Out of the blue, Genna and Michael were invited to spend the evening with friends and Richard and I were left with only one small child, ravenous appetites and nothing fixed for dinner.

We decided it was time to introduce Nikita to the wonderful world of SUSHI!

Our usual sushi place is also one of the kid's favorite restaurants because it serves hibachi style food that they will eat.  Neither Michael or Genna would even consider tasting sushi on a dare.  (Spoil sports! :-( )  So taking the family out to dinner so that DH and I can have sushi tends to be a very expensive and thus rare endeavor.

But a new place opened up that was rumored to serve budget friendly Asian fare in addition to good sushi.  I talked Richard into checking it out with me.  Since Nikita is my adventurous eater we decided to sit at the sushi bar and let him try a few things.

The sushi chef, Marty, was amazing.  Not only was he friendly and talkative with us, he was very Nikita-friendly too.  He gave Nikita some shredded crab "noodles" and sweet sauce to eat with chopsticks while Richard and I were eating our first course of "serious sushi."  Then he made a milder version of his soft shell crab "spider roll" so that Nikita could eat it.

The best part of the night was watching Nikita try all the different things we put on his plate.  He liked nearly everything.  He loved using chopsticks.  We gave him mostly veggie or cooked seafood sushi.  Although he did try just a little bit of bright orange sea urchin, one of DH and my favorites.    He ate the whole thing without blinking but then informed us that it was blah.  That one is definitely an acquired taste.

Richard and I decided that we have a new favorite sushi place.  I am tickled that I also have another sushi buddy.  Maybe we can stop off occasionally for a lunch treat and just leave the older kids at home with peanut butter and jelly sandwiches!

And a round of applause for the field help!

If only it was from around my hips.

No, it is actually from around my house.

DS Michael has left us to fly to Michigan for a week with his grandparents and cousins.

I took him to the airport Monday evening for his first solo flight.  I had no problem putting him on a plane alone.  He had no layovers or changes of plane.  And grandma would be waiting there at the gate when he walked off in Detroit.

That is not to say that i had no problems at all that day.  My problems were in getting him to the (right) airport in the first place. 

We left in plenty of time and headed off to Dulles Airport so that we would get there at least 90 minutes before the flight, even with slow traffic.  But when I came upon a traffic parking lot on I-66 I quickly pulled off the highway and headed for the backroad way to the airport.  I was about 20 minutes from the parking lot when I started thinking about how lucky I had felt in finding such an inexpensive ticket from DC to Detroit and how it would be so much easier to fly than drive even if I.....had...to..drive...............all...........the.............way............to..................

The Baltimore Airport!

Yes. I was headed to the wrong airport. 

I was supposed to be going to the Baltimore airport all the way on the other side of Washington DC.  On a good day it would take an hour and a half to get from where I was to where I was supposed to be.  But now it was the middle of DC rush hour.  And rather than going against all the DC commuter traffic we would have to drive right into the middle of it and come out on the other side of DC along with everyone trying to make it home from a hard day at the government office.  I knew we had no hope of making it to BWI in time to catch that flight.

I kept driving anyway. 

It wasn't like I had anything else to do that day - unless I wanted to turn around and head towards Michgan.  I called the grandparents and warned them not to start on their hourlong drive to the airport before calling me to be sure we had made the flight.  I only mentioned that we were having "trouble getting to the airport in this traffic." (No, it was not a lie.)  I called hubby to help me figure out the fastest way from here to there.  Unfortunately, from about 3 pm to 7 pm weekdays, there is no fastest way. 

I kept telling Michael to say a prayer.  I said that only one who could get him on that plane at this point was the Lord Himself.  Then I called the airline.  Somehow God had provided a 30 minute delay.  If we kept moving at a respectable speed we might be able to run for the plane.

When we hit the beltline it felt like God was playing cat and mouse with us.  It would take at least an hour to pass the 15 or so exits before we could get out of this mess.  Then it started to rain............HARD.

