Moments of a Mama

Ive been musing over what to write now for several days. This blogging is hard work. What could I possibly have to say every other day? Some of you laugh, oh we know the Wiecks, and if this is E writing she will always have plenty to say!

Well, yes thats true, yet Ive found myself lost for words this week. Lost becuase Ive been pondering, perhaps living in the past a bit too much. One of the things I find sad about my wonderful home of California is that it is transitional for many people for reasons of finance and culture. Finance because you cant get an average home without spending 3/4 of a million (Bay area). Culture because the pace is unique, very fast, not so family friendly, (although there are great things to do as family and the people we have found have been truly the best) and the general quality of life can be hard to identify with.

One of our motto's when we married was that we wanted a unified family. One that knew how to spend time in relationship with one another. We hope that when our day is done we can look back and say we accomlpished that.

We feel it is essential NOT to shelter our kids from the world, good bad and ugly. However we do know that its our responsibility to form the lens with which they view it all and to ease them into it all at proper stages in their development. We dont want to shelter and yet we still need to do some protecting. Striking a harmonious balance here is an art we can only pray for. Its a pretty hefty responsibility.

For these 2 reasons of finance and culture, we see a lot of good friends leaving the Bay area, and we know that one day it may be us. This week we said goodbye to wonderful friends. It was very hard, but I think we are learning how to do it, if you can ever learn something like that.

Every mom wishes that she could have her dearest friends all living in a 1 mile radius and that they would just hang out at each others homes, alternating their days. OK NOT EVERY MOM, but this Sanguine Choleric sure loves a friend around! Well, thats what I had with this friend, a true sister, and its hard to let go of support like that when your little ones are small. Im convinced that women helping other women is a natural essential in life, as is men spending time with other men working side by side. Its how we were made and when we can tap into that, we really are a whole lot happier.

So I was bummed....boo hoo... and when Im bummed I can't write! I have a choice to make, look around and realize the blessings I have in each of you, and those that are still with us. I have a choice to be a blessing to someone else and to stop wallowing in my self pity. Perhaps some other Mom out there is waiting for me to be that friend to her. I guess when we have wee ones, we cant do much, but we can do little things with great love like Mother Teresa said.

Random Acts of Blogness

On days like today I begin to wonder if “No Touchy” are the 2 words I’ve used most in my life. Ok I just said it again, now I’m convinced. Ironically I can say it in 3 languages, no make that 4, English, French, Spanish and Croatian. Maybe pig Latin though I never really excelled in that one.

Now I can hear my cute little 2 yr old running around saying “no touchy, no touchy” and it melts my heart.

Oh hey, do you like our music? I’m open to suggestions. Ok keep your opinions out of it. Sometimes music on a site can really irritate me and I usually end up shutting it off, so I don’t blame you for, yes that’s right, there you go, off goes the volume on your monitor. Ahh isn’t that better?

I have a meaning in almost each of these songs. Oh… a penny just hit me in the head. Man that smarts; I mean it’s so small but so shiny and painful.

I hope everyone had a great Fathers day. Where would we be without our Dads and those special Fathers in our lives? I am so thankful for my own Dad. His capacity for generosity and being so down to earth is just what I needed in this life to help me be more “real.”

I’m so thankful for my husband. I always look at him and think he is my dream Dad. You know, if you are a woman, we can all relate to this, we use to dream of a certain type of Daddy, well my darling is this. He is so patient and loving and strong. He really takes time to be present to our kids. His favorite times truly are lying on the carpet with his kiddos. Many times I worry about my kids, being raised by the she wolf that I can be, but then I look at them and think, with a Dad like that how can they go to far off course! He’ll save us all yet.

I’m so thankful for my husbands Dad, a true John Wayne and yet a Teddy Bear in his own rite, a man who has completely won my respect, not that he ever had to.

We had a wonderful day at the Beach on Saturday with our good friends D and L. They brought their Godson with them and it was just a blast, for them and us. Life the way it’s meant to be. We had a great chance meeting with a Dominican nun dressed in her full habit walking along the beach. Good to see some lamp posts of the Faith still left in a world so in need of Love.

