I am so not a fan of Hallmark Holidays EXCEPT when it comes to Mother’s Day or Father’s Day. I mean really, how can I not like a day dedicated to ME? Anyone who knows me well knows how I feel about my birthday. While most people get over their special day once they hit their 30’s or have kids, I still love my birthday. I feel like it’s a day all for me and God help those that forget my day or don’t do something to make me feel special. Bad, yes, but I’m honest and everyone knows how I feel about this.

Back to Mother’s Day and Father’s Day…another day that in theory I should love, but in reality it just never works out to be what we expect. I won’t get into my Mother’s Day this year, but it is enough to say that I understand why some women think that Mother’s Day should be a day spent alone. Lance thought I was being incredibly selfish when I muttered that comment this year, until today when he decided that Father’s Day might best be spent alone.

We should have known something was wrong when Kobra cried the entire twenty minute ride to church. It was the longest car ride ever with Baby Hulk yelling at the baby to be quiet. Then Lance realized that he left his socks at home, so I took all the boys into church while he went to Walgreens to buy another pair. I didn’t think I was doing too bad with the kids until I heard someone behind me say she felt sorry for me. Baby Hulk and Kobra proceeded to fidget and fight over a book for most of Mass. Lance and I took turns standing in the back of the church with the kids. We were having a late lunch so we decided to stop at Costco for samples to hold us over until we met our family. No problems there except it was boiling hot, and the kids were running away from us.

We finally met at Maggiano’s at 3:00 for a late lunch with family. We really like this restaurant, and I was prepared with incentives for the kids. Too bad our waiter was so slow that all the treats were gone before our salads arrived. Baby Hulk wouldn’t sit still, Kobra was crying in the high chair and Squirt disappeared twice during the meal. To say our stress level was high is an understatement. Of course, this is mostly our fault for taking our kids to a restaurant for more than an hour and a half during nap time, but what could we do? We wanted to spend the afternoon with family and sometimes we get off our schedule. So Lance and I had the pleasure of walking outside in the Houston heat with the kids hoping and praying for the meal to end.

And that’s when he said he understood how I felt this year. So what did I do? I told him the same thing he told me in May. Thankfully, my husband is a much better person than me, and he went inside and changed his attitude and finished the meal on a high note. I would have sat and sulked outside, but not him. He is such a good man, he can admit when he is wrong or has gone overboard, and he lets things go. I am so thankful that he does not hold a grudge. He inspires me to be a better person, but most especially a better wife and mother. He has taught me so much as a parent and I am so blessed to celebrate Father’s Day with him.

Back at home, Baby Hulk got in trouble for pushing Kobra over and was sent to Goose’s room to cool down. He did just that and then peed all over Goose’s guitar. ON PURPOSE!

What a day! Thankfully, we have three down and only one more to go…

Happy Father’s Day, my love. You are the best father and I am so blessed to be raising these boys with you! I love you!

What a great day! We had 15 kids for the kickoff of our Saints program! We celebrated the Feast of the Sacred Heart. Most of this group met at Sacred Heart Co-Cathedral and while some of us have moved to different parishes, this feast day is still important to us and was a great way to start this new group. Our goal is to provide our children with some Catholic fellowship and introduce them to the Saints in a fun way so that they will look to them for inspiration throughout their lives.

We had a coloring page, made a cool Sacred Heart craft, made Holy cards, had snack time and played a lot. Despite being miserably hot, (in my opinion) the kids played non-stop. A few moms that wanted to come today were unable to come, but I am happy with our turnout. I hope that everyone can come as often as possible and that others will join in making this a success for our children.

Group Photo

Every day Lance and I say we’re going to bed early. And every night it’s after midnight before we climb into bed. We have a rule that we always go to bed at the same time. Surprisingly, we usually follow it. Tonight, I’m heading towards our regular routine. It doesn’t matter that I have a huge list of things to complete tomorrow or that I’m dead tired or that someone will probably wake me up in a few hours, I am still awake. I don’t know what it is that makes me stay awake. Maybe it’s reading blogs… I almost didn’t read this one tonight, but I was pulled to check just one more of the blogs I follow daily. It was so timely for me and what I’m working on with my kids.