Hmm.  I called the airport again.  Now we had an hour delay.  Thanks, Lord.  Things are looking up.

Traffic didn't let up, but neither did the rain.  We made it to the airport counter about ten minutes after the plane was originally supposed to leave.  Because of the weather, we had enough time to sit down to a nice dinner and still hang out at the gate before boarding. 

The plane left two hours late. 

Most of the passengers were rather irate.  I, personally, was thanking God. 

This spring I have lost interest in blogging about my family, primarily because we have been in the midst of some struggles with our youngest.  Those of you who know him know he is an amazingly smart, friendly and lovable child.  He is also stubborn, creative and very mischievous.  He has had problems in school.  He has had problems at home.  I have had trouble figuring out how to parent him.  The old tried and true stuff that I used to parent his older brother and sister just doesn't work for him.

I have been calling on every resource that I can find with frustratingly slow results.

I am happy to say that, now that summer break is upon us and we are all home together, things have gotten significantly better.  I keep my little one very close to me throughout the day and he is a pleasant child.  I let him go off to friends or to play with his siblings and something invariably happens.  There is actually a term for this approach to parenting.  It's called "Tomato Staking".  I call it Boot Camp since it involves some very intensive trainng for the first few days of our togetherness.  After that it is actually quite pleasant to include Nikita in all the things I am doing.

Some other things that have been going on in our lives:

Michael has been accepted on the local travel soccer team.  i am very impressed with the coach.  He is a good leader and has already encouraged Michael to try new skills and work outside of his comfort zone.

Genna and Nikita performed in their Gymnastics show this week.  Genna is still a beautiful gymnast and shows amazing poise and confidence as an athlete.  Nikita is very talented too but still has more trouble paying attention and following directions.

I actually got a real day off last weekend.  My wonderul husband took over for me and even answered to every "Mommy" request.  I trook the day to nap, catch up on some reading and go play with a few of my long lost friends.

My brother came to visit for a few days recently.  While he was here, we took the opportunity to go into Washington DC to check out the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History.  Nikita loved the dinosaurs but was in no mood to behave for much else.  I ended up spending most of my time holding him in lockdown so he didn't pinch or kick total strangers.  I did get a chance to see the Hope diamond, though.  It was much smaller than I expected.

We also all went on a five mile hike in Shenandoah National Forest,  We even took Bascha with us for the stroll.  It was a wonderful hike, although five miles up and down hilss is a lot harder than a flat five miles down a city street.

This weekend I head off to a homeschool conference here in Virginia.  This one, the Immaculate Heart of Mary National Home School Conference is one I have never been to before.  But the price is right (It's free.) and our parish Vicar is speaking.  So what's not to love?  Richard is taking the day off of work to hang out with the kids.  So in essense we both get a day off.

Our days are filled with soccer, school, scouts, rain, referrals, road-trips, meetings, mayhem, mud, testing, tantrums, timeouts, picnics, playdates, puddles,

lost shoes, lost patience, lost priveleges, new routines, new challenges and new networks, high prices, high hopes and high grass,

more questions than answers, less time than tasks and more laughter than tears. (That last one is saying a lot!)

Doctor and specialist appointments are scheduled around end of school programs and testing.  Genna and I have new glasses.  Nikita is seeing several different specialist to narrow down where his developmental delays are and to figure out the best way to help him.

This is our last full week of school both at home and at preschool.  Household chores have taken a definite back seat this month.  After the last Latin class next Wednesday we will have a MAJOR housecleaning and hopefully establish some workable daily chores to share the load a little more.  Mom is tired of nagging to get anything cleaned up around here.

Summer is a clean canvas right now with only a few plans dotted here and there.  I'm sure it won't take long to fill in the days with playdates, swimming pools and projects. (Painting comes to mind)

I hope to have some meatier posts soon.  Life is just too busy right now.

