Mama-luia

7 Quick Takes:  Bringing  the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd  into the home At the end of November, a friend of mine and I launched the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd program in our parish. For those unfamiliar with the program, I believe this brief video captures it beautifully. We've had several sessions now, learning about the liturgical year and its colours, modelling how to slowly and reverently make the sign of the Cross, how to walk purposefully and quietly in the atrium -- in general, how to comport ourselves to be better equipped to participate in the Mass. We've also directed them with Montessori 'practical life' activities, such as pouring, scooping, threading beads, using tongs to pick things up to sort, and so on. They have eagerly learned about the globe and the land of Israel and have enjoyed being able to identify where Christ was born, lived and died and rose again. The delight with which these children receive these lessons is so gra...

I wrote this post before I read Kelly's  most recent non-7 Quick Takes post  about enrolling some of her children in school and I was so touched by her transparency. I always appreciate it when homeschooling bloggers don't just disappear under a rock if and when they choose to use a school (as though there is a reason to be ashamed of enrolling one's kids!) I feel such solidarity when I encounter such posts (in fact  Blythe's post was actually part of my epiphany; she even used that word in her own title). While our reasons for choosing to enrol our own children were different, I related to a number of things Kelly said (such as a fear of being judged for having attempted homeschooling, as well as the happy realization that that fear was unfounded. As well she mentioned how she needed a break -- yep, relatable -- and how it feels like a part-time job managing her kids' schooling outside the home -- also relatable, although again, for different reasons. {Not a we...

Jen from Conversion Diary wrote about the ideas that changed her a while back, and I have been thinking about what ideas, if any, affected me similarly ever since I read that post. I've finally compiled my list of five. ~ 1 ~ Multiple subpersonalities I always thought it was indicative of instability or immaturity if a person acted very differently depending on who's company they were in. The goal of wellness, I thought, was to be as integrated as possible. My psychiatrist a while ago told me there is a school of thought that rather sees each person as a composite of many different subpersonalities, and each subpersonality or persona needs an opportunity to come to the forefront or else the whole person experiences unrest. This has completely revitalized my way of seeing myself, particularly as a mother. In my previous idea of "integration" I believed the ideal mother to be a nurturing, ever-patient, sit-on-the-floor-and-play-endless-games-of-peekaboo type. ...

Before we left for vacation, I wanted to make sure we had our garden prepared. When we return, it will be perfect timing to transplant some tomatoes and peppers, throw a few squash seeds in the ground, say a prayer to St. Isidore the farmer (and maybe St. Jude for good measure), and see what happens. So I needed to make sure the soil was turned. On one of the first truly nice days this spring, I decided we would spend the afternoon outside. With a baby strapped to my back, I set about to digging with my spade. Not surprisingly, it was hard work, but in that gloriously satisfying way. Out in the fresh air with my lovely children surrounding me, dreaming of fresh vegetables, and enjoying the reprise of the longest/most awful winter imaginable. The boys took to helping me, while Noah, ever the 'do-er' narrated excitedly all his visions for the garden plot. After a while though, they both plunked themselves down in different spots and went back to playing in the ...

A more PG foray into blogging. Every Friday I take Noah to a little preschool program in our community. He loves it, I mean loves it, and I enjoy being able to take him, while my generous mother stays home with Isaiah. It's something we both look forward to. Recently a public health nurse showed up on the scene. During the first hour, the moms sit out and drink coffee and gab. Occasionally a guest speaker comes and gives us some tips on parenting. I always would prefer my silence and/or gab-time, but I humor them by listening; I'm polite like that. Anyway the public health nurse came to tell us how to pack healthy lunches for our kids. I was mildly interested, looked at the Canada's Food Guide she passed around, and nodded vehemently as part of the pack, "hand-washing makes all the difference!" Then the nurse got off on a tangent about sex-ed. She gives the lectures at the local schools, and was regaling us with a 'hysterical' story of a child p...

Recently I wrote about my thoughts on strengthening one's marriage. I feel like I want to backpedal a little and explain myself: There is a phenomenon that I've witnessed where some married couples treat their children like second-class citizens in their home. Saying things like "well our marriage  is the sacrament," they justify placing their children down on the totem-pole of priorities in various ways, adopting strange parenting practices but with a weird theological gusto behind them because they want to just adore one another. That's wrong. So, so, wrong. First of all, sure the marriage is  the sacrament, but the children are the fruit of that. Do you think anyone ever said to Our Lady "well Christ is just the fruit of your womb?" He made her who she is, the Mother of God! Likewise, we plant a pear tree to get pears. It's great that the tree itself is pretty, gives off shade and overall comfort, but pear trees are for pears. (This ana...

I write this blog post from a surprisingly inviting-looking room in the IWK in Halifax. My sweet little Isaiah (I think every time I say his name it's prefixed by "sweet little") is sleeping in the crib nearby, and I am decked out in hospital pajamas. What in heaven's name happened?! Well, this morning the boys got up, as cheerful as could be. In fact when I came in their room, Isaiah was standing in his crib and let out a big "hallelujah!" at the sight of me. He seemed his normal, happy, busy self. We fed them then quickly got them going and into the car to head to Mass for the Immaculate Conception. As I mentioned it yesterday, it's my Mom's 60th birthday, and it has been our tradition to attend Mass and have brunch together on her birthday since... well... I was university-aged? At Mass Isaiah was fussy and acting tired, so Patrick walked him in the back of the church. Our darling baby fell asleep in Daddy's arms, which was rather ...

