As Quick As I Can Make It...

1. Best news first: Nine-tenths of the children are home for a few days! Paul is still over on the western slope in college, but Jon and Dominic are home from boarding school until Sunday. Since Jon's not 18 yet, he's required to have a parent sign for his passport, so, we took the opportunity to bring both boys home for a few days to take care of that and to get Jon's head put back on straight at the chiropractor (He has ongoing problems with his neck, unfortunately...) So, anyway, since Kevin's been home helping get the house ready to sell, we have nine of our ten under the same roof, eating together, praying together, staying up to all hours goofing off together. It's lovely.

2. What we've done on the house so far (thanks largely to Kevin): We chose our replacement flooring and ripped up half of the old pergo in the kitchen; we emptied almost everything out of my little study and had 220 electrical wired in to convert it into a laundry room (Until now, our laundry has been in our master bedroom closet); the boys moved a small decorative pond and dug a hole to access the septic tank into which the washing machine will drain and plumbed the source water that will feed the washer; Dominic pulled down half of the barbed wire on the front-ten pasture in preparation for new fencing; I drove up the hill about a dozen times to the farm we want to buy to remind myself why we're doing this; Dan and I started a novena to St. Philomena, our heavenly real estate agent.

3. I can hear a train rushing by outside. We live a little less than a half mile from the tracks and have gotten used to the sound of the whistle and the rush of the wheels as the coal trains hurry by. It's a good sound, one so much a part of this land that it's like bird song and wind to me. I was surprised that our realtor seemed to think it was a detriment to our property, its being so close to the tracks. But the sound of a train whistle is as much a part of this hundred-year-old farm as the song of the meadowlarks perching on the weathered posts of the original corall. The young men who built this house likely paused in their work to watch the trains go by. Granted, it would have been a steam engine they watched, but the feeling is the same. Off on their trans-continental errands, trains from our day or theirs, tell tales of distant places: Rocky Mountain coal miners filling the cars, engineers and brakemen making the journey, passing little prairie towns and dusty country roads, finally unloading the coal that powers the lights in some big eastern city... Undoubtedly the young family that homesteaded this claim in the early years of the twentieth century considered this homesite a plum spot because it was so near the railroad. I think it's a pretty neat spot, too. I hope someone else comes along to buy this house who agrees with me! (I'm pleased that the house we want to buy is also in easy ear shot of the trains...)

4. Not to sound like I'm complaining or anything, but here's the short list of Places That I'm Forever Having to Clean: That little nook behind the faucets in the bathrooms and kitchen. Yuck. It's always disgusting, no matter how often I clean that out. Then there's the wall going up the stairway. The Littles cannot keep from running their dirty little fingers along that wall when they go up. I've never found a solution to that problem, no matter how much I nag. And how is it that, no matter how many times a day I wipe off the handle to the refrigerator, it's always sticky, gooey, yucky? I haven't actually seen the Creature from the Black Lagoon nipping in for a snack, but I know he must be around here somewhere...

5. So, going to Omaha to get the boys Monday and Tuesday, I clocked about eighteen hours behind the wheel, and I'm still saddle sore. But, I do some of my best thinking when I'm driving, especially when it's highway mileage. I think it's the meditative quality to the half-focused state of concentration. You know how it is when you drive the long stretches? You're not (hopefully!) so relaxed that you fall asleep, but not so alert that you're stressed. The scenery flies by too quickly to pick up the details, but slow enough to appreciate the unfolding of a beautiful big picture. Nothing is required except to keep the car safely on the road and get where I'm going.

And referee the shenanigans in the back seat if I have the kids with me.

But, if I'm all on my own, I can listen to the radio and ponder. Sometimes I'll use my time constructively and say a rosary, chat with my Guardian Angel, or lay out possible scenarios to the Almighty. Sometimes I compile lists in my head ~ but that's frustrating, because I can't satisfy the urge to pull my notebook out of my purse and write things down so I won't forget. But, the most fun trains of thought take me over wild courses of possibilities, one idea leading to another.

Among other things, on my drive the other day, I traveled through every room in the house I want to sell, painting and decluttering, and then I jogged down the road and decorated every room in the house I want to buy. Next, I moved out to the yard of the new house, and tried to decide where I'd put my garden. That made me think of the 900 empty acres of prairie that lie behind that house. Which made me think about how there are likely to be more snakes there than on our current property. Rattlesnakes maybe. Yikes! But then, I remembered big, sturdy old Bella; surely she'd patrol around and warn us of any possible slithery intruders. And, of course, we'll be keeping one of Bella's puppies, because we have to have our Grigio. Then I thought, maybe we ought to keep two puppies, just to be sure all snakes are taken care of. But, what would we name that other puppy? It'd be nice to stay in the Italian theme, I thought. I wonder if St. John Bosco would be offended if we named a dog after him? We couldn't call him John, because we have a son named Jon, but what about "Bosco?" That'd be a cool name for a dog...

Are you dizzy yet? It goes on and on, you know. But, I'll spare you. You get the idea.

