fevers abound...

of the 102 variety... so posts will be rare for a few days. Prayers gratefully accepted!!! Read more!

Dis bear needs surgery!

Last night I was tidying my room while 2 year old Elsa reigned from my bed. I came across my very old Teddy bear who had lost his nose to a puppy ever so many years ago. Sadly he was losing his head too as the stitching around his neck was loose. Quite some time ago, Gabriela had promised to repair him and now he badly needed even more repair than he had the day she promised this. I picked him up and watched as his head flipped backward and his gaping wound exposed his internal stuffing.

Mournfully I showed him to Elsa and commented on how Gabriela, her God Mother, had not yet made good on her promise. I placed him gently on my pillow and Elsa stared at him for a moment before carefully picking him off. She slipped off my bed with the bear cradled in her arms and quietly disappeared. I wondered what she intended to do with my almost decapitated bear.

I shrugged my shoulders and leaned back into the task at hand. Getting the coal off of my stocking on the dining room wall, and until my room was clean - there it would remain with all of my children's stockings bearing brightly coloured candy canes that marked how many days their rooms had been clean. A few moments later I heard the patter of Elsa's feet on the stairs and when I stepped into the hallway to stuff used paper into garbage the bag there, I greeted her as she entered. She looked at me and with the bear still clasped to her bosom she announced solemnly; "Dis bear needs surgery!"

"Oh!" I replied, hiding a smile. " "Who says?" I asked.

"Me!" She paused a second or two and then added, "and Gabiela!"

She marched into her older sister's bedroom and I watched her expecting the bear to be lovingly placed on her sister's bed, to await his much needed surgery. To my shock she carelessly flung the bear onto the bed and swung around to return to her throne in my room. Surgery had been promised and there was little doubt in her mind that her God Mother would follow through so therefor, I guess, the bear no longer required her assistance and her job was complete.

And she was right, later that evening neck firmly stitched up, nose still missing, my Teddy was gently placed back on his throne - my pillow. Elsa inspected him and was content. Mummy's bear was well again. Read more!

...and the door clicked behind me!

I stepped outside for a moment. We were still enjoying weather in the 20's (Celsius) and I needed something from the van. Click. I heard the front door lock behind me. Before I could turn around I heard the mail slot clatter and a voice, somewhat hollow sounding, called through it.
"If you tell me I can go into the classroom (aka St Nick's Work shop) I'll let you back in." Remembering that the side porch door was not locked I tore off around the corner and clambered over the fencing we have put up to protect Elsa, but before I could reach the door knob the culprit was standing there grinning at me as he twisted the lock in the knob. However one of the panes is missing so I simply reached in and unlocked the door. Much to his dismay - and my pleasure. St Nick's workshop is STILL off limits and I did not have to climb through a window to keep it so either! (I think I might leave that pane like that until after the 25th!) Read more!

Almost got me with this one!

Still trying to trick me into giving permission to enter the classroom aka St Nick's workshop my 12 year old son commented to me while I worked on the computer;
"Hmmm, I have been thinking about the classroom. I have thought of a better way to arrange the desks, want me to show you?"
I started to agree that I would be interested when I caught view of the HUGE grin on his face and caught myself just in the nick of time! Read more!

offer to clean...

"Mummy, could you find me a cloth and some tough and tender?" (This got my attention) "You know, those gifts might be dirty, I could clean them for you!" Read more!

running gag continues

"You know - some of those gifts could be bobby trapped. I better double check them for you to keep you safe mummy!" Read more!

Christmas Cheer Challenge

Click HERE to learn what this Christmas Cheer Challenge is.

We too have been the blessed recipients of a raffle of sorts. A friend from our parish noticed one of the prizes for their Christmas raffle was a basket of games and toys. She immediately thought of our family and said to herself, I need to win this for Hugo and Christi's family. So she prayed to God to allow her to win this prize for our children. And she did!!

So I owe a thank you note to Jesus as well as my wonderful friend who thought to pray for such a thoughtful thing. I think it is so cool to get a gift from GOD.

So if you want to share a little Christmas Cheer too click here. And just maybe you will win a lovely gift too. Read more!

Awesome Alternative...

... to BARBIE

Read more!

