The Celebration Continues

We have a winner! Actually, we have five winners. I drew the numbers out of a hat and the winners are (drum roll please):

91 Mary of FL
26 Jennifer of PA
72 Tina of CO
18 Mary of PA
03 Renee

It was so fun this morning emailing the winners to let them know they will be getting a free copy of Angel in the Waters by Regina Doman. This is way too fun!

Yesterday, I told you that this was a week-long party. Well, the celebration has been extended. Hillside Education, Ecce Homo Press, Our Sunday Visitor, Mark Shea, and others have all decided to join the party, bringing along their books (BYOB?) I now have enough free books to do daily giveaways for a month! Though, if you don't mind, there will be no giveaways on Sunday or holidays.

Today's book is Bible Stories for Little Children also from Sophia Institute Press. This is a very sweet chapter book, perfect for reading aloud to littles or to hand an upper grade school child. I love the old-fashioned black & white drawings. I have three copies to give away.

Here's how this gig works: Send an email HERE. Include your name and address. That's all you have to do. Tomorrow morning I'll randomly pick three winners. The contest closes at 5 AM Eastern Time.

If you don't win, that's okay, come back tomorrow and the next day and the next . . .

Great Deal at Sophia

From Sophia Institute Press:

25% Off Any Book We Sell

Guaranteed stateside delivery by December 24th, or your order is free.

Fine Catholic Books for Children and Adults from

Sophia Institute Press
1-800-888-9344
(Sale ends 12/17/2007)

DISCOUNT CODE: ALLBKS25

The Reviews Are Starting to Come In

Nancy Brown got her copy of For the Love of Literature yesterday and reviews it HERE. Thank you Nancy!

Cay Gibson got her copy this morning and is featuring For the Love of Literature for this week's Book Walk. Thank you Cay! (If you purchase a copy and then go and win -- I'd be happy to refund your $$. Unless you'd rather give it away to a loved one or your llibrary.)

You can order your copy of For the Love of Literature (in time for Christmas) by clicking on the Add to Cart button (just below the cover art) in the sidebar or by going to my website. The Catholic Homeschool Companion is also available for purchase at both places (just scroll down). The shopping cart is set up through Paypal and can take credit cards.

You're Invited to a Party

I'm planning a book launch party this weekend at my parish. I'd love for all of you to join me in celebrating the release of For the Love of Literature. Yes, I know that you can't get to Michigan, but we can have a virtual party.

Several publishers have donated books to use as door prizes at both parties. Each day, for the next week, I'll feature a different book to give away to the blog-party attendees.

Here's how it will work. Send an email HERE with your name and mailing address. You have until 5:00 AM Eastern Time tomorrow. I'll then number the emails and pick a number out of a hat. (Similar to Cay Gibson's Book Walk.)

Today's giveaway is a biggie. I have five copies of Regina Doman's lovely children's book Angel in the Waters, published by Sophia Press. So, there will five winners today!

Angel in the Waters is one of the books mentioned in For the Love of Literature. It is a picture book for preschool to early grade school children. It tells the story of a baby in his mother's womb and his conversations with his guardian angel. Angel in the Waters is, in my opinion, a must have in every home. In fact, when it was first released, I bought it in bulk to give away as Christmas presents. It is a beautiful pro-life story.

I'd like to thank Sophia Institute Press for their generosity in donating the books. Sophia is the publisher of my homeschool book, The Catholic Homeschool Companion and I must say that they are delightful to work with. Plus, they publish so many great books. One thing that makes Sophia special is that they giveaway tons of books to prisoners and to priests. I love it!

I'll announce the winners tomorrow and have a new book to giveaway, so make sure to check back!

Addendum: The contest has been extended for at least a month. So, make sure to check the blog daily (except Sunday and holidays) to see what prize(s) is being given away that day.

Cay's Book Walk

Cay tells me that she'll be featuring a really cool and awesome book at her blog for this week's Book Walk. She won't be making the announcement until tomorrow. Gosh, I wonder what book it could be.

CE: Who Me Micromanage

Mary Jo's latest homeschooling column is up over there at Catholic Exchange. Make sure to check it out and leave Mary Jo a nice comment.

All homeschoolers have been accused of micro-managing our children. That's a relatively new term for parents who raise kids with actual real standards and morals. This means, to those who label us, that we hold our children under a microscope to audit their every word and action to make sure they turn out exactly like we want them to with no chance of failure.

Free Shipping at Seton

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**Your minimum order of $25.00 or more qualifies you for FREE SHIPPING

Shooter of the Year

This week was our shooting club's annual Wild Game Dinner. This is a big event where awards are given and leaders are recognized, in addition to all the fun of the wild game potluck, wildlife identification games, and an awesome slide show of the previous year's events.

The biggest part of the night is the announcement of the Shooting Excellence Award. This award does not necessarily go to the best shooter, but to the person who best represents the 4-H spirit.

The winner this year was my own sweet Teen Daughter One. She was praised not only for her shooting skill, but her work as club treasurer, her willingness to help the youngsters in the club, her volunteer work with the homeless and so much more. I admit to shedding a few tears as her coach presented the award. We're all so proud of her!

If this all sounds familiar, it should. Teen Son tied for this award last year.

Oh, Sparky says to make sure to let you all know he won the wildlife identification contest for the second year in a row. Way to go Sparkster!

The Boring Compass

Pete Vere, JCL went to see The Golden Compass and gives his review HERE. Pete is a canon lawyer and co-author, with Sandra Miesel, of Pied Piper of Atheism: Philip Pullman and Children's Fantasy published by Ignatius Books, and available HERE.

Education Secretary Endorses LOL

This endorsement means a great deal to me. Thank you Fr. Stubna.

“Maureen Wittmann has mapped out a lifetime reading plan that will be useful to children, teens, and adults alike. Literature is an important part of any integral Catholic education – and our Catholic education is never finished on this side of heaven. This book provides a significant help in seeing how literature can be used to teach and emphasize the foundational values that lie at the heart of a truly Catholic education.”

Reverend Kris D. Stubna, S.T.D., Secretary for Education, Diocese of Pittsburgh

For the Love of Literature is now available for purchase at my website.

CE: Adrienne Furness Interview, Part Three

The final and third part of my interview with famed librarian Adrienne Furness is up at Catholic Exchange.

But then something happened. People began to discover the very real benefits of homeschooling. I began to hear parents in the 1990's saying things such as, "Even if the very best Catholic school was next door, I'd still homeschool."

Website Updates

My web guy has all the updates uploaded to the website. Just in time for the release of For the Love of Literature (tomorrow!).

He put up some free downloads that go with the book: An alphabetical list of all the books mentioned in For the Love of Literature, a literature unit study checklist, and a checklist for when assigning literature to teach core subjects.

For the Love of Literature is now available for purchase there too.

It's all just too exciting!

CE: Adrienne Furness Interview, Part Two

Part two of my interview with Adrienne is up at Catholic Exchange.

It's an interesting thing to watch your oldest child grow into a man. He's no longer a little child. He's capable of making sound life decisions on his own. Sure, he looks to me for guidance, but I trust him implicitly in making right choices. I'm not quite sure how that happened. Was I blessed with children who are naturally good or did I somehow make enough right parenting decisions to help them blossom into great kids?

CE: Adrienne Furness Interview, Part One

Catholic Exchange is running the interview I did with Adrienne Furness a while back. It'll run in three parts, beginning today.

We are made in God's image. Let's think about that for a moment. What does God do? He creates. He created us and the earth. Therefore, it is only natural that we have a desire to create. It feels good to create, to learn, to explore, to discover. I try, as a parent and homeschooler, to take advantage of these natural tendencies in my children.