He woke the little boy and asked him to come out and play tag.  The boy said "no" because it was still dark outside, so Nikita left the room and went exploring through the rest of the house, looking in the fridge and freezer (There was chocolate in there.), inspecting the two fish tanks, finding the TV room and even finding some candy to eat in their basement.

All this time the father and older boy were sound asleep in their rooms.

I guess Nikita finally got bored so he walked out of the house and went to play in our back yard.  There he found an envelope with some change that his friend had left near our swingset.  It was then that Nikita decided to walk to the ice cream store.

Nikita told me most of the story but I was able to corroborate nearly everything through a conversation with the neighbors.

At this point my mind is numb and I am searching everywhere for help for both (all) of us.

I got a phone call from the neighbor before 7 am.  He informed me that my child was out in the neighborhood, walking down the street with somebody.  In my sleep-wake state, I thought that the dog had gotten out of the yard and was roaming the street.  My mind raced to visions of terrified old ladies fighting Bascha off with a stick.  It was the mention of pajamas that shocked me awake and made me realize that it wasn't Bascha, but Nikita.

Richard bolted out the door to discover Nikita walking away, about four houses down the street with some guy in a motorcycle getup, complete with bike at his side.  When a whistle turned them both around, Richard heard the whole story.

By the grace of God, the man who found Nikita walking toward one of the busiest roads in the city, was Michael's fourth grade teacher, Mr. Sperka.  Mr. Sperka had been on his way to the school when he found our little boy, dressed in his pajamas with no shoes and a fistful of change, walking about a quarter mile from our house.  Apparently Nikita informed him that he was on his way to the ice cream store.

Mr. Sperka convinced Nikita to turn around and managed to get him to lead him to our street.  But then Nikita pointed to our next door neighbor's house and said "That's my house."  Nikita ran up to the front door, opened it and walked in.  Mr. Sperka said he just kept walking toward the school until Nikita ran out the door, down the street and caught up with him.  (The neighbor heard Nikita come in the door as he was stepping in the shower.  Ran out and asked Nikita what he was doing and apparently frightened our child back out the door.)

Thus the phone call from the neighbor, which led to Richard finding Mr. Sperka and Nikita on their way to the school where the plan was to hopefully figure out whose child this was and where he belonged.

I'm finished laughing.  Crying isn't happening.  This is beyond anger.  I ask again, what do I do?

So far Genna has caught the best of the bunch.  Nikita and Michael have caught their share, though.  Personally, I think I've been the luckiest, since every fishing trip means I get the whole house to myself.

Also on the Nikita front, I have been searching for resources for developmental delays to help him.  So far I've hit a few brick walls.  the best i have found looks very promising; there is a developmental pediatrics group at Children's Hospital in DC.  they even have a clinic in Fairfax so I wouldn't have to venture into the city.  BUT, they're currently scheduling for September.  What am I supposed to do all summer?

I am checking out a group in Michigan, suggested to me by Michelle.  They seem to have the sort of practical approach to treating delays by identifying the source of the problems instead of just treating symptoms like ADHD and Dyslexia.  We'll have to wait to see what comes of that.  Please continue to pray for us!

We have also been working a lot in our gardens.  Richard is in charge of the back this summer and i am working on the front.  the kids are glead to help whomever is getting the dirtiest at the time.  Richard has built two nice raised bed boxes for his veggies and is carefully tending to his blueberry bushes.  Genna has talked him into buying some strawberries this year.  Stay tuned to see if we get enough berries for shortcake!  After finally being satisfied that the spring flowers are all in the right places, i am in the process of planting some larger shrubs in the area we added dirt to last summer.  I bought some azaleas to put behind my two earlier additions.  I also have a little greeenhouse going with seeds in the house.  I hope to spend Mother's day weekend planting sunflowers, moonflowers, and morning glories. 