Ahh, sometimes I think I’m soooooooo smart! I found a bargain, yup! Japanese Weekend Maternity was going out of business in one of their stores. Well I was there at the right time and place, even made it back twice. 75 percent off everything! “But, you’re not pregnant”, you say. Well, no, but I still look a little preggers and I’m sure I will be again, so now’s the time to save a load of cash by spending a load of cash. That’s the Scottish coming out in me. Even my thrifty husband was so proud of me for getting such good quality clothes at discount. Well…I’m just not soooooooo smart after all. While heading to a wedding, I was wearing one of my amazing skirts from the maternity store, so nice to feel comfy and look great eh! We needed a wedding card for the special couple and so Vincent dropped me off at our local Safeway (where I’m known by name). As I’m heading for the card isle I feel a little breezy and then I realize I must have lost my skirt somewhere between the snack isle and magazine isle. I quickly rushed back to get it but by that time I had officially become a Victoria secret model. I never imagined my big debut would be on a runway in the hallmark card isle, but we don’t always get what we want.

Needless to say I was very elegant in my pearl necklace and earrings so maybe no one noticed? Surely no one would think it of a prude like me. I quickly headed to buy safety pins and the wedding went off without further slippage. I guess there are some things you just shouldn’t put on blogs, but I’ve never been known for my closed demeanor. Perhaps I should practice more prudence… I hope I made you laugh, it would be worth it.

Perfect (unperfect) Moments

As a Mom, I never forget the moment in which every single photo of our family has been taken. Oddly they all share one common thread, its some degree of screaming by at least 1 out of 3 of our kids. Yes sometimes that screaming comes from Vincent and I.

Therese had just fallen from her stroller onto the rocky path that you see here, definetly one of the scariest times for me as she is still so little and the rocks were so rough, and well... she is a girl! It is the only time in any of my kids lives were I was extremly concerned. She should have been very hurt, but surprisingly enough she was not. Ill never look at this photo without feeling a bit sick.

Catholic Social Web

I just recieved a Zenit mailing that there will be a new social networking website for Catholics. It in particular revolves around World Youth Day 2008. Thought some of you might want to check it out. Im impressed with the site quality so far.

Check it out at xt3.com

Them be good eats...

Weekends are great. We get to enjoy the company of our spouse and children at its best. This weekend comprised of acrobatic displays from our 2 yr old resulting in a finger sprain. Next was discovering the tech museum- not such a discovery for kiddos our age (too young).

Then there was the ever beautiful but packed California beach! After ½ hr trying to find parking my heroic man dropped the kiddos and I off at the beach and went to park far away and hike back (prior to that he was so kind as to set up our day tent so I wouldn’t have too- what a man!)

It was…thrilling. The longest time we have spent at the beach in a while, a whole 3 hours! It wasn’t cold nor too boiling. The Eddie Bauer 3 sided day tent was truly the best 20 bucks I've ever spent and we use it all the time.

After lunch we noted some body boarding going on and about 15 feet behind one lady boarding we saw an ominous but delightful sight of a young orca jumping up. Wouldn’t it have made for a blog if it had gotten just that much closer? She didn’t seem too concerned when we waved her down, playing cool I think, yet she did come out of the water praise God, though not as fast as I would!

After this we witnessed about 5-7 dolphins frolicking. Dive bombing birds were included. Definitely a day to stay out of the water.

To top off the day was the snack par excellance which I hadn’t planned on the agenda. That’s right, sand, ah gotta love it eh James? Yes that’s a sea shell for added flavor. Well Ok spit it out if you must.

It’s a wonderful life. Let’s make it count and not forget to share our riches with those who have less, both materially and spiritually.

Gratitude

Today as I officially begin blogging, whew, even the sound of that is daunting, I find myself in a moment of deep gratitude. The blessings in my life, the advantages I've had, few are given, and it doesnt seem fair.

I've never had trouble seeing the hand of God in my life, through good times and bad, Ive never doubted his presence. This has nothing to do with me, and I cant take any credit for this gift, nor can I forget the gratitude that is owed.

To those who have been given much, much more is expected in return. This is where I fall so short.

Knowing me this blog will reflect a bit of eveything from funny to serious...to...dumb, but hopefully it serves to share with you, my dear friends and family a little peice of our life in the Wieck household which in my mind is the loveliest place on earth.

Little girls are truly God's special gift to Mom's.

I promise Christina, I will get the hang of this.