Adrienne is a children's librarian in New York and wrote a book for librarians on how to reach out to homeschoolers. Helping Homeschoolers in the Library is due to be released next month and will be published by the American Library Association.

CE: Clearer Not Louder

Mary Jo's latest on Catholic Exchange: Clearer, Not Louder

When I am tested in this fashion, I begin to elevate. My blood pressure goes up, along with my volume. This can come on rather suddenly. The children used to act surprised when this happened. Now I am embarrassed to admit that they have gotten used to it. Eye-rolling ensues, at its finest.

LOL's First Official Endorsement

“Maureen Wittmann has done us all a great service with this book. Raising children to love the adventure of visiting new worlds and seeing new people with new ideas is one of the greatest thrills a parent can have. Books are everybody’s free ticket to that adventure and Wittmann is a fine guide for the journey!”

-- Mark Shea, Senior Content Editor, CatholicExchange.com

LOL Update

The Patron Saints of Publishers have come through! The printer of For the Love of Literature says the print job is on schedule for December 7th. Joan is driving up here Thursday evening and we'll go to Grand Rapids together to pick up 48 44-lb. boxes. Or is it 44 48-lb. boxes? Either way, we're picking up LOTS of books. We'll get all the pre-orders packaged up and mailed out to you that same day. My web guy is having some technical trouble, but I'll let you know as soon as I have it for sale on my website. Of course, you can always order directly from Ecce Homo Press (make sure to check out the historical fiction while you're there - they make great Christmas presents for the kids!).

Now, we must ask St. Christopher to help Joan get here safely and keep the roads clear of ice and snow!

Addendum: Joan still has the pre-publication special up at her website. This means that you can pick up For the Love of Literature for $9.55 instead of 12.95! Also, you can still pick up The Catholic Homeschool Companion for 20% off at my website (click on Books). I'm not sure how long these two deals will be up. It all depends on how quick our web people can put up the new changes. Could be today, but more likely it'll be Wed. or Thurs.

Prayers for Flying Stars

Nancy Brown will be making some changes at her blog in the near future. She's working on a simple plan to take Flying Stars in a new, awesome direction. Please offer up a few prayers for her as she works to build up the Body of Christ through her writing online.

CE: Territorial No More

Mary Jo's latest on Catholic Exchange: Territorial No More.

The point is this: siblings are good for each other. There is no greater gift two parents can give to their children than another sibling, even though it sometimes takes the siblings years to learn how to get along. This is okay. It's all part of the process. I believe homeschooling can speed this process along, and I have an illustration to prove it.

Contest for Free Books

It's so nice to be able to post. For some reason, Blogger has been fussy with me today and wouldn't let me sign in. Now that I'm here, I have to think of something to say.

Oh, yeah, Cay Gibson is holding a contest. Here's the giveaway:

Grand Prize: Another autographed copy of Christmas Mosaic
1st Place: A Gift for the Christ Child: A Christmas Folktale by Linda Schlafer---this book (another beautiful offering from Loyola Press) is listed in the booklist but not featured. However, as an adaptation of the classic picture book it is the perfect read-along with Why the Chimes Rang (one of the featured books in Christmas Mosaic)
2nd Place: A gift set for a mother: Loyola Press has graciously donated some of their Christmas books to the Book Walk. One entry winner will win a set of Carol Lynn Pearson's books: The Christmas Play: A Fable for the Holidays and A Christmas Thief
3rd Place: Two preschool-selections: Another Loyola selection Baby Jesus and Santa's Favorite Story (a featured Mosaic book)

To enter the contest, just send an email HERE. Include your name and snail mail address. And do it before Monday morning. Cay will then randomly pick the winners from the entries.

I Thought Pete Vere Was a Canon Lawyer?

Pete Vere cracks me up! He signs THIS letter, "Catholic nitwit and co-author of the forthcoming Pied Piper of Atheism: Philip Pullman and Children's Fantasy"

Here, here, for the Catholic nitwit!

CE: The Exhausting Chase

Check out Mary Jo's funny-as-ever column, The Exhausting Chase.

And you know what, he was right, but I wonder how he knew these two things: that our daughter was 12 and that I chased her up the stairs. It could have been a lucky guess, but I suspect he had taken many calls from distraught mothers of 12-year-old girls over the course of his career.

Catholic Mom: Thrifty Christmas

My December column at CatholicMom.com is up a wee bit early, if you'd like to check it out: The Thrifty Homeschooler Goes Christmas Shopping.

As Christians we shy away from the over-commercialism of Christmas, while at the same time desiring to fill our homes with Christmas joy. Just as the Magi brought gifts to the Christ Child, we wish to follow their example in bringing gifts to our loved ones. I have found that it is possible to have a spirit-filled holiday, complete with gift giving, on a budget.

Prayer Request

Please offer up a prayer for Rob's sister Sue. She's having surgery this morning for her cancer. Her prognosis is very good, but prayers are still much appreciated. Just hearing the C-word is enough to scare me.

Christmas Mosaic by Cay Gibson

Christmas Mosaic: An Illustrated Book Study for Advent and Christmas Books came in the mail last week, but I was too busy preparing to go home for Thanksgiving, as well as deer hunting with the kid (no deer yet, so we'll be going out again this week) to take a peek at it.

I finally opened Christmas Mosaic up today and I love it. But, then, I don't think I've ever met a book about books that I didn't at least like very much.

Christmas Mosaic is very much like its predecessor, Catholic Mosaic. It features favorite picture books and gives you the tools you need to turn them into learning adventures.

Now, I am not one for overdoing the activities and academic lessons, as I think that sometimes children just need to enjoy a book. However, I like very much having those ideas, vocabulary words, questions to ponder, activities, etc. on hand. They give me the tools I need when a child gets excited about a book and wants to explore more. I don't give out discussion questions as a lesson per se, but I read them to myself in advance, and then I look absolutely brilliant when the kids and I talk about the book.

Christmas Mosaic features 30 picture books that can be read during Advent to help you and the children prepare for Christmas. Thirty books is way more than you could ever read in one season, so pick and choose a few this year and a few others next year, etc. This book will be a treasure to use for many years to come.

Thank you Cay for Christmas Mosaic!

Now I'm off to the library website to put some Christmas books on hold.

Envoy Magazine: Free Offer

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving weekend!

One thing I'm grateful for is that Envoy Magazine is back in print! To get a free issue AND a free book, click HERE.

The free book is Search and Rescue by Patrick Madrid, one I've read and recommend.

Hunting and Perseverance

Well, Teen Daughter One and I didn't see a single deer yesterday, much less get a shot at one. Fortunately, my neighbor has volunteered to be on call should TD1 bag one today. He'll show her how to properly dress the deer, as well as butcher the venison.

So, we're off again this morning.

Deer Hunting Women

I love my kid. I really, really love my kid. So much so, I sat out in the cold with her for hours last night deer hunting. Yep, you heard me right. Deer hunting. And I'm off in a few minutes this morning to do it again. Sitting out in the cold for hours on end, without moving, so my Teen Daughter can shoot a deer.

Well, I got to go get my long johns on and get bundled up. I'll tell you all about it later. After my fingers thaw.

Oh gosh, what will I do if she actually bags one!

Prayers for the Huff Family

My dear readers, it is with great sadness that I write this morning. Yesterday morning, Christopher Huff, not quite 6-years old, died in his sleep. Christopher had a life long battle with a variety of medical issues, though this was not expected. As one friend put it, "Christopher will have no more suffering in this life. He has added his voice to the heavenly choir. " Yet, those left behind still grieve, of course. Please pray for Scott and Pattie Huff and their children.

Some of you may recall that Pattie was a regular columnist for Heart & Mind until taking a sabatical to care for Christopher. She also wrote for The Catholic Homeschool Companion. In fact, her essay on teaching fine art is one of the most popular pieces in that book.

