Playing In The Poconos (Vacation 6 - part 2)

Cherub 2 worked for a long time to build this beautiful snowman -- she was so pleased with "her" when she was all finished.

**Update on Cherub 5 -- she is GOOD AS NEW -- still on antibiotics but no fevers or headaches or dizziness at all. She has been outside playing and being "herself" again. HOORAY !!

Playing In The Poconos (Vacation 6 - part 1)

We arrived in the dark but could plainly see THE SNOW .... the main reason for our trip.

This morning it was official --- there is 6" of snow on the ground. YAHOOOOOOOO the cheers cried out !!

So we spent today doing "nothing" .... nothing in particular rather. We played ... sledding, making snowmen and snow angels ... we hiked across the snow to the lake ... we had snowball wars .... we ate TONS of snow ... we had hot chocolate and warmed our toes by the fire, and then headed outside again.

Iceskating (without skates) on the ice.

Vacation 5

On Thursday we slept late and rested for most of the morning. Cherub 5 was finally beginning to feel better (HOORAY !!). After lunch we headed over to visit more family -- Great Grammy and Great Pop (above) and GrandDad Gregory (below). These photos are of ALL of the grandchildren / great grandchildren -- my sister had arrived with my nephew "Ivan".
After visiting and having dinner with the Great & Grand parents ... we headed north for a 3 hours drive .... to the Poconos in update Pennsylvania / lower NewYork State .... and when we arrived, we unloaded and went to bed.

**Cherub 5 had no more fever after her lunchtime meds on Thursday ... HOORAY !! She is still a little stuffy but is back to her "self" and is enjoying her vacation again.

Vacation 4

We woke up early on Wednesday morning excited about our trip to the Aquarium .... to find 1" of ice had coated EVERYTHING and that there was no power. And when we woke Cherub 5 to get ready, she had a 102 temp and begged to stay in bed for the day. She decided to stay home with Aunt Chris and Uncle so she could sleep --- they played baord games and she rested on the couch. (At this point it was clear that her head was very congested -- we called a doctor who called in some antibiotics for her.) After picking them up and giving her a dose, she still wanted to stay "home" .... so we left her there as she wanted. With heavy hearts we headed out .... we braved the drive into Baltimore Harbor after Cousin M called to say that the BeltWay and I-83 were clear and dry ....

On Wednesday we were treated to passes to the National Aquarium in Baltimore, Maryland. And these teeth are from the largest breed of shark ever recorded -- and they used to live at the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay (and I cannot recall it's name - sorry).

Our cousin M is a Marine Biologist at the National Aquarium, and was very sweet to get us passes to visit. (Thank you M !!) We stopped here to watch the divers feed the rays and the giant sea turtle ... and the Zebra Shark (which is spotted instead of striped) had left this egg sack. Without a male, it is not fertilized--- but the egg sack was so interesting. And thanks to having a Marine Biologist giving us a grand tour, the children were allowed to ask questions and examine it very closely. It was really interesting !!

This photo is from the dolphin show which was adorable. Afterwards we were able to see Foster (the new baby dolphin born late last summer) in person - he was SOOOO cute !!
This photo turned out so neat -- it was one of the many frogs from the Frog CHORUS OF COLORS exhibit. This was a fascinating area with frogs of every size, texture, and color imaginable.

This is a photo of the diver feeding the giant sea turtle. It was rescued from a Northern New England beach with a horrible infection of the front flipper. After the Aquarium crew rescued it, they treated her in hopes of saving the flipper ... it was unsuccessful. So after teh amputation her heath was still not "perfect" so the Aquarium decided to keep her as an exhibit in an effort of save her life .. it was doubtful she would make it again in the wild. And she was just amazing to watch.

Cousin M spent most of the morning with us, answering millions of questions and sharing her deep love of all creatures aquatic. THANK YOU COUSIN M !!!

After a few purchases (for Cherub 5) from the gift shop we headed back to the Bollinger's to find that they still had no power (from the Icestorm on Tuesday night) . Around 3pm poor Cherub 5 was still running 102-103 fevers .... and was still miserable. We packed up our things and loaded the van, and then went to dinner with Aunt Chris and Uncle Ed. After dinner, Cherub 5 was beginning to feel a bit better -- and we headed for Hanover, PA to my sisters for the night. We left the ice behind and found our first 1" of snow in Hanover ..... the children said it was YUMMY !!

