Borrowing from a fellow Blogger

Chelsea from Wise is She has written a wonderful post on NFP. She has done a wonderful job of expressing the beauty of such a natural means of controlling one's fertility. One of the things that I love about NFP is that one can reverse the process and use it to become pregnant. If only more Doctors would embrace this wonderful means for a woman to come to know and understand her cycle as well as her body.

I immediately asked Chelsea if I could post her article on my blog and she very generously agreed.
Unfortunately I have taken forever to take her up on this! But at last, here it is: Read on and enjoy. If you like her writings be sure to check out her blog and see what else she has shared about NFP. Oh and by the way, Chelsea is Lutheran.

Embracing Natural Fertility

The other night as my husband of five months and I were cleaning up
after dinner, we started talking about our experience as Natural
Family Planners. Natural Family Planning is a natural alternative to
synthetic forms of birth control. It requires observing patterns in a
woman's cycle in order to determine times of fertility and
infertility. During our discussion it struck us what a blessing NFP
has been for us, in so many ways.

One of the most appealing things about NFP is that it is exactly what
it claims to be; natural. NFP is free from devices and chemicals and
side effects. It empowers women by teaching them the nature of their
fertility cycle, helping them to understand why things happen and at
what time. It allows couples to unravel the mystery of conception and
get a glimpse of how God creates life from love. Its very nature is
open to life, although it allows you to exercise a certain amount of
discretion - discretion that takes into account the health and well
being of the mother and father. God has given us minds and hearts to
consider such important things.

Another benefit is that NFP is a two person decision. Not controlled
by one or the other, NFP encourages two as a couple to communicate
continually with honesty and love about whether now is a good time to
avoid or achieve pregnancy. Using NFP has encouraged my husband and I
to communicate openly and often. It has taught us patience,
anticipation and what it means to be open to life. It has taught us to
pray and to ask God what His plan is for us. It has reminded us that
children are an integral part of marriage and a gift from God. And
that is only after five months!

The path to accepting NFP has been a long road for me. The idea of
managing my fertility naturally was, in theory, appealing. However, I
was scared about what this would mean for my life. Would it be too
restricting? What if I have 14 kids?!? Will I have to abandon study?
Are you sure it works? Ever since my first sex education class I had
assumed that contraception was the way to go. Every sensible person
recommended it. As for the Catholics, well, they were just 'ultra
conservative' and 'out of touch.' Yet, the more I considered these
things, the more my conscience was stirred. Maybe the Catholics were
on to something after all? Interestingly enough, our ancestors seemed
to share similar views. I wondered what had made them change their
minds?

In my search for answers I came across a book called 'Good News about
Sex and Marriage,' by Christopher West. This book speaks about the
marriage act being one of total, self sacrificing and life giving
love. This means not withholding anything from your partner. Not even
your fertility. This is the stuff I wanted to hear more about.

After a long time of praying and reading and talking about this
all-too-big-and-scary venture into NFP, God replaced every fear with a
blessing. This should not surprise us as we know the character of our
God. When we put our trust in Him, God helps us to order our lives. He
puts meaning into things that seem meaningless and he gives peace
where there is unrest. For some this means the challenge of six
children, 5am breast feeding and 40 loads of washing. For others, this
means coming to terms with the fact that they could only have one
child, even when they prayed fervently for a second. Then there are
those for whom God grants peace, and purpose, when he has not granted
conception at all.

At our congregation we have a beautiful young Sudanese woman named
Ajulu. Ajulu loves talking about her children and hopes that God will
bless her with many more. On days when her children Ter, Ruon and Deng
are behaving, she even talks of wanting nine. What perplexes Ajulu is
that people in our country have so few children. In her home country,
children are considered as one of the greatest gifts from God.
Children are a vibrant and vital part of the community. These
communities grieve when they cannot conceive. Knowing the sadness that
comes with infertility, the Sudanese community embrace marriage as a
union that is open to life. Where God will grant life, they will
receive it.

What is it in our culture that leads us to prevent pregnancies from
occurring? What does this mean about how we view our bodies, most
especially our fertility? A doctor only prescribes medicine to ill
people. Is fertility something we need to be protected from? Is it a
disease? Why are we excited and relieved when a new form of
contraception hits the market and is -- wait for it -- even more
effective than the pill!? Finally, no more 'unwanted' pregnancies.
What a major contradiction this presents; that one of the greatest
gifts from God might be a burden for us. What a major contradiction
that one of God's greatest gifts is 'unwanted' or a 'mistake.'

Ajulu has been a beautiful reminder to me what it means to let God
permeate every aspect of your life. Every aspect of our life is in His
control, even the things as personal as our fertility. Let us find
comfort in the fact that He never gives us more than we can handle.

Read more!

Laugh of the day...

One son walked in the laundry area and as I was setting up yet another load of wash he asked me;
"What is the definition of eternity?"

Thinking to myself - he must know the answer to this by now but whatever, I answered him.
"Forever. eternity is forever."

This brought a chuckle from him.

"Yeah, well, it's four blondies in four different cars at a four way stop."

My chuckles blended in with his and then another son poked his head in the laundry area.

"I don't get it."

"Huh?", I responded.

"I don't get it, eternity is four blondies at a four-way stop?"

Chuckling a bit louder I explained the joke.

"Oh! I guess that makes me a blondie too - since I didn't get it. "

Actually - not to give away who this was, but he is the only blond in the family. Co-incidence??? Read more!

Don't apologize... PLEASE!

We all like to teach our children the nicities of society and this includes saying you are sorry. You know, 'I'm sorry I broke your toy when I threw it in anger 'cause you wouldn't share it with me.' and the 'I'm sorry I called you a name when you spat in my soda pop cause the name I called you was worse than you spitting in my pop...' and the just plain "I'm sorry I bumped into you and made you spill your coffee!" apologies.

But teach an almost 2 year old to say "I'm sorry' and you create a monster because suddenly she can get away with anything, and I mean anything, when she looks at you with her big round brown eyes peeking out from under her mounds of red curls and lisps "I'm Torry Mummy!" and then smiles her adorable smile.

Throw flour all over the table and dining room floor because the addle brained cook (read mother) left it there while baking a shower cake... just smile and lisp "I'm Torry!" Add in a throwing of arms around mummy's neck and she's done for.

Find the water fountain in the church hall, stretch out on your tippy toes and create a water fall with your hand out stretched and when you see mummy bearing down on you. No problem, just flirt that elfish grin and lisp sincerely... "I'm torry Mummy."

Pour your big sisters tiny blue beads all over her bed and then lisp... "I'm Torry" when mummy catches you rubbing them all over the sheets. Done!

Yup, teach a baby to say 'I'm sorry' and you will live to rue the day you did. Read more!

National Prolife T-Shirt Day 2007

What an awesome idea. Wish I had heard of it earlier!

Want a t-shirt to wear on the 24th of April go HERE. It's not too late, I hope!

Here is the website that tells all about this peaceful way of excercising your right to free speech.

This website has several links such as how to promote the day. Or if you are a student wondering about your rights to be allowed to wear a t-shirt - they have a link about that too. Want to check it out - click HERE.

Please pass the word and twll everyone you know about this day!

If you do not have a prolife t-shirt, again you can go HERE to buy one OR, are finances tight? Can't afford t-shirts for all of the children or maybe your youth group? Then buy white t-shirts from a local store be it a Super store or an arts and crafts store. You should be able to find them quite cheap there and then design your own t-shirt with fabric paints or even with iron on transfer kits. (I do not know the cost of such a kit so I might not be suggesting a cost effective alternative with that idea ,but it might be time effective if you can not receive one from an online source before the 24th of April.)

Femminists for life also sell prolife shirts. Click HERE to find them.

Remember April 24th is THE day.... but any day you can proclaim this message of peace and love for the unborn is a good day to wear a prolife t-shirt.

(The Moses image above is one of the many prolife message found at Christianshirts.net ) Read more!

