What did Mourdock mean?

I awoke early yesterday morning with this Bible verse running through my head, over, and over, again:

For I know well the plans I have in mind for you—oracle of the LORD—plans for your welfare and not for woe, so as to give you a future of hope. 

Jeremiah 29:11

I commented on another blog last week about the unfortunate comments of Richard Mourdock who said that  "I think that even when life begins in that horrible situation of rape, that it is something that God intended to happen."   I suggested that he probably meant that the child itself was conceived as a gift from God.  It seems like a cruel joke to inflict on a woman who has been raped, but another verse was running through my head yesterday, too.

No trial has come to you but what is human. God is faithful and will not let you be tried beyond your strength; but with the trial he will also provide a way out, so that you may be able to bear it.  

1 Corinthians 10:13

God does not cause evil, but He knows what is going to happen, and perhaps the child is the "way out" for the victim.  Obviously, in our fallen, anti-life society many of these babies are simply aborted as a way of forgetting the pain.   I don't know any survivors of rape (or if I do, they haven't told me), but I wonder how many who carry their babies to term are sorry that they did so.  I'm sure that the babies are often given up for adoption, but the mother has the satisfaction of knowing that she didn't compound the evil done to her.  And the mothers who keep their babies---do those children end up bringing joy to their wounded moms?  Maybe at some point, the mom will be able to say that while a terrible crime was perpetrated on her, she's okay because she has a precious child that wouldn't have existed otherwise.  I can't imagine any woman who kept her child regretting that decision!  

Every child is a gift.  You hear that all the time in the abortion debate.  It's true, but probably even more so in the case of a rape.

Reading the Catechism (Week 2)

I may be a week late, but I thought I might post some snippets of the Catechism of the Catholic Church that I've read during the week. Any additional thoughts provided depend on how much time I've had during the week to supplement the cutting and pasting.  I'm loving reading these paragraphs daily, usually in the morning.  Even if I haven't learned anything new yet, which I'm sure I will, I have seen some things from a slightly different perspective.

I post this section today because this was an important revelation for me when I was a Protestant questioning the Catholic Church.  The Holy Bible that we (as Protestants) think of as the answer to all questions theological didn't always exist, at all, least of all in it's current form.  Teaching by word of mouth and Tradition was the norm for the first few hundred years of Christianity.

My emphases are in bold italics.

Article2:The Transmission of Divine Revelation (74 - 100) II. THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN TRADITION AND SACRED SCRIPTURE One common source... 80     "Sacred Tradition and Sacred Scripture, then, are bound closely together, and communicate one with the other. For both of them, flowing out from the same divine well-spring, come together in some fashion to form one thing, and move towards the same goal." Each of them makes present and fruitful in the Church the mystery of Christ, who promised to remain with his own "always, to the close of the age". ... two distinct modes of transmission 81     "Sacred Scripture is the speech of God as it is put down in writing under the breath of the Holy Spirit." "And [Holy] Tradition transmits in its entirety the Word of God which has been entrusted to the apostles by Christ the Lord and the Holy Spirit. It transmits it to the successors of the apostles so that, enlightened by the Spirit of truth, they may faithfully preserve, expound and spread it abroad by their preaching." 82     As a result the Church, to whom the transmission and interpretation of Revelation is entrusted, "does not derive her certainty about all revealed truths from the holy Scriptures alone. Both Scripture and Tradition must be accepted and honored with equal sentiments of devotion and reverence."

Apostolic Tradition and ecclesial traditions 83     The Tradition here in question comes from the apostles and hands on what they received from Jesus' teaching and example and what they learned from the Holy Spirit. The first generation of Christians did not yet have a written New Testament, and the New Testament itself demonstrates the process of living Tradition. III. THE INTERPRETATION OF THE HERITAGE OF FAITH The Magisterium of the Church 85     "The task of giving an authentic interpretation of the Word of God, whether in its written form or in the form of Tradition, has been entrusted to the living teaching office of the Church alone. Its authority in this matter is exercised in the name of Jesus Christ." This means that the task of interpretation has been entrusted to the bishops in communion with the successor of Peter, the Bishop of Rome. 86     "Yet this Magisterium is not superior to the Word of God, but is its servant. It teaches only what has been handed on to it. At the divine command and with the help of the Holy Spirit, it listens to this devotedly, guards it with dedication and expounds it faithfully. All that it proposes for belief as being divinely revealed is drawn from this single deposit of faith."

