Zoo Day

No, I'm not talking about the zoo at my house, but the day (Sunday) that we went to the LA Zoo.

Ryan is on an animal kick and is into reading about animals, watching Animal Planet, and playing with animal toys. So we decided to make a day out of going to the zoo.

This is Emily, Kathryn, and Ryan standing in front of the pelican exhibit.

And here are the pelicans!

The kids behaved well for the most part. We enjoyed seeing the koalas, giraffes and gorillas. Unfortunately, I didn't take too many pictures, but these are some that came out OK.

There was also a spider exhibit going on but I didnt' want to see that. YUCK! But I was able to get a shot of Ryan with one of those photo boards.

In other news, we've got the sickies again. Ryan has developed a cold that's making him feel miserable. He's missed two days of school because he has a low grade fever. He was complaining that he thinks he may be getting an ear infection because his ear hurt a little. That was enough for me to make an appointment with the doctor. He's had plenty of ear infections in his lifetime and I didn't want to wait for it to get bad enough where he wakes up in the middle of the night with ear pain. No fun! So we see the nurse practitioner who examines him and says that his lungs are clear and his ears are clear. She says he just has a cold and it could last one to two weeks. I was so happy to hear that his lungs and ears were clear. Hopefully he's in his worst days and he should be on the way back up. Let's just hope this doesn't spread.

We're supposed to have four more days of rain. I don't mind the rain. I just don't like having to go out in it. I think it's rained more this winter than last, but I don't think it's enough to stop our drought. Our rainfall levels are way off. At least it's been enough to keep the grass green.

Now I'm off to look for some lunch. I haven't been good at getting my menus together so I think I'll be heating up some leftovers!

I hope there's not too many typos. I need spellchecker back!!!

Blogging Slump

I've been in a blogging slump. Not much inspirational thoughts going through my head, nothing exciting to share. Just my ordinary life, so I think I'll write about that.

I've been doing some reading from Introduction to the Devout Life by St. Francis de Sales. So far, it's been inspirational for me and I'm only in the first couple of chapters! These kinds of books I like to read a little slow so that I can absorb what it's saying to me. I wish I could leave a quote right now, but I can't seem to find the book right now. Gosh, I just have so many books laying around that it must be buried among a book pile! I'm sure I'll find it.

I don't know if I mentioned that I finished knitting a hat for Ryan. I also finished a pair of mittens for Kathryn. Next up are some scarves and some dishcloths.

Yesterday, I took Emily to the park to play and feed the ducks. She just loves the ducks. She wishes we could have a pet duck. I told her that would be cute, but I don't think they make good pets.

I also took Emily to storytime at the library. She/We made a cute Valentine's card. She was quite proud of herself. We enjoy our little outings to the library. Maybe she'll be my bookreader out of all my kids?!

I'm looking forward to this three day weekend. We will be busy. Ryan will be attending a birthday party for one of his school friends. We will also be going to the zoo.

This week has been quite ordinary, but it's been a blessing, too! The ordinariness of life is still an oportunity to live out my vocation, to guide my kids, to practice virtue. It can strengthen me when the not so ordinary times come. Those times when the kids are sick or bickering, the car breaks down, the money is not there for some needed expense, etc. Thank you, Lord for the ordinary times.

I've Been Tagged!

I've been tagged by Tracy at Tracy's Simple Life for this middle name meme.

The rules are:

1. You have to post the rules before you give your answers.
2. You must list one fact about yourself beginning with each leter of your middle name. (If you don't have a middle name, use your maiden name).
3. After you are tagged, you need to update your blog with your middle name and your answers.
4. At the end of your blog post, you need to tag one person for each letter of your middle name. (Be sure to leave them a comment telling them they've been tagged and that they need to read your blog for details.)

My parents did not give me a middle name so instead of doing my maiden name, I'm going to do the middle name that every Lisa I know has - Marie! Or so it seems!

M - married to my sweetie for 13 years.
A - amiable. I think I'm friendly to most people.
R- reader. I love to read
I - inquisitive. I'm curious about many things and usually like to find out more about something.
E - enthusiastic. I'm enthusiastic about my Catholic faith!

I'm going to now break the rules and just tag whoever wants to do this!

Making the World a Better Place

Sweet Suzy at Sailing by Starlight (her site is temporarily off at this time) passed this award on to me. It touches me to think that something I might say can enlighten, encourage, or help someone else. I thank God that He can use me in even a tiny way.

The rules are that I need to link to Ukok's Place and award this to five others.

Tracy

Therese

Michelle

Lori (an invitation only blog)

Jane

All of you make the world a better place!

Lent

On Ash Wednesday, I went to the Liturgy of the Word service at my kid's school. That service was for the K-2 kids. It entailed having the readings for the day, a little homily by the priest, and then the distribution of ashes. Steve took half the day off of work, so we took Emily and went to that service. Ryan was there with his class so we got to take a quick peek at him.

Kathryn and her class went earlier in the day to the Mass. I couldn't make it to that.



Tonight I went to the Stations of the Cross. I took Ryan with me. I'm not sure if the kids will be doing that at school, so I want to expose them to some of the devotional practices of Lent. When I was younger, single, and living at home, I was able to participate in many devotions at church during Lent. I remember them being very meaningful to me and they helped me tremendously in my spiritual life. So this year I want to try and do a little more. I plan on doing the Stations of the Cross every Friday during Lent. I also want to go to Adoration once a week.



I have a handful of books I would like to read during this time. I don't plan on getting through all of them and I'll just pick the one that I'm led to at that time. Here's my list:

The Secret Diary of Elisabeth Leseur
The Lamb's Supper - Scott Hahn
Exposition of the Seven Penitential Psalms - St. John Fisher
Encyclical Letter God is Love - Pope Benedict XVI
The Art of Praying - Romano Guardini
Introduction to the Devout Live - St. Francis de Sales

I'm limiting my computer time during this Lenten season, so I may not be visiting or commenting as often but I'll get around to read what all of you are doing!

Monday

Today was not a productive day. And it just goes to show that when I mess up and am not disciplined to do what I'm supposed to do, things kind of stay a mess. It seems I go in spurts. Last week, I was very productive in my work. I was focused and things got done. Some areas of the house actually looked presentable. So with that, it usually follows that with all that work, I tend to slack off a little afterwards.

Today was one of those days. I started out fine. Did some of my morning routine, then realized I really needed to get some necessary items from Target. Did that, but then I thought I would rest a little before picking up Kathryn & Ryan from school. I kind of got the knitting bug so I did a little of that. I saw how much progress I was making on Ryan's hat, that I continued with that. Needless to say, I never got back in the work groove. So I'm a little frazzled now because I'm playing catch up with kitchen clean-up, laundry sorting and general getting stuff ready for tomorrow. But at least I have an almost completed knitted hat to show for it! And I have to say that I did enjoy that! :)

Tomorrow we're going to have breakfast at school. They are having a Fat Tuesday Pancake Breakfast and we are looking forward to it. We have to leave even earlier than usual to make it, at least by 7:00 AM!

