Gifted Student

Last night, during family prayer time, we reviewed the family plan for Lent. A brief explanation, followed by some wild hand gesturing and the use of graphic organizers, as the children sat slack-jawed staring at me, left me feeling a little like Ben Stein (Anyone? Anyone? Bueller?) and a lot like my message might need further clarification.

But, rest assured, dear friends! All hope is NOT lost, and is has come in the form of my three year old, who proudly applied her knowledge (thankyouverymuch, Piaget) of the Works of Mercy for my benefit.

"Mom," she coyly asked, "would you get me a drink of water? Because if someone is thirsty, you said to get them a drink. (followed by a big grin)" She even got the context right. What a clever little girl I have.

She gets that from her mother.

An opportunity for some real dialogue

If you've missed this link out there, be sure to stop in and read the discussion happening at BlogHer regarding Pro-Life/Pro-Choice women. The Pro-Life viewpoint is offered by Shannon, of Rocks in My Dryer this morning. The Pro-Choice viewpoint will be presented later today. Already, however, many wonderful women have already weighed in with their thoughtful opinions. Go over and share yours.

What's in a Name?

The results are in. The polls show that my initial (literally) labels for my kids are just as confusing for you to read as they are for me to write. Using first names seems to be the most convenient way of identification, but for many reasons (not the least of which is a high aversion to strangers knowing my kids' names) I just can't bring myself to go there. Next popular--pseudonyms--which are a perfect compromise for this blogging mom.
The good news is the names for The Boy and Baby T (until he's replaced by another baby) work fine. The bad news is there are four girls for whom an alias escapes me. Honestly, if someone had told me ten years ago that I'd have more trouble choosing blog handles for my children than their birth names, I would have laughed. (Granted, I might have also gotten some strange looks, as I'm quite certain that the blogosphere in 1997 wasn't what it is today.)

I've had a fair amount of input here from the namees as well:

No one wants a name that is too descriptive of their personality (i.e.-Spazzy McGee or Eatsalot).

The big girls want names that sound mysterious and exotic and oh-so-more-interesting than the ones we've given them (you know something like Jessica or Ashley).

And I'd personally like some connection to our blog theme of the Ark (Shem, Japheth and Ham) but that was quickly vetoed by everyone, especially considering we have to name not three, but four and they're all girls.

So, there it is. The name controversy on the Ark rages on. Can suitable names be found for the girls? Or will they be known forever on the web as single-letter entities? Are there names out there that will save them from a life of bloggy embarrassment? Is the solution out there? Stay tuned for these and other exciting adventures on the Ark.

And, if you have a really great suggestion. Feel free to let us know!

Crazy 8's

5McKids tagged me to do this meme, groups of 8 things about me...

8 things I'm passionate about...

1. My faith
2. My family
3. Pro-life
4. Social Justice
5. Education
6. Character
7. Adoption
8. Making a house a home

8 things I want to do before I die...

1. Love my family as best as God's grace enables me to do.
2. Get back on an airplane to travel to Ethiopia.
3. Encourage others to consider adoption.
4. Share the Truth of my faith with others.
5. Write a bible study with my husband.
6. Find a cure for dusting--does anybody REALLY like to dust? I didn't think so.
7. Live a life that brings people closer to Christ.
8. Eat more chocolate.

8 things I say often...

I asked my children for help with this and was given a list of things like...

1. "Help your sisters."
2. "Is your room clean?"
3. "Empty the dishwasher?"
4. "Are you emptying the dishwasher?"
5. "Have you finished the dishwasher?"

To which I asked, "Can't you all think of anything NICE that I say? These things make me sound like a drill sergeant!" Then after thinking a minute The Boy chimes in...

6. "Thanks for doing the dishwasher." Followed by B, who said...
7. "How are you?" (You say that one a lot, too) Then, they came to a consensus with...
8. "I'm on the computer!" (called out from the den downstairs to anywhere in the house)

Why is it *I* always hear myself saying things like, "Have a great day at school!" "Good night!" "I love you!" and "See you in the morning!", but the children hear otherwise?

