Another Baby Dies In A Hot Car

Baby Found Dead In Car Outside Hooters

How in the world does a mother forget her baby is still in her car? How can anyone forget a baby is in a car? This so-called phenomenon of parents leaving children in cars amazes me. What did they all do, wake up one morning and take stupid pills? The kicker is some of these parents escaped prosecution, because leaving the child in the car was an "accident" *rolls eyes*

I must go crawl back under that rock where I live :(

I Can Say I Knew Him When...

Two Pleasant Valley High Students Nab College Awards For Music, Photography

The young man in the article is a member of my parish, and plays the organ and piano every Saturday for 5 PM Mass, as well as substitutes for the choir director when she's not available. He is truly very talented, and has his own individual technique. He also comes from an orthodox Catholic family, strong in their faith. No matter what course in life he chooses, I'm sure Andrew will achieve great success!

Achievement Night Results

I'm very proud to report the results of Achievement Night. As we knew, Amanda took 2nd place as Top Exhibitor in our county fair, and Gretchen took 1st place. Amanda also took 3rd place for her poster on "Grow In 4-H". That was a fierce competition, as she went up against clubs; hers was the only individual entry. A wonderful surprise was Gretchen received the Jensen Award. This award is the highest honor in our county for outstanding service to the community. She won for all the service projects performed with the club and on her own. This is also the first time this award has been given to a member of the Insects Are Us club. The girls also placed in the top five for their Green Forms, which gives the description of what they accomplished over the year.

Some pictures from last night:

Amanda with her 2nd place check for Top Exhibitor




Third Place poster award:



The "Gang" with their goodies:


From left to right: David, Michael, Gretchen, Amanda, and Greg

(Amanda is holding her 3rd place poster, which was placed in a local supermarket for one week for judging. Gretchen is holding the 4-H bear, which was also given to her as an award for cutest pumpkin in the "Grow in 4-H" theme)

Michael is on the 4-H State Council, has served as county ambassador, and is a fine representative of what 4-H is all about.

Congratulations to all!

Joy Notes and Saint of the Day

Joy Notes

Saint of the Day - St. Alphonsus Rodriguez

Tonight is the Night....

we will find out how Amanda has placed in 4-H this year at the annual 4-H Achievement Night. There are different categories in which she will be judged. Her leader has already said she and another girl in their club will both place in the top exhibitor category, as well as one of them will be overall champion this year. The girls compete against each other every year, and are truly great sports about how they place. Amanda is hoping that G will place ahead of her, since she is more experienced and has two more years in 4-H than she does.

I have to say the competition in this club is very intense, but always fair. The kids go out of their way to help each other, especially the newbies who need help learning about creating insect collections. They congratulate each other on how well they do. A lot of that has to do with their leaders, who have taught them kindness and charity in competition. They should also be awarded, because the kids will remember these lessons for the rest of their lives.

I'll post pictures from Achievement Night either when I get home later or sometime tomorrow. Probably the latter, because the event doesn't end until 9 PM, and it takes about 45 minutes to get home from there.

How Many Of These Do We Really Need?

From the Pocono Record:

Best Buy Opens At Stroud Township Shopping Center

I have to ask: how many of these superstores do we really need? Considering most, if not all, of the products are made in China, do we really know what kind of poison we're putting in our bodies?

I have to admit, I am a transplant to the Pocono Mountain area. I lived my entire life in NYC, and moved here on August 31, 1995 to give my then 17 month old daughter a better life. For years, the township in question said they would never, EVER build on those properties (too much toxic dumping and not enough oversight). Well, we now have all this garbage from the ground going directly into the groundwater of each business. My husband and I have already said we will never eat at the restaurants nor frequent the businesses, because of the lax environmental rules.

It was one thing when the center that houses Target/Home Depot/BJ's was built; it was necessary. There were no other places to shop except Wal-Mart and K-Mart. Now the townships have gone overboard, and granted permits to almost every business (with the exception of Red Lobster and Toys r Us). Enough! We don't need more stores. The "growth" needs to end before it's too late :(

Meme From Lilder

Okay, so Dana has decided to tag me for a meme. Here goes:

1. Do you attend the Traditional Latin Mass or the Novus Ordo?
Novus Ordo. We have no TLM's close enough.

2. If you attend the TLM, how far do you drive to get there?
The closest one I would be able to attend is about one hour away.

