The 38th Homeschool Carnival

The new homeschool carnival is up and running over at The Thinking Mother. Check it out to explore the What, Why, When, How, Where, and Why of homeschooling.

Prayer Request

Please pray for the Martin family who tragically lost their father and daughter this last weekend.

The newspaper article can be found here.

If you've attended the NACHE conference, you may remember them as the family who headed up hospitality.

Michael Dubruiel's Website

Speaking of Catholic author websites, my web design guy did a complete redesign of Michael Dubruiel's website. It's gorgeous. Make sure to check it out.

Catholic Author Webpage

Catholic Mom has a webpage at her site with links to Catholic author websites. Cool.

History Links Bulletin Board

Got this from Barb Little earlier today:

In the past, you expressed an interest in History Links. Because of this, I would like to invite you to join me on my journey: History at my house.

Because I WRITE History Links, I seldom get to actually DO History Links. I usually write the units while I am doing them. So, my kids get all the mistakes. They get all the projects that don’t work out. They get things in a confused order and then we straighten things out when we prepare the units for publishing.

That has been the norm for our schooling with the older kids, but this year I realized that I haven’t really done the beginning of history with the younger kids. So, this year I finally get to use my completed units on my own kids. This is one of the few times I have been able to do that. So, I thought, “Why not record this experience for others?” It might be fun for people to come along on our journey.

So, if you are interested in seeing how History Links works at
my house visit me at: http://historylinks.info/discussion/

You will be able to read the beginning entries without registering, but in order to post or read later entries you will need to register.

Please feel free to share this invitation with members of your homeschool group or email lists. And . . .

Happy Homeschooling!
Barb Little

History Links—Integrated Learning for Catholic Families Featured in Cathy Duffy's Top 100 Picks for Homeschool Curriculum Full Spectrum Learning—History Links Division

PO Box 411
Dickinson, ND 58602
Phone: 701-260-2599
Fax: 701-483-5548
woolylamb@wa-net.com
www.historylinks.info

Chesterton Helps for Homeschoolers

Nancy Brown has great news to share at her blog. She's received the go-ahead from Hillside Education to write a study guide to G. K. Chesterton's St. Francis of Assisi. This will be a great help to us homeschoolers with high school students.

Even more exciting is that she is writing adaptations of the Father Brown mysteries for 8- to 10-year olds. Wow, imagine introducing grade school kids to Chesterton! The mind boggles.

I hope that lots of people buy Nancy's books so that she can write loads more!

Laura Berquist's English Literature List

I recently came across Laura Berquist's syllabus for British literature (for 12th grade I believe) in the latest Emmanuel Books catalog. She has a few titles we missed in our recent high school literature discussion.

Here is her list:
Beowulf
Ivanhoe (Scott)
Emma (Austin)
Henry V (Shakespeare)
Helena (Waugh)
Sir Gawain the Green Knight (Tolkien)
Midsummer's Night Dream (Shakespeare)
Vicar of Wakefield (Goldsmith)
David Copperfield (Dickens)
Space Trilogy (Lewis)

Other options:
Kenilworth (Scott)
Macbeth (Shakespeare)
Othello (shakespeare)
Gulliver's Travels
The Woman in White (Collins)
The Warden (Trollope)
The Everlasting Man (Chesterton)
Brideshead Revisited (Waugh)

The Rat Skyscraper

As soon as the Fed Ex guy delivered the rat skyscraper, the kids were on the phone to Dad. He took his lunch hour and came home to put it together. This cage is truly a skyscraper. It would be like a 6,000 sq. ft. house to you and me. These rats are living in luxury.

The funny thing is how the kids, and Rob, love these rats. Rob has been dubbed the Rat King and the boys, the Rat Princes. Even sweet little Princess Rose loves cuddling with the rodents. Ick. I suppose I've been prejudiced by those rat movies of my youth: Willard and Ben. Then there's the icky Templeton of Charlotte's Web. And all the examples of real live vermin. Double ick.

But I'm told domesticated rats are nothing like their vermin counterparts. In fact, I'm also told, that if you're going to have small animals, domesticated rats are the way to go. They're smart, trainable, and very social.

Maybe someday I'll come around. I don't think I have choice.

We Have Rodents!

Pet rodents that is. It all started when we were visiting in St. Louis some months ago. My sister offered one of the family hamsters to Tween Daughter, who in turned begged me to let her bring the hamster home with us. Taking the easy way out, I told her to call Daddy. I knew that Rob would tell her absolutely "NO." After all, following the death of our last parakeet, he put his foot down and said no more small animals. He was tired of burying parakeets and flushing fish.

We came home with a new hamster.

Lesson learned: Don't take the easy way out.

Back to my story. After six weeks or so, Hamster Wamster passed onto hamster heaven. Again, Rob put down his foot. No more small animals. We already have a cat and two rabbits (all live outside) and that's enough.

Yeah right.

Somehow, Buster talked Dad into letting him have a rat. Yes, a rat - eek. Sparky then jumped into the fray. If his big brother got a rat, then he should have a rat too. After all, rats are social animals and are happier with a friend - ick. So, off to the pet store they go. Tween Daughter and her friend Toyota (not her real name) tag along. Toyota got permission from her grandma to get a pet mouse while at the pet store. Then TD talks Dad into letting her replace Hamster Wamster with a new hamster.

Are you still with me? They came home with 2 rats, a dwarf hamster, and a mouse. After a day, the mouse came to live at my house. Toyota's grandpa came home from his fishing trip, saw the pet mouse and said, "No way Jose!"

Oh, there goes the doorbell . . . it's the FedEx man with our new Rat Skyscraper. I'm so excited.

Grab a Ticket for the Homeschool Carnival

This week's Homeschool Carnival is up and running. Go check it out at Principled Homeschooling. You'll discover lots of neat homeschool blogs and great blog posts. For example, I enjoyed reading about Elitist Homeschoolers this morning. Sit back and enjoy, you've got a whole week to get through the links until the next carnival.

Almost 1,000 Books!

Still putting final touches on For the Love of Literature. I just finished an alphabetical list of all the books for the index. I had guessed that I describe about 500 books. Imagine my surprise when I discovered that the actual number is 968! And that number doesn't include the textbooks, encyclicals, and other little resources I mention. No wonder it's taken me so long to complete this project.

Catholicizing Harry Potter?

If you want to learn how to baptize the Harry Potter books, head over to Nancy Brown's blog. She's been on the subject for several weeks now and makes some amazing observations.

Quote of the Day

A book is like a present that you can open again and again.

Seven Dumb Homeschooling Mistakes

Instead of the 7 Highly Effective Habits here are the 7 Dumb Mistakes Smart People Make When They Homeschool And How to Avoid Them.

Homeschool Carnival Needs You

Are you a homeschooling blogger? If so, then how about sharing your blog with the rest of the homeschooling world.

Just pick out your favorite post (it doesn't have to be recent) and send the url here: Blog Carnival.

I really encourage you to do this. Not only will it increase the traffic on your blog, it will help the homeschooling community.

