Today's Works for Me Wednesday tip might be old hat to some of you more internet savvy bloggers. It's new to me, however, despite my use of eBay to buy birthday presents for my kids (Pirate Playmobil set, $15.00. Set of 8 tapes Adventures in Odyssey to listen to in the car while on a three day crosscountry move, $6.00 priceless.) I also use eBay to fantasize about my appearance on Antiques Roadshow with the pink flower plates that were left in the cupboard of our last rental house or the blue vase from Goodwill. You never know when you might uncover a valuable treasure!

My tip? eBay's Want It Now section. People with no delayed gratification skills eager to buy can post an ad for free. So, if you are dying for a Nourishing Traditions cookbook (hint. hint. Birthday coming soon, husband dear!) or want some dinner plates to replace the one your two year old helped unload from the dishwasher, this is the place for you! It's much more efficient than trolling the auctions searching for keywords - not that I've given that up. It's paradise for anyone who knows what they want and doesn't want to pay full price for it.

Another use: I browse the ads to see if I have anything someone else wants. I've got a ton of books, dear to me, but not too special to sell! My husband occasionally has an opportunity to sell very specialized construction parts and tools. I've even seen people asking for someone to handcrochet, knit, or sew them a special blanket or item.

Best of all, you won't end up paying a listing fee for junk you weren't able to sell, then try to decide whether to dump it in the Goodwill box or list again.

Works for Me!

Labels: Frugal, Works For Me Wednesday

The kids had a stomach bug this weekend, and I still have one home today - not much blogging going on today!

Here are some links for older children to keep you in the Montessori mood!

Montessori for Everyone blog posted on Responsibility in the Classroom, age 9-12

Nature Watching has a great how-to for nature journaling with children. Check out their easy printables too!

From Michael Olaf's catalog, Parents and Teachers for 3-12 (lots of articles)

Lapbook Ladies has a good overview of what lapbooks are and why you should use them. The site's still in development but it's a great starting point for making your own - good for any homeschooler! H/T to Starry Sky Ranch for the link - and visit Kim for more lapbook ideas.

Happy surfing!

Labels: education, Montessori Mondays

Warning: Thoughtful Thursday is a downer today. Prayer and fasting requested.

If we kill our children, and force our children to kill their children, should we be surprised to be discarded, forgotten, or murdered euthanized in our old age?

Italian Court Forces 13 year old to have an abortion

Can a society that offers cell phone service as a fundraiser to kill our children be an example of morality for the world? Is this why we don't bother with the genocide in the Sudan, or say anything about infanticide in the Ukraine? (Google Ukraine stem cells. You'll get articles from BBC, Europe, and LifeSite... but none from the New York Times or Washington Post)

How much longer can a world when babies can be murdered and dismembered so the rich can look younger last? How long before we begin a long Roman-empire style decline- or worse, a Sodom and Gomorrah style ending?

Remember her from History channel Halloween specials? She bathed in the blood of virgins and shocked the world. Now, we don't care.

I'm sure you've seen pictures of little Amillia on the internet - the amazing miracle baby who was born at 21 weeks 6 days with a zero chance of survival - but is going home from the hospital now.
What you don't know - the mother lied about the baby's age so the doctors would treat her. They would treat a 23 week old baby but not a 21 week old baby (no wonder there's a zero survival rate!) I guess children magically turn into worthwhile people sometime in that 22-23 week mark. Before that, why bother; after that, and we'll bend over backwards to help.

It used to be common to hear a wolf or coyote cry out in the night. Now, we only hear that sound on television, during a Discovery channel special or Hallmark western. How much longer before a baby's cry is just as rare?

A while back, Barbara Curtis of Mommylife asked for input from readers born after the Roe V. Wade decision - it's also worth a read.

Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, have mercy on us!

**** UPDATED TO ADD ****

I just got an e-mail from Planned Parenthood hawking their cell phone plan, and found out that the plan is managed by a company called Working Assets but uses the Sprint network. If you're a Sprint customer, please call them, even though I KNOW it means voice mail hell, and let them know you don't appreciate their facilitating Planned Parenthood's agenda.

Interestingly, the e-mail touts that 10% of charges will be donated to PP; the Working Assets website claims only 1%. Well, if there's one thing PP is good at, it's inflating numbers!

Other causes Working Assets donates YOUR money to:
NARAL
ACLU
Americans United for the Separation of Church and State
People for The American Way
Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network
and many more.

However, they are open for nominations of new causes to support. Causes must be non-profits, proven effective for over a year, and only a customer can nominate them. Please consider nominating such luminary services such as Catholic Charities, BirthRight, or other national Christian based charity.

Labels: Catholic, Prolife, Thoughtful Thursday

A few months ago, I bought a digital camera. I looked at specialized batteries that were supposed to last somuch longer than the cheap ones from the dollar store high quality alkaline type, and came across a new invention: rechargeable batteries.

Oh, the rechargeable part isn't new. What is new is that all of the major manufacturers are selling AA and AAA rechargers that plug into a household outlet. No more big clunky boxes full of spaces for every size imaginable - these hold 4 to 6 of your most used size batteries and plug in flush to the wall. Also, it was a budget friendly at under $15 or so, including 4 batteries.

I originally bought the Energizer brand, but the charger on that one clunked out on me after two weeks. Ever a glutton for punishment, I bought the Kodak brand - that was in July and I'm still using it, with the original batteries that came with it. Much to my delight, the Energizer batteries work in it as well. (You do have to buy special NiMH batteries - not the regular alkaline ones.)

Rechargeable batteries are expensive, but they really do last so much longer in my power sucking digital camera, plus, I always have a backup set charged and ready to go - right on the wall, no digging through the junk drawer required! I no longer get frustrated that someone put a 'dead' battery in the drawer, or have to throw them away and hope they don't explode in the trash can. (I think you are actually supposed to save them for a special hazardous trash pickup, but I never have.)

Save money, time, frustration, and the earth?

Works for Me!

