News from Notre Dame {Zachary's 2nd Year}

Notre Dame; the Golden Dome

About this time last year,  my husband Tim arranged for a surprise return home for Zachary during Notre Dame's fall break.  Although it would have been truly awesome to have a repeat performance this year, it wasn't in the cards, so Zac spent his break week on campus getting caught up on homework and sleep.  His break from the normal university routine allowed for a few extra phone calls, which we enjoyed greatly. 

Rival football fans, Grandma Billie and Grandpa Cliff visited Zachary at Notre Dame for the Oklahoma University game in October, and proudly sat in the OU section with a crowd of supporters bussed in from Chicago for the big event.  Grandma's Sooners claimed victory, but Zachary's time with his grandparents included many other special moments that were less rivalry and more camaraderie.  Taking a long tour of campus, attending daily Mass together at the Basilica, and eating out off campus were a few of the highlights.  Grandpa's trusty camera bit the dust, and Zachary tends toward photographic minimalism, so unfortunately there are no images to share from their time together at ND. 

Autumn view from Zachary's dorm room in Knott Hall

This year, Zachary joined a few extra curricular clubs, including the Notre Dame men's boxing team.  Early season training focuses on conditioning and sound quite intense; Zachary reports icing up to five different injuries so far.  Training with punches begins soon; please consider this a prayer request.  All for a good cause, the boxing club season culminates with the fundraising event "Bengal Bouts" which supports missionary work in Bangladesh.

On the topic of sophomore year academics, Zachary reports that his philosophy class "Paradoxes" is his favorite.  Second year German studies continue, and Zac's renowned theology professor, Father Daley, S.J., is both teacher of "Conversions" class and a coach for the boxing club.

Zac's view from the stands at a ND hockey game

In six short weeks, our firstborn will return home for Christmas break and share a bit of wintery adventure and family time here in the Pacific Northwest.  Six weeks...six short weeks!

Finals Week {+ Annual Testing}

It's that time of year again~time for our home school students' annual standardized tests.  Coinciding with Zachary's final final exams for high school (at the community college), our household theme this week is EXAMINATION.

The ONE law for home schooling in Washington State requires every home school to provide annual assessment for each student of the compulsory attendance age (8+).  This testing and the mandatory form filed with our local school district each school year formally declaring our intent to provide home based education are only things we are bound by law to do as home schoolers in Washington State. I guess there could also be a law requiring us to feed and water our students and provide them recess, but I've never seen it in print.

So long as we home school teachers here in Washington have either a year of post high school education or have completed a home schooling certification course, we are deemed worthy by the powers that be to provide our children with a custom home-based education in whatever way we see fit.  So far we're seeing great results academically, socially, morally, and corporeally with our own eclectic Catholic home school program which we continually adapt according to each student's needs and interests (with an ever sharper eye on university entrance requirements thanks to Zachary's recent college application process).

The results of our students' tests are ours to keep and do not go anywhere other than into a file cabinet for proof that the tests were completed.  Often, the tests reveal what we already know in terms of which subjects are strengths and which are weaknesses.  For example in about 5th grade when Zachary dipped a few percentile points in the math computation section, we decided it was time to start using a math curriculum. 


When the timer goes off, the boys depart rapidly from the testing table (otherwise known as the dining room table) and enjoy a bit of mayhem (or a snack) before I call them in to report for the next section.  They take their tests as they spend their school days ~ doggy distractions, neighborhood noise, etc.  When the annual tests are completed, the boys current grade level 'officially' ends and the new grade level begins.  This means I am about to have another high school student as Joseph wraps up the final days of his 8th grade year and launches into the realm of Freshman.  Peter will complete 6th grade and move up into the 7th.  Zac will begin packing for his first year at the University of Notre Dame, and his years of home school formally come to an end this Friday as he graduates in a cap and gown from Whatcom Community College having completed his high school (home school) diploma and his AA degree.

Pentecostal Insights {7}

This flying visitor looks red-dy for Pentecost today!  It is a migrating Western Tanager.  We mark our family calendar to remind us to be on the lookout for these beautiful birds.  Our house is in their flight path in mid-May each year. 

