Maine: The Postcards Don't Lie edition of the Carnival of Homeschooling

Welcome to the #199 edition of the Carnival of Homeschooling!


One of the great benefits of educating our own children is the ability to be free of the standard school calendar. Our family takes advantage of this by spending 16 weeks each summer in Maine. I want to share the beauties of our adopted state with some snapshots and fun facts.

Maine is a land of forests and shore. The tides rise and fall about 8 feet so there is a stark contrast between low and high tide so even little children can tell the difference and can figure out scientifically if the tide is coming in or going out. (Hint, look at boats on their moorings to tell which way they are being pulled)

Tom DeRosa presents The Very Exact Science of Guessing posted at I Want to Teach Forever.

Carol J. Alexander presents a neat way to teach the value of 100 in Place Value Game posted at Everything Home...with Carol.

Barbara Williams presents 100 Useful College Tools for Homeschoolers posted at Online Degree Programs.org.

Shakira Dawn presents The World’s 10 Weirdest College Campuses: Crazy University Architecture posted at College Stats.org.

Maine has many potato farms and blueberry barrens. We visit a local farm in August and buy quarts of berries to freeze for pancakes, muffins, and bread. The pickers only work in the early morning to not bruise the fruit and use blueberry rakes as it would take hours to handpick each tiny berry off one bush. Local teens can earn up to $300 a day raking but it is hard work.

Many of the towns along the coast have lobster pounds where lobstermen sell their catch and folks can eat a boiled dinner on picnic tables. Some partake off of plastic trays and drink cold soda while others prefer unpacking elaborate baskets filled with china, hors d'oeuvres, and bottles of wine. Since I’m the only member of our family who likes lobster I splurge and get two!


Angela Mills presents Tea for Two: The discipleship of your sons and daughters posted at Angela Mills.

Michelle scores big at the library with one of my favorite Maine storybooks Blueberries For Sal with Book Review Bonanza Part III posted at Rosetta Stone.

Dave Roller presents Apple Butter Day posted at Home School Dad.

Christina presents Canadian Thanksgiving posted at Lesson Pathways Blog.

The beauty of Maine is legendary in coffee table books as well as children’s picture books. Robert McCloskey’s One Morning in Maine features a family who summer on Little Deer Isle and go into Buck’s Harbor for groceries and an ice cream cone. While driving through I indeed saw a sign for Condon's Garage.


John Mastro presents The Educational Benefits of Audiobooks and Children’s Learning posted at got audiobooks?.

Dana presents Treasures from the library book sale posted at Principled Discovery.

Jeanne shares her favorite children's books at Books and Brownies.

Cristina shows what many homeschooling families (including mine) look like at the library in Home Spun comic strip #403 posted at Home Spun Juggling.

Mrs. White presents Mama and John's Bible Plan posted at The Legacy of Home.

Kaitlyn Cole presents 25 Speed Reading Secrets Every Student Should Know (for required, not pleasure reading) posted at Online Colleges.net.

Amber presents Book Review: Five Little Peppers posted at The Mommy Earth.

There are dozens of picturesque towns along the coast like Belfast, a mecca for art lovers and sailors.


Carlotta gives us some great reasons her kids thrive on textbooks at Successful Homeschooling.

Sarah presents Studying Art posted at SmallWorld.

Henry Cate ponders on how homeschooling saves souls in the wonderful recovery of his developmentally delayed son at Why Homeschool.

Annette Berlin presents 10 Easy-To-Craft Educational Toys posted at Craft Stew.

Rachel Lynette presents Make a Soma Cube posted at Minds in Bloom.

Fall is the most beautiful time of year in New England with the trees turning into torches of red, orange, and yellow.


Kim Kautzer presents Fall- and Thanksgiving-themed word banks posted at In Our Write Minds.

Rose presents Halloween Stencils: Adorable Scarecrow posted at Fine Craft Guild .com.

Jennifer presents Fire Safety Unit Study posted at schooling memoirs.

A hike up to the top of Mount Battie shows a majestic panorama of islands dotting the Penobscot Bay.
There are not many homeschoolers in Maine and only one store dedicated to them located in the lovely town of Hope.


Alasandra presents Nominees for Best Homeschool Blog 2009 posted at Alasandra's Homeschool Blog Awards.

Susan presents Corn and Oil » A Narrow, Homogeneous Life? Not for Homeschoolers posted at Corn and Oil.

Barbara Frank shares a story of love despite adversity in Jaycee Dugard Homeschool Mom at Barbara Frank Online.

Patti presents A Few Favorite Online Resources for Lesson Planning and Worksheets posted at Indie Education.

Laura presents Montessori Pink Level Available for Free posted at Practical Homeschooling.

Amy LeForge presents Fun For Your Friday posted at Earnest Parenting.

Erin Manning gives us some reasons why so many Catholic parents are homeschooling in What's Wrong With Catholic Schools, posted at And Sometimes Tea.

With the long winters and short summers, folks here get together often for public suppers, grange events, and town festivals. Homeschoolers tend to host picnics and playdates at the pond for socializing and swapping curriculum ideas.

Stacie Young presents 50 Excellent Blogs About Education Reform posted at Online Schools.

Lara DeHaven presents A Not-So-Perfect Life posted at Texas Homesteader.

Psych Syke presents Dangers of Black & White thinking… No Tolerance Policies posted at Psych-Syke's Blog.

Katie shares a day in her life at elocutionist.

Chetan presents Learn to get College Scholarships for Mothers posted at College Distance Degree Online Courses .

Maine is an affordable, family-friendly, homeschool friendly state. I hope I have sparked your interest in its beauty and hospitality. Thank you for stopping by this week’s Carnival of Homeschooling. See you next week at Consent of the Governed.

you can't win if you don't play

Tim was slightly miffed a few weeks back when some friends had to cancel a visit for the 3rd time. One of the children was sick and I explained to him that when one has a lot of children the likelihood that someone is ill is greatly increased. So when I took Maggie to her very first real ballet class on Friday and 10 minutes later the teacher stuck her head out the door, "Someone peed on the floor," I just knew it was my child. Poor Maggie had gone before we left home, but due to a combination of nerves and sudden shyness just thought that ignoring the urge would make it go away.

The homeschooler's Murphy's Law? Just after you tell another mother that you teach at home is when one of the children will do something embarrassing, rude, or completely out of character, justifying their prejudices.

Is sex-ed hazardous to your child’s health?

Read all 4 pages, I beg you.

The industry line is, argues Dr. Miriam Grossman, a psychiatrist who has worked on college campuses and seen too much pain and illness that the sexual revolution has wrought. She’s the author of the new book You're Teaching My Child What?: A Physician Exposes the Lies of Sex Ed and How They Harm Your Child, and took questions earlier this week from National Review Online’s Kathryn Jean Lopez.

you're asking me if you should get jabbed?

I have had several friends email, knowing Tim's interest in medical ethics and immunizations including the flu, asking if they or their children should get the swine flu vaccine. As a homeschooling family who doesn't come in contact with thousands of potentially sick children on a daily basis, we are going to skip the shot. I don't feel comfortable giving medical advice to others. I'm not their doctor and I don't want the guilt if they decide not to get it based on something I've said and then they are hospitalized with H1N1 in the future. I did think this article from CBS interesting since my friend Jennifer mentioned that her cousin, a New York nurse had her resignation papers at the ready over this issue.

Health care workers in New York will no longer be forced to get the H1N1 swine flu vaccine, CBS 2 has learned. A state Supreme Court judge issued a restraining order Friday against the state from enforcing the controversial mandatory vaccination. The order came as the Public Employees Federation sued to reverse a policy requiring vaccination against the seasonal and swine flu viruses, arguing that state Health Commissioner Richard Daines overstepped his authority....for now the vaccination for nurses, doctors, aides, and non-medical staff members who might be in a patient's room will remain voluntary. The health department had said the workers must be vaccinated by November 30 or face possible disciplinary action, including dismissal.

