time to break out "the book"

A friend gave me a copy of On Becoming Babywise about a month before our oldest child was born (gosh, that was 11 years ago!). The premise is to put your infant on a sleep/wake schedule so they have a routine to their day and start sleeping through the night quite early. We have followed most of the plan and this very light-sleeping mommy is happy to report that all our babies started sleeping 6-8 hours stretches at night at around 2 months of age. In their own room.

Now, over the years I have heard many, many critiques, angry comments, accusations of neglect... from other mothers for following this plan. But what is so evil about making sure that a baby eats and is awake every 2-3 hours during the day? What is so horrid about making sure a baby doesn't sleep all day and stay up all night? I do have other children that need my attention and if I had experienced much more sleep-deprivation I doubt we would have had more than 1-2 children. I certainly have not had to deal with issues like these (from Faith and Family's coffee talk board this week):

I have an 18 month old who will sleep for a few hours on his own in a crib but then starts waking beginning about 1 a.m and wakes several times during the night. I have taken to bringing him into our bed and letting him nurse. However, he ends up nursing most of the night, latching on and off every 5 to 10 minutes... I love my son dearly, but my husband and I are suffering from sleep deprivation. I’m in my seventh month of pregnancy and having great difficulty being comfortable nursing and sleeping with my pregnant tummy.



We co-slept with our babies and they have never left! They are between 6 and 10 years old now and they will not, cannot sleep by themselves. We tried putting them in a room with each other but it wasn’t not enough. They are scared, they want snuggling, etc. They can’t even go to sleep until one of us lays down with them. So here we are, still all together. We’ve tried to force the issue several times over the years but we caved after all the wailing and sleepless nights.

lines worthy of the DMV

Well, God didn't grant my prayer request for a massive blizzard on this most depressing day, but at least all the Obama-fans got a little taste of what the next 4 years are going to be like if our new President has his way...

Lines of thousands of people snaked around the perimeter of the Cannon, Longworth and Rayburn buildings and down Independence Ave. as many ticket holders waited as long as four hours to clear security to enter the House offices to obtain their (inaugural) tickets.

"I'm freezing!" exclaimed Janae Wills of Decatur, Ill., who waited outside the Cannon House Office Building.

Her congressman seemed just as exasperated. "This is the craziest system I've seen," said the Illinois Democrat. "They should have opened every door. They should have gotten extra security. I can't shut people out. People (from his district) traveled 700 miles for this."

On a typical day, everyone except lawmakers must pass through a magnetometer and have their bags and cell phones X-rayed before entering the House office buildings. But on Monday, U.S. Capitol Police required all visitors, congressional aides and credentialed journalists to remove their shoes before coming inside.

carnival of homeschooling

Beverly is hosting the carnival this week with a cute theme about a found hat. We picked up a John Deere baseball hat for Will at the thrift store yesterday (everything was 50% off, how could I NOT go?) and I'm afraid he will remember to wear it more often than his retainer.

"Take that thing off at the supper table!"

the longest week of the year...

is week 15 of the school calendar. We follow Seton's lesson plans pretty faithfully and I find that that particular week drags on and on. There another 3 weeks to go before the end of the quarter and the dreaded book reports still have yet to be started. Then it seems like BAM! we break through and we reach the promised land of week 17.

Usually what I do is let the stack of work get progressively shorter as we take the quarter's tests, starting fresh after we send the whole packet out in the mail. However, this year with Baby Sunshine due in 7 weeks, I am pushing ahead on these subjects until all the assignments are completed. So while Will is still on week 16 in history

(they put down reading the whole chapter in 1 day which is too much info to process and retain), he is on week 20 in science (bees are very interesting creatures). Mary is on week 17 in most subjects, but week 19 in history and week 20 in science.

I have tried to explain my need to get as much school finished as possible before the baby arrives, but I still hear whining, "I took the test in this already!" The only subject I haven't gotten any complaints about is Will's science text, Apologia's Flying Creatures of the Fifth Day. I am glad we chose this alternative book, we are learning lots about birds, bats, flying dinosaurs, and insects and it is presented in a Christian and colorful manner.

today...

is National Sanctity of Life Day:

All human life is a gift from our Creator that is sacred, unique, and worthy of protection. On National Sanctity of Human Life Day, our country recognizes that each person, including every person waiting to be born, has a special place and purpose in this world. We also underscore our dedication to heeding this message of conscience by speaking up for the weak and voiceless among us.

The most basic duty of government is to protect the life of the innocent. My Administration has been committed to building a culture of life by vigorously promoting adoption and parental notification laws, opposing Federal funding for abortions overseas, encouraging teen abstinence, and funding crisis pregnancy programs. In 2002, I was honored to sign into law the Born-Alive Infants Protection Act, which extends legal protection to children who survive an abortion attempt. I signed legislation in 2003 to ban the cruel practice of partial birth abortion, and that law represents our commitment to building a culture of life in America. Also, I was proud to sign the Unborn Victims of Violence Act of 2004, which allows authorities to charge a person who causes death or injury to a child in the womb with a separate offense in addition to any charges relating to the mother.

America is a caring Nation, and our values should guide us as we harness the gifts of science. In our zeal for new treatments and cures, we must never abandon our fundamental morals. We can achieve the great breakthroughs we all seek with reverence for the gift of life.
The sanctity of life is written in the hearts of all men and women. On this day and throughout the year, we aspire to build a society in which every child is welcome in life and protected in law. We also encourage more of our fellow Americans to join our just and noble cause. History tells us that with a cause rooted in our deepest principles and appealing to the best instincts of our citizens, we will prevail.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, GEORGE W. BUSH, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim January 18, 2009, as National Sanctity of Human Life Day. I call upon all Americans to recognize this day with appropriate ceremonies and to underscore our commitment to respecting and protecting the life and dignity of every human being.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this fifteenth day of January, in the year of our Lord two thousand nine, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-third.

GEORGE W. BUSH

progress

Michelle of Rosetta Stone asked when she and her 6 kids came over on Wednesday for a playdate, "How do you get any sewing done?"


Yesterday afternoon while Timmy napped I let the kids loose with a box of brownie mix and Mary's EZ Bake Oven. While the kitchen looked like a bomb had gone off in a truffle factory, I was able to put another row on each side of my on-going project.

It was pretty much a given...

that the heroic pilot of Flight 1549, Chesley B. “Sully” Sullenberger is a military veteran. Following proper Captain protocol, he walked the plane twice to make sure no passengers were left behind before getting off himself.

I bet even the liberals on board were grateful for the tax dollars required for training Navy and Air Force pilots. May God bless all our military and retired military members this day.

it wasn't me!

A conservative mom of 5 called Rush Limbaugh the other day:

CALLER: I'm in my thirties, and I see the hypocrisy, the double standards of our government, particularly the Democrats, and it's frustrating. I do it right. You know, my husband has a good job. We didn't borrow too much money and we put 20% down on our house and now I'm told I have to sacrifice; I have to give. Well, wait a minute. My husband works hard. I work hard. We raise our family. We take care of our family. I just want the government to leave me alone. Let me raise my family.

RUSH: I agree a hundred percent, but unfortunately the American people elected somebody that doesn't want to leave you alone... They elected somebody that wants to blame people like you! ...You are in your early thirties, and you got five crumb crunchers?

CALLER: -- ...yes, five children that my husband and I could afford, we could raise. We can love. We can take care of. But to liberals, I am a terrible person....You know, the world's overpopulated, I'm contributing to global warming, and --

RUSH: ...they'll start attacking you personally. They'll start attacking the people you believe in. I mean, it's fun to do if you can keep your sanity about it, but, look, the hypocrisy...You're seeing all these double standards... There's a different set of rules for Democrats and Republicans.

