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- Yena’s Booklist 8/08-7/09
- Aisa’s Booklist ’08-’09
- Plan for High School, Paco 2010-2011
- Books We Love: Science
- The HHS Mandate and The Catholic Response, A Compilation
Posts by: stef
Serves 8.
2 cups milk/rice milk/almond milk/soy milk (or a combination)
6 oranges, peeled and de-seeded
1 container frozen orange juice concentrate
2 tablespoons ground flax seeds
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 cup sugar (or to taste)
ice
Blend everything until smooth. Serve immediately. (no pictures, camera died 2 months ago 
)
Hm…
Those Great Strong Towers of Ice and Steel from Fr. Z, on Thomas Merton’s poem penned in 1947, the whole thing here.
Ten years later, I’m still processing. How life changed that day. In some ways, for the worse. But for our family at least, much for the better. A greater, keener appreciation for the fragility of life, for the preciousness of relationships, and time with one another. A recognition that everything is gift. We will not forget.
Customer Relations
The Kroger Co.
1014 Vine Street
Cincinnati, Ohio 45202-1100
Dear Kroger:
Today I had the most humiliating and insulting experience at your Liberty Fairfield store.
I was in a hurry and had less than 15 items in my cart so I proceeded to check out at the Self-Checkout Lane.
We had checked out several items already when we came to the organic grapes. I had just entered the code for it when a Kroger person comes near me to check if I had entered the code correctly. He saw that I had and made a motion as if to say it was alright, and then he notices that the register says “$1.19″. He says, “That can’t be right.” I told him that that was what the tag said on the display. He again said that it wouldn’t be $1.19 each. I said to go ahead and check it, but before he does, he consults another Kroger person behind me and asks her what she thinks. She says, “That can’t be right. $1.19 a pound maybe, but not $1.19 EACH!” I told them again that that’s what the display said and for them to check it so they do.
The guy comes back a minute later and tells me, “You’re right, Ma’am, I’m sorry, it IS $1.19 each.” I tell him, “That’s what I said.”
But no, it doesn’t stop there.
He then proceeds to take out a cereal box (organic) from the stuff that we had already checked out and looked at the monitor in front of me. I told him that I had already checked it out but apparently he needed to see for himself that I had, which he does.
It doesn’t stop there either.
Next he tries to see if I had checked out the organic parsley that I got (already in the box) and I showed him it was there and he finally stops.
I get his name (Nathan Baker, Safety Committee) and asked, “Safety from what? From people trying to steal from you?” He just laughs softly and shrugs.
I turn to the other Kroger person behind me and ask for her name too (Carol Halstead, Safety Committee). I told her that they should just do away with the self-checkout system if they don’t trust their customers enough to be honest. She just shrugs it off and says that that’s the system and that’s what they do. Well, Kroger, if that’s how you operate, I have a few things I’d like you to consider:
1. I have never been subjected to such a humiliating treatment in a grocery store, and I don’t think I deserved to be treated that way.
2. If the grapes had been part of a huge display, I would have been suspicious of the pricing too, but there were THREE BAGS of it in the produce area so I figured they were marked down because the store wanted to get rid of their stock. That’s nothing new to me; as far as I know marking down items for a quick sale is regular practice for stores anyway.
3. I understand that Kroger has a self-checkout system for at least 2 reasons:
a. They don’t want to pay for extra cashiers.
b. to satisfy customers who sometimes (like me) are in a hurry and would rather just check out themselves than wait in longer lines.
But what’s the point of saving money on cashiers if you’re (perhaps) losing money that you would need to hire people who are better suited for Customs work at the airport? And what’s the point of making your customers “happy” by allowing them to check out their own items and then turn around and practically accuse them of theft? Those two “Safety Committee” people didn’t say, verbally, that they suspected me of stealing, but they sure acted like it.
4. Kroger’s own cashiers sometimes do not enter in the right codes for produce. It’s happened to me several times in the past when I’ve had to call the cashier’s attention to the fact that the peppers or bananas I got were organic and not conventional. If you’ve got a problem with people not entering the right codes, maybe you shouldn’t be in the business of selling both organic and conventional items.
5. I understand that the self-checkout system is not foolproof and that some customers may try to take advantage of it by checking out organic items using a conventional code. That’s no reason to be suspicious of and penalize/humiliate honest customers.
It doesn’t make sense for a company of Kroger’s size to skimp on cashiers, pass along the responsibility of checking out to the customers themselves AND THEN install grocery police to make sure the customers aren’t stealing.
