Where Were You...

....when the Challenger disaster occurred?

I think this was my first "Where Were You" moment. And until 9/11, this was the defining "Where Were You" moment for my age group.

I was in college, halfway through my junior year. Being a student without a television and with limited interest in or access to newspapers, I had very little grasp on current events at that time. However, I was blessed with the opportunity to attend daily Mass. My friends and I made up the choir on that weekday, and I nearly dropped my guitar when Father Pace announced that we would be praying for the astronauts who had just perished aboard the space shuttle.

After Mass we all rushed to the student center where we could see a TV. People were crowded around televisions that normally only attracted a few diehard soap-operaholics. Nobody was talking. We all just stared. We couldn't believe that such a thing could happen. The plume of smoke was shown, again and again.

On August 10, 2001, my family was fortunate enough to be present at Kennedy Space Center for the launching of Discovery (STS 105). What an amazing sight--and what a great relief when we learned that the shuttle had safely been launched into space.

May God grant eternal rest to those astronauts lost on the Challenger and on the Columbia, comfort to the families and friends who still grieve for them, and safety to all who are involved in space travel.

Book Review Time!

It's Book #3 of 2006....

A Big Storm Knocked It Over by Laurie Colwin.

I don't get to browse in libraries much; most of my reading choices come through recommendations. But last week during Library Storytime, Little Brother had worked his way into the middle of the circle. It was a big crowd and I was standing on the edges, as Little Brother had made it clear that he didn't want to sit on my lap for story. I nosed around the shelves directly surrounding me and came up with this one.

I was quite surprised to discover that Colwin was an American author, because her style just seemed to scream "British" at me. Her writing was very formal--British without the different spelling. I kept expecting the place names in the novel to be places in Britain, not New York and New England.

This was an interesting novel because the focus was less on the plot and more on the characters. And then, all of a sudden, it was over! I turned the page expecting the next chapter, but there was nothing else.

When I did a google search on the author I discovered that she has written several food books also; I'm interested in finding some of those. Cookbooks are almost as good as novels to me!

This Quiz Pretty Much Nailed It

You Are an Old Soul

You are an experienced soul who appreciates tradition. Mellow and wise, you like to be with others but also to be alone. Down to earth, you are sensible and impatient. A creature of habit, it takes you a while to warm up to new people. You hate injustice, and you're very protective of family and friends A bit demanding, you expect proper behavior from others. Extremely independent you don't mind living or being alone. But when you find love, you tend to want marriage right away. Souls you are most compatible with: Warrior Soul and Visionary Soul

What Kind of Soul Are You?

These quizzes don't always get it very right....like that sports car one! But this quiz, though I had a lot of trouble narrowing down answers to the questions, is unbelievably on the mark.
Via Catholic Fire.

Worst Kids' TV I've Ever Overheard

This morning Little Brother turned on Noggin. We get lots of new channels now that we have satellite TV, and it's been quite educational for me. I've discovered just how much boys of all ages like "The Army Guy Channel," for example. But I digress.

I was having my breakfast listening to the following dialogue, spoken in a low, slow, comforting female voice (the teacher, I guess.)
"Children, I have something very special to show you! First, let's turn out all the lights!"

At that point, there was nothing to stop me from shouting, "What are you watching?"

Miffy.

Tell me that your mind is no farther from the gutter than mine is....but I was eavesdropping really carefully during the rest of this program.

Just in case you're wondering, the teacher showed them all how to make "shadow puppets" with a big flashlight.

BOOK REVIEW TIME!

I've just finished reading The Edge of Sadness by Edwin O'Connor. I got interested in this because it's one of the Loyola Classics books: a series of reprints of great Catholic literature. Many of the titles are intriguing, and I'd like to read several of these.

While the book was hardly upbeat (hence the title) it was a wonderful read. O'Connor is an excellent writer and, while the book was fiction, it did not fail to present good food for thought. Maybe that's what makes it such a good book.

Originally published in 1961, the story and characters still have parallels today--to the point where I didn't feel I was reading some old, outdated novel. I didn't have to think about the time in which this book was written; I was just carried along by the story line, the fantastic descriptions, and the characters.

I think somewhere I have another book by the same author: The Last Hurrah. I haven't ever read it, but O'Connor's writing inspires me to read more.

Nah.

I'm a Ferrari 360 Modena!

You've got it all. Power, passion, precision, and style. You're sensuous, exotic, and temperamental. Sure, you're expensive and high-maintenance, but you're worth it.

Take the Which Sports Car Are You? quiz.

Except for the temperamental part, and maybe the high-maintenance thing (though I prefer to think of myself as "medium-maintenance") I just don't see it.
Plus, I'm not too fond of red. It gets you noticed too much. Sometimes I like to fly under the radar.

Gentleness

That virtue I am supposed to be working on this year is Gentleness.
Good thing I have all year, because I have really blown it this morning--and it's still early.
The biggest problem is, I think, that my first answer is always "no." If I could just short-circuit that process, things would go much more smoothly. But noooooooo, I have to jump right in with that, and then wind up fighting with the child (or husband) who has asked or suggested something.
I also don't deal well with interruptions. Put it all together, and I blow up at Little Brother, who wants me to get him some strawberries when I am trying to put a load of dirty laundry in the washer.
I calmed down. I apologized, and I got him a nice big bowl of strawberries. Then I prepared the rest of them, so that when he wants a refill, it will be easier for me to get it done. None of this was hard. So why can't I do it right in the first place?

God Is Love

The first encyclical of Benedict XVI has been released!

DEUS CARITAS EST
(God is Love)

The encyclical is free to download and print at the site above. Get yours--and read it!

I'm going to make a special effort to read and understand the teachings in this document. From the looks of things, many other blog authors plan to do the same. I'm looking forward to some great discussions in the future.

Breaking Stuff

In the past few days some important dishes have gotten broken in my house.
NO, I am not throwing things around in a fit of anger.
It's more like general clumsiness--you know, like the way your kids are when they are growing, and they get awkward because their hands and elbows and knees and feet no longer fit the rest of them properly.
I was unloading the dishwasher, and stacking the plates back in the cabinet, and despite the fact that I know how to juggle, I dropped this really cute plastic plate that ALL my kids had used.
Melamine plates, contrary to popular belief, ARE breakable.
After a bit of comic relief a la Veggie Tales ("My plate! My Art Bogady limited edition collectors plate! What happened to it?"..."I did it...I BROKE THE PLATE") Big Daddy moved on to feeling sentimental over this plate, since all the kids had eaten from it as toddlers. Now, this plate has to be about 13 years old, and it's been in nearly continuous use, so it doesn't owe us ANYTHING, but still, it was a big thing to him, and he reminded me of it yesterday when I told him that Little Brother had broken my favorite travel mug (AKA the SFO Mom Sippy Cup).
That mug has been everywhere with me, for the past 2 years or so. I got it at Borders in the cafe: one of those $5 travel mugs that comes with a Free Coffee Beverage Of Your Choice and 10% off every coffee thereafter. I used it for my occasional Mommy Breaks at Borders, where I'd get a coffee and browse for an hour or so, usually coming home with books for the kids....but Little Brother knocked it off a table yesterday in the school lunchroom, and that was the end of that.
I'm using Big Daddy's coffee mug today and it's Just Not The Same. But I hadn't thrown out the SFO Mom Sippy Cup yet--couldn't bear to do it--and I did discover that fortunately the lid fits on Big Daddy's coffee mug. That will do the trick for a bit until I can get a new Sippy Cup.
I'm sure that if we weren't in the middle of a breakdown of Big Stuff (namely, parish and school), this Little Stuff wouldn't seem so big. But I know that it's hanging on to those little comforts and memories and traditions that is getting us through as we deal with the Big Stuff.

Americans On Call

Today I read about an interesting new organization called Americans On Call.

This group wants to put an image out there--an image that will become a symbol of help to anyone in a crisis pregnancy or who feels she cannot support her children.


Like the Red Cross symbol which is instantly recognizable to so many, Americans on Call hopes to make this purple cross symbol a way for women to find help in such a situation. The image is free to download at the site and use in any way you wish, in order to further this goal.

Please visit the site and learn more about this VERY worthwhile project.

H/T to Holy Fool for bringing this to my attention.

