February 2012 Archives

(Sorry, this was supposed to be up in the morn but with all the flood fiasco I didn't get to post it until late Monday.)

It was a little sad this morning not being able to share any Downton comments with you. Dawn over at By Sun and Candlelight was also feeling the void so she started Masterpiece Monday to discuss Sunday night's Masterpiece show. I love the idea and I was eager to join in but last night they all watched Charles Dickens' The Old Curiosity Shop but our local station was playing Upstairs, Downstairs. I guess it really didn't matter since I tried to watch The Old Curiosity Shop when it first aired but I just couldn't get into it. I thought it was a little boring. Maybe I just wasn't in the right mood.

The next show they are watching is South Riding. I saw it last year and it was decent but I'd have to rewatch it to remember it well enough to discuss. The only problem is that my local PBS station is fundraising for the next couple of weeks so I'll have to watch it online if I want to participate. Frankly, if I am going to watch Anna Maxwell Martin star in a show, I'd much rather watch her in Bleak House, which I looove. And now that I think about it...watching Gillian Anderson in Bleak House will get me prepped for watching Great Expectations on April 1, which also stars Gillian.

Yes, I think that's what I'll do. I looked at the calendar and I'll divide the episodes into two hour blocks

Sunday, March 4: Parts 1-2
Sunday, March 11: Parts 3-4
Sunday, March 18: Parts 5-6
Sunday, March 25: Parts 7-8

The following Mondays I'll post my thoughts and comments. If you'd like to join along and don't already have the DVD, you can watch it streaming on Netflix or Amazon Prime.

Here is a trailer for Bleak House, although it mostly focuses on Lady Deadlock and not any of my other favorite characters.

I think this will be a great preparation for the next Dicken's story from Masterpiece Theater, Great Expectations on April 1 & 8. Yay!

Watch Great Expectations Preview on PBS. See more from Masterpiece.

Then.... when we are done with that we have the premiere of Julian Fellowes' mini-series Titanic starting on Saturday, April 14 .

This blog's TV Talk Mondays will be jumping this spring! I can't wait!

Hosted by Jen at Conversion Diary.(Welcome back, Jen!)

When It Rains It Pours - Yesterday was a crazy day with everything happening at once! First, as you may have seen in this week's {pretty, happy, funny, real}, we had a problem with the drainage of our washing machine. The water flooded the laundry room and poured out onto the carpet. On a "normal" day I would be in the kitchen and could see/hear if something was amiss in the laundry room but Matthew just happened to have (excuse the TMI) an explosive diaper and it was so bad he had to be put in the bath tub immediately. So while I was busy in the back of the house taking care of that, the flooding happened. Luckily Brian came home soon after and between the two of us we were able to fix the drained clog and clean up all the water but the carpets were still sloshy.

Plug Your Nose - Yesterday I woke up and as I walked down the hallway I was met with a horrendous stench - it was the smell of "wet rags" but multiplied since that whole section of carpet that was waterlogged. We called the guys who have worked on our carpets before and they just happened to be in our area and came over within an hour. They pulled up the carpet and inspected the damage. We have to replace the carpet padding but thankfully the floorboards weren't damaged and the carpet doesn't need to be replaced. We have to keep the blowers running over the weekend, which will be interesting with little kids in the house. On Monday they'll be back to clean the carpets and get the smell out. I hope it works because right now it stinks to high heaven in here. Ew.

What? - Yesterday, I also had to take John-Paul to get his hearing tested, a normal procedure when you start speech therapy. It turns out that he is having trouble hearing from his right ear. There is fluid in his ear and they are not sure if it is because he's been nursing a cold for a couple weeks or if it has been there for awhile. I have to go back in a month for him to take another test. If the fluid has drained then it was most likely from his cold. If the fluid is still there then they'll have to insert tiny tubes to help it drain out. It could also be part of the reason he is not speaking well. He may be having trouble hearing correctly. Either way, we just have to wait and see what happens at the next test.

Patience, Please - There were a number of other mishaps to happen yesterday but it would take too much time to explain now. Suffice to say that I am glad it is Lent because every time I was about to lose it and go postal get slightly perturbed I turned my mind to Christ and begged for his grace. It was a good lesson for me to have a better attitude while carrying these little crosses.

More Lent Ideas - Speaking of Lent, my sister EL had some fabulous Lenten projects and ideas. I especially love the Lent wreath she made. If you need a little inspiration, go over there and check it out Lent Crafts for 2012 and Portable Outdoor Stations of the Cross.

The Martha Stewart of Party Planning- And speaking of my sister EL and great ideas, she also posted about my nephew's Thomas the Train birthday party. I did a Thomas party once for Bella when she going through her Thomas phase but it was not nearly as cute as this one. So if you are thinking of a Thomas party, then visit Thomas the Train Party for some great ideas.

I Heart Magazines - Lastly, I was so bummed when Faith and Family stopped publishing their magazine and I was unconvinced that Catholic Digest would be just as good. This week I received the new Catholic Digest and I'm happy to say that I looove it! I haven't finished reading it yet but what I have seen so far is great! There are articles from some of my favorite Catholic women - Hallie Lord, Danielle Bean, Simcha Fisher, Rachel Balducci, Lisa Hendey, Kate Wicker, Daria Sockey and many more. Brian was a little bummed because he said it was a women's magazine, even though I told him there were some articles for men. I don't think he was convinced but in the meantime I'll be enjoying it. If you haven't subscribed yet, you can do so here. (By the way, Mom, if you aren't already subscribed I'm sending you and the fam a gift sub. :-)

That's it for today. Have a wonderful weekend!!

I am a day late posting this but it was an insane day yesterday and I never had time to post this. Better late than never. :-)

I think it is funny that these pair of pajamas have lasted long enough to survive all three boys and their mischief.

I hope you enjoyed my week in photos.

Happy Ash Wednesday! Or as it is more commonly known out in public - Happy "hey, you've got some dirt on your forehead" day. ;-) Hopefully most of you decided long ago what you are going to give up or what you are going to do. If you are a procrastinator like myself, then you are still debating what you should do this lent.

If you need some inspiration, Danielle Bean has always had great ideas about what to do for Lent! Two years ago I did the 40 Bags in 40 Days as she suggested. This year she posted 40 Ways for 40 Days. The ideas are excellent covering the areas of prayer, fasting and alms giving. You could surely find something perfect for you. You could even print off her list and cut out each suggestion. Place in a jar and pick one out to work on that day or that week. It could make it a little fun, especially if the kids are involved in picking!

For our kids we are doing the Holy Heroes Lenten Adventure. We purchased the Lenten Adventure Activity Book Set for the kids.

For the younger boys who can't do the older puzzle pages, we purchased the Life of Christ Complete Coloring Pack to help them learn the all the mysteries of the rosary.

You can also sign up for the free Lenten Adventure emails that sends you activities to do with your kids during Lent.

For me personally, during this Lent I want to work on my time management - lessen my time spend on frivolity (hello, Pinterest, Facebook, Twitter, Downton Abbey websites...) and spend more time praying, reading Scripture/spiritual books and teaching my kids about the faith.

I don't want to cut these "frivolous" things out completely because frankly, it's a part of my life and I might as well learn how to moderate it. It reminds me of being on a diet. You can starve yourself and lost 10 pounds but eventually you are going to have to learn how to eat moderately and in a healthy manner. So that is my goal. Learn how to spend my time in a spiritually healthy manner. This can still seem a bit vague so each day during my morning prayer I make one or two mini-goals - a concrete act I can do to get me closer to the big picture.

How about you? What are you doing this Lent? Feel free to share and have a blessed Ash Wednesday!

Note: This post is just for fun. If it does not seem proper for a Catholic blog, then skip this post.

