Super Cuteness

Thanks to the Cat in the Hat.

Little Brother's class is celebrating Dr. Seuss' birthday today. All the kids are allowed to wear "Cat in the Hat" stovepipe hats and crazy socks for "Fox in Socks." They will have lots of Dr. Seuss stories read to them as well.

I couldn't find a "Cat in the Hat" hat, but fortunately my neighbor had one and her kids didn't need it for today. So Little Brother is off to school with his orange-and-white-striped topper.

It's a really cold morning, so when he was putting on his coat, I put the striped hat into his schoolbag and gave him his winter hat to wear. He was not happy with that. "I have to wear this hat all day!" So I improvised. I put the striped hat on top of his regular hat. (Gotta keep those little ears warm, you know!)

He looked so cute as he crossed the street to the bus stop, with his huge hat on his head, on his way to a fun day in kindergarten.

Thinking On Her Feet

This week I have really been impressed by Middle Sister's ability to think on her feet.

She missed 4 days of school recently, and was behind on a "partner project" on volcanoes. Her partner visited here on Sunday and they used what was left of Little Brother's playdough to make a small volcano, with a plastic cup in the middle so they could do the "vinegar+baking soda+red food coloring" eruption.

When she took the little volcano to school, she discovered that playdough does not stick well to a plastic cup. The whole thing fell apart.

Yesterday she was trying to figure out how she could salvage the project--on her own, because now her partner is sick. She had a vague idea that involved an empty water bottle and some bathroom-size paper cups. I offered to take her to Target to pick up some clay so she could get this done. (Amazingly, Target was quite empty at 5:30 on a Wednesday evening. More amazingly, I did not blow up at Middle Sister for needing to take a field trip to Target for supplies at 5:30 on a Wednesday evening. All was right with the world.)

Middle Sister took her clay, paint, water bottle and paper cups to the basement work table and got busy. Little Brother got busy watching, and reporting every so often that she was making something "awesome."

He was right. Using a toy volcano from Little Brother's dinosaur bucket as a guide, she put a few paper cups upside down and the empty water bottle in the middle. The whole thing was covered in the clay, which she painted brown, with streams of red running down the sides for the lava. I gave her a funnel so she could pour in the vinegar when it was time for the demonstration.

And then this morning she discovered that it's not wise to paint wet clay. The clay had absorbed most of the color! She quickly ate and got dressed and painted the now-dry clay AGAIN, found a box big enough to put the project in, and got out of here in time to make her bus. I think the volcano looked even better on the second painting.

Little Brother was right. She did an awesome job. Even more awesome was her willingness to figure out how to improve upon her first failed design, and her insistence on making sure the project looked good when it was time to bring it to school. And I think she deserves extra credit for her resourcefulness, and her lack of complaining that this time she had to do the work alone, since her friend is home with the stomach virus. She has really made me proud.

She Said It Well

Lisa Barker says what I'd like to say, but I'm not as funny as she is. And that last paragraph is what it's all about.

You can subscribe to her newsletter at her website, and get her weekly column "hot off the keyboard." Just don't drink coffee while you're reading it. You HAVE been warned.

Novena to St. Katharine Drexel

Barbara pointed out that it's time for the Novena to St. Katharine Drexel.

I'll be joining her in prayer. Will you join us?

Compassionate God, who in your Son Jesus Christ healed the sick, touched the hearts of the troubled and sent disciples to announce good news to the poor, we offer this novena for peace and for the intentions of all those who are praying with us.

Ever Loving God, You called St. Katharine Drexel to teach the message of the Gospel and to bring the life of the Eucharist to Black and Native American peoples.

By her prayers and example, enable us to work for justice among the poor and oppressed.

Draw us all into the Eucharistic community of your Church that we may be one in you. Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

Our Father , Hail Mary , Glory Be

St. Katharine Drexel is the patroness of my "region" of Secular Franciscans. I will be praying this novena for the intention of continued spiritual growth among the members of our region, and in particular for the members of my own fraternity as we go through some changes in leadership.

Just for Fun: What Color Sharpie Are You?

I'd be lost without my Sharpies. I keep one in my purse and a few in the pencil cups in the kitchen and at my desk. Plus one in the laundry room, one in my bedroom...

Looks like I should expand my "color horizons" though....

What Color Sharpie Are You? (25 Different Colors) Updated Again!

Blue Sharpie
Element: Water
Sense: Sound
Gemstone: Sapphire
Some Qualities: Trustworthy, Calm, IndependentFact: Sapphires are considered antidepressants. Also, blue is considered to be a calming color

Take this quiz!








Quizilla |
Join

| Make A Quiz | More Quizzes | Grab Code


Via Turtlemom's blog.

Saturday Link to Sunday's Homily

Sunday's homily from Friar Charles: why God is better than retail therapy. (Those are my words, not his. His are way more eloquent. Go! Read! Learn!) Maybe I'll remember this tomorrow when I hear the Gospel, instead of being reminded of Peter, Paul and Mary's "Jesus Met the Woman at the Well."

Live Blogging the Weather

This is mainly for my brother, who has never lived outside the New York City television market and therefore has no idea what the local news media does when there's a little snow falling. In Philly, a snowstorm will stop coverage of just about anything else.

Let's just say that yesterday on the all-news radio station we had to listen to live interviews with people who couldn't get snow shovels and rock salt because Home Depot had run out. Everyone who wasn't in Home Depot was in Acme buying milk, bread, eggs, snacks and videos. How's that for News You Can Use?

The Big Story on Action News is...wait for it...the snow! (As if it never did that before). This is not the channel I usually watch for my morning news, but it's the most fun during a snowstorm. My regular channel is actually doing a news show including stories unrelated to precipitation.

I love how they have a Team of Reporters standing outside in the snow with their mittens and rulers. The weather guy just said, "And you'll see in a few minutes our reporters, still standing in the thick of that." High drama!

