Cheering My Spirits

I've been trying hard not to complain to Chris about holding down the fort while he travels so much (having just finished being gone most of two weeks)--although Chris might not realize how much I'm not complaining based on how much I do complain! Based on how little my husband complains to me about his challenging job, I'd think it were a walk in the park . . .  so why do I complain so much to him about mine? Anyway, he realized I was struggling, so he surprised me with a delivery of cheerful cookies to encourage me to get through the remainder of the week.

Oh yes--the children liked them very much!

We were out in the afternoon warmth gardening when those cookies were delivered (more on gardening in its own post). Moments after Margaret enjoyed finishing her cookie, John scooped her up, placed her in the above little car, and pushed her down the small "hill." I was standing right there, talking on the cell phone with my mother-in-law, and hung up amidst my worried exclamations. The baby was fine and she didn't tumble out. John really had no idea that the small hill was still too big of a hill for a baby, since he and Mary ride down the hill all the time.  He thought she'd have a great time . . . and she probably did!

Maybe you had to be there: A snapshot of my mama's life that made me chuckle

How do I get in the few pages of spiritual reading I am trying to do in a day? Why, while folding laundry--when else?

To the left, the kids' Holy Heroes Lenten Adventure coloring pages for that day. We didn't read our paragraphs from "Come to Mass" when I'd hoped . . . so I ended up reading them to the children while we ate dinner (of PBJ sandwiches and raisins because Mama was really tired!). I've recently discovered that when the children are at the table for eating three times per day is a very good time for squeezing in school time that consists only of me reading to them (e.g., the saint of the day over breakfast).

In the background is the delivery pizza box which had housed several meals for us in the preceding couple of days. "Mama, not pizza again!"