I'm going to tell you why that is, Danielle. The reason why Republicans are held to higher standards is twofold, two reasons. One, they actively suggest that they have higher standards that they seek to reach and attain. At the same time, they are despised (this is the second reason) by liberals and the media precisely because they attempt to maintain standards.

The left, on the other hand, they don't talk about maintaining any standards -- behavioral, personal, or otherwise. There aren't any. Liberalism, in fact, is not based on standards. So they really can't commit ethics violations, ...But a party that maintains it has no standards -- in fact, standards are judgmental, standards are discriminatory, standards are unfair.

There are two sets of rules. Nothing's fair, and the so-called arbiter of the rules have chosen up sides, the media, and they've thrown in entirely with the Democrats.

I'm proud of my clothes shopping venue!

This article from Britain reminded me of seeing the cover of the National Enquirer when it announced, "Angela Jolie: pregnant again with twins!" Real moms know that she doesn't actually take care of all these children, her staff does that. She can still get up at 8am, take an uninterrupted shower, do a 60 minute workout with her trainer, eat a prepared breakfast, and put on her makeup without 3 children asking her, "Mommy, why are you putting goop on your face?" The only thing that Mrs. Brad Pitt does is attempt to make American mothers feel guilty for not looking as glamorous (but with no hired help).

The premise is that a aristocrat goes slumming to see what all the hubbub is about in the English equivalent of $ stores. But the message is all about class status and how one should not venture beyond one's sphere, including shopping venues. This is the exact opposite rationale in my all time favorite money books, The Millionaire Next Door. Most American millionaires drive 10 year old cars, many clip coupons, and they don't show off their money. My guess that most British bigwigs didn't actually earn their money, they inherit it and the pompous attitude comes for free.

Luckily here in America there is no social stigma from shopping at the thrift store. In fact while we were stationed in Italy the officer's wives club held a luncheon, complete with a runway modeling session showcasing all the fabulous clothes one could purchase at the on-base thrift shop they ran for charity. It was a stitch watching the Marine Brig. General's wife helping the Admiral's wife zip up the back of her dress, "Isn't this lovely, can you believe it was only $3!"

The Daily Mail on-line The daughter of Lord Wyatt and Hungarian baroness Veronica Banszky von Ambroz, she's not your average shopper.

What is a girl like me doing in a shop like this? My idea of a bargain has always been the Harvey Nichols sale, while my food has been sourced locally from Waitrose. This week, I read about a chain called Poundland...

Edmonton Green does not exactly shriek with chic. No fashionista would be caught dead in such a shopping centre. Half the shoppers look grey and sort of hopeless. The other half look like criminals.

The majority of Poundland customers are of the social class C1 and C2. Store manager Mike Fields later tells me that 'a lot of people used to look down on us, but things are changing. We have seen an increasing number of middle-class shoppers. They can't afford to look down on us now.'

I approach a middle-aged woman who looks as apprehensive as I do and is wearing a silk scarf. She says her name is Mary and she started coming here a month ago. 'The area's a bit dodgy', she whispers. 'But in this economic climate I can't afford Waitrose. I do feel there is a bit of a social stigma attached, but what can I do?'

There are more middle-class shoppers here, looking furtive, as if they'd been caught in a massage parlour. I approach one well-dressed woman and tell her I'm writing an article. 'Go away,' she hisses, holding her hand to her face.

To my astonishment, I spot a young woman wearing an expensive Emilio Pucci scarf and clutching a Louis Vuitton bag. Are things as bad as all that, I ask? Is her husband an unemployed hedge-fund manager? The young woman, who is called Elizabeth, grins. Her husband, who is dressed like a preppie, appears from the gardening tools section and looks equally amused.
'I'm not bankrupt, but I come here because it's cheap and why not save money?' he says in an American accent. 'We've just come here from the States and we don't understand this English thing about being ashamed to be in a store like this. You Brits had better change.

educational opportunity or just a big mess?

I have never been very sympathetic with homeschooling moms who buy curriculum at the drop of a hat and then abandon it, leaving their bookshelves full of stuff they don't use (after all, that stuff is really expensive). But I do have the tendency to collect games and puzzles at the thrift store which I justify by them being both educational and fun. Who can argue against purchase of a brand new River Crossing game for the low price of $2?

We have geography games, trivia games, word games, and thinking skills games. We have wooden puzzles for the toddler set, 24 piece puzzles for the preschoolers, and 100-500 piece puzzles for the big kids. Unfortunately we only have one place to put all these boxes and if Maggie or Charlie pull at a puzzle they tend to make the stacks unstable, leading to them toppling all over the floor.

While we do play with some of these games and spend much time putting together puzzles, I wish there was a better way to organize and schedule time to play together as a family. Every so often we have movie night, but maybe we should have a regular weekly night to actually play all these wonderful learning games. Otherwise the collection is just a very colorful wall decoration.

carnival of homeschooling

Alasandra is hosting the carnival this week with a teal theme in honor of cervical/ovarian cancer awareness month. Please keep up-to-date on your pap smears and read over the symptoms of ovarian cancer. My mother passed away in 2007 from this silent cancer, living only 6 months from diagnosis.

making a list, checking it twice

You would think that by baby #6 I wouldn't need very many clothes. As luck would have it I thought we were all finished with that part of our lives and gave away 5 bags of baby clothes (mostly girl things) 3 weeks before I found out I was pregnant again.

After last week's consumer "protection" scare I made a list of everything I could possibly need in the near future. By guessing a great deal, I figure we shell out about $800/year for outfitting 6 kids by buying used, while buying the same clothes retail would cost over $3000/year. With the possibility of this valuable piece of paper getting lost, I decided to go ahead and buy what I needed. $200 later we have only a few pairs of boots to search for and the whole crew as well as baby Sunshine are ready to be outfitted for the next 4 years.

I just really hope that the ultrasound tech was quite sure that it is a girl!

story time

this from The London Telegraph:
The poll of 3,000 British parents - by TheBabyWebsite.com - revealed a quarter of mothers now rejected some classic fairy tales.

Sarah Pilkinton, 36, a mother-of-three from Sevenoaks, Kent, told researchers: "I loved the old fairy stories when I was growing up. I still read my children some of the classics like Sleeping Beauty and Goldilocks, but I must admit I've not read them The Gingerbread Man or Hansel and Gretel. "They are both a bit scary and I remember having difficulty sleeping after being read those ones when I was little."

Two-thirds of parents said traditional fairytales had stronger morality messages than many modern children's stories. But many said they were no longer appropriate to soothe youngsters before bed. Almost 20 per cent of adults said they refused to read Hansel and Gretel because the children were abandoned in a forest - and it may give their own sons and daughters nightmares. A fifth did not like to read The Gingerbread Man as he gets eaten by a fox.

The most popular book read at bedtime is now The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle.
The simple tale, which features a greedy caterpillar eating too much food, was written in 1969. (perhaps with the current epidemic of childhood obesity this one should be struck from the list too)
It also emerged 65 per cent of parents preferred to read their children happier tales at bedtime, such as the Mr Men, The Gruffalo and Winnie the Pooh.
Three quarters of mothers and fathers try to avoid stories which might give their children nightmares and half of all parents would not consider reading a single fairy tale to their child until they reached the age of five.