Recognized for his soon-to-be earned AA degree with 60-some other high school 'Running Start' students, Zachary (somewhat reluctantly) took his place of honor on the stage at Whatcom Community College.  Each student had a moment in the spotlight where his academic and other successes were outlined and his plans for the future were announced.   After Zachary's introduction, a collective gasp was heard in the auditorium.  Seriously.  This kid is amazing.  May God be praised!

 If I had to guess, I would say goldfinch, the state bird here in Washington.  But maybe it is a female warbler migrating with her mate?  Ryan?  There was a time on our home school when identifying birds was very high on our to-do list.  We listened to recordings of bird calls to further assist our identification efforts. 

Time with the twins is more fun than ever, as they have grown into playing together and say many words and are better at expressing their wants and needs.  Their mom brings them to play at least once each week, and last week we even had a sleep-over.  Luke must have missed the memo about the sleep part, and he had more of a scream-over.  But Leia slept through all his hysterics and we remember well his dislike for naps and bedtime from the many months he lived with us as our foster son.  They are so dear to us, even when they are screaming.

One more funeral, bringing our total to three this week.  May Belia rest in peace.  Every moment with our pastor is a gift, especially as we prepare for his departure from our parish in one week.  I am especially grateful that we made the decision to center our home school schedule around daily worship, giving us all the chance to be students of Father Qui Thac.  His pastoral ministry, solid teaching and bringing us Jesus every day has blessed us profoundly during these past six years.  He will be missed.

As he prepares to enter the Benedictine Monastery, our pastor has gradually and continually been getting rid of all his stuff.  He will have no personal property as a monk, and therefor has no need for his things.  After the funeral on Friday, the boys helped him take his vestments to his car, to be donated to the Newman Catholic Campus Ministry Chaplain.  Father Qui Thac's emptying of his closets, drawers and shelves serves as a great reminder for us all that we can't take it with us in the end.  So there's no use being too attached to it now.  Let it go.

The second annual Iwo Jima float at our local Ski2Sea Grand Parade featured two of our boys, and two sets of brothers from our close home school and Scouting friends.  The Marine Auxiliary sponsored the float which won either 'best green float' or 'best Memorial Day themed float' (we aren't exactly sure).
The boys love being able to play military and dress up like heroes for the day again this year.  We sat along the route and cheered for them as they passed us by.  Free hamburgers grilled by the Harley Davidson shop a few blocks away made lunch a snap.  Happy Memorial Day all.

Go check out Jen's Conversion Diary next...

Be Not Afraid {Sending Zachary to Notre Dame}

 Tim and me with our oldest son, Zachary (17) on the occasion of our 21st wedding anniversary; snapped after daily Mass by our groomsman, Mike, on leave from his job in Afghanistan.

It has been interesting to filter through all the responses (comments online and in person, text messages, phone calls) to our recent announcement that Zachary will be accepting an academic scholarship and attending the University of Notre Dame in the fall.  For those who bleed blue and gold~Notre Dame alums like Zac's Grandpa Pete~the reactions have been predictably ecstatic.  For many who know Zachary's academic gifts and love of learning, Notre Dame seems a perfect fit.  But from others comes a steady undercurrent of concern for Zachary's spiritual well being, considering the ways Notre Dame (and many other Catholic universities) have grievously failed to maintain and uphold an authentically Catholic campus from the top down.  However, we are not afraid to send our son to Notre Dame.  We are at peace with his decision, more so than when we allowed him to transition from our home school to begin attending classes at the local community college for running start/associate in arts degree at age 16.

Notre Dame is a Catholic university, as a visit to the Basilica of the Sacred Heart's page or to the campus ministry site reveals: daily Mass; Masses offered in the dorms; devotions; retreats; daily confession schedule; Sunday evening Vespers.  In any Catholic university, parish, or family each person can either choose to fully and actively participate or not, and we trust that Zachary will continue to place a high priority on living out his faith within the one+holy+catholic+apostolic Church.  Will he encounter Catholics who are unable or unwilling to fully give themselves over to ALL that our Church holds, teaches and professes to be true?  Yes.  Will he be exposed to the errors of moral relativism? Yes.   Will this be a new experience for him?  No.