I emailed Pattie yesterday asking if I could present her prayer request to you and she responded this morning, "Yes!" So, here is Pattie's letter from yesterday:

Dear Friends -

It is with a bittersweet tone that I write to you today. Christopher passed away in his sleep this morning. We believe it was related to his airway issues. We have the autopsy results in a couple of hours.

Please pray for our family as we need lots of grace from God to weather this storm. Amanda reminded me this morning that God never makes a mistake. We know that Christopher is in the company of the angels and saints and has seen God face-to-face this morning. He is in a better place without pain or breathing difficulties or feeling hungry.

We are all surprised by his death. He had been doing so well. In fact, yesterday I took him to drum-making workshop and he had a wonderful time. He slept with his drum last night.

As you can imagine the kids are pretty broken up, so please pray that they may find
peace and acceptance. We haven't made any arrangements yet. I will try to pass along another email when we know. At the earliest, I think, the funeral will be Monday late afternoon or early evening.

Thanks in advance for your prayers!

Pattie & Scott

Let us all wrap this family in prayer, especially today and the upcoming weeks.

Printers, Shipping Dates, and Patron Saints

The printer is telling us the ship date for For the Love for Literature will be between December 7th and 14th. In time for Christmas, but personally I don't want to wait that long. I'm starting to get anxious. So, I've decided to pray, and pray hard, that the printer gets in a groove and gets this baby off the printing press way sooner. Fortunately for me there are plenty of patron saints for printers:

Augustine of Hippo
Genesius
John of God
John the Apostle
John the Baptist

A virtual army to call on! Feel free to join me.

Also, the PRE-publication deal is even better than I thought! The full selling price of LOL will be 12.95, so the pre-pub price of 9.55 is 26% off. (Don't ask me how Joan came up with 26%. Actually, it's 26.25%)

If you pre-order the book, it'll be shipped the very day it comes off the presses. The shipping labels are all queued up to print. Joan and I are going to drive to pick them up personally the second we get the call. Hey, it's only 300 or so miles for Joan! No, we're not patient enough to wait for the UPS Man.

Yes, I know. Patience is a virtue. I'm working on it.

More Christmas Shopping!

Illuminated Ink is running their biggest sale EVER, now through Monday, November 19th. Their entire product line is on sale, and better still ... all their Advent and Christmas products are deeply discounted. Oh yes, and they are offering Free Shipping on orders over $65 too.

This is will be their last sale of the year, as Frances, the owner, is expecting a beautiful baby on December 26th. (Congratulations Frances!!!) Place your Christmas order now, so Frances isn't running to the post office while in labor!

I love Illuminated Ink's products and already own quite a few. More will definitely be coming this Christmas!

LOL PRE-Publication Discount Extended!

I got a very excited phone call from Joan today. She got the proofs for For the Love Of Literature and they look fantastic! It was a difficult book to layout with all those reading lists, top-10 lists, resource information, and so much more.

And there's more good news! Joan is extending the prepublication special on For the Love of Literature to November 27th. That's another week of 20% off the book, plus 10% off the entire order. (I love Joan's historical fiction!) Time to go Christmas shopping!

The official release date is December 7, 2007.

To get your extra 10% off, just place your order HERE and then enter the discount code: LOVELIT. Easy as pie.

Pied Piper of Atheism

Pete Vere and Sandra Miesel have a new book coming out about Philip Pullman, published by Ignatius Press. Check it out HERE.

Punk Mom and Magenta Hair

Advice for the day: Stick to Nice 'n Easy. Don't buy the brand you never heard of, just because it's on sale. (Hey, it was way cheap!) Besides, Teen Daughter One said it was all natural with avocado oil and healthier for me.

The box said auburn. It should've said magenta-ish red.

The kids love it.

I feel like I'm back in the 80's. I have the urge to get a mohawk and go slam dancing.

I went to Sharpshooters last night and all the moms exclaimed, "I love the new hair color!" (You can't miss it.) One mom said, "I'd never have the nerve to do that!"

Sigh.

PSN5: Mom to Mom

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: Mom to Mom, Day to Day: Advice and Support for Catholic Living
Author: Danielle Bean
Publisher: Pauline Books and Media
Date Published: March 2007
ISBN: 0819848557
Price: $15.95
Comments: Easy-to-read anecdotes that speak to a mother's heart.
Reviews:

My Domestic Church

Karen Edmisten

Scrutiny by the Masses

Prayer Requests and Updates

Thank you all for praying for Buster. The MRI came back negative. Which is positive news! Now that we've ruled out the bad awful stuff, we can start looking for a less sinister reason for his troubles.

Please pray for my sister-in-law Sue who has been diagnosed with uterine cancer. The prognosis looks good and it appears to be in the very early stages. She has an appointment with the oncologist today and she would love a few extra prayers her way.

Please also continue to pray for Joan's son, John. He's having a few complications. He'll be okay, but it is a very lot for a young boy to have to deal with.

And, finally, please pray for our Catholic homeschool community: That we do all things to build up His Kingdom!

Thank you, my dear prayer warriors!

CE: Mom, Wake Up!

Speaking of praying the rosary with our kids, head over to Catholic Exchange to read Mary Jo's column for this morning. (You'll see what I mean when you read the article.)

Yep. I have another confession to make. It's not that I meant to, but I really did go to sleep during history and often science, too. This did not occur when I was in high school or in college, but rather while I have been homeschooling.

Little Girls and Rosaries

I spent this weekend nursing a bad cold and laryngitis. So, last night, when Princess Rose (7) came to me asking to pray a rosary with her, I had to whisper, "I'm sorry honey, but my voice is shot and I can't lead the rosary." "That's okay," she replied enthusiastically, "I'll pray out loud and you pray silently!" She then grabbed a couple of rosaries and my Catholic Pocket Prayer Book, cuddled up next to me and proceeded to pray. The whole Glorious Mysteries by herself and with joy in her heart!

It was one of those moments that make this whole mom thing worth it!

I just have to remember that moment the next time I scold her for calling her brother a stinky head.

Teens Praying to End Abortion

Our teen group prays regularly at the abortion clinic. I'd like to share with you my son's blog entry from yesterday.

I went to pray at the abortion clinic today and I have to wonder, when you have more protestors than customers at your establishment do you wonder at all about the morality of what your business does? Especially when the majority of said protestors are not only teenagers and not crazy middle-aged fanatics (that's how most pro-abortionists seem to see those good people), but are willing to pray in the freezing cold without gloves or coats (teens don't wear coats anymore; it's uncool).

If I had a bunch of teens with rosaries and picket signs outside my door, I tell ya, I'd change in a heartbeat.

I really like that young man.

Going Gray

Princess Rose accompanied me to the store to get some hair color. As I was perusing shelf after shelf looking for just the right shade, Princess asked, "Are you going to get gray?"

I thought the lady standing next to us was going to split a gut.

Apparently, Princess thinks I color my hair to get this lovely salt 'n pepper look.

Cay Gibson and LOL

Speaking of Cay, she'll be featuring For the Love of Literature in an upcoming Book Walk. Make sure to check her blog often as this Book Walk is a really neat event. And it looks like she has yet another book on its way to publication!

Cay also has a lot of nice things to say here that made me grab a Kleenex. Thanks Cay!

It's Raining Books!

I've been so caught up in my own book publishing that I totally missed that Cay Gibson's new book is out, Christmas Mosaic. I'm sorry Cay!

I own Catholic Mosaic and love it, so I just know that Christmas Mosaic will be great too. I've got one ordered and can't wait for it to get here! You can order yours HERE. Just in time for Advent!

LOL On the Blogosphere

Alicia Van Hecke has the first review of For the Love of Literature up at her blog. How was she able to pull that off when the book is still at the printer? Well, she got a galley some months back.

