Jack : the college frat boy...

The other night, Noah spent the night with my parents. This is something that they all enjoy from time to time. Jack has never spent the night though. For a long time, we told him he had to use the potty all the time, and so that was that (especially since he potty trained late). Well...a while ago, he remembered this was the indicator, and he tried to spend the night. But, as it is with Jack, he missed his Mom and wanted to come home. (I reassured him that when I was younger, I always wanted to come home when I went to sleepovers too -- I missed my Mom as well.)

So, I digress. What we do for Jack, as a special treat, when Noah sleeps at my parents is that we let Jack sleep with us. So, this past Friday night, I washed my hair late, and he and Eric snuggled as they watched a movie in the living room. When I was finally done, I came downstairs to loud snoring from Eric and a sleeping Jack (still with jeans and a shirt on!) on the couch.

I carried Jack to our room, and had Eric grab him some jammies. I thought that I had to at least change his pants. Who wants to sleep in jeans all night??? (Or, for that matter, who wants to have to snuggle up to someone in jeans all night?) As I pulled off Jack's pants, he glared at me. I told him I was going to put on his jammie pants, but he pushed me away, and pulled up the covers. I figured -- okay, at least he has underwear and a shirt on. No big deal.

In the morning, when Jack woke up, I urged him to go hang out with Dad (who was already up) so that I could sleep just a bit more. As he pulled back the covers, he stared at his legs and then looked at me. He obviously did not recall our exchange last night.

He slightly shook his head and said to me, "I don't even WANT to know how that happened." I burst out laughing while trying to tell him. I couldn't help it -- I mean...really...what did he think could have happened.

Today when I went to pick up a prescription at the supermarket, I walked past some college aged guys, and one said to his friend with a laugh, "I woke up, and I didn't even have my pants on!" That was when I thought, "Now THAT is the guy who needs to wake up and say, 'I don't even WANT to know how that happened,'" not my five year old. LOL!

Menu Plan Monday

Okay...so here we are again...Monday!

You will see some repeats on the menu plan from last week. I am happy to say that it isn't because we were bad and got food from out instead (though, on one night, my parents did bring us a pizza and we *did* give them money for it, but it wasn't like I went out purposefully seeking pizza). We just happened to have had a night or two when we had to move things around.

So...here is the plan for this week:

Monday: Oriental Chicken and Noodle Meal (with Egg Rolls)

Tuesday: Meatball Subs

Wednesday: Spaghetti

Thursday: Fish Fillets

Friday: Chicken & Rice Casserole (Crockpot)

Saturday: Food from Out

Sunday: Pizza Burgers or Chicken Pot Pie from Market Day (whichever we decide that day)

Fabulous Finds Friday: A New Datebook!

I'll admit it -- I love organization. I love date books. I will also admit that I'm a horrible loser I am sometimes not that great about using them though.

But, that doesn't really matter, does it? I mean...I can still make a recommendation, and I'll make it with a prayer that I will actually use it daily.

My date book recommendation is one that I just purchased from Family-Centered Press. They have planners for Catholic Women and Catholic Men. And, another thing that I loved was the sizes they were available in -- one is an 8.5 x 11 size, which is what I thought I would buy, and then the 5.5 x 8.5 that I ended up buying (in spiral bound). I realized that all the years that I was great about using a planner (during my high school years and as an undergraduate) had one thing in common -- a 5.5 x 8.5 spiral bound planner. (In high school, they provided us with them and in college they were available at the book stores.) Here is a link to order the planners and pay via Paypal (though there is also a mail in payment option).

There are also options to order the planner with menu planning pages, lesson plan pages, both sets, or without either of those sets. I opted for the menu planning pages.

My planner arrived quickly! It is well made and was just the perfect size that I was looking for! Each day has plenty of space for writing, and the menu planning section looks fun! I also love that there is a prayer section at the beginning of the planner. Oh -- and the cover picture is from William Bouguereau, who has always been a favorite of mine. How could you go wrong?

And...then to top it all off...as I got ready to write this, I finally put 2 and 2 together, per se, and figured out that this company is from someone on the Catholic Mothers Online blog roll. Wow! Double bonus!

So...now I just have to anxiously patiently wait until August to start using this planner. Hmmm...that WILL be quite a wait.

Update (sort of) on my under arm lump

Thanks for all the prayers about the under arm lump that I found. And -- thanks to anyone that may have prayed that I didn't look like an idiot with a pimple (LOL), because it was not a pimple.

I saw the nurse practitioner a couple of days ago, and honestly -- she had a hard time finding it. I had to help her each time (since I was there virtually shirtless, apparently it was a good time for a full check of everywhere). I think she kept kind of feeling past it, since it seems to be closer to the surface than she was feeling.

She said that she thinks maybe it is a swollen or infected lymph node. She gave me the option of just coming back in two weeks to have it rechecked or to go ahead and have a diagnostic mammogram done. I opted that I will go back in two weeks. Of course, I suspect if it is still there then that I will have to go for the mammogram. It was very kind that she asked if that would make my husband feel better if he had to wait two weeks. I said I was sure it would reassure him just that she thought it was something very minor.

So...now I'll wait two weeks and am under her orders not to shave my under arm between now and then. Nice. She said, "If you absolutely can't wait, try to use an electric razor rather than a straight razor." I told her I was sure I would be fine, but I have since decided that I will *have* to shave about an hour before I go in. There is just no way, even though it was her orders, that I can show off a hairy arm pit when she does the recheck.

(As a way of explaining the no shaving, it's apparently because shaving can open the skin in that area, and swollen lymph nodes in that area sometimes happen because bacteria has gotten in while the skin is open.)

WFMW: Creating a Family Budget

Okay...so here is my very first time participating in Works for Me Wednesday.

I just have to share this budgetting tip for those of you out there that enjoy the computer as much as I do. I have tried budgetting before with a variety of methods, but knew using the computer would work best for me.

So, then I read somewhere that I could download a budget form from Microsoft. So...

1. Open Microsoft Excel (if you don't have Excel, I'm sure there must be other resources out there with something similar)

2. Along the right side, there is a search box. Just search for "budget."

3. Find the budget that comes up that works best for you and download it! There are a variety -- everything from family budget to garden budget to wedding budget.

I downloaded the family budget and have done some tweaking on it. It seems to be working out well so far, and I like that I am finally tracking where our money is going better than I was before.

Tasty Tuesday

I love this recipe! Know why that is? It is not only delicious, but it makes me feel like a grown up. Until I tried this recipe earlier this month, I had only ever made brownies from a box mix. I had no idea that it was just about as easy to make brownies from scratch, and they are SO much tastier!

Thanks to my Mom for this recipe!