3. If you had to apply a Catholic label to yourself, what would it be?
Probably orthodox. I've even been accused of being a "rad-trad" by some of the cafeterias in my parish *VBG*

4. Are you a comment junkie?
I try to leave comments for posts that affect me most.

5. Do you go back to read the comments on the blogs you’ve commented on?
Yes, I do try to go back and read the comments of others. I'm always interested to know what other people think.

6. Have you ever left an anonymous comment on another blog?
No. If I have something to say, I want the blog owner to know who it was.

7. Which blogroll would you most like to be on?
I'm already on DCF ladies, but would also like to be on Catholic homeschool blogs.

8. Which blog is the first one you check?
Usually I check my blog first*blushes*. I want to make sure I follow up on any comments left, so no one is left hanging.

9. Have you met any other bloggers in person?
No, I haven't.

10. What are you reading?
I just received my early Middle Ages magazine from Learning Through History today. I'll be going over that the next couple days, to see what we will use this year.

Bonus Question! Has your site been banned by Spirit of Vatican II?

No, but I'm sure it's only a matter of time if I keep writing my opinions about the sad state of my parish.

So now that I have this meme out of the way, I have to decide who to tag.

I have decided on Mama Tatiana (Blondie) and Taylor Went A Bloggin (Dani) ;-)

Fun Website!

I had forgotten all about the Duck Tape Club
until it came through today from click schooling. There's a great activity just in time for Halloween for the kids (and adults, too!) to make their own treat bag.

Here's a picture from their website, showing how to make duck tape roses:



I might make some of these, to place around my Blessed Mother statue. I wonder if She would mind?

School Choice - Ha!

Interesting, this article was published in today's local newspaper:

School Choice Usually Means 'No Choice' in PA

There are other choices, but parents either don't want to use them, or are afraid of what they perceive as negative consequences. I don't mean homeschooling or using the public cyber charters. Rather, I believe the parents should demand accountability from the districts on why they are failing so miserably. Of course knowing the history of the public school system would give parents the upper hand, if they choose to make a stand.

I've been told by some folks my homeschooling has caused problems for the district by causing a loss of funding. What a cop out! Some people will say "well, you abandoned the public schools, so who are you to speak for us". I didn't abandon the district; rather it abandoned my child when I was told she was "too dumb" to read. As long as they continue to take my tax money, I have a voice on how it is spent. There was talk here sometime last year about homeowners not sending in their school tax. What would the district do, foreclose on all those properties and put them up for sheriff's auction? It would be a nightmare for all involved, but even more so for the district which would lose so much funding (that's all they care about anyway).

Parents should stop complaining about the system, and start doing something about it. Otherwise, they don't have the right to come back in 10 years or so to complain about their children's lack of education. Education should never be mediocre; demand the best, and that is what the public will get. Until then, children will continue to fail while the adults stood by doing nothing.

Joy Notes and Saint of the Day

Joy Notes

Saint of the Day - Blessed Contardo Ferrini

Farewell, Pippin

Today is a sad day. My daughter's guinea pig, Pippin, died earlier. She had never been sick before, so it was unusual when Amanda found her this morning displaying signs of illness. Guinea pigs usually go down pretty quickly, and I was grateful she died at home, instead of having to put her down.

Here's a picture of her from August, eating one of her favorite foods:



Farewell Pippin, you will be missed.

Muddying The Waters and Dumbing It Down

Over the past couple weeks or so, I've been debating with parents who have their children enrolled in one of the public cyber charter schools here in Pennsylvania. Some of the debate stemmed from the following PHEA article from 2005:

Public Cyber Charter School - Is It Homeschooling?

Most of the parents took offense to the reference they were not homeschoolers. When asked why, most of the responses were "because we're at home" or "because the curriculum is different from the one in the public school". Yes, I agreed, they are at home and the curriculum is different, but that does not qualify them as homeschoolers. I asked if they had to file their affidavit, along with educational objectives, every year. No, were the responses. Did you send in the portfolio at the end of the year? No, again. What was most stunning was the reference to our homeschool as "traditional", while their homeschools were "free". When I said they were muddying the waters between homeschooling and public cyber charters, I was told I was being "cruel" to refer to their children as public schoolers. My question then was: if they're not public schoolers, then what are they, because they are certainly not homeschoolers? Their education was being funded at taxpayer expense.

The muddying of the waters will continue as long as cyber charter students are lumped in with homeschoolers. The children are public cyber charter students educated at home. When the parents come to realize that, the debate over who is and is not a homeschooler will end.

