Pa Beck Lassos a Stork!

Ma and Pa Beck really are Ma and Pa now!

Go check out the beautiful pictures of Mary Elizabeth and offer your congratulations!

(You might also notice that Ward Wide Web has been moved from Catholic Laity to Catholic Moms in my blogroll.)

Lenten Bleg

Someone posted a wonderful project for Lent that consisted of making a crown of thorns with bread dough and toothpicks, which is baked until hard and then the toothpicks are taken out when good deeds are done (to show that it eases Christ's sufferings when we do as He asks).

I cannot for the life of me find that post or an article on the project. If you've done this project as a family, could you please leave a message in the com boxes here so that I can do said project with my girls?

Thanks a million!

Update on Meanest Woman Award

Yesterday, the girls were in better spirits. I guess they woke up thinking, "How can Mommy REALLY throw away our favorite toys?"

After breakfast, I let them know that most of school was going to be writing. Little Girl had to write "I will obey Mommy and Daddy" 25 times. Big Girl had to write it 50. When they were finished with that, I said, and they apologized, then they could (a) have back their toys, and (b) watch TV or movies with the family.

Little Girl was the happiest penatent I've ever seen. "I want to write my sentences!" She will be such a joyful confessor, I'm sure. Just a little under two years for that! She apologized as soon as I said I expected it, finished writing before dinner, and went to bed snuggling Brown Cinderella Bear happily.

Big Girl didn't quite finish yesterday, but put her page on a clipboard on her desk. "That way, I can make my bed in the morning and do it right away," she informed us. She went to bed without Baby, but with a smile, knowing that she'll get her back sometime today.

And, though Big Girl still has a few doubts that I really loved her when I threatened to throw away Baby, she isn't angry any more. Oh, and she apologized before going to sleep, too.

Life was good once again!

Heard Last Weekend from the Living Room

Little Girl: Grandma, come and sit with me on the Love Couch.

Soccer Grandma: The Love Couch?

Little Girl: Yes. This little one is the Love Couch. That one (points to full-sized sofa) is the Hugs Couch.

Lent

Lent, these days, seems to be more about doing something extra rather than giving something up. While it is always good to do something extra (say a daily Rosary, go to daily Mass, pray the Stations of the Cross on a regular basis, etc.), it is still important for us to remember that Lent is also a time of sacrifice.

A long time ago, not only was there fasting on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday, there was no meat or dairy eaten for the entire Lenten season. "OH, we can't eat meat on Fridays!" Well, really, we shouldn't be doing that all year long anyway. Yes, you read that right. The Friday penance wasn't lifted. It was amended, however, to say that if you ate meat on Friday, you should do some kind of penance instead. I know, I know. I didn't hear that at all growing up, and I actually told people that it had changed. Vatican II, you know. Just like Vatican II says to turn around the altar and stop using bells at Mass. (Can you guess that it doesn't say that, either?)

Anyway...once upon a time, there was no meat or dairy at all during Lent. Now, I have to say that if I did THAT, it would be a very long Lent. I don't think the family could go the whole time without meat (and certainly not without dairy! I have growing girls, you know!), plus I'm not very keen on cooking two sets of food for every meal.

So what to do for Lent? I was pressing the girls to think of something to do, but then heard Al Kresta discussing how his wife would just pick something for the kids (still does), and that his older kids are now starting to add to whatever mom picks for them. Hmmmm...

When Hubby decided two years ago to give up something for Lent, he mentioned his derth of ideas. Knowing what a chocoholic he is, I said, "How about chocolate?" (I'd actually been fasting from chocolate for nearly a year by then.)

His answer was, "I CAN'T DO THAT!"

To which I said, "Your answer kind of points to that as the best thing to give up, sweetie."

So he gave up chocolate. Not easy for a man who puts chocolate syrup in his coffee and occasionally eats chocolate chips right out of the bag, you know. (I think he learned that last one from me.)

What we give up is supposed to be something we really like. We're not supposed to give up brussel sprouts if we don't eat them, cigarettes if we don't smoke them, or running if we don't step foot outside to go anywhere unless it's in the car. Lent is supposed to be a stretch. The sacrifice we make is supposed to help us to live the First Commandment better. Don't think you can give up coffee for 40 days? Not even for God? Are you sure you're not making it a god?

Our family will be, collectively, giving up chocolate. Hubby finds this really hard, year after year. I will find it difficult, too, especially since I started eating chocolate a year ago Christmas after having none of it for about 18 months. (Hey, yogurt is WAY yummier if you put chocolate chips in it! And have you ever had a peppermint mocha??) The girls aren't keen on my idea, Big Girl less so than Little Girl. All of Lent without chocolate milk? Without chocolate chips for the yogurt? Without ice cream with chocolate? (This is better than Big Girl's first ideas, which are usually giving up school or giving up sleeping with Baby. Little Girl can't get any ideas except for giving up using straws.)

