It's A Book!

The Working Parent's Guide To Homeschooling

It's finally in print and boy am I anxious to get this book out to anyone who might benefit from it. Think you're too busy working to homeschool your children? Think again! "The Working Parent's Guide To Homeschooling" is packed with tips, tricks, suggestions and resources to help working parents take charge of their children's education.

Get your free excerpt at the link above and get ready to explore a whole new world of opportunities and freedom for yourselves and your children. "The Working Parent’s Guide to Homeschooling" will inform and empower you with tools and resources to homeschool. You'll explore time management, child care arrangements while working, how to teach and more, with real life working parents’ solutions to each of these issues.

Written specifically for working parents, my own experience peppers every chapter and I also share several other families’ experiences to illustrate solutions to succeed in working and homeschooling.

This dream has been a long time coming, so I hope you will celebrate with me. Now that I've given birth to my first book, I plan on doing it again. Get your copy today and tell me what you think!

Ebook formats coming soon.

Check out these other posts, too:

Tic Tac Toe

     

Catholic Education: Homeschool or the Parish School?

Spooky Skate Park

So what about a break from all the sightseeing and touring? How about a place for the kids to blow off steam and work up a sweat? We're here again, in the City of Williams, Arizona, enjoying an afternoon at the Recreation Center, which also has a separate Skate Park, designed by local youth. All activities are free, just sign a waiver, adult supervision is provided (although I tend to stay here and provide my own supervision for Yak). Unfortunately the swimming pool is not open during the winter. If you find yourself here during the summer, however, the cost is minimal, $4 adults, $2 children for the summer of 2013.

A play park is in the same complex, so there is a little bit of something for everybody. Yak and I enjoyed several games of ping-pong and a few rounds of pool in the rec center one day. For movie nights and other free and low cost family events put on by the City of Williams Parks and Recreation Department, visit the Williams Chamber of Commerce website and click on Events and Community Calendar. You can also find a list of parks at the City of Williams website.

One of the few things Yak and his friends like better than swimming is rollerblading. Since we live about 30 miles away from Williams, it gets inconvenient if we forget something we need there. Not to fear, "The Shed", as the skate park is called, stocks free loaners of rollerblades, pads and helmets, as well as skateboards. The equipment is sprayed with disinfectant after each use, just like at roller and ice rinks. Still, we're more comfortable with our own gear.

I hope you enjoy hearing about the offbeat things for kids and families to do on the road. As we prepare to hit the road full-time, I've begun to think about ways for my son to continue with his hobbies and interests, and these things will also help him to find new friends as we travel. If you would like to read more about our adventures in downsizing and preparing to homestead, homeschool and live simply while traveling slowly, head over to our sister blog Around the Homestead (by Mrs. D's Homestead).

Meanwhile...

Happy Trails!

If you liked this post, you might enjoy these:

Bill Williams Mountain Trail, Williams, Arizona

A Catholic Traveling

National Train Day in Williams, Arizona

While the Cat's Away...

Tic Tac Toe

In an effort to beat the heat this week, we've been escaping another 1000 feet in elevation to Williams, Arizona.  Relaxing at one of our favorite fishing holes, my son sets up an impromptu game of "tic tac toe".  After a couple of dozen rounds, his interest wanes and he gazes off to the side of our picnic table.  A tiny robin is collecting - something.  Foraging through pine needles and gravel for tasty morsels, perhaps.

The earlier cool breeze now fights with a hot wind, both struggling to dominate our respite.  We move to a shadier spot.  My son has been suffering heat exhaustion for the past few days and the fresh, cool breezes are much better for him than sitting in front of the air conditioner.  He dozes off.  The lake is so quiet today.  It usually doesn't get too crowded anyway, but today is heavenly, even for midweek.  In July and August, I just expect crowds no matter where we go.  

Clouds build and tease around the edges of the hills.  Will our "monsoons" deliver this year?  The lake is way down and we have a lot of water to make up for.  Boy wakes up and we take a short walk. Spending the days up here, pumping him with gatorade and water have helped keep his temperatures down.  He is just about back to normal now, but his body needs a few more days to recover from the shock he's had.  He is already chattering nonstop and I expect him to start bouncing around again, soon.

Bella - Review

http://www.bellamoviesite.com/

Bella, released in 2006 at the Toronto International Film Festival, is one of those movies that I really meant to see, but never got around to it.  Thanks to Netflix, I finally did, and wow, what a great movie!

The story, which takes place in one day, may get a little confusing as the backstory unfolds in flashbacks.  Jose, a soccer star who has just signed a lucrative contract, accidentally kills a small child and serves time in prison.  After his release, he works in his brother's restaurant as a chef, where he meets Nina, a waitress who has a brief affair (not with Jose) which ends in an unplanned pregnancy.  Nina's solution is to end the pregnancy, but Jose has other ideas, and Nina changes her plans (as shown in flash-forwards, confused yet?).  The subtle anti-abortion message is so powerful, that I can see why pro-life groups adopted this movie and helped to heavily promote it.  

