A Plea for Intolerance

America, it is said, is suffering from intolerance. It is not. It is suffering from tolerance: tolerance of right and wrong, truth and error, virtue and evil, Christ and chaos. Our country is not nearly so much overrun with the bigoted as it is overrun with the broadminded. The man who can make up his mind in…

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Christmas Books

Each year for Christmas, the children receive a Christmas-themed book. As our older children have grown, we have moved away from giving them picture books. Some of the “chapter books” that they have received and liked are: The Birds’ Christmas Carol by Kate Douglas Wiggin We have a different copy of this book. Christmas by Alice Dalgliesh (out-of-print) A…

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Gifts for Tweens and Teens

As Advent approaches, I am thinking about what Christmas presents to get for my children. Last year, my father-in-law asked us to buy Christmas gifts for the children from him. I have to share that when it came to my older children, it proved to be a challenging task. Below are some presents that my older children…

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What We’ve Been Reading – October

Preschool – Second Grade Read Alouds Always Room for One More by Sorche Nic Leodhas Until I heard my two eldest daughters commenting on this book, I hadn’t realized how much they liked listening to and reading this story when they were younger. Autumn Story by Jill Barklem Bible Stories for Little Children under the approbation of Cardinal…

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Rambling Daybook

Outside my window… The leaves are ablaze in all their splendor. I enjoy seeing the various shades of reds, oranges, yellows,  browns, and greens as I walk around my neighborhood and/or drive the children to their extra-curricular activities. I am listening to… Kieran play with his Gund caterpillar. My parents-in-law gave this to Bernadette years…

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Rainy Day Daybook

Outside my window… I hear the pitter patter of the rain on the roof. As I ran errands yesterday afternoon, I noticed the beautiful colors of the fall leaves. God is good. I am listening to… my baby’s breathing, the rain coming down, and the fan on my laptop. I don’t know why the latter…

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October Picture Book Basket

     Angel in the Waters by Regina Doman, illustrated by Ben Hatke* The Angel’s Alphabet by Hilda Van Stockum Brother Francis and the Friendly Beasts by Margaret Hodges Catholic Children’s Treasure Box Books (1-10) by the Maryknoll Sisters (October 1 or 3)* We like books 11 through 20 too, but books 1 through 10 contain stories…

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A Homeschooling Family’s Friend

Little Women by Jessie Wilcox Smith Have I ever mentioned how much I like our library? It is one of the largest library systems in the nation and it contains an amazing collection of books. We use the library often for books and printing purposes.  The library has been a wonderful asset to our family.…

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What We’ve Been Reading – Weeks 4 and 5

Preschool – Second Grade Read Alouds    Aesop’s Fables for Children illustrated by Milo Winter Bible Stories for Little Children under the approbation of Cardinal McCloskey (excerpt here) A Book of Seasons by Alice and Martin Provensen Catholic Children’s Treasure Box Books by Maryknoll Sfisters A Child’s Garden of Verses by Robert Louis Stevenson, illustrated by Tasha Tudor The Elephant’s Child…

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Food for a Wife’s Soul

A couple of weeks ago, our pastor gave an excellent sermon (as usual). In it, he mentioned that charity should always be done with Christ in mind and for the good of another’s soul. He urged all of us present to think of the North American Martyrs, and other saints, and what motivated them. When…

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What We’ve Been Reading – Weeks 2 and 3

Preschool – Second Grade Read Alouds    Aesop’s Fables for Children illustrated by Milo Winter Catholic Children’s Treasure Box Book 2 by Maryknoll Sisters A Child’s Garden of Verses by Robert Louis Stevenson, illustrated by Tasha Tudor Gyo Fujikawa’s A to Z Picture Book (read to Elizabeth) Hiawatha by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, illustrated by Susan Jeffers James Herriot’s Treasury…

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What We’ve been Reading this Week

Preschool – Second Grade Read Alouds    Aesop’s Fables for Children illustrated by Milo Winter Andrew Henry’s Meadow by Doris Burn Blueberries for Sal by Robert McCloskey Catholic Children’s Treasure Box Book 2 by Maryknoll Sisters A Child’s Garden of Verses by Robert Louis Stevenson, illustrated by Tasha Tudor James Herriot’s Treasury for Children by James Herriot All of…

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