During Lent, it was suggested to leave “just one minute” out of your vocabulary when your children ask for/demand your attention. I told several people about trying this out. We all thought this would be impossible, but when I really tried, it wasn’t as hard as it seemed. Plus, as one friend pointed out to me, it’s better to try each day with our children than just give up because something sounds too hard. We expect the best from them, why not give them our best daily. I have remembered that suggestion and started working on that again. I am pleased that today I managed to stop what I was doing and listen to my children and help them immediately rather than having them wait and get frustrated. Just because I listen to their questions immediately doesn’t mean that I give them whatever they are asking for at that moment. That’s okay, they have to learn patience and that they don’t always get what they want, but I am giving them the respect they deserve. My kids aren’t annoyances in my life and I don’t ever want them to feel that way. I want them to know what a gift they are to me each and every day.

FOR TODAY: June 15th, 2009

Outside my Window… it’s sunny right now. It is so hot and humid. I hate to complain, but I’m already over this weather. We have a swim meet tonight, and I am volunteering in the concessions so that I can sit in the air conditioning!

I am thinking… about our vacation. I have so much to do before we leave and I feel the time already slipping away from me.

I am thankful… that I am FINALLY over my cold. It was two weeks of feeling awful, but still having to run my house as if nothing was wrong since nobody else seemed to catch this cold.

From the kitchen… hopefully some new recipes. My goal is to make dinner every night this week. In fact, I would love to have a week without eating out at all, including lunch. Too bad I already made lunch plans this week!

From the school room… some reading and maps. We’re leaving for vacation on July 3rd, and I’m hoping to teach Goose about some of the states we’ll be driving through before we arrive in South Carolina.

Living the Liturgical year at Home… I am starting Summer with the Saints this week! A friend and I are planning crafts and stories for our little ones. I am so excited about this and am praying for a great turnout and fun for the kids. We are starting on Friday and will be celebrating the Feast of the Sacred Heart.

I am going… to a swim meet tonight. Only three more to go. I don’t mind going to swim meet, except that it is so darn hot.

I am wearing… green cargo shorts and a white shirt. I actually took a shower right after my workout today!

I am reading… nothing right now, but someone just recommended a new book for me. I can’t wait to start.

Around the house… lots of kids laughing and playing together. I know the boys won’t always get along, but I love when they hang out together and play nice. Squirt is such a great big brother and it’s been really sweet watching him and Goose listen to music together. Baby Hulk is trying to get in on the action too. He copies everything Goose does.

One of my favorite things… Mad Men. I just finished Season 1 and can’t wait to start Season 2. I think I’ll wait for the long drive across country.

A Few Plans For This Week… lunch with my friend Stacy who is due next week! Making plans for the three best dad’s around…Lance, my dad and my brother. Starting Summer with the Saints and finishing up some chores before summer vacation.

A picture thought I am sharing:

Friday night was take 2 of Terese’s birthday dinner. Despite still feeling sick, I had a blast. Birthday dinners with Cindy, Terese and Carter are something we all look forward to. Lance accuses us of making up birthdays just so we can spend time together. Since we all have busy lives, sometimes our dinners don’t happen until a month or two after said birthday. Lance says if we can’t get it together within a week, we should lose out on the dinner, but there is no way any of us would agree to that.

Cindy and I have both decided we need to start including our men when we get together, but not for birthday dinners. These nights are just for the four of us. Happy Birthday Terese!

Flexibility has never been easy for me. I make lists and adhere to them. I love making plans and crossing things off, one by one. Despite having four children, things usually go the way I plan so I don’t often have the chance to practice being flexible.

My dinner plans to celebrate Terese’s birthday- cancelled. Squirt came down with a fever and I really couldn’t justify leaving Lance home with a sick kid. My cousin got sick in the middle of the night, so her parents had to come pick her up. No problem, I thought, at least I’m going to a wedding tonight at a really nice venue. Plus, several athletes will be in attendance. Despite not feeling well, I was really looking forward to the wedding. Lance and I made it to the wedding only to be told that the wedding was LAST NIGHT. After retrieving our car from the valet, we sat on a side street trying to decide where to go. We couldn’t agree on a restaurant so we decided to pick up dessert first. The only problem with that plan was that we didn’t bring our debit card or any cash. I searched for any type of credit card in my purse and came up with a check card from our savings account. Too bad it didn’t work.