Dr. Phil on Homeschooling

How would you like to be on the Dr. Phil Show? Well, here's your chance. Go to http://www.drphil.com/plugger/respond/?plugID=10527 to tell Dr. Phil why he should invite you to be on his show about homeschooling.

Note: Blogger is acting funny and won't let me put in any direct links.

A Prayer for the Ephesians

For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

Awesome Italian Pasta Sauce

My Italian neighbor has been delighting my family for ten years with his delicious pasta sauce. I've been perstering him for years to share his recipe with me, but he always insists that there is no recipe. It's a little different each time. Finally, I cornered him with a recipe card and pen in my hand. Here's what I got out of him:

tomatoes - pressed through a food mill
LOTS of fresh herbs: oregano, basil, bayleaf
garlic
brown sugar
chicken or vegetable boullion
worchestershire sauce
fresh ground pepper
(skip the salt, the boullion is already salty)
chopped onions
green peppers
mushrooms
ground Italian sausage

Simmer tomatoes, herbs, garlic, sugar, boullion, worchestershire, pepper, and onions for 4 hours. Add peppers and mushrooms. Brown Italian sausage and add. Simmer about 4 more hours.


I had a full bushel of tomatoes yesterday and used this recipe. Because there aren't exact measurements I had to guess, and taste, a lot. I skipped the Italian sausage because I'm canning the sauce - I'll add the sausage when I open the jar.

It's still simmering on the stove as I type and my whole house smells awesome. Mmmm, and it tastes great! Best sauce I've ever made.

I've never added boullion or worchestershire to pasta sauce before. I never even thought to do such a thing before. But, I think that's what makes the sauce so delish.

Addendum: My neighbor came by this morning with loads of fresh basil to share from his garden. He says only use a wee amount of worchestershire (oops). He also says that it's way better to substitute good wine for the boullion. (Don't use cooking wine -- if you wouldn't drink it from a glass it won't be good in your sauce.)

Raspberry Sweet Tea

First I had to give up my beloved coffee, even decaf. Then the doctor tells me that I can't have regular tea, only herbal tea as long as there's no mint in it.

This was hard news on a girl who loves her sweet tea. It was suggested that I just make sweet tea with herbal tea, but I knew that it would be sacrilege to do such a thing so I suffered, in silence, for months.

Well, today I joined the ranks of the heretics and made sweet tea with raspberry tea bags. I couldn't help myself, a pseudo cup of sweet tea is better than none at all.

And, I have to admit, it wasn't too bad. In fact, it was pretty good. Here's the recipe that I came up with:

Put 10 raspberry tea bags into a two-quart pot and cover with cool water. Bring to a boil. Do not continue to boil. Turn off the stove and let the tea steep about ten minutes or so. Remove the tea bags. Fill a one-gallon pitcher about a quarter to halfway with ice. Pour a cup of sugar over the ice and then pour the warm tea over the sugar. Stir well. Fill to the top with cool water and give a little stir.

What About Socialization???

The Lansing State Journal ran an op-ed piece last Sunday on homeschooling written by a 17-year-old homeschooled student.

Dr. Ray in Dayton

Got this yesterday:

The Dayton Catholic Homeschool Network is pleased to announce that Dr. Ray Guarendi will be speaking at our Catholic homeschool conference in Huber Heights, Ohio, May 18 & 19. His talks will be given on Saturday May 19th, schedule to be announced. For more information on our conference please visit Daytonhomeschool.com. For more information on Dr. Ray please visit http://www.drray.com/. Dr. Ray will be coming thanks to the generosity of a homeschooling family in Dayton.

If you ever have the opportunity to hear Dr. Ray Guarendi speak, GO! In fact, take all your friends and relatives. And if they can't go with you, give them a Dr. Ray video for Christmas. Really.

Not only does he give some great parenting advice, he is hysterically funny. Rob and I saw him at the Michigan conference some years age and never laughed so hard in our lives. We had tears running down our faces. Then we went home and applied his advice.

Note, don't take the kids with you. You don't want them learning all of the parenting techniques that you're going to use on them.

BTW, I'll be a the Dayton conference too, along with Dr. Mary Kay Clark and Kevin Schmiesing (from Acton Institute). Make sure to check it out if you're within driving distance. This is a very reasonably priced conference with some excellent speakers and vendors.

Hoodwinked

Yesterday we borrowed Hoodwinked from the library. I really enjoyed it and thought it a well written story. It's a different take on the Little Red Riding Hood story. Completely different. All the kids liked it too, even the big ones. To read a review, click here.

CathSwap and Other Used Book Resources

Of course, the first place to go for buying and selling used curricula and books is CathSwap.

Other resources for used books and texts:
Bookfinder
Homeschool Swap
Home Schooling Unlimited's Free Classifieds
Homeschool Used Curriculum Sites
Schoolbookauction.com.
Homeschoolbid.com

Addendum: Mary Margaret reports that amazon.com's policy is similar to eBays: "Solutions manuals. Manuals or teacher's editions that provide answer keys to student textbook editions are prohibited."
I think that our best bet is to stay with the homeschool exchanges.

One Last Hurrah

Shooting sports are over for the year. Teen Son and Teen Daughter had their final competition this last weekend. And it was a big one. The one that they work so hard for this past year.

It was the MYHEC (MI Youth Hunter Education Challenge) competition, a two-day event. Each of the 180 kids from all over Michigan had to compete in eight disciplines: 3-D archery, shotgun, rifle, muzzleloding, wildlife identification, orienteering, hunter safety trail, and hunter safety exam.

They had loads of fun competing alongside their teammates. The most fun for me was seeing all of their hard work pay off. Teen Son came home with two medals and Teen Daughter came home with a whopping seven medals. Their teammates did equally well. In fact, the senior team took away the gold as the overall best team.

Now I'm going to sit back, relax, and enjoy my last week of summer before we start school.

Used Textbooks at amazon.com

Since eBay has put the nix on buying and selling textbooks, maybe amazon.com is a source to be explored:

The Amazon.com Books team is gearing up for another successful Textbooks season. This will be our biggest back-to-school season yet!

New Textbooks:

* From now through October 7th, customers can save up to 20% off campus bookstore prices on new textbooks sold by Amazon.com.

* In addition, customers can also save an extra $15 when they spend over $150 on new textbooks sold by Amazon.com.

Used Textbooks:

* Through our extensive network of third party sellers, we are able to offer customers millions of used textbooks at up to 90% off list prices.

Addendum: The ban at eBay is on teachers' editions and answer keys. See the link in the blog entry below (August 27th).

Free Catholic CD's

I received the following email recently from Catholicity:

RE: Free Catholic CDs from the Mary Foundation

Have you heard about the easiest way to improve your spiritual life, help convert a friend, or reach souls in your parish?

