Over the weeks as I have been watching some of my younger children gain new skills, and become more proficient in others, my thoughts have again been drawn to God and my relationship with Him, and the lack thereof that I have suffered through at times in my life.

As Elsa struggled with learning how to crawl I was drawn to the memories of my first baby, also a daughter, learning to crawl and I was struck by the difference in my feelings about the two achievements. Amanda actually learned to stand before she learned to crawl and I was so amazed that I grabbed my camera and posed her again, so I could photograph it for posterity – my first baby – already standing. I was such a proud mama!

Now, as I watch Elsa crawl away from me towards a toy – my pride is mixed with a tinge of sadness as I now know that this progression is also the first steps to independence. Soon she will be a toddler and then a child and before I know it she will be packing her bags and leaving for college and adventures unknown.

My little tinge of sadness as I watched Elsa crawl away made me wonder how God feels when we first start to toddle away from Him. It caused me to realize how different, in this way, our relationship with Him is from us with our children despite the frequent comparison of God as Father that is made with us human parents.

As an earthly mother, it is my job to raise my child to independence, but God is actually continually calling me back to Him and telling me to never forget that I am dependent on Him for everything. He will ‘allow’ (not make) evil to fall my way – so that I might find good out of it – namely, my need for Him.

These past four years, I have been continuously reminded of this through our severe needs and trials. Even when we came to the very precipice of despair over the fear of losing everything, God came through, showing us over and over that we only needed to lean on Him and all would be okay. Not easy, not necessarily fun – but okay. We began to be able to still feel peace – even when three months behind in the rent.

I remember how as a child, walking to school I would always chat with Jesus, my constant companion since I had been introduced to him when I was 9 by the Gideon Society who had brought New Testaments to school. I shared with him my problems, especially my troubled relationship with my mum. I told him when I was happy, when I was worried and especially when I was angry. That ten minute walk to school was very fruitful. I would arrive at school, refreshed and my problems forgotten until I returned home in the afternoon. Then I became a teenager and my attention was drawn elsewhere. I still had one eye on God, but no longer both on Him, and it made a difference.

Because my parents did not have a strong faith life at that time, I was not taught that as my dependence on them lessened, my dependence on God needed to grow and not decrease. Had I been taught this most valuable lesson – I might have been spared much heart ache. It is a lesson I have resolved to share with my children. I want, as my husband and I ultimately rejoice in the maturation and development of our children, that God is not saddened by it but instead is able to celebrate a corresponding dependence on Him.

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Another Post - three in one day?

Well - a reader has asked me if I would post this. She is one of Danielle Bean's readers and, like me, was impressed with Danielle's post on PROLIFESEARCH.

I have already dropped into my toolbar on my browsers home page. It is wedged right between Goodle and my favourite email site. I have actually started using it. Here is their URL:

http://www.prolifesearch.com/

Apparently when ads are clicked on, or purchases made through the ads on the side of this search site - donations are made to the Prolife cause. What an easy way to help a very important cause!

Check it out and if you like it - make sure to add it to your tool bar! And now I need to stop pulling a Sister Pat and stop distracting myself with my email and posting, and get some actual work done. Now that I have vacumed the living room, washed the dishes, fed the baby, run the washer and dryer a few times, exchanged Cinderella for Veggie Tales - it is time to start printing shipping labels in beween reading tutorials on Java Script and HTML!

Thank you everyone who has been praying. I can feel the difference! Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!!
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St Isidore - I ask for your heavenly intercession for this important project that I am working on so as to assist our famliy make a much needed transition in hopes that we can enjoy a much less stressful life! Read more!

St Isidore

Thank you to Cathy who left this following comment in answer to my question as to whether there was a Patron Saint of Websites?!

"Cathy said...

I googled "patron saint Internet" and found St. Isidore

http://www.scborromeo.org/saints/isidores.htm

Here is part of what it said:
So, how does Saint Isidore of Seville become the patron saint for the Internet? The Observation Service for Internet, who drew it's mission from the Pontifical Council for Social Communications, researched the Internet and related technologies to select a patron saint that best reflects the concerns and ideals of computer designers, programmers and users. The saint chosen by the Observation Service for Internet was Saint Isidore. "The saint who wrote the well-known 'Etymologies' (a type of dictionary), gave his work a structure akin to that of the database. He began a system of thought known today as 'flashes;' it is very modern, notwithstanding the fact it was discovered in the sixth century. Saint Isidore accomplished his work with great coherence: it is complete and its features are complementary in themselves."

And thanks again Cathy - I was in too much of a tizzy to think of something as simple as googling!

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Now THIS is my kind of education about web building...

... simple and to the point!

"Quick and Easy Learning" says w3schools!

This is followed by the statement:

"Because time is valuable, we deliver quick and easy learning.

At W3Schools, you can study everything you need to learn, in an accessible and handy format."

They finish with:

"Never increase, beyond what is necessary, the number of entities required to explain anything" --- William of Ockham (1285-1349)"

Better yet - these tutorials are FREE! Thank you Matt for suggesting them.

Armed with a cup tea to my right and a sleeping baby on my left shoulder, Cinderella playing in the background as children watch a movie instead of doing their math, I am ready to dive into the world of explanations of HTML, XML forms and why I need to back up and read about HTML forms before I can study up XML forms...

Now all of this is in hopes that these tutorials will edify for me what the buttons on my web building program can do.

Wish me luck, or better yet - say a prayer. Anyone acquainted with a patron saint for website builders? Read more!

So simple a child could do it...

I am about to beg, even grovel at the feet of my readers! PLEASE, can anyone help me discover a book that can explain to me the basics of web design in the simple layman’s tongue? And is, preferably, recent enough to acknowledge that Windows XP and Firefox is in existence.

Are there websites, along the same manner, that one would recommend?

You may ask why I make this desperate plea.

It is two fold. First – my husband and I must make the leap from selling strictly on eBay to having our own website and using eBaymore as a means of driving customers to us. The reasons for this are many, but chiefly what we sell on eBay could be sold for five to ten times more than what we get on eBay, if sold on a website.

If we could accomplish this, we would not need to sell the volume that we currently need to sell to just barely keep our heads above the water. We could specialize in certain items and give up the big heavy items we often have to sell along with the smaller merchandise. I wanted to cry when I saw my son, barely 19, with his back hurting so much that a sneeze almost brought him to his knees. He tries not to complain – but it is obvious that even his 6 foot 3 frame is beginning to fatigue under the heavy work he and my husband are forced to do to forge out a living for us. It is not that they, either of them, are afraid of a hard days work, but rather, they are both very worn down by this very hard labour that is required of them all the time. 24/7

We know from research and advice from others in the same business, that this is the direction we need to take. But my husband does not have the time to invest in building a website, and we do not have the money to pay to have one designed. So I am endeavoring to develop a website for our business.

I have downloaded a click and drag program – so simple a child could use it. Obviously I grew up a looong time ago and no longer have a child’s mind as while I have managed to down load a template and drag some buttons into place – I have come to a complete stand still. There are these lovely buttons on the side that will allow me to compress files – but what files do I want to compress? I can click a button and drag a banner out and across the top of my page, but while it was easy make it nice and pretty, I could not discover how to change the type on it that says sample banner… I can click on another button and create a gallery – but where do I put it afterward? There are forms for emails and marquees to insert, but I have no idea how to use either.

Although I have managed to unlock my domain name from the website I parked it in last November, (my biggest accomplishment today after 5 hours of work on this website) I have not felt this stupid since my grade ten algebra class. I may have to lock this domain name down again as it could get snatched by another parking lot if I do not get it settled in with my new hosting company, who will not let me sign in with the password they sent to me use with this 'oh so simple a child can use it' program!

I went to Amazon to search for books only to discover that even second editions were referring to the latest edition of Windows as being Windows 98…

Now, if you recall – I mentioned that there was a two fold reason for trying to do this. It is my great desire to use this sought after new skill of website architecture to also build a website for myself. One where (having freed myself from my husband’s business by building HIS website) I will spend all this new found time on my hands that I will have – to write and write and write. If I have my own website I will have so much more control over it than I have here on blogspot. I will be able to place photos where I want, add buttons here and there to send you, the reader, to comics Anna has drawn or to a children’s story I am writing, or to that gallery I don’t know where to place yet.