Oh, and this recipe does come with a warning! Beware: Talking while trying to eat these brownies can cause you to accidentally inhale powdered sugar. This can cause a mad, crazy coughing fit. If you choose to talk and eat these at the same time, please just remember that you were warned!

"Deep Dish" Brownies

3/4 cup butter, melted

3/4 cup unsifted all purpose flour
1 and 1/2 cups sugar

1/2 cup Hershey cocoa
1 and 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

1/2 teaspoon baking powder
3 eggs

1/2 teaspoon salt


Blend melted butter, sugar and vanilla in a mixing bowl. Add eggs; beat well. Combine flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt in a separate bowl and blend well with a spoon. Gradually add this to the egg mixture until well blended. Spread in greased 13x9 pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 21-25 minutes or until brownie begins to pull away from edges of pan. Cool and and then sprinkle top with powdered sugar (optional). Then, cut brownies into squares.

( * Deep dish brownies use 8x8 pan and bake 40 to 45 minutes. )

Menu Plan Monday (+1)

Monday: Teriyaki Chicken & Vegetable Fried Rice

Tuesday: Baked Ham Sandwiches & Fries (and then delicious banana walnut raisin muffins for dessert) -- this meal was all thanks to my wonderful Mom (we only did the fries! LOL)

Wednesday: Meatball Subs

Thursday: Roast w/ Potatoes and Carrots

Friday: Fish Fillets

Saturday: Dinner from Out

Sunday: Chicken Taquitos

If I didn't know better, I would think I was pregnant

And why is that, you might ask?

Because, from midnight until 1 am today, I have cleaned my refrigerator. It was on my to do list, and I apparently just couldn't have it on the to do list one more moment.

I will be honest and admit that I don't have a clear memory of cleaning this refrigerator before (hey -- we've *only* lived here four years), but it is my hope that it was just something that I have blocked out of my mind forgotten.

Unfortunately (or perhaps fortunately), I don't have any before pictures. And, at least for right now, I'm not going to do the "after" pictures, but maybe I will do it later today.

Suffice it to say, the inside of my refrigerator looks wonderful! It makes me feel a sense of accomplishment to finally have a Tackle It Tuesday on my blog! Maybe...just maybe...I should do it again next Tuesday! (A big task, that is. Heaven only knows when I will clean the refrigerator again!)

How to get the attention of a nurse...

I found out what needs to be said to get the attention of a nurse. Apparently a person can call and tell a nurse that their five year old can't sleep and is hallucinating, and is told to just keep giving the medication a try and come in a couple of weeks.

But, you go saying something simple and seemingly harmless to a nurse like, "I have my annual appointment scheduled in June, but about a week or two ago, I noticed a pea-sized lump in my arm pit -- should I come in sooner for that or just wait until June?" -- and it's like they hit some kind of secret red button in the office. Immediately I get, "I'll transfer you to the nurse practitioner who will fit you in tomorrow."

I thought, "Seriously -- she doesn't really mean tomorrow, does she?"

And, then the other office picks up the phone, "Okay, so we need to get you in tomorrow morning...which of these times would work best for you?"

Kind of surreal, if you ask me.

Personally, I could have waited until June. But, then I mentioned it to Eric last night about it being sore and still being there, and he called me while he was on lunch to tell me how he couldn't imagine life without me. And, while I figure it's probably a clogged sweat gland or a cyst or some of a million other innocent things, I knew that I needed to call after I knew he was worrying, just like I would worry about him too.

So, if you have a moment, pray that it's not a pimple so I don't end up looking like a supreme idiot. (Ha! That was actually what I thought it might be when I first noticed it, but since it is all under the surface and still there, I'm hoping to spare myself that humiliation.)

Let's See...Rule #13 in the Rule Book...

About two weeks ago, I was in a "mood," as they say. A lot of it had to do with Jack and school. I had a note on a paper from his teacher that I possibly took the wrong way (though when I told others what it said, they took it the same way I did). So, I wrote a note back to her, and then she called. It did not necessarily improve my mood though. In what would be a stroke of irony for later, she told me how nicely Jack was getting along with one of the other little guys at the kindergarten -- let's call him Bud.

So...my bad mood continued through the afternoon as the boys were at school and Molly was napping. Then, about 10 minutes before the boys came home from school, I got a phone call with Bud's mother's name on the caller ID. Admittedly, I almost didn't answer it because I just...well...I don't know. I didn't necessarily think it had anything to do with Jack or Bud, since she and I are in a MOPS group together.

I answered the phone, and she greeted me. And, then the next words out of her mouth were, "Bud cut Jack's hair." I was silent. I was kind of dumbstruck. "Okay," was about all I could get out of my mouth.

We went on to talk, and it sounded like there wasn't very much cut (in fact, they couldn't see where it had been cut) and Bud was in trouble now at school and home. I was praying for the best, and told Bud's Mom that Jack was actually scheduled for a hair cut in two days anyway. (To her credit, she offered to pay for it, though I declined her offer.) And, then I also commended Bud's Mom for her bravery -- I told her that I didn't know if I could have just cold called another Mom like that to deliver the news.

It ended up that even I couldn't see where Bud had cut Jack's hair. And, then a bit later, I finally got a call from school to tell me about the incident. (The teacher put the poor student teacher on the phone to give me the scoop. I interrupted her before she could talk to tell her the story of when I was teaching kindergarten and a little girl cut her own hair during class, in the hopes to lessen her worry in giving me the news.)

We chatted with the boys during dinner a bit about what had happened. Noah then cleared his throat, picked up an imaginary book, and said...

"Let's see...oh yes...Rule #13 in the Rule Book: Kids cannot cut another kid's hair."

Apparently we will need to make sure that Bud has one of these Rule Books in the future.

Digital Frame Drawing at 5 Minutes for Mom

Be sure to check it out!

Wow Wii!

I have been on a mission to find a Ninetendo Wii for a few months now. I walk through Electronics Departments in various stores, just in case. But, usually I just find a blank spot in some locked case.

Well...Molly and I were on a trip to Walmart yesterday for diapers and paper towel. We had a few minutes, and I decided to walk through the Electronics Department, only to soon say, "Dang it!" as I walked by the employees unpacking some Nintendo cardboard boxes. Yes -- I finally was about to luck into a Wii, and I was not happy to be spending the money. But, I sucked it up, knowing I really wanted to get it for the kids (after hearing all the amazing reviews), and bought it. (Of course, they told me which accessories I just "had to have" if it was to be played by two people, and so those made it onto my bill too.)

My kids were SO pysched when I told them when they got home from school! I told them how expensive it was, even though they don't really "get" money. Jack said, "Did you spend ALL our dollars on the Wii?" Yes...sadly...I did.

I told the kids they would have to wait for Daddy to get home from work to set it up for them, because I never can figure those kinds of things out. (Yeah, yeah, I know -- I can earn two degrees, but I can't set up a piece of electronics.)

