Henry Ignatius Clemens (a.k.a. Hank)

Well everyone. The day came, quite specifically on Friday, September 22 at around 5:15 in the morning I realized my water broke and that it was time to go to the hospital. Henry was born at 10:28am with the help of St. Benedict (a cross we hung on the wall of the delivery room) and the wonderful nurses and doctors of UNC hospitals. All I'll tell you now is that it was a beautiful birth, gentle and sweet. The prayers of many were heard and Henry has come into our lives, never to be the same again. Thank you sweet Mary and Jesus.

Becca's Pride

Here's the

BAND!!!

Priorities

Yesterday, the day after a long faith development potluck kickoff and parent night, I went to my dr's appointment so that she could check how I was doing and to see if I had progressed past the 3cm I had dilated since last we met. I had a feeling that I was far along enough that I could go to the hospital yesterday to have the baby, but was not sure. As I suspected, my dr. told me that I had continued to dilate to 5cm and but that my water had not broken and that the baby was still stationed high.

Dr: Georgie, we are ready to go NOW if you would like. We can just get you situated at the hospital and have that baby by noon! What do you say??

Me: Uh, well. I'm not too sure. I still have things to do to prepare, like, I have a lunch date with friends today at noon and I really would like to see them. Oh, and my house is not clean...not to mention that I have to create the kids goodie bags, plan Rebecca's birthday, prepare for next Sunday's youth session, sing for the Saturday night 5:15 Mass, take Gus to get his immunizations before the school kicks him out, go to the grocery store before my parents arrive, clean out the fridge and take a nap.

At this point, I looked over at my husband and stared at his blank face. I knew what he was thinking...the survivalist that he is....I knew he was reviewing procedures of a home birth in case I did not make it to the hospital.

Dr: (laughing) I can understand all that, but if you wait, you may not have ME deliver your baby. It might be someone else. Plus I have a hair appointment Wednesday, and I don't want you to mess with that.

Me: Yeah, that would be bad. I need to get my hair cut too...

Meanwhile, Chris's face is getting more intense...

Chris: What do you need to tie off the umbilical cord?

My doctor and I look at him nonchalantly. My doctor responds,, " Oh, just have a good shoe lace on hand and that should do it. It's really not that complicated....just messy." The nurse outside the hall has been listening to all of this and yells, " Georgie!!! Just go to the hospital!!!!" "Naw", I respond, "it's still too early. We'll just make sure Chris gets his shoelace and we should be just fine."

Dr: OK. Just be sure if you feel like anything changes, get in here fast!

Me: See you in a few days!!

The clock ticks........on....on...on...

Hormonal and Erratic

In my inbox this morning:

The Hormone Hostage knows that there are days in the month when all a man has to do is open his mouth and he takes his life in his own hands! This is a handy guide that should be as common as a driver's license in the wallet of every husband, boyfriend, or significant other!
DANGEROUS: SAFER: SAFEST: ULTRA SAFE:
What's for dinner? Can I help you with dinner? Where would you like to go for dinner? Here, have some chocolate.

Are you wearing that? Wow, you sure look good in brown! WOW! Look at you! Here, have some chocolate

What are you so worked up about? Could we be overreacting? Here's my paycheck. Here, have some chocolate.

Should you be eating that? You know, there are a lot of apples left. Can I get you a glass of wine with that? Here, have some chocolate.

What did you DO all day? I hope you didn't over-do it today. I've always loved you in that robe! Here, have some more chocolate.

13 Things PMS Stands For:

1. Pass My Shotgun

2. Psychotic Mood Shift
3. Perpetual Munching Spree

4 Puffy Mid-Section
5. People Make me Sick

6. Provide Me with Sweets

7. Pardon My Sobbing

8. Pimples May Surface
9. Pass My Sweat pants

10. Pissy Mood Syndrome
11. Plainly; Men Suck

12. Pack My Stuff

and my favorite one ...

13. Potential Murder Suspect
Pass this on to all of your hormonal friends and those who might need a good laugh!
Or to men who need a warning.

The truth hurts.

Have you ever seen such anger in your lives? What is wrong with these people?

Pope Quote: He said, I quote, 'Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached.'"

I don't see huge Muslim governments denouncing terrorism in the name of the Muslim faith, but I do see them denouncing the poor Pope and participating in MORE violence. Does that not prove the Pope's point and shouldn't the Muslim community be faced with the reality of how the world sees them? Come Lord Jesus.

A painful day

As you all can imagine, it's very obvious that I am heavy with child. I'm counting the days until I can get my body back. Every move is a struggle, and please, don't make me walk up a flight of stairs, pick up something off the floor, or take my spot on the couch. I might just bite your head off.

Today, I volunteered in Jack's class with centers. One little boy was at the games center, playing with pick up sticks on the floor. He looked up at me, smiled, and said, " Will you play with me?"

Oh now this was a dilemma for me. Do I reject this child and tell him "NO" because of my condition or do I suck it up and just get right down there on the floor and play? Hmmm. No, not even for an innocent face would I force this body on the ground. I said to the child, " Oh, honey, I wish I could, but I just can't get down there!" The teacher overhead my response (which made me feel like a real heel) and quickly said to the child, " Do you know why Mrs. Clemens can't get on the floor and play with you?" The little boy took a long look at me a second time and said, " Yes!" The teacher nodded expectantly and said, "Why do you think?"

The little boy said, "Cause she's old."

D'oh.

Band Aid

Wow! What a weekend!

While I won't bore you with all the details, I will give you the highlights of one night in particular that brought joy to our hearts.

Friday night was Rebecca's first time marching with the local high school band at the football game. It was glorious!

The evening began with a "beginning of the year" pig pickin' on the lawn of the band hall. I helped serve over 300 people in the muggy heat. My ankles were swollen, my rear ached, and my legs ached but it was all worth it to see the smiles of such good and polite band members. After everyone ate their dinner, the band suited up, warmed up, lined up, and marched to the field accompanied to the beat of the drum core. We parents followed behind our children, proud as punch! I watched in disbelief as I saw the years fly by....wasn't I just in the band? Wasn't it my mom and dad following behind me?

Luckily the weather started to cool down, the breeze kicked in....but so did the rain. HA!! Of course we did not have any rain gear in our possession, so many of us just sat on the metal stands, soaked, waiting for the game to start and the band to perform. Jack and Gus danced in the rain, Nick sat patiently next to his dad with water dripping down their necks, and I wilted next to another mother who took pity on my pregnant self and shared her spare umbrella. Ponchos could have been purchased at the band boosters booth for $2, but my pennny pinching husband refused to spend the money (thanks honey.) The rain soon stopped and it became time to see my daughter perform.

There she was, tall, straight, and beautiful in her gold and black. Marching like a pro. Grand music and bright lights shining down on their instruments. Were there mistakes? Well if there were, I did not notice because I only had eyes for one child. I am so thankful that Rebecca has found the one thing that gives her pure joy...the music...I'm also thankful for the patient guidance of the band director and support that makes that band go. I could not believe how much parent support there is for the the band and how dedicated these parents are. Despite the rain, heat, swollen body and pain I had experienced that evening, it was probably one off the greatest days of my life, and one I will never forget. My baby is growing up and I am the lucky one to say that I am her MOM.

Joke of the day

In my inbox this morning:

Have you ever told a white lie? You are going to love this--especially all
of the ladies who bake for church events. Alice Grayson was to bake a cake
for the Baptist Church ladies' group bake sale in Tuscaloosa, but she forgot
to do it until the last minute. She remembered it the morning of the bake
sale and after rummaging through cabinets she found an angel food cake mix
and quickly made it while drying her hair and dressing and helping her son
Bryan pack up for Scout camp. But when Alice took the cake from the oven,
the center had dropped flat and the cake was horribly disfigured.

She said, "Oh dear, there's no time to bake another cake." This cake was so
important to Alice because she did so want to fit in at her new church, and
in her new community of new friends. So, being inventive, she looked around
the house for something to build up the center of the cake. Alice found it
in the bathroom -- a roll of toilet paper. She plunked it in and then
covered it with icing. Not only did the finished product look beautiful, it
looked perfect!

Before she left the house to drop the cake by the church and head for work,
Alice woke her daughter Amanda and gave her some money and specific
instructions to be at the bake sale the minute it opened at 9:30, and to buy
that cake and bring it home. When the daughter arrived at the sale, she
found that the attractive perfect cake had already been sold. Amanda grabbed
her cell phone and called her Mom. Alice was horrified. She was beside
herself. Everyone would know; what would they think? Oh, my she wailed! She
would be ostracized, talked about, ridiculed.

All night Alice lay awake in bed thinking about people pointing their
fingers at her and talking about her behind her back. The next day, Alice
promised herself that she would try not to think about the cake and she
would attend the fancy luncheon/bridal shower at the home of a friend of a
friend and try to have a good time. Alice did not really want to attend
because the hostess was a snob who more than once had looked down her nose
at the fact that Alice was a single parent and not from the founding
families of Tuscaloosa, but having already RSVP 'd she could not think of a
believable excuse to stay home.