Okay - so I won't really have a lot of time to write and write and write. But if we can successfully develope a website, I will have more time which I would use to just be a fulltime homeschooling mum who writes in her spare time, and maybe even makes a little spare change doing it.

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Here is Pope Benedict XVI's first Encyclical . It is called Deus Caritas Est and is about Christian Love.
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What is in a name

Yesterday while I was out, running errands, some enterprising children were investigating the meanings of the names we have chosen for our children.

The most significant discovery made may have been that Emma’s second name Louise means warrior maiden. This could explain a lot of the difficulties between her and Nathaniel (which means gift of God.) I guess he is our warrior’s gift from God for her to harass and tease. Her third name is also very fitting.

Kathleen Celtic little darling

While very much a warrior, Emma is also a little darling!

If you have time to spend and care to unlock some of the mysteries of your child’s behaviour go here and just type part or all of your child’s name in the search box.

You may be surprised just how apt the meaning of your child’s name is. The question is – does the name make the child – or did God lead you to the name? Read more!

Emma's Rampant Imagination!

Emma has an incredible imagination and sometimes I use it against her. Like the other day when I could not get her to put her socks on. Suddenly I wagged my toes and tickled hers with mine. I said in a falsetto voice, talking for my toes:

“Oh Emma’s toes! You look cold. Please cover yourselves up.”

Emma jumped right in and as she wiggled her toes back, she replied in just as falsetto a voice:

“Oh yet! We are cold. Pease cover us up!”

Mission accomplished - the socks went on just fine with no more ado.

But occasionally Emma’s imagination back fires on us.

For instance, the other day when I made silver dollar sized pancakes and Hugo made the mistake of offering Emma some baby pancakes. Her mind was off to the races and so were the babies on her plate. Those “babies” danced and sang to us all through breakfast. Thankfully Emma’s appetite finally took over and she suddenly bit the babies’ heads off and then laughed as she ate them all up – one body part at time.

Then last night, Emma absolutely did not want to eat supper. She was ‘full already’. In truth she was overtired, and as we are weaning her off her baba and only allowing her one at bedtime, she was fairly desperate for bed by 6:30. Supper just was not in her plans.

“Pease mummy, make me a baba! Pease!”

“No Emma – you must at least eat a little first.”

“Mummy, pease I tired! Make me baba. Peeeeease!”

Suddenly I remembered the success of my toes talking to hers. I tickled her tummy, and a little voice called to out to her:

“Emma – this is your tummy. I’m hungry! Please eat the biscuit!”

A smile danced across her face and her eyes lit up.

“Okay!” she said, and with little bites I tempted it into her tummy. But as we came close to the end of the biscuit her eyes suddenly sparkled mischievously, and Emma’s tummy suddenly announced;

“Mummy – Emma’s tummy wants a baba, peeease!

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Father Jonathan

Let me introduce to you a new blog that I found last week. Father Jonathan asked me if I would spread the word and so I am. Father’s blog is posted through Fox News and he is usually on Fox about twice a week, at different times throughout the day, to discuss the ethical and social elements of ordinary news. He does the same in his blog. Here is a link to his post on suffering . Check him out, and if you enjoy his writings be sure to spread the word. It is important to have a Christian spin on all things and to have one available about the news is, I think, especially important.

To read more of Father's posts you can go to Fox News and once there, scroll over Opinion and the option to go to Fox Blogs will appear.
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Please Pray...

... for my friend Ann, who is having surgery today. Please ask Jesus, our heavenly Physician, to place His gentle hands on this mother of five, that she may be healed quickly and be able to return to her motherly duites soon. Guide the hands of her caregivers.

God Bless you Ann! Read more!

A time of need...

I won't bore you with the details, but I will tell you that there are days that I feel that I can not sustain life like this much longer. It is so incredibly difficult and I just want to cry out to the heavens and beg them to help us. I can't stand it at times. And this is one of thoes times. I feel much like a 3 year old in that I just want to throw myself down on the floor and kick my heels and scream at God to STOP and LISTEN to ME and FIX everything. NOW!

There comes a moment every once in a while when I feel as if I am in a trap with the walls closing in. I feel panicked and as if I can not stand it one more minute, nay, not even one more second. But what can I do? I can't just stop breathing. There is nothing to do, but keep plugging on. Hoping and begging that God will soon change things for us. Give us a job, give us a business loan. Just DO something to stop this miserable existence of barely being able to pay our bills, no dental or health care and on and on! The most difficult cross is the heavy burden of feeling that no matter what or how much I do – I feel as though I can never do enough. I know my poor husband is also carrying this same cross. And I never know when this sense of desperation will hit me like a bolt of lightening.

I feel stretched in so many directions as I wait patiently for the graces I need to cope. And while I wait, I make my bed, read to someone who needs my time, make sandwiches for lunch, solve a fraction problem with someone who has forgotten how, sooth an irritated customer, act as referee repeatedly, call Pay Pal to complain about their lousy service, make another meal. And if I can find the mental strength and physical energy - bake a triple batch of chocolate chip cookies for a chocolate fix. Baring that - I search the cupboards for a lost Canadian Crispy Crunch and have it with a cup of tea and hope it is not late enough in the afternoon for the caffeine to cause Elsa trouble falling asleep at bedtime.

Ideally, I should take my favorite prayer, find a quiet spot somewhere in this noisy house and cry on God's shoulder. When this bolt of negative emotion bears down on me – I need Christ to lift me, and carry me until it passes. But sometimes I have not the strength, or even the will to do this. It is at those moments that I turn to my friends and beg their prayers. This is why the church is referred to as the body of Christ and why I turn to you today and ask for your healing prayers. It is amazing sometimes how uplifted one can feel and not know why, only to learn later someone was praying for you.

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Sounds of Silence

Two years ago I met a lovely lady, the same generous person who is currently dedicating her Fridays to teaching Theology to my children. A year ago the friendship began to deepen when we invited her, along with other acquaintances, to join our family on Friday mornings to pray the Rosary. After the Rosary, she would often stay and help with the children or just to sit and chat while enjoying a cup of Canadian tea with us.

On one of those mornings the question of favorite music came up as a topic of discussion and the children had a number of favorite songs and bands to list for her. Then it came her turn to tell us of her favorite music and her answer gave me much to ponder over the following months. She told us that her favorite music was silence as she could better hear God in it. Of course, she added, we often have the radio on or the TV when the children are home, but when I am alone at home, or in the car – I prefer to have silence.

This reminded me of one of my children’s God Mothers. She had been an apostolate at Madonna house at one time and in listening for God’s will in her life was eventually led to the man she was to marry and have a family of five with. She too said that she craved silence and as a mother, her greatest cross was in dealing with the noise that children just naturally generate. (Their family was limited to five due to serious health issues – not the noise level!)

After my friend left that day it did not take me long to forget her comment, but it obviously left a mark on my conscience as on the rare occasions that it is silent here I would find her words rumbling about my head. Especially as I found that more often than not, I would quickly attempt to fill the void. I did this, usually, with talk radio.

I started to ask myself why. Why did I feel this need for noise? Why did I find silence so loud? And empty? Was I trying to avoid being alone with my thoughts? This led me to more questions. One in particular was – how did the constant background noise affect the children. Was their home as peaceful as it could be, especially given we are so many in such a small house. So I began, when I found myself in those uncomfortable moments of silence, to substitute music for the talk radio. Sometimes I chose more lively music such as Jars of Clay and at other times, I opted for the Gregorian Chant.

I noticed that when we did this during chore time, it went more smoothly and cheerfully with many of us often dancing about as we washed dishes, vacuumed and swept. Even I joined in with the dancing. Still, when I went to my room for a break, I would automatically turn on my radio. My excuse was that the sound of hosts talking helped drown out the noise that sifts through the floor and my door. But I began to wonder how true that excuse was. The best answer that I came up with was that it was a habit. Simply a habit.

A week ago I surprised myself when I realized that I had been listening so little to the radio that I no idea what was happening out there in the world. I did not know which politician had recently insulted another, nor sadly did I know if the sole survivor of the first mine disaster had come out of his coma yet. But that was okay – I could always check the internet if I really wanted to know this and truly, I think my children are probably the better for not knowing so much of the news esp. when much of it is so negative. Besides, if we keep dancing as we do our chores, I just might be able to fit back into my pre-pregnancy clothes again.

