdown begins for the movie release of "Twilight" come December!

Saturday Scriptures....the parable of the Sower

2008-07-12T20:27:00.002-05:00

I've been in a really "dry" period of my writing, and I suspect it has alot to do with all the lesson planning and getting ready for our new school year (which for us starts MONDAY!), but tonight's reading at Mass just spoke to my heart.

We've been struggling to find real family as of late, with my darling Ape husband working so many extra hours, and the girls enjoying "down" time with the computer and DVD player all month. Today, however, we took the time to go to confession together, and then Mass and dinner out. Just the Sacrament of Reconciliation alone brought about that more relaxed and calm feeling as we sat waiting for Mass. My favorite priest was on for confession today, and then also celebrated Mass. Just when I think he can't top his last homily, he hits another one out of the park! I know that we don't go to Mass just to get something OUT of it, but he is truly a vessel through which God speaks clearly to my heart.

He used the parable of the Gospel -- one of my favorite parables -- to illustrate how many of us come to Mass. Those with "attitude", who only come out of begrudging obligation, are those on barren soil that the birds snatch up. Those that come trying to make God fit THEIR demands are like the seeds that end up on the shallow soil with rocky ground....for awhile they're into it, but quickly tell God how to do things (for example, "okay, God, can you cut this homily short? It's getting HOT outside!"). Those seeds planted in the thorns are illustrating those hearts which come with the right yearning, but don't have the trust level yet to let go of everything else....the "busy" ones (I must confess that I'd spoken of exactly this sin a half an hour earlier!)....finally, the fertile soil is the fertile heart...the one that recognizes our NEED for God.

He then visually illustrated it even further, by going to get an unconsecrated host. Holding it up high for all to see, he explained how Jesus himself comes to us, almost the size of a seed, to find fertile hearts to grow in. When we recognize our sinfulness, when we truly believe in our hearts that we desperately NEED Him to give us a sense of life, it is then that the heart becomes fruitful.

The evening was a great way to spend some quality time reconnecting with my loving family, and also helped to start the new school year in a better perspective.

Recipie for a Sane Move

2008-07-02T04:37:00.002-05:00

I've been absent for a LONG time in the blogosphere; between broken computers, getting the co-op up and running, and helping a friend get ready to move cross-country, it's been a crazy month.

Last night I went over for the girls to say their goodbyes, and I will TRY to get over today to do the same, although my day is full and I tend to say my goodbyes better AFTER the fact with a heart felt letter instead of in person at a time of just raw emotion.

Moving does not bring out the best of me; I'm not sure it brings out the best of ANYONE, but definitely not me. Part of the problem is that while I love my friend dearly, she has had so much going on in her life that organization for the move has been chaotic at best. (It was last time, too, and that was only local).

Rather than rant and rave to vent my own frustrations, I'm taking the high road and just adding it to another reason for my family never to move anywhere.

My recipe today for the sanest move possible?

If at possible, DON'T. If that's not an option, than call a mover. Any price is worth it....I'd give up half the profit from selling a house to not have to do all this by myself.

That being said, I know my friend has made the choices for her family according to her priorities, which are different than mine in this one. I ask for prayers for her and her children as she heads out today for a 3,000 mile move.

The fire's ignited!

2008-06-24T09:03:00.002-05:00

Well, it's been a crazy and busy two months, but last night we had our open house for the new co-op, and it was exciting to see both old and new families come through the door. I'm hoping that I can get back into my regular blog mode now that the planning stage is over.

What struck me last night was just how diverse we homeschoolers are. Some are straight workbook mode, some unschoolers, some cyber-school, some traditional,.....the list goes on. But the one thread that seems to run throughout is a commitment to giving our kids the best education that we can find. I know that in the "big" picture we are still a small minority, but I also see those numbers growing each and every year. As one who was a reluctant homeschooler the first year, I've come to love it and embrace the whole homeschool philosophy. I also have recognized these past couple of months that not everyone IS cut to make this choice. AND THAT'S OKAY. For some parents, traditional school IS the best choice for their kids and family, for a variety of reasons.

My own choices have made me a stronger woman, and I've come to know other like minds that share the same vision. It's an exciting place to be right now!

Off to catch up on a few blogs....I feel so out of touch after these two months!

A month of obstacles!

2008-06-17T08:01:00.002-05:00

No, I have not died or fallen off a roof.....my absence from the blogosphere can be summed up in two words: BROKEN COMPUTERS. It has been month of challenges and obstacles, with both our new computer and our "old" one being in and out of commission. As one who has truly become dependent on them for communication--not to mention the need for such while helping to get a new co-op off the ground--I have been challenged on every level. I am pleased to say that I have not thrown things, screamed, or further damaged hi-tech equipment by kicking or taking a sledgehammer to anything....but I HAVE cried, prayed, and banged some pots and pans a bit more vigorously in the kitchen!

Both computers finally came home last Friday; our new one began the whole thing on Saturday. We are, at this point, ready to call an exorcist in, as it seems to be the only logical explanation left at this point. Luckily the old computer seems to be working. We are wondering if Vista is the problem, or if we're just lucky. Whatever the case, I'm SO grateful to have a working station again!

My posts will still be light this week, as we have our open house for the new co-op next Monday. There are LOTS of things I've written out on legal pads that now need typing and revising. The Co-op is coming along wonderfully, and I am SO excited about the year to come!

Sunday Saints and Sacraments ...... a bit late!

2008-05-26T03:15:00.002-05:00

Yesterday I decided to have a day of rest, and even stayed away from the computer for most of the day. I came across a post last night that made me cry....thanks to Adoro Te Devote for a beautiful post on this feast of the Body and Blood of our Lord. At my parish, our priest had a similar homily, and pointed out that for Catholic Christians, "this is what it's all about....today.....the Eucharist." Because we ARE flesh and blood, we need to be saved HERE, in our flesh and blood...and as we receive, Jesus is saying to us, "YOU are worth it....YOU are part of me". It was an awe-inspring day for me.

While "resting", I read one of the books I had taken out from our local library. Ruth Sanderson's done a beautiful job with SAINTS: LIVES AND ILLUNIMATIONS. Here is her own website showing some of her art. I loved the book not only because of the stories of the saints, but because her illustrations and page borders are modeled after the illuminated manuscripts of the Middle Ages.

All in all, it was a really refreshing day. Sometimes I really NEED to just take time and rest. It reminds of one of my favorite quotes by Augustine:

“Thou hast created us for Thyself, and our heart is not quiet until it rests in Thee.”

This is MY kind of thinking!

2008-05-25T09:08:00.003-05:00

Danielle Bean
Busy Mom Tip post about carrot cake!
Posted using ShareThis

Scripture Saturdays

2008-05-24T02:09:00.001-05:00

Scripture Saturday – Psalm 19

(from Monday's readings this week)

R. (9a) The precepts of the Lord give joy to the heart.
The law of the LORD is perfect,
refreshing the soul;
The decree of the LORD is trustworthy,
giving wisdom to the simple.

R. The precepts of the Lord give joy to the heart.
The precepts of the LORD are right,
rejoicing the heart;
The command of the LORD is clear,
enlightening the eye.

R. The precepts of the Lord give joy to the heart.
The fear of the LORD is pure,
enduring forever;
The ordinances of the LORD are true,
all of them just.

R. The precepts of the Lord give joy to the heart.
Let the words of my mouth and the thought of my heart
find favor before you,
O LORD, my rock and my redeemer.

R. The precepts of the Lord give joy to the heart.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

This has always been one of my favorite psalms; I especially love it when it's the Sunday Responsorial Psalm and I can sing it to God. This week has involved a lot of discernment – which is still ongoing – regarding the location of the new co-op I'll be teaching at. We started with a small church saying “yes”, and realized quickly that we would need something bigger. One morning I just started sending emails out to bigger churches in the area that could accommodate us, and told God “it's all yours...we trust you”. This week that trust has led us along several paths, but God's guiding hand is so evident along the way. I know that in the end He will lead us directly to the spot that He has prepared for us.

The command of the Lord is clear, enlightening the eye. Lead on, Lord!!

Fine Arts Friday --

2008-05-23T02:34:00.006-05:00

ARTIST THIS WEEK: MARY CASSATT (1844-1926)

I thought it very fitting on this first “Fine Arts Friday” to start with my favorite artist, whose birthday would have been yesterday. Mary Cassatt was born in Pittsburgh, and went against her family's wishes to become an artist. She moved to Paris and lived among the Impressionists of the day, working side by side with Edward Degas, Berthe Marisot, Monet, and Renoir. In a time when women were supposed to grow up and become wives and mothers, she chose instead to commit her life to her work.

Her paintings reflected everyday life, and her subjects were most often mothers and children. Here are a few of my favorites:

Maternal Caress, 1896, Phiadelphia Museum of Art

Breakfast in Bed, 1897, Huntington Library and Art Collection

Self Portrait, 1878, Metropolitan Museum of Art

For an activity, have your child gather either personal photos of moms and children together, or cut pictures out of a magazine of the same. Make either a photo collage with a painting of Cassatt in the middle (or a booklet with her on the cover) and all the other pictures around it. Talk about how everyday activities have changed over the years.

Next week for Fine Arts Friday I'll share on a famous composer!

Thankful Thursdays

2008-05-22T12:49:00.003-05:00

Today is the day that I give thanks with my new blog format.....and at the moment the Storm Queenis having a major temper tantrum over a pen, lying on the couch with her head under a pillow, ranting about all that's wrong with the world and this family. Okay, Lord, I'm thankful that they don't come as often and don't last as long......does that count?

In all seriousness, I'm SO thankful for my beautiful daughters; they have taught me more about selfless love than anyone else on earth, along with my Ape husband. I'm thankful for my family, immediate and extended. I'm thankful for some truly special friends that have come into my life in the past year or two, as well as some that remain cherished from a quarter century ago.

First and foremost, I'm thankful for my faith, which is what gives my life meaning, purpose,and true happiness.

I can even give thanks for the four furry felines that wake me in the night, throw up around the house, and get cat hair on whatever items that are most opposite in color from themselves (we have black and white cats, so they are always sure to pick the color that will show off their beauty the most!).....

Life is good.....even amidst the chaos!

What's Cookin'? Wednesday -- Crustless Quiche

2008-05-21T04:16:00.002-05:00

As my bronchitis seems to have returned a month later, I'm feeling a bit under the weather this week. Yesterday my thoughts turned to favorite "comfort" foods for when I'm sick -- including things like soup, mashed potato, eggs, and anything warm & creamy. Yesterday at lunch I made this quick quiche, so I thought it easy to share it today! It's
an old family favorite from my childhood. Although I don't used the BISQUICK all that often as an adult, I usually have a small box on hand for quick dishes every now and then.

CRUSTLESS QUICHE -- Preheat oven to 400

Use whatever "fillings" you want, and chop them up and put them on the bottom of your pie plate. I used chopped onion and pepper yesterday, but you can use any vegetable and/or meat combination.

Cover with a generous layer of cheese (any flavor)

Mix together 3 beaten eggs, 1 1/2 cups of milk, and 3/4 cup of BISQUICK. Pour over other ingredients and bake for 35-40 minutes.

I usually serve with salad and fruit.

Great warmed up in the microwave the next day.

Couldn't resist this one....

2008-05-20T04:43:00.002-05:00

Thanks to A Walk in the Woods for this one....I know the Authoress will need to take it later today to see if she can be Aragorn!!

Teachable Tuesday -- The Homeschool Portfolio

2008-05-20T03:58:00.005-05:00

I know many live in states where the portfolio is not required; I also have spoken with many people over the years that believe that Pennsylvania is so "hard" for homeschooling families. I myself believe that they are right on the money, not expecting an outrageous amount from parents, but holding them accountable for their child's education.

This time of year is always busy at our house, getting the portfolios ready for evaluations and then the school district. While some families use just the 8-10 items per subject as suggested by many homeschool books, our family looks at it differently, and usually requires a 3-4 inch binder. Portfolios are far more than required books for the state at our house; they are essentially "memory books" for each year of the girls education. As I have been working on the girls books, they have spent hours going through past years, remembering and laughing together about favorite trips, activities, and "easy" work from days past. Some of you may be putting together your first portfolio; I thought I'd share a few tips that I've found helpful:

1. You need a filing system throughout the year; don't try and sit down in April or May and gather everything together from a million different places! I use a portable hanging file, with each child having four files:
--academic work for portfolio: this is pretty self explanatory....file all tests, reports, essays, etc.
--artwork: choose a couple from each month that stand out and will show progress; for bigger items that
can't fit in a folder, take a photo and use that
--photos/special events: one of the BEST pieces of advice I EVER got when starting homeschooling was to
carry a portable camera with me at all times; you never know when a "field trip" might present itself!
(By the way, the photos are also usually the "favorite" thing to look back on over the years!)
--(for anyone using photos, I also try to keep a "finished pages" folder in my files as I complete them)
--academic work NOT for portfolio: not EVERY worksheet, lab report, etc. should go into your portfolio; but
I usually keep a file for everything else until AFTER I get the final letter from the school district
acknowledging that we've "passed" inspection! After that I discard the remainder of this folder

2. Last year we started a new tradition that has saved me hours of sanity. Sometime at the end of January, I
choose two days for the girls to work on portfolios; usually it's a snowy or rainy day when it's too icky to
go out and play. We have a "P.J." day, and go through all our files from the first half of the year (this
includes cleaning out backpacks if they attend any kind of co-op classes!) and deciding what to use. We
then sort everything into subjects, and either start the portfolio or return everything to the file bin
until spring. In essence, half of your work is now done, and it's a good day for the kids to see how
far they've come already in the year!

