I Doth Protest...

As I walked down the hall and peered into the living room... there sat the three boys, all perched on the couch. The two on either side of Bobcat hanging on his every word, and in his hands... The Twelfth Night (in story book format, but still holding true to the language of Shakespeare). He's already read it to himself, so he now knows the story and the characters so he is able to do voices and inflections... and it really is quite funny to listen to.

There are days when I am frustrated about progress we are (or are not) making in certain areas, but when I see that... when I hear him (or the other two) reading something like that with such enthusiasm... well I feel like I must be doing something right! I can't help but feel pleased that I've put the classics well within their reach... and they have taken up the challenge!

Other books being devoured by the boys so far this summer... Hank the Cowdog series, and The Hardy Boys.

Somewhere over the rainbow...

That's where I've been... at least that is where I wanted to be today. We had an arctic blast that blew through last night and with it came some sort of pollen that has taken its toll on me! I woke up congested, stopped up, and sporting a serious headache... which in my favorite turn for the morning wound being a migraine... oh the fun. We managed to finish about half our school work in the morning... the unassisted part. Then I went and layed in the tub... for I don't know how long while the boys watched a little movie (oh how I love using that sparingly so that when I need it, it works).

Thankfully, I'm back up and functioning at near 100%.

But I suppose that really doesn't explain my long absense this week from the blog. Well, I'm working on a little project, you see. Oh, is that clammering I hear? Do you want to know???

It's a reading list. Wow... exciting I know... but really it is a really fun project to work on. I've collected several 'list books' of children's literature and I've been pooring through them coming up with lists for the different levels. Along with my own personal use, I will be using it in a joint venture with a lovely friend of mine. NO, I can't tell you about said venture as of yet... the kinks are no where worked out... but hopefully in time you will be able to benefit from this!

A Tail that Wasn't

On Saturday Daddio took the family on a little date.

The boys and I worked all week on a read aloud of the Tale of Despereaux, and upon finishing Daddio took us to the movie.

While at times the subject matter in the book was rather dark... we really enjoyed the book. And to be honest we were really looking forward to the movie. Although, I was rather unsure how they were going to deal with some of the content.

Well, as it turns out, they skipped over anything that was of a darker nature, changed the story line, added characters, changed the gender of a character, even changed the nature of the characters (including the patronage). All of the symbolism from the book is gone. In its place is a nice movie. It has cute parts, funny parts, and then it's over. Snookie thought that the movie and book were two completely different parts... as in the book was part one and the movie part two.

The boys take on the book and the movie... they liked them both. Daddio enjoyed the movie as well. For me, I was disappointed, it was cute, but the film makers should have changed the name because it was a different story. (Plus the seats in the theater SUCKED!)

But a big thanks to Daddio for getting us out of the house for a movie and dinner.

And if you want to know why the title of this post has the word tail instead of tale... read the book!

Freedom

I've been reading Fulton Sheen's Peace of Soul. It is fascinating. I tried reading it before, a couple of years ago, but got distracted and put it down. They play some of his old recorded sermons on the radio early in the morning, and he is such a powerful speaker that I decided to try the book again. It's not the easiest read (if most of what you read is fluffy and entertaining) but it is worth the effort.

As a former psychology major, I'm finding his critique of modern psychotherapy very interesting. He acknowledges that therapy has its place and uses, but it cannot by itself get to the heart of issues that are rooted in a troubled soul. It can work well alongside good spiritual direction, but it could also lead to deeper problems if not properly applied. He talks a lot about mining the subconscious versus examination of consience.

There are so many great little tidbits that I've been highlighting. Here's one that I think applies well to many current events.

"By denying any ultimate standard outside of self, one can escape all self-blame and go through life on a perpetual mission of face saving. Marxism is one form of the denial of conscience - because it blames our sense of inner tension on economic conditions. Other ideologies trace the existence of the consience to the influence of the herd. Such philosophies all assume that a person is other-determined, rather than self-determined. They deny that man is free, and yet usually claim for every person a right freely to choose is own opinions."

That last sentence really struck me. People who claim "freedom of choice" in matters of sexual perversion, divorce, abortion, etc. have a faulty argument because they have denied absolute truth. They have reduced themselves to animals acting on instinct. But animals do not have freedom. It's a paradox (if I'm using that term correctly) that those who submit to God are the ones who have true freedom. We are able to recognize right and wrong, and we are free to choose good.

Another Harry Potter Article

I thought this article was very interesting:

http://www.thsc.org/Getting_Started/HarryPotter.asp

Here's a short passage:
"Rowling does not employ the biblical definitions of 'evil' or 'good.' She has both sides relying on the same power source (magical), both sides resorting to similar philosophy for discerning right from wrong (subjectivism), and both sides using comparable acts to further their own, albeit different, goals."

It's an older article, written in 2003, but I just happened to come across it today. I'm sure we've all had enough of the Harry Potter debate, and heard all the arguments on both sides. But I thought this one did a good job of summarizing and was very easy to read and understand.