As the morning wears on we will see people who have left their homes for the express purpose of stopping at Wawa to buy coffee for these reporters who are paid nice money to stand outside in the snow with their waterproof microphones. The reporters will walk up to cars stopped at red lights to ask people where they're heading and how bad the roads are.

In fact, one reporter just complained that there aren't many drivers out there to talk to. He cautioned everyone to be careful in case the roads are slippery. (You think?) The anchors are giving out important tips like keeping kitty litter in the trunk of your car to gain traction if you get stuck.

They have "not one, but two meteorologists" keeping track of the weather today. Most images you are shown are snow-covered highways and secondary roads with cars driving along. We probably won't see a snow-plow interview since those guys are busy. Those were shown yesterday, though, in the Hype Leading Up To The Storm. They have not yet announced that they will offer Extended Coverage and cut off the usual network morning show, but I've seen them do this kind of thing right through the entire morning before. I've been watching this channel for 25 minutes now and they have not done one story not related to the weather. Obviously nothing else is happening anywhere.

Yes, they will be having Continuing Coverage of the snowstorm. The traffic guy appears absolutely gleeful to describe the spin-out accidents he's reporting.

And that's the story on the Storm Coverage today.

Now This Is What I Like To See

From the bulletin at the parish where my younger children attend school:

I have begun saying Masses with the different grades
in our School. During the Mass, I explain to them the
different parts of the Mass and its various significance
and meaning. These “show-and-tell” Masses are held
at our Adoration Chapel.
I am also extending an invitation for the training and
formation of a new batch of altar servers. If interested
please call the rectory. Who knows we might have a
potential priest in our midst from our altar servers?

Thanks, Father!

Before the Snow

So far this winter, my area has gotten under 3 inches of snow. Normally in a winter we get about 20 inches. People south of the Mason-Dixon line have gotten more snow than we have this year. (And I know that if you're north of me, you think we're lucky, and that we're stupid to be wanting some of what you have way too much of already!)

My kids are really feeling the lack of opportunities for a Snow Day. They want to build a fort, make snowmen, and most of all throw snowballs at each other and at any other kid who happens by.

All week long, the local weathermen (including "Mr. Scare Tactic Himself") have been promising a decent amount of the white stuff at the right time to maybe give the kids an unscheduled day off.

Since the meteorologist I married doesn't seem too interested in this weather event, it has fallen upon me to check AccuWeather, The Weather Channel, Weather Underground, Philadelphia WeatherNet and the National Weather Service (at least the parts that are written in laymen's terms) so that I can give the kids my best guess about whether school will be canceled in the morning. I'm sure I'll be up early to come back to my computer and check, and check again, until I see that message they've been waiting for, or the school bus honks--whichever comes first.

A day off for them is not a day off for me, by any stretch of the imagination, but it would be nice to have a snow day. Even with the extra laundry and extra mopping, an excuse to make cookies and hot chocolate would be a good thing right about now.

And once we find out about school, I will have to start thinking about what we should do about Secular Franciscans. I'm not imagining that too many of my fellow Franciscans are intrepid enough to want to venture out during the "freezing rain" part of this storm.

But bring it on. I've got plenty of milk, bread, and eggs--items which are absolutely necessary in this area during a snowstorm. We'll eat French toast like everyone else around here, have too many cookies, and toss a few snowballs around. Sounds good to me.

Proud to be an American

All the time. And it didn't take me 42 years to figure it out.

Rosemary has spelled out just a few of the reasons why she (and you and I) can be proud of our nation.

We truly are blessed. Shouldn't we want to support a candidate who understands this, and who makes sure his family does?

Secret Life: What's the Tradeoff?

While Middle Sister and I hung around earlier, watching some What Not to Wear, discussing my current haircut, and hoping she spends the day without a fever, we saw a commercial for a new show that will premiere on TLC in March: The Secret Life of a Soccer Mom.

I didn't understand the whole "secret" thing until I looked a little further. Apparently these moms all have school-age children or they'd never be able to hide the week they spend "moonlighting" during the school day.

I'm not sure how they manage to hide it anyway, unless a secret housekeeper also comes to their home to pick up the slack on laundry, errands, cleaning and meal preparation. I taught part-time for a while before Little Brother was born, and had to figure out how to fit those things into a day that also included 5 hours of employment.

It's disturbing to me that these "soccer moms" are expected to pretend to their families that they are just following their usual daily routines. What happens if one of their children is sick and needs to stay home from school? Wouldn't the whole truth come out at that point?

I feel that shows based on deception right from the beginning are sure to cause harm to these families--not just to the children, but to the parent-child relationship as well as the relationship between the spouses.

Will I watch? I don't know. I am curious to see how the "mom-at-home" life is portrayed. My guess is that it will be depicted as an occupation or obligation, rather than a vocation. If that's so, then that's the whole problem with the show in a nutshell. And if that's so, I definitely don't want my kids watching.

Families deserve better.

If You're Catholic, and You Vote...

Read here to find out what the Pope says you should be considering. Do your research, pray, and vote responsibly.

Hat tip to Esther.

Fashion Statement

Winter-weather wear at Middle Sister and Little Brother's school includes a uniform sweater or vest.

I generally prefer to purchase the sweater, since it can be worn with short-sleeve shirts underneath, and the long sleeves protect the cuffs of white long-sleeve shirts from getting covered in gray pencil grime. (I went down that road with Big Brother when he was in kindergarten. It wasn't a pretty sight.)

But the other day I found an outgrown vest in Middle Sister's closet. Little Brother has been bugging me for a vest (I guess his friends have those) and he was excited to see this one.

Today he tried it on. It's still too big for him. He's going to get his elbow caught in the arm holes! Big Brother advised him to wear his sweater instead, but he's proud to have a vest and he's insisting on wearing it.

He thinks he looks good. And if he has the confidence to carry this look off, more power to him. He's going to school with his oversized vest.

