Blessed Simplicity

Suffering

2012-02-05T12:38:00.002-05:00

I think there is a common misconception in the Christian community that being a believer (one who has made a commitment to follow Christ) exempts you from suffering. This is especially true for premillenial dispensationalists and prosperity theologians, who teach that we'll be airlifted out of here before things really get bad and we'll be rich when we are. But make no mistake, God's kingdom is now. Satan is loosed on the earth now. And we, the people of God, will suffer.

Jesus said "I come not to bring peace, but the sword." He knows that faith and the commitment to follow him will cause division in communities, in families, and in churches.

Suffering may be physical: Many heroes of the faith were martyred for their beliefs. Peter was crucified upside down. Paul was beheaded. Matthew, John, Thomas, and James were murdered. Jim Elliot was murdered by the Auca people. Edith Stine was send to the gas chambers at Auschwitz. Rachel Scott and Cassie Bernall were shot point blank at Columbine highschool as teenagers.

Suffering may be emotional: We will have to watch as our country and our world fall into such moral decay that we can barely stand the agony. Our desire to practice our faith and worship our Lord will cause us to be mocked and ostracised. Our pro-abortion President and his cabinet recently passed a HHS law stating that every employer will be required to fund contraception, sterilization, and abortifacients, with a narrow-to-the-point-of-uselessness exclusion for religious beliefs. The Komen foundation recently made a statement that they would pull funding from Planned Parenthood, but faced such intense pressure from the organization that they recanted. Planned Parenthood ends the lives of over 1,000 babies a day through abortion. Starbucks recently announced it's support of same-sex "unions" in the state of Washington, joining ranks with many other corporations who have done the same. It's heartwrenching to watch, knowing that the people behind these decisions are lost and in need of a savior, and knowing that this is the world we will leave to our children.

Suffering may be spiritual: Blessed Mother Teresa has said in many of her writings that she never felt further from God then when she was doing his work. John of the Cross suffered his own "dark night of the soul", and even the warrior Joan of Arc felt distance from Christ in her last days. We often feel the most distance from God when we feel we are suffering and watching people suffer.

But there is good news! The good news is that everything going on in our world today is part of God's perfect plan. Does he want to watch his believers suffer? No! In fact he promises that he will be with us. He calls us to stand firm and to be unified. To know what we believe, to profess what we believe, to LIVE what we believe, and to tell others. To use our suffering to advance the kingdom of God to the ends of the earth, and to tell the world to make ready for the Bridegroom. To teach our children so that they will be ready to carry on for the Kingdom of God. Are we up to the challenge?

What Are You Afraid Of?

2012-01-31T11:18:00.002-05:00

My girl's latest obsession is asking me what I am afraid of.

"Mom, are you afraid of thunderstorms?" No.
"Spiders?" Nope.
"Tornadoes?" Not Really.
"Snakes?" Nuh uh.
"Aren't you afraid of anything?" Nope.

At least not anything I would tell you. What am I afraid of?
I am afraid of God calling one of you home before me. Of things that hurt you that I can't prevent. I'm afraid of you being hit by a car. Snatched off a street corner. Of a fire in the house and I can't get all of you out. Large bodies of water you can drown in. Balconies you can fall off of. I am afraid of your daddy having a heart attack as he's mowing the grass, or of a random act of violence or a car accident on his way home from work. I am afraid of you growing up in a world that is more and more filled with hate and prejudice, where you will be persecuted and suffer for your faith. Those are things I am afraid of. So afraid of.

Saint Michael the Archangel,
defend us in battle;
be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil.
May God rebuke him, we humbly pray:
and do thou, O Prince of the heavenly host,
by the power of God,
thrust into hell Satan and all the evil spirits
who prowl about the world seeking the ruin of souls.
Amen

Lesson Planning (or not?)

2012-01-26T11:42:00.002-05:00

I don't lesson plan. I feel a little guilty about that sometimes. Especially, when I see all of these fancy homeschool planners with their yearly, monthly, and weekly planning sheets. I have tried several, thinking they might help me plan, but they end up sitting unused. You would think it would be crucial to have a weekly lesson plan, and it is. I just don't have it all written out.

First, most of our textbooks are set up like this: Lesson 1, Lesson 2, Lesson 3. Now, I could write it out again, one lesson per day, but this seems a little redundant. So for these books I just stick a bookmark in and we do one lesson after the other. Read aloud books? Again, bookmarks.

Some of our books have sheets to tear out. I used to keep them in workbook form, but realized that we don't always do every sheet (shocking I know). If one of my children grasps a concept and can get all or almost all of the problems on a math page right, does she really need to do 4 more pages of the same thing? I don't think so.

Then, there's the inevitable. I have a beautiful plan in place, all neatly written out, and a stomach flu blows through the house causing mass chaos and distruction. Then I still have my plan, but all the dates are wrong. And that....would drive me bonkers.

Now, don't get me wrong, it's important to have a plan. That's why I have my excel schedule. It's important to make goals for the year, and to reevaluate as needed. I also keep a list of books we read and areas that are giving us trouble. But written plans? They're not for me.

Prepositions

2012-01-25T15:08:00.002-05:00

We like to use chants and songs to memorize facts. The girls have memorized the helping verbs and the linking verbs, but I had yet to find a good song to help memorize the prepositions. Until yesterday!

Thank you fourth grade student teacher, whoever you are! We appreciate it!

Dealing with Homeschool Burnout

2012-01-24T21:10:00.004-05:00

This has been our most challenging year yet, mostly because of Baby Girl and all of her medical challenges, which it has made it very hard to get into any kind of a routine with schoolwork. The fall was a disaster. Fortunately we were able to get through Christmas and find our groove and we are starting to get caught up in most of our academic areas.

All homeschoolers deal with burnout, even without doctor's appts and surgeries. It makes us feel like we aren't accomplishing anything, like our kids aren't learning anything, and tempts us to hail the big yellow school bus as it drives by. What we need to realize is that it's normal. It happens to everyone, especially in February (repeat after me- I'll never make a school decision in February!). The dreary cold, snow, kids cooped up indoors, germs, illness, can make homeschooling seem unbearable. Sometimes all we need is to make a couple of adjustments, tweak some lesson plans, even add in some fun and things get back on track. Need some ideas?

Turn off the TV. No homeschooling family watches TV, of course. Right. The easiest thing to do when the kiddos are getting on our nerves is to pop in a DVD (maybe and educational one- but still). The best chance for a quiet morning? Turn on some cartoons. The problem with this is that it becomes a habit, and the more TV they watch the less they read, play, or show interest in learning on their own. It actually makes them more likely to climb the walls and more likely to fight, bicker, and complain of boredom. So turn it off and give them ideas for things to do. Give them stacks of library books, board games, and crafts. The more you do, the better they will play with each other (and not bug you). If they play with each other, read on their own, and play games, they are learning! Even if you aren't teaching them at that moment.

Set up a Schedule. It sounds restrictive. But blocking your academic time out in blocks on a schedule makes it much easier to stay on task. I created my schedule in excel and was completely overwhelmed at the sight of it, but the next morning I jumped in....and it worked. Not only did it work, but we actually ran ahead of schedule. We accomplished everything we needed to accomplish, the kids all got some time with me, and I even got time to myself. Try it. (and if you would like a copy of my schedule as an example, leave a comment with your email address- I would be happy to send it to you).

