Where are the Turkeys?

I really do not have a problem with Halloween. For one thing, it's one of ours. It's a Christian day... Hallowed evening... the evening before All Saints Day. And while the neopagans try to claim it was one of theirs, it was one of ours first... Halloween's history is Christian. And I'm all for taking the day BACK.

I also don't mind "fun" scariness for the kids... I don't mind costumes and dress ups... I love when they pick a Saint's costume and go about telling the story of their saint when someone asks "And what are you supposed to be?" But if my son wants to be an M&M or a Pirate or Scary Skeleton that's okay too.

What bugs me is the marketing. Each year, this innocent children's fun day, this historically Christian Feast Evening, when we think of those in heaven with Christ... gets weirder and darker. And worse...

It crowds out the Turkeys.

I can find a glut of Halloween decorations. And I have nothing against Bats. I love bats. Give me a stickie bat window cling and I'll put it up. Anytime of the year.

But what about Thanksgiving?

THANKSGIVING- a day when we give THANKS TO GOD. Used to be able to find all the Pilgrim and Indian decorations. Horns of plenty (a sign of Life, and abundance, and the Goodness of our creative God). Indian Corn. And TURKEYS.

Turkey candles, Turkey table cloths, Big tacky turkey centerpieces.

Where are they? What happened to remembering Thanksgiving?

We rush right from focus on death and greed, to a focus on BUY! BUY! BUY! as the secular version of Christmas takes over.

This week we're making Turkeys out of hand tracings and construction paper. We're talking about the Pilgrims, and the Indians, and why Thanks was given in a BIG FEAST.
And of course, we'll talk about how Mass is Thanksgiving with a Big Feast, too.
God is abundant.

Does anyone know where I can get a Turkey Centerpiece?

Book Fair!

Last weekend I found myself wandering around a book fair on the streets of a small artsy town nearby.

The town was interesting... I used the term "bohemian" when describing it to my husband. He said no... this town was "redeveloped" and planned as a "bohemian" town, and therefore it was not. "You can't plan bohemian" he said.

I guess he has a point.

I did find some cool books though.

An illustrator/children's author I like, Dar Hosta, was there. You can see some of her stuff HERE I love her use of color. Plus I've always been partial to those metallic gold and silver pens, since about sixth grade when they were all the rage. :)

I also found some interesting ABC books... homeschoolers are always on the prowl for books that cover more than one subject... boy that sounds formal... "cover more than one subject" ... how can I reprhase? Books about lots of cool stuff?

Well, whatever. I picked up Marcie Aboff's "Guatemala ABCs" The author has a series of ABC books telling about different lands. I flipped open this one to see if they got the Catholic Culture correct- and they did. For example, "D is for Day of the Dead." And they are pretty accurate (but quite simple) in telling about it. "H is for Holy Week" too! It's not a Catholic book... they touch on some Mayan folk lore/mythology.. which is fine by me but I know any hint of folklore or mythology gives some people the vapors.

Did you know the Guatemalan National Bird is the QUETZAL? I do now. And now I have something other than "Queen" and "Quilt" to use for the letter Q when doing alphabet cards.

Which brings me to the second most important letter in an alphabet book.

X

I always liked the Richard Scarry ABC book because he didn't use XRAY for X. (you'll have to pick up his book if you want to know what he used. Hint: It's Aquatic). The Guatemala ABC book has Xelaju.

What's that?

Buy the book and find out! :)

I did say X was the second most important letter. The first, is quite obviously "C".

"C is for Coffee"


The books are put out by picturewindowbooks and also have ABC books for Australia, Canada (eh?), China, Egypt, France, Germany, India, Israel,
Italy,
Japan, Kenya, Mexico, New Zealand, Russia, and the United States. I didn't check the other books so I can't speak for their content, but I plan to learn more about them. My youngest is past the learning ABC stage, but he read the Guatemala ABC book simply because it was interesting.

publisher web site here

The Bird's got Rhythm!

I wish I could dance.

At least SOMEONE likes the Backstreet Boys

Discovering the Greek Myths

A few weeks ago my little guy used the term "Greek Myth" to mean something made up. I had picked up a copy of D'Aulaire's Book of Greek Myths , and we cracked it open yesterday for a read aloud. He did not want me to stop. He LOVES the myths. He thought Argus was pretty cool, what with all those eyes.
Monsters and weird looking creatures are ALWAYS cool.

He's writing his own 'myth' now. It started to explain how caterpillars got little bitty legs, and now involves a whole complex cast of characters, only one of whom has realized the "gods" are not real. He eventually becomes a priest (of the one True God, whom he realizes must exist).

So we're wandering out of "myth" territory, but that's where his story went...

The Evils of Convenience

.
Bagged Salad.
It's very convenient. I'm not a cook, so if I can defrost it, microwave it, unwrap it and pour it in a bowl, it's dinner. Sometimes I'll boil water, too.

I realize this violates the Homeschool Denim Skirt Freezer Full Of Homemade Dinner Mom Stereotype, but I cannot cook.

I never realized the dire effect this would have on my children's MINDS, though.

I was in the store with my 12 year old. I asked her to get me a HEAD OF LETTUCE. She looked at me and said "that's the green round thing?"