Monday Links, Since I've Got Nothing

It's Monday, and Middle Sister is sick again, and going back to the doctor's again, and I think she's missed about 15 school days this year. She is more than a little upset that she has a sore throat so soon after she begged the intercession of St. Blaise...the weekend has been filled with worrying over that, and shuttling Big Brother here and there (school dance, Polar Bear Plunge), and trying to keep Little Brother from driving everyone crazy, and getting my butt kicked letting TheDad beat me in Scrabble.

Anyway, it's been a few days since an original thought came into MY head so I will leave you with some links to what my blog-buddies are thinking about.

Denise has a post about the Church's focus: the eternity or the here-and-now.

Christine has a very true "Earth-to-Hollywood" plea. If this were a petition, I'd sign it.

Sarah's been reading, and pondering. Join her discussion on books that leave you unsettled.

If you're not reading this Deacon's blog, what are you waiting for?

I did try a couple of new recipes: Maple-Glazed Pork Roast and Saffron Risotto with Shrimp. After all, we did have to eat.

Today's Homily: Our Lenten Task

AND NOW...it's time for another installment of...

"What did we learn from Father's Homily today?"

During Lent, we should look to the catechumens and follow their lead. They are preparing intensely for their upcoming Baptism at the Easter Vigil. We who are already baptized are preparing to renew our Baptismal promises at Easter.

Easter is about celebrating Christ's resurrection with a renewed commitment to live the Gospel.

If this is not new to you, great! But it was new to me. Thanks, Father H!

Sister Hits the Nail on the Head

Remember the Carol Burnett Show, when Tim Conway would play the old man who shuffled everywhere he walked, an inch at a time?

One of the Sisters at our parish walks at about the same speed.

Today it was snowing when we left church after daily Mass, and she started creeping her way to the convent (a little more than a block away from church). I pulled over and offered her a ride, as I usually do when the weather's bad and she's at church.

I might have to stop that, though, because I had to almost lift her into the van this time. My van is just too high for her to get into easily.

On our way over to the convent, she asked how my children were doing and how old they are now. "They're lucky to have a mother," she said just as we pulled up to her doorway. "With all that abortion and everything, so many babies are just never born anymore."

And yet Catholics are supporting the likes of Hillary and Obama for President this year.

I think the Kitchen Madonna and her Apron-Mom Brigade are cooking up ways to do something about that.

Somebody has to. Too many lives depend on it.

The Return of the Food Police

Little Brother's classroom has once again been visited by the Food Police.

I honestly think that I pack him a reasonably healthy lunch and snack every day. Today he brought:
water to drink (he also buys grape juice at school each day)
turkey sandwich on a potato roll
yogurt
baby carrots
money to buy a soft pretzel
3 chocolate-covered pretzels (handmade with love by one of SFO Girl's daughters)

It's that last item that got him in trouble. 3 pretzels dipped in some melted chocolate chips. Big Brother wanted to take some to school too, but chose not to because he figured his friends would all steal them and he'd have none for himself.

Little Brother's teacher told him that he should not bring chocolate pretzels to school. He came home with the bag of pretzels still in the lunchbox.

I wonder if they can't bring those chocolate-covered granola bars. What about chocolate-chip cookies? Girl-Scout-cookie Thin Mints?

I bet if I sent him to school with a Capri Sun, Trix, a Lunchable, Twinkies and Cheez Doodles, no one would bat an eye.

I wouldn't have to do all this fretting and packing if only the school would get a decent hot-lunch program, one that charges less than $3 a day for nothing but the entree and maybe some French fries or a bag of chips. (That's right: $3 will get you a hoagie and chips, or cheesesteak and chips, or chicken nuggets and fries. No fruit. No salad. No vegetable. No dessert.) Needless to say, we don't buy too many hot lunches.

As Little Brother would say, this is "ridiclious."

My Girly Tomboy

Middle Sister's new green sweatpants will never be the same again.

This weekend, she and Boy Next Door spent some time on two afternoons, exploring a local creek. And when they explore, they don't just walk on the sidewalk. They get in the mud. They climb stuff. They stomp in puddles.

On Saturday, Middle Sister wore a pair of Big Brother's handmedown sweatpants (good choice!) But on Sunday, those were still wet and muddy, so she decided to make a fashion statement and wear her new sweatpants to the creek.

She and Boy Next Door came back two hours later, pretty chilly and very proud of the (empty) snapping-turtle shell they found, and full of stories of what they had seen and how they fed the ducks.

They came back really muddy too. In fact, she was so muddy from the knees down that I just threw her socks in the garbage. They weren't worth the effort.

The green sweatpants have soaked all morning in a bucket of Oxyclean, but I'm not expecting miracles. I might have to turn them into capris.

In the meantime, I rummaged through the handmedowns and found one last pair of Big Brother's old sweatpants. I left them on Middle Sister's bed. I should have done that a long time ago, I guess, but sometimes it doesn't occur to me that girls need to have a few "old grubbies" in their wardrobes too.

It has occurred to me, though, that I'm lucky to have a daughter who enjoys playing in the mud and looking for turtle shells with her friends--even if she does put on the purple eyeshadow, really thick, before she leaves.

Will It Snow?

We have had hardly any snow at all this winter--and nothing that the kids could do any playing in.

But I bet it will snow now. How do I know?

The other day when I took Little Brother to that party, we had a lot of trouble with the automatic sliding door on the van. Every once in a while it acts up, and Friday was one of those times. It took me 5 minutes of trying to close it to figure out that I could make it stay closed IF I really quick locked the doors when it hit the closed spot, before it bounced itself back. I let Little Brother climb in through the driver's door and climbed over the seat to buckle him up (good thing no one saw THAT; I'm sure it was quite the spectacle!) That car "dinged" all the way home to let me know that the door thought it was open. When I turned up the radio to drown it out, the ding got louder too.

Yesterday we took the van to the dealer but they couldn't get it all fixed before closing for the day. They called us to come in and pick up a loaner van, which I definitely appreciate.