It is HORRENDOUS customer service and it leaves a really bad taste in the mouth. I shop at Kroger almost every week, and yes, I shop mostly organic items, because that’s what I prefer to feed my family. Before Kroger started carrying organic items I shopped at Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s, Jungle Jim’s, my local farmers, and through the UNFI Food Co-op, and I still do, since Kroger has a limited selection of organic items anyway. If I have to, I’d rather go back to shopping at those places exclusively, where the customers are RESPECTED, not SUSPECTED. Saving 50 cents on peppers or 10 cents a pound on bananas is simply not worth the aggravation.
Kroger, if you’re losing money on organic items, re-evaluate your system and CHANGE IT. Retrain your cashiers and make sure they’re more careful about codes. Do away with the self-checkout lane if a considerable number of your customers are cheating you. But do not treat your customers like criminals. That’s simply not the way you do business.
Sincerely,
Paco, 15: When can I buy myself a cover for my laptop? (it’s falling apart)
Mom: How much?
Paco: $40.
Mom: WHAT??? Why don’t you just use cardboard?
There are pizza box laptops, right?
So after putting together Migi’s curriculum, what’s next?
Well, since I’m actually a very unschooly person at heart, this is where it tends to fall apart, and it has. In years past, I’ve used Google Calendar, or had Migi use a planner. But somehow that system didn’t really work well for us. What HAS worked well is me putting together a chart of sorts that he can look at in the morning, check off through the day what he’s done and turn in to show me before he goes off to play. The problem with that was I often failed to make a chart so I’d have it ready for a week or two and then fall back into our old (ineffective) ways. Yup, even after 11 (12?) years of homeschooling we still don’t have a system down. Part of it is that my children and I all have different personalities, similar to a degree, but different enough to bungle whatever rhythm we’ve got going, if we’re not careful. While my haphazard Let’s-plan-the-year-and-then-see-what-happens has worked well with two other kids, it hasn’t been working well with my third. He wants to know what he’s expected to do every single day, no more, no less, preferably ahead of time. SO…. here’s what I did this year that I think will help him AND me.
First, the spreadsheet, which I do every year and that we use pretty much as our guide for the whole year. For some people, this will be enough. I have it set up this way because it’s how my mind works.
Usually, I would just print that out, staple and put in my kids’ binders and that’s what we consult when we need to see where we are, etc.
This year, I took some extra steps for this child.
First I put it into database format, which means the rows became columns and columns became rows.
This is where my secretarial skills come in 
(I used to work as a secretary while waiting for my paperwork to arrive from my university so I could continue college studies here in the US)
I made a template for a weekly schedule
then merged it with the database and got this:
So now he’s got 52 weeks of plans that he just has to check through.
In addition, I made monthly pages — which I like better than print outs from Google calendar:
and daily planner pages for him:
using the same database-merge process.
I’ve only printed the August pages out so we can tweak as needed, adding in scouting activities, etc. if need be.
I think what I’ll do next is put together a HUGE binder ala-Kolbe and put EVERY SINGLE worksheet, literature guide, experiment instruction, lab report page that he’ll ever need, etc., so that it’s ALL THERE, a whole year’s worth of work, organized and ready.
We’re excited to put this into action!
ETA: I FORGOT A CRUCIAL FIRST STEP before putting that curriculum into a planner page! First I made a “schedule” page and took what I thought might be a “typical week”, just to make sure that everything we’ve planned to do is actually DOABLE within a specified timeframe. I made sure there was plenty of time for sleep, and free/idle/down time, because kids so desperately need that these days. This is also to make sure I actually have time to spend with my child on the subjects where I need to be more hands on. I put all the subjects in, and when I did that, that’s when I realized that we had to revise our Confirmation prep plans A LOT. More on that tomorrow.
15-year-old Paco, taking a biology quiz:
Mom, what are the three kinds of fish again? Cartilaginous, jawless…….
Mom: Uhm…. yummy, not so yummy, positively icky.
Aisa, 20, culinology student: Flat, round, and… and what’s the other one?
Mom: No, Ais, he needs the SCIENTIFIC terms.
Aisa: But that’s how we classify them, according to the way we butcher them!
Paco: No, no, no…. cartilaginous, jawless…..
Mom: Errrrrr…….. spineful?
Mom and Paco, googling: Oh, BONY!!!
Mom: See? I said spineful! Isn’t that the same thing?