Now, having said all that, I am a supporter of the public cyber charters as an alternative to attending brick and mortar public schools. The district where I live (Pleasant Valley) has one of the worst records in the state. While I don't believe a child's entire education should be tied to test scores, the ones from this district are very telling. The literacy rate has dropped three years in a row, from 11% to 9%. I've reviewed several PSSA tests in the past, and found the tests to be no more difficult than the regular tests we took in school. Many parents are so disgusted by what has been going on in the district, they've opted for the cyber charters. Some were sold on them, because of the curriculum used, i.e. one uses Calvert, another uses K-12, another uses (insert curriculum name here). There are parents I know who have several children enrolled in these schools. They have said the curriculum has been changed over the years, requiring far less work, and "dumbed down" to the point of being nothing but busywork for the younger grades. From what they have been told, the state has mandated portions of the curriculum change to match PA state standards, or entire courses have been removed because they weren't in line with normal school curriculum. Is this the future of the cyber charters? Are they going to become nothing more than branches of the local districts? If that's the case, they I will have no choice but to withdraw my support of such schools.

The schools were supposed to be an alternative to what was offered in the regular school districts. They were not supposed to become similar to our local schools. It would be a shame, and a disservice to the students of these schools, to change for the worse.

Joy Notes and Saint of the Day

Joy Notes

Saint of the Day - Saint Anthony Claret

Our "Family"

While on a pet forum, I was asked how many pets do we have in our family. Someone said "wow, you keep mentioning all these names, are you getting mixed up". No, I'm not, so here are pictures of the family:

Mahogany (rabbit), Pippin (guinea pig with black around the eye), Arwen (orange and white guinea pig)


Holly


Snowbell (she has a spot of green food coloring on her back to tell her apart from her sister)


Monica, our snobby calico


Gussie, everyone's cat :)


Bernie, who just turned 10 last month


This doesn't include the assorted insect "pets" Amanda has. It would be impossible to name them all!

Joy Notes and Saint of the Day

Joy Notes

Saint of the Day

Saint John of Capistrano

How Much Is Your Blog Worth?

My blog is currently worth $1,129.08 ;)

My blog is worth $1,129.08.
How much is your blog worth?

What Warm Weather We Are Having :)

Almost everyone I know is complaining about how warm the weather has been lately. Some have even said they wish it would snow *shock*! Here is a reminder for those who want the cold:



That's my husband, trying to get the driveway cleared on St. Valentine's Day this year. Be careful what you wish for, because you just might get it *EG*

View From My Window

Today, it is one of the nicest fall days we've had. I especially like the view I have to the outside while at my computer.

The trees are in full color right now


Over the past two years, we've used Amanda's old turtle sandbox as a flower planter. My dad moved it, where he put back the Blessed Mother and Infant of Prague plant stakes. They're barely noticeable in the picture, unless you look very closely


I didn't realize it, but in the picture foreground are Amanda's venus fly trap, as well as what's left of a very small passion vine. She had purchased two zebra heliconian eggs from a lady in Florida. One of them died almost immediately upon hatching, but the other she had been feeding since August. It finally decided to pupate the other day. Normally, they go through their lifecycle in a matter of weeks, but I believe because our temperatures are cooler, it took the caterpillar much longer to go through its instars. It's also very small, so I hope when it emerges it's reasonably sized.

Now I have no idea what to do with the passion vine :(

Joy Notes and Saint of the Day

Joy Notes for today:

http://franciscancards.com/peace/oct07/joyoct22.html

Saint of the Day:

St. Peter of Alcantara

http://www.americancatholic.org/Features/SaintofDay/

Saint of the Day

http://www.americancatholic.org/Features/SaintofDay/

St. Maria Bertilla Boscardin

There are no Joy Notes today.

Word of the Day

Merriam Webster word of the day:

nonchalant • \nahn-shuh-LAHNT\ • adjective

: having an air of easy unconcern or indifference

Example Sentence:
Colette was amazed that Ryan could remain so nonchalant after being informed that he had won the scholarship.
Did you know?
Since "nonchalant" comes ultimately from Latin words meaning "not" and "be warm," it's no surprise that the word is all about keeping one's cool. The French word "nonchalant," which we borrowed around 1734, has essentially the same meaning as our English word and was derived in Old French from a verb, "nonchaloir," which meant "to disregard." "Nonchaloir" in turn combines the negative "non-" with "chaloir," which means "to concern" and comes from the Latin "calēre" ("to be warm"). "Unconcerned" is one synonym of "nonchalant," along with "casual," "complacent," and "insouciant."