Lately, I've been having such a precious time with little Emily. She's been my little helper when I unload the dishwasher. Her favorite task is cleaning the bathroom, believe it or not. I don't give her any yucky stuff to do, just things like straighten things out on the counter. She does like to swish the toilet with the brush, but I make sure that I've done the main cleaning. And of course, we both thoroughly wash our hands! She loves to come up to me and say, "Hug and kiss!" Then she'll reach for me, give me a kiss, then rub her little face against my cheek. That's her hug! I just love those! I thank God that I've been able to be at home to experience all this. These are such precious times that will be over before I realize it. I want to truly savor these moments.
Thank you, Lord!

David Crowder Band's

Praise the Lord, O my soul.
I will praise the Lord all my life;
I will sing praise to my God as long as I live.

Lost - Season 4 Promo

I'm so giddy with excitement that I had to post this!

My Days

It's a good thing I've been tagged for all kinds of memes as I haven't had much to say. I've been doing the usual cleaning, running errands, dental visits, homework monitor, etc., etc.

Lent is coming up so I've been doing some thinking about what we can do as a family to make it personal. I'm still thinking/praying about what I can do. I've picked out a couple of books to read through. I also want to "do" something rather than just "give up" something like I usually do. I'll do another post about all that.

My days have been busy with duties that I haven't been able to read or knit as much as I'd like.
I have three movies waiting from Netflix that are going to have to wait a little longer. Waiting in the wings are Walk the Line, National Treasure, and Miss Potter.

One thing I've been waiting for has been the season premier of Lost. I just love that show! Tomorrow is the big day. I'll have to program the DVR just in case something interrupts me, things like children needing their mom, or a husband who needs to talk!

So, not much going on. But I love these kinds of days. I'm doing what I love to do. It can be tiring and draining, but I'm doing what I've been called to do.

Random Things About Me

I have been tagged by Tracy at Tracy's Simple Life to do this meme.


The rules are: Link to the person that tagged you and leave a comment on their blog so that their readers can visit yours. Post the rules on your blog. Share 7 random facts about yourself on your blog. Tag 7 random people at the bottom of your post, linking to their blog. Let each person know by leaving a comment on their blog.




Here are 7 random facts about me:



1. I love 80's new wave music. I can listen to it anytime.

2. I am a big I Love Lucy fan. Those shows can bring me out of a funk.

3. I used to have frequent dreams of planes colliding mid-air. I haven't had too many of those lately.

4. I was tormented by a bully in 2nd grade.

5. I traveled to Spain by myself when I was 23. As chicken as I am, I don't know how I did it!

6. I don't know how to swim, but I can dog paddle!!

7. I get to celebrate a birthday this year (Leap Year)!

OK, I'm going to break the rules and tag the following three:

GrandmaK

Cmerie

SuzyQ

Award!

I've been awarded the E for Excellent award! Thank you so much to GrandmaK, SuzyQ, Tracy, and Mrs L. for bestowing this to my blog! I am very grateful!



I award this and in some cases, send this back to the following:

A Bit of the Blarney

Aussie Coffee Shop

Dei Gratia, By the Grace of God

Grandma's Musings

A Catholic Mother's Thoughts

Tracy's Simple Life

At the Wellsprings of Traditional Life

Catholic Wife and Mother

Building the Ark

Sailing by Starlight

You all have wonderful, excellent blogs!

A Different Book Meme

I was tagged for this one by Cmerie at Catholic Wife and Mother.

Here are the rules:

1. Pick up the nearest book (of at least 123 pages).
2. Open the book to page 123.
3. Find the fifth sentence.
4. Post the next three sentences.
5. Tag five people.


"I was no longer on the outside looking in. You can't live in Washington for very long without becoming cynical about politicians and their motives, but I've never doubted the greatness of a country in which a person like me could travel all the way from Pinpoint to Capitol Hill. I didn't have much time for sightseeing".

Taken from My Grandfather's Son by Clarence Thomas.

I think many people have done this one, but if you'd like to have a go at it, leave me a comment!

Tagged for a Meme

Suzy has tagged me for this meme, so here goes:


1. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE? No
2. WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU CRIED? Yesterday. I was watching an episode of Little House on the Prairie!
3. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING? Yes, I guess it's decent enough.
4. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCH MEAT? Ham
5. DO YOU HAVE KIDS? Yes. 2 Girls and 1 Boy
6. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON, WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU? Yes, I would hope so.
7. DO YOU USE SARCASM A LOT? Not really, but maybe sometimes.
8. DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS? Sure do!
9. WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP? No way!!!! I'm not very adventurous!
10. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL? My favorites are Lucky Charms and Frosted Mini Wheats. Although they are my favorites, I don't eat them very often. I try to stick with the non-sugary ones like Corn Flakes or Cheerios for my breakfast choices.
11. DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF? Yes.
12. DO YOU THINK YOU ARE STRONG? Not really.
13. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM? Rocky Road
14. WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE? Whether they are smiling or not.
15. RED OR PINK? Pink
16. WHAT IS THE LEAST FAVORITE THING YOU LIKE ABOUT YOURSELF? My lack of discipline.
17. WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST? My father, who passed away almost 10 years ago.
18. WHAT COLOR PANTS AND SHOES ARE YOU WEARING? Grey sweats with white tennis shoes.
19. WHAT WAS THE LAST THING YOU ATE? A terrible Lean Cuisine chicken panini sandwich (I didn't even finish it)!!! I had to get rid of some stuff taking up space in the freezer!
YUCK!
20. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW? Wrap up show after the Ducks/Kings hockey game.
21. IF YOU WERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE? Lavender
22. FAVORITE SMELLS? The ocean, cookies baking in the oven, fresh mountain air
23. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE? Virgin Mobile phone representative.
24. FAVORITE SPORTS TO WATCH? Baseball
25. HAIR COLOR? Brown.
26. EYE COLOR? Brown
27. DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS? No
28. FAVORITE FOOD? Pizza!
29. SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDINGS? Happy endings.
30. LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED? Eight Below
31. WHAT COLOR SHIRT ARE YOU WEARING? Pink.
32. SUMMER OR WINTER? Summer.
33. HUGS OR KISSES? Kisses.
34. FAVORITE DESSERT? A tie between Chocolate cake or Banberry Pie
35. WHAT BOOK ARE YOU READING NOW? The Elevator by Angela Hunt
36. WHAT IS ON YOUR MOUSEPAD? Nothing. It's a solid grey color.
37. WHAT DID YOU WATCH ON TV LAST NIGHT? Supernanny
38. FAVORITE SOUNDS? Rain falling, birds chirping first thing in the morning, hearing my kids laugh.
39. ROLLING STONES OR BEATLES? Beatles
40. WHAT IS THE FARTHEST YOU HAVE BEEN FROM HOME? Barcelona, Spain
41. DO YOU HAVE A SPECIAL TALENT? I don't think so. I can knit a little and crochet!
42. WHERE WERE YOU BORN? California

Wow! I think I got all the questions down! I tag whoever wants to do this one.

