The body of ... zzzrrrrbbbbttt

Yesterday we went to 5:30 Mass. Of the times of day we can go to Mass, the 5:30 is probably my least favorite. For starters, I hate leaving Mass for the end of the day. Just doesn't feel right. Secondly, it's a horrible time for the kids. Dinner is usually between 6:30 and 7, and when we go to afternoon Mass we're lucky to be home by 7:15. Trying to keep 2 hungry kids happy in the middle of Communion is not fun.

We just barely got to Mass on time. I had been in South Carolina all weekend visiting a friend. Made it home in time for a late lunch with the family and then I sought off the week's menu planning and grocery shopping. I had just enough time to put away all the perishables before we left for church. Since we got there "late", we ended up sitting in the very front, right across from the priest.

The kids did surprisingly well. I was worried they'd be all over the place. I pictured Antonio running up on the altar since there wasn't really anything else in front of us. I also worried when he turned to me in the middle of the readings and asked me for a hot dog.

But sitting in the front ended up being so good for little Antonio. He participated in the Mass in a way he never has before. He could see much more. He folded his little hands when we prayed, he even knelt during the Consecration. I was so proud and so happy for him.

Julia Belén on the other hand, decided to "participate" in another way. My darling daughter has recently discovered how fun it is to blow raspberries. Wouldn't you know she decided that Communion was the best time to really go at it. And how do you convince a 10 month old to stop blowing raspberries? I, being the worrier I am, started feeling anxious. She just wouldn't stop. The poor Eucharistic minister less than 2 feet in front of us was struggling to contain her laughter. People going up to receive the Holy Eucharist and all they could hear was zzzrrrrbbbbtttt! It proved too much for the Eucharistic minister, and when she couldn't hold back her laughter any longer, I couldnt' stop laughing myself. It was such a joyful moment, having just received the Sacred Sacrament and celebrating Holy Mass.

With the week that it had been, I can't imagine a better way to have ended it. God was speaking through my little jelly bean to let me know it was okay to feel joy. zzzzrrrrbbbtttt!

Rollercoaster of a week

1. I finally finished sewing Antonio his Curious George pajamas. It was my first project using a pattern. They're far from perfect, but they fit and he loves them.

2. We harvested an 18.8 pound watermelon from Andres' garden. It outweighs Julia Belén. We ate it for dessert tonight and it was soooo delicious. Even just the smell of it was enough to entice Antonio to eat 2 slices. I am so proud of all the work Andres has put into the garden and it was really fun to enjoy the fruits of his labor (literally!).

3. I made the decision to cancel my private patients this evening. It was an emotional week. A dear friend's father lost his battle with cancer, a parapro I work with lost her adultl son in a car accident, a patient of mine ended up in the hospital not long after I saw him (nothing I did, he had hit his head before I got there and started vomiting after I left). The flooding throughout Atlanta certainly didn't help keep spirits high either. And with a last minute appointment at the pediatrician a half hour before I'm supposed to head out of town tomorrow morning, canceling those patients was the wisest choice for our family. Keeping things in perspective was my small success.

it's been a looong while...

Our poor little neglected blog. I have been meaning to post for so long, but things have been crazy. August was not a good month. It started off beautifully, with the baptism of my sweet godson James. I even survived flying alone with the two kids. The day after we got back, my last week before school starting and me working again, our house flooded. 11 nights staying in a hotel, replacing floors, ceilings, furniture (which while shopping for said furniture, I managed to break my toe). We were so excited to move back into our "new" house, when 2 days after moving back in, one by one we were all struck by the flu. It was a hard month. I feel like I'm still struggling to get my feet on the ground. Hence, our poor little blog was not on the top of my list of things to do. I like to think that surviving the month of August was enough small successes alll rolled into one to excuse not having posted on a weekly basis. So anywho, here's my small successes for the past week.

1. A successful week in meal planning. Slow cooker Tuesdays is turning out to have been a great idea, as Tuesdays are my busiest day of the week workwise. We got off weekly meal planning for a while with the flood and all and I'm so glad to have gotten back into it. Makes life that much easier.

2. I was super organized for the baby shower I threw for a close friend over the weekend. Got all the cooking done the day before while the kids napped and even finished knitting a hat for her sweet little boy.

3. I am caught up on treatment notes and work e-mails. Getting behind is so stressful to me so it's nice to feel on top of it, even if for only 1 week.