Today is Fat Tuesday, where we get to indulge a little before the beginning of Lent but instead of drinking and wearing beads I'm indulging in my last bit of Downton fun for awhile!

Here is a video clip of an interview from the Jonathon Ross show that the Crawley sisters (Jessica Brown Findlay, Laura Carmichael, Michelle Dockery) did December of last year before the Christmas Special aired in the UK. (Caution: Some of Ross' comments are a bit vulgar but I had to laugh at the Carson album.)

I loved seeing the various actors from Downton Abbey in their modern garb, especially these two photos from The Clicker. Some of the downstairs characters are almost unrecognizable! Who knew O'Brien was so caliente!

Laura Carmichael (Lady Edith), Phyllis Logan (Mrs. Hughes), Michelle Dockery (Lady Mary), Lesley Nicol (Mrs. Patmore), Sophie McShera (Daisy) and Jessica Brown Findlay (Lady Sybil).

Joanne Froggatt (Anna), Dan Stevens (Matthew), Elizabeth McGovern (Lady Grantham), Michelle Dockery (Lady Mary) Hugh Bonneville (Lord Grantham) and Executive Producer Gareth Neame.

Now, if you want to keep your image of the Downton girls as they were on the show, then only look at this photo from Dailymail.co.uk and DO NOT scroll down to the ladies looking the opposite of modest and proper for the cover of Marie Clare.

Carson and Mrs. Hughes are not going to be pleased with such wild abandonment to proper decorum!!

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Clare Calbraith (Jane), Amy Nuttall (Ethel), Jessica Brown-Findlay (Sybil), Laura Carmichael (Edith), Zoe Boyle (Lavinia), Joanne Froggatt (Anna), Michelle Dockery (Mary) and Sophie McShera (Daisy).

That's it for now. Have an extra piece of chocolate before Ash Wednesday tomorrow!

Six years ago Bella went to a local Catholic preschool. I loved the fact that it was small, family oriented and shared the love of the Catholic faith with the children. Bella is in 4th grade now but Andrew started his first year at the same preschool. I don't know if I've shared this on the blog before but we were worried about Andrew because he had a serious speech delay. At the age of 3 he was speaking like a 2 year old who is just beginning to talk. Now at 4 years old he speaks much better but he is still going to speech therapy to help with pronunciation and clarity, especially with some of the more difficult consonant blends. When Andrew started school in September he was often quiet in class. Foremost because he was shy but I think he was also a little uncomfortable not being able to speak as clearly as the other children. Slowly, he came out of his shell and is speaking more in class and with his friends.

I've been busy lately with the spring fundraiser for Andrew's preschool. Last week, I had to attend a meeting at the preschool in the morning. At the end of the meeting, Andrew was playing outside having recess with his class and I watched him without him knowing. He was riding a tricycle with some of his friends, talking and laughing with them. He was happy and the same playful little boy I see at home. I was pleased to see that he was now comfortable at his school and with his friends. I am also grateful to his two teachers who have met with his speech therapist so they could better help him in the day to day learning of class. It brought peace to my heart to see him happy and doing well.

Unfortunately, this road has to be traveled a second time. John-Paul is showing the same speech problems at the age of two and we recently started him with speech therapy as well. As I mentioned, I had to attend that meeting at Andrew's preschool and I was a little concerned because I'd have Matthew and John-Paul with me. I knew Matthew would be okay but I wasn't sure what to do with JP. The principle offered to let JP visit the 2 year old room until I was done with my meeting.

I was happy for the opportunity because although we usually don't put the kids in preschool until they are 4 years old, I was feeling like I needed to put JP in next year at the age of 3. He doesn't have the same personality as Bella and Andrew. They were/are more sensitive and have a tendency towards timidity and they were more than happy to spend their time at home with me. JP is more adventurous and independent and he is not afraid to be around other people. I could see him benefiting from going to school sooner. At least this would give me the chance to see how he reacted in a classroom setting.

That morning when I took John Paul to the classroom they were starting circle time and I worried that my rambunctious boy would not sit still. He was a little nervous and clingy at first, but he soon became interested in the activity and had no problem letting me go. I went to my meeting and over an hour later returned to JP's class and watched him unnoticed. (I secretly love to spy. ;-) He was doing great and babbling away. I felt very at peace seeing him there. And I knew he loved it because he was so upset that he had to leave early.

I have been praying about what I should do with him in regards to school and his therapy and everything finally seems to be falling into place. I talked to the Brian, to the principle, to his speech therapist and prayed about it and I think Brian and I are going to try and put him in the preschool this March three times a week for a few hours. I never imagined having my two year old in school, but then again, when Brian and I got married we never imagined doing anything but homeschooling. We may still be homeschooling in the future but for now, this is where we feel God is calling us.

It is very difficult, and a little foolish, to get my mind set on one fixed way of doing things in regards to our family life. Circumstances change. Situations come up. Children have their own unique needs. As I grow older, and hopefully wiser, as the years go by I have to adjust my plans accordingly. There are some things that remain fixed - we will always try to love and serve God above all else - but the means of attaining that can change. I think the most important thing for me is to continue to learn to quiet myself down so I am able to hear the Holy Spirit whispering to my heart and then I have to have courage and trust in God's grace that I can follow through on whatever he is asking of me. These are things that don't come easily but I think Lent is a perfect time for me to put it into practice!

Please say a prayer for me, Brian and the kids that God continues to guide us on the best road for our family. Thanks!

With the holiday weekend, I feel like today is Monday and that I am not late with this post. So I'll just keep thinking that and not feel bad for the tardiness. ;-) I can't believe Downton Abbey is over! What am I going to post on Monday mornings now? Sigh.

The highlight of the entire show was Mary and Matthew finally getting together at the end. Originally I predicted that the good news would be that Bates was released and the cliffhanger would be whether or not Mary actually marries Sir Richard. Well, it turned out to be the other way around.

Anna & Bates - Anna and Bates' story was the major cliffhanger. The two most heart wrenching and tear-inducing scenes were, first, when Bates was sitting alone in his cell, holding a photo of Anna and sobbing. The second was when he was declared guilty and Anna cried out. (Anna is an amazing actress!) I still don't know whether or not Vera Bates killed herself and framed it to look like Bates (Gene Tierney style) or whether Sir Richard had a hand in her death. I guess we'll have to wait and see!

There seemed to be a lot of character development and maturity in this episode.

Daisy - Daisy has really grown over this episode. I love that she finally connected with William's father and found someone to love her as a daughter. And I loved that he took her under his wing and gave her fatherly advice. Thankfully, she took his advice and had a mature conversation with Mrs. Patmore and bettered her station in life.

O'Brien - O'Brien seems to be coming around and I like her more and more. I was happy that she took no pleasure in playing a role in Mr. Bates verdict. I love that she called out Thomas for his callousness in regards to Bates ruin. We can only see if her slow conversion will continue or if she'll go back to plotting with Thomas. (I don't think Thomas will ever reform. We may understand his behavior better but I think he is just too good at being bad for the writers to change him.)

Lord Grantham - Lord Grantham may not be completely off the hook for his exploits with Jane but he is redeeming himself in my eyes. I am so glad that the secret of Mr. Pamuk is finally out in the open and I love the way he handled Mary in the situation. I think his indiscretions with Jane actually served to soften his heart and be more forgiving of the weakness of human nature. I loved that he did not care about the scandal that would come to Downton. He was more concerned that Mary not commit herself to a man she neither loved nor even liked. I also enjoyed the scene where he and Cora were speaking of Sybil and he kissed Cora, looked at her a moment, smiled and kissed her again. It was as if that loving spark he and Cora shared in Season 1 was being found once again.