Woman Deserve Better t-shirts

Here is the website that originally sold these shirts. Click HERE. However the t-shirt my daughter was wearing does not appear to be in their shop any more. However they do have bumper stickers that proclaim this message, and a new t-shirt that stipulates that Peace begins in the Womb.

I don't care for the t-shirt that they now have that proclaims "Women deserve better" because it stops there and does not continue with "than abortion."

I plan to write and ask them to reproduce the original t-shirt and if they can not, than I will ask permission for me to create something similar to sell. It is an AWESOME message! Read more!

Catch phrases of the toddler stage.

Elsa has mastered walking. Elsa has mastered climbing.
Chairs
Beds
Stairs
Cribs
...and is now working on gates. After all what is a baby gate for, other than to climb and catch our little pinkies in?

But the muscle in her body commonly referred to as the tongue is also mastering much. She has almost conquered the English language. Along with "NO! MINE!" and WEEEEESE (Please) she has also learned 'Doan touch dat!' 'No tank ooo!' "EMMA do dat!!" (accompanied with emphatic thrust of her pointing finger!) "My turn." You turn!"and she has a few spanish phrases down pat - the most important being PECHO, by which she means 'I need to nurse, NOW!'

But my favourite of all her catch phrases is, by far, her newest one;

"I lub you whole, whole bun Mummy!!"

While I sometimes tire of hearing some of her other oft repeated phrases, I will never, ever tire of hearing that.

And Elsa honey, if anyone is reading this to you: "I lub you a whole, whole bun too!" Read more!

Whazsup with us???

It is almost Easter and our Lent, as usual, has been eventful and full of stress. However, as the temperature rises, the flowers begin to bloom, our dogwoods become laden with blossoms and the grass grows greener by the day it has struck me more than ever the wonder of Easter blending with spring.

It is so appropriate that as we throw off the shadows of winter and welcome the warming rays of the spring sun so too are we emerging from the long days of Lent and entering into the wondrous celebration of Easter.

Given the long bout of illness that our family has suffered from since mid December, it feels as though our family, as a whole, is emerging like a butterfly from its cocoon. As Easter draws closer we are gaining in strength and energy and I feel hopeful that when Easter Sunday dawns we will be almost, if not completely, healthy. All except my 20 year old son, who is continuing to take heart medication in slowly increasing doses. It is hoped that these meds will increase the strength of his heart until we can begin to reverse the process and begin to wean him off these meds leaving him with a fully functioning heart.

I would like to ask people to join their prayers with ours for the success of this treatment.

We, as a family have been working on many goals. Both my husband and I began a lifestyle change in regards to our diet and exercise. As a result my husband is only a few pounds short of his target weight and looking very buff. I am ten pounds closer to where I want to be and fitting into clothes I could not wear since the birth of my beautiful Elsa who turns two this month.

We really believe that this new year in the church is also going to coincide with big changes in our life. The past year with all the suffering, challenges and difficulties that we have faced have taught us much, made us stronger and also given us a humility that comes with self knowledge.

If things go as well as we are planing, and praying for, than I will soon be able to turn more of my attention to writing again, including the blog here as well as my movie and book review blog.
So stay tuned... and in the meantime, I pray that you and your families have a prayer filled, joyful and peaceful Holy Week and Easter.

GOD BLESS
Christi aka mum2twelve Read more!

Thought Provoking Shirt

Anna and I were out running errands today and a woman stopped, backed up and leaned into our isle and whispered to Anna; "I like your shirt!"

My head swiveled towards Anna as she replied in a surprised tone "Oh, thanks!"

What shirt did she have on today anyway, ran through my mind. Then I smiled as I read the message on the front of her shirt.

WOMEN DESERVE BETTER
THAN ABORTION

Later as we waited in line for our fries (medium size only and first taste of a fry in weeks!) I noticed another woman staring at Anna in a peculiar way, this time Anna was facing away from her. Already having forgotten the message t-shirt Anna was wearing I was a bit taken aback by the hostility on her face. I glanced back at Anna and there on her back of the t-shirt was the following.

ABORTION IS THE
ULTIMATE EXPLOITATION
OF WOMEN
Alice Paul
original Author of ERA

Students for Life of America
StudentsForLife.org

Feminists for Life
FEMINISTSFORLIFE.org

Aha, clearly this woman did not care for Anna's choice of fashion. And possibly does not care for Anna's opinion about a woman's choice either. However, I love Anna's t-shirt and I think I might get one for me!

Read more!

Good friends...

Today I heard a knock on my door and Emma's little voice called through it to me.

'Mama?'

'Yes Emma...'

'Can I tell you how much I love my new friend?'

'Of course, Emma - how much do you love your new friend?'

Deep breath followed by: 'As much as Jesus loves me!'

'Wow,' I replied. 'THAT'S a LOT!'

And isn't that what we are asked to do, to love like Jesus, even if it hurts. I'm so glad that at four years of age, Emma is already beginning to measure her love in this way. Read more!

Pipen, 2004 - 2007

Sadly, the day before Bethany's birthday, one of our beloved pets has passed away. We have not yet broken the news to her as she will be devastated but we will have to tell her soon before she notices the empty cage. This picture was taken in October of 2006 by Josef Noah. Please say a little prayer for Bethany, she takes the loss of any of our pets really deeply and this will make her birthday somewhat sad. We are not sure what happened to him, although his cage has been knocked over once or twice by one of the cats. He enjoyed tormenting the cats by tweaking their tails as they sat on his cage day dreaming of what, I imagine, must have been bird pie.

Sadly our household is now down to two cats, one dog and no bird. A few years ago we had a bursting household of three dogs and five or six cats, fish, one guinea pig and a bird. I must say though - it is more peaceful with less cats and dogs. But once the tears are dried, we will look into adding a new bird to our dwindling menagerie.

Read more!

Note to self...

...when posting drafts that are several days old or in some cases weeks old, remember to correct the date so item shows at top of page instead of in February's posts.

Oh and remember to pick up more gum for those sugar cravings! We were up a pound for a day or two. I'm back to the original five pound weight loss, but at this rate I will be wearing Hugo's dress pants to the wedding! Read more!

Theological Observations During the Rosary

The other morning our recently passed beloved Pope, John Paul II, was leading us through the Rosary in Latin on the CD my husband recently rediscovered in his office at the warehouse. Suddenly Emma's voice piped up over the sonorous vibes coming from the speakers.

"Mama, where does Jesus sleep?"

"In your heart with you, Emma."

Emma gleefully crowed across the couch at Nathaniel.

"SEE Tanny! Jesus does sleep with people. In their heart!"

"Well, well, well, he doesn't sleep in Heaven, Emma." argued Nathaniel.

''That's because He's a STATUE'', declared Emma closing the discussion with a nod to our Infant of Prague statue on the mantle. Read more!

Whoo Hooo!!

Tired of my whining about having to wear his dress pants when I wanted to look nice and equally tired of my complaining about how fat I felt, my husband finally took action. He did research on diets and then gave me the paperwork on various options he found.

Now - I do not believe in "diets" in the old fashioned sense of the word. I do not believe in restricting your calories, counting every calorie and weighing every piece of food before it passes your lips. Diets, in fact, are very unhealthy as well as counter-productive to the very goal you are trying to reach - weight loss. Permanent weight loss, that is.

Research has shown that when we starve, err diet, our bodies go into crisis mode as the body is designed to realize when we are experiencing a famine and it adjusts the metabolic rate accordingly. However, once the famine (or in this case, the diet) passes the metabolic rate does not readjust back to what it was. Instead the body packs on more fat in preparation for the possible next famine.

All of this was forefront in my mind as I perused the options my husband gave me. I discounted one immediately as following this particular "diet" required one to buy your meals from them. So I thought - what happens when you want to start buying your own food again - is that even an option or would the weight pack back on if you did this. No, I wanted a diet that was going to effect a permanent life style change in regards to the food I ate. The amounts I was eating were not the problem, it was the combinations I was choosing as well as the poor choices I was making for snacks and desserts, Sugar, sugar and more sugar - typically refined sugar. And while I knew this, I simply did not seem to be able to find the will power to change it.