Feeling Much Better

Thank you to everyone who prayed and sent such kind thoughts my way! I'm feeling so much better now. Other than still being a little tired, I'm pretty much back to my old self.

Emily had a little relapse yesterday. She started with a fever again and had a terrible stuffy nose. She just laid around all day yesterday. That worked out for me because it allowed me to take a nap when she did. Plus I didn't have to chase her around much. Today, she still has a stuffy nose but not as bad, and her fever is gone. Thank the Lord! She's back to playing around and I have some energy to join her!

While I was laying around these past days, I was able to watch three movies and do plenty of reading. I finished watching St. Rita. It was a good movie and did a good job in trying to humanize her and not seem so supernatural or mystical. Eight Below was alright. I believe I was at my most feverish, so I couldn't focus too much. It also wasn't as sad as I thought it might be. The last movie I saw was Love Comes Softly. I loved that one. I really enjoy those wholesome movies that take place in pioneer times. Of course, now I have to rent all the sequels and read the books that the movies were based on. Well, I'll just add them to my already long list of must reads.

That brings up the question of what will I be reading for Lent this year? I should be done with Fr. Dubay's book any day now so I will be looking in my bookcase for some new spiritual books. I have so many that I haven't read yet that there will be plenty to choose from.

I've been tagged for a meme so I will be working on that, but for now I'm off to do a little reading before sleep.

Just Popping In

Just a quick post to say Hi! Don't get too close or you might catch what I got. Yep, I caught the flu. Whaaaaaa! Yesterday, I was feeling like I might be coming under the weather, so I did all the laundry and cleaned up the kitchen a little. That way, if I got sick, that stuff would be taken care of. (What an optimist I am, right?) No, just want to be prepared so I'm not having to think about all that stuff when I'm miserable in bed!

Luckily, Ryan and Emily are on the mend and doing so much better.

I hope to visit you all soon. Stay healthy and blessings to all of you!

Around the House

Sick germs are around this house today. The flu is making its way.

Ryan started it with a fever in the middle of the night on Tuesday. He was feverish most of the day on Wednesday but by Thursday was feeling better. Now he just has the cold symptoms and feels well enough to torment his sisters!

Then last night, Emily started with the fever and a sore throat. I was mentally prepared to be up most of the night with her, but surprisingly, she slept pretty well. She had a slight fever throughout the day but it got higher by the evening. She does not like her grape flavored acetaminophen so this morning I had to crush it all up and put it in her oatmeal. She ate a little of it but not enough to get the full amount of medicine. So tonight I went and bought some bubblegum flavored medicine and by the time I got back from the drugstore, she had fallen asleep. When she awakened briefly, she refused the medicine again. So, I don't know how she's going to sleep tonight. Hopefully, the fever will break.

So, with all that, I'm just trying to keep up with the laundry and dishes! Hopefully, no one else will get sick.

We have no plans for this weekend other that puttering around the house and tending to the sick ones. We'll see what comes up!

Blessings to you all!

Spread the Love Award

Thank you so much to Suzy and Tracy for spreading some love around and sending this to me!

You made my day!

I'm not sure how many others have received this already, but it doesn't hurt to send someone a little more love, right?

I send this to:

Michelle at Dei Gratia, By the Grace of God

Maryellen at Grandma's Musings

Jane at Building the Ark

Therese at Aussie Coffee Shop

They inspire me with the witness to their faith and I love to hear what they have to say!

The Tooth Fairy Will Be Visiting!

Yep! Ryan lost his first tooth tonight!

This tooth had been hanging and it was only a matter of time before it finally came out. He was eating a bowl of cereal and bit a little hard. He said it was hanging crooked so he pulled the tooth out himself!

He's excited to be getting a visit from the Tooth Fairy!

Morning Routine

This past week was spent trying to get back into the daily routine. Having Steve and the kids home, Christmas, doing fun things was all great but now everyone is back to work and school.

My concentration has been on re-establishing my morning routine. My morning routine consists of:

Making the bed
Shower
Devotional time
Swish/Swipe bathrooms
Unload dishwasher
Reload dishwasher (if dishes were left from the previous night-has been happening way
too much!)
Get laundry going ( I do two loads a day)
Help Emily get dressed
Some dinner prep if needed
Go over to-do list
Do a 2 minute Hot Spot cleanup (per FlyLady)
Oh yeah, I eat breakfast somewhere in there!

If I can finish all that by 10:00 AM, I'm doing pretty well. That sets the tone for the rest of the day. Then I can get to the detailed cleaning items. I wish I could have most of it done prior to that, but it seems like the earlier I get up, Emily wakes up just as early. Plus, I have to make sure that laziness doesn't creep in. I can easily get distracted with the computer, a book, the newspaper, just about anything. It pretty much is a constant thinking on my part to say "yes" to the Lord's will for me - doing my duties. I recently ran across a quote from St. Elizabeth Ann Seton. It said:

The first end I propose in our daily work is to do the will of God,
secondly, to do it in the manner he wills it; and thirdly, to do it because it is his will.

Holly Pierlot talks about that idea in her book, A Mother's Rule of Life. That's why I really like her book and would recommend it to anyone who's looking for meaning in doing their daily duties.

I think I got off on a tangent. Back to what I had been saying, I can get easily distracted from what I should be doing. So, for me, trying to get my morning routine down pat does a long way in getting much more done throughout the day!

Emily has been learning to be my helper. She helps me unload the dishwasher, load and unload the washing machine/dryer, and helps make the beds. I hope to train her better than I did with Kathryn and Ryan in doing chores.

This is planning to be a busy weekend. I'm taking Ryan to go shopping for a birthday present for a little friend of his. Tomorrow is the birthday party. He also has a baseball tryout tomorrow. I don't know why 6 year olds have to try out but that's the way it's done in this league. Also, Kathryn and Ryan's school is participating in a basketball tournament so everyone has been encouraged to attend and show school spirit. We like to show spirit so we'll be going.

If I have time (hahaha), I have some movies that I rented that I'd like to watch. One is St. Rita. I rented this from the church library and it looks good. I don't know about St. Rita, so it will be nice to see what's she's all about. My other movie is Eight Below. I must have heard something good about it at one time because I had it on my Netflix queue forever. Now that I'm reading the description about it, I don't know if I'll make it through the movie! It says that some Antarctic scientists have to leave their sled dogs behind amid a cruel winter to fend for themselves. I have a feeling I'll be crying and feeling so sad for these dogs! We'll see if I can watch it.