My only wonder is how Lord Grantham would be fine with Mary running off and marrying an American cowboy but he still was upset over Sybil marrying a chauffeur. It will be interesting to see if Sybil and Branson do return to Downton with their new baby. I'm sure Branson will feel awkward being waited on by his old friends. I also wonder if the upcoming Catholic storyline will have to do with the folks in Ireland.

Edith - Will I ever be able to type Edith's name without "Poor Edith" automatically coming out. I want that girl to find some happiness! She has paid for her past sins and she truly has a loving heart. When will she find a proper suitor? Will it be Anthony Stallan? Will the Patrick return? Will she decide to join the convent? Who knows.

Mrs. Crawley - I was so glad to see that the "tenacious but lovable" Mrs. Crawley was back and not the "new & annoying" Mrs. Crawley. She was the voice of reason to Matthew as he continued to brood and stubbornly refuse to let himself love Mary, which leads us to the final and best story of the night.

Matthew & Mary - You could feel the tension building as Sir Richard was ready to explode every time he saw Matthew. It is no wonder that it finally came to blows. I don't know which was more enjoyable, seeing them duke it out or hearing Granny's best line of the night when Sir Richard said he wouldn't see her again, "Do you promise?" She was in rare form tonight!!

I am so glad they did not make us wait until Season 3 to see Mary and Matthew finally get together. Especially since Matthew was starting to get on my nerves with his "we don't deserve to be happy" melancholia. Come on, Matthew! It is time to turn off The Smith's soundtrack (as much as I love them) and play New Order's True Faith. (What I am listening to right now. Yes, I am a child of the 80's.)

I don't think I appreciated the final touching scene with Matthew and Mary the first time around. (It was sort of hard to get into the mood while trying to get a crying, cranky baby to sleep) but last night I rewatched it while the rest of the house was asleep. I was touched by the tenderness, even though my mind kept thinking, "What in the world is Mary doing outside without a shawl or a jacket? And why isn't Matthew offering his jacket to her? I know I'm inexperienced with snow since I live in Cali but isn't snow supposed to be cold??"

However, I finally pushed those thoughts out of my mind and enjoyed the scene. My favorite part was when Mary told Matthew he would have to propose properly, down on one knee etc. I love that look he gave her. I see it often in Brian when he looks at me. It says, "Sometimes you drive me crazy, girl, yet I can't seem to live without you and as ridiculous as this request is, I am going to do it anyway because I love you..." Swoon. Okay, maybe I was reading too much into it but that's what screamed out to me. ;-)

Okay, my computer time is up for the morning so I'll stop here. I leave you with a little tidbit of news from AceShowbiz.com about the upcoming Season 3.

"Downton Abbey" has just wrapped its second season in the U.S., but talks about the upcoming chapter have been brewing. In a recent PBS chat session, Brendan Coyle confirmed what people might have predicted of his character after seeing the second season finale as saying, "He [John Bates] begins series three in prison."

While he refused to reveal more details of Mr. Bates' future, the BAFTA Award nominee was willing to share other tidbits from the upcoming season. "There is a wedding...or two?" he teased before adding, "Shirley MacLaine is amongst us....the scripts are superb...stick with us."

Talking further about the addition of MacLaine to the cast ensemble to play Lady Grantham's mother, Coyle gushed, "This casting is ingenious...she is much loved here, her scenes are brilliant and I can assure you she will be a dazzling addition to Downton Abbey."

The upcoming third season of "Downton Abbey" will be set in the 1920s. This era will affect the the characters, in fashion, entertainment, travel, work as well as society. According to The Hollywood Reporter, fans can expect to see slim low-waisted flapper silhouette as corsets are no longer trending. The ladies will additionally style their hair in bobs and flapper spit curls.

In entertainment, the characters may enjoy cocktails which at that moment make their debut in London's first night clubs. Ragtime jazz will play in dance halls, as the characters will dance the Black Bottom, the Shimmy and the Charleston. Two new inventions, gramophone and the crystal radio, will add pleasure in their lives.

In language, the characters will be using new slang and phrases such as "bee's knees" (the ultimate compliment), "cat's meow" (another top compliment), and "giggle water" (alcohol). In society, women will enter workplace as they are not only limited to domestic duties.

"Downton Abbey" season 3 will begin filming this spring and will premiere in U.K. in September. It, however, will not air on PBS until early 2013.

Let the countdown begin, my friends!

UPDATE: I also posted this today: A Bit of Downton Fun.

Since Brian and the kids are home for the President's Day holiday we'll be spending some family time together. That means my Downton Abbey comments will be delayed. I can't believe it is over! We need to find another show to watch and discuss together! Anyway, I'll be back later. :-)

(Usually hosted by Jen at Conversion Diary.) This week hosted by Hailey at Betty Beguiles.com.

Until Next Year, Dear Downton - It's been a busy week and these Quick Takes will be perfect to catch you up. For Valentine's Day Brian got me the Downton Abbey Season 2 Blu-ray. We were so excited to finish the series. It was a Valentine treat! I won't tell you what happens but if you don't want even a hint then please skip to the next Quick Take. This episode wasn't as emotional as others have been but there were two moments when I reached for a hankie - one was sad tears and one was happy tears. Brian thought this episode was a little anti-climatic but I think that was because one major storyline was resolved but a number of other storylines were not. After all, Season 3 needs drama too. The one thing I did not enjoy was the various Ouija board scenes. We could have done without that. But all in all it was a great season and I can't wait for season 3!

That's Amore - Speaking of Valentines, I was looking through a box of mementos looking for an old cassette tape of Dean Martin's greatest hits. (Yes, I am so old I can remember when we used to have ghetto blasters and Walkmans!) I wanted to find it because when Brian and I were married for our honeymoon we went on a road trip to Northern California and we played that tape over and over again. (There are a number of greatest hits CD's but none of them had the exact songs from that cassette.) Whenever I hear Return to Me or You Belong to Me or Memories Are Made of These I can't help but think of our courtship, our long distance relationship, our honeymoon etc. (Music can be powerful like that - transporting you to the places that your memories hold!) I know he loved that tape and I wanted to find the list of songs from it so I could download them for him. I burned a CD that he could listen to in his car or download into his iPod. He was so touched and excited. :-)

Love "Letters" - I also found in my treasure box a collection of love letters - the traditional hand written ones but also old blank cassettes that were "letter tapes" that Brian and I made when we were dating. We lived 400 miles from each other and we tried a number of things to bring us closer. We each had small tape recorders and we'd leave them in our cars. Whenever we were in the car (at the time I was commuting to San Diego a few days a week) we'd turn the recorder on and just chat about how our day was going, what was on our mind etc. I found my old recorder and started listening to one of the tapes. It was recorded shortly after we made it "official" that we were in love and were thinking about marriage in the future. It was funny to hear him talk about a possible job opening at Pebble Beach. (He had just left the seminary before we met and was doing various temp work. He got his current job at PB two weeks before we were married. Talk about trusting in God to provide!) He shared about his hopes for the future and how much he loved me. It brought tears to my eyes because he has kept his promise to love me and take care of me and our future children. He has been a better husband and best friend than I could have ever imagined. I think now I'll go back and listen to one of my letter tapes that I recorded and remind myself of the promises I made to him to be a good wife and mother to his children. :-)

Free Kindle Giveaway -I know that many of us in this Catholic blogging mom community are eagerly awaiting the release of Hailey Lord's (beloved blogging mom, fashionista and this week's QT host) new book Style, Sex, and Substance: 10 Catholic Women Consider the Things that Really Matter. If that wasn't exciting enough, if you preorder your book you can enter to win a new Kindle Touch. Fun! Just place your order and then head to Betty Beguiles.com to enter. I'll be ordering and entering as soon as I'm done with this post!

