Have no anxiety at all, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, make your requests known to God. Then the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
Phil 4:6-7



Monday, April 15, 2013

(4/15)...streaming


I used to think that people who claimed to be so busy they couldn't get done the things they really wanted to get done just didn't have their sh*t together. Must not be well organized, have their priorities straight, must be wasting time watching television or on Facebook.

Turns out you can actually have so many demands on your time from outside influences that you can't do what you want to do. What a revelation. Even when I had four children under the age of twelve at home I did not have this problem.

I apologize to anyone I ever thought that about.

I actually feel guilty blogging because I have so many projects, so much dirty laundry, lesson plans unplanned, Lenten decorations still up, and overdo library books, I have no business sitting here typing, but I refuse to give up on the blogger in my head. She needs to commune with her fellow bloggers if for only 30 minutes a week.

So here I sit and I can't remember anything I wanted to share.

Oh yeah, how about the fact that my life is so uncomplicated right now that we are going to get a new cat? A cat...a new cat to us...we don't have one. Faith has been badgering for months. We have never had a cat with kids, though we had two when we got married. Both parents sent us off with our childhood cats. That was fun. We've had dogs since the oldest boys were little, but no cat. Faith is dying for a cat. She even claimed that her childhood would essentially be ruined if she couldn't have a cat. I was not really opposed, but Doug was. Really opposed. She wore him down. There is a Petco next door to the Panera where eat every week or two before dance class. They have some shelter cats on loan and Faith has been checking for a good match since early last fall. So far they have been male, long-haired or adopted before we checked back on them. Last week there was a short-haired female that was a really sweetheart. We filled out the adoption papers, but it turns out that particular kitty hates dogs, so no-go. And she had finally convinced her dad to let her have a kitty.

Well, Doug and Noah stopped at the vet's office today to pick up some medicine for Maggie, and they had two rescue kitties there in the waiting room. Guess who sent me pictures from his phone because "she was such a nice kitty"?

Tomorrow we will be going to pick up some supplies and then pick up "Avery" for a little test run with Maggie. We'll keep her for a couple days. If the cat and dog hate each other and I have to take the cat back, my daughter will probably have an emotional breakdown. Fortunately the cat shelter with whom we filled out adoption papers has a back-up kitty that likes dogs -- they just emailed me this evening.

I'm not sure I'm diggin' the name Avery. I like Vivian, but Noah doesn't. Maybe Molly, but I don't think she looks like a Molly. I'll keep you posted.

~~~~~

On another note, today is the 31st anniversary of my dad's death. I think I have told you before he was unfortunate enough to get his death and taxes on the same day. Thirty-one years is a long time and it's hard to believe I was the same college girl who lost her dad suddenly to a heart attack. He was just 42. It seems like another life ago. My uncle's wife was pregnant with her first baby and that baby is now pregnant with her first baby. Her sister Jill was born a year later. I did not know my husband. How things can change in 31 years.

Earlier last week we were planning a photo session with Doug's family to take place on Sunday at his parent's home. I was telling my mom about it and she reminded me that we had our family portrait done outdoors in the fall before my father died. We, of course, had no idea it would be the last family photo.



~~~~~


One last story before I go switch the laundry, make a cup of tea and settle down with some sewing. On Friday I confiscated Noah's cell phone because of a bad grade and then found some very inappropriate texts when I searched it. Not unheard of, in my family, or any other, but seriously disappointing. The kind of disappointment that starts in your throat, moves to your chest and ends up in your head, throbbing for several days.

I was mad, really mad, because all my kids have been raised to know right from wrong, good from bad, and seriously warned against such behavior. They have also been told that I will throw any electronic device used for the purpose of sin in the creek. It rained Thursday night and the creek was raging Friday afternoon. You know it. I took the SIM card and battery out lest anyone ever find it, I walked out the back door (slammed it, of course), down the deck stairs and chucked that sucker right in the creek with all my might. It was a most satisfying kerplunk. And I've had no regrets. I won't say Noah can't ever have a phone again, but it will be randomly searched without warning (which I should have been doing but got complacent).