Just finished designing Migi’s curriculum for the year. I usually start this in May before the previous schoolyear ends but this year we’re ending late and so we’re also starting later than usual. We school year-round because we travel a bit (with hubby, for work) so this kind of flexible scheduling works for us. Thought I’d share my ideas with you, and I’ll expand on them if anyone has any questions. Note that this is *my* ambitious plan with about 50% input from the child, and we dial down or up through the year as we see fit.
Religion:
- My Catholic Faith Delivered 8th Grade – this is Faith and Life, but online http://www.mycatholicfaithdelivered.com
- Daily Bible Readings/Lectio Divina, Daily Mass whenever possible, Liturgy of the Hours if not http://www.divineoffice.org
- Confirmation Prep – portfolio similar to what 2 older children did — will put this into a different note as the portfolio itself has a booklist + pages and activities to complete, etc.
- Catechism and Apologetics Discussion with Mom at least once a week (materials: CCC, Beginning Apologetics series)
- Eucharistic Adoration on Thursdays with family
- Saint of the Month / Mama Mary Feastdays – book to read + fun activity like food and/or art/craft, Advent and Lenten seasons more relaxed than rest of the year
Character Education (tied in with confirmation prep, habit formation, monthly evaluations on how he’s doing with his spiritual life, personal relationships, etc.) - Volunteer work (tied in with Scouting activities)
- Pro-life activity once a month (most likely praying the Rosary in front of an abortion clinic and/or helping out at local pregnancy center)
English/Language Arts:
- Break Into Print – BraveWriter class online August through October http://www.bravewriter.com
- October through end of year – Classical Writing Homer http://www.classicalwriting.com
Literature:- The Tale of Troy
- St. Benedict: The Story of the Father of the Western Monks
- Blessed Miguel Pro: 20th Century Mexican Martyr
- St. Edmund Campion: Hero of God’s Underground
- St. Ignatius and the Company of Jesus
- Outlaws of Ravenhurst
- Mantlemass Chronicles: The Miller’s Boy
- St. Pius X: The Farm Boy Who Became Pope
- Francis and Clare: Saints of Assisi
- To Fight in Silence
- Poetry selections for memorization and copywork from The Harp and Laurel Wreath
Math:
- Finishing up Saxon 87 and moving on to Saxon Algebra 1 http://www.saxonmath.com
Science:
- Experiments from Kingfisher Science Encyclopedia and daily narration in notebook
- Streaming Science videos from Netflix http://www.netflix.com
- Other science activities via scouting and determined by interest throughout the year
- Nature journaling at least once a month
Foreign Language:
- Continued work in First Form Latin http://www.memoriapress.com
- Rosetta Stone Spanish Level 1 http://www.rosettastone.com
History:
- Light To The Nations Volume 2 (Catholic Textbook Project), reading and daily narration either oral or written in notebook or blog, continued work on Book of Centuries http://www.catholictextbookproject.com
Music:
- Guitar, still considering a self-study book, + personal tutorials from big sis and uncles
- Daily music appreciation (Classical Music and Jazz)
- Symphony concerts
Art:
- Artistic Pursuits Junior High Level 1 http://www.artisticpursuits.com
Extra-curricular:
- Scouting with Dad
An utterly hopeless piece on our imperfect world made of imperfect beings. Yes, let’s reject all “shoulds” since we’ve armed ourselves from head to foot with all these “can’ts”. No wonder the Philippines is in trouble, they’re littered with…. dare I say it… yes I do…. brats who throw temper tantrums while screaming all the while, “I can’t do it! It’s just way too hard!” Don’t you just love the way this speaks to the heart of youth? “You’re good for nothing. You’ll likely end up in the gutter, so don’t even try. You have no reason to think you can master yourself. You have no other choice but to be violent, and coercive, and incontinent. You’re a failure from the day you were born and that’s not likely to change no matter what you do, since the people around you are nothing but failures as well.”
No call to rise beyond our faults and imperfections. No taking the road less taken. Just join the highway of filth and degradation since that’s where you’re likely to end up anyway. No confidence in human ability to rise above one’s basest desires. No hope, no room for God’s grace.
To my kids: I enjoin you, be thankful with me. Thankful for a God who created us, sinners all, and yet not despairing. Thankful for the forgiveness He offers us when we stumble. Thankful for the circumstances and people He’s surrounded us with through the years, for the teachings of our faith, for the knowledge that we are created to be holy, and true, and good, and beautiful. For His Word and His Presence. For the certainty that we are created for more than earthly pleasure. That there is more to life than what’s shallow and fleeting. That life isn’t worth anything if it isn’t being given away, in sacrifice and love for other.