In a matter of minutes, you can have FREE life-changing talks by America's most dynamic Catholic speakers speeding to your doorstep direct from the world's largest producer of Catholic CDs and audio tapes. You can order online right now:

Secure Ordering

THE BEST CATHOLIC SPEAKERS
Our speakers include the beloved Scott Hahn, Father Corapi, Christopher West, and Marcus Grodi. Our talks include "The Mass Explained", "Marriage and the Eucharist", and the world's most popular "everyday" Rosary CD. For a description of each recording or to read what listeners are saying, visit:

Audiotapes.html

AVAILABLE EVERY DAY ONLINE OR BY MAIL
This is not a "special" offer. The Mary Foundation offers these CDs every day, no strings attached, with free same-day shipping. All we ask for is a nominal donation to support expedited online handling, but you can easily avoid this fee by mailing in your request using this simple print-out form:

Requestform.html

HOW IS THIS POSSIBLE?
For the past fifteen years, regular folks like you have done the real work of the Mary Foundation by personally helping us give away millions upon millions of Catholic tapes and CDs all over the world.

These CDs could easily cost more than $10 each, but we use a creative approach, the latest technology, and huge production volumes to make it effortless and affordable for you to change your life and the lives of the people you love most--your family, friends, co-workers, and fellow parishioners.

So your life will indeed change if you take less than five minutes to order online or mail in your request today:

Secure Ordering

May the Mother of God, Mary, our namesake, guide you as you make what may turn out to be the most important evangelization decision of your life. Thanks for taking the time to read this message.

With Christ,

Timothy Harrison
Managing Director
The Mary Foundation

Teacher Manuals Banned on eBay

eBay prohibits textbooks for homeschool teachers

PopeStNick5 - Theology of the Body: A New Translation

To read past library recommendations, or to join the email list, visit: Pope Saint Nicholas V.

Check to see if this title is already in your library's catalog. If it is, put a hold on it and check it out. If not, fill out a patron request form right away. This can usually be done online at your library's website.

Title: The Theology of the Body: A New Translation Based on the John Paul II Archives
Author: Pope John Paul II, translated by Dr. Michael M. Waldstein
Publisher: Pauline Books and Media
Date Published: August 2006
ISBN: 0819874213
Price: $29.95 (available September 2006)
Comments: See Catholic Press Wire to read about the new discovery that lead to this translation.


From the publisher:
John Paul II
Translated and introduced by Michael M. Waldstein

In this new critical translation of Pope John Paul II’s magnum opus, internationally renowned biblical scholar Michael Waldstein presents John Paul II’s magnificent vision of the human person with meticulous scholarship and profound insight.

In this vision, John Paul II presents a catechesis centered on the human person, understood within the mystery of Christ. Going back to the biblical “beginning” as recorded in Genesis, the pope discusses the bodily dimension of human personhood, sexuality, and marriage and celibacy in the light of biblical revelation.

Complete with a new introduction and new footnotes, this edition has been crafted with a penetrating eye to the past twenty years of study since John Paul II gave his Theology of the Body talks.

TRANSLATOR PROFILE
MICHAEL WALDSTEIN is Chancellor and Francis of Assisi Professor of New Testament at the International Theological Institute, Austria. Together with his wife, Susie, he is a member of the Pontifical Council for the Family. Prof. Waldstein earned a B.A. at Thomas Aquinas College, California, a Ph.D. in Philosophy at the University of Dallas, an S.S.L. in Scripture from the Biblicum in Rome, and a Th.D. in New Testament and Christian origins at Harvard Divinity School. Before his present appointment, he was Associate Professor of New Testament at the University of Notre Dame. He and his wife have eight children.

KEY FEATURES

A foreword by Cardinal Schönborn, Archbishop of Vienna.
A preface by Christopher West.
The catecheses of Song of Songs and Tobit: a comparison between the delivered text and the longer original pre-Papal text.
A comprehensive index of words and phrases.
A scriptural index.
A reference table for other versions of the papal texts

Babe: The Gallant Pig

Speaking of English literature, Sparky and I are currently reading Babe: The Gallant Pig. Babe gets out of being Christmas dinner by becoming a sheep-pig. Too funny. But it goes way beyond that. It's a sweet story of a character who is brave and loyal to the bone. He doesn't hesitate in obeying his master or in honoring his foster mother. He doesn't stop to think of himself when he rescues the sheep from rustlers or from wild dogs. What a joy to share this with Sparky.

High School Literature Course

A lot of great suggestions were left in the comments when I asked what you would include in an American/English high school literature course. Make sure that you check out the comments here. Marcia Neill, director of St. Michael the Archangel Academy, came in late with an excellent list. I was happy to see that my two high schoolers have already read several of the suggested books.

Below is what I came up with for my teen daughter and teen son. Teen Daughter is 9th grade, so her list is for 9th and 10th grade. Teen Son's list is for 11th and 12th grade. I haven't worked out the order that they will be read yet. There are 9 books for each school year - one per month. During the summer they can choose their own reading. Both teens are avid readers and make good choices on their own.


Daughter, 9th and 10th grade:

Huck Finn by Mark Twain
Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain
Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe
The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling
Death Comes for the Archbishop by Willa Cather
Short Stories of O'Henry
Beowulf by Anonymous
Animal Farm by George Orwell
The Little Flowers of St. Francis
Call of the Wild by Jack London
Love Poems by Emily Dickinson
Ramona by Helen Hunt Jackson
Withering Heights by Bronte
The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne
Emma by Jane Austin
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austin
Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens
Up From Slavery by Booker T. Washington

Son, Grades 11 and 12

The Iliad by Homer (Lattimore translation)
Apology by Plato (Rouse translation)
Confessions by St. Augustine (Pine-Coffin translation)
Inferno by Dante (Sayers translation)
The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer
In This House of Brede by Rumer Godden
Brideshead Revisited by Evelyn Waugh
The Four Loves by C. S. Lewis
Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain
Murder in the Cathedral by T. S. Elliot
Ballad of the White Horse by G. K. Chesterton
Edgar Allen Poe: selected stories and poems
Collected Stories by Flannery O'Connor
The Bridge of San Luis Rey by Thornton Wilder
Here Comes Civilization by William Ten
The Quest for St. Aquin by Anthony Boucher
Jeeves by P. G. Wodehouse
Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad

I'll also give them a few math and science titles in addition to the above. I haven't decided on those yet. In the upcoming days . . .

Danny's Novena, Day Nine

Click here for the prayer.

Pro-Life T-Shirts

American Life League has cool T-shirts for only $7.95 to commemorate its second annual Pro-Life Memorial Day (Monday, October 2nd). Shirts can be ordered through September 20, 2006. Note that the shipping and handling charges are a bit high, but still a deal. Shirts, hoodies, and hats that we've ordered in the past were well made.

Danny's Novena, Day Eight

Click here for the prayer.

Starry Sky Ranch

My friend Kim has a great blog and I just realized that it's not in my blogroll. Oops, sorry Kim! Go check out Starry Sky Ranch. If you like scrapbooking, or want to learn more about scrapbooking, go immediately to Starry Sky Ranch. Kim has a whole primer on the subject, just scroll down to August 21. Kim also likes to blog about lapbooking, Charlotte Mason, Montessori, and her great kids.

