Goldie Locks and the Bears

Read more!

Prayers please

Tomorrow is our first seminar, "Siendo Padres en la era de la Internet". Please pray for the graces we need to do a good job, and that we have a good showing.

Below are some pics of my prep for binding the Parental Tool Box manuals as well as the finished product.




Read more!

New Blogging partner...

As you all know, of late I have been pressed for time and sometimes unable to get things posted on a daily basis so I have hired an assistant blogger. You can see pictures of him assisting in the writing of his first post below. In future all comments will be moderated by him so I would suggest that no one write any derisive cat jokes or comments as I believe he will simply delete them or possibly even retaliate.

Here the budding journalist is seen chatting with fellow residents about some of his ideas for new posts. He would like to see some articles on the conditions of the local SPCA as well as how they drag their feet picking up strays. Then he thought better of that, recently having been homeless himself.

Then he got down to the serious business of implementing some his ideas for future posts.

A little spell checking and we were good to go on this post.
So please would one and all readers take the time to welcome the newest member of this blogging team. A poll will follow to help him settle on a pseudonym for his posts. Currently he is known as Marley- of the Dickens sort, being an orphan and all.

ignore

Read more!

Update on Michael B

In this day and age - we can all use the good news of a miracle. Do you remember when less than a month ago we were pleading for prayers for our son's girl friend's 14 yr old brother. The day we learned how ill Michael was, he had received what used to be referred to as the last rites and is now called the anointing of the sick. Michael's sister, Alicia, and our son, Jonathan were called that morning and told to hurry home to the state of T. as the outlook for Michael was grim.

Even as I type this I get a lump in my throat remembering. It was mother's day and I could not imagine being in this mother's shoes. Sitting helplessly by my son's bedside praying desperately for a miracle.

Well, we were granted one. Less than a week later Michael was released and since returning home has continued to grow in strength. At this time it looks that there is not even any damage to his kidneys, that on that Mother's day were shutting down. At that time if Michael even survived it was not known if he would need dialysis on a permanent basis.

Praise God for this miracle and thank you for all of your prayers! THANK YOU from us and his family that has repeatedly asked us to thank all who prayed for him.


ignore
Read more!

Over heard

My husband has worked hard to help, almost 9 yr old, Nathaniel develop a sense of humour. Nathaniel is very puritan in that regard. So the other day Hugo remarked to Nathaniel as to how cute he was. Even just a year ago that would have brought scowls and growls from him. This time he just grinned and said;

"I haven't been cute since weeks ago." Then he stopped up short and exclaimed; "WAIT, no! I haven't been cute for .......... 8 years now!"

Now that, I have to say, is just plain ... CUTE - sorry Nathaniel! You will always be cute to me!

ignore
Read more!

Stated ...

as only a four year old can state it:

"Mummy there is a black baby kitten here. Do you think it has raibins cause I don't. I think it is a poor kitten. Nosey might have raibins too."


Again I ask - does anyone want a black baby kitten... especially since Elsa has declared it free of raibins? I think I will be visiting the SPCA again... soon.

ignore
Read more!

Bleary eyed & tired...

It was shortly after midnight and suspecting my 15 yr old was still chatting through her gmail account, to an old friend who had moved out of State, I headed downstairs to tell her to clear off the computer and hit the sheets. As my feet hit the floor I discovered another pair of feet that were attached to a long pair of thin legs that were attached to the torso of my 12 yr old while his head and arms were somewhat hidden almost under the TV. I could not tell if he was shoving videos under the TV cabinet or pulling them out from under. However, before I could discern just what weird activity this errant 12 year old was engaged in a small black furry body shot out from under the tv and across the room, scurried past my feet and down the hall. At almost equal speed the young man dropped his videos and was off after the black blur of fur with his eyes widening as he caught sight of me in his peripheral vision.

In silence and shock I watched this young kitten mewing in terror as it fled about the house with Benjamen hot on his tail, spewing out an explanation as he passed by me. "I heard a noise, I thought it was Nosey (his other adopted stray) I was worried he was hurt so I came down..." At this point both he and the kitten skidded and turned the corner and Benjamin shouted over his shoulder..."I saw him on the road and I just couldn't leave him there..."