Well, for someone who doesn't have much time, I'd better end this post and get going!

Knitting Project

My knitting project that I began for Emily eons ago has been completed and here it is!

I think they came out pretty good for being my first attempts in years. The hat and one of the mittens came out better than the others because I was knitting those while attending a knitting class, so the instructor helped a lot. The other mitten came out with a big hole where the thumb and the body of the mitten meet but luckily, you can't see it! At least everything is wearable without it being embarrassing. That's a success in my book!

Book Meme

GrandmaK from A Bit of the Blarney tagged me for this meme. I've read so many books but it's hard for me to remember a lot of what I've read in the past. I've since decided to write down in a notebook of what I read and make little notes about what I liked or didn't like about a particular book. Well, here it goes!

1. One book that changed my life: A Mother's Rule of Life by Holly Pierlot. This book completed the picture when I started to try to organize my life, homemaking skills, etc. It helped clarify my thoughts when I was searching for meaning in my vocation of motherhood.


2. One book that you have read more than once: Same as #1. I keep going back to that book when I need to refocus on my calling.

3. One book you want on a desert island: The Bible

4. One book that made me laugh: My choices in books don't usually make me laugh but the Jan Karon Mitford books put smiles on my face, so I'll just pick the first one in the series, At Home in Mitford.

5. One book that made me cry: A Walk to Remember by Nicholas Sparks. This story is so sweet that it made me cry. And I just loved the character of Jamie.

6. One book I wish had been written: How to Get Your Picky Eater to Love Everything You Cook!

7. One book I wish had not been written: I don't know. Maybe something like OJ Simpson's book.

8. One book I am currently reading: Deep Conversion, Deep Prayer by Fr. Thomas Dubay. This one is so meaty that I've been taking my time so that I can absorb what I'm reading.

9. One book I've been meaning to read: Introduction to the Devout Life by St. Francis de Sales. This one is on my shelf waiting to be read!


I know many have already done this meme, so if anyone wants to do this one leave me a comment so I can go see your answers!

Pictures to Share

Wednesday, we headed on out to see the Rose Parade floats. We didn't go to the parade itself, but went to see them displayed at a park. They looked very beautiful but already some of the flowers were getting a little droopy. There were so many people that it was hard to get some good shots, but I tried.

Here are a few:



This float is from the City of Anaheim. It had some of the city's attractions, like this sleeping beauty castle from Disneyland and trolley car.

I wanted to get this one in. It's a little replica of the Honda Center where the Anaheim Ducks play hockey and other things like concerts take place.

Obviously, this is not a float, but I wanted to show what the real Honda Center looks like (taken at the Ducks Stanley Cup celebration!)

Cute little truck with oranges loaded in.

Here are a few close-up shots:

Emily has had enough!!

New Year's 2008

Happy New Year to everyone! We said goodbye to 2007 by watching the ball drop in Times Square on television as is our custom. Since we've had children, Steve and I don't go out for New Years anymore. Steve would like to go out to some celebration concert, but I prefer to stay home. I'm not able to be out late anymore :) I get too sleepy. Last night, one by one, the kids conked out. Kathryn almost made it to midnight, but dozed off about 11:45. She did say to wake her up, so we did. After the mandatory smooches, it was off to bed.

Today, we didn't do much. I tried to just take it easy. After all the Christmas preparations and running around, I just wanted to kick back and basically do nothing except cook and wash the dishes afterwards. I finally was able to finish Emily's scarf that I had been knitting forever. So now she has the complete set of mittens, scarf and hat. Maybe I can post a picture tomorrow.
My next projects are to make a complete set for Ryan and Kathryn. Maybe I can have that done by next Christmas!! LOL!

I don't usually do New Year's resolutions, but this year, I'm going to concentrate on two.
I'd like to have the household more organized. That would include being a little more scheduled as far as daily activities go. I'd like the house to be less cluttered. We waste so much time trying to find things that it's ridiculous. Since this resolution is kind of broad, if I'm able to see consistent improvement in any area that makes the household run smoother, I'll consider that a success!
My next resolution is more personal. I'm going to work on being less lazy. I seem to naturally be a lazy person that it can be difficult for me to get going with what needs to be done. So much more could be done around here if I could just get better at fighting this bad vice.

I wish everyone a wonderful 2008. May it be full of good health and blessings from the Lord!

Christmas Memories

On Christmas Eve, we went to an early (4:00) Mass. We arrived a little bit late, but lucky for us, they were just opening an upstairs room so we were able to get seats and also had a wonderful view. Christmas masses are so crowded that our church opens up the hall. So for a few Mass times, Mass goes on in the church as well as the hall.


Upon arriving home, we made some gingerbread cookies for Santa. We watched a little of White Christmas and did the last minute wrapping. The kids were so excited that it wasn't so hard to get them to sleep. We reminded them that Santa doesn't come unless every one's asleep!



Christmas morning, we were awakened bright and early by the little ones. They were ready to see what Santa brought them. Before we started opening gifts, we sang Happy Birthday to Jesus.

Here are a few things the kids got. Please don't look too closely at the iron and ironing board in the background - Hee Hee!

Emily and her My Little Pony Fashion Boutique

Ryan and some cars from Cars (the movie)

Kathryn and her "professional" Bingo kit

I didn't have my picture taken ( I didn't look too great), but I got some warm PJ's, two Christmas CD's (Josh Groban & Martina McBride), and a book (Clarence Thomas's new one).

After opening presents at home, we got ready to go to my mom's house for our get together with extended family. It was a full house with my brother and his wife, my sister, her husband, their kids and grandkids, spouses, etc, etc, and of course, the matriarch of the family, my mother. It was a crazy house, but we had lots of fun and food! Every year, my mother serves tamales, a traditional Mexican dish. We so look forward to eating this each year and she did not disappoint us! They were so good, I can taste them right now as I'm typing this. I say this every year, but I really do need her to teach me how to make them. I can always find them in the stores, but it's just not the same as eating homemade ones! My mother is getting along in years and no one else in the family knows how to make them. She adds her special touch!

Next up was to visit Steve's mom. Due to illness and advancing years, she's living in a private residential guest home. She enjoyed opening her gifts and visiting with all of us. She especially enjoys seeing the kids.

After all that, we were pooped and made it back home. But then there was more work to do! Time to untie all those twisters that come with children's toys! I don't know how many we untied but it was a lot! We played with moonsand and played a game of Mousetrap. By then, I needed to relax and it was time for bed.

So, that was it! It was an enjoyable day. I'm trying to remind the kids that even though Christmas Day is over, the Christmas season continues for a little while longer. We need to continue to ponder the wonderful gift that God bestowed on us in sending us His son.