8 TV shows I’ve recently watched (this list would be SOOO different if the writer's weren't striking!!...

1. American Idol
2. Full House
3. Monk
4. The Simpsons
5. The Weather Channel
6. The Food Network
7. HGTV
8. Seinfeld

8 songs I could listen to over and over (In no particular order)...

1. Broken Road-Rascal Flatts
2. Brave-Nichole Nordeman
3. Crazy - MercyMe
4. In the Sun-Michael Stipe and Coldplay
5. Green Eyes-Coldplay
6. Waiting on the World to Change-John Mayer
7. This One's For the Girls-Martina McBride
8. Anything by Reba McEntire

8 things that attract me to my best friends...even my virtual ones!

1. They lift me up with their faith.
2. They encourage me in my vocation.
3. They invite my family over, even when we bring ALL the kids!
4. They make me laugh.
5. They share their stories.
6. They share their recipes!
7. They share their sorrows as well as their joys.
8. They make me a better person by just knowing them.

Thank you, you all are great!

8 things I’ve learned this past year (or previously, with a strong reminder this year)...

1. Life is short.
2. Don't waste the opportunities given to you.
3. Be not afraid.
4. Trust is necessary in all circumstances.
5. Be yourself, God made no one else just like you.
6. Be truthful, even when the truth hurts.
7. Be quiet. Stop talking. Listen for the whisper of God.
8. Love one another.

8 people I think should do '8'...

All *eight* of you Ark readers!

Lenten Activities for Families

I know it's been almost three weeks since I put out my plea for Lenten activities for families, but it's been cold outside, which inevitably takes the little gray cells longer to warm up and requires multiple cups of tea and coffee for anything worthwhile to be produced.

But finally, we have our two family projects. They are service oriented twofold; first, we will be actively gathering food to serve the community through the parish food pantry and second, we will be making a concerted effort to serve one another within the walls of the Ark.

Our first project is a combination of two ideas--sacrifice and alms giving for Lent combined with a scriptural reflection on Jesus' love for us. With St. Valentine's Day falling about a week into Lent, a theme of LOVE was the perfect choice to decorate our collection box. One day after school last week, we grabbed one of the plethora of diaper boxes here and covered it in pink construction paper. Then, once I had the scripture verse written in Sharpie marker (with a reminder to not paste over the verse!), the kids set to cutting, coloring, decorating and embellishing the box. Everyone, including Mom and Dad, were pleased with their efforts. With the box completed, we had only to put our project into action. This meant that each and every time we went to the store for groceries (yes, even just those quick stops for milk, bread or apple juice--a staple food on the Ark) we had to put one RED food item in our box. It doesn't seem like much, but it is starting to add up quickly and we've only just begun. The box will grow fuller as we make our way closer to Easter Sunday and our appreciation of the many conveniences and blessings we have will definitely grow as well!

Second, my big question was how to "recycle" the Blessing Box used between Thanksgiving and Epiphany is now finally answered! Besides re-using the box, I also wanted to incorporate the Corporal and Spiritual Works of Mercy, which are the following:

Corporal Works of Mercy Feed the Hungry Give Drink to the Thirsty Clothe the Naked Welcome the Stranger Visit the Sick and Imprisoned Bury the Dead

Spiritual Works of Mercy Counsel the Doubtful Instruct the Ignorant Admonish the Sinner Comfort the Sorrowful Bear Wrongs Patiently Pray for the Living and the Dead

Both of these lists will hang on the wall next to our family prayer table as a constant reminder of what we are called by Jesus to do for all of our brothers and sisters in Christ (Matthew 25:40). Then, on the table, next to the Blessing Box, will be slips of paper for the children to write (with help if needed) how they are working to answer this call during Lent, with a focus on living out these works right here amidst our own family. Each night, our slips will be folded up and placed into the Blessing Box. At the end of Lent, we'll be counting all of our slips and for each one, Mom and Dad will contribute 25 cents to the box.

