Feast of Peter Gonzales
Easter Sunday started by going to Mass. Dinner was to be at my mother's, so after changing clothes, we headed over. We get there & my mother, E-Ma to my children, had NO Easter candy for them! Doesn't she know that is in the job description of a grandmother?!?!?! My own grandmother was also there, G-G to my children, and did not bring candy - but she had a good excuse of being in the hospital just before. I had no candy for them either - time flew by & I was not prepared (which is especially sad because we gave up sugar for Lent & the three of us were really looking forward to some sweets.) I had King Peter call his aunt to see if the Easter Bunny went to her house instead. (She was coming to dinner too, but had not arrived yet.) She asks to talk to me, saying she wished the Easter Bunny had given her some notice.
Dinner is almost ready & Mom & I are wondering where my sister is. Mom calls her. Diane is at the store "looking for that dern Bunny!" HA HA! We figure that is a good excuse for being late. We ended up having to start dinner without her because my grandmother needed to eat. We had just sat down when my sister walks in the door. Hanging out of her pockets are two chocolate bunnies - she said she had left her coat in the car, and when she got in it this morning, she found the candy in her coat's pockets. Of course this thrilled my children - until I told them they had to eat their dinner first! She also came bearing Easter gifts for our grandmother, mother, & I - potted Lilies (Queen Lucy has taken it upon herself to make sure mine gets proper care as I tend to forget about my plants.)
My children & I are the last to leave. I had already taken Grandma home, & my sister was not feeling well due to a pain in her neck (and no, I was not the "pain in the neck" - she had it before she came) so she left early. My children get into the car & what do they find? Two huge Easter baskets filled with the coolest eggs (not the ordinary, cheap plastic eggs) with candy, and a small toy!
Thanks to my sister for tracking down that "dern Bunny!"
Saturday, April 14, 2007
Friday, April 13, 2007
Send a Birthday greeting to Papa!
Just a quick note to ask you to send a birthday greeting to the Holy Father. His 80th birthday is April 16th!
A Catholic Comic book
Feast of Saint Hermengild
WOW! I love it when I find old, solidly Catholic literature (at least this appears to be so). I found out about this one from Dust of the Time.
This comic book, Treasure Chest of Fun & Fact, is stored online by The American Catholic History Research Center and University Archives, part of The Catholic University of America.
This is what the site has to say about this comic book -
Wait until I show my children! Perhaps this will move me from "Mean Mommy" to "Favorite Mommy" status. Of course I am their only mommy, but whatever!
WOW! I love it when I find old, solidly Catholic literature (at least this appears to be so). I found out about this one from Dust of the Time.
This comic book, Treasure Chest of Fun & Fact, is stored online by The American Catholic History Research Center and University Archives, part of The Catholic University of America.
This is what the site has to say about this comic book -
The Treasure Chest of Fun & Fact was a Catholic comic book published by George A. Pflaum of Dayton, Ohio, and provided to Catholic parochial school students between 1946 and 1972. The digital collection is a project that will include the first eighteen volumes running from 1946 to 1963. Volumes 1-3, 5-12, and 15-18 have been digitized with volumes 4, 13, and 14 to be added soon.
Wait until I show my children! Perhaps this will move me from "Mean Mommy" to "Favorite Mommy" status. Of course I am their only mommy, but whatever!
Sunday, April 08, 2007
Christ is Risen!!!
Easter!
Our wonderful priest taught us an Easter greeting - popular among the Greeks. We are not Greek, but I am sure they won't mind if we use the phrase.
One person says, "Christ is risen!"; and the other person responds, "Truly, He is risen!"So...............................................................
Christ is Risen!!!
(hint - now it is your turn)
P.S. - Here it is in Latin & Greek
Christus resurrexit! Vere resurrexit! – Latin
Christos Anesti! Alithos Anesti! – Greek
(Thank you Candice for these translations)
Our wonderful priest taught us an Easter greeting - popular among the Greeks. We are not Greek, but I am sure they won't mind if we use the phrase.
One person says, "Christ is risen!"; and the other person responds, "Truly, He is risen!"So...............................................................
Christ is Risen!!!
(hint - now it is your turn)
P.S. - Here it is in Latin & Greek
Christus resurrexit! Vere resurrexit! – Latin
Christos Anesti! Alithos Anesti! – Greek
(Thank you Candice for these translations)
Saturday, April 07, 2007
Mommia's Hashbrown Casserole
Holy Saturday
Here I am, posting a meatless dish - at the end of Lent - late as usual. But, since we, Catholics, are required to abstain on ALL Fridays (not just during Lent, though outside of Lent you are allowed another form of penance if you cannot abstain - but abstaining is the universal law), I think it will still be of some use.
