You might be a crazy Home schooling mother if...

The day your new science Curricula comes, you are giddy to the point of not being able to speak. Or you decide even though just last night you were talking about burn out, you decide to school through summer for the sheer joy of using said books.
Did I mention these science book are set to music. I have died and gone to former choir director heaven! Finally all of those years of Music theory, private (expensive) voice lessons and late nights in practice rooms pay off! I can now sing about the Scientific Method! But I still might giggle singing about the Reproductive system. So what I teach NFP to adults, I don't sing it, but now that that tune is in my mind, I can only imagine, what will my husband will think!

Farming it out

I seriously love the Onion!

Last in this World, First in the next.

I heard about this from a Facebook friend, and was moved to tears by the beauty of it.

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Two Scenarios

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My goal is to get them to Heaven, not Harvard

This should be my mantra. I need to constantly remind myself that just because I home school and overall my kids are smart, they can be average, and there is nothing wrong with that. I've been stressing myself out that I am not teaching them a thing. This has been a rough year, we haven't been as diligent in getting all of our school done. I've been beating myself up, my kids will be failures because in third grade I spent too much time teaching the 20th century, and not enough on handwriting.

My oldest is in Jr. High, which is more stressful. People expect her to go to school in 2 years. She is not going. She wants to stay home. I'm happy to oblige. I'm feeling pressure to make sure she can get into the best High School, even if she will not attend. She, like me, stinks at math. Obviously, I taught her her wrong, right?

It is so easy as mom to blame myself, but the reality is God will work in spite of me.

Could it be?

Snowdrops! It's almost spring!! Amid the dead and decay new life gives hints that the darkness has almost ended.

Today's Feast Day Quote

Today is the feast of St. Frances of Rome.

"A married woman must often leave God at the altar to find Him in her household care."

In other words, it's nice to go to adoration, but the dishes won't wash themselves, He is there, amid the yucky milk cup, too.

We need to pray for them

It has been a rather depressing week in my diocese for young, excited priests. First, my dear friend, a seminarian was asked to take leave. He has done nothing wrong, other than to love as Christ loves, and not had a healthy enough distain for children. He doesn't run the other way when he sees them, and actually will talk to them, must be up to no good. We seem to have forgotten the words from the Gospel of Mark (chapter 10):

"And people were bringing children to him that he might touch them, but the disciples rebuked them.

When Jesus saw this he became indignant and said to them, "Let the children come to me; do not prevent them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.

Amen, I say to you, whoever does not accept the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it." Then he embraced them and blessed them, placing his hands on them."

Embracing them is forbidden in this day and age, and I suspect very soon, Blessing them will be too. Please don't think I do not understand recent scandals. I was raised in a Parish that was front and center of them in my diocese, the priest who first gave me Our Lord in communion was a pedophile and is rotting in jail. My family left the church, and part of the reason was him. I get it, but I also think we cannot knee jerk respond to the point that innocent men are being pushed out of their vocation.

Later this week, a recently ordained announced he is leaving the priesthood. I've heard mutterings, don't know what is true, but he leaves in good standing, pressure from self-righteous holier than the Pope types have made him leave. It is sickening. I really really liked this guy. He was fun, and very wise and holy. My kids loved him, he laughed at their bad jokes. He made the priesthood look cool. That's just what little boys need, not getting yelled at for making a mistake as a server, or being ignored when they ask Father a silly question, that seems important to them. That does not make them want to be a priest.

A third young priest is on sabbatical to see if he is staying. Nice. I don't know him, but at present we have lost 75% of the priests ordained in the last 3 years. This has to stop. We as people of faith need to pray and support our priests, even the ones that yell at kids, but even more the ones who don't, because according to the world, there is something wrong with them.

Sorry for my rant. I'm just hoping that before my sons are old enough to be serious about a vocation, they would find a mentor, a priest to not only bring them Jesus, but be Jesus to them.

St. John Vianney, Patron of Priests, Pray for them!

Torture

There has been a growing movement in the Catholic Blog-o-sphere concerning torture. I've always known it was wrong, but I usually blamed my liberal tenancies, especially since I never win the argument when I'm surrounded by other Catholics. Thankfully, as I usually do, I can rely on the Church to set me straight.

