Comment for Spelling Bee

May 18 is the talent show at St. Pats from 6-8 pm.  May 13 is the big cookout at our house to which you are all invited.  I vote Friday May 11 at Janine's.  What do you all think?
Allison
(stupid computer won't let me post a comment)

Easter Prep!

I don't know if any of you are crazy crafting Mamma's--I'm just a wannabe really.  But I do make a homemade gift for the children every Easter--simple gift!  Last year it was Bunnies made from recycled sweaters and fabric (John Henry's was party from the sling I used with him as a baby).

This year I'm doing these Easter Eggs, with a new Rosary in the gift pocket.  I thought it would work to hold teeth for the tooth fairy--except that the tooth fairy never remembers and I end up just saying "Can I just give you some money now?" which I think takes away from the effect...

Anyway  thought I'd pass on a bit of my insanity!  Let the sewing begin!!!

Spelling Bee

Here is a source for spelling lists:  Homeschool Spelling Bee
Who wants to participate in a late April Spelling Bee and a location yet to be decided (my house?)?  Any Date suggestions, or days the definitely don't work?
We could use a volunteer to officiate.  A Dad has taken this role in the past, and I'd like to continue with that--so ask you husbands please before I press John into service..hehehehe.  We have roughly grouped the children by age:  5-7, 8-10, 11 and up.  We also do a teen/adult competition, for which we can use the "more advanced words" list.

The first group of kids will do up to the 2nd grade list, the second group up to the 4th grade, and the last group up to the 8th grade.  The MacDonalds and Veevers-Carter kids are hot with spelling....Eddyblouins are nothing to worry about....we'll see how it all shakes down this year!!  FUN FUN! 

What I will be saying tomorrow...

March 23 2012 Rally for Religious Freedom, Portland Maine

Allison Eddyblouin

Catholic Natural Family Planning teacher.

Do we have Freedom of Worship or Freedom of Religion?  I am easily free to worship anywhere I want.  But if my faith, the foundational tenants of the House of Worship I choose to attend, conflicts with the health care mandate, then my freedom ends.  People of good faith are demanding from our government the freedom to spend their own money in ways that do not violate their faith.  On all sides, we are being called to stand up and put our money where our mouth is.  If you have serious objections to any religious teaching, Catholic or otherwise, then make the sacrifices you need to, to stand up for you beliefs and don’t work for such an organization.  And equally, if we have strong beliefs that go against possible laws that our Government is decreeing, then we have no choice but to defy those laws, and to ask again and again that our rights be resopected

             In the 1950’s and early 60’s the Old Order Amish in our country began fighting a battle against paying into social security insurance.  The government had thought they found a way around this problem by asking the objecting Amish to open bank accounts from which the government could withdraw the amount due, rather than the Amish having to willingly pay into what was morally objectionable to them.  This is similar to the exemption the government is trying to hand to religious institutions today.  The Amish closed their bank accounts and the battle began. 

            We are not here today to fight Health Care, we are not here to fight women’s health, we are here to stand up for our right as American citizens to say that our faith calls us to a higher view of the human person:  a view which prevents us from aiding the objectification of another.  We are women and men, republicans, democrats, and independents.  We are Catholic, Orthodox, Protestant, and Others.  To quote the petition sent to congress by the Amish:

"We do not want to be burdensome, but we do not want to lose our birthright to everlasting glory, therefore we must do all we can to live our faith!"

Prayers Please

Today at 10 Am is the Funeral Mass for my dear friends Shannon.  Please pray for her 4 young children, Sam (9), Kelvey (6, our Godson), and twins Iska and Temple (3), and her Husband Patrick who cannot be there because he is in the hospital.  He is doing better though.  Shannon died last Thursday from a brain Anurysm, and that combined with my doula-ing for a nother friend Saturday has made for an emotional several days, so please pray a bit for me too...

Saint Josephs Party

Caroline,

Thank you so much for hosting this family day and sharing your home with all of us. It was a beautiful day with great food and friends! And thanks to Lisa and Janine for spearing heading the teaching moment and craft which my kids always really enjoy. It was wonderful to see so many girls! God bless all of you; it is reassuring and inspiring to me be a part of a group commited to living out our Catholic values.