Noah went to Confession on Saturday and we're ok today, but it was a tough weekend. He was sulky and that made me even more mad. He should have been sorry, begging for my forgiveness. I have to keep reminding myself how God must have felt when Adam disobeyed. He is the Creator, Adam's creator, in a much bigger way than I am Noah's creator, and still Adam disobeyed. And satan was at the root of it, just as he was with the phone. We can never let down our guards with these children of ours. But when they disobey we can't take it personally. They will sin. We just have to hug them and love them and try again.



Folly is bound up in the heart of a child,
but the rod of discipline drives it far from him. Proverbs 22:15





~~~~~




By the way, I am sewing two First Holy Communion veils for my Etsy shop. If you need one and don't have one, stay tuned...

6 comments:

  1. I am so proud of you. I would have loved you for my mother. Thank you so much for caring about your sons soul. Keep him out of hell!!!! I can picture you throwing that phone and I have a huge smile on my face.

    I am one of those people who do not have the sh*t together. And probably never will.

    I cannot wait to hear all about your kitten. Pictures please!

    ReplyDelete
  2. WTG, Barbara! Reminds me of when two of our (little) boys were caught shoplifting Transformer toys. I was just sick to my stomach that they would ever do something like that! The store owner banned them from the store, but since they had ridden their bikes there, against everything we ever taught them ("stay home until Mommy or Daddy get back from work; never ride in traffic; THOU SHALT NOT STEAL!") my husband sold those bikes and took away every Transformer toy we didn't recognize as belonging to them. Believe me, they still remember. And they never stole again. I do hope you find the perfect kitty; they are so much fun! (And I'm afraid I don't "have my sh*t together", either!)--- Rosemary

    ReplyDelete
  3. I think that us mothers out here need strong examples of setting boundaries, and you set one!

    My kids are still young, but have fallen into the habit of lying. I have one who is so good at lying to stay out of trouble, I could weep. Who do you believe? I often ask St. Maximilian Kolbe to watch over all of them. :)

    ReplyDelete
  4. So can you please email Francie and tell her that she is not the ONLY teenager in the world whose parents random search her phone?! She believes herself to be the victim of the most egregious human rights violations. Plus, she isn't even allowed on facebook, which makes her the ONLY one not on there. Pfft.

    As my husband says, "kids are so dumb. Good thing we love them."

    (And my sh*t is so far from together that I can't even find it to collect it!)

    xoxoxo

    ReplyDelete
  5. Oh, gosh, this has been sitting here for days now, waiting for me to read, (but I haven't had the time!!!) hahaha!! Truly, I have not, it seems everyone is demanding my time and I'm kind of enjoying the moment, the time when they are young and need me. (as I type this, Simeon is crying walking towards me, oh, he was stopped by the magnets on the fridge...)

    Gosh, I'm interested in a veil for next year, so happy you make them. Not sure what my Angela will want though, she's such a Pink Tom-boy (tom boy who likes girly things too) She told me she is now growing her hair out so she can use curlers next year for her FHC. We need scapulars too, but I am afraid to ask you, you are so busy.

    Oh, I dread the time I find something, and I know I will eventually, in what my kiddos have done. We are working so hard on obedience right now. You did so good. And God wants you to feel a little of what He feels, it makes you a good parent. It makes you a good child of God too.

    My girls all can't wait to grow up, so they can have cats and dogs. My 6 year old wants to be a farmer, so she can have lots of animals.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Read this days ago...finally finding time to comment. Lots worth commenting on...very little time.

    Did you ever read the Flylady book? She talks about people who are "born organized" and writes for those who were not. I WAS born organized...and then I had children...

    The last time I was bored was about a week before my second son was born. We lived in a small condo, which was thoroughly clean and very organized. My top-of-the-fridge freezer was packed with food for after the baby came. My mending pile was non-existent. All my projects were done. I read books during the tot's nap time. Ahh, blissful days. We bought a fixer-upper when #2 was 4 months old and although we've moved beyond it, my life has not slowed down since then.

    I had problems with my oldest son using Google to advance his understanding of what the other kids at Boy Scouts were discussing. Not pretty. Very disappointing. {sigh}

    ReplyDelete

I appreciate your comments -- sometimes I feel like I'm talking to myself!