May 27, 2011

These Moments: Homecoming

May 27, 2011/ Elizabeth Foss

Not quite playing along with Amanda this week. (By the way, both Amanda and Ginny have life's most extraordinary moments to share.)

I have several photos on my camera begging to be shared in this space right now, so we're going for the multiple moments of coming home and finding out what has been --err-- unwinding in one's absence.

I cried on the way to the airport. All those trips back and forth--the sendoff, the awesome visit, the too-short Thanksgiving and Christmas breaks, the sister trip, the Nicky trip, Spain, Brazil, Holland,--all of it played as a montage in my mind. And I was just so glad that this ticket home was a one-way ticket. At least for now.

Sometime in the middle of February or so, I sent Paddy a picture text when we were at Rita's Italian Ice. He'd been telling me about Rita's for years, having had the experience in distant towns. We have one locally now and I wanted to tell him how heartily I agreed with his assessment that it is awesome. The text made him sad. I was instantly sorry I had shared where we were and what we were doing without him. So, I promised we'd go the minute he came home. We went to Rita's directly from the airport.

Pick Up Happiness.

Pretty sure I just did.

At home, Patrick sized up the swift that has taken up nearly permanent residence on the kitchen table. He wanted a demo.

After Gracie got home, we settled into our customary knitting time. Patrick wandered in and didn't know quite what to do with himself. So he did what came naturally--the habit that has a long and storied history. He opened the yarn cabinet and took out a "ball." And he juggled it. With his feet. Declared it not round enough.

{bonus: You can see the laundry that came home with him. We washed quickly because the whole house was overcome with the stink.}

Took out another.

No! I hastened to put an end to that. It's Malabrigo. you can't play with it.

He picked up another ball. Declared it the most superior for juggling purposes. He asked what kind it was.

Silk Merino.

You know, chimed in Nicholas helpfully, like Dan Marino.

Indeed. Just like that.

May 24, 2011

Grateful and then some.

May 24, 2011/ Elizabeth Foss

Tuesdays are my gratitude days. Lately, I've tried to post my grateful list on Tuesdays, after posting a Daybook on Mondays. My life has spun in such a dizzy whirl since Friday that all I can muster this morning is, "um, what day is it?"

It's Tuesday, so I must be grateful.

Let me take you back, mostly without pictures because I've forgotten my camera pretty much all weekend. As my extended family sends me pictures, perhaps I'll add them here. In the meantime, my graduation pictures of my own son are blurry beyond recognition. I've got a good one of my friend, Ruthie. She glows joy. But it would be sort of odd to put her up here and leave Michael out. Besides, she's on the trip of a lifetime in Europe right now, so I can't even ask if she'd like to be my token graduation picture, beautiful as that would be...

Friday, we celebrated Michael's graduation. Michael has six grandparents--Mike's mom and dad, my mom and stepfather, and my dad and stepmother. They were all there to watch him graduate. How amazing is that? I will admit to goosebumps when Pomp and Circumstance was played, but I didn't cry (everyone around me did). I attribute that to the fact that he really graduated in December and we've already processed it. At the end of graduation, I got a text. As much as I hate people who are tied to their phones, I had left several sick children at home and encouraged Mary Beth to text and let me know how things were. I plead guilty to texting with Michael during graduation, also. It kept things interesting while 1700 names were called.

The text made me cry. It was Paddy.

Patrick is coming home. The Big Adventure has come to a close. And that long year is over. Really, I'm still processing. And I don't know how much I'll share here. He's healthy (except for a broken foot); he's whole; he's grown in so many ways. And in 4 hours and 13 minutes, he will be home. This was a burst of emotion for which I was not prepared on a weekend that I knew was going to be filled with emotion.

Michael talked to Paddy on our way from graduation to the party and so did I. Mike had insisted several weeks ago that we do the graduation party somehwere that wasn't home. This is definitely a departure from the usual around here and I was a bit bothered by it, but when we hit upon the idea of having it at the local sushi restaurant, I knew we had a winner. Those good people were nearly excited about Michael's graduation as we were and they were genuinely honored to celebrate it with us. Lunch was awesome; the company wonderful and all was well.

Saturday afternoon, we celebrated my youngest nephew's first communion. It was the most beautiful First Communion I have ever been blessed to witness. Just perfect. After, we returned to my sister-in-law's house for a cookout. It's always a genuine party when the cousins are together. Mike and I scooted out early in order to go home, change clothes and drive across the river to Maryland to celebrate my oldest nephew's Bar Mitvah.

His was a huge party at Congressional Country Club. My sets of parents were there, and my aunts, and a couple hundred other people. My sister is, by far, the most amazing party planner in the world. Sh'ed been working on this one for eighteen months and every moment of that labor showed. She did a beautiful job and Mike and I really enjoyed a rare date night. We went home, slept fast, and then awoke to the regular Sunday activities, plus a seventieth birthday party for my mother.