Danny's Novena, Day Seven

Click here for the prayer.

The Danny Davis Foundation

When choosing a college to attend, Franciscan University in Steubenville was Danny's top choice. Unfortunately, it was just out of his reach financially. After scholarships, loans, grants, savings, he was still $2,000 short. In the end, he chose to attend Michigan State University instead.

I know in my heart of hearts that if Danny had attended FU he would still be alive today. For this reason, I plan to start a scholarship fund in Danny's name that would award $2,000 scholarships to financially strapped FU students.

This is still in the dream stage. It'll be a few years before I can pull it together, but it will happen.

Danny's Novena, Day Six

Click here for the prayer.

Holy Hormones Batman!

You may be middle age and peri-menopausal/menopausal if:

When you see your best friend you say, "Hey Stranger" or "Hi Dear" because you can't remember what the heck her name is.

You wear layers of clothes so you won't embarrass yourself when you start stripping in a hot flash.

You say things like, "Put the trash down the hamper" and "Bring the dog in from the oven."

You buy pregnancy tests by the gross.

You've plucked a long black hair from your chin or nose recently.

Your girlfriends and you debate the value of HRT versus tofu.

You're not sure what your hair color is this week.

You wear Birkenstocks, not because they're fashionable but because they're good for falling arches.

You're losing your nouns and find yourself saying things like, "Honey could you get that thing in the shed for me? You know, the thing that's red with wheels."

You know what progressive lenses are.

Your husband never knows if he's going to wake up to Dr. Jekyll or Mrs. Hyde.

You're so emotional that you sob everytime a long-distance commercial comes on.

You subscribe to the Minnie Pauz newsletter.

You clip coupons for Poise pads.

Your kids have asked you, "Mom, are you getting shorter?"

You get in the car and then can't remember where you're going.

You not only know what "the big squeeze" is, you've had it done to you.

You've taken to wearing pantsuits.

You keep your underclothes in the freezer.

Your favorite CD is Menopause the Musical.

If you have no idea what I'm talking about, don't worry, you're no where near menopause. Just go about your life blissfully, it'll come soon enough.

Danny's Novena, Day Five

Click here for the prayer.

Dannys Novena, Day Four

Click here for the prayer.

The Sloan Ranger

Our dear old friend Lloyd Sloan is a bit of a radio personality in St. Louis. He even has his own merchandise. Very cool. You can buy it here. You can listen to him here, from 5 to 7 P.M. Central, Mon. through Fri. In fact, give him a call. His is a call-in show and the more the merrier! Local callers: 314-454-0400. Toll free: 1-877-920-WGNU (9468).

Seven Habits

Head over to the other Maureen's blog, Trinity Prep School, to help her hash out the Seven Habits of Highly Effective New School Years. What do you do to make sure that your new school year is effective?

Along the same lines, Joan Stromberg wrote an excellent cover article for Heart and Mind magazine: The Seven Habits of Highly Effective Homeschoolers. It was quite inspiring. I have some back issues left over from conferences if anyone is interested. Or you can check Heart and Mind's website.

Danny's Novena, Day Three

Click here for the prayer.

Talking While Eating

I think that the stress at work must be getting to my husband. Last night he scolded Buster, "Stop chewing with food in your mouth!"

Danny's Novena, Day Two

Click here for the prayer.

Teen Party

Imagine 25 teenagers converging in your backyard ready for food, drink, and a good time. That was my house last night. The kids from our Teen Wednesday club were invited for a We're Not Going Back to School party, and it was a blast.

Our friend Chuck grilled hot dogs and hamburgers and tended the bonfire. The kids brought pop, snacks, and dessert, as well as music. They played Red Rover and held a Twister tournament. (They somehow convinced me to join the Red Rover game - I know some of you would pay good money to see that.) Marshmallows were roasted and the conversation flowed. There were also a few teenager antics - stealing hats, girls chasing boys with the whip cream intended for the pie. All in all the kids were great.

It's refreshing to sit back and watch teens have good, clean fun.

Danny's Novena, Day One

NOVENA TO GOD THE FATHER

(pray for 9 days or 9 hours straight)

God, my heavenly Father, I adore You, and I count myself as nothing before Your Divine Majesty. You alone are Being, Life, Truth, and Goodness. Helpless and unworthy as I AM, I honor You, I praise You, I thank You, and I love You in union with Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Savior and our Brother, in the merciful kindness of His Heart and through His infinite merits. I desire to serve You, to please You, to obey You, and to love You always in union with Mary Immaculate, Mother of God and our Mother. I also desire to love and serve my neighbor for the love of You.

Heavenly Father, thank You for making me Your child in Baptism. With childlike confidence I ask You for this special favor:

I come to you humbly with all my love. Please use all the love in my heart, and the Love of Your Most Sacred Heart to have mercy on Danny and lead him to Your Divine Kingdom. I pray all of this in Jesus’ Most Holy Name. Please have Mercy on my family and all of the families of the individuals who are joining in on this awesome gift of prayer You have given to us.

I ask that Your Will may be done. Give me what You know to be best for my soul, and for the souls of those for whom I pray.

Please give me Your Holy Spirit to enlighten me, to correct me, and to guide me in the way of Your commandments and holiness, while I strive for the happiness of heaven where I hope to glorify You forever. Amen

Novena for Danny

August 22nd will mark the third anniversary of the death of my nephew Danny. He had just turned 22 when he died of a heroin overdose.

Danny was like a son to Rob and me. Rob was very much a father figure to Danny. The day Danny died was the hardest, saddest day of our lives. I remember receiving the news. I remember gasping for air and struggling to breath. But I don't remember much after that, including the drive from Michigan to Missouri to attend the wake and funeral. I couldn't tell you if we left right away and stopped in Indy to spend the night, or if we left the next morning to drive straight through. It's as though God gave me amnesia to protect me from the sadness of the day.

The hardest part was, and continues to be, sharing the news with my children. Danny was like a brother to them as he lived with us during his sophomore year of college, as well as vacationing with us over many summers. One night, weeks after the funeral, I found myself at 2:00 A.M. holding my sleepless, 9-year-old daughter in my lap as she sobbed uncontrollably over the loss of her beloved Danny. I found myself angry with Danny for his overdose, wanting to shake my fist and scream out, "You knew how much she loved you. She was your favorite. How could you do this to her?"

We had no clue that Danny suffered from addiction. This was a young man who attended Mass with us, who joined the March for Life in Washington, DC, who was in the middle of George Weigel's biography of Pope John Paul II when he died. In fact, my last email from Danny, just days before his death, expressed how much he loved the book and loved JP2.

Let this child's death be a lesson to us all. As parents we can never sit on our laurels, we must forever keep vigil. Even the best kids can fall into the deepest pits. We can do everything right and still lose them to the world.

Danny was introduced to heroin by someone who called himself a friend. It only took that one experiment to create an addict.

I'd like to ask you to join me in a novena for Danny's soul. This request comes from Danny's mom, Sue. I'll post a reminder each day beginning in the morning. And please also pray for Sue. A mother's loss is unimaginable.