Anyway, so then we waited and waited for Daddy to arrive home -- even with a gentle call from Noah on his cell phone to tell him to come home right away.

So, as Noah sat, pondering, he said, "It's a good thing we have a Dad..." (pause) "who knows how to read."

"Hey!" I argued. "Noah -- do you think Mommy knows how to read too?"

"Oh...I'm sorry, Mommy." He paused again. "It's a good thing we have a Daddy who knows how to follow directions."

I told him that I actually *did* know how to follow directions, but that Daddy is just much better at setting up those kinds of things. So, maybe it's true -- maybe those kids sure ARE lucky to have a Dad that can follow directions!

Some updates on us...

Sorry to have been away all week (although those signing up for the Catholic Mothers Online blog roll know that I have still be busy sending out codes and emails to those people throughout this week)!

Thanks for all the positive thoughts and prayers throughout this week. It definitely took a few days before I was feeling better, but I'm now not having ear pain and only just a bit of neck pain. I'm still working my way through the steriods and antibiotics, but I'm getting close to be done with the steriods. (I have today on a two pill dose, and then tomorrow on the last dose -- 1 pill. All of the four days prior to this one have been four pills a day.) Oh -- and my big accomplishment was yesterday when I was able to hold the phone with my neck and have my hands free. Wow!

And, another update that I had been meaning to make is that on the same day that I posted about my five year old's hallucinations and sleeplessness from a medication, the doctor called that evening and spoke with me. We talked about a variety of other medication options, but most involved having to swallow a pill, and that just doesn't seem like it will work for Jack right now. So, we finally decided that maybe it was just best to wait and try again with medication at a later date if we so desired. This was made especially easier as we have decided to have Jack repeat kindergarten next school year. (He's so bright, but he is behind in motor skills -- fine motor skills in particular -- as well as that he could use another year to grow and mature.) So, deciding that has taken some pressure off of us on his behalf.

On the up side of the whole medication thing though, it was nice that it is the same prescription that Noah takes, so then he is just able to take those ones we picked up for Jack, instead of those just going to waste.

Just a little break...

I actually visited the doctor today (an Urgent Care center) for a problem that I professed to have had for, oh, I don't know -- maybe the last 25 years. Yes, it's true. And, can you believe that when I worked there, I would sometimes be less than patient when people said they'd had the same problem for weeks or months (but that was usually only when they would come strolling in five minutes before we were to close).

For most of my life, I have had a stabbing pain in my ear. It usually lasts less than 30 seconds, but also stops me dead in my tracks, and sometimes even causes tears. It really only happens once every couple of months (or not usually more than a month). So, it is bearable, and I have never really thought to mention it to a doctor. But, this morning when it started and didn't stop, I tried to crack my neck to relieve the pain, as sometimes helps. Well -- go figure -- I ended up pinching or pulling something in my neck, and the pain still didn't go away.

So, Eric took Jack to an appointment he had, and also took him to school. (I'm so blessed to have such a wonderful husband!). And, Molly and I headed to the doctor. The doctor ended up saying that this was definitely not an acute problem (the ear). He said I had chronic serous otitis media. He said there is fluid in my right ear (and a bit in my left) that has possibly been there for YEARS! I wonder why nobody has mentioned it at any point, but then I thought, well...I guess if I never mentioned it as a problem, nobody probably was ever bothered by it.

I also had the "pleasure" of having a C-spine panel (?), which consisted of probably almost 10 X-rays. Whew! He said it was to rule out any injury to my neck, especially since this has happened before.

So, now I'm on Prednisone and antibiotics (icky ones!), and he is hopeful that this should get rid of the fluid.

So, since it is my "computer arm" (as I like to call the right side -- LOL) that is on the sore side, I may be away from my blog (and commenting on other blogs) for a couple of days. And, yeah know, maybe not. But, in case you don't see my around, just know that I am fine, just trying to get better.

Making me look like an idiot

That is what kids are for, correct? Well -- Molly (age 2) was doing her best of it yesterday.

We went to Mass last night, and Molly was turned around in the pew, since I was holding her. It was right before the Mass, and she looked at me like I was insane, as she looked up toward the loft area, as loudly as possible (it seemed) she announced, "THAT NOT MARY! THAT SAINT LAWRENCE!"

I knew she was referring to a statue of St. Lawrence that she saw. Of course, she did have to announce it in a way such that it sounded like I told her it was Mary. So, I tried to quiet her down and said, in almost a whisper as I pointed up to St. Lawrence, "Yes, -- that's St. Lawrence."

She again looks at me with mock horror, while declaring, "THAT NOT MARY! THAT SAINT LAWRENCE!"

So...if you ever hear a story about the new Catholic that doesn't know Our Lady from St. Lawrence, you can just know that sometimes, it's an offspring's job to make their parents look like idiots.

Excellent things to think about...

I just read this posting titled The Bible vs The Cell Phone on Sara's Blog. I just had to share!

A hallucinating five year old is no fun

A few years ago, I had the flu and the doctor at the clinic prescribed Tamiflu for it. This particular drug ended up being my first experience with what it was like to hallucinate. After a few days of being on it, I was being driven mad at night. I tried to attribute it to the flu, but then as I was getting better and the medication was in me more, I was having more issues.

Finally, when I said to my Mom (about three or four days into it), "Not that I intend to kill myself, but I can finally understand why people who hear voices all the time could be driven to do it." (This was after a particularly long night in which, well, obviously, I was hearing voices.) My Mom, ever the wise woman, said I should stop taking the Tamiflu. Lo and behold, the voices were gone. I told some people this, and was assured Tamiflu was totally safe. Funny...then a couple of years later all the reports came out about halluciations and suicides coming from it.

So, I now know what is even less fun than having my own halluciations. It is staying up with a five year old who is having them. We had Jack on some medication for attention purposes. It didn't seem to work -- no good side effects, but no bad side effects either. So, on Friday, the doctor upped the dosage. (Mind you, this is not some scary medication, Jack was just moved up to the same dosage of the same medication that Noah is already taking with wonderful results.)

We gave Jack the new dose on Saturday, just to help with sitting through the Easter Vigil Mass. And, he did great! I was so excited. But, then he was up throughout the night, and was particularly anxious. Then we thought -- "Hey...he was just excited for Easter." No big deal.

Then, we skipped Sunday (since we don't typically do it on weekends), and he slept fine that night.

Gave it to him on Monday, and it seemed to help at school. But, then sleeping was an issue again. He had a hard time sleeping and wanted to come to bed with us. Okay.

And, then I'm a horrible Mom, and forgot to give it to him on Tuesday and Wednesday. Augh! (He isn't usually up as early as I give it to Noah, so I think sometimes I think I have already done it for the day, and just forget then.) So, anyway, I gave it to him yesterday. And, then I was astounded by the work he brought home from school yesterday. It was his best writing ever (often a happy side effect of this medication).

