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Preserving
Your Sanity I’ve learned a lot over the past 20+ years of taking
care of children of all ages. One of the
most important lessons is that the sanity of the parent, caregiver, nanny,
teacher…responsible for the nurturing of young bodies, minds, and spirits is
absolutely essential to preserve. It’s
always better to ask for help, than to risk drowning in the deep end. I personally would much prefer that a family
member or friend call and let me know they could use a hand, someone to listen,
a meal or dessert delivered to their door, help with the kids…than find out
after-the-fact that they had a horrible time of it and worried about reaching
out for support. People have only so much time and energy in a day. It's okay when you are at a point in your life when what's going on in your family and household is all you can manage to be on the receiving end of the outreach.
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Grace on the Go I
have taught the girls a slightly altered form of grace because it’s often once
everyone’s chowing down on their breakfast or lunch that I remember we haven’t
said a blessing. It goes like this: “Bless
us, oh Lord, and these Thy gifts which we are ALREADY receiving from Thy bounty
through Christ Our Lord. Amen.” Usually after that I add a hearty: “Thank
You, God, for giving us food! Thank You,
God, for giving us food!” I think it
makes up for not blessing the food before we consume it. Not sure.
The last time I heard Vivi start saying grace without being prompted, she
was sitting on the toilet.
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Princess and the Pea
Retold As those of you well-versed in fairy tales and hazardous waste
removal already know, the proof is in the poop.
This week one of my three favorite little princesses
had some interesting incidents with accessories. She pooped a purple bead one morning, and I
caught her teething on a bright pink toddler-sized ponytail holder. Clearly she’s into accessories (or they're into her). Perhaps when she’s a little older, she’ll
start a new line of bling and things created with “bad ass beads” and “salivating hair
duds.”
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Technology Throwbacks My dear husband, bless his heart, was telling me yesterday
that the doctor saw him texting me and told him: “The nineties called. They want their phone back.” For the amount of time it takes him to text
me on my only slightly more advanced phone (which still can’t be called smart),
he might as well just write me a note and deliver it in person. We had this discussion when he said that he’d
ordered a smart TV. Yes, we’re just now
replacing our tube TV in honor of Kevin’s upcoming 50th birthday
this July. We don’t have an XBOX, Wii,
iPod, iPad, a Kindle, or a Smartphone. My
husband, who loves music and has a vast collection of it, does have an MP3
player, but I still play CDs (and occasionally even an audio tape) on a boombox/portable
stereo as often as I play Youtube videos on my laptop computer. I also have been known to send handwritten
letters via snail mail.
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The Perks of Being a Wallflower I
have to say that I was very impressed by both the book and the movie, which I
had checked out from the library for the past couple of weeks. The novel is a series of letters that are
really more like diary or journal entries written by a teenager just starting
his freshman year of high school. I love
how honest, vulnerable, realistic, endearing, hilarious, and heart-wrenching
the characters are on the page as well as on the screen. Stephen Chbosky, the novelist was also the
director of the film. I highly recommend
reading the book and watching the movie.
(Quick disclaimer for regular readers since much of what I review is Christian fiction and
non-fiction: This is not for kids, and there are some adult themes, scenes, and
situations that clearly go against the teachings of the Catholic Church.) Don’t miss the commentary and extras on the DVD. The one with the director and main actors his absolutely hilarious. The commentary by just Chbosky is really interesting, especially for those who enjoy books, movies, writing, and/or stories of hope.
One of my favorite things about The Perks of Being a Wallflower is that it has so many life lessons that are timeless. One quote that has stuck with me is: “We accept the love we think we deserve.”
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Glimpses
of Grandma In some ways, I’m definitely my grandma’s girl. She rarely
tossed stuff out if it could be recycled or reused by her or by someone else. I am
absolutely certain she’s quite tickled that Kevin and I currently have hanging
in our bathroom a turquoise (her favorite color) shower curtain that my grandma
must have had for 30 some years. When I found it and realized it had
never been used, and was still in its original box from a department store that
went out of business awhile ago, I couldn’t bring myself to toss it, knowing my
grandma would have wanted someone to use it.
For more recently observed, “glimpses of grandma,” click
here.
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Got the Holy
Spirit? This weekend we’ll be celebrating Pentecost, the birth of the
Catholic Church and therefore the beginning of Christianity. Remember to wear red to Mass. Please pray some extra prayers for the
participants of the Cursillo Women’s Weekends going on locally and around the globe
this weekend. Also, I ask that you would
lift up a wonderful woman of faith who’s going through some real suffering in
mind, body, and spirit.
Come Holy
Spirit! Descend like a dove and fill us
anew with God’s redeeming love. Amen.
Check out Jen Fulwiler’s tradition of 7
Quick Takes Friday at her tremendously popular blog Conversion Diary.