....moving down to the next section:

108     Still, the Christian faith is not a "religion of the book." Christianity is the religion of the "Word" of God, a word which is "not a written and mute word, but the Word which is incarnate and living". If the Scriptures are not to remain a dead letter, Christ, the eternal Word of the living God, must, through the Holy Spirit, "open [our] minds to understand the Scriptures."

 It's not too late to subscribe to read the Catechism during this Year of Faith.

Kombucha, Baby!

{pretty}

Chai Tea ("chai" means "tea".  I wouldn't want to be redundant.).  One of my absolute faves, especially since an Indian neighbor made it for me once out of plain tea and real spices.  No bags involved.  I'm not a huge tea lover, so this must really be good! {happy} Brewing a second batch of Chai to make Kombucha with.  Here's my first batch, newly bottled:

I thought I had died and gone to heaven this morning when I drank my first glass!  I'm one of the weird ones that loves Kombucha, and it's excellent health benefits are a bonus in my book, but it's too expensive to buy in the store on a regular basis, so I had to learn to make my own.  I was thrilled when one of my equally weird friends gave me a baby SCOBY a couple of weeks ago!

{funny}

Pip likes kombucha.  Or he used to---until he found out it was "made from a Giant Ball of Snot!" It looks pretty horrible, but it isn't that bad.  It just feels a little rubbery.  And to answer Meg's question:  Does it move?  No.  It's alive in the sense that it is bacteria, but it's not a jellyfish, despite appearances to the contrary! {real}

Just to help cleanse your eyeballs a bit---here's a picture of Gus curled up with his head on the chair for a pillow.  I was sitting on the blue ball.  Don't you love how his eyes reflect the blue?

All better now?  Did I distract you from the horror?

Painting Little Saints

I finally joined the party of the lovely ladies painting little wooden saint dolls.  I had so much fun painting these two!

You can guess who they are, right?

 Meg squealed, and said St. Anthony is so adorable she just wants to squeeze him---except he's just a little wooden peg.  And I agree---he's the cutest little thing.  I love St. Maximilian, but he's sort of ended up with scary, angry eyes that are softened only by his glasses.  Next time, I hope to do better.  I'm sort of tempted to sand off his face and try again!

I'll have to find a source for larger peg dolls.  These are readily available at the local Michaels, but the ones I see for sale on Etsy or other shops are larger.  Having a larger "workspace" no doubt allows for much more detail.

Catholic Election Homily

This homily, shared by Patrick Madrid, is really, really worth watching and listening to before the election---or before you go cast your early vote.

God bless these brave priests who speak clearly and truthfully.

Growing Pains

I took the leaf out of the kitchen table last week because we no longer need to seat 8 very often.  Usually, it's just 5 of us now, and the table was way too big for our kitchen, anyway.   We can seat the whole family in the dining room when we're all together.

It's nice to have the extra space in the kitchen, but I'd rather have the chaos and joyful noise of all my children gathered together.

Another October Daybook

FOR TODAY

Outside my window...
It rained last night, but I see the clouds have evaporated and we can look forward to a lovely day!  The dog dragged me out in the pre-dawn dark, and I expected rain, but it had stopped already and the balmy temps gave me hope for the day.

I am thinking...
About growing older, and eventually old, and how that's going to play out in real life.  I like to think that riding roller coasters and jumping on trampolines helps with the anti-aging mindset, but considering the effects they have on my spine, along with 2 rear-end collisions and the resulting whiplash, maybe those aren't good ways to stay youthful.

How do you maintain your youth, in mind if not in body?

I am thankful...
for having a way to channel my pain.  Last night as I sat in choir in a haze, I offered it up for someone that's suffering much more than I am and can't deal with their pain.  I'm sure I could also offer it in retribution for my own sins of which there are plenty.  (Retribution doesn't seem like the right word there---what is it?)

From the learning rooms...
It looks like today is a sick day.  Meg had a fever and sore throat yesterday; Pippo seems to have a fever today.  We don't have those very often where they're not capable of doing any work!

In the kitchen...
Since I was camping and didn't go to the store on Saturday, the fridge is kind of empty.  Good thing I'm leaving in a few minutes to go see our friendly farmer for milk and eggs and hit Trader Joe's!