But, then last night came. He was on edge as we tried to put him to bed. He cried and cried and was sure something was in his room. This was very unusual for him. We ended up turning on the closet light, but then he kept being sure that maybe something was in the closet.

Finally, I thought he was asleep.

I stayed up way too late, and was finally getting to bed at 1:30 am. All of the sudden, Jack is standing there, looking like he has yet to sleep, but I don't know for sure on that. I asked him if he wanted to come to bed with me. He decided he wanted to sleep in his own bed, but with me on the couch. Okie dokie. Although, as soon as he laid in bed, he started freaking out. So, I brought him to the couch with me. All of the sudden, he would occasionally gasp and be sure he saw something. This poor little guy was shaking and breathing heavily -- this was not to be difficult or for effect.

We finally moved upstairs, and I couldn't help it -- I fell asleep (remember -- I'm sick right now). But, I was awaken many times for several hours as I heard Jack gasp and cry, and Eric try to comfort him.

I called the doctor's office this morning and gave them the scoop. Funny thing is, the information nurse said, "Oh, well if he's only been on it for three days, we usually wait for a couple of weeks to re-evaluate medication." I realized at this point that perhaps she wasn't really getting what I was saying had happened.

So, I started throwing in even more details (specifics about the hallucinations) and times at which he was awake (still up at 1:30 am...still up at 3 am...), and prefaced it all by, "Oh, no -- perhaps you didn't understand, I'm sorry -- I can never give this to him again." Then she got it. And, now we wait to see what the doctor has to say.

Now, the next time I complain about having a child up vomitting all night, I will have to at least remember to be thankful that they are not hallucinating.

My favorite place to have a coughing fit...

Right now, I have a chest cold. It's one of those yucky ones where your chest hurts and you have a lot of junk in them. You know the kind. This is also the kind of produce a lot of coughing. Hard coughing. Coughing that, well, quite frankly -- makes a mother cross her legs.

If you are not a Mom, then you may have no idea why a Mom would cross her legs with that kind of powerful coughing. It may also not make sense to you why my favorite place to have a coughing fit (as I remembered last night) is on the toliet.

Okay, it's not pretty. But, darn it -- it's the truth. I suppose, there will be some Moms out that that say, "What? That doesn't happen to me!" Well -- then count your blessings, and feel free to walk normally when a huge sneeze is coming on.

But, if you have ever had to stop walking when you are about to sneeze just to make sure that everything is tightly held together, then you know what I am talking about.

I have to admit, when I was first married, and had this picture of what it would be like to have family, I never imagined some loss of bladder control to be part of that picture. That was apparently the silent secret that is not spoken of until you join the club. Perhaps I should have known it was coming when, at 32 weeks pregnant with my first, I was worried that I might be leaking amnoitic fluid.

My doctor said, "Could it just be urine?"

I said, with a smug satisfaction, "I think I would know if I was peeing."

She laughed, a mother of twins, "Oh, you'd be surprised."

I can look back at that now and say, "Oh! THAT'S why she said that."

And, I know it is a hush-hush thing because I only really found out that would happen once it happened. And, not too long ago, a friend of mine (who is the mother of two) somehow slipped into conversation that that happened to her and she looked mortified. That was when I shared, "Ya know, it really happens to a lot of Moms." She looked so relieved, and I wished she had known sooner, because it looked like it had troubled her for a while.

So...here's my shout out, in my midst of the cough that won't go away -- kids are a blessing. Pregnancy is a miracle. But, well...you might lose just a bit of your bladder control after carrying around and birthing those blessings. It's a fact of life. As I said, I'm sure it doesn't happen to everyone, but just be prepared -- when done too hard -- coughing, sneezing, vomitting, and even laughter can be dangerous things to do.

How did my kids get to be picky eaters?

Yes, I will sadly admit, each and every one of my three children are picky eaters. I have no idea how it happened, really.

Noah has never been a particularly good eater, so I will admit that that one was not a surprise. So, when we had Jack and he excitedly embraced solid foods (at the correct time), we were thrilled. As he scarfed down vegetables from the vegetable beef stew I had made one night, I remember thinking, "I have to keep encouraging his good eating, so that he is a better eater than Noah." And, then years later, I decided that I had somehow encouraged him to become a picky eater, even though I had tried not to.

And then Molly arrived. She also embraced a large variety of food. On a plate with fruit and some green beans, she would devour green beans and ask for more before ever looking at the fruit. She ate everything that we ate -- we never made her special meals, we never catered to crazy whims. I congratulated myself on finally getting it right the third time around, as she continued like this for a long time.

Now, suddenly, I realize that the last several months, she does not want to eat the way she did. We offer broccoli, and she says, "Want candy, please." And, darn it -- I *know* I didn't encourage it this time!

So...do my kids just have a picky eater gene? I have a feeling that if this is true, then I can guess which parent they got it from. And, if that's true, then at least I can take heart -- Eric has become a less picky eater now that he's in his thirties. So, I guess if I can wait about 25+ years, I'll have three good eaters again.

3 words -- no more, no less

This meme seemed like a fun challenge (each answer needs to be three words -- no more, no less)! I got this at Catholic Mommyhood. Hey...want to know what? She is also on the Catholic Mothers Online blog roll! ;)

If you try out this meme, feel free to come back and post your link in the comments! :)

Where is your cell phone? next to me
Boyfriend? He's my husband!
Hair? brown and auburn
Your mother? Is a blessing
Your father? Fine, honorable man
Your favorite item(s)? iPod, Rosary, Computer
Your dream last night? Interrupted by coughing
Your favorite drink? Diet Dr. Pepper
Your dream guy? It's my husband
The room you are in? dining room counter
Your fear? Dying and flying.
What do you want to be in 10 years? Not so tired
Who did you hang out with last night? Husband and kids
What are you not? healthy and rested
Are you in love? Yes, most definitely
One of your wish list items? addition on house
What time is it? 1:15 in afternoon
The last thing you did? I ate lunch.
What are you wearing? shirt and jeans
Your favorite book? the Holy Bible
The last thing you ate? Wendy's Chicken Sandwich
Your life? Many Little Blessings ;)
Your mood? Sleepy and sick
Your friends? Blessings to me
What are you thinking about right now? Taking a nap
Your car? Ford Windstar Minivan
What are you doing at this moment? Sitting at computer
Your summer? no big plans
Your relationship status? Very happily married
What is on your TV screen? It's the Backyardigans!
When is the last time you laughed? listening to Noah
Last time you cried? On Palm Sunday
School? Done -- two degrees

Tasty Tuesday

Angel Hair Pasta with Chicken

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
2 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, cut into one inch cubes
1 carrot, slice diagonally into 1/4 inch pieces
1 (10 oz) pkg frozen broccoli florets, thawed
12 oz angel hair pasta
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
(Oops -- I forgot how much chicken broth! I *think* it was 1/2 cup -- I'm pretty sure of that, actually!)

1. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a medium skillet over medium heat; add chicken. Cook, stirring, until chicken is cooked through, about five minutes. Remove from skillet and drain on paper towel.

2. Heat remaining oil in same skillet. Begin heating water for pasta. Add carrot to skillet; cook, stirring, for 4 minutes. Add broccoli to skillet; cook, stirring, for 2 minutes longer.

3. Cook pasta according to package directions. While pasta is cooking, add chicken broth, basil, and Parmesan to skillet. Stir to combine. Return chicken to skillet. Reduce heat and simmer for four minutes.

4. Drain pasta. Place in a large serving bowl. Top with chicken and vegetable mixture. Serve immediately. I added some of the fresh Parmesan cheese to the plates after I put the pasta, chicken, & veggies on it.

I Remember When You Used to Get Paid to Recycle

Yes -- I remember a time long ago when we collected soda cans so that we could turn them in and get actual cash money for them. And, I'm sure there are still people who do that now.

But...I am now in a considerably different situation. We have been feeling bad for a while that we don't recycle, so we finally contacted our trash company (because of where we live, we pay for trash pick up through a service, instead of through the city) and signed up for the recycling service.

Now, I have a box from the company in which to keep all of my items. I have to admit, I was shocked at the list of things we could turn in for recycling! If I had known that, we might have done it even sooner!

Oh, and now...I am paying an extra $16 every three months on my trash bill for the privilege of that recycling. Youch! Apparently I'll just have to reminince and think of the "old" days when it actually earned you money.

Okay...so here it is...the Easter Vigil posting...

First off -- thanks so much to all those who were thinking about us and praying for us!

So, all day Saturday, I thought I was going to crawl out of my skin! I was SO excited for the evening to finally come! We did have a leisurely morning/afternoon though, because of my not feeling so well (and as if to prove it, if you were here at my house during this writing, I paused to cough just now).

Finally, after what seemed like forever, it was time to get ready for Mass. My Mom loaned me a lovely skirt, since I was having a horrible time figuring out what to wear. Eric wore a dress shirt and tie, and the kids were all dolled up too. (Oh, and if you read about my brown shoes issues, Jack *did* have tissues wadded up in the toe of his shoes, but he still managed to trip several times -- poor guy!) And, on purpose, we waited until evening to give Noah & Jack their "focusing" medicine (as Noah calls it), and prayed that Molly wouldn't be running all around the church.

I rode to church with my parents, since they had never been there before. We milled around just a bit before finally heading in to church. Then, we headed outside. Brrr... They had a hard time getting the fire lit, and Molly kept saying, "It BERY chilly out here."

We then headed inside (in darkness) with our candles, and Molly was trying to blow out my candle. It was funny, though she did get a little loud, trying to blow with great gusto.

The readings and signing did seem to get a little long for the kids, but I was very impressed with how well they did!

Finally...the fun part arrived! Those being baptized were called to the front. We got to watch as everyone was baptized -- both adults and children. It was amusing when they had a hard time getting one child into the water. We heard Father say, "Don't worry...it's warm." Then, he announced to everyone that the child had then decided to test out the water before getting in. LOL I did notice at this point that Noah was looking very worried. He knew we would be going up front, and then I realized that he thought we were going to get baptized as well. We had to tell him several times that we had all already done that before, and didn't have to have it done again. After probably the fifth time of promising him that, he finally believed us and relaxed. Then, we saw Jack look concerned and Noah took over and started whispering in his ear, motioning up front, etc. It was very cute, and we knew what he was surely telling Jack.

Then, it was our time to go forward. They called all five of us up, as well as quite a number of other people. We were told to read our profession of faith, but nobody had given some of us a paper with it on there (or told us about it). So, I felt really bad about that, as we stood there silently. But, then I knew that not only were we agreeing by staying up there as others read it out loud, but God knew that it was in our hearts. Then, Father prayed over each of us, and we were received into the Church. For as much as I had dreaded having the kids there, not only had they done really well throughout to that point, but it was so wonderful to know that we were all up there being received into the Church as a family.

The kids were then all invited to have a seat, and those being confirmed were all ask to step forward. Father asked each of us the saint name that we had chosen, and then annointed us with oil and welcomed us. Fr. Dan seemed to smirk a bit when I told him I had chosen Martha. After he annointed me, he said, "Martha, Martha, you are anxious about many things." Ha...so true! And, Eric took the saint name of Joseph (with about half of the other men, it seemed!).

And, then finally -- we were able to come to the table to share in the Eucharist. What a blessed event! The only thing that probably could have made it better is if Molly hadn't hit her wall by that point. So, perhaps I was less than totally there as I took up the squirming and fussing Molly to finally receive the Blessed Sacrament. But, I was pleased, all the same. (And, then pleased when we got back to the pew and my Dad took her out to the vestibule!)

They had a nice cake and punch reception for us, and we did a bit of visiting. Jack was especially pleased to see his CCD teacher there! She told him she was so proud of him, and pleased for our family. We had many well wishers, and also received some lovely gifts from our sponsors and the RCIA team. (We have already put up a Crucifix that our sponsors gave to our family.) It was also nice that Fr. Jeff told us when we left how happy he was for our family. He commented on how wonderful it was to see us all up there together being received into the Church.

We finally made it home around 11:15 pm. Whew! And, then believe it or not, we let the boys then play some video games, as that had been a "prize" they were waiting for after being so good through the long Mass.

It was really a blessed day for our family! I don't know how to describe the joy -- but it all made the many, many, many months of work well worth it!

Thank you again for all the well wishes!

Promise to Post!

I promise to come and post about our Easter Vigil Mass experience! We have had a busy day the last few days, and I have a lot of writing to do when talking about the Mass. So, I will be back later on Monday to do it!

Thank you so, so, so much for all of the prayers and thoughts that were said for us as our big day neared. It was truly humbling to know that so many people were thinking of us -- from blogging friends (and even finding us mentioned on a few different blogs about our big day), to message board friends, to members of our parish, to family and friends -- what a blessing to have been in so many prayers. I know they must have been answered, because the Mass went so much better than I ever could have imagined it would (especially with a two year old up far beyond her bed time).

Thank you!

It's finally our big day - The Easter Vigil

Wow! It seems like we have been in RCIA forever -- studying and reflecting to prepare us to join the Roman Catholic Church. And...here we are. It's today! I get giddy just thinking of it!!! (It's also exciting for me that not only will Eric and I be welcomed into full communion with the church, but we will also make a profession of faith on behalf of our children -- although this also means having a sometimes high strung two year old at a long Mass. Oh well!)