I took a basic recipe & put my twist on it. This could be a meatless main dish for Fridays, or side dish, or add Ham for an easy meal for other days of the week
Mommia's Hashbrown Casserole
1 can cream of mushroom soup (undiluted)
16 oz. sour cream or cottage cheese
3 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
3 eggs
1 medium onion, chopped
pinch of black pepper
Ham, chopped (leave out for meatless of course)
2 lbs hash browns, thawed
1/4 cup melted butter (reserve for later)
Mix the first 6-7 ingredients in bowl, then add the hashbrowns. Put into a greased 9x13 casserole dish & bake (375 degrees) for about 30 minutes. Drizzle 1/4 cup of melted butter on top, and bake for about 10 more minutes.
I added the eggs and an extra cup of cheese for more protein. I liked the result & think I will leave it that way, even when adding ham.
Here I am, posting a meatless dish - at the end of Lent - late as usual. But, since we, Catholics, are required to abstain on ALL Fridays (not just during Lent, though outside of Lent you are allowed another form of penance if you cannot abstain - but abstaining is the universal law), I think it will still be of some use.
I took a basic recipe & put my twist on it. This could be a meatless main dish for Fridays, or side dish, or add Ham for an easy meal for other days of the week
Mommia's Hashbrown Casserole
1 can cream of mushroom soup (undiluted)
16 oz. sour cream or cottage cheese
3 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
3 eggs
1 medium onion, chopped
pinch of black pepper
Ham, chopped (leave out for meatless of course)
2 lbs hash browns, thawed
1/4 cup melted butter (reserve for later)
Mix the first 6-7 ingredients in bowl, then add the hashbrowns. Put into a greased 9x13 casserole dish & bake (375 degrees) for about 30 minutes. Drizzle 1/4 cup of melted butter on top, and bake for about 10 more minutes.
I added the eggs and an extra cup of cheese for more protein. I liked the result & think I will leave it that way, even when adding ham.
Friday, April 06, 2007
Excessive television causes Autism?
Good Friday
Excessive television causes Autism? An interesting theory, one that is causing quite an uproar in the Autism community. What qualifies me to comment on this issue? I have a child on the Autism Spectrum.
First, let me give a very basic description of the Autism Spectrum – I say “basic” because it is a disease with a wide range of symptoms from child to child. One thing that really bothers me is when people assume they know what you are going through, or how your child should be treated, just because they know someone who has a child with autism.
From the Autism Society of America:
Back to the theory. Good Morning America recently did a segment titled “Controversial New Theory Links Autism to TV”. Michael Waldman, a Cornell University economics professor, recently wrote a research paper on this resulting from his own experience with his child. This has caused some rumblings in the Autism community. I think there is some truth to it, though I do not agree fully with him.
His theory is “Excessive TV viewing by children with a genetic disposition to autism makes them more likely to develop the disorder.” He first became interested in this when his own child was diagnosed with Autism. He had noticed his son had been watching a lot of television. When the television was turned off, there was no immediate noticeable change, but after several months his son’s problems were gone.
The first thing to notice here is he is not saying television causes Autism, only it may be one of the triggers for those with a genetic disposition to it. I have heard similar theories about other “triggers”. I think the danger here is the "Refrigerator Mother" Hypothesis of Autism – that is, lack of parental warmth causing Autism. We all know that hypothesis has been disproved, but what is to stop people from thinking that if too much TV causes Autism, then it must be the parent’s fault for allowing their children to watch this much TV? I strongly agree that too much TV is bad for everyone; in fact, even a little TV can be bad (especially with what the media is putting out now). I also think we can all agree that using the television as a babysitter is not a good thing (even if it is only watching educational programs). To say television causes Autism is ignorant, but I don’t think he is saying that.