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memorial

Last night at about 11:35, the phone rang in the darkness and I struggled to reach over the baby before the ringing woke her, while also trying not to wake her myself. I wondered briefly as I stared at the letters UNKNOWN CALLER flashing on the face of the phone if the culprit for this late night call was perhaps another customer on the West coast, forgetting that because it was 8:30 pm his time, this did not mean it was still 8:30 pm here on the East coast. I clicked the answer button, and heard a male voice just trailing off with my nineteen old son answering; “Un momento “. I then heard his foot steps heavy on the stairs, our door open and saw his shadow begin to pass me a second phone.

Realizing this was likely a call from Argentina, the one we have been expecting and dreading for months, Hugo took the phone instead. It was his brother-in-law David who, after announcing who was calling, said to Hugo:

“Don Erico no es con nostros nada mass.”

Don was a title of respect reserved within the family for only Hugo’s father and was used by much of the community whether talking to, or speaking of him. He was a man who commanded respect and was, if not loved by all, deeply cherished. His loss will be sorely felt, and I suspect his funeral well attended. Sadly Hugo will not be able to return to Argentina for it, and it is in this regard that we grieve most for Hugo while he grieves alone without the comfort and support of his 6 siblings and mother. They will have each other to share the memories and stories of Abuelo and the familiarity of the daily routine without his presence t0 acclimatize them to their loss. Hugo will not.

We did not have the fortune of meeting Abuelo due to the distance and expense of traveling with such a large family. We have spoken to our family in Argentina by phone, exchanged emails lately, as well as letters and photos but we have come to know Abuelo more though Hugo’s memories and stories than by correspondence.

Don Erico Teodoro Luis was the husband of Lidia for over 50 years, the father of 8 children, 7 surviving. He was the grandfather of 29 grandchildren and I am uncertain of how many great grand children. He was a tower of strength and worked hard providing for his family until his very last years. And in those last years, he suffered much, but silently, an example to all. I will be forever sad not to have been able to meet him in person in this life time.

My one comfort that I hope to be able to share with our children is that with his passing on, we can now speak to him all the time, at any time. We may not be able to hear his reply, but we can be assured of his hearing us and praying for us. In this way, he is more present to us now than he was in life. God rest his soul.

Don Erico Teodoro Luis ..... November 8, 1915 - January 30, 2006

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"It MINE!!"

This morning as I was dressing, I overheard Emma and Nathaniel discussing a most important issue. Being three and five, neither read yet.

Emma flourished the ticket stub in front of Nathaniel’s face and in a haughty tone pronounced;

“See, dis is MINE. It tays Emma wight here!” and she pointed at the bold letters of MADAGASCAR on the front.

“Humph, no it doesn’t! Hee – it hays Movie Theater on the back!” and he gleefully pointed to the back of the ticket where it stated Cinematic Theater.

“No, it DOEN”T” retorted Emma. “It MINE!”

After a night in the company of our whole 2000 collection in our bed, I was too tired to deal with such a senseless argument and arbitrarily told Nathaniel that it was hers and please no more fighting.

That command was immediately ignored and as I struggled to dress Emma, the discussion continued. In my weary mind I debated as to whether I might search for another ticket stub for as surely as one from Madagascar lay about used and worn, another must be floating about in a pocket or drawer somewhere. But then clarity struck my sleep deprived brain and I realized the futility of such an action as, without doubt, the sole attraction of this ancient stub was in its singularity. Another similar stub would hold no appeal until one, or the other, showed an interest in it and then the argument would begin anew, with the Madagascar ticket forgotten.

Emma danced a dance of victory before prancing out the door to eat breakfast. Nathaniel was fit to be tied and continued to grumble about his loss to me as I helped him dress. My eyes shot to the drawers beside my bed but no, I reasoned again to myself, another stub was a useless idea. As I made my bed, Nathaniel flopped on the floor in front of his small plastic dressers. Suddenly I heard a sharp excited intake of breath and Nathaniel sat up straight. He happily brandished a second ticket stub in his little hand. That it was not even to Madagascar stood as an excellent testament to my outstanding housekeeping abilities.

While I fluffed the duvet and tossed pillows back, Nathaniel pronounced;

“HEY! I will doe give this to Emma!”

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Something Positive out of Hollywood?

Danielle has posted an extremely interesting link this week and so, once more I am stealing some of (ahem) her Thunder, if you will pardon the pun!

She has written about a 35 minute film A Distant Thunder that has actually been produced in Hollywood. I have previewed the trailor and it is well done, intriguing and draws you in quickly.

Please click on the link above to learn all about it and PLEASE spread the word. It is an incredible film, and I hope to purchase the DVD very soon.

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You know you are REALLY tired...

...when you sit nursing the baby and as you gaze off into space, you wonder who is watching her in her high chair.

You know you are still even more tired when the day after doing that, you take clean dishes out of the dish rack and start to put them back into the sink to wash.

Either you are tired or losing your mind... or both! Read more!

The difference between Emma and Nathaniel...

...besides two years of age, is immense! For example, Emma LOVES to tease, Nathaniel does not. Typically he is the target of her teasing and when she engages in this favorite pastime of hers, he just falls apart. She knows just which buttons to push and he falls for it every time. No matter how I try to explain to him that he is doing exactly what she wants by falling down on the floor in prostest to her molestings, or throws the toy across the room in anger because she won't use it the way he wants her to. She sits there with a little smirk on her face while he gives into a rage. She leans back and watches the fireworks. And enjoys her creation.

Now that makes her sound like quite the little monster doesn't it, but in truth this would make her a real diva on any 3 o'clock soap opera. However, she does have her saving graces.

For example, three weeks ago, just before Jonathan had to return to school (We are still recovering from this upset in our lives btw.) Nathaniel had one of his melt downs, not precipitated by Emma for a change and had been sent to his room to calm himself down. Emma watched silently as her big brother dragged his feet up the stairs, loudly protesting the general unfairness of the world. While we all relaxed in the quiet he left behind, Emma softly tip toed up the stairs. A moment later she peeked down at us from the upstairs balcony, part of her body hidden by the wall that seperates the bedrooms from the downstairs. She appeared to be holding something with the hand we could not see.

She pulled on it and Nanthaniel's face joined hers between the bars of the balcony.

"Tanny Paul topped cwying. Tan he tum back now?"

Nathaniel peered over the shoulder of his intercessor, hopeful of a positive reply.

However, he had a few more minutes of imprisonment to serve and, as cute a picture as the two painted, we all felt his sentence should be served out; without early release for good behaviour. So the answer was no. Tanny's face crumpled and he returned to his bedroom, but not alone. His faithful shadow returned with him, not to be seen until his timer rang and he was released from his time out.

So while the differences between Emma and Nathaniel are great, the love between them is even greater. Read more!

Fatigue

fa·tigue (definition from dictionary.com)
n.

1. Physical or mental weariness resulting from exertion.
2. Something, such as tiring effort or activity, that causes weariness: the fatigue of a long hike.
3. Physiology. The decreased capacity or complete inability of an organism, an organ, or a part to function normally because of excessive stimulation or prolonged exertion.
4. The weakening or failure of a material, such as metal or wood, resulting from prolonged stress.
5. 1. Manual or menial labor, such as barracks cleaning, assigned to soldiers.
   2. fatigues Clothing worn by military personnel for labor or for field duty.

My addition to the meaning of FATIGUE:

6.
a. A reason to pray nonstop so as to get through the day.
b. A means of learning how dependent you are on God, to get through the day.


And when fatigue brings you to God, then one should be grateful for their fatigue...

Ummm - I'm trying! But right now I would give anything... not.... to ... be .... so TIRED! Read more!

Whyyy?!?

The good news is that after a solid two years of belonging to the "WHY? Club" that all we mothers dread, Nathaniel has given up his membership.

The bad news is that it was a short reprieve, as Emma has apparently joined it. She has been talking in sentences for over a year and I foolishly thought that perhaps we were actually going to skip that stage. I could not have been more wrong as the following conversation proves.

Sucking in her breath and letting out a huge sigh of delight Emma almost whispered: "Oh! Mummy, is dat a set up?" She pointed to the rubber letters stuck to the plastic shower wall and the few dollhouse toys sitting on the bottom of the sparkling tub I had just scrubbed out.

"Umm, ah yes - I guess so." I had simply placed things there to get them out of my way after scrubbing them.

