To Michelle, from Mom

I am from poetry-filled journals and mechanical pencils. From golf clubs, frisbees, and flip flops. From sleepover-filled calendars, movie nights, and Orville Redenbocker.

I am from a little white and red house elbow deep in blonde prairie grasses, black-eyed susans and morning glory weeds.

I am from Holy Thursday lamb and Holy Saturday bells, Saturday work parties, and Sunday brunches,

From my Mom and Dad, Paul, Kevvy ~ and Matthew, ~ Jonnyboy, Dominicky, Seesa, Sassy, Nanna, Gabey, Yuyum. And from Nina.

I am from hairbrushes, from Goody barettes and Johnson's No More Tangles,

And curly brown hair passed down from my Mama, through her Daddy, all the way back to his Mum.

I am from laughing, singing, and teasing.

From Mary Magdalene's stale bread and poor, dear Rosie Anna's arm.*

I am from the beauty and tradition of the ages in my beloved Roman Catholic Faith.
I am named for St. Michael and St. Frances Xavier Cabrini. I work and play under the watchful eye of my angel, Barbara.

I am from the width and height of the Rocky Mountains and the rolling beauty of the Great Plains of Colorado,

From Wales and England and Ireland and Germany.

From my mother's father and his life on the sea, and my father's father, a man of the water, I am oceans, as well as mountains and prairie and sky.

I am from Nina's treasure chest of albums and Grandmom's photo covered walls.

I am everyone's sweetheart, everyone's best friend.

I am Michelle
And I am thirteen. Today!

Happy, happy birthday, Shell! We love you!


+The format for this "Where I am from" poem can be found here.

* These are famous family references. I'm sure Michelle won't mind my filling you in on them.

Rosie Anna was Michelle's beloved (I mean beloved) little doll. One of her brothers, in a fit of brotherdom, threw dear Rosie Anna on the ground, breaking her stiff plastic arm. Michelle (about 6 at the time) was more than heartbroken at the tragedy. She was mortified. Aghast. Horrified. You'd have thought it was her little sister's arm lying there broken off. And let me tell you, the spine-tingling wail that vibrated off the walls of the house that afternoon still lingers. I think that now, eleven years later, Michelle might have forgiven her brother, but we don't often bring the subject up, out of a certain respect for historic tragedy.

As it turned out, =sigh= poor Rosie Anna... I couldn't fix the arm. But we moms do have our ways... Michelle didn't find out 'til later that I had pulled mother-prerogative and stealthily switched out the old Rosie Anna with a new one, rubbed with sand paper at all the right places to look like old Rosie Anna...

Now to explain the Mary Magdalene reference...

If you've seen the movie, Jesus of Nazareth, lately, you might remember the scene at the Mount, where Our Lord miraculously divides the loaves and the fishes for the crowd. In the movie, Mary Magdalene is present. Do you remember the scene? Ann Bancroft (who plays St. Mary) is given one of the pieces of bread, takes a bite, then looks up toward heaven. Having apparently just realized the miraculous nature of this meal, and therefore the divinity of Christ, she bursts into tears... A touching moment in movie history, right? Well, um... Any time this part comes 'round, we all burst out laughing here...

You see, when Michelle was around 7 years old or so, the meaning of the scene and the importance of Mary Magdalene's epiphany were not so very clear. We were all watching the movie during Holy Week, seriously intent on the scene ~ and just at that part where Mary Magadalene looked up with tears in her eyes, bread in her hand, little Michelle says:

"What? Is her bread stale?"

We can't help it. It may seem irreverent, but it still just cracks us up.

There truly is a niche out there for everybody...

Witness Troy Landwehr, an artist (specifically a sculptor) and food lover (specifically a cheese lover), turned Cheese-It PR guy. This Wisconsinite (You knew he was from Wisconsin, didn't you?) actually turns out cheese scuptures for a wide variety of interests, though. It's amazing how busy this unusual talent has kept him. He started carving cheese when he was 12 years old and has carved everything from Remy, everyone's favorite rat from Ratatouille to...