Tweak your curriculum or philosophy. We use the classical model in our homeschool, but with all of the stress of the fall we were relying on workbooks. I came to realize that I was missing opportunities for real learning through good books and interesting topics because I was worried about getting the math pages done. I tweaked our curriculum to add in some Charlotte Mason method, allowing time in our schedule to read good books and narrate them orally. I dropped a lot of the written work. It has provided a nice change to our schoolwork and it has opened up opportunities to read and learn interesting things together.

Make time for fun. We are homeschoolers. We are blessed to be able to have fun and be flexible with our school days. When the weather gets crummy, pile everyone in the car and head for a museum, a matinee, or the library. Sometimes the best way to get back on track is to take a little break and come back to it the next day.

Make time for yourself. We don't get a lot of it. While most moms put their kiddos on the bus or drop them off in the carpool line and head to Starbucks, we get the privilege of being home with ours. A blessing, and sometimes a hardship. Sometimes we just need a break. It's important if you start to feel this way that you get one. Set up a time for your husband to watch the kids, or grandma, or even a sitter. Get out of the house, get a quiet coffee, read a grown up book, and take a few deep breaths. A little space can do us a lot of good!

Burnout is hard. It is frustrating and stressful, but it will pass. Try making a couple of small changes, and see if that doesn't breathe some fresh air into your homeschool (and if you have any great ideas to share- leave a comment- I would love even more ideas!)

Social Network Etiquette

2012-01-20T07:50:00.002-05:00

Facebook seems like the perfect choice for your platform. Right? Think about it, hundreds of your closest friends, family, not so closest friends, friends of friends, you can "speak" to them all in one status. But should you? I think we need to be very cautious about sharing political, religious, or social views on facebook and twitter. I don't walk into a party and announce "Rick Santorum for President!" or "Stop Planned Parenthood!" or "Protect Marriage!" or "So, how much does your husband make?", because it's not appropriate conversation for a social gathering. Facebook is a party!

Be Respectful: It's important to treat your facebook "friends" the way you would treat your friends face to face. Many of my facebook friends believe the same things I do, but some of them don't. I would rather not say anything than risk offending the few that I would offend.

Be a Witness: Often we are a better example of Christ if we don't say anything than if we do.

Don't Cause Another to Sin: If I post a status that another finds offensive they will be tempted to comment. That has happened to me, many times. One hard facebook rule is if you don't want a comment, don't post. I think that's a great rule, but some people do want comments. They want to start a debate, and my weak heart and soul stumble right in and say something that should not have been thought, much less said.

So what can we do?
Think hard about what we post. When you post a status, think about who will be reading it? Do I want my boss, my mom, or my daughter's ballet teacher to see it (We love you Miss Emily!)? If that's a no- then don't post it. (And this also applies to certain baby related posts- bodily fluids come to mind :) ).

Create a Page. If you feel strongly about a current political event in your community or the plight of the Bengal tiger, create a page for it. Then people have a choice whether they want to "friend" that cause or not.

Use Twitter. I have found it to be a much better forum for politics, ethics, and other agendas.

Blog It. Again people have a choice whether to read.

I am by no means perfect at this. As I said above, I have been pulled into commenting and always feel horrible after I do. I am also guilty of posting strong political and ethical statements. It is a daily struggle. Just be careful. Politics and ethics are not worth losing a friend.

'Tis the End of the Season

2012-01-07T08:41:00.004-05:00

The king cake has been eaten, the house has been covered in prayer, the door has been symbolically marked with the sign of the three kings, and the 12 days of Christmas is officially over. This always brings a sigh of relief, mixed with just a hint of sadness. January is one of my favorite months, with the refreshment of a new year mixed with the first signs of really cold weather (and we're not tired of the cold yet!), but there is a little holiday let down as well. The lights, sounds, tastes, and joy of Christmas give way to torn up wrappings on the floor, broken bulbs under a drying tree, and a few extra pounds around our waist in the New Year.

But for the Christ-followers, the celebrators of the Christ-Mass season, the joy continues. It is wrapped in the swaddling clothes of a baby, born in a stable, sent to redeem the world and offer the promise of eternity. We can continue to celebrate every day, offering holiday joy to those around us, the promise of a savior, a gift of hope and peace 365 days a year.

Do I allow the light of Christmas to shine in me all year round? May that be a New Year's Resolution for all of us who have received this gift-to share the light of Christ with those whose joy rests in the things that will pass away and show them that hope, peace, and even celebration is a free gift, offered to any who choose to accept it.

20+C+M+B+12 Christius Mansionem Benedicat May Christ bless this house, and all who enter it.

Fave iPhone Apps for Moms

2012-01-06T10:58:00.004-05:00

A few weeks ago I noticed that I was eligible to upgrade my cell phone. Having resisted upgrading to a smart phone in the past (because I wasn't convinced I would use it enough to justify the expense), this time around AT&T made me an offer I couldn't refuse. I decided to take the plunge, and oh my gosh...I think I am only cracking the surface on the potential of the iPhone for this SAHM. I have found some pretty cool stuff out there, despite having to find most of it myself because there aren't many cool App lists for SAHMs with new smartphones. So I thought I would compile my own list, for any moms out there that might be looking!

Cozi- Calendar, menu, to-do list all rolled into one. Sync it with a web version (which you have to open in IE 9 or Firefox- it crashes with IE 7). You can upload your entire family's calendars, each person is color coded, and it sends email reminders- not just to me, but to anyone else listed on the agenda item. Love it!

Evernote- Basically a digital notebook. It syncs to a web version (always good to have a backup for data). You can add notes and categorize them in notebooks.

Keyring- Stores the barcodes on all of those store cards we carry around on our keychains. Less clutter is always a plus for me! They just scan your phone at the register.

Fertility Friend Mobile- Tracks your cycle for NFP (or TTC). Put in the temp and signs and it calculates and cross checks it. Easy!

App Shopper- Finds cool new apps that are on sale.

Teach Me Kindergarten- My son LOVES it! He plays the learning games and gets to collect pirate stickers for his pirate wallpaper. A hit.

Family Rosary- Plays and audio of the rosary mysteries. Great for driving in the car. The whole family can participate.

Envelopes- I have always admired those that can do a cash budget and envelope system, but I like my debit card! This app allows you to track "envelopes" without actually having to have envelopes. You deposit money however you choose and enter receipts as needed. So easy.

PBS Kids- Sometimes it's just nice to have TV.

My Fitness Pal- Tracks calorie intake and exercise!

Lookout- Syncs with a web version to backup all data in case of malfunction or loss. Also has a GPS locator to find a lost phone.

Food On The Table- Builds a grocery list based on the sales at your local store.

Those are my favorites so far! Most of them are free, or I am using free versions. A couple of them were $.99.

Sometimes.....

2012-01-05T08:25:00.003-05:00

all you need to be grateful for your own cross is to read about someone else's.

http://oh-bla-di.blogspot.com/

It Works!

2012-01-03T13:52:00.002-05:00

Today was our first day with our new homeschool schedule (and a tweaked curriculum!). We have had a great day! We got up and got moving. Everyone was dressed and ate breakfast. We moved through morning devotions and prayers, giggled through literature (especially Jabberwocky!), and worked through table work pretty efficiently. We were able to do lots of reading, worked on memory work, and still found time for some free play and a little house cleaning. I am amazed because on paper it looked completely overwhelming, but it worked!! Hallelujah!! Oh Happy Day!