March for Life

Today is the March for Life.
I was only able to attend one March for Life: in 1991, right after we returned from our honeymoon. We spent the day being encouraged and getting good advice from the many good people who traveled with us from North Jersey to Washington, D.C.
By this time in 1992, I had a newborn: Big Brother, only a few days old.
Next year Big Brother will attend high school, and I know that the school sponsors a bus to the March for Life. I pray that he will be on that bus.
Today is a day when I will try to put aside my own little troubles and remember the very big trouble that abortion has been for our society and our world.
I will pray for the women who are contemplating an abortion, that their hearts will be changed.
I will pray for those who have already had abortions, that their hearts will be healed.
I will pray for strength for all who fight against abortion and the idea that any human life is "expendable."
I will pray for those who work in the abortion industry in any capacity, that they may see the evil that abortion truly is.
And of course, I will pray for the little souls who have been lost to this evil, though I am certain that already God is holding all of them in His arms.

Reality sets in

It's "down in the dumps" time as reality sets in.
I didn't spend my early morning today at the organ for a last-minute practice of the responsorial psalm. That's because I turned in my copy of "Respond and Complain" and the guitar accompaniment book to "Music Issue" on Friday. We will not be worshipping in that parish any longer. Today was the Bishop's-Annual-Appeal-for-Money-on-Wide-Screen-TV and there was no way we could sit in that church and watch that video. Much as I really don't like "Respond and Complain," I sure did miss singing and playing with the kids' choir.

Today my family returned to our old parish for Mass. It was nice to be back there and see all the familiar faces--so many people sitting in the same seats, even after our four-year absence. We were warmly welcomed by the new pastor there, and by our friend the deacon. The pastor invited the Big Kids to become altar servers for that parish, and he recognized the difficulties we and the other families from the school will be having in the coming weeks. Being there was nice, but it brought back some sad memories of our departure from that parish after some difficulties with "choir politics" and, ultimately, the school there.

Later we attended Middle Sister's basketball game. It was a home game, so there were plenty of people there that we knew. Father (the one Little Brother thinks is Jesus) arrived to watch the game. He sat on the bench with the team. Middle Sister's coach from last season also was in the audience and after the game he complimented her on her improvement. She made 3 baskets today, her first ever in a game! Of course the thing on everyone's mind was that there will only be a few more such games in that gym; everyone was asking each other where their kids would be going to school next year. There will be much more of that as the year goes on.

More disturbing news regarding our parish finances has been coming to light; it now seems that the school may have been a sacrificial lamb in an attempt to cover up years of accounting irregularities.

It's been a rather exhausting day, and I look forward to the end of it. Tomorrow will be better. But I think that Sundays will be tough for us, for a little while.

Names of the Missing

Steve at A Song of November has asked all his fellow bloggers to join him in posting this information.
There's a chance it could help someone--or even several someones. How could I say no?

The Louisiana Department of Health and Human Services Web site still lists more than 3,200 people missing from Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

Just by posting a link to the list, polimom helped identify one of the missing as a survivor.

The latest list of the missing was posted on 1/17/2006.

The telephone number for the Find Family National Call Center is 1-866-326-9393.

Via A Song of November and People Get Ready.

Seeing Jesus

Little Brother has come to the conclusion that one of the priests at our church is Jesus.
He also thinks that Father lives in the church, but that's another story--and a completely normal thing for a three-year-old.
Father has always greeted Little Brother wherever he sees him, with a smile and a handshake. He has welcomed him in church, given him a quick blessing in the Communion line, and laughed when he escaped the pew one weekday, made a break for the altar and sat down quietly next to Big Brother, who was an altar server during that Mass. He has praised Little Brother for "helping" the altar servers by following them to the Sacristy after Mass on Sundays, and carrying the finger towels for them.
Father thinks it's funny that Little Brother considers him to be Jesus, and he has asked for his "little disciple" when he's seen me without my small companion.
I think Little Brother has a wonderful gift--the kind of gift that we lose as we get older, and more cynical, and have been let down a time or three. But it's a gift that we all can have, if we let ourselves have it: the gift of seeing Jesus in others.

Take the SCRABBLE Challenge!

Der Tomissar got me thinking about SCRABBLE today.

My last name is worth 51 points. That's without a Triple Word Score, BABY!

So, who's for a challenge? Go to this site and find out how YOUR name adds up!

Just in case you were wondering

...my kids' school will close in June.
I haven't "lost it" yet but that doesn't mean I won't. This is like mourning a death.
Please pray for my family as we chart our spiritual and educational course in a different parish. It's not going to be easy.

Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Pray for Us

Today is the feast of Our Lady of Perpetual Help.

0 Mother of Perpetual Help, grant that I may ever invoke thy most powerful name, which is the safeguard of the living and the salvation of the dying. 0 purest Mary, 0 sweetest Mary, let thy name henceforth be ever on my lips. Delay not, 0 Blessed Lady, to help me, whenever I call on thee; for, in all my temptations, in all my needs, I shall never cease to call on thee, ever repeating thy sacred name, Mary, Mary.

0 what consolation, what sweetness, what confidence, what emotion, fill my soul when I utter thy sacred name, or even only think of thee. I thank the Lord for having given thee, for my good so sweet, so powerful, so lovely a name. But I will not be content with merely uttering thy name. Let my love for thee prompt me ever to hail thee, Mother of Perpetual Help.---3 Hail Marys.


My grandmother had a particular devotion to Our Lady of Perpetual Help. The picture you see above is identical to one that she always kept hanging in her kitchen. (thanks to Moneybags) "My" chair faced that picture--it's something I will always remember from that house. There was never any doubt that my grandmother was Catholic; all you had to do was look at the wall art to see that!

I guess it's the Irish in me that makes me look for "God-coincidences" a lot of the time. I'm sure it's no accident that today, on the Feast of Our Lady of Perpetual Help, we will find out what the Bishop has decided about the fate of our school. And it's hard to lay this whole thing in the hands of God, but that is what I am trying to do. Today I will pray that the Blessed Mother will help all of us in our school community to have the grace to handle whatever comes.

Thanks to A Catholic Life, my source for the prayer AND the picture.

Meme Meme Meme Me(me)

The GOP Soccer Mom has tagged me with the Quartet Meme:

Four Jobs I've Had in My Life
(I picked the "oddest" ones among the many)
1. Electronic-parts packer for a defense contractor
2. Warehouse "picker-packer" (order filler) for a famous mail-order clothing company--I packed MEN'S SOCKS
3. Food-Service Training Assistant for Handicapped Adults
4. Software Tester for an educational software company

Four Movies I Could Watch Over and Over, and Have
1. The Blues Brothers
2. The Sound of Music
3. Sister Act
4. The Wizard of Oz

Four Places I Have Lived
(not including the one I live in now!)
1. Haledon, New Jersey
2. Scranton, Pennsylvania
3. South Bend, Indiana
4. Carteret, New Jersey

Four TV Shows I Love To Watch
1. The West Wing (NOT for the politics, but because it's one of the few shows out there where the characters are SMART!)
2. Early Edition reruns (thank God for satellite TV!)
3. Notre Dame football games
4. Mythbusters (but only if Big Brother is watching along with me)

Four Places I Have Been On Vacation
1. Florida
2. Ocean City, NJ
3. Ireland
4. Niagara Falls

Four Websites I Visit Daily
1. Family Corner
2. Anything in my blogroll that has been updated
3. Google
4. My local library

Four Favorite Foods
1. Chocolate
2. Pizza
3. Spaghetti
4. Cracker Barrel's Hashbrown Casserole

Four Places I Would Rather Be Right Now
1. A coffee shop, with a coffee and pastry in front of me (dinner of champions!)
2. On the set of Jeopardy!, on my way to a decisive victory
3. In Notre Dame stadium watching a football game
4. Anyplace where the temperature is over 60 degrees Fahrenheit! I am a winter wimp!

Four People Whom I Tag Next
1. Steve
2. Amy
3. Epiphany
4. Elena

Being Prolife, Right in Your Own Home

With the anniversary of the Roe v. Wade decision coming up in less than a week, and the Church dedicating January 23--the day of the March for Life--as a day of penance for violations to the dignity of the human person, I have been mulling over my own efforts to be prolife and what I am teaching my children by my words and my example.

For almost 14 years my husband and I have participated in the boycott of companies that support the work of Planned Parenthood. This has meant that we choose everything from shampoo to cheese to vacation sites with this boycott in mind. Our Big Kids know that we don't buy certain things, because the companies donate to the nation's largest abortion provider. (At 3, Little Brother is too young to notice.) Boycotts are inconvenient but, we believe, worth the trouble.

