Overheard

Princess to LilBro: "Want me to read this to you?"

LilBro: "Sure!"


Ahhh... watching her confidence as a reader grow... watching my children enjoying each other's company... watching them learn and change and challenge...

Does it really get any better than this?

Three Random Things

Ok, so a quick, disjointed post this morning, before I get my crazy day under way.

1). I am in LOVE!!!!!! Wanna see a picture of my new sweetie?

Running in these babies is so incredibly AWESOME. I can run faster, longer, and so much easier than in my heavy "running shoes." They are completely comfortable. My running gait is changing, my ankles and calves are strengthening, and I am just giddy whenever I get a chance to slide into these and hit the ground running.

Don't be surprised if I start wearing these around town, too! (Go ahead and laugh... just don't be surprised).

***

2). My kids discovered "Tom and Jerry" a few months ago. I grew up watching that show, so I just shrugged my shoulders and smiled when they added it to the DVR list. I've found that it's easier to work on the computer when T & J is on (as opposed to some other cartoon) because there's no dialogue, only music.

This morning, DH was eating breakfast, I was checking email, and the boys were watching T & J all in the same room. Suddenly DH started laughing. T & J were drunk on bottles of liquor, stretched out on the carpet, listening to LPs. I've caught some episodes where T & J were smoking cigarettes. Rather than having my "mom-dar" on high alert, I just laugh at these cultural discrepancies. My kids know how we feel about cigarettes and alcohol. I'm not worried that a crudely drawn cat and mouse cartoon are more influential than we are.

Interesting commentary on our societal changes, though. DH and I grew up watching cartoon characters get drunk and smoke cigarettes, two things that would never fly in modern-day children's television. But, what do our kids get? Too much emphasis on dating and relationships way too early. Parents portrayed, at best, as foolish and out of touch; at worst, as an enemy to be thwarted. In general, adults are not to be trusted.

You know what? My kids can keep on watching T & J for some time to come. Disney channel and Nickelodeon can keep their "children's programming" for some other family.

***

3) Yesterday morning, Princess joined me for Morning Prayer and mass. She brought along a version of the Stations of the Cross that she had created on her own (complete with her awesome phonetic spelling and drawings!), to share with Father. He emailed me later in the day to thank her for sharing her book, that it had really boosted his faith.

This morning, when I appeared in the office, solo, his disappointment was palpable. "Where's your daughter?" as his neck bent, hopefully, peeking around the corner. "Sleeping." "Oh. So, she's not always up this early?" Again, the hopeful tilt of his voice. "Nope. I have to wake her to go to mass. She needs her sleep, so no more than once a week for her." "Oh."

Nothing like a little dose of humility first thing in the morning.

It's ok, Father. I understand. She really lifts me up, too.

The Holy Trinity ... Explained

About a month ago, I attempted to explain the mystery of the Holy Trinity to our newly-minted six year old. Princess just could not get it. She ended up in tears, unable to understand, even with the use of a shamrock sketch, that there are 3 persons, but only 1 God.

This morning, her Lent workbook included a copy of St. Patrick's famous shamrock lesson. Again, we went over the three persons in the one God, and she wrote each name on a shamrock leaf.

"I don't understand, Mommy. How can there be only one God if there's three?"

I thought about it for a minute.

"Let's think about it differently. There are different ways I can refer to you, right? I can call you Princess. Or, I can call you my daughter. Or, I can call you my middle child. Does that mean that there are three different people?"

"No, there's just me."

"Exactly. God is like that. We can call God our Father, the Creator of All. Or we can call God Jesus, who came to live on earth with us and died on the cross for us. Or we can call God the Holy Spirit, who comes to live inside each of us at our Baptisms. But there's still just one God. Does that make more sense?"

Big smile. "I think I get it, Mommy."

Not the deepest theological explanation; I'm sure our resident Seminarian would make some clarifying points. But, for my six-year-old, this explanation made a complex mystery seem easy-to-grasp.

Happy St. Patrick's Day to you all!