I wheedled the choices down to two diets or, as I prefer to call them - life style changes. Of the two I was leaning more towards the one that styled its recipes and food choices on the Mediterranean cultural as I liked the various options I could combine in my meals and have for snacks. I loved this idea of subscribing online to a "diet" as I was able to peruse their recipes, print them off, get daily emails with the food choices I had selected and, in short, have an online cheerleader as I struggled through the first ten days of striving to eliminate my sugar cravings.

Best of all - when the first pound and a half fell off through seemingly no more effort from me than to avoid sugar and eat healthier choices at meal time, I was ecstatic and charged to keep going - no matter how much visions of chocolate and more chocolate danced through my head.

So in answer to Lisa's question (wifeforlife) - how is the weight loss going I have to say FANTASTIC!

Drum roll please...
in the past ten days
I have lost
FIVE pounds.

I am so excited about this. I fully expect this weight loss to slow down, but this is such a boost to me and best of all I really love the changes we are making to our diet. I also feel more energetic and healthy as a result of these changes. Look forward to more updates as I continue to work towards my goal of losing approximately 40 lbs without a time date, other than I hope to have lost the first twenty before our daughter's wedding in June. Fifteen to go for that goal! And I owe it all to my husband who loved me enough to help me take the plunge and perhaps is hoping that in the process he will get half of his wardrobe back?

Thank you Hugo!

Read more!

Beware - the homeschooler in your neighbourhood!

Especially if he has a kind face and goes by the name of Tim!

Click HERE for a good laugh...

Read more!

Bethany Rose... March 22

Read more!

birthdate and a pic...

for Miss Bethany will follow soon so that readers may honour her request that people be happy on her birthday! It would be lovely if readers could post the happy thing they did on that day - so we can share them with Bethany, who recently slipped a five dollar bill from her hard earned savings into her daddy's pocket. Why did she do that?

"Because someone stole 100 dollars from Daddy's business. This way - it's only 95 dollars!"

And yes - someone stole... a little over a hundred dollars from us... by using a stolen credit card to buy something from us! Still, it is the victim whose credit card (and possibily even his identity) is the one who has possibly suffered the greater financial loss and stresses. And sadder still, the thief.... has lost even more - his or her moral compass. Please pray for them both, this victim and the thief. Read more!

Just when I think...

... that I am enough on top of things that I can pick up daily blogging again, life throws me another curve ball! Typically Lent is always an especially difficult time for us, a time when our family starts out with great resolve to make this Lent a particularly good one. And invariably we always feel that we have failed. This Lent has fared a little better than usual despite the continued battle with the influenza that has had us in its arm hold since January.

I can not tell you the number of times we have had children sent for tests that left us almost dizzy with worry as we awaited the results. One year our son Noah, now 11, had to wear a Holten heart monitor for a period of time to determine is he had heart problems as he was often disturbed by palpitations of the heart. Thankfully, his heart checked out just fine.

This Monday, I dropped my 20 year old son off for a physical and when I greeted him after the appointment he nonchalantly handed me some doctors orders - one with a cardiologist for a sonogram of his heart.
"Why this?" I asked.

"Well, you know how I have been short of breath for so long, well, the Doctor doesn't think it's asthma and wants to check out my heart for abnormalities."

"Oh", I said, "Take care not to lose the paper work then."

We got in the van and headed back home and talked news, politics, music and just the norm. It was not even until the day before the test, that I even thought to ask others to pray about it. I was so calm. I wondered at the calm I felt. I guess because he is 20 years old, six four and 200 lbs and always in good health until recently, I just thought him indestructible. Somehow - having a 4 year old sent to a cardiologist is more frightening than a twenty year old because such a young child does not yet have a proven record of health - anything could be lurking about, waiting to jump out and catch you off guard. But a twenty year old, who has never been sick more than the typical cold or stomach flu, can't be hiding a heart condition, can he?

This exam was this morning and from the Cardiologists, we headed to the hospital for x-rays of my son's lungs. By noon we were finished with all of the tests and Miguel was exhausted as he had been up all night ill to his stomach. Possible diagnosis for these latest symptoms - salmonella food poisoning. remember those Peter Pan and Great Value Peanut butter jars recalled... well we had three jars, all half eaten, in our cupboards. By 4pm, we were back at the family physician's office because Miguel's symptoms had us all just a little worried. A friend of his in college has mono and the possibility of spleen problems weighed on my mind.

When we left the office at 6 pm, an hour past closing time, we had in hand a four week supply of heart medications. My son has developed viral myocarditis - a viral infection of the heart. We are still waiting for the results of his mono test, and he must begin a round of antibiotics to treat the sinus infection he is battling on top of everything else. He is too ill yet to start his heart meds. Monday, if all goes well he starts them. In the meantime, I would like to ask you all keep us in your prayers! Most especially, please pray for Miguel and thank you in advance for your prayers. We will need them to persevere through this Lent as the health problems continue to mount against us. I have not even touched on my husband's pain levels from dental issues that keep taking a back seat and tomorrow I suspect I will be making the medical rounds again, this time with one of my asthmatics! Read more!

LOOK!

"LOOK!" Emma bellowed in my ear!
Her bellows became a whimper as she pointed to her arm.
"LOOK what Tanny did to me!"

I stared at the elbow proffered for inspection.

"Oh," I murmered sympathetically. "What did Tanny do to you?"

Emma's face went blank. "Ummmm, Tanny - what did you do to me again?"

Tanny Paul hurried over and scrutinized her elbow and then helpfully pointed out a small, nay, miniscule week old bruise.

"Here - I did dis!" he said with a flourish. Emma, relieved at the rediscovery of her wound, whimpered once more - "YES! See, see what he did!"

"Ahhh, I'm sorry!" I replied trying unsuccessfully to hide my grin. However, satisfied that her tale of woe had been acknowledged Emma happily left... with Tanny Paul cheerfully in tow.

All I can say is that they clearly have memories like an elephant! Read more!

All I want for my birthday...

Darling Bethany turns nine this month and recently there was a birthday list floating around that was very elegantly written up by Anna as it had been dictated by the future birthday girl. I caught only a glimpse of it the first day of its creation so when I was reminded of the current count down to the big B day this morning I asked where this beautiful list had disappeared to.

Bethany responded that she did not know where it currently was but she had put a new one up on the fridge for all to see. Aha, thought I, a wise way to ensure a good haul of loot!

Later today I checked out the list. Here it is in it's entirety!



All I want
for my birthday
is for peapil to
be Happy.
And I'll be Thankfull.


Bethany (with a heart drawn beside her name) Read more!

How is it....

... that at nine when it is time to pray and we have to turn the movie off, it is a life crisis for my four year old but when we are able to take a break and turn it back on - coming to see it has become a chore. Our announcment that "her" movie is back on is met with a sigh that could beat a piece of lead in its weight and she wearily responds with "ooookaay...."

Whatcha wanna bet though that if I turned it off - we would have another nervous breakdown on our hands.... Read more!

Sugar Bugs and four year olds...

Recently I introduced to Emma the concept that sugar, if not brushed off your teeth, can cause sugar bugs. It has not produced the result I was looking if her recent comments and questions are any indication.
----------
"Mamma, I need to feed my sugar bugs. You know the ones in my mouth."

"Mamma, can I have something to give to my sugar bugs."

"Mamma, I think my sugar bugs are hungry, I need to give them something right away."

"Mamma, can sugar bugs fly?"
-----------
I wish Honey, I sure wish they could just fly away! Read more!

Has your vocaulary changed?

Have the past two weeks caused a change in your vocabulary? It has mine.

Where I used to ask, if I wanted to listen to the news:
"Would someone turn the radio on?"
I now say;
"Anybody care to turn Anna Nicole on?"

Anyone else out there experiencing a similar change in vocabulary? Read more!

I think we need to review...

