Recently in 7 quick takes Category

This week, hosted by Hallie at Betty Beguiles.com.

Good morning! Matthew just fell asleep and the boys are watching Cars 2 and re-enacting scenes from the movie so I have a small window to write before I have to tackle a long list of To Do's so let's get going!

I'll Have A Scoop of Chocolate with Nuts - Remember the car accident I was in a few weeks ago? The lady involved has gone above and beyond to make sure we get our car fixed and that she covers any expenses we incur. She even offered to pay for a babysitter to watch the kids while I have to get the car fixed etc. Thankfully the damage was minimal and the only inconvenience was being without our minivan for 5 days and having to squeeze three car seats in the back seat of the rental, but we survived. Yesterday I got a letter from the lady with a check to cover some last expenses that her insurance didn't cover. She also enclosed a $50 gift card for Cold Stone Ice Cream for the kids (I assume to ease their emotional distress.) How sweet is that? So thanks, Ms. X! If I had to get hit from behind in the rain, I'm glad it was you. LOL. :-)

Toonton Abbey - Yesterday I had to go through my DVR and deleted a bunch of stuff since we were almost full. Even the kids had to go and trim their saved items. For Bella it would be Good Luck Charlie and Austin & Allie, although I let her keep Radio Rebel. For Andrew it's Team Umi Zoomi and the Octonauts (did I spell those right?) and for JP it is Pocoyo and Max & Ruby. Last night Brian and I only had 45 minutes to watch TV so we caught up with The Middle and Modern Family. My two favorite lines of Modern Family were both by Mitchell. First: "Everybody's looking at us. I haven't been judged by this many people since I forgot my canvas bags at Whole Foods." Hahaha!! The Second: "Okay, it's Toontown, not Toonton. You've been watching too much PBS." This was funny since I used to think Downton Abbey was Downtown Abbey when it first aired. LOL.

Next on the Reading List - I saw a post on Catholic Mom.com last month about a new book called Lessons in the Journey by Patrick Dawson. Despite the fact that Hallie is suspicious of books about women written by a man, I'm going to give it a try since the Kindle edition is only $2.99. I'll let you know how it goes.

What Kind of Nap Was That? - Unfortunately, Matthew just woke up but he only slept for 15 minutes. I think he has a tooth coming out because he is drooling again like crazy. I picked him up and he fell back asleep in my arms so I'll just hold him for now. But if you see more typos than usual, forgive me since I'm typing with one hand.

Put to the Test - As I am sitting here I can see that some guys from the C.A. Wastewater District have arrived at our house. They stopped by yesterday to let us know that the neighbor below us (we love on an inclined street) believes that water from our drainage system is leaking into her yard. They said they'd come by tomorrow to test it out and see if there is a fault in our drainage. I certainly hope not. They are running the tests now so we'll find out one way or another shortly. Oh, wait! The guy's knocking... Okay, that was timely. He said everything looked fine and the overflow of water is not coming from our house. Phew. (And thanks to the burly teddy bear of a guy for whispering so he wouldn't wake the sleeping baby in my arms. :-)

Mama's Day & Gift - Do you have any special plans for Mother's Day? I want to do something outdoors so I was thinking either the beach or Point Lobos but if the weather is too cold and windy (since we have runny noses in the house right now) we may stick to a walk where it is a little warmer and maybe pack a picnic lunch as well.

As for a Mother's Day gift, I just ordered it this morning. (Brian can take a cue from Fred Mertz: 'What did I give you?.. (cough)... I mean, how do you like what I gave you?") I have been working on putting together a home management binder but it is taking me forever to first, find the time to work on it and second, figure out what to put in it and third, create the spreadsheets on my computer. I finally gave up and went to my favorite organizing girl Jen at i heart organizing and ordered her Personalized Household Binder "Everything" Printable Kit. I have already used Jen's printables before (as seen in Operation Clean & Organize) and they are perfect for what I need. I mentioned with my order that this was a mother's day gift so she rush ordered it and I have the order completed already! I'm so excited. I'll post about it later!

And the Winner Is... - Okay, the last take is the moment you have all been waiting for! The winner of the RoL Birthday contest! We put all the names in a hat and Andrew did the honors. (He even closed his eyes.)

He picked .....

Congratulations to Laura S. of MS! Your RoL care package will be on it's way soon.

Now, I must say that John-Paul was upset that he was not able to pick out a winner so I told him that I'd let him choose a name and that person would get a smaller RoL care package. So he picked his name...

And the winner is...

LOL! He picked his own aunt, my beloved sis EML. So a smaller care package is on your way too!

That's it for today. Thanks for all who entered! Have a wonderful weekend!!

Hosted by Jen at Conversion Diary.

Better Late than Never - It's been a busy week, but May is usually a busy month anyway! I was late posting yesterday's {pretty, happy, funny real} but I posted them this morning. They are photos from Matthew's first birthday. :-)

That Sex Book - I have been working on rereading the book Style, Sex & Substance by Hallie Lord and I have been posting my thoughts on each chapter online. When some of my family members heard that I was posting about the book, they were a little concerned and a little opposed to "that pink Catholic sex book." I tried to explain that it wasn't actually a "sex book." After reading my thoughts on chapter 1 (Catholic womanhood), chapter 2 (style & modesty) and chapter 3 (prayer) I think I finally convinced them that just because "sex " is in the title, that is not what the whole book is about. Although I may have to have them skip my blog next Wednesday since Chapter 4 is about sex. (So concerned family members, be forewarned! ;-)

Mother's Day Giveaway - Speaking of the scandal causing Hallie, she is having a Mother's Day Contest and the prizes rock! They include:
--A copy of "Style, Sex, and Substance" signed by all 10 contributors.
--A Moleskin Journal in which a woman could-if she pleased-journal her answers to the questions provided at the end of each chapter.
--A Zebra Ballpoint Pen-which is the single best pen ever created by man (don't even try to debate me on this one)-to use for said journaling.
--A Lavender Aromatherapy Candle to provide pretty lighting and a sweet scent.
--Lavender Bath Salts if she chooses to read her new book in the bath.
--A copy of Audrey Assad's new CD, Heart, to play while she reads, journals, and/or soaks.
--A small collection of Sephora beauty samples that I've collected over the last few months.
--And some sort of sweet treat.

