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My youngest son left early today for his first day of school-school since he finished kindergarten over eight years ago. It was a bittersweet moment. He was nervous and not exactly happy (see visual aid above -- and I just realized that he wiped milk on is blue shirt this morning so he went to school -- first day -- with a stain. Sigh), and I wanted to hug him and tell him he didn't have to go, but I know this will be good for him. He needs the humility provided (good humility, not humiliation) by this school, and the structure, the fellowship of young men, and the guidance of good faculty.

But, honestly, I wanted to twitch my nose and make him three again.

And true confessions here -- I completely forgot about his Schultute, of which he reminded me last night. :-( Sad mama. It's on my to-do list today.

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A huge storm blew in this morning at about 5 a.m. and lasted for about two hours. We really needed the rain, but the limbs and leaves all over the backyard, not so much. I do love to sleep to the sound of a storm though, as do all the kids except Faith. And since she had just woken at 5 a.m. to ask for pain medication, she was quite wide awake when the storm started. I think she might be sleeping in today.

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I discovered a new app for my iPhone that is a great aid for praying the rosary. I admit that even though I have a great devotion to praying the rosary I am not always very attentive. I can get through an entire decade and realize I did not once meditate on the mystery. It is hard sometimes to shut the world out, especially if the house is busy or I am trying to pray the rosary out (somewhere besides church). This app is a scriptural rosary, and besides having an offering specific to each mystery, and a visual aid for each mystery, it offers a short verse before each Hail Mary. The author has created several Catholic apps, and though I was watchful for discrepancies in the prayers (because you never know about the true Catholicity of things like apps), I found nothing other than the occasional oddly-spelled word, as the author's first language is apparently not American-English ( what I noticed were British spellings of English words), and the use of the term "Apocalypse" instead of "Revelations." It was well worth the $1.99 it cost me.

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I am sharing a new system I devised for keeping track of in-kind charitable donations -- mostly clothes and shoes. It's very fancy and highly technical, I tell you (teasing you). I keep a store of shopping sacks in my closet and with them a sharpie marker (just hook it on the top of the bag). When I add an item, I mark it on the bag with the marker, and when the bag is full I take a photo. I've been using the iPhone because I always have it with me, and then I email it to myself and place the photo in a special folder in my email program. Then at the end of the tax year, I can tally up the tick marks and use either this website, or Turbo Tax, to determine value. In the past I would pack up all the stuff to donate and then not bother unpacking it to see what I had, thus loosing the whole donation, tax-wise. Now I don't have to do anything except take a picture.

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Faith's box of books arrived from CHC yesterday. She was very excited to open it but her excitement ended when she realized her phonics book was not inside. After I explained that the phonics book is coming from another company she told me that phonics was really the only subject she wants to do this year. It should be an interesting year.

I think I will follow Ginny's guide and ask Faith what exactly it is that she wants to learn this year. Of course, she will still have to learn math, spelling and social studies even if she doesn't want to, but the least we can do is include the things she really wants to learn. Besides phonics, that is.

I am off to do lesson plans now. Let's see if I remember how!



P.S. Last week's 52 weeks post is going to be combined with this weeks. That tonsillectomy threw me for a loop.

P.P.S. Still searching for Kathleen of the blue and red beaded rosary. I have found two Kathleens but neither is the right one. I think the one I am looking for is from Texas -- or somewhere in the deep south.
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