I do wish I had pictures of that one. My sister's house looked so lovely. Huge and many bouquets of spring's finest flowers stood in the centers of poolside tables clothed in hot pink. Brunch was delicious; the cake--a lovely square confection of chocolate draped with white fondant and wrapped in a huge pink fondant bow--was too pretty to eat. But I hear it tasted as good as it looked. I consoled my wheat-free self with several cup of coffees with whipped cream floating on top, stirred with cinnamon sticks. The kids swam. Mike and I thoroughly enjoyed catching up with favorite friends who were neighbors when I was in high school. And, I dearly love my aunts, so it was nice to have a chance to talk away from the loud band of the previous night. Just before we left, my niece, who is graduating this spring, gifted Mary Beth with an entire high school career's worth of formal dresses--beautiful gowns that have just begun to dance. My mother was very happy and the weekend ended on a good note.

I spent yesterday cleaning--going to my sister's impeccably kept and beautifully decorated house does that to me;-). We thought Patrick would be home at the end of the week. I have this thing about children coming home to clean and orderly homes that look like they are ready for most important guests. i figured we'd take the week to get ready. Around dinnertime, though, he called and casually asked if I'd be available to meet him at the airport this morning. Would I?! I'll bring the gang with me. Pretty sure I'll remember the camera, too.

And then, the rest of the week will be devoted to settling everyone in for the summer. For the first time ever--ever--all nine of them are living at home for the foreseeable future. I think I just heard the upstairs bathroom groan. And I'm sure I heard the dining room table sigh a happy, happy sigh.

A place for everyone, and everyone in his place.

May 17, 2011

No better friend than a brother...

May 17, 2011/ Elizabeth Foss

Gifts. We count them, one by one, the birds and the flowers and the sunsets. And they sing to us of the greatest of God, of His gracious blessing of abundant beauty.

Even more precious are the days when we can stop and truly appreciate the gift of relationship. Nicholas was stoic, but sad, when Patrick left home last fall. Caught between being completely thrilled as any nine-year-old soccer player would be at the mere mention of the National Team and being acutely aware that his hero and buddy was plucked from his daily life, he has struggled through the year. He is Patrick's biggest fan, but really, he just wants him to come home and play with him. In these last few weeks before the grand adventure comes to a close, Mike made a superhuman effort and got Nicky down to Florida to visit Patrick. So, this week, we count the gifts of brothers, together in the sunshine.

~a sporty red rental car to toodle around on the gulf coast~

~a hug (or two or three)~

~a chance to see where Patrick has been living and training, up close~

~up-close view of Saturday morning training session~

~a tour of the dorms. What's this? Patrick's "count down to home" calendar. Since the date to come home keeps changing though, we suspect the calendar is more about the picture than the numbers.~

~A much-needed haircut. Nicky only lets Patrick cut his hair.. Haircuts have been few and far between this year.~

~a tour of the school~

~A romp in the Gulf of Mexico. Sort of funny to look at these pictures since neither of them are big fans of swimming in the sea.~

~Perfect Sunday seaside~

It has been said that the greatest gift you give your children is a sibling.

All true.

January 31, 2011

Daybook just before February

January 31, 2011/ Elizabeth Foss

Outside My Window

There is a blanket of snow everywhere. A quick check of the weather tells me that there may be more snow in the immediate future followed by lots of cold rain midweek. Not much good to say about cold rain...

I am Listening to

quiet

I am Wearing

Yoga pants and a sweathsirt. I slept in these. I do plan to dress for the day.

I am so Grateful for

~a safe trip home for Mike (only three hours) on a snowy night when many people spent up to ten hours in their cars.

~a safe flight out early the next morning so that my sweet Mary Beth could surprise Patrick with a real life visit--meet his friends, see his school, take him some Valentine dots in person. My husband is a travel genius and we are blessed by his expertise.

~a warm gym on a bitter Saturday morning.

~making a quick exit from said gym before my two-year-old threw up. Getting outside was a huge blessing. to a lot of people, no doubt.

~a trip for Mary Beth and Mike to see Patrick in Florida

~black tea with mint and coconut milk

~long talks with Linda about all things theological

~Mary Chris' knitting lesson when every other plan for fun last week failed

~Katie's enthusiastic love of all things yarn

~a hot pink lighted Kindle case

~hours in bed on Sunday recovering and reading

~snow

~a new deacon at the mission

~bedtime talks with Mike

~a good night's sleep

~cashmere socks

~hair bows

~newly organized school baskets

~the Charlotte Mason organizer

~Latin DVDs

~a solid school plan for the term

~a good dentist (if I can just drum up the courage to call her)

Mary Beth in the airport on the way home (note the sunburn--sign of fun in the sun)

