Of Mars & Venus

Yesterday, Stephen chased away the schooldays boredom with Nicholas and two of their best buddies. The boys from across the street brought aluminum foil. We just happened to have a box that once housed a new stove. As luck would have it, this week's Apologia science assignment asked the young learners to design a spacecraft for exploring Mars. And so they did.

Because it's  [still] "P" week, the girls made a plane and named it "Polly."

And, mission accomplished, the boys went back across the street to resume the curling competition.

Meanwhile, the feminine side of the family planned for the first night of Ladies' Figure Skating. It was Girls' Night at the Olympics. (For the record, there was an abundance of root beer and potato chips for the Canada-US Hockey game and much male macho to go with it.) This party was for the ladies, who have been waiting since the fall to see Rachael Flatt again.

Since it's [still] "P" week, there were Pink Princess Pretzels and

Pretty Pink and Purple Punch.

 

Perfect!

Texting for Lent

Did you  know that I got up at 5:00 this morning to send text messages to 105 people? Actually, I got up that early because Christian sent me a text from the basement telling me he was throwing up. Since I was up and texting anyway, I thought I'd just sit down and text a few friends:-).

I was actually sending out a Lenten reminder to subscribers. You can go to Faith and Family Live! and click on the calendar on the sidebar for some simple Small Steps for living Lent.  In addition, you can sign up to receive daily Lenten inspiration (limited to 112 characters) from Small Steps and Faith & Family by submitting your cell phone number in the widget in the left sidebar (on the homepage). You can also subscribe by texting FFLIVE to 41411. This service is free, but standard texting rates apply. You can unsubscribe any time by texting STOP to 41411. Go ahead! Sign up! And I'll text you tomorrow morning.

And so now we know...

...what those prayer intentions are.

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Prudential Decisions

I've received quite a few notes in the past few days asking me to explain how I choose resources.

First, I look to people I can ask in person. Because I was a classroom teacher before I had children, I have trusted friends (some from all the way back to my teenaged years in college) who share my passion for learning and children and God. They are invaluable resources. And then, I look to in-person parenting mentors. When considering a method or a book or a theory, it's very helpful to me to put it in context. How does that work in this person's home? How does it work in her marriage, with her children? What do I know about her life that will  recommend it to me? What are the fruits of this resource in her life or her children's? My children's godparents are particularly good resources in this regard and, as my children get older, and choose Confirmation sponsors for themselves, I am blessed again with wise and holy confidantes.

Then, I might look to catalogs and online resources. I do this with not a little trepidation. Even though I might "know" an online correspondent seemingly well, a particular resource that works in her home might not work in mine. There are so many unknown variables. And like every veteran homeschooler, I have made way too many purchases based upon the recommendations of good people that I've later regretted because they were not appropriate in my home.

If a matter is controversial, or it is not clear exactly what the Church teaches, as in the very first online controversy I witnessed (over baby feeding ways and times) or the most recent conversation, I take it to my husband and, together, we seek spiritual counsel, in person, from a priest. This is the way we have made all the prudential decisions in our marriage. And God has blessed those decisions abundantly.

It is interesting to note, that every single time I have brought a confusing online conflict to spiritual direction, I haven't even gotten the story out before the priest expresses dismay and concern about spending time online discussing what should be prudential decisions made in quiet, with prayer. They always have more concern for the conversation than for the controversial resource. And they always, always counsel against debating or defending prudential decisions. They note that is exceedingly difficult to have a conversation about prudential decisions without committing sins of pride and detraction.

When I began blogging, I opened my life to public scrutiny. I have to admit, I never imagined the scrutiny it has received.  But I did so then, and I do so now, with the full support of my husband and my spiritual director. I show you here and on Serendipity what I do in my home with the children God has entrusted to me. I show you because I do love the life I've been given and I hope that I can share God's goodness on these pages.

But I am not a spiritual director.

I can offer ideas along with the hundreds and hundreds of other ideas out there. Ultimately, the conversation and the prayer and the prudential decisions about my ideas or anyone else's must happen in the privacy of your homes, preferably with the counsel of a good priest.

Life is so short.We have so much to do to care for the souls he has put in our care.  In the sacrament of marriage, God gives us everything we need to make prudential decisions without wasting a precious moment.

Daybook: Quiet

Outside My Window::

::The big thaw has begun in earnest. There are still 8-10 inches of snow on the ground and it's becoming really ugly. But outside my back window, there is a single set of tiny little tracks where our sweet friend Isabel made her first journey since the blizzard, across our joined yards to my back steps. She wanted to visit the dollhouse. It's good to have her back with us! 

I am Listening to::

::nothing. We've been besieged with ear infections lately and I'm no exception. Last week was a blur of painful ears and fevers and all sorts of febrile shenanigans. Now, my left ear still has that weird cottony feeling. Since I only have one ear, that makes for some definite "quiet" in my life:-).