She will send the gift to the winner directly or you can request that it be sent to a relative or friend instead. Sorry, guys, but if this mama wins it, I'm keeping it. ;-)

Dim the Lights, Please - Are you an American Idol fan? I have watched it for a few years then skipped the last two seasons. However, when my mom was here two weeks ago to help Brian with the kids while I was away with Bella, we recorded the show for her on our DVR. After I returned we sat up together and watched and I started getting sucked back into the show. Although towards the end I was falling asleep on the couch (still tired from all the camping) as my mom told me about each contestant and their background and what Jimmy had to say about them, etc. I just kept thinking to myself that I needed to go to bed...and who the heck is Jimmy? LOL! Well, this week I actually watched Wednesday's episode. (Although I sort of cheated and fast- forwarded commercials, Ryan, the judges, and any song that didn't grab me in the first 10 seconds. I easily fit the two hour show into my allotted ½ hour viewing time.) I did think that each contestant did an awesome job, at least with their first songs. I even found myself texting "vote" for Phil Philips, which is my mom's favorite. Yesterday I was shocked that Skylar was voted off. I thought her country kick #$% attitude and talent would have put her in the top 3. Oh, well. We'll see hat happens next week.

Flashback Friday Five - Since I am running out of quick takes to mention, here is an RoL Birthday flashback from the first year I started blogging. This Friday Five was posted on Aug 22, 2003.

1. When was the last time you laughed? Last night with Brian. It doesn't take much to get me laughing.

2. Who was the last person you had an argument with? Myself. Sometimes I am just sooo exasperating.

3. Who was the last person you emailed? My sister BC.

4. When was the last time you bathed? About an hour ago. (I assume showers count. Actual sit-in-the-tub bathing?...who knows. A little thing called reality prevents that.

5. What was the last thing you ate? The last bite of Bella's banana that she was about to throw on the floor. (No, I wouldn't have eaten it if it actually hit the floor.)

Déjà vu - You know what is funny about that Friday Five? It is almost a decade later and if I answered those questions today it would be almost identical!

1. The same! He is my joy, ;-)
2. The same! She is still exasperating.
3. Almost the same. Just change "email" to "text" and switch it from my sister "BC" to my other sister "JC."
4. The same!
5. Almost the same. Just change "Bella's banana" to "Matthew's strawberry."

Wow, I don't know if that is really sweet...or really pathetic.

Only 7 Days Left - Don't forget that you can still sign up for the RoL Birthday Contest. A winner will be picked on May 11. You can leave a comment on this post or just email me your name to join. Here are the 5 gifts you could win in your care package:

Gift 1 - Choose one of the following Catholic books below. (These are all books I've read and loved or I've heard great reviews and want to read soon.)

Gift 2 - Choose one of Carmen Marcoux's books.

Gift 3 - A Small (4x6) Divine Mercy Icon

Gift 4 - Mystic Monk Coffee or Tea (Your Choice)

Gift 5 - Chocolate (What's A Care Package without Chocolate?!)

Good luck and have a great weekend!

WAIT! THERE IS A P.S. - After I posted this and added my link to Jen's site, I just remembered two other quick takes I was supposed to mention! So I'm added on some bonus quick takes.

Once Upon A Time - The first is trivial but have you been watching Once Upon A Time? I never got to post my Monday's TV Talk and I barely caught up with the last episode. We were right. August was Pinocchio! But is Emma ever going to believe? Would you have denied a baby the care of her mother in order to save your own child? There are only two shows left. What do you think the cliffhanger will be??

Chen - The second is more serious. Have you been keeping up with the story of Chen Guangcheng, the forced abortion opponent? I have been following his story for awhile and I heard about his escape a few days ago. My mind immediately thought of the apostle Paul when he escaped prison. (Acts 16:26) Keep him in your prayers, as well as his family who are being punished because of his escape. He has done incredible work in promoting the value of all life as well as condemning the horrors of abortion and infanticide. (LifeNew.com has been a great job at keeping us up to date on the situation.)

Okay, this time I am really going. ;-)

Hosted by Jen at Conversion Diary.

Rain, Rain Go Away... - This month we are definitely getting the April showers that bring May flowers but I don't remember every having such a wet April before. Having lived in Southern California for the first three decade of my life, I am used to one kind of weather pattern - sunny. Now that I am living on the central coast of California, I am used to two kinds of weather - sunny or cool and foggy. So having four days in a row of rain and a thunder and lightning storm last night, well, that worthy of its own Quick Take! I just hope that the rain stops by next week because Bella is going on a two day trip with her class to Sacramento and the Gold Country to learn about California history. I'll be one of the chaperones and although we won't be sleeping in tents (I think it's more of a primitive cabin) I'd rather do it in sunny weather!