The meal was elegant, the company was definitely upper crust old South...
and to Alice's horror, the CAKE in question was presented for dessert. Alice
felt the blood drain from her body when she saw the cake, she started, out
of her chair to rush to tell her hostess all about it, but before she could
get to her feet, the Mayor's wife said, "What a beautiful cake!" Alice, who
was still stunned, sat back in her chair when she heard the hostess (who was
a prominent church member) say, Thank you, I baked it myself."

Alice smiled and thought to herself, "GOD is good."

Priestly vocation?

We are blessed to have some very good priest friends who come to visit from time to time. Our Fr. Tim has been staying over a few nights and being around him is a blessing. Fr. Tim never fails to wear his black priestly clothes, so my kids are never confused by what he does. He is a priest, and they know it. (That never stops them from attacking the man or jumping on him, but hey, that's what boys do.) Thankfully, Fr. Tim is a patient man and is good with kids.

Anytime Fr. Tim comes to visits, he always gently reminds the boys about how wonderful it is to be a priest. They look at him, smile knowingly and run away...never realizing that seeds were planted. I responded to his comment when the boys were out of earshot:

Me: Well, if I were to bet which of my sons would become a priest, it would probably be Jack. He's my holy one.

Fr. Tim: Yeah, as compared to Gus, who is your "holy terror".

Prolife website

An e-mail just sent to me from a friend: view the website she recommends and see what our culture is calling a "choice".

"I'm writing to share something very powerful with you
- some of you have already seen it. This is a pro-life website
that you should check out -

I've seen (the) two opening mini-films, the second
being quite graphic. Take a look, at least at the
first clip, and send on to a friend, if you're so
inclined. "

Where there is doubt, faith...despair, hope, darkness...light

Nick, Jack and Gus on their first day of school.


Rebecca on her first day of high school. SNIFF!!!!! I feel like I'm throwing her to the dogs!

I think it's harder to let your first-born go to high school than to kindergarten. I mean, when you live in a more liberal minded town like mine, everything is accepted and everything is on equal footing. There is really no real "truth" to live by , one mostly has a moral relativism that functions as the 'truth' of the day (unless you are a conservative Christian--then you don't matter at all) That being said....

Rebecca started high school this year as a ninth grader. A few days before the first day of school, I had to make my way to the counselors office to help her change one of her classes. As we walked through the Science wing of the school, I noted how dark, depressing and narrow the hallways were. Not only that, every wall was covered in some sort of mural painted by youth of the past. Some were very impressive paintings while others only mediocre. One large mural displayed a colorful tree inset with faces and animals. The words Gaia were painted above it. ( I assumed it was the pagan goddess gaia?) Walking on I viewed another mural above another teachers' doorway. Painted there was the image of death with the words: Doom to all who enter here. The word "Here" was painted in a Halloween type font with blood dripping down. How happy! In the counselors office, the secretary had decorated her area with posters depicting herself as a goddess...or secretary goddess, Christmas lights hung around, etc. Stuff that helped her seem "cool' to the kids, I would guess. I assumed she was fairly young, but as she walked up and spoke to me with her half-chewed sandwich in her mouth, I realized that she must have been 50 years old. Pink triangles dotted the hallways indicating that this school was a 'safe zone' for those who are gay. Other signs invited young people to join groups of all sorts of affiliations or persuasions. Did I mention that there is no dress code for the place and the girls wear VERY provocative clothing and boys wear offensive t-shirts of every type..oh wait correction...the t-shirts are not allowed to degrade women. Gee, thanks. Did I mention that the rock radio station that was blaring down the hallway was coming from a teacher's classroom and is well liked by the students.....is constantly bashing something, with D.J's hurling expletives at each other and laughing at what they view as 'traditional'. Nothing is held back, it seems that self- gratification/self-expression in all its forms is glorified...no matter what the consequences may be. Why do we as a society welcome it ALL???? Do we think we are actually doing our teens a favor by allowing all of this? Negativity, negativity, everywhere.

This high school has been listed as one of the top 10 high schools in the country in the past, and is currently in the top 100. The people in my town are wealthy, educated, mostly white, and busy, busy, busy-I would even say too busy for their kids. My point is, there are SO many mixed messages thrown at these kids everywhere--some good, some bad. Boy it can be a confusing place if you arrive here without much conviction or direction from your parents about what is right or wrong.

This is where youth workers need to take our jobs VERY seriously. There is only ONE message that we need to convey as a church and that is the positive message of Jesus and WHO He died for. It's a positive message. The only thing on OUR wall is the crucified Christ, our message it is one of hope, charity, love!!! We need to present the youth with the counter-cultural message that you CAN be a happy and fulfilled person as a believer in Jesus. Young people are hungering for something to fill that void that we all have in our heart....filling it with everything alluring thing that the world gives only leaves them feeling empty and incomplete. Youth need to know that they are LOVED by someone, anyone, and they'll go anywhere to find that love. If you are a youth worker, please at the very least, make sure your young people KNOW that Jesus loves them, that He gave his life for them. Give them a place to be themselves, a place away from all the noise and confusion, a place where they can be quiet and reflect on the beauty of our Catholic Faith, give them the tools to fight temptation and find purification. But most of all make sure that they know that NOTHING can separate them from the love of God. Nothing. Not even well-intentioned public high schools.....

Why we don't own a dog:

After running around in 90+ degree weather at school today, Jack and Gus arrived home hot, sweaty and red faced. Nick went over to his brothers to give them a hug, only to announce:

Mooommmm! Jack smells like a dog!

(Finally he notices!)

Back to School Shopping

Happy Birthday Dad

As a child, you come to know your parents as people in your life who tell you what to do and when to do it. You never really realize WHY they do what they do, it's just life and unless you want trouble as a child, you do as you are told. It is not until you have grown into adulthood that you come full circle and realize the immense job they had in raising you and how much you are loved by them. I am loved by my parents in different ways. My mom loves me a soft, gentle manner while my dad loves me in a much different way. I liken the love my dad holds for me and my siblings to a German Shepard, quiet,loyal, protective, and fierce (when he needed to be). There was no mistaking my father's love. It was rarely the touchy feely type of love my mother gave out so naturally. It was the type of love that was silent and sure, heroic and steadfast, yet in his eyes you could always see the tenderness he so rarely verbalized. In those same eyes you knew when you had messed up and disappointed. Dad loves deeply. I figured that out as I grew into adulthood. He was the strong one, the one to look upon for a steady hand to help me up, the one who would race out in the middle of the night to pick me up if my car broke down, the one who never missed a performance or event, the one who taught by example, the one who silently sacrificed and died to himself so that his children had all they needed, the one who prayed fervently after communion and during adoration, the one who would hide his tears when one of us made him proud, the one who would stand out in the front yard with his post hole digger making sure the "boyfriends" knew who was in charge. All in all, my dad stands out as an excellent father who knows how to love. If you are one of the privileged who is loved by him....you know it, and you KNOW he will do anything for you.

If you know my dad and you are reading this post, please wish him a happy birthday by commenting below. He would really appreciate it.

Happy Birthday Dad, and thanks for all you do!

Quote of the day

Any day is a good day to be born; any day is a good day to die.-Blessed Pope John XXIII

Birthday Present Surprise

My OB informed me the other day that she has made plans to transfer to another hospital permanently. Only problem is that her last day at the hospital I am delivering at is September 29th...my due date. It also happens to be by daughter's birthday. So my doctor made me an offer I could not refuse. She told me that her last day in labor and delivery was to be September 27th and asked if I wanted to be induced that day with her there instead of waiting for "mother nature." I told her that mother nature was over-rated when you have four kids at home and for that reason, September 27th sounded FINE with me! So dear readers, barring any emergency or early delivery, come hell or high water, the 5th Clemens baby will arrive sometime on September 27th!

Now that the date is settled, I only had one problem: How to tell Rebecca that the baby would not be born on her birthday. Believe it or not, she was really hoping that the baby would come into this world and have the same birthday as her. I didn't want to disappoint her, but knew I had to break the news to her gently:

Me: Rebecca, guess what? The doctor said we are going to induce this baby on September 27. What do you think of that?

Becca: What? The baby won't be born on my birthday?

Me: No, but what I can do is bring the baby HOME on your birthday instead. It will be your birthday present. What do you think of that?

Becca: (Silent for a few seconds) I hope that won't be my only present.

Pregnancy Brain...all in one day!

1. You gather up all the kids for back to school shopping, grab the school supply lists, drive to the store and absentmindedly throw the supply lists away in the Staples trashcan.

Me: Becca, go to the car and see if I left the supply lists there.

Becca: Mom they are not there.

Me: Oh, dear, did I throw them away? (I dug through the trash can at the store) Oh, here they are.

Becca: MOM!!!

2. You start dinner by putting a pot of water on the stove to boil. You turn on the stove but later realize you turned on the back burner that holds the teapot instead of the front burner which holds your pot of water.

Gus: Mom what is that sound?

Me: Oh! The teapot is whistling. What happened?