Pampered Chef Online Party - My sister-in-law Maria is hosting a Pampered Chef online party. I found out about Pampered Chef a few years back through a friend. I bought a few products and still love using them today. So if you are looking for some kitchen items, please feel free to browse Maria's Pampered Chef page. (Orders due 2/26.) These are some of my favorite products.

Sick of Spam - You may have noticed that a week or two ago I switched the comment box to allow people to comment without having to sign in. It did allow for people to comment more often but it also allowed the spambots to easily post spam comments. Normally it's not too bad and I just delete them at the end of the day but the other night my inbox was filling up like crazy. It downloaded over a hundred spams in minutes and they kept coming. I had to turn the comment box to requiring you sign in first. Sorry about the inconvenience. By the way, why do they call it spam? Is it because they both are poor substitutes for the real thing?

That's it for today. I was going to post about the boys speech therapy and preschool decisions but it became too long for a quick take so I'll post about it later today if time allows.

Have a wonderful weekend!!

Happy St. Valentine's Day! Lots of love to all my family and friends (and anyone else who may be be hanging around the blog.) Thanks for listening to me and giving me a chance to step away from the business of life and have a little creative fun online. :-)

Since it is Valentine's I am giving you a treat. You can choose which of these Valentine's you prefer. If none of them are of any interest to you then you probably clicked on this blog by mistake. My apologies. Google is to your left.

Have fun!

I give to you a synopsis of St. Valentine's life from UCatholic.com.

St. Valentine was a holy priest in Rome, who, with St. Marius and his family, assisted the martyrs in the persecution under Claudius II. Since he was caught marrying Christian couples and aiding any Christians who were being persecuted under Emperor Claudius in Rome [when helping them was considered a crime], Valentinus was arrested and imprisoned. (Continue reading at UCatholic.com...)

I give to you a Valentine Abbey. You can find more at Chad-thomas.com. So funny!

I give to you a post from my newest favorite Catholic Mom blogger Cari over at Clan Donaldson.

Tales from the Kid Ghetto

If you have children, you know what the kid ghetto is. You've been there. Whether you wanted to or no, you've been there.

The kid ghetto is where you're seated at the restaurant when you show up with people requiring booster seats or high chairs.

The basement you find yourself in during family reunions, where your senile great uncle and four nameless adolescent cousins are the only other people hanging out? That's the kid ghetto.

Trip to the mall? The kid ghetto there is that shockingly unsanitary play area you swear you'll never go to, but one day you push your luck one store too many and that's where you end up.

Even church has one. Oh yes, a place as welcoming and forgiving as the church has its own kid ghetto. It's the last five or six rows- the pews aaaaaaalllllll the way at the back of the church, where you're in the liturgical catch-22 of children who can't see what's going on and get restless, but aren't yet behaved enough to be trusted closer to the altar.

You know you're there when all the missals are missing covers and the smell of Desitin and apple juice hover perpetually in the air.

That's where we were today for Mass. Normally, I avoid the kid ghetto, and try to sneak my way into the no-man's land of the middle pews, but since we had to attend the 5:00 p.m. Mass, we knew we had five potential time bombs on our hands. Hunger, fatigue, and an hour of having to stay in the same 3 foot area are not a good mix if you're a kid. (Continue reading at Clan Donaldson...)

Oh, my gosh. What an episode. It was emotionally draining. I don't know where to start to make a coherent paragraph. But I know my mom will be checking the blog this morning to see what I thought. For now I will simply post the Twitter-like comments I made while I was watching the show. They pretty much cover what I thought as it was happening. If I have time later I'll make longer comments. Feel free to share your own thought too!

Okay, the ride begins!

I love the Downton Abbey theme song. Do you know you can buy the soundtrack?

Are they making Cora annoying so we'll be sympathetic to Lord Grantham's attraction to Jane?

How come every time Lord Grantham is alone Jane immediately shows up? It's ridiculous.

Sir Richard has arrived. Boo.

Thomas is working in the black market. That suits him.

Sir Richard wants Anna to be a spy? I don't think so!

Lord Grantham feels worthless. You need a cause or a hobby. #idlehands #devilsplayground

I totally had to google "Theda Bara." #carsonhumor

Carson turns Lady Mary down and her surliness comes out again.

Lord Grantham! Kissing Jane! Nooooooo! I may have seen it coming but I'm still disgusted with him.

It's a miracle. Matthew walks.

Dr Clarkson, what kind of explanation is that? #stupid

Oh boy. The writing is on the wall. Bates unknowingly bought the poison. Bates will be arrested.

Does Lavinia only wear green?

Poor Mary. She not only has to bear Matthew marrying someone else, it will take place in her home.

Lady Sybil has chosen Branson. Not sure how this will work out.

But it is nice to see Branson humbled and touched by Sybil's declaration of love. He's usually too proud.

The chasm between Lord Grantham and Cora widens. I don't like this.

Despite my feelings against Thomas that pinstripe suit and red tie looks very smart.

Cheeky Ethel eliminates the middleman. She's heading straight for the dining hall.

Well now we know where Major Bryant got his charming disposition. He's just like his father. #paininthearse

Mary is certainly stuck with her choice... And it's bringing out the worst in her.

Matthew you are a true man of honor for sticking with Lavinia but I still want you with Mary.

They are clapping for Matthew when he stands and walks. We have been doing the same with our little Matthew.

Vera wrote a letter implicating Bates. Her vile ways are reaching out beyond the grave.

Sybil on her way to Gretna Green. I'm getting flashbacks of Lydia and Wickham.

Gretna Green must have been their version of Las Vegas.

Good thing Edith knows how to drive.

Thank God they stopped Sybil from doing something she'd regret. Branson still does not sit well with me.

Oh no. Lord Grantham is alone again. Cue Jane. She should slip in any minute. Yep, there she is. Sickening.

Carson's Spidey senses are tingling. He knows something's up.

Talk about karma. Thomas finally gets a taste of someone being rotten to him.

Mrs. Crawley, don't dare through out Matthew's toy dog. But Lavinia is getting suspicious.

Thomas has been taken for the fool he is. Somehow this revenge doesn't taste sweet. I feel a little sorry for him. (It shouldn't last long.)

Lavinia, no one is rooting for you but I still like you very much.

Don't worry about upsetting Granny, Sybil. She's one tough cookie.

Lord Grantham is mad at Branson for "seducing his daughter." What about you messing around with the chamber maid? You, hypocrite, I'm still mad at you.

The Bryants want to see Ethel and Baby Charlie? How much you want to bet they want to keep the baby and throw Ethel away?

Branson says, "I have no shame. I have great pride in the love of that young woman and I will strive to be worthy of it." That's the best thing I've heard out of his mouth so far.

Poor Edith. You've paid for your past bad behavior. Now you need love and a purpose. I'm rooting for you.

I'm with Cora being "American."

Thomas is being nice? "It's wonderful what fear can do to the human spirit." Touché, Mrs Patmore!

Good grief, you'd think they'd all have hangovers after every fancy dinner. #gotwine?

Oh boy, the illness begins. Who will succumb??

Brave Anna. Claim your man!

Best line so far - Granny, "...wasn't there a masked ball in Paris when cholera broke out. Half the guests were dead before they left the ball room." Lord Grantham, "Thank you mama. That's cheered us up no end."

Cinnamon and milk for Spanish flu? Who knew?

Matthew and Mary are having their dance. "Can you manage without your stick?" "You are my stick." Corny, yet I still swoon.

Oh Matthew and Mary, you're killing me. Shall you kiss? And there it is.

Oh, yes. Lavinia. Back to reality.

Molesley is merely drunk. Lol. Classic.

Oh no. Lord Grantham is in a robe. He is standing in front of a bedroom. Jane wants to help. Not good. Don't you dare go there. Oh my God, I'm going to be sick.

Lord Grantham, I'm hating you right now.

Brian is scolding Lord Grantham saying, "Push her away. Get out of there. Stop it!" That's my man. You remember that!