I am wearing...
My new Vibrams!  I am so happy to have them finally!  Yes, they look goofy, but speaking of feeling youthful, they are so much better for my back than shoes with heels.  I feel younger, stronger, and straighter when I wear them!  And heck, more athletic even though I don't look it.

I am knitting...
Still not knitting.  :(  There's a sweater I want to make (for me!) but I don't want to spend the money right now, and I feel compelled to get rid of my stash---or at least trim it down a little---so I'm still crocheting washcloths.  Pretty soon, I think I'm going to give some away!

I am going...
To AHG tonight without my American Heritage Girl since she's sick.  It would be great to stay home, but being In Charge and having the keys means I have to go.

I am reading...
Bill Bryson's Thunderbolt Kid, which I keep calling Lightning Bolt Kid because it has a lightning bolt on the cover.  Would you call that a lightning bolt or thunderbolt?  It is lightning, but only causes thunder.   Whatever, I think he got the title wrong.

I am hoping...
No one else gets sick.

I am looking forward to...
Trying my first batch of kombucha in a week!  I've been wanting to make some for a while, because I love drinking it, but it costs too much at the health food store.  One of my friends just gave me a baby SCOBY, so it's fermenting as we speak.  That picture is exactly what mine looks like now!

I am hearing on my ipod...
The kids and I have been listening to the Once Upon a Time podcast from SQPN with Fr. Roderick.  He's really good about bringing out religious themes in this show.  Sometimes we get really frustrated with the things they obsess over and think we have all the answers.  It's a lot of fun.  :)

Around the house...
I've been decluttering the kitchen while the kids work.  I'm also still cleaning and re-organizing and putting away my camping gear.

One of my favorite things...
These days, it's walking since sitting is rapidly becoming a tiring, stressful, and painful activity.  So, my other favorite thing would be my giant, blue ball for sitting on since it helps me stretch and makes sitting more "active".

A few plans for the rest of the week...
AHG, co-op, fall piano competition, AHG fundraising.

Here is picture for thought I am sharing...

Ginormous rock overhanging the path on our hike into the canyon last weekend.

Hosted by The Simple Woman's Daybook

Was that what you call a fender-bender?

It didn't feel like a fender bender when we were hit from behind yesterday, but I guess it was.  We're all essentially fine----but we were rear-ended while leaving TMax's school.  I was turning right onto a heavily traveled 6-lane road (3 lanes each direction), and I stopped to check for oncoming traffic, of which there was plenty, traveling at 45+ miles per hour.  The woman behind me stopped briefly, she said, and then  "just went."  Why she "went" I don't know, because from what I saw there were lots of cars coming and our street had a red light!  When I lifted my head from the steering wheel, I vaguely realized there was traffic whizzing by and we were partially in their lane.

Praise be to God that we weren't hit by any of that oncoming traffic and all the kids were buckled in!  Meg and I whacked our heads the worst, and I know I'll be spending too many weeks at the chiropractor (again) since my head was twisted to the left and I hit both sides of it on the seat and steering wheel.   It doesn't hurt much, but I can't turn it properly.   Still, it's not as bad as last time:

The car is not totalled, and

There were no scary trips to the ER

The woman who hit us was very apologetic, but I'm ashamed to admit that I couldn't just brush off the accident and be very forgiving.  I was much nicer to the young man who hit us before----maybe because he was so concerned for our welfare, and I completely understand why he hit us---because accidents happen there all the time.  She, on the other hand, was on the phone, had a red light, and was entering a very busy road.  So, as you can see, I'm still not very forgiving.  Just very annoyed. 

The absolute worst part about it is the paranoia that follows.  It's been 3 years since that last event, and I'm still freaked out when I have to stop suddenly, terrified that someone behind me is going to hit me.

I think I'll be praying a lot more rosaries in the car from now on.  And saying my Guardian Angel prayer before I hit the road.

Angel sent by God to guide me,

be my light and walk beside me,

be my Guardian and protect me,

On the paths of light direct me.

Or:

Angel of God, my Guardian dear,

to whom God's love commits me here,

Ever this day be at my side, 

to light and guard, to rule and guide.

Thank you, Dear Friend, for being there for us yesterday!

Camping or a Reunion?