I do not think television caused my child’s autism. I don’t focus on the cause, but on the treatment. However, I do tend to think there was a genetic disposition, and something triggered it – the vaccination he got when he was one day old, or the double dose of the MMR before he started school, or the freon gas I was exposed to while pregnant with him…only God knows. I DO think television (or computer, or any other device that limits interaction with other people) makes it worse. When he watches TV, or plays a game on the computer, he gets locked into his own world. Short periods, of about an hour or so once in awhile, don’t seem to cause problems, in fact, I use the TV or computer as one of his motivators for good behavior. Any more than that, and there are problems with focusing, listening, eye contact, conversation skills, frustration, tantrums, rigidity, etc. Spending one night at someones home where the TV & the computer is used a lot more, results in a host of problems when he comes home. It is like he is stuck in his own world, and it is a battle to get him out. He needs interaction with other people. He also needs to expand his interests beyond those he is hyper-focused on (like TV and computer), even if those other interests are initially unwanted by him. Yes, it is easier to let him watch TV, but is it better for him?
The article goes on to say that Mr. Waldman “found a statistical connection between high autism rates and areas of the country that experienced bad weather — areas where kids were more likely to be indoors, watching TV.” My first thought was I wondered if he considered a lack of Vitamin D (its largest source coming from the sun) to be an issue. Vitamin D deficiency is not uncommon, especially when the weather is poor, or people spend a lot of time indoors (using sunblock is also a factor). In fact, most of us are probably deficient in this vitamin. Research is showing we need much more than the current RDA guidelines (please see this excellent article that was in Reader’s Digest). The Vitamin D Council says
I agree with Mr. Waldman when he said, “I think we should look under ever single, plausible stone." Perhaps we should focus on limiting television as part of the treatment, and not on too much television as the problem.
What do you think?
Excessive television causes Autism? An interesting theory, one that is causing quite an uproar in the Autism community. What qualifies me to comment on this issue? I have a child on the Autism Spectrum.
First, let me give a very basic description of the Autism Spectrum – I say “basic” because it is a disease with a wide range of symptoms from child to child. One thing that really bothers me is when people assume they know what you are going through, or how your child should be treated, just because they know someone who has a child with autism.
From the Autism Society of America:
“Autism is a complex developmental disability that typically appears during the first three years of life and is the result of a neurological disorder that affects the normal functioning of the brain, impacting development in the areas of social interaction and communication skills. Both children and adults with autism typically show difficulties in verbal and non-verbal communication, social interactions, and leisure or play activities. One should keep in mind however, that autism is a spectrum disorder and it affects each individual differently and at varying degrees.”There are five diagnosis under the umbrella in the Autism Spectrum (formally known as Pervasive Developmental Disorder). My child is what some would call on the “less affected” end of the spectrum. I beg to differ. Yes, he is very intelligent, but I think that can cause even more problems when people think he can control his behavior because he is so intelligent (this was actually said to me by the school district.) Don’t make an assumption until you have walked a mile in my shoes.
Back to the theory. Good Morning America recently did a segment titled “Controversial New Theory Links Autism to TV”. Michael Waldman, a Cornell University economics professor, recently wrote a research paper on this resulting from his own experience with his child. This has caused some rumblings in the Autism community. I think there is some truth to it, though I do not agree fully with him.
His theory is “Excessive TV viewing by children with a genetic disposition to autism makes them more likely to develop the disorder.” He first became interested in this when his own child was diagnosed with Autism. He had noticed his son had been watching a lot of television. When the television was turned off, there was no immediate noticeable change, but after several months his son’s problems were gone.
The first thing to notice here is he is not saying television causes Autism, only it may be one of the triggers for those with a genetic disposition to it. I have heard similar theories about other “triggers”. I think the danger here is the "Refrigerator Mother" Hypothesis of Autism – that is, lack of parental warmth causing Autism. We all know that hypothesis has been disproved, but what is to stop people from thinking that if too much TV causes Autism, then it must be the parent’s fault for allowing their children to watch this much TV? I strongly agree that too much TV is bad for everyone; in fact, even a little TV can be bad (especially with what the media is putting out now). I also think we can all agree that using the television as a babysitter is not a good thing (even if it is only watching educational programs). To say television causes Autism is ignorant, but I don’t think he is saying that.
I do not think television caused my child’s autism. I don’t focus on the cause, but on the treatment. However, I do tend to think there was a genetic disposition, and something triggered it – the vaccination he got when he was one day old, or the double dose of the MMR before he started school, or the freon gas I was exposed to while pregnant with him…only God knows. I DO think television (or computer, or any other device that limits interaction with other people) makes it worse. When he watches TV, or plays a game on the computer, he gets locked into his own world. Short periods, of about an hour or so once in awhile, don’t seem to cause problems, in fact, I use the TV or computer as one of his motivators for good behavior. Any more than that, and there are problems with focusing, listening, eye contact, conversation skills, frustration, tantrums, rigidity, etc. Spending one night at someones home where the TV & the computer is used a lot more, results in a host of problems when he comes home. It is like he is stuck in his own world, and it is a battle to get him out. He needs interaction with other people. He also needs to expand his interests beyond those he is hyper-focused on (like TV and computer), even if those other interests are initially unwanted by him. Yes, it is easier to let him watch TV, but is it better for him?
