it's official

We are going to homeschool Catherine this year. I've been reading, thinking, and praying about this for over two years and today I finally placed an order for the Pre-K / Kindergarten curriculum from Catholic Heritage Curricula. I think she may be ready for *most* of the Kindergarten portion of this curriculum and Teresa would benefit from the Preschool portion. I am also thinking of ordering a few things from Seton and from Emmanuel Books, which carries the Mother of Divine Grace curricula. We're getting the house cleaned and organized for school to start September 4th!

As I was flipping through the pages of a St. Gregory Hymnal and Catholic Choir Book the other day, my eyes landed on this sweet "School Hymn" that will be a perfect prayer to start the year.

"Little King, so fair and sweet"
From a Slovak Hymnal
Adapetd and Arr. by N.A.M.

Little King, so fair and sweet,
See us gathered at Thy feet:
Be Thou Monarch of our school,
It shall prosper 'neath Thy rule,
We will be Thy subjects true,
Brave to suffer, brave to do;
All our hearts to Thee we bring,
Take them, keep them, little King.

Raise Thy little hand to bless
All our childhood's happiness;
Bless our sorrow and our pain,
That each cross may be our gain.
Be Thine own sweet childhood, Lord,
Sanctify each thought and word,
Set Thy seal on ev'ry thing
Which we do, O little King.

Be our Teacher when we learn,
All the hard to easy turn;
Be our Playmate when we play,
So we shall indeed be gay.
Keep us happy, keep us pure,
While our childhood shall endure,
All its days to Thee we bring,
Bless them, guard them, little King.

Copyright 1920 by N.A.M.
Copyright renewal assigned 1947, to the St. Gregory Guild, Inc., Phila, Pa.