3. For those of you that like to scrapbook, I find that nothing is more "therapeutic" for me than portfolio
scrapbook days in the winter/spring. I try to find an evening or a free couple of hours to take a few
photos from the year and arrange them. My youngest also enjoys scrapbooking, and one year I used her
pages as the subject dividers for each section; this year, she has a whole scrapbook done from a class
she took to include with the portfolio! My oldest isn't as crafty, but considers my scrapbook pages in
her portfolio one of her greatest gifts each year. A couple of years she even requested a "theme" for
her portfolio, and either horse or Beatrix Potter characters were found throughout.

4. Don't forget the "required forms" section for your portfolio...this should include your log, your attendance,
reading lists, and any required testing/medical items for the year. I also include a page on field trips,
books used for planning, videos relevant to curriculum, and websites used in our school year.

Finally, if you can afford it, the plastic sheet covers will keep your portfolios protected for years to come. We actually have a whole shelf on one bookcase that has portfolios from years past (this year I think we start shelf number two!). Eventually, the girls will take these with them as they leave, but for now, we have wonderful memory books from the past five years to enjoy!

For any of you who NEED to submit portfolios, I hope this post gave you some pointers! ONE FINAL NOTE: IF YOU LIVE IN A HUGE SCHOOL DISTRICT, YOU MIGHT WANT TO JUST SUBMIT THE SMALLER REQUIRED ITEMS TO THE DISTRICT, SINCE THEY HAVE TO MANY TO LOOK THROUGH....BUT MAYBE KEEP THE REST AT HOME!

An update on my prayer request...

2008-05-19T19:44:00.003-05:00

Thanks to all who sent personal emails of support on my father-in-law. His pacemaker was inserted today, and he is feeling remarkably better already. He is due to go home tomorrow if all goes well during the night. My Ape husband is going to take the girls up to see him tomorrow for the day; I, unfortuately, have a got a nasty cold and/or sinus infection, and will most likely stay home to go to the doctor instead.

Thank you, god, for your mercy and goodness!

Meandering Mondays.....and a new structural plan for my blog

2008-05-19T06:36:00.002-05:00

I've been spending some time this weekend thinking about a way to increase my productivity on my blog....it really has become an avenue for self-expression, but I also want it to offer something to others who visit. My problem has been that many days I sit down and feel that I have nothing to write about. So over the weekend I've come up with a loose structural plan for the week, giving me a starting point for each day. Granted, I'll still throw in the more spontaneous posts, but hopefully this will at least make it easier to have something to say each day.

Meandering Mondays will, as the title say, just "go with the flow".....my plans for the week, or thoughts about something in the news, or wherever else my brain takes me (that might get scary sometimes!)

Teachable Tuesdays will deal with homeschooling issues.

What's Cookin? Wednesdays will include recipies and issues on home and family life

Thankful Thursdays will simply be a reflection on all I'm grateful for in my life

fine Arts Fridays will touch on my favorite subjects....that of music and art. I'll try to include some
activity ideas around various composers and artists as well

Scipture Saturday will just be a short reflection on a scripture passage that I've read during the week

and finally, Saints & Sacraments will round out my Sunday posts, putting the focus where it should be for me on Sundays.

I'm excited about alot of the changes in my life right now, and the future ahead....

Right now, I'm off to get some strawberries for the Storm Queen, and then we head off for a breakfast meeting on the new coop! Sure to be a great day!

A Prayer Request for all who visit

2008-05-18T19:11:00.002-05:00

My father-in-law will be having a pacemaker put in tomorrow at some point. He's been having some heart trouble this past month (has had a heart condition for years) and the surgery had to be moved up due to some irregular heart activity. For all of you who visit, please keep him in your prayers. May God watch over him, the doctors, my mother-in-law, my husband, his siblings, and all the grandchildren......he is a much loved man by all!

One chapter ends, and another begins

2008-05-16T22:09:00.002-05:00

Today was a big day for me, not just because it was out "official" last day of school, but because of a huge decision I've made in the past two weeks about my homeschooling vision for next year. For the past five years I've taught at a weekly learning center, and a couple of weeks back I was asked to join a few teachers that were leaving to begin a new coop in the surrounding area as a board member and teacher. After a lot of prayer, I truly felt that God was leading me in this new direction.

Tonight I sent my letter of resignation to the director, as well as a letter of explanation to all the families that I've worked with. I know that a few families will no doubt follow to the new place as it's closer to their home and a bit cheaper, but I will truly miss many of those families that I am leaving. In my heart I believe that the area is big enough to sustain several different groups, and that both will survive as homeschooling grows. However, I'm truly excited about this new venture! Our vision is much more of a CO-OP approach, where I think all will feel important and a part of its success. In the midst of lots of planning, I'm also realizing how much work I still have to do for the classes I'll be teaching. I'm glad school's out for a month and half!

I love being computer literate!

2008-05-16T05:15:00.002-05:00

Well, I woke up at 4:00am again thanks to my little fur balls, and once again opted not to go back to sleep. It seems that from 4-6am I can almost always be guaranteed computer time! This morning I sat down to master a new task--that of learning to do labels with this new program I've got. After years of using Microsoft Office, we had this computer rebuilt and ended up with Evolution and Fedora as our stuff to work with. I STILL hope to have Office reinstalled, because I know it SO well, but today I at least know that once again I can figure things out after awhile!

I've been working on a new project that will be unveiled more next week, but it involved having to make some address labels. It took some searching to find the menu for it, but once I found it, I figured it out. I MIGHT even remember how for when I need to add to the database! :o)

Today we "officially" end the school year with our annual lunch out with Dad at a chinese buffet not far from his workplace. I'm already looking forward to my General Tso's chicken!

Today will be a busy day working on finishing up the portfolios. One is completely done, evaluation letter included, and ready to go to the school district office. The second one is just needing the completed reading/field trip/video lists, and then a last evaluation next week. I'm already looking at what needs to be done for next year, and the list is pretty long already! There are ALOT of things to do in the next month, and then my girls start up again in July. I've already told them MOM needs the computer alot in the coming weeks! They get to play awhile, but I crank into planning mode for June. (Don't worry, I find down time for reading books, too!)

Well, my Ape husband is moving about, so I'd best be off. This is HIS computer time before heading to work!

Another year over!

2008-05-14T23:34:00.002-05:00

Today my daughters finished their current school year....YIPPEE!!!! As promised, we will have a lunch date with Dad on Friday to celebrate, and now they truly have time to fight over the computer for games and surfing. Of course, now that portfolios are just about complete, MOM has to start getting needed computer time for next year's planning sheets and a couple other big projects in the works. We may have to have a "sign up" schedule for computer time in the next couple of weeks!

I am not writing much this week, mostly due to getting portfolios finished up. However, there is another issue underneath that is taking alot of inner energy....I'll be free to share more in a few more days. Until then, there is sense of unrest, so I'm trying to keep busy with lots of little things. More upcoming!

As of now, I am the proud mother of a FIFTH grader and a (gasp!!) SOPHOMORE!!

Come, Holy Spirit

2008-05-11T22:10:00.002-05:00

Come Holy Spirit, and renew the weary parts of my soul. Fire my life with Your love, and give me a renewed zeal to live as a witness of God to the world. Let my light shine so that others may see Your glory!

On this Feast of Pentecost, I'm saying a special prayer also for mothers, who so often are true bearers of the Holy Spirit within.....may the Spirit of God rest upon each of you and make your job as "mom" the most rewarding thing you'll ever do.

Because after all, it is.

Happy Mother's Day!

I'm live again.....take two!!

2008-05-09T22:47:00.002-05:00

Once again, we've been out of touch with the real world due to computer problems for the past couple of weeks. Our new computer, with all the bells and whistles that we loved so much, had a hidden defect somewhere, so our "tech" support staff sent it back and the new one is on its way. In the mean time, they rebuilt one of our OLD computers so that we'll eventually have a second one. For now, I've finally gotten a QUICK turn to say I'm back among the blogosphere....although I'll still be pretty quiet in the coming week. I have report cards to get done for several of my high school classes, and portfolios to finish up, and some other MAJOR areas of change that are weighing heavily on my mind. By next week, the "fog" should clear some and I'll have more time to discuss all that's going on in our busy life.

Tonight I went as a chaperone with my daughter on her first semi-formal, and the kids all had a great time. The girls all looked so grown up and beautiful, and some of the boys had even donned tusedos for the occassion. It was a joy to be a part of the evening!

Right now, I'm off to bed!

It's good to be able to laugh at oneself!!

2008-04-24T05:01:00.002-05:00

It's been a busy week, and I'm catching up after having been sick, so I'm late in posting this, but it was too funny not to share....

Last week we had our new computer delivered and set up -- it was built by
a student of minea and his dad, and they did a superb job -- and for several days there was minimal fighting in the house with the exception of "are you almost done?" or "Is it MY turn again yet?"....

Last Saturday I awoke to find that it had a message regarding an irregular reboot during the night; it also seemed to have a frozen mouse. I turned the computer off and back on in the back, only to find it totally dead. ARRRRRGGGGGGHHHHHH!!! Not after just three days! As the Aurhoress and I were heading off to a college visit, my Ape husband made the "call", and my student and his dad came back Sunday to look at it.

I was at work, and got the phone call.....it went something like this:

"Honey, the computer is fixed. It seems that there is an on/off switch on the FRONT of the computer that we also had to turn on!"

Gee, I'm glad I was at work! There really IS a switch, but it looks a pretty blue light for those of us less talented in the hardware department! One of the things I've added to my "to do" list for the upcoming month is to pull out the manual and actually READ it!!

Yes, it's good to be able to laugh at oneself....especially when we really deserve it!

Back among the living!!!

2008-04-16T23:23:00.003-05:00

Today was like Christmas at our house! Our computer quietly died in its sleep well over a week ago--luckily it was show week for me so I didn't have time to miss it too much--and today our new one arrived.

One of my students -- an incredibly gifted kid in technology -- and his dad built us a new one, and now in the wee hours of the morning I can get a quick post up. This new machine has so many bells and whistles that it will take weeks just to find them all!
They were also able to retrieve everything from the old hard drive, and took both old computers to rebuild one of them for a second computer station down the road.

Getting to know this family has been a joy; they are caring, intelligent people with similar interests and views on homeschooling. They have fast become special friends, and for that I am grateful.

for now, I am going to take my cough medicine and try to sleep. AFter weeks of running on adrenaline for the show, I came down with bronchitis within two days of it being over. Yesterday I headed to the doctor and got some cough medicine with codeine, and I've been able to sleep for up to 4-5 hours at a time now. I'm definitely on the mend!

No doubt that these are MY girls....

2008-04-07T22:36:00.001-05:00

Overheard this evening, after the girls have been sharing a few jokes and tongue twisters:

Storm Queen: "Tell me another one!"

Authoress: "I can't remember anymore"

Storm Queen: "Tell me one, anyway."

Yup, those are my genes, they are.

Another Opening, Another Show....

2008-04-07T05:01:00.003-05:00

Well, I've been a bit quiet these past few days getting all my thespian ducks in a row. The programs are now stapled and folded, the bins are packed with everything that's going from my house, and only 1-2 items remain on my "to do" list.....which this morning is a lovely abstract of pencil scribbles as I've crossed one thing after another off......it's show week! Yes, I'm tired, but the adrenaline will kick in at this point, and I just pray that my students have a good time with the production.

Today will be cast photos, which are a bit late; on the other hand, I've instructed them all to leave their costumes in the bins, so once back in the car, they will STAY there until Friday's dress rehearsal. I just have a couple more set items to put together, and then we're on.

It's been a harder year than most; between alot of sickness and some younger and inexperienced students with leads, it's been somewhat shaky some weeks. At the same time, my entire goal for this class is not the finished product so much as the process. I've been at a few high school/college productions this spring, and I realize that they have the same issues. In the end, theater to me is about using our God given talents to have fun. Granted, it's nice when the audience ALSO enjoys themselves, but in our small homeschool family, that's almost a given. Most of the audience will be family and friends, and some potential homeschoolers who may come to "check us out" as a future option. Overall, I am just so blessed to have the opportunity to work with such a great group of families.

This week will include a couple of days with a HEAVY academic focus here, as the past week or two have been far more independent work than I usually allow at home. I may even rethink next year's schedule to include a full week off before the show. At the same time, the girls are so close to being done with their needed assignments that alot of what's left is busy work, so a light week with more independent projects is probably the better choice.

After the show we have evaluations, field trips, and a couple of final chapters in math/science/history to get through....but all the big stuff is done, corrected, and in the portfolio already for the Authoress (her evaluation is next week!). The only other "big" thing still upcoming is our chorus concert -- but THAT group is sounding phenomenal already!

This weekend we went down to a nearby college campus that the Authoress is looking at for down the road. It was their spring musical, and we thought we'd go see what kind of program they run. It was a delightful show with a small but talented cast. I was pleased to see that even a few of the leads were not "exceptional", but had talent. I think the Authoress would have a great time...she was all excited because the romantic leads actually KISSED on stage!! (And then I remember how much she still has to learn in three years!)

At one point before the show we were sitting in the lobby just watching, and she looked so apprehensive. My eyes caughts hers, and she said, "Mommy, I feel sort of intimidated". Yup, me too. We both are realizing that these last couple of years are going to fly by, and the idea of her leaving the nest to spread her wings is scary for both of us right now. That scared-excited-nervous-reluctant-hopeful feeling all rolled into one....sort of like the feeling just before heading out onstage. It just lasts longer!!

Sometimes it really does pay off to try something again...

2008-04-02T11:39:00.002-05:00

My daughters are off finishing up their Stanford testing, and my husband just went to work after taking the morning off for some quiet time together, so I have a half hour before leaving to get them.

I just made a HUGE discovery, which will save me hours of time and energy....all because of a little voice that said, "try it ONE more time THIS way..." As most of my small blog audience knows, I have my musical next week, and one of the biggest challenges of the show was to put together my puzzle pieces. I came up with the vision early on, and designed a SIMPLE ocean view puzzle using light foam pieces that were easy to cut and put together. They also allowed the girls who played my puzzle pieces to have several attached to them while bumping into each other, WITHOUT having the pieces crack or break.