The Family Tree Grows - It may be grey and dreary but we received joyous news this week - my sister EL gave birth to her fourth child, a little girl named Harriet Rose. Congratulations, sis! And I am an aunt for the fifth time. Yay! Just call me Auntie B. ;-) Look at her...how sweet is she?!

(This Quick Take is long so it counts as two.)

Accidents, Threats & Videotapes - Unfortunately that bit of news was hampered a couple days later when I got into a car accident. Remember what I said about the rain? On Tuesday, I dropped the boys off at pre school. Bella was on Easter break so she, Matthew and I were driving home. Just as we turned around a bend in the highway there was a pile up from a previous accident. I hit the brakes and the car seemed to slide all over the road but I was able to stop in time. I breathed a sigh of relief and just as I was thinking, "I hope the guy in back of me stops in time...bam! We get slammed from behind. I move to the side of the road and the woman (60ish?) was very apologetic. We see that no one is hurt and the damage doesn't look too bad etc. As we exchange info some guy comes up and starts videotaping us. She walks over to him and tells him to turn off his video camera (it was a larger one), that the accident is over, this is a private matter etc. They sort of get into it and I hear the guy yell, "I know my rights... don't touch me... I'm suing... assault... " and the like. I'm thinking what kind of crazy guy is this and why is she talking to him and not ignoring him so we can get out of here?

I finish writing my info down (I already had hers) and I see the lady talking and gesturing to the guy as he is walking backwards videotaping her, sort of egging her on. Soon they have walked so far down the road I can't see them anymore. I look around. Am I being punked? Should I leave? I left my info in her car and got back into my van and out of the rain. I am sitting there wondering if I should make a u-turn and go find the lady. I don't want her to get hurt. Thankfully, just then some cops stopped to make sure I am okay. I explain to them what happened and they said I could leave and they'd go and check on the guy and the lady. To make a long story short (oops, too late!) the lady came back safely. (And she has been more than generous in making sure we are okay.) She told me later that the guy likes to videotape people and threatens to sue but he has no case here. Meanwhile, my Sienna is in the shop to see what kind of damage has been done. However, if you are browsing the internet and you find a YouTube video of an older woman arguing with some random guy on the road and you see a short, chubby Hispanic mom with a WTH? look on her face in the background, you'll know that's me. ;-)

Do Re Mi Fa So La Ti - After that harrowing accident, Bella and I decided to go home and make a cup of hot chocolate, warm up some cinnamon rolls for breakfast and watch an old movie. We've been on a musical kick and it all started when she said they were singing songs from the Sound of Music in her music class. I told her we should watch the movie together since every night when the boys are going to sleep and Brian is showering or getting things ready for work the next day, Bella and I have a half hour window where we cuddle up on the couch and watch a movie (well, a portion of it) together. Sometimes it will be a Disney tween movie or an episode of Good Luck, Charlie (which I, ahem, actually enjoy) but last week I put on The Sound of Music instead. She loved it! We watched a little each night, completing it twice. This week we finished watching Meet Me in St. Louis with Judy Garland. Tonight we are going to start the 1949 version of Little Women with June Allyson. It's not actually a musical but it is such a sweet movie, I think she'll like it. Any other suggestions of what we should watch? (She prefers color and is not really into black and white, which is a bummer since ¾ of my movie collection is in B&W.)

Birthday Contest - I also wanted to mention, if you haven't been reading the blog regularly (What? Am I the only one with 500 posts in my Google reader waiting to be read??) that we are celebrating the blogs 9th birthday with a contest. You can win an RoL care package that will include your choice of books (selections include Style, Sex and Substance, The Catholics Next Door, The Book of Saints for Catholic Moms and The Catholic Girl's Survival Guide for the Single Years) as well as a Divine Mercy icon, Mystic Monk coffee or tea and, of course, chocolate. Get the details here.

Flashback Friday Five - Back in 2003, bloggers looked forward to filling out "The Friday Five" at the end of the week. I'll close with a flashback of what I posted nine years ago, almost to the day.

Friday Five: Music Edition

1. What was the first band you saw in concert? Let's see, years back it was a big Rock for Life concert in Orange County, CA. I think that first really got me into Christian alternative/hardcore music. But one of the first concerts I most vividly remember was when I drove to Santa Barbara, CA with my sister BC to see the hardcore band Focused. Oh, those guys were so awesome and so in love with God. They were the first band I ever interviewed (for the underground music zine I used to do.) Ah, such memories!

2. Who is your favorite artist/band now? Okay, you can tell I am a mommy now because at the moment I am listening to "Wags the Dog" by the Wiggles. (It is Bella's Wiggle's hour; that is the only time I am guaranteed some uninterrupted computer time!) But as far as I'm concerned, I have been listening to a lot of Jeremy Camp, Kutless, and Sixpense None the Richer. But I must say that I also loooove 80's alternative music - The Cure, The Smiths, Morrissey, New Order, Psychedelic Furs, etc. Plus, good old classics like Dean Martin (reminds me of our honeymoon. Sigh.)

3. What's your favorite song? This is a tough one. The song that always reminds me of Brian is The Cure's "Lovesong." I never tire of it.

4. If you could play any instrument, what would it be? Um, I always wished I could play the guitar, write my own music and sing my own songs. I may be able to get away with writing lyrics but the only instrument I can play is the Fisher-Price toddler drum set and my voice it not fit for anyplace other than the car while driving or perhaps in church if the choir sings real loud and drowns me out.

5. If you could meet any musical icon (past or present), who would it be and why? Back in my teen days I may have said someone like Morrissey from the Smiths but now I just see musical "icons" as regular joes and can't think of one in particular that I'd single out. So I'll have to think about that one.