I am thankful for a spouse who every day dies to self and gives me reason to do the same. Thankful for parents who took me by the hand and led me through straight paths. We meandered (more like rebelled) every now and then, but with prayer we haven’t completely lost our way. Thankful for the fact that we can ABSOLUTELY REFUSE to wallow in our own foul excrement, because we are constantly given the grace to rise up and walk away. No, we are not perfect beings. Thank God for that. If we were perfect there would be no need for anyone or anything. We would be our own gods, creating our own rules and traveling the road we’ve paved ourselves, walking — nay, running — to our own self-designed perdition.
As a parent I denounce such thinking. This is the kind of trash no self-respecting mother would want her kids to read. We raise our children to believe in themselves and their capabilities, and to recognize their faults and struggle to conquer them, not use them as lame excuses for failure.
You, therefore, must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect. – Matthew 5:48
Oh dear children, we are called to so much more. Don’t let any misguided fool tell you otherwise.
The Road Not Taken
Robert FrostTwo roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I–
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.
I regret to add to the tally, but this was one more piece by a Jesuit-educated young man. There seems to be a bunch of them lately. St. Ignatius obviously disagrees with him. Dear reader, help me pray for his lost soul. Perhaps students are not required to undertake the spiritual exercises. A pity, since they would have been a great help.
A PRAYER OF ST. IGNATIUS TO OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST
O BELOVED Word of God, teach me to be generous, to serve Thee with that perfection which Thy majesty claims, to give without calculation, to fight without heeding wounds, to labor without repose, to expend myself in Thy service without thought of other reward than that of knowing that I do Thy most holy will. Amen.
On Conquering Self
LORD, it is for the purpose of conquering myself that by Thy grace I have undertaken these holy exercises. It is my rebel will that I desire to vanquish and overcome, my unruly and disordered affections which I desire to put in order, so that my soul may be attentive simply to the seeking and finding of Thy will, and to the following of it alone, in the ordering and disposing of my life.
Give me a generous heart, a heart truly liberal, which, giving itself to Thee, may abandon itself without any reservation to Thee, its Lord and Redeemer.
Lord, so great to all Thy servants, dispose of my life, of my liberty, of all that surrounds me. O my Creator, speak to Thy creature. Behold my soul before Thee: my will is as a scale in a state of perfectly equal balance, which shall only waver to one side or the other when Thou placest in it the weight of Thy will or wish. I ignore all natural inclination; my will is suspended and in a state of perfect indifference. I have but one will and desire, to obey and please Thee. I promise Thee fidelity to my exercises of piety, and to the full time meditation. I foresee the furious assaults of the devil, but I am firmly resolved to yield nothing on this point to his importunities.
I promise Thee to exert my earnest efforts. It is for me to exercise myself, and to labor, even at the cost of suffering if necessary; to examine my soul and to rectify its ways; to call on Thee, to listen to Thee, to obey Thee.
I promise Thee to preserve silence; not only shall my lips remain silent, but my mind shall be drawn off from the cares of life, from the agitations of the world, and from all vanities. I know that this interior and exterior solitude possesses great merit in Thy sight. But above all it leaves me in greater liberty to find that which I so ardently desire; it enables me to approach closely to Thee, to lose none of Thy words, to be better disposed for the receiving of the gifts of Thy divine and supreme goodness.
I think writers like these would have a great future with this company, though: Despair.
A few short thoughts this morning before I get started on my mammoth list of to-dos:
Samuel’s message from God to Saul.
1 Samuel 15:22-23:
22And Samuel said, “Has the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.23 For rebellion is as the sin of divination, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry.
Obedience before sacrifice. God wants our obedience FIRST before anything else we may offer Him.
How is rebellion divination? It is an attempt to foresee into a future that we are incapable of seeing because of our limited view. We presume to know better and listen to another voice (our own) instead of seeking to do the Lord’s will. Easier said than done, it applies to every little thing we do in our day, in our lives. Starting the morning right — with Scriptures and prayer — leads to obedience, because we have listened FIRST before doing.