Our challenge was to figure out the best way to attach them to their clothes. We've been using duct/masking tape for rehearsals, which has been a VERY comical experience in what DOESN'T work.....and while my vision had been to use velcro, it was pointed out that the bond with the velcro may be stronger than the foam, causing it to rip. I tried it at home and found that to be the case. My wonderful costume lady then suggested backing each piece with postertboard and felt to give a stronger bond, and she even offered to sew them up. Unfortunately, HER experiment proved that foam will rip if you try to sew other things to it.

Today was the day I set aside to finally tackle this problem; armed with posterboard and some felt, I was going to hand sew pieces on to try and solve the problem. However, in looking at the velcro box that I had tried earlier, I noticed that it was "industrial strength" velcro......"hmmmmm", I thought, "perhaps a weaker velcro might work". As a child runs to a hung up stocking on Christmas morning, I raced to find my "regular" velcro and grabbed an old undershirt of my daughters to try ONE more time. This velcro was even better than before in that it's a sticky back, so I just cut a few pieces and attached them. And then came the TEST. For about five minutes, I yanked that piece of foam off that undershirt as hard as I could from every angle I could imagine, and IT WORKS!!!! No tears, no rips....just alot of noise (that will probably come through the mics just wonderfully!!). The hours of work that I've just saved myself have catapulted me into my final "adrenaline" mode for the show -- a few days early!! I am now so excited to realize that this last "big" job has now been cut into about a quarter of the time that I thought it would take has me dancing around the house!

For a small moment in time, I can understand how Edison felt when that light finally went on!! TOY CAMP, here we come!

We'll need another bookshelf soon!

2008-03-29T05:08:00.003-05:00

Last night I worked on the Authoress' portfolio, and aside from a few photos and final assignments, it's about ready to go to her evaluator in mid-April. She sat down and went through it all last night, and then the Storm Queen had to do the same. (I've started hers, but have until mid-May, so I won't touch it again until after the show!)

What I expect to happen in the next couple of days, if experience repeats itself, is that they will now pull each of their old portfolios off the shelf to reminisce about the past five years of homeschooling. I love listening to them share stories or remember certain projects or awards from past years.....it's also a really good permanent log of what they've accomplished over time. Now that Storm Queen will be finishing up her 4th grade, next year we'll be starting off where I began with the Authoress five years ago. I've already looked through her fifth grade portfolio to get some ideas for next year's planning!

This is one aspect of PA homeschooling I'm grateful for....while many states do not require the portfolio, I'm all for the accountability of it. Moreso, however, I scrapbook lots of photos and other momentos from each year, so that the portfolio becomes much more than a few samples, but a real book of memories for the years.

Of course, we MAY need another bookshelf before long!!!

And this is why we homeschool...

2008-03-26T22:13:00.002-05:00

Aah, spring! Today was a glorious day of "flexible" homeschooling!! This morning we got a call from the Authoress' best friend, who is now home from 2 months of inpatient treatment for Anorexia; her mom (a dear friend) is away this week on business, so I told them to stay in touch. Well, she was really feeling like she wanted to get out of the house for a bit. As I hadn't really started any show tasks, and I saw the temperature already at 58, I quickly agreed. The Authoress almost jumped out of bed (gee, she doesn't do that for Algebra!), and we were out the door within a half hour with packed sandwiches and water bottles. We spent the next couple of hours at a local park; the older girls went off for a quiet walk to catch up, and the Storm Queen and I had a nice lunch together.....at one point, I leaned down and kissed her and said, "And this is why we homeschool!"

With only a few weeks left on our calendar, and a not REALLY long list of things left to do, it was a wonderful break in the routine. As so many kids are only able to dream about that 2:00 bell ringing, we spent the day outside in the glorious sunshine. Afterwards we headed to their house and the girls all watched a movie while I did some planning for my Literary Analysis class next year.

Tomorrow I'll get back to the show prep in earnest, tackling the puzzle pieces that still need final bonding and velcro attached....but all in all, it was a day to seize and treasure!!

Let the Countdown Begin!

2008-03-25T07:02:00.002-05:00

Well, there are actually TWO countdowns that have begun at our place. The first is more mine, as we are now in the final three weeks before the show. My energy level has spiked, knowing that from here on it's adrenaline that really gets me moving. Yesterday I finished the box for "Jackie"-in-the-Box, using pieces of foam board, decorative paper, and (my favorite!), duct tape! Inside are handles for her to carry it with, the back is cut out for easy entry/exit, and a handle is sticking out the side for someone to wind. All in all, it came out quite nice! My BIGGEST challenge was trying to get it into the van! I ended up having to remove the back, which allowed a slight folding of the sides, and with the back seat down, it slides up and over and just fits, leaving plenty of room for the bin with other costumes and the cardboard toy blocks. For now, our van has been reduced to a 4-passenger vehicle!
Today I tackle the remaining tasks for the puzzles pieces, which will be a two day project I'm sure. There are just a few odds & ends left at this point, and my "TO DO" is filled with lots of things crossed out!!

The OTHER countdown is for the end of the school year, which on the calendar is seven weeks away. Counting in days for the show, upcoming Stanford testing, and a couple of field trips, the girls really only have about 23-24 days of "schooling" left....and spring fever is definitely calling them!! I always feel bad for the public school kids (and morese for the teachers!) who have to stay inside until the middle of June. I imagine that once this time of year hits, it must be SO hard to stay focussed for long periods of time in a classroom. While neither of my girls are the real outdoor type, this time of year calls to the Authoress to take almost daily walks again, and the younger to at least get outside for some sunshine.

In just a little over seven weeks, we'll be "officially" done, and then mom can really get some cleaning and de-cluttering done from the year behind us. We have a goal to paint the dining room over Labor Day weekend, and with a new computer in the works, we want to set up a second station in the dining room for word processing alone, so I have a LOT of work to do! Add to that planning for next year, and I see my summer schedule already taking shape....not to mention that we start again in July! Still, there will be those glorious days of not having anything I HAVE to do...at least for a few weeks!! Let the countdown begin!!

Yes, my dear, Happily Ever After DOES exist!

2008-03-24T05:21:00.003-05:00

My Storm Queen has been up with a cough the past couple of hours, so we've been watching "Enchanted" again. At the end, she said, "I don't believe in Happily Ever AFter, mommy.....it's just in stories". I was quick to point out that there really IS a "Happily Ever After" -- it's called HEAVEN. And it's far better than ANY depiction ever given in any story, movie, or fairy tale. At first I thought that perhaps the movie wasn't appropriate for an Easter basket....as it turns out, it provided a perfect opportunity to teach one of the Easter truths!

Our Easter was quiet and relaxing. AFter a split shift for Masses (with Storm Queen having a cold), we had a peacful day at home. The girls had their annual scavenger hunt with eggs and clues, and then spent the day watching a movie and reading. We had a simple dinner and then Storm Queen played on the computer as Dad & the Authoress retreated upstairs to watch an old horror movie. I took the free time to put together a photo board of the cast in rehearsals so far this year. With our official cast photos being rescheduled the week of the show, I still wanted something to have for publicity; for something I threw together in an evening, it will do quite nicely for some advertising!!

Having a week "off" from the show was what I needed; although I still worked on some of the "administrative" production needs, today marks the beginning of the final stretch. I'll tackle getting the costumes and set pieces finished THIS week, and then the programs and cast party thing next week. Hard to believe it's only three weeks away!! With the Authoress having her evaluation the week after, I'm also finalizing school work for the year. Even though we have another seven weeks, her portfolio is looking quite nice at this point.

Ah, well, it's off to another cup of coffee, and then to start the day! After all, the sun will up in the next hour or so!! :O)

He is Risen!

2008-03-23T12:45:00.002-05:00

He is risen.....Has has risen indeed!!

Have a blessed Easter!!

Remembering the Easter Vigil

2008-03-22T21:49:00.003-05:00

As a convert, I have warm memories of the Easter Vigil....it seems hard to believe that it's been 17 years now that I received Eucharist for the first time. Jen, over at Et-Tu? shares her thoughts one year after she took the same step. I couldn't say it better, so I'll just link to her blog!

I remember I also had a major problem with Eucharist being the real presence as I journeyed through RCIA. Even a week before Easter Vigil, while on retreat, I shared my doubts. I wasn't sure I could really take the final step if I couldn't really profess that I believed it was the true Body & Blood. She was a wise woman, and pointed out that some things we may never have TOTAL belief in, and in those times, one had to leap on faith alone. I chose to follow her advice, and even while receiving, I remember praying, "Okay, God, I'm still not totally sure on this, but I DO know that I've come to believe so much about the faith, that I'll take Your Word on it for now."

About a month later, I was alone in the church for adoration, and because I was alone, I was conversing with God out loud. My moment of revelation finally came, and I blurted out, "Well, Lord, I guess I must believe it's really You, now....otherwise, I'm sitting here in church having a conversation with a piece of bread!". Sometimes the leap comes first, and the faith follows.

Have a Blessed Easter everyone.....and give thanks to God that He has risen!!! ALLELUIA!!

When I Survey the Wondrous Cross

2008-03-21T07:18:00.002-05:00

For me, today is the day that changed my life. As a Catholic, I share with all Christians the belief that today is the day that God showed us just how much He loves us. Today's the day that He let His Son die.

Each year, as a parent, this day means more and more. As a mom, I have learned more about selfless love from my two daughters than I ever thought I could. And yes, even more than going to Mass, or in prayer, or even receiving Eucharist. I believe that God made me a mother because He KNEW that. I needed not just to KNOW about my faith, but to live it. Would I lay down my life for my girls? In a heartbeat, if I had to. My love for them is far stronger than anything else here on earth, and it's because of my faith.

But that's where the true wonder comes in for me. God uses my vocation of motherhood to show me what selfless love is, but then He calls me deeper into my faith to get a glimpse of His true awesomeness. Yes, Jesus loved us enough to die for us.....but God loved us enough to let His SON die for us. That's so monumentally different. Would I sacrifice my girls for someone else? No way. Especially when I believe that God's act of love wasn't just for me, or my family, or all Christians on Earth, but for every soul He's created. THat means the Ted Bundys, the Osama bin Ladens, and the Boston Stranglers of the world. That means the drug dealers, the pimps, the child molesters, and the serial killers.

He loves them, too. And He died for them, too. And HE CALLS US TO LOVE THEM AS WELL. That's the hard part of Easter for me. The realization that He sent His Son to allow me the joy of eternity with Him someday is already an amazing, life-changing event, but then the idea that we are called to love all those others AS HE LOVED US is beyond my comprehension. I am a weak, selfish, human being. I have a hard time LIKING certain people, never mind loving them. I know certain people who have had the heartbreak of having their children choose the wrong paths in life, and all they can do is love them and pray for them from afar. I suppose that's how God feels every day when He looks down on this world.

And so today, when I bend down to kiss that Cross on which He hung, I am overcome with awe and real trembling; His love is beyond my understanding. And while I am certainly not a horrible person, I know that my sins -- the little, pithy sins that I just keep repeating over and over again -- are just as much a part of why that Cross is there. And so today, I share a few words to a song I wrote years ago, following my conversion to Christianity:

Long ago, at Calvary, they took my Lord to die.
There on a wooden cross, they bound his hands and feet,
and left Him there alone to die -- He died for you and me.

"Father, forgive them", was all He had to say.

Facing my phobias....one at a time

2008-03-19T22:47:00.003-05:00

Today was a monumental day in my life. I returned to the dentist after YEARS of being away -- and I do mean YEARS. I have had a phobia of the dentist after a couple of bad experiences as a young adult, so for most of my adult and married life I've shied away. Yes, I take the girls for their check ups twice a year, and sit in the waiting room and support them, and talk nicely to the staff....but NEVER had wanted to venture any closer than that.

All that changed last week on my 49th birthday, when I "treated" myself to a DumDum lollipop. Biting into it halfway through, half of a tooth, along with a good part of the filling, came off as well. That'll teach me to treat myself on my birthday after giving up junk food this year!! :O)

As a result of my birthday "gift", I knew the call had to be made. Today was the day. I've fought little anxieties the past week, and this morning when I woke up I had true butterflies not just fluttering around inside, but feeling more like mad, buzzing bees ready to sting their way out! However, I ventured forth anyway, telling myself that it was all in my head. This was a NICE dentist. He would NOT hurt me. He might not even yell at me. Much.

I got there early enough to fill out the paperwork, and then heard the dreaded words: "Okay, Mrs. so-and-so, it's YOUR turn to cross the threshold." My insides were ALL then ready to flee, but I swallowed hard and took a deep breath, and said a HUGE prayer, and went in. A half hour later, I had had an xray done of the tooth, and a preliminary scope of my mouth for the first time in over two decades.

The dentist WAS nice. And he DIDN'T hurt. He didn't even yell -- too much. The GOOD news is that my teeth, aside from all the fillings I've carried around, are in pretty good shape. I may not even need to have this one pulled. I go back in a few weeks for a LONG appointment, so that alot of xrays and some gum work can be done, as well a temporary cap for the broken tooth. I have promised myself that I will continue going from here on in. Maybe my Ape husband won't have to love me when my teeth are in a cup for awhile yet.

When I got home, there was a huge homemade banner hanging that he and the girls had made that said "Congratulations! You survived!!" He had also lit a candle in the shrine for me (St. Jude, maybe?). Gotta love that man.

SO....as my first half century of life is almost over, I've faced phobia number one.
That means that when I turn 98, I'll have to deal with the frog one. I think I'm safe for awhile!

I may be moving...

2008-03-18T05:09:00.002-05:00

For the next couple of weeks, I'll be playing around on the Wordpress site, as I'm contemplating moving my blog over. (It's actually up there in part, but I'm just "testing" right now.

