Who is Pro-Choice? HuffPo Censors Pro-Lifers

Who is Pro-Choice? HuffPo Censors Pro-Lifers
This is my first post on David Horowitz's Newsreal Blog.
I discuss how the left is going ballistic about the Tim Tebow Superbowl Ad.

Catholic Schools Week

I homeschooled my three girls for ten years. I was not a homeschooler by choice, I was one by default; I could not find a Catholic school worthy of the title Catholic. I did feel that my girls benefitted from the years we grew closer as a family, especially considering that my youngest child, Christina has special needs. We learned our faith together and we had tremendous freedom to travel and to be spontaneous, as well as sleep in a bit late, which, especially on frigid New England mornings, I sorely miss.
However, I am happy Isabella and Gabriela have found the wonderful schools of the Sisters of Charity of Our Lady, Mother of the Church; St Joseph's in Baltic, and the Academy of the Holy Family. They have good Catholic girlfriends, they have caught up on their math skills and have a self confidence which enables them to meet new people easily. I have worked with many of their teachers closely as a substitute and many of them are pure gold, truly teachers by vocation who love their students. The girls relate well to the sisters and are active in school. Bella plays on St Joseph's basketball team and participates in student council, and Gabbi is in the TOP Life Club, softball team and Legion of Mary at the Academy. As a parent I look forward to school events to be able to meet other parents and teachers. I enjoy having my girls' friends at my home and feel that Catholic schools who take the name Catholic seriously like these do, deserve to grow and flourish.
Tomorrow I will join both schools as they attend First Friday Mass together in my parish church, St Mary of the Immaculate Conception.

Feast of the Presentation of the Lord; Candlemas

The Christmas season officially ends today, forty days after Our Lord's birth, He was presented in the Temple as the firstborn male.
In Mass this morning, Fr Tito said that the Annunciation was Mary saying, "be it done to me according to Thy will" and, in the Presentation, Our Lady says, "be it done to HIM according to Thy will". He said this was much more of a sacrifice to her, to give back to God the person she loved most in the world. Just as Abraham was willing to sacrifice his long promised son, Isaacc, the one on whom God's promises depended, Our Lady actually did offer her Son to be killed in sacrifice for sin.
I am reminded every time I pray the Joyful Mysteries, that every one of Mary's joys was tinged with sorrow. The joy and pride of showing off your firstborn child is a cherished memory of many a mother. I remember bringing Gabriela to Mass for the first time, and the crowd that gathered around to congratulate Francisco and I. We beamed with pride. Imagine if one of the friends had said, "your daughter is going to die in a car crash, and your heart will be broken". How would you react to such a dire prediction snatching away the joy of this moment?
Simeon brought incredible joy and wonder to St Joseph and Our Lady with his recognition of Who Jesus was, and what He would bring to Israel.
But his prophecy of a sword piercing Our Lady's heart would soon bring them back to the paradoxical honor of being the parents of the Lord incarnate. My favorite song about this is Michael Card's "Now that I've held Him in my Arms". See the video here.
Let's remember today that our children are only loared to us for a time, and to keep to our task of preparing them to serve the Lord in whatever manner He chooses; religious life, marriage, or martyrdom.

 Let's consider it an honor to carry out our parenting duties as we raise souls to give Him glory.

Disability or profound gift?

There is a beautiful meditation on disabilities from Monsignor Charles Pope at the Archdiocese of Washington DC website.

 Over twenty years ago I worked for a year with the profoundly mentally disabled. They lay in beds and wheelchairs often with little muscle control. None of them could talk and only a few could engage in rudimentary communication. There was one man in his forties who had never emerged from the fetal position. He lay in a large crib his tiny yet clearly adult body curled up like a newborn babe. And on his face the most angelic smile that almost never diminished. He had been baptized as an infant and to my knowledge could not have sinned. I looked with marvel each visit upon innocence and a beatific countenance. What an astonishing gift he was. And who knows but God why he was this way? But God DOES know and had very important reasons. There was something central and indispensable in this man’s existence. Some role only he could fill. Apparently I was not able to fill that role. He was not disabled, he was differently abled, uniquely abled for something different than the ordinary. Looking upon him I had little doubt that he was directly in touch with God in a way that I never had been for his radiant face infallibly conveyed that. With our human eyes we can be saddened even appalled. But we’ll understand it better by an by. One day in the great by and by we may well be surprised to learn that the most central and critical people in God’s plan were the most humble and often the most broken and that we would never have made it without them.

Thank you Monsignor Pope for this profound meditation on the unfathomable gifts of a loving God. We are grateful that you see our children through the eyes of faith and that you are helping others to do the same. May God richly reward your efforts.

