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The world according to Madeline

Madeline comes out with statements from time to time that either make you stop and think or just shake your head.

As the girls were slowly finishing up eating their pizza, I decided that I needed to erase all the old messages on the answering machine.  I'm not sure why, but I had 23 messages and many of them dated back to May.  Were they important messages that were two 1/2 months old?  Why no, they were the standard "Hi Karen, it's [fill in the blank]. Give me a call when you get home." type of messages.  I have no idea why I never deleted them.  Just lazy, I guess.  Pushing that erase button takes a second of my time.

When I finished erasing all 23 messages of no importance, Madeline declared that it was just like going to confession.  I needed clarification on that one.  Message erasing=confession?  The explanation was quite simple.  The answering machine now had a clean slate, just like when you go to confession.  I guess the kid knows how to apply the practice of her faith to the mundane tasks of everyday life.  So answering machine, I absolve you of all your message bearing duties until the next time your services are required, at which point I will eventually get around to helping you obtain a clean slate once more.  Go forth and conquer.

Another Book Review: Notes Left Behind

I think I mentioned a week or so ago that Amazon invited me to be one of their Vine reviewers. The perk of being a member of the Vine is I get to read advanced copies of books in exchange for me writing a review of the product on their website. Words come easily to me and I like to write product reviews so this is an opportunity I was more than willing to jump on.

I just finished writing a review of Notes Left Behind by Brooke and Keith Desserich. Ever since I read Jenny Scott's blog about her daughter Allie five years ago, I've had a hard time turning away from blogs and stories about the children and families who's lives are devastated by childhood cancer. Notes Left Behind is based on the journal/blog that the Desserich family kept to chronicle their daughter Elena's battle with an inoperable brain stem tumor. I selected this book because I remember reading an article about it a while back on AOL. Here's a story ABC ran back in December.

Here's the review I submitted to Amazon:

I cracked open this book yesterday afternoon when it arrived. I flipped through the pages and landed on one of the final journal entries. Within seconds I was crying and I instantly wanted to drop what I was doing and read the entire book. I had been in the middle of another project at the time, so I had to put off reading this book for several more hours. When I did get the opportunity to curl up with this book later that day, I couldn't put it down. It's one of those stories that grabs at your heartstrings and doesn't let go.

This book is incredibly touching and well written. It is an inspiring and heart-wrenching story. Keith and Brooke Desserich write from the heart about their love for their beautiful daughter Elena and how much they have learned about life from her. The journal was started by them for their younger daughter Gracie after Elena was diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor and was given a prognosis of 135 days, so that Gracie could have a remembrance of her big sister. The journal chronicles Elena's radiation and chemotherapy treatments, but it aslo chronicles the journey of Elena and her parents over Elena's last days of her short but beautiful life.

Elena's story is one that will make you want to hug your kids a little tighter at night and read just one more bedtime story. It is a wake-up call, if you will to cherish each and every moment you have with your children. This story is also a call to action to find a cure for cancer.

I don't think I can recommend this beautiful story highly enough.

As a member of the Amazon Vine, I was supplied with a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Small Successes

Celebrating the little things in life that add up.

1. I took a shower in the master bathroom for the first time in over 18 months.  That means that I also primed, and painted the new drywall strips that had to be fitted around the new shower.  From start to finish it took 12 days from ripping out the old shower to having a shower that could be used.  Some days it felt a lot longer than that.  Bryan and I are both loving the convenience of not having to use the kids' bathroom anymore. Good bye Ariel and tropical fish!  I shall only visit you to brush teeth and do hair.

2. I replaced the screen on our sliding glass door.  Early this Spring, Mr. Furkins uncharitably stuck his Furkiney puppy paws through the screen this spring when he realized that I had an outside person in the house while he was frolicking in the backyard.  I was not pleased with the tears in the screen despite the fact that we hardly ever use the screen (can't with the sliding glass door pool alarm).  It took me about 30-45 minutes out in the hot morning sun to replace the screen.  But I'm happy to report that I did it and I didn't injure myself like I did eight years ago when I did my last screen replacement. (I ran the screening tool over my finger pad and created a blood blister that was rather painful.)

3. I finally got around to addressing the thank you notes from Madeline's First Communion.  Yes, at this rate, friends and family will see the thank you notes in their mail boxes about three months after the fact.  I have 5 left to address (I did 6 so far).  I still have to cut the pictures apart so I can put a picture of Madeline in her dress in each card.  Let's not talk about all the thank you notes I still have to write and send out from Ellie's birthday party earlier this month. 

Can I get a germ-proof bubble here?

I've been a bit preoccupied over the past week or so with all the medical types of issues going on with my little family.  

About a week and a half ago, Mr. Furkins stubbed his foot when playing fetch in the back yard with Bryan.  So for a few days, the dog walked around with a little limp.  I'm sorry, but Oscar is the clumsiest thing on four legs.  He's always tripping or falling over things.  He even underestimates the traction on the kitchen floor and runs into doors and walls and furniture.  I have little sympathy for him since I think he could avoid these accidents if he'd slow down a little.  But he's a crazy dog and I don't think he knows how to relax.

A week ago Ellie went to the doctor for her 4 year old well visit.  Turns out I haven't been putting the sunscreen on her funny.  She really is spotted, and apparently the pigment loss is caused by eczema.  So she's has white spots.  I'm told by the doctor that dry eczema patches don't tan.  Every moisturizer I try on her makes her skin red and it hurts her.  Lanolin is the only thing I can use on her that doesn't irritate her, but that unfortunately stains everything.  Sometimes I wonder if the hypoallergenic dermatologist tested creams and lotions have ever been tested on people who actually have sensitive skin.  My guess is probably not.