Vacation 3

On Tuesday morning we headed for Our IceSkating Adventure. We had originally planned to go to Baltimore's Inner Harbor to skate outside, but Baltimore no longer has any outdoors public rinks. So we went into Baltimore to an indoor rink -- this was the children's first time ever iceskating -- and it has been many years since DadToCherubs and I had skated. We all had a grand time.

Then we went out for a delicious lunch at Pepe's in Mount Washington (MD).

After lunch, we headed back to the Bollinger's house --- just in time !! There was a Winter Storm Watch that was calling for snow changing to ice between 3-5pm. At 3pm on the dot, the snow began, and by 4p it was ICE. I laughed -- it was like Maryland was welcoming me home. HA !! So we settled in for the evening and played board games with Aunt Chris and Uncle Ed. Then we went to bed early for a BIG day on Wednesday ........

On Tuesday evening around 6pm Cherub 5 had a 103.2 fever - YIKES !! She had a terrible headache and was dizzy. So she went to bed early ... and we were worried about her.

Smithsonian: National Museum of Air & Space

This exhibit was really neat -- it was set up as if it were the deck of one of the Navy's Aircraft Carriers - complete with flight and landing simulators. We had a lot of fun learning how it all works. DadToCherubs made a successful "TAIL HOOK" landing on the simulator.

This is a photo of the ACTUAL plane built and flown by the Wright Brothers at Kitty Hawk, NC. A day that history changed forever !! This exhibit was fascinating because we JUST finished learning about the Wright Brothers.

The Apollo (the one that landed on the moon).
A scale model of the Space Shuttle.
This craft was really interesting ... it seemed hard to believe just how much equiptment was inside of that small space.

Smithsonian: National Museum of Natural History

There is a 12ton elephant in the foyer of this museum. DadToCherubs and I heard a collective WOW when we walked through the front doors.

Dinosaurs were a huge hit !!

This is iron deposits under varnish -- isn't it neat ?!?!

This was a cool little fox ... his big ears were really fuzzy inside.

And the hippo --- the children thought he was really interesting !!

Vacation 2

On Monday, we drove from Baltimore to just outside of Washington, D.C. First we went to see National Naval Medical Center (better known as Bethesda Naval Hospital) in Bathesda, Maryland. This was neat for the children because this is where DadToCherubs and I were stationed when we met. Awwwww .... how romantic !!

Next we boarded the D.C.-bound metro for a quick (and easy) ride into Washington D.C. The children were REALLY impressed with this mode of transportation ... this was definately a highlight for our trip !!

Here are the children on the Mall in Washington D.C. with the Capitol Building in the background. (It was FREEZING in DC on the day we visited --- windy and sooooo colddddd.)

And here are the children freezing to death with the Washington Monument in the background.

Vacation 1

We arrived in Maryland on Saturday and went to bed shortly after our arrival - it is a LONG drive form Tennessee to Maryland.

On Sunday we went to have lunch with Great Grandmommy ... and we hae a lovely visit with her. (Above photo of the children with Great Grandmommy.)

After our visit, we headed north west to Havre de Grace. It was here that I spent a lot of my summers as a child -- with my grandfather. So we explored the coast of the Susquehana River, where it meets the Chesapeake Bay -- we saw the Concord Point Lighthouse and visited the Marina Museum. There we saw a scaled model of a Skipjack called the Martha Lewis that was built in Havre de Grace and then sailed in the Bay.

Finally, we headed back to my Aunt's for dinner - and visited with the Morrison's (who come to visit us every summer) which was a great treat. In the above photo, I was reading everyone a story.

Urgent Message From H.S.L.D.A.

Please read over the following from Home School Legal Defense Association and sign the petition.

It is important not only to homechooling, but for all parents in choosing what they think best for their children. It is important especially in this election year. It was not too long ago when a former First Lady, now a candidate for the Presidency, was pushing very hard to have the U.N. Convention on the Rights of the Child made a binding Treaty in the U.S.. The treaty would have ended the opportunity for legal home education in the United States. It would have taken away much more than that, as regards the family.

We fought that fight once; we will fight it again.

To those who have been homeschooling for more than 10 years, this is no surprise. We remember well the days and the legal battle. To those who are new to homeschooling, it is time for you to enter the battle. The threats have been minimal over the past 5 years and many families have become complacent. That time is over.

Please forward this message.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

From the Desk of Michael P. Farris ...