LOL! Have a great weekend!

Hosted by Jen at Conversion Diary.

TTIF Already? - How can it possibly be Friday already? The days we were absent from school has thrown me off so in my mind it feels like it's only Wednesday. On the one hand, that's great news since it is the weekend already. On the other hand, I'm two days short with the things I had to get done this week. Oh, well. That means I better quickly get this done and get back to work.

BaSP Blog Contest - First things first, I have to tell you that you must go over to my sister's blog Barefoot and Sometimes Pregnant and enter her Year 3 Blog Birthday contest. She is simply fabulous! Whereas I share with you my struggles to keep a clean house or get more crafty or not kill my garden within the first few weeks, EL is a Martha Stewart-like chica. She is the sister most likely to be in labor with her fourth child and in between contractions she'll manage to bake a loaf of bread, can a jar of preserves, gather vegetable in her garden for a homemade stew, milk the cow, sew a new outfit for the baby and whittle a baby crib. I kid you not. She amazes me. Anyway... she says:

Since barefoot and sometime pregnant is all about homemaking, I am giving away the perfect gift for any homemaker or future homemaker. Enter to win a copy of Style, Sex and Substance by Hallie Lord (if you already have a copy, you can give this one away to a friend), an All-in-one Organizer from the company thirty-one, and a custom apron. Yes, I will sew you an apron of your choice! (I will give you some pattern types to choice from and fabric options.) The giveaway will close on Sunday and I will post the winner on Monday.

Click on over and tell her that I sent you! ;-)

Call Me Aunt B. - Oh, and also keep my sister in your prayers because she is now 39 weeks pregnant and any day she could have baby #4 (although she tends to go late.) We are all excited to meet our new family member! I can't wait to see if I'm an auntie to a little niece or nephew.

RoL - Speaking of Blog Birthdays, this year our original website Revolution of Love.com will be ten years old in November! Can you believe it?! We started it when we were newly married and only had Bella. I had a lot more time to write back then! Since I was still new to mommyhood I wrote more for newly married couples and Catholic singles. There are a few articles about dating/courtship and chastity that still get a lot of hits. That's why we haven't pulled the site off the web. Over the next few months I'll be reposting some of those articles here since the blog gets a lot for traffic that the website does.

Man, I'm Old - As for this blog, next month I'll have been blogging for nine years! My first post was back in 2003. That's just crazy. Although I've been around awhile, some years I only posted a handful of times. In 2003 I have only 22 posts. (Although, I did delete a few that had dead links or outdated info.) I think 2011 is the first year that I posted consistently with over 100 posts. Okay, okay. Useless facts. I'll celebrate next month and, inspired by my sis, I'll put together a little contest too. :-)

The Hunger Games vs The Flu - My mom called while I was typing and she asked me how the movie was last week. I forgot I was going to mention that. (Thanks for the reminder, mom.) As I mentioned last week, I had just finished reading The Hunger Games and planned to go see the movie on Saturday. That is a story in itself. Friday night my stomach was a little queasy but I didn't think much of it. Matthew woke up at 6:30 AM but I was really feeling awful. Brian took the baby, I got sick and then went back to bed and slept until 10 AM. I woke up feeling a bit out of it but not too bad. I figured I must have gotten food poisoning. Brian said if I was up to it I could go ahead and go to the movies since I already bought my ticket and who knows when I'd get another afternoon off. True. I got ready and went. The movie was packed but luckily I found a secluded seat where I wouldn't be touching anyone, in case I really was sick.

The movie started and from the get go it was amazing. I thought they did a great job making the book come alive on the screen, editing what they needed to but still keeping the tone of the book. I certainly think you'd get more out of the movie if you read it first because there are a lot of subtle things that you won't pick up on unless you've read the book first. And although it was not gory-graphic it was still incredibly disturbing to see little kids get murdered like that. More disturbing was the fact that it was also viewed as reality tv/entertainment. With the current obsession with reality TV and the growing lack of disrespect for life, it does not seem too far fetched to think that we could one day return to the days of the martyrs in the Roman Coliseum.

As the movie continued we got to the part where Katniss was looking for the hurt Peeta and we lost our picture. We could hear it but not see it. We sat there as they tried to fix it. The manager came in and told us they were working on it but they couldn't rewind what we missed because it would throw off the show times for the people behind us. The theater nearly had a District 11 riot (that was one of the last scenes we just saw) when he told us that. Finally they got the movie back on and they rewound it to the part where Rue and Katniss were together. We yelled, "NO!!!" We were not going to sit there and watch Rue's death all over again. It was hard enough the first time when we could hear people in the theater quietly sobbing. Fifteen minutes later, they found the right spot and continued the movie. The end seemed a little rushed but I still loved the movie. Did you see it? What did you think?

After we were leaving the theater, the manager gave us all free passes so at least I got a free movie out of it! Plus, I got over my phobia of going to the movies alone, so I am ready to go! On a side note, however, I got home and by the end of the day I was much worse. I realized I had the flu and not food poisoning. As I lay on my bed dead to the world I kept praying I didn't get anyone sick in the theater...from touching the seat or the handrail or the door handle. I kept picturing the movie Contagion. Sorry, my fellow movie goers!

Tiny Bubbles - That's it for now. I better get back to my boys. While I type I'll often put the bubble machine on the bookshelf and they play happily trying to pop bubbles or catch them on their tongue. (Ew.) Here is a photo of them right now still in their pj's. Although Matthew looks like he's ignoring the bubbles and looking for a good book. Maybe he'll have a little more Brian than Bobbi in him. ;-)

Have a wonderful weekend!!

