How quickly they forget....

It was ridiculously hot here last week...we're talking 99 degrees hot. But now we're cooling off. This morning on the way to school I remarked on the change and pointed out that the car said it was "only 66 degrees outside!"

Biki immediately exclaimed, "Quick mom, put dowm my window. I want to see if I can see my breath!!"

I would say her blood has successfully thinned.

Hitting the wall....

I don't have much to report because I was always a good little girl who took the saying "if you have nothing nice to say, say nothing at all" very seriously!

We're almost halfway there people!!

On a side note....first Friday is this friday and maybe I am just a little late jumping on this bandwagon but I am aiming to make this devotion this year. It is a total no brainer. And at the risk of trying to game the system I am going to do it with each of my children after they make their first communion. Is that wrong? I hope not.

Who cooks for y'all????

We have a lovely owl in our backyard and we've heard him off and on for a few years. We got a really good look at him yesterday...a barred owl.

PHOTOS!

A wow moment.

I am not exactly a positive person. My husband has referred to me as a "cheerful pessimist" and we've all heard the one about the glass is half full.....so I am very thankful for any "wow" moments I experience.

Things haven't been exactly going swimmingly around here since P. took off for 5 weeks in Texas. Lots of wailing and gnashing of teeth, and that's just on my end. (Seriously, every time he leaves I have to bust out my mouth guard.) When the going gets tough around here with crying, fighting and sullen attitudes we just leave. Getting out of the house seems to do wonders for them. We did a balloon festival Friday night, stayed at home all day Saturday except for a rather flawed outing to Sam's club before dinner. (I don't know what I was thinking either.) Today we went all around town taking pictures for a project for my son's local history project. We attended an art festival, saw the science center and the river and even went to the museum where the local symphony had an instrument petting zoo. The kids loved it....I think all 3 want to have violin lessons now.

Anyway, the "wow" moment occurred at the Arts festival. When we were going to get our food there was some new age dance group on the stage with modes of dress and movement that we have deemed "inappropriate." It was dancing with the stars, belly dancing, beyonce and muffin tops all rolled into one. Needless to say the kids were all a little scandalized and I told them to look away. The saddest part would have to be that they have pretty much ruined Abba's "Dancing Queen" for me. (The kids are all convinced that Dancing queen is from Lady GaGa now. AY!)

After a while a middle aged woman in a breathy voice introduced her group and described act as a mode of expression "celebrating the beauty of women" through empowerment or whatever...I wasn't paying too much attention.

A few minutes later while we were eating away from the stage the Conqueror turns to me, irate, and says, "She was talking about the beauty of women. But what about the fact we're made in the image and likeness of God? She forgot about that part didn't she mom?" I was floored. Here's a kid who connected the dots and God bless his innocence. I just answered that a lot of people don't realize they are made in the image and likeness of God and it is up to us to teach them how much God loves them. Anyway, I felt like I was getting through somehow.

I was just telling P. that sometimes, on so many different levels, I feel like I am in the middle of the story "The Emperor has no Clothes." I can only hope my kids will be strong enough to call it like it is as they grow older and be that little kid on the side of the parade route.

From the Papa

Lovely words:

Finally, I would like to say a word to you, my dear young Catholics of Scotland. I urge you to lead lives worthy of our Lord (cf. Eph 4:1) and of yourselves. There are many temptations placed before you every day – drugs, money, sex, pornography, alcohol – which the world tells you will bring you happiness, yet these things are destructive and divisive.

There is only one thing which lasts: the love of Jesus Christ personally for each one of you. Search for him, know him and love him, and he will set you free from slavery to the glittering but superficial existence frequently proposed by today’s society. Put aside what is worthless and learn of your own dignity as children of God. In today’s Gospel, Jesus asks us to pray for vocations: I pray that many of you will know and love Jesus Christ and, through that encounter, will dedicate yourselves completely to God, especially those of you who are called to the priesthood and religious life. This is the challenge the Lord gives to you today: the Church now belongs to you!


Amen!

The more you know...............