Today I read about a website called Counterclick. It's a shopping portal; if you start your internet shopping there, a portion of your purchase price will be donated to prolife organizations such as National Right to Life and CareNet. What an ingenious idea, and what an easy way to support prolife causes! A tip of the hat to Jean at Catholic Fire for leading me to this site.

What are some other things families can do together to support prolife efforts?
1. Say a prayer for the unborn during your family prayer time or Grace at dinner.
2. Contact a local pregnancy-crisis center and ask what supplies they regularly need. Budget a little each week to help purchase these supplies, and make a monthly or bimonthly delivery.
3. Join a Life-Chain event.
4. Show your children that you consider candidates' voting records on life issues when you choose which candidate to elect.
5. Pro-life is not JUST "anti-abortion!" Give your children plenty of contact with the elderly or handicapped. Let them know that people deserve to live regardless of their physical challenges.

Science Experiment du jour

...or, yet another way to know that the Long Weekend has gone on, well, a little too long.

My Big Kids are currently in the kitchen equipped with a large tub of Utz Cheese Balls, a paper napkin, and a meat tenderizer.

The object of the game appears to be: see whether the flat side of the meat mallet or the "bumpy" side is more effective at pulverizing the cheese balls. Read: how many hits does it take to reduce the cheese ball to a fine orange powder?

Only 13 more hours until the school bus comes. Will I make it?

My Patron Saint for the Year, and a Virtue--and More!

I received from our Secular Franciscan Fraternity my patron saint for the year, a virtue to practice, a line from the Franciscan Rule to practice, and a person from our local Franciscan community to keep in prayer.

This year my patron saint will be Saint Mary Frances of the Five Wounds. She was a Secular Franciscan, a stigmatist, very charitable toward the needy, and her mother's name was Barbara. October 6 is her feast.

The virtue I am to practice is Gentleness. ZING! I could use some help in that department, especially in the mornings.

From the Rule of 1221, Chapter XXII comes the line I am to take to heart this year: Let us adore God with pure hearts because we need to pray continually and never lose heart.

Finally this year I am to keep in special prayer a special Franciscan Sister named Sister Irmaline. Due to poor health she had to move from the parish convent to the Infirmary for the Bernardine Franciscans. I know that she misses the community here, and rumor has it that she loves to receive mail--so along with my prayers I will be sure to send her plenty of mail this year.

It's All About the Name

My cousin-in-law, Thomas, has a rebuttal to a blog in which the writer complains about the travails of having a long, complicated, full-of-consonants Polish surname.

The gist of Thomas' post: We Szyszkiewicz's have this guy beat. And he's right. I'm not just saying that because he's my cousin-in-law either! Even though I have been a part of the Szyszkiewicz family for almost 15 years, I hadn't had the chance to meet Thomas before this summer. Yet it's pretty funny how similar MY response would have been. We even spell our name over the phone the same way...S as in Sam, Z as in Zebra....When Big Daddy and I were planning the wedding, the running joke was that he would take my name! Just like Thomas's father-in-law suggested! Must be an Irish thing...though I might dispute that part about being prone to exaggeration.

One big difference is the default nickname that has seemed to come our way. It started with my father-in-law, who as an ironworker was known as "Tony Alphabet." Big Brother didn't know about that the day he came home from a Boy Scout event telling us that his new nickname was "Alphabet Junior" because the Scouts were calling Big Daddy "Alphabet."

We're proud of our name, even the Zs, and we don't see the need to change it. I find that people who hear it before they see it don't have too much trouble, which may be why children can handle it just fine, unless they're at that "missing a front tooth or two" stage.

One year I had a job teaching Spanish at a middle school. The principal had a lot of trouble pronouncing my last name. As she introduced me to the rest of the staff on our first day of school, she made the assumption that my name would be shortened in some way when I worked with the kids. "And this is Barbara (last name unbelievably bungled)....and the children will be calling her...."

I cut in: "Senora Szyszkiewicz."

The fifth-graders managed it quite well, thanks. We even had a classroom game involving spelling my name using the Spanish alphabet letters.

We just think of our name as a really great ice-breaker, and keep a sense of humor about the whole thing. We will NOT be changing it. A name is a precious thing, even if we laugh about it. A few generations back, a member of my father's family changed his Irish surname by subtracting the O' so that he'd be able to get a job in the anti-Irish climate of the day. We have no such need, no such excuse. It's a good name, and besides, it's really convenient just to tell people who need your phone number that you're "the last S in the phone book."

Well worth reading

Check out this post on housework. I especially like the part about angels dusting under the beds.

This one is so good, you might even want to read it TWICE! Via Rocks in My Dryer.

Words to Live By

This morning I bought Little Brother a treat--a drive-through lunch at Chick-Fil-A on our way to work in the school lunchroom. After I paid for the meal, I was asked if I wanted a free newspaper (I guess they had leftovers from breakfast, when they have a deal that you get a free local paper with your breakfast combo).
I answered, "No, thank you." Then I collected Little Brother's lunch and we were on our way.
Little Brother asked me, "Hey Mommy, why didn't you get the paper?"
Me: "I already read the paper this morning, so I don't need another one."
Little Brother: "Then you would have a LOT of papers."
Me: "That's right, and I don't need any more papers."
Little Brother: "If you have a lot, you should share."
How right you are, Little Brother!
Anyone want a paper?

Keeping the Faith

Steven at Flos Carmeli writes:

...the most useful, most effective, most reliable means of defending one's faith is to live it as it is meant to be lived, without stint, without quibble, without making a point of it.

It also occurred to me that this is by far the most difficult means of defending one's faith--one that, while not reserved to Saints, certainly most effectively demonstrated by them. Some of these Saints also defended their faith in other ways--in physical battle, in intellectual battle, in protracted debate. But others did not so engage, and yet they still won the hearts and minds and souls of a great many. I guess I would say that living your faith in its entirety is a precursor to being able to defend it in any intellectual capacity.

This pretty much describes what I feel St. Francis was calling his followers to do when he said, "Preach the Gospel at all times. If necessary, use words." In other words, JUST DO IT.

More on the Windmills...

We can safely conclude that the presentation went well. It was positive. It was respectful. It demonstrated very clearly that some information that the Diocese had been given in the past was misinterpreted. In light of that, some conclusions may need to be revisited.
We're just happy that we've been given the chance to continue dreaming our "impossible dream." Don Quijote? Dorothy? David? We've compared ourselves to all of these underdogs and we hope that we too are able to be victorious; absent that, we pray that we will be able to be gracious.

Here's something I really needed to hear today

Hope based on a particular outcome is a fragile thing; it can be smashed by events. Hope based in a particular Person can endure. Whether a miracle occurs or doesn't, we are never alone. "Thou who hast made me see many sore troubles wilt revive me again; from the depths of the earth Thou wilt bring me up again" (Psalm 71:20).

H/T to MamaT at SummaMamas. MamaT was referencing the West Virginia mine tragedy, but this piece of wisdom has applications far beyond that situation.

And today I am reminded that while it is fine to have hope, I should be careful where I place that hope.

It's Epiphany! Get Your Holy Water Ready!

In honor of the day the Magi came to adore the Christ Child, Catholics are encouraged to bless their homes. It used to be that the parish priest would conduct these blessings, and at one time we were privileged to have our pastor bless our home. Today it will be done by Big Daddy.

Tilting at Windmills

I haven't mentioned this topic too much on this blog, but it's something that is absolutely consuming my family at this time.

Our Diocese has proposed that the wonderful parochial school that our Big Kids attend should close in June, and the students sent to a newly-assigned "regional" school out of town.

We know that this is all about finances and to some extent "politics" and we also know that we have a slim chance at best of reversing this decision.

Nonetheless, we did submit a proposal in December enumerating several strategies that either are currently in place or could easily be implemented, that would help our school stay open and financially healthy. We asked at that time if a presentation by members of the school community coud be scheduled.

Two days ago the Diocese graciously invited our committee members to make such a presentation. It's scheduled for 1:15 this afternoon. Big Daddy and another School Dad have worked very hard on this presentation.

Throughout the past two months since the Diocese's conclusions were released to the press, we in our school community have been very careful. Yes, we disagree with the conclusions; but we do not want to be defiant about this. All of us are parents, and we are well aware that our children are watching and asking questions. Some of us have been interviewed by the press; during Christmas vacation my own family appeared on the local television news in a story about this issue.