...the meaning of the word sacrifice with Nathaniel.

Bethany: What are you giving up for Lent Tanny?

Nathaniel: Spicy stuff. Weally spicy stuff.

Bethany: But you don't LIKE spicy stuff.

Nathaniel: I know. That's why I'm giving it up. Read more!

Okay, so I can't spell!

Student; "Mummy, it says in my document that seminarian is spelt wrong, but I spelt it the way you had it."

me; "Oh, maybe I made a type o."

student; "A typoe o? But you wrote it, you didn't type it. "

me; "Oh!" Read more!

What do you do...

...when to your wondering eyes should appear a beautiful, somewhat large, wild brown bird with sharp eyes and an equally sharp beak. And it is on the mirror of your dresser. And in front of the dresser is.... one of your cats. The one who is particularly good at hunting mice.

However, this bird is clearly out of your cat's league as the devastation that slowly meets your eye professes. The dresser is all but cleared of its decor, and the prayer basket filled with bible and notes is upturned beside the bed. Milo sits there in the midst of the pillage, tail switching not willing to accept defeat.

To add to the stress of the moment, the 22 month old wanders in. Clearly it is time for decisive action. So what did I do?

Scooped up cat and baby and unceremoniously dumped both outside the bedroom door and slammed door closed before they had time to react and leaned against it, and eyeballed this 10 inch sized brown bird. Sensing a foe more to its equal, said bird panicked and dive bombed me before landing on the door frame. I hastily retreated to the middle of the room and had a light bulb moment.

Quickly I pulled up the venitian blinds and opened the top window where there was no screen. My lovely guest felt, rather than saw the opening as fresh cool air flowed into the room. He swooped about searching the source of the temperature change and suddenly he was gone, free as a ... bird.

Guessing that nobody would believe this adventure I had the wits to capture a picture of my guest on his favourite perch. My mirror. And if you don't believe me, see for yourself below! Read more!

Read more!

A Lenten Project...

We have a grapevine wreath that we have filled with round tooth picks that replicate the thorns that Jesus' head was pieced with. Within the crown of thorns are flowers.

Throughout Lent when someone in our family does a kind deed (act of charity) or does says some extra prayers, they may remove a thorn from this crown and place it on the cross which will be next to our crown of thorns.

This cross will help us to focus during Lent on how Jesus died for us and took our sins upon himself. Slowly throughout the fourty days of fasting and prayer that our Church will be engaged in, it is hoped that we will completely remove all these thorns from the crown and by Easter perhaps the Cross will be filled with them, and Jesus will have a beautiful crown of flowers. Each thorn that we remove is replaced by a flower that represents the act of charity or perhaps an act of penance that we have completed.

To help inspire us as to what kind of things we might do as acts of charity or penance we have two decorated jars on the same table. One is labeled with Corporal Acts of Mercy and the other Spiritual Acts of Mercy. Within the jar of Corporal acts will be chores that not done on a regular basis such as wash the white wood work on the stairs. Wash the two door frames in the dining room. Within our jar of spiritual works of mercy will be various prayers that people can pray as well as suggestions of people to pray for; perhaps a friend who is ill, someone we know who is looking for work as well as the many priests we know.

Once it is completly set up, I will update this photo or post a second photo, so drop by again soon.

I pray you will all have a Holy lent.

Read more!

Oh say it isn't so...

Not yet two, Elsa now responds to most comments and requests with ...

WHY?

It's time to change your diapers, Elsa.
Why?
Because they are stinky.
Elsa gets up to change diapers.

Elsa, lets go eat.
Why?
Because it's time to eat.
Elsa gets up to go eat.

Elsa, put your book up please.
Why?
Because I want you to.
Elsa puts book on shelf.

Thankfully she has not yet advanced to Emma's level of why...

Emma: "Momma why is that boy crying?" She points to the little boy behind us in the check out line at the doctor's office.
Momma: "Oh, I guess he is sick."
Emma; "Oh, why is he sick."
Momma: "I'm not sure. I guess he got some germs."
Emma: "Oh WHY? WHY did the little boy get germs Momma?"
Momma: "Ummm, maybe he didn't wash his hands?"
Emma: "But why didn't he wash his hands Momma?
Momma: "I don't know Emma, why do YOU think he didn't wash his hands?"
Emma: " I don't know Momma, Why, why didn't he wash his hands, why is he sick Momma?
Momma: Sighs heavily and wishes little boy had washed his hands and was not sick and was not crying and trys to change subject. "Look Emma, there's a picture of pretty girl with some kittens."
Emma: "Oh she is pretty. Why does she have three kittens Momma. Why?

Now that I think about it, I guess I know why Elsa now says why to almost everything I say or ask... she is spending too much time with her big sister Emma. Read more!

What makes Momma a nice momma?

Emma: Momma, can I have some candy pleeeease? Pleeeease Momma?

Momma: Emma! No! It's too early in the morning. You still have to eat your breakfast. What kind of momma would I be if I gave you candy before breakfast.

Emma: A nice momma! A really nice momma!

I was tempted... very tempted. Read more!

Have I become disposable?

Recently Elsa, not quite two, climbed up on my lap and wrapped her arms around my waist, leaned into me as if to cuddle. Then she quickly rubbed her face back and forth rapidly. She stopped, flashed a grin at me and then quickly rubbed her face back and forth once more against my shirt. Seemingly satisfied with this quick cuddle she slid off my lap and was off to play once more.

Puzzled, I wondered if perhaps she liked how soft the shirt was that I was wearing. Then I glanced down and all was revealed. I had simply been used as a kleenex... Read more!

This afternoon as I addressed an envelope with notes, drawings and some stickers that one of my younger children was sending to some friends of hers in a nearby town, I thought to myself 'why don't I surprise their mum with a note'? After all, the kids are enjoying receiving mail in the mailbox; why should they be the only ones to enjoy this? Of late, my children have been receiving mail from friends who live in various states and that satisfying rip of the envelope simply can not be reproduced by clicking the mouse and seeing a number representing how many emails you have. Then I thought why stop at one friend, I have a few friends that might enjoy that nice feeling of a thick envelope that does not bear the address of the local utility company. And why, I asked myself, should my pretty snowflake stamps be wasted on only bills? Why not also use them to grace an envelope bearing good cheer and happy tidings?

I pulled out a stack of unlined paper and searched my desk for the pen that had just been there and began. There was a very satisfying feeling as blue letters flowed across the page and I found myself writing:

"I decided to write to you the old fashioned way, with ink and paper" and as I wrote that a thought struck me. How can this actually be so old fashioned when only a few short years ago this was still the principle means of communication, after the phone of course. Following this was another thought - will it soon come to pass that relatives will no longer find bundles of letters tied with a faded ribbon, forgotten in an old desk that had belonged to Grampa? Will instead our descendants find lost and damaged hard drives kicking around in the dusty corners of attics or basements, with only the most intuitive relative thinking that there just might be communications saved on that ancient piece of machinery. And, if they are able to retrieve anything at all off that hard drive - will they be letters, or saved emails and chats?

I love this era of emails and instant messaging, as well as the ease of being able to backspace when I realize I have left off an e, or missed a word entirely. I was not able to easily remedy these mistakes as I wrote my notes to a variety of friends this morning. But while I appreciate the wonder and practicality of this modern means of communications, it has dawned on me that if I do not make an effort to send the occasional "snail mail", and unless I save and print off most of my emails to my children, extended family and friends a valuable piece of family history will be lost.

Not even this blog is assured of perpetual existence. Thankfully I have saved most of my articles that I have written, but already this piece of our family history is divided between two hard drives. Should I print them off, tie them with a ribbon and stick them in the far corner of a desk drawer? Or perhaps I should download them onto a CD and carefully preserve them this way? And unless I label the CD and the jewel case carefully; should a great granddaughter find what will surely seem, to her, to be an 'ancient' means of keeping information, she might decide throw this useless old CD out.

