Good Grief, It's Got Legs!!!!!

Take a look at the Feto-Meter above. I just noticed that the little Noisykid has sprouted a set of well defined feet and hands.

How I spent the 4th of July....on Liver Transplant Call.

Slept in, got up and did a little school work with the kids.

Spent most of the time in the school room writing checks for bills which are due at the beginning of the month. Watched the balance drop on my checkbook.

Had a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for lunch.

Went to the store with Histor the Wise to purchase stuff for college. We shall pack the stuff up and send it on ahead.

For dinner, the kids made homemade pizza. It being the 4th of July, I had to grill something. Since it was Friday, I grilled Ahi Tuna steaks marinated in Hoisin sauce. I got the idea for the Hoisin sauce from our Anniversary dinner, where I got the Chilean Sea Bass with noodles in Hoisin sauce. (Two things impressed me about that dish: one is that I was eating the preferred fish of most giant squids, and the other was that the Hoisin sauce was delicious!)

4 out of 5 Giant Squids prefer Chilean Sea Bass, with or without Hoisin sauce!!!!!!!

After dinner, I wandered out to inspect the pecan trees. I took along an air rifle and pellets just for grins. I took some shots at a Papa John's pizza box that was in a huge pile of brush that I plan on burning this Winter.



One cool thing about the air rifle I used is that it is a repeater; one can shoot seven .177 cal pellets as fast as one can pull down the underlever device. It is a sweet little German air rifle made by RWS Diana, and is called the 300R. That is it pictured above. You can't see it, but the barrel has an engraving of the goddess Diana holding aloft a rifle, with bow and arrow discarded at her feet.

The pecan trees are showing some signs of recovery from drying out. Above the dead and dry leaves, there is new growth which shows great promise. There are also some leaves which look as if they were lunch, so I shall have to figure out something to spray on the trees to keep them from being eaten.

After watering the trees, several of my sons and I positioned the hose out on our property in case any fireworks landed and started a fire.

After night prayers, the younger kids sat on the back porch while the older kids cleaned up from dinner. We enjoyed watching other people's fireworks. To rephrase a line from General Patton, I didn't want to spend a fortune setting off fireworks; instead, I went out and let some other poor soul spend his money so I could watch fireworks.

I went for a walk around eleven p.m. with the older boys, and the fireworks were still going.

At 1 a.m., right now, I still hear the report of fireworks. It is also neat to hear the coyotes join in with the sirens that punctuate the night.

Notice that I never mentioned watching TV? Well, I was free to do all those things because we don't have a television; in fact, we got rid of it 13 years ago today. I mention this every year, and it wouldn't be the same if I didn't encourage folks to trash the TV.

We drove our TV - literally - out of our house. In retrospect, I should have used IT for target practice with the air rifle!

19th Wedding Anniversary

July 1, 2008 is the 19th Wedding Anniversary of dadwithnoisykids and Wifeofdadwithnoisykids!

For better or worse, in sickness and in health, for richer or for poorer, 'til death do us part.

These past 19 years have been filled with graces from God.

We have seen the birth of twelve children and eagerly await the arrival of the 2009 Model of Noisykid.

We have migrated around Southeastern Michigan, moved to San Antonio, Texas, and then moved up to the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex. Our home has grown from a 700 square foot efficiency in married student housing to a 12 acre slice of Texas soil.

We have survived medical school, internship, residency, fellowship, military service, and private practice - so far.

We have suffered the loss of two children by miscarriage, and lost our third child, Theodore, this past April.

The strength to stay together in the face of so many trials is truly a gift from God; the graces of the Sacrament of Matrimony, as well as the Eucharist and Confession, have held us up tremendously.

Give Thanks To God.

That is Theodore in front of the picture of Divine Mercy.

All of these experiences have just made me love my wife more and more; with each day, my love for Wifeofdadwithnoisykids grows.