I passed up my 30th high school reunion this weekend to go camping with my daughter and the rest of the American Heritage Girls.    It wasn't really a tough decision to make----I don't relish the thought of a 12 hour drive to see people I haven't seen in 30 years.   My in-laws live up there where I (and my husband) went to high school, and it would have been great to stop by the reunion if we were already planning to be in town, but to drop everything, spend hundreds of dollars on gas and food, just to celebrate some milestone, which at this point in my life is not very important to me, is not my cup of tea.

On the other hand, I had a great time with my daughter and our troop, celebrating God's glory in this gorgeous corner of Georgia.   Some of us hiked the stairs down into the canyon to see the falls; some went on hayrides to see the incredible foliage; others, like my daughter, went fishing for several hours.

 Discussions often crop up at these events about why we (some of us) like to camp when we have perfectly comfortable homes, and, most importantly, beds for our aging bones to rest in.  For my part, I enjoy the simplicity---fewer things to play with, use, and then clean up---but a large part of it is simply the beauty of the earth.

The colors of the leaves, the rocks and lichens, the sounds of the wind whistling through the canyon and the waterfall splashing onto the rocks before continuing its babbling journey down the river.  The earthy smell of decaying trees and other green matter. So much variety and texture.  Everywhere you look there is something new to see!  Even if you've seen the view from the top of a mountain before, it's never the same, and if you think it is, it's still pretty spectacular.  All of these speak to me of the immeasurable magnificence of God and the wisdom of his creation. 

And that is why I like camping.   That, and the fact that I can now build a fire all by myself! ;-)

7 Quick Takes

---1---

I am ready to go camping this afternoon.  All packed up except for my own clothing---and let me tell you that forgetting to pack my stuff is NOT out of the realm of possibility!  I have this love-hate thing with camping.  Right now, I'm looking forward to sitting around a fire with some friends, though I'll miss sitting around a Starbucks table with DH & friends friends for trivia.  I am really looking forward to climbing something like 1200 stairs to the top of a waterfall tomorrow.   

At some point, I'm sure I'll regret that decision.

---2---

Speaking of exercise----I've been trying to work out more this week, trying to do a certain number of Kettlebell swings in 20 minutes.  Did you know that Kettlebell swings are supposed to work most of the muscles in your body?  I can tell you that they do.

And I wouldn't be surprised if my husband wasn't a little tired of hearing me whine and whimper about how sore I am.

---3---

It's fall here---how about where you are?  For some strange reason this weather change has prompted Pip to get up early in the morning (before 6?), and bring his big, warm comforter downstairs to sleep on the floor snuggled up with the dog.  This morning he's not up out of bed---after staying up too late watching the debate, I suppose---so the poor, cold puppy is forced to curl up on the furniture and get repeatedly shooed off by me.

---4---

I am celebrating the Year of Faith, which started on the 11th, by reading the Catechism of the Catholic Church which is being emailed to me in small doses daily by Flocknote.  When I get to the computer in the morning, I'm faced with approximately 15 paragraphs that I'd really rather not read just then, but I know that if I skip it then, I'll skip it all day.  So far, I've managed to forget that I didn't want to read it, and get into trying really comprehend it.    One of the comments I saw online said that it would take a year to read and a lifetime to learn to live.  More than just wanting to read it, I want to internalize in and learn to live it.

I'm tempted to say I'll read the Bible this year, too, but I'm afraid that might be biting off way more than I can chew!  Maybe just a few good Bible studies that I can do weekly, not daily.  Do you know of any good ones?

---5---

But if you're interesting in growing in faith this year, Pat Gohn has a "veritable link-o-rama" where you can find all sorts of options for learning, living, and sharing your faith.  Or just listen to her podcast weekly because it's full of awesomeness and woman-to-woman sharing.

---6---

I got home from my AHG meeting last night in time to watch the last hour of the debate which was an exercise in frustration if I ever saw one.  I'm reminded this morning that there is a real advantage to the fact that we recently cut off our home phone service:  we don't get constant political phone calls!  We did get another service, but now we have a new number and absolutely no one knows it!  No phone calls!  It's awesome.

---7---

Finally, I'd like to share something really discouraging that happened to me yesterday---I bought trail mix for our camping trip. That's always dangerous because the M&M's in it are addictive---and they ruined it by swapping out half the nuts for chocolate chips and peanut butter chips!  So now it's just a giant dose of sugar, which Meg will love, but me, notsomuch.  It's not even worthy of the name Trail Mix; it's candy. 

