But here they are: Corny Jokes of the Week courtesy of Eamon. So sorry for the wait– I know you were dying…

But it’s not too late. Order your copy of St. Valentine today and you’ll have a lesson plan all ready for February 14.

Yesterday afternoon, Gabrielle lay down on the floor, clutched her belly and groaned, “My belly hurts! My belly hurts so baaaaaaad!!”

Now a seasoned mom knows to delay panic until she has all the facts. After the initial obligatory thoughts of appendicitis, avian flu, bubonic plague, and other plausible scenarios, I decided to watch my daughter a bit closer.

Her body was curled up in apparent agony. She rocked back and forth repeating, “I need to go to the doctor! I need to go to the doctor!”

Wait just a minute here. She wanted to go to the doctor? This tiny girl whose shrieks exploded the eardrums of every human being within a mile radius when the pediatrician leaned in her direction with a stethoscope at her 2 year old check up? She was asking for the doctor? Yeah, right.

I picked her up. “Why do you want to go to the doctor?” I asked.

Her body relaxed and her excruciating stomach pain seemed suddenly to vanish.

“Well,” she smiled shyly as she buried her face in my neck. “I weally like the toys there.”

Sensible Mom notices that it’s past 3:00 and she hasn’t yet called the children inside for afternoon lessons.

Cool Mom reminds herself that a warmish day in the middle of a long winter is a rare treat, and that a normal school day is supposed to include gym class and recess.

Sensible Mom knows that the steering wheel inside the “Big Blue Truck” grocery cart is infested with stomach virus and influenza germs.

Cool Mom tells the kids to hop in and then speeds through the aisles making screeching tire sound effects for a full race track experience.

Sensible Mom, while waiting in a ridiculously long line at Home Depot, reminds her children of the virtue of patience and successfully prevents them from pocketing merchandise.

Cool Mom teaches the gang Ninety-Nine Bottles of Beer on the Wall and waits to see how long it will take for a new register to open or for someone near the front to offer his place in line.

Sensible Mom keeps careful track of the number and colors of the vegetables her children ingest every day–always seeking balance.

Cool Mom thinks that the jelly part of a PB&J counts. And so do corn chips.

So. I think today I will be cool. So very cool.

Okay, folks. I am soliciting sources for a new article about Catholic families and how they handle television. I am hoping to round up a number of families who “tame the television beast” in different ways. So, what do you do? Outlaw it altogether? Allow only PBS or Netflix? Do you make the kids earn TV time in some creative way? Come on, email me and share your genius!

(posted by Trish, our very own Catholic mom and nutritionist)

UPDATE ON ANTIOXIDANTS
We have been hearing a lot about antioxidants and their possible health benefits. You know drink green tea, coffee and eat lots of chocolate, and be sure to take vitamin E and C because they are loaded with antioxidants which can help prevent heart disease and cancer. The theory on antioxidants was that free radicals cause cancer and heart disease and antioxidants can get rid of these free radicals thus preventing certain diseases.

You guessed it–the research is not able to validate these claims and in fact taking vitamin E can do more harm than good in some cases. Current research shows that antioxidants may help people with certain variations of some genes but not others. I know, I know, I am as frustrated as all of you but you have to understand that nutrition is not just a science it is an art and God made us all so different and we respond to foods differently.

My practical advice: Don’t put foods or supplements into an “antioxidant category” because vitamin E, C , selenium, are very different from phytochemicals (lycopene, etc). They have antioxidants in common as one of many properties but they also have their own unique properties. God designed all foods to work in a unique way in our bodies so eating a variety foods from all food groups is the best way to try and eat healthy. Oh, and keep exercising!
Trish

And they were all amazed, so that they questioned among themselves, saying, “What is this? A new teaching! With authority he commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him.” And at once his fame spread everywhere throughout all the surrounding region of Galilee.
Mark 1:27-28

We believe in You, Lord. Help our unbelief.

Raphael has finally gotten his first tooth. When your kids are late teethers, as almost all of mine have been, you have ample opportunity to blame a thousand sleepless nights and crabby days on “teething” when really something else is the problem. Eventually, however, you get it right. I’ve been saying for days that he “must be teething” while halfway laughing at myself for blaming teething once again. But this time it was true. And my little barracuda has a razor-sharp white spot on his gum to prove it.

On this momentous occasion, I thought it would be appropriate to post a picture of our little guy who has suffered so long and hard to finally join the “got teeth” club. But, as you can see, he is more inclined to climb his mother and swat at the camera than pose and smile.

But that’s okay. These pictures at least give you all an accurate sampling of the view I have most of the day: Raphael. In my face.