New Year's Resolutions

2012-01-01T15:49:00.004-05:00

It has been a while since I have taken a moment to stop by my blog. What can I say? Life around here has been crazy! My last post was a quick stop by between the baby's spine surgery and her wound infection, which landed her back in the hospital for another week. After that we had Thanksgiving, Christmas, and here we are January 1, 2012.

I am not one to make New Year's Resolutions, but there is something about
January 1st that triggers me to think through bad habits that I've picked up in the last year and with a new baby (and one with health challenges) I have picked up several. So I decided to put some goals down on paper in hopes that seeing them often will help motivate change.

Personal Quiet Time and Prayer in the morning and more structured prayer and Bible time with the kids in the morning. It is easy to skip past this when I am not being intentional. I need to do a better job of making sure we are following a schedule so that I am not tempted to skip this part of our day and move to math and grammar.

More Homeschool Time. The key to this is to be home! I have found it to easy to say yes this last few months, yes to playdates, yes to lunches, yes to outings. But this next few months I have to say no. We need to be home to catch up on academics.

Less TV, more books. Again, a hard thing when life has been overwhelming. It is easy to put on a video for a little quiet when my mind is overwhelmed with worry and a massive undone to-do list. I have been reading Charlotte Mason's views on living books and am hoping to implement a lot of her theories into this spring's homeschool plan.

Better nutrition and exercise. Eating better and getting moving will give me more energy to keep moving. This I know, but it is hard to get started!

Tighten the budget and eliminate some excess spending. Drive through's especially, convenience food (which should help with the resolution above), and miscellaneous Target shopping. I am not a spender, but I do sometimes fritter money away without thinking about it. We want to do some big projects on the house this next couple of years and with all of the baby's medical bills I need to tighten things down so we can accomplish them.

Monthly Confession with the family. So beneficial to our faith and how we live in our homes and our community, but an easy thing to blow off. Now that two of the four kids go too, we really need to make an effort to go regularly.

Follow the church year. Celebrate Feast Days and other church holidays. Totus Tuus blessed us with a saint companion for our family for 2012, Our Lady, Queen of Peace. We are so excited to spend the year learning about the Blessed Mother; what a perfect companion for this year!

Keeping up with blogging and photos. This blog is really designed to be an online journal for my family. I need to make an effort to keep up with posts.

That's quite a list. I think so too! Fortunately I like lists :) They help me accomplish things! Happy New Year!

I love this!

2011-10-24T08:25:00.002-04:00

Letting It Go

2011-09-28T12:34:00.004-04:00

I can't get it all done. I keep trying, but the second I get out from under one pile someone dumps another one right on top of me. The piles aren't always the same, there's the homeschooling pile, the parenting pile, the cleaning pile, the cooking and grocery shopping (oh the grocery shopping) pile, the paycheck/bills/household papercrap pile. I drop stuff, lose stuff, forget to buy stuff. Have I forgotten anything else? I am sure I have. I keep thinking if I just tweak this system or start this routine things will move more smoothly around here. I haven't found anything that works. So I am going to have to change my tactic a bit if I am going to maintain an ounce of sanity. I am going to have to let it go.

This is just a stage. I have a new baby, a sick one. Sometimes she naps, sometimes she doesn't. I have three other yahoos, they all need attention too. I can't always control what happens during the day, more often than not I am just hanging on to the crazy train hoping to survive until bedtime. And that's ok.

Right now I don't have to teach a full day classload every day. People will tell me I do- but I don't. It will get done. We will finish the school year, even if it's in June. Breathe.

Right now I don't have to load my entire syllabus of lesson plans. I can teach class just as well doing one plan at a time. It will be ok. Breathe.

Right now I don't have to have a month's worth of organic and from scratch meals planned. We can eat tacos sometimes, or pizza, or even McDonald's. The family will survive. Breathe.

Right now I don't have to deep clean every room of the house on a rotating schedule. I don't have to have some elaborate chore system in place that taunts me when I forget about it. Everyone can pitch in when they need to. Breathe.

Right now I don't have to carve out an hour in the morning and in the evening for scripture, prayer, rosary. A few verses, lectio divina, and offering my day as prayer are ok. God understands. After all, he placed me here. Breathe.

Control is an illusion. Perfection doesn't exist. No one can get it done, all the time, and that's ok. I am going to love on my baby, have fun with my yahoos, and dwell in my imperfection, and it's going to be all right. Breathe.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-09-21T10:35:00.002-04:00

2011-09-19T21:19:00.001-04:00

St.Thérèse never founded a religious order;
she never performed great works and never went on missions,
but she understood that what matters in the Christian life
is not great deeds, but great love,
and that anyone can achieve the heights of holiness
by doing even the smallest things well for love of God.
"All is well," she wrote,
"when one seeks only the will of Jesus."
St. Thérèse is a reminder to all of us who feel we can do nothing,
that it is the little things that keep God's kingdom growing.

The Journey Begins

2011-09-16T07:58:00.003-04:00

When you tell people you are expecting your 4th child you typically get one of two responses- "Are you crazy?" (I mean 4 is a lot these days) or "Piece of cake, you're an expert by now!". I have to admit, I wasn't concerned at all. A newborn is hard work of course, and it takes some time to figure a new baby out, but I had done it three times! I had an easy pregnancy (as easy as it can be at my age) and had no reason to expect that anything was different. I even had it perfectly timed. We finished school the day before d-day! I had the whole summer to adjust to our new blessing, and the other kids were even going to be gone for the first two weeks. It was practically a vacation!

Shortly after her birth, the attending neonatologist noticed that something was wrong. She called our pediatrician, who called a pediatric urologist up from Riley Children's Hospital. He took a look and told us she needed to be transferred to a higher level NICU for tests. By this time I was a mess, it helped that they decided to transfer me too. She spent her first 9 days in the NICU having tests run to determine what was wrong. After MRIs, Ultrasounds, X-rays, and a scope, it was determined that she had a large hemangioma on her diaper area, which resulted in a bladder exstrophy and a tethered spinal cord. We spent most of the summer seeing specialists and learning what all this means. We had to figure out a plan and figure out what would be required for her care. I went from being a slightly fatigued (ha!) mother of four, to a slightly fatigued mother of four- one of whom has special needs. This is new territory for me. It feels like I am a new mother all over again. Doctor's appointments, tests, medication, special care instructions for diaper changes and feedings, along with everything else that life demands for her and the other three kids is almost more than I can handle some days. It is very hard to focus on homeschooling or teaching, or the housework or cooking when I feel consumed by the baby and her needs. This is the closest I have ever been to putting the kids in school. It is very, very hard some days. So tiring, so overwhelming to meet the needs of my family, coordinate the baby's healthcare, and wade through the stack of medical bills. I don't feel like I am doing much very well right now.

I wish there were more resources sometimes. Places I could look for support, but her condition is so rare, there isn't much out there. That's why I am going to write a little about her and our journey, because maybe another mom will be able to draw support from our story. I know it will get better and I know that the doctors will be able to do a lot for her. I am grateful to be in a city with such wonderful specialists. I am just trying to take things one day at a time, to get done what I can get done, to let go what I can't, and to make the best of my circumstances. Because I am here with my family where I am called to be, and I have a beautiful baby girl. Such a blessing!