But this has become more than just an issue with the school. It has been an opportunity, for all the families who are working to keep our school open, to show our children that standing up for what you believe is important WILL involve sacrifice, MUST be done respectfully, and DOES require careful and thorough research and planning, not to mention prayer. It has also been an opportunity for us to become better acquainted with our school community--not only other families, but the faculty and staff who work so hard and care so much about the children in the school. Getting to know many of these people better has been a blessing to us at this difficult time for our school--and for the whole parish.

It's comforting to know that during this presentation, our school children will be in the middle of celebrating First Friday Mass in our parish church. If I didn't have a sick child at home today, I'd be joining them there. I will have to join them in spirit, and you can bet I will be praying the following prayer to Saint John Neumann, who founded our parish:

PRAYER TO SAINT JOHN NEUMANN

O my God, I adore Your infinite Majesty with all the powers of my soul. I thank you for the graces and gifts which You bestowed upon Your faithful Servant, Saint John Neumann. I ask You to glorify him also on earth. For this end I beseech You to grant me the favor which I humbly ask from Your Fatherly mercy. Amen.

It's Cool Watching Kids Learn Stuff

Little Kids think in funny ways.
When they're babies, they don't understand the concept of "object permanence" so they think that every person or thing that leave their sight is gone forever.
Thankfully, they outgrow that pretty quickly.
But preschoolers are famous for, while on the phone with someone, pointing out something they made or built or drew or colored that day, or something they see out their own window.
It's always good for a chuckle from the person (normally a grandparent) on the other end of the line--and from the parent who overhears only one end of the conversation.
Today, though, Little Brother showed that he's gone past that stage now. I was on the phone with my mom, and he wandered into the room to show me that he had helped himself to a handful of Goldfish crackers.
Nannie: "Let me talk to him....Hi! How are you? What are you eating?"
Little Brother: "Goldfish."
Nannie: "Can I have one?"
Little Brother: "But you're not HERE!"
Cool! He gets it!
He later demonstrated just how much he gets it--as he wandered around, informing me that the video he had chosen to watch after dinner is "good for boys, and girls, and you can watch it too, but Nannie can't, because she's not here...."

...And More Tags!

Elena at My Domestic Church, apparently unspooked by my previous attempts to explain my weirdnesses, has tagged me for the 5 Weird Things Meme.

So I figure I'll stop talking about the little idiosyncracies and go for the Big Stuff. In other words, why do many of my neighbors (and some of my family members) think I'm weird?

1. Big Daddy and I send our children to Catholic school, which is a sacrifice in more ways than just financial ones. Add to that the fact that we live in a town where the public schools are considered "better than adequate." How dare we not send our children there? The horror!

2. I'm a Secular Franciscan. It's been implied that some people interpret that to mean: "I'm a religious fanatic."

3. My family attends Mass every week, and the Big Kids and I participate in liturgical ministries. Church is not negotiable. It's just "what we do."

4. I don't believe in signing up my three-year-old for 17 activities. He attends an occasional 75-minute "playschool" session at the local high school, and we try to get to Story Time at the library. He does not participate in Tee Ball, Travel Soccer, Gymboree, Suzuki violin or any of that. He's quite social, thank you, since he's with me when I volunteer at the Big Kids' school twice a week. And being 3, he's active enough!

5. We still have our Christmas tree up, and (gasp!) it's after the New Year!

I've Been Tagged!

Year End / New Year Meme, via A Catholic Life

The Year End/New Year meme consists in conducting a brief evaluation of 2005 and then moving on to making plans for 2006. It involves answering ten simple questions.

What was your favorite movie in 2005?
I rarely get to watch movies that aren't for children! The best kids' movie I saw this year is Robots. The animation was amazing, the soundtrack was catchy (especially the "Underground" number) and I liked the theme: "You Can Shine No Matter What You're Made Of."

What was your favorite book in 2005?
NOT FAIR! I love to read! How can I pick? I can narrow it down to a couple:
Fiction: My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult
Nonfiction: My Cup of Tea by Danielle Bean

Richer or poorer? Thinner or fatter?
Same

What kept you sane this past year?
Working on this blog; keeping a sense of humor; prayer

Which personal accomplishment in 2005 are you most pleased with?
I'm proud to have gotten this blog started; I have encountered many people who have enriched my own life and challenged me, either through my combox or their own blogs.
And in other news, I successfully made gravy--a cooking skill which had, until Christmas, eluded me.

What resolutions have you made for '06?
I'll take care of that after my SFO Fraternity conducts its Extraction of Saints next week. We each will receive a randomly chosen saint's name (usually a Franciscan saint) as well as a virtue to develop during the coming year, a verse from the Bible or a line from Francis' writings, and the name of a member of our Fraternity to keep in special prayer.

Which bad habit are most motivated to break?
Speaking before thinking.

What are you most looking forward to in 2006?
Watching Big Brother make his Confirmation and then graduate from elementary school. I'll be the one beaming with pride!

Book #1 of 2006 Finished

I just finished reading Crossing Brooklyn Ferry by Jennie Fields. I found it last week on the bargain table at Barnes & Noble. I keep a list of book recommendations that friends make, or books I've seen reviewed that I want to read; this wasn't on the list but the title sounded so familiar that I figured I had heard about it somewhere. As I read, it became clear to me that what was so familiar about this title was that it is also the title of a Walt Whitman poem.

In a way, reading this book was like watching a train wreck. Things were falling apart for the characters all over the place; of the 2 marriages among main characters, 2 among minor characters and 2 referred to in the family history of the main characters, only ONE was a strong and healthy relationship. Infidelity was rife. In addition, there were plot elements involving Holocaust survivors, major (to the point of incapacitation) depression, child death, and kleptomania. There was SO much suffering, and it's never redemptive in any way. The author writes well; by this I mean that she can string together beautiful images and sentences--BUT the only character for whom I felt any sympathy was the 6-year-old child of the depressed father and kleptomaniac, adulterous mother. The ending didn't seem to fit with the rest of the story; it was almost as if the author got tired of the whole thing and just tied it all up neatly. I stuck it out to the end (370 pages) because I wanted to find out what happened to the little girl, but this is not a book I'll be keeping.

Today's Miscellaneous

First and foremost, please continue in the Novena for the Unborn. Via A Catholic Life. Since this novena is not related to any specific feast in the Church, you can start it ANYTIME! Or you can just keep it going forever. And what better cause than the defenseless unborn, who cannot pray for themselves?

On to other matters which, while certainly less critically important, nonetheless occupy my mind...

Moneybags, I will get to your meme soon! That is, just as soon as I THINK of some New Year's Resolutions to make! Actually, in the past few years I have put off making New Year's Resolutions until my SFO Fraternity meets to conduct our own Extraction of Saints (like the Patron Saint Project but specifically Franciscan saints). At the Extraction we receive not only the name of a saint to study and even emulate during the year, but also a virtue which we should try to cultivate. So I've been making that my New Year's Resolution since becoming a Franciscan.

I'm feeling pretty down about the beating the Irish took at the hands of the Buckeyes--and the referrees--yesterday. I had a little chat to this effect with our kids' school principal, an OSU alum and former football player. Of course, he saw things differently. Our major disagreement concerned a certain FUMBLE RECOVERY FOR A TOUCHDOWN that was later (and quite wrongly, I might add, in my absolutely not-objective-in-the-least opinion) ruled an "incomplete pass." Things weren't pretty in the SFO Mom household last night. But today I'm over it. Really. As long as none of my kids wears anything red for a while, things should be fine.

The Nuts and Bolts of It All

Here are some of my favorite spots on the Internet. I'll try to keep this as organized as possible.

Email me

Philadelphia Weather

FRANCISCAN
The Secular Franciscan Rule
National Fraternity of the Secular Franciscan Order
The Little Flowers of St. Francis
Franciscan Cards (free e-cards)
Portiuncula: The Little Portion. Mostly quotes from St. Francis' writings.

FAVORITE FORUMS
Family Corner forums
Moms Menu forums

BUY AMERICAN!
Homecroft Holler soaps, candles and crafts! You can't beat Anna's natural soaps. Proudly made in the USA.

Family-Centered Planners. The best planner I've ever found.