However, I just realized that Little Brother's boots and snow pants are in the back of my van. We took the snow stuff to my parents' house the day after Christmas so the kids could play in the snow, and I never took it back into the house. With no snow on our radar screen, I just didn't think about it.

I'm sure the loaner van does not come with loaner boots and snow pants.

Therefore, I'm sure it'll snow.

Party Time

Maybe it's appropriate that this event takes place during Lent. I figure it should get me some serious time off Purgatory.

After school Little Brother and I are headed to a birthday party for one of his classmates, in a party headquarters that is reportedly full to the ceiling tiles with Inflatable Jumping Palaces.

Just three days ago, Little Brother slipped on the kitchen floor and injured his mouth--specifically, the gums above his top front teeth. We rushed him to the dentist, who said he's OK, but should eat soft foods for a few days. I'm sure that jumping around in one of those Child Injury Magnets at a place that makes parents sign a waiver before bringing their kids in will be just great.

I'll be watching him like a hawk.

That's good, I guess, since I'm shy at best and events like this cause me to pretty much shut down completely. I can never relax at these school birthday parties. I'm too busy being intimidated. (I'll look good, though; Retail Therapy at Goodwill netted me a pair of "new with tags" Nautica jeans that are just fabulous--and the $4.50 price tag was better than fabulous! Yes, these events bring out the shallow in me. It's just all-around not a good thing.)

Before I leave, I'm taking an Excedrin as a preventative measure. These places are not known for their quiet.

Take Up Your Cross

This morning Father preached on the line "Take up your cross" from today's Gospel.

His homily was a fascinating tribute to the early Church and the traditions they have handed down to us regarding the sign of the cross. Here are some of the things I learned today:

The reason we touch our LEFT shoulder before our RIGHT shoulder when we make the sign of the cross comes from the Gospel of Matthew, when we are urged to try to stay on the right side of God (with those who are living as God has asked them to) rather than on the left side (with those who have turned away from God). Father said that was we cross ourselves we should remember that we are to strive to stay not on God's left side, but on His right.

The triple-cross we make just before we hear the Gospel read at Mass is one of the oldest forms of the sign of the cross in our tradition.

In Baptism when we are signed with a cross, we are claimed for Christ. In Confirmation, we are sealed with the Holy Spirit.

In the early Church, the sign of the cross was made with three fingers of the right hand, held together--a symbol of the Trinity--three in one.

Take up your cross, and remember--keep right!

Turn Away from Sin, and Live the Gospel

I began Lent 2008 with Mass at my younger children's school. I think it's good for the school parents to attend these Masses when possible.

The Mass was, of course, open to all parishioners as well as the school children, but Father geared the homily toward the kids. It was nice to hear what he had to say to them.

He spoke about Original Sin, about Adam and Eve, and about how all of us, when we are old enough to know right from wrong, sin sometimes. He reminded everyone that sin separates us from God, because it is not doing what God wants us to do. He also reminded them that God loves us--very much--so much that he was willing to give his only Son to die for our sins. And finally, Father prepared them for the sacramental that took place right after the homily, when he would trace a cross on each of their foreheads with a smudge of ashes, and recite the words that would be their "assignment" in Lent and beyond: Turn away from sin, and live the Gospel.

I liked that Father was not afraid to talk with the children about sin and our human nature, and that he was not afraid to challenge them to try to do better, letting them know that living the Gospel would bring them closer to God.

Shape Matters

Two minutes before the school bus rolled up to the door, I realized that I hadn't seen Middle Sister eat very much breakfast.

"Middle Sister, did you have anything besides pineapple for breakfast?"

"No, just pineapple..."

"That's not enough breakfast!"

"Sure it was, Mom. There were like 7 pineapples in there--and they were RINGS!"

Junior Theology

Adventure Boy showed up here earlier with another little boy from down the street. I just overheard them having a heated discussion about Creation:

Little Brother: "Who made sharks?"

Little Boy: "God!"

Adventure Boy: "Who made the fish?"

Little Brother: "God!"

Little Brother: "Who made the ocean?"

Little Boy: "The people!"

Little Brother: "No, not people. God made the ocean."

Adventure Boy: "It was JESUS!"

Material Girl

I stopped at a nearby outlet shop today to pick up a couple of pairs of sweatpants for Middle Sister, who is now taller than me and outgrowing all her pants. I told her she could pick 2 pairs. She picked out 1 black pair and 1 of a very pretty "sea green" color. Then she wanted tops....I told her that we were only there for pants. So we paid and went home, and she got busy planning outfits since Monday is a "no uniform day" at school. Then she said, "I have no shirts to match these green pants."

Naturally that set me off on a lecture on frugal wardrobes: "When you buy clothes, you think about what you already have that would match the new things. You don't buy a new thing that matches NOTHING you have and then expect more clothes."

Her answer: "What fun is THAT?"

Wardrobe Necessities

Little Brother has a new hoodie, and he was bragging about it today to Big Brother. This hoodie is a little different from any he's had before: there's a waffle-weave lining in the hood. It was warm and comfy, he said, because "it has a thermos in it!"

I Am Not a Soccer Mom...and I Vote

I'm a Catholic wife and mother of 3, a homemaker and a Secular Franciscan.

All of those things come into play when I consider the upcoming elections.

I've got one week to choose the candidate I feel best represents my views on what's good for our nation and our world (because anyone who thinks that this election only affects this country is living in a dream world.)

I'm not a soccer mom. For one thing, I don't have the wardrobe for it. And none of my kids play soccer! So it's not about soccer moms and how they supposedly vote. If they vote pro-choice, I'm definitely not a soccer mom!

Maybe the Kitchen Madonna has it right in describing the new voting demographic as the Apron Mom. I've got the wardrobe for that. I own several aprons and wear them proudly. They are my uniform when I work around my home, doing laundry, cleaning up, cooking and baking for my family.

It's a good idea to link aprons to elections. Aprons are worn by people who serve others. We need to remember that our elected officials are to do just that--serve the people of our nation! And we have been given the responsibility of choosing the ones who will serve us.