(Almost) Wordless Wednesday

2011-09-14T20:21:00.002-04:00

Books I Might Write

2011-09-09T10:18:00.003-04:00

After laughing my way though this link of the 20 Worst Book Covers, I started thinking about some of the books I could write, if I ever wrote a book.

How a 9yr old girl and a 7yr old Girl Produce so much Laundry (and what to do about it)

Lining up 3,000 matchbox cars and How to Know if one is Missing

Meal Planning for Dummies (Meals guaranteed to please your spouse, your kids, and your guinea pig-ALL AT THE SAME TIME- Maybe)

Math Makes Me Itch- A day in the life of a homeschooled 3rd Grader

Get it ALL Done (or Die Trying)

Sugar isn't the Enemy (Disclaimer-unless your kid eats an entire box of Trix in one sitting- then the full speed laps around the house may tell you otherwise)

Ways to Make a New Mother Insane (Alternate Title- Have a Baby Question? Google it!)

Mini-Van Science- What is Growing Under Your Backseat (Includes Photos)

The Chocolate, Coffee, and Coke Diet for Moms

101 Things to Do with Broken Crayons

The Proper Care and Feeding of a Guinea Pig when you're on a Budget (Alternate Title- What to Do with Extra Wooden Blocks)

Creative Uses for a Stack of Magazines You Don't Have Time to Read

The 1 Minute Shower for Moms (Includes Shaving Rotation Chart)

Moms Can't Do it Alone (Working Title- Let Go and Let God)

Hee Hee. Happy Friday!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-09-07T08:06:00.003-04:00

A Baby Story (My Baby Story)

2011-08-25T07:52:00.005-04:00

I sat down to nurse yesterday afternoon and flipped on TLC because my brain was too tired after a day of homeschooling to read. A Baby Story was on. The couple on the show was expecting their second child. After the baby was born, the father noticed that the baby was missing most of the fingers on his left hand. It was unexpected and not something they had seen on an ultrasound.

Immediately all of my emotions from Ellie's birth came flooding back. I empathized with this mother, who was so excited that her little boy was here and that she was finally getting to meet him after nine months, but there was this little cloud over that moment. Every mother wants to marvel at this new little person, to count the fingers and toes, to snuggle and bond and enjoy these early days because they go so fast. I looked forward to that with my baby. Cuddling in the hospital, enjoying getting to know her and spending every minute staring into her eyes. But I didn't get those moments. I saw her briefly after she was born, then they took her for all over newborn stuff. I had to beg them to bring her back and let me nurse her 2 and a half hours later. They wouldn't give me the time to hold her because they were to busy figuring out what was wrong and what to do. Our first moments were lost, in a whirlwind transfer to another hospital and a NICU stay for test after test. I was blessed to be able to go with her, but wasn't able to see her again until the next morning, when I could get out of bed.

I remember being so excited just to see her and get to know her. I walked down to the NICU by myself, because there was no nurse available to take me (and I wasn't about to wait for one), and she wasn't there, she was down in MRI. I just sobbed. I am sure the nurses thought I was crazy, but I couldn't help it. I didn't know her, I hadn't had time to memorize her face, I wanted so desperately to spend time with her.

We acclimated. I spent my hospital stay sitting next to her in the NICU rather than snuggling her in my hospital bed. I held her with her tubes and wires, but at least I was able to hold her. We still bonded and are still bonding. But I still struggle with emotions related to her delivery and how stressful it was because it was so unexpected. But she is perfect, not physically, but perfect. She is a gift to us from God, a blessing and a miracle. I will never forget that and never take it for granted.

My daughter took this picture, during the brief moments that they got to see the baby. When I saw it initially, I thought "It's a terrible picture of me!" and it is. I look awful, so puffy and swollen from the delivery. But then I realized when it was taken, just after they told me the baby and I were being transferred. By this point I had been crying most of an hour at least, but I was trying to smile for the older kids. They were there just briefly, no party, no cake, no little sister in her matching sibling shirt they had made. They were leaving for two and a half weeks. It was a very hard moment for me.

Blessed are the children, for they are the kingdom of heaven.

Wordless Wednesday (Photography by K)

2011-08-24T10:42:00.003-04:00

Things Grandmas Know About Babies

2011-08-23T08:12:00.003-04:00

You would think I would know everything there is to know about babies and small children. Having baby number 4, I am fairly confident I will not need to call my mom with questions such as "How do I know I am in Labor?", "What does croup sound like and WHAT DO I DO!", "How do you clean sharpie off the wall?", and "Ummm...she stuck a pea up her nose (or corn-I've had both)?". I may have the occasional mom-of-four question like "Will my bladder ever be the same? or did this pregnancy officially do it in?", but in general I'm good. I pretty much know what I need to know.

But I was thinking about grandmas this morning, and I realized that there are things they know about babies and young children that we moms can learn (especially experienced moms).

Grandmas are gentle. This of course sounds terrible, but we moms of many children tend to fling the baby around like a sack of potatoes. We don't intend to, but sometimes life can get a little hectic. If you have the phone in one ear, are stirring a pot on the stove, attempting to keep the 4yr old and his cars out of the open dishwasher, and have the baby on your hip, you know what I mean. But I have watched my mom handle babies, they are so cautious and careful. When they take them from you it's with two hands, when they hand them back it's with two hands (two hands what is that?). They make sure they are secure in their arms, or yours, and let go slowly. This really helps the baby feel calm and comforted. They like to feel safe and held tightly, not like they are going to be dropped (even if they aren't) and they know the difference. I am trying to be more gentle in the way I pick up and carry the baby.

They have the patience to calm a crier. Moms of many tend to get frustrated with a crying baby, expecially when they know that baby just needs to sleep (and typically put them in the swing to fuss until they do). Grandmas will walk and rock a baby in a quiet corner, then when they fall asleep lay them gently in their crib, leaving one hand on their belly(so they don't feel abandoned) and ever so slowly cover baby with a blanket. I am trying to be intentional about meeting the baby's needs when I can, rather than just letting her fuss.

They say yes. Moms of many don't say yes very often. They say no to treats at the store, no to ice cream if dinner hasn't been eaten, no to fun outings (the house has to be cleaned after all) and definitely no to anything involving another mess. Grandmas (and grandpas) say yes. They accept that kids will be kids. They are patient with the mess, and they drop what they are doing to do something fun. Does real life require us to say no sometimes? Of course! But I am learning that sometimes it is ok to say yes.

They realize how fast time goes. I am sure this is where a lot of the above comes from. They recognize that this stage is so short. That it's ok, in this season, not to have a perfectly kept house, or kids whose clothes match (because they chose their own outfit), or to be involved in a lot of outside activities. Time with babies and small children flies by. In a blink they are teenagers and then they move out, get married, and have babies of their own. So I hope the most important thing I have learned from grandma is to appreciate every moment, because they will be grown before I know it.

Building Cathedrals

2011-08-22T12:33:00.003-04:00

I am sure I have broken some blog rule about posting someone else's writing in entirety, but I am willing to risk it just so I can have a place to read this over and over again, because some days I need to.

Invisible Mothers…Building Cathedrals

Invisible Mother…

It all began to make sense, the blank stares, the lack of response, the way one of the kids will walk into the room while I’m on the phone and ask to be taken to the store. Inside I’m thinking, ‘Can’t you see I’m on the phone?’ Obviously not; no one can see if I’m on the phone, or cooking, or sweeping the floor, or even standing on my head in the corner, because no one can see me at all. I’m invisible. The invisible Mom. Some days I am only a pair of hands, nothing more: Can you fix this ? Can you tie this? Can you open this?

