The Easter Bunny Quiz

Your Chocolate Easter Bunny Personality

You are friendly, optimistic, and kind hearted. You don't have a harsh word for anyone. You cheerfully live your life with little complaining or suffering. You are creative and artistic. You live in your own inner world. You live your life freely, without guilt or restrictions. And you would never feel bad about eating too much chocolate!

The Easter Bunny Quiz

Things I Found in the Couch Today

Not Much Wrong

1 baby doll shoe
2 ceramic polar bear tea cups
3 Sweet Street dolls
4 Nutcracker Advent mini-books (obviously there since Christmas)
5 pens (one had burst)
6 pencils (mostly broken)
7 buttons
8 animal crackers
9 Kix cereal pieces
10 Chex cereal pieces
100 Cheerios

Mind you, these were not underneath the cushions or in the crevices. These were actually IN my couch. I went to try out my new mini-vacuum and, upon lifting the cushions, discovered a huge, gaping hole in the fabric of the couch seat. I looked into the abyss and found all these treasures lurking down there. (My mom probably doesn’t know if she should cringe or laugh at this.) Not one to stick my hand into mysterious dark holes, I fetched a long serving spoon from the kitchen and scooped out whatever looked like it was worth keeping. My toddler watched this process, recognizing things that had gone missing in the past few months, most notably the first four things on this list.

Then I stuck the vacuum wand in there and cleaned out the insides of the couch.

I took my toddler up for her nap. “Mommy is going to fix the big scary hole,” I promised her. “Scary hole, fix it,” she repeated.

Finally, I sewed up the hole and covered it up with the cushions, which I flipped over.

One of the countless invisible jobs of motherhood.

If you enjoyed this post, please read “Things We Found in the Freezer”.

“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and decay destroy, and thieves break in and steal.”
Matthew 6:19

I Have Walked in Many Shoes

25 Random Thoughts Game

I was tagged for this meme by Loren Christie.

Rules: Once you’ve been tagged, you are supposed to write a note with 25 random things, facts, habits, or goals about yourself. At the end, choose people to be tagged. If I tagged you, it’s because I want to know more about you. (copy this paragraph to start your note)

Call me a conundrum if you like. Although I consider myself to be a traditional sort of person, I also eschew having to play by strict rules. When I thought of a list of 25 things, what first came to mind was a list of all the types of jobs I have held in my lifetime. So here is a list of 25 jobs I have held. They are also not random. I have put them in chronological order, starting with the first job I ever had. For temporary jobs I have put the length of time in parentheses. For jobs I still hold in some capacity, I mention no time period.

The only one of my readers I can think of who might want to carry on this meme is Leticia. If any other bloggers read this and think it might be fun, consider yourself tagged.

My 25 Jobs:

1. Babysitter
2. Birthday party puppet show entertainer (self-employed, 6 months)
3. Chocolate house maker
4. Leaf raker
5. Religious education instructor
6. Lector
7. Piano accompanist at a ballet school (3 months – they neglected to tell me it was a non-paying position)
8. Lifeguard and swim instructor (3 years)
9. Bank teller (2 years)
10. Chimney company dispatcher/office manager (2 years)
11. Pizza delivery-person (1 week – they only paid you if you got sent out on a run)
12. Research assistant (2 years, during my MA at SJU)
13. Aerobics instructor (3 months – to pay bills in between semesters)
14. Door-to-door environmentalist (1 hour – I had no idea what this job entailed. They dropped me off in a random neighborhood; I found the nearest telephone and called my husband to pick me up.)
15. Teacher’s assistant (1 year, during my post-MA credits)
16. Junior High School Teacher (1 year – I left to be a stay-at-home mom)
17. Stay-at-home mom
18. Daycare teacher (1 month – they thought the program I put together was too advanced for little minds to grasp)
19. Church nursery coordinator (6 months – I was expected to tolerate children kicking me)
20. Bookkeeper (for my husband’s business)
21. Notary (for my husband’s business)
22. Home school teacher
23. Leader of homeschool field trip group (2 years – until I sent my kids to Catholic school)
24. E-bay seller
25. Freelance writer!

What Font Are You?

I got this quiz from my friend Loren’s blog.
My results were fitting, as this is the font I always choose.
“You Are Times New Roman. Some call you timeless - others call you a snob. Either way, you’re a class act all around. Just don’t take yourself too seriously.”
Take the quiz here.

Christmas Carol Meme

I got this from MacBeth’s Opinion.

1. Love 'em, hate 'em, tolerate 'em, or...?
Love them! All of them!

2. Policy: none before Christmas, none before Thanksgiving, or...?
None before Thanksgiving. I take out my "Book of Golden Christmas" to start practicing the day after Thanksgiving.