Back to our regularly scheduled Quick Takes...

6. Here are some shots of those future grounds-protectors (the white fuzzy ones) and a couple of their groupies (the multi-colored fuzzy ones). There were eight puppies altogether, five little boys and three little girls.





(Check out Anna's shiner. It was a hit and run accident; she was running and hit the truck. The parked truck. Smack! Right into the side of it. This comes of not looking where one is running. Ouch!)
7. I've had the chance to tweak my Lenten schedule, and have decided to pop in only on Thursday nights to write 7 Quick Takes, and, aside from that, will only get on the computer to check my e-mail every other day. Hopefully, I'll get some time on Sundays to run around and visit and see what I've been missing all week.

I'll miss everyone! But, right now, in addition to Lent, I have so much to do in preparation to sell the house, that it seems like a good time to really step back from the computer. If I disappear for a while, assume I'm laying tile or something and say a prayer for me, please!

Blocks -- Like You've Never Seen Them

My husband, the I.T. guy, comes across the coolest things in his line of business.
Check this one out!

Simple Woman Monday, February 23rd

Outside My Window ... there's a starling picking around in the branches of the old cottonwood that hangs over our front patio. It's a partly cloudy day and looks like it'll be chilly, but not cold. It's been unseasonably warm this month, but everything is still grey and tan. The green can't start coming soon enough to suit me! I'm waiting to catch the first glimpse of the meadowlarks perched on the fenceposts. Their song is the first herald of spring here on the high prairie.

I am hearing... No meadowlarks yet, but I can hear early-bird-William explaining to Theresa that he wants banana milk and honey Cheerios for breakfast.

I am reading... Nothing at the moment, but have a line-up ready for Lent. I just ordered a book our visiting priest recommended in the sermon yesterday, called Humility of Heart and am anxious for it to arrive! But, I also have some light reading in my book pile. I haven't read any Father Brown stories for a while, so I'm going to indulge in some Chesterton, and I was recommended a book called The Endless Knot, a Catholic mystery by W.L. Biersach, that I'm excited to dip into.

I am wearing... long, straight denim skirt with cargo pockets, white turtleneck, blue sweater.

I am hoping... we can sell our house for the price we need to buy the property we've been calling "hilltop farm." We only have a million things to do before we can plant that for sale sign ~ and the real estate market is in the pits, especially out here in the rural areas, but we're starting a novena to St. Philomena, and if she can't get a sale for us, nobody can!

From the Learning Rooms... Because we see so many of our favorite old actors in movies set during the forties, we've been enjoying a look lately into World War II, following a rabbit trail through Churchill's office in London to Guadal Canal and Nazi Germany. Truly fascinating stuff. And a wealth of movies to get to watch to enrich our learning! We really enjoyed watching The 1940s House, a PBS documentary about an English family that lived several months in a re-created wartime lifestyle. And we loved Mrs. Miniver (Greer Garson and Walter Pidgeon were so good in this movie, but I like to watch it just to get to see the beautiful house their characters live in...). I've got John Wayne, Cary Grant, George C. Scott waiting in the wings to watch this week. I just love home schooling!

From the kitchen ...the lovely aroma of coffee is wafting into me here at the computer. Ahhh... I'm indulging these next two days in some of the things we're giving up for Lent. The kids have to eat up the rest of their St. Valentine's candy and we're going to have to 'choke down' (Ha!) that plate of cheesecake left over from my sistah, Nina's, birthday party Sunday (She'll be 29 on Ash Wednesday, we've decided. There she is, above, with her fan club).

I am creating... I finally finished my kitchen curtains! Here they are:

Now, I'm going to make a little cushion for this window, since it's the little boys' favorite spot to sit when I'm cooking.

I 'm thankful for... Coffee! And a few million other things...

Around the house... I tried a paint technique on the lower walls of our dining room, but I'm not happy with it. I was trying a faux effect using a sponge and a buffing tool, but I'm worried it turned out too orange and too "busy." I need to figure out how to tone it down or maybe I'll just paint over it in taupe. For selling the house, I'm concerned I may need to go more neutral and conservative. Bother. But, relatively speaking, paint is cheap. Here are a couple of pictures. What do you think?

(You can see in the pic below, we're replacing a bit of trim over the door and some cracked wallboard on the adjacent wall)Before we try to sell, we're also redoing our kitchen and bathroom floors and moving our laundry room. I hate the risk of putting a lot of money into these projects, but I figure that if the house doesn't sell, I'll have a nicer house to live in, anyway. And except for the money spent and the pain and heart-ache of all the work and then keeping everything clean for showings, it's a win-win, right? Right? (Actually, I think we must be crazy.)

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week... Painting to do, tile to pull out, plumbing to move, movies to watch, candy consuming until Fat Tuesday, fasting starting Ash Wednesday.

Here is a picture thought I 'm sharing:

Gabe and William checking out the fuzz on Kevin's recently shaved head...

"It's almost as soft as the puppies, Kevvy!"

For lots more Simple Women's Daybooks, run over and check in on Peggy!

Almost at the starting line...