Chris: You turned the wrong burner on.

Me: Ug.

3. After collating forms for an upcoming youth retreat you are planning, you wonder WHERE you placed the stack of registration forms. They must be on your desk somewhere. After all, they ARE lime green and are hard to miss.

Me: Becca (again) , have you seen my retreat forms?

Becca: They could be in the recycling box in your office.

Me: NO. I just copied them and need to distribute them to the youth. I would not have put them in the recycling box.

Becca: (searching through the box anyway) Uh, mom...are these the forms?

Me: Huh? Yeah? What were they doing in there???

Becca: (Laughing heatily) Mom , you need a vacation!

Buh, bye!

For the first time since I can really remember, I am home alone. No boys, No girl, No husband for one night. Weird.

My husband decided that I needed a break from the kids (did it show that bad?) so he decided last minute to pack up his old Rover with the boys and go camping near Asheville. When he made this generous offer to me earlier in the week, a small part of me thought I should protest. You know, good moms don't let their young children go camping with just DAD. They need their mommy, you know. Who will cook and read and tell them stories and make sure that they don't get eaten by mosquitoes? Who will put on their sunscreeen, walk them to the potty, point out dangerous rocks, keep them from deep water and on and on. I mean these boys are 10, 6 and 5...there needs to be at least two parents to watch and manage. Right? Right.

Well then someone explain to me why in the world I accepted his offer with glee and anticipation? Let me be honest here people, I DID NOT EVEN SHED A TEAR WHEN THEY LEFT THIS AFTERNOON! Chris packed up the car with all the necessary camping items, yelled to the boys to take their places in the car, and rode off into the sunset. As I helped buckle the younger boys in the backseat of the car I heard Jack say, "Mom, you can come if you want to." Gus continued, "Yea, mom. We want you to come wif us." I smiled and looked at their sweet sincere faces and said, " I wish I could, but mommy and the baby need to sleep in a bed tonight. I'm sure you and daddy will have a great time together." As I slammed the door closed, Gus looked at me through the windshield, his eyes welling up with tears, started to cry...no howl...at the fact that I was staying behind. I admit that it pulled at my heartstrings, but still, it did not make me want to go. It just proves that I am tired, 8 months pregnant and need a break. It's been a long summer.

I still feel a little guilty that I'm home alone while the men of the house are gone, but deep down I know that I need some time alone, to recharge, regroup, and pray, before our fifth child is born. It will ultimately make me a better mom and wife. Chris knows this. I am just grateful that my husband made the offer to give me some time to myself (even if it is only overnight) and that he is the type of man that recognizes that a tired, pregnant wife could use a break every now and then. In a few short hours they will come home to me dirty, greasy, smelly, but happy. None more happy than their mom....

Vacation Bible Camp

The Clemens four have just completed a week of vacation bible camp at the local Methodist church. It's amazing how each child participates in these events differently. Rebecca served as a teen crew member and mostly enjoyed her service to the camp. Nick LOVED it since he was given the title: Crew member in Training. That made him feel as if he were in charge of everyone. My little holy Jack participated in all the songs and hand motions, while Gus scowled at the choreography, music and the many 5 year old girls trying to get his attention. His teacher said that he finally participated in the music on the last day. (Well, I guess there is something to be said about NOT going along with the crowd.)

Bishop Burbidge: 5th Bishop of the Diocese of Raleigh

Again I'm falling down in posting these days mostly due to an inability to connect two coherant thoughts at one time. I think they call it preganacy brain. There have been some notable things that have happened in the last few weeks that I would have loved to write about, but again, my brain has not been functioning as quickly and I've been to hot to write anything. I DID however, participate in last week's installation of our wonderful new Bishop of Raleigh: Michael Burbidge. He is 49 and hails from Philadelphia. I was invited to participate as one of 122 choir members (5 of us were from St. Thomas More) where we sang some really beautiful music accompanied by brass, piano, orchestra etc. As you see in this picture, the choir was seated above the many priests on the stage. It was a great view of the pagentry and ritual that is traditional in our Catholic faith and I am humbled to have been a part of such a historic event. (The last time the Diocese of Raleigh installed a Bishop was 31 years ago.) Everything was beautiful, but nothing moved me more than seeing the hundreds of priests from across our Diocese and from Philadelphia process into an event like this. Given my vantage point, I was able to catch a glimpse of each of their faces, most old, some young. Some were singing heartily, others wide-eyed and impressed with the glory of the event. ALL part of the same apolstolic succession....beginning with Jesus and his disciples and ending with what I saw at the installation.

I know quite a few of the priests on the stage, and know how hard their jobs are. But despite their difficult vocation, they continue to follow Jesus in the best way they know how. Seeing them all gathered together makes one appreciate all that they do and how many of them it takes to share the sacraments with us. What would we do without them?



Below is a picure of the singers from STM and a dear priest friend of mine who helped orchestrate the event. Don't we all look handsome in our black and white?

A sweet tooth.

Boys can be so gross.

Today was no exception. Now I could spare you, dear readers, the day to day, gross boy stuff that circulates in the house of four crying out loud, but then I would be a dishonest writer wouldn't I? Writers must tell the truth, no matter how gross or how repulsive. My only comfort is that maybe, just maybe, you could have a gross boy too?

Gus: Dad, do buggars have sugar in them?

Dad: Why? Do you like the way they taste?

Gus: Yes.

Dad: No they don't have sugar in them.

Renewal

Nesting has properly set in. All I want to do is organize things and replace all in my house that is old, tatty and faded. Only problem is, when you have lived in a house for 8 years without replacing anything, most everything looks like it needs replacement. Oh, you know what I mean. Things like the blanket over the couch is not hiding as many fabric flaws on the couch anymore. The dimmer switch on the family room light is not hiding the subtle stains on the carpet. The pre-stressed furniture purchased long ago is WAYYYY passed the pre-stressed natural state and is bordering on needing to go to the dump. The brown paint in the foyer is not necessarily brown naturally..it's brown due to sticky hands, feet, dirt etc. from my four crying out loud. And my family room curtains that used to be white...well, have turned a lovely eggshell. sigh. Shamefully I admit that I would rather up and move to a shiny new house than renovate or re-do what I have, but that is not possible since house prices around this town are totally out of control. So instead, I decided to make a few changes around here to spruce things up.

First issue at hand is the family room furniture. The frames of the couch, chair and ottoman are in great shape, but the fabric on these items are faded and have holes poked in them from years of babies using toys with sharp edges (you know, Playmobile swords, and the occasional electric screwdriver that daddy left out). Kids will play with anything. Anyway, after looking long and hard for a reasonably priced set of furniture to replace the old ones, I realized that purchasing new would be expensive and silly since baby #5 is coming along, and who knows what he/she will do to new furniture. (after all, Dad might leave out the electric screwdriver again, and we'll be right back where we started.) So I decided to look into re-upholstery and was pleasantly surprised at how reasonable and practical it was. I found a shop nearby that sells all their fabrics at $7.99/yard and it was filled with some of the most beautiful colors and patterns I'd ever seen. I had a great time mixing and matching fabrics, gaining opinions from neighbors and friends, and feeling empowered that I could actually put a color combination together that I could live with. The best part was that it was 3 times cheaper than the next option I had. My goal was durability first, beauty second, but I think I have both with what I selected.

I collected my color swatches and went home to show everyone. We all agreed on the wine color for the couch, a yellow floral (with wine accents) for the ottoman and chair with coordinating pillows for the couch, and some large green floor throw pillows for the kids to lay on. I got the blessing from the family and continued my home improvement project. I called the upholstery store (a home-grown, reputable place in the county) and they came yesterday to pick up my sad furniture. Yes! I am currently writing this post on the floor of my mostly empty family room. Very roomy, very.

Now that the furniture is gone, it's time to look at replacing the carpet with something more durable and darker than the light colored beige that the builder put in years ago. I visited Lowe's this evening with the kids and Chris and we all agreed on a think pile carpeting which everyone liked since it was softer than most of the other options. Three of the kids tested the softness with their hands, Nick tested it by rubbing his head on the sample. "My head will be laying on the carpet mom, so I need it to be soft." (Strange child.) Anyway, not 30 minutes after we agreed on the carpet, I made an appointment for the Lowe's team to come out to my house and measure. They will be here in two days.

I started painting the foyer of the house myself last week (an olive green to replace the icky brown), but lost interest and inspiration when I started feeling wobbly on the ladder. I may just have to take my time with that little project and instead start washing the curtains in the family room.

The clock is ticking with about 7 weeks left before baby #5 arrives and we are preparing to make the house not only a place of love for our dear new child, but a pleasant environment where new memories will be made and cherished. At the very least, a place where the baby can rub his head on the carpet and enjoy its softness.

A theme?

Every year, I interview jr. high youth for the leadership board of the Junior High Youth Program at our parish; also known as the Junior High Youth Council. Every year we try to come up with a developmentally suitable theme for the group and a t-shirt design that encompasses the overall feel of the upcoming faith development year. I usually let the kids think of the theme and design since they never fail to impress me with their creativity and thoughtfulness with such things. Tonight was no exception.

