May the Souls of the Faithful

Mr. H went home last Friday. His funeral was Monday. It was a testimony to a life well lived and a death well anticipated. He was prepared. He was ready. So was his family. That's not to say that they're happy he's gone. Maybe a little bit for his sake, but they miss him. But this is a story of hope, of knowing where he is gone to. This family truly believes and there's no despair. But there is sadness. This man lived for his family. He was married to his best friend for 52 years. Together they had 7 children and 26 grandchildren. These children have a wonderful role model to follow.

He was a shy man and I didn't really know him that well. But I know his example. I have watched the loving way in which he and his wife have served quietly and well. How generous he was and how this family has warmly drawn me to them time and time again. And it's what I want for my family. It's not what we have, but it is something to aspire to. And that is why God gives us the saints and saintly around us. To know good and to be attracted to it. To desire it and to move towards it, always looking to perfect love, as a response to that perfect love. To know that it is possible. There is so much to meditate on. Pray for us Mr. H.

Kidisms from the past week

A small sampling of things we hear:

"Dad, has Katie had her V.D. yet today?" (Vitamin D)

Child drying garlic press, "Where does the nut smasher go?"

Toddler who learnt bouncing on the couch can leave one with a goose egg on the noggin, "I going down stairs. I won't hurt myself. Weally I won't."

Toddler out for revenge, "I go beat Xander." And he heads joyfully for the dining room.

All Hail

After a long day of anxiety driven labour fueled by induction and lack of control, Katherine Isabelle Rose was born at 3:11. She is a benevolent little princess, who rules her kingdom with docility and sleepy eyes. Her courtiers are slaves at her feet(figuratively speaking of course) and plead to hold her (great reward for school work well done). She is so beautiful and we all adore her. Her languid movements and little squeaks make my heart swell. Who would think that a 6th baby could still be such poetry. She's not prosy at all.

Proof!

I'd forgotten about this. When Alexander was 3 or 4 I took him to the speech pathologist(a lovely and helpful lady) for assessment, where she showed him pictures and he told her what he saw. One of the cards was of a person ironing. I absolutely detest ironing and only do it for say, baptisms, weddings or sewing. All rare occasions. So, there I am shaking my head at the speech pathologist and she's insisting he answer with something, while he clearly has not a clue as to what's happening in this picture. His guess? "He's mowing his clothes". And there you have it folks, proof positive that I am not a housekeeper.

Harassed?

What's short, pink, blonde and is convinced the world is out to get him?

"The kids keep harassing me on purpose.  X washed a zillion dishes and it'll take me 1000 hours to dry them".  It seems he's also a master of hyperbole.

Toddler Indignation

Matthew at supper last night was given a plastic plate.  He took offence (after eating a few bites first) and it took us a few minutes to figure out the source of his wound.  "I not a baby.  I a kid.  I a boy.  I NOT a BABY."  Sigh... No you're not.

Death and Dying

This week seems a fitting one to write this post. Our beautiful Mother Church in her mercy and wisdom offers us the loving feast days of All Saints and All Souls, where we can celebrate the transition from this world to the next. We pray for the souls of those who go before us and are unable to pray for themselves and we ask for their intercession as well as those we know are part of the Church Triumphant.
Two years ago I was travelling this road with little understanding of the beauty of these teachings. I knew some of them in theory, but that means little when your heart is hard and hurting. I should have turned to the Cross and clinged to our Lord. I should have walked with Our Lady the Via Dolorosa, but I did not. I only wanted what I wanted and I did not want my mom to die. I wanted her healed and whole, not suffering and dying.
This brings us to the present where one of the most holy people I know is dying. His is a family that lives close to Christ and has embraced me in prayer and friendship time and time again. He is suffering with cancer and heart disease, but is doing so with patience and dignity. Here is a man who is living in Christ's shadow. His wife is walking with the Blessed Virgin. But this is not a road that is foreign to them. They walked this walk with their daughter 15 years or so ago and earlier this summer when their grandson was killed in a car accident. There could be bitterness reigning, but there is joy and hope. The lessons this family continues to teach me are humbling to say the least.
May the Souls of the Faithful departed through the mercy of God rest in peace. Amen

Book Review - The Catholic Family: Image and LIkeness of God

I recently finished a great book by Rev. Dr. Bob MacDonald entitled "The Catholic Family: Image and Likeness of God" part 1. This book takes you from remote formation, explaining the role of the male and female and the influence their own family has on their future, to how we form our children in utero through to young adult. But it doesn't stop there. It continues onto the elderly and death, dying and grieveing. All of this from the perspective of a Catholic deacon who is also a pyschologist in family practice. Dr. MacDonald presents things in a manner that the layperson can understand and gives practical suggestions to incorporate loving methods of discipleship into your family. There's a focus on incorporating prayer and fasting that is rarely if ever found in parenting literature. I found his explaination of the spouse's individual roles within the family to be particularly helpful and enlightening. I'm looking forward to part 2.

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1. Completed 3 sewing projects. Okay, so they were little simple things, but they are done!
2. Read to my children daily.
3. Accepted the help of a friend to help clean my entryway.

Domesticity

I am attempting to get the house in order before the baby comes. Unfortunately, my arms are too short and belly too large for much of what needs to be done, plus I'm just dog gone tired. So I must just fret about what will need to wait and do what I can right now and be at peace with that. I am working on training the children and by the level of discontent registering it would seem that there's mild success on that end. I have been able to plan weekly menus for the past month including breakfasts, lunches and supper. I'm working on having all steps written out for my family on household management and am working on supervising the implementation of said steps. Sad to admit, but that's taking all of my patience and energy. I came to the realization that I was doing a disservice to my children in the amount of things I did for them. Really an 11 year old should be able to do a load of laundry and an 8 year old should be able to wash dishes. Yeesh. Although to hear them tell it, there's never been harder lives.

All Hallow's Eve

Yesterday was All Hallow's Eve, aka Halloween. Normally I really enjoy the whole process of carefully selecting costumes, filling treat bags and carving pumpkins. But this year I was just too tired to really get into the whole thing. No matter to the children though. They gleefully decorated, filled goody bags, and carved our one pumpkin (there were none to be had for love or money this week). And then we went trick or treating. 2 hours and 15 houses later our children have a stash that would do most stores proud. People in the country only get 12 - 15 children (half of them are us) so they can afford to be generous and our children have full size chocolate bars, chips and pop plus many other assorted candies and goodies. Our family in an attempt to mark the holiness of the vigil of All Saints, said "thank you and God bless you" to their many benefactors. Usually we give out saint cards with our goodies, but I didn't remember to order them in time so that didn't happen.
Today was Patrick's first day of serving at the Holy Mass and he did quite well, but afterwards he had a tonne of energy that needed to be spent. It's such a beautiful feast day to begin this wonderful ministry. the more I understand of the Catholic Church and the beauty of the communion of saints and souls in Purgatory, the more grateful I become. Our brothers and sisters are still with us. We cannot see them. And they are helping us to perservere in the battle here on earth. It is humbling to know there are all of these holy souls praying for us and the wisdom of our Church in offering us a day to celebrate is awe inspiring. I wish that it as still an octave. It's a fascinating history. Catholic Culture has some great resources.