3. Favorite? Favorites, if you've got more than one?
Any of the ones I can play on the piano. I like all the classics. O Holy Night, O Little Town of Bethlehem, Hark the Herald Angels Sing, Joy to the World, Silent Night, etc.

4. Least favorite? Drives you batty/hate it/turn it off if it comes on the radio?
Santa Got Run Over by a Reindeer (Of course, this does not constitute a Christmas Carol – songs that are not hymns are referred to as Christmas Songs. I like many Christmas Songs from the kids’ Christmas specials.)

5. Caroling door to door in neighborhood? Ever done it/would do it? Wouldn't even consider it?
Have done it and would do it again. I keep cookies on hand in case they come by, which is seldom.

6. Funniest kids' rendition, if any?
Kids used to add “like a lightbulb” at the end of every phrase in “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer”. I never really understood why this was funny. I don’t like the “Batman Smells” version of “Jingle Bells” because I think it’s disrespectful.

7. Most inappropriate carol ever heard in a church setting (Catholic or otherwise)?
I can’t think of any.

8. The one foreign language carol I know (or know best) is...?
Does “JOY / Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring” by J.S. Bach count? (There are no words but the title was originally foreign.)

9. Carol that perplexes you the most?
The Twelve Days of Christmas. I know they were supposedly code for the catechism at a time when Christians were being persecuted. I need to educate myself on the meanings of these verses. There is a thorough explanation here.

10. Carol your whole family will sing?
Any and all.

Consider yourself tagged if you’d like to copy this and post your own answers to your blog.

Did Adam and Eve Exist?

We are a little behind with our Jesse Tree this year. Normally when we trim the tree we would have a large fir branch we could use for this purpose. This time, the branches were cut at the nursery and my husband had not thought of bringing one home. I brought out our box of Jesse Tree ornaments and started today, with one scripture story per child, until we catch up.

During our reading of the story of Adam and Eve, my 11-year old daughter told me that everyone in her religion class, including her teacher, says the story is not true! It is just a story to teach a lesson, not to be taken literally, they say.

I informed my children that of course the story is true, the all of God’s Word is true, and that people have been trying to say otherwise since the dawn of time.

I teach my children not to believe everything they hear, whether it be in a textbook, in the newspaper, on television, or from their teacher.

But the Word of God is one thing they can always put their faith in.

Adam and Eve. Lucas Cranach the Elder, 1526. Courtauld Gallery, London

A Volcano Erupts in my Sink

“And now, for something completely different.”

If you’re easily grossed out, don’t read this post.

I’m working at my computer this afternoon when the front door bursts open. My son pounds up the steps. “I feel like I’m gonna throw up,” he exclaims.

“Try to make it to the sink,” I say.

Two steps more and he is in the bathroom, throwing up.

Within an hour, he is feeling much better, but the question still remains: how do I get this stuff to go down the drain? So I bring up a gallon of vinegar, pour it on, and let it sit for a while. It does some magic, but it needs more help. Four hours later, I have poured the entire gallon into the sink.

“Hmmm, how about baking soda?” I think to myself. This is normally what I use to clean out drains. I get the baking soda out of the fridge and sprinkle a little in. There is a satisfying fizz. What the heck, I think, and pour the rest of it in. Suddenly I remember that this is the way we make mud volcanoes in the backyard.

“Oh no!” I yell. The fizz is coming up and is halfway up the sink. My daughters come to see what is going on. It is grosser than gross, and I’m laughing hysterically. It comes right up to the rim of the sink and stops.

Five minutes later, the liquid settles, leaving only the molted lava at the base of the sink. Phew, that was a close one.

“The mountains melt like wax before the Lord, before the Lord of all the earth.”
Psalms 97:5

Photograph by Carsten Peter.
“Perched above the lighted city of Catania, Italy, Mount Etna hurls a fountain of fire skyward as rivers of lava spill down its flanks. In spite of its dazzling displays, Mount Etna is a relatively safe volcano with rare, compact eruptions and slow-flowing lava that gives people a chance to escape.” – National Geographic

The Traveling Jury

Today my eldest daughter was tried and found guilty by a traveling jury.

I was snug in my bed as the house repeatedly shook early this morning. The kids were going in and out of the house, slamming the door behind them each time. Then my eldest daughter burst in, exclaiming that her sister had fallen and the bus was coming!

I ran down the stairs as my middle daughter fell through the open door, crying that her big sister had tripped her. “Show me, quick,” I said. No blood. Then I saw the bus coming around the corner. I ran to the freezer, popped out an ice cube, and handed it to her. I gave her a kiss, wiped away her tears, and gently nudged her out the door. Then I yelled to my eldest, “You’re in big trouble when you get home!”

