Lent, Lent, It's time to repent (re-posting yet again just because)

(yes- I know the first photo is from Game of Thrones- even though I haven't seen it...just a bit of fun!)
click on the LENT label below for former fasting posts...

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society: a lovely movie for tens and adults

ah Netflix.... clicking through the shows and movies....blech...meh.... saw it....blech- and then ahh! Perhaps this selection will be worthwhile! yes- this priest's wife- raised on the British shows on PBS 30 years ago... it was satisfying- perhaps a bit predictable- but lovely!

memento mori - remember we are dust and to dust we shall return

get on facebook to Catholic memes- Eastern edition for more fasting fun! 

on the 6th day of Christmas- 6 funnies

from Catholic Memes: Eastern Edition, Melkite Musings & Uniateball on Facebook 

fun at church: when your 3-year-old asks "Does Father feed us because church is so long?"

daughter #1 'helping' her dad in the chancery office when she was 1 

• Just this Sunday, my six month old pulled at a ribbon decorating a tall candle on the tetrapod - it immediately spills hot wax all over... my dress, the floor, and thank God not her little bare legs or my own! I was next for communion so I received after a quick wax check, closing my mouth on the spoon because I'd completely lost my composure. My three year old then prayed after liturgy that her family not get burned.

• My husband boldly took over singing a hymn as the cantor received communion, but he didn't know the rest of the verse so he fudged it with until someone else jumped in. 

• Three year old regularly grabs large handfuls of blessed bread. When we visit other parishes that puts smaller trays or larger chunks out, this can cause her to take a third of it.

• My kid has done the handful thing too! Or digs through the basket to find a satisfactory piece. *face palm* She's better about it now, depending on how hungry she is...

• This tike, Harry, has a knack for knowing priests. I remember when I was with some folks, and Vespers had been more or less canceled. The kiddo kept looking through the door, saying "Father Michael.." When Father George came back from sabbatical, he would mutter "Father George... Father George.. Father George Gray.."

• My son at about 15 months had picked up a 'salty' word from, I  ashamed to say , my mother. Right in the middle of the consecration he decides to use his new word very loudly many times. So, I 'go over' another word with him loudly enough to be heard for a few pews....  "FORK, yes, fork, it goes with spoon. Can you say spoon "

• In Dublin, at Fr. Serge Kelleher's Ukrainian Greek Catholic mission at St. Kevin's Oratory, in the basement of St. Mary's Pro Cathedral. He had a young parish, consisting mainly of Slavic families from all over, many with infants and toddlers. As the Oratory was not built for Byzantine worship, they had a collapsible Iconostasis, on the same level as the nave. During the Divine Liturgy (conducted in a mix of Slavonic, modern Ukrainian, and Irish Gaelic, one little boy, about 18 months old, was fascinated by Fr. Serge, and kept crawling over to the Royal Doors. Three times he crawled over, and three times one of his parents retrieved him. On the fourth try, however, his parents were distracted by his baby sister, and he managed to crawl all the way across the floor, under the doors, and right up to Fr. Serge, standing at the the Holy Table. He tugs on Fr. Serge's Phelonion. Fr. Serge looks down, and, in mid chant, bends over, reverses the baby, gives him a pat on his bottom, and sends him back out, under the doors, to his parents. Fr. Serge never missed a beat, and the Liturgy was not disrupted.

•  I wait for the days when my children will ask if giving money to the church is tipping God

• We help prompt our daughter to pray to Jesus after receiving communion. Once she said, it's time to eat donuts, Jesus!

Thanks, readers, for sharing some funnies! Write more in the comments below!