The Angry Cable Customer

An interesting article from my local paper's online version:

http://www.poconorecord.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071019/NEWS/71019007/-1/rss01

Read the commentary from the locals. When I moved, we changed the cable setup in my mom and dad's home. They had basic cable, but I needed digital and high speed to keep my internet service. This guy showed up, and I don't know how he managed to get a job as an independent contractor. He messed up the wires, and it took him over 4 hours to set up the line for one computer and three televisions. He even had the audacity to tell me "we don't hook up vcr's or dvd recorders, just televisions, sorry you're on your own". Frustrated, I said to him "fine then, what the he!! do you do, nothing!" I called customer service, told them what happened, and was quickly told it was my fault for being so nasty to the technician, that I shouldn't have said anything to him about hooking up any additional equipment. What????? Never in my life have I heard of such a thing, not doing the job they are paid to perform.

Blue Ridge Communications needs to watch out, because what happened to me isn't the first incident reported about their lousy service. They might have several dozen angry customers show up at their Gilbert office with hammers *EG*

Joy Notes and Saint of the Day

Joy Notes:

http://franciscancards.com/peace/oct07/joyoct19.html

Saint of the Day:

St. Isaac Jogues, John de Brébeuf and Companions

http://www.americancatholic.org/Features/SaintofDay/

Words of the Day

Wordsmith's Word of the Day:

hierarch (HY-uh-rark) noun

A high-ranking person.

[From Latin hierarcha, from Greek hierarkhes (high priest), from hieros
(sacred) + arkhes (ruling), from arkhein (to be first, to rule).]

Today's word in Visual Thesaurus: http://visualthesaurus.com/?w1=hierarch

-Anu Garg (words at wordsmith.org)

"But the sense among delegates at Blackpool is good, the party hierarchs
are pleased - and the press has been kind."
Martin Kettle; Good in Parts; The Guardian (London, UK); Oct 3, 2007.

Merriam Webster Word of the Day:

pasquinade • \pass-kwuh-NAYD\ • noun

1 : a lampoon posted in a public place

*2 : satirical writing : satire

Example Sentence:
The article, a pasquinade mocking the proposed education reform, generated a lot of mail from readers.
Did you know?
In 1501, a marble statue from ancient times was unearthed in Rome and erected near that city's Piazza Navona. The statue depicted a male torso and was christened "Pasquino" by the Romans, perhaps after a local shopkeeper. It became a tradition to dress up the statue on St. Mark's Day, and in its honor, professors and students would write Latin verses that they would then post on it. Satires soon replaced these verses, and the Pasquino statue became a prime location for posting anonymous, bitingly critical lampoons. In the mid-17th century, these postings became known in English as "pasquinades" (from the Italian "pasquinata"). The term has since expanded in usage to refer to any kind of satirical writing.

*Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence.

A Day In The Life Of A Homeschool Student

This video was sent to me this morning, from someone trying to make the statement that homeschoolers are lazy. Actually, I think this video shows the exact opposite, as it's made by a young woman who was homeschooled.




The girl even stated when posting it at youtube it was a joke. Some people have no sense of humor.

What Musical Instrument Should You Play

You Should Play the Piano

You are a true music aficionado who loves many musical style and eras. You find music to be an escape. And you'd like to be relaxed and comfortable when you're making it. You're very innovative, and you have a unique way of knowing what may sound beautiful. There's a strong possibility that you could compose some of your own work songs quite easily. While you have a lot of creative energy, you are also serious and conscientious. Your musical talent needs time, practice, and lots of privacy to flourish. Your dominant personality characteristic: your painstaking attention to detail Your secondary personality characteristic: your natural tendency to be whimsical

What Musical Instrument Should You Play?

Thanks to Leah and Therese for providing the link.

I'm quite stunned by the answer, as I have very little talent for playing the piano. I would have thought something simpler, maybe like the flute, would be me :)

Joy Notes and Saint of the Day

Joy Notes for today:

http://franciscancards.com/peace/oct07/joyoct18.html

Saint of the Day:

The Feast of St. Luke

http://www.americancatholic.org/Features/SaintofDay/


As a side note, the peace card at Joy Notes doesn't work again today. Hopefully, Sister Patricia will have that fixed soon :)

Words of the Day

Wordsmith's Word of the Day:

vizier (vi-ZEER, VIZ-yuhr) noun

A high official.