Thanks again Caroline and Connor. Sorry I almost hijacked Jonathan; I would have taken very good care of him!

state house update

Hi everyone,

We are all set for 1pm programs after the State House Tour

Arrowhead Making (Grades 4-12; Adult)Hands – on!An opportunity to try your hand at making your own arrowhead using antlers and stone. We will also discuss the arrival of the first peoples in Maine, the hardships they faced, and the skills they used to survive.

Relief Rubbings: (Grades K-8) Hands – on!Participants learn about two of Maine's petroglyph sites. We explore who may have created these symbols in stone and why. After discussing the possible meanings of these symbols, there is an opportunity to create rubbings of the petroglyphs using casts from both sites.

Update re parking:

You can park wherever there is space (bus/van parking is located where the "F" is on the parking map. Then you would enter the Cross office building, go down the stairs and hang a left to get to the State House through the tunnel (it's just a better way for security to keep the lines moving through the screening.) We'll meet at the place we end up after screening.

Happy PI Day!

It's March 14th!!  AKA 3.14.   So have a PI today.  Though a real nerd could make the agruement the 7/22 is a more accurate measure of Pi, putting PI day as late as April 26th as taken from our current 366 day year...but that might be a tad pedantic. :)

arrowheads

Hi everyone,

If we want, we can be slotted for a 1pm arrowhead making program which is for grade 4 and up. Our group would be split into two with the older kids making the arrowheads-I'm saying age 8 and up qualifies for 4th grade, and the younger kids with a program more geared for them. We could do the state house, ,break for lunch, then do a self guided tour until 1pm to make arrowheads etc.

Let me know if you want to do it do I can go ahead and schecule. Let me know either way by tomorrow 2pm so I can get back to the program director. Thanks!

State House

Hi everyone,

Please arrive 15" before so we can go through the security check and start the tour on time (10am). Leave any unessary metal objects in the car (?). Bags, purses and backpacks will be inspected via x-ray on a belt, remove cell phones, keys and other metal objects for the tray; you may have to have a wand inspection if things beep etc, etc. Basically it's like going through the hubaloo to get on an airplane.

Use the Sewall Street entrance to the parking lot and park there. We will meet just outside the Cross Office Building which is directlyin front of the parking lot and across the State House entrance.

The tour includes the Old Museum, the Hall of Flags and the chambers of the House of Reps and the Senate. The tour is roughly 30"-1". There are many bronze plaques of Historical interest (several cast by you know who).

I thought we had to were name tags but that request is for the Museum Tours.

I am going to see if we can tack on a museum tour with possible arrowhead making. I'll let you know. We have the Vcs, the Macs, Eddyblouins, Nelsons, Catherine and her kids, Christy and Zoe (right?) and Meghan and her kids. For those of you who don't know Meghan, she is a member of All Saints (st mary) with two boys, a daughter, BRAND new baby, Thomas. Am I missing anyone?

The Gist

Go to the Danielle Bean Blog (link at right I think) and scroll down to watch a few minutes of The Gist.  It doesn't count as watching TV because I'm just getting inspired to do my laundry, so Jesus is ok with that....right?  Did I ever mention I suffer from presumption?  Or maybe I *don't* suffer from it, and that's part of the problem...ANYWAY--The Gist is lots of fun!

This Just in from Caroline!

Happy March!

Do you all have our St. Joseph's feast day celebration marked in your calendars for March 17 from 1 to 4

chez les O'Briens? Email me if they plan to come (leener0515@yahoo.com)?  

I will have coffee, tea, kid-friendly roll-up sandwiches and a dessert.  Janine is bringing a broccoli salad and, if I can get my act together, I'll do something in the crockpot.  That should give you an idea of what the food holes are.  

Hopefully it will be nice so there can be some outside play.

Make it a great day.

Allison here:  Here is a link to a great Catholic website (kidding) Wikipedia, on St. Joseph foods.  Think bread crumbs and fava beans!