Saturday Morning Chores

It's early Saturday morning and Timothy climbs into bed with us.

Guess what? he asks.

What.

Last night I had a giant booger in my nose.

And then what? I inquire.

It was on my finger.

What did you do with it? I asked, hoping that a tissue figures somewhere into this story.

Then it got stuck on my thumb.

Oh boy I think.

And then? I ask, needing to know but not really wanting to.

I don't know...I don't see it anymore. And he hops off the bed.

And I am thinking that this morning...I am changing all the sheets.

Guided by the Spirit

Dear Nicholas,

For your Confirmation we wanted to give you seven books, each one representing one of the Gifts of the Holy Spirit. Many of the books we thought to include (The Lord of the Rings trilogy and The Chronicles of Narnia series, for example) you already own, so the challenge was to find ones that would be new to you. We prayed to the Holy Spirit for guidance, and this is what we came up with . . . they have much to offer as you grow in your faith.

Wisdom, in order to see God at work in our lives and in the world.
Have a Little Faith by Mitch Albom

Understanding, to enlighten my mind.
Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck

Right Judgement/Counsel, to know the difference between right and wrong.
Night by Ellie Wiesel

Courage/Fortitude, to stand up for what is right in the eyes of God.
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

Knowledge, to know oneself and to know God.
The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch

Piety/Reverence, for a deep sense of respect for God and the Church.
A Man For All Seasons by Robert Bolt

Fear of the Lord (awe of God), to recognize our all powerful God.
The Holy Bible

Love,
Mom and Dad


Nicholas with sponsors Aunt Laura and Uncle Patrick


Nicholas with Bishop Boland

The Knight and the Pirate

My brother-in-law, who is a member of the Knights of Columbus, volunteered to join the Knights of our parish for the Confirmation Mass. This was the first time our sons had seen their uncle in full regalia. Timothy was awed . . . is Uncle Patrick a pirate?

And you can see why he thought this . . .

Shhhh...don't tell anyone!

While cooking for Nicholas' Confirmation dinner I thought I'd take a quick break and share this easy cake idea:

one chocolate cake from Publix bakery
+ one can of Pirouette rolled wafers
+ some coordinating ribbon

(And the fact that it all wasn't made from scratch? Let's keep that between us, shall we?)

A Little Help From My Blogging Friends

My son's confirmation is next week, and as a gift we are giving him seven books with themes representing the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit. For example, for the gift of Right Judgement/Counsel we selected Harper Lee's book To Kill a Mockingbird.

We have already thought of a few books, but I thought I'd ask you for suggestions. What books (any genre) would you suggest to represent the following:

Wisdom in order to see God at work in our lives and in the world.

Understanding to know how we need to live as follower of Christ.

Right Judgement/Counsel to know the difference between right and wrong.

Courage/Fortitude to stand up for what is right in the eyes of God.

Knowledge to know oneself and to know God.

Piety/Reverence for a deep sense of respect for God and the Church.

Fear of the Lord (awe of God) to recognize our all powerful God.


(BTW, I got this idea a while ago from our Catholic Teacher Extraordinaire, Laura, and filed it away to use later...so, thanks Laura!)

Capturing Moments

An early weekday morning . . . it's dark and the little one is sleepy . . .

I sit in a kitchen chair as he stands in front of me . . . I help him get ready for school . . . I tuck in his shirt, fasten his belt, brush his hair . . . his face is inches from mine . . . I breathe him in . . .

Leaving the Reconcilation service with my oldest son . . . talking about his confirmation next week . . . stopping at Wendy's . . . delighting in the fact that right now, in this moment, we are in a state of grace . . . we are angels sipping vanilla frosties

In an attempt to get my middle son to read more, I propose we read a book together . . . he is skeptical . . . he's not convinced . . . I read the first chapter of The Outsiders to him . . . he has a reluctant grin on his face . . . he likes Ponyboy

You must live in the present,

launch yourself on every wave,

find your eternity in each moment.

-Henry David Thoreau

Dinner, Football Style

I am all about family dinners with everyone seated at the table passing plates of food and conversing with voices that tend to get louder and louder as the meal progresses.

But sometimes, such as on football Saturdays, it's also nice to do this: a crockpot full of Sloppy Joes, hamburger buns, carrot sticks, potato chips, and Halloween cookies . . . all placed on the kitchen counter with plates and utensils, ready for whenever anyone is hungry.

It works nicely when your living room is full of grown men, and medium-sized men, and one teeny tiny man cheering on Penn State.

And it works very nicely for me as I read, scrapbook, blog, and check in on the score from time to time.

-What's for dinner?

-Why, it's all there . . . just help yourself.