Shooting for the Gold

The state 4-H shoot in Port Huron went great. Teen Daughter came home with a bronze medal in muzzle loading and Tween Daughter got a bronze in 3-D archery. Teen Son did his personal best in 3-D archery and would've easily aced a gold medal in the county shoot with his score. However, the competition is a lot tougher at the state level. I'm proud of them all.

The best part was camping with all the other 4-H'ers. I've yet to meet a bad 4-H kid or parent. I'm sure there must be one or two out there, but they haven't crossed my path.

From the Mouths of Babes

Some years ago, when Tween Daughter was Toddler Daughter, I would whisper in her ear during Mass, "Listen for the bells, Jesus is coming."

I thought myself genius. After all, not only was this effective in quieting her down during the consecration, but I was teaching her a deep theological point -- that bread and wine become Jesus' Body and Blood.

However, God in His infinate wisdom always humbles me.

One day we went to a different church. It was a holy day and we couldn't get to Mass at our own church. This particular church didn't ring the bells during the consecration.

Toddler Daughter caught this and took it upon herself to let the rest of the congregation know that Jesus was there. As Father elevated the Body, she exclaimed, loudly for everyone to hear, "One Jesus down, One to go!"

Yet More Reading Lists

First an administrative note. I'm leaving later today for the state 4-H shoot. So if you leave a comment, it may take a day or two to show up.

Now to those lists:

MacBeth's Opinion This is one of my favorite online reading lists. Actually, it's more like an online bookstore. She links to amazon.com which I like so that I can read the reviews. Then I head over to my library website to put the books on hold. (Don't worry, I've talked to MacBeth about this and she doesn't mind at all.)

4Real Learning Preschool through 8th grade.

Living Math This is similar to MacBeth's website except that it focuses solely on living math books. Click on the sidebar to find the many booklists. I highly recommend looking into using math literature in your homes.

Tip of the Day

If your four-year old shoves a bead up his nose, for no apparent reason, a toothpick works nicely for getting it out.

I know this because that's what I used last night. In the past (yes, sadly, this was not the first, or even the second or third time, I've had to do this), I learned quickly that a tweezer only sends the bead higher up into the nose. With a toothpick, I could slide it into the hole of the bead and then maneuver it out.

This is what I went to college for.

Even More Online Reading Lists

Even more online reading lists. Keep in mind that these are not Catholic lists, so use your good judgement.

Five in a Row Great reading list for grade school, whether you use the Five in a Row curriculum or not.

Before Five in a Row Literature list for preschool.

Beyond Five in a Row For upper grade school years.

Sonlight Books and The Well Trained Mind Sonlight books arranged by TWTM's four-year history cycles.

Tomorrow, I'll have yet more online reading lists.

Quote of the Day

"The object of life is not to be on the side of the majority but to escape finding oneself in the ranks of the insane."
—Marcus Aurelius

More Online Reading Lists

More cool reading lists online:

100 Good Book List Reading list for adults. Provided by the Classical Christian Education Support Loop.

1000 Good Book List John Senior's reading list for primary school through high school. Provided by the Classical Christian Education Support Loop.

A Child's Reading List Provided by Eagle Forum. Sorted by reading level within genre.

Reading Your Way through History Alicia Van Hecke's terrific chronological reading list. A must see for Catholic homeschoolers! (Note: This website is currently under some serious construction and may be down momentarily.)

Seton Home Study School Seton's list of great books, for K to 8th grade, to supplement their Catholic home study school. Scroll down and click on "reading lists."

I'll have even more for you tomorrow.

Mom With a Message

My friend Mary Jo has a new website: Mom With a Message. If you ever need a speaker on the topic of chastity, contact Mary Jo.

Online Reading Lists

Continuing this thread on books, here are a couple of online reading lists that you all may enjoy:

The Ultimate Reading List – Classics That Endure
June 1997 Education Reporter.

Ten Books Every Student Should Read in College

One Book Meme, Part 2

Mike also tagged his son Michael III. However, Michael doesn't have a blog. So, for today, Michael is a guest blogger:

1. One book that changed your life.
Algebra for Dummies by Mary Jane Sterling

2. One book that you’ve read more than once:
My freshman algebra textbook (read it my freshman year, my sophomore year, my junior year...)

3. One book you’d want on a desert island:
How to Build Wooden Boats: With 16 Small-Boat Designs by Edwin Monk

4. One book that made you laugh:
One of the top 10 best books ever written (after the Bible), Dave Barry's Book of Bad Songs

5. One book that made you cry:
My sophomore algebra textbook

6. One book that you wish had been written:
How to get into college when you Don't Know Math

7. One book that you wish had never been written:
My Geometry I textbook

8. One book you’re currently reading:
Procrastination: Why You Do It, What to Do About It by Jane B. Burka, Ph.D. and Lenora M. Yuen, Ph.D.

9. One book you’ve been meaning to read:
Said freshman algebra textbook... (see Question 8)

One Book Meme

Mike Aquilina is making me fill out this blog meme thing. I'm afraid that mine won't be nearly as heady as his survey. The last seventeen years have been spent reading children's books. In fact, last night I sat down to read Augustine's Confessions when Princess Rose sat on my lap and begged me to read Miss Spider's Tea Party. It wasn't long before other children were begging for their own books to be read. I suppose Augustine will have to wait another decade or two.

1. One book that changed your life.
The Bible.

2. One book that you’ve read more than once.
The Spear by Louis de Wohl. I try to read it every Lent. That is, if I can hide away long enough from little children who have their own agendas.

3. One book you’d want on a desert island.
The Survivor's Handbook.

4. One book that made you laugh.
Winnie the Pooh. That Winnie is just a hoot!

5. One book that made you cry.
The Magic Treehouse series. I breaks my heart knowing that publishers allow such dribble to be put into print. Sad.

6. One book that you wish had been written.
How to Learn Latin While Sleeping.

7. One book that you wish had never been written.
Barney's Special Day. Is it not enough that we have to tolerate Barney on video? We have to read about him too?

8. One book you’re currently reading.
Miss Spider's Tea Party.

9. One book you’ve been meaning to read.
Confessions by St. Augustine.


Okay, now I'm suppose to tag some other bloggers. So, I tag all the bloggers at Love2Learn, except for Nancy. She hates memes (I can't blame her).

What Your Eighteen-Year Old Needs to Know

Along the lines of our high school lit discussion, here is a great post from Catholic Darwin.

High School Literature

Someone emailed me almost a month ago and asked:

What you recommend for a high school English/American literature reading list? I have my own ideas and I would definitely drop a few I had to read. I remember being assigned Truman Capote's In Cold Blood during my senior year English class. I just didn't even read it. I didn't think I could bear the violence of it. What would be your top 10 books for the high school list?

I hate to admit that I haven't responded to her query as of yet. Every time I try to come up with a top-ten list, I make additions or deletions. The thing is that I need to come up with some sort of list for my own homeschool.

Teen Son is heading into his Junior year and I can't have him graduating from high school without having read such greats as Plato's Apology, or Augustine's Confessions, or The Iliad. But then those aren't really American or English literature.