Some days I’m not a pair of hands; I’m not even a human being. I’m a clock to ask, ‘What time is it?’ I’m a satellite guide to answer, What number is the Disney Channel?’ I’m a car to order, ‘Right around 5:30, please.’

I was certain that these were the hands that once held books and the eyes that studied history and the mind that graduated summa cum laude – but now they had disappeared into the peanut butter, never to be seen again. She’s going, she’s going, she’s gone!?

One night, a group of us were having dinner, celebrating the return of a friend from England. Janice had just gotten back from a fabulous trip, and she was going on and on about the hotel she stayed in. I was sitting there, looking around at the others all put together so well. It was hard not to compare and feel sorry for myself. I was
feeling pretty pathetic, when Janice turned to me with a beautifully wrapped package, and said, ‘I brought you this.’ It was a book on the great cathedrals of Europe. I wasn’t exactly sure why she’d given it to me until I read her inscription:
‘To Charlotte, with admiration for the greatness of what you are
building when no one sees.’

In the days ahead I would read – no, devour – the book. And I would discover what would become for me, four life-changing truths, after which I could pattern my work: No one can say who built the great cathedrals – we have no record of their names. These builders gave their whole lives for a work they would never see finished. They made great sacrifices and expected no credit. The passion of their building
was fueled by their faith that the eyes of God saw everything.

A legendary story in the book told of a rich man who came to visit the cathedral while it was being built, and he saw a workman carving a tiny bird on the inside of a beam. He was puzzled and asked the man, ‘Why are you spending so much time carving that bird into a beam that will be covered by the roof, No one will ever see it. And
the workman replied, ‘Because God sees.’

I closed the book, feeling the missing piece fall into place. It was almost as if I heard God whispering to me, ‘I see you, Charlotte. I see the sacrifices you make every day, even when no one around you does. No act of kindness you’ve done, no sequin you’ve sewn on, no cupcake you’ve baked, is too small for me to notice and smile over. You are building a great cathedral, but you can’t see right now what it will become.

At times, my invisibility feels like an affliction. But it is not a disease that is erasing my life. It is the cure for the disease of my own self-centeredness. It is the antidote to my strong, stubborn pride.

I keep the right perspective when I see myself as a great builder. As one of the people who show up at a job that they will never see finished, to work on something that their name will never be on. The writer of the book went so far as to say that no cathedrals could ever be built in our lifetime because there are so few people willing to
sacrifice to that degree.

When I really think about it, I don’t want my son to tell the friend he’s bringing home from college for Thanksgiving, ‘My Mom gets up at 4 in the morning and bakes homemade pies, and then she hand bastes a turkey for three hours and presses all the linens for the table.’ That would mean I’d built a shrine or a monument to myself. I just want him to want to come home. And then, if there is anything more to say to his
friend, to add, ‘You’re gonna love it there.’

As mothers, we are building great cathedrals. We cannot be seen if we’re doing it right. And one day, it is very possible that the world will marvel, not only at what we have built, but at the beauty that has been added to the world by the sacrifices of invisible women.

By Nicole Johnson, an awesome speaker and author. Find her at http://www.freshbrewedlife.com/.

Kids and Chores

2011-08-18T10:31:00.003-04:00

People ask me how I get the kids to do chores all the time. I don't always have a good answer, because it's just been an expectation from the very beginning (kind of like sitting still in church), but I thought I would jot down some basic ideas that work for us. (And no, we are not perfect, we certainly have our mornings!)

Make it an expectation- Don't excuse kids because you think they are too young (they aren't) or they are to busy doing extracurricular activities (you're busy too and you still have to do chores). Kids are capable of doing a lot more than they let on. Start when they are young and teach them that they are part of the family team and need to help around the house. Two year olds can empty trashcans, sort socks, put away silverware, and pick up toys. Be encouraging, make it fun, and talk about how important their job is. Then as they get older add more jobs and increase their complexity, continuing to talk about how important their work is to the family team.

Require a job well done- Don't accept sloppy work. Once you teach them how to do a job, expect them to do it correctly. If they don't- have them redo the work.

But don't expect too much- Young children are not going to do a chore as well as you do. Resist the temptation to follow along behind them and redo it so it meets your standards. As they grow their work will get better, so continue to encourage them to do their best job and work diligently, even if they don't get all of the corner dust bunnies.

You can't do "B" until you complete "A"- If you struggle to get them to do their chores at the beginning, use this simple formula (courtesy of Dr. Kevin Leman- love his books!). That means no fun until the work is done. It applies in real life (and what an important lesson to learn!) so make it apply to chores. In our house, it means no cartoons or playtime before school if the morning chores aren't done. My children hate to go straight from housework to school work. They like a break. If they don't work diligently, they don't get one (and if they procrastinate and delay the start of school then lunch or afternoon breaks are also delayed). If your children are in school, take them late (with a note that says "Johnny is late because he didn't have his chores done, he will accept the consequences for his tardiness"). It won't take long for Johnny to get the message.

I hope you find these suggestions helpful. They work pretty well in our home. Feel free to comment if you have a question!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-08-17T11:39:00.002-04:00

Marked as Christ's Own Aug 14, 2011

2011-08-16T12:45:00.003-04:00

The Last Day of Summer

2011-08-15T13:59:00.000-04:00

Most homeschooling families I know really look forward to summer break. I know we do. It's a chance to take a break from formal schoolwork, extracurricular activities and other committments and just have fun. We have spent the last couple of summers hanging out at the spray park and the pool, seeing movies at the library and participating in summer reading. I looked forward to doing the same this summer, although I also knew we would be adjusting to a new baby (but what better time of the year for that then lazy summer? right?).

Unfortunately this summer has been anything but relaxing. Instead of spending our summer days at the pool and the spray park, we spent them in doctor's offices. Any extra summer money went to medical bills, plumbing issues, and vehicle repairs. We had to have our dog put down and our 50 old ash tree treated for the Ash Borer. It's been a summer of stress, worry, fatigue, and disorganization. This is the first time in several years I've said this, but I am ready for it to be over! I'm tired of juggling life haphazardly, managing to get everything done, but not as thoroughly as I would like. I'm tired of hearing "I'm bored" or "I'm Hungry" or "It's too hot, can I watch a movie?". But I'm also just tired. I wish I could have had a rejuvenating break. I wish I were energetic and ready to go for the school year. I wish I were excited that activities were starting. But, I'm really not. So where does that leave me? Tired of Summer but not ready for Fall?

It's obvious, like the seasons themselves, that I have to move forward. We do have to start school. We do have to pile in the car and get to ballet and piano and soccer. The kids are ready. They are ready to see their friends and even ready to start some of their school work (they would deny this-but I have seen them sneaking math pages). I have to get ready too. Not just ready on paper, but ready in heart, mind and spirit. So I've been thinking about some ways that I can wash off the stress of summer and be ready to start fresh with this school year.

First, I think a thorough examination of conscience and a Confession are called for. When you have spent three months swinging at curve balls it can get a bit difficult to discern the weeds in your soul from the fruit. Pulling those weeds in the confessional can only be a benefit. I am going to get to work on this one right now.