Tonight we went out to Nick & Sam's for our Anniversary Dinner. I was sitting at a table where I could see all that was going on in the kitchen. Being a man who is distracted by shiny objects, I kept on looking at the chefs as they hurried around the kitchen. At the same time, I kept thinking about how deeply I love my wife. As my wife pointed out to me, love is an act of the will, and can be expressed in various degrees.

For myself, I love my wife deeply, sincerely.

Thoughts of love blend with visions of chefs at work.

Suddenly it hits me:

I love you.....

Madly?

Bird Strike Report

Out of respect for my wife, please look HERE for a report of a Bird Strike.

Feto-Meter Sighting Bulletin

Here is the latest picture of the 2009 Model Noisykid:



You can see the head, on the right, followed by the upper limbs, followed by the umbilical cord, and finally the lower extremities. It looks very much like the picture on the Feto-Meter.

Thank you, Lord, for granting us this special child, this gift from God!

How about a musical moment from Weird Al Yankovic:

A Generic Thank You

....but still a thank you. This was originally posted to the Catholic Dads blog.


To those of you who sent messages of condolence, prayers, and Masses following the death of my son Theodore,

Thank you!

The past two months have been filled with a combination of sorrow and consolation for our whole family. In so many ways, Theodore's death has been the occasion for an outpouring of grace upon our family as well as our extended family and friends. One of the greatest gifts we have received is a new baby on the way, due in January! - but you already knew that, if you are a frequent reader of the blog and are distracted by the rotating Noisykid seen in the Feto-Meter.

Still, there are days that are filled with sadness, such as today when I stopped at a monument company to inquire about purchasing a gravestone or marker for Theodore's grave site. It still seems so wrong to be buying a gravestone for a child of mine.

I sometimes wonder what Theodore would tell me, if he were allowed to say anything to me. I imagine he would tell me to love his brothers and sisters more than I loved him, for their time with me is so fleeting, and their destination requires all the prayers and sacrifices I can give to them.

Theodore's picture of Divine Mercy at the Airfield

Blog Change

For your edification, I have added a selection of music to the sidebar for your listening pleasure. I have set it up so that you must activate this widget yourself rather than having it start blaring 'The Girl from Ipanema' at you whenever you land on my blog.

Enjoy the music.



Noisykid #11 and #10 several years ago at a piano recital.

Prairie Fire(Almost)

Today we mowed some grass on the back part of the property. The grass was rather long despite a lack of rain for a couple of weeks, so I figured this would be a good time to cut it to keep it short as we get closer to a drought. This cut may suffice until the Fall. A 'burn ban' in the county is sure to come into effect soon.

Funny to write about a drought when folks along the Mississippi are getting flooded...

Anyway, one of the tractors got dry grass clippings caught around the mower deck, and the friction started a fire under the body of the tractor. We quickly put it out, but I shudder to think what would have happened if the tractor were at the furthest point from the house. At the time it caught fire, it was next to the house. Thank God this didn't happen:




Tomorrow is Father's Day. All fathers are in my prayers tonight.

More importantly, tomorrow is the Feast of St. Germaine Cousin, the Patron Saint of Victims of Child Abuse.

Here is an article about her, stolen from the Catholic Online website:

St. Germaine Cousin
Feastday: June 15
Patron of victims of child abuse

When Hortense decided to marry Laurent Cousin in Pibrac, France, it was not out of love for his infant daughter. Germaine was everything Hortense despised. Weak and ill, the girl had also been born with a right hand that was deformed and paralyzed. Hortense replaced the love that Germaine has lost when her mother died with cruelty and abuse.

Laurent, who had a weak character, pretended not to notice that Germaine had been given so little food that she had learned to crawl in order to get to the dog's dish. He wasn't there to protect her when Hortense left Germaine in a drain while she cared for chickens -- and forgot her for three days. He didn't even interfere when Hortense poured boiling water on Germaine's legs.

With this kind of treatment, it's no surprise that Germaine became even more ill. She came down with a disease known as scrofula, a kind of tuberculosis that causes the neck glands to swell up. Sores began to appear on her neck and in her weakened condition fell prey to every disease that came along. Instead of awakening Hortense's pity this only made her despise Germaine more for being even uglier in her eyes.