24 Know you not that they that run in the race, all run indeed, but one receiveth the prize? So run that you may obtain. 25 And every one that striveth for the mastery, refraineth himself from all things: and they indeed that they may receive a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible one.

First Epistle Of Saint Paul To The Corinthians, chapter 9

So, you know I've been trying to do some Lenten strategizing. I was brought up a traditional Catholic (and we've raised all the kids thusly), so the concept of sacrificing these forty days is as familiar to all of us as accepting cold in winter and heat in summer. It's a natural, cyclical cleansing time. I really do believe that the Church is wise (as she always is) in teaching us discipline through fasting and other sacrifices. But it's a pain. Oh, yes, indeed. It's supposed to be. It's like how you know you've had a good workout when you feel that 'burn.' If you can't feel it, you didn't work hard enough.

The challenge is for a Lenten workout to be more than a stroll in the shade with your ipod and less than a triathlon that leaves you laid out on the pavement half way through. You have to pick a pace that you can keep throughout. And no matter how rigorous the exercise, you have to be able to talk and laugh with the folks training around you. Whining gets you kicked out of the Lent club.

Here's our basic annual schedule:

We have always given up movies and television during Lent. This is probably the single most valuable tool for helping us to focus beyond worldly distractions. We always give up desserts, which is not a huge problem for us, because we don't really have a lot of desserts anyway. And those of us who are between the ages of 21 and 60 follow the traditional Lenten fast, which requires us to eat only one regular-sized meal each day, and two smaller meals which, together, do not exceed the size of the main meal. We only eat meat once each day during Lent, except for Fridays, when we abstain from all meat (which we do all year anyway). Sundays are Lent-free days. (Woohoo! This is how we survive. Sunday is party day!)

Then we each give up our own additional little sacrifices for the season, as well. We encourage the children's offerings to be along the lines of learning charitable habits, such as: having patience with siblings who are particularly trying, perfecting tidiness routines, obeying Mom and Dad promptly and cheerfully, and removing the whine from the cheese... And, I do try to make the same kind of improvements in my habits and attitudes, as well.

For instance, knowing that it's more healthful, anyway, I usually give up all caffeine during Lent (hoping every year that its a habit I can maintain...) But, like I've mentioned, I've already given up almost all caffeine over the last couple of months, so that sacrifice isn't going to have much punch this year.

My husband and I both step up our spiritual reading, which is not a hardship for me, since I'm always looking for an excuse to read, anyway. You should see the stack of books on my bedside table!

Then, of course, every year I promise to be more patient with my very sloppy little house-wrecking children, and try very hard (being specific is really important in these things) to not raise my voice, no matter what. I have varying success with this one from year to year, I admit...

I expect I'll try to put all these small things into practice this Lent, as usual. I figure that, sooner or later, I'm bound to get it right and the good habits I learn during Lent will finally mesh into real life. This may sound like an annual sacrifice-rut, but sometimes it takes a while to master new skills. I fell on my head a hundred times before I could finally hit a back somersault (I was a gymnast in the misty gymnasium of my youth.), and I expect I'll fall on my head a million times before I finally learn to keep my temper... (Alas!)

So, if you consider the standard Lenten practices general maintenance and the old tried and true sacrifices aerobic exercise, my question has been: What can I do for strength training? What can I add this year to make my Easter preparation extra special? How can I make this a stand-out year in my heavenly log?

Adding a particularly good habit or eliminating a bad one usually catches notice in the heavenly court, of course, so I've been meditating along those lines. And, as you might guess, the question of computer use has been wiggling its way into my consideration list (no matter how hard I try to ignore it). I think most Catholic bloggers must face this possibility the same way a pre-teen considers the religious life. Should I give up the computer completely during Lent like many bloggers do? Drastic computer abstinence is not the right choice for everyone, I realize. So I asked myself these questions:

1) Does my activity on the internet help or hinder my spiritual progress?
2) Do I have bad computer habits that I can improve upon?
3) Can I change my bad habits by cutting back my time or blog-perusing "mileage" or do I need to quit cold turkey to really get any benefit?

And here's how I answered myself:

1) I can say without any doubt that I 've gotten a lot of spiritual benefit both from the actual exercise of blogging and from reading the inspiring posts of like-minded bloggers. Writing a serious post forces me to put my thoughts in order, it pushes me to research, and it has never failed to illuminate the beauty and wonder of our Faith. Reading the thoughtful posts of others has tuned me in to resources I had not known existed, illuminating many perspectives I'd never before considered.
2) Yes, I have bad computer habits. I go through phases where I really do spend too much time on the computer. Heaven knows, I have a million things to do. Aside from the obvious, I have to ask myself how many story books have not been read to my children because I was tapping away on this computer. No question about it, I need to, at least, find a good way to permanently limit my time on here.
3) But, I'm not convinced that the children or I will benefit from my quitting the blogging community entirely. At least I'm not convinced yet. I really do find a certain part of my sanity at this keyboard. It's an oasis for me that can be re-energizing. But, it can't ever take a place more important than my real life. I want to be a Mom who happens to blog, not a bogger who happens to be a Mom, and sometimes, I'm afraid I've allowed those lines to blur.

