Friends at the Art Fair

Here I am with famed author Nancy Brown, along with some of my kids, a couple of Linda B's kids, and Nancy's kids at the art fair a couple of weeks ago. It was such a fun day!

The Kid's Library Thing

I stayed up far too late last night working on the Kid's Library Thing. It is far from finished, but I hope that when it's done it'll be a helpful resource to other Catholic homeschoolers, especially newbies. My plan is to have all of the books tagged and reviewed, plus I still have about 500 books to enter. Might be a while! And definitely not today -- we're off to the fair.

Catholic Mom: Ideas for Preschool Science and Math

My monthly column at Catholic Mom is up. In fact, it's probably been up for a while and I just missed it. It's been a crazy summer!

Some homeschoolers prefer a structured curriculum for preschool and kindergarten. Me? I prefer to hold off on formal academics until first grade.

The County Fair

It's officially fair week. We spent our weekend turning in fair projects. Craft, cooking, and food preservation projects were all entered and we already have some results. Lots of blue ribbons, a red ribbon or two, and Best of Shows for Teen Daughter One's salsa and for Teen Daughter Two's bread. Teen Son wasn't able to turn in his writing projects (due two weeks ago) because of our computer problems. He was cool with it though -- it gave someone else a chance to win the Judge's Choice Award for a change this year.

Things will be a little more easy going this year as we don't have sheep to show, but it's still set to be a busy week. We have 4-H volunteer jobs, shooting sports awards, rides to ride, and fair food to consume.

Talking Harry

If you've finished reading Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, then head over to John Granger's website for some great conversation!

BTW -- Has anyone read Granger's book Unlocking Harry Potter? I put in a request to my library to purchase it, but haven't heard back from them yet.

It's a Contest!

Lisa from http://www.catholicmom.com/ writes:

I wanted to ask your assistance in spreading the word about a contest I'm running this month at CatholicMom.com. Broadway Books, publisher of The Book of Jane, has generously donated several copies of the book for me to use as giveaways. To enter, readers just need to drop me an email with "The Book of Jane Contest" in the subject line. While not written by Catholic authors, this book is squeaky clean, lots of fun and has a great message. If I get a good response to this giveaway, I hope that I will be able to offer other contests like this in the future! Please help me by spreading the word on your blogs and sites. Readers can learn more about the book and read my interview with the authors at http://www.catholicmom.com/br_dayton.htm

I haven't heard of this book, but I'll take Lisa's word for it that it's good. Anyone else read it yet?

He's Home!

My brother-in-law Tom is home from the Persian Gulf, much to the relief of my sister and their children and the rest of us! Now, they just have to move their lives from California to Chicago, where the Navy has decided to send him for graduate studies. I'm so glad they'll be closer to us and we'll actually get to visit now and then. Thanks for prayers offered up!

Afternoon Tea With J. K. Rowling

I promised to refrain from discussing Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows for a week or two, but I'd just like to say something about the author. She must be an incredibly interesting woman. I would love an afternoon to visit with her, just chatting like girlfriends around the kitchen table. Forget polite topics such as the state of the weather, I'd want to talk about religion and politics. It would be, I'm sure, a most enjoyable afternoon.

I'm Baaack

Whew, I finally finished reading Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Now I can get on the Internet and read the newspaper again. I know it sounds silly, but I didn't want any sniff of a spoiler before I finished reading. So, in case you're still reading it or planning to in the near future, I'll refrain from commenting on it for a week or two.

Art Shows and Famous Photographers/Authors

I got to hang out all day today at the Ann Arbor Art Show with a gang of teenagers. It is a great show taking up blocks upon city block filled with artists of all kinds. And, yes, it was pretty kid friendly.

The best part was that we spent the day with famed author Nancy Brown and her award-winning photographer husband Mike Brown. Mike had a booth at the fair and he easily had some of the coolest stuff there. His 3-D photography is really neat.

If you like to purchase gorgeous art for your home or office, check out Mike's website. If you would like to share some beautiful photographs with the kids, check out Mike's blog.

God Bless the Computer Guy

Max the computer guy returned my PC to me today. He managed to save my hard drive and I'm so grateful. Thank you Max and thank you St. Isidore!

It's nice to be on my own computer again and not having to run to the library or wait for Rob to get home with his laptop. Now I just need to catch up on email!

The bad news is that my laptop needs a new motherboard and so it'll probably not be revived. It's pretty ancient and they don't make parts for it anymore. Maybe I can find a cheap motherboard on eBay, but I'm not counting on it. That's the computer the kids use for schoolwork so I have a couple of months to save up for another one.

Google Status

I like to check my stat counter every so often (you can check too if you want -- it's in the sidebar all the way down). It's so interesting to me to see how people came to find my blog. Also interesting is what they Google in order to find me. For example, if you Google "muzzleloading blog" I'm number 15 on the list . . .

Adoremus books coupon code, 4
Catholic homeschool mother's planner, 10
maureen whittman blog, 1 (even when you spell my name wrong, you can find me)
homeschool science olympiad, 5
the mystery of Harry Potter, 4
RACHAEL RAY MEATBALL MUFFIN, 6
mini meatloafs, 3
catholic homeschooling blog, 13
catholic homeschool literature, 27
homeschool shooting sports, 2
maureen, 26
Holly Pierlot, 5
life of fred stan schmidt, 1

Spaghetti Sauce Surprise

Sometime ago I read a recipe in one of the Moosewood cookbooks for what I think was called Mystery Marinara Sauce. You blend up some garden veggies and mix them into your regular spaghetti sauce.

This last weekend I had planned on spaghetti for dinner, but wanted to soup it up a bit. Usually, that would mean cooking up some Italian sausage, but Rob is still on the vegetarian kick so that wasn't an option. I remembered the Moosewood recipe and decided to wing it. I found a red pepper, yellow squash, and brocolli in the fridge. I sauteed them in olive oil, threw them in the blender (my Vita-Mix) with some Ragu, heated it up, and we had a delicious, yet healthy, spaghetti dish. I imagine you could do this with any leftover veggies. Give it a try.

Oh, one more thing. Mystery Marinara sounds too much like Mystery Meat to me, so I renamed it Spaghetti Sauce Surprise. I never did let onto the kids that I blended vegetables into the sauce and they were none the wiser!

Driving Teens

Yesterday was my first day driving with Teen Daughter One. I just want to say that Erma Bombeck was right. You shouldn't go through menopause and teaching a teen to drive at the same time.

It's Almost a Real Book!

It's here, it's here! The galley of For the Love of Literature came in the mail today! It was waiting for me when I got home from the kids' 4-H rifle and .22 competitions this evening.

In case you're not well versed in the publishing biz, a galley is basically the completed book unbound (it comes as loose leaf paper). It is my opportunity to make any last minute corrections. No major changes, just glaring spelling errors and the like.

This means that it'll be off to the printer very soon. Oh gosh, twelve years of work almost complete -- I'm so excited!

Praying for the Families of Our Soldiers

I have two prayer requests for you.

First, one of our local homeschooled grads was married last year. It was one of the most beautiful weddings I've ever attended. Shortly thereafter her new husband was deployed to Iraq. They are expecting their first child in early September. He is scheduled for a 2-week leave at the end of August and then will return to Iraq until February. Please pray for this young family -- that all will go well with the baby's birth, that she is born while Daddy is home, and that he comes home safe and sound.


This prayer request is from my friend Linda S.

