:: 2 days down, 38 more to go.  I made this comment last night while tucking the boys into bed and Goose immediately started doing the math.  “If March has 31 days and it’s only February 14…”  Sundays are not part of Lent.  I know that, but I never knew that until I was in my 20’s.  Apparently I wasn’t into simple addition back in the day.  And apparently my parents never felt the need to tell me either.  I wonder if they even knew that fact.  I’m pretty torn over the fact that Sundays don’t count as part of Lent.  Mainly, because it’s not that hard to sacrifice when you know you can enjoy on Sundays.  Yet at the same time, I understand that Sundays are mini Easters.  But really, I think our family can sacrifice until Easter arrives.

:: Speaking of sacrifices, nothing annoys me more than certain people asking me what I am giving up for Lent.  Especially on Ash Wednesday as they are chewing a mouthful of meat.  I shouldn’t be judgmental, but I try really hard to focus on Lent, probably my favorite season of the year, and I don’t like people making sure I’m giving up the “right thing”.  I like fasting, but honestly I gain more from the prayer aspect of Lent, yet most people aren’t interested in hearing about that.  And yes, I’ll say it totally gets on my last nerve when Catholics don’t follow simple Lenten disciplines.  I know, I know, I am way too judgmental, and I’m working on that.  But really, it takes more than being baptized to call yourself Catholic, possibly going to mass is a step in the right direction.

:: Snax just continues to impress me.  This week it was talking about sacrifice, Presidents and reptiles.  It’s like he has turned a corner and grows smarter each day.  He has truly become an enjoyable child in ways I didn’t think possible.  Of course, he still talks in the loudest voice possible and makes inappropriate comments about people dying in front of family members.

:: Each night during Lent we pray for a specific intention.  Thursday night is for the Holy Father, his intentions, his health, for the Cardinals when the time comes to elect a new pope and of course, for the new Pope!  We talked about the Holy Father and plan to spend quite some time learning about the papacy and this particular pope as well as the new pope once elected.  As we talked about this, Baby Hulk made some comment about the President.  And was shocked upon learning that he wasn’t Catholic.  He then asked if Mitt Romney was Catholic.  More horrified.  He decided he is never going to vote unless the candidate is Catholic.  Note to self: must work on being more open minded with children.

:: Leaving Lent…my top movie for 2012 is Amour.  A friend told me he was bored watching this, but the premise was so romantic to me.  A couple together till the very end, the husband taking care of his wife.  Afterwards my friend and I spoke about it, and he explained he couldn’t relate at all.  Living marriage, the easy and the hard, this movie was so hopeful to me.  I just can’t say enough about how amazing this movie is.  And if Jennifer Lawrence beats Emmanuelle Riva for best actress, I will vomit in my driveway.

::Sunshine is obsessed with vitamins.  She calls them “mins”.  I assume this obsession stems from her love of fruit chews.  Well, her dad cut her off of chews.  She recently discovered that vitamins are a lot like chews so as soon as she gets up, she now asks for mins opposed to her usual grunt of “EAT”.

:: Snax wrote several Valentine’s cards for family and friends.  One of them was for our best buddies.  We dropped the card in their mailbox slot Thursday.  The father came home and found it, assumed it was for him and promptly made a card for Snax.  A homemade card that said, “Happy Valentine’s Day, Pancake” complete with a drawing of pancakes and syrup.  Snax calls the dad “Pancake” for whatever reason.  Actually, he shouts it at him all the time, the dad doesn’t mind, clearly, and it’s hilarious.  Snax was so happy clutching his personal card and reading it all evening.

:: Speaking of Valentine’s Day, it’s for lovers, right?  Not friends?  Squirt has been intent on having a Valentine this year.  Last week, he told me some girl was going to be his valentine.  Tuesday, he went and bought a bear and asked if he could spend more money on some roses.  All for some girl I’ve never even heard of before last week.  He wanted those flowers so badly that he asked Lance to take him to school so they could buy them because mean old mom wouldn’t let him spend the money!  Last night he tells us what he got from her, some candy and cookies, and when Lance asked about them going on a date, he told us “nope, she was just his valentine.”  WHAT???  How does that make sense?!

:: Lance and I didn’t go out last night, and I was fine with that.  He did come home with five, yes FIVE, bottles of wine though.  Wonder what he was thinking about last night.

:: Today Baby Hulk informed me he doesn’t like nicknames.  People shorten his name to Mase, instead of Mason.  This kind of sucks because every person in this home calls him Mase.  Turns out some kids in school are as well, and it is pissing him off.  And we don’t want to piss of this kid.

:: Baby Hulk has been going to school since August.  And it still takes the monitors 12 minutes to get them out of the cafeteria (where they sit in the morning) and walking to class.  They spend so much time talking about “bubbles and straight lines and facing forward” it makes me ill.  How about just getting up from the table and walking to class?!!!  That way they don’t sit and wait, they don’t get antsy and start talking and they aren’t effing around making stupid bubbles!!!  It’s no wonder other countries are out smarting us.

::  It’s Friday, we went to our first Fish Fry of the Lenten season at St. Michael’s.  I highly recommend it.  We’re getting ready to pray the stations right now.  I highly recommend praying those as well.

:: One more best picture to view and then five docs.  I reached my goal!!!  Although I just realized I have five docs to view before next Sunday.  Crossing my fingers that that happens before the Oscars.