So, for example, if The Boy helps heal the broken-hearted Baby T, when one of his older-but not as of yet-wiser sisters *borrows* his favorite toy, he could write "Comfort the Sorrowful" on his slip of paper that night, thus adding 25 cents to our collection and learning (and modeling) the love of Christ besides.

I am hoping we won't have much of an opportunity to practice Burying the Dead, as the cats are all young and spry and we are minus any hamsters, fish or other high-turnover pets, but I think we'll have plenty of occasions to practice all the others.

Snow Day!


Hot chocolate, games, the painting of one homemade volcano, baking, pizza for a Name Day family tradition and the blessing of our St. Brigid's cross are on the agenda today! But first, chocolate chip muffins are calling from the kitchen.

Hope your Friday, too, is blanketed with a quiet peacefulness.

Excellence Award

Fortunately for me, perhaps not so fortunate for the rest of the internet, there are a few people who encourage me to keep my fingers clicking on the keyboard writing post after post of scintillating depth and insight. But the more likely scenario is that they are good enough friends to let me think so...and for that I thank them.

So, here's a big thank you to Michelle, Barbara and Lisa for this award!!! It goes without saying that they deserve it right back!

And here's my shout out to some other E-rated bloggers!

In no particular order:

Eileen, Cathy, Becky, Denise, Laura, Rachel, Jena, Renee, Kathy, Barb and Anne

Each one of your blogs has a special place in my heart! If you'd like to share the award, here are the rules:

The rules: By accepting this Excellent Blog Award, you have to award it to 10 more people whose blogs you find Excellent Award worthy. You can give it to as many people as you want but please award at least 10. Thank you out there for having such great blogs and being such great friends! You deserve this! Feel free to award people who have already been awarded…

Polling Station

Here's an interesting link to help you select a presidential candidate for 2008 whose views best align with yours.

Were their views what you thought they were?

Was your candidate the one you expected?

H/T Amanda

Works for Me Wednesday!

Shannon, who writes at the incredibly popular Rocks in My Dryer, has hosted WFMW (Works for Me Wednesday) for as far back in blogging history as my memory goes--okay, I realize that's not saying much, but suffice to say...a long time. This is, however, my first time participating.

There are many helpful household tips my Ethiopian born daughter has shared with me since her arrival here on the Ark.

Practical tips such as "Don't go to fetch the water at night. That's when the hyenas come out." Living in a small, suburban town in the midwest, you can well imagine my fear when it comes to hyenas.

Sensible tips such as "When you go to kill the chicken, make sure you take off all the feathers before we cook it." You should have seen the look on the face of the teenaged-help in the meat department when I inquired about the plucking of his employer's chicken.

So as she stood by me in the kitchen insisting again that she knew a trick from Ethiopia to stop my eyes from watering as I chopped an onion; I must admit I was a bit skeptical. But she persevered. And the next time I chopped onions and my eyes began to tear up, my daughter reached over and grabbed a piece of the yellow onion skin and tucked it behind my right ear.

Instantaneously--my right eye stopped leaking! I was amazed! So much so that a few moments later, I reached for a second piece and hooked it over the back of my left ear. Sure enough, the tears dried up.

Onion skins behind my ears to stop my tears. Works-for-me!

Who's that knocking?

Tap, tap, tap...

In the middle of an overcrowded school gymnasium, with five of my six children nearly indistinguishable from the throngs of like-minded, donut propelled mini-shoppers; a tiny-but powerful-voice beckoned me, "Mommmmm!!!" "Just a minute!" I called over my shoulder, without looking up.

Then, nearly a whole TEN seconds later--

Tap, tap, tap...