[From Turkish vezir, from Arabic wazir (minister).]

Today's word in Visual Thesaurus: http://visualthesaurus.com/?w1=vizier

-Anu Garg (words at wordsmith.org)

"In fact, poor Jeff Immelt, the grand vizier of all General Electric,
gets only $15 million, plus perks."
Mark Drought; Love of Money is the Root of All Evil; East Texas Review;
Oct 9, 2007;

Merriam Webster Word of the Day:

aghast • \uh-GAST\ • adjective

: struck with terror, amazement, or horror : shocked

Example Sentence:
In an effort to impress his date, Adam ordered the most expensive items on the menu, then was aghast when the bill arrived.
Did you know?
If you are aghast, you might look like you've just seen a ghost, or something similarly shocking. "Aghast" traces back to a Middle English verb, "gasten," meaning "to frighten." "Gasten" (which also gave us "ghastly," meaning "terrible or frightening") comes from "gast," a Middle English spelling of the word "ghost." "Gast" also came to be used in English as a verb meaning "to scare." That verb is now obsolete, but its spirit lives on in words spoken by the character Edmund in Shakespeare's King Lear: "gasted by the noise I made, full suddenly he fled."

It's Meme Time :)

I've been tagged by Therese for a meme.

I have to give seven things I like about myself:

1. I like I reverted home to the Catholic Church.

2. I like being my husband's wife.

3. I like being my daughter's mother.

4. I like my patience to homeschool.

5. I like that I'm becoming more organized as I get older.

6. I like my ability to let the small stuff slide.

7. I like being tolerant for allowing my daughter to use my freezer as her insect morgue ;)

Now, I tag Judy at A Mother's Love.

Joy Notes and Saint of the Day

Saint of the Day:

http://www.americancatholic.org/Features/SaintOfDay/default.asp

Saint Ignatius of Antioch

Joy Notes:

No Joy Notes for today :(

Words of the Day

Wordsmith Word of the Day:

fugleman (FYOO-guhl-muhn) noun

One who leads a group, company, or party.

[From German Flügelmann (flank man), from Flügel (wing) + Mann (man).
A fugleman was once a soldier placed usually on a flank during drill
to serve as a guide for his company.]

Today's word in Visual Thesaurus: http://visualthesaurus.com/?w1=fugleman

-Anu Garg (words at wordsmith.org)

"[Mencken] was trying single-handedly to drag American culture out of
Puritanism and into the twentieth century, to act as fugleman on this
side of the Atlantic for a literary and artistic renaissance comparable
to the one then taking place on the other side."
Jonathan Yardley; The Sage of Baltimore; The Atlantic Monthly (New York);
Dec 2002.

M-W Word of the Day:

enmity • \EN-muh-tee\ • noun

: positive, active, and typically mutual hatred or ill will

Example Sentence:
Having to work on the project together only increased the enmity between Ralph and Debra, who had never gotten along.
Did you know?
"Enmity" and its synonyms "hostility," "animosity," and "animus" all indicate deep-seated dislike or ill will. "Enmity" (which derives from an Anglo-French word meaning "enemy") suggests true hatred, either overt or concealed. "Hostility" implies strong, open enmity that shows itself in attacks or aggression. "Animosity" carries the sense of anger, vindictiveness, and sometimes the desire to destroy what one hates. "Animus" is generally less violent than "animosity," but definitely conveys active prejudice or ill will.

My "New" Bathroom

I'm almost finished with getting the bathroom done. My husband picked out the color, which I thought wasn't going to be nice, but has turned out to be exactly what I wanted. Amanda chose the shower curtain, and helped paint most of the room



It is quite small, so I had to compromise and purchase "Bath in a Box" from Walmart. The price was very reasonable ($39.88), and included the over the toilet shelves, standing towel rack, and magazine rack

Here are some pictures of the room, just about done









Now all I have to do is have the electrician come in, to install the lighting I want over the sink. We decided to stick with a simple mirror, and just have the light bar installed. Either that, or my husband is going to go cheap and have those puck lights hanging in there LOL!

Words of the Day

I thought another great feature would be to post the word of the day, from both M-W and Wordsmith.