Germaine found no sympathy and love with her siblings. Watching their mother's treatment of their half-sister, they learned how to despise and torment her, putting ashes in her food and pitch in her clothes. Their mother found this very entertaining.

Hortense did finally get concerned about Germaine's sickness -- because she was afraid her own children would catch it. So she made Germaine sleep out in the barn. The only warmth Germaine had on frozen winter nights was the woolly sheep who slept there too. The only food she had were the scraps Hortense might remember to throw her way.

The abuse of Germaine tears at our hearts and causes us to cry for pity and justice. But it was Germaine's response to that abuse and her cruel life that wins our awe and veneration.

Germaine was soon entrusted with the sheep. No one expected her to have any use for education so she spent long days in the field tending the sheep. Instead of being lonely, she found a friend in God. She didn't know any theology and only the basics of the faith that she learned the catechism. But she had a rosary made of knots in string and her very simple prayers: "Dear God, please don't let me be too hungry or too thirsty. Help me to please my mother. And help me to please you." Out of that simple faith, grew a profound holiness and a deep trust of God.

And she had the most important prayer of all -- the Mass. Every day, without fail, she would leave her sheep in God's care and go to Mass. Villagers wondered that the sheep weren't attacked by the wolves in the woods when she left but God's protection never failed her. One day when the rains had swollen the river to flood stage, a villager saw the river part so that she could cross to get to the church in time for Mass.

No matter how little Germaine had, she shared it with others. Her scraps of food were given to beggars. Her life of prayer became stories of God that entranced the village children.

But most startling of all was the forgiveness to showed to the woman who deserved her hatred.

Hortense, furious at the stories about her daughter's holiness, waited only to catch her doing wrong. One cold winter day, after throwing out a beggar that Germaine had let sleep in the barn, Hortense caught Germaine carrying something bundled up in her apron. Certain that Germaine had stolen bread to feed the beggar, she began to chase and scream at the child. As she began to beat her, Germaine opened her apron. Out tumbled what she had been hiding in her apron -- bright beautiful flowers that no one had expected to see for months. Where had she found the vibrant blossoms in the middle of the ice and snow? There was only one answer and Germaine gave it herself, when she handed a flower to her mother and said, "Please accept this flower, Mother. God sends it to you in sign of his forgiveness."

As the whole village began to talk about this holy child, even Hortense began to soften her feelings toward her. She even invited Germaine back to the house but Germaine had become used to her straw bed and continued to sleep in it. There she was found dead at the age of 22, overcome by a life of suffering.

With all the evidence of her holiness, her life was too simple and hidden to mean much beyond her tiny village -- until God brought it too light again. When her body was exhumed forty years later, it was found to be undecayed, what is known as incorruptible. As is often the case with incorruptible bodies of saints, God chooses not the outwardly beautiful to preserve but those that others despised as ugly and weak. It's as if God is saying in this miracle that human ideas of beauty are not his. To him, no one was more beautiful than this humble lonely young woman.

After her body was found in this state, the villagers started to speak again of what she had been like and what she had done. Soon miracles were attributed to her intercession and the clamor for her canonization began.

In this way, the most unlikely of saints became recognized by the Church. She didn't found a religious order. She didn't reach a high Church post. She didn't write books or teach at universities. She didn't go to foreign lands as a missionary or convert thousands. What she did was live a life devoted to God and her neighbor no matter what happened to her. And that is all God asks.

Prayer:

Saint Germaine, watch over those children who suffer abuse as you did. Help us to give them the love and protection you only got from God. Give us the courage to speak out against abuse when we know of it. Help us to forgive those who abuse the way you did, without sacrificing the lives of the children who need help. Amen.

Great Heaven, Look Who's Eleven!!!!!

Today, we celebrated the birth of Noisykid #7, who turned 11 years old today!

Below are her patron saints, in random order.

Noisykid #7 has a few distinctions, which may some day show up in a game of Trivial Pursuit.