First Communion Overflow

BigBro is preparing to receive his first Holy Communion on May 1. We are reading Bible passages, discussing the parts of the mass, and watching videos on loan to us from the parish. There have been lots of questions, both practical and mystical, from BigBro and from Princess (who is right by his side for nearly all our religion lessons, and never misses out on a video during school hours).

BigBro is creating a scrapbook filled with short essays ("What is the Eucharist?" "Why is the Eucharist Important to Me?"), collages, pictures, and reflections. I am really proud of the effort and time he is putting into the project. It will make a nice keepsake for him in the future; it's a good "check" for me now, to make sure his catechesis is solid.

Today, BigBro read Jn. 6:1-15, the loaves and fishes story. We discussed how Jesus fed thousands when he walked on the earth. We discussed how he feeds millions today. Then, he drew a picture for his scrapbook.

A short time later, Princess walked into the room. She had created a short book entitled "I Love God." The book was filled with carefully drawn pictures depicting the various parts of the consecration (including the priest's genuflection) and the distribution of Holy Communion. I was awed and impressed by her care in these pictures and the understanding they represent.

I love homeschooling for so many reasons, but this reason tops them all: we all learn from each other, and from what each other is learning.

Me, most of all.

Dreams

Princess slipped into our bed in the middle of the night, tucking herself safely between DH and me. I didn't notice her entry, but after a time she gave a short scream, waking both of us. DH mumbled to her and rolled over. I pulled her into a cuddle and she whispered, "I had a bad dream, Mommy."

"Shhh. It's ok. Go back to sleep."

In the morning, I asked her about it. Did she want to talk about her bad dreams? No. There was only one bad dream, but there were lots of good dreams. She wanted to talk about the good dreams.

"In one dream, Mommy, I saw lots of poor people, and they didn't have any food and were starving. So, I prayed to God and He gave them food. And then you 'flied' in and saw that they were eating and you were happy."

That is a dream worth remembering.

Happy Birthday, Princess!

Happy 6th Birthday, sweet daughter!

I hope that this coming year is filled with all the sweetness and joy that you

bring to our lives every single day.

It's hard to believe six years have sped by so quickly, since that first morning I

got to hold you in my arms. You are a delight to watch

grow and learn, change and explore.

Every day, I praise God for blessing us with such a wonderful daughter!

We love you, our sweet little Princess!!

Blessings of the Week - vol.42

-1-

Daddy-Daughter Dance. Friday night, Princess and DH went on their annual date. Every year, she gets all dressed up for a night out with her Daddy. There is such sweetness here. It's amazing to see how she is growing, and a little bittersweet knowing that some day, that fancy dress, careful hairdo, touch of makeup and her "best" jewelry will all be for some other man. For now, however, we'll enjoy the blessing of stopping to mark this moment.

-2-

Light of Christ Awards. This week began with the Scout mass last Sunday. Afterwards, our Pastor bestowed the Light of Christ Award on eight Wolf Scouts, among which was BigBro. The boys worked hard to earn this award, and were so proud of themselves. As usual, our Pastor did a wonderful job encouraging and congratulating the boys.

-3-

Successful Work Project. DH has spent the past several months completely creating a brand new class for work... everything from the end-user manual to the class itself. This week, he taught the pilot class and it was a rousing success, requiring nothing but the smallest tweaks before the class goes live later this quarter. For the blessing of work done well, and the blessing of getting him back (fully focused), I am truly grateful this week.

*****

Where have you paused to notice His Hand in your life lately?

Impossible to Please

Last night, just before bedtime, I learned that Princess' godmother, whom we haven't seen in several years, will be able to visit us for a week in April. As I tucked Princess into bed last night, I shared this news with her.

She squealed with joy! How much fun she is going to have with her Godmother!

"Can she sleep in my room, Mommy?"

"Yes, she'll have to sleep in your room, because Grammy and PopPop will be here then, too.

[They are coming out for BigBro's First Holy Communion].

This morning, I reminded Princess that her brothers didn't yet know the news, and gave her the chance to break it to them.

"Guess who's coming to visit us in the spring?" Princess sang as she danced around her bedroom.

When BigBro's guesses were wrong, she happily told him, "My Godmother!"

BigBro, also a fan, joined in the happy dance.

I added, "And she's staying for a whole week!"