I'm Pondering

“If a sudden jar can cause me to speak an impatient, unloving word, then I know nothing of Calvary love.
For a cup brimful of sweet water cannot spill even one drop of bitter water, however suddenly jolted.”
~ Amy Carmichael H/T Ann Voskamp

I am Reading

One Thousand Gifts on Kindle

Catholic Controversies: Understanding Church Events and Teaching in History. I'm reading this one with Christian. He's a huge fan of National Geographic and the History Channel, but is driven crazy by occasional anti-Catholic. This book is very helpful in sorting fact from fiction. Edited by Stephen Gabriel, different topics are written by different authors, all experts in their fields who share their knowledge in this one comprehensive volume. All of the authors are well-respected writers, editors, historians, scientists, or theologians and they bring their strengths to the project, making it an exceptionally credible resource. The resulting collection is both impressive and exceedingly useful. Complex and commonly misunderstood doctrines and historical events of the Catholic Church including evolution, Galileo, the Crusades, the Inquisition, the Reformation, the role of women, natural law, and contraception are addressed in solid, readable essays. I think this go-to guide is going to be ready at my fingertips as one teenager after another asks tough questions in this household over the next couple of decades.

I am Thinking

about how grateful I am for the sacrament of marriage. There's a lot of grace there.

I am Creating

endless knitting projects. In my head. Because really, I'm no at all sure I can sit still long enough to bring any of them to fruition.

Patrick's dorm

On my iPod

same old, same old. But I did install the Divine Office Mac app on my computer. Bliss. Really, it's amazing. I love it. It's clean and beautiful and I love that it's its own button on my toolbar and not dependent on browser. Love.

St. Stephen's, where Paddy goes to school

Towards a Real Education

We cleaned out all the individual school baskets and got all caught up on CM Organizer. Ordered a few new things for children who have whipped through previously planned curriculum. Nicky and Katie have blasted through math this year. Kindle has been such a blessing to Mary Beth, who is still struggling with an eye injury from last spring. We're getting there, though. making steady progress.

Karoline loves the geography studies especially and she's becoming our resident map expert. She was teaching Sarah all the countries in South America last night. Too cute for words. "This is Bolivia, but you can call it Olivia if you want betuz that's what I called it when I was little and I didn't know better." Like last week?

Towards Rhythm and Beauty

Time to get back to the "put the computer away" rhythm. I've gotten sucked in to having it open all day and then I get sidetracked. I wish there were an iPod app for the CM Organizer. Then, I wouldn't need to be online with my laptop. It's too tedious to just acces the Organizer online for iPod--it's just not configured for that small screen. Perhaps a little self discipline is in order, yes? Anyway, I need to finish up here this morning and close all window but the Organizer. And focus.

We're having a Kind Conversation about

gosh, I don't know. I haven't been there in several days. Must check in today.

dorm room

To Live the Liturgy

Candlemas is this week.

Today's the Feast of St. John Bosco.

I am Hoping and Praying

for Elizabeth deHority. She is constantly on my heart and in my prayers. She needs you now. Please, please pray with me.

Around the House

It appears that I'm going to have to do a clothing switch in the middle of winter. Sarah has suddenly decided to grow. She had been wearing last winter's clothing (the 6-12 months size), but all of a sudden, she needs something bigger. Down to the storage room today, to unearth the clothing Karoline wore the winter she was two. I think those might be too big. And then, I'll be stuck because a quick look around Target the other day let me know that bathing suits are already ready and available for purchase. Ironic, since I was there to look for snow pants.

headquarters of US Soccer Men's U17 National Team, where team meetings happen

From the Kitchen

I'm inspired by Andrea's post. I tend to make dietary changes for me, but hesitate to make them for all of us. At least, I haven't really put my foot down in the kitchen in a long, long time. I remember when Paddy had surgery on his hand on his second birthday and we stopped at Dunkin Donuts on the way home. He didn't even know what a donut was. My current two-year-old would happily live on chocolate chips, unless of course, M & Ms were available. We've loosened my formerly militant dietary rules way too much. It's time to clean up around here.

One of My Favorite Things

Snow days. I'm learning to embrace cold rain days this winter. Not so much.

Sarah Annie this week

She's sporting a new haircut. More on that later.

A Few Plans for the Rest of the Week

Need to schedule a visit to the dentist.

Lots of basketball

Senior night for Christian. How is that possible? I always cry at Senior Nights...This one will be particularly tough. I wish so much for this child and life knocks him around more than a little.

Stephen's birthday

Candlemas

Tomorrow begins our Small Steps Together study of Simplicity.

Picture thoughts:

after the match on Saturday

Paddy and Mary Beth after his match on Saturday

These pictures are from Mike's and Mary Beth's recent trip to visit Patrick at the U17 US Soccer Men's National Team Residency program in Bradenton Florida. They were taken on Mike's Blackberry.