New York was the first state in the country to initially mandate flu vaccinations for its health care workers, but many health care workers quickly protested against the ruling. In Hauppauge, workers outside a local clinic screamed "No forced shots!" when the mandate came down at the end of September.

In 1976, there were some deaths associated with a swine flu vaccination. Registered nurse Frank Mannino, 50, was also angry. He said the state regulation violates his personal freedom and civil rights. "And now I will lose my job if I don't take the regular flu shot or the swine flu shot." When asked if he's willing to lose his job, Mannino said, "Absolutely. I will not take it, will not be forced. This is still America." The protest also shook Albany. Hundreds of demonstrators demanded freedom of choice.

There is also a strong resistance to the vaccine from the general public. A new Harvard University poll shows that only four in 10 adults intend to take the vaccine themselves, and only six in 10 plan to give it to their children.

how to fix education by Michelle Obama

This article in USA Today by the first lady (who sends her children to $40,000/year private school) attempts to tell America how to improve the nation's public schools. She first gives the standard reform speak: more educated teachers, more responsibility by parents... but then the real agenda comes out with ... we need government to support significant efforts to recruit and retain teachers and to reward high-performing teachers. Along those lines, President Obama is already investing more than $3 billion to turn around struggling schools. And he has proposed a nationwide Teacher Recruitment Program to attract more people to the profession, especially in high-need schools.

Let me give you a hint Michelle, the system itself is broken. Until the stranglehold of the NEA is cut and there is accountability (as opposed to the circular blame game that happens now) for each child's education, there will be no improvement, no matter how much money thrown at the problem. Why do I have a gut feeling this is major pay-back to the union?

We need universities to double down on their efforts to prepare teachers and to improve and expand effective alternative routes to certify teachers. What universities do now is indoctrinate education majors about the need to drug little boys who are fidgety, promote multiculturalism with a pass on how to teach engage students in real learning, and use flowery language to intimidate parents and sound more "professional."

We need to encourage more experienced professionals to consider teaching as the next chapter in their careers. What retired engineer, businessman, or physician in their right mind would consider degrading themselves to teach in a classroom today with an administrative system which treats them like children? As a former public school teacher and the daughter of the same, I saw good teachers criticized and punished by incompetent bureaucrats (who hadn't taught in 15 years). To use the military in comparison, good generals and admirals expect officers to be competent and back them up, they don't treat them like lowly E-3s right out of boot camp. But this is what the public schools do regularly, they refrain from giving veteran teachers any authority and undercut them when any criticism comes their way.

And we need to treat teachers like the professionals they are by providing good salaries and high-quality professional development opportunities. They already get good salaries and excellent benefits, especially considering they work 8 hours a day with planning time for only 180 days. Professional architects, physicians, and engineers work 12 hour days, 250 days a year.
We need parents to do their part as well to match that leadership in the classroom with leadership at home. We need to set limits and turn off the TV. We need to put away those video games and make sure that homework gets done. Teachers blame the parents and previous teachers, parents blame the school, and administrative types act like they are above the fray. Homeschooling eliminates this merry-go-round of evading responsibility. If my child is not reading then I try my hardest to find out why and fix it. There is too much blame in the public school system and not enough responsibility. My guess is that an evaluation of why homeschooling works would show that a return to more local control improves children's education.

We need to reinforce the example that's being set and the lessons being taught at school and make sure that learning continues at home. One of the reasons many parents teach their children at home are the poor/dangerous examples and lessons in the public school setting such as bullying, drugs, gangs, zero tolerance policies, excessive testing, sex education, and the dumbing down of the curriculum and materials.

Nothing the federal government does, save the military, is as efficient as what can be done by the private sector. Everything from delivering the mail, running the trains, saving for retirement, collecting tax money, delivering health care to seniors, and teaching our children is financially wasteful and time consuming. Instead of admitting this and allowing the competitive market to work, the Obama administration wants to throw more money at the problem. I, like many of my fellow American parents, decide every day to remove ourselves and our children from this unending carnival ride and teach at home, collecting both the responsibilities and rewards of educating our children.

well...

Very often I will ask Timmy a question, such as, "Timmy, do you need to go potty?" He will blurt out, "No!" and then think and say quietly, "Actually, I do." Of course with him being 3, it comes out as, "ashkwally." His other new funny pronunciation is our builder's name which he says as "Miker Schwiker." It takes superhuman effort not to giggle whenever he mispronounces words, but some will go into our family's lexicon along with yumyum for M&M's, sketti for spaghetti, and eggpecially for especially.

keep it in perspective

I've got the theme for next week's Carnival of Homeschooling, I've got the beautiful pictures of our state to prove that Maine: the Postcards Don't Lie, and my house is clean because I implemented a new chore system. However, Blogger won't save my post if I download photos onto it. So.... how can I show the beauties of Maine with no pictures? Hopefully the situation will resolve itself and I can remember that there are many much larger problems in the world and in my own backyard.

strapping on the old trainers again

With no running races to prepare for, I didn't run a single step in September. Luckily I still managed to retain my summer weight loss and after unpacking my clothes from Maine, I put all the pants in the "fat clothes" box in the closet and pulled out the next smaller size. Now, I still have about 8 pounds to lose to get back to my super-skinny-running-machine weight, but at 7 months post-partum I'm doing pretty well.

Tim gets home from work pretty late in the evening and with ballet and Scout meetings my running time was squeezed out. So, I awoke at 5 am this morning determined to begin my training regimen again, ran a very long mile and came up the stairs to the opening bars of Julia Ellen's wake up song. "Feeeeeed meeeeee. I waaaant millllllllllkkkkk!" At least that is what it sounds like to me. To everyone else it is, "mmmmmmmm. AAhhhhhh. Mmmmmmmm."

Now it is time for the other part of our new routine: 7am wakeup and I am working on a chart system for chores and such so I don't have to ask every kid 8 times, "Have you brushed your teeth? Have you made your bed?" I got the idea from reading the Michelle and Jim Bob Duggar's new book The Duggars: 20 and Counting! If you ever want to feel inspired and humbled at the same time I suggest you read this one. It made me feel like such a slacker for complaining about the workload with 6 kids, but gave me some great ideas about how to better organize our household.

safely home

We arrived back in Maryland at 3am with 6 sleepy children and unmade beds, but I managed to get them all tucked back in before Tim returned from the minimart with some milk. Yesterday was a mix of naps, unpacking, and a lot of guilt about not making it to Mass. I hopped in the shower with enough time to get Julia Ellen and I out the door, but then little heads started popping out of doors demanding hot cocoa and my tiny window of opportunity slammed shut.

Today is a trip to the thrift store (on minor holidays they tend to have a 50% off sale) and Mary starts ballet. Since I have never put her very long hair into a bun before we might have to practice and get some new hair geegaws to make her look like a prima ballerina.

on the road again...

We are leaving Maine today, so please say a Hail Mary for our safe travels. I've been taking lots of pictures of our adopted state for ourselves and to prepare for the upcoming Carnival of Homeschooling I am hosting later this month. The theme?