Please pray for my niece Jennifer whose soldier husband, Alan, was killed in Iraq last night when he stepped on mine. He leaves behind Jennifer, a young mother, and two beautiful daughters Rose (4) and Lilith (3 months).

God our Father, Your power brings us to birth, Your providence guides our lives, and by Your command we return to dust. Lord, those who die still live in Your presence, their lives change but do not end. I pray in hope for Alan, my family, relatives and friends, and for all the dead known to You alone. In company with Christ, Who died and now lives, may they rejoice in Your kingdom, where all our tears are wiped away. Unite us together again in one family, to sing Your praise forever and ever.
Amen.

Addendum: A third prayer request for our soldiers and their families. My brother-in-law Tom is still in the Persian Gulf and his return home has been delayed. Prayers for him, my sister Chrissy, and their two kids Tommy and Deanna are also appreciated. Thanks!

Which Early Church Father Are You?

Wow, I can't even imagine trying to read the Bible in the original languages, but if that's what Mike says, then it must be true. So, which Early Church Father are you?

You’re Origen! You do nothing by half-measures. If you’re going to read the Bible, you want to read it in the original languages. If you’re going to teach, you’re going to reach as many souls as possible, through a proliferation of lectures and books. If you’re a guy and you’re going to fight for purity … well, you’d better hide the kitchen shears. Find out which Church Father you are at The Way of the Fathers!

Our Feminine Side

I once asked Rob, many, many years ago, "What exactly made you fall in love with me?" He answered, without a moment's hesitation, "Your femininity."

This caught me completely off guard. I thought maybe he would say, "Your intellect," as we used to have the most wonderful, deep discussions back before 7 babies sucked all of my working brain cells out through their breast milk. I wouldn't have been surprised if he had said, "Your culinary skills," as I'm a pretty good cook if I do say so myself and the way to a man's heart is through his stomach, right? But, "femininity"?

I never thought of myself as being terribly feminine. I was a tomboy growing up. I'd rather play sports than play dolls, I loved camping and fishing with my dad, and I could beat up the biggest boy on my street (his nickname, btw, was Chubso). In high school and college, most of my friends were boys. Sure, I always had one or two close girlfriends, but I was most comfortable hanging out with the guys. As a grown woman, I'd rather spend an extra 15 minutes reading a book than putting on makeup or fixing my hair and I've never quite caught on to the domestic arts of sewing, housekeeping, etc.

However, as I watch my two teen daughters grow into women, I'm beginning to understand Rob's statement. Teen Daughter One is a tomboy in her mother's footsteps. She's never had to beat up the neighborhood bully, but she can whip any boy in ice hockey or shooting sports. She could never be described as a girly girl and yet she is beautiful beyond words. She is sweet and tender when dealing with little children, she is a person of service who is always looking out for the needs of others, and she always greets you with a smile. Her maternal instincts run strong and that is what makes her feminine.

Now, Teen Daughter Two is a girly girl. She can let out an ear-piercing squeal at the sight of any creepy crawly thing and she never met a bottle of nail polish that she didn't absolutely adore. Yet her femininity comes not from that, but from her warmth, her gentleness with children and animals, her smile that can light up a room, and her desire to make the world a more beautiful, welcoming place. It's not a curling iron or lipstick that makes one feminine.

Yes, I'm finally getting what Rob meant by saying he fell in love with my femininity.

Terms of Endearment and Teenage Boys

Rob says that I should stop referring to Teen Son as "Sweetie." He says it's not masculine enough and no teenage boy should have to endure such verbal abuse. I asked Teen Son and he said he doesn't mind if I call him Sweetie. However, Rob continues to insist that I should find a term of endearment that is more manly (grunt, grunt). I wonder if "Dirt Bag" would work.

HP, NCB, and Personal Attacks

It was only a matter of time before the personal attacks began on Nancy Brown. This column does not attack Nancy's book, The Mystery of Harry Potter, on it's merits. It attacks Nancy, calling her self-serving and non-Christian.

I have two things to say in response. One, I'm the one who encouraged Nancy to write this book in the first place. I know for a fact that her motivation was not money. (Let's get real here -- this is Catholic publishing, no one gets rich in the real world of Catholic publishing.) Nancy wrote this book because she had something important to say, something she wanted to share with the world, and by golly that's just what she does -- write.

Secondly, I've known Nancy a number of years. She's been to my home, I've been to hers. Our families have broken bread together and we've attended Holy Mass together. Nancy walks the walk. She doesn't just sit around talking about all things Catholic -- she lives it. I know her to be a woman of great faith, dedicated to Our Lord, His Church, and His Mother. I can only hope and pray that I too can someday be as holy as Nancy.

If you hate the Harry Potter books, I'm cool with that. If you hate Nancy's book, I am cool with that too. I have no problem with discussing these books and their merits or lack thereof. Bring it on. I love a great discussion. But we must, as Christians keep it charitable. There is no room, in my opinion, for personal attacks whether they be on J. K. Rowling or Nancy Carpentier Brown. Yes, we can judge their work and their fruits but are we to publicly judge the state of their souls?

I'm the Mom of THE National Champion

We just got the phone call. Teen Son won first place overall in muzzleloading at nationals!!!!

As I mentioned before, there was a scoring glitch and we didn't know his overall standing when we left South Dakota. We were thinking maybe 4th or 5th. Wow, are we celebrating here!!!

Pray and Breathe

The one thing I got out of the South Dakota trip was the power of prayer. At our first meeting with the teens and parents, when we first put together the team and laid out what we needed to do in terms of practice and fundraising, we all talked about the importance of prayer.

We also talked about the importance of breathing. When I told the kids we had $9,000 to raise, you can bet a few of them stopped breathing for a minute! It's the same with competition - you need to remember to control your breathing. Our motto soon became, "Pray and Breathe."

Every email, every meeting, ended with "Pray and Breathe!"

Several moms committed to praying for the team. Each week they gave praise for all the blessings we were witnessing in the area of pulling this team together for a national competition. They also offered up petitions for the team's needs.

When the day finally arrived to get in the van and drive to South Dakota, we stopped in the driveway and prayed for God's blessing. This routine was repeated every morning before taking off in the van. We also remembered to stop and give thanks each evening for the day's blessings.

Since I could not be on the range with the kids and had to stay in the viewing area, my job was to pray. I made sure they had plenty of water, food, etc., but my main job was to pray. The first day of competition was bullseyes at 50 yards. I sat in the viewing area with my hoodie pulled tight around my face and a blanket on my lap (it was quite chilly that morning at 8 am) praying silently to myself. I must of looked a bit of a spectacle as I caught Teen Daughter giggling at me from the line.

That day, 3 of the 4 muzzleloaders shot their personal best. If you're going to do your personal best, do it in competition not in practice! The fourth shooter had an equipment malfunction, but once things got working again, he was shooting 9s and 10s! That evening, the muzzleloading team placed 5th and Teen Son won the silver medal.

The next day was a different story. There was a rule change made in May that we were not aware of. The state was notified by the national organization. But, for some reason, it was not passed on to the team coaches.

What happened was that the silhouettes the teens were shooting were made for pistol, not muzzleloading. If they were shot at full powder, they would fold in half and be ruined. The idea it to just knock them off the stand. So, we were instructed to use half of the usual black powder. If we had known this in advance, we would have brought a second set of guns. Our guns were not made for so little powder. Plus they had to be completely resighted. You see, by using half the black powder the ball moves slower and therefore drops farther as it moves toward the target.

(A little muzzleloading lesson here. You basically make your own bullet. You pack in the gun powder, then a patch of cloth, and then the metal ball. It's all very Civil War.)