So...

My strategy this Lent is to cut back my posting in frequency, and to restrict it in content. I'll post at Simple Woman Monday and at 7 Quick Takes Friday, (unless something comes up to prevent it). I'll limit my blog "visiting" to the weekends, after hours (if I can stay awake...). Plus, I have an idea up my sleeve that depends upon my being able to find a book hiding in bin somewhere in the deep recesses of our barn... I'll let you know if that comes to fruition.

Stay tuned.

Oh, and feel free to use the above button if you are modifying your blogging routine for the Lenten season!

Blessings Multiplied

The following comment is in response to a post I wrote a couple weeks ago called "How We're Populating the Earth." It's from a lovely young lady named Michelle, and she asks some very good questions that I thought deserved answers. Michelle has given me permission to answer her questions publicly, as we thought others might ask the same questions about the practicality of having a large family in today's world.

She wrote:

...I know that if I let go and just let Him do His will everything would be fine, but I worry about the other stuff. Not Disneyworld and a McMansion (as you called it), but I worry about a college fund. I love the idea of a big family, but I want a house, just a regular old house, and to be able to do some stuff, like movie night.

For my husband and I we need two incomes. If we didn't both work we would not be able to live in our 1 bedroom apartment, yet alone have a house or have any savings. So my questions to you are do your kids have college funds? Does your household make a big enough income to support 11 kids? I am not being snarky either. I love big families, and wish I was in a position to stay at home and have many kids, but I am not.

If you are then that is wonderful, truly. I think your post has many good points, but it is not entirely selfish of everyone that doesn't have a big family. I am not some eco nut either. I come from a family of 3. I have to pay for my own college, which is why I see an importance to have a college fund for my future children because I will have student loans for the next 10 to 20 years which interferes with the income I will have to support a family. I could do without the extravagant things in life, but there are some things that are needed to have big families, like enough food for an army. These things take financial support as you are well aware of, and not everyone has those kinds of means.

As I said I wish I could have a big family but I will need to work for the next 30+ years and cannot have a big family as I would find it irresponsible to have a large family and not be there to support them. I hope for my husband to find a better job so we can have 2-4 and me work part time, because I do not want other people raising my babies. I want to be the best mom I can be and I couldnt work part time and give each child in a large family their due time and effort. Do you see the issues here? It isn't selfishness for me.

What I'm thinking:

First of all, I'm sorry I sounded like I thought all parents of small families are selfish. I really dont' think that. I do think, though, that many of the motives for purposely limiting family size are worldly, and therefore contrary to God's purpose ~ which is to lead us away from the world and toward Heaven. Sadly, heaven isn't the goal of most people in the world today, and many modern couples are, indeed, (hate to have to say it) selfish.

But, you know, sometimes they're just scared. Taking that leap into the dark space of Faith can be terrifying! First of all, it flies in the face of modern conventional wisdom. What will everyone think of us? Will people look at us like we're freaks? Then there's the natural human fear of the unknown. What if God's not there to catch us when we make this leap? What if we don't like the way He catches us?

It's hard. Saying "yes" to God, often before we're even exactly sure what He's asking, is like stepping up to the edge of the world and agreeing to jump. Theoretically, we know He'll catch us, but.... Well, that's where the faith comes in. Choosing to be a truly practicing Catholic does require a great leap, often into the unknown. To give your time and your self ~ your life ~ to Him is a difficult sacrifice, especially since so few of our peers follow this road today. In particular, it's one of the hardest decisions for a newly-married couple to turn over their reproductive life to God and say without qualifications, "Thy will be done."

No kidding, the traditional "big Catholic family" adventure comes with a world of challenge. Without God's help, especially through the Sacraments, the intercession of his saints, and a most wonderful husband, I don't know how I ever would have survived emotionally all these years. Having a house full of toddlers under your charge 24/7 would try the patience of any of the saints! And, then those toddlers become teenagers.... and I just won't even go there! But, it's not only possible to live through it, it's the stuff that greatness is made of. Seriously. Parents of large families (and I don't mean to brag, it's just the facts, ma'am) develop the most amazing battery of skills and knowlege! Nothing phases us; weve seen it all, and probably have a file on it. And a funny story.

Of course, the obvious question still has to be, "How can you keep your sanity when you have to come up with the money to take care of so many people?" One answer is that the ability to financially manage it all doesn't come all at once; it doesn't have to. Most of us start out small; small family, small budget. As the years go by and the family grows, we adapt to accomodate each new addition. With our cooperation, God always somehow provides, either with improved income, or improved skill. Truly, every family is unique and learns its own financial coping strategy as it goes along. It does take management skill to feed, clothe, and house a small Catholic army; I won't try to sugar coat that. And we wouldn't be human if we didn't worry about it sometimes! But, with God's grace and a lot of good planning, it always works out. And, yes, there are sacrifices that we make to do it. Most super-families do exchange children for luxuries, but we always manage to have what we need to get by.