CATHOLIC
Catholic Mom
Catholic Moms
Faith and Family Live!
St. Blogs Parish List of Blogs
Inside Catholic
Catholic Culture
My Catholic
Catholic Everything

Catholic Media Review

TODAY'S MASS AND SAINT



PROLIFE
Americans On Call
Life Decisions International

BLOGS I LIKE TO READ WHEN I GET TIME: MISCELLANEOUS RESOURCES
My local newspaper blog
Consumer Reports Electronics Blog
RSS Feed of sporting events at Big Brother's high school
Simple Cake Decorating (feed does not appear to work)
For Better or For Worse Strip Fix
Moms Who Blog: Hacks, Advice, Tips
Living on a Dime blog by cookbook/frugal lifestyle author Tawra Kellam
Right as Usual
Father Martin Fox blogging at Bonfire of the Vanities
Sheila Wray Gregoire blogging at To Love, Honor and Vacuum


FAMILY-FRIENDLY LINKS

FUN
Notre Dame Athletics--Go Irish!


MY GOODREADS BOOKSHELF

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!






AMATEUR CATHOLIC BLOGROLL (because it's just too long to keep on the main page)

B Team Blogroll

[−]

Not to be missed

Sister Eva-Maria has this wonderful reflection on her blog today. I thought it was well-worth a "reprint" here.

Prayer is like talking to Someone who is listening, but not speaking much. Just listening attentively.
But then HE answers... speaks later...
... through other people.
... through our thoughts.
... through insights into Scripture.
... through nature.
... through difficult situations.
... through joys.
... in silence.
HE listens but speaks when we least expect it.
It is important to be attentive when He does speak.

It never ceases to amaze me

After 3 kids, I shouldn't be surprised anymore, but I still marvel at...how the second the Band-aid is applied to the scrape, the child stops crying.
These magical powers are the reason I have no fewer than 7 boxes of the miracle strips in my medicine cabinet!

Go Irish!

MUST-SEE TV in the SFO Mom Household:
Monday, January 2
5 PM EST
ABC

NOTRE DAME vs. OHIO STATE in the Fiesta Bowl!

I have already informed my family that I am going to be parked in the comfy spot on the couch to watch this game, and that there will be a change in the dinner plan. No WAY am I making any chicken piccata when I can be watching ND football. This dinner is going to have to be something I can do in the Nesco and forget about!

Big Daddy suggested: "Why don't we just take the kids to a sports bar, and watch the game there?"

I'm sure you all think I'm weird enough ALREADY...

but Steve has tagged me for this "5 weird things" meme....I'll try to think of new idiosyncracies since I've done this one before. In fact, Steve, I tagged YOU last time!

So here you go: Just How Weird IS SFO Mom?

1. If I'm awake, I'm wearing shoes. I have a nice pair of slippers that my in-laws gave me for Christmas last year with a new robe. They're hardly used! I put on a pair of clogs in the morning and wear those around until I'm dressed, at which point I'm in actual shoes.

2. If it's below 45 degrees and I'm outside, I'm wearing gloves. My fingers like to be warm.

3. I'm absolutely obsessive about "repeating" clothing, to the point where I will look through old pictures of Christmas Eve celebrations to make sure I don't wear the same thing again. I also go through this every Sunday for church. When I was teaching part-time, I actually KEPT A LIST of what I wore every day, so my "Tuesday" students wouldn't see me in the same outfit 2 weeks in a row. Like first-graders would notice, or care.

4. If the cookie or candy is shaped like a person or an animal, I always eat the head first. The same goes for "Peeps."

5. I have this irrational need to be "first." Remember when you were a little kid and you'd race with your siblings to get to the car, and yell, "FIRST!"? If Big Daddy and I both drive to church because he is running late, and I have to get those of us involved in ministries (music, altar server) there early, we have a race to get home, and I will admit to some road behaviors on such occasions that I normally do not engage in. On Christmas, he actually let me pass him ON OUR STREET so I could be first in the driveway. That's true love.

OK, am I unbalanced enough for you?

Call for Book Recommendations

I hit the jackpot with bookstore gift cards this Christmas! And tomorrow looks like it will be the day for me to get out for a bit and SPEND some of these. (Of course, I'm thinking of saving one for those "only available online" purchases...)
I do have a list of things to look for, but if anyone would like to recommend a favorite of theirs, I'd be most appreciative.

Feast of the Holy Innocents

It seems appropriate that on this day I received an email from a friend who is expecting a child in the spring; a prenatal test revealed a possibility of Down's.
It was a relief to see that she intends to keep the baby, no matter what. So many innocent little ones are aborted because of the possibility of this condition.
On my heart today, then, are my friend, her unborn baby, and their whole family, for the strength to accept and endure whatever God has in store for them; and also those babies who are never given the chance to be born.
This morning at Mass, Father observed that the "Holy Innocents" of today's world are not only the unborn but all those who are not wanted, those who are considered worthy of nothing better than being thrown away.
I am reminded of children with spina bifida, who not even ten years ago had no chance of walking, and whose parents less than ten years ago were encouraged to abort; now there is a prenatal surgery available that can dramatically lessen the effects of spina bifida. One such child is a member of our extended family. This seven-year-old girl had such a severe spina bifida that doctors predicted total paralysis from the waist down--but thanks to the prenatal surgery, she walked ON HER OWN to receive her gifts from Santa on Christmas Eve this year.
Miracles that can be accomplished by God, whether through the gifts He has given medical personnel or through pure divine power, can never be predicted. Who are we to decide that a child--a Holy Innocent--does not merit such a miracle?

Please join in a Novena for the Unborn. Via A Catholic Life.

Christmas Mourning

Wigilia was a little subdued this year. We felt the absence of one branch of the family in a particularly deep way. Uncle Stanley passed away Saturday morning after a long illness. We are comforted to know that his suffering is over and that at long last he has been reunited with his beloved wife and other family members in Heaven. But we will miss his hearty laugh, his ready jokes, and his treasury of family stories and even a few tall tales. Luckily for us, he passed those gifts along to his two daughters.
We viewed old photographs, and the hostess of the party gave each family an ornament covered in pictures of each family member. There were few dry eyes among the adults as we all looked for Uncle Stanley on our ornaments, and told stories of past Christmases featuring our family patriarch--most of which centered on a particular comfortable chair.
Rest in peace, Uncle Stanley. May perpetual light shine upon you, and may you have that comfortable chair in Heaven!

The Reason for the Season

 

This picture really brings to my mind the humble place where Jesus was born. I am a mom, and quite the wimp about pain, and the thought of childbirth in a tiny barn such as this--I could never do it! It makes me realize that Mary's gift was not a one-time thing. When she said "yes" to God, she said "yes" not only to carrying and giving birth to baby Jesus, but to all those other trials, joys, heartaches, and physical hardships that she experienced throughout her whole life. All of us do this who make a solemn vow; we can never anticipate where life will bring us and what good and bad things will happen. The Blessed Mother has set the example for us; she underwent the trials of giving birth in a stable, relocating to Egypt and back with a young child, right up to watching her Son give his life on the Cross. She stood by her promise to God. This Christmas may God grant us all the strength and grace to stand by the promises we have made in our lives, and to keep the Faith no matter how discouraged we may become.
Merry Christmas to all!

H/T to Franciscan Cards for this beautiful picture. 

Wigilia

Big Daddy's family is Polish, so when I joined the family I was introduced to the wonderful custom of Wigilia.
My family never did much of anything on Christmas Eve, and I felt like I was missing out on something. But my mother-in-law's family goes all out, with a tradition going back to their emigration from Poland in the early part of this century.
Earlier in December the family gathers to prepare the pierogi. A pastry board is used that was carried from Poland, and the recipe has similarly been passed down through the generations. Younger people are carefully instructed in the art of pinching--as the only thing worse than a leaking pierogi is mixing up the potato pierogi with the sauerkraut ones.
The pierogi are rolled, filled, pinched, dried, boiled, cooled and packed away for freezing until Christmas Eve. Everyone has a job to do and Pierogi Day is a lot of fun.
On Christmas Eve we gather at what Little Brother calls "Santa's House." About an hour before dinner the hostess calls for people to help fry the pierogi. When I first married into the family I was considered "too young" for the job. But a few years ago I noticed that high-school students were starting to take over the frying--I was suddenly "too old" for the job!
When the pierogi are all browned, the other courses are placed on the dinner table: sliced baked ham, mushrooms and gravy, rye bread, and sometimes a turkey or pasta dish.
Everyone comes through the kitchen to fill a plate, and we enjoy the delicious meal.
Next is the ritual of the oplatek. These are wafers, kind of like a Communion wafer, but sometimes colored and with pictures stamped on them. They are large rectangles. Each guest breaks off pieces of their oplatek and gives them to the other guests with a hug and a wish for a good year. During this ritual no one remembers that this one mixed up the pierogi flavors or that one didn't want to help fry--it's just a time to wish each other well. None of the other stuff matters.
The host of the party then gets everyone's attention and reads the Christmas story from the Gospel of Luke. We all sing "Silent Night."
At this point, the traditional Wigilia celebration is over and the party swings into full Santa mode. This is a family custom and is a lot of fun.
One of the grownups, on cue, mentions that they hear some jingle bells and banging on the roof. They encourage everyone to sing "Jingle Bells" to tell Santa where we are. Then Santa comes through the door! The Little Kids are completely thrilled. One lucky child is chosen to hold Santa's jingle bells. Big Kids in the family act as Santa's Helpers and hand him the gifts for each child which are piled up under the Christmas tree. Everyone at the party, no matter your age or size, will be called to Santa's lap to receive a gift and have a Photo Opportunity. When the gifts are all handed around and opened, Santa poses for pictures with each family and then with all the kids, big and small.
Santa leads us in a few Christmas songs and carols and then heads on his way.
Then it's time to enjoy a variety of homemade desserts, most of which involve chocolate, and we all head on our way.
A Blessed Christmas to all!