I've loved the simplicity of Blogger, but I really like the look on WP. However, as I'm not that techno-minded, I need to be sure that I can incorporate links and images easily....the Blogger dashboard has been SO easy to use. I know some people that have left WP to come to Blogger because of problems, and yet I know others that have switched TO WP for many reasons as well.

For now, this will still be my primary site, but if you want to take a look at the other and let me know what you think (it's still in design as well), here is the link to the WordPress site. If you've switched between one or the other, please feel free to share your thoughts.

I'll be making a decision in the next week or two for sure!

When they're sick, it all comes down to "Mommy"

2008-03-18T04:58:00.002-05:00

My Authoress has come down with a nasty, nasty cold, and the last few days have been really hard. As the congestion has really settled in her chest, she has had a hard time sleeping. Sunday night we were up all night, but (thank you, God!) last night she slept through and is only now beginning to stir after a good six hours. This morning I feel subhuman again for the first time, averaging about 3-4 hours of sleep the last few nights.

Yesterday was particularly hard in that I had teaching commitments, and my Ape husband could not take the day off. I got lesson plans ready and delivered everything, hoping to teach the first two classes. I really felt a need to get through the music theater class, as our show is now only three weeks away. Unfortunately, as soon as class began, my cell phone rang, and that one word changed all priorities for the day. Not "Mom", but "Mommy".....the need in her voice to have me home came flying through the airwaves, and so I quickly left the class in the care of my two aides -- one of whom I knew would step up to the plate. I am blessed to have a couple of people, as well as a class of great kids, who can pinch hit if needed. Bottom line: when your kids are really sick, "Mommy" outranks "director" every time.

Hopefully yesterday marked the turn of the pendulum back toward health...in the mean time, I'm glad to have had some sleep myself, and I'll be putting that "director" hat back on for tons of things that still need doing here at home.

Approaching the Top of the Hill...

2008-03-11T04:32:00.002-05:00

Yesterday was my 49th birthday....you know, the one right before you get to the top of the hill, where it's all downhill on the other side? I spent the day with some of the people I love most, as I taught at the learning center. Got lots of hugs from lots of teens that I treasure.

During the last class of the day -- for which I always bring in candy for that needed 4:00 "pick me up" -- I decided I'd treat myself to a little lollipop for my birthday celebration. About halfway through I bit it in half and proceeded to have one of my upper teeth break in half. I quietly put the half tooth and filling in my pocket and taught the rest of the class, but already my mind was swirling. You see, I'm one of those people with an irrational fear of the dentist. I wouldn't quite call it a phobia (I DO have that with frogs, so I know the difference!), but it's right up there on the list. It's been over 30 YEARS since I went to the dentist, and today I know I need to make that call.

We made it home and went out to dinner to celebrate....my family had bought those cards that make you tear up in the restaurant, and then presented me with little gifts back at home -- all of which I loved.

I got a phone message from my VERY best friend in the world, who was not at home to call back, but I smiled throughout the message and felt her love radiating through the wires. Alas, as I went to sleep, the "dentist" thought came back. I actually woke up around 3:00 and have been unable to sleep since; I'm sure that underlying fact is largely responsible. There's not alot of pain, so at first I thought that maybe I'd just let it go, and get used to the wierd feeling of having only half a tooth. However, I'm smart enough to know that MORE problems would come from ignoring the initial problem. And so today I will make the call, and face the grim facts that the next few years will cost TONS of money and all kinds of oral woes.

Happy birthday to me....I arrived at the top of the hill a year early!

But I Don't WANT to lose another hour of sleep!!

2008-03-10T05:40:00.002-05:00

I know at some point this summer maybe this whole semi-annual tradition of daylight savings time will feel better, but for the first few days in the spring, it's almost torture. ONE hour of sleep wouldn't be bad, but between the kids not being tired enough to fall asleep, OR the kids being like comatose patients you're trying to wake, there's alot more than an hour that goes by the wayside....

Did I mention that lack of sleep for my children tends to transform them into less than holy children? Sarcasm is rich in this house right now....I kid you not.

It's now time to wake them up again for a full day out...let the games begin.

The TIME, TREASURE, and TALENTS of teens

2008-03-09T13:41:00.004-05:00

In an age where so many adults look at teens as being so difficult to understand and communicate with, I had the JOY yesterday of playing chauffeur and chaperone to 13 Catholic homeschooled teens on a full day of time, treasure and talent. The Authoress is so privileged to have a group of homeschooled teens to hang out with; although they are scattered all over the Lehigh Valley, they get together once a month to do something together, with each family taking a turn to host or coordinate the event.

This month, being Lent, they chose to do some community service, offering their TIME to an elderly woman who is in the process of getting her house ready to sell as she prepares to move into a smaller apartment. For two hours, they scrubbed toilets, cleaned closets, dusted bookshelves, and performed all kinds of other chores. I had just dropped my daughter off, and they had no actual supervision aside from the lady herself.

At the appointed hour, I arrived with the van (one of the teens is a senior and drove the other van) to help transport the gang to the next activity they chose -- that of confession. I cannot tell you the gratitude I felt in my heart as I knelt there with all of them saying the rosary, and then lining up with them to meet our Lord in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Aside from the cleansing joy that comes from confession alone, I had the added joy of seeing The Authoress and her friends truly living out our faith....the true TREASURE.

From there we headed to the "host" family's home, and they spent an hour playing pool, ping pong, and air hockey until dinner. I sat amongst them at the table, and had the joy of total acceptance as one of them, and not just an adult. We then headed off to a local high school to watch their annual spring musical, and we enjoyed the TALENT that God has given to so many. A good number of these kids are also in my own music theater class, so they appreciate all the more the talents of others. (They also shared a bit of my "set envy" as we discussed how our current location does lack for a curtain, a real stage, and the like....but we also realized that we have FUN as we work with what God gives us.)

As I sat there with this amazing group of kids, I realized that throughout the day, I was the only adult chaperone for the most part. What struck me was that I didn't NEED to be there at all. Aside from one of the guys ripping up a bit of program for confetti on the girl's head in front of him, these kids were as well behaved as mature adults. The day was a true gift of JOY for me, and a real affirmation for my vocation as of late. As this time of year often brings those self doubting days of "am I really doing the right thing?", yesterday was a resounding YES from God! If my commitment to homeschooling can help nurture the growth of these teens as they share their time, treasure, and talent with others for the glory of God, then I will die at peace. Thank you, God, for teens!

The Steps Toward Independent Learning

2008-03-07T07:48:00.002-05:00

Yesterday I had a heart to heart with the Authoress, and soon the Storm Queen joined in...it's amazing how after five years of homeschooling they can still teach ME. The Authoress has had a really hard year adjusting to the added work load of high school, and we've had LOTS of "teacher/student" discussions about why things weren't getting done all the time. Yesterday, however, I think a huge truth was revealed to me in the discussion. I MAY HAVE LEFT OUT SOME REALLY IMPORTANT STEPS IN THE TEACHING PROCESS OF BECOMING INDEPENDENT. Or maybe more accurately, I may have seen her reaching that point, and just abandoned her right away on the assumption that she didn't "need" me anymore. Ouch.

Right now our routine is that I give her a weekly list of things that need to be done, and aside from math, she is pretty much on her own unless she asks for help. We began the discussion with the issue of her NOT really putting in a high school work load for much of the day....at least early in the week. She tends to do a few things, with minimal time, and then by the week's end she is overwhelming with the task ahead. Storm Queen is developing the same habits. I had attributed it to laziness, and while they both agree that laziness is at least a factor, there was a more underlying issue at hand once we really got into it.

While I've assumed that the Authoress is capable of doing it all on her own, I realize now that she still hasn't mastered some of the steps. It's like teaching someone to make a few recipies and then throwing them into a short-order cook position. She is currently working on a research paper, and I saw how little she had really gotten done. However, aside from an excellent outline, I realized that she had forgotten some of the other steps - the note cards, the resource key, etc. She was trying to "compose" at the computer, and finding it really difficult. If I had sat down with her -- just to make sure that she really "had" it -- it would have been easier.

In the course of discussion I realized that some of these missing steps were also part of the problem with chores not always getting done. It's one thing to say that you'll do dishes, but I never really SHOWED them how to wash them thoroughly. It's one thing say "clean your room", but without really learning the individual steps, it's almost too abstract (at least for the Storm Queen).

In the end, we covered alot of ground. We decided that we will try a real "schedule" next week, getting up by 9:30 and starting by 10:00 with schoolwork. We will have a DAILY start together to touch base and be sure assignments are understood, and then I'll alternate between the two to make sure that they have mastered the various steps along the way.

They also owned up to not putting in as much effort as needed, and realized that that was a large part of why mom always seems "angry and nagging" -- especially toward the end of the week. I'm really optomistic that this last quarter may be our best of the year!

Overall, I am so thankful that my kids can still really TALK to me. One of the real gifts of homeschooling is the real communication that goes on, and how close you can get to your children. As the Authoress has now reached that age when communication is often breaking down with typical teenage behavior, I'm so grateful that we continue to grow closer, not further apart.

Who says you can't teach an old dog new tricks?!

California, Here I Go!

2008-03-06T21:40:00.002-05:00

Found an article from LA TIMES today cited by Jonah Goldberg at National Review about a disturbing ruling in California.

It seems as though the State court has ruled that only parents with teaching credentials may be able to continue to homeschool. Sadly, the case that brought the ruling to the STate was a question of abuse -- just another of the few bad cases out there that give homeschoolers a bad rap.

I am totally FOR parents having to be accountable for teaching their children. Living in PA where we have stricter rules than alot of states, I have no problem with providing the school district with objectives, evaluations, and portfolios. Just as God calls me to be accountable to HIM in teaching my kids, I am also called to be accountable at the local level that an education is truly taking place.

That being said, I also believe that accountability should BE at the local level, and not mandated by state laws -- especially when they result from the minority cases where teaching is NOT going on.

If this isn't overturned, I suspect there'll be a whole lot of homeschoolers moving OUT of the Golden State.

Seems only fitting to add this post in....

2008-03-04T07:47:00.003-05:00

Found this while catching up on some other sites, over on Happy Catholic.

But isn't the comma upside-down?? Okay, what does THAT mean about me??

You Are a Comma

You are open minded and extremely optimistic.

You enjoy almost all facets of life. You can find the good in almost anything.

You keep yourself busy with tons of friends, activities, and interests.

You find it hard to turn down an opportunity, even if you are pressed for time.

Your friends find you fascinating, charming, and easy to talk to.

(But with so many competing interests, you friends do feel like you hardly have time for them.)

You excel in: Inspiring people

You get along best with: The Question Mark

What Punctuation Mark Are You?

The Ups and Downs of Persuasive Writing and Evangelism

2008-03-04T07:07:00.003-05:00

My Storm Queen is taking a writing class at our learning center this year, and I love both the teacher and work she has assigned. Each week has been organized in the same fashion, with a journal assignment, a grammar/language review sheet, and then the main assignment. Unfortunately for my Storm Queen, the last few weeks have been on persuasive writing, which is NOT her forte! While she is a natural writer, and a talented one for her nine years, this is a new venture for her and has been a real struggle. One assignment she just didn't do (not for lack of trying!), and the other was completed with great angst. To make matters worse, this latter assignment was a "vote for me for class president" exercise, which is extrememly difficult for one who has self-image problems to begin with. She began by saying "NOONE would vote for me for THAT!", and through writing it she realized that she has no desire to enter politics anyway (I guess that's an "up" of writing!). With some prompts that I gave her to think about, she did finally come up with some positive traits to include, and she got the work done.

I realized as I was helping her that the Authoress doesn't like persuasive writing EITHER, preferring to spend whatever time she can in her more creative pursuits. I tried to explain to both of them that a good part of high school writing and a LARGE chunk of college writing IS of the persuasive genre, so it's a skill to work on, even if it doesn't feel natural. We all came to the conclusion that what makes it hard is that it IS work, and takes time and revising to really do it well. I also realized that one of the reasons it seems so un-natural for them is that I've raised them to NOT worry about what others think of them, but to be their own unique selves. In reality, however, we all DO worry about what others think of us at some level.

Next year I'll be teaching a high school literary analysis class, and one of the things I want to help the kids master is that persuasive writing--at least in the context of literature--isn't so much trying to have others believe your interpretations are the best, but that you can articulate what your interpretation IS and then support it clearly with examples. In the end, you're not really trying to "win" people over, but clarify what YOU think and believe.

I was reflecting more on that this morning in my prayer time this morning, and came to realize that my faith conversion follows this same pattern. In my conversion journey, I was influenced not so much by people telling me with great passion that what they believed was the right way to worship, but by people who lived by their convictions and could explain them clearly.....WITHOUT trying to force me to adopt their own beliefs. Over time, this is my problem with alot of mainstream Protestant evangelism -- so much of it is having someone else tell me that "this is what I should believe". In a way it's ironic that I've come to embrace the Catholic Church, which also has a set doctrine of what we should live by, but the difference to me was the latter was presented in a different way. The lives of the Saints REALLY drew me to the faith, because their writings didn't "tell" me what to do, but TOLD me what THEY did. I realized that they were writing just as persuasively, but their point of view was more internal, where alot of evangelical writers seem to me to write with the external view of "what others will think of this".

I may not be communicating as clearly as I want to yet....I need to dwell more on this, as it may explain more on my general belief of evangelism. I have always believed that one is more effective by quieting living out one's faith for others to SEE rather than a "go out and get 'em" approach.

I had no idea that couple of weeks of persuasive writing assignments would give me so much to think about! As for the "up" mentioned in the title of this post, the Storm Queen would definitely say that it's THIS week's assignment, which is something entirely DIFFERENT!

Don't Drink the Water!

2008-02-29T14:43:00.002-05:00

At least, it seems that way this week! Currently I am the backup organist at our parish for funerals as our other organist is out after a hernia operation. Between this past Wednesday and next Tuesday there are FIVE funerals! I even had to turn one down on the Monday since I teach all day at the learning center. Makes you wonder!

