Fall Into Reading 2007

OK, I've decided to take the plunge and join in on the Fall Into Reading 2007 challenge over at Callapidder Days. I will use this challenge to deplete my collection of to-be-read books sitting in my bookcase plus some books that are on loan.

Fiction

Wish You Well by David Baldacci

Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden

The Yada Yada Prayer Group Gets Down by Neta Jackson

By a Spider's Thread by Laura Lippman

The Scarlet Thread by Francine Rivers

Secret of the Hall by Veronica Heley

The Lady of the Hall by Veronica Heley

Non-Fiction

The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson

A Beautiful Offering by Angela Thomas

Deep Conversion Deep Prayer by Fr. Thomas Dubay

The Secret Diary of Elizabeth Leseur

This will be quite a challenge since this is a busy period for me, but I'm going to go for it. If you are interested in joining, head on over to Callapidder Days! Take a look at other participants lists and be inspired!

Morning Offering

This is the prayer I say first thing every morning. If I'm groggy because I didn't get enough sleep (which seems to be happening more often), I at least make this offering so that whatever happens, good or bad, it is offered to the Lord. He can use it all as He wills. He can shape the good and the bad to mold my life as He wills. I may not like it when the troubles are near, but I try to trust that He is working in me.

O Jesus, through the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I offer You my prayers, works, joys and sufferings of this day, for all the intentions of Your Sacred Heart, in union with the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass throughout the world, in reparation for sin, for the intentions of all my friends and associates, and in particular for the intentions of the Holy Father.

Knitting Update

I thought I'd share some of the progress I'm making on my knitting.

I finished a hat and one mitten

for Emily!

I started a project for Emily since she is the smallest, I thought it would go quicker. And it did!
Everything is very quick to work up. I took a little longer as I needed a little help from my knitting instructor and I had other things going on in my life that took from my knitting time. I should be able to finish the other mitten soon!

Our Lady of Sorrows

Beneath the cross the Mother kept

Bleak vigil under darkened skies.

Upon the cross her Son hung nailed,

Stabbed through by crowds of hostile eyes.

"And your own soul a sword shall pierce,"

The old man in the Temple said,

The Spirit's sword, the word of God-

God's word be done, was all she said.

Upon the cross the Savior died;

Beneath, the Mother bowed her head;

Above, the storm broke harsh and wild-

God's word be done, was all she said.

A soldier came and thrust him through;

The blood and water proved him dead.

They laid his body in her arms-

God's word be done, was all she said.

At vigil's end, the Crucified

Arose from death her glorious Lord.

O Father, Son, and Spirit, God,

We praise and magnify your Word.

-Old Hymn

Birthday Boy

Ryan turned 6 this past week. He was excited to have his cake and presents. He was able to have Grandma here to help him celebrate. After going out to dinner at his favorite place, we came home for some of his cupcake cake. After all the busyness of vacation and the start of school, I completely forgot that I had bought a tablecloth, cups, plates, and napkins (Spon*gebob Square*pants, of course). I guess I can save them for next year?

Happy Birthday, Ryan! You've touched our lives with your adventure, silliness, and most of all, your tender heart! You're a wonderful gift from God and you will be a great man someday!

Exhaustion!

Well, I am back from my relaxing (NOT!) vacation! When we made these plans, little did we know that this would be the hottest string of days in I don't know how long. We spent most of the time in the swimming pool, cooling off in the room, or trying to find something to eat! We didn't go to Disneyland as it was just too hot! I think it was over 100 degrees each of the days we were there.

Three year old Emily was not on her best behavior during our vacation. She threw a scene every time it was time to get out of the pool. She wanted to stay in much longer, or she wanted to be out of her wet bathing suit shortly after. I tried everything I could to quiet her down and cheer her with something else, but to no avail. She would whine and cry until we got to the room and could change her. I tried to avoid eye contact with others that we would pass by!LOL! Needless to say, I questioned my abilities as a mother often. I think overall we did have fun. We got to swim, eat out, and relax a little. I tend to relate it as being pregnant When you're going through the aches, pains, and discomfort of pregnancy, you don't like it, but when you remember it later, you kind of forget the discomforting stuff and look back on it fondly. So, I do thank God that we got to spend this little vacation time together!

On the night of our return, we had a power failure! Luckily it was at bedtime, so we all just went to sleep. I was hoping it would be back on in the morning but it wasn't. The electric company said it wouldn't be on till that night or the next morning. That wasn't good because we needed to get the cars out of the garage. With no power, we couldn't get the the electric door to open. There is an emergency switch that lets you open the door manually, but you really need to have the strength of Hercules. It was just too heavy! So I gathered the kids and we rode the bus to school! It took us awhile, but we all made it. Meanwhile, back at home, I had to try to salvage what I could from the refrigerator and freezer. Most things were saved, but there were some meats and milk that had to be tossed. Oh yea, and in the midst of all that, Ryan turned 6! I'll have to post something about that later.

I think this post is too long now, so I'll end it. I'll be visiting everyone soon! Here is one picture taken on vacation. Unfortunately, I didn't take many pictures. Kathryn took some but they came out blurry.

Brief Time Off

This has been a busy, hectic week. School started along with all the emotions involved. But I think we're all getting the hang of things. Nerves are subsiding and a routine is getting established. Ryan loves school but isn't quite thrilled that he has to get up early and go everyday instead of three times a week like before. Kathryn was fighting nerves but is quickly adapting and doing well. She's been making friends and doing her best to keep up with the work. She's had a big adjustment. The school she went to last year had about 40 students, K-8. Now her school has over 500, K-8!



I've been busy trying to locate some colored pencils for Kathryn's class and was not having any luck. These particular ones had to be watercolored pencils. I'd never heard of them and couldn't find them anywhere. Finally I decided to go to the local craft store and there they were. I'm glad that's taken care of.



Now I have to pack and get ready for a little weekend getaway. We are going to Dis*neyland and stay at a local hotel. It may sound silly being that we live less than 15 miles from there, but we love staying at a hotel, going swimming, and spending a day at Dis*neyland. If it gets too hot, or the little ones get cranky, we head back to the hotel for some resting and then head back out for more rides and food!

I haven't had much of a chance to do much commenting on your blogs. I haven't even had much time to visit. When I get back, I'll do my catching up and visiting. Have a blessed weekend!

Weekend Happenings

This weekend was mostly spent picking up and doing last minute things for the start of the new school year tomorrow. Last minute markers and folders that were hard to find items were now found. Ryan is now excited about starting "real" school and isn't worried about a thing. Kathryn is also excited but nervous about going to a new school. She wonders about finding things and whether she'll make new friends. I reassured her about everything.

Now, I'll stop my worrying. My worries are more the logistical aspect of things. Will I wake up in time to get everyone up? Will traffic be OK? Will we get there in time? I don't want any tardies on the first day! As you can see, I have a thing about time. I don't like to be late for anything.

