Six years later

I sit on the couch and watch the names being read by uniformed firefighters, police and EMS workers. Beside me is a little boy who would not have been born but for the grace of God. It is a mystery why some, like my husband, were spared, while others were not.

It was hard for all of us to focus on work today. We took it easy. B.Major worked very hard on math and earth science--after a two-hour bus ride home. We said our usual rosary decade and then reviewed a bit about the sacraments from the St.Joseph Catechism.

There is so much for him to learn, so much for me to teach him. And it seems as if there is so little time!

Fortunately, our Jewish neighbors are celebrating Rosh Hashanah starting Thursday so we have a four-day weekend. Off to the mountains, to hike, observe eagles and hawks, and stars in a less light-polluted location than here.

Friday 9/7

More bus agita. B.Major got home at 3:45, after being dismissed at 2. So I didn't push it.
We just read a bit in the Catechism about confirmation. I want him to copy some confirmation-related readings and make a sacrament scrapbook.

Thursday's work

Despite major bus aggravation (the morning bus never came at all; the PM bus didn't know they had to take him home, and had to go back to school to get him), B.Major had a good day. Lots of earth science. We were able to review chapter 1 and complete most of the chapter review. After dinner he wrote a page about what ought to be considered before a school is built near a former garbage dump. This seemed timely since he and his dad visited the former landfill site last week, to see where the future park will be.

He is reading Mrs.Frisby and the Rats of NIMH-- at least it is in his backpack. Didn't he read that in sixth grade?

En route to school we listened to much opera. Pavarotti has died. We listened to more this afternoon, especially the old favorite Nessun dorma. I was able to figure out how to access YouTube (pretty good for one who calls herself a Luddite) and we also enjoyed his performance of Vesti la giubba. Am I the only one who remembers the old commercial, "No -- more -- Rice Krispies!" ?

Cats in the basement again. Ogni dormant.

Wednesday September 5

Today:

Three HW assignments for science: basically the first chapter of Earth Science, and questions after each section.

Read "Mother Teresa" by Demi with B.Minor over tea.