The Christmas Meme

Hot Chocolate or apple cider? Coffee!

Turkey or Ham? Ham, if it's boiled with cabbage. Otherwise, turkey. But this year I'm cooking filet mignon.

Do you get a Fake or Real you cut it yourself Christmas tree? It must be fake, or SFO Mom will spend the Christmas season getting really well-acquainted with her inhaler.

Decorations on the outside of your house? That's Big Daddy's department. I'm happy with a wreath or 2. Now, it's Christmas all over the inside of the house. Outside, a wreath and a simple string of lights on the rooflines. Little Brother wants to go into full Clark W. Griswold mode, though.

Snowball fights or sledding? Snowball fights! But only because there are no hills around here! I'd much rather use my Marywood College cafeteria tray to go down a nice big hill.

Do you enjoy going downtown shopping? I've never had the opportunity. It's nothing but "big boxes" as far as the eye can see around here.

Favorite Christmas song? Favorite "real" Christmas song - "O Holy Night" and "Silent Night." Favorite "fun" Christmas song - "There's Something Stuck Up In the Chimney."

How do you feel about Christmas movies? They're great! My favorites include "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" (the original one), "A Charlie Brown Christmas," "A Christmas Story," "It's a Wonderful Life" and the made-for-TV-and-cheesy-but-cute "Christmas List."

When is it too early to start listening to Christmas music? 24/7: Dec. 15. In moderation: it's never too soon!

Stockings before or after presents? There's no set procedure for that.

Carolers, do you or do you not watch and listen to them? I'd love to listen to carolers if some would show up at my door. Even better, I'd love to go caroling.

Go to someone else's house or they come to you? We spend Christmas Eve with Big Daddy's family at a big Polish Wigilia celebration. Christmas Day we used to wake up here, open gifts, go to church, then leave to head for my parents' house. But they have changed the routine so now we are at home all of Christmas Day, and we spend the next day at my parents'. My in-laws will join us for dinner on Christmas Day.

Do you read the Christmas Story? That is read as part of the rituals of Wigilia, so we don't do it again at home.

What do you do after presents and dinner? Play with our toys!

What is your favorite holiday smell? Cookies!

Ice skating or walking around the mall? Skating!

Do you open a present or presents on Christmas Eve, or wait until Christmas day? The children receive gifts at Wigilia and they open those there. Everything else waits until morning.

Favorite Christmas memory? When we were kids, the Christmas tree was always decorated by Santa after we were in bed Christmas Eve. In the morning we had to wait at the top of the stairs for my grandmother to come over AFTER she went to 7 AM Mass! We were not allowed downstairs, to see the tree, until she got there. Then there would be a mad rush down the stairs. One year my brother heard a noise on Christmas Eve and went halfway down, only to catch Dad struggling to bring in the tree through the kitchen doorway. "We're getting it ready for Santa to decorate! Now go BACK TO BED!"

Favorite part about winter? Christmas!

Ever been kissed under mistletoe? No.

Via Happy Catholic. If you want to do this one, consider yourself TAGGED!

The Number One Reason Why...

I am SFO Mom, and not SFO Chef:

This afternoon I very efficiently placed a piece of pork loin, some potatoes, sauerkraut, onions and seasonings into my Nesco roaster and left Big Daddy AND Big Brother with instructions to plug it in and turn it on in half an hour. I even put the meat thermometer into the roast.

Then I left to attend a choir rehearsal for Christmas.

When I returned, I checked the roast, which smelled delicious. The thermometer read 170 so I figured I'd better get it out of there NOW, as it was probably overcooked already.

I cut into the meat and found it still WAY pink inside. Then I noticed that the face of my thermometer looked a little, um, melted....yeah....I cooked an instant-read thermometer for 1 1/2 hours at 325. You know that surrealist painting of the melting watch? I almost had one of my very own.

The microwave finished cooking the pork for us, but I stuck to the potatoes and kraut.

For Your Holiday Baking Pleasure

I'd love to do like Julie D. and start a whole extra blog for recipes but I have the feeling that I might never leave the computer if I did that!

Anyway, I was reading about "Whiskey Cookies" over at Martha Martha and that post brought to mind one of our very favorite cookie recipes.

Mrs. Wagner's Cookies
Makes 10 dozen

1 pound butter -- softened (margarine works also)
7 1/2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
5 egg yolk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 heaping tsp. baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup bourbon (we use Jack Daniel's)
1 cup milk
5 egg white
Colored sugar/sprinkles for decorating

Mix flour and butter like pie dough.

Beat remaining ingredients (except egg white and colored sugar) and add to dry mix.
Dough should be STIFF.

Roll thin and cut into shapes. Brush with egg white and decorate.

Bake on greased sheet, 6 minutes at 375. Bottoms should be light brown, tops should be white.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

NOTES : Chill dough before rolling. Chill in refrigerator at least 1 hour.


Mr. and Mrs. Wagner were a retired couple who lived next door to my family during my childhood. They became like "extra grandparents" to us. We'd bang on their back door hoping for cookies, or to be let into their house to play with the toys they kept there for us. For me and my sister, it was a little doll, with a homemade cradle made from a berry basket and lined with a little mattress, pillow, blanket, and baby doll clothes--all handmade with love. I forget what my brother had over there. I still have that doll today; it's the only toy from my childhood that I still have.

They treated us like family, right down to letting my mom know when we were getting into something we shouldn't!

I have a few tangible things that help me remember these very special people. Besides that doll, I have the game board they used to play with us. It's an old German game that is basically the same as "Trouble" but without the famous "Pop-o-Matic." I have a three-tier candy plate. And I have the cookie recipe. If I could only keep one of these, it would be the recipe!

Baby Jesus Wore a Blue Snowsuit

Baby Jesus wore a blue snowsuit with a faux-fur-trimmed hood.
All the Angels had puffy coats under their robes.
The Shepherds sported blue jeans and white Nikes.
The pastor contributed his own "capuch" and a deacon's stole to complete Francis' costume.

Mary had a kidney transplant three weeks ago.
The Sheep was played by a three-year-old boy who had to be persuaded to take off the Eagles hat underneath his furry-eared cap.
Due to a shortage of teenage boys, there were almost Two Kings instead of Three.

Mary's pony stopped along the path to Bethlehem to graze on some leftover autumn leaves.
The goat butted the Shepherds and the Sheep.
Most of the choir members had colds and couldn't sing.
We were right next to a Dumpster.

It was a beautiful sunny day.
There were so many people we didn't have enough chairs.
But there were plenty of cookies and lots of hot cocoa.
All the children played their parts wonderfully.
The pastor sang with the choir, and at the end everyone sang "Joy to the World."

Today we reflected on the miracle of Greccio and the miracle of Bethlehem.
We were thankful for our warm clothing. Baby Jesus probably wasn't so lucky.
We were thankful for the children who eagerly donned angel wings and shepherds' robes.
We were thankful for a young girl's new lease on life thanks to a generous organ donor.
We were thankful for the cookies, and the cocoa, and the fellowship shared around some pots of delicious homemade soup after it was all over.
We were--and are--thankful for the miracle that brought us all here in the first place.