...his latest work of art , his most ambitious attempt so far, which is on its way to DC right now to be displayed on the 4th. You want to know what he's tackled this time? Of course you do! You must be dying to know!

It's a 2000 lbs chunk of cheddar ~ carved to depict John Trumbull's painting "Declaration of Independence." Watch Good Morning America Thursday to check it out. To learn more about Troy and his work, zip over here .

Why can't I come up with a marketable talent like this, I ask you?
How 'bout:
*A book: 101 uses for not-quite-bad-yet leftovers?
*Or how 'bout this one: 101 ways to convince a 2 year old to stay in bed during naptime?
*Lost-sock bunnies stuffed with drier lint?
*Reams of Penmanship papers and drawings of flowers and big-headed people with very long fingers recycled into modern art?
*Or I could maybe discover a way to earn royalties on the phrase: "Is it snacktime yet?"

Any other ideas? I'm open to suggestions...

Feast of Saints Peter and Paul

Peter the Rock, Paul the Roll

Prayer to St. Peter

O glorious Saint Peter, who, in return for thy strong and generous faith, thy profound and sincere humility, and they burning love, wast rewarded by Jesus Christ with singular privileges, and, in particular, with the leadership of the other Apostles and the primacy of the whole Church, of which thou wast made the foundation stone, do thou obtain for us the grace of a lively faith, that shall not fear to profess itself openly, in its entirety and in all of its manifestations, even to the shedding of blood, if occasion should demand it, and to sacrifice of life itself rather than surrender. Obtain for us likewise, a sincere loyalty to our holy mother, the Church; grant that we may ever remain most closely and sincerely united to the Roman Pontiff, who is the heir of thy faith and of thy authority, the one, true, visible Head of the Catholic Church, that mystic ark outside of which there is no salvation. Grant, moreover, that we may follow, in all humility and meekness, her teaching and her advice, and may be obedient to all her precepts, in order to be able here on earth to enjoy a peace that is sure and undisturbed, and to attain one day in heaven to everlasting happiness. Amen.
V. Pray for us, Saint Peter the Apostle,
R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
LET US PRAY. O God, who hast given unto Thy blessedApostle Peter the keys to the kingdom of heaven, and the power to bind and loose: grant that we may be delivered, through the help of this intercession, from the slavery of all our sins: Who livest and reignest world without end.
Amen.

Prayer to St. Paul for Patience
O glorious St. Paul, who from a persecutor of Christianity, didst become a most ardent Apostle of zeal; and who to make known the Savior Jesus Christ unto the ends of the world didst suffer with joy imprisonment, scourgings, stonings, shipwrecks and persecutions of every kind, and in the end didst shed thy blood to the last drop, obtain for us the grace to receive, as favors of the Divine mercy, infirmities, tribulations, and misfortunes of the present life, so that the vicissitudes of this our exile will not render us cold in the service of God, but will render us always more faithful and more fervent.
V. Pray for us, Saint Paul the Apostle,
R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
Amen




Saints Peter and Paul's rocks.
(Did you know about these? Great geography trivia information to store away, huh?)

You guys are so funny...

OK, kids. I'm not so sure about the yak milk, pompis remover (huh?) and Queso de gato (you guys are so weird), but I definitely don't want any kidney stones...

Who'd 've Thunk?

You Are Fairly Normal

You scored 65% normal on this quiz Like most people you are normal in some ways... But you aren't a completely normal person. You're a little weird too! Why You Are Normal: If given the choice, you would choose to have more money over more time When you're in a car, you prefer to be the driver You find the Macarena to be the more embarrassing dance You prefer ruffled potato chips You are still with your first love Why You Aren't Normal: You'd rather have cockroaches than rats in your home You would rather be tan than pale You would not eat meat from a cloned animal You don't keep up with your horoscope You know a little about many subjects

What's Normal About You... And What's Not?