Princess stopped short. "Oh no! I thought she was staying for a month!"

*****

We don't call her "Princess" for nothing.

Juicy Eyes

We love homemade french onion soup around here. This time of year, I make a crockpot full about every other week. Last year, I taught BigBro how to make it, and together we wrote a haiku praising onion soup.

This morning, Princess came into the kitchen as I was chopping and sauteing onions. "Yum! Onion soup! Is that for dinner?"

Before I could respond, my creative, artistic daughter exclaimed, "Oh, I love onion soup, but cooking it always gives me juicy eyes!"

She then scampered out of the kitchen until all of the onions were in the crockpot.

Spelling Mommy

Princess, our newly minted independent reader, has taken to spelling as often as she can. I am no longer "Mom." Nope. I am "M-O-M." Even LilBro has taken to calling me "M-O-M," which brings up this memory:

When we were kids, my sisters and I called our parents "Mommy" and "Daddy." When I was 12 and my sister was 10, we decided that we were too old to call them "Mommy" and "Daddy." We had a little pow-wow and then set a time to talk with our parents about changing what we called them to "Mom" and "Dad." We actually had a scheduled sit-down with them, and asked their permission to call them "Mom" and "Dad." Now, my mom has never really adjusted to this name change, and still leaves phone messages that say, "Hi Jen, it's Mommy." (THAT took some getting used to for DH, early in our marriage!)

So, when my babies started talking, I was "Mama." Before long, I became "Mommy." But by the time BigBro was 5, he'd shortened it to "Mom." I remember being a bit sad by that, because the other two take their cue from him. I don't know that LilBro has ever called me "Mommy." My sweet Princess, when she is not spelling, still calls me "Mama" most of the time.

I know this little trend of spelling won't last long, that I'll be back to "Mom" again before I know it... so, for now, I am enjoying the spelling... and every now and again, M-O-M replies in letters, too. After all... how better to grow your spelling/reading vocabulary than in translating messages of love from your M-O-T-H-E-R.

The "Wisdom" of Oz

A few weeks ago, we settled in for family movie night with "The Wizard of Oz." It was the first time all five of us have curled up for a non-animated movie together. It was a really wonderful night.

But there were a few funny things said, and I've been wanting to get them down before I forget.

*****

On the Scarecrow wanting a brain (LilBro): "But, Mommy, if the Wizard gives the Scarecrow his brain, then the Wizard won't have a brain!"

*****

After the movie was over (Princess): "Mommy, what does it mean, 'there's no place like home?'"

Mom: "Well, it means that home is the best place in the world... the place where you're happy and welcome and safe and loved."

Princess: "Oh. Well. That's not really true, though. There are places better than home... like America's Incredible Pizza*."

*****

We're looking forward to another family movie night over the Christmas break. I'm sure there will be more funny things said then, too.

* For you non-St. Louisans, America's Incredible Pizza is like Chuck-E-Cheese on steroids (but with better food).

She Did It!

For about six months, Princess has been asking, off and on, about getting her ears pierced.

Whenever we talked about it, she would get scared and decide not to do it.

Earlier this week, she announced that she was ready. From that point on, she's been asking repeatedly to get earrings.

We went this afternoon. In the car on the way there, she said she was nervous. There were a few tears as the earrings went in, but she's nothing but smiles now. She's so proud of herself... and I think she looks adorable!

As if my little jewelry hound needs any more excuses! (Though, you know, I love any excuse to enjoy my little girly-girl!)

Thursday Morning's Smile

Princess to me this morning:

"Mommy, when I'm a grown-up, are you going to look old?"

God willing, sweetie. God willing.

What Homeschooling Kindergarten Looks Like

Just a few bits and pieces of the past few weeks, homeschooling Princess:

Apple picking

Feeding sting-rays at the zoo

Making her own paper version of Holy Communion

Making her own copy of a lift-the-flap Halloween book borrowed from the library.

In fact, Princess has been making copies of lots of books lately.

Playdough patterns... completely spontaneous math lesson in the midst of afternoon play

Soccer games to round out our weekends

And board games: Princess' new favorite pasttime

The most impressive part (to me):

nearly everything pictured above was Princess-directed, not Mom-directed.