Now...the only bad thing is...Noah has been coughing a lot lately, and now I have (since yesterday or the day before) what seems to be the beginning of bronchitis and just a slight fever. (Eric thinks I don't have a fever, but his hands are hot and we don't have a thermometer.) At the very least, my cheeks are flushed. I have already declared that it would take me being in the hospital to not go to Mass. And, as a matter of fact, since both the hospitals in town are Catholic hospitals, I will request one of the Sisters to just wheel me on into the church. What a sight that would be!

So, if you have extra prayers for our family today, that would be most appreciated!

Silly Things People Say

I didn't want to do a negative posting on Good Friday, but, darn it -- this just called to me to share.

The boys had to go to the doctor this morning for a medication recheck. Then, we went to McDonalds (wow -- talk about temptation -- I had to watch everyone, including my own kids, eating while I just sat there fasting!). We had to get lunch before I took the boys to school, since it was past lunch time (well -- and Jack eats lunch before he goes to school anyway).

So, it had already been a long morning by the time we were finally there. I had to get everyone ready to go to the doctor, then he was running about 30 minutes behind (which is not usual for him at all), and then we had to be at the doctor's appointment once he came in. So, Molly was probably not so patient. It's hard to be two years old, darn it. While we were at McDonalds, she was crying (many times) because she wanted to hold the chocolate milk jug. Knowing her, I knew I had to be the one to hold it for her. And, then she was mad. I tried to play it off, because, really...there wasn't anything I could do. I calmed her down several times, but then she would always get mad about it again.

Then, an older woman talked to me. She seemed to sympathize and said, "Oh, looks like someone is tired." I explained that she was just mad because she wanted to hold the chocolate milk herself. Just moments later, as she was walking by to do something she said, "You know, I've always said -- a cranky baby is a tired baby, if I were you, I would have left her at home."

Ummm....what??? I didn't even know what to say, and she didn't give me time to say anything even if I had thought of it, as she then quickly walked past as I tried to process what she had said.

So, I must say now:

Dear Older Woman at McDonalds today:

Thank you so much for pointing out that my daughter was making your time at McDonald less enjoyable. Although I was trying to calm her down and make accomidations for her, as you saw since you kept looking at us, maybe you are right, perhaps I should have left her at home. Granted, I suspect the police would then promptly come take her away from me, since it's not like anyone was at home to take care of her. I hope that your piece of unsollicted advice made you feel better, because it just managed to irk the woman who was smelling fries and couldn't eat a single one and didn't stop my daughter's crying at all (which, perhaps you didn't notice, was not as loud as some of the other kids who were climbing around on half walls and booths). Thanks for making my morning even better with your kindness.

Signed,

The hungry Mom with the crying two year old

P.S. It was a full two hours before my daughter's nap time, so it had nothing to do with her being tired. However, if you would like to meet us at the same McDonalds tomorrow around 2 pm, perhaps you can actually witness a tired Molly in action.

Holy Thursday

Our journey in Holy Week continued tonight when we attended our parish's simple supper and then Holy Thursday Mass to celebrate Jesus' Last Supper, the evening in which the Eucharist was instituted. (The Eucharist, I must add, that we will FINALLY be able to share in so, so soon!!! WooHoo!!!)


The dinner was very nice -- most people were supposed to bring a salad of some type, and then a smaller number of people were to bring breads or dinner rolls or the like. Then, there were a few types of soup. And, of course, no dessert! We sat with a few different people, and I have to say that I really enjoy each time we go to whole parish events because we always end up meeting new people. Plus, I also enjoy that I have noticed that each time we go to things like that, I always seem to know more people than I knew the last time we went to something like that.



During the dinner, one of the other gals from RCIA and I discussed the ins and outs of whether to keep the kids in public school or opt for Catholic school. So many pros and cons on both sides. (Most of the cons for Catholic school, other than the cost, boil down to the boys' special needs that might be better served in the public school.) Then, we were all able to visit a bit before heading off to Mass.



This was the first Catholic Mass that I had been to with incense. (As an Episcopalian though, I had been to a few services with incense, and had even been the one to do it before when I was an acolyte/altar server.) It probably didn't help that I think I'm getting a chest cold, because then I couldn't help but cough several times at the beginning of Mass.


The music at Mass was different than the music is for the Mass we usually go to on Sunday, although it is apparently what they do at the Sunday evening Mass. It was a small band with guitars, drums, etc. Admittedly, that's not normally my thing -- I like traditional church music. But, this was nice -- contemporary without being too far from traditional.


After the homily, the altar servers brought out 12 folding chairs, and Father invited the candidates and the elect who were going to participate in the foot washing. We all discussed afterwards that we didn't realize we were going to be facing the whole congregation during the foot washing! It was all a very humbling experience to have one of my feet washed right there in front of the whole congregation by Father. It made me think of how humbling that also must have been for the apostles when Jesus washed their feet. I just can't even imagine that -- and, obviously, that was why they argued that He shouldn't wash their feet. (We actually discussed later in our discussion time that sometimes, the hard part of doing good for others/serving others is also allowing them to then serve us.)


One nice thing during the foot washing was when Father told Eric that he needed to pull up his pant leg just a bit more. I instinctively just reached over and pulled it up for him. Father said (with a laugh), "She has to do everything for you, huh?" Eric said, "That's why I married her." Then, Father said to him, "You chose well." That was a nice compliment that I will try to file away to remember during the next time I'm feeling down.


And, now I will admit, I have no snappy way that I want to end this entry. And, so, until tomorrow night when I hope to write on the Way of the Cross that I plan to attend, I will sign off.

The Holy Grail of Shoes

I have been on a mission for a few weeks now, and it was one that I didn't realize would develop into full all out mission status when I decided to do it. I was on the lookout for brown dress shoes for our boys. And, what I thought would be as simple as, "Hey, let's run to Target and pick up some brown shoes" became "Do you think that maybe those brown bowling shoe look alikes would be appropriate for the kids in front of everyone at Mass?"

So, a few weeks ago, knowing that Easter was coming up, I began to seek out these brown shoes. Simple brown shoes. Brown shoes that were the right size and nice looking -- those were my lofty requirements.

We set out to Target one night, and since I didn't know this was going to end up being a mission, I did find appropriate sized brown shoes for both of the boys. They had only one style, and I believe the name of the style was "ugly as sin." I tried to overlook this fact, but finally said, "You know what, let's look at Walmart." I said this in a matter-of-fact way, a way in which I thought, "Of course there will be a plethora of brown shoes at Walmart from which to choose." In fact, it turns out, I was sadly mistaken.

