Raising (& Teaching) Little Saints | Catholic Homeschooling and Traditional Catholic

War is an Awful Thing: Honor, Justice, and Peace

2012-05-27T18:00:00.000-04:00

I saw this picture posted today on Facebook, and I searched for the name on the marker so I knew who this man was. James John Regan gave his life for God and country in 2007. I believe the girl lying prostrate at his grave was his fiancee. I hope she found some peace and perhaps a man that could be with her understanding the love she had for John. From his obituary:

"James J. Regan, in his brief life, did not choose the predictable, cushy jobs his background and ability afforded him. Regan, at 26, last week gave his life for his country, a United States Army Ranger killed in Northern Iraq, having already served four tours of duty - two in Afghanistan and two in Iraq. A fellow Army Ranger recalled, "James Regan was the guy you want next to you at all times."

----------------------------

As for my life, I never knew my mother's father. Ennis Ray Hite died in early 1947, but he really died in World War II. He was injured while under MacArthur, and the plate put in his skull was ill fitting. It shifted one time too many, and caused him to black out while driving, causing a fatal accident. People who knew him said the war, and his injury, changed him. It usually does, even if you come home "uninjured."

I guess you could say his death had a profound impact on my life, because it had a profound impact on my mother's life, and my grandmother's life.

My wife's father suffered death in war as well, though he died a tortured death at the hands of Communists. I wonder sometimes if we would have met had he not died, given Erika grew up in Nicaragua, but she didn't stay there, and thus we ultimately ended up together, five children later. :-)

I pray for either the conversion, or the death of every communist in the world, to those to murder and oppress and rape their way to power, and pray for those that war in Islam in the supposed name of God, but more I pray for the souls of the men and women who fought, suffered, and died for our country, and in all countries throughout history in the search for justice, truth, and peace.

War is an awful thing. Sometimes though, it is a necessary thing. Pray for peace, but pray also for strength and determination when war comes to your door.

See more pictures of Erika's Dad in this post remembering his birthday

Please pray for the soul of my grandfather, Ennis Hite, my other grandfather, who also served in World War II, Emory Drain, and that of my wife's Father, Pablo Emilio Salazar, "El Commandante Bravo." May their souls rest in peace and the mercy of Almighty God. And please spend some time, and perhaps a Rosary, praying for the souls of our war dead, and all who die in the service of country with honor, justice, and peace.

~ Todd

Remember those that fought for the freedom we have today!

An Introduction of to a Devout Life {Book Review for Tiber River}

2012-05-26T22:49:00.000-04:00

St Francis de Sales presenting the

Philotea to Saint Jane Frances de Chantal,

(Valentin Metzinger 1699 - 1759)

Philothea or An Introduction to the Devout Life has become a book I turn to constantly for spiritual direction as mother and wife. Written by Saint Francis de Sales, Doctor of the Church, for Saint Jane Frances de Chantal who was first a mother and later finished her life as a cloistered nun. I find the form of this book applies greatly in my life. You will find this book in my purse, in my diaper bag, next to me in the pew at Mass or with me at Adoration, and even when I curl up with it on my couch. I've read chapters repeatedly, not because the text is difficult but because each time I learn something new or capture a glimpse of something different I had not noticed when I first read it. It really is a classical work of literature that every Catholic family should own. This great book writing by a saint for a saint is a road map of sorts for leading a life devoutly as a Christian. Thought written some 400 years ago, this book is as applicable today as it was when it was first written as God transcends time and so do these "rules" we must live by to love, praise, and worship Him.

Another aspect I also love about this book is that I can read sections of it to my own mother when confiding in me about her spiritual life and it applies to her as well. It is a book that transcends time and also stages of life. St. Francis de Sales's advice is just as applicable today as it was when first written because of his insight on sin, how human beings respond to them (the human psyche), and the temptations we constantly face in our lives. The constant battle of wills and factors we face on a day to day basis, this saint is well aware of and gives you a guide as to how to avoid these near occasions of sin and also how to practically live a devout Christian live in a secular world; in essence he provides a road map to Heaven!

Book Description from Aquinas and More, Catholic Books:Francis de Sales’s Introduction to the Devout Life has remained a uniquely accessible and relevant treasure of devotion for nearly four hundred years. As Bishop of Geneva in the first quarter of the seventeenth century, Francis de Sales saw to the spiritual needs of everyone from the poorest peasants to court ladies. The desire to be closer to God that he found in people from all levels of society led him to compile these instructions on how to live in Christ. Francis’s compassionate Introduction leads the reader through practical ways of attaining a devout life without renouncing the world and offers prayers and meditations to strengthen devotion in the face of temptation and hardship.

Introduction to the Devout Life by Saint Francis de SalesThis remarkable book, originally issued in 1609, has remained a uniquely accessible and relevant treasure of devotion for nearly four hundred years. As Bishop of Geneva in the first quarter of the 17th century, Francis de Sales saw to the spiritual needs of everyone from the poorest peasants to court ladies. The desire to be closer to God that he found in people from all levels of society led him to compile these instructions on how to live in Christ. Francis’s compassionate Introduction leads the reader through practical ways of attaining a devout life without renouncing the world and offers prayers and meditations to strengthen devotion in the face of temptation and hardship.

All in all, this book is an excellent addition to the library of Catholic families, a great guide for mothers young and old and really anyone at any stage of life. He gives you practical and timeless advise for living life in line with Tradition, the Bible, and Church teaching. If you are seeking to live a devout life, and a guide to keep yourself in line while raising little ones, you will enjoy this book as much as I have and love having spiritual advise at your fingertips! I can definitely see myself coming back to this book throughout my journey here on Earth as a companion and guide to reach Heaven!

Prayer to St. Francis De Sales: "O Glorious St. Francis, model of the interior life, and full of zeal for the salvation of souls! Obtain for me the grace to employ all my faculties, not for my own sanctification alone, but for that of my neighbor also; that continually spreading abroad the sweet odor of Jesus Christ by my words and works, I may attain with thee the blessedness promised to the merciful: "Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy;" and that I may one day have a share in the glory which thou dost enjoy in paradise with the angels and saints, where those who edify and instruct to justice shall shine as stars for all eternity (Dan. xii. 3).