Hosted by Jen at Conversion Diary.

I am sorry to say that I am only half awake this morning. I was up at 3:30 AM with Matthew, who was either teething or feeling sick. Whatever it was, he was not happy and not sleeping. I can't say that I felt much different at the time. After two hours I was finally able to get him back to sleep so I could catch another 30 minutes before I had to get up with the rest of the kids. It's times like these I think I should start drinking coffee.

The other day I met an acquaintance I haven't seen in awhile. She remembered me when I was pregnant with Andrew. When I told her I had four kids now she actually gasped. She stared at me for a minute and said I don't look like I have four kids, which got me to thinking... What is a mom with four kids supposed to look like?? I don't know but if she saw me right now she'd be saying, "You look like this and you only have four kids?" Grr. (Okay, let's think of something more upbeat...)

I am in the last month of our school fundraising and Brian and I were actually able to solicit some nice gifts to be auctioned off. It is surprising that I am on the committee because I am terrible at sales. I like helping people but when it comes to talking them into buying something (or giving me something for free) I can't bring myself to push it. There is another mom on the committee that has the ability to walk into a business cold turkey and she walks out with a complimentary deluxe package worth $500. I walk into a business and say, "You don't want to donate something, right? No, I didn't think so. Okay, thanks anyway." Every once in awhile I do get a positive response to which I say, "Oh, you do? Are you sure? I'll understand if you don't. I know money is tight so don't worry if you can't..." Yeah, I'm not a salesman. The other mom said I had a pleasant demeanor so they would donate. "Pleasant"? I don't know. That sounds an awful lot like the blind date with the "great personality." Oh, well. I'll take what I can get.

At least the soliciting of donations has put my "mommy cards" to good use. What's a mommy card? It's like a business card but geared towards my business - mommyhood. It's great for when I need to give people my contact info quickly. Above is the one I use, although my personal info like my last name and phone numbers are edited out. They have a lot of cute ones at Vista Print.com. They have an offer for 250 free cards but the selection is limited. You can also choose the $10 special (with the $5 off savings) and have a large selection. Just search "mommy card."

Last Friday I was going to tell you about a book I read - Stealing Jenny by Ellen Gable - but I was so preoccupied with the my vomit shower and Matthew's near death experience (how's that for an upbeat topic?) that I never got to it. Here's the summary, "After three heartbreaking miscarriages, Tom and Jenny Callahan are happily anticipating the birth of their sixth child. Their neighbor, however, is secretly hatching a sinister plot which will find Jenny and her unborn baby fighting for their lives." The story is well written and although the kidnapping is a harrowing tale, the book is also touching as it explores the topics of love, courage, forgiveness and trust in God, both in the main plotline and the flashbacks of Jenny and Tom's beginning friendship. I may not recommend this book if you are a pregnant woman prone to worry (especially if like me, you recently saw a documentary about real life women who were in similar situations. Scary!) However, to the others, I wholeheartedly recommend the book. You can get it in paperback or download it to your kindle for only $2.99.

After the suspense of that story I was looking for something else that would keep my interest. A number of people I know have been taking about The Hunger Games and there has been so much hype about the movie that I downloaded a free sample chapter onto my kindle. Let's just say that I read the first chapter and was drawn in immediately and downloaded the rest of the book. That whole day I was sneaking my iPhone out and trying to read pages in between whatever I was doing. Finally after everyone was in bed I read well into the night and breathlessly finished the last page. There is a great Book Review and Parents' Guide of The Hunger Games Trilogy from a Catholic perspective over at Catholic Lane.com. It begins:

"The Hunger Games is a futuristic, sci-fi series that draws heavily on themes of violence, war and power. It is set in the dystopia created by the Capitol, the ruling class that satiates its own pleasures at the expense and oppression of the 12 Districts. The Districts, which are made up of the working class, provide the Capitol population with everything it needs to continue its own survival and remain in power.

The story commences with Panem, the country that emerged from the civil war ruins of what was once North America, preparing for the annual Hunger Games. The Games are televised live and are mandatory viewing for every citizen in the nation. They were instituted as a punishment for the Districts' attempted rebellion against the Capitol years ago. Every year each of the 12 Districts must provide one boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen who will fight to the death on live television until only one child is still alive. The Games exist to remind the people in the Districts that not even children are beyond the reach of the Capitol's power..." (Continue reading.)

The guide reviews all three books so Spoiler Alert if you haven't read them already. There is also a list of topics and discussion starters for those parents with older children who will want to read these books.

To show you how much I loved reading The Hunger Games, Brian suggested that he watch the kids and I take an afternoon off since I've been so busy with household stuff and the school fundraiser ect. I told him I'd like to see the Hunger Games movie this weekend. He was surprised since I've never gone to the movies alone but he was more that happy to give me some time off. So I've bought my ticket and have my handkerchief and a bag of peanut M&M's in my purse. Tomorrow afternoon this mama will be ready for 2 1/2 hours of action and drama. After that I'll be ready to come home and kiss my husband and kids and hold them close!

In the meantime, have a great weekend and may the odds ever be in your favor.

Hosted by Jen at Conversion Diary.

Yesterday was an insane day and, as usual, my way to cope is to write about it. It started out normal enough but then it went crazy...

