Anyone use cloth diapers?
Check out Infant & Toddler Clothing and Cloth Diapers
Bumkins cloth diaper coupon code (good for anything in the infant - toddler category) -
Type in cathmom into coupon code at check-out to receive a 5% discount this category!
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Friday, March 26, 2010
"Walk as children of the Light"
What does it mean to be a "child of God"?
What does it *really* mean?
.
God comes to us in the Sacrament of Baptism; His life is within us. We are called to live as "Children of the Light." Who is the Light? Jesus Christ.
The people who walked in darkness have seen a great Light.
(Isaiah)
.
.
And we are the children of that Light.
We, creatures of body and of soul, composed of two parts integral to our entire being - we are children of LIGHT.
The children of that Light who is also called the Mighty Counselor, the Father-Forever, the Prince of Peace, the King of Heaven and Earth.
We can cover the Light within us; we can never fully put it out. There are souls in Hell suffering, who have the same Light within them. They buried it so deeply within themselves that the love of God could not shine through them.
There are also those people whose fate is unknown. Who hide their light under a sense of false humility. Humiliating themselves to the point of humiliating the very Light that overcame Original Sin and opened the gates of Heaven for those who will only do as their command dictates: LIVE AS CHILDREN OF THE LIGHT.
I choose the Light. I choose to be a child of God. I choose to be His princess and to care for the people within His kingdom, including those who have not yet entered. I accept my responsibility. I refuse to destroy the goodness the Almighty God has placed within me.
.
Your body is a Temple of the Holy Spirit. Therefore treat it with dignity and respect. Be clean, but simple; dress your gender but modestly; wash and brush your hair; clean your nails; wear clean clothes, that have been properly cared for.
For you are a child of God.
What does it *really* mean?
.
God comes to us in the Sacrament of Baptism; His life is within us. We are called to live as "Children of the Light." Who is the Light? Jesus Christ.
The people who walked in darkness have seen a great Light.
(Isaiah)
.
.
And we are the children of that Light.
We, creatures of body and of soul, composed of two parts integral to our entire being - we are children of LIGHT.
The children of that Light who is also called the Mighty Counselor, the Father-Forever, the Prince of Peace, the King of Heaven and Earth.
We are children of the King.
.
We are princes and princesses in His kingdom
which will reign for all eternity.
.
As royal children,
we have the right to be treated with dignity and respect.
.
As royal children,we also have the responsibility
to be dignified, respectful and respectable.
.
As children of the Light,
we might be the only person who brings the Light to a soul lost in darkness.
.
We can cover the Light within us; we can never fully put it out. There are souls in Hell suffering, who have the same Light within them. They buried it so deeply within themselves that the love of God could not shine through them.
There are also those people whose fate is unknown. Who hide their light under a sense of false humility. Humiliating themselves to the point of humiliating the very Light that overcame Original Sin and opened the gates of Heaven for those who will only do as their command dictates: LIVE AS CHILDREN OF THE LIGHT.
I choose the Light. I choose to be a child of God. I choose to be His princess and to care for the people within His kingdom, including those who have not yet entered. I accept my responsibility. I refuse to destroy the goodness the Almighty God has placed within me.
- I choose to speak and behave in a manner that is fitting for a princess in this kingdom.
- I choose to dress modestly but beautifully - femininely. I do not wear clothing that could be considered a uniform or a costume for modest Christian living; these options are fine for others, but bring up too many hostile thoughts in the minds of those I wish to serve - the image some modest clothing conjures up is ugly and tainted.
- I choose clothing and other accoutrements that befit my state in life - my state in life as a daughter of a king. I have dignity, with God's life within me.
.
Your body is a Temple of the Holy Spirit. Therefore treat it with dignity and respect. Be clean, but simple; dress your gender but modestly; wash and brush your hair; clean your nails; wear clean clothes, that have been properly cared for.
.
Have self-respect.
For you are a child of God.
You have royal blood running through your soul.
You have been chosen by God.
Maintain your dignity.
Love the Lord Your God who lives within you.
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Magic School Bus Science Kits - Review (Preliminary!)
Who needs field trips when you have the Magic School Bus? ;)
We recently acquired a set of Magic School Bus Science Kits for review. This is the set that comes with 7 kits (it does not include solar energy or dinosaurs).
From our preliminary digging through the boxes, looking through all the materials, perusing the list of experiments.... we are SO excited!!!!!