Now, for something completely different...

Which version do you like better? We're split here.

One thing for sure ~ if this don't get your feet tappin', we give up on you! &:o)

Free Fun Stuff To Do

These days it takes our whole entertainment budget just to drive to where the fun is. Granted, we live about 50 miles from the nearest city... but I think everyone is suffering the crunch these days. When you have to shell out $89.00 for three bags of groceries and a box of diapers like I did last night, you know you have to cut corners. Unfortunately, entertainment is the first to go. Or, um, well, it should be.

Here are some ways to help shave that budget to almost nothing, but still have a good time:

Every city and state has a "free stuff" directory. Just google it. "Free stuff to do in ________." Our Colorado directory lists everything from the Coors brewery tour in Golden to the Frozen Dead Guy Days in Nederland. As a bonus, it tips us off to where we can get free beer, mead, watermelon, and ~ CHOCOLATE!

This Denver directory lists out the free days at the area museums, botanical garden, and zoo, as well as some off-the-beaten-track, quirky, fun places that are free of charge. Every city of any size has like lists.

You can also take advantage of:

Free movie rentals

If you haven't already discovered this gold mine, you need to know that the library is not just about books anymore! Our tiny town library takes great pride in keeping up with the latest releases, and we take advantage!

Kid Days: Magicians, Jugglers, Animal Exhibitions

We live in a tiny town, but our local library provides a parade of special events for the children, including game nights, computer classes, and such. The library truly is one of the greatest resources around. You might be amazed at all they have to offer! And it's always free!

Free outdoor movies and concerts

Many cities and even smaller towns have open air movie nights at parks, as well as free concerts. Check out your local parks and recreations websites. Or ask at the library; they always know these things. (Librarians Rock!)

Take a hike, ride a bike

If you take a picnic along, especially, these simple, healthful pastimes become events. But what makes them extra special is finding out new trails to follow. Whether you live in the city or the country, there are always "roads less traveled" to explore. Look online for trail guides for your area, or inquire at your parks and recreation for city trails.

Organize a family treasure hunt

Except for the gasoline involved, this requires little more than time, imagination, and an inexpensive "grand prize" of some kind. And some advance planning ~ which I actually think is the fun part. Think "scavenger hunt" with a twist. Make maps, leave clues that lead to clues. Encompass your house, your neighborhood, or your city.

* Take several stages to lead up to a newly borrowed library movie and a box of popcorn in your home.

*Lead the kids around the neighborhood or yard, clue by clue, to an invitation for a family "pool party" in your wading pool, with smoothies, and a picnic.

* Leave a bag of jolly ranchers at one destination, and a coupon for drinks at McDonalds at another to liven up the hunt for a wide ranging expedition. End up at the park with a picnic and frisbees.

Include whatever your family likes to do best. You're only limited by your imagination.

A tight budget does not mean you can't have a memorable summer with your family! Get out there and have some fun!

For tons of fun ~ tips and ideas ~ run over to Shannon's place!

ABC Meme

Go in order ABC, Answer the questions, and then tag 3!

I am tagging Laura, Nutmeg (when she gets back home from our neck of the woods!), and Suzy.

A is for age: 43 ~ which is better than the alternative...

B is for burger of choice: I almost always choose a chicken burger; any variety that has avacado on it is good.

C is for what kind of car you drive: Honda Odyssey

C is also for your favorite past vehicle: I love my Saab turbo convertible ~ which I "backward inherited" from my oldest son a couple of years ago, which I've lent to my second oldest son to use until he can afford his own car.

D is for your dog's name: Brigid (9 year old Bichon), Bella (yellow lab/pyrrenies pup).

E is for essential item you use everyday: I'd be lost without my cell phone!

F is for favorite TV show at the moment: We're enjoying the "I Survived History" series right now. We always love "Dirty Jobs" and "Mythbusters." I never miss "Ghost Hunters." (Yeah, I know, I'm weird that way...)