Merry Christmas

HAVE A BLESSED CHRISTMAS!

Where Has The Week Gone???

Gosh, I didn't think it had been that long since I last posted! I've been caught in the hustle and bustle that I didn't intend to be in, but it seems to happen every year.



The kids started their vacation on Wednesday and Steve started his on Thursday. We've been plotting how to get shopping done while the other watches the kids. So far, we've been pretty successful. The only thing left is to get a few gift cards and do a little more wrapping. I'm hoping it will get done today so that the few remaining days can be spent a little more relaxed and reflective. Edited to Add: I did not get everything done, so I will be out Sunday after church. :(

Tonight we went out to see some beautifully decorated homes out by the waterfront. There was a lot of walking but the homes were just beautiful so it was worth it. Lots of lights, Christmas music playing and boats sailing through the canals. I wish I could have taken some pictures, but since it was night, the pictures wouldn't have come out. Most of the homes have huge windows out front with a wide open view of the inside living areas. They could be right out of magazines - just beautifully decorated.

Tomorrow after all the shopping is done, I hope to be able to relax a little and watch my favorite Christmas movie, White Christmas. I watch it every year and love all the music.

Right now, I'm off to watch an episode of Lost that I rented from Netflix. I'm hooked on that show! I need to catch up with Season 3 before the new season starts. With the writers strike I don't know when that will be so I think I have some time.

Christmas Program

Ryan's Christmas program at school went well. Everyone in his class played angels and they sang a few original Christmas songs as well as Silent Night. If I must say so myself, he looked so handsome up there and he had the biggest smile on his face the whole time. I think he loves performing. I didn't get to take many pictures because we were so far back from the stage and it was a little dark at times during the performances.

This is how far we were. Actually, if I zoom into this picture, I can find Ryan. He's about the sixth child from the right, next to the girl with the dress with the dark sleeves. Can you find him? You can just make out a speck of dark hair! Sorry, I don't know how to make the picture zoom in when you click on it.

Emily was very well behaved. She made it until about three minutes until the end of the program. Then she'd had enough and wanted to wander away. I think she did quite well.

Here she is being occupied with my pocket calendar.

I've been kind of tired lately. I'm still coughing at night and Ryan has had a cough as well. If it's not me coughing, it's his coughing waking me up. His is getting better, but I'm still at it. Hopefully, it will be on it's way out soon.

The rest of the weekend was spent shopping, or just doing this and that. I actually wasted a little time when I went for my hair appointment and realized as I was sitting in the waiting area that my appointment was the following week! That was a little embarrassing, but I'm sure I'm not the only one who's done that!

During the next few days, I hope to shop a little bit more for some of the things left for the kids before they start their Christmas vacation on Wednesday. Steve also starts a much needed vacation on Thursday, then we can do some fun things with the kids. I pray no one else gets sick!

Wednesday

I'm feeling much better now. Thanks for the well wishes. I'm still not sure whether I had a cold or flu. Sunday, I had the chills, slight fever, muscle aches, etc. But by Monday, everything was gone except for a little bit of the sniffles and a little bit of tiredness. Now I have a hacking cough. Thank God it wasn't worse than it was. I was praying that I wouldn't be too sick because we all know that mothers can't afford to get sick! Especially at this time of year when so much needs to get done. I am trying to take it easy as much as I can though so I don't get too exhausted.

We got our Christmas tree this weekend. I think we got it Saturday, but we decorated on Sunday, when I wasn't at my best. I think I put up two ornaments. Everyone else put the rest on. The little ones get so excited to see all the different ornaments and put them on the tree. If I would have been in my right mind, I would have thought to take some pictures, but I didn't. I'll try to get some pictures of the tree and post some.

Tomorrow, Ryan will be participating in the school Christmas program. It's just the Kindergarten through 3rd graders who will be performing. His class will be singing Silent Night. I can't wait to see him up there. I hope to get a good enough seat to take some pictures, but it's hard to get a good seat because we would have to get there early and that's always risky with my little Emily. Getting there too early means she won't last for the whole program. I'd be lucky if she lasted to the start of the program! Maybe I should give her more credit than that, right!?!? Well, however it goes, I'll bring my camera.

Weekend Tidbits

This will be short as I think I'm suffering from a cold, the flu, something. Yesterday, I felt a sore throat coming on, but it never got too bad. Then today, I still had a little sore throat but I almost felt like I had muscle aches, a little bit of chills, and slight temperature. For awhile, I felt bad, but not so bad like you get when you get the flu. So I don't know what I've got. Is there such a thing as touch of the flu?

I did a little bit of on-line shopping however, but I only placed items in the shopping cart before I got tired. I'm hoping to go back tomorrow and finalize my purchases. I don't like shopping lists in the back of my mind while I'm laying down not feeling too well. But I realize this shall pass eventually. I just hope the kids don't catch anything. It seems like there is always someone sick at Christmas time.

I'm trying to get the kids clothes ready for tomorrow and get their lunches together so I don't have to do any of that in the morning. I don't know how I'll be feeling then. Hopefully I'll feel good enough to go about my usual business and take the kids to school.

I missed Mass today, as I just wasn't feeling well. So, I'm off to ponder the readings that I missed.

Ramblings

It's set to start raining here tonight. We hardly ever get a good rain so this is welcome. I did plan on doing some Christmas shopping this weekend, but I'll have to see if the weather cooperates. I will be doing most of the shopping on-line.

I've been taking part in the Making the Your Home a Haven challenge this week, but it's been harder than I anticipated! Emily's been sticking to me like glue lately and I haven't been able devote as much consistent time to the housecleaning. She's been wanting to go to the park all week so I had to take her! I knew rain was in the forecast so we had to take advantage of the wonderful weather! That can mess up a schedule. But I was glad to do it. I don't want her to remember that I was always doing housework and didn't have time to take her to the park or play with her.

Do you have any favorite Christmas movies? I've always liked White Christmas. I love the old movies, It's a Wonderful Life, A Christmas Carol. I even like to watch the ones from when I was a kid, like Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, A Charlie Brown Christmas. We have some of these on DVD so I'll have to watch them. All of these bring back so many warm Christmas memories. I hope somehow my kids can have such memories.

That brings me to one thing I want to improve on in the New Year. I really want to try to incorporate the Liturgical year in our family life. I've never done much of that, but now Kathryn and Ryan are going to a Catholic school. So far, the school has been doing a good job teaching them about the faith. I see so many opportunities to expand on what they've been taught, and I do, but perhaps I can incorporate some purposeful activities. Anyway, we're still in Advent so I'll think about all that later.

Enough of my ramblings. That's just what I'm thinking about right now!

Meme

Therese tagged me for the 8 random things about me meme. I did this back in May and you can find the list here. Since it's now December, and maybe I have a few more readers(???), I'll add 5 more things instead of 8 because it can be a little tricky for me to think of some new stuff.