....click here for more cute, crazy stuff from church-going kiddos.... 

school has begun... how about a last huzzah?

last week, the little kids and I went to a fellow Catholic homeschooler's home for some fun and frolic. The schools around here start smack dab in the middle of August- we do the same, but we start slowly. Homeschooling gives a lot of flexibility. The big girls are very busy with their high school and college work. As for the little ones, we have been doing some morning basket, some reading (as always!) and math. Tomorrow, it will be full throttle. I am finishing up 'Five in a Row' (really just 'three in a row' for our needs and interests) 2 and 3 this year as a morning basket activity and using 'Moving beyond the Page' (ages 8 to 10) as our primary curriculum for the year. Math is Singapore, Teaching Textbooks and Khan Academy when needed.

more 'family' & 'home'- less 'faith' on the blog

My blog's tagline has always been "thoughts on family, home & faith from a Byzantine Catholic priest's wife." And the word "faith" is what drives me to not post anything! I am well aware that I am no expert in our theology and history, even though I am in the nitty-gritty, practical trenches. I cannot write about the nitty-gritty or I get in trouble. I cannot write about our theology or history without the fear of getting a minor detail wrong. In any case, there are many blogs and websites that do a much more complete job. I am supposed to be homeschooling, teaching at the college, and cooking and cleaning and gardening when it comes to mind. 

So, unfollow this blog if you don't want more family and home and less faith. We still are full of faith, thank God, but I just don't have the energy to think of deep, theological blog posts- not that they ever were that deep. For a beautiful blend of family and theology, click onto Every Home  a Monastery.  You will love it! If you are not averse to random family and home photos, follow me on Instagram at instagram.com/anne_boyd - I hope to 'see' you soon when I post my famous gluten-free chocolate cake recipe! 

blessed be the mediocre, for they shall be okay enough

source: Byzantine, Texas blog 

Flannery O'Connor, writer and Catholic of great renown, said that she couldn't be a saint, but she could be a martyr "if they killed her quick." G.K. Chesterton asserted that “the most extraordinary thing in the world is an ordinary man and an ordinary woman and their ordinary children.” Saint Bernadette of Lourdes said that God had used her for an extraordinary purpose and then put her back in the corner like a broom. 

Let's be faithful enough to be like 'Bob' in the (parody) troparion above. Let's be martyrs, witnesses to Christ even if we are ordinary. Let's be brooms.

a silly song...

now, if we wrote a song from our texts, it wouldn't be half as fun!

Can u be home by 6:15 so I can take big girls to class?

yes

so you can get A from tae kwan do at 545?

sure

hi

hello

I guess you aren't coming home because you have a house blessing soon

yes- finished with first thing, then return to office and will call

R u coming home or staying

heeeellllllooooo

speaking with K and then I come home

Hi- how's work

fine- I keep moving

 Coming home yet?

yes right now

heeelllloooo

in meeting

hi

meeting. home soon

where are you?

still in meeting. wrapping up soon

how was your eval?

meh. maybe okay.

can you get big girls after Shakespeare?

si claro

in meeting. Can you get girls from Shakespeare? sorry

that's ok- home for dinner?

and it goes on and on!

 

married priests, veils, pants, pews, kneelers, precious puppies, cute kittens

what do all of these things have in common?

really?....you don't know?

They are CLICK BAIT!

...did I make you click on this post?

What OTHER topics are click-bait in the Catholic blogosphere?

(ending a post with a question is a 'weird trick' to get more comments...)

just kidding- I'm working on a real post

Simcha Fisher inspired search term 'poetry'

Byzantine Catholic lenten restrictions
Byzantine Catholic church survival
Byzantine wants to kneel

fearnotmylittleflock
fear not little flock blog
fear not priest's wife

funny obgyn
how are parents primary educators to children
is it reverent to have loud noise in church

cute small animals
a friend telling u a secret that's shocking
a vicious and cute animal
   
small babies crying abortion
parents are the primary educators of their children
movies for 12 year old girls

fear not

that awkward, silly, sweet moment: adventures in Church going

There really is never a dull moment...

• 3 year old parishioner Maria, taking Father's hand and saying "God, let's go see the Christmas lights..."