It's not fair to Jane?? What about your dying wife? Oh how I want to smack you right now. Ugh!

Lord Grantham is trying to reason with Branson. Every word coming out of his mouth is turning my stomach. I can't look at him.

Lord Grantham asks if Jane is sick. Now Mrs. Hughes Spidey senses are tingling.

O'Brien is making up for past sins. It's strange to see her kind.

Finally a bit of good news. Anna and Bates wedding date is set. But will they ever make it??

Ah, yes. Mr Sunshine is there to steal his grandson Charlie. The one he affectionately calls the "housemaid's bastard."

I think Mr. Bryant needs to go visit the sick rooms. Maybe we'll get lucky and he'll get the flu next. #tryingnottoswear

This episode is just making me angry. I'm so disappointed in some characters.

The anger is melting. Lavinia is making me cry. "I'm a little person, an ordinary person..." she actually has much strength.

And the moment is spoiled with the presence of Sir Richard. Send him to the sick rooms with Mr. Bryant.

Oh my goodness. Will Cora die??

Thomas is still being nice?? What's his angle?

Is he gunning for Mr. Carson's job. Now that's the Thomas we know.

It's Lavinia and not Mama? She is dying to set Matthew free. Her last act of kindness and sacrificial love. I rooted for you until the end, Lavinia. Rest in peace.

Here come the tears. I'm an emotional wreck. Blast you, Downton Abbey.

Lord Grantham is holding Cora's hand but is he wishing it was Jane's? He does not look remorseful. #gag

Ethel keeps her baby. I don't want him to be poor but I don't want him living with Mr. Bryant either.

Anna and Bates. Will they get through the vows? I keep imagining the police breaking in and stopping the ceremony Jane Eyre style.

Oh God. Must I suffer another scene with Lord Grantham and Jane. How much more can we take?

A last kiss? Does no one worry about being caught in that house? I can imagine Thomas lurking in the shadows securing himself ammunition for the next blackmail. I guess not.

Sigh. I guess I can be happy Lord Grantham sent Jane away before he went to the point of no return. But my view of him is forever scarred.

Wow, Anna. A honeymoon suite! That's how I felt at Pebble Beach.

Yes, Jane. It is for the best. Keep on walking. #homewrecker

Aw, Bates and Anna. But after seeing everyone so covered up its weird seeing them undressed. And that's some white skin. #getsomesun

At least William's father gets some comfort. Keep your mouth shut, sweet Daisy.

Matthew, your grief is not allowing you to think straight. You are not cursed. But Lavinia may come back to haunt you if you do not find happiness. It was her deathbed wish.

(And you are looking a little goth in your black clothing and ultra pale skin.)

Sir Richard comes to take Mary away. If she stays with him she will revert to her old selfish and haughty ways. We get a glimpse of it whoever she is with him.

Only Matthew brings out the best in Mary.

I'm glad Lord Grantham relents and doesn't cut ties with Sybil. I pray she has a happy life with Branson.

Granny is going to spin the news and turn Branson into a desirable son-in-law. Love her.

The other shoe has finally dropped. Bares is arrested.

Anna standing there alone. Trying to be brave. Her chin is quivering...

(She too is ultra pale. Is everyone turning vampire-like?)

What a show! I can't believe there is only one episode left.

At least I don't have to wait until Sunday. My blu-ray will be playing tonight. ;-)

Well, that's it for now. As I read over this a few things come to mind and perhaps I'll get a chance to expand on it later. The marriage of Lord Grantham and Cora makes me think of how they drifted apart. How he felt useless and gave into temptation. How no one is immune to falling and it takes work to keep a marriage going properly. Second, as much as I think Vera would kill herself to ensure Bates was blamed and put to death for it, I can't help but think Sir Richard is behind all this. Third, I hope this Mary and Mathew drama is not dragged on into Season 3. It may be good for the show but it's bad for my nerves. Okay, dishes are calling so I better get to work.

Feel free to leave your comments or join the discussion at By Sun and Candlelight's Downtown Discussion.

Hosted by Jen at Conversion Diary.

Walking Zombie - It's Friday morning and I have my little block of morning time to use the computer and write my Quick Takes post but I am feeling like a zombie right now. Matthew went to bed sort of early last night (8 PM) and he decided to wake up at 2 AM ready for playtime. I couldn't get him to quietly go back to sleep so I brought him to the family room before he woke up everyone else. We watched random TV for over an hour. I finally got back to sleep around 4 AM and the 6:30 AM alarm came way too soon. So my mind is in a fog and if I don't make a lot of sense, forgive me.

Golf & God's Creation - This weekend is the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro Am Golf Tournament so the Monterey Peninsula will be super busy. That means only one thing for us - we'll most likely not leave our house except to go to Mass. Lol. Well, we may not be that extreme but we'd rather wait for the crowds to die down. I am glad that we supposed to have nice weather because I always want the people visiting here to enjoy the beauty of God's creation. Not that you can't do that when it is cold and foggy but some of the scenery here is simply breathtaking at that sunny blue sky is the icing on the cake.

Peace be with you, Mr. James - Brian said that people were buzzing at Pebble Beach because they like to get a glimpse at the stars that come out to play the tournament. The closest I've come to seeing a star here was a couple years back when Kevin James sat in front of me at Mass. I remember how he came in a little late and there was an open seat in the pew in front of me. There was a couple sitting at the end of the pew and I don' know if they were oblivious or just rude because he tried to slip in quietly passed them but they didn't lift up the kneeler to make it easier for him. The poor guy stumbled and tried to work his way to his seat (he's not exactly a tiny guy) and finally made it. I had a hard time concentrating at Mass because all I kept thinking about was him in that movie Mall Cop. During the sign of peace I wanted to say, "Peace be with you, Mr. James. Oh and by the way, I think you are such a funny comedic actor..." but I refrained. (He's lucky I didn't have my iphone then or I would have snapped a photo of him and posted it on the blog. ;-) Hmm...is that why my mom sometimes calls me "Bobbi aka TMZ?") Anyway, I will say that I couldn't help but notice that after receiving Communion that he knelt down and closed his eyes and looked really deep in prayer. I did the same and said a little prayer for him as well.

Dogs vs. Babies - It's funny but someone reading this may be thinking that I am so lucky because I live in a gorgeous town with celebrities eager to play golf where Brian works, etc. Yes, I am extremely blessed but there are also crosses in living here. I think the biggest cross is living in a town that bends over backwards to pamper your pooch (doggy spa anyone?) but will give you dirty looks because you dare have more than your 1.2 kids quota. I remember one time we were taking a walk downtown with the kids and I saw another couple pushing a baby stroller. You hardly see babies here so I was excited to pass them and say hi. However, as we got closer and heard a few people commenting on their "little precious" I felt sick to my stomach that it was a dog, not a baby. I tried not to be judgmental. Maybe they wanted kids but can't have any. Brian and I are blessed to have fixed our infertility problems and to now have four lovely children. Sometimes I just wish more people would see it as a blessing and not something to belittle, judge or be rude about.

For This Chica, Nothing Says Love Like Sweet Bread - I was looking at the calendar and noticed that Valentine's in on Tuesday already. I don't know why I was thinking I still had a whole week, not just a couple of days. I guess that means that the east coast cousins will get their Valentine's cards late, again. (Sorry, EL!) Brian and I don't have anything special planned since it is a school night and we already had a wonderful date night last Friday. We'll most likely pray the little ones fall asleep early (But not too early. Those 2AM playdates suck.) and then watch a movie or one of our DVR'd shows. Hmm, maybe I should make him a special dessert... Yes, he has a big sweet tooth. Actually, as I'm typing this I'm thinking I should get him some pan dulce (Mexican sweet bread) and make him some Mexican chocolate. That would be a special treat since we don't get it very often and he loves it. Perfect!