Gotta love that aspect of homeschooling!

Surprising Conversations

My kids often make me stop and pause throughout the day. Sometimes in frustration, often in utter silliness. Today, all three of them caught me completely by surprise:

This morning, I told Princess it was time to clean up the school room table, put the markers and scissors into the proper boxes and recycle the scraps of paper.

"No, Mommy. I'm busy making the Body of Christ."

That needed to be seen. Sure enough, she was cutting out small circles of paper, carefully coloring them, and making a small cross on them. By the time she was done, she'd made about a dozen small hosts, a larger host "for the priest," a chalice and a cloth, all out of paper.

*****

Not to be outdone in the "surprise Mom" category, I overheard this exchange between the boys in the car this afternoon:

Mumbling, beginning sounds of an argument brewing.

BigBro: Hey, remember what we decided earlier? About how we were tired of going in so many time-0uts for fighting?

LilBro: Yeah! We said we weren't gonna fight anymore.

BigBro: That's right. So, whenever we start fighting, let's just tell each other we're not gonna fight, and then stop. Ok?

LilBro: Ok!

Mumbling and whining was replaced by cooperative language and a friendly conversation.

*****

Wonder what they've got in store for tomorrow?

Blessings of the Week - vol. 19

The hey-today-I-am-running-a-5K version:

-1-

Princess is ok. After our little scare and trip to the ER on Tuesday morning, Princess has bounced back quickly, and is doing just fine. Thank God for the blessings of healthcare, health insurance, antibiotics, and especially that, this time, her pain could be relieved without any extraordinary measures.

-2-

The start of my Quiet Fridays. Yesterday was the first Friday morning that all of my kids were in school: BigBro and Princess at homeschool enrichment classes, and LilBro at preschool (which he absolutely loves, by the way). I didn't do anything incredibly exciting with my free time, just some errands that were better done without the entourage, but it is a blessing in my life all the same. What a win-win: they have fun, I get some free time, and we all come back together happy to see each other.

-3-

The completion of 2 really smooth weeks of school. We're two weeks in, and all is going well so far. We have the start of a great routine. I get my mass/prayer/run done early, and we all gather in the school room at 8:30 for prayer, saint of the week, poem of the week, and Pledge of Allegience. Then, LilBro wanders off to put puzzles together, create with play dough, or play with his cars. Princess and I go over the calendar, weather, and get started on her phonics. Meanwhile, BigBro works through the subjects he can do independently, setting aside those that require my attention. When Princess is done with her work (and sometimes, when she is completing an assignment independently), BigBro and I work together.

We finish by lunch nearly every day, and our afternoons are filled with activities, chores, and play dates. I really wasn't sure how it would go with two students at such different levels, but it's working well (so far). I think it helps BigBro that Princess is working, too. He's not the only one "stuck doing school" while the others are off playing. Of course, there's still the grumbling that he has more work to do than his sister. Such is the case with being the oldest... there's always something that seems "unfair" (until you look at things like privileges or bedtimes, of course!).

*****

Have you taken the time to thank Him for all the ways He's blessed you this week?

There's Still Time for One More First

Don't let the cooler temperatures, the fact that our central A/C has been off for the past week, or the end of the second week of school fool you: it's still summer here in the midwest.

Yesterday afternoon, when school and chores were done, we got back into the pool. After the initial sting of the cool water (courtesy of those cooler nights!), it felt great, and I laughed as I saw Princess climb down the ladder and take off swimming across the pool, without any flotation aid at all. Wow. What a summer it's been for her.

We'd been swimming for about fifteen minutes when she swam over to me, her brow pursed in thought.

"Mommy, someday, when I am bigger, I'll be able to jump into the pool just like the big kids do."

"You can do that right now, you know. If you jump in, your feet will touch the bottom and then you'll come back up. Just like when you push down to the bottom and come back up while you're swimming."

"Really?" Princess paused. "I can really jump in right now? Like the big kids?"

She considered this for a few minutes. I offered to catch her, hold her hand, whatever she needed. Fear began to tighten its grip, and she started to cry. She wanted to jump in so badly, but she was terrified.

