Contemplating Couplehood

BEATITUDES OF MARRIED COUPLESBLESSED ARE MARRIED COUPLES WHO COMFORT EACH OTHER -- who provide a refuge and sanctuary from the chill winds of the world; whose marriage is a hearth from which comes peace, harmony, and warmth of soul and spirit.

BLESSED ARE MARRIED COUPLES WHO LISTEN TO EACH OTHER -- who listen to not only words, but non-verbal language of tone and expression; who listen to understand rather than to argue.

BLESSED ARE MARRIED COUPLES WHO SHOW AFFECTION -- who warm each other with their soothing touch; who remember that just as babies can die from lack of affection, so can marriages wither from a lack of closeness.

BLESSED ARE MARRIED COUPLES WHO RESPECT EACH OTHER -- who remember that the most important quality in marriage is to HONOR each other.

BLESSED ARE MARRIED COUPLES WHO CAN BE FRIENDS AND PARTNERS -- who remember that friendship can be a peaceful island, in a world of turmoil and strife; who can reflect upon the tranquility of future years shared with a true friend; who are not battling enemies under the same roof.

BLESSED ARE MARRIED COUPLES WHO ALLOW EACH OTHER TO BE UNIQUE -- who do not seek to force each other into a new mold that can only fit with much pain and discomfort; who accept the other as God made us.

BLESSED ARE MARRIED COUPLES WHO ARE OPEN WITH EACH OTHER -- who avoid secretness that causes suspicion and doubt; who trust and reveal themselves to each other even as a budding rose opens to reveal its beauty and fragrance.

BLESSED ARE MARRIED COUPLES WHO CHERISH THEIR UNION -- who let no one separate their togetherness, not another person, nor friend, nor worldly possessions.

BLESSED ARE MARRIED COUPLES WHO GIVE EACH OTHER APPROVAL -- who see that compliments encourage confidence in the other, while criticism divides; who do not point out the other's mistakes, for all too soon each will discover their own faults.

BLESSED ARE MARRIED COUPLES WHO LOVE ONE ANOTHER -- love is the river of life -- an eternal source of recreating one's self and each other. Above all else -- LOVE ONE ANOTHER, AS CHRIST HAS LOVED US.

Cherry Blossom Festival in DC

Preempting the flood of out-of-towners (aren't we smart!), we visited the cherry blossoms on Friday, the day before the annual Cherry Blossom Festival began. We had a lovely time walking the perimeter of the tidal basin. Maddy seemed to enjoy the flowers. These days, however, she seems thrilled mostly by the possibility of walking outside. A wintry breeze still nipped the air. The boughs of the cherry blossoms swayed endlessly. The Monument and the Jefferson Memorial stood firm amidst the surrounding gaiety. Here are a few pics from our evening together.

Meme

This past week I was tagged by Sharon.
So, here goes the game...
The rules are:
1. The rules of the game get posted at the beginning.
2. Each player answers the questions about themselves.
3. At the end of the post, the player then tags 5 people and posts their names, then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment, letting them know they’ve been tagged and asking them to read your blog.

What I was doing 10 years ago: I was 17 and was about to head to Australia for our big move. We had just about one more month before we went to Sydney, and there were so many tearful good-byes we began saying at this time, ten years ago.

Five things on my To Do List today:
1. Go to SAM's as a family
2. Go to the library as a family
3. Play at the park
4. Prayer time
5. Movie together

Snacks I enjoy: Fruits; nuts; water; and I just picked up some raisins; which are a nice, sweet mix with the nuts; bowl of cereal (berries are nice on top too!)

Things I would do if I were a billionaire: (no particular order here)
Remodel relatives' homes.
Buy a home of our own.
Pay off student loans.
Pay for airline tickets so that we and other family members could come and go as we wished to see one another.
Buy a second car.
Save money.
Take care of the needs of family and friends.

Three of my bad habits:
1. Project procrastination (instead of staying on top of scrapbooks, I let the memorabilia add up) .
2. Starting too many books without finishing them.
3. Being a perfectionist.

Five places I have lived:
1. St. Louis
2. Washington, DC
3. Beijing
4. Sydney
5. Honolulu

Five jobs I’ve had:
1. Bus-Girl/Restaurant Staff
2. Waitress
3. Barista
4. Preschool Teacher
5. Art Teacher


People I want to know more about (a nice way of saying TAG!):
1. Erin
2. Jenny
3. Liv
4. Nicky
5. Annelisa

Maddy is Practicing to be a Big Sister

Yesterday Maddy had one of my old dolls, and I was about to change Maddy when she got a diaper for her baby doll. Here is how she "changed" the baby's diaper.


It's kind of like self-service. After putting the baby in the diaper, she put a wipe on top of the baby. I'm sure she will help her sibling become independent in no time.