Maine: the postcards don't lie

on an expedition

This afternoon after Julia Ellen went down for her nap the 4 big kids and I again set off into the woods with compass, flagging tape, and loppers. Autumn is one of the best times to wander in the woods (other than during deer season when if one is crazy enough to venture into the woods at all, one should wear blaze orange from stem to stern) because it is easier to see more than 15 feet in front of you. First I stood on the rock wall and got my bearing correct on the compass: 5 degrees off due south. Then Will scouted ahead and stood where I could barely see his red jacket in the line of where the property line should be. I would shout, "Stay right there!" and push through the scrub to tie a fresh day glo orange ribbon on the closest tree. We leapfrogged like this with the younger children following us across fallen tree trunks, through pine saplings, and around dead stumps.

Apparently our compass reading was well done as we found many trees with old spray paint marks from previous owners and an enormous pine tree marking the southwest corner that we can see from our windows. Now that we have a sense of the boundaries of our little farm among the hundreds of acres of woods, we can better plan out some trails to work on next year.

a good life

Yesterday my grandmother called to tell me that her older brother Henry passed away Monday evening. My great uncle Judge MacKenzie was the jolliest, most cheerful person I have ever encountered with a big hug and smile ready for even the youngest child. One of my favorite memories of him was listening to his gruff voice and watching him get excited over my interest in family history. I am so grateful that he and my cousin Ann sorted and wrote down many stories, letters, and recipes and made binders for everyone for Christmas one year. We all knew Uncle Henry couldn't last forever, but making it to 99 is pretty darn close. I will add him to my list of deceased family I pray for at every Mass and ask for a Hail Mary from all of you for his soul.

carnival of homeschooling

Join me today at Our Home School: Carnival of Homeschooling #197, hosted at Walking Therein.

in awe of surveyors and pioneers

Last year Will and Mary and I took off into the woods with no compass, no hatchet, no water and managed to get lost for over 3 hours. Soon afterwards all 7 of us tried to follow the property line and couldn't even make it to the southeast corner, but luckily managed to find our way back (Tim is a much better woodsman than I am).

This afternoon the big kids and I gave it another go since we are leaving Maine this week. Every so often we came across a tree spray painted with an orange blaze, but for the most part we just flailed around. Luckily Will brought his newly sharpened hatchet and he blazed a trail so we could follow it back to civilization. It is embarrassing that I can't manage to follow a rectangle in the woods (though it is a pretty big one) especially after reading about the early pioneers who hacked their way west or escaped from Indian captivity.

One day I will be able to walk all the way around our 23 acre woodlot, but not anytime soon. Winter is the best time to make paths, the leaves are all down so you can see farther. I have such plans for our farm: a sweet Jersey cow and woolly sheep, plump Buff Orpington chickens, a pond to splash in, hiking trails for spending quiet time alone, a big patch of jeweled raspberries, and an orchard full of crisp apples and pears. In the meantime we will return to Washington, DC to resume our "other life" complete with piano lessons, Scouts, American Heritage Girls, field trips, and the daily grind of living with a mile of the Beltway. 21 months before we can start all the projects I long to undertake, but who's counting?

is more school better?

"Now, I know longer school days and school years are not wildly popular ideas," the president said earlier this year... The president wants schools to add time to classes, to stay open late and to let kids in on weekends so they have a safe place to go. (Because you don't trust parents? Because you believe children would be better off with unionized employees?)

"Our school calendar is based upon the agrarian economy and not too many of our kids are working the fields today," Education Secretary Arne Duncan said in a recent interview with The Associated Press. (No, but children need time to play, discover, explore, to relax. They will be slaves to the 40+ hour work week soon enough.)

Does Obama want every kid to do these things? School until dinnertime? Summer school? And what about the idea that kids today are overscheduled and need more time to play? (Maybe I feel this way because I just read an old classic of homeschooling by Raymond Moore who emphasizes starting late and unschooling, but children think better when they are free to explore, to research their own passions. Studies prove that earlier and longer schooling is not better.)

Obama and Duncan say kids in the United States need more school because kids in other nations have more school. (Haven't these people ever been asked, "If everyone else starts jumping off a bridge are you going to join in?" So... if Japan has kids committing suicide because they are overstressed by testing, then we should too? Instead of thinking along the same tired lines of "need to make more jobs so the union be bigger and will campaign for us," perhaps the administration could actually take a look at what actually produces bright, creative kids and attempt to recreate that model for public schools.

What is it about America that has given the world more inventions and ideas for improving the world? It certainly isn't the concept of locking children in prison for 12 years of their life. It is freedom and the opportunity to become wealthy from one's own work. Socialism and Communism squelch this drive because there is no incentive to be better than mediocre, to create something for posterity. Why study and invest and toil just to have one's reward be taken to give to another who didn't study,invest, or toil?

More school is not going to fix any of the problems inherent in the current system. It will push out those children who just don't want to be there sooner, it will dull the minds of those who don't play the game, and it will only enrich the coffers of the NEA.)

blue print is from yahoo

to whom do children belong?

Apparently if your child attends public school in Saratoga Springs, Florida then, despite the fact that you gave birth, feed and house, send to college, and buy Christmas gifts for "your children," they actually are owned by the state.

This is the only logical conclusion when school officials and state police tell a mom that she cannot legally bike with her child to school. He must ride the bus or she must drive a car to deposit him at the school door. No biking, no walking are allowed, not under her supervision and certainly not alone. Florida is not alone in this overreaching behavior. Massachusetts has prohibited parents from opting their children out of classes that promote homosexual marraige and California judges ruled that parents have no rights to what is being taught to their children.

The 12-year-old and his mother, Janette Kaddo Marino, are defying Saratoga Springs school policy by biking to Maple Avenue Middle School on Route 9. The Jackson Street residents pedal more than four miles together each way to the middle school on nice days despite being told not to by school officials and police. Times Union

I have never had to deal with getting a child to school, but this is one of my arguments against private school for our kids, the stress of getting 6 little people up and in the car every morning would drive me crazy. For the first few years of piano lessons we were blessed to be able to have Will and Mary ride their bikes to the teacher's house, and that was only once a week. I can't imagine some school official telling me how to raise my child, but I fear that this is going to be happening more and more often in the months and years ahead. We have changed from a nation inhabited by independent and tough pioneers to one ruled by controlling bureaucrats.

was the view worth it?

This morning we somehow got all the schoolwork completed in record time so we headed down the coast for lunch and a drive up the Mount Battie Auto Road outside of Camden. By the time we pulled into the driveway at 4:30 I was convinced that perhaps we should have just stayed at home and saved myself the aggravation of taking 6 children anywhere in public.

After swinging through the McDonald's and Wasses Hot Dog drivethrus we pulled over in the shade of the parking lot to eat our lunch and piled everyone back in the car. However, I had parked right next to a pile of dog poop and Charlie had managed to step in it and get it smeared on the van floor. I almost lost my lunch right there, but managed to get cleaned up enough to get to the public bathrooms at the boat ramp in town by using every baby wipe I owned. With the windows all down we headed back down Route 1 and pulled off at Camden Hills State Park.





The view from the top was fantastic, tiny white sailboats darting between islands blanketed in pines and spruces with Blue Hill and Mount Desert rising beyond, all topped with puffy clouds floating in a bright blue sky. I took photo after photo of the kids in hope that one would turn out well enough to suffice for our Christmas cards. With no bathroom I sent several of the children into the scrub, but Timmy managed to soak his pants and car seat cover before we made it down to the bottom gate.

After reading Maine Mountain Guide earlier this summer I knew that there was a pretty nature preserve not far away on Fernald's Neck and Will navigated well enough to get us to the tiny parking area. The kids raced ahead and we found Hanging Rock, a huge boulder that was tipped up by the glaciers of long ago. It looks like it could fall over with just a tiny push, but try as Mary could, she could budge the thing.
Of course the kids were goofing around at the water's edge and Maggie got muddy and as she was reaching for the water to rinse off she slipped and kerplash! she was wet up to her waist.