First, she is the oldest Native Texan in our family. While it took me 32 years to get here, she will always be considered a Texan rather than a transplant.

Noisykid #7 is my first and oldest Air Force Brat. That means she was born while I was on active duty in the Air Force. The first six are technically not Air Force Brats because I was in the inactive reserve when they were born.

Noisykid #7 is our biggest(to date)baby, weighing in at 11#, 4 oz. at birth. Why? Once again, the obstetricians in the Air Force were extremely hesitant to induce anyone, so this sweet little girl was born on her due date rather than a week or two earlier. Most Noisykids can't wait to get out of the starting gate and begin terrorizing the planet.

Noisykid #7 broke a string of 4 boys in a row, being the second daughter. Here she sings 'What Child Is This:'






Wifeofdadwithnoisykids is feeling that 24/7 morning sickness. She is happy to be pregnant, even nauseatedly pregnant.

This concludes this blog entry. In accordance with the rules of blogdom, we shall end our blogging day with the National Anthem. Please rise.

Feto-Meter Bulletin

Here is a snapshot of The 2009 Model Noisykid, at approximately 7 weeks. If you compare this picture with the rotating 'Feto-Meter' above, you will notice the resemblance between the two pictures. I recommend that you look at the two pictures from across the room while squinting; remove glasses if you wear them. Imagine the picture above is spinning and there you are.

We cannot begin to describe the joy we are experiencing right now. The video, which is too big for YouTube, showed a heart beating strongly.

Our youngest ex utero child pronounces pregnant in three syllables: preg-a-nent!

Praise God from Whom all blessings flow!

Thank You

Today I came home to find Wifeofdadwithnoisykids crying her eyes out. At first I thought it was because she was so happy to see me, but then I noticed the cards and letters we received after Theodore's funeral lying all about her.

She had tried to start writing 'Thank You' cards, and she had gotten through a grand total of FOUR before losing it.

I have been hesitant to take up this task as well, partly because I don't know what to say, and partly because I know I'll end up in tears just like my beautiful bride.

The 'thank you' notes will be coming soon. I know that people don't write condolence letters and Mass cards just to get a return note, but it still needs to be done. For those who put something on the blog, I shall try to send y'all a note on your own blog.

Watch the Feto-Meter tomorrow, as Wifeofdadwithnoisykids has an OB appointment in the afternoon. If possible, there will be pictures!
Scorpion Stalking Duck, 2007

Another Reason to Thank God...

...for a pregnant wife:

Cravings for Mexican Food!

Like this restaurant in Dallas, which satisfied the cravings of Wifeofdadwithnoisykids.

I had to drive her there; one of those duties which rest heavily on the shoulders of the man of the house.

Every day I love my wife more and more.

REPORT OF VEHICLE STRIKE

THIS IS AN OFFICIAL REPORT OF A VEHICLE STRIKE

APPROXIMATELY 1930 ON 3 JUNE 2008

SOUTHBOUND ON INTERSTATE 35 IN DALLAS TEXAS NORTH OF ILLINOIS AVENUE

WEATHER CLEAR WITH VISBILITY 30 MILE NO CEILING AND 85 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT TEMPERATURE

VEHICLE 1998 FORD 5 PERSON EXPLORER NOVEMBER VICTOR DELTA WITH V-6 ENGINE FORMERLY BRAVO SEVENTY SIX ALSO KNOWN AS THE AARDVARK

MILEAGE 170110 MILES

OWNER OPERATED

NO ADDITIONAL SOULS ON BOARD

SPEED APPROXIMATELY IN EXCESS OF 60 MILES PER HOUR

DRIVER NOTED DEBRIS FROM TRUCK SEPARATING FROM JUNK CAR ON FLATBED APPROXIMATELY FIFTY YARDS AHEAD AND TO THE LEFT OF NOVEMBER VICTOR DELTA