How important is it to read American and English authors? And what time period? I remember Anne Carroll once saying that there aren't any 20th-century authors worth reading. But that would include Flannery O'Connor and quite a few others that I'm partial to.

Would you include any of the popular school fare? Titles such as The Great Gatsby, Catcher in the Rye, Lord of the Flies, East of Eden, etc.

So, help me out here. What are your thoughts? What titles should absolutely be on a list of American/English literature for high school?

Farewell to Lambs

Teen Son and I were out at the fairground this morning feeding the sheep, Mario and Luigi, one last time before they're picked up by their new owners. As I patted their heads and told them goodbye, a sad feeling came over me. Perhaps you shouldn't name animals intended for the dinner table.

Day Three At the Fair

Another great day at the fair. Sparky showed a sheep in the pee wee division (5 to 8 years old). They don't place, but instead everyone gets a participation ribbon. The idea is to get them use to showing in the arena and being judged. They were all so cute and the judges so sweet in helping them present their sheep. The amazing thing is that none of the sheep got loose, a first I think. Usually, there are several sheep running around the ring with little children chasing after them. Actually, I'm a little disappointed that we missed the comedy of the sheep this year.

Teen Son showed his sheep in the senior division. It was his first year and he was up against kids who have been showing their whole lives. Yet, he did pretty good. He struggled during the showmanship portion when Mario (or was it Luigi) just didn't want to behave. In true 4-H fashion, the judge offered some words of wisdom to help him out. The sheep behaved better in the market class and placed 4th and 7th. Today they'll be auctioned off and hopefully Teen Son will make a little profit on the sheep project.

Princess Rose participated in the fashion revue in the evening. The little 5 to 8 year olds were so cute up on the stage. Princess Rose had practiced walking the stage at home. Then right before stepping on the stage, the teen girl, who was helping the little girls, told Princess to make sure to stand in the center so the judges could see her. Well, that's what Princess did, she stood the whole time in the center and didn't walk a step. It was so funny. I think she really enjoyed watching the older girls model their sewing creations as much as participating.

Today, we take a break and stay home. It's been raining off and on all morning and hopefully that'll cool things off for tomorrow. No competitions tomorrow, just enjoying the rides.

Day Two At the Fair

Today is a complete blur, but from what I remember it was a good day. Here are some tips if you have to be out in the 100 degree heat for 8 hours. Put some ice in a baggie, wrap it in a bandana and then tie it around the back of your neck. Works great. Also bring a spray bottle with water. Not only does it feel good, it's fun to spritz your friends.

My parents along with my sister and her kids came up from St. Louis today. So that was the highlight of the day of course. They skipped the fair -- a bit too much after 9 hours of driving -- but we still got to visit after getting home and have the rest of the week to enjoy one another's company.

The kids came home with loads of medals and ribbons for shooting sports. I'm really proud of all of them.

Tomorrow is sheep. Yep, these city folk are showing sheep. Teen Son has a friend who raises sheep for 4-H and was invited to join him this year. This has meant lots of chauffeuring to and from the country for working with the sheep. But I think that it has been worth it. Teen Son has had loads of fun and learned quite a bit. He's also worked with his little brother Sparky. Sparky is to young to officially show sheep, but he can participate in the Pee Wee division. It'll be interesting to see tomorrow how it all works out.

Day One At the Fair

I can't believe all the purple ribbons that came home with us. (Purple ribbons are Best of Show.)

Teen Son got Best of Show, third year in a row, for his creative writing. The best part about having your children enter their writing at the fair is that someone other than Mom is judging their work. The one and only thing that annoys me about Teen Son's writing is his over use of adjectives. Well, sure enough, the judge wrote in his extensive comments that the one thing that Teen Son needs to work on is his over use of adjectives. The cool part though is that the judge was really impressed with the 67-page, fictional story and said that he was sure Teen Son will someday be a published author. That's great news, considering that he's planning on majoring in journalism when he gets to college.

Other Best of Shows went to Teen Daughter for jams and also for dehydrating. Tween daughter got Best of Show for paper quilling. And there were blue ribbons all around. There were also a couple of red ribbons, and Teen Daughter got a white ribbon because, even though her scrapbooking project was beautiful, she didn't follow the 4-H guidelines. A good lesson for everyone.

Except for writing, you can talk with the judges as they critique your projects. I really like that. I think the kids got lots of great advice that they'll apply to next year's projects.

Tomorrow is supposed to be in the upper 90's, so I'd appreciate a prayer or two. I promised that we would spend the day doing loads of rides (1/2 price on Tues.) and then we have the shooting sports awards. Fun!

Confessions of a Homeschooler

Make sure to check out Mary Jo Thayer's latest Confessions of a Homeschooler columns. There's a new column every week.

The Quiltmakers Gift

Teen Daughter and I went to the library recently to search for a quilt book that would help her finish her Grandmother's Flower Garden quilt and we found a real treasure. We found More Quilts from The Quiltmaker's Gift.

The Quiltmaker's Gift is a lovely picture book that I picked up for the girls last Christmas. It's the fable of an old woman who makes the most beautiful quilts in all the kingdom. Many people come to her seeking to purchase her handiwork, but she tells them that her quilts are only for the poor and the homeless. They are not for sale.

When the greedy king hears of her beautiful quilts, he decides that he absolutely must have one. He has all the treasures of the world but is still unhappy. Perhaps this one last treasure will finally make him happy. But the quiltmaker refuses him. He tries all kinds of schemes to get her to relent, but he fails each time.

Finally, the quiltmaker agrees to make a quilt for the king, on one condition. He must give away all his posessions to the poor. Consumed with desire for the quilt, he agrees. He's so rich that it takes years for him to give away everything. When he finally returns to the old woman to claim his quilt, he's already found the happiness that eluded him for so long. He found it not in the quilt but in giving to others. It's a great story.

Throughout the picture book are all sorts of lovely quilts in the illustrations. This inspired the book, Quilts from The Quiltmaker's Gift (which I have not seen) and the sequel More Quilts from The Quiltmaker's Gift. It's not only a gorgeous book, but very useful. It has all the instructions that you need to make 19 quilts, plus the history behind them.

One of these days I'd like to write a unit study on quilts. Wouldn't that be cool. But then, it may already be written. I'll have to Google it.

PS I'm at my wits end with Blogger. I uploaded graphics of the book covers and then they disapeared. If you want to see the books, and read reviews, click on the links on the titles.

Prepping for the 4-H Fair

If it wasn't for the last minute, nothing would ever get done.

The last couple of weeks have been crazy at my house. The county fair is next week and the kids signed up for about for a zillion, give or take a million, craft projects to enter in the 4-H part of the fair.

If I were a good homeschooling mother, I would have planned ahead and had the children spread out their projects over the school year. Instead, we're getting them all done at the last minute.

We've made tie-dye shirts, painted shirts, beady bugs, stepping stones, fleece blankets, and so much more. We had to forgo metal punching and glass etching due to lack of time. Everything has to be turned in for judging tonight and tomorrow, except for creative writing which was turned in two weeks ago.

