Grandparents Raising Grandkids

It is so hard to leave a one or two sentence status on Facebook and have everyone understand the whole picture. I did that recently when I posted my displeasure with grandparents raising their grandchildren. Sometimes I take for granted that everyone will know what I'm talking about. The grandparents understood. Go figure. I want to make myself more clear so that if anyone is offended, it will be with all the information and not with a couple sentences. Being offended is not the be all and end all of what everyone needs to avoid. Sometimes the truth is difficult to hear.

I have the benefit of being an outside viewer of the daytime world. I get to be at the zoo during the day, the park during the day, the store during the day, etc. Working mom's and dad's do not get to see this as often as I do. So, here I am to tell you what I see and what bothers me.

I have so many examples , I don't know where to start. Let me begin with a few experiences I have had

#1 As I am walking around Science City with a couple of my kids, an older man looks at me, points and says to his wife, "Look, its a real mom with her kids." My eyes metaphorically opened for the first time. He was right. Nearly all the kids there were accompanied by their grandparents.

#2  I was in the park one day watching my kids play. The old man beside me called for his granddaughter to come home. Not only did she not come but she was hateful and rude about it. I can't tell you the rage I have when anyone, in spite of their age, is rude to our elderly. I wanted to do unthinkable things to this girl. I wanted to help the old man but I knew that would entail pulling and dragging and possibly some humiliation on grandpa's part so I left. I couldn't watch it.

#3  I'm at Pizza Street and see Grandma and Grandpa with a newborn baby and a toddler. I get sick to my stomach when I see newborns without their Mommy. Dogs don't leave their puppies that soon and they grow 7 times faster than humans. When the baby started to cry, he/she must have cried for about 5 minutes before Grandma was able to get the bottle, unbuckle her, pick her up and get situated back in her seat.

#4  I go to my neighbors house to tell her what her son had just done with 20 tubes of my toothpaste. She comes out the door and after walking about 10 feet, she says that she can't walk any further because of a broken hip a year ago. Really? This poor woman! How can she keep up with a 7 and 5 year old every day?

#5  The few times I have visited Theresa at school for lunch, I see a Grandpa from my Cub Scout Pack who is also eating lunch with his grandson. He religiously brings him to all the den meetings, and all the Pack meetings and events. It hurts him to have to camp with him but he does it anyway. He has taught this boy well and is very polite and well-mannered. He told me last summer that he doesn't think he should register as a leader because the doctors told him that he may only have a year left to live.

#6  I'm at the grocery store and see a grandma with a baby in the cart and a toddler walking the isles. I watch her shop with a limp and load her car and the kids when I notice that she only has use of one arm.  

#7  Another neighbor raised 3 kids and because of her sisters bad choices, she is now raising 3 more. I could write pages upon pages of the problems she has had to endure. I praise her for taking on this responsibility.

#8  I am at the Pack Meeting with the Cub Scouts. In walks Grandma and Grandpa with their grandson, Caleb. Grandpa has had back pain that comes and goes for several years. Grandma has multiple medical issues that are too numerous to count and many times, she has great difficulty speaking. And she almost always has a problem walking. These grandparents have put aside their retiring years to raise their grandson. I bow in their presence! They will stop at nothing to give their now adopted son the best life possible and will sacrifice everything for him. Why do I want to bow whenever I see them? Because they have taken on a role that SHOULD have belonged to someone else.

If these stories do not pain you then let me explain why they pain me. After all, everyone's entitled to my opinion right?

I do not believe that grandparents are a terrible or last resort choice. They have raised their children and deserve the right to spoil and send home their grandchildren. One of my friends had told me, "I can never explain to you how it feels to be a Grandma." Oh, I long for that feeling! I long for other grandparents to have that feeling. They are robbed of that feeling, in spite of the circumstances, when they have to turn into a mom and dad all over again. Think of the difference between finding out your going to be a grandparent and finding out your pregnant again when your 55. Yeah. Big difference isn't it! One is a feeling of excitement, shopping, anticipation, smiles and giddiness. The other is, "What the HELL??!!"

After we grow up and leave the nest, I feel like it is time for the tides to turn. Now, we are grown, able adults that need to serve our parents. We need to fix the leak, repair the floor, help build the new deck, take them to the doctor, provide them comfort and to never ever ask anything in return. They have served their time, defended their country, spent thousands of dollars on you, raised their children. Now it is time to say "Thank you", not, "give me more...oh, and for no pay..please and thank you.."