DEBRIS TRAVERSED LANE INTO PATH OF NOVEMBER VICTOR DELTA STRIKING FRONT AND UNDERSIDE OF VEHICLE

NO EVASIVE ACTION TAKEN DUE TO TIME CONSTRAINTS AND ROAD CONDITIONS

DEBRIS NOT VISUALIZED IN REAR VIEW MIRROR

NO LOSS OF CONTROL OF VEHICLE

NO DAMAGE TO VICTOR DELTA CHARLIE UPON INSPECTION AT COMPLETION OF MISSION

THIS REPORT HAS BEEN GENERATED AS A SAFETY MESSAGE TO ALL WHO MAY BE DRIVING EXPLORERS

THIS IS THE FIRST LARGE DEBRIS STRIKE FOR THE VEHICLE NOVEMBER VICTOR DELTA

THERE WERE NO REPORTED DEBRIS STRIKES FOR THE 2005 FORD VAN SIXTY ONE PAPA ALSO KNOWN AS BIG BLUE MIRACLE

THERE WAS ONE UNREPORTED DEBRIS STRIKE WITH THE 1997 FORD VAN YANKEE HOTEL JOLIET ALSO KNOWN AS GREAT WHITE

THERE WERE NO REPORTS OF DEBRIS STRIKES WITH THE 2006 EXPLORER VICTOR DELTA CHARLIE

WE WILL CONTINUE MONITORING THESE INCIDENTS

DAD WITH NOISY KIDS

Hedgehog Crime Report

Man hurls hedgehog at teen, pays fine
Spiny critter hits 15-year-old boy, punctures his leg; man's motive unclear


WELLINGTON, New Zealand - A New Zealand man accused of assault with prickly weapon — a hedgehog — has been fined by a court and ordered to pay most of his fine to his teenage victim.

Whakatane District Court was told Thursday that W.S. picked up the hedgehog and threw it several yards to hit a 15-year-old boy in the North Island east coast town of Whakatane on Feb. 9.

Police told the court the creature had hit the victim in the leg, causing a large, red welt and several puncture marks. The teen did not need medical treatment.

W.S. was convicted of common assault and offensive behavior following a defended hearing. He had pleaded innocent to the charges.

He was fined a total of $545 and ordered to pay $389 to his victim.

The more serious charge of assault with a weapon, namely a hedgehog, was dropped. The maximum penalty for that charge is five years in prison.

It remained unclear whether the hedgehog was dead or alive at the time of the attack, but Senior Sgt. Bruce Jenkins said earlier that it was dead when collected as evidence.

While using a hedgehog as a weapon in an assault is uncommon, Jenkins said people often got charged with assault for throwing things at other people.

Our Local Hedgehog declined comment. (file photo)

Truth Can Now Be Told - updated June 29 2008

UPDATED NEWS BULLETIN

REPORT OF A BIRD STRIKE

THIS IS AN OFFICIAL REPORT OF A BIRD STRIKE

APPROXIMATELY 1045 ON 29 JUNE 2008

NORTHBOUND ON I-635 EXITING TO I-30 EAST IN DALLAS TEXAS

WEATHER PARTLY CLOUDY WITH VISIBILITY 10 MILES CEILING 2000 FEET AND 80 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT TEMPERATURE

VEHICLE 2005 FORD 15 PERSON VAN SIXTY-ONE PAPA WITH V-10 ENGINE KNOWN AS BIG BLUE MIRACLE

MILEAGE 60700 MILES

OWNER OPERATED

13 ADDITIONAL SOULS ON BOARD

SPEED APPROXIMATELY 60 MILES PER HOUR

DRIVER NOTED TWO BIRDS DIVING IN FRONT OF VEHICLE APPROXIMATELY 5 YARDS AHEAD

NO EVASIVE ACTION TAKEN DUE TO TIME CONSTRAINTS AND ROAD CONDITIONS

LOWER AND FORWARD BIRD STRUCK LEFT FRONT GRILL OF VEHICLE

OTHER BIRD CLIMBED CLEAR OF VEHICLE

FEATHERS NOTED PASSING UP FROM FRONT GRILL OF VEHICLE

NO LOSS OF CONTROL OF VEHICLE

NO DAMAGE TO VEHICLE UPON INSPECTION AT COMPLETION OF MISSION

THIS REPORT HAS BEEN GENERATED AS A SAFETY MESSAGE TO ALL WHO MAY BE DRIVING VANS

WE WILL CONTINUE MONITORING THESE INCIDENTS

DAD WITH NOISY KIDS




This describes me:



Boring is good.

