on being Catholic

I've always loved being Catholic - all the various devotions to Jesus (Sacred Heart, Divine Mercy, etc.), Marian devotions, all the Saints, the history, to good and the bad. And of course it's something which I long to share with my children. With that in mind, here's some humor at my expense...

On the way into Mass this morning, I was telling Maria how we'd see Jesus and Mary (statues) but that we'd have to be quiet. 2 seconds after we sit down... Her voice somehow amplified above that of the reader's, "Mama! Mama!" (meaning "Mama Mary", pointing at the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe.) Quick, grab the milk, goldfish, graham cracker sticks! We make it through the Gospel. Uh oh, food is gone, milk is gone. She turns to the waiting "audience" behind us, "HIIIII!! HIIII!!!," waving with all her might. People are responding, oh dear. Face her forward. She's eyeing the statues again. Before she can open her mouth, I share what I believe to be a brilliant idea: "Maria, remember we have to be quiet. Blow Mama Mary and Jesus kisses instead, ok?" Is it really possible for the sound of a toddler blowing kisses to be that loud? Apparently it is. Think quick. Pull out the Dada and Maria photo album... this should work. She will sit quietly and look through the book, right? No, she can talk now, dangit! Every page, "Dada! Ba-by!... Dada! Ba-by!..." I thought surely she would eventually just look. By page 5 we headed to the cryroom.

In the cryroom I discover the benefits of having a shy and studious child. She sits quietly looking around at all the flailing wailing children. Holds her carebear. And then I hear words that I thought I'd never hear with this tornado of a child of mine. :) A nearby mother says to her disobedient child, "See how quiet and still that little girl is sitting? And she's just a baby." ah! I nearly died! It took all I could not to burst out laughing! If only she could've known what a fluke it was for Maria... my Maria, to be sitting quiet and still! hahaha It still makes me chuckle.