One thing I did this weekend that was not school related was I went to my knitting class. I learned a new stitch that had me stumped when I tried to figure it out at home. I finished my first project - Emily's hat. I also finished one mitten. I need to knit the left mitten now. I hope to get a picture of them on here soon. I had such great satisfaction to see that the hat didn't come out too dorky looking. I even put a pom pom on it. Emily loves the hat and her one mitten!

Now, it's time to relax before heading off to bed. My books from Amazon.com came the other day so I'll read a little from my Home Comforts book and a little from Elizabeth Leseur. Then it's the start of a new week and new adventures!

Some of My Favourite Things

Suzy at her beautiful blog, Sailing By Starlight, shared some of her favourite things. So, I thought I would share some of mine!

• Soft yarn between my fingers.
  



• The smell of cookies baking in the oven.




• Reading until my eyes are heavy.
  



• Birds chirping at dawn's breaking.
  

• Waves crashing on the shore.




• Hearing my kids giggle uncontrollably.




• Emily touching my cheek while saying, "Sweet Mommy."





• The satisfaction felt at the end of a day of hard work.





• Hearing my kids say they liked my food.

St. Bernard of Clairvaux

This is from a sermon by St. Bernard of Clairvaux taken from the church bulletin:

Love is sufficient of itself; it gives pleasure by itself and because
of itself. It is its own merit, its own reward. Love looks for no
cause outside itself, no effect beyond itself. Its profit lies in the
practice. Of all the movements, sensations and feelings of the soul, love
is the only one in which the creature can respond to the Creator and make some
sort of similar return however unequal though it be. For when God loves,
all he desires is to be loved in return. The sole purpose of his love is
to be loved, the knowledge that those who love him are made happy by their love
of him.

Bad Habit

I've been really trying to curb this habit and was doing pretty good, but today I couldn't resist it. I was browsing through Amazon.com ( big mistake) looking at the description of some books that were on my wish list and before I knew it, I was finalizing my order for three items! I don't usually do this, but it was all a blur. I usually write down the names of the books I'd like and check to see if they are available at my library or the other branches.

In case anyone is curious as to what made me give in, here is what I bought:



I've heard good reviews about this book, Home Comforts by Cheryl Mendelson. Keeping house does not come naturally to me. It was not taught to me growing up, so a lot of what I've learned comes from books such as this, observing others, and reading homemaking blogs. Someday I'll do a post about my homemaking adventures.

Previously, I posted a meditation written by Elizabeth Leseur that really spoke to me. I wanted to read more about her and more of her writings, so I had to get this one, The Secret Diary of Elizabeth Leseur

Now, this one is not a book, but I couldn't resist getting it- Champions of Faith. It's an evangelistic tool/documentary about Catholic professional baseball players and the importance of the Catholic faith in their lives. We are a baseball loving family and I'd really love to see the witness of these players and how they love their faith.

So, there you have it. Now, I will have to do some clean up on my sidebar. Lately, the reading has been pushed to the side as I've been devoting more time to my knitting. I'm sure I'll go back to the reading when my shipment comes in!

Recycling

I think I'm jinxed. For the past two weeks I've been trying to get my cans and plastic bottles recycled. I go to the places that will give me money for doing this so we can have some chump change, plus I'm doing my part for the environment.

My first choice location is attended by a real person who pours out your recycled items, weighs them, then gives you a redemption slip to take into the grocery store for your money. The other location does not have a human attendant and is a self-serve machine. You put your recycled items on a conveyor belt then it spits out your receipt. You take it into the store for your money.

Now, I have five garbage bags (those big,green 35 gallon bags) filled to the max with plastic bottles and cans. So, beginning last week, I take them to my first choice location. The place is closed. Oh, well, next time I'm driving this way, I'll drop them off. I don't want to go to the other place because I don't want to spend all day putting them one by one on the conveyor belt.
The next time I'm driving by location #1, it's open so with the kids in the car, I pull into the parking lot. While I'm trying to find a parking space, I turn to see that there is line of people waiting for their turn! I can't go because I got the three kids, Emily, the youngest is already cranky that she wants to go home. They won't last waiting in line, in the heat. Oh well, next time!

The next time comes a couple of days later. I'm by myself this time. I can wait in line if I have to. I drive into the parking lot, thinking of how much money I can get, what can we do with it, etc, etc. Oh, man! The place is closed again! OK, I'm getting a little perturbed now. I pull up real close to see the hours. It's in tiny print. Closed Sunday and Monday. I didn't think they would be closed either of those days. Anyway, I've been driving all this time with all these bags of cans and plastic bottles and it's time to get rid of them!

Now, a couple days later. Ryan and I are doing errands. Let's see if we can finally redeem these items! First choice location has a line about 10 deep. Everyone has just about as many bags as I do. Before I stand in that line, I decide to go to the other place. With Ryan with me, maybe we can handle putting the items one by one on the conveyor belt. I drive over there, good, there's an available machine. Ryan and I lug out two of the bags. We start putting in the bottles. So far so good. Then all of a sudden the machine stops and an alarm goes off, ringing and ringing. It spits out a receipt for what we had already put in (.20 ) then says call such and such number for help. Forget it! I'm out of there!

Today is another day. Steve is going in to work a little late. I do my morning routine. Dare I think that I can take the cans this morning? I broach the subject with Steve. Can you watch the kids while I take them? He says OK as long as I can get back in maybe half and hour. He has to get to work. Yippee! I don't think there would be a line this early in the morning. Well, you guessed it, there was a line. A shorter one than before, but at least 6 deep, with lots of cans and bottles. I wouldn't make it back within half an hour. So another attempt thwarted!

Maybe I'm not meant to do this! Maybe dear hubby is supposed to do this! Yeah, that must be it. Oh, Steeeve!

Winding Down the Summer

It's hard to believe that in two weeks, Kathryn & Ryan will be starting school. This summer has gone by so fast. Most of the school supplies have been purchased. I just need to find appropriate shoes to go with their school uniform. I remember how I used to love to go shopping for school supplies. I was always eager to start school. I liked the structure and routine. I liked having the social life with my friends.

Kathryn & Ryan are excited to start school although they are a little apprehensive. Kathryn will be starting the 4th grade and Ryan will be starting Kindergarten. Ryan's hoping he'll know what to do. He asked me, "What if I don't know how to do what the teacher says?" I reassured him that the teacher is there to teach and show him how to know and do what's expected for his age. She is there to help him learn.

This is a new school for the both of them and they don't know what to expect. I am confident they'll adjust fine and do well.

So these last two weeks of summer vacation will be spent having fun and taking each day as it comes. Perhaps going swimming in my brother's pool, going to the park, visiting Steve at work, or just hanging out at home. We'll see what the day brings!