"I said, 'Just a minute!'" I called out over the din of the junior high marketplace, which was now in full swing. The room was swimming with crazed children, clutching lengths of tickets as long as themselves, hopeful that there would be one last Popsicle-stick wishing well before inventory ran out. Trying to hear myself think, I took a deep breath, and was aiming to formulate a battle plan when, much to my chagrin, I again felt--

Tap, Tap, Tappity-tap!!!

With eyes blazing and completely devoid of grace, I spun around and barked, "WHAT?" at the face attached to the hand behind me. The face, I suddenly realized, that was not one of my children (who had all scattered like rats at that point), but another mother from the school, who looked at me wide-eyed and said, "Hi. Umm. We met before and I, well, I just wanted to say hi."

Embarrassed beyond all belief, I apologized for my behavior and explained that I don't normally greet people so rudely--even those I don't know. Fortunately for me, she had done that mile in my moccasins before and graciously accepted my apology. As we parted, I scanned the room for my kids. Olive branch in hand, I located them and we kissed and made-up, literally.

Out of my embarrassment, however, came a valuable lesson in humility. Would I have been so quick to ask forgiveness of my children had I not spoken so callously to another adult? The answer is not one I'd like to share, but I bet you can guess. The path to humility, as I am painfully learning, is paved with awkward situations such as these; but, through them, God seeks to awaken my humble spirit asleep inside.

If we were humble, nothing would change us-neither praise nor discouragement.

If someone were to criticize us, we would not feel discouraged.

If someone were to praise us, we would not feel proud.

-Blessed Teresa of Calcutta

Loveliness Fair 2008

I've been a longtime fan, but never a participant, in the Loveliness Fairs hosted by some very lovely bloggers for quite some time now. This year's focus is on achieving Loveliness in our own Domestic Churches in simple ways and then sharing our thoughts and ideas with one another.

This month's theme, Simply Lovely Soups, starting tomorrow at Blueberry Cottage, was one I just couldn't pass up.

I mean it's Chicago...and it's winter...and there are eight cold, hungry folks here on the Ark, ever ready to indulge themselves in a warm, cozy soupfest!

Besides, I owed Anne this soup recipe.

This Italian Sausage Soup is courtesy of my mother-in-law, who has been living and sharing a life of simple loveliness with me for nearly two decades!

Italian Sausage Soup

1 pound Italian sausage, cut into 1 inch pieces
2 c. broccoli flowerets
1 c. uncooked mostaccioli pasta
2 1/2 c. water
1/2 tsp. dried basil
1/4 tsp. fennel seed, crushed
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1 medium onion, chopped
1 can (28 oz) Italian tomatoes (preferably diced)
1 can (10 1/2 oz) beef broth, condensed

Cook and drain sausage. Stir in remaining ingredients, breaking up tomatoes. Heat to boiling; reduce heat to medium-low. Cover and cook about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until mostaccioli is tender.

This recipe is great served with a fresh, tossed, green salad and a warm loaf of fresh-baked bread. (Laura, if you'd like to share yours, I'm all ears!)

Enjoy!

Word to the wise

This morning, at the Mass that "kicked off" Catholic Schools Week, our pastor spoke about the very important role that our school-church family plays in educating our children:

"If we do not take seriously the responsibility to teach our children about God, then the world will do it for us."

Techie Stuff, or "Does anyone have the number for the Geek Squad?"

Slowly I've managed to find my way around the blogosphere. With a couple of nudges I ended up on Facebook. I've even taking a real liking to Google Reader, which with practically no effort on my part, presents all of the new posts from the blogs I most frequently visit. Given my recent technological advances, I even *claimed* my blog on Technorati in the hopes of adding one of their supercool "tag cloud-a-ma-jiggies." I followed what I thought were the explicit directions for making the elusive cloud appear, but when all was said and published, sadly, no cloud could be seen.

Am I missing something? Or is the reality that I am just computer literate enough to be dangerous?