Teen daughter is in the kitchen right now making her cake to enter. Then she still needs to finish her quilt. I'm praying that her guardian angels help guide her needle so it's done in time.

Ecce Homo Press

Ooh, ooh, the new Ecce Homo catalog came today and it had a $2 off coupon inside. Now I have to buy something!

Life of Fred

While at the CO conference, Teen Daughter was very excited to show me a new series of books. I assumed that it was some fun girl literature that she was dragging me to see. Imagine my surprise when we got to the vending table and I saw math books.

It was the new series, Life of Fred by Stanley F. Schmidt, Ph.D. The lessons are taught through the story of a 6-year-old genius boy named Fred Gauss. (Heart and Mind did a review of the series and gave it the thumbs up.)

I bought the algebra book and Teen Daughter got right to work. In fact, she worked through several lessons as we drove back to Michigan. If this continues through the school year, this will be my new favorite textbook series. If you can get kids to enjoy the learning process, most of the work is done for you.

Dr. Schmidt gave a couple of talks at the conference and I heard that they were great. Last I checked tapes were not up at the CO website. I'm dying to hear them. I'll let you all know when they're available for sale.

UPDATE: Click here.

Berry Picking and Canning

One of the many great things about 4-H is that it gets us out of the city and into the country. A few weeks ago, we went strawberry picking on the way home from archery practice. We picked 20 lbs. to make loads of strawberry jam and fruit roll-ups.

Today after muzzle loading competition we stopped for blueberry picking. I've put a few in the freezer for future munchies. They're like candy right out of the freezer. Over the next day or two the kids and I will make blueberry jam, sauce, coffee cake, and maybe some pancakes in the morning.

The thing about picking your own berries is that they are so way better than store-bought. Much sweeter and juicier. Not as big or full of color, but yummier.

On a similar note, I'll be blogging on canning for the next week over at The Thrifty Homeschooler.

PS I was going to post pictures from today's competition, but the batteries went dead in the camera. Boo-hoo.

St. Mary Magdalene

Today is the feast day of my patron, St. Mary Magdalene.

Learn what you can about her. She is so much more interesting than Dan Brown's version. I'm particularly fond of Amy Welborn's book, De-Coding Mary Magdalene: Truth, Lies and Legends.

A New Season

I've entered a new season in my life. After almost seventeen years of diaper changing, my "baby" is finally potty trained. There were moments when I wondered if I would ever get to this point. But it's here now and it is bitter sweet.

3-D Archery

Yesterday was spent in the woods with the four biggest kids as they competed in 3-D archery.

3-D is usually used by hunters. You walk a trail and shoot at 3-D animal forms (30 targets altogether). The animals are marked where the kill zone would be on the real animal. Points are scored when you hit the kill zone. In some competitions, you receive negative points if you hit the animal but miss the kill zone. This is because in a real hunting situation you wouldn't want to injure an animal, perhaps causing a slow painful death. Zero points are awarded if you miss altogether.

The kids all did great. In fact, most bested their best scores. The award ceremony isn't until the county fair in two weeks. But I'm sure that there will be a medal or two coming home with us. There will certainly be blue ribbons all around.

Traveling Artisans

The Brown family stopped by for a visit on their way to Ann Arbor on Tuesday. They were on their way to an art show where they would be showing Mike's creations. Mike is an awesome photographer. If you like owning original artwork, you should check out his photography.

To see pictures of me, Nancy, one of my bestest friends Linda, and all our kids, go to Nancy's blog.

Today we drove to Ann Arbor to check out the art show and had a great time. Hopefully, Nancy and Mike won't post the picture they took of me wearing the silly hat that the kids put on me!

It's a Small World

You never know who you'll run into in the blogosphere. I paid a visit to Steve Ray's blog yesterday and there was a picture of our friend Fr. Gerald. I didn't even know that Fr. Gerald had already gone on the pilgrimage.

Now, wouldn't that be cool - to go on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land with Steve Ray? Way too cool!

Day Nine: Holy Family Novena

Click here for the prayers.

Keeping Joshua's Family in Prayer

In case you haven't already read this elsewhere on the blogosphere. From the Stuebenville alumni newsletter (thank you Linda for emailing this to me):

Please remember Andrew and Regina (Doman '92) Schmiedicke MA '97 and their family in your prayers. Andrew and Regina's little boy, Joshua Michael, four, died in a tragic accident July 8, 2006.

There is a website set up with Regina's eulogy - http://www.joshuaschmiedicke.com/

Also, on Martin Doman's website, there is an address to send donations to help Andy and Regina buy a new vehicle - http://www.martindoman.com/

Day Eight: Holy Family Novena

Click here for the prayers.

NRA Mama

This is a busy week for us with 4-H shooting sports competitions. We had target archery on Saturday. 3-D archery is Wednesday and muzzle loading this coming Saturday. Then we'll have the 4-H county fair and after that we'll be off to the 4-H state shoot. That's not the end of it. There will be MYHEC competition a couple of weeks after that. I guess I've turned into the 4-H / NRA version of a soccer mom.

MYHEC is the Michigan chapter of YHEC: Youth Hunter Education Challenge. It's a great program through the NRA. The kids need to learn how to shoot shotgun, .22, muzzle loader, and archery. They also have to walk a hunter safety trail, tested on animal identification and orienteering. In fact, they learn so much about animal identification and orienteering that you could count it as nature science on a portfolio.

Day Seven: Holy Family Novena

Click here for the prayers.

Day Six: Holy Family Novena

Click here for the prayers.

New Location for Catholic Homeschool Blog Directory

In order to make the directory more accessible, Esther has moved the Catholic Homeschooling Blog Directory to Blogger. If you've already bookmarked the directory, you'll need to change it to http://chbd.blogspot.com/ . I discovered some cool new blogs there, including one for homeschooled teenagers.

Day Five: Holy Family Novena

Click here for the prayers.

Lit Book Update

I'm so excited. My proofreader (good friend and fellow author Nancy Brown) returned the manuscript of For the Love of Literature to me this morning. It's covered in red marks (which is a good thing). I can't wait to get all the corrections made and the book off to the publisher. Though, I'm thinking of adding a last minute chapter on "How to Build Your Own Literature Unit Study."

And Mike Aquilina agreed to write the Foreword for me -- now that's exciting!

Drama Diva Comes Home Today!

My beautiful 12-year-old daughter stayed behind in St. Louis to visit with family. It's been ten days since we left her and we've all been missing her something fierce. It's funny how much it throws off the family dynamic when one family member is missing. Yep, even when there are seven kids. She's at the St. Louis airport as I type and her plane will be taking off within the half hour. I can't wait to have her safely on the ground in Michigan and in my arms

Day Four: Holy Family Novena

Click here for the prayers.