G is for favorite game: I don't mind watching either baseball or football, if the boys are watching, but I give it maybe a quarter of my attention while I do something else... I like to play Scrabble or Pictionary.

H is for Home State: I'm a Navy brat. I don't really have a home state ~ though, I guess other than Colorado, we lived in Virginia the longest. My "ancestral roots" are in Maryland (Dad's family) and North Carolina (Mom's family).

I is for instruments you play: Seussaphone

J is for favorite juice: Cranberry slushy from Sonic.

K is for whose butt you'd like to kick: That changes from moment to moment around here...

L is for last restaurant at which you ate? BJs brewery. (Awesome pizza!)

M is for your favorite Muppet: Beeker

N is for Number of Piercing: One hole each ear.

O is for overnight hospital stays: One for each pregnancy ~ that makes 10. Thankfully, that's it.

P is for people you were with today: From the top: My husband (for a wee minute early this morning), Jon, Dominic, Michelle, Michelle's friends who slept over ~ Brenda, Carol, and Noel, Theresa, Cathy, Anna, Gabe, and William.

Q is for what you do with your quiet time: Blog, read, clean house

R is for biggest regret: Hmmm.... I can't really think of anything I regret that I had control over, except not sticking to Weight Watchers better...

S is for status: Happily married, 21 years.

T is for time you woke up today: Around 7 or so.

U is for what you consider unique about yourself: Well, having ten children is undeniably unique ~ other than that, I don't have any outstanding talents or qualities.

V is for vegetable you love: Homegrown tomatoes. (Wish I had some this year!)

W is for worst habit: As much as I hate to own up to it, it's probably coffee drinking. I know it's not good for me, but it's a vice I just can't bring myself to break.

X is for x-rays you've had: Dental ~ many moons ago. And several rounds on my knee before surgery last year.

Y is for yummy food you ate today: Gosh. I haven't eaten yet. And I'm hungry! I'm going to go hunt down a box of maple mini wheats I think.

Z is for zodiac sign: Virgo.

Thanks for the tag, Peggy. This was a fun one!

What a Catch!

If you haven't already been by Margaret's today, you've just gotta run over there and see the amazing you-tube baseball play she's posted. Amazing with a twist! The girls are crowing over here at our house!

**Aw, dang! Should've known it was too amazing to be true! Our boys said it was "shopped," and we girls insisted it was real... Alas... Still a cool fake, though... Thanks for the heads, up Soutenous!

Simple Woman's Daybook, June 23rd

This simply lovely idea originated at Peggy's place, The Simple Woman. Run over there to catch up on everyone's Monday morning thoughts!

Outside my Window...The sun is peeking up over the eastern horizon, and is shining through the cottonwood trees; a slight breeze is blowing in the leaves, making them sparkle and twist and scatter their shadows on the ground. The children have scooted the little plastic jungle jim under the big wooden jungle jim, likely so the Littles can reach the horizontal ladder thing ~ and walk across with their arms while they're walking on top of the little jungle jim with their feet.

I am thinking... I'm determined to get on top of things this week!

From the kitchen... We grilled our Father's Day steaks yesterday (they'd marinated for a week because we had to postpone Father's Day due to sickness). We actually had a good amount of steak left, and I'm trying to decide the best way to use those steaks. Maybe sliced thin over a salad? Stroganoff? Any ideas?

I am creating... Curtains for the kitchen windows if it kills me! Really! I am going to get to them this week!

I am going... on a birthday excursion with our daughter, Michelle, who will be turning 13 the last day of this month. Her aunts and grandmother and I are working out a sleepover at a guest cottage in Manitou Springs, just us and our new teenager, and we are finalizing our plans this week.

I am wearing... denim capris and a peasant blouse, with pink and white patches of paisley, calico and stripes.