Labels: Frugal, Works For Me Wednesday

It's Fat Tuesday! Which means it's also National Pancake Day.

Which means you can get a free short stack at IHOP! Limit one per guest, which means we just might be eating pancakes for dinner tonight... 8 shortstacks add up to full tummies! Plus Mama can get bacon. That's always a good reason to eat. MMMM. Bacon.


If your Fat Tuesday is a little too fat, go ahead and go for the pancakes anyway. Then spend the next 40 days in fasting and abstinence (from meat, not that... other abstinence thing).

Another gently reminder - tomorrow, Ash Wednesday, is a meatless day so plan your crockpots accordingly! You get 2 snacks and a meal.

Labels: Catholic, Frugal

There's a revolution going on - check it out:

Real Food


If you want a place to start nutrition wise, here's some more links. Lent might be a good time to eliminate the fake stuff!

Weston A. Price Foundation

MSG Myth (It's not just Chinese food. It's in almost every salad dressing, especially ranch, and canned soup)

Artificial ingredient side effects

Food Labels - what do they actually mean?


If you haven't already, you can read our story of how my son has been "in remission" from bipolar disorder/ADHD/ODD and other alphabet soup diagnosis using, primarily, a more natural diet. It's only been 8 months, but he's no longer on any meds, is doing well in school, and has friends. He's still about 2 years behind emotionally (and boys mature late, anyway) , but catching up quick! I'll say "cured" when it's been a couple of years!

Here's just a quick Montessori Monday today. The kids are home from school because of President's Day, so I'm just going to leave a couple of links.

This mom homeschools her autistic daughter with Sensory Integration Disorder - they also have a special diet (no apples, almonds, or eggs in their case). She uses Ambleside Online, which is an online Charlotte Mason curriculum and free!

Aut-2-Bhomeincarolina

Her three part series on Masterly Inactivity is worth a look! Masterly Inactivity is to Charlotte Mason what observation is to Montessori - basically, hand off! Let them do it themselves!

In The Montessori Method, Dr. Montessori noted that her classrooms were structured much like a music lesson. When a child goes to a class to learn to play the piano, the instructor will help him seat himself on the bench, assist in the placement of the hands, teach him how to correspond the notes on the page with the keys, and then he will leave him to it. The student will play, or attempt to play, the music on his own. The maestro will observe, noting if more work is needed on reading music, on the tempo, etc. A musical student will play the same piece until it is mastered.

A Montessori classroom is similar. The directress will supply a prepared environment for the children to learn. She will use the three-period lesson to introduce children to concepts and connect it with language. And then she will leave the children to it, all the while observing and noting if she needs to introduce a concept again, if they are ready to be introduced to the next work, and so on. The child will continue to pursue the same work until it is mastered - and the child decides what level of perfection constitutes mastery.

Note: when introducing the Three Period lesson, the first lesson, naming, always includes two contrasts. Red and Blue would be presented together, small and big, wet and dry. Montessori believed that the contrast helped with the memory work. Also, much care should be taken to isolate the quality you are introducing.
So, to introduce red and blue, one should use two objects exactly the same (i.e., square wooden blocks). The only difference should be the color. Using, say, a red rubber ball and a blue plastic spoon could be confusing - does red mean "rubber"? "toy"? "round"? "bouncy"? Does blue mean "utensil"? "plastic"? "something you put in your mouth"?

She would often isolate the senses using a blindfold, especially for non-visual sensory introductions, such as weight, noises, temperature. For example, blindfolding a child and placing their hand in cold water, then warm water. (She only used the blindfold when teaching developmentally normal children. She found that children with mental handicaps (called 'deficients' in her day by the medical establishment) were not able to use the blindfold well)

Labels: education, Montessori Mondays, therapeutic diet

or, I'm Telling Your Momma!

Yesterday, we went out to eat a restaurant. I was pretty happy, it was my favorite kind of food: buffet.

Chinese buffet, to be exact, and quite tasty as well as MSG free! The waiter was a young 20 something Chinese guy, and he just loved our family. He talked to all the kids, played with the baby, and told us how wonderful it was to have a big family.

Soon after we arrived, another employee (actually, I think it was one of the owners. It seemed to be a family affair) arrived with her two year old son. He seemed to be a pretty young two. I saw him playing here and there around the tables and buffet line.

As we were getting ready to leave, this little guy found out there were 6 children in the restaurant, and wanted to play. Miss V, age 3, declared him "Oh, he's a cutie!" to which the waiter responded, "He's not a cutie, he's a naughty". Hmm... that should have been a tip off.

So, we made our way to the front of the restaurant while husband dear waited to pay the bill. The kids were still being pretty good, and sitting on the little bench in the entry way. The two year old Restaurant Boy decided he didn't like me. (I really don't know why!)

He started punching me in the stomach (I'm 7 months pregnant, so it was a big target!). There were three other hostess/waitresses around, but they just watched. So I told him no. He kept at it. I picked him up and moved him about three feet away, set him down, and went back to sitting with the kids. The restaurant workers observed from a safe distance. No mother or responsible adult in sight, he launched himself again.

He was screaming pretty loudly, and everybody was watching... me, trying to parent this tantruming child that I've never seen before in my life! You think watching your own kid throw a fit in public is bad? Try having somebody else's kid throw a fit that involves bodily assault - and trying to keep him from injuring someone while not speaking his language or getting physical in any way (not even grabbing hands so they couldn't hit or directing them to a corner!)

I moved him away again, and he threw himself to the floor kicking and screaming. His mother (I guess she was his Mom, she was the lady who brought him) picked him up, said something to him in Chinese, and gave him a token swat on the leg. I say token because I've hit mosquitoes harder. Then, SHE TURNED HER BACK AND WALKED AWAY!

So, of course, he went right back to Kung Fu Fighting. I quite honestly have no idea why he decided to beat me up. I wasn't playing with him, had never seen him before, and there were plenty of people his own size to pick on.

The other restaurant employees continued to watch him hit the pregnant lady in the stomach.