A lovely friend of mine who has a large family shared this with me, and I wanted to post it for you to enjoy. I know I have waxed poetic on so many occasions about the joys of having a big family, and yet, here I am, on a semi-regular basis, feeling a bit swamped with "only two" (although I rather detest the word "only" applied to children, as though one doesn't have a real family until some magic number). So please don't mistake my enthusiasm for ignorance; I am certain parents of large families work really hard. It isn't easy. But... what I think this song captures so sweetly is that children are such a source of joy. So for every long day (or sleepless night) they bring us, they give us so, so much more. Somedays I can't help but smile as I think that the love Patrick and I share is so real that it produced two eternal souls. What an adventure parenthood is!

As a matter of fact, he's been three for over two weeks, but I haven't gotten around to posting about it. I never did post pictures of Noah's birthday party last year because our camera had broken and thus I took some with a -- gasp!-- disposable camera (yes, they do still sell those!). Mom-guilt being what it is, I couldn't let another birthday go by without posting a bit of this and that from our celebration.  He requested a new felt crown two days before his birthday.  My hand-sewing skills could hack this, but not my time-management. Glue-gun it is.  He also requested a chocolate cake with pink icing.  I am pleased to say he got this idea from the Winnie-the-Pooh story where Christopher Robin hosts a party for Pooh, and Silly Old Bear hopes that the cake has "pink sugar icing".  Read-alouds pay off, what can I say?  We invited family (we also did a second small gathering with his wee friends, but all the photos I have of that event ha...

THE PEACE OF WILD THINGS When despair for the world grows in me and I wake in the night at the least sound in fear of what my life and my children's lives may be, I go and lie down where the wood drake rests in his beauty on the water, and the great heron feeds. I come into the peace of wild things  who do not tax their lives with forethought of grief. I come into the presence of still water. And I feel above me the day-blind stars waiting with their light. For a time I rest in the grace of the world, and am free. — Wendell Berry

It's almost time to get the supper on, I say to myself. (Yes, the rhythm of my days is very much dictated not only by what time we eat, but also what time I begin to prepare our next meal or snack.) But being the organized housewife I am, I recall that I have a batch of spaghetti sauce and leftover salad in the fridge. Hmm, this frees up a few extra minutes! Why not call my mom and see how her day was? We talk for about twenty minutes. Baby is asleep in his bouncy seat, toddler is playing peacefully in the next room. I'm feeling pretty great about life. It's time to get off the phone, heat up the sauce and boil the pasta. I go to the fridge only to discover... there is no sauce there. It's in the freezer! How could I have forgotten to take it out of the freezer? I quickly decide to mince some garlic and saute it. With olive oil and lemon juice, it makes decent accompaniment to pasta, although not nearly as filling and enjoyable as meaty spaghetti sauce. ...

My dear sons, I don't know how many times I was asked when I was expecting both of you, especially you, little Isaiah, if I was hoping for a girl. I want you to know the answer was no. Would I have been happy to have a daughter? Absolutely. Do I hope that God blesses us with one someday. Yes. Along along, though, when I carried you in my womb, I knew both of you were boys. And I was so, so happy about that. I never was 'trying' for a girl with either of you, and in fact, I can't think of anything nicer that you two can grow up together as brothers. Do you know I always imagined myself having four or five children, all boys? People will say lots of cliches about this: Oh, two boys. Won't you be busy! Just wait until they're teenagers! and so on. Truth be told, though, I am so looking forward to the unique wildness of raising two boys (and more, if God blesses us again) relatively close in age. I love the idea of having a home that is ...

I am feeling abundantly blessed lately, but not particularly deep. Is this Baby Brain? Here are just a handful of blessings and little reasons for joy I have been experiencing lately: A new niece, healthy, sweet and beautiful. Keep your eyes peeled for my sister to blog about her birth soon. I know you'll want to see photos of this gorgeous child! Grapefruits. Really, I can't think of a better bedtime snack. A little boy developing a new love for baking. "Mama? Hep?" (= "Mommy? Can I help?" Sigh. Of course , my dear!) The fact that the theme song from Civilization IV (which my husband is now campaigning to go get! Ha! I married a closet Gamer!) won a Grammy. That alone is odd and yet fun. And the words, my friends, are the Our Father in Swahili! But in all seriousness, play this song , and dance. Or at least, feel dance-y. The lengthening days. Oh, eating supper in daylight! A beautiful little sign of hope! Making tasty whole wheat pretze...

Just yesterday, Patrick and I were telling Noah he would be two soon, and he could have a party. We asked him, "Who would you like to invite?" Without hesitation, his answer was "TooToo!" This is his adorable 22 month old way of saying "Father Toochukwu" who is our pastor. (Incidentally, Father's name means "Praise God" in Ibi, his native Nigerian language. If you have ever met this extraordinarily joyful man, you'd know how appropriate this is!) I love that at less than two years old, our son already has a real love for priests in his life. Of course, it helps that he has met such wonderful priests already. The Companions of the Cross, our friend Father Hattie, and now Father Toochukwu -- all prayerful, joyful and earnestly love and appreciate children. I want to continue to foster this appreciation for priests in him. I think it will only help him to appreciate the work they do -- most especially, performing the...

I want to thank you all for your helpful comments about dealing with fussy kids at Mass. If anything, it's just nice to know other parents are going through this (because in our tiny rural parish, we are literally the ONLY family with young children, or child. Not a kid under 12 to be seen anywhere. Sigh.) The reason I posted that last entry wasn't so much to rant about Noah's 'bad behavior.' He is a boy, a very little boy, and it was obvious, as I hoped I conveyed, that he was having a hard time sitting still or just generally being himself because he was dreadfully exhausted. As soon as Patrick brought him home, he crashed. I think my little guy ought to be credited with the fact that he was simply having a hard day. * * * * * I reached out to all of you in part because I was so discouraged by a comment I found on a Catholi...