What Nino Read March 2016

The Missing Chums Geronimo Stilton and the Lost Treasure of the Emerald Eye The Bungalow Mystery Horrible Harry and the Ant Invasion Cam Jansen and the Scary Snake Mystery Chess for Kids Popular Mechanics: The Boy Mechanic A to Z (Sandra Boynton) Crow Boy The Kid Who...

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Humans + Animal Behavior: Offensive or Not?

Humans + Animal Behavior: Offensive or Not?

The Internet seems to have lost its collective brain cells again, this time thanks to boxing superstar and pride of the Philippines Manny Pacquiao's statement on same sex "marriage", saying, Common sense lang. Makakita ka ba ng any animals na lalaki sa lalaki o babae...

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What Nino Read, February 2016

Zita the Spacegirl Legends of Zita the Spacegirl The Return of Zita the Spacegirl Little Catechism on the Eucharist Hurricane and Tornado Childcraft World and Space The Hardy Boys Detective Handbook Saint Martin de Porres Star Wars The Yoda Chronicles Airplanes and...

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What Nino Read, January 2016

Religion/History/Geography The Time Traveller Book of Rome and Romans Fun with Hieroglyphs Davy Crockett (COFA) Time/Life Millennium St. Augustine and his Search for Faith Martha Washington (COFA) George Washington (COFA) Stephen Biesty's Cross-Sections: Castle The...

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Intimacy Through the Lens of Fear (Part 2 of a Series)

Intimacy Through the Lens of Fear (Part 2 of a Series)

The fear of intimacy is neither rare nor new. Every person has this fear, though we experience it to different degrees. Its root of course is a fear of rejection. As we raise our children, it is our constant challenge to love them unconditionally, so that they never...

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Homeschooling First Grade Science (A Sample Curriculum)

Homeschooling First Grade Science (A Sample Curriculum)

Posting this for my friend Madora who asked for a bit of guidance on how to homeschool Science with a first grader without the use of a textbook. Prior to fifth grade and often even beyond, I rarely use a textbook. I find that living books very much fit our...

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How I Didn’t Teach Science

A close friend and fairly new homeschooling mom recently asked, "How do you teach science?" I told her the truth. "I don't." There was a time, years ago, when I would have been embarrassed to say that, because I would have interpreted my own answer as an admittance of...

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My 6-year-old’s Christmas/Birthday Wish List

My 6-year-old’s Christmas/Birthday Wish List

Sharing this in case it's helpful to anyone who's gift-planning for their own kids. A catalog came to the house a few weeks ago, and today I found these items circled in it. LOL. He just made our gift-giving easy. I'm giving the list to our older kids so they can...

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AlDub and The Thrill of the Chaste

AlDub and The Thrill of the Chaste

Of all the things I could write about here at Patheos, I didn't think I'd be writing about a Filipino love team. And yet here I am, prompted by this video making the rounds. Here's a good primer. Since I'm in the US, I comment as an outsider, piecing together what...

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Mama Mary, the Rosary, and Me

Mama Mary, the Rosary, and Me

She was there when I learned my first prayers, in bed with my mom waiting for Papa to get home, the Sacred Heart of Jesus image in the hallway lit, as we prayed the Angelus and Mommy taught me how to use her Rosary beads. She was there as I was growing up, praying the...

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Bacon and Contraception? Not the Same Thing

Bacon and Contraception? Not the Same Thing

A pro-lifer friend shared his concern with me this morning, asking if we should oppose bacon along with contraceptives, since bacon has been declared a Class 1 Carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer. First of all, the processed meat and cancer...

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How Do We Help Others Carry the Cross?

How Do We Help Others Carry the Cross?

Much guidance can be found on how to suffer profitably, how to think of suffering, and why it even exists. But one of the things I've struggled with in my prayer life is how to pray for loved ones who find themselves in the midst of suffering. And now that I seem to...

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The Gentle and Arduous Task of Shepherding Little Souls

The Gentle and Arduous Task of Shepherding Little Souls

Yesterday after supper, the 6-year-old squeezed himself into the space between me and the back of the couch while I tried to catch up on reading. He does this often, using me alternately as pillow, footrest, jungle gym or whatever else suits his mood and restless...

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