Finding Shells

Today we took a tiny side trip to the beach. We didn't go in the water, but went to look for some seashells. The beaches here don't have big shells so we just found little pieces. The kids loved it anyway. The ocean was blue and beautiful.

Here are the kids showing off their little finds.

Then we took a little walk on this pier!

It was a good day!

Meditation

This was offered as today's reflection in Magnificat, which I use to follow the Church's liturgical readings and prayer. It is only a portion of it. I used it as my prayer. It is from the writings of Elizabeth Leseur. She was an elite French woman, married to an atheist antagonistic towards her faith. After she died, he found her diary in which she recorded her relationship with God. He eventually converted and became a priest.

My God, I belong and always wish to belong to you, in suffering or in
pain, in spiritual dryness or in joy, in illness or in health, in life or in
death. I want only one thing: that your will be done in me and by me. More and more I seek, and desire to seek, only one end: to promote your greater glory through the accomplishment of your desires for me.

I offer myself to you in wholehearted interior sacrifice and ask you
to dispose of me for your service as the most common, most useless instrument, in favor of those you love. Make me either passive or active, practicing in turn and as the hour required the contemplation I love best and other good works according to your will.

Let me always be strict with myself, more gentle, loving, and helpful to others, to make you loved through me, always hiding my efforts, prayers, and mortifications. Make me very humble and draw my heart to yours, my beloved Savior and God.

Where Have All the Butterflies Gone?

In today's Orange County Register, there was an article about the declining butterfly population in the county. How sad! They attribute it to the drought we've been having. The plants and flowers that feed these butterflies are not surviving the drought. I also think it has to do with all the development that this county has had. Lots of land that was once agriculture or rolling hills has been developed into the newer cities that make up Orange County.

What a loss if our butterflies disappear! They are a nice reflection of God's beauty on earth. They are a delight to the heart if you stop and observe a butterfly fluttering about a flower. Today, I don't see too many butterflies. Mostly just the white ones ( I don't know the name of those). I ought to do some research and find out what kind of plants and flowers attract the butterflies and plant those in the yard.

Bringing Out the Ole Knitting Needles

The knitting/crochet bug has hit me once again. It's funny how I'm all into knitting or crocheting, I do that for awhile, then the reading bug hits me. I read a lot of books for a period of time and the knitting needle/crochet hook/yarn gets put away. I guess I go in cycles. The bad part is, once reading hits me again, I tend to forget how to do some stitches and then have to review them when I start doing that again.

Last Saturday, Kathryn and I took a knitting class together. She has never knitted a stitch in her life, and I needed to get reacquainted. Here are our sample swatches we made:

Kathryn's swatch looks pretty good considering it was her first time. She picked up instructions quickly. The hot pink color is very bright in real life! She would like to be able to knit a purse. I'll do all I can to encourage her.

This is my sample swatch. When I started knitting and purling, it started coming back again. Kind of like bike riding. When I knitted in the past, I just did the basics. My goal now is to be able to knit with different color yarns, knit with circular needles and double pointed needles, and most importantly, to be able to correct my mistakes. I've never been able to do that. If I dropped a stitch or something, I had to give it back to the teacher to fix. I need to be able to fix it myself or I won't be able to get far. I hope to start making some caps, scarves and mittens for the winter.

Menu Plan Monday

OK, it's time for me to join in the fun again. I've been winging it for the past couple of weeks and I need to get everyone eating good stuff again. My menu this week consists of dishes that we've had many times before.

Monday: Spaghetti w/ meat sauce, Garlic bread, salad

Tuesday: Tasty Onion Chicken, Honey Garlic Angel Hair, vegetables

Wednesday: Going to the Fair. Yippee!

Thursday: Hot Swiss Chicken Sandwiches, Honey Garlic Angel Hair, Salad

Friday: Shrimp Dinner, Ahi Rice, vegetables

Saturday: One Pan Taco Dinner

Sunday: Lasagna, Garlic bread, salad

For other great menu plans, go visit Laura!

Cool Shades

I didn't plan on posting this, but I've been seeing it a lot on other's blogs. It grows on me each time I see it! So here it is. Is our Holy Father cool or what!

H/T to The Curt Jester

Back to the 80's

I just love the 80's music so when I found out that the Psychedelic Furs were coming to town, I just had to go. Steve got the tickets and that's where we went Tuesday night! The Fixx and The Alarm also were on the playbill. It was great! It reminded me of what fun times I had in the 80's, way back when I was younger and real wet behind the ears. Glad to say I've matured a bit.

I've always liked The Alarm but kind of forgot about them because they weren't a prominent band like the Psychedelic Furs. I was glad to hear that the lead singer, Mike Peters, still has a great voice. He mentioned that he had leukemia. Upon reading about him, I found out that he's battled it twice and apparently is taking medication to keep it under control, at bay or something to that effect. At the concert, he had super energy, was upbeat, and had such an inspiring attitude.

Here's a YouTube video of the Psychedelic Furs in case you're unfamiliar with them or if you just want to re-live a little bit of 80's music!

The Week So Far

This week has gone by pretty fast. Most of it has been spent doing routine housework, cleaning kitchen appliances and working in Kathryn's room to get ready for Miss Emily to move in. I don't really get as much done as I'd like because I also need to make sure all three kids are safely occupied and not pestering each other too much. I've pulled my hair out more than once with all their arguing! I'm sure they're tired of hearing me say, "Can't you all just get along!!" I'm tired of hearing myself say it! I've done a little academic work with them, but it hasn't been consistent. I'll try to do better with that.

Yesterday we took a little drive to visit Grandma. We had lunch, then the kids played around while I chit chatted with Mom. That is always fun. She has a nice patio and garden with a large yard for the kiddos to run around.

Today was lunch day with Dad. Every summer we have one day a week or every other week when we go to Steve's work, pick him up and have lunch at a park. I packed lunch for me and the kids and off we went. Today, we didn't actually go to the park this time. I had to do emergency grocery shopping and Steve kindly gave up the park so we could get the bread we really needed. If you can guess, I really, really don't like to go shopping with all three kids. So, even when we don't make it to the park, we all like to visit with Steve even if it's just for one hour during the day.

Tomorrow we head off to the library. Ryan just got a library card and he's excited to be able to check out his own books. His interest right now is insects. So, we'll probably check out some beetle or grasshopper books. I'm actually learning new things, like there really is a difference between bugs and insects. I never new that. I just used the terms interchangeably
I probably won't be able to look at books for myself. By the time everyone has their books picked out, Emily will have had enough and start getting unruly. We'll see!

Summorum Pontificum celebration

Yea!