A Wonderful Easter

Happy Easter Season to everyone. There are so many super things to enjoy about Easter and the Octave; one of these things being the Divine Mercy Novena. The candy is always nice to enjoy too, but at a minimum. I had a few too many Starburst Jelly Beans last night. I think I will hold off on those until next Easter, or the Easter after.
We've had a super Easter with Caleb's family, and time with family always goes way to fast, but it reminds me to just enjoy the moment and not worry about what is to come. Every moment is fleeting, and all we have is the present. Needless to say, we had a ball with all of the activities that went on as a family. From cooking with Miriam and Mary Theresa, sitting around the breakfast table in the early morning when Beeba got home from work, sledding down the awesome hill at Ford Field, singing and as a family while Beeba, Miriam and Mary Theresa played guitar and while the little ones danced around, watching Enchanted together and listening to Miriam squeal as the rats and roaches poured forth from the drains in the movie, praying together as a family, celebrating Meema's birthday on Easter Sunday, or being able to converse one-on-one with family members, we loved every moment. Family time helps renew our faith in so many ways, because we're constantly learning from one another's imperfections and growths, and amid them all, we are learning to grow more together. After being away from family for a while and never really foreseeing a time when we will ever be in one place with both sides of our families, it makes me give thanks for the times that we do have together, and to encourage others to make stronger bonds with the family members that are near them rather than take them for granted or be too busy to interact with them. It's human nature though to want what we do not have and to become complacent with the staus quo, but every now and then, it helps to be uprooted and planted elsewhere in our own little worlds so as to enjoy and experience the riches God has planted in the hearts of those closest too us--our family.

Our Little Bo-Peep

Where is the freedom of choice?

After reading this article, you have to wonder where the freedom of choice is for parents, who, are supposedly the primary educators and protectors of their children until they hold a stance that differs from the government's demands.

Happy Birthday, Caleb!

Finally we have internet back and a post to you can finally be posted. Happy birthday (actual date: March 2nd), Bud. I am truly thankful for your life and all that you have brought to fruition through the development of your many talents and your hard work and daily perseverance. We would not have crossed so many bridges had it not been for your foresight and skills. We love you. Maddy and OLFrie are especially grateful to have such a good Papa who thoroughly loves being a Dad and who takes his vocation as Dad seriously. Thank you for all of your time, devotion, and constant communication with us, Dad. We love you very much. May God bless you every step of the way on this journey in life, and may you always know the love of God, the love of your family--little and big-- and the love of your friends. It is our delight that you are here.

Mo-o-r

Just a second ago Maddy made me stop what I was doing and just soak up a fleeting moment. I was in the kitchen and flipping through recipe books and wondering what to make for dinner before I e-mailed my sister for this recipe. when Maddy walked up to me. She had been asking me something and she led me to the closet. All she wanted was for me to open the closet by the front door so that she could play with all the shoes that hang on the door. Soon after getting into her shoe wonderland, she walked into the kitchen with her new shoes from Mimi and Pa-pa on her correct feet. I was proud of her. Whether the shoes were on her "wrong" feet or not, I would have been proud, because she walks to us in such a humble manner as if to say, "Look, Mom and Dad. Look what I did." I bent down, away from recipe-looking and hugged her. Soon after hugging her, she stood there asking, "Mo-o-r?" and poking her hand with her "Maddy sign-language" (her version of ASL). Here she is asking for "M-o-o-r?" Anytime, Madge. I love you.

Happy Birthday, Miriam!

Today is Caleb's sister Miriam's birthday. Happy Birthday, Miriam! We hope that you are having a wonderful day in the celebration of your life. We wish that we could be there in-person to wish you a happy birthday, but instead we send you our love and prayers of thanksgiving for your life. May God bless you with many graces throughout the year and may you know how much joy you bring to the lives as others as friend, sister, and aunt.

We love you,
Mary, Caleb, Maddy, and OLFrie

A Story for the Grandkids: The Long Commute

I love the Washington DC Metro Area...except for the traffic. Typically my apartment commuter shuttle ride is from 30 to 45 minutes. Last night, that same ride took 5.5 hours. Crazy, right? 5.5 hours in the shuttle bus. Icy roads and accidents basically shut down the freeways. Fortunately, I had a new book: I almost finished the 400 page read. We were moving so slowly that at various points along the way, passengers went to McDonalds and Dunkin Donuts for bathroom breaks and food. They didn't need to worry about the shuttle leaving them behind. We hadn't moved.

The silver lining? I'll have a great story for my grandkids one day. (Madge and Mary both stayed awake and held off dinner till 9:30. We enjoyed a few minutes together before bed. The next thing I know is that I'm back on the shuttle heading to work. Again.)

You Never Know When Duty May Call...

So it is best to always wear your shoes (dress shoes of course) to bed. This morning Maddy was up before 5am, ready to greet Caleb at his 5:15am daily arising. Caleb got ready for work and put his shoes on, so Madge figured "Why not mine?" So there she was at about 5:30am putting on her black dress shoes. By 6:30am she was back asleep, with shoes and pajamas keeping her nice and toasty. She was ready for anyone to call to say, "Bye-bye?"