If the people that replied to my status truly understood what I meant when I said that parents need to step up and raise their own kids then this is how I interpreted their replies...

"Well, I am happy that my grandparents raised me..." What I read is..."I'm so glad my mom was too young and making bad choices to raise me."

"My Mom  really wanted to be my baby's care giver"...What I read is..."My Mom thought she would be a better caregiver then me." I jokingly asked my mom when she was about 50 years old what she would do if she got pregnant. She laughed and said, "I would give the baby to you." There was much wisdom in that response. She knew the best upbringing for her baby would be with a young energetic Mom and not one that was done and retired from it. And not just any young, energetic mom either. Me. What a nice compliment.

"If we didn't have grandparents raising their grandchildren, we would have more kids in the system"...What I read is..."If my parents died today, my kids will belong to the state. Really? Its THAT bad for you?

Where do my opinions come from ? It comes from my upbringing. My mom's siblings always cared and served my grandparents. I never knew that it was any other way.  I don't think they knew there was any other way either. The world was starting to change around us and my mother felt compelled to tell me that she was not going to raise my kids. "You will be a mom one day and I will be a grandma and we are to take on our roles with gusto." So, what happened when I got pregnant out of wed lock? Many....MANY girls and women find themselves asking this question. My answers were different then others. I didn't have the option to pass on my baby to my parents. So I was left with 2 choices...give away my baby to a 2 parent married mommy and daddy or provide the 2 parent mommy and daddy myself. Does anyone see a problem with my only 2 options? They both sound like they were in the best interest of the child and not myself. My mother has wisdom far above and beyond any woman I know. Was I upset that she said she wouldn't raise my kids for me? No way! I learned from an early age that if I bought it, I took care of it...if I damaged it, I replaced it...if I wanted it, I saved my money for it...and if I birthed it, it was mine and I cared for it! Bottom line...if parents insist that they will not be robbed of being a spoiling grandparent and the child understands that parents are to be served and not used then the chances of being in this "grandparents raising grandchildren" role will greatly diminish.

EXCEPTIONS

Is there ever a circumstance that would make me ever raise my grandchildren. Absolutely! 

#1  If one of the parents passed away...and all my other children passed away too. I am raising my kids to be fine young people. They have the free will to throw it all away and make bad choices but if they hold fast, I promise you that they will each make a finer parent then me when they are young adults and I'm 60 something.

#2  Daddy is off to war. I will be there every step of the way...cleaning, laundry, shopping, babysitting, etc.

#3 My child becomes an idiot and is a terrible parent...oh, and all my other children are idiots or pass away. lol. See? There's a benefit to having a lot of children. What are the chances that my grandchild has to bypass 7 other aunts and uncles to get to me?

#4  If my child is insistent that he/she is going to work and will put my grandbaby in daycare. I will wait until the last day and finally break down and agree...for equal pay. I'm not a servant! Oh, this is contingent on all my other children refusing this job first. I sincerely believe that a grandparent is a better choice for the child then daycare because they have an invested interest and truly LOVE that child.

#5 If our family decided to live and raise all the growing children in the extended family like they do in other cultures then I would be all over that. These are not the cases I am referring to however.

I think you get the idea.

So, I never addressed the majority of reasons I hear..."We do what we have to do...I have to work...We could never make it on my husband's salary..." To which I respond...Maybe not....BUT, maybe SO and even probably so. People DO do what they have to do and if Mom and Dad are NOT there, people find a way. They always do. My friend lost her job for a year and her kids came back home with her. For a year she couldn't find a job and for a year, every bill was paid and they cut back. When people are backed into a corner, they don't crumble and die or resort to prostitution, they find a way. If your parents died today, you would find a way.  "Let not your heart be troubled."

Servants of Mary

My daughter, Samantha, has been going to a class at a convent just North of Downtown Kansas City. It is called Servants of Mary. About 8 times a year, a group of girls ages 7-12 spend 3 hours with the Sisters doing activities, praying, playing games, learning about their vocation, and learning more about their faith. The first day I was there, I was waiting for the entire 3 hours inside the convent with my new baby. It was quiet and peaceful. I walked quietly around and observed every room that looked open. I felt like a bored patient waiting for the doctor and playing with all of his "toys" to occupy my time. Each picture was of a religious nature. There were pictures of saints, the Holy Family, Mary and Jesus. Unlike that feeling of being sneaky and afraid of being caught by the doctor, it was a feeling of love and peace. It was like a spa for my soul. Like my soul was being pampered and massaged by a communion of saints. It got me to thinking...Is my home like this? Haha...snap out of it Katy! <eyes reopen and head shakes> Sorry about that. Back on subject....