Motu Propio

Well, the long awaited Motu Propio (Summorum Pontificum) has been released. I so hope this is the start of bringing back reverence to the Mass. I'll have to wait and see how the bishop here will respond, but I'm hoping I will have an opportunity to attend my first Latin Mass in the near future. I've never attended one before and the main reason I want to is to experience a sense of the reverence, awe, and emphasis on the "Sacrifice of the Mass." I've had plenty of experience with hand holding, let's be community type of worship. Now I'm not opposed to being a community, but I don't like that being emphasized over the sacrificial aspect of the Mass. I don't foresee going to a Latin Mass regularly, but I do want to see what the Mass may have been like before Vatican II. I'll see what transpires in my diocese.



For some good analysis about this document, check out Fr. Z.

Happenings

Our Fourth of July was spent just being together. We attended our neighborhood annual parade. Everyone dresses for the occasion, decorates their strollers, bikes, wagons, pets, whatever and goes around a couple of blocks in the neighborhood. Lots of people sit out in their front yards and wave to those of us walking in the parade. A firetruck usually leads the parade.

Afterwards, everyone gets an ice cream treat!

Usually at night we try to see the fireworks show from Dis*neyland at a nearby parking lot. This year Emily tuckered out early and fell asleep before we could go. I stayed home with her and Ryan chose to join me. Steve and Kathryn went to see the fireworks show. All was not lost as Ryan and I got to see the neighbors doing their fireworks. Not too bad. We also got to see some shooting off in the air. I actually think those are illegal. The ones that are sold in the stands don't shoot up in the air. I don't know where people get those other ones, Mexico perhaps? Don't know.

Yesterday, I got quite a scare. I was out on the front porch sweeping and just knocking off dust from the windowsills. I went back inside and the kids stayed out there. Ryan yells that there's a wasp nest out there. I said no, there was one last year but I haven't seen one this year. Well, out of curiosity, I took a peak and sure enough, there was a small hornet's nest! We ran back into the house and looked at this nest through the window. Yuck, it was ugly. It was only about the size of an apricot but it had a lot of those combs. There were about ten hornets all over it. Man, I was not about to mess with that. The nest was situated near our front door. I don't know why we didn't notice it before! We are in and out all the time. I didn't want to wait for Steve to come home and I wouldn't want him to try to get it either. It was in such a position that the hornets would swarm straight at you. I called the exterminator and he quickly came and took care of it. He handled it quite easily. You could tell he was an expert! I wish I would have thought of taking a picture of it, but I wasn't thinking of that at the time! It seems like we get these hornets each year, but we manage to mess up the nest before it gets bigger. This year they kind of fooled us with the location.

4th of July

Happy Birthday to The United States of America!

God Bless America!

Nutrition & Cholesterol

Yesterday I went to a class held at the local hospital about nutrition and managing cholesterol. It was very informative. When I was pregnant with Emily, about three years ago, I developed gestational diabetes. I had to meet with a nutritionist and develop a meal plan that would help in managing my blood sugar levels. I learned so much and during my pregnancy. My blood sugars stayed in the normal range and I developed healthy eating habits to last a lifetime. Well, since then, I've little by little neglected the good that I learned and replaced that with my previous bad habits.


Well, I've decided that I need to get back into the healthy lifestyle that I had with my last pregnancy. So, I enrolled in this one time class so that I could hear a lot of what I once knew with renewed motivation. Here is some of what I learned:

---There is good cholesterol (HDL) and bad cholesterol (LDL). Some ways to combat the bad cholesterol is to cut back the fat in our diets. Eat more dietary fiber, found in fruits, vegetables, and whole grain products. Exercise regularly.

---Keep blood pressure in check by exercising regularly. Limit sodium intake. Eat a low fat diet.


---We went over the dietary guidelines and how to choose wisely in the different food groups.


---Bad fats (saturated, trans fatty acids). Good fats (Omega 6, Omega 3, monounsaturated)

---Reading and understanding a food label will help in making healthy food choices.

---Benefits and importance of fiber.

We also received numerous charts about the different foods and their amounts of fat, cholesterol, fiber, sodium, etc. All this information is a little overwhelming for me right now so I've decided to concentrate on improving one part of this at a time.

My goal right now is to drink at least 6 glasses of water a day (working my way to 8). I also will try to increase my fiber intake. I haven't been doing too well in the fruit and vegetable area, so that is where I'll start. Increasing the fiber should be done a little at a time because if it's done too quickly, abdominal distress can result.

Hopefully, I'll be on my way to a healthier me.

This 'N That

Steve finally sold his car that he was trying to sell for the longest time. He already has another one picked out. He just has to wait for the other party (it's a used one) to receive the pink slip from their financial institution. Once he gets the "new" one, we'll finally have some reliable cars. We both have had some bad times with previous cars. The car I'm driving now is very reliable and I've had no problems with it.

Until Steve gets the new car, hopefully within the next few days, we'll be sharing mine. Hopefully we'll get all our respective errands done. He'll probably be driving my car when he returns to work on Thursday. I'll be left at home with the three kids, YIKES!

Today's agenda is to take care of whatever errands we can so that we can enjoy a leisurely 4th tomorrow. Tomorrow our neighborhood has its annual 4th of July parade. We need to put air in the kids bicycle tires so they can ride them in the parade.

It's been hot here the last couple of days. We're in the high 80's. Usually when it's this warm, our nights are so nice that we like to take walks along the beach. Maybe we can do that tonight.

Yesterday, I went to an interesting class about nutrition and managing cholesterol. I used to be more conscientious about my eating habits before, but I kind of let it slide and now I want to get back into developing better overall health habits. I hope to write about that in another post.

A Few More Pictures

Just a few more shots of some plants I saw during our drive yesterday. Sorry, but I don't know the names of these. There was just a general sign about how these were native plants.

And this one is a closer shot of the same plant above.

This weekend I hope to work a little on cleaning up our patio so get it in summertime condition. Also, I'll work on getting a menu put together. I've pretty much been winging it for the past couple of weeks. I need to get on track with that again.

Now, off to relax and read a little before bedtime.

Summer Drive

Today, the kids and I grabbed Grandma and went for a little summer drive by the coast. This area is always so nice especially on hot summer days like today. I didn't take too many pictures of the ocean, but I did manage to capture these:

In the background you can see a little lighthouse over by the palm trees.

This is a view looking down from where we were standing. There's a railing so you can't fall down this cliff. This part of the coast is all rocky. There's a small public beach about a mile away to the east.

There was a little museum on the grounds but I didn't get to really have a visit. Emily wanted to run around outside so I kept her company. Tomorrow I'll try to post some pictures of some native California plants that I saw.

Am I Missing Something?

I just read this story from the Fox News website and was dumbfounded. It's the news item about a missing California priest along with the WOMAN he was vacationing with! Nowhere does it mention the oddity of why would a supposedly celibate Catholic priest be vacationing with a woman, alone. I tried to ascertain whether perhaps he is an Anglican priest? Maybe? Was he vacationing with a group?