February 7, 2008

Dear HSLDA Members and Friends:

I am writing to you today about obtaining permanent protection for our rights as parents. For nearly 25 years, HSLDA has focused on defending the right of parents to home educate their children. We have met with great success in this effort, and we have seen God's hand of blessing on thousands of families as the homeschooling movement has progressed.

After all, this movement was built upon the firm belief that parents possess a God-given right to direct the upbringing and education of their children. And I know that you'll agree with me in saying when that right is under fire, we must do whatever we can to protect it.

Parental Rights are in Jeopardy
A "perfect storm" that could literally demolish the rights we value so deeply is approaching on the horizon. If these threats persist, we could soon be looking at the demolition of the parental role, and an upsurge of government intrusion in family life.

Even though parental rights are recognized as a fundamental right under current Supreme Court doctrine, there are two threats to the recognition of this principle.

The Threat from the Federal Courts
Today an increasing number of Supreme Court justices refuse to recognize that parental rights are a fundamental right. In the 2000 case of Troxel v. Granville, only four of the nine Supreme Court justices expressly agreed that the Constitution "protects the fundamental right of parents to make decisions concerning the care, custody, and control of their children." Two of these justices—then-Chief Justice William Rehnquist and Justice Sandra Day O'Connor—have since left the Court.

Even Justice Antonin Scalia, a noted conservative, holds that parental rights are not judicially enforceable at all until there is a specific parental rights provision in the Constitution.

The Threat of International Law
Even as the recognition of parental rights is fading within the federal courts, international law which diminishes parental authority is approaching possible ratification. The growing use of international law in American courts offers a frightening glimpse into the future. If the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) becomes binding on this country, then parental rights as we know them will be erased. This international treaty provides for the government to define what is in the "best interests of the child," supplanting the parent as the ultimate decision maker.

Moreover, if the UNCRC is ratified, all state laws which recognize the right to homeschool will be superseded by international law if international tribunals or American courts think that such education is not in the "best interest of the child." We would do well to remember the example of Germany on this point.

There is Only One Solution
I am convinced that there is only one solution to this attack on the child-parent relationship: We must amend the Constitution to permanently secure the rights of parents. The Parental Rights Amendment is the only way to protect and preserve the rights of parents to make key decisions for their children, as well as to direct their upbringing and education.

The only way that we can accomplish this goal is to gain the nationwide support of millions of parents like you. We need to raise our voices to safeguard the child-parent relationship. And we need to be organized and vocal so that Congress will listen.

It's the Battle of Our Lifetime
The battle for parental rights will be the fight of our lifetime. That's why I am turning to you for support as we launch this vital campaign.

The process of amending the Constitution is both long and challenging. Our goal is to have a substantial number of Congressional co-sponsors before the Parental Rights Amendment is even introduced. Ultimately the amendment requires final approval of two-thirds of both the House and the Senate. Once passed by Congress, the amendment must then be ratified by three-fourths of the states.

We Need a Groundswell of Support
As you can see, passing the Parental Rights Amendment is not going to be easy. But it is completely possible. If we can find 10,000 people within each congressional district who are willing to contact their congressmen and senators on this issue, then we can gain a favorable response from most members of Congress. We are referring to these individuals as Citizen Co-sponsors. Our goal is to find 10,000 Citizen Co-sponsors in at least 80% of the congressional districts in the country. While this number may seem daunting, it is clearly attainable. In fact, if each HSLDA member recruits 40 people to become Citizen Co-sponsors by signing the petition, we will reach this goal.

The bottom line is this: we need a groundswell of support and activism from our HSLDA members. That's why I am asking you to do two things right away.

1. Join ParentalRights.org
You can become a Citizen Co-Sponsor simply by signing the petition for parental rights on ParentalRights.org.

But I am asking you to take this one step further.

I am challenging you to join the campaign. With a gift of $25 or more, you can become a member of ParentalRights.org. There are two reasons why we urgently need your financial support. The first and most obvious reason is that building the infrastructure to secure a Constitutional amendment requires a substantial amount of money. Second, under existing federal law we can only send detailed information about the political implications of this effort to dues-paying members. Therefore certain communications will only be given to our dues-paying members rather than those who have only signed the petition.

