don't you just love it?

as mentioned in my previous post.... the amazing, the incredible, the fantastic inflatable Nativity scene! Lee thinks it is really tasteless, but it made me and the lads laugh, especially Toot, who was in fits of giggles as Poonch repeatedly knocked the sheep over. Roo is just out of shot, patting one of the Three Kings, possibly because that was the part he played in the school Nativity play this year.

Pheww!

A 'baby snake', or to you and me, a teeny little worm, found while 'sploring

Not a lot of time for blogging these days, as ever... but what a busy few weeks it's been.

Here's a quick whizz through what we've been up to:

Birthdays of Roo and little Toot

Big boy beginning school

Hospital stay and operation for Mama and the best welcome home (baby burying his head in my lap)

Diecast model show

Family of Mary conference in Kilmallock

Our Lady's birthday: cake and beads and biccies

Visit to Great Aunt's house

First ever pony ride for Roo and Poonch

Assumption Novena starts today

I am fond of the odd Novena. Any excuse really and off I go: at the very least, it's a good way of making sure I find time to pray each day. Nine days from now is the Feast of the Assumption, so in preparation for that great day (which last year was the Little Toot's due date), I will be one of more than 2800 Catholics praying the Assumption Novena through this novena website.

If you'd like to join in too, you can sign up for handy email reminders to get the the novena prayers here: Assumption Novena.

The lovely picture came from this website, which tells you a little more about the feast.

Holiday revisited part 4, Thursday: Can you tell where it is yet?

Here is the other side of the church, the side that people know better. This is where Our Lady appeared to some dumb-founded inhabitants of Knock, Co Mayo, on 21st August 1879. We visited it on our Mayo holiday: it was in fact the reason we decided to come up there in the first place.

This gable-end is one of the parts of Knock that I love. There is a real sense of something amazing in this quiet spot, which for some reason seems almost deserted whenever I visit. In my experience, people tend to rush past it on the way to the Basilica, yet to me it is a far more attractive place. I see the basilica as just a functional place which can hold a lot of people. Lee likened it to a mart in design, which is bang on. Another part of Knock that I love is the Reconciliation Chapel. It always feels inviting and friendly, which aren't two adjectives that normally come to mind when I think of confession. On this visit, the two older lads were very good as they waited in turn for Lee and I, but I had to bring the Scroonk in with me in the sling and he was a bit busy, to say the least!

After that, the lads went off with Lee for some well-deserved messing in the playground while I went to yet another of my favourite parts of Knock: the bookshop. I could really spend hours there, and that's just in the children's section which has so many appealing books. I got some great books for Roo to help explain what's happening in Mass and some lift-the-flap Bible stories for Poonch. Then I went looking for a 'penny catechism' only to find it next to YOUCAT , which I was very excited about. It is such a great book: even apart from its contents, it is very attractive to look at and handle, with a friendly, straight-forward and approachable tone and a wonderful foreword from the Holy Father.

It was a welcome change not to have to face into a three-hour plus drive back home and instead we headed back to the hotel and our final night there. All together now: aaaaahhhhh!

No car, no problem

The car was still in for repairs today, so I was at home with the lads all day. No school, no racing about.
In answer to 'what will we do noooow, Mummy?' amongst other things, we read books, tidied Our Lady's altar, made a birthday invitation (only 4 months to go), fell about laughing at different ways to pronounce 'party', baked and decorated fairy cakes (while the little Toot obligingly slept) and ran about barefoot cos of 'sticky feet' (no, I don't know what they meant either).

Meanwhile, Lee rushed around for work, trying to avoid falling asleep at the wheel whilst doing a damn fine job for people, some of whom have no intention of ever paying him.

Did you meet an angel today?

Anne has removed the comments box from her blog so I can't thank her for her lovely post on today's feast of the Annunciation.

Once again, her beautiful writing has struck a chord in me. I especially liked reading about the 2 year old 'angel' she met. Can't say I've experienced such a revelation myself, but I will keep it in mind the next time I'm trying to cope with a toddler meltdown!

You can catch up with Anne and her gentle wisdom here.

Chicken noodle soup for my soul

Just enjoying some Heinz chicken noodle soup with the little Toot on my lap. Had some heartening words with Roo's nursery teacher today which made me inordinately happy- he is joining in well, helping out and making friends- two in particular that he likes to sit near each day.
Less heartening was our research into a lovely site close to the nursery. Not much luck there with previous planning applicants it would seem. Not sure even St Joseph can influence the planners! Talking of whom, I made it into town to register our lickle baby's birth at last! We decided to call him Joseph, or at least the Irish version of the name, pronounced Yosef. With all the Marian connections throughout the pregnancy, I thought it appropriate. He was also blessed with one of Padre Pio's mitts while in my tummy, so given that it's his feast day today and his devotion to Our Lady, it all ties in serendipitously (if that's a word!).
He is a sweet little fella, but quite unsettled- possibly suffering from reflux. Absolutely adored by his big brothers who love to hug and kiss him at every opportunity and won't go to sleep until they've had a little spoony cuddle next to him. Poonch's enthusiasm meant he was unintentionally rough at first, but is improving all the time.

A Catholic Meme

I have been tagged by Breadgirl for a Catholic Meme. Like her, I was a bit confused at first, but I think I have the gist of it now.

