Mrs. Katz and Tush

We are back to doing FIAR after taking a little break to complete the CHC assignments.

Tico and the Godlen Wings

Live in God and respond to God’s grace and gifts
We accept God’s grace as a gift. We respond generously to God by noticing
others, giving of our gifts to others and forgiving others.


Tico and the Golden Wings
by Leo Lionni
New York, NY: Dragonfly Books of Alfred A. Knopf.
Paperback ISBN 0-394-83078-4

Tico was born without wings and so could not fly. Luckily
the other birds loved him, and so they supplied him things
to eat, and helped him with his needs. Yet Tico longed to
fly as other birds did. Tico
dreamed of having golden
wings on which to soar.
One summer night, he was
visited by the wishingbird,
who gave him a wish. Tico
wished for golden wings, like in his dream, and so it was
granted. When his friends saw his new golden wings, they
made fun of him. But Tico flew on, testing out his new
wings.

Tico came across a poor man who was sad, because his son
was sick and he could not afford medicine. Tico gave him
one of his golden wings, which was replaced by a black wing.
Tico gave his golden wings to many who needed them:
puppets for a poor puppeteer, a spinning wheel for an old
woman, and a compass for a lost fisherman. When the last golden feather went to a bride, he still
had wings of black, able to fly. He flew back back to the tree wondering if his friends would welcome
him. They did. He rejoined them. They thought he was just like them. But Tico knew he
had his golden memories of how his gifts had helped so many others.


In the Letter to the Ephesians we are reminded that God entered history with Jesus Christ to
change our world by saving us through grace. Grace that is a gift to us that we don’t earn, it is just
given, like golden wings, but that we are expected to keep giving. We are made for good works.
God’s love and grace don’t end with us, they should flow through us.

In the story Tico and the Golden Wings, Tico is in need of wings and cannot save himself. Only
something outside can help him. He gets these wings as a gift - nothing he does earns them. But
he accepts the gift and uses it well. Then he notices others who are in need and desires to help
them. Then he actually does help them by giving them his golden wings. Finally he forgives the
other birds who were not always nice to him. Tico responded to the gift he received with generosity
and good works.

Story time...

The fairytale land pretty bird (story by Sarah (5) and typed by mommy)

Once upon a time there was a beautiful land with butterflies and flowers and those pretty birds but most of all the wishing bird and fairyland people and whatever people wished for the bird would make it come true for lots of years, days and nights. There were beautiful trees with fruit on it...strawberries and oranges and most sweetest tree was the apple tree it had beautiful apples that we could eat. There were pretty birds but that bird stood there on a tree and that bird reminded them of whatever happened in that land and all of the birds were so pretty and they went on a nature hunt. The End.

Homeschoolers' setback ...

"California is now on the path to being the only state to deny the vast majority of homeschooling parents their fundamental right to teach their own children at home," he said in a statement.

But Leslie Heimov, executive director of the Children's Law Center of Los Angeles, which represented the Longs' two children in the case, said the ruling did not change the law.

"They just affirmed that the current California law, which has been unchanged since the last time it was ruled on in the 1950s, is that children have to be educated in a public school, an accredited private school, or with an accredited tutor," she said. "If they want to send them to a private Christian school, they can, but they have to actually go to the school and be taught by teachers."

Heimov said her organization's chief concern was not the quality of the children's education, but their "being in a place daily where they would be observed by people who had a duty to ensure their ongoing safety."

Hmmm...as to that last statement...wouldn't that be the parents? It seems like the government is over eager to step in and do our job...I guess, since they have done such an awesome job with everything else, right? Pray, everyone...please!