Rock on!

C. and G. have been rocking out with the guitars that Santa brought them. They are very good at making up their own songs.

Carmella as Joni Mitchell

And George as serious Elvis.

What is wrong with this picture?

Look at this picture. Please tell me I am not the only one who sees something seriously wrong going on here.

And this one. Look at it closely. There is something seriously amiss. Can Catholic schools have changed that much in the past 15 years?

Do the parents know these girls leave the house dressed like this? Obviously the school does and allows it, even when they are meeting the Archbishop!

I taught in the public schools and honestly, I don't think girls are allowed to wear skirts that short in public schools. I think it is very sad that these girls have noone to guide them in proper attire.

Field Trip - Higgins Armory Museum

The Higgins Armory Museum
Officially, of course, it is school vacation week. But we figure this is still a field trip since we don't go to school! The added bonus was that Ron was able to join us. So off we went to the Higgins Armory Museum in Worcester!

It was very interesting to see all the type of armor and the history of armor around the world, although the majority was European.


















C. and G. loved dressing up as knights and trying on real helmets. They also enjoyed playing with the giant chess set (the pieces were almost as big as G.!) It was a nice way to spend a winter afternoon, especially with free passes from the public library!

The Twelve Days of Christmas

On the 1st day of Christmas my true love gave to me...

A Partridge in a Pear Tree
The partridge in a pear tree is Jesus the Christ, the Son of God, whose birthday we celebrate on December 25, the first day of Christmas. In the song, Christ is symbolically presented as a mother partridge that feigns injury to decoy predators from her helpless nestlings, recalling the expression of Christ's sadness over the fate of Jerusalem: "Jerusalem! Jerusalem! How often would I have sheltered you under my wings, as a hen does her chicks, but you would not have it so . . . ." (Luke 13:34)

On the 2nd day of Christmas my true love gave to me...

Two Turtle Doves
The Old and New Testaments, which together bear witness to God's self-revelation in history and the creation of a people to tell the Story of God to the world.

On the 3rd day of Christmas my true love gave to me...

Three French Hens
The Three Theological Virtues: 1) Faith, 2) Hope, and 3) Love (1 Corinthians 13:13)

Merry Christmas!

St. Francis of Assisi Church, Fitchburg MA

With much of the focus on Mary tonight (and deservedly so) I thought I would offer a prayer to St. Joseph, who is often overlooked in the busy Christmas season.

A PRAYER OF ST. JOSEPH
Blessed Joseph, husband of Mary,
be with us this day. You protected
and cherished the Virgin; loving the child Jesus as your son, you rescued him from the danger of death.
Defend the Church, the household of God, purchased by the blood of Christ. Guardian of the Holy Family, be with us in our trials. May your prayers obtain for us the strength to flee from error
and wrestle with the powers of corruption so that in life we may
grow in holiness and in death
rejoice in the crown of victory.
Amen.
Have a Blessed Christmas everyone!

Pizzazz cookies!

What would Christmas be without homemade cookies? This year I cut way back on my baking and ended up with only 3 kinds of cookies, but the kids always enjoy the sugar cookies the best. I made lots of frosting, had lots of sprinkles, and left the rest up to the kids.
Of course, G. promised not to eat to much frosting, so only a few times did he have to lick his fingers.






And then, a few times more....













We created some gorgeous cookies to eat and share and had a lot of fun along the way, although G. did have to be shut off after the third mile-high sprinkled "pizzazz" cookie (G. gave them the name and it stuck). At least nobody was sick afterward - my kids have iron constitutions when it comes to sugar!

Why homeschool?

To be honest, I've gotten little to no negative comments about homeschooling. It's probably because on the surface at least I seem qualified to teach. I have a M.Ed. and am a certified teacher. It certainly makes it easier for people to feel comfortable with the idea.

The truth, however, is that I am qualified simply because I am a parent! Nothing I learned in graduate school or in the classroom helps me. In fact, I have to unlearn quite a bit to be successful with C. at home.

After 4 months of our official "homeschooling" year, this is what I have discovered:

1. C. doesn't need a lot of directed learning. With a bit of guidance and a small amount of "sit down" work, she learns quite a bit on her own. It is better that I have an overall idea of what I want her know (for example, I want her to know the sounds of all the letters and how to put those sounds together) than to have it in my head that we have to get to page 36 in a workbook by such and such a date. This is why it is so important to be aware of the progression of a child's thinking, not the bits and pieces of facts which might be exhibited on a spelling test, for example.

2. I have to be more organized. Once C. and G. start "pretend" playing in the morning, it's all over! It is very hard to coax them into activities with me and frustration ensues. Part of it is because I'm not entirely convinced that their pretend play isn't more valuable than anything I have planned. Creative play is, in my most humble opinion, the single most important activity of childhood. So my goal is to get them in the morning and after lunch allow them to do their own thing as much as possible. Of course, on the days G. has preschool this is my one-on-one time with C. so it isn't an issue.

3. The biggest reason I homeschool C. is not because I think the public schools are an abysmal failure, but because it is the best scenario for C., and it is also the best way to live out our values. I don't see C. succeeding in public schools, at least not now. (And don't get me started on MCAS!!!!!) The emphasis on tests and scores, and your worth being judged by being constantly compared to your peers is not what I want for her. Grades, report cards - blech.

Those are my ramblings for this morning. Have a great day!

Christmas is almost here!

C. is busy making all sorts of gifts for some very special people. It has been so much fun to think of some small items she can make this year. She is so enthusiastic. It's so wonderful to experience the self-confidence of a 6 year old. She doesn't worry about what people will think or if it is "good enough". She is so proud of everything she makes and is excited to give her gifts.

I should really take a lesson from her. I find I am my own worst critic, constantly feeling like I don't measure up. What a waste of time and energy! And I hope she is always this confident and proud of herself.

And if you are the recipient of one of C.'s gifts - you are very lucky and very loved!

Snowschooling

Physical Education: clearing the snow off Mom's car
Language Arts: s-h-o-v-e-l
Math: How many shovelfuls to clear off Mom's car?
Foreign Language: mucha nieve
Science: when the air is very cold, it snows

Well, I think today is done. Time for a cup of tea.

More pics from the Living Nativity (see below)

Living Nativity

Last night we had the most amazing experience. Our local Lutheran church puts on a "Living Nativity" every year, and we finally were able to go. We truly felt like we had stepped back in time. When you arrive, you have to register your family with the Romans. Then you wander about the town, complete with marketplace and people in costume walking around selling wares and caring for their animals. Everybody was speaking Hebrew (I think, I recognized some words - not just Shalom! I don't think anyone was speaking Aramaic...) and coming up to us talking to us, the kids were completely freaked out! Way in the back was a small humble stable where Mary and Joseph rested with Jesus. It was so realistic it gave me and Ron chills. It felt like we were really experiencing it. The Romans were almost too realistic and gave poor Georgie quite a fright! Here are some pictures - the white spots are snow, it started snowing about an hour before we went, just after we decorated our Christmas tree. A magical night!