7 Quick Takes-Volume I

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This is my first time participating in 7 Quick Takes hosted by Jennifer Fulwiler's Conversion Diary.com.   Here in Southwest Virginia we got our one epic snowstorm for the year.  Even though I live in the Appalachians we just do not get much snow in these parts.  Last night we got 9" in five hours.  It is absolutely beautiful outside this morning.  The stillness reminds me of the verse: Be still and know that I am God (Psalm 46:10).

 





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This week I learned that there is no perfect mom.  If I compare myself to a false notion of motherhood that does not exist, except for Our Lady, then I will not get anywhere.  Yes, I have let my toddler watch too much TV the last few weeks and I do not have amazing and creative projects to keep her busy.  While I was searching for ideas, it hit me.  Constance, there is no way you can keep your daughter entertained for 12 straight hours.  She is only 18 months old.  What I need to be doing is giving her quality time for a few minutes at different times of the day.  Her attention span lasts about five minutes and then she is on to something else.  She is crazy active and wants to climb all over everything.  Once all of this snow melts I need to bring her small plastic slide inside, so that she can play on it.  Motherhood is a journey and the lightbulb goes off in my pregnancy hormone drunk brain every now and then.

 

 

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My daughter has developed this hysterical laugh.  I was on the phone with my mother yesterday and my toddler came up to the window and started laughing as loud as humanly possible for such a tiny person.  The snow had started falling and our neighbor's five dogs were out frolicking as the snow came down at a frantic pace of 2" per hour.  There is no mistaking when Michaela finds something amusing.  She does the same thing when her daddy hangs her upside down or plays with her on the floor.  She is our little monkey and now she has a laugh to match her nature.

 

 

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When I am pregnant I can take my husband for granted, especially when I feel lousy.  My husband has been awesome these past couple of weeks.  He has been doing the dishes for me each night because the movement from the sink to the dishwasher makes it highly likely that I will throw up.  Something so small is such a huge help to me and takes some of the pressure off of me.  My nausea has taken a break for the last couple of days, thankfully.   I have been able to get things done around the house and play with my toddler more. 

 

 

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Are you familiar with Blessed John Paull II's Theology of the Body?  If not you should visit: http://www.tobinstitute.org/  My husband and I heard Bill Donaghy speak in Asheville, NC back in 2009 when we were still engaged.  Neither of us had ever heard of it until the priest who married us recommended the course.  It changed our lives and understanding of God's plan for our lives.  It is not just for married people and it will help you understand the attacks on the Church and why so many of them have to do with sexual ethics.

 

I head up the Sanctity of Life Committe at our parish and we just started the video series with some of our parishioners.  This past Monday was our first session.  I had forgotten just how rich this teaching truly is for the faithful.  An Introduction to Theology of the Body is a great place to start.  Blessed John Paul II's actual writing is very dense and laden with phenomenology, so if like me, you are not as brilliant as he was, Christopher West is a good place to start.  Check it out!

 

 

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I don't know about you, but when I am pregnant I have absolutely bizarre dreams.  In fact, I suspected that I was pregnant because I tend to dream about someone from my childhood when I am pregnant.  It is so weird!  All these hormones seem to be saturating my memory banks and latching onto the last thing I do before I go to bed.  In this case it was praying a Rosary.  Not a bad thing, but it made me dream about our priest who just left for his new parish this past Monday since the Rosary was for him...LOL.

 

 

--7--

 

Today I wish that I had one of those big puffy snowsuits for my daughter.  You know, the ones that make your kid look like a big puffy star.  I wonder how she would do in snow this deep?  It would probably be up to her waist.  It is just as well that I do not have one.  She has a runny nose and a cough.  I think that she will be old enough to really appreciate the snow next winter.  We'll just stay inside to admire the beauty in the cozy warmth of our house with the occasional outburst of hysterical laughter when the dogs come outside.  Have a very blessed weekend!