Small Successes

"It’s important for moms to recognize that all the small successes in our days can add up to one big triumph. So on Thursday of each week, we do exactly that."

1) I believe we have caught our unwanted guest mentioned here in this post. Last Thurday, I sent The Archangel & The Princess to gather trash from various trash cans. All of a sudden, I heard a scream & then footsteps thundering up the basement stairs, along w/ shouts of "IT RAN ACROSS MY FOOT!" After slightly calming the munchkins, I found that The Archangel felt something on his foot, looked down, & saw a little mouse run under the furnace. So, I set our last trap & w/in two hours, caught our guest. (I also bought more traps this weekend...there is NEVER just one mouse!)

2) I've had a GREAT start to the 40 Bags in 40 Days Challenge. I actually started a bit early (Feb. 14) & have bundled up 13 bags/boxes of stuff (towels donated to an animal clinic, clothes either sold to a resale shop & donated, trash, recyclables, & a box of food donated to a local family who lost their home to a fire).

3) I've only had to pay two quarters to Operation Rice Bowl for yelling this past week & believe me...there have been PLENTY of opportunities for yelling!!!

Please share your successes & check out others at Faith and Family Live.

Wordless Wednesday: It Needed Done (Before & After Shots)

A Thankful Woman's Book of Blessings

Judy over at A Thankful Woman's Book of Blessings, hosts this meme every Wednesday. Simply list five things (or a prayer or any thoughts) for which you are truly thankful this week. Voicing my thanks helps put my life in perspective & realize that, no matter how bad things might be, there is still MUCH good surrounding me.

1) Thank you, Lord, for the over-abundance of STUFF we have in our home. As I try the 40 Bags in 40 Days challenge, it gives me a chance to donate many things to those in need.

2) Thank you, Lord, that the munchkins have been illness-free for at least five days...a record in our family this winter! (And I pray that they will not get sick since I just put this in writing.)

3) Thank you, Lord, for the wonderful conversations our family Lenten devotions have sparked each night. The munchkins are so full of love & understanding of your word, sometimes even more than I am.

4) Thank you, Lord, for vision insurance (& one of the best, at that)! With four of us in glasses & two others who most likely will need them), it can get expensive to purchase new ones each year. Thank you also for great eye care professionals. I've been going to mine since I was in 4th grade & the rest of the family has joined, going to one of his partners.

5) Thank you, Lord, that I am finally beginning to "hear" you in my daily life. Since I've consistently been reading the daily readings & other spiritual books in the past few months, I've noticed those gentle nudges. Yes, I know you've always been there...I just haven't opened myself up enough. I still have a long way to go, but I feel I'm off to a good start.

Lent 2010

Lent is now upon us. For me, it has not gotten off to a great start. I was so excited to start practicing the things I planned, but it has not gone well so far.

Ash Wednesday we went to my parents' church for their 9am Mass. Our parish had Mass at 8am & I knew we'd never get everyone ready in time, even w/out all the snow we had. My dad was preaching the homily, which is always a treat for us. I've always LOVED his homilies.

Before Mass began, the organist came over asked if I would cantor if the music director didn't show up. It had been a long time since I'd done it, but I said I could. (Before the munchkins, I was very involved in the music program - this was the church I grew up in.) Thankfully I knew all the music. I did end up leading the first song & she arrived toward the end of it, late because of the snow. Now that I think back on this, I see that this is a partial answer to a prayer. I have been wanting to get back into music ministry at church, but right now, w/ the munchkins still being so young, it is not a good time.

For some reason, I was very irritable the rest of the day. To me, it seemed like the ashes I received had the opposite effect on my personality. I wanted to stop yelling this Lent, but I found myself yelling even more than usual. Plus, the munchkins we very misbehaved throughout the day - disobeying, fighting w/ each other, bouncing off walls, etc. Thankfully, they were good during Mass.

Yesterday, I was still irritable. Why? I do not know. I decided to add another part to my Lenten ideas...for each time I yell at the munchkins, I will put a quarter into our rice bowl for Catholic Relief Services. So far, today has been much better. I've only had to put in one quarter!

Simplicity is the word I am trying to focus on for this season. Following is a list of the other practices I am doing for this Lenten season:
- reading a Lenten reflection booklet at night
- reducing my blog reading time to Thursdays & Sundays
- no Facebook (Maybe by the time Lent is over, FB will have gone back to its old way...I DO NOT like the new changes!)

