Oh, Dearest Mother, Sweetest Virgin of Altagracia, our Patroness. You are our Advocate and to you we recommend our needs. You are our Teacher and like disciples we come to learn from the example of your holy life. You are our Mother, and like children, we come to offer you all of the love of our hearts. Receive, dearest Mother, our offerings and listen attentively to our supplications. Amen.



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Subject Topic: what to buy? top 10 must haves! Post ReplyPost New Topic
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Nina Murphy
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Posted: June 23 2007 at 11:34am | IP Logged Quote Nina Murphy

My 16 yr. old son (Nick) adds:

14. Other good Catholic friends and holy examples to see and emulate (incl. priests, seminarians, and families).

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JennyMaine
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Posted: June 24 2007 at 4:38am | IP Logged Quote JennyMaine

In addition to a basic core of Catholic schooling materials, books for you and the children to reference about the faith, such as "This is the Faith" and "A Practical Commentary on Holy Scripture."

If you have little ones, the Catholic Children's Treasure Box books.

Vocational materials, such as "Completely Christ's" from CHC.

Great topic! I've been reorganizing the schoolroom - I did a "clean sweep" and took everything out and only put back what I truly need. Priority one - our Catholic resources, which filled more than one book case (saint bios, prayer books, etc.). As a revert, I love that book case! (grin) I organized my CHC and Seton materials, and pretty much got rid of all other unused materials and books. My son has experienced such a jump in reading ability, that an entire shelf of books are now too easy and must be given away.    I'm also getting rid of some of the biographies and historical fiction which I know are available in our state library system. That's a huge leap for me!

I'll go out on a limb and say that I've met more than one Catholic homeschooling family who I would never have guessed were Catholic. KWIM? No Catholic art, no Catholic homeschool materials, no Catholic books in the home. I'm to the opposite extreme, I guess. We have Catholic art in every room, statues on corner shelves here and there, our Stations of the Cross grottos, crucifixes, etc. As a revert, I just love every minute of having the joy of a Catholic environment in the home. I think it is very important to my homeschooling efforts, and something which I did not experience growing up in a Catholic home.

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knowloveserve
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Posted: June 25 2007 at 2:46pm | IP Logged Quote knowloveserve

We're just starting out with my Kindergardener but so far we love Robert Louis Stevenson's 'A child's Garden of Verses." Harp and Laurel Wreath is good but there's something potent about quality illustrations!

Also, I will never buy another Mother Goose book or edition again since I found Cooper Eden's "The Glorious Mother Goose." Oh the pictures!!!!

3- We have lots of the big, solid unit blocks.

4- Lots of classical music for lunchtimes, car-rides etc. It's so gratifying when I get in the van and my 4 year old says "Can we listen to Mozart Mama?"

5- Gardening tools... kid sized ones.

6- Maps, atlas, globes... etc.

7- Can't wait to invest in a high quality telescope some day. Microscope too.

8- Journals. We try to journal every day... lately he's just drawing monsters and having me name them.

9- "The Child in the Church" Maria Montessori

10- "Teach your Own" John Holt

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stefoodie
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Posted: June 25 2007 at 4:42pm | IP Logged Quote stefoodie

Nina Murphy wrote:

4. Quiet Environment and a patient mother


Okay, Nina, spill. Where do I buy one of those?

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Nina Murphy
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Posted: June 25 2007 at 4:56pm | IP Logged Quote Nina Murphy

Exactly. And that's why homeschooling is very difficult (and sanctifying?). Fr. Hardon said it was the Cross, plain and simple, that it wouldn't be easy.... I have *never* found it easy. Are there moments of joy and satisfaction? Of course. Are you protecting your children from harmful influences and forming them in their Faith? Because ultimately, that's what it comes down to, and that's the most important motivation.

You were being serious weren't you----it wasn't a rhetorical question?   

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stefoodie
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Posted: June 25 2007 at 5:30pm | IP Logged Quote stefoodie

I forgot the

but yes, I was also being serious.

You're exactly right -- this is part of our daily struggle too, and how we sanctify each other.

A very wise and devout friend told me that the ironic thing about praying for the grace to be more patient is that the trials will pile on even more -- because that's the ONLY way to LEARN to be patient. How very true.

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Nina Murphy
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Posted: June 25 2007 at 6:41pm | IP Logged Quote Nina Murphy

Wise.

to you.

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Karen T
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Posted: June 25 2007 at 9:33pm | IP Logged Quote Karen T

Martha wrote:
How would you rate the Favorite Poems Old and New against Harp and Laurel Wreath? Anyone?

...


I have both and definitely prefer the Favorite Poems book. H&L is organized more by age level whereas FP is organized by subject, so for example, if it's March I can easily find a poem on spring, or rain, etc. It also has way more poems than H&L. I first checked it out of the library and then bought it.
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Cay Gibson
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Posted: June 26 2007 at 7:25am | IP Logged Quote Cay Gibson

I thought about this for a moment and asked myself: "What 10 things do I have to have (I mean have to have ) in order to home educate my children? I came up with 3:

* library
* Internet
* all of you

Then I asked myself, what do I need to educate my children when a hurricane chases us miles from our home and we have none of these things? From personal experience, I remembered 3 things:

* library in another town
* the great outdoors
* my family

Ah, the great outdoors!    The children and I were left in our camper in a state park while my dh and oldest son went home to clean up the mess. The other children and I made nature walks everyday just to have something to do, something to think about, something to love. Sound familiar?

I might add that we continued to learn through:
* lots of books brought from home library
* the world at large (literally because being evacuated brings you into contact with lots of different people and places)

but these two things were really unnecessary in the overall scheme of things (though some of our home books are priceless to us). We had books anyway because we had to make use of the public library to keep track of friends and get hurricane evacuation information. We had free Internet there and Opa had the television where he was allowed constant news coverage (the ladies set him up a chair and gave him coffee and left him alone in his little corner...what a happy man ) while Mom and I handled all the logistics and Kayleigh and Garrett read books to the younger two and colored endless coloring sheets.

Rethinking it though, I have to say that the education from the world at large was pretty remarkable.Perhaps we larned more and needed that more than anything. We stood around the laundry mat at the state park and spoke with people who had evacuated there from all over the state and we shared experiences, information, support...and laundry detergent.

Come to think of it...God provides. He always does.

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marihalojen
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Posted: June 26 2007 at 8:24am | IP Logged Quote marihalojen

Ditto Theresa...

lapazfarm wrote:
Ooh! I love a challenge like this!I like to think if I lived on a boat, like Jennifer, and had to really pare down, what would I keep?

My top 10 must haves:
1. pencils for sketching
2. colored pencils
3. paper to use as is or make into journals
4. scissors
5. field guides
6. internet (for access to Google and this forum!)
7. a library card
8. a good world atlas
9. transportation
10. a sense of adventure!

Everything else is just gravy!


and Cay too!

Cay Gibson wrote:

* the world at large.


I really have nothing else to add.

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BrendaPeter
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Posted: June 26 2007 at 7:26pm | IP Logged Quote BrendaPeter

This is such a fun thread!

1. SOTW cds & activity books
2. Anne Carroll history cds
3. Regina Martyrdom saint cds
4. Glory Stories saint cds
5. Prismacolor pencils
6. library card
7. Phonics Pathways
8. Spelling Workout workbooks
9. Wall map and/or globe
10. Saxon Dive cds

If I'm allowed to go over 10, I have to add internet access, Catholic Mosaic and liturgical year picture books.

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