1) I don't like to shop, especially for clothes. I'm a hard to fit person so it can be difficult. The few exceptions for when I love to shop is to shop for craft supplies or books.

2) I'm not a jewelry person. I don't wear it except for my wedding rings and sometimes earrings.

3) I'm naturally a shy person and I would just as soon blend in with the walls.

4) I can't go to sleep at night without opening a book - even if my eyes are already half shut!

5) I'm a Proverbs 31 woman wannabe. I'm far from it, but I like to have it as a goal.

So I tag whoever wants to join in. Just leave a comment and I'll go find out a little something about YOU!

Making Your Home a Haven - Day 3

I wasn't able to join in yesterday's challenge, but I will try again today. Obviously it can be a little difficult to do what you intend when you have a little one at home and some unexpected things occur.

Schedule:

Refresh my spirit.
Morning routine
To do list
1) 15 minutes decluttering master bedroom
2) Organize DVD's that are all over the house. Place them back where they go.
3) Order some Christmas gifts on-line
Dinner prep in AM
Spend 15 minutes cleaning laundry room.
Catch up on laundry.

So, that's the plan.

Menu Plan Monday

It's been a long time since I posted for Menu Plan Monday. I haven't been diligent in this planning department. So, I decided I needed to get on the bandwagon again. My family benefits from this tremendously.

I tried to go with tried and true recipes that my family likes. No new ones this time.

Monday - Tacos, Spanish rice and beans

Tuesday - Lasagna, carrots & celery sticks with Ranch, Garlic cheese biscuits

Wednesday - Burritos, salad

Thursday - Lime & Ginger drumsticks, rice, green beans & corn

Friday - Pizza, salad

Saturday - Chicken Enchiladas, rice & beans

Sunday - Undecided, maybe some kind of soup

For more great menu ideas, visit Laura at I'm an Organizing Junkie!

Making Your Home a Haven Challenge

Yeesh!! My house is a mess right now. So it's the perfect time to join in Crystal's Making Your Home a Haven Challenge. She has listed some areas to concentrate on and will focus on something different each day. You can find out more information about it here at her site, Biblical Womanhood.

First, we need to refresh our spirits in the morning. I will do my Daily Offering and the Scripture readings for the day.

Next is establishing your morning routine. My five things are:

1. Make the bed.

2. Swish and swipe the bathrooms.

3. Shine the kitchen sink, which means do the dishes that were sitting there since last night. YUCK!

4. Load of laundry.

5. Review menu for the day.

Next is the assignment for the day. I'm supposed to survey what the entryway looks like and take some time to spruce it up.

So, here I go. Time to get started!

Advent

Happy Advent!

Today, on this First Sunday of Advent, my parish priest exhorted us to convert our hearts to Jesus. Now is the time! He had us all repeat today's second reading out loud. From Romans13:11-14




Brothers and sisters: You know the time; it is the hour now for you to awake from sleep. For our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed; the night is advanced, the day is at hand. Let us then throw off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light; let us conduct ourselves properly as in the day, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in promiscuity and lust, not in rivalry and jealousy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the desires of the flesh.


So today, I recommit and convert my heart to Jesus!

Emmanuel Award

Wow, I was given another award! Michelle, from Dei Gratia, By the Grace of God! awarded me the Emmanuel Award! Thank you so much, Michelle!

This award was created by Marie and Ginny from View From the Pews. In a consumer society it is a blessing to read blogs where the writer's main focus is God. Where they express their love for their faith so visibly and joyfully.In a cynical world it is refreshing to see so many blogs which are generous, giving, who care about others and demonstrate what being a Christian is about, loving God and loving our neighbor.
Through their faith, lives and spirituality, they bring God to us, they in essence make God visible, 'God with us.'

I pass this award on to:

Mrs L, At the Wellsprings of Traditional Life
Maryellen, Grandma's Musings
Therese, Aussie Coffee Shop
Cmerie, Catholic Wife and Mother

Spirit of Christmas Award

I was pleasantly surprised to learn that I won an award! My first one! Maryellen at Grandma's Musings awarded this to me. Thank you so much, Maryellen. I am honored!



This award is for those who talk about and show the spirit of Christmas in their blogs. What is the Spirit of Christmas you ask?Quite simply it is those that have a generous and giving nature. Those who care about others. Those who have a kind word to say or a broad shoulder to lean on in the times that others need that. Those who display the "Spirit of Christmas".

Find out more about the award here.

I am so inspired and encouraged by so may bloggers that I can't single some out. Each of your stories and what each of you has to say encourages and inspires me. Each of you displays the Spirit of Christmas to me!

My Patron for 2008

St. Gerard Majella

St. Gerard Majella is the patron saint of motherhood! I look forward to reading more about him as he intercedes for me in my motherhood journey and my journey towards a deeper relationship with Jesus!

Go see Angela Messenger if you would like a patron saint for the coming year! Thank you, Angela!

Holiday Weekend

Thanksgiving Day went very nicely. We had Thanksgiving lunch with my brother and SIL. It went pretty smoothly considering I was worried that my kids would act up in a major way. I prepared them ahead of time and they ended up being good most of the time. We all got to chit chat for awhile after the meal so that was nice. Then the kids got a little antsy and we called it a day before things could get out of hand. My brother and SIL don't have kids so I try not to overwhelm them with the noise level that my kids can generate. But kids are kids and I don't fault them for that.

Once we got home, we let loose and relaxed. We watched some more of Charlie Brown. Steve watched some games on TV and then we drove to watch the fireworks at Disney*land.

Friday, I did not shop. I don't even have my shopping list ready. I hope to be able to do most of the shopping on-line anyway. I spent most of the day doing laundry, reading and knitting. Then we went to the park with the kids and let them play ball, run around, and play on the play apparatus.

Today, Steve is trying to get the Christmas lights up. We won't light them yet as it's too early and can be a little expensive. He just wants them up since today is a warm day and usually it's freezing when he gets around to doing it. My car is getting a tune-up so I'm waiting for the call to pick it up. Then it's off to do some errands.

And that's an almost blow by blow account of my holiday weekend so far!

Thanksgiving Postcard Wishes 1901-1911

Thanksgiving

The kids are off today in preparation for Thanksgiving Day. So we are pretty much just having a leisurly day. I rented A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving so we've been repeatedly watching it. I love the Charlie Brown holiday shows.

My brother and sister-in-law invited us for Thanksgiving so that's where we'll be headed. We're all looking forward to it. I just love the traditional meal with turkey and all the trimmings. The smell of the turkey roasting in the oven is so heartwarming as well as the taste of the traditional pumpkin pie! YUM!

This Thanksgiving, I am thankful for many things.

For the health of my family.

For a roof over our heads.