Top bedtime stories of 2008:
1. The Very Hungry Caterpillar, Eric Carle (1969) (okay, we have this one)
2. Mr Men, Roger Hargreaves (1971)
3. The Gruffalo, Julia Donaldson (1999)
4. Winnie the Pooh, A.A. Milne (1926) (we have my childhood copy)
5. Aliens Love Underpants, Claire Freedman & Ben Cort (2007)
6. Thomas and Friends from The Railway Series, Rev.W.Awdry (1945)
7. The Wind in the Willows, Kenneth Grahame (1908) (another one from my childhood bookshelf)
8. What a Noisy Pinky Ponk!, Andrew Davenport (2008)
9. Charlie and Lola, Lauren Child (2001)
10. Goldilocks and the Three Bears, Robert Southey (1837)

Top 10 fairy tales we no longer read:
1. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
2. Hansel and Gretel
3. Cinderella
4. Little Red Riding Hood
5. The Gingerbread Man
6. Jack and the Beanstalk
7. Sleeping Beauty
8. Beauty and the Beast
9. Goldilocks and the Three Bears
10. The Emperor's New Clothes

We own all 10 of these "non-read" books and have almost read them to pieces. I guess we aren't very PC or worried about scaring our little tykes. The funny thing is that I can't remember the last time any of our kids had a nightmare. Children are very observant and can tell the difference between a real story and a fairy tale. Mine are always asking, "Is this book true?" I do admit to adding commentary during some of the stories, such as in Jack and the Beanstalk, "Would you trade your cow for some magic beans? (isn't it a fairy tale ponzi scheme?) The giant's wife is pretty dumb, isn't she? (Would you let some stranger in our house?) How did the mother know that was Jack's father's magic hen? (don't all chickens look alike?) How would they get that dead giant out of there? (the smell would be pretty awful. I would think they would have to move?)" The kids giggle and we read on.

A few weeks ago the older children and the girls next door put together the play of Goldilocks and the Three Bears. They copied the text, rehearsed, made props, labeled the seats for the parents, and put on the production. It was a hit! I was amazed that 3 year old Kate could remember her lines, and they even offered refreshments after the show. I would reassure British parents that no one seemed to be frightened of bears or little girls with no manners.

If a child is never exposed to stories that have drama and heroics then they will be limited in their thinking and problem solving skills. Children also need exposure to tales in which good triumphs over evil. I urge parents of little ones to read classic fairy tales and other good stories to their children every day, for if they do, they will one day find their 8 year old huddled in the bathroom at 9pm staring at a novel.

"What are you doing? Get back in bed."

"But, I LOVE to read!"

I would like to think...

that if we had been in that METRO station I would have had the kids sit in a circle around Joshua and just listen. A museum can wait, it will still be there next time, but to hear this is priceless.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hnOPu0_YWhw

I don't know who wrote this, but it certainly made an impact on me:

A man sat at a metro station in Washington, DC and started to play the violin; it was a cold January morning. He played six Bach pieces for about 45 minutes. During that time, since it was rush hour, it was calculated that thousand of people went through the station, most of them on their way to work. Three minutes went by and a middle aged man noticed there was musician playing. He slowed his pace and stopped for a few seconds and then hurried up to meet his schedule. A minute later, the violinist received his first dollar tip: a woman threw the money in the till and without stopping continued to walk. A few minutes later, someone leaned against the wall to listen to him, but the man looked at his watch and started to walk again. Clearly he was late for work.
The one who paid the most attention was a 3 year old boy. His mother tugged him along, hurried but the kid stopped to look at the violinist. Finally the mother pushed hard and the child continued to walk turning his head all the time. This action was repeated by several other children. All the parents, without exception, forced them to move on.
In the 45 minutes the musician played, only 6 people stopped and stayed for a while. About 20 gave him money but continued to walk their normal pace. He collected $32. When he finished playing and silence took over, no one noticed it. No one applauded, nor was there any recognition.
No one knew this but the violinist was Joshua Bell, one of the best musicians in the world. He played one of the most intricate pieces ever written, with a violin worth 3.5 million dollars.
Two days before his playing in the subway, Joshua Bell sold out at a theater in Boston and the seats average $100.
This is a real story. Joshua Bell playing incognito in the metro station was organized by the Washington Post as part of an social experiment about perception, taste and priorities of people. The outlines were: in a commonplace environment at an inappropriate hour: Do we perceive beauty? Do we stop to appreciate it? Do we recognize the talent in an unexpected context?
One of the possible conclusions from this experience could be: If we do not have a moment to stop and listen to one of the best musicians in the world playing the best music ever written, how many other things are we missing?

update on Consumer Products Act

I just got off the phone with a nice lady at the Consumer Products Safety Commission and feel much more calm than I was a few days ago. Yesterday the Commission put out a bulletin that stated that used products were exempt from lead testing. So thrift stores and children's consignment stores as well as the parents who shop there are safe from closure.

However, there was still the issue of small and cottage industries such as moms who make diapers, slings, quilts, etc. from having to test every item which folks say costs between $500-$4000 per component. It seems that the onus for safety should be on the manufacturer of the fabric, leather, metal... instead of the person who uses it to make something. Why should the regulations be different for a person making a dress for themselves vs. making one to sell to their neighbor? Shouldn't the materials be safe for all?

So after expressing these concerns to the Commission's staff member she stated that they will be issuing more clarifications and exemptions in regards to these very citizens. She said she couldn't tell me to ignore the law, but she said that they will be focusing their efforts on those products that pose the greatest risk and I should "read between the lines."

So... it seems that we won one small battle for American families and small businesses, but we must be constantly vigilant, since there seems to be ever more pushing for Brave New World policies in our nation.

grammar police again

effect: a noun that means "as a result of"
affect: a verb that mean "to cause"

advice: a noun that means "suggestion to another"
advise: a verb that means "to give a suggestion"

Please, homeschooling mothers look uneducated and incapable of teaching even 6 year olds if they can't distinguish between a noun and a verb. And don't even get me started on using "I or me" and "good or well."

playing nicely together

The children are down in the dark, cold basement playing with an assortment of rope, clothes hangers, an old treadle sewing machine base, and lots of empty boxes.

"Get ready to dive!!"

"Four degrees down!"

"What are you playing?" Mary asks as she descends the stairs after practicing her Gregorian chant.

"Submarine."

"Cool, I wanna be Captain Nemo!"

no more thrift shop bargains??

Barring a reprieve, regulations set to take effect next month could force thousands of clothing retailers and thrift stores to throw away trunkloads of children's clothing. The law, aimed at keeping lead-filled merchandise away from children, mandates that all products sold for those age 12 and younger -- including clothing -- be tested for lead (which apparently costs between $20,000-$50,000) and phthalates. Those that haven't been tested will be considered hazardous, regardless of whether they actually contain lead.

"They'll all have to go to the landfill," (millions of pounds of perfectly good clothing will fill up already strained landfills) said Adele Meyer, executive director of the National Assn. of Resale and Thrift Shops.The new regulations take effect Feb. 10 under the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act, which was passed by Congress last year in response to widespread recalls of products that posed a threat to children, including toys made with lead or lead-based paint.
Among the most vocal critics to emerge in recent weeks are U.S.-based makers of handcrafted toys and handmade clothes, (think of the thousands of moms who make clothes, quilts, diapers, sweaters, hats, etc. who will lose their businesses) as well as thrift (think of the millions of dollars that goes to charity each year that will be lost) and consignment shops that sell children's clothing (just what we need during a recession, more people forced out of work)." We will have to lock our doors and file for bankruptcy," said Shauna Sloan, founder of Salt Lake City-based franchise Kid to Kid, which sells used children's clothing in 75 stores across the country and had planned to open a store in Santa Clara, Calif., this year. (apparently this law also includes yard sales)

Stephen Lamar, executive vice president of the American Apparel and Footwear Assn. "The law introduces an extraordinarily large number of testing requirements for products for which everyone knows there is no lead," he said.

The regulations also apply to new clothing. That won't be a problem for large manufacturers and retailers, (makes you wonder who was pushing for this? Walmart and Target who would be the only place for parents to buy reasonably priced, though shabbily made and immodest clothing) industry experts say, but it will be a headache for small operators such as Molly Orr, owner of Molly O Designs in Las Vegas. Orr has already produced her spring line of children's clothes. She says she can't afford the $50,000 it would cost to have a private lab test her clothing line, so she's trying to sell her inventory at a steep discount before Feb. 10. After that, she is preparing to close her business.

