Be There, Even if You Can't Be There!

A Middle of January Daybook

Outside my window: It is still pretty dark. I think all of the snow has melted in our back yard, so it must be time for another storm.

I am listening to: Nothing. The girls are all still sleeping and Tom is downstairs working. All is quiet up here.

I am wearing: Navy blue sweatpants and tshirt from the high school volleyball team I coach and tennis shoes with my hair pulled back in a pony tail. I just finished working out with the Wii.

I am Thankful for: a husband who ignores my stupidity when I am feeling bad about myself and tries to refocus my thoughts to the positive.

I am Planning: EVERYTHING. Really trying to get the family’s act together with schedules and activities instead of just surviving from day to day.

I am reading: Signs of Life and Total Money Makeover but not making much progress on either

From the kitchen: I am trying to tighten the belt on groceries this month, so we’ll be emptying our cupboards and freezer. It’s all about using what we already have.

On being Healthy: Increased exercise, decreased snacking, those are the goals and I haven't been doing very well. Tom bought a new workout "game" for the Wii that I did for the first time this morning. Definite potential for getting the job done. I also need to focus on getting more sleep at night.

I am Thinking: about how tired I am and why do I never get anything I want done. Maybe one of these days I will realize it’s not about what I want, but what He wants.

I am Creating: A space to CREATE!!! We are PURGING quite a bit in the house (we should have done this long ago!) and I am getting a new craft space. The ideas are FLOWING on what to do with it.

On my iPod: I recently received a new iPod Touch. I have not spent a lot of time getting things on it yet. A little Christmas music to get through Christmas Eve dinner and Christmas morning, but I am really looking forward to customizing it and learning from my last iPod.

In the Learning Baskets: The letter R and Winter books are filling the baskets this week. I haven't been doing everything I want with the girls and I am letting it get me down.

Towards Rhythm and Beauty: The focus is all about establishing SCHEDULES in order to establish rhythm in our house. Again, there are many struggles in this area of my life. Just have to keep trying.

To Live the Liturgy: We don't have much planned this week. I am VERY EXCITED about a mom's bible study beginning next month at church.

I am Hoping and Praying: for converted hearts; brand new babies; PATIENCE; comfort to those lives touched by the tragedy in Haiti

In the Garden: All of the snow is gone out back and we've had some really nice days, but I'm trying not to get my gardening wheels spinning too fast because we most likely have plenty of snow to come still this winter.

Around the house: Cleaning, organizing, PURGING!!! We finally put away all of the Christmas decorations last week. Current projects include rearranging girls' room, switching out sizes in the closets, reorganizing the basement, getting rid of general clutter.

On Keeping Home: So much learning needs to be done on my part. It really is embarrassing.

One of my Favorite Things: little girls all tangled up in my bed, sleeping soundly

The Children: Isabel and Alexis went ice skating for the first time this weekend and did suprisingly well, especially Alexis. Afterward, I said that was all I needed, a ballerina AND a figure skater. Bring on the sequins!
~Maire slept for 6 hours last night. And that is all that I need to say about that :)

A Few Plans for the Rest of the Week: Maire's 9 month pictures this afternoon, volleyball practice and then our first tournament of the season this weekend. This coach is a little nervous, both for the girls and herself.

A Picture Thought I’m Sharing:

See more Daybooks here.

The Trouble Tree

The Trouble Tree

-Author unknown

The carpenter I hired to help me restore an old farmhouse had just finished a rough first day on the job. A flat tire made him lose an hour of work, his electric saw quit, and now his ancient pickup truck refused to start.

While I drove him home, he sat in stony silence. Upon arrival, he invited me in to meet his family. As we walked toward the front door, he paused briefly at a small tree, touching tips of the branches with both hands. When opening the door, he underwent an amazing transformation. His tanned face was wreathed in smiles. He hugged his two small children and gave his wife a kiss.

Afterward, he walked me to the car. We passed the tree and my curiosity got the better of me. I asked him about what I had seen him do earlier. "Oh, that's my trouble tree," he replied. "I know I can't help having troubles on the job, but one thing's for sure, troubles don't belong in the house with my wife and children. So I just hang them up on the tree every night when I come home. Then in the morning I pick them up again."

"Funny thing is," he smiled, "when I come out in the morning to pick 'em up, there aren't nearly as many as I remember hanging up the night before."

Two Reasons I Love the Blogosphere

Empty Yourself


Sacramental Windfall...