I enjoyed the portrayal of Jose's family and particularly his interaction with his brother Manny, whose compulsive reactions Jose responds to with calm dismissal.  Such as when Manny fires Jose, who simply walks out the back door of the restaurant, then returns the next morning and cooks Manny breakfast as if nothing happened.

My favorite scene has to be Jose, sitting with a rosary in his hand, while Nina is taken into the back of the abortion clinic.  It's something you might miss, if you weren't Catholic, but to me, it screamed the power of Our Blessed Mother's intercession.

Bella is a story about imperfect people, living sometimes difficult lives and facing complicated choices.  It's about the power of God bringing awesome good out of our human weakness.

Blankets 4 Kids - Keeping Kids Warm in Prescott, Arizona

A sock monkey peers over the top of a fleece blanket, rolled up and tied with a pink ribbon.  Children scream with delight as they scramble for a seat playing musical chairs.  Free hot dogs, coffee and cookies tempt browsing parents as they choose from the many handmade and gently used blankets, jackets and other items at St. Anne's Roman Catholic Mission's Children's Day.  The church, located in Ash Fork, Arizona, 54 miles west of Flagstaff and 50 miles north of Prescott, is playing host to Blankets 4 Kids, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization that collects and distributes blankets, scarves and hats to needy families in the Prescott area.  

The brainchild of Ron Campbell of Prescott, Blankets 4 Kids serves organizations throughout the surrounding areas, including Head Start, Women's Shelters, Pregnancy Centers, Police and Sheriff's Departments and local churches to name a few.  Blankets, hats and scarves are collected from drop-off points throughout Prescott and Chino Valley, see http://blankets4kids.org/dropboxes.html for a complete listing.

 

Volunteers collect, clean and sort donations.  Children's blankets are "packaged" with a stuffed toy and other "surprises" tucked away inside.  One little boy's face lit up when he opened his hand crocheted rainbow colored blanket and pulled out a soft yellow hat and scarf, just the right size to keep him warm next winter.

For more information, to donate money, blankets, hats or scarves, or to schedule an event for Blankets 4 Kids, contact Ron Campbell at 928-541-0483 or 4kid@cableone.net.  Visit the website at http://www.blankets4kids.org.

A Pilgrimage To The Park?

A pilgrimage to your local park?  Why not?  It's close by, probably has some green stuff (ie., trees, grass, etc.), maybe some water (lake), and probably some picnic tables to eat your lunch at.  Maybe you should throw an old blanket in the car, just in case. 

Once there, take a few moments to breathe deeply, exhale slowly, then see what's for lunch.  Even a couple of rolls and a hunk of cheese can be a feast in these surroundings.  When you finish eating, close your eyes for a few moments and just let your mind drift, while you take slow, deep breaths.  Don't fall asleep!  

Now open your eyes and look around you.  See if you still have time for a brisk walk around the baseball field or other safe path.  Spend your last few minutes taking in the cool greens, the soft rustle of the breeze in the leaves, the still waters of the lake, the innocence of children playing in the playground.  Whatever your local park features, you can most likely use it to relax and unwind for a few minutes, especially if the price of gas is keeping you from venturing much further.

I enjoy visiting the local park wherever I happen to be.  No two are exactly the same.  Some have quirky, creative play areas and trails. Some have lakes and trees.  Some have swimming pools or bike paths or skate parks.  Parks also tend to be kid- and pet-friendly.  A community park reflects its community.

If you don't have the time or money for a longer journey, try your local park!

Halloween at Calico Ghost Town

On any day of the year, Calico Ghost Town, in Yermo, California (just outside of Barstow on Interstate 15) is, well, a ghost town.  On Halloween, all the skeletons come out of the closet and dance in the streets.  Residents and vendors alike enthusiastically decorate with creepy cloth, dusty curtains, skulls and other scary stuff, in anticipation of two wild weekends of  "Calico Ghost Haunt".  Apparently, campers at the adjacent campground also decorate, and the Ghost Haunt is supposed to include all kinds of family style Halloween activities, including the recently revived Ghost Tours.  We were unable to make it, as we were there the weekend before.

 In the 15 or so years since I last visited Calico, the town has added museums and attractions that weren't previously available.  Apparently being named California's Official Silver Rush Ghost Town has been good for Calico and for San Bernardino County Regional Parks, which operates it.

The Maggie Mine tour is a kick.  For $2 adults and $1.50 children over 5, we got to walk through one of the few stabilized mines anywhere.  Every room has a mining scene, depicting the daily operation of a silver mine.

