Prodigal Turtle

So, I hope you're sitting down because I have bad news--we lost Thomas Henry.  One recent morning, Chris went out to check on him and found his enclosure on its side.  We have a pesky raccoon running around so he may well have been the villain but I like to think that a couple of Thomas' buddies came to spring him so he could join in all of their turtle adventures.  

We were sad he was gone and the girls' thoughts immediately ran to what kind of pet they could get next--a chihuahua (no way), a kitten (serious no way), a pig (interesting but no), a bunny (we already have one, her name is Sophie), a guinea pig (hmmm.....mom likes the idea but dad says h-ll no, no pets! no pets! no pets!).  The girls went sadly out to ride their bikes and promptly forgot all about it.

Well--guess who Chris found crawling around by the trash cans the next day?  Dear old TH.  Chris immediately treated him to a huge salad (the turtle equivalent of a fatted calf) and gave him a good neck rub--I have never seen a turtle stick its neck out as far as Thomas does.  

So, our prodigal turtle is home--for now.  We will release him at Turtle Bridge in a few days and it's unlikely he'll find his way back to Casa Doyle.  Sad but--where God closes a door, He always opens a window.  I wonder who will crawl into our lives next.  Hopefully not that raccoon....

Chalk Angel

Today's Magic Moment is brought to you by: Grace 1 & Grace 2

Footloose and 40

Most of the women of Kingwood TEAM 8

(from left:  Jane, Jennifer, Alice, Michelle & Nellie)

On Saturday night, we went as a family to celebrate our friend Jennifer's 40th birthday.  It was a surprise party organized by her sweet husband Ron and was a huge success.  There were over 50 of us at El Ranchero Mexican Restaurant.  The margaritas were excellent--Chris and I will be back for our next margarita date--the food was good and the company, the best.  I hope you like the pictures.

Back at home, we went through bedtime routine and then enjoyed a first with our oldest daughter--her inaugural viewing of the movie Footloose.  When she saw that the movie came out in 1984, she said, "wow-that was so long ago"--humbling since it doesn't feel like that long ago to me!  The three of us were up late watching and reveille came early.  We almost couldn't get Madeleine up for 9:00 A.M. Mass.  We found out why later when she told us that she had stayed up well past midnight trying out new dance moves in the kitchen while listening to her ipod.  I think it's safe to say that we'll be hearing quite a bit of "I Need a Hero" and "Let's Hear It For the Boy" around here for the next few weeks which will remind me of my youth--way back so long ago in the 1980s.

Good job Ron!  The birthday girl was definitely surprised!

Men and their babes

(Ray with James & Chris with Ella)

The wonder of vending machines

I think I had one too many margaritas because I came home seriously cash poor 

after an evening of being hit up for money by all of our kids 

plus a couple of others.

Happy party-goers

Ella tries her first jalapeño pepper

Ron and Jennifer--serious cuteness

MGD: Extreme cuteness 

The parade of cuteness continues (Gabby's phrase)

This is a side view of what we call Sophie's "mad bunny" face

Cute Madeleine and her cute buddy Alex

The obligatory wear the hat, hear the birthday song routine

Me and my Sophie-fina

(the mad bunny's gone back to the burrow for now)

Movin' On Up

They're movin' on up to...

Mia--2nd grade, Grace--kindergarten & Sophie--pre-school

Sophie officially completed her time as a saboteur

One week ago today, we celebrated the end of the school year with a big award ceremony and party.  It was hosted by the Catholic homeschool group at our parish.  We gave awards for grade completion and special achievements during the year and enjoyed a mini-talent show by our students.  Chris acted as MC and moved the evening along, introducing each family to present and receive their awards.  When it was our turn, Chris recognized each of the girls for her work as well as presenting our special Frodo Seven Donut Award to his father Jack for exemplary service to our family.  Then, Chris turned it over to me to present my MIL Barbara's award.  By that time, I'd done a lot of work to make the evening happen and was feeling tired and emotional so I made it through about five words before I handed the award back to Chris saying, "I can't do it".  What I would have said is this:  "This award goes to someone I have on speed dial, someone who always answers when I call for help.  For as long as I've known her, she's been there with a listening ear, helpful--usually medical--advice or whatever else I might need.  This year she has cared for the kids so that I could do special things like take a class with Sophie, chaperone field trips and occasionally even get a pedicure.  If she has it, she gives it and I wonder, what would we do without her?  The Frodo Seven Lean On Me Award goes to Barbara Doyle."  Then there would have been thunderous applause, Barbara would have burst into tears and she would have offered to keep the kids for a week while Chris and I headed to the Carribean.  Oh well.