I can never support a pro-abortion candidate. I would like to find a candidate who is not only prolife when it comes to abortion, but also carries this view across the board: anti-death penalty; anti-assisted suicide; anti-euthanasia, anti-embryonic stem cell research. I would like to find a candidate who knows what it means to serve, and that to do so can be both a blessing and a burden, and who is not afraid to seek divine guidance when making those important decisions.

Simply the Best

That's what we want for our families and for those we love.

And I think that was behind my post last week about my Secular Franciscan family and our slightly-past-Christmas Extraction of Saints.

At our Council meeting we decided not to dwell on "who prays for me" and we tried to gently steer the discussion off that topic when it veered there. And we knew it would, because it always does. And no matter what we said, it was going to happen, because that's where some of our members are. There was one member who spent the evening making a list of "who prays for whom" on the back of the prayer page.

We had to let that go.

It occurred to me this morning that this whole thing frustrates us because we want the best for our family--in this case our Franciscan family. We want our brothers and sisters to truly benefit from what is truly a spiritual event in our fraternal life.

And it's OK to do a little joking here and there, like we did when the virtue of Hospitality was chosen for our Minister and everyone told him that this meant his wife was off the hook for cleaning duty when they entertain. I think that was offset by the smiles or kind and heartfelt "thank yous" that were exchanged when announcements were made of who would benefit from special prayer by a certain member this coming year.

Our Fraternity can and will grow in love and virtue because we do have many wonderful members who truly care about each other, and we do have members who care about the ongoing formation of our members. When you love someone, you want the best for them.

Decaf is not going to cut it today

I'm tired. It's been a really nutty couple of days, and I think it has finally all caught up with me.

First, on Wednesday, Middle Sister was home with a slight fever. The contractor was busy installing my new back door, and I was keeping warm (since there was a big hole in the back of the house) by giving the bathroom (upstairs) a good scrubbing. Then the phone rang: the school nurse. "Please come right away and get Little Brother. He has head lice."

Immediately I was itching all over. All you have to do is mention bugs to me and I start to itch. I went tearing out of here and over to the school, where a nurse I had never seen before had an office full of kids and it was really crazy. She told me to sign him out, take him home, treat his head, check everyone else and keep him home until Monday.

When I got home, I called a friend; I was supposed to pick up her daughter after school and I was sure she didn't want to expose her child to lice. She asked if I had gotten anything to treat it with and told me to stay put because she had some stuff at home and would bring it right over.

The contractor had been a little surprised when I ran out of here and came home 20 minutes later with an apparently healthy child dressed in a school uniform, and he was a little grossed out too, when he asked what the matter was.

My friend brought over a natural lice remedy (not the toxic stuff that cannot be touched by human hands) and I used it on Little Brother's head. Then I used the little metal comb and checked him super carefully. Didn't find a thing.

I spent a good chunk of the rest of the day stripping beds, washing the afghans we keep on the couch, washing sheets and other bedding, washing Little Brother's coat and hat....and the phone rang again at 2:00. It was the regular school nurse, asking me if the substitute we'd seen in the morning had shown me what she found in Little Brother's head.

"No, and I treated his head and checked him, and I didn't find a thing."

She told me to bring him back in the morning and she would check him with me right there. Apparently there had been some false alarms....but the laundry was in progress and I had to finish what I started there. Plus I had to finish cleaning the bathroom since the tub had been sitting under a layer of cleaner and was threatening to disintegrate before my eyes if I didn't rinse it off.

Back to school we went yesterday, and the only thing the nurse found in Little Brother's hair was a "fuzzy" from his hat. So he was off to class and I went back home where I reassured the contractor (now working on the front door) that there were no bugs in my house or anyone's hair.

Just in time, too, because Big Brother had 5 friends over for a birthday party last night (they have no school today). Fortunately the rest of us managed to sleep over the sounds of 6 teenage boys playing video games and watching movies.

They've all gone home; the trash is out and the French toast has been eaten up.

I really need to mop the floors, but I think I need sleep more.

Either that, or some real coffee.

Marian Holy Card

Micki at Holy Cards for Your Inspiration has this beautiful card today:


The quote she has accompanying this card is not to be missed:

You never think of Mary without Mary thinking of God on your behalf.
Neither do you ever praise and honor God without Mary praising and honoring God in union with you.
--St. Louis Grignion de Montfort

Today, when I would guess that more Rosaries are being prayed in our country than any other day, many people are thinking of Mary. I add my prayers to those: O Virgin conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee. Pray for young women who feel trapped in unwanted pregnancies and who feel that abortion is their only way out. Pray for parents, husbands and boyfriends who pressure these women into killing their babies. Pray for abortion providers that they may have a change of heart. Pray for post-abortive women who grieve those little lives lost. Pray for our government that a reverence for life may permeate our country. And pray for all who work toward a culture of life.

Roe v. Wade: 35th Anniversary

This election year, the issue of abortion is once again in the limelight.

Pray hard for an end to abortion and a reverence for life from conception to natural death.

From Danielle Bean:

Pope John Paul II's Pro-Life Prayer
Oh Mary, we entrust to you the cause of life.
Look down upon the vast numbers of babies not allowed to be born.
Grant all who believe in your Son to proclaim the Gospel of Life.
Obtain for them the grace to accept that Gospel as a gift ever new, to bear witness to it resolutely, to the praise and glory of God, the Creator and Lover of Life.
Amen.

Live video feed: March for Life 2008

Who Needs Toys When There's a Box Around?

My kids have always enjoyed seeing the possibilities in a huge cardboard box. They use the boxes for forts, castles, firehouses, hideouts, and submarines until the boxes no longer resemble rectangles.

We haven't had a box for a while, so Little Brother was happy when a 4-foot-high box came into the house last week. He immediately claimed it, and today Big Brother used his Brand-New Big Honking Camping Knife to cut peepholes, a window and a door into the box.