2. Get your friends and neighbors involved
I'm asking you to enlist your friends and family to visit ParentalRights.org, and encourage them to join the campaign. Our user-friendly Tell a Friend application enables you to upload email addresses from your address book, and easily inform friends of the importance of the campaign. Growth is essential during the early stages of this effort, and that support needs to start now.
We need grassroots support from dedicated parents in all 50 states to ensure the smooth passage of the amendment. I firmly believe that the homeschooling movement is the key to victory in this massive effort. We've come a long way in the last 25 years… but there is so much more ahead.

I'm challenging you to join the fight today.

Sincerely,
Michael P. FarrisChairman, Home School Legal Defense AssociationPresident, ParentalRights.org

The HSLDA E-lert Service is a service of:
Home School Legal Defense Association • P.O. Box 3000 • Purcellville, Virginia 20134-9000Phone: (540) 338-5600 • Fax: (540) 338-2733 • Email: info@hslda.orgWeb: http://www.hslda.org

Packing and Loading For Traveling

I was asked just today asked how in the world I manage to pack for 8 people. And the short answer is, I don't. All 8 people in this house pack for themselves.

First I make several lists, and then we WORK the lists.

I compile a list of what each person needs to pack in their suitcase (everyone has a suitcase of their own) --- 5 pairs of socks, 2 sets of church clothing, 4 pairs of town-pants, 1 sweatshirt, etc. Then, each child is given one "go to get" item at a time in the order it appears on the list. They go to get the items, and bring them to me (or DadToCherubs) ... I check to be sure they are suitable (quality and quantity) and then they place that item in their suitcase --- then they go to get the next item on the list. The list is followed rigidly - one cannot move to the "next" item without have finished the one before. This prevents "forgetting" things, which helps keep us prepared when we travel. When each suitcase is finished, it is taken directy to the van.

After the suitcases are packed, we go through the TOILETRY list (we have separate TRAVEL toiletries so that we can pack before we need to leave and yet still brush our teeth - HA !) -- toothbrush, hairbrush, face products, etc. There is a list for each person, and each person works their list (with Mom or Dad as supervisor) until their Toilerty list is packed in the Family Toiletry Bag. This bag, which the family shares, is then loaded into the van.

Then, if there is a special packing list (sleeping bags, camping supplies, kitchen wares, etc), that is packed up in the same fashion by an assigned person -- then it is put into the van.

If all goes as planned, the van is packed completely (minus food stuff in need of cool temps - such as needs a cooler) a full 24 hours prior to our departure, or more.

The night before we are leaving on a trip, we get out necessary clothing .... what to wear down to socks and shoes and coats --- this is put out for ease of use.

Also the night before we leave on a trip, everyone has a specific area of the hosue to DEEP clean .... vacumn, dust, mop, scrub ..... all clean laundry is put away, fresh towels are put out, and the last load of laundry is run. This way, when we come home from our trip, the house is spotless .... it is so nice to come home to a nice clean house !!

And finally, on the morning of departure we have something NO MESS for breakfast -- bagels (served on napkins) and a paper cup or juice or milk. We do this to cut down on clean-up. Then everyone gets dressed to leave, right down to the shoes.

The last part of our "departure" agenda -- everyone folds his / her PJs neatly and places them on their dresser --- then they make their beds and tidy anything left undone in their rooms and in their assigned cleaning area. All trash is bagged up and taken to the dumpster ....

Then ... we are OFF on our travels.

Now - what do we pack this way ?? Well, because it is a valuable skill to be able to pack for ones self for a trip not to mention it is an effort to preserve Mom's and Dad's fragile sanity when preparing for a road trip. HA !!

by Merry Cardinal del Val, secretary of state to Pope Saint Pius Xfrom the prayer book for Jesuits, 1963

O Jesus, meek and humble of heart, Hear me.

From the desire of being esteemed, Deliver me, O Jesus.

From the desire of being loved, Deliver me, O Jesus.

From the desire of being extolled, Deliver me, O Jesus.

From the desire of being honored, Deliver me, O Jesus.

From the desire of being praised, Deliver me, O Jesus.

From the desire of being preferred to others, Deliver me, O Jesus.

From the desire of being consulted, Deliver me, O Jesus.

From the desire of being approved, Deliver me, O Jesus.

From the fear of being humiliated, Deliver me, O Jesus.

From the fear of being despised, Deliver me, O Jesus.

From the fear of suffering rebukes, Deliver me, O Jesus.

From the fear of being calumniated, Deliver me, O Jesus.

From the fear of being forgotten, Deliver me, O Jesus.