Rachel Rocks. Again. - Speaking of love and Valentine's day, Rachel Balducci at Testosterhome.net has a wonderful post Keep the Love Alive. In fact, I love it so much I'm going to repost it as my last Quick Take. Read. Enjoy. Then go give your hubby a big kiss. ;-)

Keep the Love Alive

This is my weekly column for the Southern Cross, which is something I originally wrote over at Faith and Family Live.

Here's an aside: I feel funny writing about marriage. All I can do is write from my own experience and pray that inspires or encourages someone. But I totally understand that the list I included below is not a one-size-fits-all. There might be a marriage where the wife does everything, the husband does nothing around the house and I'm not suggesting that you just ignore that fact. That all depends on a million other details -- if you feel like things need to change, for instance, it's perfectly healthy and acceptable to address this situation.

So please, if there are areas of your marriage that need attention and help, please don't think for a minute I'm saying you should just work harder and it will all fix itself.
See? It's tricky writing about this stuff -- every single marriage is different and works in different ways. But prayer -- that really is a universal factor we can all utilize to our benefit!

Valentine's Day is just around the corner and that's got me thinking about love. Love is in the air! Chocolates, roses, red wine and crab dip. (That last one might be specific to us?).

But what really keeps the love alive? Flowers and candy are all well and good but a happy marriage they do not make. Yes, they add an extra spark, but no amount of ornamentals can make up for a good foundation--and if you don't have that, the little extras will do very little to help.

In my experience, in my reading and talking and listening about what makes the very best marriages--and in reflecting on the best tools Paul and I have come across--here are my recommendations for what will get you far in your marriage, what will bring you true happiness and love to last a lifetime.

• Quit thinking about how you could improve as a couple. This might sound counter-intuitive, but let me tell you from experience that always looking at the ways your marriage could be closer to your ideal will get you nowhere fast. Yes we want to improve and be the best we can be. But when we're always looking at how other "ideal" couples operate, we only become more aware of our flaws and (worse!) of our spouse's shortcomings.

• On that note, Don't Compare. Don't look at the great job your best friend's man does of taking out the trash, especially if that's something your own husband isn't quick to do. Trust me, for every two really amazing things her husband does, your own husband has at least that many good qualities--but most likely in totally different areas. Stop finding fault and start finding favor.

• Respect your husband. A few years ago I heard a talk by Dr. Emmerson Eggerichs, based on his book Love and Respect. The book spells out a very basic premise: men want to be respected, women want to be loved. This revolutionized our marriage. Too long had I been giving my husband all kinds of helpful "tips" and "advice" on a variety on topics, only to end each conversation with "I love you baby." What a husband would rather hear is "I respect you" and oftentimes the best way we can do this is to be supportive and encouraging. Thank your man for how hard he works for your family. Don't tell him how he could do better.

• Don't keep score. Don't keep track. Today you grocery shopped and cleaned the house and took care of the kids and did homework with them and trained them and took care of the dog. What did your husband do? Well, it doesn't matter. Maybe he did ten times more. Or ten times less. The minute you start keeping track of who did what, things are going downhill. Give until it hurts. And then give a little more. The key to a happy marriage is not 50/50. It's 100 percent ON YOUR PART. And not worrying about how much your spouse is giving. If every married person woke up each morning and asked himself (or herself) "what can I do to make my spouse's life better today?" can you imagine what a wonderful world it would be?

• Pray together. Even if it's three minutes, holding hands as you fall asleep, spend time as a couple in prayer. If your spouse isn't comfortable praying with you, then pray for your spouse. Prayer and personal holiness is at the heart of so much good in every situation. Pray for patience. Pray for more love. Pray for the ability to love your spouse extravagantly.

While these tips might not be the full solution for every marriage, they can do a world of good for those of us who can too easily get sucked into the dangerous self-centered seasons of keeping score. Don't do it! The person who suffers the most is YOU.
Dying to self is the best way to keep the love alive.

Well, for being so tired I guess I had more to say than I thought. Thanks for listening. Have a wonderful weekend!!

xoxo,
B.

Thanks to our complimentary stay at Pebble Beach last weekend, I have lots of photos to show! It's a little out of order so the story makes more sense.

My happiness was seeing the ones I love the most having a good time.

Maybe this should have been in the funny category but we were excited to be treated to such delicious food! On Friday, after dinner at the Italian restaurant Peppoli's we were too full for dessert. However, we were hungry later that night so we ordered their room service dessert special. It was chocolate raspberry cake/soufflé with a raspberry center, a dish of raspberry sorbet with vanilla ice cream on top and hot chocolate fudge to drizzle over it all. Ohmygosh, it tasted so good!

If that wasn't enough, in the morning they brought us room service breakfast. It's a good thing we had a lot of walking planned to work off our meals!

We are truly blessed to have this once a year mini-vacation but Brian always dreads me coming back home afterwards. It takes him a few days to reprogram me to let go of all the pampering, special treatment and being able to use the bathroom uninterrupted. I have to get back into the mode of stinky diapers, sticky hands, dirty dishes and piles of dirty laundry.

He says I'm like Lucy after she comes back from the home show...

After seeing all that luxury her own house makes her say, "Yesh!" LOL! (If you don't remember the episode, you can watch it here.)

Well, I'm happy to report that I'm back to myself again and ready for the next mini-disaster to photograph for next week. ;-)

For the last two weeks I have been working diligently on organizing a section of my home that I use constantly. In one corner of our front room I have my desk with our computer and "work" area. On the wall to the left of my desk there are four large book shelves. (Can you guess that Brian looooves to read?) However, in the process of cleaning, every time there was something I needed to take to another room, I would stash it on the shelf and put it away "later." Well, it was finally time to tackle the shelves and put away all the collected junk.

Two weeks ago I posted about organizing my desk. I am happy to report that each night I put away anything that does not belong there and it continues to look nice. (Trust me, that's a miracle in itself.) But this still left the one book shelf next to my desk that housed all my things. It drove me nuts every time I sat down at my desk to work.

I was at Target the other day (I really should buy some stock in their company since I spend so much time there) and I found these cute fabric bins in a red floral pattern. I bought six of them in various sizes. (Note, they sold out quickly in our store but I did find them online if you don't mind buying them in sets. They are also available in aqua blue, orange, lime green and black. Other patters were ovals and zigzag lines.)

Target also had these magazine files for only $4.99, although our stores didn't carry them in red. Thankfully, my mom searched her Target 400 miles away and bought me the last two since I couldn't order them online.

My sisters brought them to me when they came to visit this weekend and I finished organizing my shelf this morning. I love how much better it looks! It actually brings me joy to look at it. And it is crazy that when I was looking for something, instead of searching through piles I knew exactly which bin to look in to find it. I tell, you this organizing business is really starting to make sense. ;-)

I was thinking about labeling the top four bins but I'm not sure the best way to label a fabric bin. I'll have to go back to my Pinterest organizing board for inspiration. I'll let you know if I find something I like.

Until next week's post, happy organizing!

There were lots of twists this episode but it's been a busy morning so I'll keep this week's Downton Abbey comments brief-ish.

Patrick & Edith - Brian and I were debating whether Patrick was genuine or an imposter. I don't know. It seems like he was an imposter but that he was touched by Edith's kindness and could no longer go on deceiving her. It was also interesting to see the "old Mary" come out when she was arguing with Edith about Patrick. Either way, I felt terrible for Edith. If anyone could love him, despite his disfigurement, it would have been her.

Dowager Countess & Mrs. Crawley - My favorite scene with her is when she was naming off various causes in hopes of sparking Mrs. Crawley interest into something other than Downton. It was hilarious. The only thing I did not like was the fact that Mrs. Crawley went from a strong likable character to someone we hoped would be manipulated by the Countess. And would Mrs. Crawley really leave Matthew while he was still cripple? I imagined her resolved that he would walk once again.