The rules, (from Mac) which need to be posted:
"Name your three favourite prayers, and explain why they're your favourites.
Then tag five bloggers - give them a link, and then go and tell them they have been tagged. Finally, tell the person who tagged you that you've completed the meme. The Liturgy and the Sacraments are off limits here. I'm more interested in people's favourite devotional prayers."

My three favourite prayers are:

O Angel of God,

my guardian dear,
to whom God’s love commits me here,
ever this day be at my side,
to light and guard, to rule and guide.

We say this every night with the lads, as it was said with us by our parents, fadó, fadó.

Prayer to Our Lady of All Nations

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the Father,

send now Your Spirit over the earth.

Let the Holy Spirit live in the hearts of all nations,

that they may be preserved from degeneration, disaster and war.

May the Lady of All Nations,

who once was Mary, be our Advocate. Amen.

I found this prayer in my kitchen. I think Mum must have left it there. I like the idea of Mary as being a unifying force throughout the world.

A prayer in my own words to St Thérèse

I consider her a friend who I talk to as a friend when I am troubled or thankful. Fittingly, I think she prefers us to speak our requests to her from our heart, rather than from set formula.

I am tagging

Anne

Maria

Miss Ellen E

Mary

Elizabeth

By the way, is it a 'Mee mee' or a 'meem'?

Happy Birthday Church!

After mass and devotions to Our Lady of All Nations in town, we celebrated Pentecost with Mum and Uncle Bee with a special cake. I was inspired by the indefatigable Jessica's Mighty Wind cake, one of her many ideas for celebrating the birth of the Church.

Ours was a bit more haphazard, but we all enjoyed it nonetheless. I only got a chance to take one picture before the Lego tongue of fire in the centre started to melt from the heat of the 12 Apostle candles lighting around it!

I used the brilliant Allegra's Big Kitchen cake from her Leon cookbook, then slathered it in Glenilen double cream that I added a bit too much vanilla to, and then decorated it with our first strawberries of the year.

I think we might have to call the baby 'Mary'

... if it's a girl that is. I have been meaning to post for ages about what happened a couple of Sundays ago.

First it was a beautiful clear, sunny day. The best kind of day in my opinion. Then instead of going to Mass in the usual place, we found ourselves at 5 o'clock in the friendly and welcoming Deebert House Hotel in Kilmallock. It was the culmination of a mysterious retreat that a friend of Liam's kindly told us about the night before. I say 'mysterious' because it was all a bit vague. We didn't know what the retreat was for, and then Lee said, 'oh yeah he said something about Padre Pio's mitt.' And I was sure the place would be mobbed with people.

So, off we went to Kilmallock where we were ushered into a warm conference room full of people. In spite of well-meaning offers of seats at the front, we stayed at the back where we felt safer with the two lads, in case they got restless. Mass was said by the newly ordained Fr Paul Cahill along with Fr Paul Maria Sigl and another priest whose name I missed. Mum was there too, although she hadn't mentioned she was going.

It turned out the retreat was about Our Lady of All Nations, who I was slightly familiar with, as I have her prayer (see below) next to the fridge. Not sure where it came from: probably Mum.

After Mass, Fr Sigl, who's Austrian, consecrated everyone to Mary, although it was hard to concentrate on the words while keeping the boys quiet. Mind you, they had been really good for the last hour and a half, longer than we normally spend in church. Frs Sigl and Cahill were really warm and lovely, full of the Holy Spirit. They both blessed my bump and we were all very privileged to be blessed with Padre Pio's mitten: Fr Sigl even gave the little brown woolen relic to me to hold and bless the Babycake with, 'under my heart'.

The whole experience made me realise I have somewhat neglected Mary lately. So I moved my little altar to the windowsill near the sink, where, like all housewives, I spend a lot of time. Now I think of our Lady more often and say the powerful prayer whenever I think of it.

Lord Jesus Christ,

Son of the Father,

send now your Spirit over the earth.

Let the Holy Spirit live in the hearts of all nations,

that they may be preserved

from degeneration, disaster and war.

May the Lady of All Nations,

who once was Mary,

be our Advocate.

Amen

And why am I thinking of calling the baby Mary, (or Maria, or Máire)? Because of all the Marian connections. My due date is the Feast of the Assumption and my 20 week scan is the day after the Annunciation.

Today is Our Lady of Knock's feast day and the 130th anniversary of her apparition at the gable wall of the small church in Co Mayo. We usually go once a year (and often Mum goes a few times a year). This year, we were there for St Thérèse in May.

Pearls of Wisdom

Today I must share a lovely reflection about Our Lady on Anne's blog that highlights her role as Jesus' Mum.

In an effort to pray better, I recently bought a little book to help me say the Rosary. I don't say it well or often because usually my mind wanders during the mysteries or I lose count of the Hail Marys, but this handy book helps me on both counts. It's called Two Hundred Pearls of Great Price and it has a little thought for each Hail Mary to guide you through each mystery. I bought it in the bookshop attached to the Augustinian church on O'Connell Street in Limerick while we were looking for a Christening present for a contemporary of Poonch.

Sunny May days

On this day in 1883, St Thérèse was healed by Our Lady who appeared to her in a statue next to her sickbed.