Anyhoo, things got off to a bad start. Add to that, it was Teen Son's day to have an equipment malfunction. It was fixed fairly quickly, but it threw him off a bit. Also, I could not do my job as prayer warrior that day as I was enlisted as a scorekeeper.

We had counted on silhouettes being "our event." It was the day we were to shine, especially Teen Daughter. But in the end, the team didn't place in the top ten. Teen Son did manage a 9th place ribbon that night. The way cool thing was that the team didn't let it get them down. Some of us parents let it bum us out, but the kids remained upbeat with the promise that "tomorrow is another day."

Well, tomorrow is another day. I got back to my job as prayer warrior, sitting on my stadium chair amidst the foot high grass. (Later learning that rattle snakes had been spotted there the day before!) Let me stop and say here that praying nonstop for 2 or 3 hours is tiring. I was more worn out than the teens!

Not discouraged in the least form the previous day's disappoinment, the team shot fantastic. This day was bottles and critters at 25 yards. No, they didn't shoot actual glass bottles or real critters. First they shoot targets with pictures of bottles and then targets with pictures of small animals. This is harder than it sounds. With bottles, you need to shoot completely within the narrow neck continously in order to gain a medal-contending score. Shoot in the body of the bottle you only get 5 points instead of 10. If your shot is not completely within the bottle, you only get partial points. The critters are small and difficult to see - these guns do not have scopes.

At the end of shooting, the competitors are given the opportunity to review their targets and the scores given. Teen Son had a protest - he was scored a miss for what should've been scored as a partial hit. This resulted in a 7 point gain. He also discovered an adding error. This error gave him 10 too many points. Without a second thought, he took went to the judge and pointed out that he needed to deduct 10 points from his score.

One of the things we all had prayed for was that we would give glory to God in competition. To me, Teen Son's action here was an answer to that prayer.

That night at the awards banquet, the team received the bronze medal. You should have seen the thrill on their faces - they truly shined. They were even more thrilled to see Teen Son, their teamate, their friend and brother, win the gold medal.

It was really something watching Teen Son that week. Teen Daughter was a beauty to watch too, but there was something about Teen Son's focus that blew me away. He was so completely focused on the task at hand that there was no distracting him. One morning, as we prepared to leave our bed and breakfast, I went to tell him it was time to go. I saw him sitting out on the deck with his lips moving. I thought to myself, "Who is he talking to? Is he talking to himself?" Then I realized he had a rosary in his hand. I also spied him praying his rosary as we drove the long drove each morning to the range. I think that prayerful approach helped with that focus.

Pray and breathe!

I've Been Outed

Horrors! Nancy Brown exposes me as a Harry lover on national radio. My reputation will go down the drain, my friends will no longer speak to me, people will hold up crosses at me as I walk down the street.

Oh, wait a minute. I've already outed myself. Never mind.

St. Isidore Pray for Us!

Well, the laptop died while in SD and now the PC is dead. It won't even turn on. Sigh. I'm in the library computer lab for the moment, but got to get home to take 4 kids to the doctor. Yep, 4! Three with pink eye and one with an allergic reaction to an antibiotic (for impetigo). Oh, did I mention they all have killer sunburns? It's always interesting at the Wittmann house!

So, please offer up a prayer for sick kids and the sick computer. Hopefully, I'll be online again sometime in the near future.

Black Hawk Eagles Lodge

If you ever find yourself in need of a place to stay in South Dakota, you absolutely have got to check out the Black Hawk Eagle's Lodge. This is the bed and breakfast we stayed at during nationals. The owners have done a lovely job making it a relaxing and homey place for their visitors. It's nestled away in the Black Hills with lots of opportunities for outdoor activities. Plus, it's not horribly far from Rapid City, Mount Rushmore, and other tourist attractions.

It's a Sale!

I have lots of stuff left over from conferences and would like to make some space in my house. If you're interested in any of the following items, I can take Paypal (including credit cards) to mwittlans at aol dot com. Or you can mail a check. Just drop me an email HERE for the address.

The Catholic Homeschool Companion by Maureen Wittmann and Rachel Mackson - The ultimate homeschooling book!
$20 (This is a 20% savings!), plus $3 s/h

Catholic Homeschooling 101 with Steve Wood and Maureen Wittmann - This is an audio CD of an interview I did with Steve. Perfect gift for the new or wannabe homeschooler, or to give to a unapproving spouse or parent.
$8 (Another 20% savings!), plus $2 s/h

Renaissance Puzzle Book and Unit Study by Maureen Wittmann - This is a booklet based on my children's history co-op. Includes reading lists and fun puzzles to help you create an enjoyable learning experience.
$7, plus $1 s/h

Middle Ages Puzzle Book and Unit Study by Maureen Wittmann - The Middle Ages version of the above.
$7, plus $1 s/h

If you want anything autographed, please let me know who to address it to. (Don't want to sign it to you if it's a gift to your brother-in-law!)

I'm sorry, but I can only take U.S. orders. With the new postal regulations it costs a fortune to mail outside the U.S. ($18 to ship The Companion to Canada!)

Order all four and I'll throw in shipping and handling for free! My husband is tired of tripping over boxes in our bedroom, so please order today!

Spending the Fourth in the Pond

We spent 4th of July with our friends the B's. Chuck rigged up this cool pulley thingy babobber that the kids could ride across the pond and then drop down in the middle. It was a blast!

As you can see here, Teen Daughter One, as usual, pushed the limits and rode the bar across upside down. Actually, she wanted to go across completely upside down without the help of her hands, but her fuddy duddy mom said no way!

At the end of the day, we went to watch the city fireworks from the front yard of friends. Thanks to all our hosts for a lovely, laid back day!

Out of Control Paparazzi

Everywhere the teens went, they were followed by a paparazzi of chaperones and coaches. After all, we couldn't let the week go by without documenting their every single move.

We were asked, more than once, by perfect strangers, "Who are those kids and why do so many people want to take their picture?"

We were tempted to answer, "Oh they're the stars of a new reality TV show, Life with Teen Gunners" or "They're a new rock sensation, The Shooters." But, instead, we just told the truth, "They're some special kids and we just can't get enough of them!"

BTW -- Mount Rushmore was way cool!!

Smoking Gun

Heard quite often by the muzzleloaders this past week:

If it don't smoke it's a joke!

The 4-H Spirit

One interesting thing about attending a national championship is learning how other teams train for their sport, as well as how the teams are chosen.

Some states, I learned, have qualifying matches. In order to make the state team you go to the qualifier and compete for a place. The top four shooters in each discipline make the team.

In Michigan, we do things differently. If you want a place on the state team, you fill out an application. Your scores from previous competitions are to be listed, but you also write an essay, answer a few questions about yourself, and include letters of recommendations.

I like the way we do it here. Yes, skill is important, but there is so much more to choosing someone to represent our state. 4-H is about forming the whole person - not winning for the sake of winning.

This was evident to me on Thursday when Teen Son found an adding error in his score. He went to the judge and let him know that he was given ten too many points. Now that's the 4-H spirit!

Teen Son assumed the lost points also lost him any chance at first place. Imagine his excitement when he still won the gold medal that evening! He was also given special recognition at the awards ceremony for his honesty.

I'm a Proud Mother of National Champions!!!

The day after I arrived in South Dakota, my old laptop bit the dust. I've been dying to write about the shoot and post pictures, but alas I couldn't. Right now I'm writing from the public library in Deadwood and only have a few minutes.

