The Lights of My Life

As I lay in bed last night suffering from insomnia again, I was struck by how many pinpoints of light I could see from my bed.  The tower fan emits a faint green glow.  The TV has a bright red light.  The DVR was silently engaging in its job, indicated by a faint orange light.  The refrigerator, visible when I sat up trying to get comfortable, positively radiated blue LED light.  The light which gives me the most security, the red light indicating that the house alarm was armed, reassures me every night, even though without my contacts on all I can see is a red haze.

I couldn't help but focus on the fact that the most important light in my life is not visible in the dark at all.  Jesus said, "I am the Light of the world.  He who follows Me will not walk in darkness, but will have the Light of life." (John 8:12).  While I believe this with all of my heart, I sometimes wish that the light was a little more visible, especially in the dark - both metaphorical and real.  The rest of the lights that rule my nights are intrusive, serving to remind me of all of the things that distract all of us from our true purpose here on Earth.  After all, the Baltimore Catechism teaches even the youngest Catholics the reason for their existence: "Why did God make me? To know, love, and serve Him in this world and be happy with him in the next."

I've always been struck by the fact that nowhere in that answer does it say that we are here to be happy in this life.  People who chase happiness in this life are sure to be thwarted.  That's not to say, of course, that we can't find happiness in this life: Jesus wants us to be happy! It is not the goal, however.  A life lived happily, if not in service to God, can't have a happily ever after, after all.  That's one of the major problems of modernity: the inability to delay gratification.  It's hard to look to the hereafter when we are all so used to being able to satisfy any desire NOW.  Why should attempting to satisfy the goal of happiness be any different, then?

I don't think it's any accident that church attendance and belief in God have declined steadily in the past century.  I have little doubt that I could graph the rise of technology alongside the decline in belief and find a nearly perfect inverse relationship.  Of course, I, of all people, know that congruence does not equal causation, but there is certainly food for thought in the project.

I have many more ideas on this subject, but my attention is distracted by other things.  One of my clients wants his press release NOW.  I have to research the concept using the Internet, which I can do immediately.  I am helping with our homeschool group's spelling bee, so I need to print off the word list momentarily.  My children need breakfast which I will serve them from a box - a meal which will take me no longer to prepare than the time I need to take clean bowls out of my brand-new dishwasher, which so obligingly did my chores for me last night while I was asleep.

How do we balance our love of life's conveniences and instant gratification with living the life Jesus meant us to live? I'm still trying to figure it out.

The Simple Woman's Daybook

Participate in this fun meme at The Simple Woman's Daybook!


FOR TODAY
Outside my window...It is bleakly, unrelievedly hot.  100 degree day after 100 degree day...

I am thinking...In 16 days we will leave for Estes Park, CO.  I am trepidatious about preparing for the trip, but looking forward desperately to getting to "our" house!

I am thankful...for my Catholic faith.  It defines me.  It keeps me going.  It is the core of who I am.

From the learning rooms...I'm trying to deal with T's giving me grief about school.  She is crazy, crazy smart.  She is three grade levels ahead.  She does not want to do her work.  Sometimes I wonder if she wouldn't be just fine if I completely unschooled her.  She seems to do know more than I about everything already anyway.

In the kitchen...There is no breakfast other than cereal. I really want to change that.  I need breakfast casserole recipes!

I am wearing...my "uniform." Capri pants and a t-shirt.

I am creating...a beautiful lace shawl and boxes for our pens, pencils, and markers (shoe boxes covered with contact-paper covered scrapbook paper).

I am going...absolutely nowhere today.  My favorite kind of day and one that I can only enjoy for a few more weeks.

I am wondering...too many things to narrow it down.

I am reading...Middlesex by Jeffery Eugenides, Arcadia Falls by Carol Goodman, and a library book about the Johnstown Flood whose name I can't recall. Sad...

I am hoping...that N will have a good day.

I am looking forward to...COLORADO!

I am hearing...M-C jumping rope while M watches and offers advice (my 6 year-old twins).

Around the house...T and N are still asleep.  I have a lot to clean.

I am pondering...(how is this different from wondering? Is it more deliberate wondering...more hardcore thinking?)the new GIRM and how much it occupies my thoughts.  I am apprehensive about my meeting with Fr. Troy.

One of my favorite things...the color purple ;-)

A few plans for the rest of the week: H out of town.  Mom coming over.  Knitting and listening to The Witching Hour for hours and hours which means major work hours put in today!
A quote for the week: 


"There are not one hundred people in the United States who hate The Catholic Church, but there are millions who hate what they wrongly perceive the Catholic Church to be." 
— Fulton J. Sheen

Video Games

In one of those "God-timing" things, The Homeschool Minute today was about video games and some ideas for handling them in families.  Everything that was posted is something that we do in my family, from finishing all school and chores before playing, to doing something for the house or the family before playing. Still, in my experience, video games still have an adverse effect on my family.  My kids tend to get grumpy after playing.  They *definitely* get grumpy when they don't get to play.  While taking them away does make a convenient consequence, I still really dislike the vibe they give the house.  To that end, I instituted a video game moratorium for a week in my house.  No one can ask me to play and I won't be offering.  I'll be curious to see how it goes.  I'd like to think that they won't want to start again, but, somehow I doubt that will come around!

Hurricane!