So, as you are considering Lent, remember that it is definitely a fine thing, a very good thing, to do something extra. We'll try to make it to daily Mass, say a Rosary daily, pray the Stations of the Cross every Friday (did you know there is an indulgence for that?). But sacrifices made for God, sacrifices that will help us to place God more at the center of our lives, are also very good things. And a difficult sacrifice makes for a better offering than one that takes little difficulty to make. It's the difference between a child going to his father with a Father's Day gift he made by hand over several days and another going to the same father with something he borrowed $5 from mom to pick up at the store Saturday afternoon. Will the father love the child who grabbed something from the store less? No, but the hand-made, time-cionsuming gift might be a bit more pleasing. It has more meaning to it.

Consider your sacrifice as a gift to you Father, and put some effort into it! Stretch! Make it hard! When it's all over, you'll be happier with yourself than if you did something small and easy.

The Meanest Woman in the World

That is what Big Girl just called me about half an hour ago. You see, about an hour ago, I sent the girls up to brush teeth and pick up the toys they'd left on the floor. There weren't a lot, so when I heard them fooling around, I figured that they'd done what I'd asked and they were just jumping around and being silly.

When I went upstairs, I discovered that they were not in their room (which was fine) and that they had not picked up a SINGLE TOY in their room (which was NOT fine).

So I calmly got a trash back and started picking up for them. *wicked grin*

You have to understand that lately they have been completely ignoring me when I ask them to do something. So I decided that actions have consequences (actually God decided that) and that I'd show them some consequences.

Among the toys to go into the trash bag were their very best and favorite lovies, Baby and Brown Cinderella Bear. We cannot go on a trip without them. When we were being packed, Brown Cinderella Bear was accidentally put into a box, and we had to go to Target at ten o'clock at night to buy a substitute (which has been given down to the next cousin born since then). We have had near-hysterics over not finding Baby in time for bed.

Needless to say, when Big Girl stated, "I think I left Baby downstairs," and I answered, "No, I think she's in the trash now," immediate zero-to-sixty hysterics ensued.

Little Girl snuggled up under the covers and smiled up at me sweetly. "What about Brown Cinderella Bear?" she asked. "She's with Baby."

Again, zero-to-sixty.

I calmly stated that we'd discuss it more in the morning, that my mind isn't made up. I kissed them both, repeatedly informed them that, no, I still love them (that is a first!), but that they have to pay the consequences. "We'll talk about Baby and Brown Cinderella Bear in the morning."

And so I am now The Meanest Woman in the World. And I guess I will remain so until the Big Discussion tomorrow.

Just Because I Could...

I made another poster. Same site, this time with my own picture.

Motivation for Lent

Created here. Picture found here.

(sidenote: I am posting this at the top of my blogs just because I'm please with how it turned out, and it can't hurt to remind myself what I'm fasting and doing penance for.)

Relics and Healing

Some people might wonder why Catholics believe that God can work through relics and other objects. Well, it's mostly because it's true. For example, we have from the Bible, this verse:

Acts 19:11-12.

God did extraordinary miracles through Paul, so that even handkerchiefs and aprons that had touched him were taken to the sick, and their illnesses were cured and the evil spirits left them.

So there is evidence, even from the earliest times in Church history, that God can and does work miracles through physical objects.

And so, when I read this story at Maureen Wittmann's blog, I can only respond with an "AMEN!" and "PRAISE GOD!"

Let me give you a sampling, then I encourage you to head over to her blog for the rest.

The children had just finished their 4-H archery practice in the backyard of Coach Schafer. They put away the equipment in the shed and began to run and play in the front yard. After I figured the children had burned off enough energy, I called them to get in the van. As Buster climbed into the front seat his friend slammed the door after him. Unfortunately, he slammed too quickly and caught four of Buster's fingers in the door.

Buster fell out of the van, screaming and rolling in the front yard. If this had been another child, I might have chalked it up to overacting, but Buster is the kind of kid who can come in from an ice hockey game with blood pouring from his forehead and not even notice.

I jumped out of the driver's seat and ran to him. I held him tight in my lap, trying to figure out how and where he was hurt. I could see him holding his fingers in his other hands. Once I was able to persuade him to let me look at the fingers, I could see deep indentations across all four of them. I knew they were broken.

Meanwhile, Coach Schafer's wife came out of the house and was sitting in the grass with me. She asked if it was okay to pray over Buster. "Yes, definitely!" I exclaimed. She then remembered she had a handkerchief in the house blessed by a priest known for healing. She ran in, got the handkerchief and brought it to Buster. She wrapped it around his hands and prayed that Jesus would heal him. ...

The rest will leave you in awe.

Happy Valentine's Day

...to my sweetheart. Thanks for loving me even when I'm unlovable. I thank God for you every day!