I am reading... The Cater Street Hangman by Anne Perry. Also pouring over the homeschool catalogues to decide on books and such for the coming school year.

I am hoping... The deal on my sister's first home goes through without a hitch on Friday! (Hoping and Praying, Nina!)

I am hearing... Birds outside the window ~ a dove "whoohooos" every so often. The refrigerator is buzzing quietly in the background here in the house. The children were up late with us last night around the campfire in the backyard, so everyone is sleeping in. Except of course for Theresa (9) who I just heard in the living room quietly turning the pages of the book she's reading.

Around the house... Monday morning clean-up is waiting to happen! Good grief, but it gets to be a mess over the weekend!

One of my favorite things... Simple, spontaneous, inexpensive get-togethers with the children ~ like days in the park, campfires, DVDs and popcorn...

Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week... Still hoping to see the new Pixar film, Wall-e. Hoping to watch the PBS series: The 1900 House, that we bought on DVD. I've really been looking forward to seeing it for the first time! Also, hoping to bring a slew of helpers to paint my sister's new house after it closes on Friday.

Here is a picture thought (or two, or three...) I'm sharing with you...

Our Delayed Father's Day yesterday...

After Mass, we went to the park.

This is what Littles do at the park:

And this is what Bigs do at the park:

(Well, at least before all their friends get there with the volleyball net...)

After a couple rounds of volleyball and a nice visit with friends, we made the trip back home. Dad grilled some super-yummy steaks, which we paired with Italian macaroni salad, sauteed mushrooms and onions, sliced veges and rolls. Then we went out and watched the sun set, and built a fire in our campfire corner.

That's the thing about roasted marshmallows, you know...They are messy!

The debate in South Carolina right now:

If you believe...

If you are a practicing Christian, and proud of it...

...Should you be allowed to proclaim it on your license plate?

...Should your state be allowed to give you the option of purchasing a Christian license plate for your car?

I don't know about you, but my first instinct is to say, "Well, yeah, of course!"

But... On deeper reflection...

Would you object to Muslims or Hindus or Wiccans being given the same option?

I'm not sure how I feel about this. What do you think?

(Click on the title of this post for the news story)

Discretionary Spending

AKA: Stuff I wish I had money to waste on.

(A partial list)

This super-duper, amazing cupcake pan, exclusively from Williams Sonoma makes this humongous cupcake (below). Isn't it the cutest? That $35, spread out over several cakes would balance out to almost nothing. Sure it would!

But then there's this, not so much cute as useful...

A pirate's journal! Isn't that fun? I already have tons of journals ~ a stack, actually, under my bedside table, ranging in purpose from prayer and poetry collections, to day journals, to grocery lists. All in $3 notebooks. But this one is so delightfully unexpected! Isn't that worth $7 more? Wouldn't it be perfect to jot your most secret thoughts in? You could put a drastic warning with skull and cross bones on the front page to ward off snoops. Or, alternatively, if I can't have it, it would be a great gift for a young boy ~ or an older boy...

But, then, the following is something semi-frilly and feminine, but useful.

I love this little birdbath. Isn't it sweet? It's actually 50% off right now at Victorian Trading Co, but still hard to justify, when you realize that, even at the discount, it costs about the same to fill my minivan with gas right now.

But, this Dead Fred pen holder is only $9.99!

And these Dueling Galactic Marines Copters are only $39.99.

All things are relative... Maybe I could justify these guys. If I give them to someone else for Christmas or something.

But this. THIS is what I really want. We saw some of these at the park the other day. They rent them out at $25 an hour. Like, right. Might as well save up my money and buy one! They're only $2, 399 ~ on sale right now! (But wouldn't it be fun??)

My birthday is in September, honey...

(But don't worry; I'm not getting my hopes up.)

Where's Paul-do?

Just spotted this picture posted today on the OCS website.
The guys look a little funny in their reverse tonsures, don't they? But I sure wouldn't tell them I thought so...
Family: Can you spot Paul?? Go here to see if you're right.

