Girlfriend Call

I was blessed today to have a long phone conversation with a girlfriend. It is rare for me to have a leisurely phone conversation and yet when I do, I am reminded how important talking girl talk with a friend is to me...and my family. It is obvious why this is important to me. I'm very fortunate to have intense women friends who challenge, reassure, and encourage me. They also make me laugh. All of this helps me to strive to fulfill my vocation wholeheartedly. Why is a girlfriend chat important to my family? You guessed it; when I'm happy, the family is happy. Or at least they don't have to deal with my foreign-to-them-woman-need that is being met quite nicely without them.

Have you talked on the phone with a girlfriend lately? Consider giving a call. Especially consider giving a call to the friend you are sure is to busy to talk. She might be just the friend who needs to hear from you most.

Have a blessed Sunday!

Together in Prayer

I just received word that my sweet eight year old niece, who lives thousands of miles away in Pennsylvania, was hospitalized with severe abdominal pain and other serious symptoms. She is being observed and waiting for test results.

It is so hard to be separated from my brother and his family, especially when his daughter is in the hospital. I gain great comfort from knowing that our family is together in prayer.

From St. Frances De Sales,

Never think that geographical distance can ever separate souls whom God has united by the ties of His love. The children of the world are separated one from another because their hearts are in different places; but the children of God, having their hearts where their treasure is, and sharing only one treasure - which is the same God - are consequently always united and joined together.

Please join me in prayer for my niece. If you feel so called, join our family in a novena to St. Gianna Molla. I have gained much peace from praying to this lovely Saint, knowing how much she loves children and wants the medical profession to be a conduit for God's grace. Thank you.

Arizona hEATS

My daughter and I have a new blog, Arizona hEATS. We're having a lot of fun working together in the kitchen and at the computer. As the temperature heats up, come and pull up a seat on our virtual covered patio and we'll serve you up some iced tea and good hEATS.

Apology to Commenters

I just learned from my blogging friend extraordinaire, stef, that it is proper etiquette to comment on comments left at my blog. Fortunately for me, comments have been left by dear friends and family who will not be surprised that it was my ignorance, not my lack of gratitude, that kept me from commenting. I honestly thought that if I commented on a comment it was like sending a thank you for a thank you OR that I was already saying too much and taking up even MORE of your time! Now I see that I am free to send my thank you, one that is truly heartfelt.

To make up for my past errors, I want to say thank you all for visiting me here. I know how valuable your time is and I am grateful that you choose to spend some with me. I try to make it worth your while! From now on, I'll also do my best to respond to comments.

Little League Glue

Little League is in high gear right now and will keep me well occupied through May. Our 10 year old is in the Majors and our 7 year old is in Coach Pitch. We are at a game up to four nights a week!

We have had our Little League lumps over the past two years. Fortunately, this season is fantastic. At the Major level, the play is very skilled and exciting. The 10-12 year olds play their hearts out! Our family also enjoys the company of the other players' families, a mixed lot which makes for many an interesting encounter.

I sometimes wonder what our family did before Little League. We hang out at the games together, cheering. Our daughter is learning how to keep score for her brother's team. We talk about the games over and over and over. Throw into the mix that we are having fun with our neighbors...take me out to the ballgame!

Family Project

This past week was Easter vacation here, to include taking a break from blogging and much of our usual stuff. I'm convinced that a business as usual mentality the week after Easter robs us of Easter joy and distracts us from Christ.

So into the void we tackled a family project that has been gnawing at me for two years. We organized a small seating area on our patio. Sounds simple enough, right? Well, I should have thought again! The good news is that four trips to Home Depot and many hours of manual labor and we have a sweet place to kick back and enjoy our beautiful Arizona outdoor living.

We purchased a couch secondhand and a white woven throw slipcover. It fits perfectly up against the wall under our bedroom window. My daughter made sweet pillows for it out of blue material with a multi-colored bird print...too tweet (couldn't resist.) Across from the couch we purchased two all weather wicker type chairs in powder blue. This is a big step for me because I can be practical to a fault and feel compelled to purchase white. My frugal side won out because only the blue chairs were on sale:). My daughter is making coordinating seat pad covers using material that only has the branches and white blooms from the bird print. On the ground between the couch and chairs is a blue indoor/outdoor rug. NEVER did I think I would use a rug outside; my mind always thinks astroturf. With a baby and a desperate desire for color in the desert, a dark blue rug it is. Between the two chairs is a secondhand table on which the children and I placed multi-colored kitchen tiles (3X4) in the center, surrounded by mostly blue with some multi-colored glass gems. The grout is "almond sand" which gives it a rippling water over sand effect...if you have a really good imagination. Finally, behind the two chairs we put up (5) 4X8 panels of white privacy lattice between our covered patio posts. This has brought not only privacy, but shade which is a high commodity in the desert. Figuring out and implementing this part of the project was quite a team effort. Phew!