Still in raptures of delight she asked; "Ohhhhh! Tan I get in wit de set up an play wit dem?"

Still on my knees scrubbing bathroom floor, I replied flatly; "Ah - No Emma."

To which Emma asnswered: "Whyyy?"

I sucked in my breath with the intonation of the WHY. After all the why was appropraite to a no answer, but the inflection had caught my attention. I am NOT mum2twelve without experience! "Ummm - because I just washed the tub."

Emma: (She still had her eyes glued to the letters and dolls decorating the SPARKLING tub.)
"Oh. Whyyy?"

My scrubbing hesitated for just a second and then continued as I replied with one eye now focused on Emma's back. "Because it was dirty."

Emma shot back: "Whyyy?"

I sighed, "Because it was, Emma."

"Oh. Well tan I have a bat wit the set up?"

Like a fool I kidded myself - ha! No Whyyy? So maybe we are safe. "No Emma You can't have a 'bat' right now. "

"Oh. Whyyyy?"

Bravely trying to ignore that definite inflection of the y in her why? I continued to scrub as I answered: "Because it is cold."

"Oh. Whyyyy?"

The thump of my forehead banging the floor drew her attention.

"What's wong Mummy?"

"Nothing" I gurgled, torn as whether to cry, or to laugh. Read more!

Canadian Elections...

Recently the Canadian Government fell through a no confidence vote against the Liberal Minority Government, resulting in a call for elections to take place the 23 of this month. In response to this the Catholic Organization for Life and Family has published the following public statement. A friend here in the area forwarded the site to me.

Here in the US, we too have elections looming ahead this year and I think there is much in this statement that Catholics here in the US could reflect on before voting. I also would like to humbly request prayers for my fellow citizens in Canada as they vote for a new government and, hopefully, one that will be friendly to family and Christian values.

Here is the public statement:

Open Letter to Canadian Catholics
from the Catholic Organization for Life and Family

What Country for Tomorrow ?

On January 23, Canadians will choose a new government. The electoral campaign is an ideal opportunity to reflect on the type of country we wish to build and bequeath to future generations. As such, we find it important to emphasize certain considerations which have not received the attention they deserve over the last few weeks.

Life

At this time in the history of Canada, a realistic look at society reveals a fundamental problem – the loss of respect for human life and dignity. This is evident in so many ways: the legal void that permits abortion right up to birth; medical research that authorizes the destruction of embryos; a mentality that increasingly favours euthanasia and assisted suicide; the gratuitous violence in our schoolyards; abuse of women and children; the violent deaths of young men; the silence that surrounds so many situations of poverty; the widespread incidence of prostitution, pornography and drugs.

Human life and human dignity encounter too many obstacles in Canada. As we prepare to elect a new government, we must determine the position of candidates on the first of all human rights: the right to life. If this is not respected, should we be surprised that other rights will sooner or later be threatened?

Family

The family is also under attack. The recent redefinition of marriage in our country contradicts the reality inscribed in nature. It has become urgent to announce to the next generations God’s plan for human love and marriage between a man and a woman as the foundation of the family. It is also urgent to ensure that our schools respect these convictions by not proposing a conflicting vision to our children.

It is our responsibility to demand that the next government develop policies to support married couples who are ensuring the survival of society by giving birth to new citizens and raising them in the most stable environment. We should also remember that the family, as the vital social unit, is not at the service of the state; rather, the state should be at the service of the family. Following the principle of subsidiarity, the state is to respect the rights of the family and, through fiscal and social policies, help it to fulfill its duties, including the raising of children.

Many Canadian families live below the poverty line. In a spirit of justice, it is up to us to work towards a better distribution of resources and equitable access to essential goods so that all will be assured of a decent quality of life.

Freedom of expression

As we prepare to vote for those who will direct the destiny of our country in the years to come, we believe it is important to draw attention to a phenomenon that is increasing in Canadian society and which threatens our very togetherness. We are referring to an erroneous understanding of the separation of Church and State – a misunderstanding with ramifications for religious freedom.

We are witnessing an obvious effort by some in society who wish to relegate religion to the private lives of citizens. This aggressive secular ideology refuses religion the right to exist in the public square. In the name of pluralism and secularity, then, there is a desire to exclude from public dialogue those who promote religious values, even when these can be defended by human reason and experience.

As Catholic citizens, we not only have the moral duty to exercise our civic and political responsibilities, but also the right to be involved in the life of society, each according to his or her own area of expertise, and without denying the Gospel values that are central to our lives. We are not obliged to suppress our moral conscience in order to live in society. There should be no separation – but instead coherence – between our faith and our daily choices, made evident in our personal, family, professional, political and cultural decisions.

In a democracy, the state is to ensure that believers have the opportunity to contribute freely to society. Because they are full citizens, they must be able to contribute to the evolution of the country, proposing a vision for the future and solutions to current problems, as do other citizens who may promote other values.

Discernment

The Gospel invites us to build a culture of life. Let us take advantage of this election campaign and engage in serious discernment as we consider the candidates in light of the Gospel principles. We are invited to:

(1) Examine critically the platform of each party; participate in local debates; meet candidates and discuss with them; explain our point of view;

(2) Evaluate these platforms in the light of the plan of God by studying the social doctrine of the Church;

(3) Make an informed decision as we consider the moral implications of various electoral platforms and their eventual repercussions on our life and on the lives of all members of the human family.

The question for the Catholic voter is: How, in the light of the Gospel, can I use my vote to advance the common good in Canada and throughout the world?

January 3, 2006

The Catholic Organization for Life and Family is an autonomous non-profit corporation co-sponsored by the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops and the Supreme Council of the Knights of Columbus.

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WARNING!!

Recently Emma (3) learned how to LOCK bedroom doors and was so enthralled with the process that those wanting entrance to any doors with locking knobs had to be armed with a long thin screw driver.

On the last day of her enthrallment with her new found skill, Emma was seen with an old set of keys she had found in the yard and was attempting to unlock doors that she had locked! Needless to say - little to no success was achieved. But the rest of us certainly became much more skilled at picking locks so cat burglers need not apply!

Shortly when I have a little more time - I will write of our trip to Belmont and the reactions of the little ones when we left their oldest brother behind. Right now we are attempting to adjust to having one less man on hand for the business. Never mind relearning where to set the dinner plates.

GOD Bless and a many congrates to IAN and his wife! They have a wee one due in July. Ian - I have added your family to our little red book of intentions, since we pray for all we know who are expecting when we pray our daily Rosary. Ian has some hilarious comics regarding "mice" of the sort that we bloggers use daily! Read more!

Confessions...

I have to confess that the Three Kings are way late at our house and I was met with great cries of distress when the children discovered this morning they still had not come as promised last night. But when you have been on the road all day and only cruised into the driveway at midnight and had to unload a van full of sleepy heads, as well as clean the rental van out... Well - you tend not to remember things like "leaving the back door open for the kings".

I had to do some quick thinking as I was faced with a row of sad faces.

"But the house was messy, and the table was not set, and, and uh I didn't have much for the Kings to put out, so it didn't seem to make much sense for them t0 come last night. AND we didn't have any carrots either..."

This was met by a few raised eyebrows. All throughout the day there were some grumblings about lost Kings as well as concerned whispering about the year when they just didn't arrive at all - NOT... AT... ALL! There was speculation about why that was. Perhaps messy bedrooms??
We cleaned ALL day and still did not get to the bedrooms, but hope springs eternal and after the rosary this evening, the question was raised again - would the Kings perhaps come tonight?

However - I still did not get out to the Dollar Store which is JUST down the road and we still do not have any carrots! So the children are borrowing some of Marzi's (the guinea pig) hay for the camels and Christmas mugs, filled with fresh water for the kings, have been left out after a debate as to whether it should be milk or water. (I voted for water being its such a long trek from the desert and water being so scarece there... and uh, they like Goats milk - which we don't have...)

So I am off to root out the chocolate gold coins hidden in my closet to leave out for the three kings to distribute, and and I'm afraid not much else. The economy might be booming and perhaps the dow closed at over 1100 tonight - but I'm afraid these kings have not had much time nor money to spend on the Epiphany this year - more lacking in time that money. The dollar store might be just down the road, but getting there is another story!

Belated Happy Epiphany!! Read more!

Sad Farewells...