Samantha and Theresa with one of the Sisters. This is Theresa's first day.

The girls played outdoor games with the Sisters, had snacks and ended the day with the Stations of the Cross

I think that what you have in your home represents what is important to you. If a stranger walked into our vacant home, what would he learn? Would he know we have kids? You betcha. The first thing you see is our family photo surrounded by 8 pictures of each child...and the neighbor girl.... That might throw off the stranger when he passes the Asian girl. LOL. Would he know we are Catholic? I sure hope so.  

When I was a child, my friend  asked me why we worshiped pictures and statues. I always thought that was an odd question. Why would anyone think that we worshiped pictures and statues? I knew they had pictures of family and landscapes and statues of trophy's and even the baby Jesus at Christmas time.  It never dawned on me that they could be worshipping them.  So what is the deal with this misunderstanding?   Just in case that ugly rumor is still in the back of your mind, I would like to correct this. One of the Ten Commandments is used to argue against images..."You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them" (Ex 20:4-5).  But we must take into account Ex 25:18-22 and 36:8-33, where Moses is specifically commanded by God to make images for use in worshipping Him. In Numbers 21:8-9, God commands Moses to make a bronze serpent in order to save those bitten by the poisonous serpents. The Israelites were commanded to look up at the image in order to be healed.  God commands the making of images again in 1 Kings 6-7 when Solomon builds the temple. The Catholic use of images fits in precisely with a biblical understanding of the Ten Commandments. Catholics use physical reminders to focus their souls on the worship of God.

I have also heard the complaint, "Why are Catholics wasting so much money on lavish decorating when all that money could be given to the poor." I understand their point. We have stained glass windows, paintings, statue's, the finest buildings made of jewels, marble. So, where is the Catholic Church getting all of this money to be the #1 charitable denomination in the world? Let me correct myself. It is not only the #1 denomination. It is the #1 denomination over ALL denominations PUT TOGETHER. Wow! Well then? Put simply, when you glorify God first, He blesses you in abundance. Try it. Give to God what is God's in your time, talent and tithe and watch what you get back.

Seder Meal

One thing I like about being Catholic is having a salvation history that dates back thousands of years. The history is not pretty. It is full of sin, death, torture and promiscuity. But without so much suffering we would not see the power of God and the power of His mercy as clear as we do.  We owe a debt of gratitude to our Jewish brothers and sisters who have kept these traditions and rituals so we can all know and understand them today.

In one story in the Old Testament, the Israelites were enslaved in Egypt under the tyranny of one Pharoah after the other.  Here we get to see Gods power and His love for His people...His chosen people. After 9 devastating plagues, Pharoah still refused to let the Israelites leave to the Promised Land that their God had prepared for them. On the last night, God gave Moses the directions that He was to pass on to His people to prepare for the final plague and their departure. On this particular night, the angel of death passed over every home that had the blood of the lamb on their doorposts and went into the homes that did not to smite the oldest son.  The Israelites were already packed and ready to head to their land "flowing with milk and honey". Every year, this passing over is celebrated. Hence the name "Passover".

I had the pleasure of celebrating the Passover with two other families tonight. It was a wonderful experience and one I hope to repeat year after year.



This is our Seder Meal. The Matzoh (cracker), Maror (bitter herbs...aka, horseradish sauce), Karpas (parsley...I already dipped it in my salt water and ate it before I took the picture), Haroset (apples/raisins), and wine.



The little kids get their own table. They sat on cushions which was also symbolic

Urkhatz, the washing of hands

Even the baby participates



This is too cute!



Kerrianne and Samantha at their own table

 

Let's hold up our first cup together and Bless the Lord! Now lets liquor up the children.




Blessed are you, O Lord Our God, who has set us apart by His word and commanded us to eat bitter herbs



Yep, it was bitter but I am so proud of my picky eater. So proud.

Dip a finger into your cup and let a drop fall onto your napkin, making the cup of joy a little less full as we remember the cost of our freedom

For extra fun, each child got a mask that represented one of each plague.

And this ends our ritual

Sex, Sex and More Sex

I picked a good title didn't I?! I can hear the ticking of my blog counter going up. LOL.