Valentine's Day Request

I received an email requesting help in putting together Valentine Party activities for a fourth grade class:

I'm looking for some advice and ideas for a 4th grade Valentine's Day classroom party. The Christmas party was ... fun and loud. There's 17 boys and 9 girls in the class. Several of my game ideas just didn't work, like running and shouting activities. The Play Doh charades (like Cadoo, if you've played it) worked well. They sat in three circles and played quietly. Do you have any game ideas for an active class? I've tried looking on the internet and just haven't found much. Or, do have some fun websites that has game ideas? I'd really like to do something or give something to bring in the original meaning of St.Valentine. Our society is just so far away from the origins of St.Valentine and his message. Any thoughts on that one?

Here are just a couple of ideas that seemed like they might be of interest--

• Heart Hunt: Decorate the classroom with hidden red heart cutouts (if the weather was nice, I suppose you could even do this outside?) At the end of the hunt, have a special treat for the children. To keep it quiet, insist that they do it on their tiptoes!
  
• Love Match: Gather scripture verses including chapter and verse or quotes about love from the saints. Then, on two pieces of paper, write the quote/verse on one piece of paper and the author/chapter and verse on the other. You can tape the papers into manilla folders turned on their sides (so that the opening is on the bottom) and number all the folders on the outside. Then you get to play the hostess and students take turns (alone or on teams) guessing which two match together. I've used this before with all ages of students. It was great fun and you could adapt it to either small groups (use index cards instead of folders) or as above for use with the whole class.
  
• Give A Little Love: Have students create valentines to send to a local charity, another group of school-children or to a nearby nursing home. (Don't forget your local religious priests and nuns.) We've made some cute Valentine's projects with mini bags (local craft stores carry these for next to nothing) of Valentine colored M & Ms, goldfish crackers, cinnamon red hots, or conversation hearts. Then, we created toppers with rubber stamps and markers or colored pencils and wrote a little note on the back. Staple the topper to the little mini-bag and voila--a project with heart! I've done this with kids from kindergarten up through high school.
• Life is Like A Box of: CHOCOLATES!!! What Valentine Day would be complete without a serious helping of chocolate? You might want to try your hand at Chocolate Modeling Clay. Or using the little melty chocolates from the craft store, being sure not to confuse them with these, have students pour them into heart-shaped molds, make lollipops or simply dip pretzel sticks in any color of melted chocolate and roll in red, white and pink sprinkles for a festive touch.

You can also find information on Saint Valentine's Day here and here.

And when the kids are all tucked in for the night, check out these "True Romance for Couples with Kids" ideas from Catholic Mom's site.

Based on your note, I think I'd shy away from any Valentine pinatas or the reenactment the martyrdom of the saints celebrated that day! In the meanwhile, I'll keep looking through my Valentine resources for any other suggestions, but as I've said before, most of *my* great ideas aren't even mine! So, if any Ark readers have any super suggestions, feel free to leave a link or an idea below.

***UPDATED***SC Mom has done it again! She's got the quintessential Valentine's Day ideas post up now. Definitely check it out!

And, you can now find Laura's Bingo Cards online here. They are simply divine!

From our couple's study book...

come my three sentences answering Therese's tag:

"Paul probably did not mean these lists to be complete or exhaustive, but representative of the wide variety of the Holy Spirit's gifts to believers. Paul teaches that the main purpose of the gifts of the Spirit is to build up the Church--the body of Christ. 'To each is given the manifestations of the Spirit for the common good.' 1 Cor 12:7"
from the book Catholic and Christian: An Explanation of Commonly Misunderstood Catholic Beliefs by Dr. Alan Schreck

If you'd like to play, here are the rules.

1. Pick up the nearest book (of at least 123 pages).
2. Open the book to page 123.
3. Find the fifth sentence.
4. Post the next three sentences.
5. Tag five people.