It's a Girl Thing

The policing of children's church wardrobes is a daunting task when you have girls in the family.
Boys are easier. Khakis and a golf shirt or sweater, and you're good to go.
With girls, it's a whole other ball game.
This morning Middle Sister carried her purple sweater and blue jeans into the bathroom.
Me: "No jeans for church unless it's snowing."
Middle Sister: "But I'm not in choir today..."
I suggested that she replace the jeans with her black pants or her denim skirt. The last I saw, she had opted for the black pants. Very "Advent," with the purple sweater.
After her shower she paraded down the stairs in her denim skirt, boots, purple corduroy jacket (so far, so good--but nothing of what she had planned on) AND a pink and white T-shirt with letters on it.
I nixed the T-shirt and suggested two other tops she owns that match the outfit.
Now she's wearing a different top under the purple jacket.
It's light blue, almost lavender.
It does not match, but it's appropriate for church.
I do not have another battle in me. Unless she changes AGAIN in the next 3 minutes, that's how she's going to church.

Greccio

Each Advent my SFO Fraternity remembers the story of Francis at Greccio with a re-enactment of our own. In alternating song, story and movement of costumed actors and live animals, the Nativity story is retold along with the story of how the Baby Jesus miraculously appeared in a manger where Francis prayed in Greccio. Carols will be sung and many from the community will participate. It's always a wonderful experience.
In a way this whole Greccio celebration at our Fraternity parallels Advent for me. Beforehand, there is much rushing around. Most of our Fraternity consists of senior citizens, so their ability to do "grunt work" like hauling chairs around, building the "stable" or carrying the big coffee urn full of hot cocoa is limited. Some are shut-ins and can't even be there. That means that the work of getting children in and out of costumes, making cocoa, setting up chairs, and cleaning up afterward is left for the few of us who are young and able enough to do it.
In a similar way, most Christmas preparations tend to fall to the mom in the house. I know this is true in my family. It is my job to get the cards and stamps and pictures (though Big Daddy writes most of them); my job to do most of the present shopping; my job to do all the gift-wrapping, and so on.
Last night I left my Fraternity meeting feeling frustrated because the sign-up sheet representing 9 "needed" people to do tasks before and after the event, was more than half empty.
This morning I woke up feeling a little different about it.
This is not about who does what. It's just about making it happen.
This is a precious moment in the life of a parish, to come together and be part of the scene as Jesus comes among us.
So, Before and After, I will do what is needed. During, I will lead the choir--and no matter how many or few of us there may be, "Joy to the World" will ring out joyfully. My gift to Baby Jesus at Greccio will be to serve with a happy heart--happy that I am young enough and able enough to haul chairs, make cocoa, and adjust angel wings.

If We Don't Know the Birthday, How Can We Have a Party?

After we did our daily How many days to Christmas countdown, Middle Sister was informing me that she learned in school that "no one really knows what day Jesus was born. Maybe it wasn't the 25th. Maybe it was the 24th, or something."
(Or maybe not even in the winter, but I wasn't about to get into that with her at this point.)
She went on, "It would be really easy to find out, though. They should just check his tomb!"
Me: "He doesn't HAVE a tomb anymore, since he rose from the dead, and then ascended to Heaven."
Middle Sister: "OH YEAH!!!!!"

Grand Ambitions

This morning Little Brother and I were on our way to the library. Out of the blue, he announced, "When I'm big I'm going to be an Altar Server!"
We chatted a bit about his plans to carry the candle while Big Brother carries the cross, and how he would ring the bells, and he told me that the third server could be Big Brother's good friend.
Then I asked him what he wanted to be when he was even bigger. I asked, "Do you want to be like Father?"
He said, "No! I'm going to be JESUS!"

Step Right Up...

The Catholic Carnival is up!

Follow the link to read about such topics as churches closed on Christmas Day, why the Virgin Mary is the key to Vatican II, Saint Nicholas, Gaudete Sunday and much, MUCH more!

I Try Not to Get "Political" in My Blog

Normally I don't write about politics in our nation or our Church, because that wasn't the purpose of my blog. But this one touches my family right now, so here goes.

An editorial quoted at De Civitate Dei really hit home today. It is titled, "Catholic Church Must Seek Lost Sheep" and I encourage you to read the whole thing.

The premise here is that the Church must reach out to those many families who have stopped going to church. I am the first to agree that such outreach is sorely needed.

Just about four years ago my family changed parishes after transferring the Big Kids from one parochial school to the other. We believe it is our duty to support the parish that generously educates our children. We left that school and ultimately that parish because of some disturbing problems in the school that directly affected Middle Sister and all the other children in her class. We did not just "fade into the night" but had conferences with both the pastor and principal and explained our reasons for leaving. Never once were we told that we would be missed. Never once were we asked "What can we do to keep you here?"

We were not the first, nor the last, family to leave that school and parish. Not all of them found another parish to call their spiritual home. Many of them ultimately sent their children to public schools. Yet so many of them had been hardworking families who were willing to give their time, talents and energy to the school and parish. As more families jumped ship, the school failed and 18 months ago its doors were closed forever. It's tragic, and it didn't have to happen.

We are kidding ourselves if we think that things like this don't happen everywhere, every day. We need people in our church who will "leave behind the 99 sheep to look for the one who was lost." Everyone who leaves represents a loss to the community. And this outreach to the "lost" should not fall completely on the shoulders of the priests, but on a group of caring, committed people who are able to inspire and encourage others.

Little Brother's Specially Decorated Christmas Tree Branch

 


For some reason known only to computer geniuses, which I am not, I could not post 2 pictures in the same entry. So here's the last illustration to my other post about the tree. 

O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree...

...how heavy are your branches!
O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree,
How droopy are your branches!
The ornaments are overweight
Where Little Brother decorates.
O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree,
How burdened are your branches!

Little Brother has continued the tradition of hanging as many ornaments as he can on one or two low branches of the tree. At one point, we had a "straw that broke the camel's back" moment where the branch could no longer handle the load, and a number of ornaments slid right off! I think a few of them are still on the floor.

Big Daddy wanted to redecorate, but I like it this way. It's part of the charm of a tree decorated by family members who enjoy inspecting ornaments, having a contest to see who can hang their special ornament in the highest spot, and scandalizing me by threatening to juggle with the breakable ones.

For the record, I am the only one in this house who is able to juggle, so that right is reserved for me and me alone. The rest of them can practice with tennis balls first--preferably outside the house.

 
 

More Rejoicing

Today's homily (I was actually LISTENING!) centered around the story of a failing monastery whose abbot visited a holy hermit, only to learn that Jesus Christ was actually living in the monastery, disguising Himself as one of the monks so no one would find Him out. Once the monks learned this, it was only a short while before they began treating each other much more kindly, praying much more fervently, and really rejoicing in the truth that Christ has brought to the world--and the monastery began to attract new monks and inspire the laity.

I wonder what would happen if we ALL treated each other as if someone we met might actually be Christ in disguise. Certainly nothing but good could come out of that.

Gaudete Sunday

A priest from my diocese has a blog where he posts his Sunday homilies.

It's a pretty cool idea. I particularly enjoy it since as a musician, sometimes I miss some parts of Mass due to my mind wandering about what's going to be sung next, what key I have to remember to play it in, what the kids in the choir are doing right now and whether I should intervene before it gets too "out of hand," and things like that--not to mention all the other stuff that everyone's mind wanders about.

Just as we are encouraged to prepare ourselves for Mass, including reading & meditating on the readings of the day, so it can be wise for someone who is in a position to be distracted a bit during the homily to avail herself of this resource. It's not the same homily I'd be hearing, but trust me--this priest has plenty of good points to think and pray about.

I encourage you to visit his blog and read the homily for tomorrow. The theme: "Rejoice in the Lord always!"

Parental Purgatory

Otherwise known as CANDYLAND.

Little Brother is deep into his Candyland phase. Fourteen thousand times a day, he can be heard to shout, "Let's play Candyland! You shovel up the cards..."

Having gone through the Candyland phase twice already, there was a big part of me that wanted to make sure Little Brother never played this game. Hey, it worked with Barney...but I can't deprive him of everything.

Candyland is a tedious game, especially before 7 in the morning when you have not had adequate coffee yet, and you're four spaces from the Candy Castle when suddenly you get the dreaded "Plumpy" card, so the game goes into its "second deck." I am of the firm belief that all picture cards should be banned from the "second deck" and all subsequent decks.