All the experiments are VERY hands-on, with a page in the booklet for each one - background information is provided, a question is posed, along with a hypothesis, materials needed, method and how to record the results and conclusions. If you or your child writes small enough, you can just the use the enclosed booklet; if you have more than one child or they need more space, I personally recommend a spiral bound science notebook (or a thin binder with loose paper). This extra notebook also provides space for drawings and such.
Each kit has TEN experiments and just about everything you need. While these do require more than just water (as another coveted set of science kits advertises), the required home materials are really SO basic! And most of the experiments can be done again or with multiple children using materials at home. For the purposes of replacing uncommon consumable items, I've tried to note where to purchase additional supplies below.
In addition a notebook (my own recommendation!) and a pencil to record observations, you'll need the following from home:
**NOTE: I have not listed the same item twice within a particular kit, unless you need more than one
Going Green:
pot for boiling water, oven mitt, and something from the freezer
water
leaf, cup
old food, newspaper, 2 cups
banana, spoon
big bowl, blender
dishcloth, rolling pin
mug
jugs
baking tray lined with foil, permanent marker, oven
cup lined with foil
Mysteries of Rainbows:
milk, dish soap, cereal bowl
drinking glass, water
sharpened pencil
tape
AA battery
(this kit even comes with a flashlight!)
Soaring Into Flight:
juice box
scissors
2 chairs, tape
vinegar, baking soda
paper and pencil
stopwatch or watch
Diving into Slime, Gel and Goop:
glass, milk, vinegar, spoon, paper towel
2 disposable plastic bowls or cups, water, food coloring (optional)
small bowl, cornstarch
plastic sandwich bag, twist tie, freshly sharpened pencil
salt
large cup
The World of Germs:
bread, water
cup
sugar
vegetable oil, salt, flour, large and small mixing bowls
toothpaste
yogurt
The Secrets of Space:
AA battery (to use with the small included flashlight)
large flashlight (better than the small light for a few things)
A Journey Into the Human Body:
chicken or other poultry bones, jar, vinegar
tape
oil of some sort (vegetable, baby, corn)
2-liter soda bottle
water
stop watch
bread, sugar, paper plate
bitter substance (such as baking cocoa or coffee), sweet substance (sugar), salty substance (salt), sour substance (lemon or lemon juice), 4 small cups or dishes, blind fold, water
Consumables that you MIGHT want to replace to re-do experiments:
Agar
Chicken bouillon
Yeast
Borax
Peat Pellets
(others are possible, but these are the most obvious ones - I'll update as we actually do the experiments!)
We recently acquired a set of Magic School Bus Science Kits for review. This is the set that comes with 7 kits (it does not include solar energy or dinosaurs).
From our preliminary digging through the boxes, looking through all the materials, perusing the list of experiments.... we are SO excited!!!!!
All the experiments are VERY hands-on, with a page in the booklet for each one - background information is provided, a question is posed, along with a hypothesis, materials needed, method and how to record the results and conclusions. If you or your child writes small enough, you can just the use the enclosed booklet; if you have more than one child or they need more space, I personally recommend a spiral bound science notebook (or a thin binder with loose paper). This extra notebook also provides space for drawings and such.
Each kit has TEN experiments and just about everything you need. While these do require more than just water (as another coveted set of science kits advertises), the required home materials are really SO basic! And most of the experiments can be done again or with multiple children using materials at home. For the purposes of replacing uncommon consumable items, I've tried to note where to purchase additional supplies below.
In addition a notebook (my own recommendation!) and a pencil to record observations, you'll need the following from home:
**NOTE: I have not listed the same item twice within a particular kit, unless you need more than one
Going Green:
pot for boiling water, oven mitt, and something from the freezer
water
leaf, cup
old food, newspaper, 2 cups
banana, spoon
big bowl, blender
dishcloth, rolling pin
mug
jugs
baking tray lined with foil, permanent marker, oven
cup lined with foil
Mysteries of Rainbows:
milk, dish soap, cereal bowl
drinking glass, water
sharpened pencil
tape
AA battery
(this kit even comes with a flashlight!)