On the positive note, we are finally going to have the money by mid-March for a new computer, which will be EXTREMELY nice after our old one died and the interim arrived. It's been adequate, but SO slow, and doens't allow alot of stuff on it. One of my STUDENTS and his dad actually build computers, and they are creating one for us with lots of bells and whistles....makes the extra income really handy!

One more "gem" from the Authoress...

2008-02-25T20:30:00.002-05:00

I kid you not....this came out of her mouth on our excursion today!

"Does anybody else see a giant ice cream cone walking down the sidewalk, 'cause I think I'm having hallucinations!"

The funny thing was, there WAS a giant ice cream cone walking down the street....or pacing....every few steps it would stop and wave at the traffic. We figure either a new ice cream place opened up, or someone escaped from a loony bin and thought it would be a good "incognition" outfit to wear!

The Authoress DOES love her math!!

2008-02-25T10:37:00.002-05:00

The Authoress' contribution for the day...

Quoted from an old Funky Winkerbean cartoon book!!

ALGEBRA I: This course is a bit like General Math only a little more bizarre. The basic idea is to find out what "x" is. The catch is, that as soon as you do, they change it to something else. If you enjoy this, you'll also like beating your head against a brick wall.

She definitely takes after her mother on this one!!! :O)

The pieces are coming together....

2008-02-25T10:02:00.002-05:00

Quite literally!! I've been absent from the blogosphere for awhile as I've been working on lesson plans for next year and portfolios for this year. The next two months are my "crazy" months with the show and a chorus concert back to back, so I try to get other things out of the way as much as possible.

This weekend I cut out the rest of the puzzle pieces for our musical; seven girls are playing the part of puzzle pieces, and I designed a 21 piece foam puzzle with each girl getting 3 pieces attached with velcro. During the show their pieces will be on scattered pieces of velcro on shoulders, knees, and hip, and then at the end they will hopefully come together to show the audience the fisherman scene. All the pieces are now cut, and I just have to glue gun them and possibly staple them as well. I think the end result will work!!

I also made up my "MASTER LIST" for the next two months. Every year sometime during the latter part of February I face this task.....this year I procrastinated a few days because I always want to scream when it's all down on paper. I usually verbalize my fears in getting it all done, and then my Ape husband -- the quiet, stable, voice of reason -- says calmly, "yes, dear.....every year you make the same list, and every year it all somehow gets done". I love that man for his ability to ground me!!

Once I get over the initial mini-panic, I get busy. I've always worked well with lists. I've managed to knock off several things this weekend, and it's always such a great feeling to cross those items off! LOTS still to do, but I now have a plan!

The musical is coming together; a few of the younger leads are still stumbling a bit with their lines, and the "flow" hasn't quite clicked in yet, but I'm pleased with where we are right now. In the end, they always come together in a great performance!! My chorus is REALLY impressing me this year; I have 13 and they sound absolutely wonderful! Our concert this year is music through America, singing a song for each decade with narration in between. Next week we'll have our solo auditions, and I'm already aware of how difficult some of those choices will be! I am truly BLESSED to have a job where I get to do what I love most with other homeschool families who share my convictions -- and actually make some money at the same time!!

Today our learning center is off, so we'll be heading out shortly to go bowling and shopping, and of course, out to lunch!! (The girls don't know that part, yet!). My blogging may be a bit less in the next month or two, but I'll try to get on every now and then with updates. Once summer is here, I hope to post some of the more successful lesson plans of the year on my site. SOMEDAY, I hope to still publish some of what I put together!!

Literary Analysis and my love of the internet

2008-02-06T08:39:00.001-05:00

I'm in the process of lesson planning for next year; I've offered and it's been accepted for me to teach a high school class on literary analysis at our homeschool learning center. I have always loved to read, and English was always my favorite subject in school. Although I ended up majoring in human services and minoring in classes in the fine arts (I worked most of my life as a recreation/music therapist), I still loved English. I married a fellow bookworm, and have two girls who are both avid readers and excellent writers. Consequently, I went to them to help come up with a reading list for next year that doesn't follow the "norm"....

You see, I never really liked reading Hemingway, and Faulkner I liked even less. An awful lot of American authors just don't do alot for me. I like most of the British authors, but didn't want to teach a class on just British Literature. My family and I brainstormed one night to come up with a reading list for this class -- comprised of OUR family favorites that we feel also have merit out there in the world.

To start with, I chose FARENHEIT 451 by Ray Bradbury. I have always loved this book, and feel it's a great one to start the year with. We will then also include Jane Austen's PRIDE AND PREJUDICE, Baroness Orczy's THE SCARLET PIMPERNEL (one of my all time favorites!), Shakespeare's MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING, and Tolkein's THE HOBBIT. Major excerpts will be read from Thoreau's WALDEN and Ben Franklin's AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF BEN FRANKLIN.
Add to that numerous short stories, poems, other excerpts, and one or two books chosen by the student. Because we meet once weekly, I will use the classroom to illustrate the elements of the readings, and have them orally discuss and analyze in groups. Homework will include reading, comprehension questions, and various assignments and essays on different aspects of the work. They will also have one or two oral presentations to the class during the year. The class will earn them a full English credit, and satisfy both reading and writing requirements for our PA homeschool diploma programs.

This is my first CORE class I'm teaching. I've been the "fine arts" lady for several years, and this year offered a high school world geography class using broadway musicals as a starting point. I'm EXCITED about finally teaching one of the "nuts & bolts" classes! This is where my love of the internet comes in. The internet and the search engines are a dream for teachers looking for lesson plans. I have a stack of lesson plans, study guides, and worksheets about three inches high at this point -- and that's just the stuff I LIKED!! I've waded through hundreds of high school literature websites, as well as countless others from textbook publishers and homeschool sites. Granted, some of what I found was just short of appalling, and a huge amount was lackluster at best, but there were some "jewels" out there that I have found, as well as some ideas of my own. I still have a few more cracks to fill in, but my basic structure for the next year is really taking shape. My daughter is already excited about the class, as well as several others in the homeschool community that we know.

Now if we could just figure out how to spread that enthusiasm to math & science....

If they had to lose....

2008-02-04T00:03:00.000-05:00

I'm glad it was to my husband's favorite team. Yes, the Patriots are still the best team in the league in my eyes, and their 18-0 record will be remembered by us loyal fans, but in the end, the Giants will go down as the team who beat the best to win the Superbowl. In a few years, ONLY the loyal Pats fans will remember anything else.

Went to a superbowl party with some homeschool friends which was much nicer than sitting at home with my radio (as CBS didn't carry the game!), and while I was driving home I was thinking on how often we fall into the same trap of perfectionism. No matter how great a year might be, or how many tests my kids might do GREAT on, they always seem to remember the one bad grade, or the one lousy incident. I'm just as guilty sometimes -- especially with my life long battle with weight loss. This time around I think I'm finally realizing that it's the overall effort and the not giving up that counts. Little by little, I'll get there. So far I've lost 17 pounds since starting South Beach in December, and although there have been few bad days (even a bad week or two!), I've made some real progress.

My house still looks like the disaster it was after Christmas, and I keep beating myself up over the lack of time I seem to have to CLEAN....I truly AM plodding my way through clutter -- quite literally! -- toward a closer relationship with God. As a coach, He doesn't expect perfection like Belichik might ask from his players, but instead gives us the ball and lets us call all our own plays. He also will NEVER forget us, no matter how many mistakes we might make along the way. In reality, He's already GIVEN us perfection in His Son, who will eventually lead us to victory in that final game -- as long as we keep playing.

Ah well, I'm beginning to ramble, and tomorrow promises to be a LONG day of teaching after getting up TOO early! I'd best be off to bed!

Congratulations to all you Giants fans out there....and thanks to the Patriots for their best season ever. You may have lost the Superbowl, but you're still the best!!

A very noisy staff meeting!

2008-01-29T05:57:00.000-05:00

Yesterday we had a staff meeting at the Learning Center where we work, and it was held out in the big lunch room rather than a smaller room where we normally meet. In a word, it was LOUD. The administration is a woman I care about alot, and probably know better than most, but I sometimes cringe at her administrative choices. We all had to yell if we said anything at all....I pretty much chose to sit and eat my lunch and just listen.

However, there was one bit of "conversation" that bothered me, and that was another teacher discussing her proposal to teach a class on "how to read a novel" -- complete with 20 page papers and deep topics (from what I COULD hear, it sounded more like a college level class). Why did it bother me? Well, I finally decided to offer to teach a literary analysis class of my own, and had worked hard to put together a skeleton outline with a book list to show if needed. This woman is a new mom, and I love her style and spirit, but I was feeling hurt. This was the one class I had not yet heard back on from the administrator. Later in the day I did get a chance to talk with her, and it sounded like she is giving the class to me, so I felt better. Tonight I will talk further with her as we have a monthly get together which is more informal. It's sometimes more productive to talk over a cup of coffee than at lunch during a teaching day!

More on this later....right now, I need to start my day!

Lots of upcoming trips to Philly...

2008-01-26T22:27:00.000-05:00

Today we made our first of many upcoming weekly trips to Philly. The Authoress' best friend in the whole world (and a "third" daughter to me!) has just finished her first week stay at an inpatient facility for eating disorders. It was a really encouraging visit, as she seems really motivated to get better. We'll be heading down once a week to visit, as long as this mild winter weather sticks around on travel days!

Beforehand today we drove down into the city to visit my niece, and it was nice hour and a half at her place. She teaches at an inner city school, and shares a house with three friends and her dog Max. The house is an older home, but beautiful in terms of old architecture and wood. We'll most likely try and visit with her again some week as she lives right by the art museum and the Franklin Institute -- both places on our "to go to" list!

Next visit down we're going to drive down and check out the Authoress' first choice in a future college en route....I know it's several years away, but I also know that it will be here WAY too fast!! I've also realized that I need to add a home economics class sometime in the next couple of years....she really needs to know things like laundry, sewing buttons/mending, and a more extensive cooking repertoire before heading off on her own.

Ah well, for now, I'd best get the Storm Queen to bed!

My daughter is growing up!

2008-01-20T22:50:00.001-05:00

Tonight I had to go and pick up my Authoress from a Catholic homeschoolers teen event night hosted by one of the families we know well. She had a great time, but I realized on the ride home that she is really growing up. Yes, she talked about the fun games and cool basement they had, but also pointed out the BOYS that were there....ah, yes, BOYS. As my Ape husband remarked back at home later, "Convent will be under "C" in the yellow pages, right?" :o)

18-0, and one to go!

2008-01-20T22:45:00.000-05:00

Congratulations to the New England Patriots for once again showing us what football is all about....and after the game, it was great to hear the coach give credit to the team. Gotta start saving for a new shirt!

By the way, it should be an interesting Super Bowl, as my husband is a Giants fan (who, by the way, REALLY gave us an exciting end to THEIR game with a LONG field goal to win!).

A YouTube celebration for my team!

2008-01-18T15:22:00.000-05:00

Go, Patriots! 16 down and 2 to go!

My husband is nuts....that's why I love him!

2008-01-17T16:03:00.000-05:00

My Ape husband is at it again....

Ninja Haiku

January Tidbits....

2008-01-16T10:06:00.000-05:00

It's been a busy few weeks, and I've had little time on the computer at all. Those fleeting moments that I HAVE had were spent with teaching things that needed doing. So here is a recap of the past month:

The holidays ended with a trip to my in-laws for New Year's Eve, which the girls always love. I, too, have a wonderful time, as I am one of the "blessed" who has a mother-in-law that I adore. In many ways I'm more like her than my own mom! The adults managed to make it until midnight (my Ape husband DID need a nap beforehand!), and then we got up for Mass early the next day.....the little church down the road is a mission church, actually...the "real" church is down in Bloomsburg, but this is the kind of Catholic church I love going to. As a Protestant convert from a small church, it was hard to get used to being a member of a parish of 3000 families. Granted, I've gotten to know ALOT of them, but I still LOVE the intimacy of this little church with about 150 people. Someday the Ape & I hope to retire up in this town and make it our own place of worship.

The Authoress had been scheduled for a big trip to Lancaster for a homeschool music festival, but unfortunately our van went in for inspection on the 29th of December and cost us over $900 in the end....I just couldnt' justify going that much in debt right after Christmas, and she totally understood. The money we had saved for the trip took a big dent out of the repair expenses.

It wasn't until the weekend arrived and we were home that we realized that God had the foresight to have us be where we were needed. A dear friend's daughter (the Authoress' best buddy) has been struggling with anorexia for the past year, and this was the weekend of the ultimate intervention....this week she is heading to Philly for an inpatient stay at a well known hospital for eating disorders. Had we gone to Lancaster, we would have missed the opportunity to spend a couple of hours with their family....we are all praying that the old girl we love is still strong enough inside to fight for her own recovery, and have placed her in God's own hand to watch over. I think the next month will see alot of field trips to Philly!

As a PA girl who grew up in the Boston area, I am missing the snow that THEY got, but I'm also LOVING football right now! Two games to go and my Patriots will have done what no team has done is a LONG time.....I only hope that it won't be the Giants that they meet in the final showdown, as my Ape husband would be routing for them! :O)

School began a bit better this semester, with the girls resolved to say goodbye to the computer and movies until all work is completed for the day. We had held a family meeting to discuss computer gaming time, and the Authoress came prepared with four pages of notes to support her proposal....in the end, it was adopted to try, and it is actually working quite nicely. She really does impress me!

Finally, after a month "on the beach" of using the South Beach Diet food plan, I am down 14 pounds, and aside from a bad week at Christmas and a couple of bad days, I'm loving this new way of eating. I had told the personal trainer at the YMCA (I work there) I'd start coming in to exercise after losing 25 pounds, but the Authoress convinced me to start early, so we headed up last night for some time on the treadmills....which the Storm Queen strongly objected to! :O)

So, that's the brief recap for the month....now it's back to the real world!

An interesting array of toys....

