Love Thursday - The Boss of Me

This picture was taken in November. My women's group donates 100 turkeys to a mission run by the Missionaries of Charity. The mission in South Dallas feeds almost 700 people each week. Thanksgiving is no different. For my family, this has become a tradition. We start off our holiday season visiting the shelter and mission with my group and delivering our turkeys.

I think, for me as a mother, it shows my kids that the world is not what goes on in our home, their schools and our neighborhood. Ou community is much more and we are fortunate to have what we do. Eric and I feel blessed to be able to help out and it puts the whole Thanksgiving and holiday in perspective for us. We all need to take the time to be thankful for what we have.

Sister is not shy about putting everyone to work. She even found a job for Joey (age 4) He had to help flatten boxes and then put them in piles.

Because he's his mother's son he is taking the time to make sure his brothers are doing their jobs correctly. He can be rather bossy - though *I* have no clue where he gets that trait from.

To change and to change for the better are two different things.
German proverb

A change for the better is what Lent is all about. We, as Christians strive to make ourselves more like Christ. Through our sacrifice and penance throughout Lent we make ourselves more Like Christ.

For the past few years, we've not really given up anything for Lent. The past two years, I sought to increase my prayer life. Eric has given up caffeine (yeah that was fun) and the soda in general (again more fun) They boys gave up picking on each other (that lasted two days) - and then they worked on doing good deeds. We also made an attempt to go to Stations of the Cross together. That was easier. Our parish does soup before - there's food.

This year, I felt the need to do something more. Something we would all benefit from and gain something from. So for the next 40 days we will not watch TV as a family. For the next 40 days - our TV is unplugged.

I got the idea from an article in the national newsletter for the Catholic Daughters. Each year, the national court encourages local courts to acknowledge Morality in the Media's turn of the TV Day on February 14. The idea is to turn off the TV and give your family, the best gift - quality time.

I thought this would be a great idea. Then I wondered would one day be enough? I don't just show my husband I love him on Valentine's Day - love and marriage are things that take an everyday commitment. I thought quality family time would be a great thing to give my family for Lent - Having to miss Johnny Fairplay duke it out on Survivor Fans vs All Stars - is sacrifice.

This year, we are giving up TV. Well MOST TV. Joey is four and no TV for 40 days would be hard for him to understand. So he still gets his four favorite PBS shows. Eric and I can still watch the nightly news.

For the next 40 days there will be no Ugly Betty or Survivor. There will be no Looney Tunes or This Old House (Tommy is in love with This Old House) and no History Channel (really how much does one need to know about WWII airplanes - Charles thinks there is never enough information about these things)

Instead, tonight after Ashes and dinner, we are going to sit down and come up with 40 family friendly activities to do instead of watching Tim Gunn (how I love him) saying "Designers make it work." (Please God, if it not too much to ask let Chris March and Christian make it to Fashion Week - please - and keep the writers on strike at least until early March)

and so it begins. No TV but instead an attempt to give my family quality time with each other.

(Eric has added a clause - we have to take a family walk nightly - he's willing to turn off the TV if we go out for a nightly walk - so maybe this will be 40 days with no TV and 40 pounds lighter between the two of us)

Just a question today

Who in their right mind let their child go on a campout with an imaginary giant purple dinosaur in charge?

Is it just me who'd say NO?

Just onderin'

Busy Busy

I’m busy, busy, dreadfully busy

You’ve no idea what I have to do.

Busy, busy, shockingly busy

Much, much too busy for you.


I think, at one time or another, all of us moms feel the same way. We have work deadlines. We have school functions, scouts, sports, church etc. Add in a few spousal events and the work of keeping a house and we are all much too busy.

But at what cost? What point do we draw the line? How do we determine what needs to go and what activities stay - or do we not do that and try to do all of it?

I forgot to make soup.

My women's group makes a meal quarterly and delivers it to a home that helps teens who've been removed from their homes. I signed up for soup.

Eric got sick, Joey got sick, there was work and rumors of layoffs looming and all sorts of other things and I forgot to call and say "I can't bring soup"

So no one brought soup.

I feel bad, but I am also mad.

For this group I am the president. I attend the meetings no one else attends, I make sure we all get to training. I spend three hours at least before each meeting getting things ready and printed and neat and tidy. I call the members and remind them. I coordinate room requests and fundraisers with each parish and thenn, when no one else shows up or forgets or what ever, I deal with it.

The woman in charge of the event could have called me wednesday and asked me if I still planned on meeting her. It would have jogged my memory and I wouldn't have forgotten the soup.

But this week, my family and it's strep throat germs came first.

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 :-)

Sugar and Spice

and everything nice

Come and Tell Me

12 days until Christmas

The race is on. My list is long and well long

Four

Four jobs I have had in my life:
1. Mom!
2. Sales Associate
3. Telemarketer
4. Graphics Operator for a little bitty TV station


Four places I have lived:
1. Little Elm TX
2. Albuquerque, NM
3. Midland TX
4. Cabot AR

Four places I have been on vacation.
1. San francisco CA
2.Lake Jackson TX
3. San Antonio, TX
4. Washington DC

Four of my favorite foods:
1. cheese enchiladas
2. lasagna
3. steak - medium rare
4. CHOCOLATE

Four places I would rather be right now:
1. the beach
2. New Zealand
3. Tuscany
4. Provence

Tag 4
1. LL
2. Catey
3 Robyn
4 IDK

RIP dear Anne

My friend passed from this world to the next yesterday.

God be with Anne's sister Paulette and their entire family

Oddities

It's been an odd day around here.

I have been waiting to hear news of a birth and a death.

One friend is expecting her thirday baby - she was born late this morning. And, around the world, another friend is dying from cancer.

A beautiful life ravaged by a terrible disease and a new life just waiting to begin clean and fresh.

Up on the Housetop - or not

It's December 5th according to my little pagenote computer thingy. It is TWO weeks since Thanksgiving. Until today, it has not begun to look a lot like Christmas around here.

Instead, the house is still a barren sty mess.

But I made an inroad today. I untangled the lights that go along the front walk AND a strung the net lights (eric was right - and I put it in writing - we DO actually need two boxes of net lights for the front window bushes.

Hopefully tonight, we can get the tree up and the decorations on it.

I also got the wreath hung on the front door.

Is This Love?

The past week or two, well since I went back to work - part time at Bath and Body Works. I have been doing a lot of thinking. On my second or third day of "real" work (like the chores and laundry and meals aren't work) Eric brought me a cute coke in a little round snowglobe type bottle. He took the kids shopping for things to make dinner and he saw these little bottles and knew I loved them.

I was touched. I mean really really touched that he thought of me and bought me snow globe coke.

I was joking with some one later that - after thirteen years - romance can be summed up buy $1 bottle of coke with a fat bearded guy on it.

we laughed.

That made me think though - and that is romance. He thought about me and did something nice for me just because he knew I'd like it.

Romance is not about sun set strolls on the beach hand and hand - well it us but there aren't many beaches here in Dallas. Romance isn't a hot air balloon ride or boquets of flowers

Romance is the little things.

It's the getting up with the puking kid at 2 AM.

It's the heart cut into a slice of toast or the bag of reece's peanut butter cups you don't have to share.

It's picking up a mini of his favorite ice cream - even though it's $4 - just because it's his favorite and then sharing the ice cream while watching Grey's Anantomy.

It's the silly little things that make me glad I said yes all those years ago.

I guess, that Is indeed love.