Well - the day has finally dawned - today we drive Jonathan back to school. We are all wondering how Emma and Tanny will deal with it. Last year when we dropped him off both Nathaniel (then 4) and Emma (then 2) were wailing as we drove away - "No! you are fordetting Jonatan!", "Tum back Jonatan!", and the like.

I am not looking forward to it. None of us are.

It has been such a gift having him this extra time and I think it will be even harder to let him go than it was the last time. We have done, and gone through so much together this year. His last year at home before his first semester was spent working and going to school so we did not see as much of him as we did this time given he has been working for us here, from home.
I think he too is finding it hard. I have heard him remark once or twice the past months to his younger siblings. "You know when you make a sacrifice it feels as though it will be really hard to do, but in doing it you discover that you gain far more in blessings compared to what you gave up or sacrificed. I know because when I first offered to stay here an extra semester I felt kind of bad about losing that time in school. But over the time I have been here, I have gained so much more than I have given up. I have received so many blessings staying here with you guys and spending all this time with you."

Bethany (7) and I are planning on making a calendar so we can count the days until the end of spring semester and he is back for the summer.

Yes - it is going to be very very hard to say good bye - in fact, as I type, I have a lump in my throat! Read more!

Chilling on the couch with Elsa back in October.

Jonathan clowning around with Tanny Paul and Emma, his God Daughter!

With his older sister, Jenny, on Christmas Eve, taking pics of themselves together.

Only 126 days until summer break... and Jonnie boy is BACK!

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Elsa Update...

Elsa continues to be ill and more have joined her so it might be a few days again before I can steal some precious moments to post, especially as I also have much to do for the business.

It happened this morning that as I was walking Elsa about the living room and she was quiet for the first time in a bit with her head resting on my shoulder, that my mind was elsewhere. It was on the merchandise in the packing shed, waiting to be packed. I felt stressed about it and realized that I felt as though I was a failure of a sort, because I had not yet gotten to it. I felt as though I was not accomplishing anything right then.

And then as I felt Elsa's warm breath on my neck and her weight in my arms I realized that I was already doing something of the utmost importance and I was surprised to realize how completly I had lost sense of my priorities.

By that, I do not mean I am not caring for my children, or do not realize the importance of doing so, but rather that I was allowing myself to feel like a failure because I am experiencing such difficulites in doing something in addition to this most important job. In fact, the most important job I could ever be doing.

Meanwhile - I would like to ask for prayers for Elsa and my other children who have become ill (6, in total, at last count). Please also pray for the graces that I need to deal with so few hours sleep, as well as the stress of trying to deal with so many jobs outside a mother's normal responsibilites. Could you also pray that we finally beat this terrible virus that keeps mutating and cycling about the family!

Thank you in advance for your prayers!

Blessings
mum2twelve aka Christi Read more!

A Christmas Miracle

A while back Sister Pat of the Franciscan Card site made a plea for prayers for her new Catholic radio station that she was developing and, at the time, told about an old means of requesting assistance from the Infant of Prague.

One was to write on a piece of paper the exact amount of money needed for your project, as well as the date it was needed by, and one was to place this piece of paper under the statue and then wait patiently for the baby Jesus to provide for your need.

When I heard about this, I immediately took a cheque out of my cheque book and wrote a large sum down in hopes of a business loan, or investment, so that we could perhaps finally reach a level in the business where we would not be precariously making it from day to day, often just by the skin of our teeth. I put an arbitrary date on it, wrote the cheque out to our company’s name and signed it from The Infant of Praque. It was a large amount, but peanuts really compared to what most businesses require.

The date on the cheque came and went. Our rent got paid, our lights turned off and then turned back on. We bought more merchandise, sold more and basically continued to get by, still by the skin of our teeth. It seemed that while my request was not unreasonable – God’s answer was either no – or not yet. Apparently we still have lessons to learn, largely the necessity of faith and trust in our Heavenly Father.

Yes, we have lost our house, lost our van and felt a great deal of humiliation about the difficulties we have gone through. But after all – that humility is simply the result of false pride. But while we have gone through these trials and difficulties, we have not yet been out of a home, gone hungry, or not had a vehicle of some sort. In fact we currently have four vehicles. Mind you, they are all going on 20 years of age, but they run – more or less.

Then around mid December my husband decided to put a bid on a 24 foot diesel truck that would save us several hundred dollars a month in rentals. In fact back in November one rental alone had cost us almost 1000 dollars. My husband felt led to put a very low bid on this truck, but still in the 4 digits. He really did not think he would win with that low a bid.

He won.

He was ecstatic.

But there was one problem, he had only ten days to gather this four digit bid together and we were two months behind in the rent. (We have a very patient land lord!) Our oldest son and my husband went into high gear and started really cranking out listings on eBay and our second son hauled merchandise to and fro as they photographed it for the listings.

I, for my part, quietly pulled out the cheque from under our Statue and dusted it off, crossed out the date and wrote a new one in. Crossed out the loan amount we had prayed for, and wrote in an amount sufficient to pay for the truck and two months rent.

We watched our Pay Pal account grow and sink, and grow some more and sink again as we paid for absolute necessities – like food and gas. By Christmas Eve my husband felt somewhat desolate. He said to me: “I was so sure this was meant to be. I really felt called to put that bid in and when I actually won with such a low bid – I was sure God meant that truck for us.”

“Well,” I replied. “Perhaps there is something wrong with the truck and God is saving us from ourselves. Besides – the dead line is not yet past.”

Christmas Morning dawned and we were four days from the dead line. The phone rang and a friend wanted to know if they could pass by. They were sorry for the short notice but they were on their way out of town and would be passing by…

“Of course,” I answered. “Things are a bit messy as we just finished with the gifts, but you know that you are always welcome!”

Twenty minutes later our friend knocked on the door and entered with a huge beautiful basket laden with teas and cheeses and other wonderful treats. There was a card on top with our names on it and my friend was very specific that only my husband, or I, was to open it after she left.

So shortly after she left, I opened the envelope which held a lovely Christmas card and within that – a cheque for the exact amount that was written on ours beneath our statue. This friend had no idea that we had done this.

How fitting that Baby Jesus would answer this prayer on His birthday! It was truly a Christmas Miracle! Thank you Baby Jesus!

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My Apologies...

I have not been able to post much. Between Christmas celebrations, feasting on delighful meals and deserts prepared by my two oldest daughters and dealing with an ill and teething 8 month old - I have been too busy. I attempted a post filled with pics of Christmas Eve this afternoon, but my computer decided to take a vacation and froze - so all was lost!

If Elsa is feeling better, I will try again tomoorow. Until then God Bless and once more;

MERRY CHRISTMAS
to all.

Blessings
mum2twelve aka Christi Read more!

Boxing Day

... or otherwise known as St. Stephen's feast day. England and Canada is where it is referred to as Boxing Day.

After several years of disasterous Christmas dinners on the 25th (things such as the septic tank backing up into the ktichen sink...) we finally decided we would no long have Christmas dinner on Christmas day but rather on Boxing Day.

So today we are being tantalized by delicious smells issuing from the kitchen and friends are slowly starting to gather in the house. We are hoping our parish priest will stop by. He is hoping that he can.

I hope one and all had a very peaceful and joyful celebration yesterday. I hope you all continue to enjoy the Christmas Octave!

MERRY CHRISTMAS to you all!!!

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Christmas Adam...

Following the tradition started way back when my four oldest were still mostly in the single digits we call today Christmas Adam as it is the day before Christmas Eve. They borrowed this idea from another family of friends who were more or less all the same age as themselves.

The children love Christmas Adam since it means that Christmas Day is almost here.

The evening before last my nine year old, Teddy, was showing me his wounds from the day. Here is the bruise from bumping on. And I got this scratch from... and then suddenly I was directed to a bite mark.

"And this is the bite I got from Emma!" My head pulled out of the dryer quickly when I heard that one.

"Emma bit you today?"

He shrugged his tough guy shrug and went on showing his badges of honour, err rather wounds.

As I was behind in all I had to do and in a hurry to catch up - I quickly forgot that little red puncture wound he had shown me.

Yesterday though my 20 year old son, Jonathan, filled me in on the details.

Emma had been wearing her beloved lion disguise and had been on the prowl in the living room. As she pounced on Jonathan he teased her.
"Oh Lion - you aren't going to bite me are you? Lions BITE!"