I asked Little Brother if he was going to decorate his new clubhouse. "No way," he told me. "If I do that, everyone will know it's me in there."

Coming Soon: "Watch Your Tone!"

Amazingly, it's not my kids to whom I'd like to address that statement. (Usually it is, but not this time.)

It's my Franciscan brothers and sisters in my Secular Franciscan Fraternity.

Next Friday we will begin our year together with our traditional Extraction of Saints. At the Extraction we receive not only the name of a saint (often a Franciscan saint, but not always) to study and even emulate during the year, but also a virtue which we should try to cultivate, a Franciscan quote to inspire us, and the name of another member of the Fraternity or a friar or Sister from our parish to keep in special prayer during the year.

Doesn't that sound nice? It really is nice. But there's something that's been going on in past years that frustrates me, and I'm stewing about how to head it off at the pass.

I really should be praying about it. And I will.

Here's the situation. Everyone winds up winking and nodding about the virtues that come up. Sometimes it's a compliment, like "You are already so patient, why would you need to work on that?" and sometimes it's more like "wink wink nudge nudge, God sure knew what He was doing when he picked that for you." And worse than that, it winds up being an evening of "what's in it for me" as people only want to know who is praying for them. Sure, it's nice that someone in the Fraternity is going to hold you and your intentions in special prayer this year. But what you really need to remember is that you are expected to the same for someone else! It has gotten to the point that someone in attendance is asked to keep a list of "who prays for whom."

Well, I don't want to do that. I don't think that's what we're there for, to be so busy worrying about "who prays for me." If we all work to foster a connection (through prayer and maybe even an occasional note, phone call or verbal wish of encouragement) with the person we are keeping in prayer this year, we won't need that list.

I find it hard to take a stand in my Fraternity because of my age....it's a "don't disagree with your elders" thing. I can write very diplomatically but don't put me in a room and ask me to correct the behavior of another adult, especially an older adult.

Tomorrow night I will be bringing this issue up at our Council meeting. Please pray that I will find the right way to approach this issue at Council and on Friday at our Extraction of Saints, so that it will be a prayerful and fruitful experience for our members and guests.

UPDATED: I really appreciate the comments I have gotten on this post and I have been thinking of how to handle all of this nicely. I did come up with one suggestion that I will make to Council tonight: put addresses and phone #s on the card with the names. We can announce before we begin that we have done this, so that it will be easier for us to contact our "prayer partner" to ask if they have prayer requests, or send an encouraging note.

Interdisciplinary

Little Brother has been really into puzzles lately. He will do the same jigsaw puzzles over and over. Yesterday, my parents came to visit and Mom brought along a few puzzles that she had in her house. One of them was a foam-rubber puzzle of a helicopter, and had probably originally belonged to Big Brother.

He's put together that helicopter at least three times this morning, and just now when he put in the last piece, he stood the puzzle on one end and asked TheDad and me if one of us could hold it up.

"Just lean it on the leg of the coffee table," we told him, figuring that he wanted to display his work.

"No, that won't work! I need to use it for a hurdle," was his reply.

Bears Have the Right Idea

It's winter. It's cold. The sky is gray and soon some freezing-cold stuff will fall out of it.
My nose is cold. One of my college roommates would say, "That means you're a healthy puppy."
Can I use all this as an excuse for my current mood? I'm just feeling a little down, a lot lazy, and kind of sleepy. And completely unmotivated.
I did exercise today, for half my usual time as I'm nursing a sore knee from all the bending and carrying and stair-climbing involved in helping move the school library from its temporary quarters to its newly renovated home.
I got a couple of errands done that meant I could complete some "easy to put off because they don't affect your ability to live in the house, but annoying if you don't fix them" home-improvement chores.
I mopped the floors (including the Mysterious Sticky Stuff in the kitchen).
I treated myself to lunch at Chick-Fil-A.
I contacted the Vietnam Veterans to schedule a pickup of clothes (mostly mine) that I've cleaned out of closets.
Usually all of those things give me a little lift. But not today.
I am pleased to report that Big Brother let me know he'll be home right after school today, so he can watch Little Brother here while I take Middle Sister to her physical therapy appointment. Amusing a 5-year-old in a waiting room for more than an hour can be torture for all concerned (including the receptionist!) So I will have a chance to sip my decaf coffee and read...hey, wait a minute...I'm reading a really good, but sad, book (The Kite Runner).
I think I just figured out the reason for my mood.
Maybe I'll bring along something funny, or a cookbook, or my current nonfiction read (It's So You: Fitting Fashion to Your Life by Mary Sheehan Warren.)

Happy Birthday, Big Brother

Big Brother turned 16 today, which means I am halfway through with my first teenager. Today, Father H. told me that Big Brother is "an honorable young man," which is high praise. So please indulge me in a moment of Mommy-Bragging. Big Brother is 3 school days away from achieving straight A's for this quarter (that would be the first time ever that he's done so). He's a Life Scout, having been involved in Scouting since he was 6. And he's hanging in there with the track team, even though he had to run 7 miles in hard rain yesterday and 6 in snow flurries today. His friends at school are good kids, good students, and involved in lots of activities. Middle Sister wants to follow him onto the track team (with his encouragement). Little Brother wants to follow him everywhere.

Big Brother is a big fan of apple pie, especially homemade apple pie. So this morning I was busily peeling two kinds of apples and putting together his requested birthday dessert.

Happy birthday, Big Brother! I hope you enjoy your birthday pie.

With Age Comes...Dinner

Earlier this evening, Little Brother was complaining that he never gets to pick what we have for dinner.

Naturally, I gave him the Standard Mean-Mommy Answer: "When you have a job and earn money to buy food, and you learn how to cook the food, then you get to pick what you eat."

He thought about that for a minute and cheerfully said, "That's what I'll do! Just as soon as I'm SIX!"

Useless Information About Me(me)

Found this one over at Ellen's and then discovered that Jean tagged me.