Feast of Corpus Christi

In brief:

1. Mass.

2. Eucharistic Procession around the property - kept Wifeofdadwithnoisykids inside to keep cool. I kept my cool until we came into church for Benediction. Then the tears started to flow, thinking about how one of ours is gone.

It hurts to stop counting heads at eleven. There should be twelve.

My tears doubled with the thought that Theodore is happier, far more happy, where he is now than he could ever be on earth with us.

Thinking that no matter how many times I failed my son, he loves me and wants me to be with him in Heaven.

I am no longer self-conscious about crying in public. Maybe because I don't have to worry about makeup running down my face?

Every day brings a new cross and some new consolation to us - somehow associated with Theodore's life and death.

3. After the procession, I cooked steaks for the adults and 'tube steaks' for the Noisykids. While I enjoyed the breeze that tempered the 90+ degree heat and humidity, I noticed some folks looking over the air conditioners. It turns out there was no air conditioning in the building. I was cooler standing over a hot grill than sitting in the cafeteria.

4. On the way home, we stopped by Theodore's grave site. The flowers placed there a week ago were dead, and someone had left a toy airplane on the new sod. We talked about gravestones and benches, and cried a little. The rest of the Noisykids spread over the cemetery, looking at other graves. We sprinkled holy water on some graves. There is a story that the holy water will ease the suffering of the poor souls in Purgatory.

5. Wifeofdadwithnoisykids did not feel too good. Morning sickness with her is an all day affair, and she is the only person I know who rejoices with every little tinge of nausea that accompanies pregnancy. I am amazed that she would willingly go through so much suffering just to bring another Noisykid into existence, and humbled to think that she picked me to be the father of her children.

6. I wrote a bad poem about Theodore a while ago:

Asperges

Just seeing the font

brought tears to my eyes

knowing there was no

large little child there,

the end of the pew,

waiting to dip hand

into the Water

meant for Asperges.

SMD

5.25.2008

7. Fifteen dollars in my pocket is burning a hole in it. This is money we placed in Theodore's folder, probably money from birthday cards. I still have to distribute the two dollar bills my grandparents would send to my children. Theodore had ten in his folder. I shall distribute them to his siblings. I even found two savings bonds which I shall have to cash in. Theodore never had any use for money, and now he needs it even less. While trying to think of something to do with the fifteen dollars, I was reminded of a line from A Canticle for Leibowitz(sort of reviewed HERE):

"That was the year of the unprecedented torrent of rain on the desert, causing seed long dry to burst into bloom....the year that the monks of the Albertian Order of Leibowitz buried an abbot and bowed to a new one. There were bright hopes for tomorrow."

Our house is a domestic church, and Theodore is the first member of the family to die after walking on this earth. As the temporal head of this church, I have to see to the distribution of Theodore's possessions, beginning with his body and ending with his death certificate. Fifteen dollars is just a small thing to dispose of.

Our own torrent of rain and a few weeks without mowing have given us a lawn full of little yellow flowers which open in the morning, follow the trajectory of the sun, and close as the sun sets.

Blog Update

While St. Simeon Stylites the Younger(died today in 597 A.D.) hangs out on top of his column, contemplating the Blessed Mother holding the Infant Jesus, let us contemplate the changes in the blog:



First, the picture of the Noisykid Family, circa 1998('Couple ignoring population crisis') has been moved to the side bar.



In its place at the top of the blog column, we have installed a 'Feto-meter.' A Feto-meter is a widget that will chronicle the progress of the next Noisykid due in January, 2009. Once we know the gender of the 2009 Model, we shall change the border from green to blue - or pink.