Or maybe just tropical storm.  The point is, many of the spaghetti models have it coming straight to Houston.  We desperately need the rain, and I love a great rain day, but we are supposed to go to Ft. Worth this weekend to visit my sister.  For a variety of mostly justified reasons, she will be very upset if we don't come. I don't feel comfortable leaving our house unattended during a weather event, though.  I really need to pray for some discernment as to what to do here!

Free Summer Fun

If you're anything like me, you are really looking for something different to do this summer -- preferably something inside! There are a ton of free things out there for kids of all ages, so head on over to my site at BellaOnline.com to read about some great ideas for free summer fun!

TruthSonBeautiful Curriculum

I have given in to curriculum insanity.  For Ancient History (focusing on Greece), I have bought Truthquest (a proven winner, but no lesson plans, which, it shames me to admit, I find myself needing more and more to keep me focused) and Beautiful Feet both.

Of course, I already own Tapestry of Grace! I justify this insanity by arguing that the programs offer different things.  The reading lists in Truthquest are just wonderful (but can't you do the same thing, Laura, by using Reading Through the Ages? Be quiet, Laura.  I don't want to hear that right now...), but I love the lessons in Beautiful Feet.  Interestingly, I have found nothing anti-Catholic yet, even though it is supposed to be an anti-Catholic publisher.  I really think this kind of bias only becomes a problem in the Reformation years.  I also don't think it is the problem that many others do.  People are coming at a subject from their own frames of reference.  After all, we teach that Luther was in error.  The difference, I think, is that non-Catholics don't often understand the details of Catholic theology.  Further, I'll be the first one to teach my children that the sale of indulgences was wrong.  I digress...

Today I completed my history through literature trifecta when I purchased the Sonlight instructor's guide for Core D - Introduction to American History.  I couldn't resist the chance to get it used for $33.00.  I really think my kids are going to like doing history this way.  I have spent more money on history curriculum than anything.  Why? I honestly think it is because history is my love and I have a degree in it.  I so badly want to teach my kids EVERYTHING!

If only I felt that way about science!

Our Curriculum Plans

I am the most schizophrenic curriculum buyer/planner/user I know, but I finally feel that after three years, I am hitting my stride.  We school year round (and with 100+ degree temps every day, why wouldn't we?), so our summer session is officially upon us.  For most of the kids, nothing will really change, but I am changing a lot for Therese.

Therese is my problem child, by which I mean that I can't seem to find the best way to teach her.  She is ridiculously smart, ridiculously well-read, and wants to spend all of her school time researching and writing. Happily, there is a curriculum for that! I was previously in love with Tapestry of Grace, but the amount of teacher prep was just too much with four kids, plus I didn't feel that I was getting the best value for my money.  Also, although T was technically grammar stage, she was reading more at logic/rhetoric stage, so there was always a disconnect in the curriculum.  I am so happy to have found just the right curriculum for the way she loves to learn.  The huge benefit is that it is almost no teacher prep.

TRISMS has intrigued me for a couple of years, but I never investigated it enough to truly appreciate it before now.  Cathy Duffy has written an extensive review of the program, so I'm not going to duplicate her efforts.  Best of all, there is a Catholic supplement to the program.  Now, Therese will literally spend most of her school day researching and writing.  I'm sticking with Ten Marks for math, even though she says she doesn't like it.  She is starting 8th grade math.  I'm not going to pre-algebra (choosing 8th grade instead) b/c of her age (almost 10).  I'd rather make sure her skills are rock solid first.  For science, she is doing Apologia's Physical Science.  Happily, there are daily lesson plans available.  The more Therese has a daily breakdown of what she needs to do, the happier we both are.  For grammar, I am trying something new, The Stewart English Program.  She knows most of what is in the first book, but it is such a great, concise review for her.  She is hating the idea of actually having to write her work (rather than use Grammarlogues), but that is just one more benefit, as far as I'm concerned.  For Latin, we're using Latin for Children A.  For Greek, Greek for Children A.  Vocabulary/roots is our beloved MCT: Word within the Word 1.  We'll also be using Imitation in Writing's Fairy Tales.  My challenge now is to create a workable schedule :-/

The younger kids will be doing mostly the same as they have been.  I was reading through what I was doing one year ago, and it is amazing how much has changed.  Nicky couldn't handle Saxon 5/4.  All of those problems on a page was freaking him out.  I switched him to Horizons Math 6 and he has been a much happier camper.  Mary-Catherine was breaking down at math every single day with Saxon 1, and she was slowing Michael down considerably.  They have both found great success with Singapore, Michael in 2A and M-C in 1B.  Now M-C is in 2A and Michael is almost ready for 2B.  It is amazing how much changing the approach can help sometimes.  M-C does mental math that I would have never believed her capable of, and Michael is thriving.

We really liked Language Lessons for Little Ones, and we'll be sticking with Queen Homeschool this year for the twins.  We don't stick to one lesson per day, though...more like 4 or 5.  That's the classical in me overtaking the Charlotte Mason.

The three youngest are doing Apologia's Discovering Creation with Swimming Creatures, and they love it. They are learning tons! I supplement that with Simple Schooling's small unit studies and video lessons.  Therese is actually doing Simple Schooling's Forensic Science course right now, and she loves it.

I have a couple of changes/updates for Nicky, but they'll have to wait for another day...