I hope they are found but it is also sad that a priest has taken to the ways of today's culture. What happened to the notion of not even giving the appearance of scandal or causing others to get the wrong impression. On the other hand, there are many holy priests still around. I see them and see the dedication with which they serve. I see their striving to be holy priests. Let's pray often for our priests.

PRAYER FOR PRIESTS
(By Cardinal Cushing)
0 Almighty, Eternal God,
look upon the face of Thy Son, and for love of Him Who is the Eternal
High-priest, have pity on Thy priests. Remember, 0 most compassionate God, that
they are but weak and frail human beings. Stir up in them the grace of their
vocation which is in them by the imposition of the Bishop's hands. Keep them
close to Thee, lest the enemy prevail against them so that they may never do
anything in the slightest degree unworthy of their sublime vocation.
0 Jesus,
I pray Thee for Thy faithful and fervent priests; for Thy unfaithful and tepid
priests; for Thy priests laboring at home or abroad in distant mission fields;
for Thy tempted priests; for Thy lonely and desolate priests; for Thy young
priests; for Thy dying priests; for the souls of Thy priests in
Purgatory.
But above all, I commend to Thee the priests dearest to me; the
priest who baptized me; the priests who absolved me from my sins; the priests at
whose Masses I assisted and who gave me Thy Body and Blood in Holy Communion;
the priests who taught and instructed me or helped and encouraged me; all the
priests to whom I am indebted in any other way. 0 Jesus, keep them all, close to
Thy heart, and bless them abundantly in time and in eternity. Amen

Britains Got Talent - A Star Is Born

Summer Vacation Begins

Summer vacation begins and now I have to be on the ball as far as scheduling goes. Ryan will still be at his preschool three days a week until the end of this month since we are paid for until then. But for all intents and purposes, I will have all three, all day. I have lots of things planned, fun things as well as a little academic stuff here and there.




Ryan "graduated" from Pre-K and he had a little ceremony at his school. The lighting was really bad so I couldn't get any good pictures of the little program they had but that's OK. Afterwards, we went to the ice cream shoppe for some ice cream and then had a little cake at home. He was excited to have a little celebration just for him.







Not sure what's up for this weekend. I do have to do a little shopping for Father's Day. Steve hasn't told me exactly what he'd like to do on Sunday. So that's still up in the air.


Now I'm off to cook some lunch.

Popping In

I realized that it's been over a week since I last posted! Not much going on here. Just the everyday stuff. I've been lax in my housework so I'm desperately trying to do catch up and do a little extra deep cleaning. Kathryn's bedroom needs some serious work. Emily will be moving into her room soon so we want to get furniture rearranged and the room newly painted before she moves in. Before we do that, we need to work on decluttering. I would like to get as much stuff done before school ends this coming Thursday. After that, all three kids will be home and the fun begins!

Today I have to catch up with laundry! I have lots of baskets of clean clothes to fold and put away. And I have to make my menu for the week! I haven't even thought about it and I need to go grocery shopping !! YIKES!!! I better get off the computer and get to work!

Weekend Stuff

The weekend began Friday night taking in hubby Steve's baseball game. He hasn't played in 20+ years so this was an historic moment. The team is organized by my nephew and consists of many of his family members and friends. DH looked good playing but his body is not quite used to the workout. He enjoyed it though.



This morning, Ryan had his first session of his tennis class. We don't know where he picked up the desire to play tennis as we are mostly baseball, basketball, and soccer people but if he wants to try tennis, why not? I used to play in my younger college years (not very well, only PE courses) but havent' played since. Maybe if Ryan keeps up with it, I may join in too. I think it would do me good to get up off the computer chair and become a little more fit. I think I'm going to begin to feel left out. Steve has baseball, Kathryn has soccer, Ryan has baseball and tennis, Emily is chasing whatever ball happens to come her way, and that leaves me. I can surf pretty well (the web, that is), my fingers move well on the keyboard and turning book pages, but that's about it! I'll have to think about what I can do. Fitness walking is probably my best option right now.



This afternoon was spent at Chu*ck E. Che*ese. The kids had lots of fun playing the games. Of course at the end, the only thing they have to show for it is cheap toys that have already been misplaced. That whole racket reminds me of Las Ve*gas. Lots of bells and whistles and money spent in the hopes of meaningful winnings. The only thing you have to show for it is a lighter wallet. At least the money spent is not equivalent to what can be spent in Ve*gas. And the kids enjoy playing the arcade games.

Tomorrow should be a free day. We go to Mass in the morning then see what the rest of the day brings!

I've Been Tagged!!

I was tagged by Christine M at The Simple and the Ordinary to do this 8 Things About Me meme! This is my very first one so let's see if I can come up with some things.


Here are the rules: Each player lists 8 facts/habits about themselves. The rules of the game are posted at the beginning before those facts/habits are listed. At the end of the post, the player then tags 8 people and posts their names, then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment, letting them know that they have been tagged and asking them to read your blog.


1. I'm a Leap Year baby. Born Feb. 29. When I was a kid, I didn't like to tell anyone my real birthday because I thought I would get teased that I only had a birthday every 4 years. Now it's great because most years I celebrate for two days, Feb. 28 and March 1!

2. I love to read. I'll read almost anything but I tend to gravitate toward mysteries and suspense novels. My general fiction choices are usually recommended by others. My non-fiction choices are mostly ones that help in my spiritual life or vocation as wife and mother.

3. I like to crochet and knit. I'm really a beginner knitter because I've never moved beyond the simple knit and purl stitches. I hope to move beyond that soon. My skills as a crocheter are a little better. I've made baby blankets, Christmas stockings and a few doily coasters. The crocheting and knitting come in spurts as I'm usually devoting more time to reading.

4. Before I became a SAHM, I worked for 13 years as an admissions officer at a local university. Once I had my second child, I knew in my heart that I wanted to be a SAHM. I feel that this is where I'm supposed to be now and I'm more fulfilled now than I ever was working out of the home.

5. I have a Bachelors degree in Spanish. I really had no practical reasons for choosing that degree other than I liked learning foreign languages. I had originally thought that I would be a translator for the courts but that never came about. Once I got a job at the university I ended up just focusing on working that job.

I'm having a hard time thinking of some other things now.

6. I still don't know what I'm doing with this blogging. That's why my site is kind of drab, I haven't gotten a profile picture up yet. I even had a fun time trying to type this post up. The bullet function worked kind of funny, the number list I wanted to use wouldn't double space right for me. Oh well, little bits at a time I suppose. I don't know if this qualifies as something about me other than my mental state right now.

7. I should have posted this after #2 above, but I have tons of books still to be read on my bookshelf, but I keep buying them. That's a bad vice of mine. I'm working on getting at least 10 books from my shelf read before checking out new ones at the library. I can't afford to buy new ones all the time.