When just-been-crying Nine climbed onto the bus and just-got-into-trouble Eleven climbed on the bus, all the kids knew something was up. They soon got the brief story out and, deciding a fair trial by jury was appropriate, appointed attorneys for each of them.

“Why did you trip your sister on her way to the bus?” demanded the attorney of the victim.

“It was her job to make sure everyone was wearing the appropriate coat,” explained the attorney of the defendant, “The supposed victim was not wearing a warm enough coat and my client was trying to get her to put on her winter coat.”

Surprisingly, no argument was made about the temperature, which was slightly under 40 degrees.

This explanation was not deemed acceptable to the jury. The accused was found guilty by the majority.

But when the case went to Supreme Court, Mommy gave the final ruling. Innocent, by reason of trying to do the right thing.

The Halloween Tax

All the Mamas in the House Putcha Hands Up

Go see the Palin Rap from SNL - it's a howl!

You Can Call Me Old-Fashioned

107 As a 1930s wife, I am Very Superior Take the test!

An Amusing Day of Rest

We got an early start to the day but still had to rush out the door for church.

“Get your coats on and get in the car!” I commanded.

I put the baby’s and my coats on. I heard the doorbell ring. I assumed it was my seven-year-old son playing around.

“Mommy! There are two ugly people at the door!” my nine-year-old yelled.

I assumed she was joking again, and opened the door, toddler in arms, ready to walk to the car.

Two female Jehovah’s Witnesses were at the door.

“Oh!” one said in surprise, “I’m sorry, were you on your way out?”

“Yes, we are on our way out to church.”

“Can we leave you some literature?”

“No, thank you,” I said with a sweet smile.

“Cute,” the other said about the baby, and they both walked down my driveway.

Perhaps rudely, I let the car alarm chirp as they passed my car on one side and I got the baby into the other.

Later, my nine-year-old told me that she had dutifully gone out to the car, then saw the strangers coming and ran into the house.

Meanwhile, my ten-year-old opened the door to go out to the car and saw them standing there. One said “hello”, and she promptly slammed the door in their faces!

They had all followed the proper protocol for strangers, and I was proud of them, I said.

My toddler climbed all over me in church. The older lady next to us was very understanding. When the baby wanted the kneeler down, she let it down so she could stand on it. When she wanted to walk the length of it, she stepped back and told me to let her pass her by.

Those around us were quite prompt about picking up the blue and green crayons (“crons”) that flew past them.

The kind old lady behind us must have looked like the type that would have bagels. “Gagels?” the baby asked her, “Apples? Cookies?” loud enough for the entire quadrant of church to hear.

We decided to stop at the bagel store on the way home, but they were fresh out. They had another batch coming in twenty minutes. I put the baby to bed and went back. It sure was worth it for the fresh, warm bagels, to be perfectly topped with Neufchatel cheese. They were so good that I had two, and laid down on the couch for a nice nap.

I woke up refreshed, finally ready to do some work. I made dinner, did a load of laundry, and went food shopping (again- I just went two days ago). When I got back, the girls were still talking about the ladies at the door. They found the whole story so hysterical, and could not wait to tell their friends on the bus and in school tomorrow!

“So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work he had done in creation.”
Genesis 2:3

Above: The Creation, Matthaeus Merian the Elder, 1625-30

Things We Found in the Freezer

My little brother arrived today and we immediately launched into a frenzy of Easter activity. We colored eggs and made chocolates. Some of the molds were from our childhood home when the entire family lived on Long Island.

As we shifted things around the freezer to prop up the cooling chocolates, we found some interesting items.

1. A snow bunny. About 8 inches high, my nine-year-old had created this from our one good snow and put it in the freezer for preservation.

2. A tooth in frozen milk. When above-mentioned child lost a tooth and we were uncertain as to whether it was a baby tooth or adult tooth, I hastily put the tooth into a small container of milk and stuck it in the freezer – just in case.

3. A small container of dead fish. When some aquarium fish died over the winter, we put them into a container so that we could later bury them, when the ground was unfrozen.

We all had a good long laugh. The items are still in the freezer. They will still be good for another laugh at a later date.

A Merry Heart: This Mommy is so Gullible!

I had a beautiful time yesterday, doing Easter errands on a lovely day with my toddler in tow. The one thing I hate about driving with her is that I have to keep her in the backseat, where I cannot frequently look at her. It was worse when she was under one year and had to face backwards. Now, at every red light I look back and we exchange smiles.