- add a quarter to our Operation Rice Bowl for each time I yell at the munchkins (Based on the start of this Lenten season, Catholic Relief Services may benefit quite a bit from me!)
- RECONCILIATION (it has been WAY TOO LONG for me)

These are some of our family practices:
- Friday Stations of the Cross (either at church or using the Stations of the Cross box I made last year)
- Sundays for family time only (Other than a few previous commitments, if we go anywhere, it has to be together.)
- using a Lenten family devotion booklet in the evenings
- 40 Bags in 40 Days (I may not get rid of 1 bag each day, but I WILL get rid of at least 40 bags by Easter!)

Overall, I think this is doable for our family. I pray that you & your families have a beautiful, prayerful Lenten season. You are all in my prayers!

Small Successes

"It’s important for moms to recognize that all the small successes in our days can add up to one big triumph. So on Thursday of each week, we do exactly that."

1) This past week was one of those when we had numerous doctor, dental, eye, & vehicle repair appointments. I felt like we were CONSTANTLY on the go with no time to breathe. My success is that I did manage to survive & have lived to tell about it! I really think it helps that I have been sticking w/ getting up by 6:15 each morning to have some peaceful prayer & reading time to myself.

2) Casinodad had Monday off for Presidents' Day. We had nothing planned & nowhere to go (& probably couldn't have w/ all the snow, anyway!) We spent the day straightening some of the house, did a couple loads of laundry, had a little school w/ the munchkins, & just enjoyed each other's company. This day was definitely needed after the previous week.

3) This success is bittersweet for me...The Saint has been weaned. Out of all four munchkins, he has gone the longest (18 months). The Prophet & The Princess self-weaned at 6 months & The Archangel (who was never a stronger nurser) stopped himself at 10 months. This was a tough decision, but needed to be done. He wasn't nursing much during the day, maybe once or twice, but he was still waking several times a night. The only way to get him back to sleep was to nurse him. He's now sleeping better (not perfect) & so are we.

So, how's your life been this past week? Inquiring minds want to know over at Faith & Family Live! Check it out & share your successes!

Thankful Woman's Book of Blessings (#3)

Judy over at A Thankful Woman's Book of Blessings, hosts this meme every Wednesday. Simply list five things (or a prayer or any thoughts) for which you are truly thankful this week. Voicing my thanks helps put my life in perspective & realize that, no matter how bad things might be, there is still MUCH good surrounding me.

1) I am thankful that I was able to SUCCESSFULLY make a King's Cake for Fat Tuesday. (An added thankfulness is that I am now "Awesome Mom" because that is what I let the munchkins eat for dinner last night!)

2) I am thankful that Casinodad had Presidents' Day off work. He was able to spend the whole day w/ us AND he didn't have to drive in our 3rd snowstorm in two weeks!

3) I am thankful for a very cuddly toddler at nap & bedtimes. I taught him how to do butterfly kisses last night. The look on his face was PRICELESS!

4) I am thankful that Casinodad was able to schedule a vacation day for Ash Wednesday this year. It's always been so tough for him to make it for Mass in time in the past. Now we don't have to feel so rushed.

5) I am thankful that our van is running much better after it's tune-up last Friday. (I am not thankful, however, for the cost...$150 more than we thought it would be! There were a lot of parts that needed to be replaced.)

The Gospel Spoke to Me (Part One)

Did you ever have moments when a Gospel reading grabs hold of you & won't let go? That's what happened to me w/ Luke 5:1-11 last weekend. Saturday at work, I was reading the chapter on St. Peter in My Life with the Saints by James Martin, SJ. He was reflecting on how his study of St. Peter helped shape his spiritual life & included the Gospel passage when Peter was called to be a disciple of Jesus.

Later, I was studying the readings for the next day's Mass. Lo & behold...it was that same Gospel. Wow! What a coincidence...or not!?! I'm thinking it was more of a God-incidence! (I'm not sure where I heard that term, but I REALLY like it!)

Obviously I heard the Gospel during Mass Sunday, so now I'm at three times in one weekend. Our deacon gave a very touching homily. He was talking about all of us being called by God in some way...mothers, priests, doctors, etc. He shared his many year-long call to the diaconate. I was almost in tears as I listened to his account of missing something for so many years when on the outside his life looked perfect.

I was left w/ a lot to ponder & reflect upon, but was God finished trying to get my attention. NOPE! On Monday morning, we started our school day reading our next section of The Life of Our Lord for Children. Can you guess what story of Jesus I read to the munchkins?