Soaring Into Flight:
juice box
scissors
2 chairs, tape
vinegar, baking soda
paper and pencil
stopwatch or watch
Diving into Slime, Gel and Goop:
glass, milk, vinegar, spoon, paper towel
2 disposable plastic bowls or cups, water, food coloring (optional)
small bowl, cornstarch
plastic sandwich bag, twist tie, freshly sharpened pencil
salt
large cup
The World of Germs:
bread, water
cup
sugar
vegetable oil, salt, flour, large and small mixing bowls
toothpaste
yogurt
The Secrets of Space:
AA battery (to use with the small included flashlight)
large flashlight (better than the small light for a few things)
A Journey Into the Human Body:
chicken or other poultry bones, jar, vinegar
tape
oil of some sort (vegetable, baby, corn)
2-liter soda bottle
water
stop watch
bread, sugar, paper plate
bitter substance (such as baking cocoa or coffee), sweet substance (sugar), salty substance (salt), sour substance (lemon or lemon juice), 4 small cups or dishes, blind fold, water
Consumables that you MIGHT want to replace to re-do experiments:
Agar
Chicken bouillon
Yeast
Borax
Peat Pellets
(others are possible, but these are the most obvious ones - I'll update as we actually do the experiments!)
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Montessori Homeschool Guides
Coming Summer 2010!
Montessori homeschool guides for primary and elementary.
Elementary Guide
Primary Guide
Catholic, general Christian and secular options provided.
PRIMARY:
These lesson plans will provide families with a support structure in which to introduce Montessori experiences with preschool and kindergarten aged children, without replacing an entire curriculum or purchasing ultra-expensive materials (or spending hours making everything!).
Based on the understanding of education as an aid to life and the Montessori principle of giving the child the world, these lesson plans will assist families in setting up an environment that meets the needs of each child in the home as well as those of the family unit. The youngest children will have real experiences with real objects, which will build a strong base for imagination, creativity and serious study at an older age.
This is NOT a complete curriculum, but is a supplement for providing a Montessori environment within the home.
Montessori is about more than work on trays or items laid out on shelves; it is about exploring the world that God created, learning real facts about real experiences; grounding oneself in reality while working to build one's own self, so that true creativity blossoms at the appropriate time.
Included will be outlines and details for setting up your homeschool environment in a manner that meets your children's needs where they are at, taking into consideration the younger (and older!) members of the household.
These plans will be easily adaptable to whatever curriculum already in use or can be used without any curriculum for this youngest age. It is intended to be a support rather than a replacement. Something to aide the family in putting cosmic education into place in their home.
ELEMENTARY:
These lesson plans will provide families with a support structure in which to introduce or continue Montessori experiences with elementary aged children, without replacing an entire curriculum or purchasing ultra-expensive materials (or spending hours making everything!).
Based on the tenets of *true* cosmic education, holding the central the concept of education as an aid to life, these plans will aid families in exploring the links that bring people and all subject areas together.
Included will be outlines and details for setting up your homeschool environment in a manner that meets your children's needs where they are at, taking into consideration the younger (and older!) members of the household.
These plans will be easily adaptable to whatever curriculum already in use, including unschooling. It is intended to be a support rather than a replacement. Something to aide the family in putting cosmic education into place in their home.
Montessori homeschool guides for primary and elementary.
Elementary Guide
Primary Guide
Catholic, general Christian and secular options provided.
PRIMARY:
These lesson plans will provide families with a support structure in which to introduce Montessori experiences with preschool and kindergarten aged children, without replacing an entire curriculum or purchasing ultra-expensive materials (or spending hours making everything!).
Based on the understanding of education as an aid to life and the Montessori principle of giving the child the world, these lesson plans will assist families in setting up an environment that meets the needs of each child in the home as well as those of the family unit. The youngest children will have real experiences with real objects, which will build a strong base for imagination, creativity and serious study at an older age.
This is NOT a complete curriculum, but is a supplement for providing a Montessori environment within the home.
Montessori is about more than work on trays or items laid out on shelves; it is about exploring the world that God created, learning real facts about real experiences; grounding oneself in reality while working to build one's own self, so that true creativity blossoms at the appropriate time.
Included will be outlines and details for setting up your homeschool environment in a manner that meets your children's needs where they are at, taking into consideration the younger (and older!) members of the household.
These plans will be easily adaptable to whatever curriculum already in use or can be used without any curriculum for this youngest age. It is intended to be a support rather than a replacement. Something to aide the family in putting cosmic education into place in their home.
ELEMENTARY:
These lesson plans will provide families with a support structure in which to introduce or continue Montessori experiences with elementary aged children, without replacing an entire curriculum or purchasing ultra-expensive materials (or spending hours making everything!).