I keep putting off installing the sidewalk, waiting for enough inspiration to really feel committed to a way to do it.  Maybe the tax rebate check from Uncle Sam will inspire me to hire someone to do it for us.  Meanwhile, the kids have finally been trained not to walk through the mud on their way into the house.  Now I only have to train the rest of the neighborhood, and the dog.

I am gearing up to try to find somewhere that can fully evaluate Nikita.  He had an eye exam this week and they said that his eyes are healthy but there are some developmental delays there. The great news is that developmental delays can usually be corrected by therapy.  The frustrating part is that I don't know how to determine the full spectrum of his developmental delays.  My doctor hasn't been much help.  I am looking for another pediatrician in the area but the ones who accept our pitiful insurance are not accepting any new patients.

So, pray that we are able to sort all this out in a relatively quick period of time.  i don't want my little boy to be held too far back from school, especially becasue he is so bright.

Did I ever tell you how I managed to get tickets to this event?  When I read the announcement in the church bulletin about submitting my name for the lottery for 60 tickets, I called the church office many times.  That's not so big a deal.  i call the church office almost every week for one thing or another.  But for the three or four weeks before the lottery, whenever I called to put my name into the drawing, the phone was always busy.  Always.

The last time I tried to get my name on the list was the day AFTER the drawing had been conducted.  I was pretty disappointed.  I had truly wanted to be a part of this historic event.  The last opportunity I had to go to a papal Mass had been when I was in high school.  back then I did not get the significance of an opportunity like that.

A few days later, after I had resolved myself to sitting on the sidelines and watching on TV, a friend called and told me she had an extra ticket.  What?  How on earth does one come by an "extra ticket" to something like a papal Mass?  She told me she had asked for two but her husband, who is not Catholic, was not interested in going.  Personally, I think God wanted my friend and I to go together from the start.  What a sense of suspense He has!

So I am going to hear the message of hope that the holy father has for us.  I am looking forward to joining the crowds of faithful.  I expect the feelings of hope, faith and fellowship to make this a most unique experience. 

And I will be praying for you, my family and friends.  If today brings a special hopeful smile to your face, you'll know why.

Peace.

I would love to credit whomever passed this link on to me but I honestly forget who it was.  If it was you, I owe you a big thank you!

Along with the flowers, everything else is blossoming too: the yard work, the "ta-do" list, the social calendar.....

It surprises me how, as soon as the days start getting longer, we have a habit of filling them just a bit fuller.  What amazes me more is that, as busy as life is getting, I don't seem to mind it.  Somehow the warmth and the sunlight have given even me a bit of extra energy and enthusiasm pop my head a little farther out too.

Yesterday, I joined Nikita outside in the backyard and we planted the roses that my mother gave me for Christmas.  this summer we will be enjoying Baby Blanket, Pope John Paul II and Our Lady of Guadalupe as they decorate our yard and send sweet scents in the windows.

 Nikita also helped me plant some daylilies in the garden.  They were freebies with my rose order so I have no idea what they will look like.  They will be a nice surprise for us both!  Today I have to get a few more plants into the ground in the front yard.  I ordered a 'Weeping Pussy Willow' and a 'Harry Lauder Walking Stick' to start a planting area in front of the house.  Of course it will take a year or twelve before my plants look anything like the ones below!

i also got a couple of freebies from this order.  I have a Wiegelia to plant in the front yard somewhere.  I also got a free Siberian Elm.  Since I am not sure if I want this in my yard, I think I will look for another owner via Freecycle.

We also have the Homeschooler's annual St. Joseph's Dinner, somewhat rescheduled because of the early Easter holiday.  Genna will be doing a short puppet show as part of the evening's entertainment.  We have to finish one more puppet, a papier mache' horse, before five o'clock tonight.

All i can say is that it's a good thing I don't have any more late night basketball games to watch.

 * Post game postscript;  Yes, I'm weak, I'm shallow.  I need redemption.

     And yes, they won.