So, for the last week I've been trying to figure out what God has been trying to tell me in these four encounters with Luke 5:1-11. I don't have it all figured out (& most likely, never will). What is God calling ME to do? What are the gentle (& not-so-gentle) nudges I'm getting from Him?

God calls each of us according to our abilities & each of us has something different to contribute. If all of us were teachers, who would heal the sick? If all of us were lawyers, who would tend to farms? If all of us were singers, who would play the instruments? As Mother Teresa once said, "You can do something I can't do. I can do something you can't do. Together let us do something beautiful for God."

(to be continued)

Small Successes

"It’s important for moms to recognize that all the small successes in our days can add up to one big triumph. So on Thursday of each week, we do exactly that."

1) Last night, for the first time in a LONG, LONG time, I had one of those uncontrollable fits of laughter. I had said something, that really in hindsight wasn't THAT funny, although it seemed like it at the time. Casinodad wanted to know what I'd said, but I was laughing so hard, I couldn't talk or breath. I had tears rolling down my cheeks & the munchkins were looking at me like some crazy thing had taken over their mother! It felt SO GOOD to laugh like that!

2) Despite all the snow we'd gotten, we had several appointments to make yesterday...The Saint's 18 month (& while there I had the doctor checkout The Princess' ear, which is infected), two times to the pharmacy (once to drop off her prescription & another to pick it up), dental appointments for the three older munchkins, the orthodontist to fix a broken wire on The Prophet's braces, & to throw in something fun for the munchkins, we stopped at the library. My success? Getting through all of that & still having dinner on the table. (Perhaps the busy-ness of the day contributed to #1?)

3) It's about a month & a half after Christmas & I've only JUST broken into a box of Ferrer Rocher chocolates! How's that for will-power? (Of course, it probably helps that it was on the shelf in the basement & I don't go down there often!)

Want to share your Small Successes or see more? Check out Faith & Family Live each Thursday!

Thankful Woman's Book of Blessings (#2)

Judy over at A Thankful Woman's Book of Blessings, hosts this meme every Wednesday. Simply list five things (or a prayer or any thoughts) for which you are truly thankful this week. Voicing my thanks helps put my life in perspective & realize that, no matter how bad things might be, there is still MUCH good surrounding me.

1) Thank you, Lord, for the gift of Judy in my life. If you've never been to any of Judy's blogs, you are missing a TON of GREAT stuff. (Links to all can be found from on her link above.) She's such a great source of inspiration to me...whether it be family oriented, homeschooling, or faith life.

2) Thank you, Lord, that Casinodad has made it safely to & from work the past couple days with all this snowy weather.

3) Thank you, Lord, for the hill at my parents' house & for their hospitality on Monday. The munchkins spent several hours there sledding down it, then enjoying Grandma's homemade hot chocolate afterwards.

4) Thank you, Lord, for my new job & for the people I work with. The dietary staff took great care of me on Saturday by bringing snacks & dinner to me in the front office.

5) Thank you, Lord, for the faith I see coming out in my children. Just when I don't think they're getting it, they say or do something that completely changes my mind. On the way home from church Sunday, The Prophet told me that he thinks he might want to be a priest when he grows up. The Princess always walks around singing made-up songs about God being in her heart.

Thank you, Judy, for hosting this meme & for inspiring me!

Munchkin Speak & Unwanted Guests

Okay, before I get to The Archangel's comment, here is the back story...

Our back door & frame needs to be replaced. Over the past 12 years, since our house was built, a lot of water has been trapped somehow & the wood is rotted. Even the floor near the door is weakened. At one spot, there is a hole where the vinyl flooring has separated from the frame. In addition to this issue, we have a mouse who has moved into said hole, who can be heard & seen scratching the woodwork. Thankfully this tenant of ours (who won't pay us any rent, by the way!) has not managed to get into the kitchen...YET.

Last night, I was inspecting this hole & happened to see a couple of small pieces of cheese in it. So, not only is this mouse NOT paying us any rent, but someone has been feeding it! I asked the munchkins about it this morning & none of them fessed up to the crime. The Archangel did say that he saw The Saint do it. When asked why he didn't say anything to us, he said that he forgot. "I forget things, even when I'm thinking about them and sleeping!"

Spending Time With My Lord - A Special Meme

Judy has tagged me once again for a meme. I LOVE this one!

If you could witness any moment in Christ's life, what would it be? You get to choose three. This is a wonderful meditative exercise.