Torture is happening far more than we, as a country, would like to acknowledge. How do I know? After all, suburban mom, home-schooler, and otherwise boring person does not qualify me to speak on much. I know because I have heard first hand stories from my family, my brother serves in Kuwait and Iraq, my brother-in-law recently returned from Afghanistan and my dad, a veteran of the Marines were sharing stories at our late Christmas dinner. I was shocked, appalled and left speechless. I love these guys, especially my brother-in-law, he is well read, and a smart guy, yet, he tortured. Everyone did from what he was saying. It wasn't as extreme as water-boarding, but there were many little things that were unnecessary for the questioning of other human beings. Honestly, they treated the dog that wandered in from the desert better than the locals. I was sickened.

The simple lesson, just because we can, and everyone else does, doesn't mean we should. This week I'm teaching the kids about the Holocaust. How can I tell them all that happened to rob people of their dignity and eventually their lives is wrong if I think it is okay to do the same today? I'm not the best spokeswoman for this cause, admittedly, I'm not the best at expressing the truth with clarity, but hopefully, I can convince my family, and friends.

Know your farmer, Know your food

I know my farmer, his name is Jamie, and Karen, his mom, delivers my eggs, cheese and veggies in the summer. I've known Eric, and Paul, the people at Plow Creek and Donna, they are my farmers, or have been in the past 7 years. The USDA is launching a program so that more of you can know your farmer too. Nothing compares to being able to ask how to get rid of squirrels from the guy who battles them all week, or to ask if beets ever go out of season, after the 12th week of them straight from the person who is mulling tilling them over.

Eating Local is not just about food, it's about people. My farmer needs to farm to pay the bills, and has decided not to take the "easy way" by planting cash crops (corn, soy). By buying local, I am helping a family keep a farm out of debt that has been in the family for generations. Corn looks like quick cash, but costs them the farm. Buying local helps my farmer live here, where I live, though it is mostly urban. Knowing my farmer means knowing a person, and their joys and struggles to provide food, it means asking how they are doing, it means rejoicing with them that it has been a good season. You cannot eat the food without offering a prayer for the person, whose face you know, that grew it. I know my food is truly the work of a person hands, because I shake those worn hands each week.

So that's why it's PG

I'm all about the new Alice and Wonderland movie. I've secretly had a crush on Johnny Depp ever since his first Tim Burton Film. He does nothing for me in his other films, though. As I was looking up the midnight showings, I noticed the rating PG, but the kicker is why.

(PG), for fantasy action/violence involving scary images and situations, and for a smoking caterpillar?

A smoking caterpillar?! Who knew?

I knew it wasn't in my head!

Lately, I have felt like my days are not long enough. I do not accomplish nearly enough in one day. I thought I was was wasting time somewhere, but it turns out Since the earthquake in Chile, the days may be shorter. Well, at least it's not me.

Cardinal Ennio Antonelli is my Hero!

From Zenit today..

Cardinal: Stay-at-Home Moms Need to Be Paid

Pontifical Council President Urges Family-Friendly Economics

ROME, MARCH 1, 2010 (Zenit.org).- The president of the Pontifical Council for the Family is stressing the importance of work done by those in the home and suggesting economic compensation for it.

Cardinal Ennio Antonelli called for financial and professional perks to encourage families when he spoke on "Family and Business, Vital Cells of Society," at a meeting of the Catholic Union of Businessmen and Executives (UCID) in Rome.

His proposals were reported last Friday in the Italian edition of L'Osservatore Romano.

During his address the Italian cardinal stressed that "domestic work deserves economic recognition."

He also said that "numerous families deserve special reductions and financial facilities," pointing to the examples of France and Germany where "families with three children pay €2,000 [$2,720] or €3,000 [$4,080] less."

The Vatican official noted that raising a family and seeking a career outside the home are compatible for women, but he urged support services: day care centers in businesses and neighborhoods, and for the elderly and handicapped, other social services.

He also pointed out the importance of offering women a "variety of opportunities in professional work: part-time work, telework, flexibility of hours and vacations."

Cardinal Antonelli cautioned against the price paid by marriage and family when women see careers and social success as the path to self-fulfillment. And he pointed out the negative effects when dads are absent from families.