Rain Clouds Gather - I got the kids off to school them went to take my morning walk. When I was done and as I was getting Matthew back in the car, I got a phone call from the preschool. My usually playful JP was listless and not himself. I wasn't sure if he has just tired (I loathe you, daylight savings time) or coming down with something. So I picked him up from school and headed home. The poor guy slept for an hour or two and then seemed much better. I gave him his lunch then went to send off some fundraising emails while Matthew played with his toys.

A few minutes later JP came to my chair and I scooted forward so he could take his usual position of comfort - standing behind me on the chair, leaning his head on my shoulder, and rubbing his finger on my lips. I don't know how this soothes him but it does. As he hugged me I was thinking to myself that he seems fine now and maybe we should go ahead and go to speech therapy when he made this strange noise. Now the excitement begins...

TMI Alert - I turned my head to look back at him and saw chunks fly out of his mouth. I was covered in it, the desk chair was dripping and the desk was splattered. Immediately Matthew saw puddles of liquid to be splashed in and ran over. Luckily I was wearing a jacket over a tank top so I threw off the jacket, which had most of his lunch, and in one arm I held JP and my desk trash can, in case more was to come, and in my other arm I grabbed Matthew and ran down the long hallway to my bathroom. (See all that walking is paying off.)

I looked in the mirror and saw vomit dripping from my cheek onto my neck. Nice. There's nothing like the glamour of motherhood. I quickly wiped my face off then bathed JP while Matthew emptied out the contents of the bathroom drawers on the floor.

The Famous Last Words "I Only Turned for A Second" - I finished cleaning JP and then smelled Matthew's stinky diaper. No problem, after JP's fiasco this will be cake. Now this is where things get scary - seriously. I grabbed the phone to call the speech therapist and leave her a message that we won't be there. I placed Matthew on the bed to be changed. As I'm leaving my message, phone cradled in my neck, I had one hand on Matthew and with the other hand I tried to grab a diaper wipe that was just... out... of... my... reach... and my wiggle worm tried to escape but headed in the wrong direction - right off the bed. He fell down and started screaming. I hang up the phone. (What a message that will be.)

Snap Out of It - I picked up Matty to comfort him and you know how a baby cries really hard then sucks in a breathe and cries even louder? Well, Mathew sucked in the air but never let it out. He just stood there then looked almost like he was going to faint. I freaked out. I thought perhaps he hit his head so hard he had brain damage. My mind traveled at warp speed - it a matter of seconds I pictured the whole scenario - me in the hospital, the doctor telling me they did everything they could, my breakdown, the funeral... I slapped myself out of it and rubbed his chest and called his name. He finally took a breath and whimpered but seemed tired out. As I debated going to the emergency room or calling 911, I quickly changed his dirty diaper. There was no time for me to change out of my vomit clothes. I'd have to bring JP with me and hope he doesn't get sick again. In the meantime Matthew had quieted down and seemed better.

Dr. H to the Rescue - I called my pediatrician's emergency line and told him what happened. He asked me detailed questions about what happened. How far did he fall (off the bed), is the floor carpeted (yes), did his eyes roll back (no), are his pupils unequal (no), is he vomiting (no, just his brother), etc. He said it sounded like he was okay but I had to keep an eye on him for any warning signs. It seems he didn't so much hurt his head but rather he was crying so hard that he lost his breathe.

Perspective - I sat on the couch with the boys grateful that Matthew finished his milk and was now hitting me on the face with his "love taps" as he laughed and babbled away, "Mamamamamama..." Who cares if my desk area was still covered in vomit or that I had yet to shower after getting drenched in it. Who cares about all the things I "should" be doing today. I was just relieved that I had my babies snuggled in my arms and God has spared me a scary, scary cross (at least so far.) There's nothing like a little shake up to help you put back perspective in your life!

Lesson Learned - Today is a new day and the kids are home from school. I hear yelling, screaming, laughter and the sound of JP and Matty giggling as they play with the bubble machine by my desk. The chaotic noise never sounded so beautiful.

So if today happens to drive you mad and you are feeling like you are going to lose it, stop and take a breath. Remember what matters most and count your blessings. God will get you through the rough spots. Don't wait for a near tragedy to remind you.

Thanks for listening and have a wonderful weekend!!

Hosted by Jen at Conversion Diary.

As I mentioned yesterday, it has been a busy week. On Wednesday, I eagerly went to the dentist for my teeth cleaning because it meant 20 uninterrupted minutes of sitting back in a chair and resting. The hygienist couldn't stop laughing when I told her this was the closest I would get to a spa day.

For yesterday's {pretty, happy, funny, real} I should have posted a photo of the pile of mail on the table. I haven't looked at a single item all week and the pile is about to topple. Even worse, I have two packages I haven't opened yet. One is my Pampered Chef order and the other is from Amazon and I believe it is Hailey's new book. As soon and I finish this I'll open them up and check it out. Yay!

When I get time to read over some blogs I always check my sister's blog first. I'm in CA and she is in VA and I hate that we are so far apart. Reading about her daily life helps me feel closer to her and her family. This morning she had me laughing so hard I was crying, which I actually feel bad about since she was describing her uber fear of mice. I was not laughing at her so much but the mental picture was hilarious. (I'm praying you catch that little pest, EL!) Go read it for yourself.

There has been a meme going around many blogs about posting 10 true facts about yourself. I remember doing something like that on facebook a year or two back but we had to do 25 things about ourselves. So for Quick Take 5 - 7 I'll repost that list for those who aren't on my facebook page because I know you just don't have enough useless information in your head right now.

1. "Bobbi" is not a nickname but my actual name. I love my name and I'm happy I was named after my dad. (Thanks for not naming me Roberta, mom and dad.)