I asked two of the council members the typical question that I always ask at the beginning of the faith development year: "OK guys, what are jr. high kids into these days?" They respond with T.V. shows, the latest electronic games, candy, food, hang-outs etc. We get the juices flowing with such questions. Youth Group t-shirt design can be a tricky business. As a youth minister, I would love to have the youth wear something blatantly Catholic or Christian on a t-shirt, but that is not necessarily what the kids desire. I want them to WANT to wear it to school, not just youth group events, but that may be asking for too much depending on what they expect. It normally has to be a somewhat subtle design in order for them to wear it outside of youth group. That is why it is imperative that the youth are involved in the planning of the shirt. They know what they will wear and they don't want to listen to what the "old adult" thinks is cool.

In no time though, one of the boys mentioned the "Life is good." t-shirts with the stick figure people on the front. You know the design; you've seen these t-shirts in sports stores in all colors accompanied by mugs, p.j. pants,boxers etc. They are very popular around these parts but are expensive when you compare them to regular 'ol t-shirts that are similar. My young Catholic 7th grader continued with his idea: What if we place the statement, "Life is Good." on the front of the t-shirt along with a stick figure holding a bible and a Rosary. On the back we can print, "Heaven is better." and design another stick figure jumping on a cloud with a halo on his head? All this will resemble the popular t-shirts seen in stores, but we can change it up a bit and make it our own.

We all agreed that the theme and design was perfect for the Council, but still needed a good scripture that would be the focus of the year for the larger youth group...and that matched the design. I think I found the best scripture a few minutes ago. Let me know what you think:

"There is only One who is good. If you want to enter life, obey the commandments." Matthew 19:17

This scripture will be added to the t-shirt underneath the design, but I won't add a thing until the youth give me the green light go ahead. They know what is best! Youth ministry is so much fun!

A Book Meme.

Chad over at On the silent planet has tagged me to answer a few questions about books. I'm not a big reader mostly because time is hard to find when you have four kids and one on the way, but if I think hard, I do have a few answers to the questions.

1. One book that changed your life:

I don't have a book that sticks out in my mind as changing my life, but I can honestly say that there have been many people who have.

2. One book that you've read more than once:

Do people do that? I think I read Little Women twice when I was an adolescent.

3. One book you'd want on a desert island:

Boatmaking for Dummies

4. One book that made you laugh:

Captain Underpants and the perilous plot of Professor Poopypants

5. One book that made you cry:

The Wedding by Nicholas Sparks. Sappy, but great for an emotional release.

6. One book that you wish had been written:

The Practical Guide for a Successful Catholic Marriage. We Catholics just don't have enough day-to-day guidance to help us succeed in marriage. We mostly have to go it alone and make unnecessary mistakes along the way.

7. One book that you wish had never been written:

Our Bodies, Ourselves--a classic on modern feminism and about the right to an abortion. Poison, people; just poison on our society.

8. One book you're currently reading:

The Privilege of Being a Woman-Alice von Hildebrand,

The author shows that feminism's attempts to gain equality with men by imitation of men is unnatural, foolish, destructive and self-defeating. She elaborates the privilege women have in being naturally more capable of human concerns, self-gift, sensitivity dignity, loveliness, heroic sacrifice and a great ability to awaken what is best in men through their very weakness and tenderness.

9. One book you've been meaning to read:

The Death of Innocents by Sr. Helen Prejean- An eyewitness account of wrongful executions.

Now, tagging:

Amy Caroline

Michelle

Jen

Christine

Christophersly

I really like these glittery things....

What I'm dealing with here.

I went to the washing machine today, opened it and was surprised to see a completed small load of laundry inside the machine. It smelled kind of funny and included an array of different colors and clothing. Weird.

As I investigated further, I found one of Gus's USED "Pull Ups" included in the load. Gross! (At least I figured out where the smell was coming from) but who was it who did this load of laundry? I knew Rebecca knew how to use the machine, but she insisted that she did not do any laundry yesterday. I knew it must be Nick; maybe he learned how to use the machine and just decided to help out. He denied any participation.

Me: Gus? (he's 5) Did YOU do a load of laundry for mommy?

Gus: No way, mom!

I just could not imagine who could of done a load this bizarre.

I questioned everyone one more time. The three adamantly insisted that they did not do any laundry.

All of a sudden I saw my little Jack slipping up the stairs and thought, huh, could it have been Jack? No way. He can't reach the machine. I asked anyway.

Me: Jack?

Instantly, Jack sheepishly stopped his trek up the stairs and stood with his back to me. (ahh, guilt you can't hide it, I knew instantly it was him.)

Me: Jack? Did you do a load of laundry yesterday?

Jack: (unsure) Noooo? I didn't?

I could tell on his little face that he was lying. It was clear. The other three kids stood staring at him...mouths open wide. They too knew their brother was caught, and they were shocked at his denial of the act.

I asked again.

Me: Jack, did you put laundry in the machine? I PROMISE you are not going to get into trouble, I just need to know so that next time..I can show you how to put soap in and take out any Pull Ups. OK? Really, you are not in trouble...

Jack smiled sheepishly and admitted to the act. " I just wanted to help you momma."

I gave Jack a big hug and 'thank you' for his thoughtfulness. It was so sweet to help me, but sometimes moms just don't need that kind of help..no matter how well-intentioned. But upon further reflection, our children are given by God a untainted desire to help others and feel as if they matter in a family or group. So no matter that I had to re-wash those clothes and was backed up in my laundry duties; Jack saw that mommy needed help and he decided to do something about it. That is a thoughtful child, acting on a God given instinct. That kind of "help" should never be punished or rejected only encouraged and praised.

I just wish God had given him a little instruction book on how to do the laundry.

The Boob Tube

Jack and Gus were playing a video game yesterday and were intrigued by the characters on the screen before them. It is one of those games where at the beginning, you get to choose which character you are and what powers you have. Jack called me over to check out the cool character he had chosen to be. At first I was simply glazing at the screen and barely listening to his excited descriptions of his character. But after awhile I was actually interested in the game and what each character does.

Jack: Mom, my character is a girl and she has fire power.

A girl? I thought to myself. It doesn't look like a girl. But after looking more closely I saw that she was wearing high heels.

Me: Oh, yeah, I see now that she is a girl Jack. She is wearing high heels. At first I couldn't tell.

Jack: (matter of factly) No mom, you can tell she's a girl 'cause she has boobs.

Me: Really? I didn't notice! (Oh, and where DID he learn that boobs word??)

I looked closer.

The character did indeed have a couple of bumps there. I guess I need to pay more attention to these little details.

Little accomplishments of the day.

1. When it seems that there is little food in the house and nothing substantial for lunch for the kids, you stop at the local bagel place and purchase one dozen bagels for $4.49. When you walk in the door and announce if anyone wants a bagel for lunch, everyone screams with delight. You are the hero!

2. Giving your children the option to either GO outside and play or stay inside and "help mom do work", everyone opts for the great outdoors. Peace and quiet for awhile!

3. Purchasing a gallon of minty green paint for your foyer and living room and painting a large swatch of color on your walls to see how it looks.......is fun.

4. Returning the gallon of paint you thought you liked for another shade much darker was received with understanding and mercy by the Lowe's employee. Lowe's employee: " I don't like the color either. Yuck. "

5. Reorganizing the medicine cabinet and labeling the shelves with your new label machine. Glorious!

6. Labeling the shelves in the linen closet with the same labeler: Twin Sheets, Queen Sheets, Standard Sheets, Pillow Cases...Stop her! She's even labeling the children!!!

7. Hubby coming home 30 minutes early....a kiss...and NO laptop in his hands. Priceless!

Hee! I found this sparkly title today! Enjoy!

A Fun Quiz..

What Kind of Catholic Are You?

I thought the quiz sized me up perfectly:

You Are a Divine Office (Moderately Traditional) Catholic
The Second Vatican Council was much needed, as far as you're concerned, but you see no reason to push the church further in the direction of change, as many progressives urge. You like the dynamic combination of the traditional approach toward doctrine with the opening of the church to the world that Pope John Paul II (your favorite pope) represented. As far as liturgy is concerned, a reverent Mass in the vernacular is your favorite, as is a vernacular hymn with a feeling for the transcendent such as "Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence." When Nicole Kidman returned to her childhood Catholicism and regular Mass attendance, you were thrilled.


HT:Another Catholic Mom

A Prayer for Dinner Parties

A woman invited some people to dinner. At the table, she turned to her six-year-old daughter and said, "Would you like to say the blessing?"

"I wouldn't know what to say," she replied.

"Just say what you hear Mommy say," the mother said.

The child bowed her head and said, "Dear Lord, why on earth did I invite all these people to dinner?"

______

HT: Spirit Daily

Life is a Highway!

It's 95 degrees today, but we are still going Here with some great friends. I've got the air mattress and my swimsuit all packed and the kids are outfitted for a great weekend. See you all on Sunday! Pray for cooler weather!

