Separation of Church and State

Illinois like other states had swiping abortion law changes. The changes in the new laws in Illinois will make it easier for abortions and will allow for later term abortions as well.

With these changes in the law, there is an actually a Catholic Bishop standing up! He announced that lawmakers that voted the recent bill will not be allowed to receive communion.

Of course, my local news outlet posted about what the Catholic Bishop did on their Facebook page and many commented with "separation of Church and State".

My first thoughts after seeing all these comments about "separation of Church and State":

The Next Chapter

My son, Scout or Superstar as my older readers may remember me calling him, graduated from high school! He for the second summer in a row will be gone all summer - leaves little over a week from now and will not be back until the Sunday before school starts. He for the second summer in a row will be working at a BSA camp. Last year he worked as a merit badge counselor, this summer he will be a line cook. He's super excited about being a line cook because in the fall he will be going to a local technical college to study culinary.

This means my daughter Cadet or Web-Princess as my older readers may remember me calling her, will be starting her senior year of high school. She wants to homeschool all year this last year -- right now we are on a little break; she is just chilling and doing her thing. I'm focusing on my son and helping him finish up his BSA Eagle project before he leaves for camp and ages out.

With the kids getting older and approaching college I have decided it's time for me to think about what I'm going to be doing for my next chapter. That next chapter for me is doing virtual assistant work. I have a Facebook page started https://www.facebook.com/assistancebynichole and been reading up everything I can on being a virtual assistant, running your own business, and everything else related.

I'm looking forward to this next chapter! 

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, which means I may receive a commission if you click on a link and purchase something. See our full disclosure policy for more details.

Thankful; Not to be

Unless you live under a rock I'm sure you know who the Duggars are!  Society or at least social media can be so cruel. To the Duggar women -- those born into the family and those married into the family.

Scrolling through the Google news app on my phone and I stumbled upon an article about a wife of one of the Duggar men.  This article pointed out how the wife was 19 when she got married, has only been married for the last 20 months and are already expecting baby number 2. -- an issue she's too young.  Likewise, the eldest Duggar daughter is just under 30 and is often criticized for being single still, no husband, no children. Seriously, you can't have it both ways, people!

Playboy and Homeschooling?

In my nearly 12 years of homeschooling I never in a million years would think I would be talking about or sharing my thoughts about a homeschooling article that showed up in Playboy of all places.

Sure, I thought I would be sharing things like how to filter the internet, how to protect kids eyes from porn, but never thought I would actually be talking about an article in Playboy.

Yes, Playboy actually has articles and sometimes it can be even informative or misinformative, but the articles do at times bleed through and matter to people and you may be surprised what kinds of articles have been published in the magazine over the years. For example,  Playboy did an interview with Martin Luther King Jr.

Leftist Feminism: Scouting

I know not everyone agrees with Boy Scouts of America (BSA) and their current stands on many issues including the most recent change that started earlier this calendar year: Allowing girls into its flagship program commonly known as "boy scouting".

This post isn't so much about if BSA should have allowed that or not. At my core, I'm of the mindset that a private organization, such as BSA, has the right to decide who can be apart of their group and who is not eligible. I'm of the mindset that if a group of people does not like a particular group's rules instead of bullying them and pressuring them to change they should start a group that meets their needs and values. Example: That's how Trail Life USA, Heritage Girls, and other scouting groups came to be.

Yes, I can issue my child a diploma

You never know when homeschooling, graduation requirements, diplomas will come up in discussions.

The other night, at scouts I was talking to one of the other adults about it. I even mentioned how I could scribble out something in crayon on a napkin and it would be valid and legal.  Of course, I wouldn't because no employer would take that seriously.

The other parent was just floored that I could just issue my child a diploma. That I don't have to submit them to some kind of test, registration, etc.

Movie Reviews

With the uptick of cartoons like Jungle Book, Beauty and the Beast, Dumbo and Lion King being made into "live action" type films I have been noticing more and more asking for movie reviews. I also have noticed what seems to be more people "shocked" when someone says that the movie is not appropriate for young children, such as Dumbo.

Even though I find the MPAA not to always be trustworthy it can be a starting ground. When MPAA rates something as PG then one should NOT be surprised that the film is inappropriate for young children.