For plenty of food.

That my husband still loves me in spite of the grief I sometimes cause.

That my mother is still alive and kicking and traveling and helps me tremendously when she can, even though she is advancing in years and doesn't feel well sometimes.

For the love and mercy the Lord shows me everday!

Happy Thanksgiving to all my readers and blogging friends. Thanks for sharing parts of your lives and your inspiration.

Enter his gates with thanksgiving

and his courts with praise;

give thanks to him and praise his name.

For the Lord is good and his love endures forever;

his faithfulness continues through all generations.

Psalm 100:4-5

The Fall sports season is over finally. Ryan had his last baseball game today along with the usual end of season Pizza party. He has a lot of fun playing and it's great to see him improve, little by little. He will start again next spring. Kathryn ended her soccer season last weekend and her team barely missed going to the playoffs. She has improved so much since she started playing ( 2 seasons ago) that her coach nominated her to tryout for the All-Stars! But, after talking it over with her, we made the decision to not tryout this time. It would entail a huge time commitment with many long practices per week. Right now, she's still getting used to the homework routine at her new school and it's a lot of work. I would hate for her schoolwork to suffer. She's doing so well. Hopefully, she can play good enough next season that her coach would nominate her again. We'll see what happens.

Last week we had Parent/Teacher conferences at school. Both kids are doing excellent work and their teachers are very pleased with them. Needless to say, we are proud of how both of them are doing in school.

Tomorrow is dentist day for me :( I had my cleaning last week and the dentist found some more work that he could do. Not quite cavities but what could be the start of them. He's very much into preventive work. I guess that's why I'm there a lot!

That's what's going on in my household at this moment. I wish that I could say that I'll be posting my menu tomorrow. I haven't done that in awhile, but I don't think I'll get to do that this week, again. Maybe I can do a shortened version, keeping in mind Thanksgiving and all.

A Day with Emily

Steve had Monday off, so we wanted to have a little fun. Kathryn and Ryan had to go to school, so it was just us with Emily for the day. It was such a treat to have some fun with her and let all the attention fall on her.

We started with an appointment to get her hair cut. It had gotten a little wild and just plain getting all in her face (no, she does not like for me to put barrettes in her hair). She was an excellent customer and when she came out, I could see her cute face again!

After having lunch, we decided to go for a little walk by the lake.

There were the usual ducks and birds. I'm embarrassed to say that I know nothing about birds or ducks other than the usual ones I see all the time. Some of these were a little different. Maybe these are a little more common to others, but not to me.

These particular birds I see a lot in the lakes and ponds, but I honestly don't know anything about them or what they're called. I guess I better look them up. I should be able to tell my kids what they are.

Notice the interesting feet.

These ducks were a little different looking to me.

We had a wonderful time enjoying the beautiful day. It's not often that we get to just be together and do things spur of the moment. And it was so peaceful!! No arguing or bickering! Since Emily had us all to herself, there was no occasion for a tantrum, YEAHH!

One last stop before picking up the other at school - the park!

The Next Thing

I've been trying to spend more time in prayer lately. And I've noticed that I am more at peace and less anxious. That's good news as all this household needs is a wife and mom who's at her wits end, running around with her head chopped off, and yelling! What a sorry sight!

In Holly Pierlot's book, A Mother's Rule of Life, she talks about incorporating prayer, devotions at intervals throughout the day. That way, your whole day has been centered around your relationship with God. So, I think that if I can try to do that, my life will be a lot more focused. I can meet the needs of my family better. Isn't that what my vocation is all about?

Are you interested in getting a personal patron saint for 2008? Angela Messenger has kindly taken on the endeavor to do just that for anyone who asks. This is the first time I've heard of something like this and I think it's a great idea. Thanks to Therese (Aussie Coffee Shop) for the heads up.

I know it's early, but we are getting ready for a 3 day weekend. Kathryn & Ryan have Friday off from school and DH Steve has Friday and Monday off. Aside from the usual soccer and baseball games, we should have a free weekend to have fun. Kathryn & Ryan each won an award from their teachers for good behavior in class. As a result, they get a free meal at a local restaurant. I can go for that.

My Ordinary Time

The past week or so has been a trying time. I go through these periods once in awhile where I get overwhelmed with trying to be a good parent. The kids have all pushed my buttons and I've been frustrated big time. I begin to feel that my kids behavior will never improve and they are the only ones who can be this bad. Then that leads to me feeling like I'm such a failure as a parent. The most important job that I've been blessed to have and I'm not getting it right, I'm failing. So, I've been in a funk. I know God is there through it all, giving me the graces I need, but I can't seem to reach it and take hold of it. Perhaps He's trying to take me to a new level in my relationship with Him. Perhaps He's telling me to make Him my number one priority again. It's time to refocus and pray, pray, and pray some more.

This video reflects well my feelings. I've always enjoyed listening to Marie Bellet's songs as they reflect so well my thoughts on the vocation of motherhood.

Miscellaneous

Wow, I guess it's been a long while since I've posted. I think I got a little distracted by life. Of course by now, most people know that those Santa Ana Winds that I wrote about previously brought many fires here to Southern California. We were not in any danger of them, but were close enough to have to deal with the smoke and terrible air quality. That is small compared to the losses that others suffered. Hopefully when/if they come again, there won't be any fires. The Santa Ana winds usually come in the Fall, so there's a good possibility that we'll experience them again before the end of the year.



On to other news:



Kid's sports has picked up again. There has been a two week lull due to the air quality. There have been no practices or games. So Ryan had his practice on Tuesday and Kathryn starts hers today.



Halloween has come and gone. Kathryn dressed as a Holly*wood starlet and Ryan was Buzz Light*year for the second year in a row. Emily was too scared to go out. She doesn't like to see the other trick or treaters in their scary costumes. I don't blame her. Some of them are just too bloody, evil, and ghoulish looking. Too bad it's gotten that way, with lots of big kids scaring the littles. Anyway, they both had a great time and of course, are left with loads of candy.

Next on the list, planning Thanksgiving & Christmas! Just around the corner.

More Wind!

It was windy all through the night, but not enough to scare me and keep me up. I have surveyed the damage and here is what needs to be done:

• Pick up aluminum cans that are strewn around in the backyard. Don't ask what they are doing there. The story goes way back.


• Tie up some rose trees back to their stakes. They have broken the ties that were holding them on and now they are swaying so bad I'm afraid they might snap.


• Monitor the trash can sitting at the curb. Today is trash day and our can is loaded. If the top flips off with the wind, some of the trash bags could fall out. That would not be nice.

I also need to do plenty of work inside the house, too.

• I was working on laundry when the power went out last night. So I need to finish that and put them away. Clothes are in all places.


• Clean the kitchen. It's a mess. Dirty floor and dirty dishes.


• Clean up the clutter everywhere.