Just below the Maggie, Chinatown lies in ruins.  One tiny stone hut is fitted with a cot, fireplace, and table to show the cramped quarters.  Nearby lies a ruin that must have been a multi-family dwelling.  We spent several minutes going in and out of all the rooms.

Another fun stop is the old schoolhouse, with desks
neatly lined up and slates at the ready.  That little building out back (can't see it in the picture) is the outhouse.  My son was appalled when I told him about the wooden seat and the newspaper TP.

 Other restored and/or rebuilt buildings include a blacksmith shop, firehouse, restaurant/hotel, saloon, post office/general store, newspaper office and several others.  Many of these house gift shops, including one with lots of brain teasers, and a couple real leather shops.

Outside the sheriff's office stands a jail cell and hangin' tree.






Though there are several gift and souvenir shops, my
favorite has to be the old time general store.  Complete with "unmentionables" hanging from the rafters, displays of bulk goods and old fashioned candies for sale.  We got a couple of stick candies, and the licorice flavored one tasted more like real licorice than most of what passes for that particular candy on today's market.  With many items of antique clothing and other household goods on display, the general store is part museum, part convenience store, with propane, canned goods and other camping supplies, and part souvenir shop.

Several other museums are in the works in various buildings.  Other attractions in the park include a railroad ride, Mystery Shack, Gold panning and the cemetery.  Admission to the park is $7 for adults and $4 for children.  Kids under 5 are free.  If you decide to camp at Calico, admission is included.

Calico hosts several events throughout the year, check the San Bernardino County Regional Parks website for info.

Catholic Education: Homeschool or the Parish School?

I read in our diocesan newspaper last week about how enrollment is dropping at Catholic schools.  People can't afford tuition, there isn't enough assisstance to go around, etc.  Families are disappointed that they have to pull their children out of the parish school and put them into public school.  Frankly, my enthusiasm for Catholic schools has waned since more of the teachers started coming from the secular and often non-Catholic community, and more of the students from non-parish and frequently non-Catholic families who could "afford the better education". 

Assuming that these same schools are keeping the tuition as low as possible, and that these same families are making sacrifices to come up with the money for their childrens' education, such as giving up the extra car, the boat, the vacation home, the vacation, meals out, extra wardrobe, shoes, downsized house and lifestyle, and still can't afford tuition, I have another suggestion - Catholic Homeschooling.

Homeschooling is far more economical than either tuition or public schooling (considering the expense of fashionable wardrobe/uniforms, supplies, backpacks, lunches and transportation).  A homeschooler's primary cost is books.  There are many excellent Catholic curricula available now, far more than when I began.  And a family doesn't have to use all of one program.  Materials can be mixed and matched according to individual needs and preferences.  Some families even use entirely free public domain and library materials.

Two working parents can teach, one parent can stay home (thereby saving the expense of working wardrobe, convenience foods and transportation for that parent).  Even single, working parents can homeschool - I am not suggesting parents need to be super heroes, either.  Homeschooling can take about as much time as the nightly sitcoms, and when done well, merges right into daily life and experience.

As stated in the Catechism of the Catholic Church 1653:  "Parents are the principal and first educators of their children".  And again 2221:  "The role of parents in education is of such importance that it is almost impossible to provide an adequate substitute".  As well as numerous other references in CCC 2221-2230.

I homeschooled my 3 grown children (two of whom recently graduated with Associate's Degrees and transferred to universities) for several of the middle- and high school years, and am currently homeschooling my second grader.  I encourage anyone to check into this fantastic option for providing our children with a wholesome Catholic education. 

Some places to start:  Homeschool Legal Defense Association - great resource for state laws and precedents regarding homeschooling.

Catholic Heritage Curricula - excellent Catholic education resources

The Homeschool Lounge - great place to meet other homeschoolers, get ideas, support and have fun!

Traditions of Roman Catholic Homes - another great site for support and ideas for Catholic homeschooling

Mrs. D's Homestead and Around the Homestead - my other website and blog, where I discuss my country life and homeschooling

Vacation Bible School

Catholics didn't used to have Vacation Bible School.  We had day camp, or youth group, or nothing at all.  It was great fun, we went swimming, went to the beach, roller skating, did arts and crafts, and had a big campout on the last night. 

Now alot of our churches are having Vacation Bible schools, but my local one doesn't.  So I take my son to the Baptist church's VBS.  It is a great ecumenical and community building experience and I just love the Baptist preacher and his wife, who also just happens to be one of my favorite authors.  Oh, and the kids have a lot of fun too. 

The ladies in charge of arts and crafts really outdo themselves with clever activities.  The games are very clever and exciting, the snacks are fun and imaginative.  The children learn a new Bible verse each night, and work on songs and dances all week, in order to put on a delightful production for their parents on the last night.

Every year we look forward to VBS at the Baptist Church and we hope they continue having it for years to come.