Most exciting Saturday

A few weeks ago, #1 participated in, and won, the local homeschool spelling bee. It was exciting for her to win (having placed 2nd and 3rd in previous geography bees) and she got straight to work for the regional contest which was held this past Saturday.

I'm the worst mom ever because sometimes (almost always) I only read email 1/4 to 1/2 of the way through...especially if it involves things that aren't of immediate importance. Like the 1,500 words they should have been practicing since December, on the off chance they would make it to this point. Oh well, my bad.

Lucky for me, God has gifted us with a young lady whose mind is pretty solid with written things (don't give her verbal direction..write it down. seriously). She worked hard over the past few weeks drilling with her next younger sib and plowing through, I would say, 1,200 words at least. We all agreed she was prepared enough to give it a good shot for her first major bee.

I let DH and #2 go to cheer in the preliminaries. People think I'm being funny but, truly, I cannot stand that stress. Watching her and hearing the words ...it's torture. I figured out it's because I'm such a horrific speller. I listen to them spell and think, "there's no way that's correct" when it actually is. So, I waited it out with the little people Saturday morning and when I got the call that she was in the finals, Grammy came and off I went.

I nearly passed out in the first two rounds but then I would strategically head to the bathroom or elsewhere and listen for the bell when she was up (the bell means the word was misspelled). I never heard the bell. I heard her spell guitar, then matinee, then this

I was absolutely sure that was wrong...no bell (and, yes, that is Rick Sebak announcing)

Then came "backstein" and "embarcadero" and "ipecac". She made it through them all...about 17 kids of the original 30 remained. They were all hanging in strong so the leaders of the bee did the unthinkable...they went to the dictionary. The first was the "easy" round, she spelled "pedicure" but a few more kids were knocked out, I think because they received words that were unfamiliar (i.e. not on the memorization list).

Dear #2...oh that boy. He sat like an angel all morning but, it seemed, he needed to have just a bit more attention on himself. So, he tapped me

"Hey mom, my molar just fell out!". Seriously, kid? Do you see your sister up there standing with the other 15 kids, trying to spell these ridiculous words? He cracks me up. Truly.

Back at it with more words but not, sadly, "discalced" which knocked out the girl immediately after her. Afterward...

Me: You would have gotten that one, huh?

Her: Um, yeah...it often helps to have faith (in this case, Catholic). 

"scandium" and "columbarium" and "grundyism" I'm not joking and I have no idea, even now, what most of these things are...except backstein. It's a cheese. I'm going to see if they have it at PennMac :0)

She ended up in the final 2 and lost on "ronin" which, after all those crazy ones, seems a bit anticlimactic. Still, it happened the way it needed to, the way God knew was right. Again, not reading the complete rules, you have to be in DC for an entire week to participate in the finals. Um, no, that's not happening right now. So, she finishes #2 in the state regional and that's just perfect.

Reflecting on the day, I have to say I have been finding lots of blessings that I couldn't unwrap during the competition...

- It's Women's History Month and we've just passed International Women's Day. Looking at the winner and runner up, both young women, I am so grateful to have this to show her later when things get sticky. It's not about wearing your heart (or other internal organ) on your sleeve (or on your head), it's about doing the very best you can with the gifts God has given you, specifically, to use. Women are amazing people and each one is given gifts by the Creator that are theirs. Living up to His ideal for us is the greatest way we can give thanks for this life.

- Siblings are the best gift you can give. My mom came over with 15 minutes notice to watch the little people and while I sat, neurotic, watching my sweet girl compete (and her brother rip his teeth out), Grammy and the little three were hard at work.

That is a genuine smile from someone who is usually weighed down by the world. There is nothing quite like coming home to make you feel truly appreciated.

- Competition, within reason. I was a competitive swimmer when I was young and did all sorts of sports in high school. I remember feeling terrible when I missed the last dig in a match or when I fell short of my previous record. I will do anything in my power to guard my kids from those feelings because, in my humble opinion, they don't mean a whole lot going forward.
 
When I talked to her the morning of the bee, I asked if she had said her prayers. "Yes," she said,"I prayed to Our Lady and all the major players involved." I knew what she meant but we went through the list anyway...St. Thomas Aquinas, St. John Bosco, St. Katherine Drexel, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, all the doctors of the Church. "And," she said, "St. Jerome...because if you're rewriting the Bible, you have to know how to spell." Good point.

Yes, we drilled on the words for a few weeks but we also had school every day and she also read for fun, as she usually does, with a dictionary nearby to look up unknown words. In the end, she is gifted with remembering what she reads and I think she can appreciate that specific gift helped her to do as well as she did.

Ultimately, it's just another reminder that I'm overwhelmingly grateful that our Loving Creator has led us down the path to homeschooling.  There are so many gifts it brings, not the least of which is being the primary go-to for our children. I am amazed (in good and bad ways) daily at what these people can achieve (in good and bad ways). Just yesterday, I watched this little guy compose a love song to God.