Apparently she just growled her answer and kept seeking her prey. But the wheels were turning as she crawled about on the living room, hunting her unsupecting victim.

Suddenly as she passed Teddy she lunged at him announcing I'm a Lion and sunk her teeth into his calf.

When he gave a scream of pain she clasped both hands over her mouth and sat back on her hunches apparently very disconcerted that she had done this, but also quite worried that she was going to be in big trouble for biting.

Jonathan examined the wound and informed Teddy he would live and to "offer it up" and get on with his day. They had a guy to guy talk about dealing with pain and moving on. Hence the nonchalant shrug when he answered my query the night before; "Emma bit you?"

Still, being only nine, he had needed to inform his mother of the insult, but without whining. I'm quite proud of him!

Happy Christmas Adam!

Blessings
mum2twleve aka Christi Read more!

Decorations...

Well - I have to confess, I wimped out. The boxes of decorations are still below the other 8 feet of boxes. BUT I bought some cheap (and I mean cheap) decorations at the dollar store. (I told you cheap!)

The kids had fun decorating the hearth and living room as well as the balcony that connects the two sides of the house. Sounds like a mansion, eh? But in truth it is a small 3 bedroom log house with a living room, small (to me) kitchen and dining area. Still - I feel like a millionaire with my house looking all jolly and Christmasy and happy children sipping egg nog and munching on cookies. (Store bought, I'm afraid. After 5 hours of marathon stocking stuffer shopping and Christmas grocery shopping, I have little ambition left for baking)

Now I need to talk to a certain 9 year old who has the memory of an elephant and is reminding the rest of the gang about the decorations that are still supporting the 8 ft wall of boxes filled with untold treasures brought from our previous home - a five bedroom 2 story brick. (Sigh...)

Now I have an appointment with St Nick. I usually end up meeting with him on Christmas Eve but in hopes of staving off that midnight marathon of wrapping (which when you multiply by 12 can go on for hours - no matter how simple you try to keep it!) I managed to wrangle an early appointment with him. He helped me last night go through my various piles while small ears leaned against my bedroom door and little snacks were passed though the door opened barely a crack. We discovered (as usual) that some piles were dangerously high and can not possibly hope to fit into one lone stocking, while others will barely fill a toe. Hence my whirlwind shopping spree that my husband has already forgiven me for. (Surprising what a little egg nog can accomplish!)

Then this morning little Emma, with eyes aglow with excitment, danced around the kitchen waving her beloved St Nick mug telling how HE had been in Mummy's room last watching a 'Cwitmass Mooie while Mummy wapped presents!' She showed me St Nick on her 2 inch high mug - just the perfect size for a little egg nog by the fire or a touch of cocoa with a peppermint stick in it, and reminded me again how he had been here last night. I was digging yesterday’s laundry out of the washer and stuffing it in the dryer when I heard the inevitable crash.

Emma was devastated. She collapsed to the floor in a puddle of tears, and I wrapped my arms around her while she sobbed over her broken mug. Children came running from all over the house to see what was wrong. Jonathan, her 20 year old brother and God-father rubbed her back and tried to offer her solace. I promised to look for another copy of the same, but in my heart seriously doubted such a mug would be found so close to Christmas Eve. Wiping her tears she accepted the loan of my Christmas mug.

After hitting two Wal-Mart’s I finally found the exact picture of St Nick, but on a regular sized mug and beside it a copy of Nathaniel's snowman mug. Not as cute as the miniatures they had received on December 6th. But it was St Nick, and with a twin for Nathaniel - there would be no arguments regarding the fairness of servings.

She was thrilled with it. All is well with the world and now... St Nick awaits. I must not keep him waiting!

Blessings
mum2twelve aka Christi

PS Tomorrow both of my daughters, God willing, arrive!

We are all SOOOOO excited!

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Staying balanced - with God's help...

A few days ago as I was helping Nathaniel change his pants I was struck by the difference with how he dealt with being off balance while lifting one leg and then the other compared to how Emma had dealt with it a few days earlier. While Emma had promptly leaned into me, her chubby still babyish arm wrapped around my neck, completely reliant on me, Nathaniel chose to stick his thin 5 year old arms out and try to balance himself as he wobbled back and forth.

Again I was struck by the similarity to my relationship with God as I watched him struggle to stay balanced alone, despite my offers to help him balance himself on my shoulder.

Over the past four years since my husband lost his job we have struggled in many ways. Not the least spiritually as we strove to trust in God’s providence while our material belongings were slowly stripped away.

While I watched in faint amusement, Nathaniel’s comical over balancing; I wondered what God’s thoughts have been over the past four years while I too struggled, determined to stand on my own two feet. And all the while God stood along side me, patiently waiting for me to reach out and balance myself on His ready shoulder.

Unfortunately, I am a slow learner and I still catch myself trying to balance myself with my arms outstretched, wobbling back and forth until again I remember that without God – I am nothing but with Him – I can do anything.

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People Look East...

People, look East.
The time is near Of the crowning of the year. Make your house fair as you are able, Trim the hearth and set the table. People, look East and sing today:
Love, the guest, is on the way.

As we sang this song in Mass yesterday, I felt that I was receiving permission, or perhaps direction, to begin to decorate for Christmas. To date, other than some snow flakes that the children made and hung up Thanksgiving weekend, there is nothing absolutly nothing to indicate that Christmas is only 6 days from now.

Now I would like to claim that is entirely due to piousness on my part. But I would not be being completly honest because, you see, while I know EXACTLY where my Christmas decorations are, it is exactly where they are that is slowing down my desire to decorate. They are neatly packed away in the garage.

Supporting about 6 feet of boxes, not so neatly piled on top of them.

So it is entirely possible that if they were on the top of this pile, a few decorations would already be sprouting about the house. But then again - if I am going to be entirely honest - I have to admit that even if they were easily available, they would still be packed away!

Again, not due to my being particuarly devout this Advent but rather because... I am not ready to deal with the chasing down of 3 and 5 year olds who have decided to admire these docorations up close. Nor am I ready to deal with the shouts of anger by the older siblings who are warning off these small tornadoes as they tear down carefully set up nativity scenes or other displays of Christmas cheer.

However, I now feel called to deal with this and at some point today or tomorrow with the help of my 6 foot 2 and 6 foot 4 sons, will tackle the 8 foot pile of boxes and carefully extract some of our Christmas ornaments and begin to place them around the house. Hopefully in places they can be easily viewed and not touched!

People Look East and sing today - LOVE the guest is on the way!

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Finally! Some baking accomplished!

And here is some of the crew sporting the cookies they had baked yesterday afternoon in the fashion of see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil! We had three huge platefuls and in less than 24 hours we are already down to 1 plate! Read more!

Fourth Sunday in Advent

Can it really be the fourth Sunday in Advent with only four days until my daughters are home with the rest of us to celebrate Christmas? Do I really only have 6 days left to prepare for Christmas? It feels as if it was only yesterday that I was planning all of these wonderful things we were going to do to prepare throughout Advent.

Of which I have only accomplished a quarter. And it is tempting to feel as though I have failed. But the real question is has it been peaceful in our home? Have we enjoyed each other's company and grown in charity? I think I can say, yes we have.

No, we have not done all the crafts and activities that I wanted to do, but we have written to friends, family and even some strangers. We have welcomed people into our home and shared hot coffee with strangers who were temporaily employed to work outside in the cold. We welcomed them into our home and they were cheered by the warmth and some of our Canadian chocolates that friends gave us as an early Christmas gift.

We have enjoyed fires in the fireplace and roasted marshmellows. We have been blessed by a wonderful teacher who is giving freely of her time to help educate our children in the area of religion. And they are learning so much more than religion!

So while my crafts lay by the wayside, we have enjoyed peace and love and many blessings. I can only pray that everyone who reads my blog has been as blessed.

And now - the countdown begins and I need to be more watchful than ever. Is it not in the last homestretch that statistics say that most road accidents happen? It will be tempting to stress out over ribbons, bows and baking, finding the perfect tree and last minute stocking stuffers but ultimatly - what matters most is that the heart of the home stays calm, quiet and collected so that the rest of the family can also be calm, quiet and collected.

After all, the baking will soon be eaten, and the bows ultimatly thrown out and stocking stuffers lost, broken and forgotten. But the peace of a happy family reunion, that will all too soon be over, is what counts most of everything. And that is what I, the heart of our home, need to stay focussed on.