I went into the vestibule, and then we were ready to leave and he followed us. Outside. So, since no one else seemed to care, I carried back into the restaurant so he wouldn't get hit by a car. The hostess told me to just leave him, he's fine. And he pushed the door back open and went into the entry way (there were double doors, so he was between the outside door and the inside door). When we left, he was sticking his hand up the Claw vending machine, still all alone in the vestibule.

I felt sorry for him. He's dragged off to the restaurant and left to his own devices. I didn't see any toys, books, or his own area to play in. It was 9 pm at night at this point. No one cared enough to guide him, keep him safe, or teach him social skills (or put him to bed!).

In ten years, I bet he has a very hard time getting and keeping any friends - if he's not the biggest bully. I saw him also playing near the steam tables with the food, in and around adult legs. I just hope someone doesn't trip over him and spill egg drop soup on his head, scarring him for life, or that he doesn't end up getting his hand stuck in the ice cream machine or grabbing a hot pan of dumplings. Because no one else seemed to care what kind of trouble he found.

The other tragic part is, I really liked the restaurant, it was MSG free, our family of 8 dined for $30 (plus tip), and the food was really good - there was fresh fruit, the vegetables hadn't been stewed in oyster sauce and then deep fried, and how can you go wrong with all-you-can-eat chilled shrimp? But I'm not sure if we'll be back.

Labels: children, Family Life

****UPDATED AGAIN ****
Apparently the CDC says the culprit is most likely dirty jars, as salmonella would be killed by the heat required to make peanut butter. Which is just, ewww! I'd rather imagine some unfortunate egg mix up than DIRTY JARS!


****UPDATED TO ADD ****
I finally found a statement from WalMart about the recall:

Food safety is always a top priority at Wal-Mart and Sam’s Clubs. We are working very closely with ConAgra to fully understand the details of this situation. Wal-Mart has sent direction to our stores and clubs to immediately remove all impacted Peter Pan Peanut Butter and Great Value Peanut Butter based on specific product information provided by ConAgra. As an additional precautionary measure, we have also put a sales restriction on the products in question so that, should one inadvertently be scanned, a restriction notice will come up for the cashier.

I love that! "We are working closely to understand the details" sounds like corporation speak for "heads have rolled". Walmart is pretty notorious for leaning on their suppliers regarding pricing and efficiency.

Still no word on if they'll take them back as returns... I'll let you know how that went this weekend!


First we had E. coli in the spinach, now there's salmonella in the peanut butter.

The FDA is asking consumers to destroy Peter Pan brand and Great Value brand peanut butter, because it is contaminated with Salmonella. Destroy any jars that begin with product code 2111. I'm not sure I'm up for a search and destroy mission, but I could probably hit the trash can with a jar or two.

Since I instantly recognized Great Value as the WalMart store brand, I checked my cupboard - sure enough, I had 2 open jars of tainted PB. We eat a lot of peanut butter around here - I used to buy the all natural stuff, but now we live in this tiny little town that does not have double coupons, and the natural stuff is so expensive! Twice what I paid in Denver, despite the fact we are in peanut country and the peanut is the state snack! So I have a jar of all natural for my oldest son, who must keep his strict diet, and the regular stuff for the common folk.

How on earth peanut butter got contaminated by salmonella is a mystery to me. The ingredients list:

Roasted Peanuts, Sugar, Vegetable Oils (cottonseed and rapeseed), salt. Allergy warning: Contains Peanuts (well, duh.)

What, were there chickens in the peanut patch (but they grow underground!) The salt was stored next to the eggs?

I'm not destroying them, though. I'm taking them back to WalMart for a refund - it's only $3 a jar, but every penny counts and I'll be there this weekend anyway!

Oh, and this is more proof that generic is just as good as brand name. The peanut butter in the Peter Pan jars and the Great Value jars is exactly the same, made at the same plant, off the same line! Even their batch numbers are the same - starting with that 2111. Here's the official notice from ConAgra foods: Peter Pan Recall

Mama Says: Check your cupboards.

Labels: Mama Says, Need to Know

I came across this via This Old Schoolhouse e-mail list. Gavach and Associates has developed a reading help for special needs kids/struggling readers grade 2 and up. It usually costs $20, but you can get a .pdf copy for free for a limited time.

http://www.strugglingreaders.com/freebook.htm

I just downloaded it, and it appears to be a method for sorting words by phonetic sounds and p[honics rule - but for a no cost alternative, go for it!

Labels: education

For your consideration:

This is a draft of a letter I am planning to send to my son's school. He is in first grade. I know we're in the South now, but they are handing out Mardi Gras beads and there is some sort of dress up day next Tuesday, where the children and teachers can wear the "traditional" Mardi Gras colors of gold, purple, and green.

A little background - the first grade teacher is a Catholic and teaches a CCD class at our local parish (in town), which I sometimes attend if I don't make it to the Latin Mass in the next town. She also knows we are practicing Catholics.
Ironically, I asked if Mr. P could bring birthday cupcakes on St. Patrick's Day, since his birthday is in the summer; they have to check with the principal on that one! We celebrate St. Patrick's Day, but with a more religious sense, since St. Patrick is one of our family patrons.

So, am I way out of line and a total whacko? Is the letter too harsh, or not harsh enough? Any feedback and suggestions are welcome! Should I send a copy to the principal as well? I don't want the teacher to 'get in trouble', this is a school wide activity; but I feel that I must object.

Dear Mrs. Teacher,

Recently Mr P. came home from school and announced he had been learning about Mardi Gras. It is clear to me that he is learning about the secular celebration of Mardi Gras, rather than the traditional Christian celebration (also called Shrove Tuesday). He also let me know that he learned that the colors of the beads have special meaning – honesty, knowledge and power. He may have been mistaken, however, since the traditional values attributed to these colors during Mardi Gras are justice, faith, and power.

I find it unacceptable for the school to teach these values, associated with these colors, as a secular substitute for a religious holiday.