I have added a memorial to my son Theodore on the sidebar. If you click on the picture, you will be directed to all the blog entries which pertain to Theodore. The picture, by the way, was taken on his 15th birthday, November 25, 2007. This reminds me of a 'Theodore' story:



Theodore always liked to keep a list of things he wanted, and he would make extensive lists of toys he wanted for whatever the next holiday was. These lists consisted of letters in no particular order except for the letters designating aircraft - for example, a string of nonsense letters would suddenly be punctuated by 'F-16,' or 'IL-2,' 'U-2,' or 'SR-71.' Of course, he would come up and say 'toys, airplanes, toys, tanks, toys, boat, toys, jet, toys aircraft carrier,' and so on. On his last birthday, after opening his last gift, he reached down under the couch and pulled out a list and started by saying 'Christmas' before launching into a recital of everything he wanted for Christmas.



Finally, this blogger from across the pond maxed out her space for pictures - all 1024 megabytes of it! So she has started a new blog, sort of a 'part 2' blog and requested a new link. I have complied. Just for some perspective, I have only used 4% of my space for pictures.



Good night, and more videos of piano playing Noisykids next week.

Antics of the Noisykids

Two of the Noisykids slide down a stream bank.

Here is my oldest daughter Noisykid contemplating life in midstream.

A Little Chemistry and Music

One of the joys of home schooling is that all members of the family get to participate in the daily lessons of the children. In fact, sometimes what the children study serves as a reminder of some of our favorite classes.

As an old chemistry major and president of the college Chemistry Club, nothing is more exciting to me than doing a little chemistry experiment in the home.



Take, for example, chromatography. This is a way to detect various chemicals in liquid by seeing how they react with agents which are embedded in a piece of absorbent paper or cloth. All one does is dip the absorbent paper into the liquid, and look for the colors to appear on the paper.



Of course, the details are a bit more complicated, but this is all one needs to understand when doing the chromatography experiment shown in the picture below:

Not bad, eh?

Kinda makes me want to break into song:

Yup! There has to be a REALLY good reason to put a Paul Anka video on my blog.

Seriously, God has blessed us again with another little Noisykid in the making. We thank God for His generosity and for His Love, and we ask for your prayers that this pregnancy will bring us a healthy child.

Our thoughts and emotions are a mixture of exultation and profound sorrow - joy at the thought of a new life in the making, and sorrow at the loss of one of our other children.

Deo Gratias!

A Musical Break

Oldest Daughter Noisykid Plays Kuhlau's Sonatina in C-Minor.

LET'S GO SHOPPING!

Yup, friends and neighbors, bloggers and readers of blogs, it is time to start shopping for a gravestone for Theodore.

Wifeofdadwithnoisykids wants a bench.



I want a Celtic cross, but now that I found the above monument, I shall have to reconsider....

Perhaps I could put this quote from C.S. Lewis' book The Silver Chair on the gravestone:

Though under Earth and throneless now I be,

Yet, while I lived, all Earth was under me.

Irena Sendler, R.I.P.

Polish Catholic Saved Thousands of Jews

Irena Sendler, a Polish Catholic who helped save thousands from the Nazis, died [May 12, 2008]at the age of 98.

Between 1940 and 1943, Sendler and other members of an underground organization smuggled Jewish children—from infants through teens—out of the Warsaw Ghetto. Sendler worked to give these kids a chance at survival by passing them off as Catholics. She kept detailed records so they could one day be reunited with their families. Despite enduring arrest and torture at the hands of the Nazis, Sendler never revealed the location of these records.

In 1965, she was honored by the Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial for her life-saving efforts. Her story was recently made into a play by Kansas high school students impressed by her selfless service to others, and she received official honors from her native Poland just last year.

Despite these accolades, Sendler never considered herself a heroine, and said, “We who were rescuing children are not some kind of heroes. Indeed, that term irritates me greatly. The opposite is true—I continue to have qualms of conscience that I did so little.”