The article goes on to say that Mr. Waldman “found a statistical connection between high autism rates and areas of the country that experienced bad weather — areas where kids were more likely to be indoors, watching TV.” My first thought was I wondered if he considered a lack of Vitamin D (its largest source coming from the sun) to be an issue. Vitamin D deficiency is not uncommon, especially when the weather is poor, or people spend a lot of time indoors (using sunblock is also a factor). In fact, most of us are probably deficient in this vitamin. Research is showing we need much more than the current RDA guidelines (please see this excellent article that was in Reader’s Digest). The Vitamin D Council says
“Current research indicates vitamin D deficiency plays a role in causing seventeen varieties of cancer, heart disease, stroke, hypertension, autoimmune diseases, diabetes, depression, chronic pain, osteoarthritis, osteoporosis, muscle weakness, muscle wasting, birth defects and periodontal disease.”Who’s to say that the lack of Vitamin D does not also play a roll somewhere in Autism? There is already a lot of research showing a connection between a deficiency and neurological disorders.
I agree with Mr. Waldman when he said, “I think we should look under ever single, plausible stone." Perhaps we should focus on limiting television as part of the treatment, and not on too much television as the problem.
What do you think?
Tuesday, April 03, 2007
Are We Raising "Academic" Kids?
Feast of Saint Irene
This is the title of an excellent article directed towards homeschoolers. First, before I share it, I wanted to pen some thoughts of my own.
In answer to the question in the title of this post, of course we are. But there is SO much more to learn besides academics. If all that was taught was academics, then all we would have are a bunch of computers with legs. One needs to build the child's character too. Who do you want to build your child's character? Yourself? Or ninety-one other people? (That would include the teacher, the thirty students, and the student's parents who have an influence on the students.) We all hear the news; we all have seen ill behaved children; we have all met rude teens (one only needs to look behind the counter at a fast food establishment). Are those the type of people you want teaching your child? Yes, I have heard the argument “they will get exposed to those people sooner or later.” My reply is, why not wait until the child has proper discernment? Why not build a strong foundation first? Why not expose the child little by little, and be by his/her side to help, to explain it all?
I need to be clear here – my children are not saints, not yet anyway. Are they ever ill behaved? Of course. Are they ever rude? Yes. The difference is that I am there to correct them. A teacher in an over-crowded classroom cannot do that. She/he doesn’t even have the time to teach all the academics that are needed.
Academically, my children are strong. It is their characters that impress people the most. They love spending time with their grandparents and great grandmother, helping them and not expecting or wanting anything in return. This carries over in how they treat other adults, like offering to help an elderly woman put her groceries into her car. Recently, my children saved their money for quite awhile. They each had a special thing in mind to purchase. Adults frequently commented on how impressed they were about this, as they are so used to children expecting things to be given to them. (As I write this, I had to stop to correct one of my children for slamming a door in anger. See? No saints here….. not yet. But I am working on it diligently.)
Let us not forget the old, tired argument of “but they need to learn social skills”. Go back to the middle of my second paragraph – are those really the social skills you want your child to learn? Besides, it’s not as if we live in a cave. We go to Mass, get together with other homeschool families, go on frequent field trips, etc.
Ok, enough of my ramblings. Here is the article by Amy Pak of Home School in the Woods. She was kind enough to give me special permission to post it here. Please read the article, she expresses it all much better than I can. Thank you Amy!
This is the title of an excellent article directed towards homeschoolers. First, before I share it, I wanted to pen some thoughts of my own.
In answer to the question in the title of this post, of course we are. But there is SO much more to learn besides academics. If all that was taught was academics, then all we would have are a bunch of computers with legs. One needs to build the child's character too. Who do you want to build your child's character? Yourself? Or ninety-one other people? (That would include the teacher, the thirty students, and the student's parents who have an influence on the students.) We all hear the news; we all have seen ill behaved children; we have all met rude teens (one only needs to look behind the counter at a fast food establishment). Are those the type of people you want teaching your child? Yes, I have heard the argument “they will get exposed to those people sooner or later.” My reply is, why not wait until the child has proper discernment? Why not build a strong foundation first? Why not expose the child little by little, and be by his/her side to help, to explain it all?