We place our trust in God's divine providence, and in our son, whom we have raised to the best of our ability, and who continually astounds us with his intellect and his virtue.  We will joyfully help him make his way to South Bend, Indiana, in 108 days for the beginning of his new life at the University of Notre Dame.  In all fairness, I should mention that we also have a secret weapon, a personal security guard and a delightful advocate into whose loving care we continually place Zachary, our children, Godchildren, foster children, confirmation sponsees, and ourselves: Our Blessed Mother Mary, after whom the University of Notre Dame is named.

No·tre Dame [noh-truh deym, dahm, noh-ter] (noun) the Virgin Mary, mother of Jesus.  Origin: French: our lady

Holy Mary, Mother of God, 

Pray for us!

My dear Protestant brothers and sisters in Christ please note~

I am not advocating praying to the dead!

• Jesus promised eternal LIFE to all who follow Him.
• Certainly Mary followed her Divine Son.
• Mary LIVES with Jesus in heaven.
• From the cross, Jesus offered Mary to us, saying, "Behold your mother."
• We ask Mary to pray FOR us to her Son; she's an advocate within the communion of saints.
• We do not pray TO Mary, we pray THROUGH Mary (this is an optional, though very popular Catholic devotion).
  

On Being Prepared {Zac Report}

Here's our Life Scout for you... ready with his pocket knife (at Church).

Zac's first year of school ended today, doesn't he look happy?  Or does he look like a young man in need of a hair cut?  A Zac quote summing up this academic year at community college in the Running Start program:

"It was."  (With a 'shout out' to his music teacher, who was awesome; and a warning to avoid his philosophy teacher.)

On Zac's to-do list now:

• clean his room
• pack for camping & river rafting trip
• prepare for hosting gaming tomorrow night
• final planning for his Eagle project; order supplies, set up work parties, organize details
• ongoing daily training with local swim team to prepare for his senior year of varsity swimming
• camp, canoe, cook, hike, hammock and enjoy the outdoors
• work part time at the shop on eBay sales

As for me, I'm delighted to have him around a bit more like the old days.  Today he joined us for daily Mass; such a joy to have him.  At almost 17 years old, he's still cherish-able!

Zac Report {Junior Year Update}

At mid-point of the varsity swim season, Zachary continues to improve his times and techniques.  His goal is to qualify for and compete in the the state meet.  He's giving his all with the usual every day workouts in the pool and 3x/week 6AM 'dry land' aerobic and weights work outs.  As always, the coaching is amazing.
But by far the best news from the swim team: Tristan is back in the pool!  Considering doctors weren't sure if he would ever be able to talk or walk again after his car accident a few months ago, it's truly a miracle that he's in the pool and nearly ready to return to school.  Thank you to all of you (especially St. Pio!) who have remembered Tristan in your prayers!

Zac and Tristan in the hot tub relaxing with the swim team after a recent meet

In the mail this week...

Dear Zachary:

The Dean’s List at Whatcom Community College honors full-time students who have achieved a grade point average of at least 3.50.  Each quarter, less than 10% of the more than 5,000 WCC students enrolled for credit earn Dean’s List recognition.

Because of your outstanding performance Fall Quarter, 2010, you have earned the honor of recognition as Dean’s List Scholar.  On behalf of the entire Whatcom Community I congratulate you on this outstanding achievement.  Your success is also Whatcom’s success.

 Thank you for all you contribute to the College’s continuing commitment to excellence.

Zachary's first quarter in running start ended well, and another quarter is off to a great start.
He's in his first science class ever, and enjoys music theory 2 and a philosophy class also.  He's still studying Latin on the side, as well as theology; and continues to develop into an expert in game-ology (home made role playing games).

About Zac's Eagle Project: it's stalled...but not forgotten.  It's mired in the process of obtaining a building permit from the city.  Someday the carport at the rectory will be built!

And that, my friends, is a brief update on our first born son, Zachary.