Also saying nice things are Esther and Danielle.

Thank you ladies!

Q & A: For the Love of Literature

The word has gotten out that For the Love of Literature is on its way to bookshelves and as a result I've received a few emails with questions about the book. In case some of you have the same questions, I'd like to share them with you here:

Congratulations from Canada on your new book! I began placing an order a few moments ago. However, the shipping is $30 to Canada! Will there be a Canadian distributor or another way?

Yes, shipping costs to Canada are extravagant ever since the USPS changed the rates a few months back. Now, we can only ship by air due to terrorist activities. It's a terrible shame and out of our hands.

For a Canadian distributor, Ecce Homo Press suggests requesting Blue Mantle Educational Supplies carry the book.

Your book looks very interesting. Can you share whether or not it would be a good resource for secular homeschoolers?

The book has a strong Catholic ethos, but I think that it would still be helpful for people of varying faiths including someone looking strictly for secular sources.

The Catholic books listed in For the Love of Literature are denoted with a cross symbol. So, you can easily pick them out. I wouldn't discard them outright if I were non-Catholic, as many of them will still have great value to you, but it would help you discern which ones are right for you and for your family.

Congratulations on your book! I am wondering, though, if the lists in your book are going to have book titles not found in the many other reading lists that are already available?

For the Love of Literature has 950 books listed and from a Catholic world view. I imagine that you could find a good number of those books on other lists if you combined 6 or 7 of them. With For the Love of Literature, I save you that trouble.

The lists are separated by school subject: Art, Music, Math, Science, and History. Books are coded by age level and a description of each individual book's plot is given. It's not so much a literature list as a guide to books which can be used to teach core subjects.

There are also short chapters on implementing real books in your homeschool, using your library, Charlotte Mason, classical education, and more.

Sorry to ask a cheapskate question, but we are thrifty you know... Do you know if Barnes & Noble is going to carry it? I'm just checking because B & N has free shipping over $25, and 10% discount always for members.

Being The Thrifty Homeschooler, I never mind a cheapskate question! Ecce Homo Press does sell their books on amazon.com. I've only seen used copies on B&N.

The good news is that this prepublication deal may be as good or better than you could get at the online shops. Yes, you'll have to pay shipping & handling, but it's priced really cheap. It's a nearly 300 page book with a regular price of 11.95. The prepublication price is only 9.55. As my 11-year old would say, "Sweet deal!"

Not only that, you'd be supporting some great Catholic families in the process so that they can grow in what they can offer.

Another thought is to fill out a purchase request form at your library website and have your friends to do the same thing. If your library buys it, you can make sure it's something you want to spend your own money on. (It really is more a resource than a sit-down-and-read book, so you'll want to own For the Love of Literature as it's so handy to be able to write in it, highlight it, and carry with you to book sales and the library.)

Plus, I think For the Love of Literature is a great resource for librarians -- with 950 book recommendations, it gives librarians a real insight to what books homeschoolers like to check out of the library.

I would like to buy For the Love of Literature because I don't like Honey for a Child's Heart's endorsement of Harry Potter (or so I've heard). This one doesn't does it?

No, For the Love of Literature does not endorse HP. Harry Potter is not mentioned anywhere in the book. You may want to check Honey for a Child's Heart for yourself. My copy makes no absolutely mention of HP, but it is possible that the author included it in a later edition.


And thank you everyone for your congrats and good wishes!

The Father Brown Reader

My mailman finally delivered my copy of Nancy Brown's newest book, The Father Brown Reader! I checked the mail as I was leaving to take Buster to his test last night. He read to me as we drove and then I continued reading as his MRI was administered. I can't wait to get back to reading it today.

I know it's supposed to be for 8- to 12-year olds, but I personally found the story engaging and a joy to read. I've already read the original Father Brown Mysteries, but I still found myself on the edge of my chair waiting to see what would happen. And the illustrator did an outstanding job!

It's a perfect read aloud. I'm going to email Nancy and tell her that she absolutely must talk her publisher into making this a book on tape!

If you have no idea what I'm talking about -- The Father Brown Reader is Nancy Brown's retelling of four short stories from The Father Brown Mysteries by G. K. Chesterton. I could see that she worked hard to retain Chesterton's original language, while making it understandable for children.

Nancy's book should be in every school library, every homeschool, every home. What a cool way to introduce kids to Chesterton!

Cabbage Brain

Buster's MRI went well and we were happy to learn that he does in fact have a brain, though it looks like a cabbage:

Mom! They let me see a picture of my brain!
What did it look like?
A cabbage!

We'll find out if the doctor concurs with Buster's diagnosis in 3 to 4 days.

Thank You Karen

Karen Edmisten gets LOL!

Catholic Homeschoolers Online

A couple of things online for you to check out this morning.

First up is an interview I did with none other than our own Margaret Mary. If you're just dying to learn a little more about me and For the Love of Literature, link on over and tell all your friends.

That's a harder question to answer than one may think. I can't think of when this first occurred to me.

I've always loved talking about books with my friends. I think speaking and writing on the topic was just a natural extension of those conversations.

Next up is Mary jo's regular Monday column at Catholic Exchange. This week's topic is: When You Hit a Stubborn Streak.

Reluctancy. What homeschooler has not experienced it? And, if you've got more than one child, I know you have one that is so reluctant you might be tempted also to label him "stubborn."

Our Lady's Rosary Rings

This looks really neat -- colorful rosary rings. Looks like you have to buy them in bulk. Might be great for a CCD class or party prizes or a fundraiser.

Prayers for Buster

Please offer up a prayer for Buster (soon-to-be12). He's scheduled for an MRI tomorrow evening. It's more of a "Let's rule this bad thing out" than "We think it's this bad thing," so no huge need for concern at this time. Well, except that he's a wiggle worm and I have no idea how he's going to lay still for 45 minutes!

PopeStNick5: The Apostles

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 Apostles
Author: Pope Benedict XVI
Publisher: Our Sunday Visitor
Date Published: 2007
ISBN: 9781592764051
Price: 14.95 (Hardcover)
Comments: Through the Apostles, we come to Jesus himself -- Pope Benedict XVI
Amazon Reviews

Read Aloud Curriculum

I stumbled upon this website today:

Read Aloud Curriculum Enrichment: Catholic Living Books.

Sounds like it's right up my alley! Anyone have experience with this company? It looks like it would've fit right into the appendices of For the Love of Literature.

Awesome News!

I just got an email from my publisher -- For the Love of Literature is on the way to the printer. They should have a proof in about a week and the actual real book about 2 weeks after that!

Joan is going to put it up at Ecce Homo's website today and offer a pre-order special and 10% off your entire order. This special is only good for Internet orders.

Here's what you do to get your discount. Once Joan has the website updated, place your order and then enter the discount code: LOVELIT. This offer will be good until November 20th.

I probably should wait until the website is updated, but I couldn't wait to share the good news! Besides, I have a busy day with Scouts, Mass, and All Saints Day activities -- who knows when I'll be able to get on the computer again.

Update: The website is updated now. The prepublication price for For the Love of Literature is only $9.55, plus the 10% off entire order!!!

Remember the code and deadline above. In fact, feel free to pass the code on to all your friends! This is too good a deal not to share with the world! Ecce Homo carries some great Catholic historical fiction for kids as well as Little Flower and Blue Knight materials, plus a few other goodies.

Growing Up

Teen Daughter 2 is growing up and entering a new phase in her life. Yesterday, for the first time, she did not go trick-or-treating. She stayed home and played board games with her girlfriends.

Tonight is the big All Saints Day Party and she won't be dressing up for that either. Instead, she'll be assisting the grownups in running the party.