***I wrote this review of Introduction to the Devout Life for the free Catholic Book review program, created by Aquinas and More Catholic Goods, your source for Baptism Gifts and First Communion Gifts. Tiber River is the first Catholic book review site, started in 2000 to help you make informed decisions about Catholic book purchases. I receive free product samples as compensation for writing reviews for Tiber River.***

Respecting the Lives in Front of Us

2012-05-25T12:34:00.000-04:00

We all know as Catholics we are called to respect life from the moment of conception to natural death. We use this phrase so often it tumbles off our tongues on instinct. Often we focus on those two moments when a human is most vulnerable: unborn or dying. But what about that long space between. As homeschoolers, we have the opportunities to really teach our children, in word and deed, how to truly respect all life.

A friend recently shared a story about her preschool aged son. They were out to eat one day and her son licked a woman at another table. Embarrassed and apologizing, my friend was caught in a moment I suspect many moms of kids with special needs have. But the woman smiled. Even when he licked her again, she remained nonplussed. Given an unusual situation, this stranger gave my friend a gift of understanding and respect. See, the boy who looks like every other kid his age does not process touch very well. His tongue is much more sensitive and useful for him.

Again, we all know we are to care for the “Least Among My Brothers.” It’s easy to spot that when a man with Down’s Syndrome joins the ranks of the Knights of Columbus and serves up hotdogs at the parish picnic or when we give our time at Special Olympics or the Miracle League. Do we remember that, for many people, a special need isn’t always obvious? Or are we quick to bolster our own parenting egos with phrases like “my child would never …”? When teaching our children in public, are we leading them to do as St. Francis de Sales reminds us, to Live Jesus?

The mother in the store with a screaming child- Do you avoid eye contact, tell your children that is an example of bad behavior, jump in and try to calm her child? Or do you smile reassuringly, pat her arm or even offer a hug? Surely you’ve had a moment when your own child was unruly in public. Would you want your whole life judged on how you handled it?

Are you fumbling and awkward trying to find the right words, to be friendly without condescending? It’s okay. Admit it from the beginning. A parent is going to appreciate your honesty and effort. Be teachable.

There are many opportunities to be patient and kind. Holiday celebrations can be particularly stressful and are an excellent chance to be respectful without judgement. One friend talks about Halloween and how brave a parent must be to take a child with special needs out. Her child looks like all the other costumed but may be non-verbal or have weak gross motor control. Surely your child has been less skilled than his peers at something. Would you want your whole life judged on that?

Just try giving the benefit of the doubt. You don’t have to know what personal trials a person faces in order to be kind to them. Assume the boy playing with an iPad during Mass is communicating the only way he can. Assume the girl who doesn’t offer the sign of peace has autism that makes large groups terrifying to her. Assume the mom with the newborn does want you help keeping her preschooler out of the street but does not want your parenting advice. Whether your are wrong or right does not matter. What is important is that you choose to be patient, to be kind. Choose to be love.

Our Homeschool Curriculum for 2012-2013 for Cor Iesu Academy

2012-05-20T00:11:00.000-04:00

After much testing, trying, and searching for the right curriculum, we believe Todd and I, have found the right one for us. I am so excited! We have selected the curriculum for next school year! We first began by looking for something just for our rising high schooler but decided that all the kids needed to be on the same page. We are going to follow the St. Thomas Aquinas Academy Classical Liberal Arts Curriculum.

Why Classical Liberal Arts Education? We really would love a program that would allow for at least some of our children to work together, in addition to allow a natural approach to learning (read not so much seat work). From our experience thus far, with our children, they strive best when they are challenged and engaged in learning (maybe all children are like this? I'm not sure.) In addition, our homeschool has a strong devotion to the Angelic Doctor, Saint Thomas Aquinas, and this program not only is named after the patron of our school but his works served as excellent model for the classical liberal arts approach! The Classical Approach has an emphasis on what is known as the “trivium” – teaching in the sequence of grammar, logic, and rhetoric. The classical method is decidedly better at training the mind to think, reason, and even to contend and argue one’s case against contrary ideas. The way things are going in our world, we believe this is one of the best ways we can better prepare our children through home education.

This statement, from their website, is what finally SOLD us on using this curriculum for our family:

"Our program gently prepares the child to learn from the great books and understand the great ideas essential to that same work of integrating faith with reason. A classical presentation of English and Latin grammar and the arts and sciences equips the student with the tools of learning; a cyclical study of the grand eras of western civilization--Greek, Roman, Old World and New--guides the student (and the teaching parent!) through the historical and literary masterpieces that for centuries have inspired students to such noble academic effort."

There are Cycles to choose from, and after a thirty minute conversation with a representative of their's I believe this is what we are going to set our goals towards (before you say it's too expensive, please see my suggestions at the bottom of this post on ideas of saving on books):

Our 2012-2013 Curriculum

Grade 9: Greek Cycle: Greek History & Astronomy

1. RELIGION: Old Testament I & II:

Introduction to the Bible
Ignatius Bible

2. SOCIAL STUDIES / WORLD HISTORY: Greek History I & II:

Christ the King: Lord of History
Making of the West: Peoples and Cultures: A Concise History: Volume I to 1740, 3rd Edition
Old World and America
Herodotus’ The Histories
Landmark Thucydides: A Comprehensive Guide to the Peloponnesian War
Xenophon: The Expedition of Cyrus (Anabasis)
Making of the West: Peoples and Cultures: A Concise History: Volume I to 1740, 3rd Edition
Plutarch’s Lives, Volume 1 (Modern Library Classics)
Plutarch’s Lives, Volume 2 (Modern Library Classics)
Great Dialogues of Plato
Alexander the Great: Man of Action, Man of Spirit
Alexander of Macedon: Journey to World’s End