I haven't read any of the HP books myself. There are several reasons:
-Mostly because I have no interest in that genre. I've never been into fantasy books or movies, not even as a kid.
-I must admit that I don't devote enough time to reading these days, so I'm certainly not going to spend any of the time I do read on that kind of stuff.
-I haven't fully made up my mind about the spiritual aspects of it, but I've read some very convincing arguments against it. Better to be cautious, knowing that there are so many trustworthy alternatives.
-I've also heard that the writing itself is just not very good.
-And there's just a part of me that resists anything trendy. MommaLlama and I are perfectly content to ridicule and mock them.

So I'll probably never bother with Harry Potter. And don't bother telling me that it's wrong to judge them without reading them first. I simply do not have time to read every single piece of crap that gets published or watch every crappy movie, just to determine first hand whether I approve of it or not. It is perfectly legitimate to form an opinion based on reviews by trustworthy sources who have already done the research for me. I hate being told not to be "judgemental". That's what parents do - we judge. It's our God-given right and responsibility to judge everything that our children may be exposed to. Just because we cannot judge individuals' souls doesn't mean we can't discern right from wrong.

Raising Up Mommy

Raising Up Mommy: Virtues for Difficult Mothering Moments
(A Women of Grace® Life Guide)
By: Heidi Hess Saxton

How many Be A Better Mom books have you read? How many times did you feel you were being preached at by someone who’s never walked in your shoes, or the author wrote as if you were a child? That is not what you will find in this handy little guide.

Mrs. Saxton has organized her thoughts and message around the seven deadly sins and their feminine counter virtues. Not sure if you fall into a particular pattern of sin? She has provided easy yes or no questions to better help you assess where your weaknesses might lie. Then with practical application and encouragement she leads you on a path of virtuous mothering.

One of the things I like best about this manual is Saxton’s honesty. She opens her own life, and that of her family to help illuminate the sin at hand. I immediately felt a connection to her writing when she spoke of the “mommy monster” that she struggles with, and any mom willing to put herself out there like that is a mom I want to hear from. She admits that she is on “the journey” just as we are, and her style is that of you and a dear friend sharing your mothering experiences with one another.

Woven throughout the book are loving quotes from the Saints, the beautiful message of John Paul II in his numerous writings on the feminine condition, uplifting scripture, and the teachings in the Catechism of the Catholic Church. She reminds us all of the beauty of the Church and the constant need of the sacraments that give the grace that we need inorder to fulfull our vocation. I truly think this would be a wonderful guide to study with a group of ladies. This is a great tool to explore more fully the beauty of motherhood, and the help and encouragement to be more fully in tune with how our Heavenly Father wants us to nurture.

My recommendation… to all my dear Catholic mothers in search of a helping hand… go and get this little book!

Sweet Deal

Some of you may be familiar with Heidi Saxton, Mommy Monsters Inc., and her work as a blogger and author. After reading a recent post of hers, I submitted to read and review her new guide Raising Up Mommy! And wouldn't you know it (I certianly didn't expect it) that she still had a few spots left for reviewers!!! I should get my copy shortly and at her request I will be posting my review on March 16th!

I'm truly looking forward to reading it, and sharing it with all of you guys!

Book Review

It has to be a special book to keep me wrapped up and finish in a timely fashion... I tend to be a slower reader than most, so it can be taxing... and we three kiddos, well time isn't always on my side.

But I have found the time lately to enjoy a few good books!



Childhood by Bill Cosby
In it he balances his experiences growing up to how is own children and those around them grew up. It kept me laughing, and I had a hard time putting it down. It also gave me a very inside look into the mind of a boy!



Love and Marriage by Bill Cosby
This book chronicles his own life and his personal marriage. There are really funny parts, but there are also many serious chapters. I enjoyed this one a great deal and finished in one day (two sittings, really).



A Mom Just Like You by Vickie Farris & Jayme Farris Metzgar
Vickie is the wife of Michael Farris, the founder of HSLDA, and homeschooling mother of 10. It is an honest look at a real family. She shares her own insecureties and short comings, all the while reminding the reader that all can be done when you keep God as your focus. There are practical schooling questions answered, teaching methods explored, and even time management and housekeeping touched on. She even shares their struggles with nurmerous miscarriages and how it affected her and her marriage. If you are a homeschooler (or considering homeschooling) this is an honest look at what happens in a large family set up.

When it comes to homeschooling books, I'm at a point right now where I would rather read other Mom's accounts versus more theory. I'm comfortable with what I have chosen for each child... but I like to know how other moms' deal with this lifestyle. While Vickie Farris isn't Catholic, she holds many similar feelings toward life, marriage and schooling that I do, and this has turned out to be a great read.

Library books

Here are books we picked out to study for coming weeks!

A Tiger Grows Up
Nature's Children: Sea Mammals
Super Swimmers
I Wonder Why Kangaroos Have Pouches
Who's Food Is This?
Animal Dads (In honor of Father's Day next weekend)

And a fun one:
Touchdown Mars