Ash Wednesday

We had quite the day yesterday. We started the morning with an appointment with the realtor to see 8 houses...we found one. And, still not 100% sure about it. After our running around with Miss Pam (the realtor) we ate tuna sandwiches with GG Jane, then headed home for a family nap--which turned into a Jackson nap and a Mommy and Daddy running around cleaning the house and getting emails sent before Jack Jack woke up (it always happens like that!) I had made Jackson a doctor's appointment for Thursday, but he was really tugging on his ears, so I decided to take him for a walk-in appt. at 3:30. Daddy headed to work as we ran to see Dr. Perona.

Well, he has no ear infection any more, but he had molars coming in as well as a red throat--lovely. After our 3 minute session with the pediatrition and the $20 co-pay (3 minutes, $200--why am I not a pediatrition?!?!?!) Jackson and I had the evening to ourselves, so we went to Fudrukkers for dinner! Me a salad with no meat (it was Ash Wednesday and us Catholics don't eat mean today) and Jackson a hot dog ( I know, REAL nutritious huh?!) and as we were leaving, we could hear the bells from St. Paul's ringing.....I took this as a sign. I NEEDED to go to church on this Holy Day of Obligation.

So we headed to St. Paul's. Now understand that the 3 other times that Adam and I have tried to make it to St. Paul's, it's been the Spanish mass...so we leave. And I told Jackson, "If this is a freaking Spanish mass, we are never going back to St. Pauls--ever." Sure as shit, it's a Spanish mass. We sat for a minute and I high tailed it out of there...I wouldn't have gotten anything out of it no being able to understand a WORD.

So I called my aunt to see if she knew when St. Mary's mass was--I was already in the mind set for mass, might as well drive all over town to go to it. It was at 7:00pm, my clock said 6:15--we had time! So we picked up GG Jane and went to church.

Jackson usually does well in mass, but today, he didn't. He wanted to run around, and it was hard keeping him in the pew. He sat on my Uncle Russ' lap a lot (he's a man's man) and shook every one around us' hands and said "peeees" to them during the sign of peace. And then, he pointed at everyone that walked by that had ashes on their head! After he got his ashes, he sat on all our laps and would point and poke our ashes. Then, GG Jane let him have her travel lotion bottle and he proceeded to give everyone a dab of lotion on our row--he was active. It was exhausting.

**RANT** I always wonder if people are irritated by the distraction of a little man not paying attention, or if they are thankful that he made the time pass quickly and was entertaining, or if they think "Why did they even come to church, they aren't getting anything out of it?" But, I was THERE. I heard the gospel--every word. I can remember what Father told us to do, and I'm doing it. I received communion and ashes--I was THERE. So, if you've ever been in church and were irritated by the little distraction in front of you--don't be. Just know the effort it took to get there and that the mother is just as embarassed that her child won't sit still like an angel. And, just be happy he didn't cry or scream or say the word "shit" in church, okay?!**END OF RANT**

We met up with Grandma Netty and Grandpa Scott after their dance lesson (yes, they are dancing in a class! How fun!) for ice cream, then came home to take pictures of our "now rubbed off" ashes. Needless to say, we both crashed the minute we got home! What a day!