Fortunately we have the likes of Sister Mary Martha to set things straight.  She explained that the "New Sins" are so new after all.  Please go read her take on things.  It makes much more sense than what the media has been squawking about.

Please check out the whole story at the HSLDA website and then sign the petition to have this opinion depublished.

Here goes (in no particular order)......

• Michael has advanced to First Class in Boy Scouts.  Now he needs to wait until he has the opportunity to hold a leadership position before he can advance any further.  Elections are in April.  He wants to run for the librarian position or work as a den chief with the cub scouts. 
• Genna came in second of all fourth graders in her spelling bee.  the kids did so well that they had to go to the championship bee words in order to eliminate enough to determine the winner.  Genna stumbled on "noticeable".  She missed the "e".  She had so much fun that she planss to register for the "big Bee" next year.
• Nikita is doing great at his new school.  He is comfortable with his teacher and his new friends.  He still has trouble when there is anything different going on but that is pretty normal for a preschooler.
• We finally go down to NC to visit Richard's parents.  His dad is doing much better.  He hates his new low fat-sodium-potassium-carbohydrate-liquid diet.  I don't blame him.  All that's left is grass and cardboard.
• We have been studying Greek Mythology lately to prepare Michael for a Junior Classical League contest.  i have enjoyed the subject as much as the kids.  Michael reported that the test "was easy".  I'll try to remember to report the results.
• Richard is back to studying hard for his repeat of the certification test.  He didn't pass the first time, although he didn't miss by much.  His next chance is in June.
• I have the priveledge to attend the Papal Mass in Washington!  A friend received two tickets and has asked me to go with her.  I am sooo excited!  The Mass is on Thursday, April 17th at 10 am.  If you suddenly feel at that time that your burdens are lighter and your day is more joyful, you'll know that the pope and I are praying specifically for you!

I don't believe in expensive expressions of affection.  Sorry Hallmark.  I don't give em and I don't expect em in return.

Today I showed my gang I love them by making some cinnamon scones for breakfast.  It was easy.  They even helped.  But it still did the trick.

The rules are: Reach for the book closest to you, turn to page 123, find the 5th sentence. Post it and the 3 sentences after it.

The first book I reached for was The Well Trained Mind.  Pg 123 has la book list on it, no sentences. 
The second book I pulled was The Aeneid.  Pg 123 is the separation page between chapters.
Book number three was My Daily Eucharist.  It doesn't have numbered pages and I am not about to count to 123.

So, here is the nearest book to which I can apply the required steps.

D'Aulaire's Book of Greek Myths - Clever and Vainglorious Kings - pg 123, sentence 5: In disgust she (Athena) threw the flute down to earth and put a curse on it. 

Marsyas, a satyr who was capering about in the Phrygian woods found the flute and began to play on it.  When he discovered he could play two melodies at the same time, he was wild with joy.  He hopped through the woods, playing on his double flute, boasting that now he could make better music than Apollo himself.

Most of my blog friends have already done this meme.  Angie, if you like to be tagged, consider it done.

angie' posted this on Tue 12 Feb 2008, 10:54 am

Hi, Happy Birthday! My argument is not with the church's stance on abortion (that is a separate issue, really), it is with the stance that abortion is the primary issue (and often the only issue) that matters, and that we are to follow lock step in this prioritization. My point is that how we care for all life (not just human), at all stages of development, and in all places, is fundamentally a deeply complex decision -- one that cannot be boiled down to one issue. In my view, these decisions are tied to economic issues and to environmental concerns as well as to war, inclusion and representation, and so on. Have fun voting today. I tried to let my voice be heard, but because of Michigan's decision to break party rules, I had to vote for uncommitted. I have not been this excited about the primary season in my entire life.

Thanks, Angie!  I had a pretty good birthday.  It was even an official day off from school for most of the local children.  I felt quite honored.