You know the size of our family; here are the specs:

* Since we were married almost 23 years ago, I have never brought in any discernible income; I make money by saving money. My husband is what you would call the "breadwinner." ( I guess that makes me the bread baker, huh?) Dan (my husband) started out his career making very little money as a hack accountant, but through many years of hard work, he's made it to near the top of the information technology field. Which is a wonderful thing. But, the salary raises have always been rather a wash, rising in unison with the size of our family and our properties. (Did I say "a wash?" Let me rephrase that: they have been a blessing!)

* We have very little savings; any sum we've ever scraped together, has always managed to somehow be eaten up by some emergency or another. Thank God most of our emergencies have been along the lines of burst pipes and broken down cars! And we thank Him, too, that whenever we've needed it, He's provided a windfall. Most large families will tell you that this is almost always true. God never lets us starve.

* We've never owned anything but the cast off homes we could get for a song because nobody else wanted to deal with them. But we've renovated each of those homes and sold them at impressive profits to be able to buy incrementally bigger and better junk heaps to fix up over the years.

* We didn't get to have a new (well, "barely used") car until we'd been married twenty years. But, as time has gone on, we've been able to add a farm truck and a minivan that serve our needs pretty well. I should add that the minivan took the place of a new roof on our house. Juggling necessities is par for the course for us.

* Though we do everything we can to help our children attain their higher education goals (from grocery shopping trips to covering their car insurance), we do not have college funds for our children. We know that if our kids aspire to higher education they'll earn scholarships and work their ways through like their father and I did. This we consider an asset to their futures, not a liability. There are few entitlement mentalities in big families.

* We buy almost everything we eat or wear on sale, and usually in bulk. We raise our own food whenever we can. Thrift stores are our dear friends and garage saling is a sport for us.

* We don't go on fancy vacations; for the first ten to fifteen years of our marriage, a big night out was a stop by the Taco Bell drive-through and a walk around the park. Now-a-days my husband and I do get out to restaurants and movies whenever we can, and the kids get to see the occasional movie. Our preferred entertainment, really, though, are rented movies and popcorn or mountain hikes.

I guess none of this sounds particularly glamorous, does it? There have been some pretty lean times and a lot of hard work through the years to make ends meet. But, you know what? I don't regret a minute of it. I really don't.

It 's a fact that the only time in my entire life when I was absolutely, positively sure I was doing God's will was when I brought each of our ten children into the world. Anything else I have only been second-guessing at. When there is a baby in my womb, I know God placed that soul there. And, as much as I love each of my babies, He cherishes them far more. He sees the texture of every fine hair, and hears every beat of each baby's heart. It's staggering that He trusts us so much to lend them to us. But He makes sure we have everything we need to raise each one of His dear ones.

But, God's list of necessities is different from the world's. And that's what throws people sometimes.

We learn through so many of Jesus own words where heaven places its value. The Beatitudes, for instance, teach us what He means by living true love. And, though it can certainly be learned in many ways, the selflessness and humility which are required to live the Beatitudes and practice the virtues are things a child naturally learns when he has many brothers and sisters.

We may never have the opportunity to visit exotic lands, but living with this many people in one house, we have ample opportunity to practice the virtues. God likes that, I'm thinking. Practice makes perfect.

Our numbers and our tight budget may also prevent us from many different lifestyle options, but we know that every single one of our children was planned by Him. He chose each one of them specifically for us. And we cherish every single face, every milestone, and every goofy little quirk of each and every one of these children.

What we may have lost in expendable income, we've gained in laughter and love. I know you've heard the soundbite: Each additional child does not use up the storehouse of love in a family, but rather adds to it exponentially. This isn't just a trite excuse trotted out by big families. It's true and worth the trouble to find out the beauty of it in real life. Our youngest child, William, has a big three-year-old heart that he shares generously with each of his nine brothers and sisters, and each of them returns all that lovin, likewise. And our next child from the bottom, Gabe, adores all his siblings, and each one of them dotes on him. Our oldest son lavishes big brother pride and affection on each one of his little brothers and sisters, and they practically worship the ground Paul walks on. And so forth. And so forth. And so forth. Ad infinitum, because God's 100% in the mix, as well. The love is so thick it's palpable.
Yeah, I know, that sounds really cheesey, doesn't it? But it's true.

And nothing in this world or the next is better than that.

Here are a few bits of wisdom on the subject:

Aubrey, at Prosapia Vita had some wonderful insight the other day. Among other wisdom, she had this: In the last 30 years, I have heard many parents say that they wish they'd had, "just one more." I have never heard someone say that they wish they'd stopped at 4 or 10 or 14. In the last 30 years, I have heard many friends say that they wish they'd had a sister or a brother or both. I have never heard someone who was part of a large family say that they wish their parents had stopped at 4 or 10 or 14. This is just another reason why I will always be open to life.

And, one of my husband's favorite things to remind me: God is never to be outdone in Generosity.

* To read up on what the popes have said about family size: Pope Piux XII on the blessing of large families, in general, Pope Pius XI on the proper use of NFP, and, most recently...