I promise to gush about the trip upon my return Sunday night or Monday morning. In the meantime, I must share that all the Michigan kids did great! Our muzzleloading team (of which Teen Son and Teen Daughter One are members) placed fifth for their event on Tuesday, third on Thursday, and fourth overall.

Teen Son blew everyone away with his silver medal win as an individual on Tuesday, ninth place on Wed. (the whole team suffered that day due to a rule change that we were not informed about in advance), and a GOLD medal for his performance on Thursday!!! I don't know where he placed overall as there was a scoring glitch -- we'll be informed later -- but we assume it'll be fourth or fifth place.

I'm so proud of the kids. It's been an outstanding experience for all of us! I've got to run . . .

Taking Off for SD

Last night was the final shooting practice before we head to the national competition. It was a great practice. The coach made sure it was fun and light. He had the kids shooting balloons and playing cards.

We leave in the morning at 4:30. Please keep us in prayer, not only for safe travel, but that the kids will give glory to God in competition.

I'm taking a laptop with me, but I'm doubtful I'll be able to blog much.

The Ultimate Homeschool Curricula?

My friend Yvonne is moving to Peru and she asks:

What resources have you found that are winners in your homes? I'm trying to slim down my huge stacks of books in anticipation of our move. Fortunately, I'll be able to download most classical literature (speed is my only real concern). And we'll have Internet access for some historical and science studies. But still, there is something about having books and materials to actually hold, use and explore.

So, in each area:

Language Arts
History (both US and world)
Science
Religion (Bible, catechism, saints, etc.)
Fine Arts
Mathematics
Literature
Dramatic Arts, Photography, Hobbies, etc.

... and anything else you have found your family comes back to again, and again. My kids' academic level is now only middle and high school age ranges.

I'm thinking more along the lines of items that aren't grade specific as much as useful for the long term. This will help me make some decisions about any "can't live without, can't get in Peru" supplies. The ultimate goal is to perhaps get the most bang for the mass and weight.

Please leave your suggestions for Yvonne in the combox.

PSNV: The Mystery of Harry Potter

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 Mystery of Harry Potter: A Catholic Family Guide
Author: Nancy Carpentier Brown
Publisher: Our Sunday Visitor
Date Published: June 18, 2007
ISBN: 1592763987
Price: Softcover 12.95
Reviews:

As a fan of Harry Potter, and a Catholic Christian, I have often lamented the time wasted on paranoid analyses of J.K. Rowling's great work of Christian (yes, I said Christian) fantasy from believers who ought to know better. Now comes a fine appreciation of Rowling's achievement from a first rate writer, believer, and (to top it off) Chestertonian Catholic. Thanks, Nancy Brown, for doing justice to the greatest Christian fantasy epic of our generation. - Mark P. Shea, Senior Content Editor, CatholicExchange.com

Nancy Carpentier Brown has done us all, especially parents, a great service. The Mystery of Harry Potter: A Catholic Family Guide is an informative and original assessment of the Harry
Potter books, examining why they are not only great literature, but great Christian literature as well. Harry Potter should be on every Catholic family's bookshelf, right alongside Nancy's book. -Sean P. Dailey, editor-in-chief of Gilbert Magazine.

Nancy Carpentier Brown has done a great service to Catholic parents, and to Catholic readers of fiction in general: Cutting through the hype and controversy surrounding the Harry Potter series, she provides her own confidently Christian interpretation of the story. In truly Chestertonian fashion, she turns upside down the strident criticisms of those whose opposition to real-life witchcraft and sorcery prevents them from seeing anything good in the books. Her clearheaded analysis of the fundamentally moral, religious, and even Christian character of the narrative is very convincing. Her voice deserves to be heard. -Fr. Pierre Ingram, CC, S.T.L.

At last a book by a devout Catholic mom about Harry Potter! Nancy Brown puts to rest the objections raised by Catholics who have not read Joanne Rowling's wonderful books and raises concerns for prudent Christian parents to consider. This is a must for every Catholic parish library and RCIA teacher! –John Granger, author, Finding God in Harry Potter

The Mystery of Harry Potter is a great resource to enlighten Catholic parents and educators that JK Rowling is on the side of the angels. -Robert TrexlerEditor, CSL: The Bulletin of the New York C.S. Lewis Society

The Mystery of Harry Potter: A Catholic Family Guide by Nancy Brown is fantastic! Whether you hate, love or are unsure about Harry you have got to put this book on your reading list. Mrs. Brown wrote it in a way I would have never dreamed. She ties J. K. Rowling's story of Harry Potter to G. K. Chesterton's Battle of Lepanto. Only a Chestertonian like Nancy could pull it off so beautifully. -Maureen Wittmann

(Note to librarians: Amazon has the wrong release date at their website - it is available now)

20% Off at Adoremus Books

In Kansas City, the owner of Adoremus Books gave me a 20% off coupon for orders placed online. He also said I could share it with you and the world. So, if you need to order books, films, music, homeschooling stuff, or what have you, head over there and enjoy a discount on your entire order.

After you put everything in your shopping cart, you'll head to the checkout. During that process, you'll be asked for a discount code. Enter KANKS67 and it'll give you the 20% off at that time.

Adoremus carries over 6,000 titles, so there is a good chance you'll find what you need. Plus, they offer free shipping on orders over $25! Hey, that's as good as amazon, plus you get to support a nice Catholic family business!!!

This offer expires July 9, 2007. Feel free to share with all your friends, email loops, the blogosphere, etc.

Teen Lit Help

Another cool blog for you all to check out when I'm out of town next week: Teen Literacy Tips, a new blog from Nick Senger of Literary Compass. He's looking for lots of input as well sharing his own wisdom.

Homeschooling Community

One of the many things I love about homeschooling is simply being a part of the homeschool community.

Rob had a friend years ago who was a public school superintendent. Later, this gentleman left his job to start a company that helps parents with their special needs children. In the process he found himself working with homeschoolers.

When I went to him seeking some help with one of my own children, he shared this with me (I paraphrase):

You know Maureen, I've really come to appreciate homeschoolers. When I was in the public schools and I would go to parent meetings and hear comments like, "My Billy is so smart" and "Suzy is the most popular girl in her class" and "Jimmy is the best football player on the team." It was all about them.

When I go to homeschooling meetings, I hear, "Oh, you're having trouble with reading? I know just the program to help you!" and "Do you have any good ideas for field trips?" and "Don't get discouraged, you can do it!" It is all about building up one another.

Homeschooling Asperger Kids

Someone left a message in the combox last week about my experience homeschooling a child with Asperger syndrome. If you're not familiar with Asperger, it is a high functioning form of autism.

The last time I visited St. Louis, my sister Eileen really insisted I need to write on this topic. She brought it up several times to drive home her point. You see, she's seen such great progress in my son Sparky that she believes my experience will help others. And, quite honestly, that has been the center of my writing - to share my personal experience in an effort to help others in similar situations.

However, Sparky is only nine and we still have so long to go in this journey. This is why I haven't written on the topic before. But Eileen made some very good points to me that I didn't recognize myself. I see and live with Sparky everyday. The changes I see are so gradual and I also see there is so far to go yet. The changes Eileen sees are three to six months apart and are drastic. She is totally blown away by Sparky's progress.