3. LITERATURE: Greek Literature I & II:

Bulfinch’s Mythology: The Age of Fable, The Age of Chivalry, and Legends of Charlemagne
Homer : The Iliad
Iliad, The (Cliffs Notes)
Herodotus’ The Histories
Homer: The Odyssey
Odyssey, The (Cliffs Notes)

4. FINE ARTS:

A) Art Appreciation &; Analysis:

Art And: Critical Thinking and Art Analysis

B) Greek Playrights:

Aeschylus : The Complete Greek Tragedies: Aeschylus II
Aeschylus : The Oresteia : Agamemnon; The Libation Bearers; The Eumenides
Sophocles : Antigone, Oedipus the King, and Electra (Oxford World's Classics)
Euripides: Medea, Hippolytus, Heracles, Bacchae (Focus Classical Library)
Great Dialogues of Plato
Aristophanes: Four Plays by Aristophanes: The Clouds, The Birds, Lysistrata, The Frogs

5. SCIENCE: Astronomy I & II:

Creator and Creation, 3rd Edition
Brother Astronomer: Adventures of a Vatican Scientist
Essential Cosmic Perspective, The (5th Edition)

6. LANGUAGE ARTS

A) Formal Composition II:

Format Writing
Great Writing: A Reader For Writers

B) Formal Grammar I:

Jensen’s Grammar

C) Formal Logic:

Traditional Logic 1 : Intro. to Formal Logic

D) Pennmanship:

Handwriting 5 for Young Catholics (to review the basics)

E) Punctuation:

Jensen’s Punctuation

7. FOREIGN LANGUAGES: Classical Latin I

Wheelock’s Latin : 6th Edition, Revised
Wheelock’s Latin : Workbook for Wheelock’s Latin, 3rd Edition, Revised
Wheelock’s Latin : A Comprehensive Guide to Wheelock’s Latin: Newly Revised for Wheelock’s 6th Edition

8. MATHEMATICS: Algebra II

Teaching Textbooks Algebra 2 Kit

Grade 2: Cycle D: Ancient History & Anatomy

NOTE: I wish my kids would be ready for Cycle E: Greek History & Astronomy so that they would be able to discuss things with our older son but that Cycle is labeled as appropriate for Grades 4 - 8, my two would be too little for their book selection.

1. RELIGION: Religion 4

Faith and Life 4: Jesus Our Guide
Baltimore Catechism

2. SOCIAL STUDIES / WORLD HISTORY: Classical History

Story of the World : Volume 1: Ancient Times: From the Earliest Nomads to the Last Roman Emperor, Revised Edition
Story of the World Vol. 1 : Ancient Times, Activity Book

3. LITERATURE: Literature

Landscape With Dragons, A : The Battle for Your Child’s Mind
Paideia Program
Let the Authors Speak : Guide to Worthy Books

4. FINE ARTS:

A) Art Appreciation:

Faith and Life 1: Our Heavenly Father (Student Book)
Faith and Life 4: Jesus Our Guide (Student Book)
Art-with-an-Active-Eye Notebook

B) Art Practice:

Art With a Purpose : Artpac 3
Art With a Purpose : Artpac 4

C) Music Appreciation:

Classical Kids
Mozart’s Magic Fantasy: A Journey Through ’The Magic Flute’
Hallelujah Handel!
Beethoven Lives Upstairs (Audio CD)

5. SCIENCE: Anatomy & Health

Body Book, The
Blood and Guts: A Working Guide to Your Own Insides

6. LANGUAGE ARTS:

A) Grammar/Composition 2:

Voyages in English 2006 Grade 2, Student Edition

B) Pennmanship:

Handwriting 2 for Young Catholics

C) Reading Skills:

Catholic National Reader Volume 2

D) Spelling/Reading Skills:

Explode the Code Book 5
Explode the Code Book 6

7. FOREIGN LANGUAGES: Latin Chant

Minimum Repertoire of Plain Chant

8. MATHEMATICS: Mathematics G

Math U See Gamma : Student Kit
Math U See Gamma : Teacher Pack
Starter Set 1 (Manipulatives)
Skip Count and Addition Facts CD and Book
Math in a Flash Multiplication flashcards

Grade 1: All of Cycle D: Ancient History & Anatomy

except the following:

1. RELIGION: Religion 1

Faith and Life 1: Our Heavenly Father

2. LANGUAGE ARTS:
A) Grammar/Composition 1

Voyages in English 2006 Grade 1, Student Edition

B) Pennmanship:

Handwriting Without Tears 2 : Printing Power
Handwriting Without Tears : 2nd Grade Printing Teacher Guide
Handwriting Without Tears : Slate Chalkboard

C) Reading/Spelling Skills

Little Angel Readers Set A-D : Readers, Workbooks, and Teacher’s Manual

3. MATHEMATICS: Mathematics B

Math U See Beta : Student Kit
Math U See Beta : Teacher Pack
Starter Set 1 (Manipulatives)
Skip Count and Addition Facts CD and Book
Math in a Flash Addition flashcards

LITTLE ONES

For the little ones ages two (2) and four (4), we are going to use a new curriculum (which I will also be reviewing):

Preschool

Twenty-Six Letters to Heaven: A Catholic Preschool Curriculum

by Sarah V. Park (Hillside Education)

In this creative curriculum, you'll find easy-to-use activities to introduce your preschooler to the alphabet. For each letter, Sarah has provided:

1) Saint of the Week suggestions

2) Virtue and Scripture verse,

3) Crafts & Activities,

4) Collage ideas,

5) Picture Book lists, and

6) Recipes.

Tot School

For our two year old we will also use a little of the Preschool curriculum above but mostly Montessori Activities: Puzzles, board books, hands on activities!

Three Simple Strategies on Funding this Approach:

The Classical Liberal Arts approach *can* be pricey and when I posted our curriculum selection, that was one of my friends pointed out. I will be taking advice from veteran homeschool moms whom have been using this approach in the past.

