Gov. Sebelius is Nominated

More bad news on the political front. Obama has appointed Kansas governor Kathleen Sebelius to be his Health and Human Services Secretary. She has a notorious record for expanding abortion in my home state, and she has had several run-ins with her Bishop since she continues to receive Holy Communion in the Catholic Church. A woman's health is never "saved" by an abortion. Nor is the child's.

John Paul II and the Jewish People

He was a blessing to everyone--including the Jews. Pope John Paul II's life is on display at Union Station this month, making particular note of his friendship with a Jewish boy named Jerzy (both before and after the War). This beautiful exhibit is free to the public, thanks to Avila University and the Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph. Meggar visited today with some homeschool teens, and the boys will take the tour next week. Great history lesson and a lesson in courage. I urge everyone to make plans to see it for themselves!

Snowboarders

Tired but happy boys--after a day of snowboarding at Snow Creek near Weston. We have a 3-visit pass with other homeschoolers. A "late" cold snap brought Missouri a lot of snow (we had 5-6 inches) so we had to take advantage of it!

My Cancer Anniversary

Today is the 5-year anniversary of my thyroid cancer surgery. Thanks, Mom, for the early detection! "Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His mercy endures forever."

This would be a good time to do a Neck Check on yourself. Early signs of thyroid imbalance are low body temperature, depression, swelling in the neck, lack of mental focus, and low energy. (These are also regular symptoms of having young children in the home!)

More Hockey Stats

Undefeated! The Saints 1 Bantam team finished their regular hockey season yesterday with a record of 17-0-3. Dorito is a first-year Bantam, but kept up with the fast pace of his teammates all year. They defeated Saints 2 today in the end-of-season tournament by a close score of 3-2. Dorito's stats: 12 goals (including one hat trick) and 7 assists (including one playmaker). That is twice as many goals as he scored last season - what an improvement!

State Chess Tournament

Polar Bear did great at chess! He medaled in the 5th grade division at the Missouri State Chess Competition yesterday. He was 15th overall out of 71 individual players. He won 4 matches and lost 2. He led his team of 5th graders (which included his twin Winger who won 3 and lost 3) and they earned the 4th place trophy out of 26 teams! VERY GOOD results.

Dorito also played all day in the 8th grade division amongst 107 players. He also won 3 matches and lost 3 --saying the competition was pretty stiff. Our St. Joseph Homeschool Chess Club brought home two team trophies and had 7 medalists!

Aunt Kathy and Uncle Terry were chaperones for the Schmidling boys since Captain had a trip out of town. I heard that Terry dished it out, but the boys gave it right back to him!

Feast of St. David

Like King David in the Old Testament, our Winger likes words: writing, reading, and talking. Happy Feast of St. David!