The Fathers of the Church Expanded

My favorite book on the Early Church Fathers comes from Mike Aquilina. Mike's done us all a wonderful favor and greatly expanded The Fathers of the Church. It'll be available for purchase in September. If you're planning the school year for your bright high school child, I would say that this is essential reading. (It's often used as a textbook in universities.) For more detailed information about the additions to the book, go to Mike's blog. To order it, call OSV at 1-800-348-2440 and make sure to tell them that you want the new, expanded version.

PS to my sister. This would be a great gift for a pastor husband!

Dayton 2007 Conference

I'll be speaking in Dayton, Ohio May 18 and 19 in 2007. Also booked are Dr. Mary Kay Clark and Rita Munn. This is a big move for Dayton as they go from a simple curriculum fair to a full blown conference. If you're in the area, make sure to check it out.

Day Three - Holy Family Novena

Click here for the prayers.

Tattoos and Piercings in the Neighborhood

Yesterday I pull into my driveway, with the youngest four kids in the van, to find my new neighbor's SUV in my driveway. He had a stump to pull out of his yard and the best angle was from my drive. So, he walks up to my van window to tell me what he's doing, sans shirt, and this is the conversation that was going on behind me. (Mind you, not soft and gentle, but very loud with a sense of awe in their tone.)

Whoa, look at that man's tattoos.
Wow.
That's a lot of tattoos.
That's gross.
Check out the scorpion.
Wow, a scorpion.
Mom, Mom, see the scorpion.
Mommy, why does the man have an earring in his nursy?
That's gross.
Men don't have nursies silly. They have nipples.
Mommy, Mommy, why does the man have an earring in his nipple?
Mom sure would be mad if I ever did that.

This is my life.

Weekly Catholic Homeschool Column

One of my dearest friends, Mary Jo Thayer, has a weekly homeschool column. You've got to check it out here: Confessions of a Homeschooler. Mary Jo is witty and wonderfully honest as she writes about her homeschool experiences.

Mary Jo is also a contributing author to The Catholic Homeschool Companion and a contributor to Heart and Mind Magazine. She also writes and speaks on human sexuality in the context of Church teaching. I've been to her talks and she does an outstanding job.

Day Two: Holy Family Novena

Click here for the prayers.

Day One: Holy Family Novena

This is a very simple novena. The prayer is the same each day.

Novena Prayer:
Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, bless me and grant me the grace of loving Holy Church as I should, above every earthly thing, and of ever showing my love by deeds.

Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, bless me and grant me the grace of openly professing as I should, with courage and without human respect, the faith that I received as your gift in holy Baptism.

Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, bless me and grant me the grace of sharing as I should in the defense and propagation of the Faith when duty calls, whether by word or by the sacrifice of my possessions and my life.

Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, bless me and grant me the grace of loving my family and others in mutual charity as I should, and establish us in perfect harmony of thought, will, and action, under the rule and guidance of the shepherds of the Church.

Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, bless me and grant me the grace of conforming my life fully as I should to the commandments of God’s law and those of His Holy Church, so as to live always in that charity which they set forth.

Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, I ask in particular this special favor:
Please shower blessings upon our homeschooling community. Help our families to be strong in faith and love, and to do God's work. Help our homeschools to be places filled with grace and joy. Bless our marriages and bring us closer to you each day. Please also bless abundantly the family of Joshua Michael, especially in this time of need.

Dedication of One’s Family:
Most loving Jesus, by Your sublime and beautiful virtues of humility, obedience, poverty, modesty, charity, patience, and gentleness, You blessed with peace and happiness the family which You chose on earth. In Your mercy look upon my family. We belong to You, for we have received Your many blessings over many years and we entrust ourselves to Your loving care.

Look upon my family in Your loving kindness, preserve us from danger, give us help in time of need, and grant us the grace to persevere to the end in imitation of Your holy Family, so that having revered You and loved You faithfully on earth, we may praise You eternally in heaven.

Mary, dearest Mother, to your intercession we have recourse, knowing that your Divine Son will hear your prayers. Glorious patriarch, Saint Joseph, help us by your powerful prayers and offer our prayers to Jesus through Mary’s hands. Amen.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus Christ, being subject to Mary and Joseph, You sanctified family life by Your beautiful virtues. Grant that we, with the help of Mary and Joseph, may be taught by the example of Your holy Family, and may after death enjoy its everlasting companionship.

Lord Jesus, help us ever to follow the example of Your holy Family, that in the hour of our death Your glorious Virgin Mother together with Saint Joseph may come to meet us, and we may be worthy to be received by You into the everlasting joys of heaven. You live and reign forever. Amen.

Prayers Needed

Please pray fervantly for Catholic author Regina Doman, her husband Andrew, and their family. Their four year old son Joshua Michael died in a car accident yesterday.

There is a picture of Joshua and note from Regina at her website.

Novena for Homeschool Families

It seems to me that the devil has been hitting Catholic homeschool families hard lately. I know of several families currently struggling with pending divorce. Of course, satan is always going to hit those doing the Lord's work the hardest. And we Catholic homeschoolers are doing no less than the Lord's work.

With that in mind, I hope that you all will join me in praying a novena for our Catholic homeschooling community, particularly our marriages.

I'll post a reminder everyday, starting tomorrow (Monday), for nine days. EWTN always has great novenas and they're easy to link to, so I'll probably choose something that I find there. Unless, of course, one of my gentle readers has a better idea. If you know the perfect novena for us to pray together, please leave a comment here or drop me an email.

The Catholic Homeschooling Blog Directory

If you'd like a one stop place that links you to loads of Catholic homeschool blogs, here's the place: Catholic Homeschooling Blog Directory.

If you have a blog yourself, there's an email link to have your blog added to the directory.

Pro-Life Democrat

We have a dear friend, Patrick Baker, who is running for the state house here in Michigan. He's a rock solid Catholic and pro-life to the core, as well as a former homeschooler. He's also a Democrat. While conservative on issues such as abortion, stem-cell research, and marriage, he is clearly a liberal when it comes to everything else.

My political leanings could be described as Libertarian. Apart from Patrick's stand on social issues, I am strongly opposed to most of his political positions.

Here's the complication. We live in the city, just a couple of miles from downtown. A Republican has not been elected in our district since the 1960's. Not even close. And trust me, no Libertarian has ever been elected. Whoever wins the Democratic primary in August wins the election in November.

So, what would you do? Help your friend as much as possible through November? Help him through the primary and then throw your energies elsewhere after August? Or would you say, "I'm sorry but I can't help you at all."

I'll let you know what Rob and I decided in a few days.

Too Funny

My friend Lynne sent this cartoon to me. If you homeschool, you've got to check it out.

Steve Wood Interview to Replay

I'm writing from St. Louis where I'm visiting family. Sorry that I haven't made time to blog while here. I'll be home in a couple of days and should be back on schedule then.

In the meantime, my interview with Steve Wood is being replayed tomorrow. So tune into EWTN radio (or stream online) on Thursday, July 6 at 2:00 ET / 1:00 CT if you can. This is a good show to have your friends and relatives listen to, as Steve asked a lot of questions that would come from people who worry about pitfalls in homeschooling. CD's of the interview can be purchased at Steve's Faith and Family website.