Tomorrow is...

... the feast day of Our Lady of Guadeloupe. And we are having a fiesta! The first with our friends from our new parish. The kids are excited. If all of our guests come there will be 8 boys, not including my own three here at home. There will be an additional four girls to my five plus a toddler in addition to mine and a NEW BORN! We are all drooling to get our hands on this new born! The grand total will 22 children in all - from five families and not all their children are expected due to schedule conflicts. It should be good fun.

We intend to meet here and then head off to a really nice local park for an hour so that the eleven or so boys can burn off some steam. Then we will come back here for treats and maybe a Christmas movie on the big screen. (One of the benefits of selling surplus equipment - big toys for small prices.)

If I have time between the organizing, cleaning and baking still to do, I will try to post a few of the recipes we hope to share tomorrow with our new friends. Tonight I will need to call my MIL in Argentina because it has been a few years since I have made empanadas from scratch, and I am hoping to make them for the party. However, my sanity might need to come first and we have to settle for chips, crackers and cheese! Read more!

Can I help?

Son to mother:
"You know, I was thinking about the gifts hidden in the classroom. Well - you know they could have gotten broken by people going in and out of the room, so maybe I could, uh, check them out for you, eh? Make sure they are safe and sound and all. Whadaya think?"

I smiled and thanked this child's kind offer but declined it.

2 hours later...

"You know - I was thinking again - it's always possible a few gifts might have gone missing, gotten stolen on somethin' eh? So maybe I could - like check them out, give you a count. Hmm?"

I thanked him again, and declined - again.

I am waiting for his next excuse for helping me out with a gift count or gift check. I'll let you know if he comes up with another one. Read more!

A favor for Mummy!

Emma: "Mummy - there was an uncovered chocolate on the table and I didn't want it to get wasted so I put it in my mouth."

Mummy: "Well, thank you Emma."

Emma: "You are most certainly welcome!" Read more!

Confessions

I have a confession to make. My children are not perfect. And if their father and I were not already aware of this, it was made very evident the other day when we left the crew waiting in the van as we ran into a local store to run an errand after attending daily Mass.

Errand finished, we returned to find the the two boys, Noah and Benjamin, cowering under any cover they could find while women's panties flew through the air amidst chuckles from the girls who had started the undie war. A few of them were also singing the lyrics of "The Restroom Door Said Gentlemen." (Search for under R for Restroom Door Said Gentlemen, to hear the sung version.)

Where had these undies come from? Apparently an unopened package had fallen out of a box of gifts recently received.

I guess that will teach us to leave such unruly children unattended in a public parking lot again. No doubt, despite the tinted windows, more than a few people had to have noticed the shrieks of laughter, screams for help and the general shaking of the van as the boys ducked and dove in wild attempts to avoid being pelted with womens underwear!



Read Lyrics Below:

Restroom Door Said, "Gentlemen", The

(Parody of God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen)


The restroom door said gentlemen
So I just walked inside
I took two steps and realized
I'd been taken for a ride
I heard high voices turned and found
The place was occupied
By two nuns, three old ladies and a nurse
What could be worse
Than two nuns, three old ladies and a nurse?

The restroom door said gentlemen
It must have been a gag
As soon as I walked in there
I ran into some old hag
She sprayed me with a can of mace
And smacked me with her bag
I could tell this just wouldn't be my day
What can I say?
It just wasn't turning out to be my day

The restroom door said gentlemen
And I would like to find
The crummy little creep who had the nerve
To switch the signs
'Cause I got two black eyes
And one high heel up my behind
Now I can't sit with comfort and joy
Boy oh boy
No I'll never sit with comfort and joy

(Nope - my children are definitely not perfect - just human!)

Read more!

Such and appropiate thought for Advent

"Everybody today seems to be in such a terrible rush, anxious for greater developments and greater riches and so on, so that children have very little time for their parents. Parents have very little time for each other, and in the home begins the disruption of peace of the world."

Mother Theresa

Read more!

An A.P.P. HAS BEEN ISSUED...

...For my brain. The last time it had a clear thought - unknown. It is sorely missed so if anyone has seen it - please direct back towards NC where it will put to good use.

