"Let me be food for the wild beasts, for they are my way to God. I am God’s wheat and shall be ground by their teeth so that I may become Christ’s pure bread." From Ignatius' letter to the Romans
Because St Ignatius of Antioch, Bishop and martyr, is my patron Saint for the year, and today is his feast day, I thought I'd post a little something about him. Tradition holds that he is one of the children whom Jesus blessed. On his way to his martyrdom, he penned several letters which show his amazing faith and also reveal much about the beliefs and practices of the early Church. I recommend reading more.
17 October 2012
15 October 2012
Book Nook
14 October 2012
Sunday Snippets - a Catholic Carnival
After a blogging break last week, I've been back to blogging this week. First off are my standard posts of the Book Nook and Crafty Thursday. I also wrote about how one shouldn't assume all pregnant women are miserable, followed another homeschooling post and the best pumpkin pie ever. I hope everyone has a wonderful week, and be sure to check out the rest of the carnival at RAnn's blog.
12 October 2012
Crafty Thursday - a Day Late
36 weeks and nesting is in high gear. Consequently, I didn't get around to taking photos of all my craftiness by last night (still haven't). But I've certainly been busy. I've made more diapers, as well as cloth pads for postpartum, and breast pads. Thus far, the breast pads have all been made out of scraps. Waste not, and all that. I made one set with darts for shaping, but then decided that wasn't necessary, so the rest have just been circular. I never knew I'd become quite so crunchy, or crafty.
10 October 2012
Best Pumpkin Pie Ever
When we loved in Liverpool, I didn't know where to find canned pumpkin, but I did manage to find a sugar pumpkin at the farmer's market. So I asked my sister-in-law what to do, and she helped me. It was delicious.
Now that I'm back in the US, I can get canned pumpkin, but I'd rather not. When shopping the other day, Kieran spotted the pie pumpkins and asked to get one, so we did. However, I'd forgotten exactly what my sister-in-law said to do, so I did a search and found this. I found the suggestion of scooping out the seeds with an ice cream scoop to be ingenious! It works so well, and I wonder why I didn't think of it before. I chose to cook he pumpkin in the oven (I think I steamed it last time); while this takes longer, it's incredibly easy.
Once it's cooked, the flesh literally falls out of the skin, so I just plop it in the blender. From there, I followed the recipe on that link. It tasted good, but I found it to be too clove-y, so I've now altered it to use 1/2 tsp cloves and a dash or two of nutmeg. I also used 1c whole milk instead of evaporated milk, as I forgot to buy any. And it's absolutely perfect like that. As for the crust, I take the easy, and delicious, way out and used Penzey's no–roll pie crust. If you haven't made a pumpkin pie from scratch before, don't be intimidated. I really is easy, and it's easy for kids to help.
Now that I'm back in the US, I can get canned pumpkin, but I'd rather not. When shopping the other day, Kieran spotted the pie pumpkins and asked to get one, so we did. However, I'd forgotten exactly what my sister-in-law said to do, so I did a search and found this. I found the suggestion of scooping out the seeds with an ice cream scoop to be ingenious! It works so well, and I wonder why I didn't think of it before. I chose to cook he pumpkin in the oven (I think I steamed it last time); while this takes longer, it's incredibly easy.
Once it's cooked, the flesh literally falls out of the skin, so I just plop it in the blender. From there, I followed the recipe on that link. It tasted good, but I found it to be too clove-y, so I've now altered it to use 1/2 tsp cloves and a dash or two of nutmeg. I also used 1c whole milk instead of evaporated milk, as I forgot to buy any. And it's absolutely perfect like that. As for the crust, I take the easy, and delicious, way out and used Penzey's no–roll pie crust. If you haven't made a pumpkin pie from scratch before, don't be intimidated. I really is easy, and it's easy for kids to help.
Myth of the Truant Homeschooler
Of all the myths of homeschooling, the most infuriating and scary, for me, is the myth of the truant homeschooler. What I mean by that is the myth of parents claiming to educate their children at home but in reality neglecting the child's education, or, even worse, neglecting, exploiting, or abusing the child. This myth is used to paint all homeschoolers in the same light, even when it is acknowledged that the vast majority of homeschoolers do not fall into this category, by requiring registration and/or evaluation of all homeschoolers.
Some may question why registering or testing is a problem, since most parents have nothing to hide. The problem, though, is that it presumes that all homeschoolers are guilty until proven otherwise, when we should have the right to be presumed innocent, regardless of choosing an educational model that is in the minority.