From the fear of being ridiculed, Deliver me, O Jesus.

From the fear of being wronged, Deliver me, O Jesus.

From the fear of being suspected, Deliver me, O Jesus.

That others may be loved more than I,

Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.

That others may be esteemed more than I,

Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.

That, in the opinion of the world, others may increase and I may decrease,

Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.

That others may be chosen and I set aside,

Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.

That others may be praised and I go unnoticed,

Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.

That others may be preferred to me in everything,

Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.

That others may become holier than I,

provided that I may become as holy as I should,

Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.

Our family will be memorizing this during Lent. And these points will be our focus during this time as well.

Fast from judging others;

Feast on Christ dwelling in them.

Fast from apparent darkness;
Feast on the reality of light.


Fast from thoughts of illness;
Feast on the healing power of God.


Fast from words that pollute;
Feast on phrases that purify.


Fast from discontent;
Feast on gratitude.


Fast from anger;
Feast on patience.


Fast from pessimism;
Feast on optimism.


Fast from worry;
Feast on divine order.


Fast from complaining;
Feast on appreciation.


Fast from negatives;
Feast on affirmatives.


Fast from pressure;
Feast on unceasing prayer.


Fast from hostility;
Feast on nonresistance.


Fast from bitterness;
Feast on forgiveness.


Fast from self-concern;
Feast on compassion for others.


Fast from personal anxiety;
Feast on Eternal truth.


Fast from discouragement;
Feast on hope.


Fast from facts that depress;
Feast on truths that uplift.


Fast from lethargy;
Feast on enthusiasm.


Fast from suspicion;
Feast on trust.


Fast from shadows of sorrow;
Feast on sunlight of serenity.


Fast from idle gossip.
Feast on purposeful silence.



--By: William Arthur Ward --

Tomorrow is Ash Wednesday, and our family will attend Mass. It is the first day of Lent, and is a day of penitence - to clean the soul before the Lent fast.

Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of Lent for Catholics, and this day is also the practice of some other Christian churches.

The ashes we receive on our forehead in the shape of a cross serve as an outward sign of our sinfulness and need for penance. The ashes also symbolize our mortality, a reminder that one day we will die and our bodies will return to dust. Hence the traditional words, “Remember that thou art dust and unto dust thou shalt return.”

The tradition of receiving ashes has its origins in the Old Testament, where sinners performed acts of public penance, covered their heads with ashes, wore sackcloth, and fasted. It was Pope Urban II who in the 11th century recommended that all Catholics take part in the practice of receiving ashes on Ash Wednesday. In the 12th century it became customary that the ashes used on Ash Wednesday were made by burning the previous year’s palm branches.

Ash Wednesday is also a day of fasting and abstinence for Catholics. And during Lent all of the faithful are called to strive to

develop a spirit of real humility and true sacrifice.

Audio Books

The age old statements and questions from children on a longggg car ride ---- WHAT CAN I DO ?? I'M BORED !! THERE'S NOTHING TO DO IN HERE. ARE WE THERE YET ??

I will begin by saying that I am ANTI-CAR-TELEVISION. Occassionally we will take one single Netflix documentary or something educational "on the road" for a long trip, but it is extremely rare for us to break out the car-tv system at all. Radio gets old, not to mention the difficulty of finding family-friendly stations. And we have tried travel games, but the pieces are so tiny and get lost easily, so they ended up being more of a hinderance than a help.

That being said -- we are facing A LOT of driving on our trip North. We will drive 9 hours from home to our first destination, and then several hours on several different occasions in between, and then 9 hours back home. (We estimate over 20 hours of driving time will be accumulated on the whole trip combined - YIKES !!)

So .... we have a NEW plan !!

We are downloading FREE audio books for our whole family to listen to in the car. I found some fantastic titles (many from various Ambleside years). DadToCherubs is going to download them and then burn them to CDs so that we can play them on the car stereo (CD player).

Great books, entertainment, with an investment of a little bit of time and a few pennies per CD. WOW !! And as homeschoolers, we can add these titles to our Reading Lists for the year -- school on the road.

If you are looking for FREE audio books for a trip or just for at-home use, be sure to check these sites:

http://librivox.org/newcatalog/search.php?title=&author=&status=complete&action=Search

http://www.gutenberg.org/browse/categories/1

http://www.wiredforbooks.org/index2.htm

Space Weather News February 5, 2008

http://spaceweather.com

SOLAR ECLIPSE: This Thursday, Feb. 7th, the Moon will pass in front of the Sun, producing a solar eclipse over New Zealand, most of Antarctica and parts of Australia. It is not a total eclipse; the Moon will only partially cover the solar disk. Nevertheless, the event promises some beautiful moments.