The planner that I am is chagrined to admit that this big project wasn't planned. To be honest, I woke up the day after Easter and "just couldn't take it anymore!" After sitting on my friend's sweet, shaded, patio the day before, I was compelled to shake my handywoman inhibitions and go for it! Shortly into the project I lost my temper because...well never mind. Once I apologized I was ready to not only produce a pleasant patio, I was going to avoid sinning as well! It was fantastic to work with the children. They carried, measured, painted, tiled, washed, cleared, mowed, and so much more. In fact, this family project was so successful, I have one planned for the Fall.

Holy Week and Sacred Triduum: Saturday

This is what I had in my draft box before I brought my husband to the hospital emergency room with severe abdominal pain and swelling...

I love this day! As our seven year old said while bouncing up and down, "Mom, I can hardly wait until Easter! I think I'm going to bust!" Today is all about waiting and preparing.

We'll shop for last minute Easter basket items and fresh food needs for tomorrow. We'll make some dishes that we are bring to our friends' home for our traditional Easter ham dinner tomorrow. Can't forget to get all the Easter clothes ready! We will dye Easter eggs and finish up a few craft loose ends.

We will miss the Easter Vigil Mass tonight, which is a sacrifice. Our daughter will lecture at the family Mass tomorrow, with our whole family present. Tonight after the sun set, we will decorate the front of our home. We hang plastic eggs that have been tied to multi-colored ribbons from our trees. We also hang our Easter flag. Colored wicker Easter baskets with tacky multi-colored Easter grass line the front of the house. For the grand finale, add a purple 6' Easter Bunny similar to this one and you have a can't miss explosion of Easter joy!

(Disclaimer: If I had my way, our front yard would look more, umm, sophisticated. Last year when I was hugely pregnant, the family took the decorating of our "new to the desert front yard" bull by the horns and that explains the purple bunny! So now I eat humble pie, again, because the yard is perfectly eye-catching. It is especially noticeable since we are the only family in the near neighborhood who decorates for Easter.)...

There is nothing like a health scare, and this one was one of the scariest, to put things into perspective. However many wonderful activities we had planned, they didn't have to happen for the risen Christ to come in Easter glory. In fact, Easter is even more delicious exactly because Easter is NOT dependent upon me or you or health or anything human. Easter comes. He is risen!

Thanks be to God and to all my prayerful friends, my husband was home and in bed by 2:00 am on Easter morning. He received the best case scenario results and is on oral antibiotics for an infection. Praise God and Happy Easter!

Holy Week and Sacred Triduum: Friday

Good Friday is a full, slow moving, deliberate and somber day here. No music or entertainment. It is also a day when we need to be careful not to fall into traps of bickering, impatience, and sloth. It is as if the heaviness of the day weighs on us and in our weakness we want to take it out on each other. This article, The Holiday Halmark Can't Handle, touches upon the unique mix of feelings today.

Fortunately, we have several activities to help keep us out of trouble. We plan to make my friend Mary Ann's Hot Cross Buns. (Thanks again, Mary Ann!) We will clean the house. We'll begin the Divine Mercy Novena and will add prayer for troops. We will abstain from meat and fast.

Later today we will do the Stations of the Cross using these prints from Catholic Heritage Curriculum. We will attend Mass for The Lord's Passion, Liturgy of the Word, Veneration of the Cross, and Holy Communion.

Finally, we get to call my Dad and sing Happy Birthday. Happy Birthday, Dad! I and we love you.

Holy Week and Sacred Triduum: Thursday

Holy Thursday is when Jesus ate the Last Supper with his apostles. Although not my tradition, I love the meaning behind calling today Maundy Thursday. Maundy Means "command," which refers to Jesus command to "love one another. As I have loved you, so you also should love one another. This is how all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another" (John 13:34.)

Today we will make unleavened bread. Tonight my husband will lead us through our simplified version of a seder meal. Our evening will conclude with my husband washing our feet.

My heart is about to burst with gratitude.

Holy Week: Wednesday

Yesterday we planned to clean and shop. I don't mind cleaning but shopping is a whole other matter. Not being a gifted shopper, shopping falls into the category of sacrifice. I do what needs to be done to fulfill my vocation as wife and mother and holiday maker extraordinaire!

What God had planned for me yesterday was quite different. I had the privilege to talk to a dear friend about her family challenges and to suggest ways of helping that included a discussion about the sacramental grace found within the Catholic Church. My friend is a talented, funny woman, a beautiful seeker, a devoted wife and mother, and an inspiration. I prayed out loud to my friend for the ability to represent God and His Church well and with loving truth. It proved to be a challenging and beautiful conversation, one that brought these words to my mouth...

I may not completely trust humans or human constructs, but I do trust God. I trust Jesus Christ and his perfect example and sacrifice for us. I trust the Holy Spirit to lead us Home. I trust the Holy Tradition (I'm not talking Bingo here) of the Catholic Church which Christ promised would never be overcome.* I trust this with my life.