Oh gosh, where did the time go.

Congress Made Me Late!

Congress made me late yesterday.


I went to pick up Teen Son from the community college yesterday morning. After waiting about 5 minutes, I noticed that the car clock said 9:05 AM. TS doesn't get out of school until 10 AM. I could've sworn that it was 10:00, but the clock said 9. So, I double checked with the digital clock across the street from the Capital. It said 9:06 AM. I chalked it up to brain fog and headed off to the coffee shop to grab a bagel and steamer to keep me busy for the next hour.


When I finally picked up Teen Son, I exclaimed, "You wouldn't believe what I did! I came to pick you up at 9 instead of 10! So, I went to Beaners for an hour." TS looked at me, with that pitiful look reserved for middle aged mothers, and gently said, "Mom, it's 11."


Then I had to race home to get Teen Daughter 2, who had Latin Club at 11:15 AM, all the while apologizing to TS about a thousand times.


So, how did Congress make me late? Well, here's what happened. Turns out that the car clock, and clocks all over the city, were pre-programmed to fall back an hour last weekend. The problem is that Congress decided to move Daylight Savings Time back a week -- next weekend. Apparently my congressman forgot to tell my car's clock.


Hopefully, I'll remember to manually change the house clocks this weekend and won't be late picking up Teen Son again. Or, would I be early? I'm so confused.

CE: Where in the World Did We Get This?

Mary Jo's Confessions of a Homeschooler column is up at Catholic Exchange. Go check it out!

So anyway, as I write this column, one of our sons is carting arm loads to the garage, and he's not happy about it. He's neither a shopper nor a saver, so none of the junk is his. But he's got the muscles, so he's got the job!

And, hey, make sure to tell all your friends about Catholic Exchange's new and improved Homeschool Channel!

MWittKids Library Thing

I spent a little time this weekend posting books that take place in Asia at the kids' Library Thing. Now I'm off to add a few Vikings titles and if things go well, I'll get some African titles in there too.

Schneider: Lack of oversight for home-schooled alarms educator

I'm so stunned at the lack of journalistic professionalism in this article from the Lansing State Journal, that I'm not quite sure what to say. The sad thing is that I normally like John Schneider's daily column.

She had a bad feeling about this one, beginning with her doubts that the parents of the girl were capable of providing academic training to their daughter. Head offered me convincing evidence to support those doubts, but asked, for the sake of the family's privacy, that I not reveal the specifics.

He can't give us specifics -- we're just supposed to accept his word there is convincing evidence?

He goes on to quote another public educator, but there is no representation from the homeschooling community.

Fair and balanced reporting? What do you think?

More on Pullman

Pete Vere, canon lawyer, author, friend to those in need, and all around nice guy, has a new article up at the Washington Times: Atheism for Kids.

Mr. Pullman's critics say the story inverts the Christian imagery used by C.S. Lewis in "The Chronicles of Narnia," portrays the Catholic Church as evil and depicts the Judeo-Christian God as an evil liar.

An interesting side note: The ever secular Snopes picked up the Pullman story HERE.

CE: Traveling Husbands and Homeschool Lessons

Ana Braga-Henebry has a terrific article up at Catholic Exchange.

In the realm of academics, my husband's travels can easily turn into geography units. During this last trip, our entire family learned enough geography to cover a whole academic quarter.

Quiz Busters Update

The Quiz Busters taping was so fun!

Rob took the 4 younger kids to Sharpshooters, while I went to the taping with the 3 older kids along with their pal Paul.

They tape 3 shows in a row and our team was scheduled for the final slot of the day, 8:15 PM. We got there at 8 as instructed and found things to be a bit behind. We sat in an "overflow" room along with our competition and watched the taping of the previous show live on a big screen television. It was fun with kids, parents, and coaches from both teams calling out answers. I think it helped calm nerves, even it only for a wee bit.

Then we moved to the studio. The audience was given instructions. No moving about, no whispering, signaling, no eating or drinking, etc. We were even given the opportunity to practice clapping.

Team pictures were taken, the players given instruction, and chairs & name tags adjusted. Then in came the MC and the game was set to start just after 9 PM.

It was quite an exciting game. The two teams were pretty equally matched with their scores neck-in-neck throughout most of the game. A few answers were missed due to nerves, but the kids gave a great showing.

About halfway through the game, the individual team members introduced themselves. I had to smile when the first contestant from our team stumbled a bit as he struggled to remember what grade he's in. It made me think of my own homeschooled children, "I don't know what grade I'm in, my mom just gives me a bunch of books to read!"

The game got really exciting at the tail end, during the lightning round. Questions were being thrown out in rapid fire, about 15 in 60 seconds. Our team was answering them left and right, mostly by our awesome captain, Jeffrey. Then with only 5 seconds left and our team only 1 question behind, a pop culture question was thrown out. I don't even remember the question, but the answer was Beyonce. (I overhead one of the kids say later, "Who is Beyonce?")

I had shared with a friend earlier that day, "If these kids have any trouble, it'll be the pop culture questions." Teen Son joked later, "Now, if all the questions would have been about Latin, Middle Ages history, classical music, and Lord of the Rings, we would have won by a landslide." But, alas, they lost, and by a mere 10 points. I've got to tell you though, it was a great game and the Southside Homeschool Raptors have a lot to be proud of!

I can't until next year -- we'll be back!

Homeschooled Teens on Quizbusters

Teen Son and Teen Daughter One will be competing today on Quizbusters, a local game show for high school students. Please offer up a little prayer for them and their teammates -- The Southside Homeschoolers.


They're excited. I'm a nervous wreck.


I'll let you know how it goes.

Cool Website

StemCellResearchCures.com. Go check it out.

This is a great site for information about ethical stem cell research. Get the facts and share with anyone who doesn't understand the opposition to fetal stem cell research.

Flighty Middle Aged Women

I went to the doctor today for a checkup. I really wanted to talk to him about short-term memory loss.

But I forgot.

Mexican Breakfast

I'm always on the lookout for great egg recipes as my friend Linda B. keeps me well stocked with fresh farm eggs -- yumcious! Yesterday, for our regular Sunday family brunch, I decided to liven things up a bit with a new egg recipe.

Rob has kept to his vegetarian diet since Lent and I'm still finding it a little challenging to create delicious, flavor-filled, meals. As we drove home from Mass, I remembered a delicious black bean egg tostada dish I had in California a few years ago. When I got home I set to recreate it. The family loved it!

Here's the recipe in case you'd like to give it a try:

Egg and Black Bean Tostadas
olive oil
2 tsp. cumin
1/8 tsp. ground red pepper
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
1 bell pepper, chopped (I used 1/2 yellow and 1/2 red, but you could use green instead)
1 16-oz can black beans
1 8-oz. can of tomato sauce (the itty bitty can)
salt and pepper to taste
8 eggs
8 corn tostadas (I get these in the Mexican section of the grocery store. They're fried corn tortillas. You could fry your own corn tortillas in vegetable oil if you like.)
2 cups shredded colby/jack (or your favorite) cheese
Optional toppings: sour cream, fresh salsa, guacamole

Coat the bottom of a large pot with the olive oil. Once hot, over a medium heat, add your cumin and red pepper, sauteing for only 30 seconds. Add your garlic, onions, and bell pepper. Saute until the onions are translucent. (Your house will smell sooo good!)

Add the can of beans, liquid and all, plus the tomato sauce. Bring to a boil. Quickly reduce heat and simmer for about 15 minutes or until it's a nice thick consistency.

While the beans are thickening, start cooking your eggs. I made fried eggs for Rob and me, and scrambled for the kids. Either way will work great.

Put a tostada on a plate, top with a fried egg or scoop of scrambled eggs. Top that with a ladle of the bean mixture and shredded cheese. Serve sour cream, fresh salsa, and/or guacamole on the side.