In the meantime I will use this opportunity to apologize for the lack of intelligent, amusing or even any posting these days. It is not for lack of material - simply brain cells. Through out the day amusing and sometimes hilarious things happen that would amuse and delight my readers but once I have time to sit down to type them - my mind is blank, much to my dismay.

Perhaps it is the accumulated stress of the past year and especially of the last weeks. In fact most years I am doing much more to celebrate Advent. However, for now I am focusing on being. Simply being. After all, while having activities to help my children focus on the meaning of Advent is a great goal - if it means that I become so frazzled that I am tense, grumpy and irritable what have we gained?

But there lies beyond all of this calm reason the temptation to succumb to guilt. Guilt that the advent candles are not being lit every night, that I do not have little foot prints cut out and waiting to be gummed to a wall or poster so as to show one's path to the manger as children earn them through good deeds. Nor is the empty manger set up with yarn beside it waiting to be lined in the sweet Jesus' bed, again through good deeds done in silence and disguise.

Instead, we are quietly being together as we sort out the violence we experienced on our own front door step. We are praying for our friend who was shot. We are attending Mass as often we can and offering up our Communion for the healing of our friend as he goes through various operations in order to be put whole, as whole as one can be after such an assault. We are praying for his spiritual needs. We are also learning how hard it is to pray for someone who has harmed someone we care for.

So while I struggle with the guilt of not being busy; baking, cleaning or focusing on Advent activities before Christmas I ask for the prayers I need to gain the graces I need so as to be aware of what my children need while they heal. I pray for the graces to be calm when I do not feel calm. I pray to not feel anxious when, in truth, anxiety is surrounding me like a heavy blanket.

So for us right now, for the next weeks, the best thing my family can do to prepare for the rebirth of the baby Jesus on His birthday is to simply love each other and to be kind to each other - in Christ's name.

And in the meantime if anyone does happen to see my brain, while it vacations somewhere else, tell it to come home - I really need it! Read more!

prayer requests

Please pray for our neighbour, a fellow Canadian whose family originates in Egypt. For many reasons I will keep this post simple and brief. Our friend works in the convenience store across from us.

Two days ago he was shot through the front door of the store. Two of our children heard the shooting and several saw the after effects of it. Our friend is now in intensive care and expected to recover.

Please pray for our friend. He has had surgery and needs more. He does not have any family on this continent and we were just able to see him today. We will go back tomorrow.

We will be seeking counseling for the children who saw this, so we would appreciate prayers for them as well. Read more!

The pressure is on...

December second, the first Sunday is Advent is lying in wait for me - just around the corner. And I am determined to be ready for it. Yesterday I slipped out a couple of times and hit a few stores. In one I loaded up with candles for the Advent Wreath along with sewing materials for my advent tablecloths, and in another I stocked up on items to fill my Advent store that will open its doors come this Sunday.

Store, you ask? Advent store? Mum2twelve has finally succumbed to commercialism, you say. Not quite so. Allow me to elaborate before you lose all faith in me.

Long time readers, as well as family friends, may recall that come Thanksgiving we exchange names in preparation for Christmas and Advent. Throughout Advent the children are "secret angels" to the sibling whose name they have pulled from the basket. In addition to offering up prayers and doing little chores for them in secret, like making a bed, they like to earn little treats for them. So my little shop is ready to open, the buyers and future recipients have all seen the various offerings to be found. All that is left to do is for me to add to each item the numbers of points that must be earned in order to "buy" an item for sibling to whom one is the angel to. Extra chores have been written out with their value, in points, added at the bottom of the jobs description.

The angels are keen to begin and I am dreaming of a well cleaned sparkling home as my Advent Cupboard slowly empties.

Come this Sunday, my job is to have the white material for the base tablecloth washed, dried, sewn and ironed. Then I need to hem the purple sheet that will adorn the white cloth as a runner. Then I have some light weight plastic sheeting to use as a protective cover as my little ones are still messy eaters and given my dryer's terminal illness, I dare not count on it for the daily laundering of tablecloths. Later the plan is to replace the rose pink cloth that was lost in a move so that we can announce Gaudette Sunday by adorning the dining room table with a pink runner over the white cloth on the third Sunday of Advent. Sadly the beautiful St Nicolas tablecloth also disappeared in the same move and has yet to be replaced for use on December 6th, Saint Nicolas Day, and ultimately on Christmas day and the rest of the Christmas Season. In the meantime I hope to find some red material to create a a bright and colorful runner for announcing those special feast days.