For the third time of the day I was grateful for my emergency stash (housed in an old LEGO bin) of clothes and supplies I keep under one of the seats in the van. As for my poor van, it got stripped of all the nasty clothes and car seat and I scrubbed the carpet with soap and a scrub brush. Between the stale mouse odor and the particularly nasty scent of doggie doo, I'm thinking a trip to the car detailer would be a smart idea.

updated tally

It is beginning to look like a mouse graveyard around our front stoop. 4 little mouse memorials. It seems that our van was a mousie condo, every morning I'm finding another little tail sticking out of the trap and the children all race downstairs to view the burial. It is not like our van is a pit of soda cups and fast food wrappers since Tim makes the kids vacuum it out weekly. Honest, you can ask Michelle, she was mighty impressed by the cleanliness. See?

my little flower

Corona means crown in Latin as we have been learning this week in Prima Latina. Julia Ellen's hair is the perfect illustration!

postscript

Here lies Mousie

He lived in our car,

He made a huge mess

Now he will not go far.

(it is obvious that I am no poet, unlike my Auntie Ellen who has had her poems put to music and is currently in France on a poetry retreat (all expense paid))

some days are like that...

the children have been hateful and sullen, the toilet is still stopped up, Julia Ellen was stung by a yellow jacket on her already chubby face, we apparently have a mouse living in our van, and someone found my secret stash of vanilla sandwich cookies.

I'm praying that tomorrow be a better day with smiling cheerful children, a miracle occurring in the plumbing, and the mousetrap to work.

prayer request

Please ask St. Thomas Aquinas' intercession for Tim as he is taking sub-specialist boards all day Tuesday.

lost on the mountain

No, we didn't go trooping through the woods, but the children and I took the opportunity to listen to Donn Fendler share his story of survival. 70 years ago Donn was on a hiking trip up Mt. Katahdin and lost the trail. This 12 year old was lost for 9 days, crediting his survival to his Boy Scout training and his Catholic faith. I happened to pick up the book earlier this summer at the library and was fascinated by this boy's courage and determination to live. The Cole Land Transportation Museum was packed with folks wanting to listen and shake his hand.



Unfortunately, I didn't anticipate such a large crowd and by the time we arrived it was standing room only. Then, by the time I bought a copy of the book, Lost on a Mountain in Maine, there were over 100 people standing in line to have them signed. I knew the children were not going to be able to wait, especially since Mary had no shoes on (don't ask) and they had already sat quietly for 90 minutes. Luckily the lady at the counter said we could leave the book with them and pick it up signed in a few days. I thought it very telling of this man's character that while he has never made a dime from the books describing his ordeal, he has taken time to speak to children, encouraging them to hike in the beautiful woods of Maine and how to prevent getting lost.

I am blessed...

because I have 6 happy healthy children who do care for one another. Quite often Timmy will hug one of his siblings and say in a syrupy way, "I love you." My husband appreciates my efforts and loves me beyond measure. We have friends and relations who support us and give us joy. We can afford both a new vacuum cleaner and schoolbooks during a pay period. I have the opportunity to live somewhere (at least part of the year) that is beautiful.

We are all blessed because we live at a time in history that offers the best standard of living man has ever known. We have running water, flush toilets, machines that let us instantly communicate with one another. We have medical advances that allow us to live longer and healthier lives. We have the opportunity to educate ourselves for free at our public libraries. We live in a country of freedom and opportunity.

Mary and I are in a contest (Will started a day late so he can never catch up) of who can finish the Lemony Snicket, A Series of Unfortunate Events series first. She has the advantage of being able to read in the car, but I can stay up much later than she can (plus I skim much of the text). I think reading these has made both of us grateful, she for not being an orphan who has murderous Count Olaf hounding her every step, and me for not being a parent burnt up in a fire. My problems are minuscule compared to the Baudelaire children and so very slight compared to any one of the 7 million Americans who have lost their job the past few years. Yes, I am blessed and I know it. (but if you call me nasty names in the comments because I complain about my problems they will be deleted)

speed learners

Starting with a pile of buckwheat pancakes (with a dash of ground flaxseed) we began school this morning at 8am and Will finished up a paragraph describing his Red Ryder BB gun at 1:30pm. Both girls wrote letters to their aunties for creative writing so we mailed off Will's writing, complete with a BB taped to the page for illustration, to his Daddy (who bought him the gun last year).

There might be something to this "early to bed, early to rise" school schedule, leading to making all the children wise, if not healthy and wealthy.

attitude adjustment

When we first started homeschooling 7 years ago, I only had to teach one child Kindergarten. While it took a little more effort because Will was sporting a cast on his left arm, it only took 20 minutes a day to finish the book work. The rest of the day was filled with reading stories, playing games, and trips to the grocery store. As the years progressed and we added more kids to our lives it took a little longer, then a little more, until we were beginning school at 8:30-9:00am and finishing right before lunch. Last year was the first time we needed to take a lunch break and start back up again. Almost 3 weeks into the academic year, I am realizing that our days of having every afternoon free to play are at an end.

5th and 6th grade are hard, Mary has 11 subjects to complete daily including 7 in language arts: English, reading, vocabulary, phonics, spelling, handwriting, and Latin. Tim keeps reminding me that starting in a few weeks their piano lessons begin again. Apparently the days of practicing for 30 minute are over, their teacher wants Will playing for 50 minutes a day. And, while I don't have the stress and anxiety (okay, sheer terror) of having my husband overseas in a war zone, Tim has informed me that his work load has increased to the point of not being able to leave before 6-7pm every night. (The folks in military medicine are among the few in our capital who earn every taxpayer dime they are paid).

I will be taking care of 6 small children, educating 4 of them, running them to activities, doing errands, and cleaning a large house all by myself for the next 2 years. At one time, these were the work of a large staff. What I wouldn't give to be living in Jane Austen's England with a cook, maids, errand boy, gardener, and a governess? Now it is all on one person: me. If I complain, Tim asks, "Do you want to hire a nanny?" knowing perfectly well that we can't afford to hire any help in DC and last year's babysitters were almost more work than they were worth.

What I can do is tackle this problem with a better attitude, knowing that homeschooling for the next few years is going to be harder than it ever has been, but the rewards will be great. If I buckle down and help the big kids learn routines and how to work more independently, then the high school years will be clear sailing. When I announced yesterday evening that the new routine will be breakfast at 7: 30 and begin work by 8 there was some grumbling, but the girls grabbed their books to get a head start.

carnival of homeschooling

Dewey's Treehouse is hosting this week's animal themed carnival.

book review

I have been reading up a storm this summer, with Tim down in Maryland I turn pages until my eyes won't stay open another minute. Novels, decorating picture books, political tomes, and anything to do with farm management or animal husbandry have been the favorites recently. I found a new library (it took a year to scout it out and 20 minutes of driving around downtown to find it) in Bangor. It is huge, likely due to the generosity of Steven and Tabitha King, and filled with more books than even I can read in my lifetime. The children's department takes up the whole bottom floor and is well stocked with current favorites Hardy Boys (Will) and Magic Treehouse (Maggie). Upstairs is non-fiction with an entire bookcase (8 shelves worth) of horse books for Mary. The only downside is that I have to race upstairs with the baby while Will and Mary watch everyone else so I can find something to read. This week while the kids were perusing the shelves, I got to chatting with another homeschooling mom, both of us gushing about raising kids in Maine.