Snacktime!

So, all the kids (well, most of them) are home (well, most of the time) these days ~ and they're eating us out of house and home! Mealtimes are one thing. I keep a stocked freezer and plenty of rice and noodles and usually manage to come up with something to eat most nights. But, snacks are getting to be a real problem.


Snacks. Snacking.


We've always had a written-in-stone rule: snacktime around here comes at 10:00 am and 3:00 pm, which you think would control the march of food out of my pantry. But, of course it doesn't. The Littles obey the rule, asking me every fifteen minutes after breakfast and lunch, "Is it snacktime yet?" But the Big Kids are stealth snackers. It's not like I don't know it. And while it doesn't make me happy, I do understand it. Especially with the teenage boys. They really are growing. They're hungry. And if they're gonna snack, I want them to snack healthy. At least comparatively so... So, what to keep on hand to feed these eating machines that's healthful, but won't break my bank?


Here are some of our standbys:


* Whole wheat or multigrain saltine crackers (the off-brands are just as good), with peanut butter available. We also love graham crackers with peanut butter and raisins.


* The big outlet grocery stores have humongous, inexpensive cans of peanuts that are especially good paired with raisins ~ which we also buy in gi-normous bags. Paired ahead of time in baggies and stored in the cupboard, this makes for a quick-grab snack that can be "kicked up a notch" with m&ms or chocolate chips on occasion...

* Any fruit that's priced well, but especially bananas! Cheap-rack bananas make for lovely banana bread. But, any homemade baked goody is snapped up around here.


* Alternatively, freeze darkening bananas to use in smoothies.


* Pickles and olives come fairly cheap (particularly the off-brands) and pair up well with crackers or pretzels.


* Speaking of pretzels, large bags come pretty inexpensive and pair up well with raisins, too. Our Littles love to bite off pieces of twisty pretzels to make letter shapes. They also like to tuck raisins into the little holes in the small pretzels and eat them that way.


* Homemade hummus is inexpensive, healthful and good to dip those pretzels or crackers in.

* Plenty of finger-size veges, like cut up or baby carrots, and celery, both of which are still economical to buy. Dipped in Ranch dressing, boughten or home-made. It makes life easier to take the time to chop these up and bag the veges ahead of time.


* Popcorn! Good with cheese and apples, especially.


* English muffins or toast with jam. Bagels are too expensive most of the time for snacks.

* Keep boiled eggs on hand in the fridge. They're an excellent protein pick-me-up. We scribble a "B" in pencil on our boiled eggs to avoid the otherwise inevitable...


* Home-made fruit pops.


* Store-bought granola is too pricey for us, but homemade granola is a popular option, and not too expensive to make, depending on the ingredients you choose. We haven't made any in quite a while, though... I think I feel an afternoon project coming on.

Do you have any good healthy snacktime options we can add to our list? We're always looking for ideas!


Shannon over at Rocks in My Dryer has scads more tips from clever and insightful bloggers today. It's always well worth a visit!

From the Halls of Montezuma?

We recently received our first letter from our oldest son, Paul, who is currently at OCS in Quantico, Virginia, finding out if he has what it takes (and if he wants to be) a US Marine officer.

Reading between the lines of the following paragraphs you might be able to see why we're proud of our son:

...I just wanted to let everyone know that I'm here and alive if nothing else. :o) These first 11 days (and believe me, I keep close track of how many days we have left) have been the hardest most grueling and intense days of my life -- and it's not even close to being over! Oh well, I guess I knew what I was getting into!

I wish you guys could be down here to see all of this! It's so amazing! Just talking to people and listening to instructors and everything -- just being here -- is an incredible honor -- and graduating an even bigger one. Last session, only 47 % of the class passed. They've already dropped something like three hundred guys with a lot more close on their heels.

Right now, I'm doing just fine, though, and I'm actually one of the more fit guys in my company -- so far...

... I can't wait to see everybody again! I love and miss you all!

