The Nativity

The Catechesis of the Good Shepherd (a.k.a. "The Atrium") has been an invaluable hands-on experience for all of the girls over the past three years. Every week, they enter a "quiet place" where they experience the Mass in miniature.  Everything is small, simple and tangible.  This program was pioneered by Maria Montessori.  It is unique to other classroom styles of teaching because the only teacher is Jesus "The Good Shepherd" and the child learns through role play, art, music and quiet observation.  The atrium is a place of prayer, in which work and study spontaneously become meditation, contemplation and prayer." Illustration by Doobs, age 5.   www.cgsusa.org

Be Mine....Valentine's Day 2008

The girls and I received a special surprise from Daddy. The night before Valentine's Day, Nick presented us with a small 3x5 printed invitation that he had made at work. It read, 

"Please join me for a Valentine's Day Dinner 

Tomorrow evening, February 14th

Meet me at the dinner table at 6:00 p.m.  

You are special to me"

I smiled with glee, knowing I wouldn't have to cook!

Sooooo....the next Day (Valentine's Day) we set up the table for dinner....see above picture. Nick came home with a second printed card displaying the "menu" for the evening. (see photo below) Even baby Muffin-top got her own personalized menu complete with "nummies" (mommy's milk) for dessert.

He pretended to be a waiter at a fine restaurant, seating us at a candlelit table, serving us our surprise "fine cuisine" and entertaining us in his usual, comical manner.

All I can say is....Nick is one of a kind.  I reminded the girls that not all daddies do things like this.  This puzzled them greatly since they assume that all daddies do! My gratitude grew as I realize more and more how high the bar has been set for them.  Thank you Papa Tom and Dabada.  It starts with the parents.

P.S.  Mommy got her own menu too.  Caesar Salad, Pan-Seared Sea Scallops, Balsamic Mustard Glazed Salmon, Spinach Risoto and a bottle of Red Zin...yummy!

Out of the mouths of babes!

Mom: "Let's get Mrs. Mihaliak a Yankee candle for Christmas."

Linka:  "Okay, but is she a Yankee fan?" (age 6)

Grammy: "Linka, can you give me a little leg rub with lotion?"

Linka:  "Oh grammy, you need to get your legs redone." (age 4)

Old man in elevator: "Well, little girl, aren't you a little munchkin."

Linka:  "Yes, I'm glazed and my sister is chocolate."  (age 3)

Doobs:  "Mom, that Santa was cute.  I wonder what his name is." (age 4)

Doobs:  "Do nuns ever throw up?" (age 3)

Mommy: "Kicky, please go to the potty."

Kicky:  "I can't, my bummy doesn't work." (age 3)

Mommy:  "What's the matter Kicky?"  

Kicky:  (crying) "I stubbed my tongue."  (age 3)

Kicky:  "Mommy, when I grow up, can I have a body of Christ?" (age 3)

Kicky:  "Mommy, can you be my sister?"  (age 3.5)

My Little Women

Well...I have started this blog mainly to hold myself accountable in creating for my daughters an online keepsake, if you will, that records the small but significant moments in our daily life along with observations of their growth and accomplishments throughout the years. I'm thinking that this may also be the easiest way to share pictures and stories with long-distance family members and friends. I bought four very pretty journals after the births of each daughter with the hopes of writing down for each one the stories that will over time create our family story. Needless to say, with all that goes along with having four small children under the age of seven, here I sit with 4 empty journals. Big sigh! Since I spend a considerable amount of time in the evenings skimming through the world of wonderful blogs in search of holy, helpful hints and inspirations for the journey, my husband finally said, "honey, you should start a blog." Voila! I figure this may be the way of my future. I'll have to use those pretty little journals for something else.

It's the little things that happen on a daily basis that are so meaningful, but it's those same little things that we can forget so quickly if we don't write them down. I hope my four "little women" won't mind signing on in years to come to read all of their marmee's memoirs.