New software helps children with Down syndrome learn to read

One of the many topics of conversation on my round trip drive to DC for the KIDS event at the March for Life with a pro-life physician who happens to have a daugher with Down syndrome was how our children learn to read. I had heard that phonics don't work, and she has heard that they do. Frustrating as it is to have conflicting information, I press on seeking ways to improve her reading skills.
However, one thing both sides agree upon, is that contextual clues help. I was just in a planning meeting with Christina's teachers and they showed me how they were modifying the class's sentence building lessons  for her by adding pictures.  An example is; "The moose is in the yard." with cute drawings of the moose and the yard.
A new software program does this as well, as is aimed at English Language Learners as well as those children with autism and Down syndrome who are visual learners. It was developed by Rosemary Starett, an Irish educator and is called "A Busy Day"

The scenarios offered by the software are meant to illustrate "a busy day" in the life of a young child. Users see a brother and sister each waking up, getting dressed, eating breakfast together, walking to school with their father, and engaging in several other activities that most children will easily recognize. The software presents the scenes in colorful, fully illustrated on-screen windows featuring people, places, and objects children will relate with the activities being shown. "Waking up" includes a bed, pajamas, an alarm clock, and a bird perched on the windowsill. "Eating breakfast" displays a kitchen, food, silverware, and a table and chairs. Tied into the scenes are a variety of interactive exercises such as word matching, find the right word, and spot the differences, all designed to drive word recognition and association.

Read more about it here.

Meet me at the March for Life

My group Keep Infants with Down Syndrome will be hosting a reception with Congresswoman Cathy McMorris Rogers (R-WA) who is on the Congressional Down Syndrome Caucus
at 10:30 AM at:



National Right to Life Headquarters
512 10th Street, NW
Washington DC 20004

(202)626-8800

At noon, after an hour's worth of inspirational speeches, free refreshements and fellowship, we will take up our signs, don our signature blue and yellow scarves and take KIDS to the streets. We will join the March for Life, a short walk from NRTL headquarters, and march together in solidarity for the unborn child with Downs yndrome 90%of whom are being denied life through abortion.
Join us!

My article on Our Lady of Guadalupe is in the Four County Catholic

You can read it here.

Mother and daughter interview on "The Face of Pro-life"

I was preparing for an interview on this TV show about the upcoming March for Life, when the Creative Director asked if my daughter would appear on the next segment. I called Gabriela, telling her that she had 20 minutes to get ready for her television debut. After hysterical screams of "but I look terrible" died down, she got ready and came into the studio to do this outstanding interview.
 I just tried to stay out of her way, she was blooming as a pro-life leader before my eyes. And NO you don't look FAT honey, just lovely. You are a leader, articulate and convincing, well versed, and passionate, yet poised. I am awestruck by how you shone in this interview.

 How did I ever deserve such a daughter? Thank you Lord.
Here is a link to the video.

Last year I met Barbara Curtis author and mom of 12 who blogs at Mommy Life as we were awarded the American Life League Pro-life Blog awards. She was so warm and real, and we held hands excitedly as we awaited our trophies. It was an honor for me to be considered on the same level as this accomplished lady who has just reverted to the Catholic faith. She is often in the media as a outstanding pro-life witness, but the other day, I was thrilled when. .
Isabella burst into the room to tell me about an American Idol acceptee named Maddie who has 4 brothers with Down syndrome, I KNEW it was Barb's daughter. What a gorgeous voice, on a lovely young lady who simply radiates love in the home scenes shot with her brothers. And she auditioned with the song "Hallelujah".
Her faith simply radiated through her powerful performance. I just loved the reunion she had with two of her brothers and mom outside the audition. Her description of her brothers with Down syndrome says it all, "they see the world in color; we need more to see the world that way."

I wish Maddie Godspeed, I'll be watching, and voting!
Thank you for raising the profile of famlies who love their children with Down syndrome, sweetheart! You are a winner just as you are.,
Watch her story and inspiring audition here.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1XwbmGDgH60

Full speed ahead to the March for Life!!

The last member of my family is on anti-biotics(they last until the March, so what can we catch now?
 "Canticle" magazine came through with a check for my article on KIDs in the March for Life (gas money)
 and I have a hotel room for Friday night.
March for Life, here we come!
Christina and I are driving while the teens in my home are going by bus. If any of you want to meet Rep Cathy McMorris Rogers at National Right to Life Headquarters at 11AM on the 22nd and join us for the March, come on over, no reservations needed! We will have a light brunch.
We have signs, banner, and scarves a plenty.
Hope to meet you there.

The devil is busy but God always wins

The only member of my family without strep throat is taking her math midterm today. We are all very sick and even our computers have viruses.That's why its been so quiet around here.

Some of my Facebook friends suggested that the computer gave me a virus.

 My plans to attend the March for Life are on hold till I see who is well enough to travel. The more of a fight I get from "Old Stinky" the more blessing I am going to get from the event. This is a predictable pattern.
He always loses, I wonder why he bothers.

God will win here too.