I saw a chance this wild kitten might tear out the front door if I opened it as he fled past me again, so I positioned myself by the door and opened it. Standing there, as if in anticipation of a possible late night snack, was Nosey. He confidently sauntered in and the kitten quickly veered to its left and scurried into the fireplace where it cowered behind the decorative logs. Nervously eyeing Nosey and wondering if he intended to join the frenzy, I moved towards him to encourage him to go back whence he came - into the dark humid night. But before I could get close enough to him to shoo him out, what to my wondering eyes should appear but Sam - the family indoor cat. Sam detests Nosey but loves kittens. Not yet spying his mortal enemy Sam tried to seek out the source of the wild mewing and I scooped him up and thrust him into the lap of the oblivious 15 yr old who was still calmly tapping away on the keys of the dining room computer. "Quick" I hissed at her, "Get Sam back upstairs and CLOSE the hallway door!" Bewildered, she hurried away with him while I guided Nosey back out the front door and firmly closed it.

Firmly grasping a broom with the hopes of gently encouraging the kitten out from behind the stack of logs and into the cat carrier Benjamin now had waiting in front of the fireplace I strode across the living room. After several unsuccessful attempts at this, I had Benjamin carefully remove the logs. all the while this kitten was screaming frantically mewing, leaving me to wonder why the whole house was not yet awakened and all in the living room offering advise and guidance.

Anna appeared and quietly watched, worry sketched in her eyes. Obviously she had finally looked at a clock and knew this kitten was not enough of a distraction to save her from what was to come. At last we achieved success and the kitten was deposited in the side yard and Nosey carefully admonished not to eat to leave said kitty alone and the front door was closed and locked. After I was finished with discussing the errors of the night with the two culprits I hoarsely quietly bid them good night and crawled back into bed again, thinking that by tomorrow this kitten will have disappeared back to where ever it came from.

At 7:30 am a cellphone buzzed, notifying me that a text had come in. I opened it and read from my neighbour;

"Just a little heads up. Walking Ariel early this morning & saw a new visitor on your front porch of the itty bitty kitty variety."

Anyone want a cat... anyone.... please???

ignore Read more!

have a minute....

...and nothing to do? Want to enjoy a chuckle? Click here & enjoy a minute or two of fun. If you have more than a minute to kill, get another unsuspecting victim person to answer the questions and have another chuckle at their expense.

Sad truth - I'm pretty sure I submitted to these questions a few years before and still got them ALL wrong this time. I guess I'm just overtired these days. That must be the explanation! It couldn't be that I have a manager's intellect. Nah... not with all these kids, projects and a husband to manage.

ignore Read more!

Drum Roll please

Okay, I cheated got smart and decided on a large cake instead of fifty individually decorated cup cakes for the piano recital. I have to thank Gabriela for the design that I recreated on the fondant and I have to thank her and Benjamin for their patient coaching of how to draw a music note correctly. You know those pesky things are not as easy as they look! I am fairly pleased how it turned out and need to thank those who prayed for me as I wrestled with a 4 yr old, 6 yr old and an 8 yr old who all wanted to help direct the decorating and test taste everything in sight. Cake's ready... but I am not. Two kids in the bath as I type, some clothes are washing - yes for tonight and dinner is simple - tuna sandwiches! Baby needs to nurse and nap and somewhere in there I need to shower... so don't hesitate to throw a Hail Mary or two my way if you feel like it.

So do I owe everyone a BIG thank you or what?

(There is one glaring error that only a music student would notice, and Benjamin tried to tell me... but I told him to be quiet - 'I was concentrating....')

ignore
Read more!

Smile God Loves you...

Today I as I clicked on a link in Sister Pats Joynotes I saw the beginning of the title of the post in the tab. "Smile, God loves..." 'you' I filled in the blank. And I'll admit it - I kind of rolled my eyes - its so, uh, cliche. But sometimes God needs us to be cliche or as the author of this post called it - dorky. To find out what I mean click here.

My husband has put his back out, four children are in a piano recital tomorrow, one of my oldest girls is MIA as she was called at the last minute to babysit for her niece this week. She is in the recital which I stupidly thoughtfully offered to make about 5 dozen cupcakes for. At the time I did not know that 1) I would be short a pair of hands and 2) the recital had been changed from Saturday to Friday.... apparently weeks ago but no one thought to tell me.

