Books, Books, Books!

A couple days ago the rest of our books for next school year came in the mail. That is, the rest until I have another epiphany about something the boys can't live without learning. I love books. Every spare wall in this house is lined with them. Literally. I tell myself when we finally find a bigger house there will be open spaces. In reality, the wall will probably end up lined with mismatched bookcases again.

This bookcase was a $5 garage sale find, a project from 2 years ago that hasn't been touched. It houses puzzles and some of the books I'm trying to bring myself to get rid of.

I decided Aidan will start taking Latin next fall in 3rd grade. I took three years of Latin in high school, so I'm fairly prepared for the "Why?! What for?" questions. Most specifically, we are Traditional Roman Catholic, so we only attend Latin Masses (my boys have never been to a Mass in English), and follow the laws and teachings of the Roman Catholic Church as they were pre-Vatican II. For those who don't know, Vatican II was the Second Vatican Council, held from 1962-1965. It was opened to address relations between the Catholic Church and the modern world. The Council was meant to clarify the direction of the Church, which, as the Mystical Body of Christ, should always be toward God. However, the Council took a decided turn toward humanism, inviting Protestants (Christians who are not Catholic--that is, those who "protest" the Catholic Faith) to be part of the Council, apparently "revamping" the Church for the people, not for God. In the wake of Vatican II, vocations to the priesthood have plummeted, and sadly former Faithful have left the Church in droves. If they could only see the beauty that is the Faith...but it is not taught or enforced in the Novus Ordo (New Order) like it once was. Priests began celebrating Mass facing the people (not God on the altar), in the vernacular (language of the region) instead of Latin, which was the Universal language of the Church. Previously you could attend Mass anywhere, in any country, and Mass was the same, mirroring the "universality" of the Church. Churches that were once gorgeous works of art were remodeled and stripped down, and redecorated in a minimalist (and sometimes grotesque) fashion. While we recognize the authority of the Pope as head of the Catholic Church, we choose to live our Faith in a more traditional way. I could go on and on, but, will save the rest for another post. :)

I want Aidan to start altar boy training soon, so knowing some Latin would be a great help for him. The Latin curriculum we just received teaches English right alongside Latin, which should help alleviate some confusion. Prima Latina is meant for kinder-6th grade, so we can take our time with it and find a comfortable pace until Aidan's ready for more advanced Latin (Latina Christiana) in 7th-8th grades. Taking Latin actually helped me understand English better because so many of our English words were derived from Latin roots. I had hoped to study veterinary medicine, and Latin is used in a lot of medical terminology. It is far from being a dead language.

The Lives of the Saints is extra reading material for the boys. In an age when most little boys idolize fictional superheroes, it's so important to teach them about the real-life superheroes that should be shaping their aspirations. The stories are short enough for quick reading and the artwork is gorgeous.

With little boys, the questions never end. "What kind of bug is this, Mom? Is that a blue robin? Can I eat those berries?" I decided it'd be fun for them to have a safe place to look up their nature questions, instead of using Google, which can be a dangerous source of information. One misspelled word could equal images that will forever be stuck in their heads. Kaufman's Field Guide to Nature of the Midwest is an excellent resource to have on hand for any age, and I love that it's tailored for our region. Liam (3) loves looking at the pictures, and Aidan carries it every time he goes outdoors to identify trees, plants, bugs, birds and all sorts of other critters.

I get my Lesson Planner from Michele Quigley's shop. The style is exactly what I need and you can customize your planner, including several lesson plans in one binding and adjusting size.

I recently bought Simplicity Parenting at the suggestion of a friend. I think I'm going to love it! Thumbing through this book, I came across such gems as: "Too much stuff leads to too little time and too little depth in the way kids see and explore their worlds", "Some toys claim to give your child a developmental edge. This or that remarkable new toy will not make your child more creative, socially adept, or smarter, despite all the claims the manufacturer makes", "By simplifying clothes you ease transitions. You offer freedom from choice and overload, while still allowing for the slow and sure development of personal expression." After reading this book I have a feeling I'll be going through a lot of stuff and possibly organizing a garage sale for this fall.

And finally, I received this blessings journal in the mail recently from one of my oldest and dearest friends. It's exactly what I needed right now. I've been too busy or preoccupied to write properly in my regular journal, which just ends up being a lot of ranting anyway. If my journals ever make it to my grandchildren, they're going to think granny was a pretty cranky, cantankerous person. While venting has it's time and place, being directed to look on the bright side of things (despite it taking a sardonic tone occasionally) is very refreshing.