8. My drivers ed teacher in high school once told me that he wouldn't want to be on the road while I was driving. I guess I was that bad. But I passed my test the first time around and I've never gotten a speeding ticket in my 20+ years of driving! I have been involved in a few fender benders but they all involved someone else hitting me! And that's the truth!

Now the hard part is tagging someone else. I know only two people to tag. One is my sister, Mitzi at Amazing Grace who is new to blogging. Also, my husband, Steve, at In My Sights. He created a blog awhile ago and only has one post. Maybe this will get him going.

Thanks for tagging me, Christine M! This was quite fun.

Ouch!

Ryan had to go to the lab today and get a routine blood test. He tried to be brave but the anxiety was a little too much for him. It didn't help that last week he had to endure three immunizations plus a TB test. All this for his entrance into Kindergarten in August. Anyway, he freaked a little when he saw a test tube coming. I tried to get him to close his eyes or turn his head away, but by this time he was coming unglued and was not even aware of what I was saying. After an what seemed like eternity, it was finally over! It took him awhile to recover from the ordeal but it helped that he got to buy a book at the bookstore. He picked out an I Spy book. He loves those.

Most Tuesday nights, we try to head out to the ice cream shop for Dollar Scoop Tuesday. Today was no exception. Kathryn & Ryan tried out a new flavor, Penguin something or other that was black and white. It had some kind of mixed berry flavor. I had my usual, Rocky Road.

This is what the kids looked like after having the delicious ice cream! Luckily the black stuff came off pretty well.

Menu Plan Monday - May 28

Here is my menu plan for the week:

Monday - Simple Memorial Day BBQ in the backyard. Hamburgers & hot dogs

Tuesday - Beef N Cheese French Bread, salad

Wednesday - Chicken casserole, vegetables

Thursday - Shepherd's Pie, vegetable pasta salad

Friday - leftovers

Saturday - spaghetti w/garlic bread, vegetables

Sunday - Chicken Cheese Enchiladas (new one to try), rice & beans

For more menu plans, go to I'm an Organizing Junkie. There's lots of great ideas.

Have a great week everyone! Don't forget to remember those who gave their lives for our country, our freedom. They paid the ultimate price.

Pentecost Sunday

Fire of God, undying flame,

Spirit who in splendor came,

Let your heat my soul refine,

Till it glows with love divine.

Breath of God that swept with power

In the Pentecostal hour,

Holy breath, be now in me

Source of vital energy.

Strength of God, your might within

Conquers sorrow, pain and sin;

Fortify from evil art

All the gateways of my heart.

Truth of God, your piercing rays

Penetrate my secret ways,

May the light that shames my sin

Guide me holier paths to win.

Love of God, your grace profound

Knows not either age or bound;

come, my heart's own guest to be,

Dwell for evermore in me.

Happy Birthday to Emily!!!

Today is my sweet Emily's 3rd birthday! She is a challenge right now but she brings such fun to our family. She loves her My Little Pony toys, duckies, doggies, and playing with her big brother Ryan. She tries her hardest to keep up with him and big sister Kathryn. She can't wait to play soccer and softball. She is a true gift from God!

New Birth Control Pill

I just read an article here about a new birth control pill that can stop a woman's menstrual cycle indefinitely. While that sounds wonderful in practical terms at first glance, pondering it a little more leaves me wondering what will be the outcome in the long term. It just seems unnatural to try and mess with something that is not broken. A woman's body is supposed to menstruate.
That is the way God created the female body to work. I think in our quest to be the master of everything, we are trespassing too much into God's domain. He knew what He was doing when He created male and female. That is my humble opinion.

Mentally Drained

Well, Emily has sure been the challenge this week. Maybe she's entering a new stage. She has been throwing the worst tantrums yet. I can't seem to take her anywhere without her going into a fit and major power struggle with me. If we go to Target, she wants to buy a toy. If we go to the grocery store, she wants to eat the chips NOW. If we go to the park, she doesn't want to go yet. It can be about anything. Sometimes I have to carry her out of the store, park, wherever. The hard part is that I'm only barely 5 feet tall. Emily is almost 35 pounds! It is quite a sight to see. Me carrying her while she's squirming trying to get out of my arms! I don't even want to imagine what it looks like - LOL! I think I need to think of another solution than trying to carry her away from the situation. Either my back is going to give out or I'll give myself a hernia - don't want that. I think I better pray and get some parenting books.

I know this seemingly endless season will pass but right now it's hard going through it. Most of the time she is a sweetie and a cutie. More about her tomorrow. Tomorrow is her 3rd birthday and I'll do a little entry about her.

Summer Academic Aspirations

I've been thinking about what I want to do with the kids during the summer to keep them fresh academic wise. Of course I want them to enjoy their summer vacation, but I also want them to be a little prepared for when September (or August in our case) rolls around. Here are my tentative plans:

Kathryn (entering 4th grade) - Work in Summer Bridge Activities. This book covers reading, writing, math and language skills. Write 6 book reports. Write a journal entry everyday.

Ryan (entering Kindergarten) - Practice letter and number writing. Practice reading with beginning readers.

Emily (barely turning 3 this coming Thursday) - Letter and number recognition. Simple shapes and basic colors.

I hope I can accomplish this. I also need to think about an overall schedule so that this can happen. I haven't been good about this in the past but I really want to try. If I can overcome my desire to want to do what I want instead of what I should do, then it will happen.

Got Bandages?

Over at 5 Minutes For Mom, another contest is going on to win 45 BOXES OF BANDAGES!!! My household is always in need of these things so I'm in.

If you'd like a chance at this contest, visit 5 Minutes for Mom.

Note:
This looks like a gag, but it's true! Go check it out!

My Dentist Loves Me

I had another visit to the dentist today. I think I've been there four times in the last three weeks! I went for cleaning last week, then had to return for some sealants to be put on some teeth. Kathryn went for a cleaning then had to return for some teeth extractions - 3 to be exact! Emily goes in about 3 weeks. Seems like one of us is always scheduled for something! I think I heard my dentist saying something about a trip to Tahiti (on us)! LOL

Menu Plan Monday

I'm a little late posting this but here it is. Nothing exciting this week. I tried to find things the kids would like with minimal fussing. I have picky eaters.

Monday: Shrimp Scampi w/rice, carrots & Ranch dressing

Tuesday: Chicken Stir Fry w/rice

Wednesday: Chicken Tortilla Soup (will finally try to make this)

Thursday: Tacos, rice & pinto beans

Friday: Sirloin steak, Honey Garlic Angel Hair Pasta, Marinated Vegetable Salad

Saturday: Baked Chicken Nuggets, Two Cheese Baked Potatoes, salad

Sunday: Shepherd's Pie

I don't have a good track record with sticking to the menu plan, but I hope this week I can.