Exceptional cases, such as that of Khrya Ishaq, as then used to bolster such attempts at mandatory registration, despite the fact that she was in fact registered, and the proper authorities were notified of the neglect and abuse while she was still enrolled in school. Such cases cannot be used to condemn those who home educate. In fact, such cases show that being enrolled in school is not a safeguard for the child. This is something I know firsthand from my time as a teacher in a public school, in fact. Just as the educational choice of the parents is not relevant to the abuse of a child in public school, it also isn't relevant in the case of the homeschooled child, since the incidences in the media are not related to actual home education.
I have issues with how many standardised tests are designed and used, in and out of the schools, as well. It also places a burden on homeschoolers that is not placed on those in private schools, who are exempt from state testing. It especially becomes a burden when the parents choose to follow an educational model that isn't "traditional", even though they'd encounter no such problem if they enrolled the child in a Montessori school.
Homeschoolers have the luxury of being able to tailor the education to the child, instead of the other way around. This means that a child educated at home may in fact span a few different grade levels in different subjects, which would make accurate testing more difficult. That's not to say that all evaluation is bad, but that the tests may not be the best tool for that, and of course I question the need for the state to control that.
I think it's easy to see why I said this myth infuriates me, but why does I scare me? I scares me because stories such as Khyra's become ingrained in the public image and conflated with your typical homeschooler. It scares me because you then end up with innocent parents being reported to the authorities because their children happen to be educated at home. This fear isn't unique to me, but is in act shared by other homeschooling families I know. Some even go so far as to purchase school uniforms for their children to avoid arousing suspicions lest another be tempted to report them, even though they are doing nothing wrong. This is why this myth must end. Somehow.
Some may question why registering or testing is a problem, since most parents have nothing to hide. The problem, though, is that it presumes that all homeschoolers are guilty until proven otherwise, when we should have the right to be presumed innocent, regardless of choosing an educational model that is in the minority.
Exceptional cases, such as that of Khrya Ishaq, as then used to bolster such attempts at mandatory registration, despite the fact that she was in fact registered, and the proper authorities were notified of the neglect and abuse while she was still enrolled in school. Such cases cannot be used to condemn those who home educate. In fact, such cases show that being enrolled in school is not a safeguard for the child. This is something I know firsthand from my time as a teacher in a public school, in fact. Just as the educational choice of the parents is not relevant to the abuse of a child in public school, it also isn't relevant in the case of the homeschooled child, since the incidences in the media are not related to actual home education.
I have issues with how many standardised tests are designed and used, in and out of the schools, as well. It also places a burden on homeschoolers that is not placed on those in private schools, who are exempt from state testing. It especially becomes a burden when the parents choose to follow an educational model that isn't "traditional", even though they'd encounter no such problem if they enrolled the child in a Montessori school.
Homeschoolers have the luxury of being able to tailor the education to the child, instead of the other way around. This means that a child educated at home may in fact span a few different grade levels in different subjects, which would make accurate testing more difficult. That's not to say that all evaluation is bad, but that the tests may not be the best tool for that, and of course I question the need for the state to control that.
I think it's easy to see why I said this myth infuriates me, but why does I scare me? I scares me because stories such as Khyra's become ingrained in the public image and conflated with your typical homeschooler. It scares me because you then end up with innocent parents being reported to the authorities because their children happen to be educated at home. This fear isn't unique to me, but is in act shared by other homeschooling families I know. Some even go so far as to purchase school uniforms for their children to avoid arousing suspicions lest another be tempted to report them, even though they are doing nothing wrong. This is why this myth must end. Somehow.
9 October 2012
Miserable? Hardly!
I'm nearly 36 weeks into my third pregnancy, and the comments I get are interesting at times. I seems people expect me to be miserable and ready for the baby to be born, but I'm not. Don't get me wrong - I understand feeling that way, as I was miserable with Charlotte (even subclinical hyperemesis gravidarum is miserable), though I still didn't want her to be born early.
But surely I'm not the only pregnant woman who isn't miserable or ready to have the baby a full month before the due date?! I enjoy the baby kicks, though I sometimes ask baby to move a little. Sure, I could do without the indigestion, heartburn, and inability to sleep, but I feel pretty good overall. I know the baby needs more time, and, honestly, I need more time to get organized! I'm excited to get to meet the baby I feel I already know in many ways, but I'm content to wait a bit longer. So please, random people I meet, don't assume I'm miserable, need pity, or wish to give birth early. I promise I'm fine with waiting.
But surely I'm not the only pregnant woman who isn't miserable or ready to have the baby a full month before the due date?! I enjoy the baby kicks, though I sometimes ask baby to move a little. Sure, I could do without the indigestion, heartburn, and inability to sleep, but I feel pretty good overall. I know the baby needs more time, and, honestly, I need more time to get organized! I'm excited to get to meet the baby I feel I already know in many ways, but I'm content to wait a bit longer. So please, random people I meet, don't assume I'm miserable, need pity, or wish to give birth early. I promise I'm fine with waiting.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)