A Sunny Saturday

Saturday was a happy day. The sun was shining, the air was crisp, and we were all home, including Daddy (at least until he left for work in the evening). We swept the grime off the garage floor, and cleared dead plants out of the front flowerbeds. The kids 'planted' some dried-out flowers and watered everything (no, we didn't really need water, but they were occupied and happy).

It was SO GREAT to be outside. I think I'll say it again. It was SO GREAT to be outside.

As I was pulling out dead leaves and stems, my little helper commented, "Mommy we gotta get the old stuff out so the new stuff can grow." I looked at his little boogery face and thought, how perceptive you are, my little guy. What a fitting meditation for Divine Mercy weekend. Through God's grace and mercy, the garbage that accumulates in our souls can be cleaned out, allowing sparkly fresh new life to take hold.

Is it really that simple? Yeah, I think it is.

Have a great week!

Who needs an iPod

Happy Easter!

And if your mom spaces out and forgets to color Easter eggs, just
take the bull by the horns and make some yourself!!

Easter happenings:

-We survived the Easter Vigil!!! Victor slept through the whole thing!

-Easter morning, with a mouth full of candy, Victor asks, "Mom, is it OK
if I eat sugar before lunch?"

-On Sunday morning, I got the kids up, dressed, and to Grandma and Pada's
church 45 minutes away all by myself by 10:30 AM. Did I mention I got
myself ready, too? Yes, I'm very proud of myself. (Eustace was working)

-It was cold outside, but sunny!! Yay!! Spring is in the air - finally!!

Jesus Loves the Little Children

Victor. He is one funny little guy. At mass, he spends his time sucking his thumb, talking to himself and us (not in a whisper), walking around in the pew, singing a line or two when the mood strikes him (generally a few seconds late and a decibel or two louder than everyone else). He doesn't seem to mind being in church, but I was just certain that most of what goes on was completely escaping him.

He is only 3, after all.

But, yesterday, we were washing hands. It's always a struggle. For some reason the whole bathroom thing would be fine with him if we could just skip that last step. I can't figure out what the big deal is since he usually loves playing in water. Anyway, yesterday as we were completing this job, out of nowhere, he said, "Mommy, why does Pontius Pilate wash his hands?"

I was dumbfounded. I guess there is more going into that little mind during mass than I thought. I thank God we attend a church where the children are allowed to be a part of our most important prayer. They may be wiggly or even downright unruly at times, but even the littlest of the little will grasp things we adults may never anticipate.

God bless little Victor for reminding me.

Does this count as lenten reading?

Well, I hope so. Our homeschooling moms' book group is reading this:
Kristin Lavransdatter Part I: the Wreath. It is so good, I read the whole
trilogy, and now my husband is well through Part II. At first I felt a little
guilty about reading such a literary pleasure during the season of penance,
but the deeper into the books I got, the more I realized they are all about
the essence of lent. There is sin and defiance, the outcomes of our human
condition and the decisions we make, redemption and God's great mercy
woven through the whole story. The characters grapple with their particular
weaknesses. Not one is portrayed as perfect. The author, Sigrid Undset,
converted to Catholicism after writing these books. The need for redemption
through Jesus Christ is clear in her fictional story.

I highly recommend them, even, and maybe especially, during Lent. I saw
myself in more than one character. I became more aware that God has
been abundantly merciful toward me, as He is toward all of us, if we will
turn to Him.

These stories are juicy, no doubt about it. They are for adult readers. But, I
don't know when I've read something so honest about the real temptations
that plague us, regardless of the century.

A Must-see Movie Trailer

Expelled: The Movie

More weekend pics

Sunday Mass

Goofing around after church, aka getting
the wiggles out!!!

Before the procession on Sunday - Felicity is
checking out the palm branches.

Back at the hotel, someone went for her very
first dip in the pool. It was a little cold, and she wasn't
too crazy about it! We'll have to try again at Grandma
and Pada's house this summer...

Palm Sunday Weekend

We spent the weekend visiting the Community of St. John in Princeville, IL.
A bit of snow fell Saturday morning, but overall, the weather was very
pleasant. (The chapel looks so pretty with a white coating!)

The young lady pictured above is our trusty babysitter who agreed
tag along and lend a helping hand! What a Godsend she is.

The Brothers led a beautiful procession at the beginning of Sunday's Mass.

What a great experience for our whole family. The kids love hanging
out with these guys!

This Looks Good!

A new Catholic Kids' magazine is attempting to drum up enough interest to obtain publication! You can view a sample and indicate your interest at their website. I'm praying this comes to fruition! Looks really good to me.

A runny nose is...

"...my good sneezes that won't stay in there!!!" (Victor)

Deep Thoughts

Lucy: "I'm going to become a nun. It's not a dangerous job. And, you can't get fired! I mean, you can't get fired from God!"

Lap Book Adventure

Over the past few years, I've heard the term "lap book" mentioned
many times, but I just couldn't figure out what everyone was talking
about. I had even seen pictures, but still wasn't sure what the purpose
should be. Then I came across this book in a catalog, and I took the
plunge. What a delight! These moms got together and wrote this lovely
little book full of all sorts of book-making ideas. We decided to try our
hand at a lap book full of math facts. See below for the results of our
first attempt.

I helped with the folds, and Lucy filled them in with addition facts. She even
created a couple of little games. Of course, the cover design was all hers.
The creativity gene seems to have escaped me, but with a little prompting and help
from mothers more clever than I, we can enjoy making things together.
What a fun way to reinforce ideas! Lucy has always enjoyed making her own books,
but in The Ultimate Lapbook Handbook we found a great source of new ideas.

Who Me?

yes, you're the one who is only four months old and is starting to do the inchworm crawl!
time to baby-proof again!!!

Another Snowy Day

And this fire chief, shade-wearing, snow fort-building little guy
made the best of it!

In honor of the presidential primaries...

here is a certain 6-year-old's rendition of Hillary Clinton.
(yes, she's been talking to her father)

Question of the Day

(from Victor)
"Mom, does God have a middle name?"

Today

Today it occured to me that it is actually March. It wasn't just the date on the calendar that clued me in, but the 58 degree, sunny weather that we woke up to this morning! The kids spent some time on the porch and outside until the rain started. Now we're back to a winter storm advisory and the temp. is below freezing again. But, I can handle it, because today we had a tiny glimpse of Spring. It can't be far away now.