• Start with getting the disaster preparedness kit going.

So I'll be busy today!

Winds!

The San*ta Ana winds have arrived. Every year around this time, we get these strong dry winds along with high temperatures. They are really strong, blowing shingles off the roof, tree branches strewn along the street, and this year, a power outage. I was right in the middle of washing clothes when it happened. I had to take out the wet, sopping clothes, throw them in a garbage bag and head out to my mother's house to finish the wash. If it wasn't that I had the kids uniforms in this load, I would have just left them in the washing machine until the power came on. And I had no idea when that would be. Thankfully, when I came back home, the power had been restored! It's also a good thing Steve and I both had pulled our cars out of the garage before losing power. It's very difficult to get that electric garage door to open manually!

These winds have also brought lots of fires in the hills and canyons. Coming home on the freeway tonight, I could see the fire going on in the hills about 10 miles from here.

With all these fires going on, the winds, and the power outages that threaten us, it has reminded me to put together an emergency preparedness kit. I'm going to put that at the top of my to-do list!

Fun Time

I know a new weekend is fast approaching but I wanted to share a few photos of the past weekend. The weather was a little rainy so Kathryn's soccer game got cancelled. We decided it would be the perfect day to go to Disney*land, since we still had our tickets from when we went on vacation last month. (We didn't go then because the weather was over 100 degrees.) I thought since it was a rainy weekend not many people would be there. Well, I was wrong. Tons of people were there. Maybe because they have a Halloween theme going on right now?

Here are the kids in front of the masked Mick* ey Mouse at the front entrance. He is made up of small pumpkins and some purple flowers I don't know the name of.

Ryan got to ring the bell of the fire engine!

I had to show these. These are little chili plants. The man sitting next to me while I was resting started to eat some of these. He said they weren't that hot. I don't know about that.

And finally, some cute candy corn decorations.

It ended up being a fun day. The rain stopped and the temperature was just right. We got to go on a few rides. Many times Emily was a little scared to go on some so either me or Steve stayed with her while the others went on. We survived bickering and Emily made it without a meltdown. A few times I thought one was coming on but I was able to somehow bribe distract her enough to avert it. Whew!

Daily Decalogue of Pope John XXIII

I found this in Magnificat (again)! I'll tell you, that publication has great food for thought, including the daily readings from the Church.



1. Only for today, I will seek to live the livelong day positively without wishing to solve the problems of my life all at once.

2. Only for today, I will take the greatest care of my appearance: I will dress modestly; I will not raise my voice; I will be courteous in my behavior; I will not criticize anyone; I will not claim to improve or to discipline anyone except myself.

3. Only for today, I will be happy in the certainty that I was created to be happy, not only in the other world but also in this one.

4. Only for today, I will adapt to circumstances, without requiring all circumstances to be adapted to my own wishes.

5. Only for today, I will devote ten minutes of my time to some good reading, remembering that just as food is necessary to the life of the body, so good reading is necessary to the life of the soul.

6. Only for today, I will do one good deed and not tell anyone about it.

7. Only for today, I will do at least one thing I do not like doing; and it my feelings are hurt, I will make sure no one notices.

8. Only for today, I will make a plan for myself: I may not follow it to the letter, but I will make it. And I will be on guard against two evils: hastiness and indecision.

9. Only for today, I will firmly believe, despite appearances, that the good Providence of God cares for me as no one else who exists in this world.

10. Only for today, I will have no fears. In particular, I will not be afraid to enjoy what is beautiful and to believe in goodness. Indeed, for twelve hours I can certainly do what might cause me consternation were I to believe I had to do it all my life.

What's Happening!

Here is what's been happening:

I finally finished Emily's second mitten. I won't bother to show it as it looks exactly like the other one I made, except this one looks a little more sloppy. I couldn't quite get the thumb to attach to the rest of the glove quite well. There's a little hole. Well, it shouldn't bother Emily too much. I'm working on her scarf now. This is a little swatch of the stitch pattern I will be using. The yarn looks a little bright here, but it's an off white.

When I am finished with that, I will work on a matching set for Kathryn and Ryan. Here is the yarn I will be using for that.

Ryan actually wanted a lighter blue. He said this one was too dark. He said he wants a sky blue color. I wanted it to be a little more conservative and adaptable with other clothes, but he wants the other color. I think I'll browse the Internet and show him what the light blue would look like. But I'll knit in whatever color he wants.

Kathryn has been busy learning to play the recorder for school. She loves it. We hear it all evening long! I think by now, I'm an expert at Hot Cross Buns. I hum it in my sleep! But I won't complain. I'm happy she's enjoying learning about music. And it beats (no pun intended) listening to the drums! LOL!

Emily is enjoying the My Little Pony DVD. She just loves those characters. She plays with the ponies a lot. Playing house with them and having the cutest conversations. Very cute!

Right now, this is what I'm reading. It's on my Fall Reading list.

It's a parallel story about the architect in charge of designing and building the World's Fair in Chicago in 1893. At the same time some murders were taking place the same area at the same time preparations were going on. It's pretty interesting but a little long.

Today I decided to do some cleaning under my bed. Oh my goodness! I found a treasure chest under there. This is a whole box of what I found. I don't know how these things end up here but here they are. Some things get accidentally get kicked under there when the kids are playing with all their silly cute toys that have a gazillion pieces. Other things, I don't know. I think it's time to tell the kids, "No more playing in Mom and Dad's room"!!

And, that's what I've been doing!

Happy Birthday, Dear Daughter!

Today is the day you've been waiting for! You are now in the double digits!

You've forever changed my perspective on life. I had no clue what I was in for when you came.

You are my sunshine!

Have a great celebration day!

Prayers for Ashley

Please go here for Ashley's story. She is a 2 year old triple organ transplant who is fighting for her life. She is a sweet little girl who needs prayers. She is in the hospital right now and faces serious surgery. Prayers are appreciated for her. Thanks!

Weekend Recap

This weekend was spent, as is custom, going to the kids sporting events. Kathryn had her soccer game on Saturday. Her team won, yea! She didn't score any goals but she made some good passes that helped in the goal scoring. She has improved quite a bit since last season.

This afternoon was spent at Ryan's baseball game. His division (5 & 6 year old) doesn't keep score, so there is no winner or loser. Everyone just has fun while learning the skills. Some of those boys are so little, their uniforms barely fit and you can't even see their little faces under the huge helmets!

Emily & I made a trip to the library to pick up some new books. Right now she is into duck books and horse books. I was tempted, but I resisted getting some books. I have been reading from my list for the challenge and I'm trying to meet that goal before adding more. I just know I'll be adding later, that's just the way I am. But for now, I'm sticking with my published list.

This coming week will be spent doing my usual routine - taking kids to school, picking them up, practices and keeping home. In other words, doing what I love to do most!