Okay readers, we’re going to try a new format and link up with Kelly over at This Ain’t the Lyceum. If you haven’t checked out her blog yet, make sure you spend some time browsing her archives.
1.This week we took a trip to the Detroit Institute of Art. My kids love the DIA and we were long overdue for a visit. It’s free for residents of Wayne County, which we try to take advantage of regularly. I love that I can expose my kiddos to world class art close to home and that we can stay as long as it’s enjoyable without the guilt that I feel when we have to leave quickly somewhere we’ve paid admission. Nana always takes the kids to the gift shop to browse their selection of postcards and books. This time around we got this book and this one, which are absolutely delightful. Charlotte can’t get enough of the bright colors and the older kids are learning about Frank Lloyd Wright.
2. Gianna is continuing to thrive on her medications, which does deserve a post all on it’s own, but because I haven’t yet managed to sit down and write one, I’ll just mention here that we are beyond thrilled with the combo treatment of medication and therapy for her ADHD and anxiety symptoms. She is so happy and so much more herself, truly our ideal outcome.
3. I’ve been reading a compilation of St. Bernadette’s writings, and boy did this quote throw a challenge my way this week: “This year I must overcome or die. For the greater glory of God, it is not important to do many things, but to do them well.” At first I was most struck by the first sentence and realized that wow, I have a long way to go- I don’t usually think of rooting out sin as “overcome or die” but I should. But the part that has stuck with me the most is that last part- it is not important to do many things, but to do them well. This has been a theme this year for me, and I am grateful God reminded me again of it. He has been saying over and over again to me to “make haste slowly” and to focus on quality, not quantity.
4. Our Lenten prayer area looks a little more worn and a little less picture perfect after a week and a half of use. Things that have stuck well: the prayer chain and the pennies. The kids love them so much! Things that I need to think about re-tooling for next year: the clip art calendar. William is too enthusiastic about taking a piece off, crumbling it up, and putting it in the trash. I’m pretty sure only half of ours remains.
5. Lenten Promises: I loved the format of the Lenten goals from Kendra, and so as a whole family we sat down and wrote ours together. Gianna has surprised me and goes back to check in on hers to make sure she’s remembering to do them. And she is remembering them. William on the other hand . . .
6. We have a date night tonight! An honest to goodness, get dressed up, night without kids. It has been longer than I care to admit since we’ve gone out anywhere. Tonight will be especially fabulous- Mark’s dad got the family (including my mom, because he’s wonderful and knows she has been dying to see it) tickets to see Hamilton. So tonight we are leaving the kiddos and heading out to dinner and a night at the theater. Wahooo!
7. Please keep our family in your prayers this spring. We have a couple of big things in the works here. One of which is that we are in the process of buying a house, which is terribly exciting, but also terribly stressful. The other big and exciting is something that I’m not quite ready to announce yet, but is a project that I’ve been working on in honor of our Blessed Mother, and could use prayers for!
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