If you decide to post it on your blog, leave a link in the comments or feel free to post your quote there, too.

Out of Control

There's no shortage of support groups when it comes to addictions. From one corner of the internet to another a bumper crop of sites exist to help you stop smoking, lose weight, deal with grief and loss or endure through illness--and, don't get me wrong, these are all wonderful, necessary groups.

But I'm having difficulty finding one for struggling control freaks.

(Now, if you happen to have knowledge of such a group, please direct it Arkward so that I can once and for all control this ever-so-annoying personality quirk. And please do it quickly. I really need to take care of this soon. Actually, I'd like a big ol' check mark next to it by sometime tonight...Oh man, listen to me...you can see how dire the situation has become.)

It's so bad that I've stopped with the prayers of, "Dear Lord, please help me to let You be in control." Not because I don't believe in the power of prayer, quite the contrary, that prayer has been so powerful that on several occasions God's given me exactly what I prayed for...

Way back in early 1995, when the Boy was just a wee Boy, and after a textbook pregnancy and delivery and recovery, MY plans included another baby post haste. And then nearly four years later when I was finally pregnant with baby number two. I thought I heard a quiet Voice whisper, "You know, you're not in control." But I brushed it off. And after a very difficult delivery and recovery, it occurred to me that perhaps this timing was better than what I had been thinking after all; but after a minute that thought flitted to some little used part of my brain not to be heard from again. Not until baby number three decided that not one, not two, not three, not even four-but nearly five years later she would make an appearance; which was not quite what I had pictured. As I held that not-so-tiny baby, I was quite certain that same voice spoke again, louder and more firmly, "You know, you're not in control." Finally, I thought, "Okay, God, I get it. I'm not in control."

Check that off the list--

God = control
me = notsomuch

But my understanding was short-sighted, as only five months later I stood inside church, talking to a newly pregnant friend saying, "Charts, schmarts...what do I need those for? I simply don't get pregnant." Two days later, staring incredulously at a little white stick in my bathroom, amidst what sounded like laughter, I very clearly heard, "You know, you're not in control..." pause "and you're one of My slower learners," followed by more chuckling.

Why then, should it surprise anyone to know that I assumed that compared to pregnancy, childbirth and recovery that the adoption process would be a snap. Why? Well, because--finally--I would have control. (Can't you just see God shaking His mighty head?) As we're back in the process again, knee-deep in paperwork, finances and the like, the landscape of adoption is changing in Ethiopia and I'm cringing, as off in the distance, I think I hear that voice calling to me again.

She's #1!!!

Using the extremely scientific method of, "Hey kids, somebody tell me their favorite number between one and ten," to select the winner of this giveaway Mary will be happy to know that my four year old chimed back, "I really like the number one!" So, Mary, who was comment number one on that giveaway post email me at patjrsmom at yahoo dot com and I'll get the book out to you soon! A little something to enjoy as you await the birth of number six (your other lucky number!)

Thanks to everyone who shared their stories. I was so touched by all of them.

Only one day left!

As we speak, the Boy is still the Boy, but a few other names are being flung from stem to stern on the Ark in preparation for a naming ceremony. If you haven't given your opinion yet, (and really people, what good is the internet if we aren't all out there giving our unabashed opinions on everything?)

insert sarcastic smirk here

then be sure to do so, or at the least cast your vote in the sidebar before time's up!

A little encouragement

If you haven't been back to Lysa TerKeurst's blog to see the winner(s) of her contest (of which, unfortunately, I was not one...cue sympathetic violin solo); you simply must head back to read the winning entries. They were absolutely fabulous and inspiring and encouraging and--don't listen to me anymore--go see for yourselves!

Fun and Games

SC Mom shared some great links in her Feast Day Activities-week 4. I shared these two specifically with my kids and they had a blast playing them. Once I got off the computer long enough to let them, that is...The entire site is full of faith-based games that were a blast to play and actually taught something, too. What a novel concept!