This idea of announcing the Liturgical changes in the calender with table cloths or runners was shared at a homeschooling meeting I attended ever so many years ago while still living in Canada. We did this for many years until some of the cloths disappeared and this year I was determined to start this beautiful tradition once more. Now all this is left to purchase is some plasticine (modeling clay) to create holders for the candles for the Advent wreath.

I have a full 34 hours within which to wash, dry and sew the base table cloth and prepare the purple one as well. No worries. None at all. Nope - totally calm, got it all under control. I am definitely prepared, the second of December cannot possibly sneak up on me and catch me of guard. Not this year! Read more!

WRITERS BLOCK...

Despite accidentally sending in my letter of application and portfolio from my rather unprofessional mum2twelve email address I received a fairly quick response to my application...

"Hi Christi,

Thank you for applying to our Expert Tea Blogger position.

Due to the response we've received for this position, we are asking each qualified candidate to remit 2 sample articles for the Tea blog. The topics are to be as follows:

· Sample article 1 – the history of tea with a focus on blended tea

· Sample article 2 – health benefits of tea"

And this was concluded with more details as to what they were looking for. So I have begun my research. Do you have any idea of the sheer number of websites dealing with tea, tea pots, tea parties, Victorian tea parties and on and on? At least there will no end of shortage of material, should I bag this job.

Note the line stating qualified candidate. I am hoping this was not just a form letter emailed to all applicants. It would be nice to think I am actually one of the qualified. And I not just a little cowed by this requested assignment, so I again I ask for everyones' prayers... it will be a loooong night.

Thank you to one and all who have been praying for me so far. I have truly felt them. THANK YOU. Read more!

"God does not call us to be successful, but to be faithful."
Mother Theresa

There is a story behind the reason for posting this quote. Tune in later.

Read more!

looking for material

Sometimes I have no idea what to write about. I look around and everything seems so mundane.

The leaves are falling.
My double kitchen sink is plugged. No matter what my husband and oldest son do - it refuses to drain like a normal sink.
The children are overtired as their young bodies work with the antibiotics to fight off a possible infection of whooping cough.
My dryer is dying a slow and tortuous death.
My mouse is sticky and driving me mad....

And I look around and can not think of a single thing to write about that I think would be inspiring and/or entertaining. Where are the cute things my little ones do and say all the time? What has happened to my enlightening light bulb moments...

And then it happened.

You will not believe what I did... it was a brainless day. And I did a stupid thing. But it is something that my readers will enjoy a laugh at with me.

As you know from the previous post, I applied to a blogging job that will pay a regular monthly salary for 3 - 5 posts a week about.. tea. (I love TEA but I would have applied even if I didn't!) I forwarded the draft of it to my mum2twelve email address so that I could make sure the links I was using to direct the editor to some of my online publications would work after emailing it.

I reminded myself a few times as I edited and worked on the letter until I was happy with it - that I was now working in my mum2twelve email account. I said to myself;
"Don't forget to email it from the clg......s account, Christi!!"

Mum2twelve just does not sound very professional - you know. And MUM2TWELVE... how could a mother of 12... children... have time to write professionally, eh?

Well - I am sure you know by now what I did...

I worked on it, got others to read it, worked some more, read it one last time, gave a sigh of content and clicked... SEND from mum2twelve..... and watched it whoosh out of sight and then slapped my forehead, before banging it on my desk.

"Dummy! Dummy! Dummy!" I groaned while my children stared at me in confused amazement.

"What's the matter?", one of them ventured to ask me.

"Nothing." I groaned. "Nothing!"

But then I thought... 'Well, nothing is without its silver lining - now I have something not so mundane to write about on my blog!' Read more!

Please pray...

... on occasion I have very, very difficult days - spiritually. I humbly ask for all of your prayers as today is just such one of those days.

Please also keep in prayers an application I will submit today for a writing job that would pay regularly.

Bless you all and thank you for your prayers.

Christi aka mum2twelve Read more!