For instance, the partially-eclipsed Sun will dapple the ground with crescent-shaped sunbeams. Observers in New Zealand and Australia should look in the shadows of leafy trees for this lovely phenomenon. On the barren slopes of Antarctica, scientists and explorers can produce the same effect by letting the sun shine through a spaghetti colander or a sheet of paper poked with holes.
It is dangerous to stare directly at a partial eclipse because the exposed portion of the Sun is as blindingly bright as usual. Backyard astronomers with safely-filtered solar telescopes may, however, point their optics at the Sun and watch the mountainous lunar limb glide across the sun's fiery surface. (For solar telescopes, see: http://spaceweather.com/ccount.php?linkURL=http://coronadofilters.com/ )

The best views of all are reserved for an remote stretch of the Antarctic where the Moon will pass dead-center in front of the Sun without fully covering it. A thin layer of star will poke out all around the Moon producing a vivid "ring of fire" or annular eclipse.

Visit http://Spaceweather.com for eclipse maps and timetables and, later this week, photos of the eclipse itself.

The Charlotte Mason Blog Carnival

Please take a few minutes to stop by the 10th Edition of the Charlotte Mason Blog Carnival over at "On Our Journey Westward". She has done a wonderful job of putting together a very enjoyable, simple to read, and beautifully decorated blog carnival on many popular Charlotte Mason topics.

Charlotte Mason Blog Carnival: 10th Edition

Please spread the word on your blogs so we can reach as many readers as possible !

On Schedule and Counting Down The Days

The time has come .... (drum roll) .... for our much anticipated, eagerly awaited, NORTH-IN-WINTER TOUR. We have tried to plan this trip for the last several years, but something always came up that canceled our plans. But not this time .... the trip is ON !!

We will be in Maryland, Pennsylvania, NewYork, and Connecticut -- to visit with family, to sight-see, and to play !

My (MomToCherubs) family is in Maryland and in Pennsylvania. We last visited Maryland and Pennsylvania two (or maybe three ?) years ago. We are all looking forward to seeing Aunts, Uncles, Cousins, Grandparents, and Great Grandparents again !!

Then, from Maryland and Pennsylvania, we are headed even further north to Connecticut. This is where DadToCherubs' family is (and where he grew up) - Cousins, Aunts, Uncles, GreatAunts, and a GreatUncle. We have not been to Connecticut in many years (more than 10). Actually, when we last visited Connecticut we had only 3 Cherubs in our family ( that DOES seem like a really longggg time ago, doesn't it ?? ) . And it was during our last CT visit that Cherub 3 was just beginning to crawl. Of course, we now have 6 Cherubs .... and Cherub 3 is turning 11yo in just another month. Where did the 10+ years go ?? YIKES !! So, much of our family will be meeting their Connecticut family for the very first time ! Our Cherubs have been very-much looking forward to this part of the visit - putting real faces with names and photographs !!

Of course the children wanted to see certain sights in between family visits that they have long admired or heard about -- so we have quite an ambitious sight-seeing agenda too. At the Smithsonian in Washington D.C. the Natural History museum and the Air & Space museum are must-see's. Everyone is excited about seeing the Washington Monument and the United States Capitol Building, and possibly the White House while in Washington D.C too. They want to see the Susquehanna River and some of my childhood-favorite places. In Baltimore, the InnerHarbor thrilled them, along with a lunch of Maryland Crabcakes - what a treat !! One day we will be visiting the National Aquarium (thank you Cousin M !!) which is one sight absolutely everyone here is positively eccastic about - dolphins, sharks, horseshoe crabs - something for everybody !! And all of the children have always wanted to try iceskating (although we were unable to find an outdoor rink - so we had to settle for indoors) so we will give that a try while in town too !! It is funny -- our children, being raised in the south, see little if any snow every year. They have begged and pleaded for a Winter Vacation so that they can experience a REAL winter -- so that they can see REAL snow, taste the snow, smell the snow !! So in upper Pennsylvania they plan to go sledding, build snowmen, and have a snowball WAR. We will also go on our SnowTube trip here too. And we will wrap up our trip with a family visit to Connecticut. (We will be sight-seeing in Connecticut and other parts of New England during our next trip - we have decided to make this NORTH trip annual, or perhaps bi-annual from now on !!)