Based on the tenets of *true* cosmic education, holding the central the concept of education as an aid to life, these plans will aid families in exploring the links that bring people and all subject areas together.
Included will be outlines and details for setting up your homeschool environment in a manner that meets your children's needs where they are at, taking into consideration the younger (and older!) members of the household.
These plans will be easily adaptable to whatever curriculum already in use, including unschooling. It is intended to be a support rather than a replacement. Something to aide the family in putting cosmic education into place in their home.
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Modest Boys Clothing ?????
Who ever heard of such a thing? Aren't boys' clothes usually modest and just not something to worry about???
Well....
Actually, boys' clothing can be and is fairly immodest. When it is too tight; when it is paid advertising for some company, whether characters or a clothing company; when it is so loose that unnecessary skin is shown; when (ahem) waists of pants hang somewhere mid-thigh (when WILL that fashion go away????? the kids of the kids who were wearing pants like that when I was a kid are doing it now and thinking they thought of something thoughtless from the thoughts of another generation!).
Anyone who could follow that last comment of mine is welcome to a 5% coupon off of total purchase - even modest boys' clothing! at Garden of Francis
Boys clothing is specifically here: Boys Clothing
Actually, our product line is ever-expanding, faster than I can even post photos, but the MIA are coming soon ;)
Our boys' line will also include solid color socks (white for everyday and black for dressy) and items for cooler weather. All items available now are for warmer weather, sun protection and modesty. We're considering a few other garments and will post as we decide.
Our ladies' line is soon to be adding modest scrub tops and long skirts (modest scrub skirts) for medical assistants and nurses.
And a separate area for female underclothing, including feminine products.
Our diaper line is adding a set of contour diapers that can be used stand-alone with pins or other fasteners - or can be covered with a cover of some sort. We are also tweaking the training pants pattern before posting it as available - training pants for young children with snaps on the sides for those *messy* accidents. Reusable pull-ups! What could be better?
As always, homeschool Montessori materials are in the works. We'll take **special requests** for anything that someone needs in the near future. Current turn-around time on Montessori materials is less than a week. And the person who requests the Montessori (or other homeschool) material receives a coupon for 75% off that product.
Homeschool/Educational
Montessori
Last but not least is our homemaking section. We have aprons for children, an upcoming fasting cookbook (pre-orders being taken now!), cotton and mesh produce bags, and pure soap.
Gift Certificates are always available too! (no discounts on these, but you can use them to buy discounted items!)
So what is that code? It will work one time per customer: stblogmodest5
Happy Shopping!
Well....
Actually, boys' clothing can be and is fairly immodest. When it is too tight; when it is paid advertising for some company, whether characters or a clothing company; when it is so loose that unnecessary skin is shown; when (ahem) waists of pants hang somewhere mid-thigh (when WILL that fashion go away????? the kids of the kids who were wearing pants like that when I was a kid are doing it now and thinking they thought of something thoughtless from the thoughts of another generation!).
Anyone who could follow that last comment of mine is welcome to a 5% coupon off of total purchase - even modest boys' clothing! at Garden of Francis
Boys clothing is specifically here: Boys Clothing
Actually, our product line is ever-expanding, faster than I can even post photos, but the MIA are coming soon ;)
Our boys' line will also include solid color socks (white for everyday and black for dressy) and items for cooler weather. All items available now are for warmer weather, sun protection and modesty. We're considering a few other garments and will post as we decide.
Our ladies' line is soon to be adding modest scrub tops and long skirts (modest scrub skirts) for medical assistants and nurses.
And a separate area for female underclothing, including feminine products.
Our diaper line is adding a set of contour diapers that can be used stand-alone with pins or other fasteners - or can be covered with a cover of some sort. We are also tweaking the training pants pattern before posting it as available - training pants for young children with snaps on the sides for those *messy* accidents. Reusable pull-ups! What could be better?
As always, homeschool Montessori materials are in the works. We'll take **special requests** for anything that someone needs in the near future. Current turn-around time on Montessori materials is less than a week. And the person who requests the Montessori (or other homeschool) material receives a coupon for 75% off that product.
Homeschool/Educational
Montessori
Last but not least is our homemaking section. We have aprons for children, an upcoming fasting cookbook (pre-orders being taken now!), cotton and mesh produce bags, and pure soap.
Gift Certificates are always available too! (no discounts on these, but you can use them to buy discounted items!)