Thrift store owners say,"We really provide a service to the community to help people get clothes for their children they otherwise couldn't afford." (with millions having lost their homes and jobs people are having a hard time putting food on the table, now Congress is asking them to shell out thousands of dollars they don't have to dress their kids in new clothes) (One owner) plans to contact her congressional representatives and senators to ask them to amend the law but says there's not enough awareness about the repercussions of the law to force anything to change.

Many retailers and thrift stores appear to be unaware that the law is changing. Of half a dozen Southern California children's thrift stores contacted by The Times, only one had heard of the law. LA Times

I called my Senators and Congressman to complain voraciously about this Consumer Products Safety Improvement (hah!) Act, how it is anti-family and anti-child. It in effect criminalizes the only way to clothe our children for a reasonable cost. I hope and pray that enough parents find out about this law and complain enough to get it recalled in some fashion, but just in case I have made a master list of clothes my kids will need for the next 5 years and will be hitting the thrift store multiple times between now and February 10 to stock up on shorts, shirts, and those all-important-in-Maine winter coats while it is still legal.

update 1/9/09: The new law requires that domestic manufacturers and importers certify that children’s products made after February 10 meet all the new safety standards and the lead ban. Sellers of used children’s products, such as thrift stores and consignment stores, are not required to certify that those products meet the new lead limits, phthalates standard or new toy standards.
The new safety law does not require resellers to test children’s products in inventory for compliance with the lead limit before they are sold.

We are safe, but it doesn't mention home-based businesses.

dropping new teachers into a war zone

Recently I finished the book Relentless Pursuit, A Year in the Trenches with Teach for America by Donna Foote. It describes a school year from the perspective of 4 college graduates who have volunteered to teach in an inner-city high school in Los Angeles, CA. If ever a parent has doubts about the merits of homeschooling, they should read this book and be grateful for the opportunity to teach their own children in a safe, clean, disciplined environment.

The imagery of what daily life was like brought bad unpleasant memories of my "student teaching" experience, which was a cheap version of TFA. I was paid a meager amount of money, most of which went for classroom supplies, to teach in a slightly safer version of Locke High in downtown Norfolk, VA. The same uninterested student body, the same unsupportive administration, and the same lack of assistance in lesson planning mimicked the experience of these fresh recruits in the fight to reform poor school districts.

After my first day of being shown where the teacher's lounge and restroom were, I was left in an empty room with no idea how to start teaching 60 incoming 6th graders reading and history. As I had been substitute teaching in the suburbs for several years I was deemed qualified to be on my own, but I had always been given lesson plans, and given weeks in class to prepare the simplest lesson. Not only did I not know where to start helping children improve their reading when the class ranged from 1st to 5th grade levels, the books available in class sets were dull, politically correct drivel. At least for history I was given textbooks, but not the Virginia Standards of Learning that were supposed to be followed and posted every morning.

The entire endeavor was an exercise in frustration and failure. I never left the stage of being utterly overwhelmed shown by all 4 TFA newbies in the first few months of their school year. I did see signs of the TFA organization recognizing and addressing the lack of preparation and assistance to future teachers in Relentless Pursuit. As for my experience I was "medically boarded" out after several months when I kept threatening miscarriage every time I stepped foot back in the door at my school. A few years later I decided that my baby, born 7 months later, was never again going into a public school classroom. He has been homeschooled along with 2 of his younger sisters and I have found that I make a much better prepared and calmer homeschooling teacher than a recruit in improving disadvantaged schools.

carnival of homeschooling

The very large 3rd anniversary edition of the carnival is up at Why Homeschool.

I wasn't going anyway...

No strollers near the Capitol, ( and no diaper bags, no backpacks or no chairs) ...while many people say the inconvenience is a small price to pay to witness the swearing-in of the nation's first black president, others are scratching their heads, trying to figure out how they will sit, snack, carry diapers or transport tired tots.

Parenting blogs are abuzz with complaints about the less-than-kid-friendly restrictions. Thermoses, coolers and backpacks are out at both the Capitol and the parade route.
"Of course, they're not going to say, 'no children,'" said Sunny Chanel, a San Francisco-based contributor to Babble.com, a parenting Web site. "But they're definitely not making it easy for parents with smaller children to go."

...some people are worried about packed Metro trains now that officials are sounding warnings. Metro has said its bathrooms will be closed for security. The option left for parents wanting to change stinky diapers? Hundreds of portable toilets that the transit system and park officials are providing downtown.

happy boy

While there have been moments of the famous "terrible twos" with Baby Timmy, I am constantly amazed by his cheerful attitude and willing spirit. Rarely now does he need to be hauled out of Mass (well... today he spent almost the whole time in the vestibule), he clasps his hands when we say Grace before meals, and after I gave him a sippy cup of apple juice and a baggie of Kix cereal and asked, "Are you happy?" he responded, "Yeth." He willingly plays along with the older children's game of "where is ___?" and points to the right body part or the right person, even pointing to my tummy when he is asked, "Where is Baby Sunshine?" He even tries to play the piano rather than banging at the keys, so it is obvious that Timmy is the perfect toddler.

I am so grateful for this little walking and lisping ray of cheer in our home and pray that he keeps his sunny attitude all the days of his life.

the tax increase is beginning

Oregon is among a growing number of states exploring ways to tax drivers based on the number of miles they drive instead of how much gas they use, even going so far as to install GPS monitoring devices in 300 vehicles. The idea first emerged nearly 10 years ago as Oregon lawmakers worried that fuel-efficient cars such as gas-electric hybrids could pose a threat to road upkeep, which is paid for largely with gasoline taxes.

Who would get hardest hit by a change from taxing gas by the gallon to taxing mileage? Hybrid owners. Those who bought little tincan cars that get 60 mph. Who would benefit? Service industries that drive gas-guzzling trucks such as electricians, plumbers, cleaners, not to mention those who drive big-mama vans that only get 13 mph. That is the only thing positive about this road-tax tinkering politicians seem to be engaging in these days.

I really don't like the gradual elimination of individual privacy from our government. I don't want them to have any more of my personal information than they absolutely have to know. I don't want them knowing where I am driving, how fast I am going, even how many trips I make to the library. This issue is being raised by lawmakers in many states in reference to the Real ID program, which would create a national ID card and allow the government to track every citizen.

Critics also claim that Real ID diminishes privacy, and they object to a national ID that would have to be shown for everyday identification purposes.
"Certainly people should be identified by high standards when that's called for, but it's not called for when you're going to buy beer," said Jim Harper, director of information policy studies for the Cato Institute, a libertarian think tank.
"If we're going to have our identity recorded every time we buy beer or use a credit card or buy gas, that turns into one big surveillance system," he said.

I can only see malicious things coming from it. Remember the use of information to smear Joe the Plumber??

And do you thing that somehow states could accomplish this without increasing road use taxes 50%-100%? They are already working on that.

Motorists are driving less and buying less gasoline, which means fuel taxes aren't raising enough money to keep pace with the cost of road, bridge and transit programs.
A federal commission created by Congress to find a way to make up the growing revenue shortfall in the program that funds highway repairs and construction is talking about increasing federal gas and diesel taxes.
A roughly 50 percent increase in gasoline and diesel fuel taxes is being urged by the commission until the government devises another way for motorists to pay for using public roads.

Didn't the government ask us to use less gas and buy more fuel efficient cars? So now that many Americans did, the feds complain because the tax money isn't flowing in as fast to the treasury. North Carolina did the same thing last year during the severe drought. The counties asked people to reduce their water consumption by 40% as some areas were at risk of completely running out, but then the pencil-pushers in Raleigh decided to raise rates to make up for the shortfall in tax revenue.

girl's afternoon out

Yesterday after 8am Mass (the heat was out and it was COLD) Mary and I went up to Rockville to pick up my new sewing machine and get some fabric for the new king size quilt I am working on. It is going to look like this one I made for our bed,

just in reds and whites, rather than the blues. Afterwards we went next door to La Madeleine's for lunch and sat next to the fireplace nibbling on salad and a luscious sandwich, followed by a chocolate croissant.