However, if I print off the essays and articles I have written, even if the ink has faded and the paper yellowed and the dust causes her to sneeze uncontrollably; that faded ribbon will signify to her to that something of value is wrapped within. Read more!

Mid Week Post!

Elsa: "Heavy breathing as she reaches up and grasps mummy's neck. Grunts with effort to heave herself up onto mummy's lap. "
Mummy: "Feels like Mount Rushmore, eh? Getting up here!"
Elsa: answers with a breathless "Yeah!"
Mummy: Wonders if skipping the bike ride this morning was such a good idea after all, given Elsa's quick yes! Then quickly comforts herself with the thought that a 22 month old does not know, after all, what Mount Rushmore is. Read more!

How goes your day...

...when the majority of your children become ill and you have not yet managed to route them all through your new doctors office that insists on "well check ups" before your children fall ill.

Mine goes something like this:

Wake up squeezed between coughing, hacking babies and roll quickly out of the way of the one gaging on the mucus in her throat.

Get partially dressed, opting to stay in jammie bottoms to save time.

Organize cleaning party with those still healthy enough to clean, so as to clean up from supper last night since everyone was too tired to clean up last night.

Blow a kiss good bye to husband as he escapes to the office.

Call and cancel visit to friends house, realizing that bringing this plague to their house would be a good way to wreck a blooming friendship. Promise to pray the Rosary at about 2 pm when we would have been able to pray together.

Smile admiringly as proud son shows you the large bowl of pudding he has just finished whipping and then swallow back sarcatic remark when the bowl flips over and out of his hands. Whince as he lifts the bowl up and try not to think about how much milk is sitting there in that large dark chocolate mountain, slowly ebbing from the kitchen floor out onto the dining room floor.

Chase down 20 month old and with help from other kids wrestle her to the ground so as to change her and while you are at it - clean her nose.

Plug cell phone in so it can charge while you wait for the Doctor on call to call back - for your 20 year old son. You haven't dared call the pediatricans office yet to try and determine which of the ones who have not yet had their well check ups can actually be seen.

While in kitchen spooning up jello and pudding for those too ill to swallow anything thicker than liquid you miss cell phone call from Doctor because somehow the setting on the cell phone has switched to auto voicemail after 2 rings. Maybe the fact that the 20 month old is forever pushing the buttons on the phone can explain this mysterious change in settings?

Call office back and ask if the Doctor would mind calling again...

Chase down 20 month old again, and with help from other kids wrestle her to the ground so as to change her and while you are at it - clean her nose - again. Jump back when she gags on mucus....

After fielding second call from a very patient Doctor, you get a call from your husband asking if he should still go into the hospital for his out patient proceedures scheduled for Monday as his throat is starting to hurt. You pull out paperwork and look up reasons for postponing - there in bold letters is "fever, sore throat, cold symtoms."

Sighing, you offer to call the hospital for him and several calls later the surgeon decides that your husband should continue fasting and call in the morning if he is not feeling better, at which time he will call in antibiotics in case he has Strep like the 20 year old son does... but please, if possible, do not call during church hours... Hmmm, I actually liked that, so I asked what time he attended church and duely wrote it down.

Chase down twenty month old and beg her to eat just a little of the chocolate pudding you have served her. She looks at it and than looks at you and says "catpoo!" You offer her butterscotch pudding and meet with success until she gags on more mucus and decides she is full.

Later, much later, you remember to call husband and tell him to keep fasting. Your 20 year old reminds you that his prescription is still waiting to be picked up at the pharmacy. Thankfully you remember, as you grab the keys off the mantle, the decision you made early this morning as a time saving mechanism and go change into a pair of pants before leaving...

So how was your day? Read more!

Who needs an electric blanket...

...on these cold nights, when I have two cuddle bugs each competing to see who can crowd the closest to me. Come Spring, though, with its warmer temps - I am sure I will have a completely different view of this double blessing! Maybe I will pull a Danielle trick and ask; "Where's Daddy?" Read more!

"Our feelings are hurt!"

"Mummy", Anna asked, "Do you know what Emma says these days when her feelings are hurt?"

No, I replied.

"Our feelings are hurt!"

"Oh?" I laughed, "She has begun to use the royal we?"

"No," answered Anna. "The first time she said that I asked what she meant by our feelings, and she said; mine and Jesus' feelings are hurt cause Jesus lives in me!"

But thinking in retropsect I concluded that it is a royal "we" of a sort. After all, Jesus is king of our hearts and minds, is He not? Read more!

Money makes the world go round...

Our young adult son recently mused aloud to himself, after spending a few hours opening a new bank account in order to save on monthly fees; "I wonder why I worry so much about having a bank account when I almost never have any money to put in it?"

I am afraid that at 45 - I could ask the same! Read more!

two posts just waiting...

...for finishing touches. Hopefully by tomorrow!! But now I need to peep in on Jack Bauer in season two and find out what happens to Kate! When last I saw her, she was stuck ina trunk and Bauer and a co-hort were being fired upon in a back alley. Shhh!!! Not a word. I'm leaving right now to see what happens. I mean it - not a word!

Shhhhhhh!!! Read more!

What do large families drive?

No doubt most of my readers have read what Danielle and her readers have had to share about what kind of vehicle large families choose but in case any of you have not see the comment that took the prize click HERE. I am, almost, seriously considering getting one for us, especially if I can find one that does have a glass partition between the driver and passengers. Read more!

An excercise in twirling ...

... can be dangerous as one son learned Friday night. It can lead to a trip to the ER, a neck brace complete with cat scan as well as making a donation of five vials of blood to the lab resulting in the discovery that his diet could use an increase in bananas as he is very low in potassium.

Several hours later with a Frostee in hand, head still thumping with pain, said son returned home with his mum and following Doctors orders, both mum and dad stayed up all night watching season two of 24 so as to be able to wake aid son every two hours so as to ask him his name, age and rank, oops sorry that's Jack Bauer who answers those questions.

And given that mum2twelve is operating on so little sleep there is little more that she can say at this time! However, I can tell you that this son is recouperating well, and while he can not remember the fall he does not feel inclined to engage in such a twirling contest again. At least, not anytime soon. Read more!

One more prayer Request

Please pray for Jen and her family's tragic loss.

Read more!

Prayer Request

Please pray for X... (not the mother in the above posting) who is being induced this evening and is very worried about being induced. It is her third baby but her first induction. Please pray for her unborn baby.

Please join me in my pleas to our Mother in Heaven for her to place her mantle of protection over X. and her precious unborn baby. Ask her for her prayers for X. that the Holy Spirit will fill her with peace, strength and endurance.

Please also pray for her providers and her birth coach.

Thank you all for your prayers!
Read more!

So much to say and so little time

There is so much I have to share, both funny, serious and spiritual, but so little time to say it in.

I am plogging along in my studies for the DOULA certification. So far the books that I have been reading are meant for midwifery, even though on the required reading list.

I have a personal prayer request for all who read my blog. My husband, Hugo, has applied for two jobs, one locally and one in Columbus. While I hate the idea of moving, I do really like Columbus, but as much as I like Columbus, I hate the idea of leaving two adult childrne behind in the South, esp my daughter who is about to embark on married life. So I think I would prefer the job here in nearby Charlotte. But it is hard to believe that we will even get a response to the resume and letter, never mind an interview! We have just had such a difficult past five years that it is hard to believe that something postitive will come our way. And that thought is a perfect introduction to my spiritual thought.

Most, no, all who know the difficulties of the past five years are simply astounded by all that has fallen on us. It is hard to understand the why, so we have come to the conclusion that it is better to focus on acceptance. But it is very, very hard to accept what feels at times like total abandoment by God.

A friend shared this excerpt from The Life of Padre Pio with me the other day:

"We can gather some faint idea of what God was working in the depths of Padre Pio's soul from the letters of this period. Speaking of his own sinfulness and wretchedness he says: "How difficult, Father, is the way of Christian perfection for a soul so ill-disposed as mine. My badness makes me fearful at every step I take" (4.7.1915). In this state of soul God often withdraws his presence for long periods and the sufferer can even believe himself lost: "Peace has been completely banished from my heart. I have become absolutely blind. I find myself enveloped in a profound night and no matter how I turn and toss I cannot find the light. How then can I walk before the Lord ? ... He has rightly thrown me among the everlasting dead whom He no longer remembers" ( 8.3.1916).