When I was 12 years old, I babysat for the nice family across the street for 50 cents an hour. One day, I came across a stack of Playboy and Penthouse hiding in the back corner of the parents bedroom closet. I have no idea what would put me in their closet. Most likely, I was just nosey. I like other people's stuff because everyone always had better stuff then us! These were nothing like my dad's Chemistry magazines we had strung all over my house. I thumbed through every page, gasping at every picture. Needless to say, this marriage didn't last. Porn is a multi-billion dollar industry that is totally recession proof. Why? Because we are all so intrigued by sex. Yes, all of us. Including me. But what is the difference between the way I am intrigued by sex and the way a porn addict is? The difference is where we look for our ultimate satisfaction. My ultimate satisfaction is to be in full communion with God and to participate in one-flesh union as a foreshadowing of Christ's union with the church...at least, that is where I want my eyes, ears and heart to be.  Is that where the man addicted to porn looks for his satisfaction? I think not. He looks at pictures and uses women (or his own wife!) as an object to fullfill his desire that we all have.  A desire for love.  But as the song goes, he's "lookin' for love in all the wrong places...looking for love in too many places."  In the words of Dr. Phil, "How's that workin' for ya?"

I feel like one of those brand new born again Christians that has found the answer to life, love and happiness and is desperate to share with the world. Our hearts all yearn for the same thing!  The Pope and Hugh Hefner both have this in common...the desire to love and  to be loved. Which one has found this ultimate satisfaction? Which one found this love and stayed committed until death? For those of us married folk, our spouse can not be our ultimate satisfaction. It sure feels that way in the early years (maybe weeks for some) but soon we find out that marriage is not all that we thought it would be. Why is that? The answer is easy. Our relationship with our spouse can not be our ultimate fulfillment. If we believe that, we will be miserable, trapped and divorced. Marriage and its sexual embrace is just a little glimmer/a tiny foreshadowing of our ultimate satisfaction that awaits us in heaven.

I frequently talk to my kids about "Hollywood" and why so many rich and glamorous stars are on drugs, divorced and depressed. Maybe they just aren't finding enough sex. LOL. I don't think so. They are in a desperate search to find what we all want but they are accepting the counterfeits. Behind every counterfeit is a genuine human desire that is meant to be fulfilled through Christ and his Church. For example...getting drunk and having rampant sex you discover two sacraments: the Eucharist and marriage. Do you remember the apostles after Pentecost? They were all excited, jumping for joy and preaching in the language their listeners understood. They were accused of being drunk...and it wasn't even 9 o'clock in the morning! That kind of intoxication is what we are truly desiring!! Do you see why I am excited? When you find this, you look back on your life and have to ask, "What was I thinking?!!"

"We are made for communion with Christ, and our hearts are restless until we rest in this eternal embrace." - Christopher West

Theology of the Body for Beginners, Christopher West, Ascension Press, 2004

Samantha

12 years ago today, I walked into the kitchen to find Mary Kate making a mess on the kitchen floor with the play dough. As soon  as I cracked a smile when she looked up at me with her tiny face and blue eyes, my water broke. An instant feeling, physically, mentally, and spiritually flowed throughout my body of great delight and ecstasy. I was going to be a mom again today. I have never had my water break before or after this baby.  I so wish I would. I compare it to death and new life occurring instantly. By mid afternoon, I was holding my baby girl, Samantha. That was not the name of my choice but Roy has wanted a Samantha since he was a child. That was the last name he was allowed to give to any of our babies. lol.

I felt like she was my first girl. Mary Kate is absolutely a girl but she is her own unique individual. There are boys. There are girls. And then there is Mary Kate. With Samantha,  I got to experience the pathetic heart wrenching whimpers, the barrettes and pony tails, and everything pink.

She is my girl that wants to be perfect. She's not a perfectionist. She wants to be perfect as a child of her parents, as a student, as a stranger to others and as a child of God. What a blessing! When you look at her, you will see a body that radiates holiness. From a distance I think every boy will be able to see the dignity that he will have to protect in order to win her heart.  Sunsets are nice but Samantha is beautiful.

Have I over done it? Meet her and you will see that I haven't. Hopefully, this explanation is enough to understand how she treats her brothers and sisters and friends and family without me explaining it. Her future will be grand. She teaches me and the rest of the family every day with the virtues she practices. How I wish I could take credit for this! Believe me, I would take credit in a heartbeat if she were my only child but I have a couple children (BEN!) that discredits me quick. LOL. I must remember that some of our greatest saints were once very great sinners. They are both made of the same stuff. With Samantha being their example, I am not worried.