• Baby girl's catechism prize, a pink bouncey ball stating 'Jesus loves you' rolling to the feet of the acolytes at the end of the Divine Liturgy

• Boy's first day at the altar, standing next to the liturgical book, blowing the pages and making Father lose his place

• Girl singing at the cantor-free 6:30 Roman-rite Mass, forgetting the melody to "Gift of Finest Wheat" so she gave up after improvising the first verse and changed it up to some Beethoven.

• Other Girl cantoring a Divine Liturgy in Romanian with just a smattering of English being one of the final parts "Let our mouths be filled with your praise, Oh Lord....' Girl draws a blank on a melody she has sung at least weekly for over ten years. She improvises. Many people ask her at the end of the Liturgy- we love that new tune; can you sing it again for us?' Um, no. 

• at the hospital, doing sacramental minstry- someone says to him,  "Thank goodness you aren't that married bozo I heard they have here." Then, the person looks down at his ring finger. Oops.

• at the clergy appreciation night for the Knights of Columbus council where Father is their chaplain or 'faithful friar,' everyone was invited to clap for the priests, the deacons, the brothers, the seminarians, the sisters, the deacons wives while the groups stood up to be acknowledged...I did not stand up. I'm stubborn that way. Father decided to mention me before his final prayer. The lady seated next to me, knowing that Father is married, was surprised that I was the wife. I thought it was clear; our wedding bands are the same and I gave him coffee the way he takes it without asking.
  

and then there was the time when some flowers were set on fire by misplaced candles....and that time that Boy sat on the bishop's throne....and that time when we had to cantor our own wedding...and do not even ask who babysat girl #1 while we were having girl #2 (51 weeks apart)...you wouldn't believe it if I could tell you...

Almost Time to Go Back to 'Real Life'

We've enjoyed three weeks with grandma, grandpa, and most of the cousins...almost time to go back to 'real life.' While it will be nice to sleep in our own beds, we will sorely miss being close to family who have to love you no matter what! 

precious puppies, cute kittens & popes: we need an internet oasis- 7 quick takes

1. Have you explored Catholic Memes?

It has been a hard week. I need a laugh. Read this site- Keep a sense of humor- you might like it...
2. May I suggest the site Godvine for inspiration? It's filled with stories and videos- many of which are appropriate for older children.

3. And if you need even more inspiration, watch The Butterfly Circus

4. For readers via Conversion Diary, I invite you to click over to my girls' guest post "Being a Catholic Priest's Kid."- they were excited to write this post...maybe next time I will have my husband write a guest post...

5. Puppies!

6. Kittens!
7.The Catholic Church is not a secret society. The Vatican website has all the encyclicals at your fingertips. Have you read the documents of the Vatican II Council? I suspect the women screaming at my husband lately have not; there is nothing there that declares women should be Catholic clergy. The new catechism is here; it is very understandable for someone who is willing to learn.  I like to go here for different translations of the Bible. My favorite 'internet oasis' is pray as you go- a daily podcast with music, Bible readings and reflections. I also like to stay informed with National Catholic Register, Life Site News, and Catholic Culture, but I wouldn't call them oases. 

many more 'quick takes' posts at conversion diary!

Just a Leprechaun Trap

because I can't take the seriousness of the conclave...here's a little kindergartener's project to catch a leprechaun...

and yes, we will be enjoying corned beef this Sunday...

My Pretty Happy Funny Real Briefcase

I thought this fabric bucket-of-sorts was very 

pretty when I saw it at my sister's house....and I was very 

happy when I got it as a hand-me-down (we call it a 'permanent loan'- reserving the right to ask for it back even though we never do....it is just easier to say goodbye to stuff that way)... I suppose my begging for it and her giving it to me with the permanent loan string attached is 

funny of us...

so what is my real?

This is my briefcase for my teaching job. I teach four evenings a week, 1 hour twice and 3 hours twice- so only eight hours, but teachers know that the mental energy of teaching takes up many more brain hours...