2007-12-28T16:31:00.000-05:00

Just sitting here looking at my Storm Queen's last playtime session, and after a quick "pick-up" to play another game, here's what we see...

The Barbie stable (a favorite Christmas gift!) now has three horses standing in it, a Harry Potter doll lying UNDER the horses, a stuffed Hedwig owl sitting on top of the horses, along with a brown teddy bear. There are two other stuffed bears and a cheerleader troll doll also in sight......Barbie and Ken are hiding somewhere in a back stall doing who knows what.

Wading through paper and boxes

2007-12-25T19:40:00.000-05:00

Well, the commercial end of Christmas is finally over. The girls have spent the day playing with their new goodies (Storm Queen was thrilled with her Nintendo DS, and the Authoress has been watching DVD's and reading her manual to the MP3 player she got), and Mommy took not one but TWO naps! I love Christmas at home....it's so much more relaxing.

Last night we went to the children's Mass for which I was cantoring. We like this Mass because it's early, but it's so chaotic. We got there an hour early and the family ended up 2/3 of the way back. By 4:00, with stilll half an hour before Mass began, the place was standing room only. I always have such mixed feelings when I witness this twice a year pilgrimage to church...part of me wants to scream, "where are you the rest of the year? Don't you know He's here ALL the time?", and then another part of me gives thanks that people are coming to celebrate His birth, and perhaps this is the time that God whispers to their souls to bring them back on a regular basis. During communion, we were singing "What Child is This?", and I was so sad to see so many faces registering no emotion....or more likely, the agitation that Mass was too crowded, or too long, or too noisy with kids all over, or too hot...and please can we get out of here soon. I have a hard time singing that song without tearing up....

This, this, is Christ the King, whom shepherds guard and angels sing...
Haste, haste to bring Him laud, the babe, the Son of Mary.

It's HIM!! He's come, and He's HERE! How can you not be excited? How can you not want to sing out on the mountain tops that He has arrived? This is my Christmas Eve, and I am so grateful to have my soul sing out with joy. I pray that some of those that come to Mass on just a couple of obligatory holidays will somehow see the true joy that radiates from some of us there. At the same time, I don't want to sound like a Pharisee....I'm no better than any of them....I come to Mass all too often full of distractions, or in the wrong mindset. May the magic of Christmas Eve Mass stay with me this coming year....may each Sunday be a reminder once again that He has COME....each week He comes again and again FOR REAL in the Eucharist....each week I should be flinging myself on my knees and saying again,

This, this, is Christ the King, whom shepherds guard and angels sing...
Haste, haste to bring Him laud, the babe, the Son of Mary.

Hope you all had a blessed Christmas!

The Calm before the Storm....

2007-12-24T06:54:00.000-05:00

It's a quiet morning....both girls are still asleep, and I'll let them sleep in today as tomorrow they will NO doubt be up early! It will be a busy day today, with some cooking and final wrapping, but this morning it's quiet. (Okay, the cats are all racing around for their morning "spin", but that's beside the point!). As Advent draws to a close, I am looking forward to the next few days. Because our families all live fairly far away, we spend the day at home; after Mass tonight, we'll come home and eat, and read the Christmas Story from Luke, and then try to get the girls to bed.

Tomorrow morning? Well, it WON'T be quiet for awhile, but I'm excited to see the girls opening their gifts....yes, Virginia, there still is a Santa Claus! For the few that frequent my blog, have a most blessed Christmas...I'll post later in the week!

Wrapping is finally done!

2007-12-22T21:49:00.000-05:00

Today my husband showed me again just why I love him so much. My daughter's best friend had called and asked if I could take her shopping for her mom's gift, and with three different stores on the request list I knew it would be a LONG trip. My husband offered to take the girls and go and pick them up, and take them all over. I had about three uninterrupted hours to finish up all the wrapping and odds and ends that needed doing......to ADD to that, he then came home and ate dinner, and THEN went and did the grocery shopping. Yup, sure was smart marrying THIS guy!

Just finished the Christmas newsletter tonight (had problems imbedding the photos), so will take those to work tomorrow to get ready to mail on Monday. Monday morning I need to go to the post office to pick up our mail as we've been SLOWLY chipping away at the ice out front, and then we'll have a couple of days for church, family, and really focussing on the reason for the season.

The waiting has been long, but Advent is now almost over. May our hearts prepare Him room as we celebrate His coming!

Slowing down for the holiday

2007-12-21T08:05:00.000-05:00

Haven't blogged much this past week; with wrapping and Christmas cards I've had some extra stuff to do, but alot has been the girls' vacation beginning -- sometimes it's easier to kick back and not have to fight for the computer!

Last night at work a regular young teen member was chatting at the front desk and telling me how she had to go to see her brother get his first confession in awhile. During the course of the conversation it became clear just how uneducated some of the youth of the church are.....she's currently taking classes to prepare for confirmation, but openly admits that she hasn't been to Mass or confession since communion! I asked her WHY she was being confirmed, knowing already that the answer would be "because my parents say I have to". I then tried to explain just what confirmation WAS, and how it was saying YES to the Catholic faith -- how one can do that with so much ignorance is beyond my understanding. As an adult convert, I LOVED learning of the riches of the Church....of the saints, the sacraments, the liturgy....even the "rituals" took on real meaning when I understood them better. Today's youth seems to see confirmation as an ENDING poing , not a beginning. It's quite sad. I look at my Authoress and give thanks to a young lady who has really embraced the faith, choosing to give service to the parish as a cantor, helping with various social outreach events, and receiving the Sacraments on a regular basis. Sometimes I think it might be better for many of these young kids today to WAIT until they are adults to make their choice in the faith. At the same time, the sacrament bestows grace, and maybe they need that more at this time in their life.

Back from the tangent....will finish up some more wrapping today and then will spend some time with friends coming for lunch. I love having a break from all the lesson planning...even though I know they are just WAITING until next week to jump out at me!

Spent the Day on the Beach....

2007-12-13T06:28:00.000-05:00

SOUTH BEACH, that is. My sister and I have been lamenting about our postmenopausal highest weight ever stuff, and I had told her of my plans to start the South Beach Diet right after the holidays. She had decided to start early, and after seeing her results, and looking at my calendar, I realized it was silly not to do the same. AFter the staff party this past week, I really only have one other "food" engagment between now and Christmas, and it's with close friends from the YMCA, who would no doubt support my attempts.

So yesterday was Day One of the strict two week phase, where you say goodbye to so many of man's great concoctions, as well as many of God's. I thought it would be so hard to give up chocolate, and in the end, it was the carbs I missed most. I know that many of them I will eventually get back, but for these two weeks there will be none. I know the first few days are the hardest as the cravings are around, but my sister lost over 8 pounds so far, and said it's really easy once you get through the first few days. I've agreed with everything I've read so far, and I'm ready. So as I wrap some gifts and get some cards done, I'll just enjoy my time here on the beach....by the way, I'll be the one NOT wearing the bikini!

The waiting continues...

2007-12-10T05:56:00.000-05:00

With the second Sunday of ADvent passing by, we are still in "wait" mode for decorating....although we see countless cars going by with trees on top, we have always waited until that third Advent candle is lit. With only a few more days of academics left until our three week break, I'm honestly waiting more for the break! Last night I graded all papers that students had turned in, and this morning I arose at 3:45 to make the promised brownies that my teenager had requested (I had actually set the alarm an hour later, but the cat decided I should get an earlier start!).

Today will be an easy day; I'm just planning some Christmas videos for classes--some of the students will share orally a few assignments, but aside from that it will be a low key day. I realized this past week that this was the year I could no longer afford to get each of my students a gift, as I now have almost 75 students during the day. Even with alot of kids taking more than one class, I'd still have close to 50 to buy for. My girls even decided that rather than buy the dollar store trinket that most teachers don't really need, they would instead take the time this week to write a heart felt thank you to each teacher and send it in a card. With our budget being so tight this year, I embraced this idea gladly.

Last night my daughter cantored the teen Mass for the first time, and she did a wonderful job. Her voice is really maturing; no more "little girl breathy" sound anymore. I was so proud!

Oh well, I have to go make their lunches for the day, and then finalize packing. It's so nice to be on the last Monday of the semester!

St. Nicholas and poodle skirts

2007-12-07T07:55:00.000-05:00

Yesterday I spent most of the day getting a poodle skirt done (well, ALMOST done) for my Authoress, who will be going to the homeschool teen winter banquet tonight (a 50's theme). My younger Storm Queen opted to sew along with me; she is still in the beginning stages of just sewing straight seams, but she's come a long way. Her seams are straight and her stitches are now small and neat.

At any rate, we discussed St. Nicholas day a bit while we worked, and then proceeded to talk about the difficulty in waiting patiently for Christmas. Although my girls truly DO have the right mindset of Jesus' birth as the real focus, I told them that it's still okay to be looking forward to the gifts! We are human, after all! (At our house, the "commercialism" of the lists isn't there....they ask for very little, and pretty simple things.)

I found that the whole project of sewing really helps to illustrate the need for patience. To do a job properly, it takes time; one can't hurry, or mistakes will be made. At one point, my Storm Queen said, "Gee, mom, I've sewn this little handbag by HAND in no time, and you have a MACHINE and can't get a poodle skirt done in a day!" No doubt the lesson of patience is still on the table for today!

I've blogged very little this past week; I've had to work weekends for a couple of weeks, and I look forward to a quiet one this weekend. I have about 75 report cards to do for my learning center students, as well as getting my own two done for the semester. Maybe it won't be so quiet after all! The girls know that the tree will not go up for another week; I usually wait for the third candle -- the Gaudaute candle -- to put up the tree. It's the pink candle, the candle of joy, that say's "the waiting is almost over....He's almost here!". I try never to rush the Christmas decorating; aside from the manger and the Advent candles, we WAIT to do the other holiday decorating. Waiting is hard....but there's also an excitement about it. Putting the tree up the third week means the waiting is almost over, and the girls' excitement goes to a new level. At our house we don't put any presents under the tree until Christmas Eve, so the waiting continues, along with lots of conjecture and discussion. We listen to Christmas songs, we watch a few favorite movies, and read, read, read to our hearts content. Hopefully there will be some white flakes to add to the merriement!

What a difference a day makes...

2007-11-28T20:11:00.000-05:00

I remember someone once telling me while back in the discernment days of homeschooling that there would be days that would be wonderful, and other days that would make me wonder what the heck I'm doing this for. In the past two days we've experienced BOTH extremes in our home. Yesterday was a difficult day, with the girls getting a VERY late start, and being distracted and whining and just not getting it for so much of the day. By dinner time my Storm Queen had done math and a little english; she still has a two page biology report to catch up on, plus the assignment for THIS week. She also still has one more sheet for her writing class, a biography to read for history, and a take home test for music history. Didn't seem like much had been crossed off her list!

The Authoress was even WORSE....we spent literally almost three hours on algebra, and had completed only four problems. For some reason she just CAN'T grasp the "signs" while simplifying expressions. I tried explaining it SO many ways, and used manipulatives--which she seemed to get for a little while, and then totally lost it afterwards. When Storm Queen and I left for several hours I told her she could work on several other "catch up" assignments (she has a LONG list), and when we returned home I found that she had done but a short segment of one. I was ready to call it quits with her last night....I just got nervous about whether I could truly give her what she needs to succeed in college in just a few years.

Today, however, was the total opposite. We again got a late start -- due to a necessary trip to do the food shopping as we'd been away and really needed it!-- but at 2:00 we all sat down to do math. Storm Queen seems to be getting the idea that division is nothing more than backwards multiplication, and was able to do her two pages with little help. Authoress and I again sat down to algebra, and lo and behold, all of a sudden she seemed to GET it!!! I did several things with her and then left her to finish many more on her own, and she only needed help on a couple. Thank you, Lord, for answering prayers!! She then spent a LONG time trying to get her geography big project more complete.....although she still has alot to do, I think she can get through her take home quizzes tomorrow quickly, and then we can get through a science lab together. Math review tomorrow should prepare her for a test on Friday, and then she'll just have her learning center stuff to do. Her geography project has become much longer than it needed to be, but she is doing such
an incredibly detailed itinerary that I'm actually looking forward to reading it! I don't doubt that she will get an A+ for this one!

After studies today we've folded laundry, laughed, and watched our favorite Shakespeare play (Much Ado About Nothing). What a difference a day makes ~~ THIS is why I choose to homeschool!!!!

Over the River and Through the Woods

2007-11-20T06:58:00.000-05:00

....to Grandmother's house we'll go....today will be a light day of schoolwork at the library later as we prepare and pack for our visit to MA. The girls are so excited to be heading up to "Grandma's" house; we haven't gotten up there for over a year, and that's way too long. Since my dad died seven years ago, I'm much more conscious of the fact that my kids don't see their extended family all that much. As one who grew up visiting cousins at Grandma's every Sunday afternoon, it's been one of the harder things in life to adjust to; however, living in PA just doesn't make frequent visits all that easy or affordable (especially with today's gas prices!). On the other hand, much as I LOVE my family and visiting, I'm also realizing as I grow older just how much a homebody I am. We rarely go away for more than 3-4 days anymore, which is just right. A couple of days away provide some R&R, but after that I'm longing to be back in my own routine in my familiar environment.

I tried posting some photos of colonial day last night, and found to my chagrin that this temporary computer we got from a library surplus doesn't have enough memory to support the program we used. It will be SO nice when we can finally afford our old one to be fixed!!! Later today I'll at least try to post some directions for a few of the things we made....photos may not be a possibility!

Oh well, off to make some breakfast and wrap a few of the Christmas presents we'll be taking along on our trip....then I guess I better make a list of what to bring!

Let's go to Mass with the Pope!