Samantha is such a Daddy's girl. She blushes when she talks to him on the phone. She tears up at the thought of losing him for another year when he gets the call for active duty half way around the world. Roy just can't say no to her. The feeling is mutual too. She may be spoiled but she has a deep love and appreciation  for all that she's given. Nearly everything she wants is somehow a gift for someone else. "Daddy, please let me go to the campout even though I'm coughing up a lung (I'm adlibbing a bit). I really want to help cook for the kids...and do the service project with the teens..." Or, "Daddy please buy me this cute fish for my aquarium. Josie said its her favorite fish and I want to surprise her." Or, "Mom, please let me spend the night at Emma's. She was sad today and needs me." She's either a generous and loving soul or really knows how to work the system. I prefer to think its the first.

As we were talking about her birthday, the subject came up about her 14th birthday. I told her that her Daddy is going to take her to a fancy restaurant. She is going to dress up and get her hair all dolled up. He is going to take her on a date and show her exactly how she is to be treated by a gentleman and where she will receive her purity ring, hand picked with alot of time and love by her father. I'll probably influence that decision a bit...alot. For now, its time to look forward to her last pre-teen year.

Happy birthday Samantha. Thank you for being you. I love you!

Lent

"Take care not to perform righteous deeds in order that people may see them...When you give alms, do not blow a trumpet before you...When you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right is doing, so that your almsgiving may be secret. And your Father who sees in secret will repay you...When you fast, do not look gloomy so that you may appear to others to be fasting. Your Father who sees what is hidden will repay you." Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18

I have several practicing and devout Catholics on my Facebook. Recently, I have seen a few status’ about their excitement about the Lent season approaching. I have to admit that I have not shared in their enthusiasm. Who gets excited about suffering? It got me thinking. After the 12 apostles were confirmed on Pentecost, they were no longer timid and scared of suffering and rejection. As a matter of fact, when they were stoned, tortured and kicked out from a town after spreading the Word of God, they were laughing and jumping for joy because they got to suffer in the name of Christ. It may sound odd at first but it actually makes sense. Bringing this closer to home, imagine a bully attacking your sister and then YOU jump in and fight the good fight all for the love of your sister. How will it make you feel after you had suffered your beating? How would it make your sister feel? Yes, its that kind of a feeling. It doesn’t have to be a feeling of triumph. That would be just a bonus. Its that feeling of love that grew between you and your sister. It’s the “You are my hero” feeling.

We can choose to suffer for God at any time of the year. Our family once made a spiritual bouquet for our friends that were in a car accident years ago. We made flowers out of construction paper and taped each one onto a straw. Then we wrote a sacrifice or prayer on each flower. They would say things like, “I will sleep on the floor with no pillow” or “I will pray 3 Divine Mercy Chaplets,” or “I will spend 1 hour in adoration,” or “I will only drink water for 2 days.” Each little bit of suffering can be a prayer if done with the love of God and our neighbor in mind. When we complain or brag about our suffering to others, it turns into a love for ourselves rather then for the good of the one we are praying for.  What my Catholic friends are so excited about is our beloved Catholic faith has given us a scheduled time to suffer in communion with one another. One friends status said, “…it is the time focus on something other than Recess Peanut Butter cups…” Oh, that is SO true. That feeling I get when I see chocolate should be channeled to something…or someone much, much greater. -He will take the "little death" in every act of self-denial and turn it into a shining testimony to his resurrection.-The Word Among Us. Daily Meditations for Lent 

I want to keep my blogs positive but I am still bothered, after a year, about one of my Protestant friends status. On Ash Wednesday, he posted all the indulgences he had eaten that day and a stab at the ridiculous Catholic custom of fasting. I don’t lump him in the category of what every non-Catholic believes but I do hope that he and others with like-minded thinking reads this blog. Catholics who choose to suffer do so, so they can focus on God and not the luxuries of life. Another example is the unintentional suffering…a terminal cancer, a loss of a child, loss of a job. Where to do people turn when they suffer naturally? God, of course. People fall to their knee’s in desperation. The one’s who choose to suffer do the same. I don’t know about you but I would so much rather choose what my suffering is going to be rather then taken by surprise. Are you hearing me God? Please, no surprises!  