Finally, we jumped together, holding hands. As she came back up to the surface, she started to cry but quickly switched to a laugh. That wasn't so scary after all.

Ten minutes later, after gradually trying jumps with less and less assistance from me, I was told to go back in the pool and watch.

There she was... my freckled five year old, jumping and swimming and cannon-balling, and listing all the things she could do "just like the big kids."

Summer, stick around a little longer, please... I'm having an awful lot of fun watching my daughter growing and learning. Surely, there's time for at least one more first?

What's Different Now

There is nothing like parenting to bring you face-to-face with the reality that you are not in control. Sometimes, it's the ordinary things, like sleep issues or potty training. But when your child is ill, especially extraordinarily ill, your utter lack of control hits like a blast of icy water. My daughter is in pain. And there is nothing I can do to relieve it.

Early this morning, I took Princess to the Emergency Room. It's not the first visit for her. She had a ruptured cyst at 3 months, and an abdominal mass at 19 months. We've spent our share of time in Children's ER.

She woke me about 5 AM in extreme pain, crying and writhing, worsening when I tried to touch her belly. I called the pediatrician's exchange and spoke with a nurse. She continued to cry out in pain. I woke DH and got dressed. Princess couldn't walk, so I carried her to the car and drove to the ER.

I prayed along the way. Hail Marys and Memorares kept me focused as I sped along the highway.

The first time we found ourselves here, five years ago, my faith was weak. I knew I needed God, but I didn't know how to get to Him. A Deacon from our parish prayed with us in the OR waiting room, but for my part, the prayer felt false and stilted.

The second time, four years ago, I was better at asking for the prayers of others. That felt more natural. But I still struggled to pray myself. I didn't have a solid relationship with God, and it felt hypocritical to beg for help now. Though, beg I did.

This time, I knew exactly where I needed to be: on my knees. As I dressed this morning, I grabbed my favorite rosary off the hook next to my bed and tucked it into my pocket. I began with the simplest prayers, "Please, God. Please," and moved on to the familiar, comforting ones.

We reached the ER and Princess was calm... calmer than she'd been in over an hour. She was perking up, and starting to seem more like herself again. The clamminess on her skin was gone. We checked in, and given her history and complaints, were whisked into a room. Within minutes, a doctor entered the room, spoke with her, asked me some questions and examined her belly. Her pain had dissipated. The doctor requested a urine sample, and very quickly, we had our answer: severe urinary tract infection. Relief flooded over me, and we were back in the car a short time later, prescription in my hand, cherry popsicle in Princess'.

Back at home, I got Princess settled with a cup of cranberry juice, a yogurt, and the latest episode of "Curious George" before I slipped away to my bedroom. Once there, I sank to my knees and began to sob. In relief. In gratitude. In recognition of all that He knows that I don't. In humble acceptance that I am not in control... not even close. But Someone is. And He will never fail me, even as I fail Him, again and again.

As the stress of the morning slipped out of my body, I paused to offer one more prayer. This time, in thanksgiving, for the gift of my faith and the difference my faith makes in my life ... on the completely ordinary mornings just as much as on the really difficult ones.

Eight Weeks

Eight weeks ago this week, we opened the pool for the summer. It was a process getting the pool opened this year, and when we finally got in there for the first time, Princess screamed bloody murder, wanting to get right back out. She was terrified. Even while wearing a lifejacket and clinging to me.

I remained calm. We went through this every spring... after 9 months out of the water, there were bound to be some butterflies-in-the-stomach about getting back in. But I was also determined: this was going to be the summer that she learned to swim without any flotation help.

We talked about the importance of swim lessons. Princess made herself a "swim practice chart." (She loves charts of any kind). And we began. For just a few minutes nearly every day, she was required to practice swimming with me, without flotation help.

At first, she fought, she cajoled, she tried to giggle and flirt her way out of the lessons. I stayed firm. Slowly, the little squares on her practice chart were filled. Gradually, her confidence began to build. She was still afraid, but she knew - deep down - that she could do it.