The traditional Mardi Gras colors of purple, green, and gold are actually Catholic liturgical colors. Purple stands for penance, as Lent is a time of penance and preparation for Easter. Gold is the color of rejoicing (that Christ is risen, also it is used at Christmas), and green is for “Ordinary Time” and represents growth.

Traditionally, Mardi Gras was the last day before Lent began, when households would use up their butter and sugar, which were forbidden during Lent due to the fast and abstinence laws of the Catholic Church. Thus, housewives would bake cakes and goodies, and the people would celebrate before the next 40 days of penance. It is intrinsically bound up with the Lenten season, as a preparation of Easter, both of which are Christian celebrations.

I understand that the public schools are forbidden from teaching about our Christian heritage, even as it applies to religious holidays; I must insist, therefore, that all education involving such holidays and liturgical colors be left to myself and my husband. The secular version of Mardi Gras also promotes heavy partying, drunkenness, and lewd behavior. I'm sure that these behaviors would not be promoted by the school, but by endorsing the celebration of Mardi Gras while removing any religious significance, the school is promoting this holiday as it is typically celebrated in America.

Mr. P is not to participate in any Mardi Gras celebrations at school or to be exposed to any lessons that include the so-called values of "knowledge" and "power".

Sincerely,

Mr. P's Mom.

Labels: education, Mama Says, Need to Know

These handy dandy disposable children's flatware are great. I use the word "disposable" lightly; I bought a set in July and we're still using them. (Can't say the same for the animal shaped plates, which my kids love but are way overpriced.)

They wash up in the dishwasher great, they are just the right size for toddlers and babies just learning to eat by themselves, and if the kids accidentally throw them away, it's no big deal.

They are sturdy enough to eat ice cream and the handle won't snap off when you are trying to spoon up something thick. There are two styles of knives - a spreader and a thinner "cutter", which are safe for kids. Mine like making their own peanut butter sandwiches, cutting up bananas and hotdogs, and getting to be like a grownup.

Incidentally, Dixie makes a set that I found at the dollar store, but they are not as sturdy and one of the designs has an elephant on the handle blowing water out of his trunk. My kids call it the "booger spoon" - and it does look like Dumbo has a cold! I'd stick to the real ZooPals, made by Hefty. They do have an elephant spoon, but he's not blowing his nose.

Labels: Works For Me Wednesday

and Grammar nerds, writers, critical thinkers, classical educationists, and people who just have an opinion.

A college professor is publishing her freshman student's essays online, in an attempt to show them that the world cares about the middle ages.

She's looking for people to comment on them, but isn't getting very much traffic. Get out your red pencil and head on over!

Medieval Heroes and Villains


H/T to Evangelical Outpost

I hope this doesn't cement my ill-gotten reputation for being a Domestic Diva!

I was tagged sometime ago by Catholic Mom in Hawaii, and finally I'm getting around to it!

A Homemaking Meme


Aprons – Y/N?
Yes. I even won a book in Mommylife's apron contest! I have two - both made out of towels. Because they were easy to make. You think I have time to hem?

Baking – Favorite thing to bake:
Brownies. Also favorite thing to eat.

Clothesline – Y/N?
No. We rent and don't have one. Plus, our landlord is a retired Sears appliance repairman and I think it would hurt his feelings if we didn't use all of our large machines.

Donuts – Have you ever made them?
No. Why make donuts when you can have brownies?

One homemaking thing you do every day:
I wish there was only one! Prepare meals. There is always someone to feed.

Freezer – Do you have a separate deep freeze?
Yes! For the first time ever! It has three turkeys from Thanksgiving still, leftover cornbread for stuffing, and even some frozen meals. Plus meat! I'm working on going to the store every 2 weeks instead of twice a week, and I couldn't do it without my freezer!

Garbage Disposal – Y/N?
Yes. But you have to shove the food into it with a spoon while it grinds, so I don't know how useful it is.

Handbook – What is your favorite homemaking resource?
The Joy of Cooking. My son can't have preservatives and I'm cheap, so I cook a lot from scratch. This book has a lot of how to's, and chapters on storing foods, preparing meats, what spices go with what foods, how to cook different foods. It's got recipes but it is also a cooking class.
Also, the book "Holiness for Housewives and Other Working Women" by Dom Hubert Van Zeller. Excellent, excellent little book, with short chapters.

Ironing – Love it or hate it?
I didn't realize that we forgot to pack our old ironing board until 6 months after we moved - and I needed it to iron a pattern. Does that tell you how we feel about ironing around here?

Junk drawer – Y/N? Where is it?
Kitchen. Bedroom. Living room.... plus my packrat son has one in his dresser too!

Kitchen: Design & Decorating?
Well, I try. I made coordinating trivet and grocery bag holder from leftover yarn that matches my favorite cutting board. But, again, we rent. When we moved in, the landlady told us to do whatever we wanted to the house. Pick out new paint, etc. I asked if we could paint the dark, fake wood 70's paneling in the kitchen - NO. The dark cabinets? NO. Paint over the wallpaper? No, she has fond memories of it being the first home improvement project she did with her husband. 27 years ago. So, I'm pretty much stuck!

Love: What is your favorite part of homemaking?
Making useful things for my family. Especially by crocheting them.

Mop - Y/N?
Yes. I have the best mop!

Nylons - Wash by hand or in the washing machine?
HA HA HA HA! You might as well ask me if I wash my sausage casing too.

Oven - Do you use the window, or open the door to check?
Open the door. Doesn't have a window.

Pizza - What do you put on yours?
Sliced tomatoes and spinach. Yum! Also, plain sausage - never pepperoni.

Quiet - What do you do during the day when you get a quiet moment?
Read. Blog. Read blogs.

Recipe card box - Y/N?
No. I use my internet bookmark folder; also I have a do it yourself cookbook my grandmother gave me; it is spiral bound but you write in your own favorite recipes. I'm also working on making a recipe system for my homemaking notebook - putting the basic ingredients and instructions on business card sized paper (using a template in Word), sorted by meat, which I store in baseball card holder pages. It's a work in progress, but I'm trying to get it done before the baby is born so my husband can help with the cooking. He loves to cook, but if I left it to him, we'd have Chinese food every night.