Nothing is sacred anymore.   Sigh.

I can guess how much feedback I'll get on this question, but what do YOU eat on camping trips and hikes?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Have a great weekend!  I'll see you on the flip side!

Join the fun at Jen's for more 7 Quick Takes!

October Days

FOR TODAY

Outside my window...
Clear and cold.  The sun is just starting to lighten the sky.  It'll probably be a beautiful day; I think we're a bit spoiled around here.

I am thinking...
About this post by Jen Fulwiler that I read this morning.  She's right:  it's shocking.  The unintended consequences of giving women free contraception is that they will choose the (previously) most expensive and reliable:  IUDs and implantable hormones.  Since the methods are more reliable, abortion rates will drop, but cases of sexually transmitted diseases will skyrocket.  Eventually, those women may decide they've sown enough wild oats and they'll settle down to have a family but will very likely find themselves infertile.  Meanwhile, I'm doing my best to dissuade my children from such lifestyle choices, but the fact is that those diseases will be rampant, and it could be hard to find a spouse untouched by it all.

I am thankful...
For learning the truth about sexuality early on in my marriage.

From the learning roomskitchen table...
We are working hard today----when Mom stops blogging---because it's the only day we are home all day long to work.

In the kitchen...
A serious lack of food, and almost as serious lack of motivation.

I am wearing...
Long sleeves.  It's freezing in the house, but it will probably be super-warm outside later.

I am knitting...
Still not knitting.  I need a couple of new needles that I haven't gotten yet, so all I'm doing is crocheting washcloths.

I am going...
Camping this weekend!  Just me and Meg with the American Heritage Girls.  We are going to a state park that is supposed to be gorgeous; my boys have been there, but I haven't.  I'm seriously looking forward to climbing stairs up the waterfall!

I am wondering...
If my new Vibrams 5-fingers are going to arrive before I leave.  I don't think so.  Sad, sad, sad.  They would make the whole hiking thing much more pleasant.  I know you think they're funny looking, but they make my feet feel so much better than sneakers or hiking boots.

I am reading...
Bill Bryson's The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid: A Memoir.  All I can say is that he needs an editor.  He writes some very funny stuff, but it's hidden between a catalogue of irrelevant information.  Or if it's relevant, it's just too much.


I am looking forward to...
Camping with friends this weekend, although I'll miss my hubby.

I am hearing on my ipod...
Podcasts.  Am I the only person in the world who doesn't listen to music?  I'm content with silence, or I listen to one of the many, many podcasts on my phone, but I rarely just listen to music.  Unless the children are in the car and chatty, then we have the radio on.  And maybe that's not necessarily considered "music" by some!

Around the house...
Getting picked up in 15 minute increments.

A few plans for the rest of the week...
Choir rehearsal, AHG, piano/library, packing!


Hosted by The Simple Woman's Daybook

Sherlock Who?

Last weekend, the husband and I started watching Sherlock on Netflix.  It has been around for a while----looks like it came out in 2010!  But we just heard of it from a friend and have watched 2 episodes which are pretty much movie length, so that keeps us from watching the entire series in just a weekend.

It's a PG-13 show that is dark, and maybe a bit too intense for younger kids.  (We generally subscribe to the rule that PG-13 means you might be able to watch it when you're 16---though there are exceptions to that)  My 13 yo could watch this with no problem.  The dialog is quick, and you have to pay attention or you'll miss the sexual innuendos that are questionable.  That said, they're probably all murder mysteries, so there's that dilemma, too.  However, our children aren't watching them with us; it's just us, enjoying some quiet time together during the weekend.

The writers are involved with Dr. Who, so it reminds me very much of that show with the fast pace, quick dialog, and just the general look of the sets.  And Meg will walk into the room and say, Oh, hey, that's so and so from Dr. Who.  Or, that's Bilbo from The Hobbit, while we are scratching our heads trying to figure out who the actors are.  Interestingly, both Holmes and Watson are in The Hobbit.

One of my favorite parts of the show is how Sherlock deduces things about people almost instantaneously, and he's almost always right.  Are there really people out there who are so attentive and quick-thinking?  Or is it his Super Power?

If you like mysteries, you might find Sherlock an interesting diversion.  I started to say "fun," though it's not a particularly lighthearted show.

Did you watch anything good this weekend?  Tell me what's good on Netflix or at the theaters!