The other award I flubbed was one I'd planned for Chris.  It was the Frodo Seven True Hero Award and what I should have said was:  "This award goes to the person whose work makes all that I do possible.  In fairy tales, the hero is always out fighting dragons and doing other daring deeds to win the princess.  In real life, heroes spend a lot of time slaying dragons for their employers in order to support their families.  They put the good of their families ahead of personal satisfaction or achievement.  They turn off the game when their wife or daughter needs their attention.  They shoulder their responsibilities as head of the household, leading gently by example the way Jesus did.  They show their sons what it means to be a man and their daughters what they should look for in one.  They make their wife feel like the luckiest woman in the world.  I am blessed to know many men like this.  I was raised by one and am grateful that I am married to one.  He is a real man in every way and is my hero."  So--that's what I should have said.  Instead, I think I muttered "my hero" and thrust a gift bag in Chris' direction.  I had bought him the movie Hercules (a total Homer gift) because it's my favorite hero movie--probably because I relate so well to Meg, the fallible but lovable heroine.

And thus ended our first year back at homeschooling.  I already have a list of "what I"ll do differently next year"s and my friends and I are planning all kinds of great new activities for our pupils.  What was clear to me as I put together our end-of-year slideshow though was that we had a full and amazing year and--I love homeschooling!

These were the special awards we gave the girls.

Madeleine received the St. Maria Goretti Award for putting first things first this year

Mia received the St. Rose of Lima Award for miraculous abilities in reading

Grace received the St. Ignatius of Loyola Award for the fiery spirit that she offers to the Lord

and Sophie received the St. Therese Award for her love of Mary and joyful spirit

Magic Moments

Today's Magic Moment is brought to you by Sophie

Tired of hair in her face, she attacked the problem herself.

People always talk about the little things in life.  Until I started this blog though, I measured my life mainly by the big things--the birthdays, the holidays, the big accomplishments.  When I scrapbooked, those were the things I recorded.  As I look back over the last six months though, it's the surprise blogs--the ones I didn't plan to write--that catch my eye.  They're about the magic moments that make our lives special.

I began journaling when I was very young.  I was never a very faithful writer but by the time I got to junior high I was frequently using my journals to lament my lot in life.  When I was a little older, my wise dad told me that I should write happy things in my journal.  I don't think I listened to him then but I remember his advice now because that is what I am doing in this blog.  I am storing up the happy times, the special moments that happen every day.  And since I'm looking for them, I find them everywhere.  Of course there are those other times too--the ones that make me glad that this life isn't all there is.  I'm not trying to be a Polyanna and if you know me well, you know that I am well-acquainted with suffering but over the past six months, the Frodo Seven blog has been a little like having my own personal Clarence showing me that despite all of that--or maybe because of it--, I  truly have "a wonderful life".  

I highly recommend blogging.  And since God is the author of all of our lives, we each have our own wonderful story to share.  I'd love to read yours.

Rule of Life

Over the course of my thirty some odd years, I have adopted a few rules.  One of my favorites is--anytime I see kids selling lemonade, I must stop, buy a glass and tip well.  Yesterday, I had the opportunity to practice this rule for the first time in ages.  Four very cute little kids were running a stand just around the corner from us.  As I slowed the van, I saw some very eager grins, one blue from a lollipop.  Madeleine ordered five lemonades and two boys brought them carefully to the window, completely forgetting to collect the money.  There were more grins when we handed it over and they saw their tip.

It truly made my day.  I supported some budding entrepreneurs (who knows--one of them could be the next Bill Gates), scored some very inexpensive but coveted drinks for the girls and relived a little of the excitement I used to feel selling lemonade for a quarter on the corner of Lisbon Lane (apparently the price of lemonade is immune to inflation).  I'm just waiting for the day the girls want to set up their own stand.  I will be there--with cow bell.

Lap-a-Thon 2009

So, while we're on the subject of bringing it, this morning, our three Wahoos participated in the team's annual fundraiser, the Lap-a-Thon.  I volunteered and counted laps for some of the swimmers including Madeleine and Mia.  The girls swam back and forth, back and forth, until their practice time was up.  I had a great time watching them.  Madeleine attacked the task with the same energy she regularly puts into swim practice.  While her friends walked and talked their way through many of the laps (probably what her mom would have done), she worked persistently toward her goal of 200 lengths.  She modified it to 100 after about ten minutes when she realized she'd have to be in the pool way past her practice time to reach 200.  I was impressed with the 100 and it's probably a good thing we didn't get anyone to sponsor her per length!  

Mia was super cheerful and had a great time swimming with big sis' and the big kids.  All of the swimmers were able to choose their strokes for this event and Mia mostly chose "the bunny hop".  She be-bopped her way down and back 40 times and was incredibly cute doing it--I wish I'd remembered to take video.

Grace swam 12 lengths and could definitely have done more were it not for her fear of missing something important while under water.  She was disappointed her friend Iman wasn't there to share in the fun.

If you're reading this and would like to sponsor your favorite Wahoo family, please write a check to the Wahoos and mail it to Casa Doyle.  Thank you for your support!

Here comes Mia Cottontail

The Lap-a-Thon is definitely not all work

Grace had fun shooting her sisters with this water gun.  

She fired it into the air once and soaked me as well which she found hysterical.

They've got the Wahoo power!