Second, laying out the calendar and the budget and starting to pray over it. My prayer time has been suffocated by the desire for more sleep and the lack of quiet in my life recently. This is never a good thing. When prayer decreases, worry increases. I need to look at my fall and give it too God, knowing he will meet my needs for peace, time, and finances.

Third, time to dust off the old homemanagement binder. It's been a while since I've used one, but I am hoping lists on paper will help me keep structure in my day and the kids, especially with chores, schoolwork, bible time. Otherwise it feels like we trudge through our day with heavy feet and look back and have accomplished nothing.

Lastly, I hope to keep up with this blog. I am not the best writer. There are many, many blogs that are better than mine. But I think putting words down, even if the writing and grammar aren't textbook, can be helpful. Even if the only one who reads it is me, because at least I look back and see where I have been. Who knows, maybe my writing and blogging will even improve. One can only hope.

Two Months.....Already?

2011-07-19T14:15:00.003-04:00

Hello Again

2011-07-19T13:58:00.003-04:00

Well it's certainly been a while since I've been on this blog. Things have been a bit crazy around here. Suffice to say I did not get my lazy summer of adjusting to a new baby. It's really been a rough road this last 8 weeks. We made it through the end of the school year, finished ballet, and were all set to welcome #4. The kids were scheduled for a few weeks of fun at grandma's and we were all ready for the relaxation that comes with a light summer schedule. Turns out things don't always go the way we expect, even if we have carefully planned them to the minute.

#4 was an easy delivery by c-section. We were all set to enjoy our time bonding for a few days in the hospital, but during her intitial exams the physicians noticed something wasn't quite right. They decided we needed to be transferred to another hospital and she was put straight into the NICU. I won't go into details about her health. She has a caring bridge sight for that. But it has been a huge adjustment for me and my emotions have been all over the place. There was the initial fear and concern because we didn't understand what was happening and what was wrong. I did not get to bond with her the way I wanted too, I didn't even really see her until the next morning when I could get up and walk down to the NICU. There's apprehension about what is to come. We have to face the fact that her condition may not be easily repairable, if at all. She could face more surgeries down the road, even after the initial repairs, we just don't know. There's fatigue, which any new mom has, but having to juggle my regular responsibilities with the other kids and the house with her condition, doctors, and medications is very tiring. We've had plumbing issues, a sick dog who needed to be put to sleep, and other crazy things happen around the house, and then there are all the medical bills that are coming in. It's overwhelming and stressful. I am learning, to quote my father-in-law's speech at our wedding, to walk by faith. Because I don't know what each day or week will hold. But I can find rest in Christ, who promises to give me the strength I need to handle each day, one day at a time. So that is the prayer I pray with each breath "walk by faith".

What I've been up to.....

2011-06-26T07:45:00.003-04:00

I'm now a Mama of four.....and a busy one!

Checking In

2011-05-01T12:58:00.003-04:00

I haven't been able to post for about two weeks because I couldn't get blogger to cooperate. Apparently there is a glich with Internet Explorer 9, which I now have. Think I have it figured out now!

I wish I could be checking in over here and blogging more. Unfortunately, baby Ellie is taking it out of me. Here's a little update on what's been going on:

1. We made it to Easter! My husband was formerly received into the church, yay! Daughter number 2 sang in the choir on Easter Morning. We survived 4 days of Mass in a row.

2. I have been sick. Bronchitis, ugh and now a resurgence of the cough. It doesn't seem to be as bad, hopefully I can keep it that way.

3. We finished our school year! I was going to go to May 13th, but our Iowa test arrived for daughter #1, so I decided to go ahead and administer it. We had 12 extra days of attendance for the year, so it worked out perfectly to go ahead and be done. We'll switch now to reading and summer bridge workbooks. Whew. It was a good year, but a hectic one!

4. Pregnancy is starting to take it out on my. Acid reflux, blech. Discomfort, blech. 3 weeks to go.

That's life the last few weeks. We'll see what this month holds. Thanks for stopping by!

Lent- God's Way

2011-04-12T15:16:00.004-04:00

I had grand intentions this Lent.

1. Be diligant about fasting and think about Christ's sacrifice.
It was three weeks before we could remember that we had given up candy for Lent. We did ok on Fish Fridays, if you count the ones where I served the kids buttered noodles.

2. Spend time in daily devotions, both myself and the kids.
We did manage to do quite a few on the fly (as in- Batman you may not throw potato head at your sisterbecause that is not how Jesus wants us to treat others) and I spent plenty of time offering up chores, laundry, and a worn out attitude.

3. Listen to Ann Voskamp's One Thousand Gifts.
So far I have had enough silence in my life to get through the first 4 chapters. Pathetic. I did start a gratitude journal (by writing a title on the front cover) have yet to use it. Also pathetic.

4. Get the kids to weekly Mass. A good intention, but has not come to pass.

I have many excuses. The kids have been sick. I have been sick. I am really pregnant. But then I started to reflect on what I have gotten done during Lent this year (the reflection comes easily when you are spending night after night on the couch awake with a chest cold), and I realized that God chose to show me plenty, even if it wasn't what I was looking for.

I have learned to listen and support a suffering friend (two actually) with my ears, my heart, and my to-do list (putting aside my goals to spend quality time). This takes time, and carrying another's burden can be difficult, but sometimes it is what God calls us to do.

I have learned to drop what I am doing to spend time with a precious almost grown up (ok-about to turn 4) little boy. He won't be the baby of the family much longer and he isn't always going to want to sit on my lap(or what's left of it) with his blankie.

I have learned (or am beginning to learn) that my daughters need wisdom and encouragement from their mom now that they are beginning to interact with the world. One has had difficulties with another little girl who is unkind, the other is learning to stick it out when something is challenging.

I have learned that I love my husband, deeply. And I am so grateful that God placed him in my life. He has been such an encouragement to me.

We have less than two weeks to Easter. Maybe I can get things more in order, maybe not, but hopefully I can continue step by step to see the things God puts in my life to teach me and maybe I can even learn from them.

Goin' Up...

2011-04-06T18:04:00.002-04:00

I keep hoping to get over here and post something witty and thought provoking, but this mama is tired and a bit overwhelmed with pregnancy, homeschooling, and the three yahoos. So that's not what I've got today. What I've got is this:

Anyone else notice that grocery prices are going up? Fast? Seriously, I don't usually have to worry that much about what I buy, although I do try to be careful, but it seems like lately even my normal shopping list is breaking the bank. Well, Life as a Mom is spending the next 4 weeks hosting a blog roll on saving money on groceries. I have checked out several of the mom bloggers already, so hop on over there and check them out yourself! (They are way better bloggers than I am :) ).

http://lifeasmom.com/

Revamping My Weekly Routine

2011-03-27T15:15:00.005-04:00

I've been working pretty hard the last few weeks on reorganizing and refreshing my weekly routine in preparation for the mind-numbing newborn days that are approaching. Having a new baby around is hard work, and while we will be fortunate to be finished with all of our school year commitments (what timing!) there is still much that will need to be done around here and it can be hard to get it all done if a sleepy new mom has to rely on her overtired brain for the to-do list.

Here's what I have come up with so far. I may post new details as I try it out.

1. I already keep a notebook of to-do lists related to the various aspects of my life. I break them into categories so that I can see what needs to be done in each area. I also keep a list of any items that need to be fit into the budget. I keep these lists in a binder with a monthly calendar that lists our commitments and a monthly homeschool calendar that keeps us on track with our curriculum. I have never been a fan of a "Household Management" notebook because I only find it to be another thing to have to keep updated, but the lists are very helpful.