2. When I was in preschool my finger got caught in wheel spokes and as a result I have a crooked right pinky with a broken nail.

3. As a kid, I loved desk items and school supplies and always wanted to be a writer. (Office supply stores still make me giddy.)

4. As a kid, I loved playing school, bank, store and carnival with my brothers and sisters. (Now I avoid going to schools & banks and live in a carnival-like house of four kids. Unfortunately for my pocketbook, I never outgrow the love of shopping.)

5. I am the oldest of nine kids. (So having four kids is really only a medium sized family.)

6. I used to have a pair of cool blue tennis shoes-roller skates.

7. My mom often told me I was a drama queen. (Sooo exaggerated.)

8. In school I was always the peacemaker who tried to bring arguing friends together. (I believe in the Rodney King mantra, "Can't we all just get along.")

9. I have no affection for cats whatsoever. (I just heard a unison of gasps. Sorry.)

10. I once dated a guy who turned into a stalker-crazy boyfriend.

11. I loved my converse and doc martin shoes. (I traded in my docs for flats but I still have some brown converse.)

12. I was a sucker for guys with bald heads, tattoos and eyebrow rings yet I fell in love with a guy as clean cut as they come.

13. When I am stressed out I play a game of spider solitaire and listen to New Order.

14. I am incredibly nosey and always have to know what's going on.

15. When I was younger I thought it was pathetic when people in their 30's & 40's went to concerts of bands from their youth. I have officially become pathetic because if there was a reunion tour in my town of the cure, the smiths, new order, depeche mode or psychedelic furs, I'd be running out the door I'd consider going.

16. I can't sew a stitch. When I was younger, I once hemmed my pants with duct tape. (And I vaguely remember "sewing" a dress for my doll with a stapler.)

17. I was seriously discerning a religious vocation two years before meeting my spouse.

18. My husband discerned he wasn't called to the priesthood. The day he left the seminary he started a novena to find a wife. On the last day of the novena he "met" me online. (Funny that Brian's prayers were answered immediately while I had to wait years.)

19. I feel absolutely and completely blessed to be married to the best man I have ever known. He has a certain look that can still make my heart skip a beat. (Swoon.)

20. My greatest treasures are my four kids - Bella, Andrew, John-Paul & Matthew. (Sometimes I just need a break in order to appreciate that fact!)

21. I have made a lot of incredibly stupid mistakes in my life but God has used them all to teach me a lesson and make me stronger and more understanding of other people's weaknesses.

22. I can easily be moved to tears - both happy and sad.

23. When I laugh my eyes water and I always bring a handkerchief to the movies when I see a funny movie...or sad one. (A real handkerchief. It is very Downton Abbey of me.)

24. I hate being mad at someone and I am eager to make up.

25. The three things I am most grateful for are my life, my family, and God's love & mercy.

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

Hosted by Jen at Conversion Diary.

Dear Blog Reader,

I have been absent for the majority of this week. I have numerous posts in my head but just could not get myself to sit down and type them out. I feel like I should be sharing spiritual insights and Lenten suggestions that will bring you closer to Christ, but frankly, my mind is blank. Instead, you will get the usual slightly humorous banter of a woman who is ignoring piles of dirty laundry and a sink full of dirty dishes. I'm sorry.

Apologetically,

Me

My Dear Sweet Hubby,

What kind of morning were you having? I woke up to find your phone, your scapular and your uneaten peanut butter and jelly sandwich that I am assuming was your breakfast? Were you called into work early at the last minute? Were you actually raptured while I was left here on earth? (I really do need to up my prayer life.) No, I guess you were just running out the door too fast. No worries, my love. I will drive over and bring you your things. It is the least I can do when you do so much for me.

Blessed to be,

Your Wife

Dear Driver from Texas,

Please excuse me for smiling at you on the road yesterday. I was not flirting with you. I was smiling at the fact that your Texas longhorn logo on the back of your truck always makes me think of a priest's clerical collar.

I know it is weird and most likely I need glasses but I can't help it.

Call me,

Catholic

Dear Tourist of the Mission,

Welcome to my parish. I am so pleased to have you join us at Mass. I do not mind you sitting behind me. I will be patient with you and your children because I know how difficult it can be to keep them quiet. I am also sympathetic that sometimes little ones need bribes of cheerios and fishy crackers to sit still. However, once your kids are over toddlerhood (and in grammar school) it is best to not let them eat in Church. And it is particularly discouraged to have them eating Jack-in-the-box tacos and fries in the pew, minutes before Mass is going to start. The least you could have done is brought extra tacos for those of us sitting around you. That taco smell is very seductive, making one crave the greasy goodness of tortillas fried around mystery meat.

Ashamedly,

The Parishioner with the Growling Stomach

Dear American Idol,

After three or four years of watching your show, I have finally decided to give you up. You take up too much of my time and I rarely listen to the winners you've produced. However, I caught a few minutes of your show last night and already found myself rooting for some girl I heard singing. Blast you. Now I may have to watch next week just to see what the top 13 contestants sound like. This is what happens when you take away my Downton Abbey. I get so depressed I listen to Steven Tyler's cryptic nonsense. (And why didn't Ryan Seacrest shave? He's too baby faced to look good scruffy.)

Reluctantly,

A Closet AI Voter

Dear Daylight Savings Time,

I have heard many people marveling at your wonder. They rejoice in their extra sunlight. I hate to disappoint them by admitting that I loathe you. I live in California. I do not need extra sunlight. I have four children. I need sleep. They need sleep. Thanks to you, next week we will be tired, cranky and hunting for hidden chocolate. I'm too mad to even continue speaking to you right now.