To read one of the great explanations of trust in God, find a copy of A Story of a Soul, the autobiography of St. Therese of Lisieux ~ or read it here, online.

* Advice and wisdom from a Mom who realized it cost her less to stay home than to work , and another Mom who found it surprisingly do-able.

* This frugal forum gives a good idea of how large families manage to stay fed.

* Mega-Families' site also has lots of budget ideas.

* Here is a step-by-step guide to living on one income ~ that can be borrowed at the library or bought cheap and used on Amazon.

* And here are some Frugal Mom Sites, which can give a good idea of how we manage: Mommy Savers, Frugal Mom, Catholic Mom, Wise Bread,

~+~

Faith is a grasping of Almighty power;
The hand of man laid on the arm of God;
The grand and blessed hour

In which the things impossible to me

Become the possible, O Lord, through Thee.

Anna Elizabeth Hamilton

Randomness

1. You find out more about your children from Facebook, let me tell you. If you really want to know their day-to-day activities, it's the place to go. I have to pry out with a crowbar the same emotions my sons share on the very top line of their pages. Ya wanna know what Kevin is psyched about ~ run on over to Facebook. Wanna find out about anyone's latest injury or bout with depression? Facebook. It's the most intriguing phenomenon. What a world this is. Instant knowlege for Moms. Some of this technology stuff is really a good thing.

2. I got my hair cut yesterday. I always know when it's time because I fall into ponytail default mode. My friend, Annette, a talented hairdresser, and all-round wonderful person, cut my hair and my sister's in her little basement salon, and we were both pleased with our new "dos." Nina had her hair cut in what we used to call a long "shag." Isn't that a terrible name for a haircut? We were trying to think if there was a more modern name for that style, but couldn't come up with one. Whatever you want to call it, though, the style looks good on Nina. My sis is really only a little bit retro-wired in that decade ~ she listens to the BeeGees and has a shag... But nothing else about her is psychadelic or anything. She's as conservative as they come. Oh, and her birthday is coming up next week ~ on Ash Wednesday! Is that the pits, or what?! I think she should get to subract at least five years from her age to make up for that. (What do you say, Nina?)

3. Oh, yeah, my hair Annette cut into a mid-neck-length bob, with a tad bit of layering in the back to accomodate the curl. Now I need to do something about the two-tone thing going on now that my roots are growing out. That growing-out-roots thing isn't cool anymore, is it?

4. Nicole and Paul just sent out a bunch of special "save this date" magnets. This is such a wonderful idea, and the first time I've seen it. The wedding day is still several months away, but they're meant to be sent out as early as the date is known, well before the official invitations, to give special guests a heads-up for making travel plans, etc. Way cool. Check it out:

5. I didn't get a chance to post anything timely about our St. Valentine's Day celebration, so here are a few pictures, only a week late...

Our Lady's Shrine, prepared for the day

The sign above says:

"Our Valentine, Our Sweetness & Our Hope"

Each of the girls (including the wife!) gets a special card from Daddy every St. Valentine's Day.

We have a tradition that the boys cook for the girls on St. Valentine's Day. Since Dan and son #2, Kevin, are the only ones around, they orchestrated the whole thing this year, just the two of them. It was a Chinese theme. Half of the courses they bought prepared at Sams, the other half they made themselves. Which was OK by us! They started us off with egg drop soup and hot tea, then followed with egg rolls, orange chicken, garlic shrimp, and lobster something ( I can't remember what it was called, but it was mmbaby-good!). Then we finished off with a heart-shaped cheese cake. Yum! (This photo is not a very good one, but we were all too busy eating to think of taking pictures!)

6. To get back to more recent events: I left Michelle to babysit Gabe, Anna, and Theresa today, while I went to town to run errands with Cathy and William. We had to go get a copy of Jon's (missing) birth certificate for him to send away for a passport, because, (...drumroll...) for his senior class trip, he's going to ROME!! Agh! Can you believe it! I wish I could stow away in his luggage! But, Jon assures me that he and his siblings will definitely send their Dad and me someday. (Isn't he nice?) But, in the meantime, Jon's been instructed to take as many pictures as he possibly can and write everything down in a journal for us all to share with him when he gets back. Isn't it exciting?!

7. So, anyway, from the excitement of the mountaintops to the simple beauty of wildflowers... When we got back from town this afternoon, after successfully getting a copy of that birth certificate, this is what I found on my bed:
Gabe and Anna had found the basket of clean laundry that was waiting for me and folded all the clothes. Do you see their unique method? They folded each article of clothing in half long-wise, and rolled it up like a sleeping bag. Isn't that hilarious? Thing is, everything was perfectly wrinkle-free when I snuck back in there to re-fold it. This may be my new folding style from now on. (Little sweeties.)

