Martha, Martha

Over a year ago, my husband let me have my way (again) and name our 6th daughter Martha.  Yes, I know it's a bit old-fashioned a name for a baby girl these days, but I just have such a...shall we say....connection to St. Martha. 

It has taken me many years to understand that Jesus wasn't just telling Martha to "suck it up" and do her job; to stop pestering her sister who was lucky enough to choose sitting at his feet and listening to him over cooking and cleaning after those Twelve Hungry Men.

I always thought Martha got a raw deal.  Why couldn't Mary help her so she'd at least have a little time with Christ, too?  Or for that matter, those lazy men could have peeled the potatoes or cleared the dishes, no?

Okay, okay.  So Martha was impatient and exasperated.  She was tired and frustrated.  And she felt completely unappreciated. 

I have SO been there.  And yes, I've complained and whined about it, too.  Did it do me any good? Um...what do you think?
 
So I've lately come to this virtuous conclusion: Feeling sorry for myself and being grouchy to all these needy people I live with not only makes them all miserable, but it makes me unhappy, too.  

How's that for a revelation! Bet no one ever thought it before!

Sure, I know that I ought to work cheerfully and selflessly, but it's easier said than done.  It's a constant battle.  One that I lose--a lot.  But working on my attitude is just as important for my soul as exercising and eating healthy is for my body.

Oops.  This post was supposed to be about our sweet Martha, wasn't it? Well, there's not much to say about her, except that she's the World's Cutest Baby, and our home pretty much revolves around her.  The other children cater to her darling whims, her father is silly putty in her dainty hands, and I simply can't kiss her enough.  I think it's going to be very hard for me to wean this one. 


 
P.S.  Here's an interesting homework assignment for anyone reading this: Find a word--a noun--that means the opposite of "grump," or "grouch," or "crab."

Spiritus truths

I WILL write everyday!  Even if it's only a few sentences!

So instead of telling you something about my eldest or youngest child, I will tell you about my day.  It is my 7th child's 11th birthday.  (Which is why I am only just now getting to my journal, and also why I am making it VERY brief.  You can thank me later.)

So I spent my day washing dishes by hand (since our dishwasher is broken--but the repair guy is coming here tomorrow--for the 3rd time), making home made Italian sausage with fresh herbs from our garden, and making cake and baking pizzas for our daughter's birthday dinner. 

I think she had a good day, though.  So I'm not sorry to have been unable to complete my "to do" list, which includes the following:

1) Finish cleaning out the fridge (which I started yesterday),
2) grade my son's Algebra II lesson (he's doing a bit of summer school),
3) EXERCISE (that really hurts),
4) purge my email some more (I'm now under 500 in my inbox)
5) work on the stacks/boxes of papers that desperately need sorting and organizing (I even bought file boxes MONTHS ago for just such a purpose),
6) write in my online journal (wait, I'm actually DOING that!)
7) work on the children's story I started writing
8) read another essay by G.K. Chesterton ( a personal goal of mine for the summer).

HOWEVER, I have had at least 2 glasses of wine, so it was a good night. 

Baby Talk

It has been pointed out to me that with 13 kids, I should have plenty to write about, and I suppose that's true, except for the fact that I really do love my kids, and my sole purpose on earth is not to embarrass them.  Or myself, for that matter.

I exaggerate.  My kids are really pretty wonderful, and I can tell PLENTY of stories showing just how wonderful they are.

It really amazes me how so many children with the same two parents can be so very different from each other.  People say that they all have physical similarities, but I guess because I live with them, all I see are their differences.

When they were each learning to talk, more or less around a year old, they ALL (yes all 13 of them) said "Da-da" for their first words.  (Actually their first words were all "MOM!" But it sounded just like "FOOD!" or "DIAPER!" or "SCARED!" Which all sound like "WAAAAA!")

What is wonderfully interesting is what word (or words) each child has learned to say second.  Their second words have all been different.  I'm sure this list will be fascinating to all of you, especially those who've never even met my kids. 

James: thank you
Catherine: baby
Thomas: eat
Henry: scotch (the drink, not the tape)
Luke: kiss
Monica: Monica (yes, she said her OWN name)
Maria: ma-ma (Hooray!! My favorite child! And yes, I did coach her--a lot.)
Lydia: dog
Sophia: James (and won her eldest brother's heart forever)
Philip: this? (said as a question, while pointing to something for which he wanted to learn the word)
Albert: Desitin (poor kid's behind was VERY familiar with this stuff, so he heard that word a ton)
Stephen Jr.: don't touch (ahem)
Martha: gentle

These words do actually say something about each of their personalities, but I will talk about each child individually over the next....13 posts!  (Now I don't have to come up with another topic for two weeks!)