Trapped Under My Schedule. Send Help.

(Alright, I don't really need help. Not more than usual, anyway. I mean, prayers are always appreciated.)

Dear Family and Friends,

I miss you.

Dear Everyone-Outside-of-SJB

Yup, I'm still here.

My routine used to involve about two hours of "free time" after school, which I usually spent taking care of stuff both personal and professional. That left me with a couple hours after dinner to more or less putz around and do things like maintain contact with the outside world.

That was before this crazy idea of starting a drama club began to approach it's zany and somewhat frightening conclusion. We've had practice after school for a while, and with the show less than a week away the practices are longer and more frequent. Theater takes time, people.

Meanwhile, on the community life side of things, every weekend has brought with it some huge event (parades, people visiting from Rome, etc.). It's been terribly exciting, but the side effect is I pretty much have no free time, at all, and won't for a while.

Basically, I'm still alive, but my time and mental energy are totally sapped. By the time I have a moment to read or write anything, all I want to do is sit on my bed like a professionally-attired puddle of protoplasm.

Which is what I'm going to go do now.

Punch Drunk, Reprise

(I did this last year, too.)

 

Me: I am slowly going crazy, 1-2-3-4-5-6, switch! Crazy going slowly am I, 6-5-4-3-2-1, switch!

6th grader: ...I'm gonna go call the nurse.  You need help.

 

Not gonna deny that.

 

We're fast approaching the, "Eh, let's watch movies" phase of the year.

Further Signs We're Ready to be Done

During drama practice...

 

5th grade student #1: She ate glue!

Me: (Incredulous, dismayed stare)

5th grade student #2, aka Paste Eater, with a perfectly unaffected gaze: It's not bad.

Happy Mother's Day!

“The loveliest masterpiece
Of the heart of God
Is the heart of a mother.”

—Thérèse of Lisieux

As I told my mum, I think it's appropriate today coincides with the Descent of the Holy Spirit, because the Spirit is the only way anyone could raise my siblings and I into anything resembling normal. Well, normal-ish. Kind of.



Eh, who are we kidding?

Really, though, our dad's influence could have been much worse. Not bad at all!

Happy and blessed Mother's Day to all the mothers and grandmothers out there, especially mine.

Happy Pentecost!

I love Pentecost. I would go into it, but I lack the time, eloquence, and education to do it justice.

I will mention I was confirmed on Pentecost four years ago, and May 3oth, 2004, holds the #1 spot on my "List of Big Important Days in My Life", and will hold it for a long time.

Father told this story at mass this morning (paraphrased as nearly as I can recall):

"I was at my second assignment, as pastor of a church in Indiana, and one day I looked out the window of the rectory and the church was on fire. I ran out, I was going to get the Blessed Sacrament, and right as I got to the door the first two rows of windows blew out. The sound, it was incredible, this great whoosh, and I thought, 'Wow.' And this might sound odd, but I think the Holy Spirit burned that church down, because that parish was divided but that fire forced them together. They rebuilt the church and were stronger than ever."

The Holy Spirit is awesome.

Happy Birthday, Church!

AGH!! REALLY BUSY!!

LIKE CAPS LOCK NO PUNCTUATION RUNNING AROUND CRAZY KIND OF BUSY!!

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!

But I've stolen five minutes of time to bring you the following posts. Because I'm dedicated.

Yeah.

Magic

The real magic of the world ... is not found on tv or in the movies, the real magic of the world is found in the pages of books.
- Douglas Gresham, C.S. Lewis's stepson

Something my sister and I have always known. In the same clip, he says "Struggle is worth it." Something my students don't seem to quite get (yet).

I'm increasingly excited about this movie.

Two Conversations

A 5th grader has taken to calling me "mom".  I pull hims aside during lunch.

 

Me: Listen, you can't call me mom.  It's inappropriate for a number of reasons.

5th grader: Like what?

Me: Well, I'm not your mom, for one.  More important, my name, as far as you're concerned, is Miss Cinseors.  That's it.

5th grader: How about aunt?

Me: No.

5th grader: Cuz?

Me: even more no.

5th grader: Aw, come on, chief.

 

 

 

An 8th grader is drumming on his desk.  I stare at him until he realizes I'm staring at him.

 

Other 8th grader: Why are you making African music?

Drummer: That's what I do when I have to pee.

 

 

Is it May 28th yet?

Still Alive, but Missing the Good Stuff

School and community life (I'm not a sister, but I do live in their community, so their activities and events are my activities and events) are still keeping me running crazy, but I felt I should reassure everyone that I continue to draw breath.  I've had several people, each via a different mode of communication, express their concern for my well being because I haven't posted here in, what, almost two weeks?  This compared to my three-post-a-day average, it's understandable people wondered if I'd slipped into a coma.

 

One of the things I haven't written about as a result of my having priorities at least kind of in right order is my little brother's first communion.  Dad sent me this picture of the sharp-dressed little punk, which, if you know my brother, is hilarious.  Charlie's envelope-pushing behavior aside, I don't doubt at all that he was very excited and proud, as I was.

 

Congratulations, Twin!  I wish I could have been there!

 

Love,

Sissie

Let me eat cake!

Were having our huge spring festival and one of my kids won a cake for me at the cake walk! Ill be honest - i have favorites. :-) (new paragraph) also, i realize its been a LONG time since i posted. you know how life occasionally attacks from all sides at once? yeah. hopefully ill be back soon, and not from a cell phone with all this gobbledeegook following.

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