2007-11-17T14:01:00.000-05:00

I'm sure I'm one of the last to post about the Pope's upcoming visit, but I'm excited just the same! Next April our Holy Father will be in Washington and New York for a visit, and our family is hoping to go to Washington to hear him say Mass at the new Nationals Stadium. (He will also be at Yankee Stadium). Tickets should be free for both, and distributed through the Dioceses of Washington and New York. I've put a link to the press releases at both of their websites, as I'm sure they will post up to date information as soon as tickets are available. Hope to meet some of you there!!

ArchDiocese of Washington

ArchDiocese of New York

Fourteen and Nine years ago today.....

2007-11-16T07:24:00.000-05:00

Today is one of the most special days of the year for me; both of my darling daughters were born on this date, exactly five years and 23 minutes apart. I am often amazed at that fact alone, that they share the same birthdate; I think God knew that my post menopause brain would need an easy way to remember! This morning I am letting them sleep in, and with cat and coffee closeby, I think back....

To my Authoress, my 14 year old, I can only say how proud I am of who you are becoming as you grow up (literally....she's up to about 5' 9" at this point!). The fact that you surprised me just by NOT being "Thomas" (I was convinced you were a boy!) has brought countless more surprises over the years. You were the first to teach me about truly self-less love; much as I love your Daddy, it's motherhood that really teaches that lesson like no other. The years of daycare and then school sped by, until finally I decided to listen to God's call to bring you home. Our relationship has gotten better since then, and I love our talks about the world. You are intelligent and caring; you share the same sarcastic sense of humor as both of your parents; you are becoming quite an accomplished actress/singer in our homeschool productions, and you are truly gifted as a writer. As we both struggle through your high school algebra, I am amazed at how quickly you will leave here. I know I still have alot to teach you about "independent" living, and yet I still want to cling to that girl that likes to curl up on the couch to have her back rubbed and read a book together. Have a most happy birthday.....I love you!

And to my nine year old Storm Queen.....aah, sometimes I wonder if your nickname should be changed. I know that we have struggled in various battles of the will over the past couple of years, and yet I see so much of myself at a younger age in you -- I know many of our battles are just a result of DNA from both Daddy and I. You entered the world on your sister's fifth birthday; I remember her telling everyone that God gave her a little sister for her birthday present! I remember being scared when you first were born as you needed to head off to the intensive care unit for a couple of days....but today you are such a beautiful young lady with such a strong spirit to live! I thought your sister had taught me the most about selfless love, but you only added a new lesson; no matter how many children that come along, there is always more love to share! You have a smile that can light up a whole room, and a laugh that is contagious to most around you. Your curiosity about things around you amazes me, as I tote library books on all KINDS of subjects for you to read. You are SO smart for your young years, and have such an empathetic heart to the underdog or the disadvantaged. You are the one who really taught me to say a prayer whenever we hear an ambulance. I know right now you struggling to see all the incredible gifts that God has given you, and I pray that you will come to see them as so many others see them in you. I also see your strong spirit, and recognize that rebellious tendency that I had in my young adult years. You will someday be a leader....even as you doubt yourself at times now (as I did often!), you will have people looking to you as you mature. Once your confidence in yourself really matures, you will never be swayed by what the "in" crowd is doing, for you are one that lives for her convictions. I love you so much!!

So to both my darling daughters, enjoy this wonderful day! I am so thankful to God that He gave me the privilege of being your mom!

Back to the Future...

2007-11-14T18:55:00.000-05:00

Well, Colonial Day is now over and done with, and it's great to "fast forward" into the future and back to my computer. I think what I missed most today were light bulbs....it was extremely difficult for this post menopause old lady to thread all those needles in the dark!

Yesterday was a long prep day making aprons and coifs (the pilgrim bonnets) for each of the girls. This morning I got up early to roast the chicken and get other things together. When the girls arrived we had "lessons" orally....spelling bee, math drills, and geography. We then made what we THOUGHT would be homemade butter by shaking in jars (with marbles helping to "churn"); however, this appears to be the one blunder I made. Is whipping cream different from just cream? We seemed to be something that more resembled whipped cream as opposed to butter. I'm not sure any of us truly figured out which of the two we made, but it still tasted good on bread at lunchtime!

The younger girls helped peel potatoes for lunch, and we feasted on roast chicken, cranberry sauce, mashed potato, carrots, corn on the cob, grapes, and fresh bread. We had apple cider and juice to drink, and even splurged on licorice sticks for dessert. It was a truly delicious meal!!

After midday meal we began an assortment of projects; most girls made a poppet, some played marbles, a few put on a colonial comedy skit, some played tiddeley-winks with buttons, and others strung button bracelets and necklaces. We also listened to some Shakespeare (okay, I know we were a bit off with dates, but I was allowing for pioneer days as well!) and sang all kinds of silly songs. I'll have some photos to post in the next few days, but all in all it was a great day that made us all appreciate the modern day conveniences! Tomorrow we head back to the "present" and try and catch up on some schoolwork!

Dealing with Low Self Esteem

2007-11-06T23:09:00.000-05:00

This morning I had a revelation while talking with my 8 yr old Storm Queen. She and I have been having lots of battles this year, and I've been really struggling trying to find what the problem is. This morning I think I found the root of it all. We had just finished devotions which was about recognizing God's gifts in ourselves, and she began by saying that she had none. During the next few minutes of asking her to really think and name some positive gifts, she DID manage to name a few, but even then they were prefaced in a negative way. I realized that right now my little Storm Queen has VERY little self esteem....she can easily rattle off any number of things she does wrong, but ask her to name 2-3 things she does well and she goes cold. I sat there pondering during her math as to what maybe I've done or failed to do in creating this lack, and I wonder if my need to control doesn't stifle some of her growth in this area. My goal for the next few weeks is to really step back and try some positive reinforcement of her gifts at any possible chance.

Tonight while putting her to bed I asked her to name three GOOD things she did today. It took awhile, and one of them was a LITTLE thing, but she did it. We once again focussed on how God doesn't make junk, and how He's given her some special gifts. My "quest" in the coming month is to help her really discern for herself what some of those are!

It's great to be a New England sports fan...part two!!

2007-11-06T02:24:00.000-05:00

Didn't have time to post yesterday, but had to quietly gloat after the Patriots win Sunday. Growing up in the era when the Patriots were just plain lousy, it's so nice to see how the team has grown up these past years. The game against the Colts was a great one -- and up until the fourth quarter I thought the Colts would emerge the only undefeated team in the league -- and Tom Brady still amazes me at how he can just get the job done.

And so....after a week of Red Sox AND Patriots wins, I'm a happy girl this week!

What Kind of Reader Are You?

2007-11-03T07:20:00.000-05:00

Seems only fitting to find this quiz over at Martha, Martha as I'm just finishing up a read of Ray Bradbury's FAHRENHEIT 451. One of our local libraries is participating in the BIG READ, a nation wide endeavor by the National Endowment of the Arts to bring the value of reading back to the public. This classic really illustrates today's world of television/computer/video game junkies who rarely open the pages of a book. One question it poses is, "If you had to choose ONE book to memorize so that it would be passed on in a new world, what would it be?" For me, I'd probably choose a book from the Bible, but will have to contemplate which one....

What Kind of Reader Are You? Your Result: Dedicated Reader You are always trying to find the time to get back to your book. You are convinced that the world would be a much better place if only everyone read more.
Literate Good Citizen
Obsessive-Compulsive Bookworm
Book Snob
Fad Reader
Non-Reader
What Kind of Reader Are You? Create Your Own Quiz

Jane Austen goes to Hogwarts....

2007-10-31T18:12:00.000-05:00
Only in America! Tonight my darling daughters headed out trick or treating with their Dad....one as a witch/wizard type of character from Hogwarts as my almost 9 yr old totally fascinated with Harry Potter right now. My almost 14 Authoress chose to don a Georgian type outfit and go as Jane Austen. I even picked up a hat and added ribbons and a gorgeous feather display....she truly looked like she was heading off for an evening with Mr. Darcy!

Our plans for Colonial Day are shaping up. We got the invitations stained with coffee to look more like parchment, and they are now distributed. I've picked up fabric for aprons and coifs, and quill feathers to make pens. All I need now is to pick up a few scrap bundles of assorted quilt materials for their quilt squares. We will have this festive day on November 14....until then, I'll be busy sewing up aprons and cutting out poppet designs.

Earlier today the Authoress and I joined a ocuple of friends to attend a theater production of "The Crucible" at a local community college. The acting was top rate and the play was riveting. Even the area public high schoolers -- who we've often seen talk through various other theater productions we attend -- were totally focussed on the drama unfolding before them. The play was LONG (2 1/2 hours), but it went by so quickly. My daughter said it was good, but she still prefers Shakespeare!

It's a GREAT day to be a New England sports Fan!

2007-10-28T23:07:00.001-05:00
Well, after having the Patriots clobber the Redskins earlier today, I had to stay up to see if the Sox could pull off another World Series sweep. It was a GREAT game...much better than the others. Tomorrow I will be SO tired....but happy! Gotta go get my Red Sox shirt out of the laundry!! (Those Phillies and Mets fans that live all around me just hate that! :O) You can take the girl out of New England, but I'll always love my Boston teams!

Another quotable from the Storm Queen...

2007-10-27T16:03:00.000-05:00
We've been preparing for both our halloween trick or treating costumes as well as our upcoming Colonial Days celebration in November. This past week we went out and got halloween costumes -- the Authoress is quite appropriately going as Jane Austen, and the younger got a black outfit to go as either a witch, wizard, or some kind of Harry Potter creature. At the same time, we've been discussing costuming of the colonial and pioneer periods, too. I had picked up a pointy hat with stars and moons on it for the Storm Queen, and a floppy white hat to create a Jane Austen hat. After watching me pin the hat to create the right look before decorating with ribbons and flowers, she held her pointy hat to her head and said, "Look, it's a bonnet, too! I'm a prairie witch!"

Plans for a Colonial Day celebration

2007-10-17T20:14:00.000-05:00
My Storm Queen and I have been doing a unit on colonial life, and I was trying to think of a neat way to wrap it up between now and Thanksgiving. With some real brainstorming, we are now planning on inviting a few friends over for a real colonial day together. Here are our plans, if any of you might want to try the same:

Pre-planning: To gear up, you might try reading Sarah Morton's Day, a Scholastic Book, or If You Lived in Colonial Times by Ann McGovern. Both books give an idea of the kinds of activities you could include.

Here are some of the things that we are planning on:

EXCEPTIONS: Although we hope to get a feel for real colonial life, there are a few exceptions we will make. The first will be an absolute refusal to give up indoor plumbing! I will also use the stove to cook, and will use a camera to take lots of pictures for portfolios! Aside from that, we will use candles, heat water to do dishes, and say goodbye to movies, computers, etc. for the day!

CLOTHES: We will request that all the girls that attend will wear dresses or skirts, as pants were unheard of. We will either provide or make first thing their aprons and coifs (bonnets).

FOODS: We will make homemade butter, bake bread, and possibly make ice cream. Our main meal will be as they ate at midday, and I will roast a chicken with potatoes and vegetables, and serve corn on the cob. Drinks will include homemade grape juice and apple cider.

SCHOOLING: To count it as more than a "history" day, we will use slates to do some spelling/math, memorize scripture verses, try our hand at writing with quill pens, and read the almanac to determine good planting times for our fall bulbs. I will also assign a "post" assignment to journal about the day.

GAMES/ACTIVITES: Games could include marbles, hopscotch, homemade kites, and singing. We will also try either weaving or sewing samplers or quilt squares. My Storm Queeen has even suggested I try to find directions to make "poppets", or the colonial dolls.

My Authoress is doing some major protesting, as the idea of a day without computer, spiral notebooks/ballpoint pens, and real books is almost frightening to her, but I think she'll survive!! If nothing more, she will appreciate all our modern conveniences the moment it all ends!!

I'll keep you all posted on how things go, and post some pictures down the road...this may be several weeks away yet, but we're getting excited!

How Church SHOULD feel....EVERY time!

2007-10-15T05:04:00.000-05:00
Jennifer over at Et Tu? has a wonderful post up this morning on her feelings at Mass. As a fellow convert, I can relate to the conversion from "head" to "heart" at Mass....but how often am I guilty of being distracted these days....a nice reminder!

The sickness continues...

2007-10-15T04:47:00.000-05:00
Well, my Storm Queen is finally over the virus that had both her and I sick last week, although she has a horrid cough that's holding on. My Authoress, however, complained of a bad sore throat last night, and today woke up at 4:00AM with a fever of 101...she's really disappointed to miss our learning center for a second week (she was out with bad allergies two weeks ago), but that's life.

I spent a fair amount of time last night doing alternative lesson plans as my Ape husband can't take today off, and I'll head over there to drop everything off before he heads to work. I AM planning on heading in to just teach the chorus class this afternoon as the Storm Queen doesn't want to miss her biology test (go figure!).

So I'll have another day at home to play nursemaid, catch up on laundry, and maybe get the Storm Queen caught up from the few assignments she didn't quite finish last week. I generally don't give them the day "off" for sick days, unless they have high fevers and are totally unable to focus at all. I'll generally give them just their reading -- which they both love to do while sick anyway -- and try to find a video that can be used for science or history. As long as they're gonna watch movies anyway, they might as well have the school day counted.

Today is also "D" day for the cat....I take him to the vet tonight. I'm really struggling with it; euthanasia -- even on a sick animal -- goes against everything I believe in terms of my pro-life stance. God created him; I believe only God should take him.....at the same time, I recognize that we don't have money for medicine like we would with a sick person to make them comfortable, and I can't send him out into the world again because he may spread the leukemia. I also can't keep him locked up in our bedroom for who knows how long as we three other cats in the house who are healthy. Although I know it's the only option, I take it with a great deal of reluctance.

Trusting God when it's really hard....

2007-10-12T18:32:00.000-05:00
It is with a heavy heart that I must share that the young girl in my last post's prayer request didn't make it; she died this morning. While it is easier for those of us with faith to at least trust, it's still so hard when there is just no understanding.