It finally occurred to me that if I am working 4 evenings a week, making dinner together impossible, I would have to make a change. Now, I try to have breakfast on the table at seven so we can share a meal together. 

go to Like Mother, Like Daughter for more {phfr}

Doggie Dress-up... {phfr}

how homeschoolers use their break time

Duke was a willing participant in a photo-shoot today (for dog lovers, you can see that, although he is a pure-bred standard poodle, he doesn't not have consistent coloring. He's a 'phantom' poodle) and yes, he is reading The Far Side.

Pretty Happy Funny Real Homeschooling

Pretty, Happy- We took the door down two years ago between the garage/school-room/etc room  and the galley-style kitchen so it would stop smashing the little ones' fingers. But I finally finished a curtain to separate the two rooms when I don't want guests to see into the garage. it is bad enough that the kitchen is open to the dining area.

And I am happy to get the 'etc. room' back to a decent base-line of cleanliness and organization. May it never get out of control again- even though it is not all that in control right now. It is just a lot better.

Funny- He's a funny dog. That is all.

Real- This is the 'junk' drawer in the kitchen, and yes, that says "this is not your drawer" in all its label-made gravitas. That's not my Playmobile princess, and I don't like bananas enough to eat a dried version of them. So, the cleaning, decluttering and organizing continues; I suspect I'll never get to the interior-designing part of homemaking. 

more phfr at Like Mother, Like Daughter

Homeschooling Hilarity- 7 Quick Takes

I just finished up registering my son in the public school kindergarten. So I thought I'd write a post about homeschooling. Why kindergarten for him when I've homeschooled the big girls all the way up to 8th and 7th grade this year? Well- he's the only boy. It is a 'blue ribbon' school within walking distance. I hope that 1st grade at home will be successful because he will be old enough for activities outside the home. This is the plan. It could change. Anyways- away we go with homeschooling quick takes- with the sub-theme being 'we need to laugh at ourselves because we are in the vast minority!'

1. Can I write....LOL....?!

2. from a homeschool mom- she was probably 'in a mood' after being asked too many questions about homeschooling. It is interesting how many people can be offended by a choice we are making for our own children. We are not making a statement about what we think other people should do! And statically, our kids should grow up fine, so society can breathe easy.
Q: Do you have any friends?
A: No. People avoid us for some reason.
Q: How do you meet people?
A: When forced to socialize we paint ourselves blue and run through the streets screaming. We find this a very effective way to meet new people.
Q: How do you assign grades?
A: We toss a coin.

3. okay- just click here to read some hilarious 'Homeschool SAQs- Seldom Asked Questions. If you are a veteran homeschooler, put down your tea because you should be laughing. 

4. (sing to the tune of 'On the 1st day of Christmas'- see this page for the complete text) 
On the twelfth day of homeschool my neighbor said to me, "Can they go to college, I could never do that, what about graduation, they'll miss the prom, why do you do this, look at what they're missing, how long will you homeschool, YOU ARE SO STRANGE, What about P.E., do you give them tests, are they socialized, can you homeschool legally?"
On the thirteenth day of homeschool I thoughtfully replied: "They can go to college, yes you can do this, they can have graduation, we don't like the prom, we do it 'cuz we like it, they are missing nothing, we'll homeschool forever, WE ARE NOT STRANGE!, We give them P.E., and we give them tests, they are socialized, AND WE HOMESCHOOL LEGALLY!

5. 

6. 

7. 

find more quick takes at conversiondiary.com

Cute Baby Animals or the Married Priesthood in the Catholic Church?

What should I write about today? These two subjects are the most popular in terms of page views, and I believe I need to kick it up a notch to increase views. All bloggers, perhaps blogs like mine (Godblog/Mommyblog/Whateverblog) the most, see a big drop-off in readership during the summer months. The nerve! Everyone is picnicking and swimming and living their lives instead of perusing blogs. 

But I'm not in the mood to be controversial. Maybe some other time.