Bonus Quick Take: I have a post that I've been trying to write for three weeks now that is an answer to comments a reader made about a big family post I wrote called How we're populating the earth. I feel just terrible, but I've been having a dickens of a time carving out the time and perking up the braincells I need to give the questions asked proper consideration. (The insomnia thing really leaves me fuzzy-brained. It's awful.) I apologize to Michelle (the reader) for taking so long! I'm working on it and should have a response by the weekend. Please stay tuned!

* For more Quick Takes, click on over to Conversion Diary!

Charlie!

My kids tell me, "Oh, that's an old one, Mom!" But, I've never seen it, and it's so adorable and so funny, I just had to share in case anyone else out there had missed this.

Pelosi at the Vatican

Have you read about this?

It's Co-o-o-ming....

...The Christmas Feast is already a fading memory,
And already the mind begins to be vaguely aware
Of an unpleasant whiff of apprehension at the thought
Of Lent and Good Friday which cannot, after all, now
Be very far off...

~ W.H. Auden ~
For the Time Being: A Christmas Oratio
1941-42

I'm starting to try Lenten sacrifice ideas on for size. Can't give up coffee this year; already did that. Can't give up sweets; already did that, too. We always give up the tv, so that's non-negotiable. The computer? Did that cross someone's mind? I've been thinking about it... but, I don't know. Maybe I could give it up with caveats? I'm still trying to decide what is practical and what would make me so depressed I couldn't function, or that I'd just end up failing at. It's so disheartening to overreach and fail, but then I don't want to feel like an underachiever, either.

We only have one week to go, though. Yikes! I hope the time from Ash Wednesday to Easter goes as quickly as the time between Christmas and Ash Wednesday has gone!

To take a quiz to see what you know about the Lenten season, run over to Aquinas and More.

Today...

...though it's not marked in the liturgical calendar, it's traditional to remember the flight of the Holy Family into Egypt.

12 And having received an answer in sleep that they should not return to Herod, they went back another way into their country. 13 And after they were departed, behold an angel of the Lord appeared in sleep to Joseph, saying: Arise, and take the child and his mother, and fly into Egypt: and be there until I shall tell thee. For it will come to pass that Herod will seek the child to destroy him. 14 Who arose, and took the child and his mother by night, and retired into Egypt: and he was there until the death of Herod: 15 That it might be fulfilled which the Lord spoke by the prophet, saying: Out of Egypt have I called my son.
(Matthew 2:12-15)

Two days ago we celebrated Sexagessima Sunday, so we've arrived at the last full week of the time that bridges us between Christmastide and Lent.

It seems right to travel now with little Jesus and his holy parents across the sands, away from the warm glow of the stable in Bethlehem. It's good to transition from celebration to preparation, rejoicing in the safety of the Holy Family, but remembering, not only the terror they left behind them, but the trials that lie before them. By St. Joseph's obedience to the message he received in a dream, we learn quick and unquestioning obedience to God's will. Their move from poverty and humble station to more poverty and humble station in an unknown land, we understand the priority God means us to place on earthly riches and prominence. We see the beauty and simplicity of self sacrifice. And true Faith in God's providence.

The miles and miles of sand that the Holy Family walked from Bethlehem to Egypt stretched right across the palm of God's hand.

* For information on the actual road from Bethlehem to the Holy Family's likely destination in Egypt, click here.

* There is a fascinating record of all the miles the Holy Family walked in their life times at this site.

* And here you can find out about some of their resting places along the way.

* If you have a few thousand dollars and a couple of weeks, you can take a tour following the Holy Family's route from Bethlehem to Egypt! Check it out. Wouldn't that be an amazing thing to do?

* Coloring Page here.

Beaker

Juiced up...

I've really been craving the coffee these days because the insomnia bug has been making me uselessly listless lately (say that five times, fast!) But, I know that drinking my beloved brew only sets me on a merry-go round of sleeplessness, so alas, I've limited my intake to a couple of cups on the weekend. And now I'm trying to get back into the old tea routine. The black teas do have caffeine, though not as much as coffee, and in a pinch, I can drink tea black ~ something I don't like to do with the coffee. Gotta have the cream and sugar in my coffee!

But the herbal teas are more healthful. So of course I don't really like them. I have found that Celestial Seasons Apple Cinnamon tea is really yummy without sugar, though, and have come to depend on that as my winter lifeline, cup-in-hand, beverage-of-choice. Are there any other herbal teas that you've tried that are good 'straight'? Some variety would be nice!

What did you think?

Did you see the pink?
I couldn't take it another day.
I've always been that way...
I was a tomboy as a child
And was never wild
About anything frilly
Or silly
Or dressy
Or princessy
Or little dolly
Or Pepto Bismolly
Or anything that might link
Me to anything remotely prissy, sissy or kissy-kissy like the dreaded, regretted girly shades of pink.

(Unless it's on roses or St. Valentine's Day cards, of course!)

Quick Takes

1. There are some advangages to getting old(er). For instance, some lucky ones of us develop internal weather forecast systems. Thus, Theresa's comment this morning upon looking out and seeing snow on the ground: " Mommy's weather toe was right again."

2. We found TONS of wonderful St. Valentine's Day crafts at Crafty Crow, including these easy-peasy, construction paper Valentines we made for friends and loved ones this week.