STOP Illinois SB 2075

Illinois SB 2075 purpose is to lower the compulsory age in Illinois from 6 to 5. This bill if passed and made into law will apply to children, public, private and homeschoolers. Over the last couple of weeks while the bill was in committee many Illinoisian tried to voice their opposition to the bill and filled out witness slips.  Over 2200 witness slips were filled out saying NO to this bill; on the other hand 7 that's right 7 1.2.3.4.5.6.7 slips were filled out saying yes.

Witness Slips for Illinois SB 2075

Electoral College

Twitter is all of a buzz seeing many wanting to get rid of the electoral college.  It's nothing new as this video was done in 2015 shows it's been in the works for a while now.



There are many reasons for popular vote should not be in practice, but I think the biggest argument is people's failure to understand that on election day, especially for the presidential election, is NOT ONE election that takes place. It is 51 separate elections 50 states plus DC. Each state's election is sovereign and independent. So electoral college points should be awarded based on how the people from that state voted.

Some states split their electoral college votes instead of being all or nothing. I was thinking that would be a good compromise until I read this morning that doing that would result in no winner.

One thing for sure is that we can't go by national popular vote. If we do away with the electoral college we are then moving from 51 separate elections taking place simultaneously it will be one election. If we move to one election I believe would have to make sure all polls open and close the same time, regardless of time zone differences, the same type of ballot machines are used and polling places set up the same. Perhaps even 2 different ballots. One for the national election, one for the state elections.  It wouldn't be as simple as just tallying up the national votes as people seem to think it will be.

I also annoyed that many states including my own, IL, are willing to let electoral college votes go to the national vote and not what the majority of the people in IL wants!

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, which means I may receive a commission if you click on a link and purchase something. See our full disclosure policy for more details.

Meal Planning

My meal planning is very much like my homeschool planning. I wing it! I have a general idea of what I want, am going to spend, etc. I always do much better when I have a complete plan vs just buying what I see while I'm shopping.

Shopping this weekend while I did get some really good deal made me remember how I saved money when I took the time to browse the sale fliers, matched coupons if I could, and wrote out a menu for the week. I know food prices have gone up over the years, but when you realize what you spent for a couple of days in years past would have been enough to last you 2 weeks it's time for some change!

Tell it to Mrs. Kravitz

I believe that in very general terms it seems society is more and more like Mrs. Kravitz. The busy body that is so worried about what everyone else is up to and thinks nothing of calling the authorities or anyone else when they are sure the neighbor is up to no good, even without any more proof other than their feelings.

Illinois has TWO pending bills. Both bills if passed will change the compulsory ages.  The first is SB 2075. SB 2075 is meant to change the compulsory age from 6 to 5 and make Kindergarten mandatory.  The second SB 1478 will change the compulsory age from 17 to 18.

We Need More Gun Control

We need more Gun Control is the chant you here anytime anymore when some kind of gun violence happens.

Yesterday, a local tragedy made national headlines. I had many friends and acquaintances that knew where I live, but not enough to know if I lived in the immediate area of the tragedy message me asking if I or my family are okay. What's going on? Did I know more than what was being shared on the national news?

Just Make A New Church

Of course, I'm not Methodist, but what I don't understand is why those that don't agree with the policies and reaffirmation of those policies just don't start their own church. Why don't they just break away?

I mean throughout church history that is what has happened. That's is what happen with King Henry - Anglican. Luther, Calvin, Knox and the others. That's how Mormonism, Baptist, Amish, etc all came about. Granted I'm oversimplifying it, but that's how they came out to be.

I think that's why there is different sects of Lutheranism: ELCA, Missouri Synod, WELS, etc.

Internet and Children

MOMO Challenge - I'm sure by now you have heard of the MOMO challenge or simply known as MOMO. There are other reports now that are suggesting the momo challenge is a hoax, similar to the tide pod challenge that made it across the net.

I know from various news articles many children did come across momo videos, maybe not the exact way as reported, but yes kids have come across them. The video themselves are real and they are disturbing, and they suggest the children do self-harm and other things.

One thing that struck me in several of the news videos and articles I came across is how many parents were announcing the household rules regarding how and when the child can access the internet is changing. One news video had a child about 6-9 years old, who came across momo videos and had to start going to counseling (because of the videos), new house rule is no more youtube unless mom or dad is watching with me.

