(Vol. XV for Me)
The Busy-ness Edition
Between sacramental prep, the start of baseball and continued work on my upcoming talks, the month of April has seemed more like Advent. So much to do, so little month! It’s not that I mind any of these obligations, mind you—it’s not like I’m, say, spending my days at the oncologist’s or anything like that. (Thank goodness.)
And plus all these baseball games are great for getting my buns outside.
Except yesterday I brought bars, not buns.
Ha.
Speaking of sacramental prep, I have received numerous requests for a copy of our First Communion novena. I have uploaded it as a Google Document and you may find it here. Keep in mind that this is a novena given to us as part of the First Sacrament preparation program through my church, and all glory & honor should go to them!
Baseball has been going great. You think I’m kidding, perhaps, about needing this excuse to get outside but I’m not! I am loving these days at the baseball field.
Plus I just look at all those earnest, tousle-headed boys and I think…
…what an awesome sport.
May I ask your opinion for one of the speeches I’m writing? The name of the talk is “Keep your Eyes on your own Work” and in it I’ll be discussing the dangers of comparing ourselves to other soccer moms/blogging moms/home schooling moms/etc.
(You get the idea.)
Is this a problem for you? What do you do to remedy it?
I was pleased as punch to see my IRL friend Erin get a shout-out on Conversion Diary today. Erin is as smart as they come and yet, so sweet and accessible and helpful, especially when it comes to weight loss.
As someone who struggles daily with food-related choices, I really appreciate this series and the fact that if ever I’m having a really hard day—and I do, trust me—I can turn to Erin for both prayers and counsel.
Not surprisingly, Baby Anthony’s first word was “hot.” This is in direct correlation to all the coffee he’s seen his mother drinking and the many cups he’s tried to intercept.
It’s like his baptism by fire, only mocha-flavored.
Let’s end this busy-ness post on a peaceful note, shall we? If you hover your mouse over the following photo, you will see one of the key ingredients to our most frantic days.
See it?
May you all get yourself some of this today.
To see all the 7 Quick Takes editions for this week, please visit Jen @ Conversion Diary here.
And have a blessed weekend!
The Google doc link doesn't seem to be working and I'd love to start that Novena for our dd's FHC. Could you repost the link? Thank you!
You know baby Anthony's just talking about his mom.
Thanks for the shout out! You're too kind…
(turing word: "hecke") Ha.
Try it again, Martha. I hadn't listed it as a "shared" document (woops!) but it is now.
oh that last picture is so darling 🙂
and i agree with bearing! ;P
Such a sweet baby!
Hi! Thanks for the link. (Right back at ya! That is to say I edited my post to link back to yours.) The bars are awesome.
And what sweet little ones. My wee one was christened last weekend. He grabbed the pitcher and tried to re-christen the minister! Boys.
As far as comparing our family to other homeschooling families, I became convicted of NOT doing this when I became friends with a family that everyone held up very high on a pedestal. In many families' eyes, this one family was the epitome of catholic homeschooling perfection.
And then we got to know them and spend time with them and their children in their home and other types of situations and I realized that they are just like the rest of us – sinful. With kids that could be just as disobedient and "bratty" as anyone elses. As I looked around at other families, I began to see the dangers in comparing. Many times what we see on the surface is not what is really going on "behind closed doors" so to speak! We can only ask God where we stand in relation to what HE wants of us, not in relation to what others are doing. It is tempting at times to compare, but I always remember this example and take a moment to remind myself that we are all created differently and we can't compare ourselves to others.
This is a topic I feel very strongly about sharing with young, or newly beginning, homeschooling families so I hope your talk goes well!
God Bless.
I deliberately avoid looking at homeschooling blogs (friends excepted!) unless I'm actually searching for specific inspiration. You know, like organizing tips or time management ideas or getting kids to stop pouring brand-new seven-dollar bottles of coarse sea salt onto the hardwood floor.
Coarse salt scratches. That's a tip from me to you, Margaret.
Thank you for posting the Novena. I was going to send it to a friend whose son (my godson) is making his first communion this year, but the Novena seems very girl oriented. I just cannot see my godson drawing daisies or jasmine. Would I be right in assuming a woman wrote this Novena for your parish?
Ya know, I don't know who wrote it. I did do it with my son when he made his First Communion, probably b/c I'm a letter of the law-type lass, and drawing the jasmine neither killed him nor feminized him. He's just as big into airsoft rifles as always. 🙂
A friend borrowed me the novena in booklet form and it was written by nuns…sorry I don't remember which ones. I think it's beautiful, and when I was searching for it on-line to buy it, it was nowhere to be found except on your website. That was how I found you! You are my favorite blogger…after my husband. 🙂
I don't think the Novena would feminize him at all. He wouldn't like doing it and it would color his novema negatively. I think there is a tendency (especially in the modern church) to make religion soft and feminine. Since the novena was written by nuns, it kind of explains the flowery emphasis (especially if it was written for a girls' school). It would be interesting to read something similar written by a priest or brother. I wonder what a Don Bosco first communion novena would look like?
I wish I could hear your talk! I just got back from the Atlanta conference, and while I came away with lots of good ideas, I did find myself comparing our family to those speaking, and found myself questioning our methods all over again.
Sigh.
I have been meaning to thank you for a FULL YEAR for posting the First Communion Novena–I actually requested it from you TWO years ago when you first mentioned/posted it (or maybe I'm all confused…the years are really running together!) so that I would have it for my daughter's first communion LAST year.
We printed the pages, she drew the pictures, we even found some wonderful stickers to make a huge garden of flowers on another page, and of course we said the prayers. It was SO beautiful, how excited she was that morning…and I remember wishing I'd had that novena 3 years prior for my son's first communion.
Thank you for sharing it once again….I'll be holding onto my copy(file) for my next two kiddos as well!
Oh, and I meant to say that last picture is sheer loveliness. I've taken similar pics of my 12 yr. old holding our 9-month old…..I could look at those pictures forever! 🙂