I wanted to add chopped cilantro at the end, but this was an unplanned meal and I didn't have any fresh on hand.

If you want to spice it up, just add more red pepper or a chopped jalapeno pepper.

This is easily doubled. I only made 8 servings since a few of the older kids weren't home at the time.

Oh, one more note -- if you have a friend who brings you fresh eggs from their farm, remember to offer up a little prayer for that person every time you crack an egg. Linda brings me 2 or 3 dozen eggs every week, so I get to pray for her a lot!

CE: The Day I Had a Coronary

Mary Jo Thayer does it again. Her Confessions of a Homeschooler column never fails to make me laugh and cry at the same time! Helps me look forward to Mondays!

The kids were behind me sitting on the furniture, rosaries clasped in their little hands, giving each other odd glances and wondering if what had just happened would happen again.

On another, yet similar note, if you ever need a good speaker for your conference or youth group -- Mary Jo is pretty darn good. Her specialty is chastity talks.

CE: Good News or Bad News

Kevin Clark of Seton Home Study is in the spotlight on the Homeschool Channel.

If we look through the stories about the gods in Greek and Roman myth, what kind of gods do we find? Largely, the gods are portrayed as rather self-centered and unpleasant people. The gods are generally interested in their own comforts and intrigues. Occasionally, they will do good deeds for human beings. However, there is no sense in which the gods love humans. There is no sense in which the gods would lay down their own lives for humans.

Homeschool Kid Etiquette

A word about library etiquette. Well, a few words. And I may get off the topic a wee bit.

I have a friend whose mom is totally against her homeschooling. Why? Because the mom is a librarian in a big city library and the homeschoolers make her nuts. You see, they come every week for their homeschool get together and they let their kids run wild. WILD!

So, because a few homeschoolers in a distant city don't pay proper attention to their kids in public places, a wanna-be homeschooler is getting grief from her mom. Major grief.

I know what it can be like at these gatherings. You're stuck in the house more than you like some days and you can't wait to gab with your girlfriends. You tend to ignore the kids so you and Betty Sue can swap favorite recipes or wax on about whatever.

Please, if your goal is to get together with girlfriends -- host the gathering at at an empty gym where the kids can play with little supervision. Or go out and leave the kids home with Dad.

If your goal is to provide an educational outing for the littles, then get organized. Keep the children occupied with meaningful activities. Assign different tasks to different moms. Talk to the kids beforehand about proper behavior in public places. Remind them of their manners. If they can't live up to the standards, take them out. (Out of the building, not knock them out!)

And, have them send a thank note to the librarian (or whoever) when they get home.

The Father Brown Reader

Nancy Brown has awesome news! I'll let her tell you -- just go HERE.

Don't you just love the cover!

Google Alerts

Ever wonder what people are saying about a certain subject on the Internet? Or maybe you just wonder what they're saying about you? If you go to Google Alerts, you can set it up so that you receive email alerts about any topic -- a news story, a sports team, a favorite author, a distant cousin.

For example, if I wanted to know what people are saying online about my homeschool book, I would set up a query for "Catholic Homeschool Companion." I could then have Google contact me immediately, once a day, or once a week. I could also have Google notify me of everything on the web, or I could set it up to only notify me of blog posts or news stories, etc.

This is a neat little tool.

Cub Scouts at the Police Station

If you take your Cub Scout pack for a field trip to the police station, you'll be quite entertained by their questions for the staff. You'll hear things like:

"So, you ever been tazered?"
"You ever kill a guy?"
"Do the inmates like the food here?"
"If you have a bullet-proof vest on, does it hurt less when the criminals punch you?"
"What do you do if the bad guys don't want to go to jail?"
"Do you have a latte machine?"

And there'll be conversations such as:

"Have you ever put a guy in the electric chair?"
"We don't have the death penalty in Michigan. We just put them in prison for life."
"So, have you ever gone into a cell and found bones."
"Um, no. We incarcerate them while they're alive, not for eternity."

Nine-year-old boys sure come up with some crazy ideas.

Cool New Blog: Movie Reviews

The Love 2 Learn crowd has a new blog: Love 2 Learn at the Movies. Go check it out!

Other Love 2 Learn offerings:
Love 2 Learn Website
Reading Your Way through History
Love 2 Learn Blog
Unity of Truth Blog

State Approved Curricula

One question I get from new homeschoolers is, "Should I go to the public school and get their curricula?"


No! My husband works in public education. I've seen their curriculum. First of all, it's designed for a large classroom setting, not for a mother working one-on-one with her child. Second of all, it's all color and glitz and no content.


The NEA would have us all use state-approved curricula, but in all honesty you'd do much better going to the public library and just borrowing real books.

The state doesn't know what works best for my individual children. I'll go so far to say that it doesn't even have my child's best interest at heart. The state cares about the state's best interest. The state's main concern is a citizenry that serves the state. My main concern is a child who serves God.

CE: The One Stop Place for Homeschool News

Catholic Exchange has a couple of good articles for homeschoolers today.

First up is Mary Jo's column, An Accidental Bad First Impression.

By the way, some of those moms have become my very dear friends, and our children have gone on to enjoy years of solid Christian friendship, complete with the virtue of modesty, along with a little more interest in and knowledge about the joyful noises made by insects.

Second up is an article by Heidi Bratton, A Catholic Education for Every Catholic Kid: Education by Home Schooling (part 5 in a series).

If education itself is like a glorious, full-color picture book, then homeschooling, for our family, has been like a pop-up version of that book.

Prayer Update: Thank You

I recently asked for you for your prayers for a special intention and a miracle has been granted! Now keep praying, we need another miracle or two for this person. Thank you!!!

New Adoremus Coupon Code

Adoremus Books is offering 15% off of your total purchase! Good until November 26, 2007. Just key in this coupon code: AOB117. And shipping is free for orders over $25!

Math Marathon

Super Boy decided to complete 60 pages of his kindergarten math workbook in one day. Amazingly, he got almost all correct answers. (Teen Daughter 2 did the correcting.) We held him back yesterday, so he only completed 40 pages. This morning he already has 20 pages done. With only 10 or so pages left in the book, he's begging me to order a first grade workbook. At this rate, he should be going off to college to complete his math degree by the end of next month.

CE: Homeschooling in the Eye of the Storm

Even more cool people showing up over at Catholic Exchange! Check out Margaret Mary's homeschool article this morning.

Now, two decades later, I realize how mistaken I was in that early assumption. Yes, sometimes a crisis interrupts our homeschooling for an afternoon, or a day, or a week. Some crises are even more long-term. That's where the flexibility and stability of homeschooling have been our refuge.

CE: Ideals Live

Nancy Brown has the lead aticle at Catholic Exchange today. Cool!

"Data processing, actually. Well, I found out ideals are dead. People mess up the world and nobody's perfect," Ken said, chewing his steak, as if that explained his statement. "Computers are what I understand. But I am the most ethical computer person in the field," Ken joked. We laughed.

Immaculee Ilbagiza and the Rwandan Holocaust

Last Friday I attended a talk by Immaculee Ilibagiza, author of Left to Tell: Discovering God Amidst the Rwandan Holocaust, along with some friends, teens, and a couple thousand other people.

If you ever have the opportunity to hear Immaculee speak, do not pass it up. Go! It will change your life. For the better. Go!

Her story is one of forgiveness. Forgiveness of the most unforgivable.

As she walked down the church aisle you could see her nervousness. She didn't expect so many people to show up on a workday morning. But her smile was radiant. She looked right at me and I felt as though I had been touched by an angel. When she reached the podium and saw the large number of students in attendance, she really lit up.