Questionable Quick Takes

---1---

Listening to Adele sing Skyfall this morning.  It's a great song---can it be both quintessential Adele and 007 at the same time?  How long until one of my kids downloads the album?  Or will I beat them to it?

---2---

How many questions can a person ask in one Quick Take?  Did you know that one of the first things my husband said to me this morning is that I ask a lot of questions?

---3---

What are your plans for the weekend?  We have a few activities which will keep us busy, one of which is a parish picnic at the Old Parish.  I'm looking forward to seeing old friends!

---4---

Does your dog steal your laundry?  Ours does.  Socks, towels, whatever.  He's always standing up and checking out what was left on the coffee table.   Today he chewed up a dishtowel.

---5---

Do you have a hard time getting your school work, or any work, done on Fridays?  We do.  Sometimes it's really hard to be motivated!  Mondays are the same way for a totally different reason.  It's a good thing we have Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday in between!

---6---

Have you read Jane Eyre lately?  Pip just finished reading it, and I found the newest, Michael Fassbender, movie version at the library yesterday.  So we watched it.  (That doesn't really help our Friday workload, ya know?)  I, however, think it's good to see an excellent movie production to cement the story.  Don't you?

---7---

We are off to Mass to pray for a dear friend who got some scary news, and is now at the doctor for more tests.   Please say a prayer for her; she's a beautiful servant of our Lord!  Thanks.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Join the questionable fun at Jen's for more 7 Quick Takes!

Home Schooling High School ?!

If you look over there at the sidebar,====> it says that I have 18 or 19 years of experience home schooling my 6 children!

But I've never taught high school.

When my oldest was in 8th grade, we had a bit of back and forth about school, but we had decided to continue at home when she was given a full, 4-year scholarship to an awesome high school. ( As an aside, they really knew what they were about by giving full scholarships to Catholic kids who have lots of siblings! ) Thus began our foray into Catholic Schools.  And I wasn't sorry, because, at the time, I had lots of little ones at home, and it honestly made things so much easier for one child and her heavy course load to be crossed off my to-do list.

I had purchased most of her 9th grade curriculum, and I had to return it all.  Now, I'm sort of wishing I had kept it...because, after all these years, my current 8th grader is now saying he wants to stay home for high school!

For months....nay, years....he's been saying he couldn't wait to go to school (because they all just want what the older ones have).  Now, all of a sudden, he's singing a completely different tune, and I don't know what to make of it.  What I find most interesting is that this occurred after he returned from a weekend camping trip with our home schooling group.

We couldn't go, because, hello, I have a child in high school!  They always have homework or events that prevent them from going, so we don't go on this annual weekend with our homeschooling buddies.  But one of Pip's friends invited  him to "sleep over" on this trip, so I dropped him off early Saturday morning.  All his best friends were there, and he had a great time.  He didn't seem to mind praying 3 times a day----Angelus, rosary, Divine Mercy, and then Mass (which is a bit more than we do during a day)!

And now, he's all I want to stay home because I'll never see my friends again if I go.  Which is, sadly, very true.  If he does see them, he will have changed, and there will be a wide gulf between them that doesn't exist now.  He's also looking at all the other benefits to school at home:  a more relaxed schedule, no spending 8 hours at school and then doing 4 hours of homework, fun activities with his friends, more time for scouting.   Oh, and more money for stuff he wants.  ;-)  I could get behind that one, too!

Even though it's been only 4 days since he first came home with this revelation, he wants to know why I haven't decided yet!  I say, it's not time to decide.  We need to pray about it; we need to research the curricula and hybrid school options; pray; we need to research extra-curricular activities; and, above all, we need to act as though we're still applying for Catholic school, in case this is just a passing whim.  Oh, and pray some more.

It's such a shock that he's willing (at least for now) to stay home, but I'm very willing to continue being his school teacher.  All these years of School at Home have prepared me for this task.  Ha!  But it's a much less daunting idea that it was 10 years ago when I couldn't keep up with school, housework, and toddlers, too.  All these years, I have praised the women who keep their kids home for high school whether they have a large family or not.

Have you faced this decision in your family?  How did you handle it?  I'm all about tips on how to succeed with high school.  I have a good friend who is going to be very tired of my questions before long!

If you've got a Hail Mary available for our discernment, I'd be most grateful!

God bless!
Sara