Style of house -
Ranch. No stairs! Woo-Hoo! But my thighs are not thanking me.

Tablecloths and napkins - Y/N?
I own them. Does that count? Paper napkins for everyday meals. My husband has forbidden me from using placemats, no matter how much I pine for them. LOL

Under the kitchen sink - Organized or toxic wasteland?
The baby loves to dig under there. So, not *that* organized, but not a wasteland either. We have aluminum foil, plastic wrap, dishwasher soap, and extra plastic scrubbies, and that's about it. Occasionally the children's practical life broom/dustpan and duster makes it under there, but they are pretty much in common use. There's also many random toys that appear and disappear as Baby C puts them away.

Vacuum - How many times per week?
Twice a day. Maybe only once if we are busy.

Wash - How many loads of laundry do you do a week?
One per day, plus extra for blankets and things. Two children are still working on staying dry at night. Maybe 10?

X's - Do you keep a daily list of things to do and cross them off?
I have a list/schedule in a page protector that I cross off with a dry erase. So, it's always the same list in various stages of completion.

Yard - Who does what?
I nag, and the husband and children ignore me. So we are all in it together.

Zzz's - What is your last homemaking task for the day before going to bed?
Start the dishwasher. We run it at least once a day, twice a day on weekends when the kids are home. Mama and husband dear always find time to snack after the kids are in bed so I wait until the last minute to try to get it all in.

Labels: Family Life, Meme

A random rant and some useful links.

It's Black History Month, and coming up next, Women's History Month!

The Montessori curriculum does not just teach reading, math, and practical life. There is a great emphasis on culture as well, including correct nomenclature, which means teaching children the real vocabulary instead of baby talk. "Culture" includes science and social studies; the culture of the people around us.

And so you would find a Montessori directress dressing a wound with a bandage, not putting an owie sticker on a boo-boo. She would encourage the children to water the petunias and snapdragons, not "Give the pitty flowers a drink". Dr. Montessori never presumed that a child was too stupid to understand the real word for something (and haven't you ever met a 3 year old who could name all the dinosaurs, or give you the back story and last names of Star Wars characters, or tell you, in detail, the weird names of Thomas the Tank's friends?) In a Montessori classroom, emphasis is placed on using extensive vocabulary and clear pronunciation.

Regarding history, children are taught in two ways: horizontal and vertical. Horizontal is the timeline of life, starting at the beginning. Vertical is following the development of an invention (such as writing) or concept and following it up through history. A child might study cuneiform, move on the the phonetic alphabet, progress through clay tablets, the Rosetta stone, to papyrus, parchment, up through typewriters and computers.

The timeline of life, the backbone of horizontal history, really does start at the very beginning - the creation of the universe. Some Montessori schools, now secularized, leave out the "created" part; here is a link to the story that Dr. Montessori's own son remembers her telling however:

God Who Has No Hands

The story, with its attendant explanations and demonstrations, is presented yearly starting at age 6. Then, the students are encouraged to explore different aspects. They are taught the three states of matter, learn about volcanoes, earthquakes, the natural ways our land is formed, and then move forward through the timeline to eventually come to the coming of Man, moving slowly from the biggest picture to more detailed pictures.

Many people think that perhaps the concepts are too advanced for small children, but I don't agree. I've had similar, impromptu discussions with my children about the very same ideas at even earlier ages. They will see me filling an ice tray, and ask, why does the water get hard? They want to know why they can see their breaths in the winter. They wonder why magnets stick to the refrigerator but clothespins don't. And they all love volcanoes.

The focus is to lay the foundation for more abstract learning later on. Montessori always progresses from concrete to abstract; from sandpaper letters that children will rub and feel, to a moveable alphabet, to reading phrases and finally paragraphs.

And, history goes from an overview of the whole history of the whole world, to living things, to mankind, and finally to the child's place in the world. Later, more detailed lessons are introduced - both horizontal, studying the great civilizations (and thus, how they influenced our civilization) and vertical - where did cars come from, where did numbers come from, where did writing come from?

Always, always there is a context. You will not find a Montessori classroom speaking of the first agricultural civilizations, and suddenly throwing in a story about Johnny Appleseed, who also was a sower of seed. There will not be an exhaustive lesson on Egyptian culture and accomplishments, and then a break away discussion of archeaological methods in the 19th century.

Which brings us to Black History Month, and its wicked stepsister, Women's History Month.
My main complaint is that there is no context. George Washington Carver, Martin Luther King, Jr., and Oprah appear on the same bulletin board. Malcolm X is featured, but there is no perspective, no discussion of the political spectrum which formed him, and which he helped form. Characters are jumbled together, regardless of actual accomplishment; famous dancers given equal weight as scientists; fiction writers given equal billing with peacemakers. What has Oprah accomplished? She's rich and famous. She made Deepak Chopra mainstream. She gives away cars? Why not do a lesson on Condoleeza Rice, who is actually changing the world every day?

The Romans regularly received dark skinned statesmen, great leaders, and kings. The apostles and their delegates traveled through Africa, converting the natives. The book of Acts speaks of Ethiopians; Egypt was a center of culture. There were many black saints. Yet, we hear of none of these people, just as we hear nothing of black mercenaries in the 18th and 19th centuries who profited from the slave trade. Black history month is really all about "American Blacks who overcame The Man".
St. Martin de Porres, son of a slave, patron saint of African Americans and renowned for his dedication to the poor.

Maybe we could combine Black History and Women's history, and have a lesson on Queen Candace of Ethiopa, a formidable leader that it's rumored even Alexander the Great declined to take on; the Queen of Sheba, mentioned in the Bible, or Queen Nefertiti? But, we will probably never hear of them in the mainstream society, as there is no archival footage to run on CNN.