Blessings to you all!
mum2twelve aka Christi Read more!

New Challenges!

Good Morning! I have not been online much as I am trying to learn how to create a website. I love blogging BUT I want to have more creative input in how my page looks and what I can put on it. Here I can upload a picture but I only have three choices as to where the picture goes; right, left or center and ONLY at the top of the page. Somehow, way back when, I managed to get a picture into the middle of a post but can not remember how I did that and have not been able to do it since.

I want to publish stories that I have written and ones that I am working on. I have learned from talking to other authors that there is not much money in publishing a book unless, of course, you happen to be a JK Rowling or a John Grisham. While I think I am a good writer, I seriouly doubt that my stories will catch fire like theirs have and so publishing in the old fashioned way will not likely garnish me any money. And like anyone else - I like money as in I like being able to pay my rent and I prefer not to have my power turned off. You know - the simple pleasures in life! And if I can bring in a few dollars doing something I enjoy - why not try it! So my plan is to add a donation button to the website and those who enjoy my writing and would like to support my endeavors are free to do so or not. :-)

So hopefully sometime in the very near future I will produce a website dedicated to stories written for a Catholic audience mostly, as in the Catholic culture will be predominate in the childrens lives that I write about. But not always, as you will see from the story that I have posted today. Anna will also continue to illustrate for me, and I am especially looking foward to that. The other children will also have a hand in what I will do on this website. This website will not replace what I am doing here - writing about the challenges of being a mum2twelve, but rather will be an addition to what I have here. God willing!

I would very much love to have some feedback from you as to how much you enjoyed or did not enjoy the story below. This story has been written more to entertain parents but my children enjoyed hearing it as well and told me in no uncertain terms that they felt the adventures of Davie were not over. I believe they are right and I am hoping we will see more of Davie in the future.

Please feel free to email comments to mum2twelve@yahoo.com if you would prefer to comment privately.

Thank you in advance for taking the time to correspond with me!
Blessings
mum2twelve aka Christi Read more!

Davie's Sunny Day Adventures

The warm sun played peek a boo with Davie through his curtains and the branches from the oak outside swayed gently, causing shadows to dance across his eyelids and tickle him awake. He rubbed his arm across his face while he stretched like a kitten just getting up from a nap. It was very quiet as he tossed the blankets back. He lay there for a few seconds listening hard. Nope – not a sound. Guess Mama and Daddy must be still sleeping, he thought to himself. He rolled over and let his toes stretch until they touched the cold bare wood and then he slid the rest of the way off his bed, lost his balance and toppled into a pile of bears. He giggled as he wrestled his way out of their paws, scarves and fuzzy ears.
Kerchew! He wiped his nose on the back of his hand and then wiped his hand across the front of his jammies. Glancing down at the yellow stain that glistened he decided it was time to dress himself. He followed the highway of matchbox cars that littered his floor in a haphazard line between his bed and the dresser. Then he scrunched down and pulled the bottom drawer out, hard, with both hands until he plopped onto his bottom. He checked over his shoulder before stepping into this drawer and used the pile of jammies and undies as a step up to the second drawer down from the top. This one he only managed to get partially out and grunted as he stuck his chubby 3 year old paw into it. He was barely able to grasp the t-shirt with his fingers tips and squeezed his eyes tight as he pulled. But his fist, clasped around the neck of his t-shirt, kept him from being able to pull it out. Frustrated he let go. Quietly, he listened again. His ears were still met with silence so he looked about his room, his eyes keen on finding a solution. Mama’s threat from yesterday still hung heavy in his memory.

“Little man, if I find you outside in your long johns, or jammies, one more time this week, your bottom will know it!”

But what to do if he couldn’t reach the dresser drawer with his play clothes in it? The bright sunlight drew his attention to the window where the sun beckoned him to come out and play. It sure was a sunny day. Hmmm, what was it Mamma had said about his new pants?

“These new pants are for Sunday only young man, Sunday, you hear?”

He glanced at the window again. Well, if this was not a sunny day – he didn’t know what was. Deftly he pulled the rocking chair that Grampa had made him, closer to the dresser. First he pulled both knees up onto the seat and then he precariously balanced himself as he wobbled. Quickly he snatched at his new blue pants so neatly folded on the top of his dresser and slowly, with his arms stretched out for balance, sat back down. Sighing he leaned back in his chair, allowed his legs to flop over the seat and closed his eyes for a second. His heart beat loudly in his ears. It quickly slowed to a more regular beat and he slid off the seat. He fumbled with the waist of the pants and decided to sit on the floor before trying to stick his feet into them. He pulled on them until they completely covered his jammie bottoms. It was a tight squeeze and took some time and left him kind of hot. The movement of the branches caught his eye and drew him to the window. He stretched as far as he could until his little toes burned with the effort and still he could not quite catch the clasp that held the panes shut.

Not to be thwarted, he padded across his room on his feet still so well padded with baby fat and stopped in front of his toy box. Stepping firmly on the same pile of bears that had cushioned his escape from bed he struggled with the heavy top of the box until he wrestled it open. He stretched over the side until he managed to grab his little wooden mallet. Well pleased with himself, he scurried back to the window and with this addition to his height he managed to push the clasp up. He pushed his head out the window and smelled deep, drinking in the fresh air as it cooled his hot cheeks. Refreshed, he let go of the window sill and tried to settle back flat on his feet but before he could, his pants caught on a small nail.

With a grunt he pulled back and Davie’s eyes widened as he watched his pants spin a web between him and the window. He backed up some more and grinned as he saw the thread stretch. Wow – just like a spider, he thought. Maybe if enough thread came out he could make a web and catch some bugs. Then he noticed the corresponding hole and stopped pulling. Now he felt more like a prisoner than a spider. He was caught on that nail, with a hole growing faster than a weed. He tried smacking at the thread with his mallet. Several smacks later the thread was well wrapped around the mallet and snapped from the weight. He dropped the mallet in relief and backed away from the window staring at the gaping hole that allowed his jammie bottoms to peek back at him. Nervously he glanced at the bedroom door, and decided it was time to check Mama’s room and see if she was awake and reading from her bible, or if she was still asleep as the continued quiet suggested. First though he had better take his pants off before she saw the hole in them. He stuffed them, still attached to the mallet, under his bears.

Then taking giant steps, he tip toed across the room and his heart skipped a beat when his foot hit a car and sent it skidding into the radiator. Pausing only for a second, he started back on his mission. Shortly his blue eyes were peeking between the door frame and the door. Daddy was snoring and Mama was not reading, in fact her curls were not quite visible under Granma’s blue quilt. As he drew back he noticed the opened door of the bathroom and decided to pay a visit to it. He pushed the door open and his eyes were delighted with the sight of his daddy’s razor and cream set out for his shave. Davie wondered if he could make those big white mountains of snow that Daddy smoothed over his face every morning. He clambered onto the closed toilet and grasped the can in his chubby hands and sat back down on the lid. He starred at the can and wondered how to get the top off. Uncle Rory came to mind and he slapped the can against the sink, trying to mimic his uncle opening a bottle of soda. The lid somersaulted into the tub and twirled to a stop.

Davie smelled the can and then carefully stood back up and leaned into the sink. Clasping the bright red can in his left hand, he stretched until he could turn the water on. Gently, he placed the can on the side of the sink so that he could wrestle the plug into its hole. A wide grin spread across his face as he grasped the can again and with both thumbs pressed down and watched snowy mountains fill the growing lake. His plump cheeks hurt from smiling, this was so much fun. Until he felt drops on his toes and realized his mountains were sliding out of the sink and onto the floor. He drew in a sharp breath as he recalled Mama’s eyes the last time he flooded the bathroom.

“Davie,” she had sighed, “You do that again young man and you had better pack your bags!”

Squaring his shoulders he crept off the toilet seat and hurried to his room. He crawled under his bed and pulled at a small overnight suitcase, the same one Mama said she used when she brought him home from the hospital. She had shown him how she had packed it with his newborn jammies she had brought to the hospital, a blue pair if he were a boy and a pink just in case he had been an Eva instead of a Davie. She had shown him then how to spring the locks open which he did again now. Hurriedly, he pushed it across the floor this time ignoring the cars as they scattered noisily, he needed to pack his bags before Mama found that mess. He wasn’t sure how it would fix it, but he sure didn’t want to see Mama’s eyes look so sad again. He pulled his blue jammies out and his green ones and his spotted ones. He didn’t like the spotted ones so much, but they might help fill his case.