Then I went home and read Momzillas by Jill Kargman and was doubly grateful that we will be escaping the competitive suburbs in a little less than 2 years. It "chronicles the lives of New York's ultra-rich and ultra-ambitious," in a funny and introspective way. While this homeschooling, thrift store shopping, rural advocate mama would sooner jump off the Tappan Zee Bridge than stick one toe in Manhattan's Mommy wars, it revealed some hysterical terminology that I had never heard before. The glossary helped me make sense of many terms, including MNJ (middle name junkie, mother who always calls her child by both their first and last names (and I thought it was just a Southern thing)) and Competitive Birther (racing to have more kids than anyone else (the example of this in the book had 6 kids under 6 and 3 nannies, man am I envying her the help)). I only wish that my Sperminator husband (guy with 4 or more kids) thinks that I am a Yummy Mummy (sexy, attractive mother). I recommend this one if you want reassurance that you are better off outside the competitive mommy circuit.

lords and ladies

Saturday morning found our little clan driving to Fort Knox, a granite citadel situated on the Penobscot River. I had clipped an article from the local paper proclaiming that this weekend the SCA (Society for Creative Anachronism) was putting on its 8th annual Medieval Faire and after comparing the entertainment alternatives (an antique car show or staying home), decided to attend.

Maggie surprised us all by her prowess at the cross bow.

Will and Mary were fascinated by the sword fighting.

Julia Ellen fell asleep listening to Old English drinking songs.

Of course the girls were entranced by the costumes and hounded me until I relented and said I would look into making them some costumes (they could double as All Saints garb) for next year's Faire. Yes, the displays of garb, herbs, and crafts were all very lovely, but the children's favorite thing to do was take their flashlights into the dark corners of the Fort and scare each other to death. I'm not so sure I got a lot of educational value for my $17, but they did all go to bed before 8pm, the worn out little buggers.

why....

am I awakened every morning at 6:07am by the little ones and have to poke and shake the big kids (who could actually be helpful) to climb out of their bunks before 8am? I know I shouldn't complain since Julia Ellen sleeps between 10-11 hours a night, but I have a feeling that in 2 years I'm going to have to wake my lazy crew with a cow bell to get them to do their farm chores.

think then post

Yes, I have heard umpteen times that emails can be easily misconstrued and feelings get hurt. Sarcasm doesn't read well on blog comments and typos can simply be that and not poor spelling. But then I blazed into the Seton Yahoo group board with 1 beer under my belt and misread some one's question and let her have it.

Like many homeschoolers, I take my children's education seriously and assume that others who teach their own do the same. I don't like slackers who show up on-line or on Oprah saying, "Well we homeschool, but our 14 year old can't quite read yet. Our 16 year old has never studied history or spelling. We just didn't get around to teaching our 11 year old any math. But we ARE homeschooling." Sorry, that is NOT homeschooling, but a plan for having your children live in your basement for the next 40 years because they can't function in society or be employable. So when a new homeschooling mom with a 7th and 8th grader described how they were sooo far behind and they were just finishing up the 1st quarter's work, I misunderstood and thought she had taken over a year to get 9 weeks worth of work completed. Then I proceeded to say some not nice things. Only after I hit "send" and go out for an evening stroll with the kids did I realize my error. She said they started school in March, not that they were supposed to finish this past March. (I guess if you are saying, "What's it to you? you would be right as well.)

I did get up early this morning and post an apology, not even reading the other comments for fear of flames. However, the damage has been done. I hope that I haven't killed her desire to share her problems and concerns in what is supposed to be a supportive environment. For homeschoolers need more kindness and assistance from each other since we are usually slogging it out in relative solitude. While the internet has been a wonderful thing in terms of finding like-minded souls, it is easy to be mean because the person we are writing is not sitting in front of us. So, I again say that I am sorry and promise to think twice before I post.

carnival of homeschooling

The Homespun Life is hosting this week's carnival with lots of great posts, even if they messed up on my link. I'm not so overwhelmed that I would put "barely controlled chaos" as the blog title!

the last weekend of summer

Saturday morning the kids woke bright and early and voted to go swimming at Knight's Pond, our favorite local swimming spot. Mary wanted to go to Craig's Pond with her bucket since hundreds of frogs make their home near the beach, but I didn't want to fight the crowds (think a few dozen people, not thousands, at say, Daytona Beach) and the 1/4 mile walk from the parking area. So off we troop with life jackets, inflatable boat and all, only to turn around when Will asked, "Did someone pack the pump?"

We didn't realize until we got settled on our blanket that we also forgot to pack towels and the air was a little nippy to say the least. But despite blue toes and shivering the children jumped and splashed, paddled and swam for over an hour.

What does the savy momma do with 5 cold and wet children? "Let's go into town and buy some new towels," I suggested, "We'll leave our stuff here and come back." Fortified with chili cheese hotdogs we returned to the pond (which saw a steady stream of kayackers, swimmers in wetsuits, and the tacky campers who had moved in for the weekend with 4 cars, bikes, an ATV, a paddle boat, and 5 tents) and didn't leave until it was time to head home for supper.

2nd anniversary

Today is the second anniversary of my mother's death from ovarian cancer. I had a Mass said for her yesterday (thank you Tim for taking care of it) at our parish in Maryland. I must call my grandmother and stepfather and share in our feelings of grief at losing the center of our family. Mother was the person that kept everyone connected. I often want to tell her what the children are up to, our plans of raising sheep (she was a master knitter), and the latest family gossip. I miss her fiercely.

September is National Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month and I urge you to aquaint yourselves and your mothers with the subtle symptoms of this disease.

If the following symptoms occur almost daily for more than two weeks, the Ovarian Cancer National Alliance advises that women see a gynecologist. These symptoms include:

• Bloating
• Pelvic or abdominal pain
• Difficulty eating or feeling full quickly
• Urinary symptoms (urgency or frequency)

There is no definitive test for ovarian cancer so experts suggest a combination of pelvic/rectal exam, a CA-125 blood test and a transvaginal ultrasound.

one dead dinosaur

Those kiddy placemats from restaurants are good for something...

a host of compliments

Every week I look through our weekly paper for cultural opportunities, but am not inclined to shell out $$ for tired plays, travel over an hour for children's shows, or shuffle around a bunch of wine-drinking snobs at gallery openings. Since we have been up in Maine we have visited the aviation museum, the Penobscot Indian museum, a classical music concert, and last night went to an organ concert.

St. John's Catholic Church in Bangor boasts of a 1860 pipe organ and a very talented organist. While the pieces selected were a little too Russian (think melancholic and depressed composers trapped on the steppes in winter), it was good to hear what a magnificent instrument play something more elevated than "Gather Us In," and it was good practice for the children to sit still and listen. They have had a lot of practice at this since we usually attend the Traditional Latin Mass which requires much sitting, standing, and kneeling while being silent.

I combined the trip with a visit to the city's library which boasts an impressive children's collection. We then hit Dysarts for supper with the promise (or bribe) that we would return for ice cream sundaes after the music if they were good. Two waitresses (one with her own brood of 5) said how well behaved the children were during the meal and another patron caught me on the way up to the cashier, saying, "I have to tell you how impressed I am by your children. They have been so good." With an hour to kill beforehand I spied a park near the church and gave them the chance to yell, roll down a hill, climb on the swingset, and wrestle. This free time might have been what saved us since it was already approaching bedtimes as we entered the sanctuary. Julia Ellen was the surprising "naughty" child, screwing up her face and threatening to let out a howl every few seconds during the first piece. She wouldn't nurse until I finally realized that the low and loud organ sounds were too much for her tiny ears. I moved over to the stairs leading to the basement and fed her almost to sleep. The little boys were squirmy as they could only be given the circumstances. During the last 15 minutes I took them downstairs and let them silently run around the parish hall. Afterwards we took a close up look at the organ itself and reaped a few more comments from attendees, all positive.