1. Do you wear a name tag at work? No. All my kids know my name by now.

2. What kind of car do you drive? Chevy Uplander

3. What do you order when you go to Taco Bell? I cannot believe how many people do not eat at Taco Hell! I have one within walking distance, which means that I can have my fill of Cheesy Fiesta Potatoes and Spicy Chicken Soft Tacos. YUM! Hmm, what's for lunch?

4. Have you ever had a garage sale? No

5. What color is your iPod? I have an mp3 player, not an iPod. It's white and has a cool blue glow when it's turned on.

6. What kind of dog do you have? None.

7. What's for dinner tonight? It will be just me and Little Brother. We're probably having hot dogs.

8. What is the last alcoholic beverage you had? That was probably my senior year in college. I don't drink alcohol.

9. Stupidest thing you ever did with your cell phone? Dialed someone without realizing it because the phone was not "locked" and something bumped it in my purse.

10. Last time you were sick? Fall 2007.

11. How long is your hair? About shoulder-length, but I did trim my bangs last week. I can't keep away from the scissors once the bangs get in my eyes.

12. Are you happy right now? For the most part....

13. What did you say last? "Hi, Adventure Boy! Come on in!"

14. Who came over last? Adventure Boy and Girl Next Door

15. Do you drink beer? No

16. Have your brothers or sisters ever told you that you were adopted? I doubt it. They usually tell me that I am my mom's "clone" since we look, speak and think very much alike (but she got the curly hair).

17. What is your favorite key chain on your keys? The cool "boomerang" one that an Australian pen pal sent me.

18. What did you get for graduation? Which time?

19. Whats in your pocket? These pants don't have pockets, unfortunately.

20. Who introduced you to Dane Cook? Who?

21. Has someone ever made you a Build-A-Bear? No

22. What DVD is in your DVD player? Whatever's in there, it's not mine.

23. What's something fun you did today? Listened to my new Eagles album! Let's play it again! (The kids love it sooooo much!)

24. Who is/was the principal of your high school? Sister Pat

25. Has your house ever been TP'd? Not my house, but the big pine tree in front was, once. I still think my kids did it but they insist they're innocent.

26. What do you think of when you hear the word "meow"? Girls being catty.

27. What are you listening to right now? Little Brother and his friends playing the Wii.

28. Drinking? Coffee (decaf), of course!

29. What is your favorite aisle at Wal-Mart? Whatever's on sale.

30. When is your mom's birthday? July 2

31. When is your birthday? July 28

32. What's the area code for your cell phone? One of the NJ area codes

33. Where did you buy the shirt you're wearing now? Land's End

34. Is there anything hanging from your rear view mirror? No - too distracting for me

35. How many states in the US have you been to? 36

36. What kind of milk do you drink? Whole milk, white, icy cold.

37. What are you going to do after this? Probably more laundry, then work on taking down Christmas decorations.

38. Who was the last person you went shopping with? Middle Sister and Little Brother. We got some bargains at Old Navy!

39. What is your favorite fruit? Pineapple

40. What about your favorite dessert? Coffee ice cream

41. What is something you need to go shopping for? A new sofa

42. Do you have the same name as one of your relatives? Yes

43. What kind of car does one of your siblings drive? Ford Explorer

44. Do you like pickles? Yes, especially the sour, garlicky ones.

45. How about olives? Sure, but I don't like the pits.

46. What is your favorite kind of gum? Cinnamon

47. What is your favorite kind of juice? Ruby Red grapefruit juice

48. Do you have any tan lines? That would mean I'd have to have a TAN. I have burn lines....

49. What hospital were you born in? a North Jersey hospital

Now, are you ready for the quiz?

I Don't Get It

Yesterday Little Brother walked in the front door after school and put down his schoolbag and lunchbox--just inside the door, blocking the entrance. If it's a nice day, and fairly warm, we leave the main door open since there's a storm door.

Shortly afterward, TheDad came home from work with his briefcase and a couple of bags from the sporting-goods store. He stepped over the schoolbag and lunchbox, came in and started packing things for a weekend Boy Scout camping trip.

Big Brother and TheDad went in and out the door, stepping over the schoolbag and lunchbox, as they loaded up the car for camping.

Finally they were ready to go. They said goodbye to me, Middle Sister, and Little Brother, stepped over the schoolbag and lunchbox, and headed out the door.

That's when I realized that this had been going on all afternoon.

They had to see the things in the doorway, as they never tripped. But they never moved them.

If they hadn't directly been blocking the main door, which we have to close and lock at night or whenever we leave the house, how long would those things have sat there?

My New Favorite Song

The lyrics are strange, but the sound is fantastic! Enjoy! I'm driving the kids bananas, listening to it over and over and over and over and over....


How Long Lyrics

The Wrong Kind of Self-Help

Deliver me from "self-help" writers who haven't left the "Jonathan Livingston Seagull" mindset.

I have always had an interest in architecture, and a few years ago I read and enjoyed The Not So Big House by Sarah Susanka. We had recently moved from our very small "starter home" to this bigger house, and I was discovering that just because a home is bigger doesn't make it better. In our smaller house, every inch of space was designed for efficient use. Not so with this house, and that drives me crazy sometimes. Susanka's architecture book was full of interesting designs and ideas that made sense to me.

Anyway, I discovered that Susanka had written a new book, and I found it at the library.

I'm glad I didn't pay for it. I didn't get too far into it before I realized that it was NOT for me. First of all, it was a self-help book, not a book about architecture. In the introduction, I read that

It's possible to start living a Not So Big Life of full, rich, vivid moments where everything that happens to us is experienced fully, and where spirit and connection have room to thrive.

At that point it was very clear that I was reading a book written from an extremely narcissistic viewpoint. I felt like I was reading nonfiction written by Richard Bach, because Jonathan Livingston Seagull and Illusions: the Adventures of a Reluctant Messiah were both advocating the same school of thought.