Sir Richard & Mary - If there was any doubt of Sir Richard's intentions or his character, it was surely plain this week. Run, don't walk, Mary! Ah, but the hold he now has on her with the scandal. Blast that night of terrible judgment!

Ethel & the Baby - Ethel played a small bit but I felt sorry for the foolish girl. I hope she does not get desperate and do something to harm herself and her baby. Again, blast that night of terrible judgment! Carson had it right - two syllables - "no."

Jane and Lord Grantham - What is going on with these two? Will Lord Grantham have an affair with Jane? Or is he someone from his past that he does not recognize and her son is actually his? I pray he does not have an affair! Although he has been walking around aimlessly lately, I hope he does not fall into temptation. (We don't want a third night of terrible judgment!)

Lavinia & Matthew - I'm glad Lavinia came back. I wanted her to stay and fight for Matthew even though I don't necessarily want her to win. Matthew keeps treating Mary like a sister but that may change when the Countess wises him up next week.

Vera & Bates -Well, Vera is finally out of the picture but she had her last laugh if she committed suicide but made it look like Bates murdered her. (I'm getting flashbacks of the movie Leave Her to Heaven with Gene Tierney.) Or did someone else kill her and frame Bates? I guess we'll have to wait to find out. Either way, Bates will be arrested for the murder until the truth comes out.

Random thoughts - Is Matthew getting feeling in his legs? Will he walk? Did O'Brien have something to do with Vera's death? Why did she look so suspicious when they were talking about her? (But then again, maybe that's her permanent expression.)

Preview to Episode 6 - Okay, that's all I have time for. I'll come back if something else pops into my head. We only have two episodes left! However, Episode 6 will be 2 hours long. The synopsis reads: "Downton Abbey" continues with the Spanish flu sweeping through the household and infecting Cora, Lavinia and Mr. Carson, among others. Mary, Sybil and Robert, meanwhile, each face a moment of truth."

Spanish flu?! Who will live? Who will die and open doors for other characters?

The final Episode 7 will be the UK Christmas Special and it too will be two hours.

Until then, here is a little sneak peak at next week's Episode.

Watch Downton Abbey, Season 2: A Scene from Episode 6 on PBS. See more from Masterpiece.

Well, that's it for now. Fell free to leave your comments or join the discussion at By Sun and Candlelight's Downtown Discussion.

It's been a busy morning. I had to do a lot of blog clean up and change the format a bit. Do you still see that blue line down the middle of the blog or is it gone? I'm off to speech therapy now but I'll be back this afternoon with my thoughts about last night's episode of Downton. ;-)

Have a great morning!

Hosted by Jen at Conversion Diary.

Today I am doubly blessed. First of all, two of my sisters are here visiting. (One of these days we are going to get our east coast sister EL here so the four of us can all go out together!) I love when my sisters visit but I always feel sorry for Brian. After awhile all the loudness and laughing takes a toll on his introverted quiet ways. Poor guy.

The second big blessing is that since Brian works at Pebble Beach, once a year he is able to "test the product" and we're given a complimentary dinner and stay at one of the hotels and then we rate how the service/experience was. This year we are staying at The Inn at Spanish Bay, which I actually prefer over the famous Lodge. I am not the least bit interested in golf but Pebble Beach is breathtakingly gorgeous. Besides that, I am just excited to have a whole night out with my husband. Since my sisters are here they offered to take care of the kids for us. I gladly accepted! The following day we'll take them to the 17 Mile Drive. I'm so excited. :-)

It's funny because my sister EL was just mentioning in her post yesterday that one of her goals this year is to have more dates with her husband. Brian and I were just talking about this the other day. We get so busy with the day to day business of running a family that it's hard to stop and take time out for our relationship, but we must! So far we've done a lot of "at home" dates after the kids go to sleep but sometimes it's nice to actually get out of the house and still know my four "babies" are safe in someone else's care.

Usually when my sisters come we'll go out to dinner or go to one of the local bakeries for coffee and a treat but that is off limits this time. Next week the girls are running their first half marathon and right now they are in training. I'm so proud of them! Since I was a little girl I always dreamed of being able to run and run like one of those marathoners. These days I'm lucky to get out and walk around but I seriously need to make a greater effort to get moving (I mean other than chasing kids around) and now that the weather is getting warmer I can get back to walking again...and maybe one day, running.

Okay, speaking of needing motivation to walk/run/exercise, my brother posted this on Facebook. The video is about a man who is really overweight but who wants to fulfill his life long dream of running a marathon. He also wants to get healthy for his family and to raise money for his ill niece who has cystic fibrosis. His transformation, and his niece's fight, is beautiful and inspiring.

One of the people who commented on facebook about this video said, "...that's the two edged blade of manhood. We get so focused on everyone else's needs and lives that we can give everything and have nothing left for ourselves. Our own needs (like staying healthy) can be easily forgotten for righteous reasons. But I will tell you that to be our best at providing and trying to be men of and for God we have to take care of ourselves too so we can do that providing according to His will right into eternity..."

Words to live by for dads and moms!

Well, the baby just woke up so that's it for today. Have a great weekend!

Love,
B

The other day I ordered these heart notecards from my friend Caroline at her etsy shop peaseblossom studio. I thought they would be cute for Valentines Day. I was happy when they arrived in the mail in this pretty package.

If you recall, two weeks ago I shared about Andrew's current obsession with Spiderman. On the weekend he was able to spend some Christmas money at Target. He nearly fainted when we walked down the super hero aisle and saw this Spiderman mask. He knew exactly what he wanted. You can't tell by this photo but underneath that mask he has a huge, happy grin. (And yes, he still wears his Spidey outfit/pj's every second he is in our house.

Note to Self - Never leave the Cheerio box on the sink unattended because a certain two year old may try to serve himself a bowl. (Thank God I caught him before he got to the milk!) Oh, and this is considered "funny" because if I don't laugh at these things I will lose my mind. ;-)

Finally, after a long day of mischief John-Paul will sometimes just collapse wherever he may happen to be. Don't ask me exactly how he happened to fall asleep on his chair like this.

Yesterday I had an abundance of broccoli that I needed to use up so I decided to make macaroni and cheese. I am not a huge mac & cheese fan, only knowing the boxed kind. Last year I made my first homemade version. It was a recipe I saw on Food Network's "What Would Brian Boitano Make?" (Stop laughing. I actually liked his show. And not just because I had a crush on him 20 years ago.) His Cheese Cart Mac & Cheese was easy and delicious, although a bit on the "fancier" side as he used asiago, fontina and gouda. My bigger concern was how rich and fattening it was.

I had to find a low fat version that the family would still eat. When Brian (my husband, not Boitano) saw me making the cheese sauce last night he was excited until I told him it was a new lower fat recipe. He gave me "that look" and walked out of the kitchen mumbling something about "low fat, low flavor."

It was finally time for dinner and I served the mac & cheese with broccoli and Jennie-O Turkey Kielbasa. I'm happy to report that the meal was a hit (even Matthew had his first serving of mac) and everyone wanted seconds. (Which then brought up the debate of how low fat is it when you eat more than one serving...)

If you want to try it out, I got the recipe from LiveStong.com (Partner of the Lance Armstrong Foundation.) Here is the recipe.