I am wearing ::

:: pajamas with roses on them. All the girls went to sleep last night with rose pajamas. Sometimes it is an exceedingly happy thing to find myself in this sorority.

I am Thankful For::

::wise friends who keep filling my inbox with nuggets from their Lenten readings. It is such a blessing to help each other along in quiet contemplation:

Doubtless the terrors of the Lord are often the beginning
of that wisdom, which we name conversion; but men must be frightened in a kind
way, or the fright will only make them unbelievers. Kindness has converted more
sinners than either zeal, eloquence, or learning; and these three last have never
converted anyone, unless they were kind also. In short, kindness makes us as Gods
to each other. Yet, while it lifts us so high, it sweetly keeps us low. For the continual
sense, which a kind heart has, of its own need of kindness, keeps it humble. There
are no hearts to which kindness is so indispensable, as those that are exuberantly
kind themselves. Frederick William Faber Spiritual Conferences

I am so certain God calls us all to kindness and quiet. And I am so grateful for all the ways in which the Church encourages and enables us to overcome our particular Lenten temptations.

I am Pondering:

::St. John of the Cross

"Wisdom enters through love, silence, and mortification. It is great wisdom to know how to be silent and to look at neither the remarks, nor the deeds, nor the lives of others."

This quote will define my Lent. And, of course, the St. Ephrem prayer is  back at the forefront for this holy time. Plenty to ask God's help with here:

O Lord and Master of my life! Take from me the spirit of sloth, faint-heartedness, lust of power, and idle talk.  But give rather the spirit of  chastity, humility, patience, and love to Thy servant. Yea, O Lord and King! Grant me to see my own errors and not to judge my brother; For Thou art blessed unto ages of ages. Amen

I am Reading:

::I have three different books that I'm eager to share with you here. I'm hopeful this week will present some pockets of time for that.

From the Kitchen::

::I made Carmie's cream of corn soup last night. Big hit! Perfect comfort food for a cold, raining, melting kind of night.

I am Thinking:

::about this post. Words are limiting in this world. Sometimes I feel as if we are gathered around the Tower of Babel. Lent is such a gift, because it does beg us to stop. talking. so. much.

I'm thinking about recent news, all in the past week:  about two of my husband's colleagues who face terminal cancer in their early forties, about Rod Dreher's sister, and about a very dear friend who's cancer news is not good at all. I'm a cancer survivor. It doesn't take a very big leap of imagination to know how my world would reel upon that news. I don't often let my mind go there. But Lent does ask us to think about our last days. How would we spend our time? Honestly, I think I would want to live St. Ephrem's prayer as well as humanly possible and then take to heart and live out Fr. Faber's counsel on kindness, focusing intensely on those dear souls in my own home.

So, that's what I'm thinking.

I am Creating::

::some plans for spring. As soon as the thermometer crept above 40 and that incessant melting drip noise began, my children starting talking about Bull Run and my husband starting talking about the beach. Both good ideas. We've got an advanced case of cabin fever here.

On my iPod::

:: This song. I'd never heard it or the artist until I saw it on Kim's blog. Very inspiring.

Towards a Real Education::

::We're buckling down and being productive. Patrick and Mary Beth are focused on their confirmation notebooks, due to be turned in early next month. Nicholas has taken a little rabbit trail to study birds. Stephen, who is a dutiful student and absolutely always completes each day's work just as planned, declared he is utterly bored. So, I'm going to try to enliven things for him a bit.  And the little girls are reluctant to leave "P" week--what with all that pink, and princesses, and paper dolls. They rather like being there.

Towards Rhythm and Beauty:

::The conversation about rhythm continues between the grown ups in my house. It is interrupted frequently by Olympic hockey games, basketball tournaments in far away towns, and makeup ballet lessons.

::To Live the Liturgy:

::have I mentioned how grateful I am for daily Mass?

::I am Hoping and Praying:

::for Colleen and for Elizabeth deHority. Some people don't get to choose their Lenten sacrifices.

In the Garden:

::the laurel took quite a hit under the weight of all the snow. I wonder how it will bounce back. I saw hydrangeas at Costco last week. I'm very tempted to give them a try...

Around the House:

::the floors are finished:-) Now, the great basement cleanout begins.

On Keeping Home:

::I find myself sweeping and vacuuming all the time. Fortunately, I like sweeping and vacuuming.

One of My Favorite Things:

::quiet mornings

Sarah Annie this week:

::she give kisses! Sometimes. If you're very lucky;-)

A Few Plans for the Rest of the Week:

::Christian's basketball team made it to the state final four, so we'll all travel to Winchester on Friday. The championship is on Saturday. I think I might miss it because everyone else has basketball here at home and Mary Beth has her confirmation retreat. 

A Picture Thought I'm sharing:

Mothers at home don't often finish something that stays finished.

This is finished.

Pretty cool.