Dancing Queen

While Maddy and I have been enjoying time with family on the West Coast, we were also able to enjoy the beauty of a friend's wedding this past Saturday. I think Maddy enjoyed that, but more than that, she loved the dance floor at the reception. She was our dancing queen. With only a 40-minute nap under her belt the whole day, she remained a trooper until about 8pm-- her conk-out time.

Ash Wednesday Weather

DC weather today: 66°F (19°C)
Hawaii weather today: 73°F (23°C)

It's not that bad after all, huh?

"Pregnancy DOES cause memory loss..."

A recent study by Australian scientists suggests that women do indeed experience some slight memory loss during and even after pregnancy. Surprise, surprise.

The scientists could simply have asked the husbands of the pregnant women about the memory loss! I always joke with Mary that if people want to know how her pregnancy is going, they shouldn't ask her: they should ask me. He, he, he. (For those who don't know me well, I am being sarcastic.)
PS. This is a photo from two years ago when Mary was pregnant with Maddy.

PPS. Even though Mares is now 18 weeks along, she still doesn't show much at all!

Pop Smear: Fathers in the Media

Anyone who has seen a movie, television show or commercial over the past couple decades can easily surmise that fathers are an easy target. Media-portrayed dad descriptors that come to mind are stumbling, bumbling, naive & ignorant, backwards, out-of-touch, lazy, vice-laden, misogynistic, sex-crazed (and it's only rarely for his spouse, of course), distant, selfish, and superficial. I am sure that there are many fathers who have partake of these deficiencies. But, is that mainstream? Should it be mainstream? I hope not!

A recent article from the Washington Times provides one historical depiction of fatherhood in the media. The thesis is that fathers are currently easy targets. If you target minority groups (women, gays, blacks, Asians, Latinos, etc.), that wouldn't be politically correct. For the most part, you could put any one of those categories as the butt of a joke on TV. Were you to do so, however, you wouldn't hear the end of it. Your career would be in jeopardy: you would have to attend "rehab". Criticize majority groups--like whites or dads (special combo deal if it's a white dad)--and you're in the safe zone. It's a pity that society looks to such pitiful role models when it comes to something as important as fatherhood. Unless fathers make their voices heard, I'm afraid the trends will continue.

HPV Vaccine Update

The HPV vaccine has been on the market for less than a year. Since then:

• 2 deaths in the EU; 3 deaths in the US
  
• 28 miscarriages
• 1,700 people who reported adverse reactions (I suppose death is also an adverse reaction)

You can be "one-less"...er, one more?

Those Who Are Still With Us

I had the opportunity to attend the Spanish Mass at our parish yesterday. It was a pleasant experience to witness the vitality of Latinos in the Catholic Church. There is only one Spanish Mass offered on Sunday. There could've been two. The parking lots were literally overflowing during the Mass and there may have been as many people standing as there were sitting in pews. Due to the immigration trends, the face of Catholic Church in the United States is changing. The question is whether the administration of the Catholic Church in the United States is dynamic and flexible enough to meet these new challenges and needs.

The homily focused on abortion (in the wake of Roe v. Wade). While I don't profess expertise, I am familiar with the topic. It seems that pro-abortion folks generally concentrate on the women and pro-life folks concentrate on the unborn. Generalizations are never fully accurate but probably present some truth. There has been a small shift in the pro-life community with the "Women Deserve Better [Than Abortion]" Campaign. The priest exhorted the parish to pray for women who have had abortions and to show them compassion. Approximately 40 million unborn have been killed through abortion over the past three-and-a-half decades in the United States alone. Fortunately, they're enjoying life in heaven and praying for all of us. That would mean, however, that there are probably 25-30 million women alive today who wake up each morning to the reality of what they've done through abortion. Some struggle with grief and regret every day; others have desensitized themselves over time. It must be extremely difficult to go through an ordeal like abortion. The real victims are the women who suffer each and every day. The Catholic Church ministers to them through various initiatives like Project Rachel. Abortion is vicious. The victims of abortion always come in two's. Let's remember both victims, pray for them, and reach out with compassion to those who are still with us.

UPDATE 1/29/2008: An article on CatholicExchange was posted the day after I wrote this post. The article hits home on this same topic.

Life.

Yesterday Maddy, OLFrie and I Metroed down to the city to meet Caleb and some of his family for the 35th annual March for Life, marking the anniversary of the fateful Supreme Court decision in Roe vs. Wade. There were so many people in attendance that it took such a long time to move several feet along the street. Maddy was bundled in her stroller and was surrounded by so many welcoming and child-friendly people. Most people would sneer at you if you clipped their heals with a stroller, but not these people. There was good reason for all of us getting bumped or pushed along: droves of lively men, women, boys, girls, and teeny boppers speaking out for the voiceless--the unborn (what we all were at one stage). It was the friendliest crowd. If you saw very little on the news about the March, it's no surprise. Silence says it all.

Happy Birthday, John!

Happy Birthday to the guy from the third floor, to Third himself. Today is my brother-in-law John's birthday. May you be richly blessed and know how much God and your family love you. Happy birthday!