Catholic Family Vignettes

A sinus headache. And where are the last two sinus tabs? In the bottom of my purse (cue dramatic music!)

As I'm rummaging through my purse, which is a large, shapeless bag, I'm cursing the sheer volume of paper, the three mantillas, two church bulletins and large umbrella stand (oh...wait...that's Mary Poppins!), trying to find the world's smallest pack of foil-wrapped pain relievers.

"I hate this purse!"

My thirteen year old son, with a wry smile, says:

"Hey mom...maybe you need to find a purse with shelves...or maybe you just need those stackable things, like in a toolbox..."

Very funny...very, very funny.

My dear friend Sandra, who actually puts her cash in her wallet and knows where her keys are, is laughing her head off right now...

Do they make purses with shelves? I wonder... Read more!

Today I purchased eight clear, plastic bins, looked at paint chips and proceeded home to begin a major renovation of my younger daughters' room. I had planned to eliminate the stuffed animal menagerie that had taken over the shelves in the corner of their room, condense their toy box into smaller clear bins for easier organization and scale down their summer wardrobes. Having accomplished that, I would proceed to scraping and painting their room. Those were my plans...but they were not God's!

Instead of slaving away in a very hot, poorly ventilated upstairs bedroom for several hours, I was given the privilege of hosting three adorable young children, while their mother tended to needs of their infant sister who is currently hospitalized.

My five youngest children were delighted at the prospect of new playmates, and my oldest son became the devoted slave of the three visitors. Zachary fixed drinks, prepared sandwiches, and even let one of the little girls press the "launch" button on his Estes rocket.

The children were accompanied by my dear friend, Krislynne, and her daughter, Erin. They were tired, a little stressed out and a bit withdrawn--understandably so, considering what they had just experienced.

But children are amazingly resilient. Within an hour, they were chattering away, playing in the sandbox, swinging, climbing, riding bikes...a joy to behold.

Thank heavens for these "blessed interruptions"--I wouldn't have traded this afternoon for a roomful of organized, clear plastic bins! Read more!