1) Use your local public library: You *can* buy all the books and build your library but if you don't have the money to do that, you can always use your local library system and supplement your curriculum (this just requires more planning on your part ahead of time).

2) Buy your curriculum by Semester: Plan your lessons ahead of time by semesters and months. Look up what you need and budget yourself so that you purchase it in two parts. Semester One would be ordered in the Summer and Semester Two books would be ordered in the Winter (December)

3) When possible, buy used: There are so many ways (when allowed by the publisher) to buy books and textbooks used. You can do this by either asking locals in your area if anyone happens to either be selling a book or have one sitting on their shelf without being use (who knows maybe they might even loan it to you, if they know you and would like to do it?). Another method is to look online. Here are three places I search for used curriculum:
A) CathSwap (on Yahoo Groups)
B) Catholic Swap/Chat (on Facebook)

C) Homeschool Classifieds (website)

Prepare for Pentecost: Holy Ghost Novena

2012-05-18T13:04:00.000-04:00

One of my all-time favorite novenas is the novena in honor of the Holy Spirit. It is the oldest of all novenas since it was first made at the direction of Our Lord Himself when He sent His apostles back to Jerusalem to await the coming of the Holy Spirit on the first Pentecost. It is still the only novena officially prescribed by the Church. Addressed to the Third Person of the Blessed Trinity, it is a powerful plea for the light and strength and love so sorely needed by every Christian.

In preparation for Pentecost Sunday, here are the nine posts (I've posted them here at Raising Little Saints in the past) of this beautiful Novena. Our eldest son just received Confirmation and he will be in charge of heading this prayer devotion for our family.

Day One: "Spirit"

Day Two: "Fear"

Day Three: "Piety"

Day Four: "Fortitude"

Day Five: "Knowledge"

Day Six: "Understanding"

Day Seven: "Counsel"

Day Eight: "Wisdom"

Day Nine: "Fruits of the Holy Ghost"

Teaching Reading: Working with Words {Shake It, Roll It, Write It Game}

2012-05-17T15:40:00.001-04:00

Months ago, I wrote a post on essentials in teaching reading. I would like to continue this series with focusing on working with words. Like I said in my last post, the more interesting you make it for kids the more they will want to participate in the steps to learn how to read independently. This next activity gives you an idea of a game you can use over and over again to make creating words and reading interesting for little ones.

This next game I call: "Shake it, Roll it, and Write it!" I've created a printable to share with you and here are some pictures with my kinder and first graders using this game to learn new words or practice old one

Click here to access the PDF for this game

With this printable you will be able to create seven blocks each unique to the other to create this game.

This is the recording sheet I created to accompany the game.
I inserted mine in sheet protectors and the kids used dry erase markers

The final recording sheet. This one was played as a team, so they both had the same words and score since it was one of the first times we played. Once proficient, the kids will get to compete with one another. This game could also be played solo or keep track of weekly scores.

Adopt-a-Seminarian: A Bitter Sweet Story

2012-05-15T16:16:00.000-04:00

Before our move two months ago, I prayed that we could live near our parish so that we could have our Pastor or priests interact with our family and basically be like family. Todd and I have a strong devotion to pray for the priesthood, after all we created 40 Days for Priests, and pray that we are blessed with at least one if not many vocations! When I grow up, I want to be like this mom who had ten children and they all became a priest or a nun and one even a Bishop! Can you imagine that? We pray this prayer for the vocation of my children all of the time.

Here they are with Pope John XXIII:

Ask and you shall receive:

We have had the wonderful opportunity to help a Seminarian friend of ours names Allan learn English. He is from Brazil and needs to learn the language to be able to attend Our Lady of Guadalupe Seminary this Fall. We have been working with him for almost four weeks now. Every weekend, Todd picks him up on Saturday mornings and Allan stays at our home all day, eats lunch and dinner with us and then he goes back to the Rectory. Same thing happens on Sundays and on a couple occasions, we got him to come over during the week. It has been a total honor and privilege to help this holy young man learn English and for such an amazing cause! {By the way he blogs over at Vida Sacerdotal if you want to pay him a visit, it is in Portuguese though}

Our Lady of Guadalupe Seminary

BUT he is such a handful! He's funny, knowledgeable in the Faith, and he loves children...to us he is like having a living saint at our home. My children simply adore him! I think God works in mysterious ways...and His plans are so perfect. Allan's presence in our home has been a total blessing. I think we have been the ones to thank him for the opportunity to help him learn English and for teaching us so much more!

This week Allan leaves to Nebraska and we aren't sure when it will be the next time we get to see him. I *know* we are all going to cry (bitter sweet tears) when we last see him this coming Thursday morning after Ascension Thursday Mass. You see Allan has become part of our family.

I'd like so share some pictures of our time together with him:

my kids adore him!

this was Allan's idea...just so you can get a gist of his personality :p

he really enjoyed our walk in the park/woods

St. Francis look alike :p

yes that is a seminarian in a cassock riding a skateboard down my street!

Allan sitting on our front porch

What do you think? Can we find a better way to foster vocations with our children? I don't think so I like this new "program" of temporarily adopting a seminarian. :)

Allan, you will be in our prayers and missed dearly but know that you have five littles ones praying for you constantly! We love you!

Friends, can I beg you for prayers for Allan? Thank you!

A Word on Caution on Homeschooling {and a letter to myself}

2012-05-14T16:23:00.002-04:00

What's the old saying, "hind-sight is 20/20"? If I knew what I know today about homeschooling back in 2008 when we first started thinking about it, I wouldn't have had a second thought about it. Homeschooling is a BIG decision, I'm not trying to make it seem otherwise. We all have these doubts, so moms and dads that *just* made the decision or still on the fence about it, this one is for you. I decided to write a letter to myself (three years ago) pointing out the things that my children would be missing if they were to be pulled out of regular school or never attended it, as is the case of my younger children.:

Dear Erika (past):

Right now you are worried about damaging your eldest son because you are pulling him out of Catholic School and formal schooling which he's been in all of his short life but I wanted to tell you a couple things for you to ponder on. Right now you are wondering if your children will miss out on anything, if they will resent you for not allowing them to attend the contemporary approach to schooling and I wanted to tell you that maybe you are right he will miss out on tons of things...for example:

1. your children will not be able to learn some cuss words from other kids.