And then I get the message in the combox. So, for now, until I can write more in-depth, I will share the part of my God's Wildflowers speech about Sparky and Asperger Syndrome:

My husband and I first noticed something when he was about 20 months old. We brought it up to a couple of doctors we were seeing for other issues, but they blew it off. After all, he had already had a lot of intrusive medical procedures performed at his young age. This would surely create some backsliding in his development and in his behavior. He seemed autistic to me, though mildly so, but I trusted the doctors’ assessment. Plus, his seemingly autistic behavior came and went. I was told that an autistic child would always display autistic behavior – it didn’t come and go.

Then God sent a messenger, so to speak. I was putting together The Catholic Homeschool Companion, which is a compilation of essays written by a variety of homeschoolers. One of the authors wrote about her son with Asperger Syndrome. I still didn’t get it after reading her essay, because you know the doctors told me that my son didn’t have autism. However, in the process of editing this essay, I went to the library and borrowed a book the author recommended, Asperger Syndrome and Difficult Moments. I didn’t want a book recommendation in The Companion that I hadn’t read myself. Well, I sat down to read Asperger Syndrome and Difficult Moments on the couch next to my husband, and I was only a few pages into it when I began to cry. I turned to my husband and said, “This book is about Sparky!” I couldn’t believe it.

I went to our family doctor and he confirmed my suspicion that my son has Asperger syndrome. I began to read everything that I could find on the subject and talking to other parents of Asperger kids. This was really helpful. But the most helpful thing was a seminar I attended for school personnel and parents on autism and Asperger. My husband works at a charter school and made arrangements for me attend. The teachers brought videos of their Asperger students to share. These kids seemed so lonely it broke my heart. They sat alone in the farthest corner or in the doorway or at a table by themselves.

The teachers and counselors I met were wonderfully loving people. They really cared about these kids, but there was little the teachers and counselors could do for them. Several teachers told me my son was lucky to be homeschooled because no matter how much help these kids get from their teachers, there is little that can be done about the torment they receive at the hands of their peers. Kids can be terribly cruel and in an environment where there are 25 kids to every adult, a kid who is perceived as weird isn’t going to get a break.

In my home, my son is loved unconditionally. I admit that there are days when he brings us to our knees. But then, maybe being brought to prayer isn’t an entirely bad thing. He requires a lot of attention, but as parents we do what we have to do.

Probably the best advice I’ve gotten so far is the importance of humor. This child is prone to meltdowns. If things don’t go his way he can’t deal with it. He is a creature of habit. When a day doesn’t go as planned, or when something doesn’t happened that was promised, he will completely lose it. Once he is into a meltdown, all you can do is wait it out. The key is to stop it before it gets out of hand.

I’ve learned over the years how to recognize a meltdown is coming. To head it off, I take a deep breath and say something funny. For example, I’ll say to him, “Sparky, no laughing! We don’t allow no stinkin laughing in this house.” And pretty soon his scowl will begin to soften. Then I’ll go on, “If you even think of smiling, you’ll be in huge trouble. I mean HUGE trouble Buddy.” By now he’s laughing out loud and I’m still going on, “You better stop that laughing or I’ll give you something to laugh about Mister.” Then I grab him up and give him a big hug. By now, he’s forgotten that just seconds ago his whole entire life was in a shamble because we couldn’t go to the baseball game on account of rain.

Also, I can’t discipline this child like the other children. Just raising my voice will upset him and any words spoken in the process will be completely lost. I need to keep calm and get him focused. I need to make sure discipline is swift so he makes the connection between his transgression and the punishment. Usually a time-out, putting a toy in time-out, or a chore. If the transgression is against a sibling, I usually have to give him some instruction on showing compassion. He doesn’t seem to understand that his actions can hurt other human beings. We’re still working on this and probably will be for a while yet.

As for homeschooling, he is very bright and is light years ahead. However, reading is another story. It's different from his dyslexic siblings, it is more like he just wasn’t ready. Then suddenly, just last summer he started to show readiness. I used Orton-Gillingham with him this year, along with his younger sister, and he took off quickly. He's now a pretty fluent reader.

Advice for New Homeschoolers

The conference in Kansas City was great! I got to hang out with a couple of dear friends as well as meet so many new and interesting people. Thank you to everyone who welcomed me! (A special thank you to Rosie.)

One thing I learned while there, was that I need to completely rewrite my Relax, You Can Homeschool Too speech. From the questions I got, I realized what new homeschoolers really need is specific information on how to get started and not so much info on the whys of homeschooling or generalities.

When I first started homechooling, there where few to no choices. We just winged it as we went along. (And, our kids are turning out okay!)

Today, parents are completely overwhelmed with all the choices. Home study school or design-your-own? Charlotte Mason, classical, Montessori, unit studies, or literature based? Saxon, Math-U-See, MCP, Fred, or ABeka? Unschooling, relaxed, eclectic, or work-study? Should I supplement with online classes, tutors, co-op classes, or community college? And that is only the very beginning.

New homeschooling parents come to conferences with an idea of what they want to do, hoping to refine that idea as well as purchase the materials they will need for the year. But, what often happens is that they walk into that vendor hall and see a whole slew of new options they have not yet considered and begin to question their original choices for their homeschool. Then, they either overbuy or throw up their hands in frustration.

Perhaps this week, before I leave for South Dakota, we all can talk this over. What advice would you give someone just starting out? And, we have to consider the two different kinds of new homeschooling families - those who are pulling older children out of school and those who are starting at the very beginning.

I have my own ideas on this and will try to mesh them out over the next three days, but I really value the opinions and experiences of my readers, so I'd like to hear from you too in the combox.

TTFN

I have much to do yet to prepare for the KC trip. And then, shortly after my return, I'm off to SD with the 4-H shooting team. So, blogging will be pretty light for the next three weeks or so.

If you find yourself in need of a blog fix, check out the blog roll in the sidebar (you'll need to scroll down about halfway or so). There's some great links there.

And here's a cool blog I haven't added to the blogroll yet: Ambrose-a-rama. It's written by an American (Pittsburgh) Catholic living in China. China has a special place in our hearts here -- but I'll write about that another day.

Prayers offered up to St. Christopher for safe travel are welcomed.

Catholic Author and Publisher Recommends The Companion

"This book is awesome, a real treasure trove of information about homeschooling. It will surely give confidence to any parents who are considering homeschooling their children. Wittmann and Mackson are to be commended for the work they've done."
-- Matthew Pinto, Author, Did Adam & Eve Have Belly Buttons?

To order The Catholic Homeschool Companion, click HERE.

Kansas City Here I Come

I'll be heading to Kansas City on Friday. In fact, I'll be leaving in the early hours as my plane takes off around 7 am.

If you're anywheres near KC, make sure to check out the Catholic homeschooling conference. My sister may come all the way from St. Louis! It's sure to be an awesome conference with some great speakers and vendors.

I'm looking forward to meeting some old email friends and hope to meet some new friends too! Thanks to Maria for putting me up for the night!

Q & A: The Lit Book

I've been getting questions via email and in the comments about the new lit book, so I figured I should bring the questions out here for everyone's reading ease.

What age group is the book written for?
This is a book written for homeschooling parents to help them teach their children from preschool to high school. It is filled with literary suggestions for all ages, including adult. After all, if we parents are to teach our children, we need to first teach ourselves.

Is this the expanded version of your booklet, Literature Isn't Just for Reading?
Yes it is. I put together Literature Isn't Just for Reading: Teaching Core Subjects through Real Books to accompany my conference talk by the same name. A one-hour talk just wasn't enough. From the comments and questions I received after each talk, it was evident homeschoolers needed more. They needed a resource they could hold in their hands and take home with them.

The original booklet was 5 by 8 and had 80 pages. It was nothing more than a glorified reading list, yet I found it was a real help to parents.