I went to Walmart with my Mom and Molly and specific shoe sizes in mind. I looked and looked. No brown shoes. Certainly I was just looking in the wrong area. I asked a woman in the shoe department for brown dress shoes for boys. She gave me a half smile and a small head nodding no that you imagine doctors give to someone when they have to deliver unfortunate news. She showed me to a small area with one style of brown dress shoes. They were, in fact, not ugly as sin, so I was pleased. Well...until I tried to find either of their sizes. No luck.

So, that night, I loaded up all three kids in the van after Eric mowed the lawn and told Eric to just have some time to relax and the kids and I would go to another Walmart where I would certainly find these same shoes, but with the right size.

Our trip to Walmart (30 minutes away) seemed fruitless. I found the shoes, but, still no correct size. Though, it would seem, if I had wanted black shoes for them, I could have had them in any style, shape, and size. I could have outfitted my children if they had been born as centipedes with a black dress shoe on every single foot. Finally, I moved a sign, and there they were -- a pair for Noah! Still...we left with no brown shoes for Jack. (Which, I have to admit, I was shocked didn't leave him a sobbing mess. But, true to form, something else left him as a sobbing mess on the way home anyway.)

Finally, yesterday, I took a trip to the mall during the day with my Mom and Molly. While they looked at Macy's, I made the long trek down to Payless Shoes. On the way, I saw a "Rackroom Shoes" and popped in -- it was MUCH closer to Macy's. I asked about where to find boys shoes. They asked a size, and I told them and said I was looking for brown dress shoes. They looked at me like I was asking for the shoes for the feet that had to be obviously growing right out of my head at that point. They assured me that they definitely didn't have any, but did I want to look at some brown sandals. I politely thanked them for their help and left. (Mind you, then they were looking at me like I was some kind of freak for just leaving without looking after the specifically told me that they didn't have what I needed. I'll just let that one go for now, I guess.)

I got to Payless Shoes, and again got a sad look from the sales lady. But, then she did lead me to a small selection (a lace up dress shoe and then two toned bowling shoe look alikes that were actually tennis shoes). Okay, so the dress shoe wasn't as cute as I would have liked with its box-like toe and chunky look, but darn it -- brown dress shoes apparently aren't something to be picky about. You find them, and you buy them -- and you feel blessed for the chunky, boxy things.

And, finally -- my mission was complete. Oh, except, of course, for the fact that Jack put them on today and they are about half a size too big. As far as I'm concerned at this point, that's what tissue was invented for -- it will do its duty in that boxy front of his shoes, and there will be no complaining allowed.

Busy night at RCIA -- service project!

The other day, when telling my Mom about our Holy Week plans in RCIA, I mentioned that on Wednesday we would be setting up for tomorrow's simple supper and cleaning the church. I suspect she either wasn't paying attention when I said that or she thought I was throwing in a funny joke.

Today, I asked my Mom if she had a bucket I could borrow. When she asked why, I reminded her that we would be cleaning the church tonight. She was surprised that we really were cleaning the church. Ha!

Anyway, it was a lot of fun, although my back will probably be sore tomorrow. In a little over an hour, I used Murphy's Oil Soap (and water) and washed about 1/8 of the pews in the church. It was SO neat to see all the many hands busy at work making our church look so clean (and smell clean too!). My only regret was that I had forgotten to bring along my camera!

One piece of bad news is that one of the women going through RCIA (who will be both baptized and confirmed on Saturday) wasn't there because her five year old son is in the hospital with possible meningitis. As it stands now, she is unsure if she will be able to be there on Saturday with us all. So, if anyone reading this has an extra prayer for Nicole and her family, I would appreciate it!

A couple of fun quizzes...

Here are my results for a couple of quick and fun quizzes:

You Are a Winter

You look ravishing in: Black, burgundy, emerald green, hot pink, icy colors, navy blue, red, royal purple, and white

What Season Color Are You?

You Are a Moderate Mama

You're not overly political, and your views fall more with the American mainstream. In fact, it may be difficult for you to decide who to vote for at times! Your approach to politics is reasoned and well though out.

Are You a Liberal Lady or a Conservative Chick?

You Are An Intro-Extrovert!

Sometimes you're social - sometimes you're shy You've got a bit of an Introvert / Extrovert split going on You enjoy all sorts of situations. Parties, small groups, and alone time. Too much of one, and you'll long for the other. You need varity! Chances are, you've got both serious and fun friends - and they don't get along.

Are You An Extrovert or Introvert?

You Are Vanilla Ice Cream

Flexible. Easygoing. Classic.

What Flavor Ice Cream Are You?

You Are A Lily

You are a nurturer and all around natural therapist. People see you as their rock. And they are able to depend on you. You are a soothing influence. You can make people feel better with a few words. Your caring has more of an impact than even you realize.

What Flower Are You?

Tasty Tuesday (One Day Late!)

Things have been so crazy around here that I had forgotten that I instituted "Tasty Tuesday!" Needless to say, not only did I not post a recipe yesterday, Eric and I didn't even have a formal dinner of any kind. Mostly just these potato skin thingees from Market Day.

Anyway -- so here is my recipe for yesterday's Tasty Tuesday. It is from the book The Freezer Cooking Manual from 30 Day Gourmet. I picked up this book while at the Hearts at Home conference, and have only tried out one recipe so far -- but it was a winner! (The book is just $14.95, so if you like this recipe, you might consider taking a look at it! I have had freezer cooking books before, but this has been the most enjoyable.)

Pizza Burgers

Servings: 24 (although I only got 20 out of it, but it could be I put too much filling in some of the hamburger buns)

Ingredients:

Cooked ground beef: 2 1/2 cups (approximately 1 lb uncooked)
Pizza Sauce: 30 oz
Garlic salt: 1/2 teaspoon
Onion salt: 1/2 teaspoon
Oregano: 1/4 teaspoon
Pepperoni, cut into small pieces: 3 oz (I actually skipped the pepperoni and just put in more ground beef)
Shredded mozzarella cheese: 2 cups
Hamburger Buns: 24

Assembly Directions: In a large bowl, mix the ground beef, pizza sauce, garlic salt, onion salt, and oregano. Add the pepperoni pieces and mozzarella cheese, stirring to mix well. Fill buns with meat mixture. Wrap each bun in aluminum foil.

Freezing Directions: Put all of the wrapped buns in a rigid container or 2-gallon freezer bags. Seal, label, and freeze.

Serving Directions: Remove the number of wrapped buns you need from the freezer. Allow them to taw, still wrapped in foil, for no more than one hour. (If they thaw for too long, the buns will get soggy.) Bake the wrapped buns at 350 degrees for 15 - 20 minutes. Serve while hot.

Link to Catholic Women's Blog Roll

Okay, so I set up a link, and that way, I can stop talking about it so much here! LOL (Although, I don't promise I won't mention it.)

So, either click on my profile to see my other blog, or go to it from this link. But, do go visit, because I need help. ;)

thanks!