2. I downloaded the mini daily docket from The Simple Mom. Get it here. I printed three copies (they are two to a page), one for each day of the week, Monday through Friday. I didn't like the idea of creating a new to-do list every day, and the whole point of this is to get a more established weekly routine down on paper, including errand days, cleaning chores, etc. I made these copies my master copies. At the top of each I wrote the day of the week, but not the date. Then on each day I wrote out the items that needed to be done that day. Now, I can run a copy over the weekend and I have all of my regular items already written out. I can look at my calendar and add in any additional tasks, errands, or committments.

3. Now, you are probably wondering what I am using as a base for my household routine. I mean anyone can make a to-do list, right? This part was a little trickier because I wanted to organize my household tasks so that I was ordering the same way each week. I checked out a new book from the library, Large Family Logistics. I have only begun processing all of the helpful information in this book, but I found her lists for each day of the week to be extremely helpful. I was able to use the information, combined with the tasks I already have established in my home, and put down a very nice weekly routine. Here's how it came out:

Tuesday: Laundry day: All clothing washed and put away, Laundry area straightened, machines wiped down, cabinets straightened.
Deep Cleaning (the rooms rotate weekly) Day 1: Declutter and organize
-So on my master docket I have Laundry day, those tasks, and Deep Clean _______ Room: Day 1 Declutter and Organize ---Make sense?

Wednesday: Kitchen day: Clean kitchen thoroughly, bake, prep any food that needs to be prepped (cook and chop meat for freezer, cook and chop veggies that are about to expire, etc.)
Deep Cleaning_________Room: Day 2 Cobwebs, Light fixtures, Curtains, Windows

Thursday: Office day: Bills, Checkbook, Menu Plan, Lesson plans, etc. Straighten desk area, file papers, make lists for errand day.
Deep Cleaning_______Room: Day 3 Drawers, cupboards, polish furniture

Friday: Errand day: Errands
Deep Cleaning_______Room: Day 4- Vacuum corners, baseboards, under cushions and furniture.

Clear as mud?

4. The deep cleaning chores, being done regularly, shouldn't take more than an hour. The other tasks can be worked on throughout the day. Now, after reading all of that info, the following questions may have come to mind:

Will you really only leave the house one day a week?
-This is actually pretty normal for us already. When you homeschool, you have to be home. We do go to the library on Tuesday, and of course errands and appointments come up on other days sometimes, but in general I try to plan them all for one day.

What about regular cleaning tasks?
I am so glad you asked. Our daily routine encompasses those for the most part.
In the morning we make our beds, straighten our rooms, wipe down the bathrooms. In the afternoon, when schoolwork is finished, we straighten, dust, vacuum, and mop if necessary. In the evening I make sure the kitchen and living areas are picked up so we can start fresh the next day. My rule is "If you get it out, put it away" this helps keep the mess contained. I also don't allow dishes to pile up, I do them several times a day (without a dishwasher!), which prevents a huge kitchen mess at the end of the day.

Why don't you have an hour by hour schedule? I have looked at MOTH system by the Maxwell's (Managers of their Homes- google it). It breaks the day into half hour segments. This is a common method for large families, but I find it too rigid for my own home. I want to have specific tasks assigned for each day so that I can make sure everything is getting done, but I also want some flexibility. Sometimes we don't move as fast in the morning, or we get caught up in an interesting lesson, or it's a beautiful day and we want to go outside. I don't want to have to fit that into an hour by hour schedule.

I hope this post gave you some ideas for organizing your own routines. It may look complicated, and it will be to start out with. But I hope that having a routine on paper, with specific tasks for each day, will help order my life and the kids lives. It is always nice to know what is coming next. Will it work? We'll see. I'll keep you posted. Feel free to comment if you have a question or want more details about a specific area.

And a Couple of Photos

2011-03-24T19:59:00.001-04:00

My Pretty Daughter

Two Preggos, Don't Drink our Water!

Coming Off of a Whirlwind

2011-03-24T19:43:00.002-04:00

I can't believe it's been almost two weeks since I've been on here. It's actually been about two weeks since I've been on any of my favorite blogs. I have a lot of catching up to do!

It's been quite a whirlwind around here. Last week my sister was in town from Ft. Leonard Wood, MO. We were putting together a baby shower for my youngest sister. We had a lot of fun visiting, getting the shower ready, and celebrating her son's birthday at Chuck E. Cheese. We ran all week though, it was crazy! We made it through the shower, which was a lot of fun, and it was great to see family. Sunday we rested (whew), Monday it was back to homeschool co-op, Tuesday my middle daughter came down with a stomach bug, Ick, and we are still trying to get everything caught up.

We've been progressing through Lent, regardless. I haven't been able to do as much as I wanted with the kids this past week and a half, but hopefully we are moving back into a routine. I have a lot to do before the baby comes!

this moment

2011-03-11T08:16:00.003-05:00

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

If you're inspired to do the same, visit Soulemama leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see.

Remember You are Dust......

2011-03-09T07:15:00.003-05:00

and to dust you shall return.

I have been thinking a lot this morning about my oldest daughter's first Ash Wednesday. She would have been 8 or 9 months old. I remember welling up with tears when the priest placed the ashes on her forehead and said those words. "Remember you are dust and to dust you shall return". What mother wants to be reminded about the mortality of her children, especially her baby? And yet we face it every day, sending our children into a world where they can be hurt and killed, spiritually, emotionally, and even physically. How important it is to nurture and protect them while we can. Raising them in the faith, teaching them to love God and love their neighbors as themselves, loving them as best we can, and remembering every day that even with the challenges they face in today's world, God loves them infinitely more than we do and has a plan for their lives, however long or short they may be.

As we enter into Lent and the Easter Season

2011-03-09T07:07:00.002-05:00

"Perhaps this year, more so than years past, we should take this Easter season to focus on the ties that bind us as followers of Christ, rather than the differences that divide us East from West, Catholics from Protestant. St. Peter and St. Paul were both brothers in Christ, celebrating their mutual faith together in Jerusalem; Martin Luther was once a Catholic and practiced a faith not so different than ours. Whether our Lent begins with Clean Monday or Ash Wednesday, whether we will abstain on Fridays or choose not to abstain at all, let us keep our hearts focused on the unity that Jesus Christ offers all who follow His way, instead of focused on the discord and division we have brought about through our fallen human nature."

Think how much stronger the body of Christ would be if we focused on what we have in common rather than on what we do differently.

Thanks Melissa. You can read her entire article here.

Gearing Up For Lent

2011-03-06T15:02:00.006-05:00

It's getting pretty close. Ash Wednesday is just two days away. The Holy Father's message on Lent is here. I really like the focus on Baptism and also that he offers specific suggestions for each week of Lent.

Because it's easier to get the planning done on the weekend I went ahead and put up our decorations. Our palm branches have been removed from the Crucifix, replaced with a purple ribbon (the liturgical color of Lent). Many of the ideas can be found in some variation on different sites, but this site is the one that summarizes what we are doing the best. The focus of Lent is on repentence and appreciation for the ultimate price paid on the cross. It lasts for 40 days (not including Sundays). There are three aspects to Lent: Fasting, Alms Giving, and Prayer.