The new book is 6 by 9 and 300 pages. It's still a glorified reading list, but it's a pretty cool glorified reading list ... I think. It does have short chapters on such things as using your library, classical education, unit studies, Charlotte Mason, etc., but the bulk of the book the reading list (I call them literary guides in the book). There are about 950 books listed, each with a short description, with an age recommendation, and sorted by school subject.

Who is the publisher?
First, a little back story if you don't mind. I gave the booklet to my friends Mike and Terri Aquilina and they loved it, encouraging me to expand it and get a publisher. (BTW - Mike wrote a beautiful foreword to the new book.) I sent it to several big publishers and got turned down flat.

Then an angel sent Joan Stromberg to me. Joan, on more than one occasion, had a vending table next to mine at Catholic homeschooling conferences. She saw what a great resource this booklet was and asked me to send a book proposal to her. At first, I told her no. Her publishing house, Ecce Homo Press, is a small business and I was ready for the big time. (Oh, how God must laugh at me.)

At first, I thought that I could expand the focus of the book to include school teachers. I interviewed several principals, teachers, and librarians from Catholic schools. I put the book a year behind schedule doing this. I struggled and struggled, but I just couldn't do it. What we homeschoolers do is so different from what they do. Teachers would benefit from such a book, but it would have to be written completely different.

So, I realized I needed to get back to my roots. Joan is the ultimate homeschool publisher and the perfect person to publish this book. I humbled myself, went to her, and asked her to be my publisher. And, I must tell you, I am so glad I did. She is pure joy to work with.

When is the book due out and can it be pre-ordered?
The publisher will be done with editing and formatting by month's end. It will then go to the printer, which can take up to a couple of months. It should be ready by the start of school. (Let's all pray for that!)

It is not ready for preorder yet. When I have a definite publication date, I will make sure to let you all know how you can preorder.

Are those your kids on the cover?
I got this question with The Companion too. Nope, my kids have yet to grace a book cover, though I put their picture inside my little Renaissance puzzle book I'm currently updating. The children on the lit book cover belong to Joan. It's a beautiful picture - I absolutely love it!

Now I want to know how you find time to write books, homeschool and the other "mother" duties that must be accomplished daily? WOW, women like you impress me ... I can't even keep the dust bunnies under control.
Please don't be impressed. You can ask my husband and friends (Linda, feel free to pipe in); they can tell you I'm not Superwoman. I'm terribly lax when it comes to housekeeping and those dust bunnies are beyond out of control. I have children who help me a great deal. It also helps if you're an insomniac. Besides, writing is part of my homeschooling. The kids are not only my guinea pigs, but help me with it all.

Addendum: Joan put the cover on a webpage so you can see the true colors. Click HERE.

Cover Art

I'm so excited! Here is the preliminary artwork for the new book cover. What do you think?

BTW - It should be on it's way to the printer by month's end. The publisher is nearly done with editing and formatting.

Addendum: Ooh, it came out really green on the blog. It's not the green in real life.

PopeStNick5: Top Ten

Top-Ten Suggestions for Making Purchasing Suggestions to Your Library

· The form you need to fill out may be called a variety of things: patron request, item request, suggest a purchase, or something similar.

· Making suggestions online is often easier than filling out a form in person. To find your library’s website visit http://lists.webjunction.org/libweb/.

· Give as much information about the book as you can: title, author, publisher, date published, ISBN number, and a link to a review of the book.

· Sometimes it’s more effective to ask a main library instead of a suburban or branch library.

· You’ll have a better chance of a purchase at a big library than a small one, which needs to get rid of books to save room.

· Titles published in the past year are more likely to be purchased. Librarians want their purchases to have a long shelf life and so are weary of older books.

· If you do suggest an older title, make sure to comment it’s a “classic” and will be checked out for years to come.

· Don’t give up if you feel your suggestions are ignored. Book orders are made when funds are available, so it may take a few months before you see the fruits of your efforts.

· Tell all of your like-minded friends to make purchasing suggestions too. Some libraries wait until they have two or three requests of the same book before ordering.Once the library purchases the books you suggest, check them out so the librarian will continue to order similar titles.

Number Eleven: Join the Pope St. Nicholas V Yahoo Group today!

PopeStNick5: The Resilient Church

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 Resilient Church: The Glory, the Shame, and the Hope for Tomorrow
Author: Mike Aquilina
Publisher: Word Among Us Press
Date Published: May 2007
ISBN: 1593251041
Price: $11.95 Paperback
Comments: A collection of historical sketches on the Catholic Church.
Endorsements at Mike's blog and a review from his Grail Code co-author.
From the publisher:

Beginning with the earliest martyrs and ending with the twentieth century, The Resilient Church offers a fascinating look at the trials and triumphs of the Catholic Church over the past two thousand years. Fast-paced sketches of critical periods in church history give readers perspective on the challenges faced by the church today. Short selections in each chapter highlight some of the great heroes who influenced the course of history.

Literature by African Countries

I've got the African reading list up at the Love2Learn blog. Check it out and leave a comment.

Thank You

The 4-H kids met their fundraising goal! Thank you all who donated. Thank you especially to those of you who have kept them in prayer. (Keep the prayers coming - competition is only a few weeks away!)

I'd like to publicly acknowledge our large corporate donors:

Distinguished Expert
Dowding Industries
Michigan CAT
Safari Club Lansing Chapter

Sharpshooter
Capital City Rifle Club
Ingham Sharpshooters 4-H
Pheasants Forever

Marksman
Eaton Rapids Conservation Club
Hornady Manufacturing
Onondaga 4-H Club
Thompson / Center Arms
Total Firearms Inc.
VFW Post 6986

Promarksman
Bellairs Romneys
Capital City 4-H Club

Literature Lists by Geography

The Love2Learn Board is putting together all kinds of cool reading lists by geographical area. You all know how much I LOVE reading lists, so I can't help but join in on the fun!

Check out these reading lists in progress:
Across America: State-By-State
Canada
Mexico
Asia
Europe
South and Central America

This is a collaborative effort, so please go and add your ideas to the comments. Corrections, additions, and comments are all welcomed! Alicia will put the final lists up on the Love2Learn website. (Which, btw, is currently being completely revamped and improved and should be available soon!)

I'm working on a reading list for Africa which I hope to post in the next day or two at the Love2Learn blog.

The Mystery of Harry Potter: A Catholic Family Guide

Lots of exciting stuff going on over at Nancy Brown's blog. The release of her Harry Potter book got moved up a couple of months and is now due out in just two weeks! Check out her blog to get caught up on all the hoopla! You can also check out her amazon.com plog for updates.

Don't you just love the cover! I can't wait to hold the real deal in my hands!

It's an Unschooling Carnival!

I love a good blog carnival! If you'd like to see what the unschoolers are up to, get some cotton candy and head over to Unschooling Voices #9.

Homeschooled Kid Wins the Spelling Bee

Yet another homeschooler wins the Scripp's National Spelling Bee, even though math and music are his first loves.

Opening Doors for Ladies

I've really been impressed with Rob's chivalrous act of always opening my car door for me recently.

Then I realized the lock on his car door is broken and he has to open mine first to get in.

