This Girl

This girl is incredibly sweet and talented. She has amazing grace which her ballet teacher has noted. (Not sure she’s actually MY child…) She sings sweet songs and makes up beautiful stories for her stuffed animals. She does well in gymnastics. However… she will not let anyone watch her. If she catches me watching her practices in the window, she will stop and shake her head with a stern look. It’s her code for me NOT to watch her.
She’s the girl who LOVED school from day one. She loved it so much we were certain she was thriving – until her teacher told us she was *finally* starting to talk. Apparently she soaked it all in, she’s quite the observer. She notices every detail. She’s happy to be the observer.

She’s started goofing off more in front of us. Often, shaking her “booty”. She makes up songs we cannot understand because she laughs so hard at herself while she’s trying to sing them. She will make up dances to go with these songs. BUT – she still will not let us watch her practice ballet or gymnastics.

Today, she decided she would sing at church. (Only if her friend Heidi sang). And, that she did. She sat proudly with her friends. She stood and sat with the choir. She opened her book to every song and sang along to the refrains she knew. She paid amazing attention. In fact, she leaned over to me during the homily and said, “Mommy, during this part I don’t understand what Father Bob is saying.” She didn’t cower anywhere, she joined right in. 
The whole music crew was fantastic. Tonight 2 guitarists, 4 adults, and 10 children participated. My WHOLE family was a part of this. These kids even gave their Daddy the courage to join in. At times, the kids sang with all their might. It was gorgeous, and this girl’s voice was part of it. All four of us were up there using our talents for God. It was a perfect evening. I’m very proud of this girl.

Snug as Two Bugs on a Rug

This spring we finally got rid of the toddler beds. The kids share such a tiny room we weren’t sure how to configure it with two beds. Thomas had long outgrown the crib mattress, however.

In hopes to keep them in the same room – and keep the larger room for the playroom – we got a loft. We put a second mattress under it on the floor in a trundle frame. The weeks leading up to the loft were full of fun anticipation. Thomas did NOT want to sleep on the top bunk. Veronica did. This did not stop Thomas from using things to his advantage. Whenever things were not quite going to his liking, he’d tell Veronica, “I won’t let you sleep on the top bunk…” She’d immediately relinquish power to him.

When the loft was installed, they picked out their own sheets. Thomas the Train and Transformers for Thomas, Dora and Butterflies for Veronica. Veronica slept well on the top for a couple weeks. Then, she got sick. She wanted to sleep on the bottom. Thomas wasn’t going up, so we padded the hardwood floor for her and she snuggled up. Once she recovered, she then started having attacks of fear at being on the top bunk. So, MONTHS have gone by with Veronica sleeping on the hardwood floor. Sometimes she’d have a quilt under her, but often she drifted off of it.

I wasn’t about to force one of them to sleep on the top. How do you choose? Who do you “punish” by making them scared all night? Nevertheless, my daughter sleeping on a cold, hard floor was wearing at my conscience as well. Today, I’d had enough! I moved around some carpets and furniture to make it work. In the process, Thomas had told Judson he wanted to sleep on the top bunk. The room needed a rug anyway, so I kept at it.

Tonight, Thomas climbed up proudly onto the top bunk. Veronica cozied up to the “arrangement” she’d made on the bottom bunk of books and stuffed animals. It seemed it was smooth sailing, until lights out… Veronica was devastated that she could not see Thomas. (The loft sits quite high). She tried laying on the floor, but she could still not see him. She asked him to come down near her, he didn’t want to. After listening to Veronica’s angst, I asked Thomas if he would sing to her so she could hear his voice. He happily offered 5 songs. When the songs were over, Veronica was back out sobbing that she couldn’t see him and she needed to know he was there. I told her to go back and ask Thomas if he would snuggle with her for just a little bit. I warned her it was his right to say no. Within five minutes we never heard another peep. We went in to see what the resolution: Two sweet, loving soul mates, BOTH on the floor.

This Guy!

 

Thomas is an extremely talented kid. He is also an extremely shy kid. He does NOT like the idea of public performance. For example, there’s the Christmas pageant two years ago.

The following Christmas pageant, they sang Feliz Navidad. During the first round, Thomas stood between two kids with maracas. Thomas had both his ears covered with his hands while he sang. Then, on the second round of the song, he was passed a maraca. He used one hand to cover one ear. He used the other hand to shake a maraca on cue while he covered that ear by pressing it against his shoulder.

