All In A Day's Work

First, she was a "robert" who "sells money."

Now, she is a cheerleader at Camp!

Humbly, not Proudly

"Wear your ashes humbly, not proudly." That is the main point of an article that my friend sent to me.

Ash Wednesday has always been interesting to me. It is not a Holy Day of Obligation for Catholics, and yet there have been times that we couldn't even step into the church because it was so crowded with Catholics waiting to receive their mark. It is peculiar to me. What makes people want the ashes? Is it to feel a part of something bigger than themselves? Is it an act of reverence that some people just know they cannot miss? Is it a desire to let the world know of their religious connection? Is it a time and way for people to start over, a clean slate? I think for me, at different times it has been all of these things.

Most recently, it has seemed like a contradiction to the Gospel reading that says, "when you pray, go into a closet, when you fast, tidy yourself so that the world doesn't know; surely your Father in Heaven knows." So, why then do we do something so bold, so visible to the world?

My friend's article reminded me that we wear ashes as a sign that we are sinners. They aren't like a Girl Scout badge we've earned that says, "Look at me, I am Catholic, I'm not eating meat today! Aren't I holy?" Neither do I think they are to be a way to square off with someone, "You better believe I'm Catholic, you want to make something of it?"

Instead, they are a reminder to us that "from ashes we come and to ashes we shall return." That little smudge on our head should remind us of the smudges on our souls. Without the grace of God, we are no more than dirt, an evolution of cells. But God has called us out of our sinfulness, God breathed a soul into us, God uses us and molds us and doesn't give up on us, even though we are poor sinners. He has called us His children, thus giving us His inheritance. Jesus, our Brother, opened the gates of Heaven by dying and rising again. It is on Ash Wednesday, that we humbly come before our King and admit to Him and the world, that we don't deserve what we have been given, but we are eternally grateful.

Brothers are Like That

I just got a little tickled listening to Hannah and Luke make their Valentines. Hannah is meticulously cutting out 21 hearts and handwriting notes to each of her classmates for the party tomorrow. She prefers me to not offer any assistance with projects such as these. Luke, on the other hand, is not as meticulously trying to get through his list as quickly as possible, mentioned that Valentine's Day is too much work, really just wants to eat the candy instead of tape it to the cards, and gladly takes me up on my offer to help. He forgot to make one for his teacher, so he was sent back in to make a handmade heart for her.

I overheard him ask his sister, "Hannah do you really need all of these, can I have just one?"

She said,"No you can't."

I'm a Nut, I'm a Nut, I'm a Dog-gone Nut

Todays mighty oak is yesterday's nut that held its ground!

This was a quote on an email from my kids' counselor...I love it!

So Angelic

On Saturday, Sophia was in the backseat of the car and was looking through a religious book. She asked me, "Mommy, did you know some angels are babies?"

I figured she was looking at a picture with Mary and the little angels around her, so I told her they make some angels look like babies, and that they are called "cherubs." She went on to agree and tell me that she guessed that our guardian angels were babies when we were little and then grow up with us.

She then said, "Oh, here is another picture of those CHUBBIES!"

Bummer Dude

Walking your dog is a dangerous thing...

Congratulations Hannah, you are the 1st child in our family to earn a cast!

Somewhat Distracted

Omar and I were helping Luke and Hannah with their Science Projects today. I don't really look forward to this particular assignment, although Katie had some success a few years back and I actually did quite well in 7th and 8th grades at my own Science Fairs. ( I think it is because we picked categories that no one else entered! ) Hannah's project is mandatory and Luke volunteered for his, yeah Luke. So Omar and Luke were building a homemade battery out of pennies and apple cider vinegar, and Hannah and I were driving around the neighborhood trying to get 10 adults and 10 kids to perform a Stroop Test and the other kids were somewhat monitoring Sophia, while doing their own homework and weekend chores. When I got home, I asked Sophia if she was hungry. She said no, she was eating her 4th granola bar. I guess she was doing an experiment of her own.