Jake, did you hear that princesses were kidnapped and are being held prisoner in a far away castle? The paper says that they were taken...............

I didn't know that princesses were a part of the current events in Atlanta, GA.
I really enjoyed watching Lucy and Jake play outside yesterday. They were out there have a conversation for at least 30 minutes. This is really funny since I can't get either one of them to sit for that long to do schoolwork. I am thinking I need to have a paper printed with lessons and have it thrown into the driveway for them to pick up and read.
It is fun to watch them get along because sometimes it is such a pain to watch them fight.

Peter's 1st year

I just gotta brag.

Today I gave a geography test on the states to my class at the co-op. Jake is one of the youngest in the group, most of them are 4th and 5th graders. They had to label the New England and Mid Atlantic states, name the capital and their postal abbreviation. Jake was the only one who got them all right. Go Jake!

A kid's plan

We have been having some issues with Aidan with participating in school work and other general activities. The other kids seem to have lost a little of their motivation too. So I started a daily thoughts journal. I asked them to write something positive about how they feel or what they could accomplish during the day. Each kids did a great job setting a positive goal. Aidan's was the best though. Here is his entry. And he was first.
"I want to be a good boy today. I will do my school work and other important things and I won't eat like a pig."
Tell me that isn't too cute. I hope it works today too.

Guilt Trip

Today's homily was one just for me. I often sit in mass and wonder just who the priest is talking to. When a homily goes off in several directions not related to the readings or takes on a tone of 'preaching to the choir', I just loose all interest. Sitting in mass with 5 kids is already a huge distraction and a wondering homily doesn't really keep my attention. I often wonder if anyone is getting anything out of what is being said. I look around sometimes to see if maybe someone's face will show an expression of interest and understanding that could jolt me back into the homily. Usually this doesn't happen. I can't say that the homilist is always the one to blame. I have a very short attention span, only long enough to keep kids quiet and off of the floor and hopefully not touching each other.
Today, I realized something amazing and comforting. I don't think every homily has to be for me or even close to relating to my life. Sure I'd like for each one to be some theology lesson and great story relating my life to the gospel but that is not realistic. What I heard was a homily that had gone way off but had traveled down a road that was for me. Fr. Ed talked about guilt trips. He may have tied this in to the reading but I was off in mom land trying to keep Aidan off the floor and probably missed it. He said that guilt trips are not Christ like. He went on to say that both the giver and the receiver are to blame for taking part in a guilt trip. Wow. What? Me, the victim of many family (mostly my mom) driven guilt trips has to take the blame for it? Yes, I am fully aware of who and what situations cause or inflict these guilt trips. Therefore I should spend time in prayer preparing myself, giving myself the strength I would need to talk to the person or make it through a situation without getting the guilt trip. Of course he mentioned that if you are guilty then that is a whole other story. Fr. Ed went on to talk about how we should not in any way lay a guilt trip on someone. Now I am feeling guilty. Wait, no I am not. I am going to go and pray about this and build up my strength. I am going to resist the guilt trip and I am going to stop myself from giving one. I heard a homily for me today and I hope that I can fulfill my duty to hear and obey. Thanks Fr. Ed.