3. Today is the day of the annual Homeschool Rollerskating Party here. The children look forward to this outing more than just about anything we do all year. Why wouldn't a kid love rolling around and around and around in circles, falling down, and getting all hot and sweaty, while laughing and playing with all their best friends? I'm not sure if I'll venture out on to skates this year. Usually I have an infant on hand and can't. This year, I'll need to be chasing Teeny-Little-Super-Guy William around, which may necessitate it, though. Wish me luck! It's been YEARS since I attempted it.

4. We're learning all about preparing for a wedding these days. My future daughter-in-law is the most capable planner you can imagine, and is already incredibly on top of things. She already has the chapel and reception hall reserved, her bridal party chosen and informed, and her dress bought and hanging in her closet. We have volunteered to take care of the flowers and the pew decorations ~ and just realized that it's our responsibility to host the rehearsal dinner. We'll have a group of about 25 people to feed, and are trying to come up with something memorable, but on a budget. Any ideas?

5. Here's the big leek we had in our kitchen recently:

(One needs gloves it would appear to handle such a big vegetable.)

6. Having a little bout with insomnia again lately. It comes in waves, for some reason, and is possibly pre-menopausal in origin. When I'm lying in bed, watching the numbers flip on the digital clock near my bed, I always debate the option of getting up vs. staying in bed. I worry that getting up will just wake me up even more and prevent a possible drifting-off scenario. But, then, after I've lain there for an hour or so, I figure I'm wasting time that I could be getting something done. Like blogging? What do you do when you can't sleep? Any good tips would be appreciated!

(Here are some ideas I came up with a while back, but, as you'll see, they aren't very practical solutions...)

7. We've been playing the "Could-We-Possibly-Sell-This-House-And-Find-Something-That-Functions-Better-For-Us" game lately. Like my insomnia, it's a cyclical thing. (Hmmm... I wonder if they're connected?) We'd like to be a little closer to Dan's work, for one thing. He drives about 50 minutes both ways every day, which is wearing on him and expensive gas-wise. It'd also be so nice to have a more modern layout in a house, for a change. I'd love to have a great room; gathering space is a big issue for us. And closets. Closets would be so nice. I'll have to tell you about the way we store our clothes sometime. And I've always dreamed of having a separate room just for schooling, and a basement for the Little ones to play while the rest of us are trying to get some schooling... Oh, and it has to be on at least five acres and not too close to a big road, and it has to have a good well. I'm not asking much, am I?

So, anyway, we've got an appointment to have a second look at a house. It's five minutes further away from town than the one we're in now, it's down a long dirt road, and it has no great room, but it's a newer, remodeled home, it has the land and good well, and it does have a large unfinished basement and more closet space ~ and a view that can see three states. I'm a sucker for a view. But... Alas! I don't know that we could sell our house to be able to afford the one up the hill. And I'm not sure we'd be better off up there. And we'd have to move again. Ack.

But, oh, those views. How much a glutton for punishment am I? I'll let ya know...

Have a good weekend, Everyone!

What We've Been Doing, Illustrated!

These start way back to the Epiphany, when my camera became discomboobalated.

Just one shot of our Epiphany feast to mark the day. We baked this fruit cake, recipe courtesy of Catholic Cuisine, and it was DELICIOUS! Hubby, Dan, got the hidden ring.

And back in January, my sister, Donna, had a birthday. She's 29 years beautiful.

We've been able to enjoy an unusual number of very warm days outdoors. Here are the kids playing on the wolf sculptures outside the Denver Natural History Museum.

And, here are some photos of my trip to Winter Park with my two oldest sons, and some other friends of ours a few weeks ago.

Below is the cute little Cabriole, that transports skii-ers (and other lookers-on, like me). You stand in it as you ride over the parking lot, through the trees and over the hill to the resort. It was so much fun, I considered just staying on for a second loop around the parking lot. (Doesn't take much to excite me.)

See the guys on the roof in the picture below? They were about five stories up, shoveling snow! YIKES! We were relieved to see, on closer inspection, that they were all tethered to ropes in case they slipped.

How 'bout this guy? Just what everyone wants after a day of skiing, right? An ice cold bottle of Coca Cola!

They have tall dogs up there in Winter Park.

We wanted to go into this pub and drink a toast to Poirot, but, alas! They weren't open for lunch.
Hurrah for the DU Ski Team! (Our old alma mater)
Some views from the ski lodge window where Nicole and I hung out while the rest of the kids skiied:



And here are the characters I got to spend the afternoon with. It was great fun!
Below: Paul and Nicole, the world's two best posers. How can they help it, they're so durn cute? (Yeah, yeah, I know... I'm terribly biased that way, huh?)

Kevvy, who drove up with me ~ and who was a most pleasant companion and stimulating conversationalist, but who got a little dopey after wiping out on his snowboard half way through the day. He's still looking a little dazed here, isn't he?

Another beautiful couple, our friends Mike and Claire.
And the whole gang of us. I guess you can pick out which one is me, right?