Blogging Chicks

Just a quick post to highlight something new near the bottom right of the blog -- I am now on the Blogging Chicks blog roll! If you are a chick with a blog, *you* might be interested in the blog roll as well!

Oh, and speaking of blog rolls, I will be working (very soon) on that promised blog roll for Catholic women! So, keep posting to me to let me know if you will be interested in joining once I get it started up (hopefully by early next week). I'm really excited about this, and so if I could only come up with an appropriate name for it, I would be set. LOL Oh...the pressure.

Speaking of the blog roll that I am working on, I received a comment on my original post about the possible blog roll questioning why, if I was upset about an only Protestant blog, would I start an only Catholic one. First -- let me say -- I never said I was upset about the other one. I apologize if it sounded like that at all. It was just a catalyst to think of starting a different one. But, if you would like to read in depth about my response to that comment/question, I wanted to invite anyone to read that comment (you'll have to scroll down to my huge reponse). I only link to this all because I didn't want my idea or intentions to be skewed or misunderstood.

Okay -- so...check out the blogging chicks, and also let me know if you are a Catholic woman who blogs who is interested in the blog roll. (Oh, and if you are divinely inspired to come up with a name, feel free to drop me ideas as well. I have some ideas, but could use more!)

Something I never knew about Moses

As has been said time and time again, if we stop and listen to our children, sometimes we can learn a lot. And, I have now learned more about Moses. It would seem, according to my two year old, that Moses liked to rub noses with people.

Okay, perhaps...just maybe...she is mistaken. But, it does not stop her from rubbing noses with me and singing, "Let's rub noses like Moses." I guess, per chance, it could be that she is trying to say something else. But, for now, we will keep rubbing noses, just like Moses.

Wonderful Blog Posting for REAL Moms!

I just had to share this great post on what being a real Mom is all about. This is posted at a blog that I just recently stumbled upon - Suburban Oblivion.

Catholic Moms/Catholic Women Blog Ring?

I have been on the search for a Catholic Women or Catholic Moms blogring, and I can't seem to find one. I have done numerous searches. So, unless my search has failed me, I haven't really found exactly what I am looking for. (This thought has been hammering at my brain ever since I saw a Christian blogring that I thought, "Oh, maybe I'll join that," only to find when I read through the requirements that one of the requirements was distinctly Protestant. And, while I have no problem with that, it was also very not Catholic. LOL)

So...here is the official announcement, I have a few reports to write, but when I am done, I believe that I will be starting a blog ring for...well...I can't decide if it should be Catholic Moms, or just Catholic women in general. Feel free to share your thoughts on that before I decide for sure!

If you are interested in joining it when it gets started, please leave me a comment here, and I will be sure to contact you when I get the details worked out and everything set up.

Palm Sunday RCIA All Day Retreat

It has been a long day for Eric and I. Today, for RCIA, we spent all day at church (from 8 am until around 4:15/4:30). And, although I am exhausted now, it was a really rewarding day. And, it went MUCH faster than I thought it would!

Our day started at Mass. I will admit that we were TOTALLY confused when we walked in and Father was reading the Gospel. We were curious, "Aren't we just a couple of minutes late???" But, then we realized that there were two Gospels today, and one of them was at the beginning of the Mass.

We left part of the way through, as always, and had a discussion about the gospel, the passion, and the other two readings. Admittedly, it looked like everyone was a bit on the tired side, as this was earlier than any of us usually go to Mass.

We then had breakfast, and got to start snacking on all of the wonderful things that all of the candidates and the elect had brought in. (I actually made brownies from scratch for the first time ever, as well as some mini muffins, but those were from a box mix.)

The next portion of the retreat was that Fr. Dan came and spoke to us about Christ's Passion. It was very interesting, as always. One thing that struck me the most was when he made the example that even if only one of us was a sinner, Jesus would have come to die for just that person's sins. It was powerful to think of, to say the least. We also talked about who we could identify with at different times in our life from the Passion.

We then had a wonderful lunch thanks to two CRHP groups, as well as continued snacking on our goodies. Lunch was a bit hard to stomach at the end though, as I knew our first reconciliation was drawing near.

One of the RCIA team members then spoke to us about confession and the sacrament of reconciliation. And, then it was time for the candidates to head into the church, while they elect stayed to hear about the sacrament of baptism.

Eric and I settled into a pew, and I thought I might be sick. I was SO nervous! Fr. Dan spoke to some of us as everyone came in, and I fessed up that I was pretty sure I was about to cry. He tried to reassure me that it wouldn't be as bad as it seemed it would be. He spoke to the whole group a bit, and then we prayed together. Fr. Jeff was also there, and we could choose who we wanted to do our confession with. I pretty much wanted to jump right up and be first to talk to Fr. Dan, but someone beat me. LOL But, that gave me more time to think on what I wanted to say. When that first person left, I headed in, pretty sure I would either vomit or burst into tears. (It did help that I knew my sponsor was in the pew behind me -- praying for me. She said that she said 30 Hail Marys for me while I was in the room doing reconciliation. LOL)

As soon as I sat down, he greeted me. And, then he said, "Oh, just one second," and got up. I wondered what he was doing, but then he had just gotten up to get me a tissue. LOL Apparently he knew I was sincere about thinking I would cry!

I have to admit, I felt like I didn't get into much of the "little" things in my life, though I did do some. I confessed to things that had been weighing heavily on me for a while, as well as one thing that I probably didn't need to confess (since I didn't know it was wrong when it happened), but I still needed to say it for my own self.

I admit -- I did cry just a bit when he gave me advice and pinpointed where all of my sins seemed to stem from, but that was just because it was the first time I really looked at it like that, and it was eye opening. He made me realize that my faults are ones that we all have, and he gave me inspiring thoughts to think about what I should be striving for. The funny thing was, I didn't cry too much in the room, but then when I got in to the third Hail Mary of my penance, I burst into tears. It was just like it was such a relief off my heart, and it was so powerful. I finally got it back together, and I finished my penance and prayed some more. Then, I sat and began to read from John's Gospel. I got about a chapter into it before bursting into tears again. But -- they were good tears...cathartic tears...hopeful tears. And, they were also tears of contentment to know that this is a sacrament that is now open to me, and that it is a sacrament that I need.

The rest of our retreat consisted of a talk on discipleship, a talk from a couple who went through RCIA last year (they were VERY entertaining, and I think we all thoroughly enjoyed hearing from them), and then some discussion of what will happen throughout Holy Week (for RCIA) and especially on the Easter Vigil. (We also had a practice run of taking communion with unconsecrated hosts/wine -- I declared this to be "very confusing to an Episcopalian," since things were different but still so similar.)

Overall -- the day was great. It was long and mentally kind of draining, but it was wonderful. I felt like I grew today. And, I pray that I can act on what I have learned.