Then, we hosted her t-ball team (and her brothers' ball teams) for a pool party on a Saturday in mid-July. And she was swimming. That was it. Seeing her friends in the pool, and wanting to be a part of the fun was exactly the motivation she'd been needing. From that point on, we've worked on building her strength. I've spent a lot more time telling her to take a rest on a noodle, than encouraging her off the noodle in the past month.

Today, she and I stayed in the pool long after all the other kids had tired of swimming and wandered off to swing or play legos. She was experimenting with swimming underwater, trying to see how far down she could get on one breath of air. She was practicing touching the bottom with her feet, and jumping into the water from the top step of the ladder.

And the entire time, she had the biggest grin on her little face.

I want to keep this picture in my heart forever: my sweet daughter - dancing blue eyes, a sprinkling of freckles across her nose and pale-skinned cheeks, big floppy hat covering her short, light-brown hair - grinning from ear-to-ear, nearly bursting at the seams with pride and self-confidence.

She did it. She mastered the water (and her fears) in less than eight weeks.

I wait. I watch. I wonder: what's next?

Whatever it is, I know where I'll be: right there, cheering her on, taking heart-pictures of it all.

Amusement Parks Through Mom's Eyes

This summer, we've had two opportunities to visit amusement parks. While we were visiting my parents in the Myrtle Beach area, we included a stop at the Myrtle Beach Family Amusement Center one night. My parents generously bought the kids ride bracelets, and gave us some tickets to accompany them on a few rides.

Yesterday, the kids and I turned in our free tickets from the Six Flags reading program and met some friends for a day of rides and fun.

Both days, I was struck by just how much fun I could have not going on rides. In MB, BigBro and I went on the Log Flume, laughing maniacally and getting soaked, together. Then DH went with him on a Wild-West ride, and rode along as Princess drove the antique cars. But the rest of the night, we stood alongside the rides, waving, smiling, and snapping pictures. And it was one of the best times I've ever had at an amusement park.

Until yesterday. Three of us moms, corralling 9 kids around Six Flags for about 7 hours, was, by far, among the most fun I've ever had. The whole day, I rode only three rides: the antique cars twice (once driven by Princess and once by LilBro) and the Mine Train roller coaster once (with BigBro). But I had the best seat in the house for some really neat experiences: BigBro's first "real" roller coaster... the over-thinking and worry he was doing in line, getting caught up in the facts about the coaster that were posted in the queue, the panic in his voice as we headed up that first big hill, the giddiness as he realized that he was safe and having fun, and the beaming eyes and huge smile as we pulled back into station, safety bar was released, and BigBro realized that he had done it...and survived to tell.

I watched Princess try some new rides that had always scared her, as well as enjoying some of her old favorites with LilBro. Princess reveled in her role as the "big kid," holding LilBro's hand, making sure he was strapped in for the rides, guiding him back to me when the rides were over.

And LilBro, happy to go on the same rides over and over, giddily splashing in the pop-up fountains. When it was his turn to drive me around in the antique cars, his voice tightened in fear. His eyes were nervous and he clung to me in line. We climbed into the car, I put my foot on the gas pedal, and told him to steer. Within seconds, the fear was replaced by this calm confidence. He could do this. It wasn't scary. In fact, he was pretty good. Look... the car never went off the track, and didn't crash. Wow! He was a great driver! When we finished our loop around the course, my frightened little boy had been replaced with a self-confident young driver, who wanted - desperately - to get back in the 25 minute line to do it again. Alas... there were 8 other children who didn't fancy that idea, so the antique cars will have to wait for my little Indy 500 driver until next summer.

When I was a teen and in my 20s, I loved going to amusement parks. I loved the rides. I always stayed until the park closed... trying to squeeze just one more ride into the night. It seemed to me, at that time in my life, that it could never get better than that. I was tall enough for all of the fun rides, I could stay out as late as I wanted, and I had the stomach and nerves for even the craziest of coasters.

Those days are far behind me. The Mine Train is my top speed these days, and I am much more likely to be standing on the sidelines versus standing in the long lines. But the fun hasn't stopped one bit. That younger version of me never knew just how much fun it would be to watch my children enjoying rides: their joy, their giddiness, their innocence, and their self-confidence.

I doubt she would have believed me, if I could have told her, anyway.