Wednesday, August 29, 2007

Siblings are a blessing

Siblings are such a blessing for our children. They learn to share not only toys and space but love as well. Ours generally love each other and spending time with one another. And this is how you know they realize that they are a gift.

Sarah: "You know what I wish....that when you wanted a baby, as soon as you want it God would start it growing."

Many days later....

Mom: "What do we need from the grocery store?"

Luke: "I know, it would be cool if we could go and get another kid there!"

It fills my heart to know they love each other and would like another person to add love to our home. And so we wait....not entirely patiently at times. But we talk about the will of God and God's timing. We let God know we are ready, and we realize that perhaps love will come when God knows the time to be right.

Tuesday, August 28, 2007

Hugs for Life

Mom and Sean cuddle on the couch, with the much needed ice pack for the bump on the head.

Mom: "Sean are you ok? Ready to go play?"

Sean: "No, hugs for life"

Mom: "OK, hugs for life. Sit on my lap as long as you'd like"

Sean: (grabbing my face and neck in a squeeze) "Loves you Mama"

And this is the best definition of a good day.

Sunday, August 26, 2007

Dinner Blessing

Patrick works...alot. However, he works with and for very nice people. He enjoys what he is doing and learning. So I am thankful because it could be so much worse. In fact, he is home all weekend on the weekends! But the kids miss him during the week as they don't see him very much at all. On Thursday, Patrick was home for dinner. At the conclusion of the blessing, Luke added, "and thank you God that my dad is actually home for dinner". And we were.

Wii ' ve done it!

It's 9pm do you know where the parents are.....they are having a boxing, golf, bowling and baseball playoff in front of the new game system we swore we'd never, ever buy. But you know what...it is really fun. The kids enjoy playing the games. And there will be strict time limits. It will be used as a reward for completing school. But mom and dad? Oh yeah, we will spend the next many evenings in "heated" competition. Got to go, it's my turn!

how do they do that?

Well, every good weekend needs a trip to Home Depot. We took the kids to pick up supplies for our planting session. We have new plants in the front yard and a Mary garden in the back. However, we needed some trellises for our plants, hence the trip. After looking at several and gathering supplies to make one, Sarah and I had the following conversation:

Sarah: (regarding the wood pieces) How will they get them to stick together? Will Daddy and Luke glue them or stitch them?

Mom: When men are being carpenters and using wood they use things called hammer and nails. Do you know what I'm talking about?

Sarah: Oh yeah.....

Thursday, August 23, 2007

Cyber-world

Setting: We are at the "indoor" playground at the mall because it is 95 degrees and humid everyday.

Luke says to the girl with whom he is playing tag: "What is your user name?"

And Patrick and I almost choke....a username....did he even know her real name. And I realize they are growing-up in a different era. And I am a bit sad. And I think about throwing away the webkinz...the new toy that "interfaces" with the computer, i.e. you take care of your pet in the online world from whence it came. But he did use his money, and we did say....ok. Maybe he'll just stay 7 forever????

Thursday, August 9, 2007

God loves Luke this much.....


God sends blessings everyday....and Luke just got a whopper. His birthday is tomorrow, and all he has asked for is to go to Charleston to visit his buddies. Coincidentally, the father of his buddy had a one day job in Tampa this Tuesday. His dad is a pilot. His dad flew the whole family down for the day so we could all visit while he worked. I cannot explain the surprise and joy on Luke's face as he answered the door. They caught frogs, swam, played legos. What a gift, all designed by God, for a very special boy on his 7th birthday!

DON'T take me out to the ballgame


Well, after a month of missing our Charleston Riverdogs, we headed to the Tampa Yankees minor league game. Won't do that again. The Riverdogs offered so much more than a ballgame. It was great fun for the family the whole game long. The Yankees.....it is just baseball folks. No crowd, terrible announcer, unfriendly workers, no fun between innings games....the best part of the game was the free bread we got upon leaving. It was "free bread night". Go Riverdogs!

He likes dolls, but.....

Sean loves babies. Real ones and Sarah's dolly version. Infact, for the past few days he has carried a teeny, tiny doll in his pocket and played with it during the day. Today he found the toy dinosaurs. We all watched as the triceratops "ate" the doll in 5 seconds. So much for his sensitive side!

Thursday, August 2, 2007

A box of fun


We had to take a big break from school the other day because a "treasure" arrived. It was a big box. While I struggle to provide unique and exciting experiences for the kids, the UPS man is better. The kids spent HOURS coloring the box. It is now a boat. It has sailed many times through my house, with Luke as the main motor. It also partly sunk off of a bunkbed. It was then a "cool slide", until mom found out and ruined all the fun!

Batkid



He's just too cute for his own good!

Homeschool fun involves cigarettes and beer bottle tops


I really enjoy homeschooling. I think this year will be better than last. Luke seems to love the history we are studying, and I'm learning too! Sarah is learning to read and add, and she'll happily tag along in other subjects too. In history, we are learning about archeology and ancient civilizations. One of the neat things about school at home is that kids can apply their new "knowledge" in a way that they often can't in a traditional school. Here Luke and Sarah went outside and made their own archeological dig. Just like they did in the books we read. They mearsured and marked their quadrant. The collected treasures and washed them. They recorded their findings. And this is what we learned. The "ancients" on our street drank adult beverages and smoked tobacco. Well....anyway......

A thought on Confession

This is a big year for Luke as he will celebrate 2 sacraments in the Church, First Reconcilliation and First Holy Communion. We study religion nearly everyday, say our prayers, and I try to find activities that will help the kids grow in their relationship with God. And then there are the everyday occurances that drill the lessons home.

Today, Sean picked up Luke's lego creation and smashed it on the floor, and the loud complaints soon followed. So Sean went to time-out with a discussion on not ruining other's creations. After about 30 seconds Luke looked my way and requested his brother's "release" since Luke had first taken one of Sean's blocks, which prompted the destructive fury.

Then a discussion about sharing, using words, etc. followed. Luke just looked at me and giggled.

"I feel so good for telling the truth", he said.

I had to smile and agree, and then I started to think. Luke is so lucky, as we are as well, to belong to a Church made up of Sacraments instituted by Christ. On this day, I am so thankful that sometime soon, Luke will get to go before God and confess his sins. The act of verbally admitting ones faults and wrongs and apologizing is so important. The forgiveness that his mother and brother gave on this day will never compare to the amazing forgiveness and grace that will be offered to him by God at his Confession. I only hope that the giggles of happiness he had today be followed by years of humility, grace, and fortitude gained by the Sacrament of Confession.