The April meeting of the Erie Area Catholic Homeschoolers will be on Tuesday, April 11, at the usual place and time, 7:00PM to 9:00PM in the McDonald room of St. Mark Catholic Center. (Please note, however, that we are trying to get the cafeteria instead. Watch for signs on the door of the main entrance as you come in.)

The older children are asked to bring games they will enjoy, and will also have time to spend in the gym (if available.) The younger children will have activities in the gym, as well as activities in the room such as singing, coloring, and a story.

EACH family is asked to bring a snack and drink to share. Please note: In order to minimize messes, we ask that you try to bring food that doesn't make too many crumbs (I know it's hard!) and drink that is light in color (apple juice, white grape juice, etc.) Thanks so much!

Hope to see you there!

We wish everyone a very Holy Lent and a Blessed Easter. Love and Prayers to everyone. 

Here's a hint to start the homeschool day off right!

With a cup of coffee in hand (and the kiddies getting dressed/eating/etc.), I turn on the computer and download my email. I locate the message entitled, "Daily E-Pistle" and print it out. Everyone then gathers around the kitchen table (we choose this place because many of us are finishing breakfast) and we light the blessed candle. Mary is usually with us and depending upon the month and feast day, we invite other saints to join in. (Right now, a statue of St. Joseph stands next to Mary at the center of the table.) We then say the Morning Offering, Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be, and Prayer to St. Michael.

Next, we take out our printed copy of the "Daily E-Pistle" (**see below) and read the readings, psalms and Gospel for the day - make sure everyone has their bibles out! We discuss the Word that we have just read. The next item on the "Daily E-Pistle" is the Saint of the Day. We take turns reading about this wonderful person of God and then talk about how we can follow their example in our own lives. The kids take turns reading the rest of the items on the "Daily E-Pistle". We close with quick intentions for the day and a great big "AMEN!"

The candle remains lit for the duration of the school day. We have been buying the large glass Church votives with the candle inserts. (If anyone is interested in these types of candles and would like to purchase them in bulk, please let me know. Prices are much better when buying a case, but most of us wouldn't need an entire case of inserts (much less have a place to store them!), it would be easier and cheaper to combine orders and split a case or 2.)

This format for starting our day has been wonderful and we can tell a difference in our attitudes towards each other when we have skipped this. When we are all done with the "Daily E-Pistle", we go right into schooling religion.

**The Daily E-Pistle is an online newsletter put out by the "Catholic Forum". For those of you who do not have internet access, you will have more preparation time in than just downloading and printing. But just lighting the blessed candle and praying the Morning Offering insures the start for a holy day!

Subscribe to The Daily E-Pistle:
Sent to thousands of people each day by e-mail including a short spiritual and faith-affirming message. It may include any or all of the following: The Day's Scriptural Readings - The Saint of the Day - Events in Church History - Quotes from Saints and Great Writers - Prayers - News and Current Events - Links to more information on the day's subject(s) -and- Random Thoughts and Reflections.  Go to the Catholic Forum to sign up!

It would be nice to see how others start their days and/or what traditions they have created to make their homeschooling days go smoother!

The Peterson Family
Jerry, Kathy, Julianna (12), & Lillian (3)

Catholic Homeschooling families are invited to David and Terry Burbules’s wedding on Friday, April 28, 2000 at Our Lady of the Lake Church. Mass is at 7:00 pm with a reception to follow from 8 until 11 pm in the Social Hall behind the Church.

Mrs. Burbules would appreciate it if EACH families were to RSVP at 734-7401 by April 19. The children are invited also!

By Bobby Wagner

A man left snow-filled streets of Chicago for a vacation in Florida. His wife was on a business trip and was planning to meet him there the next day.

When he reached his hotel, he decided to send his wife a quick e-mail. Unable to find the scrap of paper on which he had written her e-mail address, he did his best to type it in from memory.

Unfortunately, he missed letter and his note was directed instead to an elderly preacher's wife whose husband had passed away only a day before. When the grieving widow checked her e-mail, she took one look at the monitor, let out a piercing scream, and fell to the floor in a dead faint. At the sound, her family rushed into the room and saw this note on the screen:

DEAREST WIFE:

JUST GOT CHECKED IN.

EVERYTHING PREPARED FOR YOUR ARRIVAL TOMORROW.

P.S. SURE IS HOT DOWN HERE.

Bob: What do you call mice that play instruments?

Tom: I give up, what?

Bob: Micetros!

Anyone interested in participating in any of the following "groups" listed below should please call or Email the contact person. Please do so promptly so we can begin to organize!!

Any boys ages 4 to 10 interested in joining the Blue Knights Catholic Boys Club please sign the following and mail to John Dombrowski by May 31st. First meeting will be in June after school is complete.

This is a preliminary sign-up to see how many boys are interested. Meetings will be 1-1/2 to 2 hours once a month (probably Saturday's) at my home in McKean or at any other parents house who wishes to host that meeting. Fathers are encouraged to stay but do not have to. The entire curriculum including crafts is supplied.

Any questions please call John Dombrowski 476-1927 days or 476-1177 nights.

Blue Knights

Parents name ___________________________________

Child(ren)’s name(s) ___________________________________________

Address ___________________________________

Phone ___________________________________

Anyone that is interested in having their daughter (approximate age 6-9) participate in this group please contact Tamara Swick at 454-3120 or Email: EACHNEWS@aol.com with the subject line "Little Flowers."

Anyone that would be interested in forming a monthly book club please call or Email Tamara Swick at 454-3120 or Email: EACHNEWS@aol.com with the subjest line "Book Club." 

All mothers are invited to join us in this monthly breakfast gathering for friendship, sharing, and support. We will begin the morning with Mass at St. George Church on Peach St. and then meet for breakfast at 9:00am at the Eat N' Park on upper Peach St. No reservations will be necessary.

This kind of meeting has been held over the past years and was very successful. All moms need time out, time for fellowship with other women, and a way to share schooling ideas without the distractions that we face at the regular meetings. Discussions usually center on curriculum materials, ways to teach the Faith, possible field trips, etc. We want to keep the meetings positive and uplifting; these meetings are not meant for 'diocesan bashing' or other gossip, but a way for us to come together as Christian women who need the support to continue to live and educate our children in the way that the Holy Spirit has led us.

We will be meeting the last Saturday morning of every month, starting with May 27th. Please, nursing babies ONLY. If you have any questions, please contact Kathleen Peterson (774-0061 or email: roaminka@velocity.net).

We hope to see you there!

I just wanted to write a note to you girls to commend you on how extremely WELL BEHAVED you were the whole time you spent the night at my house in March. I have been to many many sleepovers before, and I know that at none of them did the girls conduct themselves as well as all of you did. I was extremely impressed with how willing you were to help out with cooking (and those were GREAT cinnamon roles) and cleaning up, even offering to help. You treated each other like true Sisters in Christ, none of that petty fighting that unfortunately characterizes so many girls . You are a great SUPPORT to each other, more then you probably realize. It is important for us to have the support in FAITH from our friends that I see in the group of you. Continue to have FUN together, and continue to GROW in your FAITH together. I can’t tell you how awesome it is to be able to share our beautiful FAITH with our FRIENDS. If you haven’t found it out already, know that the very best of friends are best friends because, like you, they are friends in CHRIST.