And for all of us who fight for life:
1 Samuel 17:45-47:
45Then David said to the Philistine, “You come to me with a sword and with a spear and with a javelin; but I come to you in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. 46 This day the LORD will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you down, and cut off your head; and I will give the dead bodies of the host of the Philistines this day to the birds of the air and to the wild beasts of the earth; that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel, 47and that all this assembly may know that the LORD saves not with sword and spear; for the battle is the LORD’S and he will give you into our hand.
God is on our side, we have nothing to fear. Victory, in God’s perfect time.
Further reflection:
I vaguely remember doing another blog post a couple of years ago maybe about this very same thing. This seems to be my constant struggle. To keep a firm focus upon my primary vocation as wife and mom. It is easy to get distracted by things that are also “good” and “noble” and “holy”… but in the end when I fail to serve the ones given to me to serve first, then I’m still not obeying as I should. And if I’m going to teach my kids that obedience to the Lord comes first before anything, I have to model this for them faithfully. In this case staying faithful to my calling is my Goliath.
This is a lovely spice mixture that I like to make every once in a while when I get into an Indian-food-craving mode. Stored in an air-tight container, it keeps well. It does use quite an assortment of spices, but any well-stocked pantry would have these anyway, save one or two if you don’t usually use them. If you don’t have some of these, an Indian/Pakistani store would certainly have them. If you want to try just a bit, comment here with your e-mail and I’ll send you the spices you don’t have. (I have jars full of the stuff, except the bay leaves and the nutmeg.) Or order online from Kalustyan’s or Penzeys.
1 tablespoon black peppercorns
1 teaspoon whole cloves
4 brown/black cardamom
4 bay leaves
1 3-inch cinnamon stick
4 green cardamom
1/2 nutmeg, grated
1 tablespoon cumin
In a small dry skillet roast spices over low-medium heat, stirring/shaking constantly, until fragrant, 3 minutes. Grind in a coffee grinder. Sieve if desired. (Note: Some cooks prefer not to pre-roast spices, instead choosing to saute in butter or oil at cooking time to release the flavors fully.) When cool, store in air-tight spice jar.
Here are some recipes in which to try it:
Garam Masala Roasted Chickpeas
Grilled Vegetables with Yogurt Curry Sauce
Roasted Halibut in Tomato Curry Sauce
Persimmon Garam Masala Upside Down Cake
Shortbread and lemon curd. Lovely, tangy, melt-in-your-mouth combo. THIS recipe I’ve had since 1999; it’s about time I blogged it. Cook’s Illustrated called it “Perfect Lemon Bars” and though I don’t agree with all of their assessments for “perfect”, this is one of the exceptions. It’s incredibly easy to make. The first time, I couldn’t believe it came out of my own oven. I’d take it any day over other lemon bars I’ve seen in bakeries. Cooks Illustrated, you did well. The crust is a basic shortbread, not even lemon zest, so its buttery sweetness shines through: an excellent contrast to the tart filling. The minimal flour and milk in the filling gives it body so you don’t end up with an oozy, soggy mess. And it keeps well in the refrigerator… that is, if you ever have any leftovers — not likely. CI’s instructions were long, so I’m giving you my translation. 
Crust
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup confectioners’ sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
3/4 teaspoon salt
12 tablespoons unsalted butter, at cool room temperature (where it’s still slightly firm) and cut into 1-inch pieces
Filling
4 large eggs, beaten lightly
1 1/3 cups granulated sugar
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons lemon zest
2/3 cup strained lemon juice
1/3 cup whole milk
1/8 teaspoon salt
Cooking spray
Additional confectioners’ sugar for dusting
Adjust rack to middle position and preheat oven to 350°F. Line 13 x 9 inch baking pan with two pieces of parchment, crossed, and long enough to leave a 1-inch overhang on long sides. Grease lightly with cooking spray or butter.
In food processor, pulse crust ingredients just until mixture forms coarse crumbs. Transfer to pan and press mixture down with your fingers or the back of a spoon until evenly distributed, building up the sides just a bit more than the center. Chill 30 minutes, then bake 20 just until golden, about 20-25 minutes.
While crust is chilling/baking, whisk filling ingredients in a bowl.
Reduce oven temperature to 325°F. Stir filling mixture to reblend and pour onto warm crust. Bake until filling is firm, about 20 minutes. Cool pan on wire rack to near room temperature, about 30 minutes. Lift gently using the parchment overhang onto a cutting board. Use a pizza cutter or a really sharp knife to cut into bars or squares, wiping cutter/knife clean between cuts.
Dust with confectioners’ sugar.