When we streamed back into the truck stop restaurant several of the ladies said, "They must have been good!" Julia Ellen slept soundly while we shoveled ice cream into our mouths, traded maraschino cherries, and gulped down cups of ice water. Another round of compliments followed us out the door and we decided to attempt this outing again next summer, with the promise of dessert for obedient little boys and girls.

carnival of homeschooling

Home Grown Mommy is hosting the carnival this week. Lots of posts of why different folks homeschool if you need a little psychological boost or fresh ideas.

barely controlled chaos

Well, we made it through 2 mornings of the school year and I am beginning to feel that I have lost my mind. Why? 4 children who constantly call,"Mommy I need help right now!" A baby who wants to be held non-stop. A growing pile of clean clothes spreading across my bedroom floor. 2 children who feel that the house should be perfectly silent until they finish their work and resent someone younger even coming inside for juice. No clean cups because they are all in the dishwasher. A toddler who tries to help by emptying his urine filled potty into the toilet, spilling all across the bathroom floor. A fridge full of food that no one but me will eat. Dishes coated with oatmeal goo piled next to the sink.

But the floor was swept and mopped yesterday and slowly all the children are attended to, the chores done, and everyone fed. Julia Ellen is sitting on my lap cooing, Timmy is napping, and everyone else is playing outside. The peace I have been searching for all morning is finally here.

At least for the next 30 seconds.

tomorrow is the big day

We officially begin the 2009-2010 school year at 9am. Luckily I pulled out all the books and stacked them on Friday because it was apparent that we were missing Charlie's and Mary's religion books.

Luckily I was able to just call Tim and he found them on the proper shelf, boxed them up, and mailed them early Saturday morning. This will be our 7th year of homeschooling and I am getting so excited about all the new things we will learn, adventures we will have, and time spent together. Some days will be good, some fair, and some downright awful but I wouldn't trade my job as a homeschooler for anything in the world.

a bit too competitive

This morning I woke at 6am, fed and washed Julia Ellen, showered, woke up the children and headed out the door at 7:30 for the last day of the Union Fair. One of the pedal tractor race prizes was a $190 Ford tractor and with 3 children eligible to compete, the chances of one of them winning this year were pretty good. Other activities scheduled for the day were children's games, the parade, and another free bike drawing.

Any normal person would have realized that it just wasn't a good day to drive over an hour on narrow back roads, but knowing that Maggie won her bike last year on the last day made me decide to press ahead. With temperatures in the 60's and a steady rain falling, the fair officals canceled everything, so we turned around and stopped for a hot breakfast. On the plus side we managed to get all our town errands taken care of on the way home. There will be plenty of years left for pedal tractor races, pig scrambles, and bike drawings and many more lazy afternoons filled with piano practice, mugs of hot cocoa, and playing I Spy on the computer.

call, call, call

A few weeks ago I called my Representative to ask when he was holding town hall meetings. His staff member said, "He is too busy to have a meeting." Today I called him and my Senators and I urge you to do the same. The more I hear about Obamacare, the more scared I get. Government bureaucrats having access to our tax returns, bank accounts, and medical records and then deciding if individual citizens get medical procedures. Abortion paid for by taxpayers. Death panels (Obama already said that Granny is to take a pain pill instead of getting a pacemaker. If you think that he will cover bone marrow transplants, treatments for folks with stage 3 or 4 cancer, or any other expensive medical procedure you are delusional) Rationed care will be the norm for everyone (if there is a limited supply of a "free" good or service then not everyone will be able to obtain it)

Reading published statements from Ezekiel Emanual (Obama's health care advisor) on how the deck would be stacked is chilling.

"However, other things are rarely equal—whether to save one 20-year-old, who might live another 60 years, if saved, or three 70-year-olds, who could only live for another 10 years each—is unclear." In fact, Dr. Emanuel makes a clear choice: "When implemented, the complete lives system produces a priority curve on which individuals aged roughly 15 and 40 years get the most substantial chance, whereas the youngest and oldest people get changes that are attenuated.

Dr. Emanuel concedes that his plan appears to discriminate against older people, but he explains: "Unlike allocation by sex or race, allocation by age is not invidious discrimination. . . . Treating 65 year olds differently because of stereotypes or falsehoods would be ageist; treating them differently because they have already had more life-years is not."

The youngest are also put at the back of the line: "Adolescents have received substantial education and parental care, investments that will be wasted without a complete life. Infants, by contrast, have not yet received these investments. . . . (thelancet.com, Jan. 31, 2009).

The time to fight this is now, not after the American people are subjected to the same horrors as the British have for years now. Every day another story comes out about old people not getting fed and washed while in hospitals, women giving birth in hallways for lack of beds, months long waits for cancer treatment, etc. I told the staff members how I think it is appalling that this is being pushed as a memorial to Teddy Kennedy when his own decisions were the exact opposite of what this bill pushes. He and his family made the decision to go to Duke when all the other surgeons said there was nothing that could be done. He fought to live, not go peacefully into that good night like any average 73 year old under Obamacare would be told.

For children, for the elderly, for ourselves I urge you to call and tell Congress, "No Obamacare. No rationing. I want to make medical decisions for myself and my family."

lots of helpers

Yesterday we headed down to the Union Fair so the kids could spin, chug, twirl, and fly to their heart's content. I knew that it could turn into a logistical nightmare at any time with 2 big kids, 2 medium sized kids, one toddler, and a baby. But, other than one brain fried dude, the Rockwell Amusement staff made it a pleasant and relaxing day for me.

On Sunday we inspected all the ride requirements so we knew ahead of time which ones each child could go on. My worry was the bumper cars as Maggie and Charlie were tall enough to ride with an adult, but not alone. What was I to do? Have Will or Mary sit with the 3 little ones for 10 minutes and wait while I went on the ride and then switch? But the guys let each child ride with a sibling and the same thing happened at the giant slide after I took Timmy down a few times. Timmy needed help getting on the carousel horse, but after I pointed to Julia Ellen one of the workers stood behind him in my place. Will and Mary were very generous in taking the little kids on so many rides, taking them to the potty, and independently buying bottles of cold water.

One worry homeschooling mothers have is raising children who can't function alone in public, after all they don't set off on the big yellow bus every day and have to navigate the halls of academia alone. Going to the fair and allowing a 2nd grader to ride the giant swing on the other end of the midway alone and giving a 5 year old permission to ride the bees by himself is good practice.

Yes, this non-helicopter parenting method did come back to bite me when Maggie didn't come back to the meeting spot, leaving us all searching for one short sprite in the aisles filled with flashing lights and ominous looking pierced and tattooed teens. But Will found her and we headed to the car with bags of cotton candy to munch. A few minutes after tucking the children into bed, I peeked in to see them all sound asleep and dreaming of fair rides, cotton candy, and another chance at the pig scramble next year.

carnival of homeschooling

Homeschool Bytes is hosting this week's carnival with "We've got style" theme.

what we've been up to...

watching out the window.

In addition to the horse riding lessons, swimming lessons, trip to the Fair, finding a coyote den while pruning, hoeing the garden, helping with the haying...

time to earn your keep

Yesterday was the first day of the Union Fair, which we have attended every year since Will was about 3. It is an old fashioned county event, complete with 4H displays, pie eating contests, tractor pulls, farm animals, and lots of fair food. We pick one day to buy bracelets for the kids to ride as many rides as they can stand ($19 this year) and participate in other activities like the free bike drawing.

