Yarn...Precious Yarn....

Stash Buster:

Ok. does it count as a stash buster when you give some of it away?  I think it does and it's my blog, so I get to say "Yes!"  (Down 8 skeins to my mother, today!)

However, I had to really hold back jealous, covetous thoughts, when my mother came over to get some wool yarn. 

Now, I TOLD her that she could come over.  I even showed her which shelves the wool yarn was on.  However, I was not exactly expecting her to take 8 skeins of my precious wool yarn. 

I mean, my mother is going to use it for hats and scarves and socks for the grandchildren.  How could I think evil thoughts about her?  (especially since I showed her the yarn and didn't limit her selection - ok, I did, but only that she couldn't take the Wool-Ease that I have no project planned for, yet).

If you're going to make socks, take ugly yarn.  Nope, she took some cute purple and bright pink and light pink and some green.  I was actually okay with the pink and the bright pink being sent home with my mother.  The green, she could have taken all of the lichen colored green.  I let myself get upset that she took my cool purple and then she took 2 or 3 skeins of my white/cream color.  It was the white that got under my skin.  How dare she take my white wool.

Step back, Satan!

First things, first.  This is my mother.

Secondly, She's making my kids socks.  (and it's my mother!)

Then, I told her what shelves to go shopping from.  (and it's my mother!)

Fine. (agreed to quite begrudgingly)  I hope I at least get a pair of socks out of the deal.

If only I hadn't seen this tutorial Dyeing with Easter Egg Colors today of all days.  I had this urge to turn my wonderful white into gorgeous colorways of my own creation.

Ok. I'm going back to my corner now and working on Fixit's blanket done in wonderful Red Heart acrylic, but it's not as nice as my wool yarn.  sigh

UGH! She's only 9!

K and I, K and her Dad, and K and her sisters have been butting heads all day!

I realize that she's only 9.  Most of the time, she is very sweet and very helpful.

Today, it was snap at a Fixit for wanting to help her. Yell at Bug because they looked at each other.  Just that silly pettiness that drives me insane.

Most of the time, she is so mature.  Today has not been one of those day.  I don't have a "normal" 9-year-old to compare her to, but I know that my extraordinary 9-year-old is driving me batty.

"Hail Mary full of grace. The Lord is with thee.  Blessed are thou amongst women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God - pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death. Amen." 

Dear Mother of all,

Please help me be patient and understanding. Please help me listen and love.  Please help me help her and the rest of my family.

Amen.

Poor, Poor, Pitiful Me

I'm having a feel sorry for me day.  Which translates into whining.  I try not to have days like this, but today, it caught up with me.

I had to take two of the girls to the Emergency Room in September on separate occasions.  Well, we got the EOB's back from the insurance and the two visits are going to be about $1100.  Gasp! 

So, I called the billing department today to have them resubmit the bills, because they billed the visits as ER instead of UrgentCare, which I thought it should be.  Ugh!  They don't offer UrgentCare at that site anymore, so it only gets billed as ER services.  Then, there's the surgery (3 staples is surgery?)  and that was a separate Dr's bill and surgery fee at $500.

Christmas is officially cancelled.  We're broke!

Step Back Satan!

We have more than lots of people and plenty for us. 

We have a roof over our head, beds to sleep in, the propane is already paid for our heat for the winter (and we have sweaters and socks to wear when I set the heat at 66).

We have plenty of yarn for me to make afghans and slippers (guess I'll have to figure out how to read a pattern).  I have plenty of material to relearn how to sew.

We have plenty of food in the freezers and the cupboards and the money to buy more.

We have too much stuff.  So, having bills just means a decrease in our buying things for Christmas, but it doesn't limit our ability to make and give from the heart.

Sometimes, I just need to take that step back, give myself a mental slap, and realize that we have plenty and that God always provides.

Amazing Day of Reflection

First, when I get the pictures downloaded, I'll share our family day.   And I believe that the family day was vitally important to recharging all our batteries.

Now, I think my recharged batteries by spending time an amazing day with my family, not stressing about the day, and allowing myself to enjoy a family outing. 

This simple recharging really helped my thought processes towards Catechism class tomorrow.  For the first time, I was able to read through our classroom text and the teacher's guide without criticizing the content for being "boring."  I think my judgement was being clouded every time I was looking at this before, because Satan was discouraging my attempts to be a good catechist.  Self doubt is one of the biggest limiting evils.  After all, if I don't think I can do it, I can't.  That would be score 1 Satan, score 0 Traci.

Today, was different.  I was able to look at the text objectively and glean important concepts from it.  I will NOT be having them read from the text.  Yes, the information is very important to building their faith and reinforcing mine.  However, I think the way the text is written is very dry and the language is very complex.  I think I am going to be able to do a better job taking the concepts and trying to draw them into conversation.

That is the idea, anyhow.  Sometimes, 7th graders don't offer any comments or any discussion.  I'm hoping that one of my ideas of having them write their ideas down and then we can discuss them will help draw them out more.

I need to ask the Holy Spirit to guide me in what I say and what I try to teach.

Today was so successful that I actually spent 2 hours writing lesson plans. I always winged it before.  So, step back Satan, I've got a plan and I'm going to go with it.

I feel so good about this.  Seriously, it's a weight lifted.

Dear Lord,  Thank you for the revelation I needed to help guide me toward your truth. Thank you for filling me with the Holy Spirit and allow me to pass this importance along to my class.  In Jesus' name, I pray.  Amen.

I'm not exactly sure how to deal with this...

I'm trying to be a Catholic Mom.  No, I'm trying to be a GOOD Catholic Mom.  Some days, I'm just not sure how to go about this monumental task.

I mean, there are tons of resources out there that tell you how to be a Good Catholic Mom.  Some of these make me feel vastly inadequate.  Some of them, when I find them, seem to resonate with me and make sense and I bookmark them on my computer and hope to be able to find them again when I need them.  (Oh, and I'm totally unorganized and can never find anything when I want it.)  But, and it's a BIG BUT - How do I be a GOOD Catholic Mom? 

I'm a cradle Catholic.  I should know ALL this stuff, right? 

I had the "uber" Catholic Mom who was the Church Lady.  (I love you, Mom, more than anything, but as a Mom you drove us nuts with church, even though I strive to be like you, now!) 

But I feel really dumb and lacking when I don't know something that's going on in church or even the prayers that our congegration adds to the Rosary.  I learned the Rosary as Apostles' Creed, Our Father, Hail Mary, and Glory Be.  The parish I grew up never said the rosary before Mass.  The only time we said the Rosary was during Lent.  Now, in our parish that we joined about 4 years ago, they say the Rosary before every Mass.  No matter what time we leave the house, we always get to church in the middle of it.  It's taken me Four LONG Years, but I finally figured out that the prayer that is added by the Glory Be is the Fatima Prayer. Huh?  That's not in my Catholic Book of Prayers.  I still don't know the prayer that they put at the end of the Rosary.

Maybe the crux of the problem is that I'm such an introvert that I don't ask anyone.  Honestly, shouldn't I know this stuff?  But, I never learned any of this.

Now, how am I supposed to teach a Catechism class for 7th graders when I'm not an "uber" Catholic?  I didn't grow up in a household where the family said the rosary together every night (and there are families like that in my parish. I strive to be like them.) How am I supposed to teach them when I don't know everything I need to know?

Hmmmmmmmmmm,  guess I need to take a deep breath, tell Satan to take a step back, and that I'll learn it as I go - all the while, being honest with the kids that they might know more than I do and I'm just trying to give them a way to continue to learn it.