That's when I realized that for years, we just bought salad-in-a-bag to serve all our lettuce needs. The poor kid was unsure what a head of lettuce was.

On the brighter side, she knows what a "record" is (as in flat vinyl thing).

Why Hope? God Writes Straight with Crooked Lines.

From Pope Benedict's sermon, Feast of Our Lady's Nativity, September 8, 2007:

"The Gospel passage we have just heard broadens our view. It presents the history of Israel from Abraham onwards as a pilgrimage, which, with its ups and downs, its paths and detours, leads us finally to Christ. The genealogy with its light and dark figures, its successes and failures, shows us that God can write straight even on the crooked lines of our history. God allows us our freedom, and yet in our failures he can always find new paths for his love. God does not fail. Hence this genealogy is a guarantee of God’s faithfulness; a guarantee that God does not allow us to fall, and an invitation to direct our lives ever anew towards him, to walk ever anew towards Jesus Christ."

I take such encouragement from this, and from the 'characters' of God's story. God does indeed, 'write straight with crooked lines' and that is such good news. Praise God for His Mercy, and his ability to make the best darn lemonade from a whole lotta lemons. :)
Christ has won. God's here, He's working, all will be well.

The Awkward Song

^This is a funny video. Even funnier if you know Franciscan University.

Are Skeleton Keys Real, Mom?

Today my youngest child asked me if skeleton keys were real. I told him yes, and explained what they were and that we had a couple in our old (very old) house.

He was quite impressed, and said he hadn't realized such keys truly existed. "I thought they were Greek myths" he said.

He has an older brother in his twenties. When that child was young, I'd have corrected such a comment, explaining what Greek Myths were and how he'd used the wrong term. I'd have given him more correct alternatives. I'd have launched into a retelling of at least three actual Greek Myths. I'd have gone on and on about it, long after the child had tuned me out and was probably thinking about how to defeat King Koopa in Mario II.

How do our eldest children survive us? I think the oldest children are "practice kids".

I knew, today, that by "Greek Myth" my youngest son just meant something that wasn't real, but was pretty darn cool to think about. I understood him, and didn't need to "correct". Instead, I could listen and maybe really hear.

Happy Birthday, Mom!

Today is the day the Church celebrates the Birthday of the Blessed Mother. Does anyone out there do birthday parties for the Blessed Mother?

We have a cake and sing Happy Birthday. I remember years ago my sister's college age friends always had a big birthday party, with games and prizes and cake and dinner and of course, a Rosary and Hymn sing (with Happy Birthday added in to the Hymns).

Mary undid what Eve did, opening the way for our salvation, just as Christ undid what Adam did, saving us. I'm always impressed with the way God can write a story. That was very neat- bad angel leads the woman to say no to God, paving the way for the man to say no to God, mankind falls. Good angel asks the Woman to obey God, she says "yes" to God, paving the way for the Man to say "yes" to God, mankind is saved.

Thanks, Mom! And Happy Birthday.

Life on Life's Terms

We did make it to the Library yesterday. That was on the agenda for the start of the school year.
More was on the agenda for today.
I got sick
Mom can't call a substitute.

There was a day off and there was much rejoicing. Except for me. Pass the Advil and Pepto.

Another Year Begins

I suppose this 'headline' ought to wait for the First Sunday in Advent. That's when we have our Happy New Year parties.

But as most parents reading this have figured out, I'm refering to the school year.

Not that, for us homeschoolers, the school year ever 'ends' and 'begins' cleanly (by 'cleanly' I mean at one defined point. Our schooling is never clean, what with crayons, paint, bits of hamster litter, scissors-and-anything-they've-attacked - including the dog - and the worst foe of all, cuisinarre rods which scatter and multiply).

I guess we ought to 'start' today, as the neighbor's children trudged off to school this morning.

Thus a trip to the library is in order today. And to the park. I wonder if we ought to go to the Museum? Maybe tomorrow.

I love homeschooling.

Harry Potter, a Christian Tale

Oh dear.
I've just read the article on Harry Potter by Father Aguilar in the Register.
While he had some good points on the virtues in Harry Potter (self sacrifice, the value of a large family, etc) I wonder where he got the idea that Potter had gnostic philosophy?
As I read his analysis I wondered if we'd read the same books.
The Harry Potter books have far more a Christian Philosophy than a gnostic one. The body is respected and valued. There is no "secret knowledge", rather magic is a sort of technology. I do wonder if some of the Potter Critics go into the books with the notion of "magic" as a spiritual enlightenment, and thus misread what is there.
The only inner quest going on is the one for virtue. Harry is not seeking his "inner wizard" but his inner human being. He goes on a journey from fear, lies, and deceit, to courage, honesty, and mercy.
THAT is the story and philosophy in Harry Potter.
And it's one reason why I love these books. They are not perfect books, but they are very deep, basically Christian, and better than so much that is out there.

If you get them for your children, read them together. I personally feel these are books for older children and adults, not because of problems in the book, but because the books are very complex and the moral story in them might be missed by younger children.

My hat is off to J.K. Rowling for writing such a fantastic, moral, and Christian story for this time.