He's not the speller his sister was at 4 ;0) But he's certainly cute!

My house is cluttered, we don't have the best of everything, and we can't do all the things we could if we lived on two-incomes. I don't worry about any of that because it's clear to me why God has placed me here...to be with these little ones and guide them with my dh, to the best of my flawed ability, along His path for them. What an awesome responsibility. What a blessing and, at times, cross. How grateful I am.

Competition

This morning was the Pittsburgh Marathon. A HUGE HOOOORRRAY for Nicole and Kellie and all the mamas and babies they helped by running today. I did not run. I will never be among the runners of the Pittsburgh Marathon and I am OK with that.

I suppose I should take a moment to give another disclaimer regarding this blog. If you read something here and go away thinking, "she is goofy" or " wow, that's an interesting thought" or "hey, I like that idea, I think I'll try it at my house," it's all good. If you go away feeling badly about yourself, your kids or your life, you are reading it wrong.

This blog is not about "look at all the great things I do, the shiny kids I have collected or how smart and crafty I am." It's a visible "thank you" to God for the blessings I have been given, the trials I have and will endure, and times along the way that it all works out. If I haven't said this before, the days that I post that look shiny and happy and 'perfect' (what does that mean?) are all by the grace of God. I showed up and did my best...He made it happen.

So, back to this competition thing. It's a struggle, you know? For me it is, anyway. What to do, when to do it, fighting against being one place and wanting to be somewhere else.

Like today. It is an AMAZING day in Western PA. Truly. One of those days when you feel like you are getting the slightest glimpse of Heaven. I want, so much, to be out somewhere running. (Honestly, I don't even love to run but it does relieve my stress and it is the quickest way to get endorphins at the moment).

Alas, I am a single mother today. The needs of DH and #1 son come before mine right now. That's OK. After weeks like the ones we've been having (over-busy, no "me" time, stress...) I am extra thankful when the time does come for me to relax and unwind.

As always, God's timing is perfect. I did my competitive stuff in high school (sports-wise) and college/grad school (academics-wise). The timing is perfect because, frankly, I just can't do that right now. I am doing all I can to keep my head above water. Worrying about what someone else is doing better than me is way outside the scope of possibility right now.

Still, it can be a struggle when, even with other SAHMs, I run into one or two who are (just naturally I guess) competitive. Thankfully, I'm becoming fairly adept at moving past that. No one has the exact kids, marriage or home that I do so, ultimately, you may have success with something that will help me but, most of the time, we're all in a different place. It is good, though, to talk with other moms who have a similar value system and raise their kids to love God, Mary and the Saints. That is where I want to spend my time. I do my best to go there often.

On those days when I'm hormonally deranged and/or feeling badly for some other reason and I start comparing myself with God's plan for someone else, I try to remember SH. God has given me SH as a loving gift to set me back on track when I lose my way.

She has 6 kids. The youngest child is 7 months and the eldest is the same age as our #1 (yes, ours are close, theirs are closer). She is only 5 or 6 years younger than I. She is petite, always well-dressed. Today she ran the FULL marathon in a pretty short time.

If I want to wallow in self-imposed depression about my life, I just have to start comparing myself to her. I can spend the day going on-and-on about everything that she seems to have and I lack. I know because I have done it. (see? this is one of those non-shiny posts)

Then, one day, the Holy Spirit smacked me in the head and it occurred to me that there will always be someone who (appears at least) to have/be more than I do/am. That's life, huh? Since we will never truly know anyone else's situation, it's pretty useless to say "why isn't that me?" when we can never be sure if we really want what that person has (in total...not just the part they present).

Yet, isn't that society these days? Aren't we sad/angry because we don't have the cars/houses/relationships that they do in Hollywood?

Ugh. I'm so glad that I have been blessed with friends who aren't keeping up with the Kardashians. Let's make it a better world. Starting today, let's keep up with Kolbe, Killian and Katherine instead. K?

Enjoy this glorious day, wherever you are!

Make new friends

but keep the old,
one is silver and the other gold.

I forget, what was it, Brownies? Who knows. Anyway, we sang it when we were little and, hey, it turns out to be true!

I had a long-overdue meal with one of my "gold" friends last evening. She truly is solid gold. What a wonderful time we have, always, despite the fact that we are so different in so many ways. It is so nice to have a few friends with whom I never feel competition brewing. I'm not sure why that is (I wish I knew so I could keep it out of the other relationships) but I am happy for the break.

Anyway, it was wonderful to catch up, relive the "old days" (when I had two kids) and have a nice meal. What a great Advent treat.

Then, I came home and this was in my living room

The smell, which hit me when I opened the door, was AMAZING. What a wonderful surprise!

Now the decision whether to decorate or not, since I'm currently trying very hard to keep Christmas from creeping into Advent. We shall see. I think the 5 little people will have a difficult time waiting. But, that's the point, isn't it?

More on that later, I must go find the St. Nicholas video ;0)