I don't know if it is good or bad that I didn't buy enough fabric and have to go back for another 1/2 yard. The lure of another good lunch might be too much to resist.

I hadn't laughed so hard in weeks...

as when I read this story about the LA liposuction doctor who was powering his and his girlfriend's SUVs on fat he sucked out of his patient's bellies. Tim thinks it is the grossest thing he has heard in a long time, but I think it was pretty clever.

4 wasted hours

This morning I had lots of plans for the day: school, piano practice, a trip to Rockville to pick up my new sewing machine... I knew I needed to take Timmy in to get that last stich taken out of his head after I tried to take it out (to save myself a trip to the ER) and failed, but the plan was to go tomorrow after Mass and leave the rest of the children home.

But then...

Will was finishing up his "sofa stuff" with me and Charlie came upstairs, "I have a bead in my ear." It wasn't life-threatening, but it required us to ditch all other plans and bundle up to brave 50 mph winds for a trip to the ER. While we were there we did get Timmy taken care of too. The staff was great once we got back to a room, but the 90 minute wait in the lobby made me have to reach into my magic Mommy bag more than once to keep the boys occupied. Stickers, sippy cups, Fig Newtons, and audio books of Thomas the Tank Engine and Elmo all came out of the bottomless tote, reminiscent of Mary Poppins.

I guess it was our turn in the injury department this week, after all, we hadn't had anything bad happen in well over a year. But now that I have had my fill, please let our next trip in to the hospital result in a baby in my arms rather than just a blown up glove serving as a balloon.

Please pray

for the soul of Emile Lemmons, a Catholic mother of 2, writer, and blogger. She was diagnosed with soft-tissue sarcoma while pregnant last year.

May God's peace be with her family during this time of tragic loss.

latest quilting project

As Tim's retirement draws closer, I have been contemplating what I can do to bring in an income if I was suddenly responsible for supporting the household. While he is perfectly healthy, it is smart to plan for the worst and hope for the best. Since I love to quilt we have been investigating starting a craft business to sell my quilts on-line.

To encourage this endeavor, Tim surprised me on Boxing Day by suggesting that I go by the quilt shop and look at new machines. I ended up purchasing a new Bernina and a quilt table with rollers for each layer so I can quilt large projects. The old machine was ready to be picked up so I brought it home and quilted a top that I made 6 years ago.

The top one on Mary's bed I made for Tim to take on the ship when he was deployed and the one on Maggie's bed is the new one I just finished. I didn't realize until I stepped back to take the pictures that they are mirror images, not exact duplicates.

Can you spot the reversed block? The Amish do this on all their quilts to remind themselves that no human, but only God is perfect. I can't make that excuse, I just did it accidentally. Guess I should practice better quality control if I am to sell them!

carnival of homeschooling

This week's carnival with a reflections theme is being hosted by Practical Homeschooling.

back to school today

"Do you think school should actually be 6-7 hours long?

I mean yeah, i definitely think we need school, but 6-7 hours long?? It seems a little steep to me! I think the teachers could shorten their classes. Please share your thoughts and opinions!" Yahoo questions

A new friend was amazed when I told her that Will finishes all his schoolwork for 5th grade in less than 3 hours a day and that Mary typically took about 90 minutes to complete her 4th grade assignments. They don't have homework and still manage to get all A's on their report cards from Seton and score in the 85-99% percentile on the CAT. Of course they don't spend the rest of their day staring at a screen or eating, we do lots of educational things the rest of the day. I just don't consider that "school". But they are certainly not trapped in a stuffy and germy room with only kids their own age who seem to want to only "teach" each other what is hip and who is cool.

I am a firm believer in small doses of information with lots of repetition. Haven't we all heard of younger children learning prayers, arithmetic facts, and historical tidbits just from absorbing what they have heard every day from their parents and siblings?

Of course the above questioner seems to think that teachers have control over such issues as how long classes are held. They are just as trapped as the children, not even able to use the facilities if they need to. I think of homeschooling as a much more child-friendly educational system that allows children to play and learn, not just be trapped in a cinderblock box for most of their day.

Shrine of the Immaculate Conception

This morning the three big kids and I hopped on the METRO for another field trip, this time to the Basilica located on the campus of Catholic University. Since all the students were home for the holidays the cathedral was pretty quiet, which made it lovely to explore.

There are 60 chapels, almost all dedicated to Mary. The overall feeling is one of sacredness and majesty, especially in the two chapels containing tabernacles. There is an abundance of marble and mosaic as seen here in this tiny niche.

The nativity scene in the front of the upper church was very moving, especially since the staff laminated prayers on the kneelers in front. We prayed for my mother and lit a votive candle for the soul of my mother in the Our Lady of Guadalupe chapel. Then after asking directions from two people, we finally found the confessional where I took advantage of the sacrament.

I have to say that of the two Cathedrals we visited, this one is by far the prettier and holier building. I think it is entirely due to the fact that Jesus is truly present in this sacred place and the attitude of the visitors is one of pilgrim, rather than tourist. While I don't see us returning to the Episcopal Cathedral, we will certainly be back many times during our time here to visit and pray at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception.

stone carvings and stained glass

We decided to take advantage of Tim's time off courtesy of POTUS and enjoy the Christmas decorations at Washington's National Cathedral. We only stuck with the tour guide for 10 minutes before we realized that the little ones were starting to get bored so we wandered off to see the high altar and the multitude of chapels. I had been on several field trips as a child to this church and even served once as an acolyte during my teen years. The guide,a middle age woman wearing purple "vestments" played up the ecumenical aspect of this Episcopal Cathedral. She mentioned that Muslims, Buddhists, and leaders from other religions have used the altar for their own worship. We pointed out to the children (after they asked) that since it is a Protestant building there is no Tabernacle and Jesus is not present.

This is the main altar which contains 100 carved figures. Tim's has told me several times about his sweet old landlady when he was in living in DC 20 years ago. Her husband had been an Italian stone carver who spent his entire adult life working on the National Cathedral. The workmanship we saw was equal in beauty to what we saw during our tours of churches in Italy.

This is the Space Window with a chunk of real moon rock from the Apollo 11 mission (it looks like an eye) presented by Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, and Michael Collins. The other stained glass windows in the main sanctuary were very "artistic" which defeated one of the original purposes of these colorful pictures: to educate those gazing on them of the truths in the Bible. The very large Rose Window above the doors is supposed to represent the 7 days of Creation, but even the tour guide could not differentiate the days because the design was so modern.

This plaque is for Helen Keller and her companion Anne Sullivan who are both interred in the wall behind the Joseph of Arimathea chapel. Also downstairs was a collection of unique nativity scenes, most of which were very primitive, though I have to admit it would take a lot to impress me after seeing the exquisite and elaborate creches in Naples. The children had a much better time pretending they were jousting on the front lawn before we headed home for lunch and a much needed rest.

Merry Christmas from our family to yours

Most of all we hope that your Christmas didn't involve a trip to the ER and 2 stitches in your toddler's head the way ours did. Timmy apparently was very brave and only said, "hurt" once as they were giving him the anesthetic. Playing with his new Elmo talking book was a lifesaver during the wait and a chocolate lollipop afterwards made him forget all about his nasty gash.

Reminders:
Buy different stocking holders, ones that are not sharp and don't fall easily.
Next time try not to let the children get injured 30 minutes before dinner is served.

the answer is to buy the girls...

real jewelry.

"...the Consumer Product Safety Commission's (CPSC) failure (is) to truly protect children from unsafe toys. Now The Wall Street Journal reports that consumer vigilantes affiliated with the Center for Environmental Health (CEH) are taking matters into their own hands. CEH members are going into stores armed with handheld X-ray guns that detect unsafe levels of lead in children's toys. These vigilantes are able to find violations that the CPSC can't seem to find.