However, my prayer request now is that you all continue to prayer for the girl's family. While my friend-her aunt--at least believes in God, I'm not sure of the spiritual nature of the family down south. I know that a tragedy like this can either strengthen a person's faith or make them bitter and turn further away from the God who hurts with them. Please pray that His grace and peace will flood their souls, and that somehow they can find their need for Him through this.

I met her last summer while she was up visiting...she was a beautiful young girl with a real spunk to her....I can only believe that Heaven will be a happier place for her than she's ever known.

Thanks for your support....peace be with you all.

Praying to St. Francis AND to St. Rita

2007-10-12T03:30:00.000-05:00
Two quick prayer requests this morning...the latter being far more important!

First of all, our now resident stray has tested positive for feline leukemia, so it looks like there is only one real option for us, which is heart=breaking for all of us (especially my little Storm Queen). With three other cats to think about, and knowing that we have neither the money or the room for long term quarantines, I will need to bring him back to the vet -- one last time. This is the second cat we have had to put to sleep from this disease, and the first was my favorite cat of all time, who was dreadfully sick in the end, fighting for every breath. I can't risk having all the kitties in the house come to the same fate. So please, St. Francis, watch out over our Tao. I'm glad his final days were full of of comfort and love, unlike the last owner who most likely kicked him out of the house upon receiving the news.

The second prayer request is a grave and urgent one. A good friend from the Y told me last night that her 11 year old niece is in an Alabama hospital fighting for her life with a staph infection that has reached her blood stream. I ask any of you who pray to please include her...it seems pretty hopeless, and we may need a miracle. St. Rita, please be with this young woman and her family....her doctors...and intercede, praying always for healing in God's way.

THREE THINGS MY PARENTS DID RIGHT

2007-10-11T07:04:00.000-05:00
WHAT ARE THREE THINGS MY PARENTS DID RIGHT?

Decided the topic was too fun to NOT try and post, so here goes...thanks again to Jennifer and the GROUP WRITING PROJECT at ET TU?.

1. They loved unconditionally. Although neither of my parents were church goers, they DID live very Christian like lives in the way they loved. No matter what we may have done as kids, we knew without a doubt that they loved us, and always would. As my faith grew later in life, it was easy to relate to a Heavenly Father that loved me, because my earthly father had done the same.

2. They taught me to appreciate a simple life. We were certainly not poor, by any means, but we lived in a relatively rich town and we were at the lower end of the economic chain in that town. Alot of my friends lived with designer tags and expensive things, and I learned that none of those things brought happiness. We lived a simple life that valued family time and simple pleasures. Every Sunday we'd visit relatives (I had 23 first cousins!), and our leisure time was spent reading, taking walks, going for ice cream, and in the summer, a drive-in movie. YEars later, I am finding that my children are learning the same lesson about life's simple pleasures.

3. They at least planted a seed for faith to grow. My mom had been active in her church before marrying, but my dad had gotten "turned off" by the organized religion and seeing his mom fall for Jehovah Witnesses, so we found that we went to Sunday School and church only up through about 4th grade or so. I can't say much about my early church years aside from loving this one stained glass window above the altar that had a beautiful dove on it. I really wondered why this whole church thing was important at all since my parents didn't embrace it. It wasn't until years later, after some young adult years of a real pagan lifestyle, that I realized how I was truly searching for something. It was only then that the "peaceful" feeling and that dove I remembered from church spoke to me, and I figured, "hey, I've tried everything else to find happiness, why not give God a try?"

I had a LONG conversion to Christianity, and even longer to my Catholic faith, but I realize that God was working throughout, and although in the end I believe that HE planted a seed deep within me at conception to long for Him, my parents at least nurtured it enough to make me remember when the soil was right.

My conversion story? Now, THAT's another whole post or two!

An interesting link for writers

2007-10-11T06:55:00.000-05:00
Using the morning to surf a few new Catholic Mom blogs, and came across this entry by Jennifer at Et Tu? regarding the Group Writing Project. Today's the last day to enter, so I may not have time to post, but this is one site I'll go back to and get involved. My goal in the coming year is to have a few more folks find my site, and the only way to do that is to read more and link more to others. My last blog was more successful in this, but it got to the point where I was spending TOO much time on the computer. I definitely have an addictive personality, so I need to really balance my reading time and my writing time. This looks like a good way to do both for awhile. Looking forward to more topics, Jennifer!

Love my Storm Queen...

2007-10-11T06:38:00.001-05:00
My Storm Queen woke up hacking this morning with the post-cold cough, but at least the Vicks helped her to sleep for a good solid 7 hours or so. She was on the couch reading when all of a sudden she asks,

"Mommy, is "Apple of my eye" an idiom?"

"Yes, honey" I reply.

She continues, "I thought so...you know, like "kick the bucket, or "kid in a candy store", or "down in the dumps".....

I turn and look at her. "Where'd you learn all that?"

"I read it in a book".

Gotta love that girl!

Our love of libraries....

2007-10-10T19:28:00.001-05:00
We just got back from one of our weekly journies to an area library. This is the local one, that we don't have a "set time" for, as we can go whenever the time and inspiration allow. Our other two libraries we alternate between on Fridays and Tuesdays, and thus half our living room is full of big canvas totes overflowing most of the time. Although the girls are wonderful about taking books OUT of the totes, they have not yet mastered putting them back into the appropriate bags, so their are also various piles throughout the room. (This includes the various piles of movies by the VCR/DVD player.)

We love libraries....we love the smell of them, the peace that hangs in the air, and the unique character of each. The Authoress was thrilled to find that not just ONE of her favorite authors had finished his/her latest book, but THREE....no doubt she'll be reading most of the night and all day tomorrow! (Luckily we have a very light week this week!) The Storm Queen always gets out far more books than she actually reads, but for an 8 1/2 year old, she still reads far beyond her years. I often catching her sniffing her books....she says she loves the smell of them......yes, they have my DNA.

I usually divide my books up between planning books for teaching and 1-2 that are "just for me". I NEVER have enough time for reading, it seems, but I have to spend at least a LITTLE of each day with a friend full of pages. My Ape Husband and I actually met in a penpal organizaton for booklovers, so it's as normal as breathing for us. He devours books at great speed, and has far better retention than I will EVER have! Our "dream" retirement is to get a little popup trailer and tour the country's second hand bookstores...shipping home crates every now and then to the children to stick out in the sheep barn.

For now, I have a cat draped over the back of my shoulders around my neck, and the other members in the family all have open books...did I mention that right after we come home from the library is a great time to grab the computer for a few minutes!!

How to handle a husband....

2007-10-07T19:28:00.000-05:00
Since we're on a week break for the end of the first quarter, I've had some actual "surfing" time to visit some of my favorite Catholic Mom blogs....one of them spoke to my heart in a way that needed a link...Danielle Bean's post says it all.
Thanks for reminding me of the man I love more every day....the man who is the joy of my life and the balm for my hectic days. My Ape Husband....yup, I sure do love him!

And then there were four...

2007-10-07T18:56:00.000-05:00
Well, after several months of feeding a stray, trying to find a way to get him to the ASPCA, and (of course), falling in love with him as well, the male cat is now upstairs sacked out in the bedroom with his blanket. Tomorrow he goes to the vet to be tested for feline leukemia, and if "clean", he'll get his shots and come home before going back again next week for surgery to remove testosterone-producing parts......in other words, we suckers, and the cats know it!

He was named Tao by the girls this summer, and is white and orange and beautiful....a nice contrast for the three black females inside. Ahhhhh....let the games begin....AGAIN!

Mom Overture

2007-10-06T08:29:00.001-05:00

The hard part is now done...

2007-10-03T08:01:00.001-05:00
This is my third year teaching a music theater class at the homeschool learning center, and I've never loved a class more than this one. The kids are like family -- or become like one-- and their talent amazes me more every year. We started with 13, then 18, and now 26, which tells me its working. One of the things I've committed to doing differently--which I think really DOES make a difference--is to try and abolish that two tier system of the "leads" and the "chorus". I went to a public school with a wonderful program, but could almost cast the show each year because there were a few that just had more talent than others, and the leads always went to the same ones. Although this is the reality out there in the big world, I doubt any of my kids will eventually move on to stardom on broadway, so I wanted a way to be sure that ALL the kids could get a shot.

Consequently, my casting is not always the "best" person, but one that I feel can DO the role - sometimes with ALOT of hard work. I also allow the kids to prioritize their choices, and really work to give them all one of their top five choices if I can. This year the play has 13 leads, and another 8-9 "feature" roles (eg dancer, etc.), and I think all but 5-6 got something in their top five, with TEN of them getting their first choice. Some might say I'm sacrificing quality in the leads, but I disagree. When I see the final production, I'm amazed at how much these kids have grown and how hard they have worked. I'm also overjoyed to see the growth that they undergo as they realize their inner potential nurtured by a lot of faith and trust. I have yet to regret a casting decision! The BIGGER joy is the sense of family that has been created; I let the kids know that I simply won't tolerate any gloating, critisizing, or the like, because I know first hand how quickly it can kill a theater program. Consequently, the sense of camaraderie is prevalent throughout......of all the jobs I teach, this is the one that feeds my soul (might kill a few brain cells, but the soul is satisfied!). Now I can relax and just settle down to block and help this year's group learn what they've got inside. In the end, my number one goal for the group is to recognize the talents God has given to each of them, and to give glory back in the final performance. (with a few prayers to Saint Cecelia along the way!)

First quarter evaluation

2007-09-28T06:31:00.001-05:00
I've been pretty silent lately on the blogosphere with auditions and general "getting into the groove" efforts at the learning center. I didn't realize until Wednesday that we were fast approaching the end of our first quarter. WOW! HAving that three week session in July really DOES make the first quarter fly by! By Friday we will have finished week 7, and that leaves only two weeks until I do the first report card. It made me start thinking about MY report card as well...

It's been a really tough quarter for me. My oldest, now almost 14 and a freshman, is having a hard time adjusting to the workload for a high schooler. She knows that were she in SCHOOL she'd have even MORE work, but going from the more laid back "two hours and then some" approach in 8th grade to what is becoming about a 4-6 hour day is a big transition. She is so used to having her day to sit and write, and while I DO consider that part of her schooling, it can't be all of it. Add to that her work load, which is by her choice up around 10 credits, and it's no wonder she's feeling overwhelmed at times. She is also dealing with a few personal issues that no doubt add to the situation. I think the biggest issue I've had to realize is that she is also just NOT a morning person, and therefore, trying to explain algebra at 10:30 in the morning is just not working. I told her we'd re-evaluate her schedule more for this quarter, and perhaps allow her to start later in the day. (My biggest fear on this was that the day would just "get away" from her). All in all, she is an EASY kid to work with, and I am blessed to have a teenager who still loves a good cuddle on the couch while watching our history DVD's or Shakespeare.

My Storm Queen -- almost 9 -- is another issue altogether. God must have a bit of a sense of humor, because he gave me an almost carbon copy of myself and my husband put together. NEver in my life have I met a more strong willed individual -- and while I recognize her great leadership potential for the future, I pray that I survive her teen years ahead! Everyday brings a battle of some sort....some days it's the frustration of not getting her math, some days it's because she doesn't WANT to go schoolwork before playing on the computer....but everyday, something. I've tried to be more consistent and hardline on the "no tv/no computer" until work is done, and then she'll have an assignment that NEEDS the computer, and the debate will begin just for debate's sake, I feel! I've doubted myself as both mom and teacher with her, almost to the point of wondering if school would be more beneficial to her. There are days when neither one of us is happy, and I look to God and ask, "why am I keeping her home for both of us to feel this way?" At the same time, I truly believe that she would be even more unhappy at school after the initial honeymoon phase wore off, and I feel in my heart that my vocation is here with them. In the end, I believe this is just a battle of the wills...sometimes mine and hers, and often, hers and God. I've decided that I need to trust her more to God at this point, because I know that by myself I can't do it. I can sense that her respect for my authority is waning, and so I pray that God will truly lead here.

I DID realize one thing that might make the schoolday easier. When I started homeschooling the Authoress in 5th grade, we did alot of unit studies, which really helped us to focus on some of the things that she loved. In the last few years I have used unit studies less and less, and I think that perhaps she would benefit from them at least for part of the year. I asked the Storm Queen to make a list of some things she'd like to learn about, and her list is quite interesting. I sat down this morning and realized that she is finishing up quizzes next week for most of her subjects, so I'm opting out of week 9 and I will plan a week or two unit study on whatever she chooses.....even incorporating her math in so she can have a break from the workbook. If it goes well, I will try to do this at least once a quarter. Perhaps a break from the everyday to learn something totally new will give us a chance to find the "fun" again. In the meantime, I keep praying!

Academically, they are both doing extremely well, with all A's and B's for test scores this far. They are bright , wonderful, and (most of the time) get along well with each other. Despite the difficulties, they have done well this first quarter with their work. Maybe Mommy needs a unit study, too!

The Heat is On!

2007-09-18T05:51:00.000-05:00
Sitting here with a sweatshirt on and feeling the warmth of the HEAT on this morning can only make me smile. I am a fall weather girl. I hate the heat and humidity of summer, so those "cooler" days in August and early September just tease me a bit about my favorite time of year.

Just last week it was almost 90 degrees on the first day of Learning Center. Yesterday I got up and saw that it was 40 degrees outside. My attitude has taken a 180, and it's largely due to weather. I love the fall....perhaps it's because I grew up in the northeast and remember foliage even more vibrant than PA gives me...perhaps it's the farm stands and apple orchards, the wildlife refuge close to my childhood that brought flocks of geese everyday.....whatever the reason, I have always loved this time of year best.

Maybe it's as simple as loving sweatshirts! Yesterday I pulled one out for the first time because it was chilly, and this morning I know I will eventually take it off, but it's really coming, fall is! I'm EVEN considering a cup of HOT coffee this morning vs. my usual year-long iced version! On further thought.....that might need to wait until winter!