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) I'm SOOOOOO thankful to be able to open the house this week! As I'm typing this, there is a wonderful breeze blowing through our NEW patio door & back windows. AAAAHHHHH! I LOVE FRESH AIR!

2) Because of the cooler weather, I'm thankful I've been able to finally do some gardening. Monday I planted squash & green bean seeds, Tuesday I planted some flowers, & today I'm hoping to get my tomato plants & parsley in.

3) I'm thankful there are finally some girls in the neighborhood for The Princess to play with. It's tough enough being the only girl in the house, but there are mostly boys in the neighborhood, too.

4) I'm thankful for summer reading programs. In addition to the one at our library, the munchkins are participating in the one at Half Price Books too. Each week, if they read for at least 15 minutes for five days, they receive a $3 coupon. They can't combine the coupons, but there is plenty of reasonably priced stuff there that they're able to get something each week.

5) I'm thankful for music. I like a wide variety, so I can always seem to find something to fit the mood I'm in.

Kids Say the Darndest Things

Join Us for Kids say the Darndest things

The other night, my best friend's husband came over to take a look at our van. I had already changed into my PJ's, so I went to put my other clothes back on before he arrived. The Princess was upstairs w/ me & was wondering why she & her brothers didn't have to change back into their day clothes. I told her it was one thing for adults to see kids in their jammies, but it was another story for adults to see each other in theirs. Her response, "We're not a story, we're just plain people!"

Small Successes

Danielle Bean says, "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 week I started implementing a weekly cleaning & laundry schedule. Each day is assigned to a room/rooms of the house & those are the ones we concentrate on, besides the regular daily stuff. It's not perfect so far, but we've done at least a little in each room so far. Maybe, just maybe, by the end of the summer our house will be in tip-tip shape...LOL!

2) In addition to the cleaning schedule, I started using the white board for my daily "TO DO" list. I had some success w/ this last summer, so I thought I'd do it again.

3) Following the June 21 advice of Danielle Bean & Elizabeth Foss in their book Small Steps for Catholic Moms, I made a point to think several times this week before giving the munchkins' requests a reflexive "No!" One of their cousins was able to stay overnight on Monday & four of their neighborhood friends were able to come inside the house to play on Tuesday.

Bonus: I finished my book review (Those Who Saw Her: Apparitions of Mary by Catherine O'Dell) for The Catholic Company. You can read my review HERE.

How's it been for you this past week? Check out Faith & Family Live to share your successes & see how others have fared.

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) I'm thankful for good times w/ extended family & friends. We spent Sunday at my aunt & uncle's house celebrating Father's Day & my cousin's college graduation. It was a fun, relaxing time, w/ the exception of The Saint's hand scare (see HERE for details, if you dare!)

2) I'm thankful for the gratefulness & joyful faces of the munchkins during those times the past couple days when I said "YES" to their reasonable requests, including an impromptu sleep-over here w/ their cousin.

3) I'm thankful for the 12 years of marriage Casinodad & I celebrated on Sunday. He's been a WONDERFULLY, SWEET husband & father. I am so blessed to have him in my life. (see HERE for our engagement story.)

4) I'm thankful The Prophet is old enough to mow the lawn now AND he likes to do it. One of us still has to be outside w/ him & touch up a few areas afterwards, but he does a pretty good job for us.

5) I'm thankful that all four munchkins LOVE to read, just like their parents. Even The Saint, at 22 months, will stretch out on his stomach to look through his picture books (& it's so cute to see his little legs kicking up in the air!)

Father's Day Scare

Warning: If talk of blood makes you squeamish, you might want to skip this post.

Boy, did we get quite a scare on Sunday! We were visiting my aunt & uncle's house to celebrate my cousin's college graduation & Father's Day. (No, that's not the scary part...LOL!) The Princess wanted to go inside, so I took her & The Saint in to cool off a bit. We were in their family room. I had turned my back for just a minute & all of a sudden The Saint started yelling & crying. I looked down at his hand...it looked like he had just stuck his hand in a bowl of blood. I rushed him to the kitchen & ran cold water over his hand. As I was drying it off, I tried to find where he had cut himself & how it had gotten bloody so quickly, but I couldn't see any cuts & there was no more blood.

Once we were all calm, I had Casinodad take him so I could go investigate. I went back to the family room, behind the door when The Saint had been. The only thing I saw was pot w/ simmering liquid potpourri...DARK RED! The poor little guy had stuck his hand in it & started crying because it was hot, NOT because he had cut his hand! Thankfully, I had used cold water to clean off his hand & there were no lingering burns. Talk about getting a jumpstart for your heart!