As far as your concern about the church identifying a prioritized list of issues to measure candidates against and requiring all of us to use it - don't worry, the church doesn't do that.  But they do provide guidance on how to use your conscience to sift through all those complex issues.  And that guidance does identify some issues – it calls them fundamental issues - as more important than others.  Among these fundamental issues are the opposition of intrinsically evil acts.

The guidance specifically mentions the act of killing children through abortion as one of those fundamental, intrinsically evil acts.  But we aren’t told measurably how much more important this issue is.  We are definitely not told it is the only issue.  Rather we are called to use our conscience, well formed by church teaching, to shape our actions in political life and to determine how to balance the more important and less important issues in an election.

Pope John Paul II explained the importance of this fundamental issue in his writing Christifideles Laici:

Above all, the common outcry, which is justly made on behalf of human rights- for example the right to health, to home, to work, to family, to culture – is false and illusory if the right to life, the most basic and fundamental right and the condition for all the other personal rights, is not defended with maximum determination.  (Emphasis mine)

What maximum determination means is different for each of us based on our vocation, talents and graces.  For me, personally, it means using right to life topics, and primarily defense of the unborn as the first large measuring stick against which to consider political candidates. 

While I am not foolish enough to think that a pro-life president can single handedly stop abortions, I do believe that someone who understands the fundamental importance of the right to life can recognize how it orders and influences all other human rights.  I also believe that building a political infrastructure of pro-life leaders is a critical but painstakingly slow step in the process of overturning Roe v. Wade. 

And while we are waiting for that day, these leaders can be hard at work creating the support for families that will be necessary to provide well for the millions of children that may be saved by that act.  They can be making it easier for single income families to make ends meet and provide for the social and educational needs of their children.  They can work to make adoption a more viable means of growing strong families.  They can improve access to childcare, medical care and other assistance for young parents who struggle to work or attend school while pregnant or trying to raise young children.  They can also be working to make sure the environment remains healthy throughout the life time of these children and that we are preserving natural resources for them to use.

Value for all human life at all stages does have a direct influence on many other issues, including research and technology, crime prevention, war strategies, the budget, education and our social agenda.  I prefer leadership that will view any issue through a pro-life lens for the very reason that Pope John Paul explained.

This is my personal pro- life agenda.  I am not the most faithful or best read Catholic.  I am not an expert on politics, theology, the economy or social justice.  That is not my vocation.  I know there are others who have their own ideas.  Some are narrower.  Many are much more eloquent and broad minded.  I have never insisted that anyone has to agree with me, or that I am right and any other opinion is wrong.

But I am passionate about my desire to see an end to the annual killing of over a million innocent children in this country.  There might be ten million kids who are sick and ten million kids who are homeless and ten million kids who are hungry right now but they still do not kindle my outrage like those 49 million kids who are dead. 

I know there are many who agree with me on this.  I also know that there are many who might not have seen the issue from this perspective.  If I can help build up the pro-life infrastructure, leader by leader and convince just a few people to think about the impact of 49 million children killed by abortion, then I will have gone a long way towards my personal maximum determination.

On the other hand, I do have other issues that I consider to be very important in a political candidate.  Significant examples are integrity, consistency and decisions based on personal principled thinking rather than political advantage.  Now that the primaries are more than half over it appears that I will have to choose between the aggregate value of these issues and the importance of the pro-life issue, at least in terms of my vote for president.  Beacuse of this, I am not very excited about this presidential primary season at all.

Note:

Even though we are under a winter storm warning. The roads are icy.  There's more snow coming down.

And all the kids are home from school

And it's the middle of the work day.

And it's "only" a primary.

Let's hear it for the people!

That leaves McCain and Huckabee.  I am not encouraged by either of them.  I'm not encouraged by the Democratic candidates either. 