Defeated, we drove home and changed. Since we had a babysitter, we went out again and had a nice dinner. We had fun being together, but it certainly wasn’t what we planned. After declaring our evening a success, Lance let me know that Charles Barkley would have been at the wedding too. A chance to meet a basketball legend and we get the date wrong.

For Today…June 5, 2009

Here is a picture thought I am sharing with you…

Kobra’s first trip to the pool!

This morning Baby Hulk and I went to Rice Music Camp. It’s a Mommy and Me camp for an hour, and I thought it would be a good way for us to spend time alone. Plus, EVERYONE raves about the camp and the director. I had been encouraged to take Baby Hulk to camp to get “face time” with the director so that I could make the cut for classes in the fall.

During roll call, the director learned each child’s name immediately so I was slightly impressed. She then called all mommies out and gave us a check mark for being present. Next it was dads- check, then grandmothers- check. Grandfathers…big pause. There happened to be an older man in the room who was NOT a grandfather. Oops. How do you politely say you look old enough to be a grandfather? Caretakers- check. The director then looked at these two ladies with twins and said “are you two mommies?” The nanny explained who she was without realizing the implication of the question. Finally, it clicked in and the nanny was embarrassed. The director said something about being up with the times. The director next turned to me and asked if I was a Mommy or Nanny. Anyway who knows me can imagine how happy I was. I guess since I’m Mexican and my child looks like a porcelain doll, I must be the nanny. Who is this lady that I needed face time with?

Just Saturday Lance and I were talking about how we don’t think anything about him being white and me being Mexican. Are we in the minority?

I have my aunts and grandmother to thank for Mary being a part of my life. Growing up, we went to church weekly and I was enrolled in CCE through high school, but we never prayed together as a family except before dinner. We didn’t really talk about Mary and the Saints, and when I think about that it makes me sad. We have this rich tradition in our church that I missed out on as a kid. Then again, it’s okay, knowing my personality, I would have rebelled. Plus, I’m happy where I am on this journey of faith and I know my parents helped form my faith.

I did have the seeds planted by another generation. A generation that prayed every morning, offered novenas and had statues and pictures of Jesus and the saints and Our Lady all over the house.

I have a great rosary collection and most people think it started with my friend Sarah. To her credit, Sarah has given me my favorite rosary of all – my wedding rosary. Sarah and her husband Chris were the padrinos of the rosary at my wedding. She had two different rosaries made for me and Lance. She requested the crucifix on my rosary be the same crucifix that John Paul II used to carry. She knew I would love that. Over the years, she has given my several beautiful rosaries, but it all started with my aunts.

My aunts used to give me a rosary each time we visited them, which was a few times a year. I had one aunt who used to be a nun. I was fascinated by her decision to be a nun and would ask her tons of questions about her life. She would always tell me to pray the rosary. My grandmother always had a rosary in her hand, even when she died earlier this year at the age of 98. I didn’t really listen to them about praying the rosary very often. In fact, I used to ask my mother why they always gave me rosaries. Did they think I lost the other ones? I’d like to think that now they would be pleased with me and my children. We don’t pray the rosary together as often as I would like, but that’s okay, we’re getting there. Squirt is the proud owner of my glow in the dark rosary. That was a favorite of mine growing up. Recently he told me that he was not passing that one down to the little ones. I’m fine with that. If having a favorite rosary inspires him to pray a little more then I’m happy.

Since we’ve been focusing on Mary this month, Goose made flowers for Mary to leave at her altar. He was so precious leaving flowers and praying the Memorare. He learned this prayer this month as did the rest of the family. I didn’t even know about this prayer until law school when my friend Bob told me about it.

Looking at Goose this morning took me back to my wedding when Lance and I took flowers to Mary’s altar. He said the most beautiful prayer for our marriage outloud. I always tease him about this because I assumed that we would each say a prayer to ourselves rather than outloud. I am so glad he did it his way because that is my favorite moment from my wedding.

As Catholics we don’t worship Mary, but we do ask for her intercession. I do this daily. I hope my children will do the same throughout their lives. Maybe I need to buy more glow in the dark rosaries.

JEALOUS

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