Altar Work

What I've been up to lately: making bouquets, boutonnieres, centerpieces and altar flowers for a friend's wedding. We are so lucky that the hydrangea bloomed at the right time.

I have a whole new respect for the amount of flowers it takes to decorate a high Gothic altar!

Some Extra Special Good Things

1. I made a practice bouquet for a friend's upcoming wedding. The result: amazingly lovely, for $5 roses and Queen Anne's Lace. It is a real joy to help them.

2. Our Legion of Mary group continues to be a huge encouragement. In the mother rut, we surround ourselves with other moms just like us. Seeing beyond my generation reminds me of the big picture.

3. I am taking all 3 children to visit my brother before he leaves Florida. By myself! Hear me roar!

4. My garden is coming up roses--literally. I dug a row of yellow Knockout roses from $3 clearance plants. A blue clematis is slowly climbing up our little Marian shrine.

5. The Bishop will be consecrating families to the Sacred Heart and the Immaculate Heart with a special Mass at our church. He also approved my website project, and that is a big load off my chest!

Growing Pains

My computer and car both died this month. Family life grinds to a halt as my husband wraps up the school year. I snuck his laptop from the briefcase, hoping to share about our nightime prayers and how they are really changing our kids.

But Andrew burst into tears at bedtime tonight: "Mom, something pretty terrible happened at lunch today."

The class had been invited to bring games to class this week. He and another boy were the only ones without a handheld DS. "Sometimes they let me watch over their shoulders, so I can at least see what's going on." (insert sound of my heart breaking)

One friend offered to let him play after lunch, but the alpha-kid vetoed that. "You don't even know how to work the controls, and you'll mess up all our levels."

"Mom, I didn't cry, but I couldn't keep my eyes from getting a little wet."

When the aide, noticing, announced that no one should bring a DS the following day, the boys turned on Andrew. He had ruined everything. Torn, he explained the lose-lose situation to his teacher after lunch. She would allow DS games the following day.

During the whole exchange, he never asked me for one of his own.

Should I cast aside our family choices under social pressure? Will he think we don't love him, for refusing him the tools to fit in?

Finding like-minded families may mean withdrawing from the system altogether, and that makes me sad. I wanted to enjoy this innocent time, without influence from a bunch of 8-year-olds.

Or maybe I'm the innocent one, and it is time to grow up.

From Idol to Idle

The good news is that I've broken up with my former idol, the internet. I'm no longer pulled between information-available-righthererightnow and the 3-kids-who-need-me-righthererightnow!

The bad news is that Lifehacker spotlighted one of my old posts, and I still feel compelled to tell someone. (If you haven't figured it out already, pride is my root sin.)

So what's new with your family? Are you reading anything interesting?

I picked up 3 mysteries at the library. I should have returned all 3 before polishing them off like near-empty cartons of ice cream. Each wove psychic ability into the plot, which might not have bothered me a year ago. They're sneaky that way. You start off reading about a little clairvoyance and before you know it, the narrator is delivering a demon back into its portal. My mind is screaming "Put this book down," but my fingers keep turning the page.

I can't feel superior about the internet when it's just as dangerous to fill my mind with other junk. What do you read when you just need some idle time?

Spirit Is Willing

I'm still sitting here on the sofa, my foot a numb reminder that the flesh is weak.

The Legion of Mary has given me accountability for this year of change. One might call it the Weight Watchers of spiritual works. We carry out our service in pairs, then give a weekly report to the group.

Red-cheeked, I admitted my losses. Between Easter and First Communion, I missed 2 meetings. My Legionary partners moved to Oregon. My mom visited, so I postponed the nursing home visits, after which I subconsciously "forgot" the stroller for the abortion vigil.

That's how I know that the Legion of Mary system works. Without it, I'm sitting on the sofa.

With that in mind, I'm going to brush everyone's hair, throw the stroller in the trunk, and head out for a better week.

Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow

I neglected to mention that my oldest son made his first Holy Communion yesterday. I had such a lump in my throat that I couldn't talk about it.

My kids are getting older. I want another baby. And suddenly there's my oldest, kneeling down in a navy blazer and the hated necktie, ready to receive Our Lord.

Father's homily spoke to the notion that when sacraments are administered, time--or temporal reality--stands still.

It did. It really did.

First Holy Communion

Can I describe this morning's Mass as transcendent?

This one especially touched me with its beauty. The sun struck the altar at a certain angle, and the whole chancel glowed. Our church is heavy on the incense.

At these times, I understand how the physical can point us to something greater.

We organized about the right amount of reception food, which was a big relief. It is hard to tell how many gathered to celebrate, but one guest said "this feels like one big family party."

For the first time at this new parish, I felt like it might be.