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On Lent

Lent kind of snuck up on me this year. Actually I don’t think it had actually occurred to me at all until I started to see Facebook updates about what people are and aren’t giving up this season.

Audrey said she is giving up soda and chocolate… Katie isn’t sure but is considering queso dip… and Marianne hasn’t announced it on FB but I know that each year she swears off sweets.

Like I said, I haven’t given it any thought at all, but now I’m wondering if I shouldn’t think something up real quick. Last year we (as a family) gave up fast food, which was actually pretty successful. We talked about giving up eating out all together, but decided that was not likely to happen. Maybe we should do fast food again, I don’t know. Unless Chipotle qualifies, then I am out.

One year Andy gave up beer. We both hope to never go through that again.

What is Lent, anyway? Wikipedia says:
Lent in the Christian tradition, is the period of the liturgical year leading up to Easter. Lent is a time of sacrifice for Jesus. The traditional purpose of Lent is the preparation of the believer — through prayer, repentance, almsgiving and self-denial — for the annual commemoration during Holy Week of the Death and Resurrection of Jesus, which recalls the events linked to the Passion of Christ and culminates in Easter, the celebration of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ.

But really, I go back and forth on the idea of giving something up – is it really used as a time of sacrifice and preparation for some spiritual end, or is it more of a starting-over-because-I-screwed-up-my-New-Year’s-resolutions-two-months-ago kind of thing?

I’m not sure. I suppose it could go either way. And, of course, I am easily influenced and could go either way as well – so convince me people… what, if anything, do you do (or not do!) during Lent?

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The Nerd is Strong with This One

One of my mom’s closest friends once said to me, “You know, your mom and I used to talk about how we hoped our kids would be just *slightly* nerdy.”

At the time I was in high school and thought that was a classic case of “be careful what you wish for.” I mean, I was more than slightly nerdy. I was the president of the marching band, for the love of God.

Now, though, I have a different perspective and completely understand where they were coming from. Being popular or in the in-crowd is a pretty loaded proposition and comes with a lot of pressure. (Or so I’ve heard.)

Her words stuck with me and I now share that wish for my own kids. However, for the last few years I’ve had the nagging feeling that maybe the dorkiness thing wouldn’t work out for Kate. I worried that because she is so pretty, so smart, and so outgoing, that – despite family tradition and a strong genetic predisposition – she might not have any nerd in her.

I was wrong.

My first hint that things might be going my way happened the other night when I walked in her room to find her reading a bedtime story and marking typos with a red pen.

Tears of pride, people. Tears of pride.

But I have to tip my hat to my husband, who recently solidified her membership into the dork club for life.

He made her a Star Wars fan.

It all started about a month ago, when Andy was home with the kids on what seemed like an endless run of snow days. They were all bored, so he took the opportunity to introduce the kids to Star Wars movies, and when that went well he brought out the big guns – the boxes (and boxes and boxes) of Star Wars paraphernalia (1976-present) that had been living in our garage (and now live in our basement. yay.).

The kids are hooked.

Now I am constantly getting hit with light sabers and hearing fascinating conversations that start out “Daddy, who was See See Tin’s padawan?” It is seriously all I can do not to yell out “WHO CARES???”

My eyes are sore from all the rolling.

My worries about Kate not being dorky enough??

Gone.

Frankly, “band nerd” is the best-case scenario at this point.

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Up & Out

Since I had baby Jonah, it’s been quite a dance getting both he and Sophie ready in the mornings before I take Sophie to school  Monday-Thursday.  Sophie has to be there at 9:25, and I always try to leave the house by 9:10 even though it only takes 7 or 8 minutes to get there.  See, I have this “thing” about being late.  I HATE it, and it makes my blood pressure skyrocket if I think I am going to be late. SO.  We try to be ready a wee bit early in the mornings “just in case”.  This has resulted in me having to drive around the block a few times when we get to school, but it has pretty much worked out.

This morning, my anal-retentive need to be early REALLY paid off!  Because when I picked Jonah up out of his bouncy seat to put him  in his car seat, he had pooped through his clothes up to his shoulders. (My first thought was, well THIS is what I get for daring to take the time to eat breakfast and put on makeup! FOOL!)

Emergency!! Diaper change AND clothes change at the last minute!  Plus I still had to get Sophie in her coat, hat, mittens, etc. Eep!  Fortunately there was a laundry basket with clean clothes unfolded in the dining room (yes! my slacker housekeeping pays off!) so I didn’t have to run upstairs and dig through his drawers for an outfit.

I stripped him, gave his back, shoulders, and nether-regions a baby wipes bath, and got him changed and dressed.  Then popped him in his car seat and got Sophie ready to go.

We were in the car by 9:14.

Shew! {wipes forehead}.

Oh, crap. (Pun intended.) I just remembered I still have his poop-covered clothes sitting out!  Yikes!  Umm…gotta go!

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