Women's history month is not much better. We learn of Amelia Earhart, but what did she accomplish, really? She flew across the Atlantic on her own, and received the Flying Cross, but if she weren't a woman, she would really just be a footnote in history and not a household name. Ever hear of Bernoulli? He's the guy that came up with the equation for lift; Bernoulli's principle is why we can make wings on airplanes fly today.

What about St. Helen? She was an innkeepers daughter, who was divorced so her husband could marry a younger trophy wife. She also was the mother of Constantine the Great, a member of his court, and went on an expedition to unearth the True Cross. As an adventurer, she is much more inspiring than Amelia Earhart.

Again, the focus seems to be on "American White Women", rather than great women in history. This would be why we learn about Sally K. Ride, the first American woman in space, while ignoring Valentina Tereshkova, the actual first woman in space. And lets not even get into the cultural bias - the lessons are heavy on feminists with an agenda and light on women of true and noble character.

Want to emphasize female leadership qualities - so can we do a little unit on the great Queens of Europe - Isabella, maybe? Cleopatra held her own in a patriarchal society, and took on the Roman Empire. Perhaps Joan of Arc would make a good lesson in righteousness and courage? A peasant girl, who despite her humble origins and youth fearlessly took on the English army, after meeting the Dauphin; she held fast to her faith and the truth even as she was burned to death. Can you imagine a teenager showing up to the White House in flip flops, and declaring to the President that she is the only one who can restore the rightful government to Iraq or solve the immigration problem? Bold, indeed. Mother Cabrini, or Mother Teresa would also be shining examples of womanhood to inspire girls of today to change the world for the better. Surely these women have contributed more to western society than Betsy Ross or Betty Friedan.

We are not even treated to histories of Native American women. How about Sacagawea, who helped open up the West with Lewis and Clark? And, although not politically correct, how about the original Queen Mother - the Virgin Mary - also a woman of humble origins who changed everything about the world through her obedience and was directly involved with Man's eternal destiny?

I suppose I just have a problem with elevating people based on what they are instead of what they did. God has made each of us unique. We can claim no credit for our appearance, gender, or personality traits. It is ridiculous to laud the minor accomplishments of a person simply because they are not white or male. It cheapens the the things that people do accomplish, in spite of great odds. Why not teach about Martin Luther King, Jr. in the same lesson as other peacemakers fighting for justice? Why not discuss Harriet Tubman in the same lesson as Moses, fighting to free his people from slavery, or the valiant women and men who helped the Jews escape from Germany, or hid the clergy in France? Perhaps a lesson on Harriet Tubman would be better placed during a review of the Civil War? Just a thought?

My next complaint is that it is racist and biased. The accomplishments of these artists, statesmen, inventors, and scientists are lumped together based on skin color and gender, even though we teach our children that such things don't matter in these fields. We tell them color doesn't matter; then we dump together all of the black people who made life better and teach them during one single month of the year. In a way, we do a disservice to these Americans; insinuating that their accomplishments are only good because of their social status (or rather, lack thereof). After all, you'd probably not find Phil Donahue on a mural in an elementary school cafeteria or a lengthy story of Mendel, who contributed much more to botany than George Washington Carver.
Surely we can appreciate their contributions as being intrinsically worthwile, while not mentioning the color of their skin or inflating their value.

Often, as I noted with Amelia Earhart, people are lauded specifically because of their physical characteristics, rather than real accomplishment. Browse Biography's 200 Notables for Black History Month. You'll find 27 athletes, including Arthur Ashe and Sugar Ray Leonard; 40 musicians, including Tupak Shakur and Luther VanDross, and 33 entertainers, including Halle Berry. I'm not sure any of these 100 people deserve to be taught as a specific lesson in greatness.

The list of people chosen to be glorified this month, and next, seems quite arbitrary. Jean Michel Basquiat, artist, made the list; Henry Ossawa Tanner did not. Is Basquiat (who got his start in graffiti and died in 1988 from a heroine overdose) really more worthy than Tanner, son of a preacher who, according to Wikipedia, was the first African American to be internationally acclaimed, and also had a teaching position at a Massachusetts university in the 1890's?

The Seine, by Tanner

President's Day also gets under my skin, by the way. I think it is just wrong to combine George Washington and Abraham Lincoln, especially as they were very much opposites. George Washington was a product of privileged British American society; he was the veteran of two wars, and then became President of a new country, leading in a time of peace. He signed the Fugitive Slave Act.
Abraham Lincoln was a poor Midwestern American, and lead the country in a time of war. He was never a soldier. He signed the Emancipation Proclamation. He actually has more in common with our current president, I think, as he had his own "Patriot Act" that suspended the body of evidence laws, was a Republican, and was often criticized for overstepping his authority and misusing his executive power.

I much prefer teaching historical personages as a product of the time they lived in as opposed to artificial adulation based on political correctness.

Back to Montessori:
There are many sites that list presentations of physics to young children. Here's a few:

An Overview of Lesson Progression, from Miss Barbara
The Great Lessons, from Miss Barbara
Physical Science for age 3-6, Adobe Acrobat file
Earth History for kids - any link you could ever want
Why Cosmic Education for 3-6
Cosmic Education, from MontessoriMom, with great links and lots of them, including a specifically Catholic Great Lesson.

Labels: education, Montessori Mondays

I got this in my inbox recently, and it's too true. It's been attributed to Jeff Foxworthy, but I don't think it's actually from him:

1. You switch from "Heat" to "A/C" in one day.

2. You know what the "Peoples Republic of Boulder" means.

3. Your sense of direction is: towards the mountains and away from the mountains.

4. You're a meat-eating vegetarian.

5. The bike on your car is worth more than your car and you have your own special bike lane.

6. You're able to drive 65 miles per hour through 13 feet of snow during a raging blizzard without even flinching.

7. You take your out-of-town guests to Casa Bonita even though you would never go there otherwise.

8. You think your major food groups are granola bars, tofu and Fat Tire Beer.

9. You design your kid's Halloween costumes to fit over a snowsuit.

10. You think that sexy lingerie is wool socks and flannel PJs.

11. You know all 4 seasons "almost winter, winter, still winter and construction.

12. You've been tear gassed in a riot to celebrate a CU/CSU victory.

13. You can never figure out why your out-of-town guests faint from altitude sickness on a picnic to the mountains.

14. You can drive over a 12,000-foot pass in 4 feet of snow, but can't get to work if there are 4 inches of snow.

15. You know the 'correct' pronunciation of Buena Vista.

16. When you visit friends at sea level, you can drink a case of beer and not get a buzz.

17. Your car insurance costs more than your car.

18. You have surge protectors on every outlet.

19. April showers bring May blizzards.

20. 'Timber line' is someplace you have actually been.