God permits, for the good of His servant, horrible temptations against faith when the soul seems no longer even to believe: "My Father, how difficult it is to believe"; and against hope: "It sees itself wholly rejected by the Lord." ( 8.3.1916). To these are added other trials of aridity and desolation through which the mystic enters more deeply into the knowledge of his own wretchedness before God and in the end feels himself forsaken by all. The devil too is let loose to plague the soul by all manner of diabolical temptations and illusions, in fact the mystic comes to feel himself so abandoned by God that he wonders whether all is not simply the work of Satan."

I do believe we are in a battle with Satan in our family. Surprisingly this gives me great courage. Instead of feeling abanonded, I feel challenged to give my all to our prayer life. All the more reason to continue in my decision to give up full time blogging and stick to weekly posts. Our prayer life, which the past month has fallen to even lower priorities that ever, needs to be revived.

How should we purge our homes?

(Click here to read the whole article, but note that this is not good reading for a young child. While one should be aware of the existence of Satan, we do need to protect the innocence of our children. )

We can pray the Rosary, says Father Fortea, "read the Bible together,
sprinkle Holy Water in the various rooms, come together before a holy image
and beg protection and so forth. The persistent prayer of a family, over the
course of several weeks or months, can completely destroy the demonic
infestation in their house."

After reading the complete article, I am more determined than ever to increase my personal prayer time and renew our family prayer life. Do I still waste time worrying. Sadly, yes. We have bills to pay and the business is still slow so please keep us in your prayers as well, as we come up on these deadlines.

Read more!

A little fun...

This past week we have been playing a game based on economics and goverment as a unit study. It is a game we are creating, to some degree, as we go along. For money we are using Monopoly bills.

Elsa, at the ripe old age of 20 months is a keen obsservor and has noted the enthusiastic passing of ten dollar, hundred dollar and even one dollar bills back and forth as we engage in the bartering for services and objects of desire.

Yesterday, as I was noting a deposit made by my eight year old daughter in our little black book (Soon to be transfered to an EXCEL program and handled by the 'banker" we 'hired' this morning.) Elsa appeared by our side gleefully waving several white one dollar bills in our faces. She carefully extricated a one dollar bill from her other fist and passed it to us with great finesse and then grinned expectantly at us. Bethany and I laughed and took the dollar bill and thanked her for her payment. She twirled on her heel and while Bethany and I speculated as to where she had found the dollar bills and whose they were she returned, more gleeful than before, and with yet a greater fistful of bills. This time she cheerfully paid us a few hundred dollars as well as a fifty dollar bill. She was very proud of her new found purchasing power. However, what she was purchasing remained a mystery to us, and she did not seem anxious to reveal it. She was just happy to keep showering us with bills.

But all good things must come to an end and the owner finally arrived to claim her much needed Monopoly money, lamented she had not yet opened a bank account and then quickly sped away with Elsa in hot pursuit, screaming her protests of what, to her mind, was nothing short of having been held up and robbed.

And now, I must keep my appointment with the new banker and show him how to post all of our accounts into an EXCEL program. Until next Friday ~ GOD BLESS
Read more!

Do you suppose...

... it is because Elsa is the youngest of twelve that her first sentence is a "telling" sentence.

"Emma do dat! Emma do dat!", pointing to her dolly and showing me that Emma had accidently broken a paper diaper on the dolly. Read more!

Emma is smitten...

Hearing that some of Miguel's friend Anthony was coming over for a visit Emma looked at me and said:
"Momma, is only big girls allowed to have boyfriends?"

To which I responded:
"Oh yes, only BIG girls have boyfriends."

To which Emma responded with a heavy sigh:
"Oh why does I have to be little???" Read more!

A fond farewell...

After great consideration and prayer, and the reality that I have a lot of paperwork that musts be done, if I am to begin earning a steady wage to help augment the business income, I have come to the sad conclusion that, at least temporally, I must hang up my blogger's hat.

I love to write, but it takes a lot of time and right now I have so much on my plate that I simply can not afford the time to write for pleasure and not for financial gain. I am beginning a home study course that will require quite a few hours of private study, as well as attendance of an out of town workshop, the auditing of a series of childbirth courses, the attendance of six births etc. Once completed, and I pass my exam, I will be a certified DOULA. I hope to also become a certified birth educator, but am starting first as a DOULA, unless I can somehow combine the studies for both things.

I also need to earn the money to pay for the books as well as the workshops etc. (Our library has only ONE of the books on our required reading list!) Therefore, come January I will begin teaching ESL (or ELP) classes again. So I also need to begin to prepare a course outline for my paying clients. I already have a few interested. And of course, I will still be homeschooling, doing tax prep for the business, making travel arrangements for the business etc, and trying to be the best mummy and wife that I can be.

I do hope to continue, on a more relaxed basis, to write reviews and keep them in "storage" so that when I can begin blogging on a regular basis again, I will have a nice back up file of reviews ready for those weeks when time, illness or life does not allow you time to write, and so be able to provide my readers a steady flow of book and movie reviews. It is my hope to maybe someday be able to provide such a steady and reliable serving of reviews that readers will be willing to support it. But financial constraints will not allow me the time to actively follow this dream at this time.

It is very, very hard to let go of my blog, even temporarily. I hope all of my faithful readers (you number well over 100!!) and will check in now and then to see if I have been able to squeeze a post in. I hope that once I have my course work out of the way, and my DOULA /childbirth practice up and running I can begin to blog on a daily basis again. I can not tell you how hard this choice is, but it must be. I will try, once a week, to post something and preferably on the same day of the week.

In the meantime, I bid you Adieu and God Bless!
I will miss you all!
And as always... prayers gratefully accepted!

Happy New Year!!

Read more!

Emma is Grieving the Christmas Tree...

On December first, only about three weeks earlier than we normally put up our tree, there was a knock on the door. Bethany (8) opened the door and there, filling the whole doorway, was a 7 foot high, possibly 4 foot wide, tree.

"What the HECK!" exclaimed Bethany, and suddenly her older sister's face popped out from behind the tree grinning like a Christmas Elf bearing gifts.

I was shocked at the earliness of it's arrival and I tried to suggest we let it 'rest' in it's stand outside on the porch, suggesting that being out in the cold might keep it healthy and fresh longer. I was outvoted by 11 to 1. The tree went up and Advent was heralded in with the need to protect the tree from one 20 month old who was more than amazed by the sudden growth of a tree in her living room. A tree that sported shiny, breakable bulbs that made such nice tikling sounds as they hit the floor. By about the 23rd, she finally lost interest. We thought.

Then yesterday, after many hours of errands outside the home, I bribed the children with a movie in hopes of speeding up the completion of the supper chores. It worked and while we were relaxing as we watched a rather old movie Elsa, sitting on her God mother's lap, innocently reached up and tugged on a bright, red, shiny apple hanging within a tempting reach.

A sudden gasp caused all heads to swivel and more gasps joined the chorus as we watched the tree swivel in what seemed like slow motion but was, in fact, too fast for us to stop it or even react. Then it toppled over and both Elsa and Gabriela dissappeared from sight in a bower of branches. Bulbs tinkled as they hit the living room floor.

Miguel appeared as if from no where and lifted the tree up revealing a rather shocked set of children who, thankfully, were none the worse for wear and someone grabbed a broom and someone else a dust pan. Within minutes we had the tree back upright and the floor swept and tidy but the decision was made for us. I had hoped to eek a few days more out of the tree. However, the tangled decorations hanging from the tree were not much to look at anymore so today - it came down.