So what is that code? It will work one time per customer: stblogmodest5
Happy Shopping!
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Is it a Mess? Or an Animal Shop?
Or a happy little boy hard at work....
The joys of homeschooling - still getting all the schoolwork done, yet unlimited time to work on this going-on-two-week-project that hasn't stagnated yet.
Wow. Good thing I'm not cleaning it up! ;)
The joys of homeschooling - still getting all the schoolwork done, yet unlimited time to work on this going-on-two-week-project that hasn't stagnated yet.
Wow. Good thing I'm not cleaning it up! ;)
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Swagbucks, anyone?
I get referral points if anyone uses my link to get there... And then I get Amazon gift cards (homeschooling books!). ;)
Monday, March 1, 2010
Cosmic Education
Cosmic Education
Cosmic education is that education which opens up for the child a vision of all that the world was meant to be, through collaboration of man’s efforts with God’s. “This is what cosmic education for the child entails: the image of God as He functions in the cosmos to create the earth and of man, who from his beginnings in nature evolved to create the supranature in which we live today… to bring about the spiritual union of a humanity that materially is already one.” To the child is revealed a united vision of sometimes seemingly disparate parts, of disciplines, life efforts, ways of life; indeed nothing happens in isolation – all things come together for some purpose. True cosmic education can only come about when “education is understood as a help to life and development.” Even “more than education, gratitude to God and Man should form part of Man's psychic formation. It should accompany him from birth to death.”
The child’s work in the casa is built upon, expanded and crystallized in the elementary environment where the child receives the Great Stories; the child delves into various aspects of each story, uniting himself with the work of 4,000 year old man and the man of tomorrow into whom the child is constructing himself.
Mario Montessori discusses the interconnectedness of the corals, the forests, the insects who pollinate, and others. What is interesting is the loss of the coral reefs due to various conditions which prevent them from doing their tasks, and the ensuing consequences to the earth. What Mr. Montessori wrote about is happening right here and now – the balance has been upset. The children of today will be the ones to solve the issue or to face its consequences. Balance will be restored – the question is how and when?
Man has been endowed with specific gifts which place him above nature; he is still part of nature, but is a steward over it. Man has the capability to build up and to destroy, sometimes in the same deed. Man has the capability to take nature and make it something greater than it is in and of itself: this is man’s cosmic task – to work as co-creators, with God and with mankind, to develop relationships, establish and strengthen connections, sharing with the present and future generations, by building upon the gifts given us by previous generations. The key premise: real work.
Real work ensures that the experience of each child provides for the greatest exploration of mankind’s current knowledge and power such that each child’s potential is maximized; his contributions, in conjunction with others, will continue to be built upon and expanded upon, until such a time as the work is complete.
But as each child is pursuing his own efforts, should he always be mindful of the contributions he is making for others? Not necessarily. Just as the wind, the corals, the insects, the plants, all carry out their seemingly selfish pursuits for their own preservation, they are unconsciously serving a greater purpose. As man takes these components of nature and utilizes them in a way that brings about further benefit to other inhabitants of the universe, each component becomes greater than its own nature. While mankind, beginning with the child, strives for that connection with others, it is sometimes in the seemingly selfish pursuits of self-construction of the young child and pursuit of personal interests of the elementary child in which lay the foundation for the discovery of the adolescent’s and adult’s personal cosmic task. “Each takes something from the environment, but each gives much more than it takes.” But the child is different from the rest of creation – he is aware of a greater purpose beyond his own self and he yearns to make a connection with that purpose, wondering what is his place within the cosmos; even as he cannot make out all the details, he is aware of something outside of himself, greater than himself. It is through real work and proper guidance that the child grows in his understanding and appreciation.
Through the child’s work in the elementary environment, provided in a manner which fulfills his psychological characteristics of imagination, wonder and awe, intellectual thirst, and sense of justice, he comes to a sense of gratitude: “Not by preaching, said Dr. Montessori, but by fitting them into the various expressions of activity peculiar to their tendencies of the children of this age, experience to help imagination, possibility of research of concentration, of active assimilation. They will arrive then, by themselves, to the realization of the contribution of God and Man and gradually develop not only appreciation but gratitude.”
It is through this gratitude that the child will be encouraged, invited, enticed to continue the work of mankind through the ages, uniting his efforts to all those who have come before, all those who are here with us now, and all those who are yet to come – until such a time as the work of mankind reaches its final perfection: peace among men.
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