This was when I burst into tears! I'm not one to cry easily and I most certainly didn't want to turn emotional during this delicate conversation. Then I found myself apologizing for the tears, saying...

I've never said that before, in that way, to anyone. I'm crying because not only do I completely trust this for me, I completely trust this for those I love, for my children, for my husband, for you.

My gracious friend blessed me yesterday. I hope and pray that I was a conduit of God's grace for her. We've been good friends to each other for years. God works in amazing and surprising ways.

Yes, I managed to shop yesterday (with an extra bounce in my step) and the cleaning was rescheduled...gladly.

*Matt 16:18 - "You are Peter, and on this rock I will build my Church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it."

Holy Week: Tuesday

We collected our recipes and made shopping lists. We watched Veggie Tales An Easter Carol and colored this page. We'll continue watching Jesus of Nazareth.

We also looked at family service and decided to do something special for dad. We will make him home made nutrition bars, to take to work. We will also suprise him by caring for the lawn.

The day has been quiet. The children have played. I have spent leisurely time at the computer with friends. Our anticipation is growing....

Holy Week: Monday

I want Holy Week to feel very holy, special, and different from our usual week. Oh how I wish the whole community would stop business as usual! Until then, we'll stick to doing holy, special, and different family activities.

To start, we take a break from our formal school work. Today we'll visit with friends and eat pizza together. We'll watch The Miracle Maker and make paper flowers, tissue paper or crepe paper flowers. We'll pull out our Bibles and spend time reading about and looking at illustrations about Jesus's death and resurrection (Matthew, Chapters 26, 27, 28; Mark, Chapters 14, 15, 16; Luke, Chapters 22, 23, 24; John, Chapters 18, 19, 20, 21.) We'll do some Holy Week themed word puzzles. Here are some more ideas for Holy Week.

Holy Week: Palm Sunday

Holy Week is here. Our family will keep our preparations simple and low key.

For Palm Sunday we will attend Mass, decorate our home with blessed palms, make palm crosses, and spend the day outside together. In the evening we will begin watching Jesus of Nazareth.

Have a most blessed Palm Sunday.

Prayer Chair

I have a prayer chair that I picked up years ago via a parish garage sale. It is old with red velvety upholstery. Some would say it is tacky but I love it. I have prayed a thousand prayers, wept a thousand tears, and controlled a thousand temper tantrums, in this chair.

There is something special about having a space set aside for peace and quiet and prayer. When the rest of the house is out of order, I can close my eyes in my chair and feel at ease. When I leave the scene of a family misunderstanding, I go to my chair and gain calm.

When others are having a hard time, I'll invite them to sit in my chair. My children have spilled their stories there. My husband has debriefed from his rigorous days at work. When the baby is fussy, I sit with him in my chair and pray.

Although I have moved too often, my chair comes with me. There was a time when I envisioned upgrading my chair to something nicer. For now I'll keep it, like I would a comfortable old sweater. One filled with memories and prayer.

Laugh Break 6: Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus

Although this book is recommended for children pre-Kindergarten through second grade, I would say ages 7+ is more like it. Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus had my children rolling on the floor. The illustrations are simple and unique, with a surprising peak of visual action in the middle of the story. They identified with Pigeon's antics, seeing them as silly and outrageous.

There are more books in with Pigeon series. Hopefully, there are more laughs to be had.

Lunch Break: Ferdinand the Bull

On the days we are home during the week at lunch time, we make something quick to eat, and watch an educational DVD. The children take turns choosing. Often the DVD's are connected to a unit study or they are stories. Today we watched Ferdinand the Bull, a Disney short film found on Timeless Tales. We love this book. We love this book on tape (Oh the dramatic Spanish telling!) and now we love this short film.

If you haven't met Ferdinand yet, please do. Spring is the perfect time to smell the flowers along with Ferdinand!

Consistency

I lost my temper today and slammed my boys with a serious negative consequence for their behavior. As they sat, shocked, they collected themselves and finished their work while holding back tears. I calmed down and continued my work as well. Once finished, I called my husband to evaluate our situation.

There is a lot of pressure for parents to be "consistent." Somewhere along the way I realized that there are two kinds of consistency, external and internal. External consistency is the type most folks talk about. For example, as a parent if you give a negative consequence to a child, you had better follow through or your child will never learn correct behavior and will see you as weak.

The second kind of consistency is internal. Internal consistency means to come from the same values and priorities when acting, to include giving consequences. So when I give a negative consequence from my anger, I break my internal consistency because I want to give consequences from a thoughtful, prudent, and helpful place.

After talking with my husband, I had to eat humble pie. With the help of my husband, we calmly teased out what I had done wrong and what I said that was true. Eventually, we decided to change the negative consequence. We replaced it with another way for our children to make amends and hopefully to learn. Now if only their mother would learn!