All I could do is think: Why wasn't the parent watching with a child that young anyways? Sure I have been on various social media, forums for the last 20 years, and blogging since 2008. My kids now nearly 17/18 have had tablets since they were about 10 -- but I can tell you it wasn't free range or not monitored.

We have always had some kind of filtering on our computer. Open DNS and when the kids were younger we paired it with various other filters but settled on K9. Our kids' tablets are wifi only tablets. Where they require wifi to access the internet, which means they were on our network only and thus the internet was being filtered by Open DNS.

My kids didn't even have smartphones until 6 months ago. They still have tracfones, but were upgraded to smartphones 6 months ago, this is the first time they have been given access to the internet without any kind of filtering -- seeing they can access via the cell phone network, but they do not use it much because they have a very limited data. Both only use it to really access emails on the go. And that upgrade only came about because one child's phone broke and I could not replace it with what they had. The replacment would have been a bit of a downgrade and I didn't want to do that.

Even though we have always used filters of some short, I have never given my kids free range. When they were younger the computer was always in the kitchen or living room. They mostly got on to access a certain game (we had loaded on the machine) or certain online game and I or my husband went the website and login them in etc.

I could never imagine just handing a toddler, preschooler, early elementary age child and allowing them to just surf the web for various videos or just scroll YouTube, even with what should be "kid safe" search engine.

Even when the kids got the tablets they were able to surf and search more, but I was monitoring what they were doing if not by looking at their device, by logging into the Google account  we set up for those tablets via the computer and looking at the search history, what apps they were downloading, etc. Although all apps downloaded had to be approved by us first -- so if I got on and saw an app I didn't approve they got their device taken away! The kids knew we were checking in and often checked in so we rarely had to do discipline.  They asked us when they wanted a new app, they came and told us when they saw something weird or uncomfortable.

The only time I can think of when I had to discipline one, harshly, and take away all devices and internet access was when my son got on my computer and saw I had left my facebook account open. He decided to PM my mom with some gifs. The gifs he was picking were harmless, but here I am in the living room and my phone goes off with a notification I can see quickly my account has been "hacked" or something it glitching.  Long story short I was getting flustered and vocal, telling my husband my account is hacked, something is wrong, messaging FB to say something is broken, and my daughter notices that my son is laughing --so she looks and sees that it has been him all this time. I immediately took all of my son's devices and told him 1 week without. I also explained to him how that is not good, etc. Sure it's partly my fault for leaving my account open on my computer, but just because my account was open doesn't mean he had that right. And if it was just one or two gifs or messages to my mom I may have laughed it off, but he kept sending it and must have sent it at least 100 times.

Anyway, I just don't understand why parents are giving their kids free range on the internet and allowing them to freely search for videos or another medium with no regards to their safety. Even so-called filters nothing is fooled prove. All filters, paid and free, require parents to be still pro-active and present and fully aware of their kids' activities.

I often tell people that filters are like screens with a hole in it. Having the screen is better than no screen, but because of the hole things still, get in.  For at least a decade now law officials, doctors, counselors, and others have been telling parents to monitor their children's internet activities. They publish guidelines like:

1. use the device in the public place of the house
2. teach them not to chat with strangers
3. monitor what they are doing
4. use filters

I don't know what has changed? I don't know if people, in general, feel that filters have gotten better? Or if the kid is accessing youtube via youtube kids they don't have to monitor? Or is it because kids younger are getting devices of their own and with apps targeted for younger and younger groups we just think it's okay?  After all, there is now "kid safe" tablets or other kids tablets which 10 years ago when my kids got their first tablets there wasn't really any of that. Well there was but the selection was limited and the prices were crazy expensive, but not there are more options and the prices are dropping.  Now you can get tablets marketed as kids tablets with kid-friendly cases starting at $60 where when my kids were younger those tablets where easily $200 or more.

I read one article that said that part of the problem is the kids, today, are growing up in it, and parents have not -- so parents are behind the curve on it. Well, I guess I would feel that is true for my folks and grandparents generation, but these parents are my peers so I have a hard time believing that.

Sure internet, especially as we know it now, wasn't really happening until I was in high school, but still, that is old enough to understand the "dangers" out there -- after all if anything you were accessing the internet in the "wild west days". Therefore I feel like that's not a good reason for it either. I would think that would make parents even more concern and cautious, not the opposite.

