Two Lincoln Movies

In this month of Lincoln, I must make an endorsement of the movie "Young Mr. Lincoln" for all ages. The 1939 fictionalized tale is black-and-white, which only adds to its historical feel. My youngest doesn't even realize this isn't actual footage. Henry Fonda plays the young lawyer as he progresses from shop owner to practising lawyer. All the good legends are included: his love of books, being honest, log cabin poverty, going the extra mile, and young love. Best of all is the tough case he takes on behalf of a woman whose son was unjustly accused of murder. A griping tale of wits. How can Mr. Lincoln prove him innocent?!

Secondly, we watched "The Last of Mrs. Lincoln" but cannot recommend it as easily. This 1976 production is actually filmed on stage, but is slow-paced and focused heavily on Mary Todd-Lincoln's mental illness. That was difficult to explain to the children. Here's the online description:
Julie Harris, recreates her 1972 award-winning Broadway portrayal in this powerful and touching look at the final 17 years in the life of Mary Todd Lincoln, widow to the martyred President. Based on real events, this production casts a sad and sympathetic light onto this frighteningly complicated woman. Mary Lincoln scavenges desperately for money, loses a cherished son to consumption, is branded a lunatic and committed to a mental institution; culminating with her spending her final days fleeing from the preying eyes of the public and a scandal-hungry press.

Visiting University of Dallas

Meggar attended "Odyssey Days" expecting to like the Univ. of Dallas and came away loving it. She has done Kolbe Academy and claims Literature is her favorite course, so I think she would be suited to their academics. The two-year Core Curriculum at U.D. appeals to her as she enjoys a good discussion/debate whether theology, politics, literature, or history are in question. We arrived Thursday night to 80’ F temps and stayed at a nearby hotel, with free shuttle service to campus.
On Friday morning we sat in on three classes: Constitutional History of Medieval England (which corresponds to her Kolbe history), Philosophy of Man (with a young and enthusiastic professor), and Literary Traditions II (where they were discussing Dante’s Divine Comedy, similar to her Kolbe literature). Several students freely asked questions in each class and the lecturers also seemed happily involved in the material. Group presentations by the Admission Reps prove that U.D. is friendly to homeschoolers.
The Odyssey Days scholarship contest and essay essentially waive your application fee and application essay. So that was good news. Everyone who took the exam is guaranteed a scholarship. Of course, we enjoyed a slide show of their Rome campus and learned about the great amenities built into the sophomore year’s semester abroad. All credits count and tuition remains the same. New dorms, outdoor pizza oven, pool, and right down the hill from Castel Gondolfo--Very impressive!
We mixed with several of the faculty, which is the best way to glean tidbits of information. I was interested to meet the volleyball coach, who said academics come before athletics. The education professors explained that they place their student teachers at public schools instead of Catholic schools. (Hmm...?) The art department had three seniors giving presentations on their thesis/graduation projects, which were beautiful and well-documented. One student did her internship at the Ft. Worth Art Museum. There was a Sculpture professor, transferred from Notre Dame, who discussed his teaching environment compared to other programs. Also, a senior in political science told us about his internship with the Senate Finance Committee last summer. It showed him how fortunate U.D. was to have conservative professors because he did not have the same environment for discussions that summer in Washington, D.C. We also sat in on choir rehearsal (a capella) and viewed the piano practice rooms. Lastly, we had a tour by our dorm host, who was a transfer student from Belmont Abbey. She made some good contrasts between the two campuses. She obviously was pleased with her decision and excited about the clubs and extra-curricular activities at U.D. The dorms were clean, even the rooms we saw which were not on the official tour (thanks, Emily Respeliers). They just had a "Pride and Prejudice" movie night for Valentine’s Day at the girl’s dorm (that’s a plus for us Jane Austen fans). The Catholic atmosphere seems very authentic. There was a sign up sheet for Adoration at the girl’s dorm. When we popped into the Chapel (not on the official tour), there were 6 people there praying -- on Friday evening at 6:30 pm!?!! That says a great deal about these college-age students. I met several homeschooling moms at the wine and cheese reception. We had a chance to talk to the college president, who has started building new dorms (completion date is Jan. 2011) so all students can remain on campus (re: safer environment). We enjoyed plenty of good food at the Haggar Union (including dinner with Kathy from Plano Texas) and a cappuccino at the Cap Bar. I thought the campus was lovely with its landscaping and several outdoor terraces. I did not see any tattoos or piercings. Only saw one student smoking. Although there’s no dress code, I did not see sweats but rather collared shirts on men and skirts on women. These all figured into the good impression we received over the 2-days on campus for Odyssey Days.

Ash Wednesday

My friend Ana had a good suggestion for today's observance, cleaning out your oven, as explained on her blog. She has been my homeschooling friend since the very beginning, and I enjoy her art, Brazilian recipes, and Catholic unit study ideas.

Mardi Gras Party

It's Fat Tuesday--so we called some Catholic friends and threw a potluck Mardi Gras party. Captain made a pork loin that easily fed the gathering of 45 people, the kids set out piles of beads in every room, and Jodi brought the "King Cake." Max was the lucky one who found the hidden baby, and we suspect the Schiebers won't mind hosting next year's party. Everyone ate and laughed (could be result of 5 bottles of wine and three 6-packs of beer). Fr. Totton even came back after evening mass for more of the festivities. P.S. Dorito is the best babysitter, according to Owen and Davis.

Kendall's Birthday

Today, would have been the 15th birthday of our son Kendall Francis Schmidling. He and two other "lost twin" siblings are watching over us, and we pray for their intercession each school day during our morning prayers.

What We Learned at the Science Fair

I always learn a lot when we do the Science Fair.... :-)
1. Some years my children have to learn how to lose.
2. We also must learn to be gracious winners.
3. My shy child will have to talk louder in a big room so the judge can hear.
4. My talkative child will need to be more brief and concise.
5. Trading prizes is a cheap resolution for disappointment.
6. Time management is crucial; there is a deadline.
7. Sometimes we can't understand everything about science, but God does.
8. Projects might not turn out the way they look in the science book.
9. If you forgot something, then next year you will do better.
10. Talking to another adult, besides your mom, is great experience.

2009 Homeschool Science Fair

Dorito won the Junior High division!! He worked so hard on his "Airfoils" project by making six different weights and sizes. Then he timed their take-offs with a house fan to compare. He also had pictures of the wings and propellers at Dad's airport to illustrate how lift is created with real airplanes. It was fun to see him consult with Captain, and he plans to be an aeronautical engineer when he grows up.
Meggar had a pretty project--she used the smoke from burning sulfur to bleach a red rose and it turned completely white. The Chemistry book said that hydrogen peroxide would bring it back to red, but that part didn't work out for her. She won 3rd place in the high school division.
Polar Bear illustrated the Bernoulli Principle using a blow dryer to suspend a ping pong ball and a beach ball.
Winger made an Electric Game--if you could match the NHL player with his team then the light bulb would come on! He had fun doing the wiring and decorating the board with hockey cards and photos of his favorite players.

This was my 10th year for organizing the Homeschool Science Fair! We have between 40-50 students every year, and I gather enough prizes so they all win something!