I know Big Brother agrees with me, because just the other day, before we lost the Blue Guy, I played Candyland with all the kids. In the first 2 decks, Big Brother got "Mr. Mint." In the last deck, he got "Plumpy."

Perhaps the Big Kids could write to Milton Bradley Company and suggest this rule change. Parents everywhere would stand up and cheer.

How Speedy Are You?

Here's a fun quiz to test your reaction time.
You have to shoot the little sheep with the tranquilizer dart before they escape across the football field.
There are 5 sheep that will run across the field.
My score is "Bobbing Bobcat." Not bad. Of course, Big Brother, who enjoys video games, archery and riflery, thinks he can do better, but HE keeps getting the 3-second penalty for shooting the dart before the sheep runs anyplace. (Neener!)
Via Here in the Bonny Glen. Thanks for this addicting bit of fun, Melissa!

I Never Was a Trekkie...

...but I had to take this quiz, to see if my brother actually reads this blog!
I saw plenty of "Star Trek" as a child since both my brother and sister enjoyed the show. Dad made us all "phasers" (mine was Plexiglas) and my brother had a homemade "communicator" too.

You scored as Uhura. You are Lieutenant Uhura. Wow, you are a sweety. You are a quiet supporter of those you care about, and are always ready to listen. You have a secret yearning for the spotlight, and a fine talent, but you tend to find yourself in supportive roles. More of us should hear your song, so make sure you get up there and belt it out every once in awhile. It's good for your ego and our ears. Uhura 71% Spock 57% Nurse Chapel 57% Dr. McCoy 50% Pavel Chekov 46% Captain Kirk 39% Hikaru Sulu 32% Montgomery Scott--"Scotty" 25%

Which Star Trek Character Are You? created with QuizFarm.com

Hmmmmm.
The characteristics (mostly) fit, but there is NO way that mini-uniform she wore would!
H/T to Paul for this quiz.

In honor of the Blessed Mother

Today the children and I will make Moravian Heart Cookies.

Ginger cookies are often used as a symbol of Mary because of the words in Sirach that describe her:

I gave a sweet smell like cinnamon and aromatical balm;
I yielded a sweet odor like the best myrrh;
and I perfumed my dwelling as store,
and galbanum, and onyx, and aloes,
and as the frankincense not cut,
and my odor is as the purest balm. (Sirach 24:20-21)

And a favorite line of mine comes from the Gospel of Luke: His mother treasured all these things in her heart (Luke 2:51).

So, to honor Mary today, we will make these spicy cookies in a heart shape.

Big Fun for Little Brother

Sometimes I forget that Little Brother is so little. With Big Kids involved in school, sports, Scouting and Brazilian martial arts, I have a lot of places to go. He also comes along with me twice a week to volunteer in the school lunchroom--and he actually HELPS! His favorite job is stacking the trash cans at the end of the lunch seatings. He gets very annoyed if someone else starts to do that job.
But Little Brother is only 3 1/2. And despite the fact that he still needs help dressing himself, zipping his jacket, and buckling into his car seat, it's easy to forget that this quite articulate little guy really is a LITTLE guy.
Today, though, he got to do some things that were just for him. First of all, we attended the Open House for our town's "Play School" run by the high school child care class. It's a little over an hour, up to 4 days a week, free of charge. Little Brother will hear stories, make crafts, play with play-dough, paint pictures and play with toys. If only there were a school bus he could ride, it would be perfect in his mind!
Naturally he left Play School with play-dough on the brain. But our play-dough was hard as a rock, from not being covered properly the last time he and the neighbor kids played in it. Then I remembered that "way back when" I used to make play-dough for Big Brother and Middle Sister. I dug out the recipe and found all the ingredients. 10 minutes later Little Brother was in his glory at the kitchen table, mashing away with some old cookie cutters. Meanwhile I started getting some things ready for dinner.
Sometimes it's Good To Be 3. And Little Brother needs to be 3. He spends a lot of time trying to keep up with the Big Kids and their friends. I don't want him to miss the fun of being 3 because he's busy hanging with teenagers.

It takes on a whole new meaning now

I had to laugh at Danielle's story about the Madonna Christmas stamps.

I had my own "Madonna Moment" last week when Big Brother was confused about my use of the term. I had to clarify: "The BLESSED MOTHER! Not the rock singer!"

As for the stamps, I ordered mine from the Post Office over the internet, since last year I had to go to 3 different post offices to get the "religious" Christmas stamps. The postal clerks were pretty surprised that I'd rather leave with nothing than take Frosty the Snowman in place of the Holy Family. This year, with the price of gas as high as it is, I paid the $1.00 handling fee to be sure to get the stamps I wanted.

There was nothing in that prayer about sticky floors

And that's just what I have. A sticky kitchen floor.
I have kids. My floor is sticky. Those things pretty much go together.
But since my kids are all (extremely) verbal I figured I'd ask them what they'd spilled, so I'd know what I was dealing with when I get around to mopping.
Me: "Did someone spill in the kitchen?"
Middle Sister: "Yes..."
Me: "What did you spill?"
Middle Sister: "Apple juice...we wiped it up..."
Me: "Thanks for wiping it up. But when you spill juice, you need to let me know, because the floor gets really sticky. I was sticking to it just now."
Middle Sister: "WOW! Is your shoe still there?"
Me: "It WOULD be, if it weren't TIED TO MY FOOT...."
I'll go get that mop now.

Worth Repeating

Paul at Thoughts of a Regular Guy has this prayer posted today:

Lord, thank you for this sink of dirty dishes; we have plenty of food to eat.

Thank you for this pile of dirty, stinky laundry; we have plenty of nice clothes to wear.

And I would like to thank you, Lord, for those unmade beds; they were so warm and comfortable last night. I know that many have no bed.

My thanks to you, Lord, for this bathroom, complete with all the splattered mirrors, soggy, grimy towels and dirty lavatory; they are so convenient.

Thank you for this finger-smudged refrigerator that needs defrosting so badly; It has served us faithfully for many years. It is full of cold drinks and enough leftovers for two or three meals.

Thank you, Lord, for this oven that absolutely must be cleaned today. It has baked so many things over the years.

The whole family is grateful for that tall grass that needs mowing, the lawn that needs raking; we all enjoy the yard.

Thank you, Lord, even for that slamming screen door. My kids are healthy and able to run and play.

Lord, the presence of all these chores awaiting me says You have richly blessed my family. I shall do them cheerfully and I shall do them gratefully.

This prayer aired on Relevant Radio on the morning show, 12.02.2005, in the "Glen's Story Corner" segment.

On days like today, when for some inexplicable reason I am feeling kind of over-Mom-whelmed, I need something like this to keep my perspective. Perfect timing, Paul. I'd tip my hat to you, but it's covering up the evidence of a Bad Hair Day.

Advent & Kids

First, allow me to get this rant out there: it really toasts my marshmallows that "Advent Calendars" always begin on December 1. They aren't Advent Calendars, then....they are December calendars.

Steve at A Song of November mentioned that he's apprehensive about putting up an Advent wreath with a 2-year-old in the house. I was going to post a comment, and maybe even bring him back to the Marauding Marsupial in the TTLB Ecosystem level but I realized that I needed more space for this. Sorry, Steve. So here goes:

Don't skip the Advent wreath just because you have young children. The Advent wreath has been great for our children during this season. Three times now, Big Daddy and I have been through the Tremendously Terrifying Twos at Advent wreath time and I'm pleased to announce that no one has been hurt yet. However, now that we have a Teenager in the house, I'm thinking it might be a good idea to keep a fire extinguisher at hand.

Maybe you have one of those cake plates that sits high off the table. Set your wreath on top of that, if you need to keep it away from the little one. Let your kids take turns blowing out the candles. We have two older children and they want to light the candles, so Little Brother gets to blow out the candles every day.

In our house, our preparation plans revolve around the Advent wreath. When Middle Sister was about the age of your younger son, she didn't understand why we didn't have our tree up at Halloween like the mall does. (OK, she still doesn't--but that was when she first expressed it). Until that time we had put our tree up toward the end of Advent, when we got to it. But she needed something concrete--so we started a family tradition of putting the tree up on Gaudete Sunday. We would tell her, "When Father lights the PINK candle at church, that's the day we put up our tree." We do a lot of decorating on Sundays, since the whole family can be together. It all ties in well with doing a little more preparing each time Father lights another candle.

So if you don't have a wreath up now, it's not too late to start. Go for it!