Showing Uniqueness in Each Open Window

Libby left 11 windows open.

For those readers who are looking for more outdoor education tidbits...check back later! These "open windows" are on my computer, and have titles like "Essay for XYZ Conservatory" or "Personal Statement for ABC University". There are currently 5 Word windows in use, and 5 web browsers open to college application sites. There is also an online thesaurus open. Libby's computer is not working, so she is occupying mine. Today she is at music, so I have a few minutes to post. I am afraid to close these windows, though!

Advice to college applicants: Make sure the "auto save" function is functioning on your word processor! Reconstructing an hour of typing is not fun (fortunately, I did have auto save turned on...I just had to find the folder...).

One of the fun things about homeschooling is watching the kids become proficient writers. Like hearing your child say her first words, or teaching her to read, watching her prose become more fluent and mature, and her sentence structure more interesting, is a joy! As she writes, she sometimes asks me to check something for her, or read a sentence out loud. We often come up with the same solution at the same time, and laugh. She's no clone, but we do think alike, and often use the same turn of phrase.

So far, she has only been satisfied enough to press "send" once. That means that only one-of-eight applications is in. She wants each one to be different, while keeping with the requirements of the topics, which vary little with each school.

Deadlines are looming.

Choosing a Catholic College

Disclaimer: I do not have a child who is looking at any Catholic colleges right now...at least not as a first choice. Since my firstborn is hoping to go to a music conservatory, and there are very few Catholic music schools in the US, we are limited. But we did see Patrick Reilly, president of the Cardinal Newman Society, speak last week about the new book called Choosing a Catholic College. The book reviews only those colleges with a true Catholic identity...and a few that are trying hard to be Catholic.


Of those in the book, Catholic University has a music school (the Rome School of Music), so we visited CUA last Friday, and had a wonderful time. One graduate student spoke to us at length, explaining that she had become a Catholic as a student there...the faculty was welcoming, and we were even allowed to sit in on a private lesson with the violin professor. Libby knows the dean of the music school from Aspen, where he heads the conducting program. He answered all our questions.

But back to the book. So the book has what most big guides don't: Answers to questions that we Catholic parents have about the schools...things like pro-life (or anti-life) organizations on campus, single-sex housing options, theology offerings, the presence of religious on campus, ex corde ecclesiae information, and more. It is a resource that Catholic parents should look at more than once, especially if more than one child will be heading to college soon.

Big dog, Little Dog

Just had to add a photo of the two dogs getting along. We were a bit worried, but things are OK, as long as Circe takes her signals from Indy, especially when he has a rawhide!

For the Love of Literature!

Please check out this news--this is a book I have been waiting for:

Click here: Maureen Wittmann: Awesome News!

Because I can't resist...

a puppy face...we now have a new puppy.

This is Circe, a 10 week old Australian shepherd puppy. She joins Indy, our 10 year old Aussie. She is driving him crazy with her antics. Overall, though, she is mighty good!