Remembering The Proposal

Yesterday, Casinodad & I celebrated 12 years of marriage. In this post two years ago, I talked about how we met & left it w/ a "to be continued w/ the proposal." Well, I guess I should probably make good on that promise!

After he had asked for my phone number on Christmas Eve of 1996, he called me the day after Christmas. (Truthfully, I think he wanted to call me as soon as he got off work that day...he was so excited!) We talked on the phone several times before we actually went out...delayed a bit because I got sick w/ a cold. Our first date was shortly after New Year's Eve. We went to dinner at Chile Verde, a Mexican restaurant that is no longer open, then went to see Jerry Maguire. I think it's probably the last Tom Cruise movie that I liked. We stopped at the coffee shop next door when the movie was over. I think Casinodad was still a bit nervous because he ended up spilling hot chocolate on his shirt :)

We talked a lot that night & I think both of us knew deep down that we were destined to get married. We were pretty much dating exclusively from the start, even though we were taking things slow. We'd both had previously relationships that ended badly & wanted to be sure this time around. By Valentine's, after one of our dates, he told me that he loved me. My response..."Are you sure?" (Probably not the best question when someone professes their love to you!) Even though I knew I loved him by then, I wasn't ready to voice it for another couple of weeks. I think my comment gave him pause to think & fret. As soon as he got home, he called me, very worried that he had ruined our relationship. I assured him that he had not. By my birthday, at the end of February, I was ready to tell him that I loved him.

Shortly after that, we started talking about marriage & looking at rings...not making any specific plans because we wanted to wait a while. Basically, we were unofficially engaged. At the time, I was a store manager for Blockbuster Video & a coordinator for one of our church's music ensembles. I liked my job, but had some late hours. Once a month, we had to complete a store inventory & couldn't start until the store closed at Midnight. Inventory for April of 1997 just happened to be the night before Easter. Casinodad was to pick me up before the Noon Mass at church. He wanted to meet earlier to exchange our Easter presents, but knowing that I wouldn't be home until at least 4am, I wanted to sleep as long as possible & wait until after Mass.

I was in the cry room putting my flute away after Mass & the door to the church was open. Casinodad was talking to my best friend & overhead snippets of their conversation. That's when I started to get a little suspicious. She was basically asking if he'd done it yet.

After Mass, he seemed really nervous & couldn't wait to get back to my apartment. Hmmm! Something was definitely up! He wanted to exchange gifts as soon as we walked in the door. I gave him his first...a silver pail filled w/ men's toiletries from Bath & Body Works. He handed me a big oval-shaped basket that was holding six miniature plastic eggs & one larger one in the middle. I was told to open the little ones first. Each one held a small piece of construction paper w/ something written on it: "Beautiful, Brown Eyes," "Kind Heart," Soft Skin," Great Sense of Humor," "Enchanting Voice," & "Long, Flowing, Lustrius, Curly, Brown, Hair." And, in the larger egg was one last note: "My Sweet (my name), Look at the bottom of this Easter basket to see how much I love you. Love, (his name)." Underneath all the green fake grass was a green box & a beautiful, simple 3/8 carat diamond ring. Casinodad knelt in front of me & proposed w/ tears in his eyes. With tears in mine, I accepted!

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY to my Dear, Sweet Husband! I LOVE YOU & look forward to many more years together!

(to be continued w/ the wedding...I promise not to wait two years this time!)

Book Review - Those Who Saw Her: Apparitions of Mary

I took a little longer with my latest book to review for The Catholic Company, not because it was tough to get through & not because it didn't hold my interest. On the contrary...I really enjoyed reading Those Who Saw Her: Apparitions of Mary by Catherine O'Dell. The original copyright is 1986. This second edition is newly updated & revised for 2010.

In chronological order w/ the first starting in Guadalupe, Mexico (1531) through Betania, Venezuela (1984), Those Who Saw Her is a collection of 15 Marian apparitions. As you would expect, Ms. O'Dell has included the more famous apparition sites, such as Lourdes, France & Fatima, Portugal. She has also included newer &/or lesser know apparitions, like Akita, Japan & Kibeho, Rwanda. In the 17th century, Mary appeared to Benoite Rencurel at Laus, France. This is the first apparition to be approved in the 21st century. The alleged apparition at Medjugorje is also covered.

