Typing

I hope all of you have enjoyed this blizzard.

What a fun few days we've had together.  Praying the rosary, reading Little House on the Prairie, eating three meals together at the table (which will keep our kids off drugs).  And, we kept up our lessons through Saturday, just to take advantage of these days indoors and to build up a surplus so we can go outside when it's nice.  I can't wait for sunshine.  Slick slack wrote a poem for ccc last week about me, and I'm still gushing over it.  (Yes, I'm pregnant, but that's not why I'm crying over it.  Really.)

As my fellow homeschoolers are wrapped up in the legalities and constitutional infringement in the latest CT legislature's proposals to require behavioral assessments for our children at ages 12, 14, and 17 (now adding public school children to the homeschool children), and others are heading to a romantic Valentine's Day in Hartford to March for Change, I'm resisting my former self's instinct to jump in and write a long brief about the fourth amendment, equal protection, the second amendment or anything legal at all.  I'm quietly praying. We are called to continue to be faithful Catholics, remembering our purpose.  Lead our families to heaven. And somehow, I feel called to do more.  Yet, I know my current limits, don't I?

And in the meantime, I will teach my children to type, so they can write briefs and great articles like the latest George Weigel on the future of the Church and the New Evangelization:

Here is a really cool (free) typing program.

While the kids are learning to type, watch this awesome made for tv movie, The Battle of Athens, Restoring the Rule of Law, and keep praying.

Hope to see you all Wednesday. 

Mrs. K

Listening suggestions....

During these long days at home due to sickness and icky weather, screen time is extremely tempting. TV, iPad, computer, etc.....it's all so convenient and easy. Yet often it seems to backfire when it's supposed to help. One area of technology that I've been trying utilize more deliberately is audiobooks and the like. There are two that have been extremely popular in our house the past month:

The Scrambled States of America

Beethoven Lives Upstairs

The Scrambled States of America comes just as a book or with book and CD. We have the CD and the boys have been listening to it multiple times a day for the past 2 weeks. A very silly story, but enjoyable nonetheless and a few random facts are learned along the way.

Beethoven Lives Upstairs is a wonderful introduction to the life and music of Ludwig van Beethoven. It's the story of a boy who's mother rented the upstairs apartment to Beethoven. He then writes letters to his uncle telling of the various things that happen while Beethoven is living in their house. They use Beethoven's music in the background to set the tone for the story. It is wonderfully done, and I look forward to exploring more CDs in this series.

Other audio series the kids have enjoyed for a while are Cat Chat and Glory Stories. We have listened to both the 1st and 4th volumes of Cat Chat (Mary Leads Me Closer to Jesus and The Mass Comes Alive). They seem kind of silly upon first listen (talking cat?!), but the music is very catchy (with a couple exceptions) and the kids have learned a lot. Glory Stories tell stories of various saints in a engaging way. I've learned a lot! The links to both are below. 

Cat Chat

Glory Stories

Now that I've discovered our new car will actually record CDs and store them in it's memory (crazy, huh?!), I hope to have more things at the ready for our listening pleasure. Hopefully it will make these LONG days pass with a little more joy.

Be perfect

I was an athlete growing up. My family lived and breathed sports. I played basketball, a team sport where team truly meant everything to me. I called teammates on Saturday mornings in June to rally together at an open court in the summer heat. To win, we had to prepare. We had to be perfect.

When a team mate was injured, I felt the injury as my own. When a team mate lost a boyfriend or a grandparent died, we all felt her pain. We passed notes during class, sharing bible verses. Philippians 4:13 is still engraved on my plaque in the all-Ohio school trophy case. During the National Anthem before games, I prayed the Our Father and asked God to take away my teammates fear of the opponent or sadness over a parent divorcing. To win, we all had to experience joy together. I couldn't appreciate the win knowing another of my teammates was grieving. We had to be perfect.

I've prayed for guidance in this homeschooling journey. I've begged Our Lord for Catholic friends. Look at this team we have. How abundantly blessed we are. I second Melinda's nudging - lets be generous with each other, lift up those grieving, and be perfect.

http://m.youtube.com/#/watch?v=o-iPiN_YHjY&desktop_uri=%2Fwatch%3Fv%3Do-iPiN_YHjY

The above link summarizes my point.

You are all in my hearts.

Mrs. K