In case we aren't FB friends I think all moms and dads should know about this stuff. The scariest thing is that there are children's sites that are run by pornographers...ok only 1 verified but it makes perfect sense. They are tracking kids' every move.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703904304575497903523187146.html?mod=WSJ_hpp_LEADNewsCollection

Tell all your friends!

In which I contemplate home schooling....

I often dream up a blog where I say all the nasty things I think about things...where I go off making rude comments to people that I dream up after they've been rude to me etc. But then I think that no cannonizable saint would have any such blog and I abandon the idea of some commando blog. That being said I still feel there are times when I need to vent. This is one such time. I can't do it on Facebook because I know I will offend some people so here goes.

I HATE THE SCHOLASTIC BOOK FAIR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I get pressured into buying books to earn money for my school...I can find a *few* decent books but most of them are CRAP. Let me give you a few of the "excellent" selections hightlighted in the flier sent home to entice me to spend my money:

"Girls Acting Catty"- oh yeah we really need this one at school. I think girls don't really need a book explaining it.

"Taylor Swift: Her Song" and "Justin Bieber: His World"- Look I have got bad news for anyone who thinks that their kid is going to love reading if they get hooked reading about Justin Bieber. It isn't going to happen. If you give kids junk to read they are going to think reading is a waste of their time. Please stop the madness. Most of the other books are tie-ins for tv shows and I would say half have the word "booger" in the title. Ok, not really, but you get the idea.

I really wish I could have some sort of other fundraiser and raise money for our school library some other way. I really feel like just refusing to participate this year and not buying anything. I will just donate some books to the library I think are good. I know I am a bit of a book snob but parents need to be aware and promoting what their kids read in the same way they are concerned about what they watch on tv or browse on the web. There's SO MUCH uplifiting, interesting things children's literature out there I don't think we really need any more on Justin Bieber. Just saying.

And if you are interested in this topic here's another blog to peruse:
http://catholicbookreview.blogspot.com/



Thank you for letting me get this off my chest.

Little Miss Sunshine

Biki woke up early and came in squinting.

"Is there anything you want to say to me this morning?" I asked hoping for a birthday greeting.

"Humph...when's Friday?"

You might be a ham if....

you make everyone laugh by belching suddenly and loudly at the dinner table and then crack a big smile because you can't really talk. You are an ever bigger ham if you then try to recreate the moment by 'fake burping' multiple times rather inadequately. It might not sound like a burp at all, more like a guttural grunt, but your point gets across to your adoring fan club and they laugh uproariously each time until told to stop by that mean old mom who ruins all your fun.

Remembering.............a work in progess

I can't believe it has been nine years. I look back and I can remember it like it was yesterday. I hear people down here eulogizing it and I can't help but think that they have no idea what it was like. I know, I know that sounds so ridiculous since I was in no way immediately affected by it. Still, I feel my life was changed forever that day. I was not at the epicenter but I was close enough to be afraid, very afraid.

The Conqueror is old enough to ask about it now and so I have told him the story a few times, modified for his earnest self. I don't want him to be paranoid like his mother.

We had been married exactly a month to the day. I was in class that morning. It was a beautiful sunny day. Unbeknownst to be I was in the early stages of pregnancy with the Conqueror. I was to find about him 10 days later. Before class started we were aware tha a plane had hit We were in class and people on their laptops started whispering. I could see pictures

Gotta make dinner....and can't figure out how to save a draft

Terms of Endearment Gone Wrong.....

Biki on passing by me and the girls after mass....
"Hi Fatsos!"

A bunch of women turned around and asked me, "Did she just say Fatso?"

Umm, yes, yes she did. Around here "Come here fatso and give me a kiss!" is what we say to babies and little kids. Perhaps it is time to reassess.

Snippets....

Beanieisms (because that's why you check this site out anyway):

1. "I am a butter-holic!"
2. She's obsessed with the fact that Jesus on the cross isn't wearing a shirt. She talks about going to heaven and is concerned about meeting a shirtless Jesus. The other day I overheard her speaking to a crucifix, "Dear Jesus in heaven, please get a shirt on in heaven. Oh please!"


And from the Biki on Labor Day:
"When I was little I thought that this day was about moms having babies."

That about sums up life around here I would say.