2. they might not get to learn what the latest fad is, clothing, electronics, etc., and covet them constantly,

3. your children might not get to learn about sex too early, or able to hear what the "birds and the bees" are really all about from his/her peers,

4. they will not get a chance to be exposed to immodest clothing from those girls who got to school as if they were going to the beach,

5. your children will also not get to hear liberal leaning history of the world,

6. your children might not even get to fully understand how extremely populated the world is and how much he needs to limit his family when he grows up,

7. they might also not get a chance to attend a religious school that might just be teaching things erroneously and then you don't get a chance to correct these errors when he gets home from school,

8. your children will definitely not get to sit all day at his desk without moving, or exploring the outdoors.

9. they won't get to interact with kids that are only their particular age, because you know the real world is like that we only hang out with people that are pretty much a year older or younger or our same age,

and last but not least:

10. your children don't go to regular school, they won't get a chance to socialize with others, he will be shy and never want to talk to adults and definitely won't learn manners.

Are you running out the door right now to register your children in school now? This is just the tip of what your child will miss out on if they went to "regular" schooling.

In Christ,

Erika (present)

PS: There is ONE thing you DO need for this journey, the Sacraments...receive them as frequently as possible to receive as MANY graces as possible...all things with God are possible!

Today, I pray the Lord allows me to continue schooling my children at home.

My friend Allison has another similar post entitled, Letter To A Mom With Homeschool Doubts

Writing Activity to Create a Mother's Day Card

2012-05-11T15:30:00.001-04:00

So these are the days when I do miss my kids being in school, I just love the little things they made for me at school. So this gave me the idea of creating something here to use at our homeschool. Of course, I wanted to share it! :) Here it is! A writing activity to create a Mother's Day card.

Page1: Use this as the cover page, have your child draw and color a picture of Mom.

Page 2: Brainstorm words that describe mom.

Page 3: Write a paragraph describing mom using the words from page 2.

Put them all together on a big construction paper folded like a card and voila! Now to avoid you seeing this, if you want it to be a surprise of course, have your eldest child collect them and put them in an envelope or folder and hide it until Sunday! :)

I can't show you the ones my kids made yet, so this is roughly what it should look like:

Happy Mother's Day, dear friends!

Introducing Catholic Homeschooling 101: A Tutorial for Beginners

2012-05-11T11:16:00.002-04:00

Now that I am seeing year three come to an end, I like to think back of how our journey started. This leads to thinking about the good and the bad, what I did and loved, what we did and changed...but that is the beauty of home educating, you have control of your curriculum and you can pick and choose what works best for your child(ren). :)

So in thinking back, the only thing I wish I had was a "tutorial" of sorts so that I had a better idea of what to do STEP-BY-STEP. Call me square if you want, but I really love "how-to" books and blog posts. I find them extremely valuable and well, experience is the most important thing in life, in all aspects actually. Honestly, I learned more from my homeschooling mommy peers (whom do not have teaching degrees) than from co-workers with Masters or PhDs. You cannot trade a degree for experience, honest to goodness. When I first started homeschooling, I looked like a freshman in college next to these ladies. (SHOUT OUT: Thank you Betsy, Katie, Stephanie, Tina, RuthAnne, Richelle, and Kimberely for all your guidance, patience, and support! I truly could not have done it without you and might have already been a "homeschool drop out" if it wasn't for you lovely ladies!)

So here it is, a series of How-To's on home educating entitled "Catholic Homeschooling 101". It is my hopes that this little tutorial will guide, help and support those who do not have the same IRL support that I received from my friends.

So stay tuned for upcoming tips, tricks, and ideas for Catholic Homeschooling! I'll be talking about:

About Goals
About Learning
About Life
About Growing Up
About Fun
About Sleep
About Letting Go
About Love
About Procrastination
About Time Management
About Work
and more...

Time4Learning Product Review

2012-05-09T14:29:00.001-04:00

I've been invited to try Time4Learning for one month in exchange for a candid review. My opinion will be entirely my own, so be sure to come back and read about my experience. Time4Learning can be used as a homeschool curriculum, for afterschool enrichment and for summer skill sharpening. Find out how to write your own curriculum review for Time4Learning.

SHARE: First Communion Stories from Aquinas and More Catholic Goods

2012-05-08T16:52:00.001-04:00

In case you haven't heard of this:

First Communion Stories is pleased to announce its annual First Holy Communion Story contest once again!

From May 1- May 21, submit your unique story about your First Holy Communion. Be sure to create an account and then send it in!
Your story can be as long or short as you would like. Here are a few, simple rules:
1) Be truthful
2) Talk about good things — this isn’t a place to rant about the lousy liturgy, etc
3) Enter tags for your city, year and church name so other people can browse stories from the same area.
4) For privacy reasons, please do not include last names in your story.
From May 22-May 29, you will have a chance to vote on your favorite First Holy Communion story.
Winners will be announced on May 31.

Our lucky winner will receive a $100 gift card to our store, Aquinas and More Catholic Goods!

Two Runner-ups will each receive a $25.00 gift card to our store,Aquinas and More Catholic Goods.

Happy submitting!

Click here

First Confession Prep: Examination of Conscience {Free Printable}

2012-05-05T14:04:00.000-04:00

As you know our second son has been preparing for his First Confession. I posted his struggles memorizing the Act of Contrition. I'm happy to report that our little pictograph ideas is working! YAY! If you don't know what I'm talking about visit my post: and grab it for your child(ren).

Act of Contrition

Next I wanted him to learn to examine his conscience well from the start. So I turned to the 10 Commandments for this. I created an Examination of Conscience for him to read through and prepare for Confession. Here's what it looks like and a freebie printable to share with my RLS friends:

Basic Examination of Conscience for Little Ones

Enjoy!