Shopping for a Church

Over at Faith and Family Live!, they are having a discussion about whether or not to "shop" for a parish. I went to put my two cents in and came out with a comment that deserved its own post.


Ideally, I think you should attend your home parish. If it's broke, then you be the one to fix it. Or at least get the solution started.

Having said that, I think I have "shopped" for every parish I've belonged to in my married life and have been greatly blessed by doing so. When we were stationed in Utah, just finding a Catholic church was difficult. We really only had 2 options. The church off base turned off my then Protestant fiance with the very senior priest's fire and brimstone homilies. We ended up becoming members of the base chapel, mostly because my husband worked with the woman who was in charge of the RCIA program on base which he became a part of. I will always cherish that chapel because that is where my husband entered the Church and because of a very important couple we met there.

We then moved to Boston and encountered the exact opposite, having a Catholic church on every block it seemed. Of course, the Church in Boston is facing great challenges which has affected its attendance. We attended Mass at our "official" parish that first Sunday in a large, beautiful church. It did not feel welcoming, however, with only a few parishioners in attendance and most of them elderly. We eventually became members of the next closest parish, still only 5 minutes away. This parish was a blessing because of the priest who was very personable and great with children. He even attended our oldest daughter's birthday party once. I have yet to see another priest so involved with his parishioners, especially the children.

Moving once more, we took a different approach this time. We "shopped" for a parish before we decided where to live, in hopes of influencing our decision. Having decided on a parish (a large factor was the number of young families with children in attendance) it is still not our "official" parish because we decided to live on base. But, for some of the same reasons as Michelle stated in her comment, we have stayed with the off base parish. It still isn't perfect, I don't care for the architecture and I don't know if the priest recognizes us (despite baptizing one of our children and our very regular attendance at Mass), and we didn't put our 4 yo in CCD/Faith Formation this year because of some negative comments we heard. But this is where I can step up for this parish and help to strengthen what may be a weak link. Maybe that is why God put me here. And again, the blessings are many. A new family sat in "our pew" a month ago and we are fast becoming good friends. And remember that special couple from the chapel in Utah? They were already parishioners here (the Air Force is a small world) and have since become godparents to our youngest child, not only blessing her, but spiritually supporting our entire family.

This is all not to say that we won't be switching again. I have already thought about it due to our oldest attending Catholic school at a different parish because this church does not have a school. If we were to move off base, a possibility in the not so distant future, this would be a HUGE consideration.

Reality

So, obviously my last post was not of the positive variety. I know a lot of bloggers choose to focus on only the positive in their life and try not to use their blogs as a tool for complaining. I don't feel like I whine too much on here, but I do want to keep it real. The other night, I was feeling pretty bad about myself. I was yelling at the kids, even the baby, and had zero patience for anything and anybody, including myself. Of course, after a little sleep and some fresh perspective in the morning, things looked a little less horrible. I went a head and posted my thoughts, though, because sometimes it is nice to know that other people are struggling and we are not alone in facing our challenges. Life is hard. But with God's grace, we can get through any tough time. And sometimes, just sharing our thoughts (letting it out, so to speak) can help relieve a little of the stress. That is a lesson I desperately need to learn!

Feeling Like the Worst Mother Ever

(and wife, friend, etc...)

And that's all I've got to say about that.

Before Becoming a Mommy...

...I didn't realize that phones only ring when

-I'm nursing a baby.

-I'm changing a diaper.

-I'm putting a child down for a nap.

Out of the Mouths of Husbands

"Women's attitudes are like tiny delicate snowflakes.

That land on steep, snow covered mountains.

And snowball into avalanches. And whoa to the man that be in its path!"

~~~

"There are no answers on the test with women."

~~~

"Maire is the anchor of this ship. Things are pretty easy with the older two and you can get things done. But having Maire around stops everything."

Just Like Grace

AMAZING!

9 Months

Epiphany Treat

Isabel took these treats into school today for snack time. I thought they turned out pretty well. I used the original recipe for Rice Krispies Treats, spread it into a rectangular cookie sheet and cut out the crowns using a cutter I found at Hobby Lobby for 99 cents. You could easily decorate the crowns more elaborately with candies and icing. I didn't because the school tries to discourage a lot of sweets and snacks with icing, although I probably could have gotten away with it on a feast day like today. Simple, inexpensive, and yummy!

Happy Epiphany!

Did the Wise Men make it to your stable?

You Know Epiphany is Upon Us...