PopeStNick5: Jesus of Nazareth

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: Jesus of Nazareth
Author: Joseph Ratzinger, Pope Benedict XVI
Publisher: Doubleday
Date Published: May 15, 2007
ISBN: 0385523416
Price: 24.95 Hardcover
Comments: “This book is… my personal search ‘for the face of the Lord.’” —Benedict XVI

Reviews: NCR(egister)
Catholic.org

Colorado Catholic Homeschooling Conference

I had a great time at the Colorado conference last year. Looks like this year's conference is going to be another humdinger:

Rocky Mountain Catholic Home Educators Conference
"Teaching the Art of Living"
June 21-23
Holiday Inn - DIA
Denver, CO

Guest Speakers include: Elizabeth Foss, Eric Genuis, Kelly Roper, Bishop Michael Sheridan

For information call (303) 279-2452 or visit our website at www.rmchec.org/

Catholic Blogger Extraordinaire Recommends The Companion

“The Catholic Homeschool Companion is an invaluable resource for any Catholic parent who seeks to form their children, not only in knowledge, but in wisdom and love.” -- Mark Shea, Senior Content Editor, CatholicExchange.com.

Mark is also author of:
By What Authority? An Evangelical Discovers Catholic Tradition
Making Sense Out of Scripture: Reading the Bible As the First Christians Did
This is My Body: An Evangelical Discovers the Real Presence

To order The Catholic Homeschool Companion, click HERE.

Confirmation, Community, and Gas Prices

Last Sunday, I had the privilege of being a confirmation sponsor to a very special young lady, Callie. The Confirmation took place in the Grand Rapids Diocese and they do things differently than we do here in the Lansing Diocese.

Rather than the bishop coming to your parish, he has you come to him. Callie's fellow 69 candidates and their families had to drive an hour or more to St. Andrew's Cathedral in Grand Rapids. Additionally, another 5 parishes were confirmed the very same day. My guess is that there were about 200 candidates present.

When I asked a deacon about this, he stated this was a more efficient use of the bishop's time, freeing him up for more important duties. This comment flabbergasted me. What is more important than going out to meet the youth of the Church and confirm them?

At the end of the Mass, the bishop gave another explanation. He felt that bringing all these parishes together under one roof created community. We are, after all, part of a bigger Church. We need to get out of our parishes and meet other Catholics in our diocese. I think he also said something about neighborhood, but at that point he was losing me as all I could think about was whether or not my seven kids, seated far from me, were holding up okay after such a long Mass.

I'm afraid to say that I didn't feel a part of the community that day. It was more like being lost in a crowd. Plus, it was an hour and half drive from my house, it was difficult for my family to find seating, grandparents where unable to attend due to the hardship of the long drive, etc. I overheard quite a bit of rumbling outside the church about gas prices ($3.50 a gallon here) and how it's cheaper for the bishop to drive to a parish than for hundreds of people to drive to him.

I'm sorry to say it was more mayhem than community. We were rushed up to the bishop when it came time for the candidates to be anointed. Callie was literally pushed by the usher when her turn came. The bishop stood there with his thumb up and ready. By the time I got to Callie and my hand on her shoulder, he was already anointing her. Rather than have the sponsor tell the bishop the confirmation name, each candidate was given a name tag. The bishop could then just read the tag instead of spending precious time asking for the name. I felt like cattle, not part of the bigger Church.

Is this a common phenomenon? Does your diocese operate this way?

Boy, do I ever appreciate Bishop Mengeling of our diocese who travels tirelessly (until his recent illness) to meet his flock.

Oh, one more thing. The bishop told the kids he had a gift for them, a very nice prayer book. The book was handed out by ushers at the door as candidates departed. When one of the kids asked the bishop to sign the book for her, the bishop refused, saying if he did it for one then he would have to do it for all. Yep, that's community.

CDC by Steig

The best way to find cool kid books at the library, IMO, is to just find an interesting place in the Dewey Decimal System, sit down at that shelf, and start pulling off books.

This week, I found myself sorting through the 790 area where the math and word game books are located. I found a neat book titled CDC by William Steig.

This is a fun word play book. For example, the title CDC is code for "see the sea." The book is filled with such word puzzles. Can you guess this one: C U N 10-O-C ?

Be forewarned, if you check it out from the library, read it first. I didn't do this and there were a couple of questionable phases. Not horrible, but you may want to skip one or two. But then again, one clue is a saint.

The kids are really loving this book, plus this type of word play helps develop math skills, so I'm going to check out the prequel, CDB when I get to the library next time. That one is shelved in the Juvenile Easy section so is, hopefully, free of parental worry.

Indianapolis Catholic Homeschooling Conference

If you're anywheres near Indy and looking for a Catholic homeschooling conference, got this in my inbox this morning:

Quo Vadis: Where Are You Going?

Holy Family Home Educators and Marian College presents . . .
Indianapolis Catholic Home School Conference and Curriculum Fair
When: Saturday, July 21, 2007
Doors Open at 8:00 a.m.
Ends with Benediction at 5:00 p.m.
Where: Marian College Campus, Indianapolis
3200 Cold Spring Road
Indianapolis, IN 46222
Cost: $25 single/$30 couple - if registered before July 1
$30 single/$35 couple - if registered on or after July 1
FREE to Catholic Parish DRE, Youth Minister and Clergy with business card
Please see our website for more information http://www.hfheindy.org/

Home Again Home Again

The Dayton conference was great. This was their first full blown conference and they did an awesome job. If you missed it, make sure to mark your calendar for next year.

Dr. Ray's table was just behind mine so we were like neighbors and got to visit a wee bit. He brought along 3 of his 10 children and it was really nice to hang out with them while their dad spoke. I think they should start a support group along with my children for kids whose parents talk about them publicly.

I also got to spend a few minutes with Dr. Clark. It's always nice to get to see Dr. Clark. She amazes me with all she does. I was excited to find that Seton is writing their own grade school math series. I purchased the 2nd grade workbook and it is quite lovely. Much like the MCP books only with Catholic pictures here and there plus the answer key is built right in to the workbook. If you want the answer key to MCP math books, you have to purchase it separately. The reason Seton is doing the math series is because MCP has been purchased by Pearson and there are changes in the future. So blessings to Seton for taking up this task.

I also purchased a couple of Seton's handwriting books. My daughters all love their handwriting books and beg for them. (My sons run screaming for the hills when they just hear the word "handwriting.")

I also got to visit with Fran of Illuminated Ink and her teen son. They have the coolest stuff. My girls spent a bit of time and money at the Illuminated Ink table. I'll write more about them later.

Right now, I'm just happy to be home and I'm off to take a nap.

CE: Are You a Good Candidate for Homeschooling?

The weekly column is up at Catholic Exchange: Are You a Good Candidate for Homeschooling?

I am often asked what qualifications are necessary in order to homeschool. In my opinion there is only one qualification: the burning desire to take complete responsibility for your child's education.

Dayton Here I Come!

If you're anywhere near Dayton, Ohio this weekend, I sure hope you'll be stopping by the Catholic homeschool conference. They have some great speakers and vendors lined up. I'm bringing my shopping list and I'm hoping to see some of you there!

Blogging will be pretty dead until Monday.

Teen Library Thing

If you've been sitting around wondering what homeschooled high school students like to read for fun, I'm here to help you.

I head up a group of about 20 homeschooled teens who meet every Wednesday. The third Wed. is our book discussion. The teens all put out names of books they'd like to read as a group and then vote for the next month's book.

They've taken those book titles and cataloged them at Library Thing. Click HERE to check it out.

I'm also going to put it the sidebar (near the bottom). I already have my personal library and homeschool library up. (Though all are works in progress. It could be years before I get ALL our books cataloged, reviewed, tagged, etc.!)