First Friday & Saturday Consecration Prayers to the Two Hearts

2012-05-04T19:26:00.000-04:00

We did our Home Enthronement to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary almost a year ago. It was one of the most beautiful days for our family, we had some really nice ladies come and help with the Enthronement and to pray the Rosary with us.

Every first Friday and Saturday we try to make it out to Mass but when we cannot we do these simple prayers in honor of the Two Hearts based on the Consecration of St. Louis of Montfort. The prayers we like I've now created a PDF to share with you in hopes that you will join us in prayer.

Prayers to the Two Hearts, First Friday and Saturday Devotions (PDF)

Oh wait, I almost forgot, I have four {4}total Consecration Kits that I received from my friend Ray Mooney, the National Director of Parish Consecration over at MyConcecration.org that I'd love to share with my online friends. MyConsecration.org provides information about the Total Consecration to Jesus Through Mary, which was created by St. Louis de Montfort – one of Our Lady’s greatest apostles. Please fill out the Rafflecopter below for a chance to win one! Or, if you don't want to wait and win, you can ask for a free kit from them directly. :) But this is more fun, no?

PS: they now have an APP for the Total Consecration, check it out!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Organized Mom = Happy Home {Daily Organizer Free Printable}

2012-05-03T17:27:00.000-04:00

WARNING: I am not an organized person, never was as a child, nor a young adult, and now as an adult it has been one of my constant struggles. When I first read books like A Mother's Rule of Life by Holly Pierlot, I thought, "there is no way I can micro-manage my life like that - NEVER happening, nope...I will be miserable!" Honestly, I believed that becoming a micro-manager in my home, homeschool, and daily life would equal a tormented mommy and wife. I mean if every aspect of my life was organized and timed and schedule, when would I find the time to "play", "relax" and really "enjoy life". So I went with the flow like I always did, organized my homeschool, some, the house, some, my prayer life, some. But my so-called "freedom mentality" was just the opposite! Yeah, I admit it, I was dead wrong!

With the move to the new house and adding 400+ square feet more to clean and keep organized PLUS depleting the house of clutter by selling or giving away TONS of things before the move, this was my opportunity to give this micro-management a try. I went kicking and screaming, I confess (to you and my spiritual director). So I started searching for a method, a practice, what would work for me but also get me to be super organized. I bought a new book written by fellow Catholic homeschooler (and blogger) Laura Dominick entitled, A Plan for Joy in the Home (highly recommend it!), re-read the old ones (actually, I skimmed), and searched the internet for an answer, Holly at The Three Sided Wheel has other great printables and has been a great inspiration to me. After seeing many examples of great domesticity and ideas, I came up with a game plan to implement at home. {Pray for me, this hasn't been easy but it is so necessary.}

It's amazing how getting everything written down on paper helps to get your life in order.

I will be posting in parts, the way I set up a cleaning schedule, a chore schedule (which we are still working on), a school schedule and daily micro-management of my home. Maybe, my struggles will be an inspiration to another mama like me, who struggles in this department? So here I will chronicle my journey to becoming an Organized Mama and in turn creating a Happy, Healthy and Holy Home (Domestic Church anyone?). I, of course, will also be sharing all the goodies I've spent time working on. They are, obviously, going to be super "cuttie-patooty", because I'm a visual learner and like "pretty". So today I'd like to share my Daily Organizer. I know it won't be a practical sheet for EVERYONE and yes it is in color but I do print front and back (to save trees) and also on draft mode (to save on ink).

Also, if you don't want to have to print this all the time, go ahead and print in regular mode (for bright colors), slip this into a heavy-duty sheet protector and use a dry erase marker. But if you are like me, I love saving the sheets to look back on things. Another idea is to print a week's worth and then sheet protect them so that you have the whole week to look at but other clean sheets available to use. Enjoy!

Daily Organizer

First Confession Prep: An Act of Contrition {free printable}

2012-04-28T00:09:00.001-04:00

Do you have a little one receiving Sacraments this year? We do, two actually! Our eldest is doing Confirmation and our second son is preparing for First Communion and First Confession this year! I'm so excited for him, he's got all his prayers down except the Act of Contrition. He is an auditory learner but with this one he just can't get it right. SO, I made a pictograph poster for him to practice with. Of course, I'm sharing it with my dear RLS friends! :)

A made a PDF file and a PowerPoint Presentation of it. Enjoy and feel free to pass it around to others.

Click HERE for the Act of Contrition printable PDF.

Act of Contrition

Photo Collage Maker Review & Giveaway

2012-04-26T15:30:00.002-04:00

Like my cover photo on my FB timeline?

I made it using Photo Collage Maker and I wrote a review for it and I'm giving away 20 free licenses for it...if you have TONS of kiddie pictures and want a quick way to create neat projects like this one, go and sign up to win! :) Visit my review and giveaway on 3 Boys and a Dog.

40 Days of Prayer Campaign

2012-04-24T10:54:00.000-04:00

Heard of Planned Parenthood's 40 Days of Prayer Campaign? Yeah, let's all gather around and pray for what? abortion? o.O

Check out my debut post on Catholic Sistas, a counter-campaign called 40 Days of Prayer for the Unity of ALL Women, born and unborn...with a free printable of prayer intentions....GO!

By Your Holy Cross

2012-04-07T23:56:00.001-04:00

We adore you Christ, and we praise You,

because by your Holy Cross,

You have redeemed the world!