He thoroughly enjoys watching performances.  He had quite a stomach ache last month before he had to perform again with his class for Grandparents’ Day.

Nevertheless, this weekend he told me he wanted to sing in my “choir.” I have recently started playing the piano at two Masses a month. We have an open-door policy, trying to encourage those who want to participate in the music to do so.  The last time I had three kids participate. Thomas had been ill, so we left him at home. This weekend NO kids showed up. He was still quite excited and ready to do it. About 20 minutes before the service a girl in Thomas’s school whom he knows, Anna, came to help her parents be greeters. He went to ask her to sing. And she did!

Despite the fact there were only 5 singers (including him), Thomas insisted that he sit in the 3rd row. He would be “more comfortable” there. He came down for each song and sang with the group, but then returned to his seat in the 2nd or 3rd row (depending on his confidence level at that point). He took it all very seriously.

Thomas made it through the whole service. He sang every song. Fr. Bob’s homily was about giving of your time and talent. I was pleased to tell Thomas and Anna what a good example they set for the whole church. He was pleased to do it “with the choirs of angels and saints,” understanding it was for Jesus and his brother and sister in Heaven.

My heart is full of love. He is loving. He is faithful. He is awesome. He is my baby. I LOVE this guy.

HUKD ON FONX (HOOKED ON PHONICS)

Last week I saw the following picture on the table. I was surprised that Thomas didn’t know how to spell his middle name. I was also surprised that after all the writing Thomas has been doing, I couldn’t figure out what he was spelling. I asked him about it and he told me he didn’t draw the picture or write the caption. Veronica did.
This little superstar has been sneaking in more and more words into her repertoire of reading. I didn’t realize she was starting to spell. It’s only natural as she “teaches” her stuffed animals – reading to them, instructing them.
Then, tonight, I looked through her school folder to find what she’s been writing during her free time at school.

“Instructor is Thomas Kring. R is for Riley.”

“My Number Book

My favorite number

2 rows of yellow

3 rows of blue altogether

1 rows of pink”

“Circle the big one”

My New Favorite Book

Thomas has been quite the prolific writer as of late. He has been into comics mostly. I’ll post those later. Tonight’s really captured my heart. He thinks of these topics on his own. Divinely inspired.  Lord, give me faith like a child.

Title page: God Book By: Thomas

Chapter 1: I Met God

Hello! I am……….. Jesus? No! God.

Bow down to God and Jesus. OK?

Say: yes. It is GOOD! OK?

picture: God saying ‘hi!’

But sin (say: s_i_n) is bad. Very bad! I mean very very bad! Now

Picture: God saying, “Sin is bad. Very bad. OK?

I love you!………… ALWAYS!

OK? Yes! AND you love me yes or no? YES! for sure!

Picture: God says, “By the way: I love you!”

 

 

Oh! And about the angels: I am good – Guss what? Angels are to! Yes? Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! OK?

 

Chapter 2: Jesus is GOOD!

My son Jesus (say: Je-s-us) is on the cross. I know it is sad. you are sad. I am sad. We all are sad.

Picture: Person on left says, “No!”, Jesus on cross in middle; person on right says, “I love you!”

Jesus is gone? No! We still still love. Now! Maybe…. Now? Yes!

We have to pray…. Always! Ok?

I’m looking forward to chapter 3. He already has it titled: “Loveing is Good!”

DJ Groovy God and the Fresh Prince Jesus Christ

Turns out, I had an unexpected day off. Unfortunately, as most of my days off go, that’s when my body allows itself to be ill. This morning, I helped Judson see the kids off to school and then crawled back into bed. I set the alarm for 8:15 so I could see how I felt. See if I could rally to go to the all-school Mass. Alarm came. I hit snooze. I wasn’t feeling it, but I felt too guilty to turn it off.

The snooze alarm came on with the radio saying, “You will be amazed what God can do for you.” Then silence. So, yes. I listened. I went. I watched my babies participate in the Mass, side by side. I stayed hidden until the sign of peace, when I marched forwarded and shared it with them.

I am continually amazed at what God can do for me. And this is NOT the first time he’s woken me up with a personal message from the radio. That’s a whole other story. What the heck, I’ll share it here.

