Why don't we ever see these pics in the media?

It's tough to say whom has the bigger smile :)
U.S. Army Sgt. Stephen Covell and an Iraqi girl go down a slide at the playground during the reopening of the Al-Moutasam Kindergarten last month in the Rusafa district of eastern Baghdad. Covell is a medic assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Troop, 5th Squadron, 73rd Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Multi-National Division-Baghdad.

Best Friends

Niky has been friends with Benji since the day they met. They have played together at least once a week ever since. Of course, as two year olds (sorta), they have a rocky friendship. Their interests are so alike that they both love the exact same toys, and their closeness makes them more like siblings. Almost every playtime results in at least one battle between the two. The beauty is that they truly enjoy each other’s company and love each other. No matter what tumult had happened on the previous visit they are eager to see each other again. The other day as we watched Benji and his mom (my homegirl Sharon) come up the front walk, Niky shrieked excitedly and as soon s the door opened there was a big bright "Inky" from Benji. We all need to be more like that, more ready to accept our friends for their virtues and more truly forgiving of their flaws. We have so much to learn from two-year olds.

Blessed Easter to All

~If you want a joyful life, put joy at the center.
~Joy is growth.
~Joy is a natural state.
~Joy is the brilliant universe delighting in itself.
~Let Joy be the road you're on.
~Look up! Look up! Oh the infinite sky!
~Where did you come from, if not the essence of joy?
~Keep your own list of luminous things. Add to it everyday.
~Dare yourself to be dazzled daily.
~As close as the next breath. That's where Joy is.
~Let joy sing through you...
~Passionate peace: that's how you will know joy.
~Joy is the loving presence in which the joyful live.
~Divine Energy pulses through us all, and this is another name for joy.
~Be open to receive all the goodness in the world.
~Joy is the unlimited essence of being.
~What is joy? An infinite love that knows no bounds.
~What is joy? The oneness of waves on every sea...
~All things grow up from an atmosphere of joy.
~What is joy? Your life, my love, yur life.
~There are thousands of ways to love this world.
~Touch your heart, breathe in joy.
~With joy in your heart, you can buy the world for free...

Teen Talk

I seldom get nostalgic for my lost youth (not for any amount of cash would I be 15 again) but now and then my teenagers and their friends make me reflect a bit on where I was then vs. where I am now.

Right now Jesse's friends are "into" church issues. They get very fired up about The Rules With No Scriptural Basis, The Lack of Life and Vitality in some Sunday services by Pastor ******* or Father *******, The Shallow Values Among Some People, Why Aren’t We Reaching Out to the World, and so on.

It's the same things we talked about as teenagers but never close to where an adult might hear.

I get in on more of their discussions because I'm the "cool Mom." They come to see Jesse and hang out watching movies, playing basketball and talk.

So there they are, heatedly batting around the same ideas that we used to discuss. And, no doubt, they have a horror of ever getting as complacent and satisfied as all those 40 and 50 somethings in church (like me) who live their pleasant lives and don’t make a fuss about anything and never think or discuss any Deep Thoughts…just like I used to look in disdain at the older people in church.

So, what happened? Well, a number of things.

1. Life got more intense. It’s hard to get heated up about Complacency in the Church when you’re nearly out of money and your child needs his seizure medication and how are you going to afford it plus groceries besides?

2. The church became something that I desperately needed rather than something I could dangle at the fringes of my life, examining and criticizing at will. I changed churches. I still love the Catholic Faith but I needed something more.

3. I learned that only time and the Holy Spirit can change people and situations. All of my fine, yes, brilliant, logic makes no dent on people’s opinions.

4. God took my focus off the church and how it should change and put the spotlight on me and how I needed to change. Aarrgghh. It was way more fun to criticize the church than myself.

I love these teens and their energy and ideas and fearlessness. When they become old and complacent like me, God will raise up a new generation of teenagers to spark ideas and light fires and inspire those deep discussions.

My favorite fragrance :)

I love how my littlest smells..... how his bedroom smells.
It is a clean smell, and it's mixed with "baby" sweat while he's sleeping and the cotton of his favorite blankies and the moisture that's right underneath his hair. I wonder if anyone else smells it because I don't want to share it.

Time to Play

After a morning of church and then telephone conversations with my mom and girlfriends, my kids were climbing the wall. I looked around at the dishes in the sink, the stack of mail on the table, the toys on the living room floor and the unmade beds, and made an executive decision. The housework wasn't going anywhere. Five boy monkeys were going to the park.
We headed out into the sunshine and drove the short distance to their favorite park. We parked and unloaded, one kid would shoot forward, one would lag behind. We picked up and abandoned sticks and rocks.
At the park, I stood watchful as Niky balked at a bridge of wobbly buoy type things. He wouldn't move beyond the first buoy, and Jesse leaped to the ground and held each step steady so that Niky could cross. My heart melted a little at that.
Max, meanwhile, was whooping and running up and down a grassy slope, Alexi working that walker as fast as he could to catch up. I watched for a moment, and then, seeing that all were happy as clams, I charged down the hill myself, caterwauling. We ran and giggled and giggled and ran. Andy, the turtle was slow but in the think of rolling and giggling with glee.
After the climbing structure started to lose its thrill, we moved to the swings. Jesse and Andy pumped their feet until they were soaring way above the midpoint. Max pumped more slowly, but soon he was crowing as his shadow crossed the shadow of the top bar. Alexi worked on his newly found skill of moving his legs enough to make a sway. My youngest sat placidly in a baby swing.
Each time the swings paired up, my kids would yell "You're in my swing!" and laugh uproarously. Finally, they touched down, and after a quick pitstop and round of juice, we started to the van.
My oldest held Niky, and I walked with my Alexi's hand in mine. A moment later, Andy slid his fingers into my other hand, and we ambled along. Andy swung our connected hands, and kissed my cheek.
"I love you sooooo much, Mommy!"
"I love you too."

Who Pee'd On the Floor Again?

AAAAAAHHHHHHH!    Yes I know, it is bound to happen when living with five little penises... BUT COME ON!!!  I clean the boys bathroom every night, and yes, every day there is dried sticky urine on the floor.  We have tile floors in the bathroom, so you can’t see it right away. 

But the question I have is, WHY?

Why do they think it is OK to pee all over the floor?
Yes, I have them clean it up... it doesn’t work. They don’t care. 
My girlfriend says she "cured" her husband (yes, they do it to...ugh) and son
by threatening to pee all over their toys, books, golf clubs.
Besides an ick... and they know I wouldn't, I get this voice in the back of my head saying
"Yeah, that will work!; .............that’s very adult of you."