Seven Quick Takes

I had made some predictions earlier in the week. Let me make some comparisons.

1. The children and I have done just fine without TV and other screens. We have spent more time talking and reading! Last night, after a long day and emotions running high, Big Sis had a little breakdown. While visiting Papa and Grandma, Big Sis watched a program about the earthquake in Haiti. Papa has very different discretion than I do, and while I was out shopping for a first communion suit for Little Brother, the screen slipped into Big Sis's evening in an insideous way.

Several hours later, back at home, she began to have serious anxiety about earthquakes. It perhaps did not help that she overheard me discussing an earthquake we experienced here in the midwest two summers ago. Even though it was truly a barely measurable event as far as quakes go, it was an exciting jiggle here for us in tornado country. Quakes were fresh in Big Sis's mind and the film on Haiti only exaggerated it all for her.

I decided to fight fire with fire. I let her watch Star Trek: Voyager to take her mind off of things.

A couple of episodes later, we crawled into bed, cuddling and giving back rubs, and with an understanding that sometimes it is very fun and appropriate to 'break the rules'.

2. Family meals. Mmmm, still working on that. But I can say that Little Brother did try eating some rice that was not white. It was, in fact, yellow and full of Indian curry spices; mild and sweet. He ate some. He liked it. Then he did not like it. A small success.

3. The Waldorf play area is set up. The children have not played with it, interestingly. A friend who visited did. There is always next week.

The children did play with a small Montessori stand I created. I have several small works bagged up in gallon ziplocks. I placed them inside a small box-style side table, and set one work up on the top of the table. I will rotate these every week. This week: One of those Zen/Japanese water canvasses that you can paint on with tap water and a brush.

4. Novena going fine. See other blogposts for details.

5. The children and I decided that the snow was too intimidating to drive to the Community of St. John on Wednesday. Instead we stayed in town and went to mass at Sacred Heart. Again, see previous blogpost for details.

6. The family up the block, with whom we often share meals, has been excitedly working out at the local YMCA in the evenings, and has not been available for another dinner together. I think that we may need to join them... and the Y... to get more exercise.

7. Ahhh.... Girls' Book Club! We did attend book club, and Little Brother had a blast playing with the boys. And Big Sis had a great time with the girls, even though she did not finish this month's book, Blue Willow, by Doris Gates. But our hostess had an extended stay with the doctor's office and was unable to be there.

Now, an interesting side note; that very morning, I had been talking to my aunt, a retired school teacher, about the Girls' Book Club and how fun it has been. I said, "I have toyed with the idea of having a boy's book club also, since several little brothers end up coming. But the boys will need a lot more guidance from the adults. The girls can practically run the book group by themselves because of their age and because Mrs. P has set such a precedence."

Guess what!? The girls practically ran the book club by themselves this month. They knew what to do and only needed a few reminders (and the occasional herd-job) to begin the next segment of the day. Three of us mamas filled in here and there for our multi-talented Mrs. P, and it all came off wonderfully. Discussion time was particularly fun for me, as I got to facilitate discussion questions and then listen to the insight of these lovely young ladies! Oh, to be ten again!

I will close by asking a few questions of my own.
1. Why is it that when I google "Lamb of God" a scary looking bunch of white guys dressed all in black appear on my computer screen?
2. Why is it that no matter how many times I change the empty toilet paper roll, I still end up with the last scrap of toilet paper?
3. Why is it the more I eat junk food, the more I crave TV, and the less I watch TV, the less I eat?
4. WHY is it that a boy's size FOURTEEN dress suit has shoulders too wide, sleeves too long, but pant waist not just too tight but several inches too small to even reach the button?
5. Why is it that DH can only remember one major household favor per week, but cannot roll them over if he forgets one week altogether?
6. Why is it that women can never forget a thing, when men forget everything? And, Is this God having a sense of humor?