Monopoly

I feel like I am living a game of Monopoly.  Some days I draw a Chance card and it tells me to go to Park Place and pay whatever is owed there.  Those are the days that, even though I am days away from a move of a family of 8 to Italy, I have to pay my bills but my computer won’t connect me and I lose my password.  I have to pay my taxes and—oh yeah, not kidding—my ceiling caves in and I have $10,000 of repairs ahead.

But then there are the days I draw a Treasure Chest Card.  “Benevolent Aunt comes to town and takes 4- year-old to water park for 8 hours and you get all your packing done.” Wahoo!!  I hit the jackpot. 

Flying with a 100 lb. Dog to Rome

Ron and the 4 girls flew to Rome.  They almost missed the flight because, among other things, the airlines almost refused to accept our dog.  But we had 1) gotten a ticket for him; 2) gotten 7 pages of required paperwork stamped by the Italian consulate; 3) gotten a crate that could have fit Clifford, the Big Red Dog, and 4) spent hours on the phone with the airlines working out every detail.
    Still, when the time came, they refused the dog.  After hours of haggling at the DFW airport, they finally took the dog and the family boarded the flight.
    Once in Rome, the family got their bags, and went to retrieve the dog.  For two hours they went from counter to counter, asking everyone they could find where animals who have flown are.  No one knew.
   Finally,  a guy said, "Check the lost and found."
   Ron replied, "The dog’s not lost!"
   The man insisted: "Go to the lost and found."
   Reluctantly, Ron and the girls went to the lost and found.  Ron asked for his dog.  The guy at the lost and found shouted with incredulity: "YOU LOST YOUR DOOOOOOG?????"
    Four and a half hours later, they found the dog, and finally left the airport.

Our Novena 12 Years Ago

Bonding with Kids

We move to Italy in 12 days--the first group of us does, that is.  The number of things we still have to do and the number of challenges that unexpectedly arise are astonishing.  I have found myself plowing through days like an ox tilling a field.  I hardly even look up and notice the people around me (my children, mainly) unless they happen to annoy me. :)
 
In Mass a few days ago, I was praying about my frantic soul.  It suddenly came to me.  Stop and look your children in the eye.  Tell them how special they are to you.  Take one or two of them out, just one on one.  Think of some way to compliment them.  Do not get upset whey their dye the tips of their hair pink (I'm not kidding about that, either).

A few days later of trying to implement this new plan, I heard laughter.  Four of my older kids were talking in the kitchen and laughing hysterically.  I realized, "We have a happy home."  Nothing is more important to me in this lifetime.    

My Mom

A beautiful soul, a beautiful passion for those in most need, reckless in her love for her family and children, determined to lift up the voices of women in all eras of history.  A woman who makes history herself.  I love you Mom!

Exalted Servant

"See, my servant. . . shall be exalted and lifted up" (Isaiah 52:13). This is the message that returns over and over in my ministry. Catholic mothers are living so close to Christ, whether they even recognize it or not. They lower themselves and wash feet; they nourish constantly, and sometimes even with their body and blood; they are broken, poured out, and given for others. And so is it not right to have faith that we, too, will be exalted? We will be lifted high with Christ for eternity? Let us draw close to Christ, especially in the Eucharist, placing all our brokenness and failure there. Let us thank him in advance for redeeming every loss, every hardship, every struggle, as we join them to his cross.