Bottom Line: No filter is going to protect your children. Filters help, kids safe searches help, other tools help, but at the end of the day, you still have to parent and be proactive. You still have to monitor what your child is doing. You are still going to have to talk to them. Check in with them. Have open communications. Discipline when necessary. Set up new rules and adjust filters when necessary. Oh, and when disciplining: discipline when it comes to deliberate things, like my son did, not when they accidentally come across something....

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, which means I may receive a commission if you click on a link and purchase something. See our full disclosure policy for more details.

Where is the Church heading?

In my dioceses 5 local Catholic Schools are consolidating. This means starting the 2019-2020 school year all 5 schools are technically closing. One of the schools will "re-open" as a new school, new name, new staff,  and the parishes that supported the 5 old schools plus 2 or 3 other parishes that never had a school will support the new school.  This mainly has to do with a decline in enrollment in all the schools over the years.  When a school as only 5-10 students per class they can't stay open. -- not with the cost salaries, maintenance, and other fees associated with running a school. It really is not feasible.  -- talking with others this is happening in other dioceses too. It's not just mine.

There are a few things that come to mind; why this is the case:

1) Curriculum. I have been saying for years now, at least 11 years, that the curriculum is not Catholic! When the books are the exact same books used in public schools and the only thing Catholic about the school week is the religion class that is done 2-3 times a week, daily Mass once a week, and the artwork on the walls it's not enough! Artwork, Religion class a couple hours a week and 1 - 45 minute Mass is not enough of a Catholic identity.  I think parents even became more aware of this when Come Core Standards came on to the scene and they realized the schools were using the same materials!

2) Push for more traditional. I have found more and more of my peers, who are active and consider themselves devoted Catholics are wanting more and more traditional. They are adhering to traditions such as meatless Fridays ALL Fridays of the year, they are wearing mantillas to Mass (even at a Novus Ordo Mass), family altars in their homes, family devotions, regular prayer times, etc. They more than anyone recognize the schools are often only "catholic" by name and that's not enough for them.  Even my non-Catholic friends can see it and say things like "if they would make the school's distinctively Catholic with curriculum and go back to using nuns and priest as teachers" enrollment would blossom and bloom.  -- that's just it people if they are going to shell out thousands of dollars what a distinctive Catholic school -- being Catholic in name is no good!  These friends are either homeschooling so they know their kids are getting a Catholic Education or they are sending their kids to public school because they can not justify the cost of a private school that is using the same materials, teaching the same things, etc

3) I'm not naive I also know the church is in upheaval because of the abuse cases and stories of decades of cover-up. I know this has caused many to walk away. I'm sure some of the recent declines in schools has to do with that too. I know Mass attendance being light is a result of those things; so it would not surprise me that some of the school's decline is because of the scandals as well.

Where does the Church and schools go from here?

I think the Church needs to do some cleaning up! Many Bishops recognized this and have been vocal about that, and for that I'm thankful. I think the Church needs to embrace strong older Catholic roots and go back to the basics. I think going back to basics is good! With all of this and with many striving for more traditional Catholicism, it's beginning to see how poorly catechized many older Catholics are -- and with that there is a draw to more family-style catechizes which I think is great. The church needs that!

I'm just afraid that while parishes try that they are going to have a low turn out, at first, and may not make it through the transition period or feel like it's a failure before it is even given a fair shot at working. My parish has decided to come next school year the Religious Education program will be more of a family-style program. As a volunteer for the program I'm excited about the possibilities, but also know that as much as I talked about devoted Catholics wanting this and that -- the devoted Catholics just like with the schools are not utilizing the Religious Education program. Most of the parents that do the religious education program are nominal Catholics, that do not go to Mass and just send their kids to Religious Education classes because that's what you do!

Seeing that is the dominant make up our religious education program, even though numbers are low now, I foresee them getting lower with the family style program. Family style means the parent has to have a vested interest and attend too; it's not as simple as dropping your kid off for 45 minutes and coming back to pick them up. So there will be this transition period where nominal Catholics are going to realize just dropping off it's not enough and families wanting more family learning and family devotions are going to have realized that's being offered. So there will be this transition period and I'm afraid that the Church isn't going to make it or declare the family style catechizes a failure before it had a fighting chance. Also, the curriculum is going to matter. I have not heard or seen what the Church plans on using next year for curriculum, but I know if it's not authentic enough, deep enough (not too deep because many are clueless) and Catholic enough it won't work.


Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, which means I may receive a commission if you click on a link and purchase something. See our full disclosure policy for more details.

Illinois HB 3560

I know this post is "late to the game" so to speak and that current word is to just wait and see and hopefully we will know early this coming week if the sponsor is true to her word and will table the bill.

I have not had time to formulate a blog post until now so this will be more of a recap in case you haven't been out of the loop. Late last night I did get word about bill HB 3560 and did make a quick post on my facebook page:

I woke up this morning to a whirlwind of posts and notifications. I spent several hours going over them and updating myself and spreading the word on what was going on -- plus you know those normal mom duties: house cleaning, grocery shopping, etc.

As of now, the time of this post, the bill sponsor has promised to table the bill when she goes back to work later this coming week.  This will most likely come Tuesday, perhaps as late as Wednesday seeing it's the holiday weekend: Presidents' Day. So we have to wait and see if she will be true to her words.

So what is HB 3560? What is the cause for concern?
The synopsis as written on the Illinois General Assembly page:

Amends the School Code. Provides that, after a home-schooling registration form is submitted, the State Board of Education must request a Child Protective Service Unit of the Department of Children and Family Services to investigate the home in which the home schooling will occur to ensure there is no suspected child abuse or neglect in the home. Provides that after the investigation by the Child Protective Service Unit is complete, the State Board must notify the school district in which the home is located that the child is being home-schooled. Provides that once every 2 school years, the State Board must inspect the academic records of a registered home-school student. Amends the Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act to require a Child Protective Service Unit to investigate the home of a child upon a request from the State Board. Effective immediately.

Currently, Illinois has no mandatory registration, no letter of intent, no standardized testing. Homeschoolers submit absolutely nothing to the state or local school boards. Bill HB 3560 if passed and allow to proceed would radically change the homeschool landscape and turn Illinois from a low regulated state to a highly regulated state overnight! Just like that!

It was unclear if registration would become mandatory with this bill, but it was very clear once registered homeschoolers would have to submit to home inspections carried out by DCFS/CPS and have to to have some kind of portfolio academic review with the school board. -- which would make record keeping mandatory too.

I keep records for MYSELF and I have no issue with keeping records in general, I think I should not have to submit those records to the state. It's not the state's business. My records for elementary/middle school is light -- I don't have anything official for those grades, but I have always blogged in some fashion for the years, mostly, so I have blog posts, pictures, and other some other things I have kept. So I always felt if needed, in a court of law, I would be okay. Now with high school, because I'm looking to do transcripts I have more complete records. However, that is all for myself and the transcripts would be given to those that need it based on my child's post-secondary education plans.

Putting the whole registration and record keeping to the side, the fact that a legislator thought to circumvent people's 4th amendment rights was a good thing is alarming! The 4th amendment is to protect you from searches without just cause. Homeschooling in and of itself is not reason enough to subject a family to home inspections and searches. As my friend Tina, Homeschool Resource Roadmap, said on my personal facebook profile subjecting families to CPS investigations and home inspections just because they homeschool is like saying we found a meth lab at this house and they own a white Toyota truck so everyone who owns a white Toyota trucks will have their homes searched for drugs.

If HB 3560 is tabled it will be tabled very early on in the process. Which is a good thing, the sooner the bill is squashed, especially when you don't support it, the better. Historically it seems bills are easier to squash when they are in the early process and within Illinois' First House vs when they make it to the Second House. This diagram shows how bills are passed in Illinois.

The "we are here" written on this diagram shows where Illinois HB 3560 shows where in the process the bill was/is at:

While the call from the advocacy groups is to keep a watchful eye, hang tight, and no need to contact your representative. I just want to end by saying if you feel convicted to contact your representatives about this OR any issue you should. You should contact your representative anytime there is any measure you oppose or support is being introduced. You should fill out witness slips when they become available if you state has witness slips for a way for you to officially record your position.

When you contact your representative be polite!

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, which means I may receive a commission if you click on a link and purchase something. See our full disclosure policy for more details.