7 Quick Takes Friday

1. 15 seconds

My youngest son stood for 15 seconds.  He also said "Hello" this week and "I love you Dad."  It's hard to top that, but my pediatrician said, "He should work on saying, "I love you Mom." for Mother's day."  I'll just feast on his kisses on my cheek as he says, "Love, love, love, love, love."  It works for me.

2.  I'm Nominated

I didn't even know I was nominated in the 2010 Cannonball Awards for Most Underappreciated.  So go, show your love for Chocolate for your Brain! The losers still get a badge, a "I got nominated and all I won was this wrongful sense of pride" widget.  I'm just pleased to be in the company of My Wonderful Life and the Crescat and Aggie Catholics. 

http:www.//thecrescat.blogspot.com/search/label/Cannonball%20Awards

3. Fortelling

When my daughter was born 14 years ago today, I begged the nurse to show her to me.  "Let me see her." I demanded as they were wrapping her up. They turned her face towards me.  "She's beautiful." I said. The nurse then asked me, "Do you think you will have any more?"  Mind you this is three minutes after delivery and I guess it was in my heart before my head knew it because I responded, "Oh sure."   Happy Birthday!

4. My sons have discovered the hose.

My grass will never be thirsty again and socks will never be dry.  But the hose is the one toy that brings a surly almost 11 year old, a sensitive 6, a sparkly 8 and a brass 4 together.  Watching them play, as much as I hate to say this, it's worth a bit of extra laundry even if one child is wearing a leather cowboy costume vest.  

5. Prayer

Prayer never fails.  Not once.  We begin to speak towards God and God is waiting to pounce, to lavish us with His love, to answer, to answer, to answer.  So I invite each of you to pick one person you know that for the next week, you will pray for.  You don't have to tell them, you tell God.  You petition God for them, because of them, out of love for them, out of a difficulty loving them. It does not matter.  Pray for that person with your whole heart.  God hears; God responds.  I've got mine.    

6.  Saints

A jewler sends me a catalog and I drool over the silver he designs.  For over 15 years, I wore a silver cuff my father gave me.  It was just the right fatness, it got dented, left in a bar in Italy --I made the bus turn around, lost in a couch for six months, and then one day, I couldn't find it.  I remember I couldn't find it and voiced my sadness to my mother as I looked at the silver cuff advertised on the cover.  She suggested prayers to Saint Anthony and I agreed, I'd petitioned him on many an occasion for keys, for purse, for peace of mind, for minutes in the day, for a solution to a problem, for the energy to pray, for the capacity to act. 

"What would we do if we didn't have Saint Anthony?"  she asked. "Where would we be?"   It took me two seconds to find the answer, "Lost."   But sometimes, God works in the losing too. I lost my keys today after we came home, hence we had to bag softball practice and the slow winding weekend start was just what all of us needed. I've looked everywhere but can't find those keys. Yes I've put in a request to Saint Anthony too, but also I'm really enjoying Not being able to go anywhere so I can't say I'm looking too hard, not yet anyway.

7.  Happy Mother's Day

My mom was here for the week and it was really nice to have unrushed time with her and Dad.  Happy Mother's Day Mom!  I love you.  Still after all these years, you're one of my best friends and it's hard to go a day without talking.  Thanks for all you do, while here and from afar.  Any skills I have as a Mom come from you.  Much love.  --Sherry