...which type of toy typically has the highest concentrations of lead? Jewelry trinkets. The Wall Street Journal article reports the CEH found a frog jewelry charm with high lead content at Wal-Mart."

Just kidding, I'm not a big advocate of letting little girls wear costume or real jewelry since all they would do is lose it or look like they are trying to be grownups, neither of which is appealing. However, we have been playing beauty parlor recently and I painted the girl's fingernails. Maggie likes Pepto Bismol Pink which she chews off after a few days. Mary prefers the classic and understated colorless polish.

carnival of homeschooling

is up this week at janice campbell with a Christmas in Paris theme.

being pregnant with #6 means...

I have worn my maternity clothes so much that the elastic in all my pants have lost their spring and I have to yank them up every 20 minutes.

I don't look forward to OB appointments like I did the first time around. Now it is just another chore that involves traffic, parking nightmares, and trying to keep the kids behaved. Don't even get me started about the waiting around for 2 hours for the glucose tolerance test and the fun Rhogam shot (that was yesterday).

It doesn't matter what I eat, I am 5-10 pounds under what I weighed at this stage in earlier pregnancies. With 4 floors and no intercom system I am exercising all those Christmas cookies off.

It amazes me that a year ago I was in 3-4 mile races (and doing very well). Now, I am huffing and puffing after every trip up and down the stairs.

I don't have the baby's room ready and Timmy is still happily sleeping in the crib and I am not anxious about it at all. After all, I discovered that my babies sleep best for the first 4 months in their car seat.

take the little rugrats to church

Children born into religious families are far less likely than their peers to experience educational or behavioral problems, a new sociological study has found. The new study, sponsored by the Family Research council, shows that American children who live with their biological parents and attend religious services regularly are five times less likely to be forced to repeat a grade in school. The children are also mentally and physically healthier than the general population. The study found the same dramatic differences occurring regardless of the families' income, ethnicity, and educational backgrounds.

The study doesn't say what happens to the mental state of parents who have a large family and therefore always have an infant or toddler who must be taken out of said religious services. Are parents who miss 75% of Mass on a weekly basis because they are standing in the vestibule with a fussy child as spiritual as those who don't have such distractions during prayer? Today was a real doozy with Tim hauling not one, but two screaming little boys out to the car right as the priest said, "Ita Missa Est." As I walked out to the parking lot an elderly lady said, "Your boys were quite the handful today. I don't envy you a bit."

"Well, God has certainly been kind to us, this one (while patting my tummy) is a girl!"

interesting comparison

I have fallen off my talk radio wagon recently, the news out there is so depressing and the only thing worse it is listening to others whine about it. But I do still scan through National Review Online to keep informed. This piece by Jonah Goldberg really caught my eye about the difference in treatment of Sarah Palin, a woman from very humble roots and with a very blue-collar life story, she worked with her steelworker and professional-fisherman husband to provide a life for their large family. She got involved in the PTA. She became mayor of her small town, then rose, by dint of her dedication and almost naive fearlessness, to the job of governor and Caroline Kennedy, "with a resume perfectly suited to being a Kennedy and little else, is a Cinderella who deserves a Senate seat because, well, she just does."

on their best behavior

Today I was almost out of milk, bread, flour, and sugar and the ever necessary ketchup. So, despite the cold and rain I reluctantly piled everyone in the van after the babysitter left and headed out to the Commissary. The kids were not perfect (but they never are), but I let them talk me into buying the milk and meat at the Penn Dutch market (they begged to go because there is a little sweet shop with dozens of different confections).

While the military grocery has hormone-free milk in skim and 1%, I dislike buying my ground meat in pressed cubes that is obtained from who-knows-where. The stuff they sell at the market is hormone, antibiotic, and steroid-free and tastes better than grocery store beef so there is a always a long wait that leaves the kids antsy and liable to be naughty. I figured that since we were just standing around, the two older ones could take their pocket money and buy (with the stipulation that they share) a bag or two of candy by themselves.

They were paying for their purchases when I finished and headed over to get the milk. "Your children are so well behaved," a lady next to me at the cheese counter said, "Your son was helping his little sister pay for her candy. He was really being sweet to her." I told her thanks, and we chatted for a bit and the fact that the kids were homeschooled came up. "Oh, that's why they are so good, because you homeschool!"

It struck me when we got home how much I needed that little bit of encouragement, just like children need a little treat now and then. I have been overwhelmed with school, pregnancy, and keeping up with the house and have been much more grouchy than normal with everyone. Her cheerful comment and a week-long break from school will do me a world of good.

So, while the weather may be frightful, our warm house is delightful, we haven't have any place to go...let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!

The 12 days of Christmas

Recall all those comments in the grocery store (or anywhere else) whenever you take all your kids out? This family of 9 made a youtube video incorporating all of them in a Christmas greeting. I was impressed at how the kids managed to keep their parts straight.

h/t Theresa

a wasted trip...

The other day I spotted a sign for the grocery chain Aldi's and decided that I would return while the big kids were at piano lessons and check out all the fabulous savings that were much-talked-about on frugal sites and blogs. I get to the front door with tote bags in hand and found something I hadn't seen since our days in Italy: grocery carts that you had to put a coin in to unhook from the rest, a innovation that keeps the carts securely near the door, but is super annoying if you don't have any change in your wallet.

Once inside I perused the aisles, not hearing a single other English-speaking shopper and pallets covering the floor filled with some never-heard-of store brand containers of different foods. I was hesitant to buy generic items since they could be made in countries like China that do not have the best reputation for quality and safety.

Glancing at everyone else's overflowing carts, I looked again at the posted prices and realized that the military Commissary prices on 99% of the items were cheaper and they were brands I recognized and trusted. After much flailing about to get 3 small children and an empty cart out of the store (so I could get my precious quarter back), we headed down the road to the library to kill time before we collected the rest of the brood. Today we will try again to buy our much needed coffee and kitty litter, combining the benefit of Commissary shopping and my small stack of coupons.

carnival of homeschooling

This week's carnival is being hosted by Small World.

the best laid plans...

After 6 months of having my sewing stuff in boxes because of a lack of space and incentive to start quilting again, I promised I would make a quilt for injured soldiers recovering in Germany to replace one of the ones stolen last week. Mary and I pulled out all the boxes, moved bookcases around and unpacked the miles of fabric I have collected over the past 10-15 years.

We sorted all the quilt tops and picked this pretty red, white, and blue one to quilt

and after about 30 minutes of actually sewing I got a little too close to a safety pin and did some unspeakable damage to the machine. So... I took it in to G Street Fabrics and hopefully I will get it back in 2-3 weeks. In the meantime my job is to keep the baby from spilling all my stacked fabric onto the floor.

can I adopt this kid?

Jonathan Krohn looked just like any average 13 year old as he sat in the coffee house drinking his hot chocolate, squirming in a too-large sofa chair. But he is not just any teenager; he’s an author and an up-and-coming political analyst.

Krohn’s book, “Define Conservatism,” is a primer of conservative political values for all ages that does just what the title says – it defines four basic principles all conservatives must share. The son of an engineer and a drama teacher, neither of whom is very interested in politics, the home-schooled Duluth boy has been listening to talk radio and political commentary for several years now.

“I don’t want it [the book] to be my own idea of conservatism,” said Krohn, “I want it to be the ideas that conservatives agree on. ...to be a conservative, I believe that you have to base your core values in these principles.”

Krohn is convinced his book and the basic values within would lead to a better America if only conservatives would stick to them.