But Emma is mourning the loss of the Christmas tree. She sat on the floor surrounded by the needles and lovingly gathered them up. Tears filled her eyes as she glared accusingly at Miguel who had done the evil deed of hauling the tree out. I was suddenly inspired both by the aroma of pine needles that filled the room, as well as the pile of them that Emma had swept up with her bare hands.

A pillow, we could make a memory of the first tree that Emma remembers. Gabriela already has a tree that she has been embroidering that we will add the numbers 2006 to and sew onto the pillow. Emma is tickled by the idea and not so sad now.

But now, you must excuse me. The kitten just knocked the bird cage over. Read more!

Truth or Urban Legend?

Remember the old adage, truth is stranger than fiction… well, I do not know if this story is truth or urban legend, but it is food for thought so please read it and feel free to share it with others.

Know what money you are carrying! You will see why as you read!

Be sure every lady is aware of this . Share with it your wife and daughters.

Know what money you are carrying.

This was the first I have heard of a scheme like this. I wanted to pass it along. Be safe! It is something very serious to pay attention to.

Criminals are coming up with craftier, less threatening methods of attack, so we have to be extra cautious. Read on. I live in Alexandria , VA, but I often work in Lafayette, LA , staying
with friends when I'm there. As you know from America 's Most Wanted TV
program, as well as the news media, there is a serial killer in the
Lafayette area. I just want to let you know about an "incident " that happened
to me a few weeks and could have been deadly.

At first I didn't go to the police or anyone with it because I didn't realize how serious this encounter was. But since I work in a jail and I told a few people about it, it wasn't long before I was paraded into Internal Affairs to tell them my story.

The day of the incident it was proximately 5:15 a.m. in Opelousas , La. I had stayed with a friend there and was on my way to work. I stopped at the Exxon/Blimpie Pie station to get gas. I got $10 gas and a Diet Coke. I took into the store two $5 bills
and one $1 bill (just enough to get my stuff).

As I pulled away from the store, a man approached my truck from the back side of the store (an unlit area). He was an "approachable-looking" man (clean cut, clean shaven, dressed well, etc.).

He walked up to my window and knocked. Since I'm very paranoid and "always looking for the rapist or killer," I didn't open the window. I just asked what he wanted. He raised a $5 bill to my window and said, "You dropped this." Since I knew I had gone into the store with a certain amount of money, I knew I didn't drop it.

When I told him it wasn't mine, he began hitting the window and door, screaming at me to open my door, and insisting that I had dropped the money! At that point, I just drove away as fast as I could. After alking to the Internal Affairs Department and describing the man I saw, and the way he escalated from calm and polite to angry and volatile....it was determined that I could have possibly encountered the serial killer myself.

Up to this point, it had been unclear as to how he had gained access to his victims, since there has been no evidence of forced entry into victim's homes, cars, etc. And the fact that he has been attacking in the daytime, when women are less likely to have their guard up, means he is pretty BOLD.

So think about it...what gesture is nicer than returning money to someone that dropped it?!?!

So take care ladies and please share this with others. Truth or Urban Legend, it is something to beware of. Read more!

The upside...

... and the downside of a large bathroom cubicle.

Upside, when traveling with little ones - you can fit many of them in the cubicle with you.

Downside, it's very spaciousness makes it difficult, nay impossible, to stop four year olds from playing with the locks on the door... Read more!

Ohio, here we come!

Back into the natural swing of things after a weeks bout with the flu followed immeadiatly by Christmas. Today I have one child is drawing a poster sized themometer for me for a family project, (details to follow later) and several others are enjoying the art supplies they received from good Saint Nick and baby Jesus. (Anyone, besides me, wondering what Dan got Danielle??)

I am cleaning. cleaning and cleaning some more while I prepare for a 24 hour run to Ohio. Tim Hortens anyone? I am hoping to remember my camera and take pictures of the awesome Nativity scene they have in Columbus. Let us pray no more German Shepherds narrowly avoid suicide under our wheels. Not sure my heart can handle it.

Later I must check the weather and decide if I have to pull out mittens etc for this 24 hour run. Ack! It would probably be easier to do it the other way - have to head south in the winter months. Mittens would already be out and we could just dress in layers in clothes that are already in the childrens drawers.

Look for awesome pictures of the Nativity soon! Read more!

Keeping the baby Jesus' bed warm...

Each year we set out the Baby Jesus' bed at the beginning of Advent. On the first day we put it out, it is just an empty basket. Beside the basket is a vase filled with scraps of cloth and bits of yarn. Throughout Advent the family fills the bed with acts of charity.

There are few rules to follow.

1) Do not question the amount of yarn or cloth someone is putting in the basket. What they did to earn the right to put the amount they are putting in is between them and God.

2) Do not question how much cloth or yarn someone is taking out. If they have done something uncharitable - again, that is between that person and God how much they think they have hurt the baby Jesus by what they have done.

I guess, though, we did a pretty good job lining the Baby Jesus' bed as our kitten, Milo, seemed to be finding it very comfy a whole week before Christmas Eve! Read more!

Twins...

At Christmas Eve Mass two women joined Emma and I at the back of the church, and each were carrying in thier arms a child of about 15 months or so in age. Each little boy was dressed in blue dress pants, white sneakers, stripped shirt with a red sweater over it. They each had the same hair cut and, in short, were twins.

Emma stared. And stared some more. Looking confounded she glanced down at the floor, then peered around me at the twins again and finally stepped towards the women.

"Why," she asked with great puzzlement in her tone "are you both holding the same peoples at the same time?" Read more!

Boxing Day

For our family, today is Boxing day and this is the day that we traditionally have our Christmas turkey. This tradition began in our family about 12 years ago after we had one crisis or another ruin Christmas, one year after another. We finally decided that since Boxing day was still a holiday for us that we would relax on Christmas day, enjoy snacks, let the kids have free access to their stocking candy and not stress out for hours over the dinner preparations just to have everyone too full from Christmas cookies and candy to really enjoy dinner.

Today is also the Feast day of St Stephen. A somewhat forgotten feast day, I think. Learn more about St Stephen here and Boxing Day here! Read more!

Saint Nick...

... listened to you all and as the poll clearly indicated that Emma SHOULD get Shicken Run, she received it and has watched it a total of TWO times and moved on. Clearly she still loves it but is wise as what may happen to her beloved movie should she watch it non stop as she did when she was three! Thank you all who voted and helped St Nick with his deliema!

Merry Christmas to you all!!!

Answers			Votes	Percent
1.		Not sure...	3	4%
2.		Definitely - ask old St Nick to drop it in the stocking	30	43%
3.		Absolutely not, leave it as sister's treat.	16	23%
4.		What's Shicken Run??	21	30%

Read more!

Your reading glasses...

Emma: Daddy, Daddy! I have your weading glasses. I've been keeping them safe for you.

Daddy: busy with the lap top absently responds, "Hmmmm?"

Emma: Daddy!! Daddy! I have your weading glasses! I've been keeping them safe for you.

Daddy: Hmmm, oh, okay Emma.

"CLINK"

Sound of the protected reading glasses landing at Daddy's feet as Emma, glad to relinquish them, tossed them across the room at her father. They survived. Read more!

The Answer to the riddle of the chairs...

...to why the chairs are all laying down on the floor around the dining room table.

I loved the many guesses, esp the idea of some funny game having been played. Sadly that is not the reason as much as I love it. Rather it is Amanda that solved the riddle and so, wins an invitation to Christmas Dinner, (Of course, it helps that she is the oldest child in the family and already planning on coming home)

The reason the chairs are all on their backs is to keep 20 month old Elsa safely off the table.

She has learned how to move, push, arrange and climb on chairs and loves to dance on the table! And today I bought a Christmas gift for the family... a baby gate.

So today, the chairs are all on their four legs. Read more!

This Christmas Adam...

...my family and I add to Father's blessings (below), my family's prayers for you and our gratitude to all of my readers who have been here for us this past, and very difficult, year. You have been here for us spiritually and some of you financially. God Bless you all and thank YOU for your PRAYERS as well as any physical assistance you have extended to us. God has been good to us this Christmas, gifts from different sources have generously appeared, as if from no where, and our children will have a wonderful Christmas. You have all, one way or the other, made room for us in your inn, and we thank you from the bottom of our hearts.

