Wednesday, August 30, 2017

Thoughts on the Holy Name of Jesus Cathedral Consecration

A while back Lee, C and Me went to the Holy Name of Jesus Cathedral Consecration. Here's my thoughts:


1. I'm very glad I went. It would have been easier not to go and have to hold C for 4 hours, but I mean how times in my life will there be a new cathedral to consecrate? Hmmmm.... probably never

2. I'm SOOOOOOOOOOO very glad the traffic directing guy let us go in this lot and told us good luck finding a spot. Parking was a zoo and with the minibus it isn't always easy finding a spot when there's NONE left. There was literally no spots left in the 'clergy' zone when we got there an hours before Mass started.

3. I almost died walking in wedges on the rocks - but I didn't. 

4. In his homily Bishop Burbidge explained the naming of the cathedral. Backstory - the old cathedral (each diocese has a cathedral which is kind of like the bishop's home church) is named Sacred Heart. Part of the Mass was a Vatican official stripping Sacred Heart of its cathedral status (and making it a regular church) and giving the new Holy Name of Jesus cathedral 'official cathedral status'. 

The name Holy Name of Jesus was sounded really random to me. I mean going from Sacred Heart to Holy Name of Jesus doesn't exactly flow. Of all the saints and other spot on Catholic church names - Holy Name of Jesus? Seriously, what gives? 

As it turns out, the diocese ran an orphanage on the grounds waaaaaaaaaaay back in the day. And guess what. The chapel in that orphanage had a name - Holy Name of Jesus chapel. Now that's a great back story, no? And makes perfect sense

5. Now for the meat 

In the 3+ hours of this consecration Mass there was an exchange that has caused me to reflect long and hard and I probably will continue to do so. 

Early on in the Mass the (some?) members of cathedral building committee handed the keys of the cathedral over to Bishop Burbidge. The man whose vision steered the cathedral into an idea, who poured hours into planning, prepping, and pitching the cathedral to the diocese, who oversaw the fundraising campaign to make this happen, who dug in the shovel at the groundbreaking, who spent even more hours making sure ever last tile, stained glass window, statue, station of the cross - everything was perfect. 

Finally he could breathe a sigh of relief. 

It was finished. And now he and his flock could enjoy the gorgeous new cathedral. 

But that's not what happened you see. 

I bet you Bishop Burbidge held that box of keys for about 15 seconds. 

You want to know what he had to do with them? 

He passed them on. 

They weren't his to keep. 

He passed them on to Bishop Zarama. 

You see, back last year Bishop Burbidge was called by the Pope to serve as the Bishop of Arlington. And like any faithful bishop he gracefully bowed out of the diocese of Raleigh and headed to Arlington with the Holy Name of Jesus cathedral months away from being consecrated. 

Several weeks before the consecration the Pope named Bishop Zarama the new bishop of Raleigh - but he was not officially installed (probably because they were waiting on a bigger cathedral since Sacred Heart seats about 300ish and HNJ seats over 2000). 

Can you imagine the exchange? The emotions? The thoughts? Everything that was running through Bishop Burbidge's mind as he hands Bishop Zarama the keys to the cathedral? They smiled. They embraced. 

But man, if God doesn't have a sense of humor? The man who poured years into this beautiful church had the keys for 15 seconds. 

Humbling I suppose. 

And I got to thinking about it and (this may be a stretch - for anyone who is still reading) and isn't it just like parenting. God gives us a child. We parents pour our lives into our children's lives. We do our best to model and shape them. We laugh. We cry. We give them our all. But at the end of the day, when our kids grow up and go out and we give them 'their keys' - I'll bet it feels like us parents have held onto those 'life keys' for seconds. 


Sunday, August 27, 2017

7QTs - Summa, summa, school

---1---

Last Friday Papa took the big girls to a baseball game so that left me with: 


Who got to hang out with my neighbor/mama-friend who is MOVING and I'm dying. E announced - Well who will I play with? When she realize her neighborhood BFF is moving a million mile away

And I find myself asking the exact same thing because I'm losing a super great friend too. 