In the fall of 1997, I had just graduated from Marian College. I didn’t know what I was going to do with myself, so I accepted an amazing internship with NASA in Moffett Field, CA. When the internship was over, I had no plans, so a friend I made there, Andrea, and I decided to take part-time counselor positions with Space Camp. It was a good gig. We worked a few weeks and had a few weeks off. Free room and board, living with other young adults. Andrea and I got to be roomies and explore the area more in our time off. Andrea had just received her Master’s in planetary geology. So, she knew what she could do, but just had to take the time to find a job. That allowed us the time at Space Camp. We went to concerts, met astronauts. My Aunt Peggy came and toured Yosemite (where we got up close and personal with a bear). My friend, Becky, was living out there at the time and we got to spend some great times together.

In September, my grandmother was dying of emphysema. I found my way home. I went one night to Purdue to visit some friends before heading back to Columbus to visit my grandmother again one night. On the way to Columbus, I was VERY tired. Jet lagged, up too late, worried about Grandma. I think I was drifting off at the wheel when I heard, loud and clear, “Christen Struck” (that’s my maiden name). I jerked to attention. I was certain this was my guardian angel waking me up. Then, the angel (it was a male) went on, “1997 graduate of Marian College.” Then, you hear Mission Control counting backward from “T minus 10…” Next, a female’s voice (not mine, mind you), said, “I’ve always been a dreamer… (blah, blah, blah, a lot of inspiring stuff that were not my words).” I’m not sure when I realized this was the radio.

Here’s where I can back up. I was accepted into the NASA Ames Astrobiology Academy. One of eleven. My state science consortium was supposed to sponsor half of my experience, Lockheed-Martin, the other half. The IN Science Consortium had already agreed to sponsor another Hoosier at the Dryden Academy. I was not supposed to come up with the money personally, but they agreed that if I could find another sponsor I could go. Marian agreed to pay for my travel in exchange for a photo shoot for a print ad. I guess the release form I signed included radio ads. Let me tell you, that was a heck of a way to find out it included audio ads. I could barely walk when I got out of the car because I was shaking so badly.

The more I think back, this experience most likely occurred 15 years ago today. Something that brings this even more full-circle is Endeavor is taking it's final victory lap today as it heads to it's retirement home.

Thanks for making me hear you loud and clear God. That’s what I need most often, is a wake-up call. And, I’m glad you have a sense of humor!

What’s in a Name?

This week’s religion homework is to talk about where the children’s names came from. We’ve been discussing it most of the week. I even typed up a paper for them to remember this information. They have proudly taped these to their walls and made binders (all of their own idea) with these sheets (below).

Tonight as I picked the kids up from school, we talked again about their meanings. We talked about the history of St. Veronica. Thomas insisted, "When I'm married and I have a wife who has a baby, we'll name her Veronica. And when she's 5 she can tell her teacher that we named her after her Daddy's sister who is a special girl."

 

THOMAS

RILEY

 

THOMAS

• My brother’s name is David Thomas. He was named after
• Thomas Riley: Mama ‘s (Daddy’s mother) brother. He was very special and helped take care of Mama when her mother died when she was 5.
• David Riley: This was Thomas Riley’s son. He was Daddy’s favorite cousin.
• Thomas means “twin.” Jesus’s apostle Thomas was a twin.
• Daddy’s Confirmation name is Thomas, after St. Thomas Aquinas.
  

RILEY

• This was Daddy’s mom’s last name before she got married.
• Daddy’s middle name is Riley.

Daddy’s name is Judson Riley. He is named after his Grandfather, Judson Riley.
Mommy’s name is Christen Marie. She was born very close to Christmas, so she was named after Jesus Christ and Mary.

VERONICA

JANE

 

VERONICA

• St. Veronica was a very special girl who was kind to Jesus when the soldiers were being mean to him. She was very brave and wiped the sweat and blood from Jesus’s face while he was carrying his cross. She was rewarded by Jesus. He put an image of his face on the veil she used.
• Veronica means “true image.” I look a lot like my sister Julianne. My parents also hope to teach me to show others the love of Jesus. They hope to make me show his image.
• Mommy & Daddy are big fans of Elvis Costello. One of their favorite songs of his is "Veronica."

JANE

• My sister’s name is Julianne Jane.  She was named after
• Julianne: Grandma’s sister was very close to Grandma’s age and her best friend. She died before Mommy was born.
• Jane: My brother and sister, David Thomas and Julianne Jane, were born on Grandma’s birthday!

Daddy’s name is Judson Riley. He is named after his Grandfather, Judson Riley.
Mommy’s name is Christen Marie. She was born very close to Christmas, so she was named after Jesus Christ and Mary.