Now that's the best kind of tour to go on...

The other day I signed Chris and I up for a hospital maternity tour so that we could acquaint ourselves with the hospital baby #5 will be born in and learn about any new procedures that may have come up since giving birth to our last little one. It was a bizarre experience to say the least. There we were in a room with numerous parents anxiously taking notes and asking questions. All I was focused on was how young everyone looked...how scared everyone looked. I don't think I really heard a word of what the hospital staff person was saying, it was more like the wahh, wahhh, wha, whaaaa you would hear from Charlie Brown's classroom teacher.

There I was touring for baby #5, but could not get myself motivated to really CARE about what was really being said. I was there mostly because I thought I needed to be...as some sort of baby rite of passage. Meanwhile as the staff person continued her whaaa, whaaahing, I DID notice how sterile everything looked and how uncomfortable the labor bed appeared. The rooms were not as "cozy" as rooms I'd given birth in before. The wallpaper was shabby and some of the drywall in the bathroom was broken. I sensed that the placed was not as clean as other hospitals I had been in. I peered at all the familiar gadgets and gizmos that were at the reach of the doctors for last minute emergencies. Memories flooded in and out of my brain of each birth I had experienced (as well as one miscarriage). And I remembered how scary it all was and could only feel dread for the whole experience.

Chris and I walked out of one of the delivery rooms and just looked at each other with a sense of dread. Chris said sarcastically, "Oh, boy..won't that be fun to do again." I responded in similar fashion, "Well, at least you don't have to have people poking and prodding at your privates the whole time." Chris said, " Yeah, you definitely get the hard part of the deal." Needless to say, my attitude about the whole birthing process was not so....positive.

We continued on to the 5th floor where all the newborns are cared for. The guide casually pointed to the nursery and all the fancy security features of the floor.( I was not so impressed with the security procedures since I had walked in earlier with no badge and without picking up the security phone without any problems. Chris did the same thing at the NicU accidentally without any real alarms going off.) Humph. But while all the newer parents continued to listen to the tour guide and hang on her every word, Chris and I turned our bodies toward the nursery and saw the most incredible thing of the night: Babies. Newborn babies. So small and helpless, looking around at their new environment like little fresh peaches. I put my hand to the glass and whispered to Chris, "Oh look! That one moves just like the one in my belly. I recognize the movements. It is so amazing!" Chris stood there for a few seconds, just as amazed as I was...staring. Just staring at the new life before our eyes. "Look Georgie, we are about to have one of those and we have no idea what he/she will be like. What an exciting thing". And it was exciting, WE were excited for the first time, realizing the miracle about to enter our lives. All my anxieties melted away as I remembered the end product of all the "yucky" stuff we would have to go through beforehand.

It is SO worth it!

Just when you thought you maintained a peaceful home

read the letter your daughter wrote to her grandparents as part of her "homework" assignment today:

Dear Grandma and Grandpa,

I just got back from band camp and it was great! Some people who were there I already knew, but I made a lot of new friends. It was really hard to leave them and return to the CLEMENS CHAOS HOUSE. I hope you are having fun. Are the donkeys okay? Before I went to band camp, I saw Pirates of the Carribean 2 with some friends and we dressed up as Pirates. We looked really goofy.

Hope to see you soon,

Love,

Becca

Well, I guess a peaceful house just depends on your perspective...(and whether you have 3 younger brothers barging in on you at all times of the day.)

Am I insane?

Considering the overbearing heat these days, approaching the 7th month of my pregnancy, and the kids irregular bed times...I think I heard someone in the family suggesting that we go to the lake and camp out this weekend. Who would ever suggest such an activity? (Me, that's who.)

I've totally lost my mind haven't I?

A tragic loss.

OK. I did not want to really post about this horrible incident which happend last week, but it keeps haunting me. As a mom, the thought of losing a child is gut-wrentching and horrible, but compound it with the fact that you, yourself are responsible for the accident that caused your child's death is unbearable. I think what haunts me most about this story is that I could see myself doing the exact same thing. I mean, as parents we must always be alert, awake, aware... having eyes all around our heads to watch for dangers which lurk in the smallest of things. But the REALITY is that parents cannot always prevent such things from happening to their children. We are only human and get tired and focused on other things. I get focused and tired but would never want to believe it could lead to such tragedy. This accident is a little reminder to me of how quickly life can change and how imperative it is to live fully...for HIM. Yes, we want to protect and guard our children from dangers, but there is only so much we can control. At some point we must close our eyes, say a prayer to God to protect our children and let them go.

The suffering that this family will be going through will be a long and difficult road. Luckily their faith is strong and they have many parishioners, a large family and friends to support them during the dark days of their grief. Please keep them in your prayers. Catholic author and mom, Danielle Bean, as well as this family's home parish, is collecting donations for the family so that they can replace the car that caused Joshua's death. If you feel so moved, please make a donation through Danielle's Paypal button, or your can write to the family directly.

I have also enclosed the website
the family has created in Joshua's honor. Please take a look and see what a beautiful child he was and read the inspirational eulogy written by his mom. Most of all, love and listen to your children, for they are only ours for a little while.

Lost in pronunciation

Gus, Jack and I were eating lunch today, and both boys thought it would be funny to burp their ABC's. I immediately told them to stop that gross behavior, say excuse me, and continue to eat. They did, but this time Gus decided to sit and quietly sing the ABC's to himself. After a few seconds he had a question:

Gus: Mom, what's MELLOW P?

Me: What do you mean Gus?

Gus: In the alphabet, you know MELLOW P?

I sat and thought about it for a few seconds and realized what he was asking.

Me: OH!!! Gus, you mean L,M,N,O,P. You have to separate each sound and each sound is a different letter.

Gus: Yeah. I got it.

Watch out for that...tree....

When we were visiting UNC-Greensboro the other day, we noticed a very large Magnolia tree in front of the Science building. The boys, Chris and I had been walking the campus for awhile and the boys were quickly tiring of our sightseeing tour. At the time we saw the tree, the boys were moaning and groaning to go back home, and were not very interested in it. I suggested to the boys that they explore the underneath of the tree to see what they could find. All three unenthusiastically mumbled agreement and slowly walked over to the tree. As Chris and i watched from a distance, we noticed the kids disappear in the base of the canopy. Their moods changed VERY quickly. All of a sudden we heard screams of excitement and joy coming from the tree...and it was not from the birds:

"Mom, Dad, come under the tree! It is so cool!"

Jack: "I'm climbing it."

Nick: "I'm going higher! Whoa!"

Gus: (whining) "I can't get up! Help me up Nick! HELP ME UP!"

Chris and I sauntered under the tree and found all three boys climbing like monkeys. The sheer joy that comes from one of God's beautiful creations cannot be matched by anything that we can buy or create for our kids. At first sight, it looked like just another REALLY BIG tree, but with a closer look one finds an unexpected surprise. Isn't it the same with our relationship with God? It is only when we move closer to Him, after he beckons us over and over, that we are surprised by the peace He holds. A special gift of pure joy when we move toward him; even when we don't really feel like it.

Summer hair cuts

Last week Chris got out the clippers and cut the boys hair. I took Becca to the beauty shop where they chopped about 4 inches off her head. Don't they look Grrreat?

Ask a question, and you'll get an answer!

Rebecca called this afternoon during her free time at Band Camp to say "hello" and to tell me what she's been doing. Overall, her first day (and night) went well. She was excited about the new music she was learning, and described the food, the kids, and her conductor. After she told me everything she could; I could not help but ask the question:

Me: So, Becca...do you miss being home?

Becca: NO!

Well, I asked for it and got it. Further evidence that the outside world IS more fun than the Clemens Family!

Letting Go

Today the family took Rebecca to her fist week long band camp an hour away from home. One of the hardest things a parent has to learn is let go of their children....little by little. Today we dropped her off at band camp, tomorrow, it will be college..then marriage, children and on and on. I never knew how hard it would be to be dropping off my first-born to something as small as BAND CAMP, but as I nervously looked around the campus, her dark dorm room, and at the other campers; it hit me that I had to let her GO. No one ever told me how hard it would be to do that! You think as a mother of small children that the kids will be around forever, but time does move along quickly and there you are dropping your 13 year-old daughter off in her dorm room with a stranger as her roommate! Geez!! To be honest, I am not one of those sentimental moms crying at the bus-stop when their kid goes to kindergarten. In fact, I'm usually relieved that I have one less child to worry about during the school day! But I believe I WILL be a mom that cries for months when they go off to college.

After Chris and I dropped Rebecca off, we got into the car with the boys and drove silently out of the parking garage. Chris said, "Oh, I am going to miss Rebecca when she goes to college. She is my life! How will we ever survive?" There was more silence in the car. He continued on, " You and I will be bawling when that time comes. We only have four more years with her! I should quit my job and spent it all with her!" I sat there with tears in my eyes relieved that he was feeling the same kinds of emotions as i was.

I gave Rebecca my cell phone while she is at camp and I asked her to call me at the end of the night to tell me that she is OK.