---2---

The next day was Saturday: 




Had A+ BBQ with friends from church


Reached the 1/3 of the way through point in reading book with reading buddy


M and C and I went school shopping because... school?!?!?!?!?!?!? Who knew fat pencils and fat crayons were so hard to find. Maybe I won't wait until the last minute to go shopped next year.... 
But I wouldn't put a dime on it. 

---3---

Sunday... 


Sunday consisted of my birthday dinner at Grammy and Grandpa Joe's. Food was excellent. Cake was even better. I have a great pic of A being entertained by Grandpa Joe but its on Lee's phone because my phone was dead. 

R and I hit handprint making and then the whole gang loaded up for a round of shoe shopping. That' a barrel-o-monkeys the week before school starting. 


---4---

Goodness it's just Monday!



Monday was the eclipse and up until about 7 am that day we were not going to be doing anything for the eclipse because do I look the preorder-glasses-type? But Jibbe came through with not one but two pairs of glasses 


I saw some friends one FB creating these glasses holders with paper plates but I didn't have plates but I did have cardboard so.... nothing a little clear Duct tape cannot handle. 

The eclipse was neat. It did get noticeable darker and cooler but we weren't in the path of totality or whatever so it did not get dusk-like but I watched it on TV and it was way cool, no?


---5---

The nitty-gritty week: 


Monday soccer began for the Polar Bears 


Tuesday E had a halfday of school and Wednesday they both did - more on that later


Wednesday we went to the pool during nap time because or neighbors are moving and I want to soak up every last second with them 

\

Thursday was another halfday so M and A and C and I met a friend in the park and waited for school to get out. A was mesmerized by the remote controlled car. I see one in his future. 


Friday - Was the first full day of school for everyone. It was such a crazy wild week my head was spinning 


A got one last jaunt with his chicken friends before their new owners came for them. I'm pretty sure I'm going to ignore the moving truck that will be on the street next week. 

---6---

But the week's end me and the microbus gas tank shared a moment: 


These last two weeks have been crazy. Without our summer sitter I was piece-milling childcare together, work was not without drama, school started, our neighbors are MOVING!!!, summer is coming to an end, everything just needed a little extra time and effort to make it through. 

I'm hoping this week will be more routine like and calmer - but who am I kidding? 

---7---

Saturday: 


We headed to Wilmington for my goddaughters baptism and party 


Then we shot over to the beach for a few hours just because we're crazy like that - more sandy family beach pics to follow. 

Saturday, August 19, 2017

We cut off nearly 4 ft of hair

46 inches to be exact

Ding round 2. (Round 1 here)


Looking at M's little pony kinda makes me want to cry.



The before and after was not as good as last times but you kind of get the picture. 2 years worth of knots and tangles and screams and ponytails and braids and DO WE HAVE TO BRUSH HAIR? and lots and lots of conditioner and just like that: 


Everyone loving their short hair : ) 

I don't think we could get the girls hair up in ponytails if we wanted to. 

Now to mail the ponytails off to Pantene Beautiful Lengths 

But not stare at them in the bag they are because it is kinda weird - I cannot explain it - but trust me


Thursday, August 17, 2017

7QTs - Rewards, Parties, King A

---1---

Let's start this post off on the right foot:


I have been driving Lee's truck this summer so the kids and sitter could actually go places (A. where did summer go? B. glad to have my van back C. missing our sitter BIG time). Anyways, last week I get into the truck and this LOVELY song is on the Sirus station that he turns on when he drives the girls around. I couldn't believe my ears or eyes because there is actually a song titled this? With legit lyrics and tunes? It was so dumb and I called Lee to see if all the songs were like that. I am assured not but I'll stick to my FREE classical station and not pay for this rubbish. 


---2---

I finally made good on R's reward from last tee ball season... 


She was thrilled with her pink bat! They were playing out back with it and a certain overzealous sister hurled the bat toward me and C after making a good hit and dinged it pretty nicely on the brick and then promptly decided that metal bats are only for 'real' tee ball players. R was less than thrilled. 


A certain less-than-zealous-soon-to-be-second-grader FINALLY finished her summer workbook. She had been griping about doing it all summer and last week I told her if it was not done this week she wouldn't go to Grammy's with the other big girls. I bet she had at least 120 pages left to do at that point. Let's just say she was pencil to paper up until about 3 minutes before the Grammy-mobile departed, new Leah clothes in tow as her workbook reward. R still has some pages left but she will sit and actually do it so I don't doubt it will be done in the next week. 