For more great ideas check out I'm an Organizing Junkie!

Mother's Day

I hope all you mothers out there had a wonderful day. I had a nice one. It started yesterday morning with breakfast at IHOP. I don't particularly like the wait for breakfast on Mother's Day so we went on Saturday!
This morning, the kids gave me their present ( a gift card to Macy's - yea!). After church, we went to grab my mom and took her to Ruby's - another yea! All together, a nice weekend.

Today, I thank God for another year with my mother. She is the sweetest mother anyone could ever have. She has taught me so much about being a mother, not necessarily by words but by example. She has taught me all about self giving and sacrifice. She would do anything for her three children. She gives of her time to her friends, family, and church. I would say she truly lives for the service of others. I hope that I can be a giving person as she is. I have a long way to go in that department.

Today, I also thank God for my vocation of being a mother. He has blessed me with three beautiful children. He has chosen me to help lead them to Him. I hope I do not fail! Today, I again accept His call and pray for His strength and the graces necessary to do what He asks me to do.

Pant! Pant! Pant!

Today was one of those days. I was non-stop all day.

First, Kathryn's school had a Mother's Day tribute this morning. It was very sweet. Her class read tributes to their mothers.

Next, I picked up Ryan from preschool and took him to his new school for a Kindergarten day. He was so excited. He got to meet his teacher, see his classroom, meet his new classmates, sing some songs and play at recess. Then it was time to fit him for his uniform. He looked so handsome.

After Ryan's fitting, I had to pick up Kathryn from school and bring her to the new school and have her fitted for her uniform. All this fitting of uniforms left my checkbook much lighter (sigh).

Next stop, fast food, stop at home for Ryan to change into his baseball uniform, get all of us loaded into the car and head out for his game. Of course once at the game, I can't rest and watch the game, I need to keep Miss Emily occupied and happy. I was kind of lucky this time because she ended up playing with Kathryn and her friend. Still, I had to keep my eyes on her. She fell about 5 times while there and scraped some skin. She loves to run around this shady tree but all its roots are raised and exposed out of the ground. There is something attractive about that for her. Anyway, she's my tough cookie and she brushes herself off and keeps going.

After giving baths and tucking everyone in bed, it's time for me to relax and enjoy some reading. I'm almost finished with The Joy Luck Club. Next book will probably be a Vince Flynn book from my list.

What Happened?

How does this happen? I told Kathryn and Ryan that I would take them to the bookstore to buy ONE Reader/Chapter book each. Kathryn needs to do another book report and Ryan needs to start reading to me, period. Emily came along and I knew I'd have to get her a book, too. But that's OK, as long as they like reading books, that's what counts. I figured they could each find a cheap paperback book that's under five dollars. They're not too expensive.

How did Ryan and Emily end up with cute Spot stuffed animals? Ryan got a bug book that was above the target price range. He ended up with no Reader/Chapter book. Emily didn't get any book. Kathryn got a Chapter book (yeah!) but is more interested in her tween girl talk book that she bought with her own money. Yours truly had no will power and ended up buying a book to add to my list of 500 books to be read (hee hee - a little exaggerated).

Note to self: Break out the library cards!

Praying for Heather

Please pray for Heather. She is a sweet, young mother of three small children. She is having brain surgery today and needs our prayers. Here is a link to her site if you would like to read about her story.

Stuff, Stuff, and More Stuff!!!

I am overwhelmed right now with STUFF! I have been trying to de-clutter every room in the house and I am overwhelmed with how much stuff my kids have. There are parts to pirate ships, parts to Mr Potato Head, Little People parts. Everywhere are parts! I separate things and put them in their proper containers and they somehow reappear all over the place. It is time for me to take drastic measures. I am going to pack everything. A few things will stay in their rooms, some will go into the garage to be rotated at certain intervals, and some will be given away. Broken items and items missing crucial parts will be tossed.
AAHH! There is freedom in decluttering!

I have pack rat tendencies but am really learning to let go. I need to set a good example for my kids. I want them to see that one doesn't need to hang on to every single paper, toy, or thing that comes into our hands. It's not possible to save everything! I want to have the freedom that comes with simplifying. I have a long way to go but I'm trying.

Menu Plan Monday

Here is my planned menu for the week:

Monday: spaghetti, garlic bread, salad

Tuesday: Chili Beans, biscuits or cornbread, salad

Wednesday: Nachos, fruit

Thursday: Onion Chicken, rice, mixed vegetables

Friday: Movie Nite! Pizza, salad

Saturday: Tacos, rice & beans

Sunday: Chicken Tortilla Soup

For desserts this week I hope to make a Strawberry Apple Pie and a Cookie Pizza!

For a look at other great menu plans, check out Laura at "I'm an Organizing Junkie"!

Quiet Time

"My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me" John 10:27


Something I need to improve on is listening to what God is trying to tell me. As the priest mentioned in Mass today, I need to listen and not just "hear". If I need direction in my life, I need to calm my soul and listen. I haven't been good at that in the past. When I try to listen, all kinds of thoughts pop in my head. Things like my to-do list, what to work on with my kids, what to do with my husband, anything and everything. I constantly have to refocus. Then I just give up. I continue on with my petitions.

My goal for this week is to spend some quiet time with the Lord and try to just listen. Somehow I'll try to cast out distractions and not say anything. I'll just be available. I want to say, "Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening". (1 Samuel 3:9)

New Catholic Mother's Blog Roll

Yea! I just joined a Catholic Mothers blog roll! I look forward to checking out all the blogs. Thanks to Angie for creating this!

Schooling

Kathryn and Ryan have been admitted to a Catholic school for the coming 2007-2008 school year. I think this is the best and wisest choice for them at this time. Right now they both go to a Christian school, Kathryn in the 3rd grade and Ryan in Pre-K. It has served them well in all areas however enrollment there is very low. The retention rate is not good. The Preschool is fine but in Kathryn's class, there are only 6 children. It is a combined 2nd and 3rd grade class. They have two 3rd graders, including Kathryn. The other grades are not much better. I think the individualized attention is great. What I think is a problem is just Kathryn's socialization. I feel she needs more friends her own age. Since the turnover is great, usually her girlfriends leave at the end of the school year to move on to another school. We don't have any neighbors that have girls around Kathryn's age, her cousins live far away, and most of our friends have boys. This new school is more established, has a great reputation, and has plenty of kids. And the big plus is that it is a Catholic school. Since we are a practising Catholic family, this is great!

I've searched and searched for a Catholic school that really celebrates its Catholic identity. Our parish doesn't have a school and other schools in the area say they are Catholic but are not very orthodox. I think I may have found one that takes the faith seriously. Time will tell and I pray it is so.