He flipped the lid shut and snapped one lock closed and dragged the case behind him. He slowed down as he passed Mama’s and Daddy’s door and tried to tug it quietly past. He then pulled it down the stairs behind him, hoping the clunks wouldn’t waken them before he found something else to fill the case. As he pulled it into the kitchen, Kittie rose from her corner and greeted him with a Meow.

By now Davie was pretty hungry and it looked like Kittie was too, so he pushed the suitcase over in front of the fridge door and climbed on top so that he could pull the handle open. It flipped open easily as his new height gave a strong advantage he did not normally have. He jumped back as the door swung open, and the case tumbled back as well. On the shelf closest to his normal height he spied the milk jar. Kittie loved to lick up his milk whenever he spilled some, so he thought maybe she would like to share a bowl of it with him. Glancing at the cupboard where Mama kept the dishes he realized that not even his case would him reach a bowl and he knew better than to climb on a kitchen chair. Mama had dusted the seat of his pants enough to teach him better than that. Not to be daunted he decided to simply pour some milk into the suitcase for Kittie. He would have to have his later. Granma was always saying God put us in charge of the animals so we had better care for them well.

He clicked the lock open and then gently poured the bottle of milk in. Kittie licked her lips and daintily pulled herself up onto the side of the suitcase with her pretty white paws. She could not quite reach the milk that was quickly soaking into the spotted jammies so Davie decided to give her a hand and lifted her little bottom off the ground until she slipped into the suitcase. Before Kittie had a chance to register what had happened to her, Davie popped the lid closed. He locked the snaps and sat down. It was such a sunny day, maybe he and Kittie could have a picnic out by the Granpa’s garden. He was tired of bending over to push the suitcase here and there, so he looked for something he could pull it with. Under the sink he found some of Granma’s string that Mama was always complaining about her saving. He pulled it though the handle on the top of the case and started to pull it across the floor. He had just made it across the porch and reached the stairs when he heard Mama wail his name from above him. He looked up at the second floor hall window and he could see her knocking on it.

Daaavie? Davie!!

His round blue eyes were bewildered. What was she so upset about? He looked down at his jammies and sighed. Oh yeah, he wasn’t dressed yet. Read more!

Thank You

...to everyone who has prayed for my daughter. She is doing much better. We had a good visit and I am so grateful that we were able to be there for her. We are all looking foward to both of our oldest daughters coming home for Christmas. I am looking forward to seeing how we cope being fourteen in a small three bedroom log cabin. It should be fun, crazy, cozy, and did I mention crazy? No doubt tempers will get frazzeled from time to time but prayers and long walks and outings will help that! But most of all it will just be wonderful to be all together as a family this Christmas and for more than just 48 hours.

Blessings
mum2twelve aka Christi Read more!

A prayer...

...that I think will become a family favorite. My oldest son, Jonathan, discovered this prayer and laminated it so that we can use it daily. He was searching for a simple morning offering for the family.

THE UNIVERSAL PRAYER (attributed to Pope Clement XI)

Lord, I believe in you: increase my faith.
I trust in you: strengthen my trust.
I love you: let me love you more and more.
I am sorry for my sins: deepen my sorrow.

I worship you as my first beginning,
I long for you as my last end,
I praise you as my constant helper,
And call on you as my loving protector.

Guide me by your wisdom,
Correct me with your justice,
Comfort me with your mercy,
Protect me with your power.

I offer you, Lord, my thoughts: to be fixed on you;
My words: to have you for their theme;
My actions: to reflect my love for you;
My sufferings: to be endured for your greater glory.

I want to do what you ask of me:
In the way you ask,
For as long as you ask,
Because you ask it.

Lord, enlighten my understanding,
Strengthen my will,
Purify my heart,
and make me holy.

Help me to repent of my past sins
And to resist temptation in the future.
Help me to rise above my human weaknesses
And to grow stronger as a Christian.

Let me love you, my Lord and my God,
And see myself as I really am:
A pilgrim in this world,
A Christian called to respect and love
All whose lives I touch,
Those under my authority,
My friends and my enemies.

Help me to conquer anger with gentleness,
Greed by generosity,
Apathy by fervor.
Help me to forget myself
And reach out toward others.

Make me prudent in planning,
Courageous in taking risks.
Make me patient in suffering, unassuming in prosperity.

Keep me, Lord, attentive at prayer,
Temperate in food and drink,
Diligent in my work,
Firm in my good intentions.

Let my conscience be clear,
My conduct without fault,
My speech blameless,
My life well-ordered.
Put me on guard against my human weaknesses.
Let me cherish your love for me,
Keep your law,
And come at last to your salvation.

Teach me to realize that this world is passing,
That my true future is the happiness of heaven,
That life on earth is short,
And the life to come eternal.

Help me to prepare for death
With a proper fear of judgment,
But a greater trust in your goodness.
Lead me safely through death
To the endless joy of heaven.

Grant this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Read more!

His Birthright...

"I think he thinks it's his birth right."; my husband announced to the living room as he stared out the window.

"Huh?" I replied as I read my email.

"Nathaniel, I think he thinks it is his birthright to return the rented vehicles with me. "

I joined his stare out the window and there in the rented car we had driven to Charlotte yesterday was 5 year old Nathaniel ensconced in one of our boaster seats that he apparently had managed to place in the car all by himself. Nevermind it was not yet 8 am, and the temperature below freezing. There he placidly sat, waiting for his father to come drive the vehicle back to the rental place. I could not tell if he had his coat on or not as just his fuzzy red head was showing from my vantage point. But I could tell he had placed the boaster in the front seat.

In just my short sleeves I went out to the car and opened the front door and explained to him that he would have to move to the back where he would be safer. With the larger goal of being allowed to drive to town with his Daddy in mind, he got out without a complaint and carefully dragged the boaster seat out of the car explaining. "Oh! I can do hit my helf!" Then he bumped his fingers on the door and decided maybe he could use a little help after all. I picked him up to place him in the boaster seat. His little fingers were freezing! And so was I by now!

Quickly I got him an extra sweater, his mittens and a blanket so that he could warm up while he waited for his Daddy who was gulping down a hot tea so that his little son would not have freeze any longer. We could have insisted he come in, but his silent determination and hard work to get ready all by himself just begged to be rewarded.

They drove off together minutes later, chatting and happy. They were gone before I could remind my husband of an errand I needed him to do in town.

Fourty five minutes later a white vehicle caught my eye as I sat typing on the computer and I looked expectantly out the window and was surprised to see the rental car back. I met them at the door. Nathaniel looked very pleased, and quite happy with a small gift in his hand for Emma who had not been able to come as the truck only fits one boaster and Hugo was looking far from pleased. I looked at him quizically as Nathaniel rambled on about his gift for Emma to whom he is Christmas Angel. Hugo explained tersely;
"I forgot the keys to the truck and then Nathaniel threw up on the way back to get them. "

To my look of horror at the rental, he replied;

"Not to worry - he threw up mostly in a bag and on the blanket, but someone will have to help him change."
I took Nathaniel upstairs and he proudly showed Emma her gift which he explained she had to share while I stripped his pants off, and helped him into a fresh pair.

By the time I was back downstairs the rental was gone and the boaster seat was on the front porch. Apparently, Hugo was not keen on granting Nathaniel his birthright a second time in one day. Not that I could blame him - however, he left before I could inform of the errand that must to be completed in town today. Some days are just like that. Read more!

PRAYERS PLEASE

I am leaving for Charlotte in a few minutes. My second oldest daughter is in college and in the middle of exams and ill. She needs my help and could use some prayers. She has asthma and when she is stressed (as in exam time) she sometimes has severe asthma attacks.

Please pray for her health. She has wonderful goals for her life, principally she wants to help unwed mums choose life for their babies and rebuild thier lives during a time of crisis. Please pray for her studies and exams for this week, as well as her health.

God Bless you all!

Blessings
Christi Read more!

Quote of the party...

Towards the end of our party after playing about all afternoon and charming the older children and adults, Emma pranced into the kitchen and in anything but a shy voice announced to everyone in general;

"I'm shy!"

Flashed us a huge smile and danced out of the kitchen and back to her playing. Read more!