As I said above, I really enjoyed reading this book. There are so many books out there on Marian apparitions & visitations...41 alone were listed in the bibliography. It was nice to have these 15 in one book. The first three chapters talk about who Mary is, why she visits, & give information on the Church's relation to the apparitions. The following chapters give a little history of those people she appeared to (mostly children), then detail their experiences with her. Peace & reconciliation seem to be the messages consistent in her visits. She wants us to draw closer to her Son, Jesus Christ.

For all the apparitions that have been approved, I wonder how many other people have seen & been comforted by our Heavenly Mother. How many more will see her in years to come? Many of those who saw her endured much ridicule & scorn from those around them, including close family members & friends, even clergy. They were not believed, but Mary gave them the strength to pray & carry out the task she set before them...having cathedrals & shrines built, encouraging those around them to pray & believe, carrying the stigmata of Christ, etc. To some she gave messages of things to come...World War II, the attempted assasination of Pope John Paul II, the holocaust in Rwanda.

To some she appeared only once, while to others, she appeared for many years. Who will she appear to in this 21st century? Could it be me or my children? Would we have the strength & courage to do as she asks? With her help & support, I believe so!

"Through her miraculous appearances, she has inspired and comforted millions with her prophetic messages of hope." (from the back cover)

Visit The Catholic Company for more information & to order your own copy of Those Who Saw Her: Apparitions of Mary by Catherine O'Dell.

Kids Say the Darndest Things

Join Us for Kids say the Darndest things

This week, instead of "Kids Say the Darndest Things," I think I am going to use "Moms Say the Darndest Things to Kids!" I've recently found myself saying some things that I never would have thought I'd say. (If you follow me on Facebook, I apologize for the repeat of these sayings!)

To The Saint, as he was sprinkling his sippy cup water on the living room pillows: "The pillows are not flowers, so please don't water them!"

AND

Also to The Saint, as he was putting my cell phone in a tub of soapy water at my friend's house: "No, thank you, my cell phone does not need a bath!"

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 finally sewed/repaired a few items that have been sitting in a pile for a bit too long.

2) I said "Yes" to the munchkins playing in the rain, not worrying about the mess they would be making of themselves & their clothes. Plus, I had them all showered & in their jammies by the time Casinodad got home!

3) I read something recently & have used it as my new motto: "Leave each room a little nicer than when you entered it." So even if I'm just putting a pillow back on the couch or tossing a piece of paper in the recycle bag, something is getting done.

They may not be much, but that's why they're called "Small Successes!" Have you had any that you'd like to share? Check out Faith & Family Live to share & read others.

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) I'm thankful for the reconnections I've made w/ high school & college friends. Just yesterday, I was chatting live w/ a dear friend I went to Hungary w/ in college. We were roommates & had some great adventures!

2) I'm thankful The Princess & The Saint are feeling much better now. It was only 3 days of fevers & sore throats, but it's tough when there isn't anything you can do as a parent to take away their pain.

3) I'm thankful for rain showers w/out thunder. See THIS POST from Monday of the munchkins enjoying the rain shower w/ their friends.

4) I'm thankful for fun times w/ good friends.

5) I'm thankful for libraries, which save us so much money on books, DVDs, CDs, etc. Our local one was recently named 2010 Library of the Year. What a great, well-deserved honor!

More Autobiography Talk

This past week, I finished up both of Carol Burnett's books: One More Time & This Time Together. I enjoyed both of them.

One More Time originally started in the mid 80's as a letter to her three daughters. It became a memoir of her early childhood up through her rise to fame. After moving from Texas at age seven, she grew up in a depression-ridden part of Hollywood, raised by her grandmother because her divorced parents were alcoholics. Despite all the trials & tribulations she faced, she grew up to be one of the most loved female comedy artists of all time, in my opinion.

I read This Time Together in just two days. I started it on Saturday afternoon & finished it early Sunday evening. Her style of writing in this book was a bit different. During the 11 year run of The Carol Burnett Show, she would warm up the audience w/ a Q&A session. Continuing that in later years, she would travel around the country just doing the Q&A shows. That is where this book comes in. It is a collection of essays in response to the most common questions asked about her childhood & family, the stars she encountered over the years, how Tim, Vicky, & Harvey ended up on her show, etc.