From M-W:

The Word of the Day for October 16, 2007 is:
fervid • \FER-vid\ • adjective

1 : very hot : burning

*2 : marked by often extreme intensity of feeling

Example Sentence:
Jennie was such a fervid supporter of the proposed law that she drove all the way to Washington to demonstrate in favor of its passage.
Did you know?
The Latin verb "fervēre" can mean "to boil" or "to glow," as well as, by extension, "to seethe" or "to be roused." In English, this root gives us three words that can mean "impassioned" by varying degrees: "fervid," "fervent," and "perfervid." "Fervid" and "fervent" are practically synonymous, but while "fervid" usually suggests warm emotion that is expressed in a spontaneous or feverish manner (as in "fervid basketball fans"), "fervent" is reserved for a kind of emotional warmth that is steady and sincere (as in "a fervent belief in human kindness"). "Perfervid" combines "fervid" with the Latin prefix "per-" ("thoroughly") to create a word meaning "marked by overwrought or exaggerated emotion," as in "a perfervid display of patriotism."

*Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence.

And from Wordsmith:

A.Word.A.Day--pasha

This week's theme: words for bosses, officials, and leaders.

pasha (PA-shuh, PASH-uh, puh-SHAH) noun

A person of high rank or importance.

[From Turkish pasa, from Persian padshah, from pati (master) + shah (king). Pasha was used as a title of high-ranking officials in the Ottoman Empire.]

Today's word in Visual Thesaurus.

-Anu Garg (words at wordsmith.org)

"The rise and rise of Ajay Bijli as the pasha of Indian multiplexes is born out of his passion for motion pictures." Moinak Mitra & Shubham Mukherjee; Sundowner with Ajay Bijli; The Economic Times (New Delhi, India); Oct 6, 2007.

I find these to be great vocabulary exercises, especially for those of us who spent little time studying the subject.

Usually, Wordsmith has a different theme. This week their theme is bosses, officials, and leaders.

Joy Notes and Saint of the Day

The first link is for today's Saint of the Day, St. Marguerite d'Youville, courtesy of AmericanCatholic.org

http://www.americancatholic.org/Features/SaintofDay/

The second is for today's Joy Notes from Sister Patricia

http://franciscancards.com/peace/oct07/joyoct16.html

I always enjoy reading the Joy Notes, especially Danielle Beans' blog.

A Quiet Place

Since moving, I've had to downsize everything. We used to have our religious articles all over the place. I decided to keep everything in one small spot. A few years ago, we were given a glass corner shelf. It was nothing more than a dust collector before, but now it's being used for our religious articles



I still need to hang the Holy Water fonts, but overall I think it looks wonderful :)

The candles on the bottom shelf are ones Amanda picked up at our local supermarket. I still have one of Pope John Paul II that we burned for days, yet it never quite got to the bottom. This is a great place for me to have some quiet time to pray and reflect.

Mazezilla!

Here's the corn maze my dd and her 4-H group went through this past Friday:



Now, here's a picture of the "frozen" group, after leaving the maze:



Also, an article on the maze and the family who runs it:

http://poconorecord.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071015/NEWS/710150321

I live in the township where the maze is currently located. Hamilton became so greedy in their quest to have the maze "professionally engineered", they didn't look at the bigger picture. The land where the maze was located until 1999 has been for sale since then. Greed knows no boundaries :(

Article On Catholic Education And Homeschooling

Here's a great article from Catholic Exchange on Catholic education for every Catholic kid:

http://www.catholicexchange.com/node/65754

While not everyone is able to homeschool, the very least we can provide for our children is a good Catholic education at home, if none is available at the parish level. I've convinced quite a few people in my parish to use one of the homeschool programs for religious education. The curriculum (Blest Are We) used by parish for the catechetical program is so poor, I cry every time I look at one of the books. I also cringe, knowing the faith of every child using the book is being undermined by CCD teachers are have little to no working knowledge of the faith.

I also don't believe we need to spend a fortune homeschooling. There are good quality books available, for a fraction of what it would cost to send a child to Catholic or private school, but every book does not need to be purchased. I've gotten into many an argument with my fellow Catholic homeschoolers who think it's necessary to purchase "complete" curricula. If a book is used once or twice, why purchase it? I always try to seek out the book, usually through ILL. So far, I haven't been disappointed. We do spend quite a bit on music lessons, about $55 per week. That works out to $2,860 per year, which is still far less than tuition to the local Catholic school.

Just my $.02 :)