I need to be clear here – my children are not saints, not yet anyway. Are they ever ill behaved? Of course. Are they ever rude? Yes. The difference is that I am there to correct them. A teacher in an over-crowded classroom cannot do that. She/he doesn’t even have the time to teach all the academics that are needed.
Academically, my children are strong. It is their characters that impress people the most. They love spending time with their grandparents and great grandmother, helping them and not expecting or wanting anything in return. This carries over in how they treat other adults, like offering to help an elderly woman put her groceries into her car. Recently, my children saved their money for quite awhile. They each had a special thing in mind to purchase. Adults frequently commented on how impressed they were about this, as they are so used to children expecting things to be given to them. (As I write this, I had to stop to correct one of my children for slamming a door in anger. See? No saints here….. not yet. But I am working on it diligently.)
Let us not forget the old, tired argument of “but they need to learn social skills”. Go back to the middle of my second paragraph – are those really the social skills you want your child to learn? Besides, it’s not as if we live in a cave. We go to Mass, get together with other homeschool families, go on frequent field trips, etc.
Ok, enough of my ramblings. Here is the article by Amy Pak of Home School in the Woods. She was kind enough to give me special permission to post it here. Please read the article, she expresses it all much better than I can. Thank you Amy!
Are We Raising "Academic" Kids?
I remember when we first began homeschooling our children in the mid 90s. The key question every relative, neighbor, and even church-going friend was concerned about was, "Can you really educate your children? Will they have all the academics that they need to enter the world?" Of course, we would proceed to give a blow-by-blow of the language and math that we were teaching in whatever grade they were in (to see how it compared with what was being taught to their public school peers) and I began to notice a "testing" of sorts when they were with my children. They would ask academic questions of them to see what they knew and what they didn't know--questions you just didn't ask children in everyday conversation...and usually when they thought I was out of earshot. As the years progressed, I found that yes, the "reading, writing, and 'rithmetic" were an important part of our day, but being with my children 24/7 was giving me much more exposure to their attitudes, their mannerisms, and a front seat to how they dealt with each other as siblings and made choices and decisions in many situations. There were many opportunities to not only correct a selfish gesture or a mean-spirited remark, but several conversations arose regarding how to prepare oneself for the world, for being a respecter of persons, for choosing the right path, and most of all, for molding one's character to be more Christ-like. From the smallest thing as a person's attitude we'd see on T.V. to how we saw another child conduct himself in a store, everything became a topic for discussion to learn about what we, together, observed. THESE were crucial learning times! And had my husband and I not been with my children as much as we were, teaching them from the home, we would not only have missed all the golden moments of opportunity, but I have no doubt we would have lost them daily to the values and influences of their peers and others of whom I know nothing about.
My daughter just approached me the other day with a serious revelation that had dawned on her. Among the many friends she has at church, some are homeschooled, but several are not and it is obvious in their choices and comments. Thoughtfully, she told me, "Mom, I fight myself not to conform to the "popular" friends in the group. I am so glad that among them I have great role models who hold to a higher calling. If I had not been homeschooled, I know for a fact I'd be in trouble... I know I'd have been listening to them rather than to you, but I can see where they are headed! And I know that they should be making wiser choices and it's frustrating to watch...and that could've been me.
"Wow! This took a lot for her to say, as not only was it a reality check for herself (and a confession of sorts), but for her dad and me as parents! And to know that all those moments we had spent sculpting and polishing her character all those years are now reaping a reward. She has eyes to see and ears to hear. All of a sudden, the academics don't seem to have the weight they carried before. Yes, they have their place, but there is a bigger lesson to be taught here... Foundation of character and moral values, the life-long striving to be Christ-like. As John the Baptist said, "He must increase, but I must decrease." As I pondered what my daughter told me as she left the room, one comment hung like a warm ember in my heart: "All I know is, I'm so glad I've been home with you!"
With two more rowdy boys with years still ahead of them until manhood, I thanked God for that inspiring word from my "could-have-been-prodigal" daughter. And with that, I take a deep breath, say a prayer, and turn to take the next step on the path He has set before me.
By Amy Pak
Hands-on Teaching Tips! is a division of Home School in the Woods. No content may be removed or used without permission from Home School in the Woods.
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