My time frame just lost 24 hours... and a pair of hands. Did I mention that fact already? Add in a severely incapacitated husband whom I depend on being extraordinarily helpful with the baby as well as looming seminar deadlines that are creeping up on us at lightening speed, mix in a little sleep deprivation (don't ask!) and I am bordering on hysteria BEGGING for prayers!

So after you stop reading and immediately recite the rosary pray for me , don't forget to check out the post I mentioned in my opening paragraph. And remember to 'Smile - cause God Loves you'.



Ignore
Read more!

Prolife Prayer Request

A prayer request I received this morning:

Friends,
I have just received news from my mother in Germany about a wife and mother of 4 who became pregnant again with healthy twins. She wants to abort those twins. She has an appointment next week, which begins tomorrow.
My mother does not know this lady, and the woman who does, does not want to give out her contact information. Nobody is supposed to know that she is expecting babies and contemplating abortion.
My mother is trying to mobilize both practical help as well as prayers. Will you please storm heaven and our Holy Angels and saints to reach this mother's heart - who knows what she is going through right now.
Thank you and GOD bless,
M

PLEASE share this prayer request with as many people as you can!
THANK YOU!!!
ignore
Read more!

It struck me suddenly...

As it was Sunday - I forced myself to put away my research and my writing. It was hard, with a dead line looming in front of me, to be obedient to the Lord's command to rest on Sunday. However, I reminded myself repeatedly throughout the day when I would trail past my computer and be tempted to maybe sit down and tweak a little detail here or there in my work that, "All work and no play makes Jill a dull girl."

So I borrowed a book from Anna, one of a series of three, and in a few chapters was hooked. I enjoyed a Mother's day type Sunday with my husband making dinner, my son serving it to me as the baby napped on her boppy pillow on my lap and I read, and I read, and I read. Others changed her diaper throughout the day and I only had to enjoy her soft skin, coos and nursing time.

And I read and I read and I read.

At about noon - my darling 18 yr old offered to make me a chai tea. Heavenly! It was just the right sweetness and just the right amount of piping hot. It was so good that early in the evening, as I dove into the last chapters of the same book begun in the morning, I asked her if she would make me another.

Minutes later she arrived with a steaming mug and waited anxiously for my pronouncement that it was as good as the previous one as this time she has used a different sized mug and the teabag had split while it was brewing. It was delicious and as I enjoy the creamy smoothness of this fragrant drink a question suddenly struck me.

"Gabriela, does chai tea have caffeine in it?"

"I don't know!" was her surprised reply. "It might."

My drink three quarters already gone - I plunged on, and downed the last of it. At 2 am, as I tossed and turned, I had plenty of time to repent at leisure.

ignore
Read more!

Happy 14th Noah

Your first birthday here in the States

Your first snow in the US

You're still enjoying Sam today!

You still make us laugh at the goofy things you do...

....and did!


Happy 14th Birthday to our favorite Blond!

ignore Read more!

Note to self

if you want to sleep before 4 am and wake up a functional person - don' drink an iced mocha after five pm...

Ignore Read more!

Practice makes perfect

The past few weeks I have been practicing giving it ALL to Jesus and by all I mean the Good, the Bad and the Ugly. But I have especially been working on remembering to give the good along with the bad and the ugly.

After all it must be nice have the occasional bouquet shared along with all of the burdens that Jesus quietly helps us to carry, often without our even noticing it. We need only to look at the wide spread arms on the cross to see how willing and able he is to carry them, but that doesn't mean He doesn't also want to share in the joy of small blessings we have received.

And so while I have had to be leaning especially heavily on Him these past weeks and days, I have remembered to thank Him for the little blessings that pass by me during the day. A little kiss from one of my small ones, a job well done by an older child - without having been asked. Quick forgiveness from my spouse when I, feeling extremely stressed, was short with him. The delightful chubbiness and dimples of a new baby. All glimpses of light shining through cracks in the long tunnel I have been gazing down the past month. Thank you Jesus.

And thank you to each and everyone of you who have prayed. I have felt the effects of these prayers, and they can be the only explanation for the strength I have felt growing within me the past days. There are hurdles still ahead but with Jesus' strong arms and your supportive prayers - I believe we will make it.

Ignore Read more!

Out of the blue...

Out of the blue the other day 4 year old Elsa turned to me and said: "I just wish we could buy a boat... then we could get into it. (Pause followed by big sigh) and then we could go to Ireland and see Aimee."