God Bless!

Christi, Hugo and their twelve blessings.

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Borrowing from Father Corapi again

Christmas is one of the greatest of our religious feasts in the Catholic and Christian world. It is in itself a most beautiful and joyous time. Existentially, it is a paradox, however, because large numbers of people suffer terribly at this time of year. Why? I suppose there are a lot of reasons, but one is that depression—one of the Enemy’s greatest weapons—gets the better of many of us. The world can be a cold place, and rejection and isolation in its various forms takes a terrible toll on humanity.

As Joseph and Mary arrived in Bethlehem there was no room for them with their relatives, nor at the inns.

It was cold, dark, and desolate that night, and there was no room at the inn, no room that night for the Holy Family. After two millennia has anything changed? Is there indeed room in the inn of many human hearts and minds?

Countless people are alone at Christmas. They remember Christmases of days gone by-- families gathering, warmth, midnight Mass, gifts, good times and friendship. Now they are alone, aged in many cases, not so aged in others. The bitter cold of that long ago night when there was no room at the inn takes hold of them.

Often the greatest things are born of suffering and rejection, if only we can see that the preface of victory is battle. Out of the cold indifference of that long ago night in Bethlehem was born the Lord of Lords and King of Kings. He had Mary and Joseph, the cave, and the animals to keep Him warm. He was doing His Father’s will. That was enough.

This Christmas allow Jesus, Mary, and Joseph to fill you with the warmth of the Father’s love. Thank God for the gift of His only Son. Then go out of your way to radiate that love to someone who is most in need of it. A kind word, a little gift, an invitation to an elderly or shut-in person to come to dinner, etc. goes so far. Love is like fire. It illuminates the darkness and transmits heat to those around it.

God bless you and yours this Christmas, and forever,

Fr. John Corapi


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Dipes and Wipers please...

I eyed Elsa as she toddled by with a most unpleasant waft following her. I pushed my paper work aside and leaned over to pick her up. As I did so, I asked Anna to:
"Please bring me some dipes and a wiper."

This was met with peals of laughter and I looked at Anna.

"Dipes and a wiper?" she questioned me.

"Ah yeah, dipes and a wiper!" I said defensively!

Me thinks I am still a bit tired from the flu bug that has had us all in its nasty grip since Sunday! What says you? Read more!

A fun Christmas meme... borrowed from Mama Hefalump.

1. Egg Nog or Hot Chocolate?

We ALL love hot chocolate here in our home, esp. the homemade stuff I make with real whipped cream on top but Egg Nog is only available for purchase at Christmas time so I LOVE it most at Christmas time!!

2. Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree?

Baby Jesus (Nino Jesus in Spanish) and Saint Nick place the gifts under the tress, all of them. Saint Nick comes on Christmas even and sometimes Christmas Adam (the 23) to help me wrap gifts so he is using our paper. While he and I work, the children slide notes under the locked door to him and send us candy canes etc to sustain us!

3. Colored lights on tree or white?

Oh coloured and tiny! All the way!!

4. Do you hang mistletoe?

No, nor have I ever been kissed under it. Have I missed anything? LOL

5. When do you put your decorations up?

Usually on Gaudette Sunday, the third Sunday of Advent, is typically when the tree goes up, but each Sunday as we draw closer to Christmas we put up a few more decorations until by the last Sunday before Christmas all the decorations are up. This year all that went out the window when our second oldest found a 7 foot tree for 50 dollars and brought it home on the 2^nd of December. Plus all of our decorations except the ones for the tree were lost in the move.

6. What is your favorite holiday dish (excluding dessert)?

All of Christmas dinner is my favourite! I can’t pick. I love the potatoes and gravy, I love the stuffing. I love the turkey sandwiches with cranberry sauce and mayo. Emmm!!

7. Favorite Holiday memory as a child:

The year that my Christmas stocking came with a beautiful chocolate bell (colourfully wrapped) and greenery attached to it. It was so beautiful looking in the dawn light. It is my first Christmas memory, so the next year I expected the same but sadly that was the only year I ever received that beautiful chocolate!

8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa?

Hmmm… how does one answer that? Let’s just say that in our home Saint Nicolas who is a true Saint in heaven helps us at Christmas time.

9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve?

As a child we were always allowed to open one gift on Christmas Eve, but in our family there are no gifts under the tree until after baby Jesus arrives and is tucked into his manger by Saint Nicolas. Before though, baby Jesus helps Saint Nicolas arrange all of the gifts.

10. How do you decorate your Christmas Tree?

Each child has a bulb form their first Christmas that is hung with great care and then we have a real mish mash of decorations, including a box of cloth and wood ornaments, many of which my Grand mother made. These ornaments, not being fragile are placed on the bottom by the younger children and the more fragile ones are placed on the higher branches by the older children.

11. Snow! Love it or Dread it?

LOVE IT! Ditto, until March, that is, and then I am more than ready for spring. We really miss the snow here in the south.

12. Can you ice skate?

Yes and I miss it!

13. Do you remember your favorite gift?

Not really. But our first Christmas with a new baby was awesome, our first was born just 10 days before Christmas!

14. What’s the most important thing about the Holidays for you?

Trying to keep Jesus as the center of the celebrations.

15. What is your favorite Holiday Dessert?

Shortbread, sugar cookies and molasses cookies decorated with chocolate M&Ms!

16. What is your favorite holiday tradition?

The baby Jesus under the tree in His manger and all the children singing Happy Birthday to him before opening their gifts.

17. What tops your tree?

A beautiful Angel made from soft spun wool that is from sheep at Madonna house in Canada.

18. Which do you prefer giving or Receiving?

Oh I LOVE to give but it is fun to open my stocking that the oldest girls put together every year. Makes me feel like a little kid again.

19. What is your favorite Christmas Song?

I simply cannot choose, but I am enjoying much of the classical pieces that are being palyed on channel 113 on XM. Sadly they will stop on Boxing Day (the 26^th) and all of our Christmas music is lost, so we will not have any to listen to during the 12 days of Christmas.

20. Candy Canes! Yuck or Yum??

Oh, I definitly love Candy canes, esp when pregnant. The peppermint is so soothing on my tummy. I also really love the chocolate peppermint candy canes that came out recently. Yum yum yum!! Everyone here loves to stir their hot chocolate with a Candy cane too.

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Change of plans...

This week was going to be our all out bake-athon prepare for Christmas week. However, the metal bowls typically used in the kitchen have been called to duty all over the house. Some are here beside the bed in my room, others are lolling about the living room floor strategically placed between the couch and inflatable mattress that is covering the floor space between the couch and the TV. The TV is grinding along, cheerfully spinning out video after video and DVD after DVD entertaining those too ill to really care what is on the screen.

Your prayers are gratefully received and we beg for their continuance.

My posts may be a little sporatic over the next fews days, but do look for the results for the poll regarding Shicken Run and St Nick as well as what St Nick decided to do about this much loved
DVD.

In the meantime, during this lull in the storm I will do a little writing as well try to catch up with email.

God Bless
Christi aka mum2twelve Read more!

Buurp! Prayers Please!

Burb! Burb! Burb! A lot of us, esp myself are burping quite a bit these days. The question is - is it a pyscholocial response to a very sick baby girl who is tossing her cookies every hour, or are we all fighting this nasty bug that has baby Elsa in it's vicious grip!

So I am asking for prayers as we head into the last week of Advent when the light of coming birth of the Baby Jesus grows larger and our hope grows with it. I hope and pray that I can keep my eyes on Jesus this last week, whatever this week brings! I pray that Elsa recovers quickly. There is little harder in the world than to have to watch a child suffer, and it seems the younger they are, the harder it is.

And now (burp) I will head off in search of a tea and a little sustenance, both spiritual and physical. Read more!