Back in the comments to THIS POST, my friend Lawgirl asked what I thought of Julie Andrews' memoir, Home. She had read it after reading This Time Together & liked Carol Burnett's better. I really liked Julie's memoir, but did find it a bit slow at times. Now that I've read both of Carol's books, I feel that I can only compare Julie's to Carol's first book, One More Time. Both detailed their early childhoods up their big breaks is show business. (This Time Together didn't seem as much of a memoir to me. It was more a collections of essays or mini stories about the people & events in her life.) So, if I had to choose whose memoir I preferred, I'd have to pick Julie's.

Also in that post, I mentioned that I was going to read the biography of Shel Silverstein. Once I got the copy from the library, I read the cover summary & decided that I didn't want to read it after all. I've had several of his books since childhood & love them. However, his lifestyle did not fit the view of him that I had in my mind. I prefer to think of him as a writer of great children's stories & poems, not the adventurous man he was.

I Am "MOM OF THE YEAR"

(...or at least "Mom of the Day!")

About an hour or so ago, we had a pop-up rain shower while the munchkins were playing outside. I went out to tell them to stay in the garage until it passed. The Prophet had already taken one of the bikes & was flying around the cul-de-sac. He did come when I called, then when I went out to check again, they were either in the driveway or running around the sidewalk puddles. Oh well...it wasn't thundering, so I thought I'd let them be kids for a while. I even took The Saint out to join them.

The Saint's footprint on the sidewalk

Sitting in a large puddle

The Princess in yet another pose! (I think that's the only way she knows to have her picture taken!)

The Archangel & the legs of a neighbor boy (They were lying at the end of the driveway in the puddles that formed.)

Sitting in a puddle in the cul-de-sac

The Prophet & The Princess

I LOVE toddler toes!

The Saint didn't venture out until the downpour stopped. Once he got into the puddles, it was splash-time!

So, do you think I earned my title?

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 cleaned a large portion of the garage. We almost have enough room to fit the van back into it.

2) I helped the boys clean up the floor of their room & underneath their beds. We can now walk to their beds w/out stepping on anything. Next stop...their bookshelf!

3) I'm surviving on instant coffee! Once again, the carafe of my coffee maker broke, so until I can budget another one, I'm using instant. I have the worst luck w/ those things, although this last one did make it almost 2 years before it broke!

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) I'm thankful for the beautiful weather we had the last two days. The munchkins were able to spend a lot of time outside.

2) I'm thankful for dear friends who love to talk, pray, laugh, cry, eat, & just be together.

3) I'm thankful for Casinodad...the sweetest, most supportive, loving husband/father. Sometimes I wonder what I did to deserve such a wonderful man in my life.

4) I'm thankful for each of my dear munchkins, even when they're driving me crazy (like they've done lately)! Just when I think one of them is going to push me over the edge, they do something that is so sweet & loving, I wonder why I was upset to begin with!

5) I'm thankful for the beauty of God's creations all around me in my family & in nature. How can there not be a God w/ all that splendid beauty & detail!

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) All eight loads of laundry I've done in the last two days have been folded AND put away! What is wrong w/ me?!?!

2) It's been about a week since the deep cleaning on my bedroom & it still looks great!

3) I pulled the couch, looking for missing school blocks. Didn't find what I was looking for, but I did find a bunch of stuff to vacuum...so I vacuumed!

Check out Faith & Family Live for more successes!

A Thankful Woman's Book of Blessings (2nd Post Today)

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'm very thankful for great college friends who still love to spend time together! There are three of us couples who get together at least 3 times a year & alternate houses (Memorial Day, Labor Day, & New Year's Eve). Since college, we've grown quite a bit. It started w/ four of us (two were a couple in college), then the other two spouses were added, & now there are eight kids between all of us.

2) I'm very thankful that our school is over for the summer. It's been a bit of a rough year, so this break is desperately needed. We'll still do a lot of reading (especially w/ all the great reading programs offered around here) & some daily math drill practice to keep up our skills, but this week is all about fun & just being kids.

3) I'm thankful for a little extra time spent w/ the munchkins last night. I decided to tape Glee so that I could let them stay up just a bit later while I read to them.

4) I'm thankful for answered prayers & (to quote Garth Brooks) "I thank God for unanswered prayers" too!

5) I'm thankful for the great men & women who have bravely fought for the freedoms we have today.

(Mostly) Wordless Wednesday - The Munchkins in Spring

Thankfully, no plants were harmed in the taking of this photo!

I really wish The Princess liked to have her picture taken!

The Archangel taught himself to ride his bike last fall.

The sidewalk was getting a little overgrown, so The Saint decided to tackle it!