“If we spent less money, lowered taxes, made everybody personally responsible and the government didn’t take responsibility for people’s actions, respect the dignity of life and that life begins at conception, and we respected the constitution and everything in it; if we did that then most certainly the nation would be a lot better off.” The Beacon

Amen Jonathan.

the three stooges go shopping

Yesterday we planned time to go shopping for a Christmas tree. Since our two modes of transportation are the "big-mama" van (with no roof rack) and a Jeep, we had to rent a trailer from U-Haul to get the thing home. An errand that takes most families an hour or so turned into 4 hours because some unnamed person forgot the key to the trailer hitch and then the checkbook.

But all is well now with the tree decorated with 80% of the ornaments on the bottom 1/3 of the tree, garland strung on everything that will stand still, including the piano, and some of our pretty Nativity sets on a red cloth on the sideboard. These two I bought in Italy, one is a Capodimonte and the other is made of beeswax.

Baby Jesus is missing from the porcelain set, he will be put in the crib on Christmas Eve by the youngest family member, an Italian custom we picked up during our tour.

Skipping the needle...

Those of us with pre-adolescent girls have been reading ads and hearing pediatricians expound the merits of having our daughters receive the Gardasil vaccine against HPV. On the surface it sounds wonderful, after all who doesn't want to protect their child from cancer? However, this drug has been linked to 21 deaths, hundreds of hospitalizations and thousands of adverse reactions. Reading more in-depth should give anyone pause about offering up their child's health and life on the altar of Merck's accounting books.

Non-promoted facts about Gardasil:

1) It is not cheap and there are known and unknown side-effects.

2) There have been no long term (10 yrs plus) studies on Gardasil's safety when used in humans. We do not know the long term ramifications on these girl's reproductive systems.

3) There are more than 90 strains of HPV - Gardasil only protects against 4 - other HPV viruses can cause cancer.

4) HPV can take up to 20 years to cause cancer. The effectiveness of Gardasil is questionably 5 years. How many booster shots will be required?

5) We do not have an epidemic of cervical cancer, the majority of women who develop it are in their late forties.

6) Cervical cancer is not a public health crisis, it is already preventable through pap smears.

7) An HPV infection will clear up in the overwhelming majority of women. Only a few get an infection that stays - only few of these will develop precancerous lesions and only a few of these will develop cancer.

8) The test carried out in young girls by Merck only looked at the immune response not whether it would prevent cervical cancer.

9) Gardasil provides less than 70% protection from all the HPV strains known to cause cancer. Your daughter will not need this vaccine if she does not smoke, is not sexual active, or if she is - gets an annual pap smear, has no family history of reproductive cancer or DES use, and has a healthy diet. Life Site News

cookie recipe

I have been on a sweet binge this past week, making chocolate glop, brownies, and 2 batches of these snickerdoodles. They are really flat and crunchy, wonderful warm right out of the oven.

350 F oven

mix together in bowl:

2 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp cream of tartar
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt

in mixer, cream together until fluffy:

2 sticks butter
1 1/2 cup sugar

add 2 eggs and beat, then add flour mixture

scoop out tablespoon-sized pieces and roll in cinnamon-sugar mixture before baking for 8-10 minutes. Makes about 36 cookies, but with 5 children and 1 hungry Mommy they last about 20 minutes max.
Reminder: save some for Daddy!

the things you learn in the waiting room...

While waiting for Will and Mary to be outfitted with expanders and retainers at the orthodontist, I was reading Parents magazine. This is one of those rags that makes moms feel guilty for not being the perfect mother who has polite, quiet, well-adjusted, social, clean their plate, thin, beautiful, sleeping through the night at 2 months, and constantly smiling babies and toddlers. I have never even been tempted to subscribe to such a stress-inducing periodical, but will indulge if I have nothing else to do, such as in yesterday's environment.

After screening out all the garbage and ads, I was surprised to learn that hauling around box fans all over creation for white noise has perhaps saved our children from SIDS. Theoretically, at least.

In the October issue of the Archives of Pediatric Adolescent Medicine, researchers at Kaiser Permanente looked at whether the use of a fan in the room where a baby sleeps can help reduce the incidence of SIDS. Kaiser researchers found that infants who slept in rooms ventilated by fans had a 72 percent lower risk of SIDS compared to infants who slept in bedrooms without fans. Using a fan appeared be most effective with infants in high-risk environments, such as those sleeping in overheated rooms or on their stomachs. Researchers hypothesized that fans may improve ventilation and decrease the chance that babies will rebreathe exhaled carbon dioxide (an explanation for SIDS known as the "stale-air hypothesis").

The other interesting tidbit was a study at the University of Arizona who tested all kinds of public surfaces. They found that shopping carts were loaded with more saliva, bacteria and even fecal matter than escalators, public telephones, and even public bathrooms. Somewhere in the article it said that over 50% of cart handles were contaminated with fecal matter. Yuck! I always looked at those new moms who swathed their toddler in huge fabric seats at the grocery store to be a little overly neurotic, but I am certainly going to start wiping down the handles before plopping Timmy in the seat from now on.

going to the post office today

to mail our Christmas packages and Christmas cards. I always make up a short letter describing what our family has been up to over the past year. It is a good way for friends and relations to be brought up to date, especially when it comes to pregnancies, births, and the children's modest accomplishments. I laughed when I read this quote from Sarah Palin's speech at the Republican Governor's meeting:


reporting on her last year, she said, “I had a baby, I did some traveling, I very briefly expanded my wardrobe, I made a few speeches, met a few VIPs, including those who really impact society, like Tina Fey, but other than that, it was pretty much the same old, same old.”

Guns were the topic of conversation...

in the van on the way to my ultrasound a few weeks back. I told Tim that, even though I have only shot a rifle once, I want to buy something powerful like a Glock to protect our family. Tim said that Obama couldn't possibly inact a gun ban within a month or so of inaguration and I need to take a gun safety class. "But I need a gun to take to the class," I whined. "They have guns you can borrow to try them out and see what works best for you. But you need to wait until after Baby Sunshine is born because of the noise," was his calm reply.

So Tim has signed up for the class since even though he has a marksman ribbon on his uniform, he hasn't fired a gun in 15 years either.

Gun sellers say the election of Barack Obama is helping them avoid the recession. Sales of new guns are booming - up an estimated 50 percent in the suburbs.

... the gun lobby spent big trying to defeat Obama this year, outraged by his promise to reinstate a ban on military-style assault weapons. On talk radio, he was denounced as a "gun grabber." Now, as Obama heads to the White House, millions are rushing to reload.

After all this hype, Obama is telling people they don't need to worry, but once again his record and his words don't lead me to trust him.

As gun sales shoot up around the country, President-elect Barack Obama said Sunday that gun-owning Americans do not need to rush out and stock up before he is sworn in next month.
"I believe in common-sense gun safety laws, and I believe in the second amendment," Obama said at a news conference. "Lawful gun owners have nothing to fear. I said that throughout the campaign. I haven't indicated anything different during the transition. I think people can take me at my word."

But National Rifle Association spokesman Andrew Arulanandam said it's not Obama's words — but his legislative track record — that has gun-buyers flocking to the stores.

"Prior to his campaign for president, his record as a state legislator and as a U.S. Senator shows he voted for the most stringent forms of gun control, the most Draconian legislation, gun bans, ammunition bans and even an increase in federal excise taxes up to 500 percent for every gun and firearm sold," Arulanandam said.

carnival of homeschooling

Is up at Super Angel. (I always turn my speakers off when going to sites with automatic music, as I tell the kids, "I can't do 18 (or even 2) things at the same time.")

Advent activities

Yesterday, after much changing of our plans (flexibility!) most of the children and I drove down to Virginia and enjoyed a lovely potluck lunch with some other homeschool moms. We shared some of our Advent traditions while the little children played and the older ones worked on crafts. We even managed to squeeze in a trip to the Commissary on the way out and avoided most of the Beltway traffic before picking up Tim and Will at the hospital. Will had a nice lunch with his daddy and even got to go to Admiral's call, a real treat.