Nugget of Hope

Sometimes parenting can be so difficult. There is constant bickering among the siblings, constant reinforcing of proper behavior, discipline doled out, etc., etc. Often I wonder if we as parents are making the right decisions. Will the kids ever "get it"? Will they learn to follow the Lord even with our many failures? Today I was given a glimmer of hope. Today the Lord allowed me to see a little reward for my clueless attempts at parenthood.

At Mass, all three kids acted better than they have in a long time. They participated and even two year old Emily behaved until the homily was almost over. That's pretty good for her. After Mass, we decided to go out to eat. I had a gift card to use up and I didn't really feel like cooking anything. Eating out can be a challenge right now with little ol' Emmy. Well, she surprised me and behaved herself! All three got along! All three ate their veggies! Oh my!

Today gave me hope that maybe some things I'm trying to get across to them are sinking in a little bit. Maybe my kids won't grow up to be ill mannered. Maybe I can teach them and I can believe that I am doing my part in producing future productive members of society. With God's grace, I can choose and I do choose, to do what He has called me to do...to raise up these children He has blessed me with. I cling to the belief that He chose me to be the mother to these specific children. He will give me everything I need to do it. I just need to seek Him first.

Goings On

I've been dealing with sick kids, again. But, isn't that the way it is when you're a mom. Ryan is over his ear infection. Emily seems to be over her cold. Kathryn looks like she's getting over her case of the hives.

Sunday night, she was complaining that she was itchy. I put some anti-itch cream and sent her to bed. She awakened me in the middle of the night and said she was itchy all over. Upon turning the light on, I saw that she was covered in hives! Luckily I had some over the counter allergy medication. She's been taking it for the past 2 days as the hives keep reappearing. Today was the first day without it and they seem to have stopped. Thank the Lord. Poor thing, she's been miserable with all the itching. If she can stay hive free today, I'll send her back to school tomorrow. I don't have any idea about what may have caused it. Perhaps a yogurt drink that she started drinking for the first time? Ryan had the same thing happen about two years ago. When I took him to the doctor about it, he said that sometimes we just don't know how they get it. It eventually clears up. It took Ryan about a week for them to finally clear up.

Oh yeah, I forgot to mention that Ryan had a little accident at the park last Friday. He ran into the park apparatus and required 4 staples to his little head! He was so brave in the emergency room. Thank God that it wasn't as bad as it could have been! His guardian angel must have taken the brunt of it!

Farm Day

Today I took Kathryn & Ryan to an educational farm. We had lots of fun seeing the farm animals and the vegetable plants. Emily didn't go as she seems to be afraid of the animal noises. I attempted to take her yesterday, but she wouldn't budge after hearing the cow "moo."

Here is a picture of one of the goats. He attempted to eat my jacket but I was alert and moved away before he succeeded.

Here is the biggest pig I've ever seen. I'm a city girl so this creature was BIG! In this picture she is waiting for her food. The farmer (for lack of a better name for the worker) was making his rounds and feeding all the animals. Miss Piggy is quite anxious!

Anyway, we all had a good time. Later in the afternoon, Ryan had a game. He is a good player. He hasn't use the T all season.

Tomorrow, we are planning on going to a nature center at a local regional park. The weather might be cool and windy so I'm not sure yet if we'll be venturing out. Ryan is getting over another ear infection and Emily is in the midst of a real snotty cold. We shall see.

PS. I'm still attempting to upload pictures so that they appear where I want them so pardon the not so polished look.

I'm Back!

It's been a long while since I've posted anything, but I've been busy taking care of sick kids and shuttling them to sports activities.

Today was just a relaxing day. I watched a movie (Tower of Terror) with Kathryn and Ryan. Emily wanted to see some duckies at the park so we went there for a little bit. Now we are back at home and ready to start some dinner. I think we'll have some Chili Beans with crackers. After clean-up, I'll plan my menu for the week.

Sports Season

Kathryn started her soccer season (at least with her first practice) today. She had lots of fun although she started out nervous, having to meet all the new girls. She will have practices on Tuesdays and Thursdays. It was so,so cold today! We just finished with a good rain today so we were left with clouds and cold wind. The girls were all huffing and puffing so they didn't hardly feel it.

Tomorrow is Ryan's baseball practice as well as Kathryn's REP (religious education) at church.

So, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays are all taken up with some activity. I don't know how I'll like that. I'll need to adjust my menus because there's not much time to do any dinner cooking after practices. I'll have to plan for some easy things like spaghetti, pizza, fish sticks, quesadillas, Crock Pot recipes, or hot dogs.

Well, I'm off to look through some cookbooks!

Lent 2007

Lent will begin this Wednesday and I'm feverishly trying to plan something for my family to be more active participants. I am serious about getting my family to live a more serious Catholic life. I've been reading through other blogs and web sites to glean ideas and there are just so many! I hope to be able to share some sites that I've been looking at.

Next time I'll post about my goals for this Lent, individually and for my children. I need to keep in mind not to be unrealistic and set goals that are so high that I slip in the first couple of days.

More to come.

Prayer

This is one of my favorite prayers:

Anima Christi

Soul of Christ, sanctify me.

Body of Christ, save me.

Blood of Christ, inebriate me.

Water from the side of Christ, wash me.

Passion of Christ, strengthen me.

O good Jesus, hear me.

Within thy wounds hide me.

Suffer me not to be separated from thee.

From the malicious enemy defend me.

In the hour of my death call me

and bid me come unto thee,

that with thy saints I may praise thee

for ever and ever.

Amen.

My Son

Ryan is my middle child. He is 5 years old. He has the most beautiful long eyelashes and has the biggest heart. He always has hundreds of kisses for his mommy. He can also be quite rambunctious.



After we had Kathryn, we had 2 miscarriages and were wondering whether we'd be blessed with another child. We were mightily blessed with Ryan on September 4, 2001. He goes to preschool 3 half days a week. Come September, he will be in Kindergarten.



Today was his first day of practice for Spring Foal Ball. His team is the Chicago White Sox. His teammates are all 4 or 5 years old. It is quite cute to see these little ones play. Most of the time they are oblivious to what's going on. They just like to run and tackle the ball when they are on the field.

This is a picture of Ryan last fall. His team was the UCLA Bruins. Ryan is such a joy. He's my Little Man!

Random Tidbits

Not much going on. Just my day to day struggles trying to be the best wife and mother I can be. In other words, trying to live my vocation to the best of my ability. So many times I fall short.

My main goal right now is to put my best effort at trying to keep house while at the same time be available to my kids and husband. I'm trying to find the balance. I think something important I need to do is to make a schedule. I've never really lived by a schedule other than when I was a full-time worker outside the home. I'll make that my assignment for the week.

I have some rumblings in my head about some future posts that I'd like to do:

• Story behind the title of my blog
• Thoughts on my vocation
• A little something about each of my kids
• A little something about me

I'm not a good writer but I hope that by writing on this blog I'll be able to clarify and express my thoughts much better.