Me too honey, me too.

ignore Read more!

Good News re Michael B as well as CP's 4 yr old son...

We received word today that Michael was to be released from hospital and able to head home! As soon we know anything about his kidneys and how they faired through out the ordeal we will let you know. Again as said before the family is incredibly grateful for everyone's prayers.

C.P.'s 4 year old son did well during the actual CT and in addition to that - the parents learned the results today... when it was thought the wait would be longer. I received an email thanking everyone for their prayers and the wonderful news that there were no abnormalities observed. So while the cause of this 4 yr olds migraines remains a mystery, he does not have any "inter cranial abnormalities present". Something I think we were all worried about. They will continue to try and discover the cause so continued prayers will be gratefully appreciated.

I, personally, can not imagine having to deal with a 4 year old having a migraine, its hard enough to watch an adult suffer with one! I hope and pray they find the cause of this suffering soon so that it can be treated and hopefully stopped!

ignore
Read more!

Sunday Snippits

A blog titled This that and the Other Thing has created a Catholic Carnival. I have never participated in a blog carnival before - only the carnivals with ferris wheels, games meant to lure you into spending quarter after quarter (which gives you an idea of how long its been since I have been to even that kind of carnival) and carts selling freshly roasted peanuts and piping hot popcorn and freshly spun sticky cotton candy.

However, this Catholic Carnival is a way to find other Catholic Blogs and possibly expand your favorite reading list. Mine is of a rather short list and not everyone posts daily so I could use a few new blogs to distract enlighten myself with. Here is the post on This That and the Other Thing that tells how the Carnival works. It's quite simple but still too complicated for my overtired, stressed out brain to try and rewrite it in my own words so I am doing the lazy smart thing and just sending you directly over.

Now I am supposed to link to one of previous posts that is particularly Catholic to share with new readers from the Catholic Carnival. So here is one my favorite posts that I think is quintessentially Catholic. What do you think?

I will finish this post with a plea for continued prayers. If I keep myself busy, cleaning, mothering, working on the seminar, cooking and cleaning some more - I don't think about the terrible challenge staring in our faces. The moment I stop to rest my mind is overwhelmed with fear and despondency. I had moments of real peace on and off yesterday and I can only contribute that to the prayers of others. Sadly - this makes me so aware of my lack of faith in God. An ounce of real faith would take away all of my fears and replace them with an inner peace that surpasses all earthly joy.
Ignore Read more!

Difficult Road Ahead

I will continue with updates on Michael as we learn then as well as any news or prayer requests we might have for CP's 4 yr old son. Other wise I will not be around much. Hugo and I are facing some huge hurdles and difficult times ahead of us the coming weeks and possibly months. I am too overwhelmed & discouraged to write right now. Please pray for us as we grapple with these challenges and difficulties. Pray for courage, strength and wisdom from the Holy Spirit to guide us as we really feel quite lost at the moment.

I did laugh at myself this morning as I wondered what it would be like if at any point in one's life you could go back to the beginning and redo things, make different decisions based on the knowledge you had gained from the first time around. Then it struck me that someone has already named that concept. Reincarnation. Ha! Except I'm not hoping to turn into a gazelle, just want to maybe make smarter choices, be better person, a better mum. better wife, better daughter & grand daughter, better child of God.

I can still work on improving in all of those areas, but right now I am feeling a bit flattened by life. Kinda like I have run the marathon - the end is in sight but I spent my energy too quickly and now I don't have enough left to finish the race. Anyone know what I mean?

If I start to feel better and have energy to spare I'll post something. Until then God Bless and please pray for us.

ignore
Read more!

A respectful dialog...

...in which two people share very different views that are not so often shared in such an intelligent and polite manner with respect being shown to the opposite view. Blessed among men, in this post, clearly and respectfully clears up the misconceptions that were expressed to her by one of her readers. I love how Suzanne explains so well the difference between artificial birth control and NFP.

"NFP is not birth control. It does not approach a woman's fertility like a medical problem that needs treatment. Avoiding a pregnancy through communication of spouses and self sacrifice while observing the natural law for the common good of the family is a very different thing than engaging in a natural process while at the same time actively thwarting that process."

Do I have your interest yet - if so click here to read the whole post.
Read more!