Out of curiosity, I turned to the index and looked up "religion." Only one page was listed, and I flipped to that one to see the tiny mention that gave away Susanka's whole outlook: "to see that my inner experience was real and didn't require validation by a spiritual institution."

I don't need to go to a book to have my faith practices scorned. And I don't need or want "freedom" from religion. On the contrary, I am sure that if I really work at practicing what I believe, the simplicity I seek will follow.

Last night's Evening Prayer contained the following intercession:

Help those who do not know God but seek your presence in the shadows and projections of the human mind; make them new persons in the light of Christ.

Amen.

Weatherguessers

We've had weird weather here the past few days: very warm, in the 60's, and now very windy.

I was helping Little Brother get a jacket out of the closet for school today. I told him that it's warm, but would be windy and maybe rainy later.

He turned around to TheDad and asked, "Dad, is the weatherman right or wrong today?"

"The weatherman is right," TheDad replied.

Little Brother put on his waterproof windbreaker without argument. Good thing, too, because he should just be getting off the school bus at school, and it's raining now.

Toward a Standard of Maternity Leave--for Students

I just read, over at "The World...IMHO" that many high schools do not have a policy in place that grants adequate maternity leave to pregnant students.

I've worked as a homebound tutor for over 13 years. In the school districts where I have worked, young moms were entitled to 6 weeks at home, with tutors. (Girls who underwent C-sections were given more recovery time). I had no idea that this was not the standard.

It's time to realize that high-school girls who are willing to carry a pregnancy to term deserve academic support and a good deal of guidance during the time following childbirth, right through their graduation. It's well worth the investment in the young moms and their children.

The Roof Over My Head

I am sitting here at what is normally a very quiet time of day in the house. Any other Monday, you'd probably hear nothing but the washing machine and dryer running, and maybe the vacuum cleaner or some water running as I clean up the mess leftover from the weekend.

But today, they are removing the roof. The sound of thumps and scrapes and bumps and heavy boots walking overhead drowns out the buzz of the dryer's "I'm done" signal. I can hear a radio but I can't make out what's playing on it.

Having a roof done in January is iffy business, but when we started to see water damage on Middle Sister's ceiling, we knew we couldn't put it off any longer. Fortunately the weather today is gorgeous with temps climbing through the 50s, and tomorrow will be even better.

It was a shame that Little Brother had already headed off to school when the big truck with the built-in "claw lift thingamajig" pulled up and started offloading pallets of shingles right onto the roof. The rest of the kids in the neighborhood, who take a later bus, had some entertainment while they stood on the corner waiting for their ride.

It's noisy now, but it will be leakproof later. And then they'll replace my ugly front door, and the back door with the cracked windowpane, with pretty new doors and frosted-glass sidelights in the front. And I'll get to go to the Big Box Home Improvement Store and choose a paint color for the front door (and the shutters, which someone in the house who shall remain nameless did not even realize we have).

TheDad asked me this morning if I was excited about getting the new roof. Not really. It's the doors that I'm waiting for. That's something I look at and use every day. It'll be nice to look at something pretty for a change.

New Year's Meme

I found this one at Esther's.

1. WHO WERE YOU NAMED AFTER?
My middle name is the same as my mom's first name. That's as close as I get.

2. WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU CRIED?
Today at church when we sang "Drummer Boy." I never fail to cry when I sing that song. (Yes, I know, it's not appropriate to sing that one in church. I have no control over the choice of music.)

3. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING?
I could do better

4. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCH MEAT?
Ham, sliced really thin (and served on seeded rye bread with good mustard)

5. DO YOU HAVE KIDS?
Yes

6. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU?
I don't know

7. DO YOU USE SARCASM A LOT?
Way more than I should.

8. DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS?
Yes

9. WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP?
You couldn't pay me enough.

10. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL?
Honeycomb, though now I only like the generic kind because the brand-name kind has been "improved."

11. DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF?
No

12. DO YOU THINK YOU ARE STRONG?
Yes

13. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM?
Coffee

14. WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE?
How tall they are

15. RED OR PINK?
pink

16. WHAT IS THE LEAST FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOU?
I don't know.

17. WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST?
My family; they are over 2 hours away.

18. WHAT COLOR PANTS AND SHOES ARE YOU WEARING?
Khaki pants and my new awesome brown shoes

19. WHAT WAS THE LAST THING YOU ATE?
some amazing chocolate cake with fudge icing

2o. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW?
the hum of my laptop "cooling tower"

21. IF YOU WERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE?
periwinkle

22. FAVORITE SMELLS?
baking bread

23. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE?
Middle Sister

24. DO YOU LIKE THE PERSON WHO SENT THIS TO YOU?
Yes

25. FAVORITE SPORTS TO WATCH?
Notre Dame football, or basketball

26. HAIR COLOR?
brown, with some gray creeping in

27. EYE COLOR?
brown

28. DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS?
No! Never! I can't stand anything in my eyes.

29. FAVORITE FOOD?
My tastes are all over the map so this answer would change weekly!

30. SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDINGS?
Happy endings

31. LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED?
In theatres? I have no idea.

32. WHAT COLOR SHIRT ARE YOU WEARING?
black

33. SUMMER OR WINTER?
I hate extremes of weather! Fall and spring are my favorites!

34. HUGS OR KISSES?
Hugs

35. FAVORITE DESSERT?
Coffee ice cream

36. WHAT BOOK ARE YOU READING NOW?
I'm between books at the moment but I have a tall stack waiting for me

37. WHAT IS ON YOUR MOUSE PAD?
I don't use one

38. WHAT DID YOU WATCH ON TV LAST NIGHT?
Absolutely nothing

42. FAVORITE SOUND?
Silence

43. ROLLING STONES OR BEATLES?
Beatles

44. WHAT IS THE FARTHEST YOU HAVE BEEN FROM HOME?
Ireland

45. DO YOU HAVE A SPECIAL TALENT?
nothing exceptional

46. WHERE WERE YOU BORN?
closer to the North Pole than where I currently live!

TAG! Anyone who wants to play!