Guess what?

She didn't.

It's hard to let go.

A post from Jack

The brother of this donkey died. And his ear broke off so I buyed the other brother and he didn't break. Then what I did was to put a smiley face on top of him so that the smiley face could get to work. Unfortunately the donkey kept on slinging him off (BAM!!!). The smiley face taped his arm to the the donkey so that he would not fall off again but he almost fell off until he hit the ground. The tape was like a rope and dragged him behind. The smiley face was bumping his head alot during the ride. Finally he got to work and thanked the donkey (?) The donkey decided to give the smiley face a back massage until he took him back home. The smiley face DID NOT thank the donkey for the ride home.

THE END

jack clemens

Quote of the day

Joy is the gigantic secret of the Christian.--GK Chesterson

Something sweet and sour

Look what Jack, Gus, and I made today. The recipe called for sour cream of all things, but when we tasted the batter we decided it added a delicious "zip" to the bread. Give it a try and make your day alittle sweeter...with sour cream.

Jack's Art

Jack created quite the battle scene that ended badly for the blue guys and well for the black guys; all knights, horses and a castle, of course.

Camp Clemens

Well, summertime is buzzing along and the kids seem to be having a good time with all our extra free time. I especially like the "no real schedule" days where I can stay in my pajamas until 10:00 if I so desire and eat a late breakfast. No school, no meetings or practices, plays or work schedule; just time to spend time re-establishing relationships with neighbors, friends, visiting with my kids, talking with my husband and slowly...very slowly...preparing to embrace another new person, new life, new dynamic in the family.

Having a fairly large family comes with its sacrifices. I live in a very affluent town. Every summer, most of my neighbors enroll their kids in numerous summer camps, send them off for two weeks at time to overnight adventures in another state, or simply pay $900 or so a year to become members of the local pool. We, here at four crying out loud, do not have the resources ($$$) to send our children to such places or to become members of the local pool; we simply must make do with a strategically placed half-day, week long camp activity per child and rely on the generosity of our neighbor who allows us to use his pool at most any time. We also take advantage of the low-cost vacation bible camp held at the near-by church. Other than those two week long camp events and a week long trip to Texas to visit family..I am left to fill up about 8 weeks of summer with activities that rival the high dollar camps that are offered. Yikes! We here at Camp Clemens resort to all kind of activities that aim to please, but find it extremely necessary to stick to some semblance of a schedule for the kids....er..I mean for mom's sanity.

Below is the "loose" summer schedule that is posted on the Clemen's refrigerator.

8:00-9:30--Depending on what time the kids awake, all Clemens kids MUST get dressed, comb their hair, brush their teeth, eat breakfast, clear the breakfast dishes and clean their rooms. No other activity is allowed until these basic items have been completed. Wearing only underwear does NOT constitute "being dressed".

9:30-10:30--Free time to partake in any activity in the house. Keep hands and feet to yourselves...except for mom.

10:30-11:30--Summer homework: This includes, but is not limited to completing summer enrichment books, creating art projects, writing letters to grandparents, practicing an instrument, hiking outdoors, or learning "cool" fencing techniques.

11:30-1:30--Cooking/Baking/Lunch Time. This is also a great time for the kids to finish their daily chores which are posted on the fridge.

1:30-2:30--Quiet time. The kids can read their library books quietly in their rooms while mom either gets a few chores done, or makes some necessary phone calls. (like to the beauty shop to make a hair appointment!)

2:30---Free time to do whatever pleases as long as no bloodshed is involved. Sometimes we go over to the neighbors house to swim, the kids play video games, find friends to play with or on special occasions, we go to a movie matinee.

While I admit that sending my kids to the myriad of camp choices sounds appealing and fun; I know that I will treasure these precious summer moments with my children and one day want to re-live them...even the hardest of days.

Funny stuff....

I really loved this one! Don't ask me why, it just cracked me up!

HT: Julie D


Four United States Presidents get caught up in a tornado. They are whirled off to the land of OZ. They finally make it to the Emerald City and find the Great Wizard .

"What brings the 4 of you before the great Wizard of Oz? "

Jimmy Carter steps forward timidly and says, "I've come for some courage."

"No Problem!" says the Wizard. Who's next? "

Richard Nixon steps forward, "Well, I think I need a heart."

"Done!" says the Wizard. "Who comes next before the Great and Powerful Oz?"

Up steps Dubya and says, "I'm told by some of the American people that I need a brain."

"No problem!" said the Wizard. "Consider it done."

Then there is a great silence in the hall.

Bill Clinton is just standing there, looking around, but he doesn't say a word.

Irritated, the Wizard finally asks, "Well, what do you want?"

With one last look around, Clinton asks, "Is Dorothy here?"

A Happy Fourth

It is so stinking hot here so the Clemens clan has opted out of any hot outdoor fourth of July events such as a parade or fireworks display. Instead we will be gathering with friends at a neighbors pool, barbequing brats, snacking on chips, salsa and of course...chocolate cake. I purchased one of those cheesy fireworks bundles from the local grocery store so that the kids have some type of excitement for the evening. I hope it pleases...how could it not? They are loud, sparkly, dangerous, and smelly....yup..all adds up to boy fun even if it's not the best girl acitivity.

I have my freedom to do that, thank God!

May you all have a wonderful Fourth bestowed with all the freedoms only God can give! I promise to post very soon on recent events, but for now...the pool calls!!

Hood'lums

Jack and Gus came running down the steps in some "new" hand-me-down robes given by a friend. They were so delighted with their new nightwear.
Jack: Mom! We want a collection!

Gus: (lagging behind) Yeah!

Me: A collection of what?

Jack: Robes!!

Gus: With HOODS!

Quote of the day...

The hairs on your head are far easier to count than your feelings and the movements of your heart.--St. Augustine

This makes great sense to a one minute "basket-case" pregnant woman, next minute "hear me roar" pregnant woman. Why didn't they tell me this sooner?

Summer Reading

Today was library day, so I took the kids to the local library to check out books for the summer. It's usually not very difficult for my little boys to select books; they only want books that are associated with three things: Knights (or anything that looks like a knight), wolves (or anything that looks like a wolf), or dolphins.

Me: Boys, let's look for some really good picture books

Boys: Nah. We just want books from the knight section.

Me: Well, don't you think we should try something alittle different? Something new?

Jack: Yeah, well we could get some more books on wolves. They are my favorite animal.

Me: We've had alot of books on wolves, Jack. How about another animal?

Jack: Naw, I don't like books on other animals.

Me: OK, let's go look and see what they have. (I was hoping they had some new books on these topics, but alas....the same 'ol ones.)

Jack and I sat on the floor of the non-fiction section of the children's library thumbing through all kinds of books about wolves, dogs, foxes, etc...Jack examined each one carefully. He would say, "I want this one, and this one, and this one." At one point he had at least 10 books on wolves. I had to limit the kid. I mean, how many books on one animal does one need? I saw myself reading these books all day to Jack...seeing myself nodding off. Meanwhile in the aisle next to us, Gus was rummaging through the knight/Viking/Rome section of non-fiction. Making a huge mess. He was not as easy to please as Jack. He would look at each book carefully, reject it, throw it on the ground and say, "Naw, I don't want that one (whap), or that one (whap), and I've seen this one and that one already (whap, whap). Mom, I don't want any of these." and would non-chalantly walk away from the piles on the floor. "Hey Gus!" I forcefully whispered, " You need to put all these books back!" Gus responded, " I don't know where they go!" He ended up with only two books to check out. Rebecca met us in the in the aisle with an armload of chapter books. She dutifully signed up for the teen summer reading program all on her own (God bless her) and headed out the door eagerly wanting to get home to start her reading. Nick was not at the library at all. He chose to stay at a friend's house and go swimming...no interest in reading whatsoever!

Four different kids with four varying tastes in reading. Either way, we are ready to start the reading regime. Thank the Good Lord for the public library. Free books, free knowledge, imagination, and fun. Let summer begin!!

Life consumes...God waits...

I have been woefully pathetic in posting of late mostly because of our recent travels and the inevitable mountain of events that consume my time at the end of the school year/faith development year. Tonight I have been working on a talk that I will present to Youth Workers from our Diocese tomorrow, so I leave you all with pictures of what's been going on at four crying out loud for the past few weeks:

The kids, Chris and I at the Alamo..in matching t-shirts,no less. It was very easy to find my kids in a crowd considering the neon green and orange shirts we wore. It was also easy for the tourists to avoid us since we looked like traffic signs. HA!



A picture of part of the Alamo battle that continued at grandma's house. Gus purchased an Alamo set, complete with 101 pieces including cannons, its very own Alamo, Santa Annas army and a few Texans. Hours of boy joy.


This nice man was offering to serenade our table at a famous San Antonio River Walk Restaurant called Casa Rio. He informed us that one song would cost $10.00 to which we responded, "No gracias, lo siento." Instead we enjoyed the songs he and his band sang to other tables willing to pay the steep price.