Source: dennisjoealoy.tumblr.com via Forever on Pinterest

Holy Thursday: Jesus Gives Us a Mandate

2012-04-05T12:00:00.000-04:00

Yesterday, on Spy Wednesday, I said I wouldn't post today but I dawned on me today that Holy Thursday, or Maundy Thursday, was too important and special NOT to say something on Raising Little Saints. "The feast of Maundy (or Holy) Thursday solemnly commemorates the institution of the Eucharist and is the oldest of the observances peculiar to Holy Week." (source: New Advent Catholic Encyclopedia). Do you know what the word "maundy" means? In Latin, it means COMMAND or MANDATE. So today is the day that we call the Thursday which the Lord left us a command. What command would that be? Well lets turn to Scripture for that:

"If any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever; and the bread that I will give, is My flesh, for the life of the world. The Jews therefore strove among themselves, saying: How can this man give us His flesh to eat? Then Jesus said to them: Amen, amen I say unto you: Except you eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink His blood, you shall not have life in you. He that eateth My Flesh, and drinketh My Blood, hath everlasting life: and I will raise him up in the last day." (John 6)

"Jesus was only nine months in the womb of Mary, three hours on the Cross,
three days in the sepulcher, but He is always in the tabernacle.
Does our reverence before Him bear witness to this most blessed truth?"
Based on John 6, the words of Jesus Christ, Himself.

How does anyone not read this and realize the whole of our existence depends on this single pronouncement? It is not bread, it is not wine, it is your Creator, giving Himself to you gratuitously. Does any Christian that believes in Sola Scriptura not see that their belief system contradicts the Bible, and that in this passage God does not speak cavalierly?

His allegories, or parables, are for instruction. This is NOT an allegory. This is a very POINTED, blunt, take it or live it literal commandment. He went out of His way to make this point.

If He wishes the redemption of humanity for all the rest of time, this giving of His Body and Blood is not a symbol, and it wasn't just for His time. Those that believe in the Most Blessed Sacrament are the true fundamentalists, and we stake our very souls on this basic belief, that Jesus is Truth Incarnate.

He cannot deceive, nor be deceived.

He redeems us all, in His Body, and His Blood.

In this any Christian lives forever, or dies forever.

Agnus dei qui tollis peccata mundi,miserere nobis.
(Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world, have mercy on us.)

Spy Wednesday: Flowers, Blushing, Shame and Betrayal

2012-04-05T00:17:00.001-04:00

Did you know today, the On the Wednesday of Holy Week, is called "Spy Wednesday"? I had never heard of it until I saw friends on Facebook posting it here and there and everywhere. So I started looking into it...so here's the gist of it. It is called Spy Wednesday because this is the day Judas conspired with the Temple leadership to hand Jesus over tot he Sanhedrin. He would accomplish his task the evening of the next day, but today he makes arrangements to hand Jesus over and is paid. Because Judas is thought to be sneaky, his actions conjured up the image of a spy. This is how the Gospel of Matthew, Chapter 26: 14-25 recounts the events of today:

One of the Twelve, who was called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests and said, "What are you willing to give me if I hand him over to you?" They paid him thirty pieces of silver, and from that time on he looked for an opportunity to hand him over.

On the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the disciples approached Jesus and said, "Where do you want us to prepare for you to eat the Passover?" He said, "Go into the city to a certain man and tell him, 'The teacher says, AMy appointed time draws near; in your house I shall celebrate the Passover with my disciples."'" The disciples then did as Jesus had ordered,
and prepared the Passover.

When it was evening, he reclined at table with the Twelve. And while they were eating, he said,
"Amen, I say to you, one of you will betray me." Deeply distressed at this, they began to say to him one after another, "Surely it is not I, Lord?" He said in reply, "He who has dipped his hand into the dish with me is the one who will betray me. The Son of Man indeed goes, as it is written of him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed. It would be better for that man if he had never been born."

Then Judas, his betrayer, said in reply, "Surely it is not I, Rabbi?"
He answered, "You have said so."

So after that reading and talking some with the kids, we decided to pick four words that had meaning for this day, they selected: flowers, blushing, betrayal, and shame. We made this into a step-by-step art lesson using a picture of the tree Judas hung himself from, now known as the Judas Tree (or it's scientific name: ) We used our Draw-Write-Now book to start the tree off and then they each added something. The details was either my 7 year old's idea (like seeing Calvary from afar) or making gray clouds because "God was probably really sad at Judas," as my five year old daughter suggested. We used colored pencils, crayons, and markers to make it a mixed media project. Here are their masterpieces:

Of course, the rope from the tree was the boy's idea and he even added Judas.
My daughter went with the rope idea, minus the dead guy. Kids! :D

A Closer look at them:

They did these with just a little guidance from me, not bad for ages seven and five huh? :D

While I won't be posting the remainder of the week, here is my post from last year's Holy Thursday,

A Six Year Old's Take on daVinci's The Last Supper.

And our Holy Week Journey from last year with a FREE printable! :)

Have a blessed remainder of the week friends!

The “Real” War against Girls and Women

2012-03-22T06:53:00.001-04:00

By: German Munoz, Ph.D.
E-mail: gmunoz1313@aol.com
www.drgermanmunoz.com

The War against the Catholic Church
American President Barack Hussein Obama has attacked the religious freedom clause of the Constitution of the United States and is trying to make the Catholic Church submissive to the State.

Why? The Church rejects the government mandate to include sterilization services, and the birth control pill, including those which induce abortion, in the insurance policies for some Catholic institutions. She considers these products as sinful.

These matters were discussed in the article “Religious Freedom, the Pill, and the Womb: Sacred Space, Sacred Place”, which is found at www.drgermanmunoz.com.

Now, groups of “Obamamites” and others are accusing the Church with unleashing a war against women. The reason might be that they need to change the topic away from the attack of the President against religious freedom.

Ironically, this accusation against the Church is coming from groups which have been supportive of the murder of 25 million unborn baby girls in the United States through the crime of abortion, as well as the millions of baby girls victims of “the one-child” policy in China. These aborted unborn babies were denied the chance of womanhood.

Meanwhile, the Church has opposed both policies. Which side is in favor of women?

