AL Champion Texas Rangers

Last night I was lucky enough to go the greatest sporting event I have ever witnessed. A great friend of mine, and a monk no less, was given 2 tickets to game 6 of the ACLS at the Ballpark in Arlington.


Needless to say, when he called the day before and asked if I wanted to go, I cleared my calendar and then I checked with my boss, I mean wife. She gave me the blessing, saying, "when else are you going to see a game like this" and knowing the Rangers, it might just be another 42 years!!


Colby Lewis pitched an incredible game, allowing only 1 run on a fluke play.The closer, Neftali Feliz, struck out former Ranger A-Rod on a called 3rd strike to end the game and send the Rangers to their first ever World Series!!

Here is video of the final pitch and celebration that ensued. Warning....this video contains grown men screaming like little girls!

HELLO WORLD SERIES!!

Paying Attention?

In an effort to increase spiritual awareness and decrease paternal stress, and with the knowledge that a pea sized offering a sugary bliss would eventually be outgrown, I relented to the temptation to bribe my children into Gospel awareness.  They needn't explain concepts or expound upon parable implications, I simply asked for a word, a name, anything at all to show that they were paying attention, with the hope that genuine interest would eventually replace skittle driven ambitions.

What pleasure I felt with the success of my plan, when Peter leaned close to me during mass and whispered, despite his grinning from ear to ear, "I know what it was about, Mom!  I know!"

"It's about some guy who had ten leopards!"

He was later rewarded with a skittle and a discussion on leoprosy.

Small Successes

I woke up this morning and realized it is Thursday, and my successes, well I could not think of one.  This week has been all about maintaining rather than progress, which is not to imply that maintainance is not success, but rather, that the successes are a little harder to find.  So...

1.  I remembered to whisper an aspiration to the Holy Spirit when childhood affection was replaced by agression, allowing my own temper to be kept in its proper place.

2.  I started the school day on time and checked my email at the lunch break instead.

3.  I read three books to my little fireman who had not enjoyed mommy's instruction during school time.

Although these are all things I would normally consider an expectation for the day, it is good to have a week in which you are reminded that normal is a gift of grace as well!


Check out the Success of other Moms this week at Faith and Family Live!

Does This Count as Success?

"It’s important for moms to recognize that all the small successes in our days can add up to one big triumph. So on Thursday of each week, we do exactly that." 


1.  I took a sick day.  With a fever, body aches and a husband away for 48 hours, we patronized the fast food industry, left the dishes on the counter and our crumbs on the floor and enjoyed a day on the couch between A. A. Milne's Winnie-the-Pooh and the BBC's Life Series. 

2.  The three days after the infirmary cleared, I realized why moms NEVER take sick days.  But despite being behind in absolutely everything, I managed to not get overwhelmed.

3.  As the week progressed I actually made it out of bed and was completely dressed before the kids got up, which, in a small house with many sleeping babies is quite a success.  Of course, the majority of the credit belongs to the Guardian Angels who covered the little sleeping ears, but for my part, I did get up on time!