During the silent drive, I thought of a funny incident from the night before.

My nine-year-old daughter is a dreamer with quite an original sense of humor, colored by the depth of her imaginative abilities. While she was making lunch the other evening, she said, “We had a new substitute teacher today.”

“Oh?” I asked.

My husband sat at the table silently, doing a crossword puzzle.

“Her name is Mrs. Cowshack.”

(I am changing the names slightly for this story.)

My older daughter added, “Not Mrs. Koshak – this is a different one.”

“You’re kidding, right?” I asked.

“No,” said my nine-year-old, “This one has short, curly, blonde hair, and she always wears a dress. Today it had a really poofy skirt.”

“Oh,” I said, “How interesting.”

“Do you believe me?” she asked.

“Of course,” I answered, seriously.

“I was just kidding! It was just Mrs. Koshak.”

The girls burst into giggles, and my husband let out a loud guffaw. I had to laugh, myself.

I always believe my children. I never lie to them – not even about light matters such as Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, or the Tooth Fairy. I believe that by being honest with them truth will be embedded in their souls and they will return the favor by being honest with me.

But this was intended to be a joke – on me.

What is it about tricking one’s parents that gives kids such a thrill?

Or catching us in a mistake, usually one of verbal wordage.

I think, especially in more authoritative homes, where Mommies and Daddies are respected as Knowing Everything, it gives them a welcome break from being the low people on the totem pole of Knowledge.

As I recalled the scene, I laughed so hard that tears came down my cheeks.

I moved my rearview mirror to catch another glimpse of my littlest one.

She may be the littlest, but certaintly not the least.

“Laughter is the heart’s best medicine.”
Proverbs 17:22a

Drawing above:
James Tissot, 1896-1900, David Dancing Before the Ark

Just for Fun (?)

I received this meme from my dear friend Leticia over at Cause of Our Joy, Causa Nostrae Laetitiae, The Dr.Jerome Lejeune Society , and The True Meaning of Christmas.
Here's a fun quiz made up especially for bloggers. The rules are easy. Just post the quiz on your blog and answer the questions, then pass it on to five other bloggers, and link to them in your post. Be sure to link back to the one who sent it to you.

1. Do you attend the Traditional Latin Mass or the Novus Ordo?
Novus Ordo, because that is what is held in our parish. They also have a Spanish Mass, which perhaps is linguistically closer to Latin, but I don’t think that counts.
2. If you attend the TLM, how far do you drive to get there?
The nearest TLM is about 45 minutes away. We all get up at 10:00 on Sundays, so they would have to have a very late mass in order for us to get there on time.
3. If you had to apply a Catholic label to yourself, what would it be? How about Devout Roman Catholic?
We were made for the glorification of God. Therefore I believe in living one’s life as a prayer. Every single one of our thoughts and actions are to be guided by our Maker. If we know the Word, and live by it, there should be no question about what to do or say in a given situation. I look to Christ implicitly in every second of my day. I believe Christ founded one Holy Catholic Apostolic Church; its doctrine is carefully founded upon His Word; therefore I do consider myself a Devout Roman Catholic.
4. Are you a comment junkie? I love getting comments and try to leave comments whenever I read something that truly touches me.
5. Do you go back to read the comments on the blogs you’ve commented on?
Occasionally, if it was a comment that stood out in my memory as something that might draw another comment.
6. Have you ever left an anonymous comment on another blog? My very first comment was listed as “anonymous” but I listed my name. A minute later I became a blogger.
7. Which blogroll would you most like to be on?
I am too new to this to answer this one intelligently.
8. Which blog is the first one you check? causa nostrae laetitiae
9. Have you met any other bloggers in person? I know Leticia Velasquez at Causa Nostrae Laetitiae and my sister, Joanna Gerold, at Part of Something. I hope to meet some more of my fellow Catholic Long Island Blogger Moms at a Stand Up for Life Walk this Sunday.
10. What are you reading? Currently on my night table are “Feminism: The Essential Historical Writings”, “The Gentle Art of Communicating with Kids”, Jane Austen’s “Sanditon and Other Stories”, and “A Visit to Highbury: Another View of Emma”, by Joan Austen-Leigh; and, of course, my Bible and Concordance.
Bonus Question! Has your site been banned by Spirit of Vatican II? No, but I am actively trying to get myself banned. Apparently, it is a "good" thing to be banned. I thought that banning went out with Capernicus and Galileo. I am afraid I do not have a very good sense of humour.
If it has, who do you think Father Tim really is? I do not know.

Picture Above:
Blind Man's Buff
by Auguste Joseph Trupheme, 1836-1898