This year we decided to sign Mary up for the pig scramble, unfortunately she wasn't picked, but it was still highly entertaining. I had never seen such a thing before, 10 kids with mesh sacks chased, grabbed, and jumped on 9 squealing piglets. The children who managed to capture a pig could either take them home or sell them to the burly guys who sidled up to each contestant, "Hey, I'll buy your pig for $25." The same animals can be found for sale in Uncle Henry's for $50-75, but any parent who doesn't want to transport a pig in the back of their sedan is happy to take the cash. Will's turn for the scramble is Wednesday, hopefully he will be picked to chase pigs and recoup the cost of taking him to the fair.

hurricane prep

I grew up in hurricane country and am used to preparing for a big blow. I recall Hurricane Gloria (1985) like it was yesterday, trying to sleep in the upstairs hallway, the only place in our cheap townhouse that had no windows, listening to the radio announcer describe the wind speed and the damage throughout the city. I hightailed it to my grandmother's house in 2001 during Hurricane Isabel with Will and Mary in tow, figuring that her house had withstood many storms in the past 175 years (and they had electricity). I even managed to get to class at Virginia Tech through Hurricane Hugo in 1989 and see the enormous devastation to the forests 300 miles inland.

But hurricanes in Maine? Not supposed to happen. But I do know what to do:

charge Coleman lanterns- check
bring in everything outside that could blow away- check
close all barn and garage doors- check
set up generator and practice plugging in and starting- check

roll up the windows in the van - uh-oh. Someone's going to be sitting on towels on the way to Mass and hoping the wet doesn't seep through to her skirt.

on my own again

Tim leaves tomorrow (in the midst of Hurricane Bill) for DC and will return in about 4 weeks. Yesterday I took advantage of the opportunity to hit my favorite used book store and get out of the house with only the 2 little ones in my care. After an hour Tim called on the cell, "Where are you? Why are Maggie and Charlie out in front of the garage alone?" 5 minutes later he called again to ask if the dishes in the dishwasher were clean. I gave up on a trip to the library with great Wi-Fi (I had more pictures for the farm chores post but they wouldn't load on dial-up at home) and headed back. Again the phone rang, but this time I had left my purse in the back seat and refused to stop the car to answer it.

Every time I have a hard day or a mini-crisis up in Maine he suggests that perhaps I shouldn't stay up here alone with 6 children, but he can't manage without me for 2 hours (at that with only 4 children)? Now to be fair, he did apologize profusely when I got home and he is very capable, even managing to meet me in town for the loan closing with the 4 little ones in tow.

I did find several Landmark Books I couldn't live without, but I managed to not succumb to the desire to purchase the very rare #120 Medical Corps Heroes of World War II, priced at $125.

farm chores

This summer was almost the summer that wasn't. It rained every other day for much of June and July and has finally been hot enough to hay the fields. One of the neighbors down the road came the other day to mow and yesterday Will and Mary helped stack the bales on the wagon. Now the front field is clean and the rest of the baling should be finished today ahead of the hurricane coming up the coast.

My garden was finally dry enough to till, too late to plant anything that we could eat, but we planted some seeds from the discount bin at the hardware store so the kids could get the general idea of where their food comes from (well, not their food since they don't eat veggies, but normal people's food).

I hauled a few loads of horse manure from the pile at the dump (excuse me, transfer station) and together with lots of spare hay I made an enormous compost pile. The kids have gotten into the habit of not complaining too loudly when I ask them to dump the scrap bucket I keep in the kitchen.

The last project I have been working on is going out in the early morning with the pole saw and hacking back branches that overhang the fields. I realized during my tractor driving lessons this week that branches that seem safe while walking about are right at eye level when on the seat of a tractor. With enough bug spray and a huge floppy hat I can chop chop chop for about 90 minutes before needing sustenance and a short nap.

All these chores will help us in future years, but we all can't wait for that day when we will be up here for good and don't have to schlep back and forth to DC. 23 months left, but who's counting?

carnival of homeschooling

Home Spun Juggling is hosting this week's carnival with a juggling theme.

I don't wanna buy more baby gear

When you are expecting your first child you get the newest and most fashionable stroller, clothes, and crib. When you are expecting your second child you spluge on more stuff like an Ultrasaucer and a changing table.

When you are expecting your sixth child you need new stuff because the other 5 kids have destroyed the baby gates, lost the breast pump parts, and turned the Boppy Pillow into a 2" high pancake. So you either suck it up and buy more stuff or resort to what people used before BabiesRUs existed.

stereotypical Maine summer day

Yesterday I told the kids to pack up the van with beach gear (we went to Mass on Saturday afternoon so we could hit confession beforehand) and we headed out on to Knight's Pond. Saturday was a hotter day, and not just because I ran a 5K (2nd in my age group), and the race ended in a parking lot with the smell of trash wafting from the Bangor City Dump. They remembered all the life jackets, the inflatable boat and paddles, the cooler, and the blanket to sit on. My only job was to pack pb&js and change Julia Ellen's nappie. We left Tim happily mowing the field edges and spent the afternoon splashing, riding about, and chatting with the other families.

After cleaning up ourselves and the van we headed back out to go to the lobster pound for supper, a yearly treat. Lobster pound dining runs the gamut, some eat off the tacky Styrofoam trays with a plastic fork while the more glamorous cover the picnic table with a tablecloth and pull out bottles of wine, appetizers, and salad to accompany their boiled lobster. Before I tucked into my twin special (2 lobsters on a plate) the children picked up lobsters from the tank. "I picked up two at one time!" "Look at this big one!" (yes, I know this is a crab, but the others were dark)

Eating an ice cream bar back home finished up the day with promises that we would visit the pond several more times in the coming weeks.

hallelujah!

We are finished with school! While Maggie finished 1st grade months ago and Mary finished about 4 weeks ago, it took Will forever to write and polish his book report on St. John Vianney. The California Achievement Test is knocked out so all that is left is for me to drop off the mailers at the post office.

This is the latest is has ever taken us to get through a school year in our 6 years of homeschooling, but it is the first time that we had a baby born in the middle of the academic year. Of course we are all ready to start back up in about 2 weeks, but we will take advantage of the hot temperatures and sunny skies that have finally arrived in Maine. Today we are planning a trip to Knight's Pond, a secret spot in the middle of nowhere with a tiny beach, blueberry bushes, and a resident Bald Eagle.


In the meantime Maggie and Charlie have been clamoring to begin phonics and mathematics, so who am I to say they can't?

mommies of large families are psychotic?

In 2007 alone, American women birthed more than 4.3 million babies — the highest number ever. More than a quarter of those were to women having their third or fourth child, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Some women may like being pregnant a little too much, often driven to rapidly reproduce out of insecurity, a craving for attention, or feelings of abandonment by their own parents.

Having babies isn't addictive in the way that alcohol and narcotics can be. But bumpaholics feel compelled to procreate for many of the same reasons that substance abusers turn to booze or drugs.

"Women who are obsessed with being pregnant are literally filling an emptiness inside of them, just as alcoholics and drug addicts use substances to fill a psychological void," says Beverly Hills psychiatrist Carole Lieberman, M.D. Every one of us at some point encounters this void, adds New York family therapist Bonnie Eaker Weil, Ph.D., author of "Financial Infidelity." "You want to have a purpose in this world. You want to feel less lonely." msn

Or some of us could be us just love babies, like our children, and are trying to follow the God's teaching. There are days like today that I feel psychotic, but that is because I have 6 children, not the other way around.

dirt in the...

house, dirt in the car, dirt in kid's hair, dirt caked into the kid's clothes. Where did all this dirt come from? A big hole in the ground- the foundation for what will be our house 18 months from now. In the meantime, we have lots of dirt to play in. Dirt for playing house, playing roads, playing that they are dogs,

that they are bulldozers, that they are at war, and dozens of other games that I can't figure out. But the children are outside in the sunshine and using all those Tonka toys I bought the little boys for Christmas. Charlie now wants an excavator after getting to sit in the cab and move the levers.