21. You know what a 'Chinook' is.

2. You know what a 'Rocky Mountain Oyster' is.

23. You know what a "fourteener" is.

24. ...But you don't know what a "turn signal" is.

25. A bear on your front porch doesn't bother you nearly as much as a Democrat in Congress does.

26. Your golf bag has a 9-iron, a 3-wood and a lightning rod.

27. People from out of state breathe 5 times as often as you do.

28. Having a Senator named Nighthorse doesn't seem strange.

29. Thunder has set off your car alarm.

30. You have an $800 stereo in your $300 truck.

31. You think a red light means 3 more cars can go.

32. Where we're going, we don't need roads!!

33. You know where the real "South Park" is.

34. You can recognize the license plates of all 50 states on sight .

35. Driving directions usually include 'Go over _________ Pass.'

36. You've 'checked for ticks'

37. You've dressed in shorts, sandals, and a parka with a hood.

38. You've gone snow skiing in July and.........

39. You've played golf in January and.......

40. They were in the same year!

41. You've urinated on the Continental Divide just so it could run into both oceans.

42. You know what a down slope and an up slope weather pattern is.

43. And the most important: You get a certain feeling of satisfaction from knowing that California and Texas are both downstream.

44. You actually understand these jokes and send them to your Colorado friends.

#2 and #31 really had me laughing! For those of you not in the know, Boulder is the college town Mork lived in. It's like our own little Berkeley, CA. They actually have a LAW regulating porch lights to reduce "light pollution" (and also one prohibiting placing couches and upholstered furniture on front porches) and there is lots of hemp jewelry and restaurants that serve sprouts. The library has sculptured casts of male genitalia on display as "art", but removed the American flag as "too offensive".

I've always referred to it as "15 square miles surrounded by reality".

I would have to add:

45. You put honey on your pizza.

46. You've ordered rattlesnake in a restaurant.

47. You've eaten bison at a mall food court.

48. You've gotten a sunburn shoveling snow.

49. You wear hiking boots to do your grocery shopping. And so do half of the other patrons.

50. You've never watered your grass after 10 am or before 6 pm, lest the Water Nazis catch you.

Labels: Friday Fun

Tuesday night was the first grader's performance. The theme was "This is America" and there were patriotic songs, a slideshow, and the Pledge of Allegiance. Everybody said the "Under God" part - this is the South after all!

I was appalled by the manners (or rather, lack thereof) that I saw.

There are 16 1st grade classes. The program was such that all of the children sang a song together, then a group of four classes sang a song, the next group of four sang, and so on. So, 5 songs all together, plus somebody's mother sang a solo about crying American tears that may have been a little inappropriate for a first grade program, but at least she was on key and sounded good.

The first thing that really bothered me was, the way people were dressed. They looked like they had just stopped in from a long day of gardening. Many wore flip flops, one was even in slippers. Somebody's mom had a head full of curlers. I can't imagine what she was thinking - she'll wear the curlers to a concert, then when she gets home her hair will be perfectly set to watch Leno?

It was crowded, as always, with not enough parking, as always. Some bright folks in the office scheduled a Parent Book Fair night for the entire school at the same time as the 1st grade concert, so parking spots were a hot commodity. No worries, around here everyone parks on the grass.

It was standing room only in the auditorium/cafeteria/gymnasium. And there were several pregnant women, women holding babies, and grandmothers standing while there were several more menfolk and older teenagers slouching on the cafeteria benches.

Is chivalry dead? Have we lost all courtesy, so that we don't even see or think about those more in need, more infirm, than ourselves? I muttered inwardly when one family (Dad, Mom, kid) who refused to scoot down the bench, forcing a pregnant woman to try to shimmy past them to reach a precious, vacant seat.

The real kicker, though, came later. After the first set of children finished their song, their parents stood up and left. There was an awkward intermission has mutters of "OK, he's done, let's get out of here" echoed through the gym. Not just one parent, but an exodus of adults with no respect for the other performers up and left. They were still gathering their things and shuffling out the door when the second group started performing. Of course, Mr P was in the last group - but I would have stayed until the end even if he wasn't. I never would have walked out on six year olds who are just learning to perform in public! After each song, approximately one fourth of the audience just up and left - regardless of what was going on, if the principal was telling us about the new reading program (they interspersed PTO minutes between sets), if there were small children reciting patriotic poetry.

Am I just old fashioned? Are such manners not required, or even encouraged anymore? None of the men or boys removed their hats, either, except for the military ones. I guess they still teach that down at the Navy base.

Parents, do you teach your kids manners? Do you teach your sons to open doors and give up their seats? Or am I the only one?

For the Love Sweet Love edition of Works for Me Wednesday:

We don't have a lot of romance around here, with candlelight dinners and such. Dates are probably going to the movies, but even that is few and far between ($40 for babysitting, $20 for the movie, $10-15 for snacks...it adds up quick!).

One way I try to show husband dear he is loved is by picking up things he likes at the store. I do most of the grocery shopping, and if I'm out and see something I think he might like, I'll pick it up for him.

Often, he didn't know this product existed but is in love with it now!

Examples include Dill Pickle Potato chips, Jalapeno salt, and Sesame Wasa Crackers. I know what kind of food he likes, and so if a new flavor is out, I'll get it for him. Just a little way to say I love you.