Fasting: We'll fast from candy and treats as we always do and from meat on Fridays. The kids are very good about this and they understand the purpose (which is to realize that we are abundantly blessed and to think about ways we can give more to Christ and to focus on Christ's own painful sacrifice whenever we think of what we miss). I will also be listening to Ann Voskamp's One Thousand Gifts (see previous posts).

Alms Giving: There is a small bowl on our centerpiece for change. This will be taken to the church during Holy Week.

Prayer: We'll be praying the stations of the cross using The Story of the Cross by Mary Josling and the votives I made for each station.

We'll bury the Alleluia Tuesday evening after our pancake dinner.

We'll count down the days with this printable calendar from Catholic Icing. We will also use the paper cross on the door to write sins that we struggle with and from which we need to repent.

Our table centerpiece is a crown of thorns. The thorns are made from craft sticks, and each time one of the kids makes a sacrifice in service to another they can remove a thorn. Hopefully the thorns will all be removed by Easter.

The wooden crosses (ideas here) are designed to be carried with us for the next 40 days, allowing us a physical reminder of the life God calls us to live. Hopefully they will remind us to ask "What Would Jesus Do" in the situations we face in our daily lives. They are plain wood for Lent, but we will be doing something special with them in Eastertide.

It's About That Time.....

2011-03-02T06:35:00.003-05:00

It's time to start thinking about Lent, which begins one week from today. I have been watching it come closer day by day on the calendar but have not had much time or energy to put a lot into what our Lent will look like this year. Our Lenten readings will be from the Gospel of Matthew (and what a wonderful Gospel for the season!) and our priest gave a great sermon (linked in entirety here) that certainly started me thinking about my Lenten Sacrifice.

The readings were out of Matthew, of course, quoted in the New American Bible:

"No one can serve two masters. He will either hate one and love the other, or be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon. Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat (or drink), or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds in the sky; they do not sow or reap, they gather nothing into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are not you more important than they? Can any of you by worrying add a single moment to your life-span?
Why are you anxious about clothes? Learn from the way the wild flowers grow. They do not work or spin. But I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was clothed like one of them. If God so clothes the grass of the field, which grows today and is thrown into the oven tomorrow, will he not much more provide for you, O you of little faith? So do not worry and say, 'What are we to eat?' or 'What are we to drink?' or 'What are we to wear?' All these things the pagans seek. Your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom (of God) and his righteousness, and all these things will be given you besides. Do not worry about tomorrow; tomorrow will take care of itself. Sufficient for a day is its own evil."

These are very powerful scriptures on their own and we often think of them in terms of money (and since it's pledge card season we often expect to hear a sermon on giving) but our priest made the following points:

-Much worry begins with feeling alone. Isn't this the truth? Don't we often struggle the most with worry in the middle of the night or any other time when we are alone with our thoughts? But, we don't need to feel alone- God is always with us!

-Do we believe the Lord is with us? This tests our faith! If we do believe, then we have little reason to be afraid!

-Worry implies fear. Fear that we are alone, fear that we are inadequate, fear that there is little hope. To worry about them is to doubt God's love for us and his presence with us.

-"Faith says, I will find that God is with me, even in the lowest of circumstances...He will never forget me. If I am wearing rags, Jesus is wearing them with me!......Do we believe the Lord loves us and has us in the palm of his hand? If the answer is "yes", then we have no need to worry."

These are powerful thoughts aren't they? Especially with everything going on around us-our government, world events, costs increasing for groceries and gas, health problems, declining morality in our world. It can be so easy to allow our worries to take "all of our thoughts captive", but there is only one thought that should hold us captive. God loves us and holds us in the palm of his hand. "Do not worry about tomorrow, tomorrow will take care of itself."

Thank you Father Roberts for such a thought provoking sermon. I think I will give up worry for Lent, what about you?

Finally!

2011-02-26T10:41:00.003-05:00

So Anne Voskamp's new book One Thousand Gifts has only been available on kindle.
(And as a result I very seriously considered saving up for one!) It's in hardback now, but our library doesn't have it ordered yet. Turns out you can go here, log in with your Amazon account, start a free trial, and download the book for free. Once I had it downloaded, I cancelled the trial. Easy peasy, and I am looking forward to listening to it!

this moment

2011-02-25T17:42:00.002-05:00

3yr old Funnies

2011-02-24T15:31:00.002-05:00

From my Facebook status updates today:

"Mom, A lady bug fell in the potty. I accidently flushed him. He was crying for help as he went round and round."

"just watched pirate fred limp by. It took me a second to figure out why he was limping. Turns out he has is foot stuffed in a plastic cup ( a peg leg). Why? An octopus bit off his foot. Of course he got his revenge in the form of octopus stew (ie. chef boyardee). Who says you can't make your own fun?"

"Why are you scratching your eyeball mom?" "I am allergic to George (the dog)".
"Oh.....I am allergic to bears."

You truly can't make this stuff up.

Our Favorite Homeschool Treat

2011-02-23T15:02:00.002-05:00

It's been a few days since I've been on here. We've been out of town, and I have been trying to get caught up on life since we came home. I figured I'd post a recipe today, because it's one of our faves, and it's perfect for the day before grocery day.

We love to make a batch of cookies when we are home during the day. Usually I keep frozen homemade dough in the freezer (I drop spoonfuls on a cookie sheet, freeze until firm, and store them in a ziploc bag) because we can bake a dozen at a time for an afternoon snack. Sometimes I have refrigerated dough in the fridge, if it's been on sale. If I am out of both, we make these:

Easy PB Cookies
1c granulated sugar
1c peanut butter
1 egg

Mix all three together until combined. Drop by spoonfuls onto a cookie sheet (it will be sticky!) Sprinkle a little sugar over the top if you like and press down slightly. Bake 425 degrees for 8-10min.

That's it, quick, easy, and delicious!

Embarrassing the Angels

2011-02-15T07:51:00.003-05:00

I have recently been re-reading my copy of Dr. James Dobson's Bringing Up Girls. Having a soon to be tween daughter (she'll be 9 this summer) is a little daunting. The baby, toddler, and early school years have their challenges, no doubt, but what is coming is truly terrifying. I have a stack of books on culture, sexuality, and girlhood waiting to be read, so hopefully I will have some interesting things to post. This article here, which Dobson refers to, really got me thinking. As Catholics we talk about angels a lot, so I have a nice visual of them shaking their heads and saying, "this is no way to treat a lady".

this moment

2011-02-11T09:08:00.004-05:00

Ever Wonder What A Homeschool Day Looks Like?

2011-02-10T13:37:00.003-05:00

This is the reason why, while not required, it is very highly recommended that Daddy call and let us know he is on his way home.

What do you think?

2011-02-10T09:29:00.004-05:00

A new look just in time for spring, and some new security features.
My sister did the layout and design, she's great at it! (And she has a pretty good blog of her own, check it out here. )

Looks a little empty!

2011-02-02T07:58:00.004-05:00

Hi There!

I would imagine this blog looks a little empty :). I have many blogs that I enjoy reading that are written by moms like me (although they are much better blogs than mine). In the last week, 3 of them have had major issues with pictures of their children being stolen off of their blog and used by strangers. My blog doesn't have the following they do and really who reads mine but me? But if I am going to keep a journal of my children's life, I would rather keep it in a way that I don't have to worry about safety. So, bear with me while I do a little facelift.
Thanks!