Anyone want to come over and play in the dirt?

this is the face...

that apparently stops people’s prayers. We were sitting in Mass this past Sunday and the folks behind us couldn’t stop raving about how beautiful Julia Ellen was. During the passing of the peace we were told by the woman in front of us how pretty she was. Then when I had dismissed the children, “You may go downstairs and have a doughnut,” cleaned up the crayons and was getting ready to genuflect another woman said, “What a beautiful baby!”

If I hadn’t had 5 other babies who looked exactly the same I might me thinking I have a child model on my hands. Yeah she is chubby and smiles a lot, but gee, I feel like I’m back in Italy, the land full of people who love children but don’t have any of their own. Chio bella!

where is Mary??

I forgot my kid. I didn’t lose her, I just forgot about poor Mary in the locker room at the pool while we were on the playground across the parking lot. There she was sitting on the bench in her underpants and t-shirt while I had her shorts in my purse. I tried to give them to her after her swimming lesson but all I got was, “I can’t take them, I’m all wet.” So, for 30 minutes she felt alone and abandoned until I called everyone to get in the van and realized that I hadn’t seen her outside. I should tell her to not feel bad, both my parents forgot my baby brother once, only realizing ½ mile down the road that he was still back in the house.

I am constantly counting heads when we are out, “Do we have everyone we came with? No extras?”

All is well, I gave Mary the privilege of choosing the pasta for naked spaghetti (or should I say naked macaroni?) tonight. I’m forgiven and perhaps she will take more responsibility for her own things next time we go to the pool.

lobster dripping with butter

This losing weight business is for the birds. I should be so grateful that within 5 months of Julia Ellen’s birth I can fit back into most of my clothes. This morning I weighed myself after running and nursing and found the scale showing that I am only 2.5 pounds over my pre-pregnancy weight. Switching from an all-you-can-eat pregnancy diet where I had at least one soda a day and M&Ms every night while reading in bed, I would think that I would be back in size 8 in weeks. No such luck.

The problem? Every time I lose a pound my appetite increases to the point of me thoughtlessly scarfing down half a bag of cheese popcorn or doing something else insane, sabotaging my efforts. Then it takes super-human effort for several days to see that same number on the scale. This week's stress of driving Will and Mary an hour each way to sailing lessons hasn't helped matters, a Coca-a-cola keeps me calm enough to not drive like a mad woman on the twisty back roads just to shave off a minute or two.

carnival of homeschooling

Beverly is hosting this week's carnival with a game day theme, I wonder if some of our top five favorite games are listed?

1. Mad Dash
2. Clue Mysteries
3. Puppyopoly
4. Junior Scrabble
5. Uno

We usually have several jigsaw puzzles being put together and the big kids and I play Rummy after the little ones go to bed. (they bounce on the bed and mess up the cards)

Force feeding a cultural education

Last Monday night we drove into Bangor (the “big” city) and went to an evening concert hosted by Kneisel Hall, a Blue Hill summer program for young talented musicians. Now, any parent of small children will state that evening activities, especially ones that involve being quiet are bad ideas. But I really wanted Will and Mary to see Emely Phelps, a prize-winning pianist, currently studying at The Julliard School. The options were to take everyone and pray for good behavior or forget the whole idea. Until 20 minutes before we left the house I wasn’t sure we going to go, but Timmy had a long nap so we changed into nice clothes after supper and hit the road.

After arriving at the church, we sat next to the door off to the side so I had a quick escape route in case of noise or bathroom emergency. A lady came over and graciously asked if the baby was a quiet one, “Oh yes, she is very good and I will cut out if she fusses.” I didn’t take offense, but put myself in the position of the musicians who have practiced and studied for weeks to learn their pieces. I certainly wouldn’t want to spoil the concert with 6 loud, unruly children. Will of course paid perfect attention to the concert while the others were much less interested. Why I folded a copy of Mother Earth News magazine (I only read it for the articles and try not to go ballistic over the enviro-wacko anti-child editiorals) into my purse I don’t know, but it is likely that it saved the evening for over a hundred people. Charlie spent an hour examining each photo within, spending most of his time on the tractor ads. All anyone heard from our pew was a little gurgle from Julia Ellen before I started nursing and a faint repeating hiccup afterwards. The first trio played pieces by Haydn for 20 minutes and the second group (a string quartet) played Mendelssohn’s #6 for 40 minutes. The wiggling and shuffling was getting more noticeable so I made an executive decision to cut our attendance short and head out during the intermission.



A good plan for both a comedian or parent is to always leave them wanting more, the audience that is. Several folks complimented the children’s behavior as we scooted through the crowd, but I knew that if we had stayed we would have ended up leaving in disgrace.


I recall a discussion a few months back on someone's blog about rewarding the children when they are praised by strangers (for their behavior, not their looks) and I felt that they certainly deserved a treat so when we were all strapped in the van I said, “Sundaes at Dysarts!” Even though it was way past their bedtime I was very impressed by their manners and consider the outing a great success.


It occurred to me while we were listening to the beautiful music that I was in a similar position to those young adults in a way. They worked and practiced every day for years to be able to play difficult scores and make it appear effortless, while I have worked, endlessly it seems, for over a decade to have children who can be trusted to sit quietly in church. All the Masses standing in the vestibule, bribing the children with doughnuts, training them in the proper behavior made it look easy. I can’t say that it will be clear sailing from here on out, but this outing would have deemed impossible only a few years ago. So, for those with only little children I give you hope that one day you will be able to listen to the beauty of Mass with few distractions, at least from your own pew.

let them howl

Ever since Will came home from Boy Scout camp he has been eager to use some of his new skills. Our backyard has turned into a campsite, complete with a roped off wood chopping area, 2 tents, a screened pavilion, and now a fire pit. He did a good job constructing all this on his own (I helped put up the pavilion) and the second attempt at fire building was much better than the first. Last night we roasted marshmallows and I let the big kids read in the sleeping bags for 45 minutes after dark.

Charlie couldn’t make himself brave enough to walk out alone to the tents in the dark, so he nestled next to me in bed and was soon sound asleep. I wasn’t too keen on the idea of walking down myself to fetch the rest of them, and to prove my point the second after I poked my nose in the tent, I heard a coyote howl in the not so distant woods. Maggie propelled herself out of her sleeping bag and followed the other sprinting children across the grass and up the back stairs into the safe and secure house. Tim and I conference on the phone and decided that letting the 4 big kids sleep in the hay loft in the barn is a good compromise, they would be camping out, but not accessible to hungry wild animals.

Miss Poopy Pants

I overbought size 1 diapers for Julia Ellen, the poor child had red impressions of the elastic on her thighs when they were wet and swelled up. Now that we have finished up the last package I am free to resume using the cloth diapers that Michelle so graciously lent me a month or so ago. Since the diapers were free and I picked up a few vinyl covers at the thrift shop for less than $1 each I am saving several dollars a day by using cloth. Not to sound like someone’s grandmother, “Back when I was a little girl a Coca-cola cost a nickel,” but way back when my first child was a baby the name brand disposable diapers were about 15 cents each, now they are hovering around 23 cents apiece.

Now down in suburbia land the magic trash truck comes every Wednesday morning and makes all those stinky diapers disappear, but up here in rural Maine you have to take all the trash to the dump (politely and accurately called the transfer station) yourself. Most towns even charge up to $2.50 a bag for the privilege of throwing it away and disposables take up a lot of room. I figure that washing is almost free since we have a well and septic system. Julia Ellen really likes having her nappy changed so the frequent whisking away of wet underclothes makes her smile and kick her feet.