I've also been known to pick up his favorite candy bar - we don't buy candy or junk food as a rule, but if I see something I know he loves (1000 grand bars and grape Ne-Hi). Yep. Just like Radar on M*A*S*H*) I'll get it for him.

Also, I'm quite the frugal shopper, but I always buy brand names if he requests it. He really likes those ForceFlex trashbags and Kraft brand ranch dressing (actually, this is cheaper than generic, there's always tons of coupons for Kraft!). Same with toothpaste, deodorant, and shampoo. I spend a little more for the things he likes - it doesn't break the bank, and he doesn't get annoyed every time he has to take the trash out and doesn't have his favorite kind of trash bag!

Shannon also asked for a piece of marriage advice. One hard and fast rule that we have always had is that if one of us says "No", it goes for both. So if Mr R asks Dad if he can have some chips, and Dad says no, and Mr R decides to ask Mom - woe be to him when we find out! This particular offense is punished pretty heavily. Don't let the kids play you off each other! Even if I think there is no harm in Mr R eating those chips, if Dad said No, that's it. End of story.

A house divided cannot stand, after all!

Labels: Family Life, Works For Me Wednesday

Everday Mommy is hosting the Hidden Treasure Blog Awards. She actually told us a month ago, but I saw the "February" date and of course didn't do anything... until a week into February...
It is for blogs that are not widely known but have good writing. Nominations in many categories are being accepted until tomorrow.

And I've been nominated by Lou at Rattling Around!

If you know of any great bloggers (you have to nominate a specific post) send an email to Everyday Mommy. Click the link for instructions and categories. Nominations are accepted through tomorrow, and then there's the voting!

And thanks Lou!

Christian Book Distributors is having a clearance sale - there is 8 pages of good stuff! Most seems to be marked 60-75% off.

Head over to Life in a Shoe for a coupon, good through Wednesday, for free shipping on orders over $35!

Labels: Misc.

Is a friend.

Some thoughts on John Dewey and Maria Montessori

John Dewey was quite the progressive educator. His premise was that children learn by doing; his views, while not embraced during his lifetime (the height of the Depression and WWII), have nonetheless influenced public school education today. He wanted children in our schools to be taught critical thinking skills and to learn to reason. He opposed the memorization of dry facts without context. Like Montessori, he believed education was best when it was child led.

And he detested the Montessori method.

On the surface, it appears that the Dewey progressive method and the Montessori method would be happily compatible. Dewey, however, was critical of Montessori's approach, categorizing it as repressive, inhibiting creativity, and did not socialize children adequately.
(But why would I want my children to be socialists? - My handy answer to the Big S question)

In reality, the difference is so fundamental that the two methods cannot be reconciled.

Dewey's progressive education has given us guidance counselors at every school; he believed kids should learn more than academics and also learn the skills to be integrated into society. In practice, this leads to educating children in order to join the workforce and be good employees, and thus contributing members of society.

Dewey, in short, believed that a person's worth must be viewed within the context of the society in which he or she lived; conversely, a society only existed insofar as it was realized and experienced by individual people. To him, school was a social institution.

Montessori, a faithful Catholic, believed each person had an intrinsic worth and dignity, that did not change in relation to their society but was God-given. She was an advocate for the dignity of the child, because they are made in the image of God. She believed children should be taught practical life skills, but because she believed in educating the whole child. She lamented the separation of school and home; in a perfect Montessori world, the two would be seamlessly integrated.

Dewey was a self described instumentalist; that is, theories and concepts are useful and have worth if they can predict outcomes; whether they are true or false is meaningless. (Notice any similarity to 'situational ethics' here?) This quote from Wikipedia sums it up:

"He also held, unlike James, that experimentation (social, cultural, technological, philosophical) could be used as a relatively hard-and-fast arbiter of truth. "

Leaving aside the practical problem of experimenting with philosophy to determine truth (can you imagine what the hypothesis alone would look like?); the fact is an experiment cannot determine truth; it can only prove physical realities.

He also seemed to believe that education should prepare a child for living, but should not take place in the real world (a child can't handle it.)

"I believe that the school, as an institution, should simplify existing social life; should reduce it, as it were, to an embryonic form. Existing life is so complex that the child cannot be brought into contact with it without either confusion or distraction; he is either overwhelmed by multiplicity of activities which are going on, so that he loses his own power of orderly reaction, or he is so stimulated by these various activities that his powers are prematurely called into play and he becomes either unduly specialized or else disintegrated."
John Dewey, My Pedagogic Creed

Read the whole thing here:
John Dewey's Pedagogic Creed

In addition, he thought children should all be graded against the same standard; Montessori schools do not give out letter grades but rather send home reports detailing what the child is doing in the classroom.

Dewey was a sort of amoralist; school was not for teaching morals, character, or discipline:
I believe that the teacher's place and work in the school is to be interpreted from this same basis. The teacher is not in the school to impose certain ideas or to form certain habits in the child, but is there as a member of the community to select the influences which shall affect the child and to assist him in properly responding to these influences.

"I believe that the teacher's place and work in the school is to be interpreted from this same basis. The teacher is not in the school to impose certain ideas or to form certain habits in the child, but is there as a member of the community to select the influences which shall affect the child and to assist him in properly responding to these influences."
John Dewey, My Pedagogic Creed

Montessori believes these are of primary importance; she not only taught manners explicitly, she also advocated children be self disciplined with a strong conscience, guiding them to right and wrong. She called the process "normalization".

I would encourage you to read through Dewey's creed. It is quite eye-opening, especially in light of the fact his ideals have gained wide spread respect and influence in our public schools. If your children are in public schools (and many private schools, as well), as some of mine are, it is important to know the background of instructional methods and philosophies so that you can discern the good and the bad. If your children are homeschooled, as others of mine are, you should still be aware of the underlying principles that their future spouses, coworkers, employers and customers are being educated with. Plus, it will probably strengthen your resolve to continue homeschooling!

Labels: education, Montessori Mondays