The War against Girls and Women
There is a war against girls and women, but this action is not coming from the Catholic Church, but from the materialist elite who are promoting the following:

Depriving girls of loving parents by the easy practice of no-fault divorce, which breaks up the family unit and wrecks the emotional stability of children so that adults can pursue their individual agendas.
Approving and even encouraging dating at a very early age which leads to loveless and uncommitted sex before marriage and which most often leave the girls feeling used and dirty.
Encouraging promiscuous behavior which gradually teaches girls not to love but to use the males as they have been used by them.
Exposing young girls to the sexual abuse by their unmarried mothers’ partners.
Creating idols or models in the movies and in the record industry who behave in sexually deprived ways, which are violent against women.
Censoring in our schools social science research which shows that the best sex is between married and faithful men and women.
Providing young girls with contraceptive pills which increase promiscuity, psychological and physical abuse by boys and men, unexpected pregnancies outside marriage, and certain venereal diseases.
Presenting girls and women with the option of IUDs (intrauterine devices) which can damage the walls of the uterus, create infections, and prevent natural conception.

There is more,

Encouraging abortions which torture and destroy the life of a human being, as well as creating in the mother such problems as depression, breast cancer, and death.
Advertising products by associating them to sensual females, thus treating women as pure commercial objects.
Inserting sex education classes in our elementary and secondary schools where a great number of teachers will promote all types of promiscuous and unloving sexual behavior.
Teaching girls to hate males.
Promoting pornography among boys and men (and also among females), thus creating men who cannot understand real women, who abuse them verbally, physically and sexually, and are unable to maintain a loving relationship.
Denying in schools an awareness of God, who alone can satisfy the ultimate needs of everyone, and who can support girls and women in difficult times.

Results of the War
The so-called “progressives” think that a society where girls and women are taught that they should be free to think, to say, and to do whatever they want should lead to great happiness for them. And yet, this is not what we find upon reading the research on the topic. Instead, what we find in our modern culture is shocking:

Less confidence and self-esteem among girls.
Less self-respect and strength in dealing with the aggressiveness of boys and men.
More willingness to use boys and men as the females react to the lust and narcissism of the males, thus creating a cycle of selfishness which leads them often to unhappy isolation.
More female teenage suicide.
More use of drugs.
Less educational achievements.
More fatherless children.
More children dependent on the state.
Rise of the authoritarian state which becomes “Father”
More divorces.
More poverty as children have either one parent or none.
More promiscuity.

The abuse of women was illustrated when a former President of the United States inserted a cigar into the vagina of a student intern working in the White House. There was no sense of self-respect or of love, neither on the part of the 18-year-old nor of the President. They were there to lustfully use each other. Ironically, so-called “women’s rights” groups were not very active in criticizing the President.

This behavior is in contrast to the life of Saint Maria Goretti, a twelve-year-old who was knifed seventeen times and was murdered for refusing the sexual assault of a teenager. For this reason, the Catholic Church calls her the Patroness Saint of Purity. She believed that her body was a temple of the Holy Spirit.

Conclusion
The Catholic Church, no matter the errors of Her children, is a protector of women. She knows that women have been given the gift of cooperating with God and with their husbands in the creation of human life.

Therefore, a major role of the Church is to protect the dignity and purity of women, for without her it is impossible to have and maintain families and raise our future priests. For this reason, She teaches:

The innocence of children regarding sexual matters.
The modesty in the clothing of our teenagers.
The delay of the dating process until maturity.
The sexual abstinence until marriage.
The use of natural family planning, which works together with the genius of the body and saves women from toxic products, such as the “pill”.
The commitment of marriage “’til death do us apart”.
The rejection of abortion which kills a human being, dehumanizes the mother, and could have ties to breast cancer.

On the other hand, the “Obamamites” stress the right of the woman to do whatever she wants in the area of human sexuality. Some are able to lead decent lives. However, a significant number end up isolated, frustrated and unhappy, for they have not learned to love others, to treat their bodies as a gift from God, to “be fruitful and multiply”, and to protect their offspring by teaching them self-respect and a loving morality.

In conclusion, while Catholics are not perfect for the Church has sinners, She also has saints, and is full of love for Her females. Her teachings are true and healthy for them.

***Reprinted with permission

Not that I feel that I need to add to this wonderful writing of Dr. Munoz, but just yesterday I posted this on my personal Facebook page: Documentary on how pornographic culture affects upbringing of children and teenagers. We should also pray to preserve the innocent and pray for those kids who have been exposed to this at such a young age.

Catholics Under Attack

2012-03-19T18:00:00.000-04:00

I am not a big fan of Glenn Beck but I agree with every word he says in this video. He's a Baptised Catholic, if you didn't know he was a Mormon (via marriage) when you watch this video you would think he was going back to his Faith! Pray for him as we do....amazing video, Glenn, thank you for your words!

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Saint Joseph - Happy Feast Day!

2012-03-19T12:02:00.001-04:00

A gift for you my friends, one of my most favorite prayers and painting of St. Joseph! Happy Feast day!

If you are struggling financially or without a job for you or your husband, please see my post A Simple Recipe for Spiritual Happiness and amazing Novena to St. Joseph, you can start it today! :)

If you want to download a better version, please do so on Facebook.

Here are all the fun things we did this morning to remember our beloved Saint Joseph!

Read the St. Joseph Poem/Rhyme from our Once Upon A Time Saints Series
Saint Joseph Lapbook by ThankEvann
Saint Joseph, the worker, coloring page by the Paper Doll Dali
Saint Joseph Cards by Shower of Roses (I played several games with this one, matching in a variety of forms, etc.)
Lastly, we watched a video that my friend Allison posted on her lovely blog, Totus Tuus on St. Joseph: The Man Closest to Christ
Tonight, when Dada gets home, we will watched Close to Jesus: Joseph of Nazareth on Netflix as a family!

Hope this helps you celebrate this wonderful feast day!

Saint Patrick's Day: CatholicMeme

2012-03-17T11:57:00.001-04:00

Visit last year's Saint Patrick's Day post with a link up full of great ideas on ways to celebrate this Feast Day!

Join US: St. Patrick's Feast Day Link up!

Share what your family is doing for this feast: