And so we begin ....

... we took Catie to the train yesterday to start her adventures in Chicago ... dh has all-day teacher "in service" meetings this week (code for "commisserating committees before the hordes descend") ... so

St. Athanasius is now open for "real school", this year under the patronage of St. Athanasius and St. Josemaria Escriva.

Here is the prayer I will pray each morning before getting the kids up ... before starting my day ... to pray for my home learning adventures as well as for all homeschooling moms (especially Alice at Cottage Blessings who wrote this prayer.  You can find it in her book, Haystack Full of Needles, published by Hillside Education) ...

God's many blessings to all my home-educating friends ... may 2010-2011 be an exceptionally holy, healthy and happy year!

Feast Day: St. Athanasius of Alexandria

Today is the feast of St. Athanasius of Alexandria -- he is the patron saint of our home-learning adventures:  Nine years ago, when dh was applying to study over in Austria, he had to write a commentary on one of St. Athanasius' major writings.  At the same time I was discerning whether or not to pull my older two from parochial school and home-educate (as a dear neighbor had done with her two boys).  Prayers to St. Athanasius for both the application and discernment about home-educating proved very efficacious!

When we needed a name for our "school", we unhesitatingly asked St. Athanasius for his patronage.

Here's our school logo:

St Athanasius of Alexandria ... continue to watch over SAAcademy ... continue to bless us as we strive to live, love and learn in the heart of our home!

[Note:  since today is Sunday, we'll party for St. A. tomorrow!]