In all our racing around trying to get every one's shoes on, brownies made, coloring books and sippy cup ready for Mass, I forgot to bring anything to show the group. So here are some pictures of our Advent preparations. I set up the nativity set with just the animals waiting for the Holy Family next to the scraggly Advent wreath that we made the first winter we were in Italy.

We also have a nativity Advent calender, which the children take turns putting up (each piece is numbered on the back) and the chocolate Advent calenders are always a big hit.

I have a huge stack of Christmas books which we read from every night, which include some of my favorites.

the first line of my job description...

of Mommy is that flexibility is required.

No, not that I can do some bizarre yoga position, but that I can reassess our schedule if need be. The plan is for us to wait here for the furnace man to come recheck things since the heat went out Saturday morning (and it snowed that day, brrrr) and then go to Mass and an Advent event with Michelle and some fellow homeschoolers. However, I was awakened at 2am by Will who had been complaining for a few days of headaches and then was in severe pain from his ear.

So... we will take it as it comes and do the upward facing dog pose for a while. Yeah right.

I wish we were there...

While it may be cold up in Maine, it is cold here too and if I have to endure a non-tropical winter then I would rather be looking out the window at our new barn going up, not to mention the frost tipped fields:

some people are just plain evil

Linda Ferrara, a California mother of a soldier killed in Afghanistan with three other sons in the military, organizes charity blanket drives for the troops. She and other volunteers hand-sewed patriotic blankets and other items worth an estimated $8,000. Ferrara had stored them in her RV while preparing to send them off. Over the weekend, some &*^%#@ broke into the vehicle and stole all the goods. Michelle Malkin

I am going to make a quilt and send it in to replace the ones that these horrible people stole. The injured soldiers coming into Germany from Iraq and Afghanistan fly in with only the clothes they are wearing, sometimes with holes in them or ripped apart.

Who doesn't like Christmas?

The annual battle for Christmas has begun early this year, with the announcement that the internationally known fireworks company, Grucci, has pulled out of an annual Christmas event on Long Island in protest against the town of Patchogue’s decision to break with its 15-year tradition of holding a Christmas Boat Parade and instead to rename the event the Patchogue Holiday Boat Parade.

“Christmas is the only holiday that is singled out by these authoritarians. They do not object to Jewish or Muslim holidays, nor do they object to holidays like Martin Luther King Day. And they relish Kwanzaa celebrations. But when it comes to Christmas, they quickly become censors."

For as long as anyone can remember, Christmas trees adorned with lights and ornaments have greeted holiday season visitors to UNC Chapel Hill's two main libraries.

Not this year.

The trees, which have stood in the lobby areas of Wilson and Davis libraries each December, were kept in storage this year at the behest of Sarah Michalak, the associate provost for university libraries. Michalak's decision followed several years of queries and complaints from library employees and patrons bothered by the Christian display, Michalak said this week.

Some good news on this front is the story of JoEllen Murphy who singlehandly started a website and raised $40,000 to counter the anti-God advertising on the Washington, DC Metro buses. Also Matthew at Creative Minority Report found a hilarious Youtube video promoting shopping from catalogues which actually use the words "Merry Christmas" in their advertising.

science accomplished for the day...

by watching this photo shoot of the world and astronauts. Will stood behind me absolutely riveted by the images.

30 minutes a day, that's all I ask...

Top US diplomat Condoleezza Rice took time out from her busy diplomatic schedule Monday to play a little piano -- in the form of a recital at Buckingham Palace for Queen Elizabeth II, royal officials said.
The secretary of state, in London for talks with Prime Minister Gordon Brown, was accompanied in her performance of Brahms by Foreign Secretary David Miliband's wife Louise, and three members of the London Symphony Orchestra.
Rice is an accomplished pianist who started playing when she was a child.
A palace spokeswoman told AFP that Rice "expressed a wish to play at Buckingham Palace and the queen offered her to play in the music room."
The queen listened to part of the private performance and afterwards, presented Rice with a recording of the recital as a present.

get those kids away from the screen

I would think it would be pretty obvious, if a child is spending most of their time in front of a screen watching (and usually snacking) then they will likely be fatter than kid who is walking, reading, playing, or interacting with others. We have been commercial TV-free for 12 years now, and there is not even a monitor in the Maine house, but I have been relying too much lately on the VCR/DVD entertainment option to keep the little ones quiet while Will is finishing up his schoolwork.

It is easier to say, "Sure, 1 movie," then to listen to bickering and stomping all over the house during that last hour of math and English lessons. Hiring babysitters 3 mornings a week has helped a great deal curb the video watching, instead they play house, Charades, train, Play-dough, and read stories on the sofa.

SAN FRANCISCO, California, December 3, 2008 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Children who spend too much time watching television, playing video games, and surfing the Internet are at an increased risk for a plethora of health problems, concludes a survey of several studies published today.

The review found that 80% of the studies showed that greater exposure to such media was linked to various health problems, particularly childhood obesity.

One study cited showed that children at the age of three are more likely to be obese by the age of seven if they watch more than eight hours of television a week. Research shows, however, that American children, including toddlers, usually watch far more than eight hours a week.
The study reports that the average American child spends nearly forty-five hours every week with media... By comparison, the report says seventeen hours a week are spent with parents, and thirty hours a week in school.

the moment has finally arrived...

after 5+ years of homeschooling. One of my kid is finally smarter than I am, at least in one subject.

You can't really blame me, Will started diagramming 2 years ago in 3rd grade, while I spent 2 days on the topic in 8th grade. Guess who is is getting a repeat of all the subjects she didn't learn the first time around?



Don't even get me started with arithmetic...

carnival of homeschooling

Is being hosted by Po Moyemu.

where do they go?

We have had a spate of lost articles in our home the past few weeks. Sippy cups, erasers, pencils, Geraldine the giraffe, highlighters, library books, and my red maternity t shirt have all been searched for up and down 4 levels, mostly by the fat mama with the tight belly. I don't know where they go, we don't have that many hidy places and eventually they all turn up, sometimes not for a while in the case of the missing t shirt (it must have been in Will's dresser drawer because it was found on Will after a day of wearing it, what was he thinking?).

Someone really should invent a GPS chip for sippy cups, I had 4 last week and now only 2 remain in the cupboard. Occasionally one is found with curdled green milk inside, prompting me to chuck it and buy new, but what about the ones we never find? I recall the time we dismantled the ugly gazebo in the backyard of the Virginia house, unearthing a pacifier. Maggie was our last baby to get "plugged in" and she was almost 5. Are the cups hidden behind the water heater or the toilet downstairs potentially causing funky smells to waft through the house and a future resident to say, "Gross!"? Let us hope that St. Anthony finds all our lost things, saving me another trip to Wally World for non-spill drink holders.

changes in latitude, changes in attitude

One thing I have noticed in living in both Maine and other places is the difference in attitude toward anything "green." In Maine recycling is a way of life, even tiny towns have dozens of recycling bins for almost everything at the transfer station (otherwise known as the dump), cashiers use as few plastic bags as possible, and nothing seems to be wasted in the trash - no finding antiques out by the curb for sure!

In Virginia, North Carolina, and now DC, every trip to the grocery results in a pile of over 30 plastic bags on my kitchen floor. I hate to throw them away, instead using them as trash can liners all over the house. The baggers at the Commissary are the worst offenders, even though I ask to not have the milk, diapers, etc. put in bags they end up encased in double layers of plastic anyway. My tipping point was yesterday when I went up to the Giant to get a copy of the paper for the coupons, which weren't even there because it was a holiday weekend, and they put the newspaper in a bag!

I guess I will hit the thrift shop while the big kids are at piano lessons Tuesday and pick up 5-6 tote bags to pack up the groceries (my others got left up in Maine by accident). My only question is how long will it take to use up all the plastic bags I already have stuffed under the sink?