Ellie also has a cough that the doctor thought was nothing last week.  Now I'm not sure if she's getting better or not.  It's hard to tell when compared to the other sick people in the house.

Bryan has bronchitis.  He started to feel unwell this weekend, but he's stubborn and decided to suffer rather than seek medical attention so he could feel better.  He realized on Monday after he got to work that he probably shouldn't have gone to the office.  Fortunately, he decided to capitulate and seek the advice of a medical professional.  I got to the point where I told him I wasn't going to have sympathy on him if he wasn't getting help for his ailment.  He's now on 5 different medications for his bronchitis.

Madeline woke up in the middle of the night on Monday and was crying that her ear hurt.  She was so miserable and crying so much that Bryan and I thought Ellie was the one calling us.  So we walked past Madeline's room to check on Ellie only to find her fast asleep.  Turns out Madeline has a really bad ear infection, and the nurse practitioner told Bryan that she may have the beginnings of bronchitis.  So she's now on an antibiotic.  She has seemed pretty out of it for most of the past two days.

I am just hoping that I get through this unscathed.  I'm constantly next to at least one sick person.  Bryan keeps telling me that it's only a matter of time before I succumb to illness, too.  I'd like to think that I may be immune.

I do think that Ellie is getting better. The cough doesn't sound as bad as I remember it being last week.   She's been hanging out with me a lot more since Madeline hasn't been up for playing.  I've taken her to stores while Bryan and Madeline stay at home and rest.  Ellie was so happy to go out with just me.  She had the biggest smile on her face when she said "Look Mommy, only one child is going to Target!".  She skipped and pranced all though Target yesterday.  She smile on her face was infectious.  Since Madeline isn't allowed in the pool for a few days (nurse practitioner's orders) Ellie has been relishing her one on one time with me in the pool.  She is such a little love and I know she has enjoyed her one on one time with me as much as I have.  She's making me feel like four isn't a bad age.  I guess I'm not missing age three all that much anymore.

Book Review: The Fathers of the Church

I've spent my spare time over the past several days engulfed in Mike Aquilina's The Fathers of the Church (expanded edition). I rather enjoyed this book. It is close to the intellectual weight of the history books I'm used to reading for fun without all the copious footnotes. I think most people with a genuine interest in the subject material will find this book to be quite readable and engaging. This is not a book that I would classify as history light, as I have with others in the past, but I wouldn't put it in the "boring history book" category either (for the record, I have yet to meet a boring history book, but I have been told that some of the ones I read are boring).

The book has an introduction that lays a good foundation for the remainder of the book which is separated into four sections that categorize the Fathers. They are: The Apostolic Fathers, The Ante-Nicene Fathers, Nicene Era Fathers and Post-Nicene Era Fathers. There is also a small section on the Mothers of the church at the end of the book. Each of these sections starts off with an overview of the time period that is being examined. After that, it is followed with sections on the individuals who emerged as the influential fathers of the period. Each Father is presented with a short biography and then excerpts from the Father's own works are presented.

In many ways this book illustrates how the Church was formed and forged over the first 750 years. By reading the works of the Fathers in their own words (translated into English, of course) you can see how the Church took shape over time. On several occasions, I found myself thinking about how this book filled in lots of the gaps that were left from another book I had reviewed not too long ago that essentially dealt with the highlights in the history of the Church.

In all, this book is a wonderful introduction to the influential Fathers who fortified the foundation of the Catholic faith. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and getting to know each of the Fathers.

This review was written as part of the Catholic Book Reviewer program from The Catholic Company. For more information on The Fathers of the Church, visit The Catholic Company.

As a reviewer for The Catholic Company Book Reviewer Program, I was given a free copy of The Fathers of the Church in exchange for my honest review.

Whew! I've been busy!

We spent the weekend hanging out with our neighbors and getting a few minor things done around the house.  By Sunday night I was totally wiped out.  Who knew socializing could be so exhausting?  The good news in we had a great time with our neighbors.  Bryan and I are just so happy that we have friends that we can hang out with in our neighborhood.  It's been a while since we've had people to hang out with on the weekends. (We're really not as pathetic as I just made us sound.)  The bottom line is we had a great time.  And since I haven't mentioned it lately, I just love my neighbors.  I don't have a single one that I dislike.  That's pretty cool in my book.

Today I took Ellie to get her birthday pictures done.  She acted like a goofball the entire time Erin (our super cool photographer) was shooting her.  Sadly, I only managed to get 4 shots that I liked.  Then the girls decided to fight in the store (FUN!) and totally irritate me.  Ellie made me totally regret buying her the matching purse for her birthday dress.  She fooled around with it for the pictures and then started using it as a weapon against Madeline.  She'll make a mean old lady with a purse some day.  Watch out muggers!  Ellie will take you out before you can blink.

Then, I made a scary decision to take the kids to Wal-Mart.  I don't like to go to Wal-Mart, ever.  I go in the store only when I'm desperate or need to find something that no one else sells.  That said, I probably wind up in that store 2-3 times a year.  I was in there to look at Corelle dishes (I'm tired of the pattern on my current set.  I think it's to be expected with Corelle that you tire of the pattern before the dishes actually need to be replaced--those things last FOREVER!) and I also wanted to see if I could find a palm tree tooth brush holder.  I didn't get new dishes (wasn't planning on making that final decision today), but I did get a toothbrush holder.  I went to a lot of stores over the past two weeks looking for one.

I also managed to get my huge backload of laundry washed and folded.  I had ten loads of wash.  I'm now down to half a load of stragglers.  I'm pretty happy with that.

I even found the time to read some of the book I'll be reviewing soon for The Catholic Company, too.  I'm going to be burnt out by tomorrow after all that I've done over the past few days!