The Christy’s have some customs that we like to do every so often. We are not consistent but that's ok. There will be more memories when we change things up. This year, we are coloring a Stations of the Cross book, tearing out the pages and taking advantage of our newly painted and naked walls. We will tape them up and do the Stations right in our own house. We normally go to church on Friday afternoons and participate in theirs or take a short trip to the Franciscan Center in Independence and hike their Stations of the Cross trail. We will have to find time for that. The kids love it. The kids made their own Journey through Lent poster. They color in a stepping stone each day until Easter. We will attend adoration and daily Mass more often, hopefully 3 days a week. I’m getting excited already! Lastly, we have a list on our refrigerator about what each one of us has given up. If we don’t write it down, the kids will be changing their mind based on what their current indulgence is. I know that feeling all too well. What are we giving up? NOT TELLING! It is between me and God and whoever visits and reads it off our refrigeratorJ

Journey through Lent

We made a crown of thorns out of flour, salt & water.

The kids add the "thorns" to represent our sins.

After every good deed that any of us do, we remove a "thorn" to ease Jesus' suffering

A Day in the Life of the Christy's Part 2

Tuesday morning begins with waking up by 7:30am and wandering around aimlessly trying to remind myself what I do in the morning. More specifically, what do I do on a TUESDAY morning. I remember! I run to Nick and tell him he's late for his breakdancing class! "Get up! Your late!..." If it gets too bad, I begin singing the worst rendition of the Star Spangled Banner to him that makes Rosanne Barr sound REAL good. It wakes up the whole family. I end up with a crowd of sleepy and giggling children as my audience. Even Nick can't stop laughing. Nick and Max are off to dance at Calvary Bible College.

I make breakfast, usually pancakes, french toast or oatmeal while instructing the older children to dress their "buddies" (We do the Duggar family buddy system). I make lunch for Ben and Josie, then promptly leave at 8:30 to drop off kids at their appropriate destinations. Stop #1, drop Theresa off at school. Stop #2, drop Ben and Josie off at Mothers Day Out.  




I'm so proud of Ben! I only got one behavior problem phone call all year. Come on Ben, you only have to make it a couple more months!

Ben is so excited about Mothers Day Out. Josie, not so much

  

Josie stands in front of her little cubbie that were consequently built by her older brother Nick just 2 years ago






                                                           

Stop #3, drop Mary Kate off at Grandview HS. Stop #4, pick up Max from dance. Stop #5, home by 10am. Samantha is about finished with Math while school is just beginning for Max. They do Math while I take care of my cute baby, clean and sneak out to pick up Mary Kate at 10:41 on the dot from the HS (she only takes one tutoring class). Mary Kate and I do Audiblox together for about 15 minutes. That is a reading program for kids with special needs. Then, she picks out a Saint DVD from our massive collection and watches that until Nick gets home.  If the other kids finish Math early, they work on independent subjects (Spelling, Latin, Handwriting, Language Arts) . We all do Geography together as soon as Nick comes home from dance. We work on one continent at a time accompanied with a cool video on the continent or one of its countries. I make lunch during the video. The kids eat at the island while I read the next Bible story. On to the next subjects! Writing, History, and read for 30 minutes. Nick and I try to squeeze an hour to ourselves to study his church History together. We usually end up talking about current events in his life, morals, God, or the other kids.  Its always a great time. We are definitely behind in Religion because of our goofing off.  By 2:00, Mrs. Hilboldt comes by with her lovely daughter, Emma. They take my Samantha down to her room and study Latin for 45-60 minutes. If they do well, Mrs. Hilboldt takes them to McDonalds where they study on their next class date.  Max needs extra help with Writing so he has me all to himself at this point. 



At this point, it gets tricky. These 3 kiddo's get dropped off for The King & I rehearsals at 5:00



At the same time, Nick drops off Mary Kate at Special Olympics practice

I pick up a nice man for my Theology of the Body class while Roy drops off the tiniest kids with his mom and sets up the TOB room at St. Matthews.  Roy, Nick and I take the TOB class from 7-8:30 at which point we split off again to grab the children at their various locations and taking the nice man home. I didn't mention how we ate dinner. I don't remember if or how we ate. I'm sure food got consumed but it was too fleeting to remember.

The night is not over! We still plan time for our "carefree timelessness" in the living room. We just sit quietly for about 15 minutes in the living room. The little kids color or read,  Nick is usually doing Math and Roy is letting the baby fall asleep on him. Me? I don't know what I do, I don't ever remember sitting quietly.  

This is my Tuesday! Next time someone asks what I do, I will refer them to my blog.