Holy Week 2022

Correcting My Perspective

This was a week which I entered with not a few complaints about how busy I was going to be, overwhelmed, and taking on way too much. However, a national news-worthy tragedy has occurred to the most innocent at our little parish and a holy, out-of-state friend of mine gave me news of her own death-tragedy this week, so now I look at my week with gratitude. Our family is bustling with life, life bursting out of all the cracks and crevices, messy like weeds in the cracks of a sidewalk.

Last weekend, I was parenting solo again while Chris took Mary on a special, much-needed solo weekend away. Tired? Running on little sleep? Managing five kids alone at the 2.5-hour Passion Sunday Mass? Yup, yup, yup. And soooooo glad that we can have one parent connect with our children this way, that we can visit friends.

This has been Holy Week . . . and how blessed we are to be Christian, to have faith, to belong to a thriving parish, and to be a free people to practice our faith without the worst kind of government repression.

This week I got to host a bunch of kids and teenagers at my house for a wholesome get-together. I got to do extra cleaning and put out snacks and sacrifice a little of my time. Praise God that my family isn't isolated due to health (like last year). Praise God that my children want to have friends over.

I'm making lists, buying supplies, and packing amidst it all for a really fun upcoming trip . . . a gift from friends! Tons of stressful work? That's okay: YAY!

I took five of our kids to Woodcock-Johnson annual standardized testing this week and little Thomas scored exactly average, right on grade level, nearly to the exact month on all subjects. I calculated that my little guy got only about 8 weeks of Kindergarten in all of 2020-21. While he has had a fuller first grade, he has missed many days to feeling sick or to doctors' appointments at the hospital. So for him to be right on track is a true joy . . . and one more thing to be grateful about.

Thomas doing math

David playing at the testing site

In this lovely spring weather, Chris took four-year-old David "camping" in the back yard one night, and then took Thomas the next night. The little boys were in hog heaven! Yes, I had to handle two extra overnights myself, had to deal with changes in routine, had camping equipment laying about . . . all worth it.

David playing Candyland with Daddy

Thomas excited to be with Daddy

Sleeping in the "wild"

Allulose-sweetened doughnuts made so Thomas could have a fun camping breakfast

This week I've been preparing for Thomas's little procedure under general anesthesia which will have us at the hospital for about eight hours next Monday (Easter Monday). Inconvenient timing? More fun things we'd rather do that day? Cause for worry? Yup, yup, and yup. I am so thankful to live seven measly miles from a children's hospital and such friendly doctors who adore Thomas. 

Thomas excited about his new backpack to take to Boston Children's Hospital next month

Thomas requesting a "Vegetable Party" for lunch one day

Now we enter into the Easter Triduum. When we mamas are trying to get our children to behave through so very many liturgies over three days, to be the hostess with the mostess, to cook the most delicious meal, to get that perfect, color-coordinated pic in our Easter finery, to organize a fun egg hunt during which no children fight . . . let's please remember those who are suffering the greatest tragedies of their lives this very week. Please pray for me to keep my perspective properly aligned (instead of being the brat that I am), and I'll pray for you.

Bonus Puppy Pics

Where's Tilly?