---3---

And while the girls are away...


A will play


And get to do exactly what he loves doing - playing outside - in the GROSS August humidity


We walked and saw the chicken, we came back, he played cars, he swang, he went back and saw the chickens, he weaseled his way into our neighbors house and scored some food and play time, he ran through the grass, he got ant bites 

Basically the best afternoon EVER in his eyes.

I'm definitely grateful for time to do stuff like that for/with him. 


---4---

We had this contraption in our yard for a few glorious days: 


We hosted back to class parties for E and R's classes (separately). E's class is awesome and it was great to catch up but the weather didn't want to cooperate for us for long but the kids did get some good slides in. R is new to her class - as are many of the kids - so it was awesome to meet other parents and siblings BEFORE school started to get some of the I've-never-seen-these-people jitters out of the way (even though there was move up day back in May, but that was a million years ago)


C enjoyed the view from the bouncy seat during 2 afternoons the kids got to play on it before the parties


Who doesn't love a bouncy dueling water slide?


Overall, it was a success and I need to find out how much it costs to rent one for an entire summer, though our grass wouldn't appreciate it too much. 

---5---

This guy... 


Is a great big brother : ) 


And it at the perfect photogenic age. E and R specifically don't like their pics taken and M makes crazy faces when she know's I'm taking her pic



He is basically the king of accessorizing with his big sisters' stuff


And way too cool for school 


---6---

We did our first test run to school this week... 


We made it. I moved up the time-to-pray alarm by 5 minutes so I think that really helped our cause. Now to to disciplined enough not to cheat and let it beep for 5 minutes : ) 


It was wet and A required a new outfit when we got home. We'll be at it again a few more times. 

---7---

I packed up all the kids and headed to the pool this afternoon (only because our neighbors were going too because I'm not THAT crazy) 


We stayed for all of 35 minutes... remind me to pack up snacks and towels and 5 kids to go to the pool without looking at the radar!


A got to run around outside in the rain before the bigger/better/boomier part of the storm rolled through. 

HE LOVES BEING OUTSIDE 

Thursday, August 10, 2017

7QTs - Ketchup, Catch up, Mustard

---1---

Big bro, lil' sis


A has been SUPER protective/possessive of C. M was holding C and A was FREAKING out - upset that she was holding her. It was super cute and really funny. 


---2---

A is LOVING his new apparel... 


I haven't actually let his use them like they are for... 


But soon maybe when its nice outside, I'll throw him in his Spidermans and see what he really thinks. 

---3---

We've realized that A is the master of all things boy (aka things we've not used to seeing) - he tipped over my glider in Clare's room. 



I had JUST gotten my glasses tighten up before C was born and A got a hold of them twice and I probably should be grate he didn't completely destroy them BUT I'm still really annoyed. That coupled with the fact I tried taking this babies to get them re-tightened TWICE and TWICE the eye place was closed (third times a charm) but I've now LOST the glasses (St. Anthony will hopefully come to the rescue) 


---4---

M was left to her own devices when big sisters were out of the house and she insisted on doing this puzzle...


Which totally reminds me of E because M is E's mini me. She didn't quite finish it because fitting some of those pieces together is tough especially when they are a little bowed. M just sat and did it. R does not have the patience or something to sit and figure a puzzle out. 

---5---

The dill caterpillars showed up last week... 


E's herbs are doing less than well so the caterpillars didn't have much to feast on. We haven't been using too many herbs anyways so I guess its okay. 

---6---

A needs to live outside. 


He lives to be outside


And is generally much happier when he is outside. 

He has a terrible habit of walking in ant hills. He doesn't even realize the ants are biting him for a few seconds then he steps away, I brush them off and then he walks RIGHT back into the SAME place. The girls would never have done that. I FREAK at the first ant and the first bite. 

---7---

C and I caught some alone time and completed a required Kibbe baby task: 


She wasn't thrilled about the cold paint on her feet



But... it was for a good cause. We are waiting for the finished product. I think C's feet are huge so... I cannot wait to compare to the other kids