The boys a bit punch drunk at the restaurant after drinking WAY too much Root Beer. When the waitress asked the boys if they wanted a refill, Gus responded with a rowdy, "I want some more BEER!"



Members of my family at another great Texas institution: Kruetz Barbeque in Lockhart, Texas. Look at my preggie belly after eating some massively yummy brisket! I think this baby must be a boy because he really responded to the onions, beef and Big Red soda!

A good quote

As I was preparing my talk on how to start a junior high youth ministry program, I came across this lovely quote from Saint Francis:

Start by doing what is necessary, then do what is possible, and suddenly you are doing the impossible.

A fantastic quote for those desiring to start a youth group at their parish. It's a baby step by baby step process. Start with the necessities and build one brick at a time with lots of prayer, patience, and perseverance.

Home Sweet Home

We are back from our travels.

I'm tired.

I've got to get the bags unpacked, the laundry done.

There's no food in this house.

The car is a mess.

My church work has piled up and I'm behind.

Waaahhhh!

BUT

It was all worth it:)

The Republic of Texas...

We promised the boys that we would take them to see the Alamo on our trip to San Antonio. They were so excited to see the actual spot where the 200 brave Texans battled Santa Anna's huge army of 6000 and held them back for 12 long days. Their only point of reference was the old ALAMO movie made back in the 60's starring John Wayne. They've watched this movie numerous times..totally riveted..despite the fact that it is a very long movie.

On the car ride over:

Gus: Are we going to see lots of blood?

Chris: No Gus. They've cleaned it all up.

Jack: I want to see all the dead bodies.

Chris: Nope. Those are all buried and gone.

Jack and Gus seemed disappointed. I asked Chris to explain to the boys that what they were about to see would be a very small part of the original Alamo. I knew they were expecting to see a huge fort in the middle of a desert, when in actuality, the city of San Antonio surrounds the mission and makes it look, well, rather small in comparison to the modern day sky scrapers and hotels. But surprisingly, the boys didn't seem to notice, they did, in fact become enamored with a huge diorama of the original fort complete with miniature soldiers, horses, cannons and guns. Oh, I tell you, it was boy heaven indeed! They must have studied the diorama for 10 minutes asking questions about Jim Bowie, bowie knives and the other heroes who died in the siege.

Afterwards we visited the gift shop and Gus eyed a pretty cool box of plastic Alamo figurines complete with its very own Alamo...a box of 101 pieces. The boys decided to use their allowance and buy the set. Not only did the visit to the Alamo make a big impression, they continued their own battle at grandma house using their new Alamo set....only in their version of the battle...

the TEXANS won.

The secret weapon...

On Saturday, all six of us packed the car and headed for Texas to see my family. We do this drive usually around two times a year. Car travel that involves at least 26 hours of driving can be daunting with four crying out loud, but my kids really love to travel this way. Who could blame them? They each bring a small bag of toys/books for individual entertainment; Chris hooks up a make-shift VCR for movie watching; and of course we have the ever-popular video game hook-up in case someone feels the need to shoot something.

But intermittently there will be some fighting that goes on with such adventures and this trip was no exception.

At one point the younger two were fighting about the video game machine and whose turn it was. Gus screamed, Jacked kicked him, Nick moaned that Gus and Jack were hitting the back of his chair too many times with their scuffle and Becca just wanted peace so that she could read her book. I turned in my seat to face the kids and said, "Ohhh the devil is dancing when you guys fight over games and such. Those games can turn a perfectly happy family into raving lunatics and THAT'S JUST what the devil wants!!" The kids just stared at me; Gus sobbing through his big tears. So Chris brought out the secret weapon: "OK guys, it's time to pray the Rosary!" The kids moaned, "NOOOOOO!! (All except for Jack who was excited since he had recently learned to pray the rosary in his class)" "Yeeeesss!" Chris replied, "It will calm you all down and make you think of more important things like Jesus and the Glorious mysteries!"

There was silence in the car as we prepared to pray, and the kids participated as they should...all except for Gus, who was lulled by all the words. Before we knew it, the kids were in the rhythm of the prayer and we all felt blessed by the few moments of peace that Our Lady provided. In the time we devoted to Jesus and His mom, we were rewarded in big ways: Gus fell asleep, (hey...it's a blessing... believe me...that boy can yell!), Jack quietly resumed his game play and decided to share the video game machine with Nick, Rebecca found the peace she desired to read her book, Chris drove without distraction and I actually found some inspiration for a talk I need to present to the Diocese next week. The Rosary is a powerful prayer and one we should take advantage of more often. Give it a try on your next trip, or better yet, tonight and see what blessings await you!

A strong mom....

Danielle has 7 kids that she currently homeschools and is now preganant with her eighth baby. She is due about the same time I am and is experiencing the same sort of "issues". We can DO it Danielle!

Summertime Blues

Whoo Hooo! School is out and there is no one happier than mama!! The backpacks are hung, the swimsuits are washed, and the summer chore chart is about to be reinstated!!!! Yes, the summer chore chart is here and I am hopeful that all items on the chart will be cheerfully done with out any complaint! EVERY DAY! Before my kids are allowed to do ANYTHING in the morning whether it be T.V., going out with friends, playing etc...they must first complete everything on their chore chart. Everyday chores like: get dressed, brush your teeth and hair, clean your room, make beds, eat breakfast and help in the kitchen. --That is the morning list. The other list of only one or two day- specific chores can be done at any point during the day, but before dinner! Things like: water plants, pick up outside toys, clean out car, clean third floor and on and on.

Imagine my "surprise" when on Monday morning...the first day of the new regime...Nick protested! What a shock!!

Me: Nick, it's time to get up and start your chores.

Nick: What? Chores now? But it's summer!!!

Me: (triumphantly) Yes!!! And with summer comes summertime chores!

Nick: (whining) But I thought summer was for fun!

Me: (getting impatient) NO! Summer is NOT for fun. The only good thing about summer is that school is OUT. YOU still need to maintain a routine, and that ROUTINE includes your chores!!!

Nick moaned and reluctantly read his chore chart.

I think we're off to a good start. Don't you?

Dinnertime philosophy

... according to a 6 year old:

Jack: Mom, guess what?

Me: What?

Jack: Everyfing in this world was created, but everything that was invented was made by man.

Me: mmmmm.

Gluttony will get you nowhere!

I seem to be hungry ALL the time!

My stomach is all scrunched up making room for baby so I tend to want food all the time. If I eat a regular portion of food, I end up with terrible heartburn and must remain standing for awhile for the food to digest. Mostly I just eat small portions of food so that I'm not miserable, but sometimes despite my efforts to subdue my eating...the heartburn comes. Today was no exception.

I was eating bites of food all day. Cheese here, cantaloupe there, a spoon of ice cream at 2:00, a slice of bread at 3:00. But around 5:00 I was starving. BIG TIME. And I was craving a BIG JUICY hamburger. I called my husband immediately and told him that the kids and I would pick him up from work and go directly to a local restaurant so that I could get my burger fix. I did not have time to cook my own burger since I had a meeting at church later in the evening. My sweet husband knew better than to cross a starving pregnant woman (he's had lots of experience) and pleasantly agreed to my desires.

We arrived at the restaurant and ordered. My hamburger arrived and it looked perfect. Beef, lettuce, tomato, onion, mayo and mustard. I took one bite and immediately felt that preliminary stuffiness. I ignored it and continued to enjoy my burger...slowly. After eating only half the hamburger, I had to put it down because I was full...too full for another bite. I looked down at my beautiful burger and realized that I still wanted it, but could not eat another bite. I was uncomfortably full and needed to stand up to stretch my belly and digest what little I had eaten. I wished I had brought along my Tums, but even those don't tend to help.

Chris: Georgie, is this going to be a big baby again?

Me: Oh yeah, I don't remember feeling this uncomfortable this early. It's a big 'un all right. (In my last two pregnancies I gave birth to a 10lb baby and a 10 1/2lb baby so I'm a bit concerned that this one could tip the scales at 11lbs)

After our dinner, I moved on to a youth meeting I had scheduled. My discomfort had subsided after an hour or so, and I focused on the meeting at hand. After a couple of hours at the church, I said my goodbyes and headed home. But guess what? I was hungry again and this time I was craving chocolate. More specifically: Stork Chocolate Reisen...the chocolate of the gods!! I could not stop thinking about it..the caramel inside, the dark chocolate outside, chewy, melt in your mouth chocolate...Before I knew it, I was in my driveway. I thought to myself, "should I ask my husband to make a run for the chocolate or should I do it?" I decided to do it, so I put the car in reverse and headed to the drug store at 9:30 to satisfy my chocolate craving.

As I arrived at the store, I saw that candy (5 boxes for $5), Gatoraide, soda and toilet paper was on sale. There were no available baskets so I had to carry my treasures by hand. You people should have seen my pregnant self!....I piled my 5 candy boxes along with my 5 Gatoraide bottles and my two rolls of toilet paper into my arms...but wait...I forgot my chocolate! I hurried to the chocolate isle and topped my tower of goodies with my one bag of chocolate. I balanced everything with great care, but realized how ridiculous I looked as I turned and saw the checkout lady staring at me. I wondered what she was thinking as she watched me gingerly carry my items to the checkout. I smiled at her and she glared back at me. Grump..Couldn't she see that this was a late night necessity for a pregnant woman like myself?

