Love Thursday is BACK

and here is my first entry -

The Kiss!

Notes from sesame street

The letter of the day is W.

So, What's your favorite W word?

without a doubt - WINE!

I've Been Thinking

Yes, I know that is a dangerous thing. But indeed there have been thoughts that have been thunk.

I was watching - well listening to - some gossip rag show that guises itself as "entertainment news"

You know the mindless dribble about what Hollywood star is sleeping with who. Who's pregnant and who might be pregnant and all that other junk that some one - somewhere thinks is news.

They were talking about Britney Spears. The slutty little white trash tramp who's life is in the crapper. We all know she is mentally ill (my guess is bipoloar with psychgosis - knowing some one like her)

The paparazi was following her like vulters circling dead meat. It was sickening. The more she begged them to leave her alone the more they clicked and circled.

If Unfitely was a regular Joe, number one she'd have lost her children long ago and number two - the people chasing her would be in jail for stalking. If we, average American citizens were photographed in our mosy intimate moments - we'd press charges.

Yet, we think it is okay for people to follow stars. Did we really need to see Heath Ledger's body being carried from his apartment? do we really need to see Unfitely at Starbucks? Do we really need to know what that wacko Tom cruise had for breakfast?

Is it a sin for Nichole Kidman to know blab that she's expecting to the world until they are sure the pregnancy would stick? Who wants to see the news of their miscarriage sent around the world?

It makes me sad and dismayed that the news of the day is more and more about Hollywood and less and less about real issues.

So and so is sleeping with so and so. Some crackhead child star is in rehab - again oh and the fed dropped interest rates.

One "news" man on one of these rag shows told us we'd be the first to know the results of Heath's autopsy and more about Unfitely's deposition in her child custody case because we had a right to know.

puh leez.

Turning it off to tune in

Lent is soon to be upon us. In one week we'll be starting Lent. In the past, we've not done anything big for Lent. Increasing prayer life, a family rosary, encouraging the kids to five up and give out.

Well, this year, after much thought. We are actually giving something up as a family. We are turning off the tube and tuning into our family. There's not a lot wrong with our family. But, I've noticed that the kids, Tommy in general, turns on the TV as soon as he gets up in the morning. He'll get up at 5:30 AM and tune into DIY. I have awakened to This Old House everyday for a week now.

The TV here is always on. It's like a thousand voices constantly in the background.

So as of February 6, our TV is going black for 40 days

40 days to turn off the TV and Tune into one another.

Puberty - a Hairy Situation

Conversation around the dinner table last night.

Charles: I have hair under my arms too

Tommy: Oh that is so gross

Me: It's a fact of life but not suitable for dinner conversation.

Said hair growing child proceeded to show us the tufts of hair growing under his noxious armpits.

Lovely.

For a few months now, we've noticed his voice had gotten a little lower. He sprouted up a few inches as well. Up two pant sizes since August.

It seems Mother Nature has collided with my son and seems hell bent on turning him into a young man.

Other things have been developing as well. I think he likes a girl. You know, like likes. There was a dance at school last week and he mentioned going. I asked him if he wanted to and he said he wasn't sure. I heard him talking to a friend. He didn't go because he wanted to ask a girl but wasn't sure how to. She had been dropping hints that she wanted to go with him.

How do you role play that?

Career choices

"Mommy, when I grow up I want to be a carrot"

"Joey, what kind of carrot?"

"A big orange crunchy carrot or maybe I want to be a doughnut"

"Yeast or cake?"

"Yeast witch chocolate and green frosting and I'll sit on a fluffy cloud."

"Will there be sprinkles"

"Rainbow colored ones all over the top"

"I love you Joey."

"I love you too Mommy."

How do you do it?

We learned Monday, one o Charles' classmates died. This wasn't a sudden unexpected death. It was an inevitable act. The boy in question was diagnosed with a rare brain tumor in 2006, with no known cure.

People rallied around the family and gave them support. He got to live his dreams - to ride a motorcycle and to ly in an Army helicopter.

The mother posted that he went to be with Jesus after a long fight. They believe he felt no pain or fear.

My question is, looking at my child, the same age and how do you tell them that the growth in their head, chest, whatever is going to kill them.

How do you let go and say goodbye to your son?

My thoughts are with the Barta family but tonight, I will hug my own teenaged boy and forget that he would forget his own head i it wasn't attached to his body. I will forget the eye rolls and deep sighs and the fact that he is a mouth attached to a deep vast hole that knows no end.

These things I will forget and thank God for.

Happy 2008

2007 is gone - ten days now gone.

2008 is among us. I am almost to the point of remembering to date things 2008 even.

2007 was a mixed bag of tricks - some really great things happened. But some really crappy ones as well. You have to take the good with the bad.

The bad makes the good much sweeter.

So 2008 here's to you :-)