So THIS is the trip of their dreams !! And DadToCherubs and I tried our best to fit everything into the plans. (And I think we succeeded.)

However, in the mean while ..... this week we have a VERY busy schedule !! We have to get our school work done; we will have finished four weeks of school in two weeks by Friday so that we are not behind schedule when we get back home. And after school each day we have a lot of packing to do PLUS we have several errands to run (haircuts, car care, etc).

Busy busy busy .... but E-X-C-I-T-E-D is an understatement.

Watch out NORTHERN REGIONS ... and prepare to be INVADED ....

Just A Reminder ....

SUPER TUEDAY is tomorrow, February 5th.

So ... if you live in Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Deleware, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Georgia, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Missouri, NewJersey, NewMexico, NewYork, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Utah, or American Somoa .....

Our Weekend

On Saturday morning a dear friend came to give Cherub 2 and I a review lesson in crocheting .... THANK YOU MAMALION !! And the rest of the weekend held great promise --- great weather, clear skies, lots of energy .... we had planned to work on clearning and preparing our vegetable garden spot for tilling ... but that did not happen !!
I suppose we had ALL been fighting a cold that seems to be going around ... and IT won mid-day on Saturday afternoon. We all had the sniffles, were coughing, had scratchy throats and runny noses .... we were just feeling lousy. So instead of our "great plans", the weekend was spent resting and doing "quiet" activities like crocheting (Cherub 2 and I), playing with Legos and the Erectors Sets (Cherub 4, Cherub 5, and Cherub 6), and reading (Cherub 1 and Cherub 3). DadToCherubs took a lot of naps - this cold really knocked him down more than the rest of us.

On Sunday we went to Mass and the children attended their CCD classes. (photo of our church above)

After Mass on Sunday we had lunch, and then watched THE PUPPY SUPER BOWL on The Animal Planet, complete with the KITTY HALF-TIME SHOW. It was adorable, and we laughed and laughed (and coughed and coughed, and sniffled and ached).

On Sunday evening, we watched the SUPERBOWL. Football watching is rare in our house, as we are not really Football Fans. But it was a GREAT game .... and with the yummy snacks, it made for a nice evening.

The good news, now that Monday is here, is that we are all feeling much better. DadToCherubs headed out this morning to work on some things, and we are all working on our school work. This afternoon we are planning to start packing the car for our big trip -- we leave on Saturday. (more on the upcoming BIG TRIP later)

Beau's Prophesy... Hallelujah! Early Spring!

No Shadow at Georgia's Yellow River Game Ranch

LILBURN, GEORGIA, Feb. 2, 2008 /SUNRISE - General Beau Lee, Ph.D., Georgia’s Official Weather Prognosticator and internationally recognized furry forecaster, roused by "Scattered, Smothered and Covered" Hash Browns and legions of Beau Boosters in bleachers, yelling, "Go Beau" – waddled thru the swinging doors of his Southern Mansion at 7:58 A.M. EST in balmy 28-degree weather at The Yellow River Game Ranch in Lilburn, Georgia, a 24-acre animal preserve.

After conferring with the huddled crowd, Game Ranch CEO Col. Art Rilling proclaimed Beau’s prediction, "Muff the EAR-MUFFS y’all. Beau did not see his shadow. Look forward to an early spring!!!!”

For the 28th Annual Celebration, eighteen-year-old Beau was awakened by the repeated ringing of an antique farm bell. Performing his once a year occupation, Beau reluctantly left the comfort of his plush "Weathering Heights Mansion" to brave the cold in performance of his civic duty. Beau has an extraordinary 94% rate of accuracy.

Beau has been recognized by four Georgia Governors including the Honorable Sonny Perdue who issued a Proclamation, which … “recognizes Beau as ’Georgia’s Official Weather Prognosticator’, and further pays special tribute to him for his precise, annual prediction which enables Southerners to effectively prepare for the coming season.”

Beau’s Bio and the history of Groundhog Day may be perused on the Game Ranch web site at www.yellowrivergameranch.com.

** It's GROUNDHOG DAY !! This "holiday" always cracks me up .... it's just too funny. And BTW, Pux Phil in Pennsylvania predicts six more weeks of winter for the Northern regions.

Urgent Prayers Needed

Please lift up this family during this very difficult time.

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