She went on to tell her story of horror, of how she lived through the Rwandan genocide in 1994. She hid in a bathroom, a mere 3' by 4', with 7 other woman. Yes, those numbers are correct -- a total of 8 women in a 3' by 4' bathroom. They could not talk or make any sound (including flushing the toilet unless timed to flush at the very moment the other toilet in the house flushed). They slept standing up. They could not wash or change their clothes. Food was almost nonexistent (Immaculee lost 50 lbs., going from 115 to 65 lbs.). This went on for 91 days. Ninety-one days!

The house where Immaculee was hidden had been searched several times. Searched by angry mobs with nothing but killing in their hearts. They turned over furniture, they slashed open suitcases, they tore into closets, but they never opened the bathroom door.

The power of prayer. Fervent prayer.

There were servants, guests, and children in the house who would've turned the 8 woman over to the mob in a heartbeat. But they never figured out, until the end, that the spare bathroom was off limits.

The power of prayer. Fervent prayer.

When Immaculee finally emerged from the bathroom, the horror continued. The killing was still going on, but waning. Then there was finding and burying the dead. Nearly one million dead in less than 100 days.

The Hutu tribe, about 75% of the Rwandan population sought to completely annihilate the Tutsis who made up 20% of the population (there is a small population of pygmies). They sought to kill them all in the most vicious manner. Many times hacking them to death with machetes, from the unborn to the elderly.

Immaculee found her parents, 2 of her 3 brothers, grandparents, neighbors, college friends, all murdered in this way by the mobs.

The amazing part of this story is that Immaculee forgave. She went to the prison, met the man who organized the killing of her beloved family, and said to him, looking him straight in the eye, "I forgive you."

One thing that strikes you when you see Immaculee in person is her beauty. She simply radiates beauty. The kind of beauty that comes from deep inside and cannot be denied except by the most hardened of hearts. Even her name is beautiful.

I highly recommend her book, Left to Tell. Buy it or borrow it, and definitely share it with others. Please be forewarned that it does contain graphic descriptions of the genocide, but it is necessary to truly understand the story's message of faith, prayer, and forgiveness. I read almost all of it in one sitting (and with a box of Kleenex). I finally put it down in the wee hours of the night, only to pick it up the very next morning as I sat before the Blessed Eucharist at the Perpetual Adoration chapel. It has been on my mind ever since.

I pray the story will never leave my mind. I pray that I will always heed its message: As long as we are breathing and our hearts are beating we can forgive, even the unforgivable.


Addendum: I just found this DVD, The Diary of Immaculee, on amazon.com and the reviews are pretty good. I'm going to order it right now. You should be able to find Immaculee's book (it was a New York Times Bestseller) and maybe even the DVD through your library.

CE: Making the Most of Your Public Library

Even more stuff of interest for homeschoolers over at Catholic Exchange.

At any given moment, I have somewhere between fifty and ninety books checked out from the public library. Because "real" books provide the foundation of my homeschool, the library has become a very necessary resource.

Catholic Exchange and Homeschooling

Catholic Exchange has a couple of articles up that are of interest to homescholers.

Mary Jo's Confession of a Homeschool column, Being a Wierdo Has Its Benefits.

Those other weirdos are still my friends, thank the Lord. They have been my supports and mentors for more than a decade. And when I think of what it means to be a committed mom, those three always top my list. This race is going to be a dead heat, and I don’t even mind because all of us have benefited greatly from daring to be weird.

And then there's What Does a Teaching Credential Have to Do with Learning? by Ken Lawson.

While I was writing my novel ReEnchantment: A Schoolboys' Adventure, one of the scenes I struggled with was when the mother, contemplating schooling her own child, has doubts about her ability to do the job. There are a number of motives at work in the character I developed, but unquestionably one of the major worries that beset her and most parents considering home school is whether they have the skill. I contend theirs is nothing more than a temporary lack of confidence.

Urgent Prayer Request

Please pray for a special intention for a family member.

Saint Costumes

The following is an email and review from my friend Maria in Kansas City. I attended the KC Catholic homeschooling conference this last year and saw, up close and personal, the costumes that Maria speaks of in her email. They are gorgeous!

I have been working hard with a friend of mine for the past few months helping her expand her dress up business to include a much wider variety of saints and religious in addition to the more standard fare of knights and princesses, etc. *We are also working on providing small unit studies to accompany each costume. We're not yet certain when we can have that ready, but we're working hard on it. The unit studies will include: biographical information, interesting stories, additional resources and historical fiction for further study, special prayers, customs and traditions, recipes and sometimes short plays or skits for those who enjoy making history come alive by reliving it. :) Pray that we can do everything we hope to do! :)

Debbie is now taking orders at her new website:
http://www.ourcoatsofmanycolors.com/

If you want to order something, do not wait. For the past two years Debbie has had to tell procrastinators that she cannot fill the order they placed because they waited until the last few days before Halloween to order. Our Coats of Many Colors is a small business
which is currently well stocked but which can't yet handle huge volumes of last minute sales. If you want something, order it now and you will get it. For further information, contact Debbie at debra@ourcoatsofmanycolors.com.

Jonah and the Big Fish

I can't believe that 98% of people got this quiz wrong! I am glad to say that I got the right answer. Don't Catholic Exchange readers watch Veggie Tales?

Addendum: OOPS! I read the results wrong. Somebody at CE needs to line those stats up better so they're easier to read by 40ish women. Anyhoo, 94% of quiz takers got the answer right. Whew, that makes me feel better.

CE: Martyrs of Ancient Rome

My latest on Catholic Exchange.

Bishops being martyred under Trajan, St. Ignatius fighting heresy in the early Church, the persecutions in Lyons, St. Justin using arguments of philosophy to persuade the Emperor Aurelius to validate Christianity — these are all events worth further study in our homeschools. The Saints impact history in a way that is still felt today and we would be remiss not to share their stories with our children.

If you have a favorite book or resource for the study of Ancient Rome, make sure to leave a comment.

Prayer Request

Please pray for the repose of the soul of Charles D. Charles is the father / father-in-law of our good friends Chris and Brenda. Please also pray for peace for the family. Thank you!

Lord God, you are the glory of believers and the life of the just. Your son redeemed us by dying and rising to life again. Let our departed brother share the joys and blessings of the life to come. Please bring comfort to those who mourn his passing.

Amen.

Homeschooling Misconceptions

There is a heated discussion going on in the combox at Mark Shea's blog. I've learned there that I'm "a touch too sentimental and/or naive," among other things. If you'd like to join the fray and put in a good word for homeschooling, click on over.

I'm not sure how to give you a link to Mark's original post -- his blog is set up differently than mine. So, I'll cut and paste here:

The NEA Doesn't Like it When Homeschoolers Consistently Wipe the Floor with Public School Kids in Test Results...so they issue disdainful press releases. Pretty soon they are going to raise their eyebrows so high they will lift themselves off the ground in a paroxysm of high dudgeon.

Addendum: Margaret Mary found a link to Mark's original post. Try THIS. Thanks MM!

Sacrificial Parents Equals Homeschooling Success

Following is a rough draft of a paper Christian wrote for his college composition class. The assignment is kind of vague -- the topic is family life, school, and diversity training (everything this instructor assigns has to do with diversity). It shouldn't be a straight narrative or purely descriptive and doesn't require footnotes.

Feel free to critique as he still has time for major edits.

Sacrificial Parents Equals Homeschooling Success

When people ask me where I go to school, I say, “I’m homeschooled.” Their reply is almost always, “Homeschool? Where’s that?” Homeschool is not a school at all, but a radical family lifestyle. Homeschooling used to be illegal in Michigan to all but those who were state-certified teachers, and whose homes followed the strict safety codes followed by public schools– such as emergency exit signs pointing to all ways out and sprinkler systems in case of fire. For homeschoolers, these were the Dark Ages of Michigan, where parents who weren’t satisfied with what schools had to offer had to teach their children in secret. Today, however, there are few laws governing homeschooling in Michigan, and homeschooling is growing at a rapid pace.