I arrived home to cheers and admiration as I showed the kids my treasures. I shared. Yes, I shared. But I did NOT share my chocolate. I ate 3 candies and the stuffiness came back. I ate one more and realized I was full again. I handed over the chocolate to my appreciative husband and felt unfulfilled. I wanted more but could eat no more. I called a friend, worked on the computer and stretched my stomach so that my discomfort would subside. It is now midnight and I'm feeling much better. And guess what? I'm hungry again......

God in Three Persons..Blessed Trinity

"The Triune nature of God is the principal mystery of the Catholic faith. With it, we come to the end of the journey of revelation which Jesus fulfilled through his Incarnation, Passion, Death and Resurrection. From the summit of the "holy mountain" which is Christ, we contemplate the first and last horizon of the universe and of history: the Love of God, the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.

"God is not solitude, but perfect communion. From God being communion derives the vocation of all humanity to form the one great family in which the various races and cultures meet one another and are reciprocally enriched (cf. Acts 17: 26)." JOHN PAUL II Solemnity of the Blessed Trinity Sunday, 15 June 2003

How are you feeling?

I've been getting more and more visually pregnant these days, and commonly get asked the above question. I regularly refer myself to a day to day pregnancy calendar that gives me an idea of what I may be feeling and how the baby is developing. Here was today's entry and pretty much gives you an idea of "How I'm feeling."

You may increasingly feel discomfort in the coming weeks - heartburn, lower back pain, shooting leg pain when your baby gets into position over your sciatic nerve, frequent trips to the bathroom, and trouble sleeping because there simply isn't a comfortable position that works. But rest assured your baby is definitely being well taken care of in there. She can hear your voice, see light and dark, and sense taste in the womb, and is developing her unique identity: over the past three weeks, the swirl of amniotic fluid has molded your baby's fingerprints and her fingers are starting to sense touch in the womb.

Yep! That sums it up all right!

Hoola Boola!

Tomorrow is my son Nick's birthday party. Nick has invited 7 or 8 friends to witness the "double digit" moment in his young life. But when was it that Nick moved from themed parties that have included: Star Wars, Army Men, Knights and Castles, dinosaurs and so on, to what he requested this year: A Luau Party.

Me: Nick, you want a Luau this year?

Nick: Yeah, that sounds great mom. Can I wear a grass skirt and coconut bra?

Me: Huh? You WANT to wear a coconut bra?

Nick: (laughing) Yeah, that would be cool!

OK. So indulgent mom here goes and gets the proper party supplies necessary to pull off a Luau party. Oh, we have totem poles, tiki torches, hula hoops, leis, and tons of food including Hawaiian Pizza! We will be playing games like: Pass the coconut, beach towel musical chairs, coconut tasting contest, hula dancing, and bowling for coconuts. (I may be "coconuts" after this party concludes!) But can I confide in you that my son is absolutely giddy about this party? He's been doing extra chores around the house, complimenting me on my beauty (ha!), thanking me over and over again for dinner. All of this for a Luau party? Man, kids surprise you sometimes.


You can be SURE I will post pictures of the event.

Some awesome kids...

From American Papist. Be sure to view their website below and see pictures of these outstanding Catholic young people.

Missionaries for a new sexual revolution bring message to Augusta: Real Love Rejects Abortion

AUGUSTA, Maine, Dissatisfied and disenchanted with the culture's glorification of abortion and no-strings-attached sex, 12 young adults have dedicated their summers to walking through the Northeast as "missionaries for a new sexual revolution."

"We will stand no longer for the culture of death advocated by those who promote casual sex and abortion," said spokesperson Jessica Newman. "Our generation needs to hear the message that real love rejects abortion."

She continued, "We are not rejecting the culture; we are going to untwist the lies thrown upon our generation and transform the culture."

Using the late Pope John Paul II's collection of revolutionary teachings known as the "Theology of the Body," the young adults from throughout the United States are sharing the good news about the true meaning of sex, along major highways and in Catholic parishes from Augusta, Maine, to Washington, D.C.

"True liberation did not come from the sexual revolution of our parents' generation," said Lacy Howard, a student at the University of Maryland. "True love must be total, faithful and fruitful, or it is not authentic. It is disheartening to see so many people buy into the lie that selfish relationships will lead to happiness and freedom. Instead, we are echoing the words of John Paul II, who said that only in a sincere gift of self can one discover himself."

Although their message is universal, the young adults, known as the Missionaries of the Eucharist, are also urging Catholics to look to the example of Jesus Christ who gives of himself in Holy Communion at every Mass.

For more information, please visit the organization's website,

www.MissionariesoftheEucharist.org.

A new website....

Check out the new and improved St. Thomas More website, my home parish where I worship and minister. Some of the channels are incomplete, but you'll get a picture of what we do and how we serve.

Soy Vey Very Teriyaki

A friend of mine had our book club over for dinner the other day and prepared salmon steaks covered in a teriyaki sauce. I'm telling you, it was the best meal I have had in months! She gave me the secret to her meal and it was definitely in the sauce!! I purchased a bottle of this "sauce of the gods" from Super Target(of all places!..you can find it in the specialty food isle) and simply poured it over my chicken tenders and sauted for a few minutes in my cookware. I'm telling you, everyone ate it. I prepared white rice, a green salad and strawberries as side dishes. Go out and get your own bottle and tell me what you think!!

Just a-swingin'

Sorry it has been so long since I've posted anything, but this weekend was "one of those" weekends that I dreaded mostly because it was packed with many cross conflicting activities that I knew would be cumbersome to get through. But thanks to a little help from our carpooling friends; we got through it. We are family hear us roar!!!! Oh, there were birthday parties, a band trip to Atlanta, an out of town basketball tournament, two cancelled baseball games (thank you, rain) an anniversary mass an hour away from home, a catechist pitch weekend where I needed to be present at most Sunday masses, and finally a Sunday afternoon picnic at a friends farm. Really though, I am thankful for the ability to accomplish many things and to be with my children for the things they enjoy. But to speak quite honestly and selfishly, I was mostly looking forward to going to my friends farm. It is a place to rest, put up your feet and relax. A place filled with hospitality, faith, humility and the simple things.

Maureen and David's family owns around 200 acres near our town. It is an oasis of peace...away from all the hustle and bustle of the town I live in. There are horses, goats, a large pond, paddle boats, a cozy farmhouse with a handsome porch to sip your mint julip ( southern style). She has rocking chairs, an outdoor fireplace to roast marshmallows, a trampoline for the kids, a tree house, four wonderful children and on and on. It's just a great place to be. We were gathered at her farm for two reasons: 1. To catch up with a family who had moved away last year and was back visiting and 2. To say farewell to a couple of our Diocesan seminarians who were off to Mexico to participate in a 6 week Spanish immersion experience. To celebrate these two things, Maureen and David prepared tacos, beans, and all kinds of complimentary side dishes. It was all very yummy!! We women sat on the front porch and talked, listened, laughed and even cried at some of the stories that were told yesterday. It all reminded me of my days as a young girl at my grandmother's house. Talking and eating.

After awhile, I decided to go and find my husband. He was on the other side of the house sitting on my favorite swing, under the trees, talking to some of the guys. I was glad to see a seat open next to him, and eagerly walked over and sat with him. The swing we were on was one of those two man, suspended porch swings with its own frame, that leans backward, with a high back. Very comfortable. Very relaxing. Chris and I have sat on that swing together many times. But I would be lying to you if I told you I never worried about the darn thing breaking out from under us. It is suspended after all. Now that I'm pregnant, you would think that I would have thought twice about sitting on it. But I didn't. You would think that after I heard the suspicious cracking noises coming from underneath the swing I would have gotten up, but I didn't. Instead I enjoyed my last moments on a swing that was about to swing its last swing. Yes, you guessed it. The darn thing collapsed under Chris and I. We fell a couple of feet to the ground backward and rested upright on our bottoms. HOW EMBARRASSING! Our sweet hosts ran over to help us up as well as others. I am totally fine and so is Chris...but our pride hurts a little though. I was concerned that the baby may have been hurt in the tumble, but was reassured after I felt his/her familiar movements in my tummy.

Even though we took that little spill, it was a spill amongst friends and family. I feel bad for my dear friends since they've lost a great swing that held many secrets and history. But we will always remember the day the swing decided to have its revenge! Boy I learned a good lesson! Whoops!

Parking and Preganacy

We had to go and find a birthday present for Nick this evening. I had a hard time finding a parking spot, so Jack offered this suggestion:

Jack: Mom, you can park in the handicapped parking spot.

Me: I can?

Jack: Yeah, 'cause you are pregnant and that means you are handicapped.

Me: (laughing) Oh. Gee Jack, thanks. But I don't think I qualify, although some days I think I could.