But I will likely vote for Huckabee.  My reasons are pretty much spelled out in this article.  The most poignant point is this:

"Catholics need to be crystal clear on the importance of these matters. For authentic Catholics, the economy is not the most important issue we face. Opposing “intrinsic evils” is even more important. Along with slavery, legalized abortion has been America’s most shameful moral crime, an on-going “slaughter of the innocents” in our midst, and a fundamental denial of the inalienable right to “life” that our Declaration of Independence claims it is the main purpose of governments to protect. "

I finally get to vote tomorrow in the Virginia primary.  There is still a good chance, now that the field has narrowed, that we can elect a president who wil at least defend the rights of the unborn children in all forms.  If you have not yet had your chance to vote in the primaries, please do your homework and make your voice heard.

Now that we're on the mend, there's a lot to catch up on.  So here goes...

Last Saturday night, Richard and I were invited to a 70th birthday party for one of his KOC buddies.  It was at Historic Jordan Springs, a fancy historic site not far from us.  Since it has been forever since Richard and I went to anything fancy, I had to find myself a new dress for the occasion.  I found an awesome black velveteen and satin dress on clearance at Gabriel Brother's (clearance at GB means that they will nearly pay you to take it.)  It cost me a whopping $20!!!!  Then I went to JC Penney to get a shawl to wear with the dress.  I paid $7 for a $28 item.  then i added the fancy shoes I bought for a wedding a few years ago and Ii was a princess for under $29.99.

My escort even stepped up to the occasion and donned jacket and tie.  Yes, I had to nag him mercilessly.  But this time it worked.

The next day we threw a Super Bowl party at our house for some neighborhood friends.  They had recently joined one of those healthy eating programs together.  SO in the spirit of healthy eating, I pulled some recipes from a WW website to support their romantic endeavor.  You know, even cupid can't beat a combination of veggies, fat free dip and a good football game.

Yes, the game was awesome.  Yes, I was cheering for the Giants. (Who couldn't want cute little Eli to make big brother proud?)  Yes the food was great.  The kids played together well and the grownups got to watch the whole game!  the only disappointment was the commercials.  I just didn't get most of them.  I know, you're not supposed to get them, that's the point.  Well, I don't even get the point.

And to make it a perfect day, our Super Bowl presents arrived.  I'll bet you didn't know that SB is a traditional gift giving occasion.  Well, maybe it's only a tradition for me.  Way back in the last century, when I was very young, my parents originated the practice of inviting others over on Super Bowl Sunday.  (Personally I believe they are owed millions in royalties from Anheuser Busch alone.)  Anyway, the original invitees were my Godmother and her family. 

Since logistics prevented us from seeing them on Christmas, our families used a football game as a reason to get together soon after the holidays were over.  Of course that meant that I would have to wait patiently for the playoffs to end before I was able to exchange Christmas gifts with my Godmother.  Hence, my super bowl presents!

This year the Super Bowl presents came from my DSIL and DB and their family in Michigan.  I think the package got stuck in a snow drift on it's way here.  And what great presents they were too.  Let's just say that anything green and white is welcomed in this house.  And they were thoughtful enough to send SB presents for the entire family too!  Genna has been wearing her blue Notre Dame sweatshirt day and night for a week now.

There's so much more to catch up on still.  I still haven't reported on the latest birthday party.  Then there's Lent, the primaries, and whatever else comes to mind.  and then there's still another special occasion coming up next week. 

(Hint, it's the second most important day of the year, after Christmas Eve.)

Out of a family of five, three are sick today; sick enough not to even get out of bed.  That wouldn't be so bad if two of the three weren't the parents.

The flu is going through the house.  Nikita had it first and is perfectly healthy now.  Richard and I took turns keeping him quiet all day as the others slept.  I'm not sure who has it the roughest, the busy five year-old who isn't used to staying quiet, the one who has to entertain him in between trips to the bathroom or the one who is trying to rest while being lovingly checked on about every 15 minutes.

Genna is also sick, and Michael is complaining that he doesn't feel well either. 