However, even in Michigan, with its lenient regulations, homeschooling can be a daunting challenge. Most homeschooling parents must support their families on a single income, and pay for all school expenses; these parents usually have large families, which demands even more financial and time resources. Homeschooling families must also deal with stereotypes and prejudices. Many homeschooling parents educate their children not only through middle school but through all four years of high school as well – most homeschooling parents do this without any kind of education degree, often teaching multiple grade levels ranging from preschool to high school seniors at the same time. For a large family of six or more children this can be overwhelming.

With so many obstacles, it would seem homeschooling is destined for failure. Yet, typical Homeschooled students receive above-average grades, are less rebellious, and possess better communication among family members. According to a study out of MSU, homeschool graduates vote at a higher rate, and are more involved in the community. Some colleges seek out homeschoolers to attend their universities. For something that is as challenging as homeschooling, this is all amazing. The big question is, how is this possible? I believe the answer lies with parents. It is through the tremendous sacrifice and love of these children’s parents that they find such success. For the average homeschool parent, it is love that motivates them to begin a child’s education at home, or to pull a child out of school to learn at home. Concern for their child’s well-being drives these parents to make incredible sacrifices, like giving up a career to teach and care for their children full-time at home.

To succeed in homeschooling, the demands on parents go beyond giving up a career and living off one income; many homeschooling families are also large, the average number of children probably about twice that of the average American family – that’s four or five children. Many homeschooling families have far more children. For example, the Smith [I've changed the name here -- MW] family of Sunfield, Michigan, homeschools, and has eleven children – ages ranging from the oldest in his late twenties to the youngest who is seven. Because of the devotion of Mr. and Mrs. Smith, their children enjoy a good education and a smooth running family life. While parents like Mr. and Mrs. Smith may not have much time to themselves, much money to spare, or much space, they are content and have well-rounded children.

The only common challenge these parents’ sacrificial love has not overcome is the many stereotypes surrounding homeschooling. Parents are often seen as rigid taskmasters who won’t allow their children to leave the house. Stereotypes surrounding their children are many and often conflicting. Homeschooled children are portrayed by these stereotypes as stupid, geniuses, shy, nerds, freaks, mindless drones, or victims of their inflexible parents. The most popular stereotype is that all homeschoolers are hyper-intelligent nerds; this is probably because most news coverage on homeschooling focuses on these few brainiacs.

While a nontraditional upbringing might be another obstacle for homeschool families to overcome, the parents who choose to homeschool are proactive to show the public what homeschooling is really about. Since many stereotypes surrounding homeschooling are beginning to fade, and homeschooling becomes less and less mysterious, it seems parents are doing a good job. So, maybe this is yet another obstacle homeschooling parents will overcome.

Homeschooling would not be a success, however, if parents simply stopped at overcoming the challenges. It is necessary for success to explore new territory as well. Parents are vigorous in their role of caregiver and educator, and expend a great deal of energy to help their child recognize his or her full potential. With a passion, these parents take steps to further their children’s education, social life, and overall well-being. Many families are part of a homeschool community, and they take the idea of community seriously. These groups are vibrant; children interact and parents share resources. Our local homeschool community hosts events such as back-to-school parties, ultimate Frisbee, and track. It also provides groups like Latin Club, Writers’ Club, Reader’s Anonymous (a reading group), and Socrates Café (a discussion group). Mid-Michigan even has a homeschool Science Olympiad team known as Creative Science Investigators (or CSI). Science Olympiad was originally a program for schools to encourage the sciences through competition, but when parents were willing to take the roles of professional teachers as coaches, CSI became possible.

Parents in general often make huge sacrifices for their children, so perhaps it’s not too surprising that so many couples in Michigan willfully, often joyfully, choose homeschooling for their children. The sacrifice is great, but so are the benefits; these parents realize this, and that is why most strive so hard to make homeschooling work for their children. Homeschooling allows parents to be involved in their children’s education to an extent beyond the capabilities of schools, giving them the opportunity to make any sacrifice they feel necessary for their children. Because homeschooling allows parents to express their love for their children through constructive means linked directly to education, homeschooling should always be an option for parents who want success for their children.

Vicipaedia

This is way too cool. Wikipedia in Latin!

NOTE: I fixed the above link and you should actually be able to link to Vicipadia now.

Homeschool Apologetics

In an effort to convince you that homeschooling doesn't work . . .

Your neighbor, a school teacher, shares with you, "I once had a homeschooled kid put in my class and his work was below average."

You reply, "Public school children are never below average?"



A stranger in the grocery store declares, upon learning that you're a homeschooler, "I once knew a homeschooled kid who was horribly shy."

You reply, "They don't have shy kids in public schools?"



Your cousin Barney shares with you at the family Christmas gathering, "I once had a neighbor whose uncle's co-worker's sister-in-law homeschooled. That kid went off to college and totally rebelled, smoking and drinking and who knows what else!"

You reply, "Public school children never rebel?"



Your brother-in-law tells you, "Your kids will all be nerds!"

You reply, "They don't have nerds in public school?"
Alternate reply, "Good! Nerds don't get in trouble with the law or with girls or with drugs or with staying out all night."


A fellow parishoner asks, "What about socialization?"

You reply, "YES! That's exactly why I homeschool, because of the superiority of the socialization. How wise of you to see that!"

Catholic Mom: Nature Science

My October column is up over at Catholic Mom.

As this conversation between my six-year-old son and my 66-year-old father continued to unfold, I couldn’t help but smile and think, “This is homeschooling at its best.” My son’s enthusiasm for birds did not come from a science textbook, it came from the study of nature science in a relaxed home setting. Due to the birth of their new baby brother, Joe and his siblings had just spent eight weeks immersing themselves in the study of nature.

The NEA Sets Us Straight

If you're looking for some interesting reading this morning, go check out the NEA's 2007/2008 Resolutions. It's full of all sorts of goodies. Reading their resolutions always makes me wonder: Is the NEA a teachers' union, a professional organization, an agent for social change, or political hacks for liberals? They can't seem to make up their mind.

If you'd like to know what they have to say about us homeschoolers, I'll save you the hassle of scrolling through the 105-page pdf file:

B-75. Home Schooling

The National Education Association believes that home schooling programs based on parental choice cannot provide the student with a comprehensive education experience. When home schooling occurs, students enrolled must meet all state curricular requirements, including the taking and passing of assessments to ensure adequate academic progress. Home schooling should be limited to the children of the immediate family, with all expenses being borne by the parents/guardians. Instruction should be by persons who are licensed by the appropriate state education licensure agency, and a curriculum approved by the state department of education should be used.

The Association also believes that home-schooled students should not participate in any extracurricular activities in the public schools.

The Association further believes that local public school systems should have the authority to determine grade placement and/or credits earned toward graduation for students entering or re-entering the public school setting from a home school setting. (1988, 2006)

Bless their little hearts. I just get all warm and fuzzy knowing that the NEA is looking out for my children.

CE: The Surprise Temper Tantrum

Mary Jo's latest on Catholic Exchange.

The year my husband and I decided to explore homeschooling brought an unexpected reaction from one of our children. It wasn't the preadolescent 10-year-old girl prone to hormones. It wasn't the stubborn six-year-old boy who did not like change. And, it certainly wasn't the two-year-old who began, out of the blue one late May, sadly and pitifully to say each day after his lunch, "When can we go get my tids kids from cool school? I miss my tids." It was the eight-year-old, the child who up until that point had never questioned or argued about any of our parental decisions...