Low Fat Baked Macaroni and Cheese

Ingredients and Utensils

To make a healthy version of baked macaroni and cheese the following items are needed:

3 tbsp olive oil
3 tbsp of flour
2 cups skim milk
2 cups reduced-fat sharp cheddar cheese
2 cups elbow macaroni
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
2 saucepans
8-cup casserole dish
Butter-flavored oil spray such as Pam
1/2 cup dry bread crumbs
2 tbsp low-fat margarine

Procedure

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Heat the milk in a saucepan over low heat until small bubbles form. In a separate saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the flour and stir for two minutes. Slowly pour in the heated milk, whisking thoroughly. Stir over medium heat until the mixture thickens and begins to boil slightly. Reduce the heat to simmer. Stir in the cheese by handfuls until it is thoroughly melted. Stir in the salt, pepper and cayenne. Set aside.

Boil 6 cups of water. Add in the elbow macaroni and boil as directed, generally 8 minutes. Drain well and pour into the cheese mixture. Lightly spray the casserole dish. Pour the macaroni into the dish. Melt the margarine in a small frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the bread crumbs and stir constantly until they are lightly browned. Spoon over the macaroni. Bake uncovered for 20 minutes. Serve immediately.
Substitutions

Traditional macaroni and cheese is made with a cheddar sauce. Preferences may dictate alternate choices. Low-fat shredded provolone, pepper jack cheese, Monterrey jack cheese, or Colby may be used in place of the 2 cups of shredded cheddar. Velveeta cheese melts well; use the reduced-fat Velveeta to keep the fat content of the dish significantly lower.

Healthy Additions

Stir chopped parsley, chopped, cooked broccoli or sliced mushrooms into the macaroni and cheese mixture before placing in the casserole dish to add color and flavor.
Considerations

Make sure you cook the flour for the time directed; cooking thoroughly dissipates the flavor of the flour and enhances the flavor of the sauce. Carefully stir the cheese sauce until all the cheese is melted, monitoring the temperature to ensure that it does not scorch. Avoid adding foods containing any additional fats, such as crumbled bacon or butter, when serving. Garnish with parsley for additional color.

My note: The recipe didn't give serving size or nutritional info but when I used this online calculator to calculate this recipe serving about 6, the amount of calories was 300 and fat 16, which is not bad for homemade mac & cheese. (Also, that was a larger main dish size portion. A smaller 3/4 cup side portion what more than cut that in half.) Adding the Jennie-O Turkey Kielbasa and broccoli would add an extra 100 calories and 3 grams of fat per serving. It's a nice (occasional) comfort food treat.

Do you have a great low fat macaroni and cheese (or any other) dish we should try? Let me know!

For those who wonder what they'll watch once season two of Downton Abbey is over, here is a suggestion. This year is the 100th Anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic and there are a number of movies coming out about it. This one particularly caught my interest. Titanic is a 4-part mini series from Julian Fellowes, creator of Downton Abbey.

Titanic will debut on April 12, 2012, airing simultaneously in over 50 countries. (I believe that includes us.) It will be broadcast on ITV1 in the UK, ABC in the US and on Australia's Seven Network.

(For you Downton Abbey fans, you may notice in the trailer actress Maria Doyle Kennedy, who played Mrs Vera Bates, as Titanic passenger Muriel Batley. I can't help but wonder if we will like or despise this character...or be able to see her without thinking of Mrs. Bates.) Either way, the mini series looks good!

UPDATE: Four days later Komen caves to the pressure. But all hope is not lost. For details read:

Komen May Continue to Fund Some Planned Parenthood Grants

This article has been circulating since yesterday. I'm happy to repost it.

Lifesite News: Komen to Stop Grants to Planned Parenthood Abortion Biz

After years of protests and criticism from pro-life advocates, the biggest breast cancer organization, Susan G. Komen for the Cure has announced it is halting further grants and donations to the Planned Parenthood abortion business.

Figures from August directly from the Komen for the Cure foundation show 18 affiliates of the breast cancer charity gave a total of more than $569,000 to the Planned Parenthood abortion business in 2010. That was down from the $731,303 Komen officials publicly confirmed in October 2010, when they acknowledged that 20 of the 122 Komen affiliates gave to Planned Parenthood during the 2009 fiscal year.

Now, Komen says it is halting all grants due to the impending investigation in Congress of the Planned Parenthood abortion business. Its new guidelines prevent it from funding any group under congressional investigation.

The policy makes it so no further Planned Parenthood grants will be given unless the investigation results in Planned Parenthood's favor.

According to Fox News, Komen spokeswoman Leslie Aun said "the cutoff results from the charity's newly adopted criteria barring grants to organizations that are under investigation by local, state or federal authorities. According to Komen, this applies to Planned Parenthood because it's the focus of an inquiry launched by Rep. Cliff Stearns, R-Fla., seeking to determine whether public money was improperly spent on abortions."

Aun said pro-life pressure was less of a factor than the Congressional investigation.

"We want to maintain a positive relationship with them," she said of Planned Parenthood. "We're not making any judgment."

Planned Parenthood officials are upset by the decision and have already publicly responded, saying they will quickly try to raise the funds Komen had generated.

"It's hard to understand how an organization with whom we share a mission of saving women's lives could have bowed to this kind of bullying," Richards told The Associated Press. "It's really hurtful."

Richard indicated Komen officials informed Planned Parenthood in December of the decision and that it came via a phone call from top Komen officials. Planned Parenthood responded by requesting a meeting with the Komen board, including CEO Nancy Brinker and board chairman Dr. LaSalle D. Leffall, Jr. Komen, according to Fox News, replied with a letter ignoring the request for a meeting and adding, "We understand the disappointment of any organization that is affected by these policy and strategy updates."

"We're kind of reeling," said Patrick Hurd, who is CEO of Planned Parenthood of Southeastern Virginia, told Fox News. "It sounds almost trite, going through this with Betsi, but cancer doesn't care if you're pro-choice, anti-choice, progressive, conservative. Victims of cancer could care less about people's politics."

Komen affiliates in Austin, Texas; Central New Mexico; El Paso, Texas; Greater Amarillo, Texas; Los Angeles County, California; Milwaukee, Wisconsin; and Salt Lake City, Utah stopped giving to the abortion business while affiliates in Dallas County, Texas; Denver, Colorado; North Carolina Triad; North Carolina Triangle; and Puget Sound, Washington all began new relationships with Planned Parenthood in 2011.

A Komen affiliate in Orange County, California is the last to have given a grant to the abortion business, doing so in December. The grant was approved prior to Komen announcing its changes.

"Stephanie Kight, a vice president with Planned Parenthood of Orange and San Bernardino Counties, said her affiliate in Southern California received a Komen grant for 2011 and was able to obtain an additional grant of $120,000 for 2012 by signing the deal with its local Komen counterpart just before Komen's new criteria took effect," according to Fox.

The official Komen statement follows:

At Susan G. Komen for the Cure, the women we serve are our highest priority in everything we do. Last year, we invested $98 million in community health programs, which included 700,000 mammograms. Additionally, we began an initiative to further strengthen our grants program to be even more outcomes-driven and to allow for even greater investments in programs that directly serve women. We also implemented more stringent eligibility and performance criteria to support these strategies. While it is regrettable when changes in priorities and policies affect any of our grantees, such as a longstanding partner like Planned Parenthood, we must continue to evolve to best meet the needs of the women we serve and most fully advance our mission.
It is critical to underscore that the women we serve in communities remain our priority. We are working directly with Komen Affiliates to ensure there is no interruption or gaps in services for women who need breast health screening and services.

ACTION: Contact Komen for the Cure to thank it for stopping grants to Planned Parenthood at http://ww5.komen.org/Contact.aspx

It is particularly important that we let Komen for the Cure know that we are grateful to them for stopping their funding to Planned Parenthood (especially since abortion has been linked to breast cancer) and that we will once again give them our financial support. They received 200 emails yesterday denouncing their decision. They must hear from pro-lifers supporting their decision. Use this link http://ww5.komen.org/Contact.aspx to send them an email. I just did and it only takes a couple minutes.