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