Makes about 24 squares; number of bars depends on how small or large you cut them!
Adapted from Epicurious.
2 medium tomatoes, cut into 1/4 inch thick slices
3 cups water
1 whole chicken breast with skin and bones (about 1 1/4 pounds)
1 yellow onion, sliced
10 whole cloves
2 teaspoons salt
4 Yukon Gold potatoes
1/2 pound green beans, trimmed and halved
1/2 cup Kalamata or other brine-cured black olives, pitted and chopped coarse
1/2 medium red onion, cut lengthwise into thin strips
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary leaves
1 teaspoon dried oregano, crumbled
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
3 cups lettuce (I used butter lettuce)
Several hours before you plan to serve this, arrange tomatoes in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet and dry tomatoes in a low oven (170 degrees) until medium-dry. (I do this overnight, or early in the morning and then use the tomatoes for supper. Great way to use up CSA tomatoes or when tomatoes are in abundance from the garden or the farmer’s market in the summer.)
In a medium saucepan combine water, chicken, yellow onion, cloves, and 1 teaspoon salt and bring water to a boil. Poach chicken, covered, over moderately low heat until cooked through, about 15 minutes. Remove pan from heat and cool chicken in cooking liquid to room temperature. Remove chicken and tear meat into bite-size pieces. Reserve poaching liquid for another use. Peel and slice potatoes. In a saucepan combine potatoes, remaining teaspoon salt, and water to cover by 1 inch and bring water to a boil. Cook potatoes 10 minutes, or until just tender. Transfer potatoes with a slotted spoon to a colander and rinse under cold water to stop cooking. In same boiling water cook green beans 3 to 5 minutes, or until crisp-tender, and drain in colander with potatoes. Simmer tomatoes 2 minutes, or until softened, and drain. Cut tomatoes into thin strips. In a large bowl combine chicken, potatoes, green beans, tomatoes, and remaining ingredients except lettuces and toss to combine well. Season salad with salt and pepper and serve over lettuces.
This is fine for a light meal but the flavors would have been better if the chicken had been grilled instead of poached, and the potatoes and green beans roasted. You won’t need a lot of fat doing things that way, a tablespoon or so of oil would suffice for each, but what a difference it would make!
Love this song. Thaxted tune by Gustav Holst. Lyrics by Delores Dufner. Every time we sing this melody in Church we keep telling ourselves to find a good recording, and then forget, so I’m putting this here as a reminder.
I’m going to keep this short because I still have to call my Papa and greet him a Happy Father’s Day.
But first, a little tribute.
To my hubby, for being the greatest dad to our kids. Our children are just all kinds of blessed because of you and your presence in their lives. Thank you for you!
As I type this, my hubby is on his way home with our 14-year-old, after having spent a weekend at Steubenville for the high school youth conference. Our 9-year-old complained this morning while we were at Mass — “Father’s Day and no father”. A rare thing indeed. But, her father is busy right now being father. And tonight, after coming home to Steubenville, he and the 14-year-old head on out to summer camp, where our 12-year-old is waiting. Dad’s scoutmaster, so you scout-wives out there know what that means. A few weeks ago he camped with the 9-year-old — he was one of three dads there. He’s doing it again in August, when the American Heritage Girls have their summer camp.
I am just blessed, blessed, blessed, to have a husband who would make this kind of commitment to our children. He’s a quiet guy. The kids tease him that he doesn’t laugh very much. But his love is always, always felt. Magnified a thousand times, in my eyes, when he takes time like this weekend and the coming week to be physically present. We’ve talked about this before, how some people claim that it’s not quantity of time, it’s quality of time that you spend with your kids that matters. But dissecting that a little deeper… you can’t have quality time unless you’ve got a certain quantity of time FIRST. A “quality hour” is still so much more than “quality ten minutes”. So yes, quantity matters too, and my hubby knows that.
But I can’t give tribute to the kind of father my husband is without giving tribute to MY father. I wouldn’t be married to this incredible guy if I didn’t have the kind of father God blessed me with. I wouldn’t have known what qualities to look for in a guy. I wouldn’t have known not to settle for anything but the best (best for me of course). I wouldn’t have known the ways a man should treat a woman, if I had not seen it first in my Papa, who treats my mom like his queen. Most days anyway .
A Happy Father’s Day to any and all dads who happen to read this, spiritual fathers included. And thank You to the Father of us all, who gives us all we need.
Fabulous video on homeschoolers! Yeah, validation, baby