Did you or your kids happen to watch Disney's new Christmas special this year, Prep and Landing? We've seen it again and again thanks to the dvr. In the show, an elf gets frustrated at one point and says, "Oh, Frostbite." This has caught on in our house and is considered pretty funny. Today, however, as I was fighting with a diaper box, one of the panels ripped and what came out of my mouth?

"Oh, Frankincense!"

A New Start Daybook

Outside my window: The sun is very deceiving. Especially in the car, blazing through the windshield. One step outside brings the reality of 20 degree temps.

I am listening to: The sounds of the tv in the other room and Alexis and Maire letting Mommy have a few minutes on the computer.

I am wearing: The jeans and tshirt I threw on to get Isabel to school. After a rough night with the baby (partially due to a power outage) I didn’t get up at the planned hour and didn’t get to properly shower and dress this morning. A baseball cap and oversized sweatshirt were also involved in getting us all out of the house.

I am Thankful for: my new Blackberry. It allowed me to be productive last night and continue to use the internet even though the power went out at 10pm.

~ new friends in our Parish and starting to feel a greater sense of community there.

~Christmas cards on the way to the post office. A huge weight off of my shoulders.

I am Planning: EVERYTHING. Really trying to get the family’s act together with schedules and activities instead of just surviving from day to day.

I am reading: Signs of Life and Total Money Makeover

From the kitchen: It’s Isabel’s turn to bring snacks into school on Wednesday, so I will be making Rice Krispies Treats in the shape of crowns to celebrate the Epiphany. I am also trying to tighten the belt on groceries this month, so we’ll be emptying our cupboards and freezer. It’s all about using what we already have.

On being Healthy: We busted out the Wii Fit we got for Christmas last year a couple of weeks ago. It’s about time, right? The expanding Miis can be quite motivational. Increased exercise, decreased snacking, those are the goals.

I am Thinking: about how tired I am and why do I never get anything I want done. Maybe one of these days I will realize it’s not about what I want, but what He wants.

I am Creating: A space to CREATE!!! We are PURGING quite a bit in the house (we should have done this long ago!) and I am getting a new craft space. The ideas are FLOWING on what to do with it. This weekend will also be a scrapbooking weekend!

On my iPod: I recently received a new iPod Touch. I have not spent a lot of time getting things on it yet. A little Christmas music to get through Christmas Eve dinner and Christmas morning, but I am really looking forward to customizing it and learning from my last iPod.

In the Learning Baskets: The letter I, Epiphany, and Winter books are filling the baskets this week.

Towards Rhythm and Beauty: The focus is all about establishing SCHEDULES in order to establish rhythm in our house. I am also testing out a new planner that I have put together myself.

To Live the Liturgy: The Wise Men are almost to the Stable to see the Baby Jesus. The older girls are loving the search each morning to discover where they have traveled over night. A great new tradition.

I am Hoping and Praying: for converted hearts; brand new babies; PATIENCE

In the Garden: (sigh) It looks very much like winter outside with barely a sign of life except the evergreens. Planning for the spring will be very exciting indeed!

Around the house: Cleaning, organizing, PURGING!!! I think the tree and ornaments will come down on Thursday due to obligations over the weekend.

On Keeping Home: So much learning needs to be done on my part. It really is embarrassing.

One of my Favorite Things: I was blessed with many great presents this Christmas, but my IT present was from my husband. He surprised me with this

"The Prayer at Valley Forge" was painted to serve the cause of liberty, to remind Americans of the deep spiritual roots of our beloved country, to recall a place of cold, and pain and sacrifice, to pay tribute to the tall and lonely man who alone held the struggling nation together, General Washington, driven to his knees there in the bitter snows of Valley Forge. -FribergFineArt.com

The Children: Isabel surprises me with the things she seems to understand, from the events of the first Christmas to visiting a loved one’s grave.
~Alexis is growing out of toddlerhood. Her thoughts, vocabulary, physical skills are all reminders that her 3rd birthday is not that far away. She has become quite the helper, but the two-year old tantrums are still there. Potty training is in the very near future.
~Maire, of course, is changing the quickest. She is testing her vocal abilities and shows her displeasure by making a sound similar to rolling your Rs. We are continuously looking for new foods to give her and she is eating pretty well. She is still getting up every couple of hours at night to nurse which is definitely wearing on Mommy. There was a little bit of hope in this department the other night with two four hour stretches. We’ll see if it continues.

A Few Plans for the Rest of the Week: Pre-school, ballet, and volleyball start up again. I’m hoping for some success in establishing a schedule and accomplishing SOMETHING.

A Picture Thought I’m Sharing:

See more Daybooks here.