Please keep us in your prayers.

If you are still undecided, take the time to review the current candidates.  I recommend their personal websites, OntheIssues.org, VoteSmart.org, and FactCheck.org.  Be sure to check out voting records as well as the claims that the candidates themselves make about the issues.

I am still very undecided about the candidates.  In my opinion, the right to life issues are key because I believe that our culture cannot honestly address quality of life issues until we move past the belief that we have the right to judge  whether or not a person is allowed to his or her life in the first place. 

In reality, this rules out every major candidate but one.  The democratic candidates oppose the death penalty but support a woman's right to choose abortion.  The republicans oppose abortion but support capital punishment.  Only Ron Paul opposes both.

If this was the only issue of concern in the election, my vote would be easy.  But I am not sure that Ron Paul is a viable candidate.  I am afraid that he is not truly taken seriously by the press or by the other candidates.  I agree with many of his ideas on reducing federal oversight but I am concerned that he might be going a bit too far.  While states do have the right and responsibility to govern their people, we are not fifty individual countries and cannot have fifty different ideas of what constitutes marriage, a good education, or reasonable trade.

I am looking for a candidate who is concerned with what we need rather than what we want, who is most in need rather than who has the most to gain or lose and what is right rather than what is popular.  Unfortunately we don't have anyone running with that kind of platform.

If I were voting Democratic, I think I would vote for Obama, primarily as a vote against Clinton.  I am afraid that she exemplifies power politics at it's worst.  I am tired of watching the special interests with the most money getting their way. 

As far as Republicans go, I agree with many of McCain's stands on the issues, but I have seen McCain twist and stretch the facts too much to believe he would be truthful as president.  I've seen Romney behave similarly.  That leaves Huckabee.  I haven't seen as many lies from Huckabee.  That doesn't mean they're not out there.)  But frankly, Huckabee's FairTax ideas scare me.  I don't see how we can move from where we are to a general sales tax without huge problems with inflation.  I don't see how the end user is protected from being taxed multiple times on the same goods as they go from raw material to manufacturere to wholesaler to consumer.

I'll probably vote for Ron Paul and hope Huckabee wins out over McCain and Romney.  In reality, my vote next week won't count for much.  Those of you voting today have all the power. 

Please use it wisely.

Leslie lived for several years in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.  Up there, during the cold days of winter, pastys ( pronounce the 'a' like in father.) are a staple.  They are basically hand held meat pies.  As she explained it to me, they would be pulled out of the oven in the morning and carried in a pocket until lunchtime.  By then they had kept someone's hard working husband warm in the cold weather and were just the right temperature to eat.

Leslie shared lots of wonderful things with me while we were roommates and then later when we were both married.  She died of a brain tumor quite a few years ago.  I miss her very much.  But between her and my SIL, I was able to pull up a terrific memory of making pastys at the kitchen counter with her on a cold February afternoon oh-so-many years ago.

Here is the recipe she gave me:

Michigan Pastys (makes four)

1 c shortening
1 c boiling water
3 c flour
1 tsp. salt

Pour boiling water over shortening, add the rest of the ingredients. Mix and chill for 1 hour.

5 potatoes
1 medium onion
1 med rutabaga
2 lg carrots
1 lb beef (we always used round steak)

Dice all and blend together.  Divide pastry into quarters.  Roll out on a floured surface.  Place a quarter of the filling on one half of the pastry.  Sprinkle with onion salt, garlic salt, pepper and dabs of butter.  Fold other half of the pastry over and seal the edges.  Repeat with remaining pastry and filling.  Bake on a cookie pan at 400 degrees for 30 minutes.  Reduce temperature to 375 and bake another 30 minutes.  Let cool.  To store, wrap in aluminum foil and freeze.  Heat through in a 350 oven before serving.  Tradition says eat them with ketchup.  I always ate them with mustard.

I think I need to pick up a few 'bagas at the grocery store.