Here are the rules for Michael's meme:
* To make this a bit easier, you can choose 3 one-hour time periods. (Your "top 3," if you will)
* To make things harder, you cannot choose His birth or any time period from the Last Supper on.
* If you have a blog, post this question & rules, then answer it there. If you would rather not spend a post quenching my curiosity, or if you do not have a blog, feel free to post your answer in the comments section here.
* Go to REACH PARADISE BLOG and leave Michael a comment with a link to your post.
Tag 3 other people to do the same.

This was tough to do. There are SO many moments in Jesus' lifetime that I would love to visit. These are the three I've narrowed it down to, after MUCH reflection.

1) Presentation in the Temple - This story struck me when I read it in Tuesday's readings. As a new mother, how would I react? A complete stranger comes up to me, takes my son in his arms, prays that he has seen God's salvation, & proceeds to tell me of the sorrows to come. Could I be as mild as Mary or, in this day of many lawsuits, would I be calling a lawyer?

2) Visit with Martha & Mary - I identify with both. I am Mary when I want to spend time with my family & not other with household chores. Martha takes over when we are having guests. I spend so much time trying to make the house presentable, then am too tired to really enjoy their company. I imagine Jesus would tell me to relax, know my duties, but not let them run my life. "I am here to visit with you, not evaluate your housework & cooking (although your food is GREAT :). Take time to listen & just BE!"

3) The Woman at the Well - Because of the choices she made, she expected to be treated with criticism & condemnation, so it was a surprise when Jesus spoke to her. I think she felt forgiven after her encounter w/ Him & no longer afraid of what others thought. I, too, struggle with the opinions of others & comparing myself to them. Meeting Jesus at the well would help me to see myself as He sees me, beyond the offenses I've committed. His opinion of me is the ONLY one that matters.

The last two came from reflections I made on a women's retreat several years ago. The Sister who led us based the sessions on several stories from the book Soul Sisters by Edwina Gateley & Louis S. Glanzman. (I get no credit for mentioning this book...I just really enjoyed how it was used for the retreat!) It is a collection of portraits & reflections on women of the New Testament.

Rather than tag three people for this meme, I'm just going to say that, if the Spirit moves you to participate, just let me know. I'd love to read yours! Thanks, Judy, for inviting me to participate!

Small Successes - The "Just Getting By" Edition!

"It’s important for moms to recognize that all the small successes in our days can add up to one big triumph. So on Thursday of each week, we do exactly that."

It's been a bit of a rough week around here between another stomach bug, freezing temps, an irritable momma, & misbehaving munchkins. So, this edition of Small Successes is exactly that...the "small" things I've managed to accomplish.

1) I've done at least 2-3 loads of laundry each day since Monday...most have even been put away.

2) Each evening, we have a "clutter drill" before Daddy gets home...about 12 minutes of the munchkins picking up the downstairs & me doing the kitchen. Depending on what time Daddy will be home, we either do it before dinner or right after we've eaten.

3) My first day on my new job went well on Saturday. I think I only lost two phone calls & told one person to turn right down the hall when she should have gone left. Not too bad for a first day!

Check out Faith and Family Live for more successes today.

"A Thankful Womans Book of Blessings" (#1)

Judy, over at A Thankful Woman's Book of Blessings, hosts this meme every Wednesday. I've followed for a while & finally decided to join in. Voicing my thanks helps put my life in perspective & realize that, no matter how bad things might be, there is still MUCH good surrounding me.

Here's what Judy has to say:
"God is so kind and generous. This meme is my little way of thanking Him for that. Would you like to join me? Simply list five things (or a prayer or any thoughts) for which you are truly thankful this week. Use Mr. Linky to send us to a post where you display the image above and your Thankful List...please also offer your readers a link back here to my blog :) Or...just leave your list of thanksgiving in the comments under this post. It's a good feeling to gather together and join our hearts as ONE in the Lord!"

1) I am thankful for my loving husband, Casinodad. Despite all my shortcomings (& yes there are MANY!) he sticks by me & loves me with all his heart.

2) I am thankful for each of my children. There are many days when I feel like they're going to drive me over the edge, but then I look into those beautiful faces & remember that they are precious miracles from God.

3) I am thankful for my extended family. I have been blessed w/ many caring family members who fill my life w/ love & support.

4) I am thankful for the many friends I have (both in real life & in the cyber world). I find such joy & strength in those friendships.

5) And coming from two of the BEST beans in the world...I am thankful for coffee & chocolate, without which I wouldn't make it through MANY days!

Thank you Judy for hosting this meme!