Love,
Paul

But this part really explains why we're the most proud:

P.S. Can you send me a new scapular? I've lost mine in all the
confusion and feel naked without it. If you could, the small, braided-cord ones are the best.

Better-Late-Than-Never Daybook Monday

This simply lovely idea originated at Peggy's place, The Simple Woman. Run over there to catch up on everyone's Monday morning thoughts!

Outside my Window... The wind is blowing, as usual, and the sun has come out, picking up in bright relief the bits of flotsam and jetsam blowing about. Looks like it's time for another mowing and trash gathering expedition in the North Yard...

I am thinking... I'm so proud of our Theresa who received the Holy Ghost in Confirmation on Sunday! AND I wish everyone here could finally kick this stupid stomach bug that is still plaguing us!

I am thankful for... 1) The Sisters who taught all our parish children at Catechism Camp last week. 2) For my truly wonderful Husband, who I'm afraid had a rather low-key Father's Day due to not feeling well. 3) AND the Sambucol I finally got ahold of that is ~ God willing ~ going to finally relieve us of our viral suffering ~ and prevent any more of it!

From the kitchen... Not much going on. Fix-it-yourself for those who are well enough to fix it themselves. Toast, crackers and water... Lots of bowls of cereal being eaten by well-kids. (Except Jon, of course, who made himself eggs benedict. And may now live to regret it...)

I am creating... a long, long list of things to catch up on now that Catechism Camp is over and everyone is on the downhill side of the stomach bug. (PLEASE, GOD!) For instance, I still haven't sewn my new kitchen curtains that've been waiting on me for, oh, a couple months now!

I am going... nowhere soon, if I can help it. I'm pooped out!

I am wearing... A long brown gypsy skirt and a peach and brown plaid, victorian-style, scoop neck blouse ~ mod(est)ified with a camisole beneath. (Mainly I'm wearing this fancy shirt because it's the only long sleeved one I still had hanging in my closet, and it's chilly today.)

I am reading... Curse of the Pharoahs by Elizabeth Peters (Just finished) The Cater Street Hangman by Anne Perry (Just starting).

I am hoping... My wonderful husband feels better soon.

I am hearing... the chatter of voices at the dining room table... Theresa singing We Are Siamese, if You Please... The chimes in front of the dining room window sounding gently...

Around the house... Everything is actually spic and span because we had an enforced zone-cleaning-party first thing this morning, no matter how everyone moaned and groaned. So we're all tidy and disinfected again.

One of my favorite things... Listening to my children sing in the choir on Sundays. (They sounded awesome for Confirmation Sunday!)

Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week... Chiropractor for several of us... Dedication ceremonies for a new chapel that our choir members will get to participate in on Tuesday... House party with dear friends on Saturday... Hopefully we'll get to see a movie at the end of the week ~ either that Panda one or the new Pixar film, Wallee.

Here is a picture thought (or two) I'm sharing with you...

Happy, Happy Father's Day to the World's Best Daddy!

Congratulations, Sweetheart!

(See that little slip of a girl tucked in there? That's Theresa on the Big, Big Day! Better pics hopefully coming soon...)

Hullo, Lady. Whatcha doing?

Bats

Laura, over at Catholic Teacher Musings recently had a close brush with a renegade bat at her school, and it reminded me of our bat escapades.

Ewwwww... I get goose bumps just thinking about it! We've had more uninvited critters in this house than I care to remember, but bats top the list as freakiest!

Freakiest as in freaked. out. As in, jumbles of small children and full grown adults tripping over each other squealing like little girls, freaked out.

We've had a couple encounters, but the one that stands out in my memory is the one that happened first. It started out as a quiet, summer night, cicadas humming over the sound of whirring fans. We had six or seven kids at the time, the big boys were between 8 and 12 or so...

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

A sudden hollar from upstairs startles us first. Then loud bumping and thumping and stomping of feet. A stampede down the stairs, and all the children tumble into the living room, tripping over each other, all talking and screaming at once.