Undoubtedly,

No Fan

My Dear 2 Year Old,

I love you very much but this continuous taking my iphone has got to stop. No matter where I put it, you seem to find it. I don't mind you watching Blue's Clues or playing you Thomas the Train puzzles but it can only be when I allow you to do so. Not to mention that when you are done playing, you hide my phone. I know you are going through your hiding stage now - shoes in the toy box, car keys in the laundry basket, candy in your underwear drawer but you have got to Stop. Hiding. My. Phone. I don't ever want to call my cell number and have to listen for the ring only to find that my phone was buried in your sand box. You are incredibly lucky that it is still working. From now on I am keeping my phone here in my pocket where you can't get it without me knowing...wait, where did my phone go? Egads. I better check the toilets.

Wondering Why,

I Haven't Had a Heart Attack Yet

*********************************

Have a wonderful weekend and may your phone always be in your pocket.

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!!

(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!!

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.

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

Hosted by Jen at Conversion Diary.

I've got a lot to do today so I'll just take a few minutes to make my Quick Takes this week. I have errands and house cleaning to do since I have company coming over next week. Two of my sisters will be visiting from Southern California and I can't wait! I get a double treat since not only will be able to spend time with my sisters, they have also offered to babysit the kids, baby included, so Brian and I can go out. He has a special treat planned for next Friday night and I can't wait!

I'm hoping the weather stays nice next week. It has been like spring! The other day was actually warm, so warm that I saw an old homeless guy on the street with his shirt off sunbathing next to his shopping cart. Not exactly a pretty picture but he seemed to be enjoying the California sun.

Tonight I'm going to a baby shower and I'm looking forward to seeing some of my Catholic mom friends. Sometimes I get so busy with life that the first thing to slip away is spending time with other moms. Yet, I truly need it. There is something about being able to talk to another mom face to face (not that I don't appreciate my online friends ;-) and being able to have an adult conversation or just joke around about the quirks of motherhood. I miss it and am glad to have it back.

This next Quick Take sort of morphed into its own post about miscarriage, suffering and finding joy so I'll just count the following as numbers 4-7.

It is the norm amongst (practicing) Catholic families to have a number of women pregnant at the same time. But lately, there seems to be a number of people I know dealing with the pain of miscarriage. For some, this is their second, even third. For others, this is their first. Brian and I lost two babies during the years between Bella and Andrew. Both happened early in the pregnancy but that didn't diminish the anguish it caused. That first miscarriage was honestly the most painful experience of my life. We had been dealing with infertility for awhile and were so excited when we finally conceived.

I remember how happy I was to buy a new pregnancy journal to record the next nine months of my pregnancy. I never thought I'd have to say good bye to my little one in that journal. Years ago I posted my pregnancy journal online on RoL, just as I had done with Bella's journal. I wanted to show that my little one was no less loved just because I never had the chance to hold him in my arms. How my heart goes out to these moms. I pray that Our Lord brings them peace, comfort and strength as Our Lady takes care of their babies until they can hold them one day in heaven.

Hearing about these miscarriages has also been a stark reminder to me of how blessed I am. This week has been a bit of a struggle for me. The kind of days when my facebook status should read - Although I love being a mother, today sucked. Of course, the problems aren't really major but lack of sleep and caring for sick ones can make the usual little problems seem magnified. However, when I hear about someone losing their baby (no matter how young) I can't help but get a swift kick in the rear and realize just how blessed I am. Suddenly things are put into perspective and things don't look as bad. It helps me find the joy in the chaos.

That reminds me of today's quote and prayer from Small Steps for Catholic Moms. The quote is from St. Francis de Sales. "To keep the soul continually in a state of gentle calm, it is necessary to perform every action as being done in the presence of God, and as if he himself ordained it." The prayer goes on to say, "God, sometimes it's so hard to let go of control! Help me to trust that you are in charge and to find the peace and joy that comes from accepting each moment for the gift it truly is."

Some days it is easy to refocus and reclaim your joy. Other days, especially when you are carrying a heavy cross, the struggles weigh you down and sometimes you just need some time before you can start to even grasp the thought of joy. God knows that and he gives us just what we need.

I can't help but think about my little Matthew as he is learning how to walk. I let him go and he toddles a bit and falls down. Then he gets back up and tries again. But at some point he is exhausted and can't try anymore. He sits on the ground crying with his hands raised up to me. I often think of us as babies and toddlers learning to walk. Like a loving father, God knows exactly when to let us try and walk on our own. And he knows when we are exhausted and can't go on, we just need to be picked up and carried in his arms.

So whether you are walking upright under the close eye of your Father or being held in his arms while you gather your strength, the point is that God is always there. Surrendering yourself and your situation to him doesn't mean that the pain will suddenly vanish, but slowly the healing will take place and we'll be given the grace and courage to walk once again.

(NOTE: I meant only to spend a few minutes doing this quick takes but it has been over an hour and Matthew has miraculously been asleep the whole time. I just now reread my journal and although I lost our first baby seven years ago, all the pain and grief has swept over me as if it were fresh and I'm just sobbing. I can barely type here. I need to stop for a moment...

I guess the pain never completely goes away. Maybe I needed to be reminded that my two little saints are up there looking out for me and praying for me. I've reposted my pregnancy journals for Bella and our miscarried Baby Victor Brian on the blog. Maybe reading it will help another mom know she's not alone in her grief and that there is hope in the end.)

Have a blessed weekend.

xoxo,
B