Catholic Heritage Curricula: Language of God

Also on my order to CHC was Language of God for Little Folks by Nancy Nicholson. Mrs. Nicholson also wrote My Catholic Speller. I own tons of her titles and love them all.

Little Stories for Little Folks were a God-send 10 years ago when I was teaching my dyslexic child. You get 45 - 8 1/2 by 11 sheets made to be folded into little booklets. Kind of like inexpensive Bob Books. At that time, I needed lots of simple readers for practice. Today, I'm still using them with my non-dyslexic children. I let them color the booklets once they master each one. It makes for a nice reward. Except for the booklet about the rat, my kids love them.

Catholic Stories from Science 2 makes a nice read-aloud for my grade-school and preschool children. Very cute and gives us lots to talk about. And, like all of CHC and Nancy Nicholson's products, very Catholic.

The Language of God Grammar Series is very nice too and recommended to me by my friend Nancy Brown. They're consumable workbooks that weave our Catholic faith into the grammar lessons. They're pretty user-friendly and so far I find them to be thorough.

I look forward to Mrs. Nicholson's future titles!

(I have to admit here that I've never been a big fan of workbooks, but have come to rely on them more heavily lately as I'm teaching 7 different grade levels. And the kids ask for them! However, I am very picky about which workbooks I use and make sure to work them alongside the children engaging them in conversation. And, of course, our main curriculum remains Real Books.)

Catholic Heritage Curricula: Speller

I just love Catholic Heritage Curricula. I've been buying stuff from them from way back when, when they were Catholic Heritage Games.

I ordered their My Catholic Speller at the Milwaukee conference for one of my kids who's struggling in spelling. We love it! I hope CHC has a table at the Dayton conference this weekend so I can order some more for the other kids.

If you haven't seen My Catholic Speller, it's a consumable workbook. On the first day, Mom and Child go over the spelling words and then the child completes a workbook page on the words. There is also a Scripture passage to learn that includes some of the week's words. On day two the child completes another workbook page. Then there are quizzes on day three and four with review of any missed words. If the child hasn't yet mastered the spelling words, then a final test is given on the fifth day.

It's a very well laid out program, easy to use, and I find that it also helps with vocabulary and handwriting, as well as Scripture. Very nice!

Danielle Bean Gets The Companion

"The Catholic Homeschool Companion manages to give its readers an unbiased look at a wide variety of different homeschooling methods along with a great wealth of resources, information, inspiration, and support. There is something for everyone in this book!"

-- Danielle Bean, Author, My Cup of Tea: Musings of a Catholic
Mom

Thank you everyone who has made a donation or purchased The Catholic Homeschool Companion. I'll continue to off them at the discounted price indefinitely as well as donate my profit to 4-H. I'll also continue to offer the freee sample of Heart and Mind until I run out. And, yes, the books are autographed. (If you want the book personalized or the free magazine, please leave a comment when ordering.)

God has truly blessed this fundraising effort. I haven't raised big money through the blog ($30 so far) but every little bit helps and I so appreciate it! I also appreciate the checks that have been arriving in my mailbox all week through the kids' letter writing campaign.

I got one big check from a rifle club even though we hadn't solicited them. You see, we use their club for a big competition each year and so we didn't feel right about asking for money since they're already so generous to us. But after some of our kids went out to the club to help with their annual spring clean up, they sent a donation all on their own. These are such great kids, people want to help them any way they can. How cool is that!

Matt Pinto Gets The Companion

"This book is awesome, a real treasure trove of information about homeschooling. It will surely give confidence to any parents who are considering homeschooling their children. Wittmann and Mackson are to be commended for the work they've done."
-- Matthew Pinto, Author, Did Adam & Eve Have Belly Buttons?

So far, we've raised $20 for the 4-H kids. Order The Catholic Homeschool Companion HERE and $5 will be donated to the Sharpshooters 4-H Club. Or just click on that Make a Donation button in the sidebar. Tell all your friends!

Thank you to all who have contributed so far!!!

Inflatable Studios

Got this in my combox:

Hey there! I've recently started a comic strip about homeschooling called "Schools Are For Fish." I saw you had posted the first comic on your site, so I thought I'd let you know the colored version is at: http://www.inflatablestudios.com/
I set up a site for this and many future comics to come. Hope you enjoy them!

The T-shirt is very cool. I must have one!

Rob and Hillary

Rob's friends were getting worried he may becoming some kind of a liberal with his new vegetarian diet and getting the toxins out of our house. (At least he hasn't started wearing Birkenstocks.)

He showed up to his birthday party in this T-shirt and all their concerns were dashed.

Men and Duck Tape

I accidently ripped a hole in my nice white down comforter with a hanger. Before I could take a needle and thread to it, I found Rob had fixed it for me.

With duck tape.

More on Socialization

This CBN article goes perfectly with the sardine cartoon I posted last week: Socialization: Homeschooling vs. Schooling.

When most home educators and school administrators speak of successful socialization, are they referring to the same thing?

A Sweet Deal

My appeal on Friday yielded $15 for the 4-H kids. Still $4,435 to go! Time to sweeten the pot.

If you order a copy of The Catholic Homeschool Companion not only will you get $5 off the list price and have $5 donated to the Sharpshooters 4-H Club, but you will also get a sample issue of Heart and Mind - a $5 value! Now, how can you pass that up? (Just leave a note in the comments when you order that you'd like the sample issue.)

Of course, you're free to send a donation straight to the 4-H kids (how can you refuse those sweet cherub faces?) by just clicking on that MAKE A DONATION button in the sidebar to your right. No amount is too small or too large.

G. K. Chesterton Unit Study

My weekly column is up at Catholic Exchange. This week I offer a high school study on The Donkey, a very cool poem by the man himself: G. K. Chesterton.

In order to truly learn we need to understand, not just remember more information. When a writer is sharing something that is above our heads, we must rise to understand what it is that the writer is trying to communicate.

Also, if you'd like to check out the official American Chesterton Society blog, then click HERE.

Help 4-H and Save Money!

Have I got a deal for you! You can save money and help kids at the same time. (Scroll down a few paragraphs if you want to skip the saving money part and just help kids.)

I'm offering The Catholic Homeschool Companion for $5 off, plus, for every book sold between now and May 31st, I'll donate another $5 to 4-H. Click HERE to order (Paypal and credit cards).

As my faithful readers know, my two oldest children made the Michigan 4-H Shooting Sports Team along with five other homeschooled teens from our local club, and I got volunteered as Fundraising Coordinator. (I have cool business cards and everything!)

Sending seven teenagers, two coaches, and a chaperone to South Dakota is an expensive proposition. The training and ammunition costs alone are astronomical. However, the kids have risen to the occasion. They're doing pop can drives, giving presentations to local gun clubs, and so on (plus practicing almost daily). So far, they've raised $4,000 of the needed $9,000. We're almost halfway there.

Now, I'm doing my little part. Buy a book (makes a great Mother's Day gift!), save some money, and help kids. You can't get a better deal than that!

Oh, by the way, if you want to donate but already own a copy of The Catholic Homeschool Companion, you can still help out. Take a look at the sidebar on your right, at the top. There's a Paypal button for donations, including credit cards.

Addendum: If you prefer making your donation by mail, please email me, for the address.

Socialization, Homeschooling, and Sardines

My friend Ann sent this cartoon - I love it! Check out the artist's website HERE.

Catholic Mom: Getting the Most Out of Your Library

It's the first of the month and you know what that means, don't you! My monthly column at Catholic Mom is up. I know you've been waiting anxiously all month for this, so click HERE to check it out!