The little girls don't know what's going on; they're just upset because the brothers are upset. And the brothers are upset because:

"There's a bat in our room!"

"A BAT in your room? Did you say there's a BAT in your room? Are you sure it's a BAT?"

"It's a bat alright!"

I look at my husband and he looks at me. A silent exclamation point hovers in the air between us. We both know that this is definitely HIS territory, but he doesn't want to have to take care of it any more than I do. Nevertheless, he steels himself. A real Dad shows no fear in the face of difficulty, danger, and wild animals ~ including bats. So, he takes charge, with Dadlike authority, making a secret grimace in my direction before he leads the charge back upstairs.

"Paul, take the screen out of the window! You and Kevin grab a pillow and help me shoo it out! The rest of you, stay out of the way!"

Our oldest two, Paul and Kevin, manfully obey orders. Not a flinch. This is a great adventure for them! The rest of the children crouch on the stairs to watch the fun. I obediently stay out of the way. Way out of the way ~ like in the kitchen. Behind the door. Where I can hear the fun.

"Where is it?"

"There it is! Right there! Agh!"

Thump! Bump! Thump! Stomp! (Loud Scream.)

"Shoo it out the window! Out the window!"

Bump! Thump! Stomp! (More screaming.)

Then there are sounds on the landing overhead. Obviously they had succeeded in scaring the bat out the bedroom door instead of out the window. Lots of thumps. Girls squealing on the stairs. Thunder of footsteps herding down the stairs. Screams! Squeals!

"It's coming downstairs, Mommy! It's gonna get us!"

Mommy screams. "Where!? Where is it?!"

I know it must be down here, but I can't see it. Everyone's screaming and yelling and running around, tripping over furniture. Daddy and the boys are flailing around in the air with pillows. I peak around the kitchen door, dodging children, trying to figure out where the stupid bat is.

And suddenly, I know where it is! It's coming at me! A black blur with a 5' wingspan. (I swear ~ Big as an eagle!) I scream. Run for the living room. Dive into the couch and pull a pillow over my head. (I'd heard about bats going for your hair, and I had a lot of long hair I didn't want a bat tangled up in!)

Little girls are squealing. One dives into the couch next to me. Boys are running around , yelling, hitting things indiscriminately with pillows. I can hear it. Fwoomph! Crash! Fwoomph! Bam!

"Open the front door!" my husband yells.

"Got it, Dad!" I hear the door fling back and hit the wall.

Fwoomph! Fwoomph! (Right over my head!) I scream. Fwoomph! Fwoomph!

"Head it off, Kevin!"

Little girls' squealing. Boys hollaring. Daddy grunting, "Go, go, go, you danged bat..."

The front door slams!

"Halleluhah!"

It's over. The bat has exited via the front door. With a little help.

I pull my head out from under the pillow, extract a little girl from the crack between the couch cushions, and tentatively look around.

Oh, the devastation. Lamps askew, chairs knocked over, rug corners flipped, boys scattered about, breathing heavily ~ but with a triumphant gleam in their eyes.

They have ousted the beast.

Post Script: I've learned since, in bat unit studies with the children, that bats really are our friends. They serve an important and very useful service for us, eating insects like mosquitoes, for instance. They really present no danger to people and have no interest whatsoever in our hair. Nevertheless, I'm with Laura on this one. Reason cannot overcome instinct. I hate bats. I hate bats. I hate bats.

Prayer Request

Could you please remember Franciscan teaching sister, Sr. Olive, in your prayers? She was rushed to the hospital last night and administered extremunction.

Prayer for the Sick

Almighty and Eternal God, You are the everlasting health of those who believe in You. Hear us for Your sick servant, Sr. Olive, for whom we implore the aid of Your tender mercy, that being restored to bodily health, she may give thanks to You in your Church. Through Christ Our Lord. Amen.