Easter vs Dinosaurs

Nothing says Easter like a Mr. Rodgers sweater

Nothing says Easter like a Mr. Rodgers sweater

Easter… Another holiday… Another event… Another opportunity to spend with family.  A time for rejoice and reflection, however gets lost in the mounds of chocolate and colorful eggs and other various items that have absolutely nothing to do with religion, and this got me thinking… What is my son’s relationship with god going to be?

I grew up in a typical catholic household… Not total bible thumpers, but church going, CCD attending, alter boy, Italian catholic family.  Stephanie went to catholic school her entire life from “grammar school” (do people actually call it grammar school), through high school.

So where does that leave our little one?  I’ve said a lot of things on this blog that might be a little controversial, some that I’m sure others agree with and some that others probably think I’m crazy for.  I’m sure this statement is going to be one of those… I hate that I want to go to church just a little less that I want to do a lot of other things.

I don’t want to pretend to be something I’m not.  But I also don’t want to just do the things that are easy. Sacrificing region for a nice calm Sunday morning is easy, but is it right?  I want Jax to know that our religion is important to us, but I’m not sure how to do that when we seem to be on the holiday church schedule… (You know attend Christmas, Easter, Palm Sunday, etc).

I’ve had quite a bit of trouble writing this… Obviously Easter was a week a go, and I’m still writing and rewriting.  Mostly because I don’t know how this will be perceived.  What are my parents going to say?  What will Jax think years from now when he rests this?

Is it bad to admit that going to church is not a high priority for me?  Don’t get me wrong.  I’m glad I was raised Catholic and that I have the knowledge that I do regarding my religion and the bible, knowing I have an outlet when I need to talk to someone, or say a prayer too and that someone is listening… Somehow and someway makes me feel better.  There have definitely been times where the best person to talk to, was someone I couldn’t even see.

This isn’t some innovative blog post; I’m sure it has been written about before.  I just don’t know if anyone has taken the middle road before.  It seems to be either you are writing about how God raised his arms and created the Heavens and Earth or you are writing about how the dinosaurs don’t believe in God.  There has to be a happy medium right?  In 2015 you shouldn’t have to choose to just toe the line; you should be able to hop back and forth and believe in certain things that you can’t see or hear, but also be able to do it at your own pace.

Does that make sense?  I’m not sure if it did, but it will soon because we’re living it now.

 

This blog entry has been featured on Honustmum.com as a Brilliant Blog Post.

This blog entry has been featured on Honustmum.com as a Brilliant Blog Post.

Dairy Free No More?

Gigantic day in the realm of Jax today.   After 10 months of no dairy, we “reintroduced” this devil food to him again this AM.  

If you’ve been following the blog from the beginning, then you surely remember the nightmare that ensued the first month when mom had anything dairy related.  Sleepless nights, poop everywhere, crying and screaming… And that was just me.  Jax was a mess too!!

So this morning the little man had some yogurt.  Don’t get me wrong we didn’t pour a gallon of whole milk down his throat, but still we had our doubts.  

Fast forward 12 hours and we are still A-OK.  Keep your fingers crossed. 

 

Bab(e)y Ruth

  

 

We don’t do candy in this house, not now … Not never.  Well, except for Steph who enjoys Twizzlers, Reeces peanut butter cups, m&ms, Cadbury mini eggs, Cadbury Easter eggs, Cadbury scrambled eggs… Etc, etc, etc.

I had to make a few calls to a few guys who know a few guys who the Easter Bunny owes a few favors to.  Once all was said and done, he got the message… No candy over here.  

Just Topps and Topps Heritage cards (you know the ones with the chance for a Babe Ruth Game-Used jersey card).

Baby Ruth… That’s about as close to a candy bar as this kid is gonna get this year! 

Happy Easter Kid

I still remember opening his first pack of cards with him, seems like yesterday!!!  https://newdadchronicles.wordpress.com/2014/05/02/5-2-14-first-pack-of-baseball-cards/

Jackson Carmine and the Deathly Hallows

Jax what happened to your hand!??

  

Luckily Professor Snape was able to slow the spread of the curse

Apparently, my son has been hunting Horcruxes in his spare time.  You think he would have learned from Dumbledore’s mistakes and left the Guant ring alone.   

The ring, Harry. Marvolo’s ring. And a terrible curse there was upon it too. Had it not been — forgive me the lack of seemly modesty — for my own prodigious skill, and for Professor Snape’s timely action when I returned to Hogwarts, desperately injured, I might not have lived to tell the tale. However, a withered hand does not seem an unreasonable exchange for a seventh of Voldemort’s soul. The ring is no longer a Horcrux.” Albus Dumbledore (explaining the effects of the curse).

The Handyman Can

The look of horror when dad takes our a hammer

 
Someone who teaches themselves how to play the piano is called a savant, someone who’s IQ is over 140 is called a genius, a pitcher who can paint the corners of home plate for strikes is called a Rembrandt… me working with tools… that my friends is called a disaster! Yet, for some reason we continue to buy “things” for this house where assembly is required.

Today’s Project: assembling a shelving unit for the man cave (which is also now somehow turning into a mini playroom). 

Parts included in the package: 48 – Parts I used to assemble: 36.  Parts I lost: 8.  Spare parts that didn’t belong to this particular project that were found: 2. 

Tools needed: 1 Phillips head screwdriver, 1 small hammer.  Tools I used: 2 Phillips head screw drivers, 1 flat head screw driver, small hammer, box cutter, needle nose pliers, 1 container of gorilla glue. 

Estimated time of assembly: 45 minutes – Time it took me to assemble on the first try 30 minutes – Time it took me to disassemble and then reassemble after realizing I forgot to use the wooden dowels the first time: 65 minutes. 

Over an hour later, with many new words muffled under my breath so Jax wouldn’t hear them and a missed family dinner we finally have our shelf (just don’t put anything on it, it’s really just for looks).   

It may look nice, but its held together with smoke and mirrors

11 Months 

   

11 months going on 20 years. I think I say this every month, but “I can’t believe it’s been 11 months already.”  

He’s talking (sorta), moving faster than I thought possible and  I’m pretty sure I saw him trading stocks on the internet the other day.  

It’s been an amazing 11 months. Now… Off to listen to Stef plan a first birthday party.  Lord help me!  

Green Diapers 

I’m tired of changing seaweed filled diapers.  Apparently Jax has inherited mommy’s immune system, because he’s been sick for about four straight weeks.  Between croup, puking, diarrhea, stomach bugs, runny nose, and whatever other ailments have befallen this little dude this past month, I’m exhausted.    

I can barely take care of myself on a regular basis.  With mom on the DL things have gotten interesting around here.  Laundry is strewn all over the house… There’s undershirts on the lamps, there’s underwear behind the door in the bathroom, there’s 147 unmatched socks under the bed.  I can’t keep up with life when Stef is less than 100%.  

Good lord, please let this Emergency-C kick in for her soon!

Luckily this kid is cute even when he’s sick.

For in Dreams…

 Snuck in to say good night… He’s all curled up tight, clutching his #blanky with his #CornishPixie napping by his side! #HarryPotter


“For in dreams, we enter a world that is entirely our own. Let him swim in the deepest ocean or glide over the highest cloud.”   -Dumbledore