First Thing in the Morning

My Little sad story

When we told the children about our little baby having passed, it was interesting to see the different reactions they had. As I expected, the girls were immediately sad and grievous. John Henry spent most of our conversation saying things like "Maybe it was triplets and only one died. Maybe we are still having twins!" Only long after our prayers were said, and everyone in bed, did I notice John Henry quietly weeping into his pillow. Thaddeus, after a good 10 minutes of almost his whole family, and a few friends, crying began to sob. When I asked why he was crying he said "I don't know, but everyone else is!"

Last night Thaddeus was up late. We were having some quite time together when he asked "When is a Shannon coming out of your body." My friend Jessica is mother to Thaddeus' close friend Connor, and 3 month old Shannon. I also have an adult friend Shannon, so I really didn't understand what Thaddeus was asking, thinking of adult Shannon.

"There's no Shannon coming out of my body!"
"Oh, Did the baby die?"
Now it all clicked.
"Yes, the baby died."
"But we'll see the baby in heaven" (Smiling)
"Yes, we'll see the baby in heaven. And we are praying for another baby to come soon."
"When"
"Maybe a baby will be in my body in the next month or two."
"Are their dinosaurs in heaven? How does God make Dinosaurs?" Back to 4 year old land.

And so the process of letting go continues.
Today I looked at my school calendar. I didn't understand some of the numbers on every week. AH! They were my gestational weeks. I would have already been 12 weeks along.

Those are in pen, so I can't erase, but I did adjust the school schedule for next year.
Planning is necessary, but we really have only this moment.
God is Good, all the time.

Latin

We study Latin in this family. John has decreed, in that head-of-houshold sort of way, that all of his children will read latin with facility before leaving the nest. I hope this doesn't mean the slower floks will hang on into their 30's!

Regardless--much of our time is spent doing recetations "Amo, amas, amat. . .terra, terrae, terrae, terram, terra. . . lex, legis. . .etc etc." Singing songs "Christus Vincit! Christus Regnat! Christus, Christus, Imperat!" and memorizing vocab (that is so dry you don't want an example).

We also like learning little phrases in latin. Like "Medax, Mandax. Bracae tua conflagrant!"

Today's is "pluvia , pluvia discedo. Dies alius iterum adveho."
iterum sounds like aeternum--if I were a little more fluent I'd write a Virgil-esque poem about the rain lasting FOREVER!

For Erin

I can't remember where I stopped in my "trip abck East" retrospective--and I can't go check because I'm sneaking in some pre-schooling blogging. The girls are getting started--but if they find out I'm blogging they will not get any work done. . .this is worse than being on the phone while homeschooling!!

Anyway--my new friend Erin commented on one of the Easter posts. Thank you Erin!! Erin and her husband were the messangers of God who took in a family of 7 whose van totally died in Montana. We had met them at Mass, and discovered some connections (St. John's and Thomas Aquinas, not to mention pro-life medical connections). We died the second time mere miles from their home, were able to limp to their driveway, buy a new truck with the help of the used car-dealer neighbor across the street, and have our 5 slip into play time easily with their 7. At one point it was hard for Erin and I to tell little Joseph and Thaddeus apart. I think we brought home the right one--he answers to his name anyway!!

So--here's to Erin! God Bless her, her family, and new baby Daniel!!
Also--Erin, please email me at edblouin1021@yahoo.com so we can communicate privately.

Happy Easter!!

Happy Easter!

It is Easter Wednesday, and here I am finally! After 40 days of no blogging I have LOTS of photos to take off our camera. Unfortunately it is somewhere in the post road trip chaos. . .so that will have to wait.

Lent was fruitful and difficult. The newest and most challenging experience was getting pregnant, then miscarrying a few weeks later. That's a story in itself, but suffice to say that Our Lord is generous in His consolations, and always present in times of grief. The Children helped name our littlest soul Happy Marie Joseph. Happy really was on my short list for names, after St. Felix y'know?

But right now am 37! Happy Birthday to me!!! I love my birthday! John got me a wonderful cake that says " Happy 37th Bithday Allison" the 37 is crossed out in red frosting, and 29 next to it. HAHAHA!

It so timely to have the begining of a year right at the begining of Easter, in the Spring, with the sun shinning! Very hopeful!