It is unfortunate that Sendler’s faith is not mentioned in the otherwise fitting tributes to her life that were released today from the Associated Press and Agence France Press. It is all too common for news stories to make note of a subject’s Catholic faith if the subject of the article is cast in a bad light. Furthermore, the Catholic Church is often unfairly and inaccurately maligned for not doing more to help Jews during the Holocaust. It would have been appropriate for these two major news outlets to recognize the Catholic faith that one brave Polish woman held so dear.

Lifted from the Catholic League Website.

Commentary:

I heard about Irena from one of my old Air Force buddies. Apparently Irena was being considered for a Nobel Prize. She was not picked, but Al Gore was. I am not sure if they were in the running for the same Nobel Prize, seeing as how little value the world puts on human life when compared to the welfare of polar bears.

I post this on the same day that polar bears were added to the 'endangered species' list for the United States.

Mother's Day Thoughts

Happy Mothers Day!

A bit late, but it is worth mentioning.

This day was bittersweet for us, as we celebrate this day with one of our own gone.

In the middle of watching a presentation about pilgrimages to Lourdes - something I never would have considered doing if Theodore were alive - that thought made me cry. Thankfully, the light in the room was dim, and I could attribute it to 'allergies' stirred up while mowing the grass yesterday. But Wifeofdadwithnoisykids could tell, and kept rubbing my shoulder and discreetly hugging me.

By the way, this recent heartbreak has taught me to cry in silence, because the noises I make(or made) are/were so disturbing that I would just have to stop crying right away. Imagine if a male elk or moose suddenly appeared at your elbow, calling for a mate. You would button your lips in a hurry, too.

So, in the midst of dabbing the tears out of my 'allergic' eyes, the thought came to me that even though Theodore is in Heaven, he still would honor me as his father and he would obey me just as he did on earth. The thought continued, that I could ask for his intercession for anything. I shared this thought with my wife(who already knew this fact), and she started reciting a list of things she has asked Theodore to take care of.

Historical landmarks, one year later

Check out what happened today 21 years ago, and 74 years ago.

I wrote about these events a year ago.

I thought I had a picture of me being commissioned an officer, but I shall have to look for it.

HERE IS THE MAY 8, 2007 BLOG ENTRY.

Three Comments

Life Goes On/Celebrating Lives:

April brought several birthdays to the Noisykid household. The loss of Theodore has made us cherish our living children so much more.

We celebrated the 18th birthday of Histor the Wise, otherwise known as the Oldest Noisykid, the Oldest Son Noisykid, and affectionately referred to by his little brothers and sisters as their big brother. We praise God for giving us such a wonderful and loving son. God bless you, Son!

April also was a milestone for Noisykid #6, also known as the youngest Michigan Noisykid. He turned 12 on the same night that featured our oldest daughter singing how she could do without Professor Henry Higgins.

Since Noisykid #6 turned 12, he joined our home school youth group, so look for him to perform in the near future at one of these Broadway Night features. God bless you, Son! We thank God for such a wonderful son.

The icons below are of the saints that Noisykid #1 and #6 are named after, in no particular order:

Such a sweet and loving smile on the face of St. Vincent de Paul!

The Other Hour of Mercy

From The Return of the King, by J.R.R. Tolkien:

‘Are you in pain, Frodo?’ said Gandalf quietly as he rode by Frodo’s side.

‘Well, yes I am,’ said Frodo. ‘….The wound aches, and the memory of darkness is heavy on me….’

‘Alas! There are some wounds that cannot be wholly cured,’ said Gandalf.

'I fear it may be so with mine,’ said Frodo. ‘There is no real going back. Though I may come to the Shire, it will not seem the same; for I shall not be the same. I am wounded with knife, sting, and tooth, and a long burden. Where shall I find rest?’

Gandalf did not answer.

I find myself awake a lot more throughout the night, especially during the hour from 3 a.m. to 4 a.m. I started keeping a Rosary, one with big beads on it, on my nightstand so I can use it to pray the Rosary. Nothing induces sleep like praying the Rosary - just ask the wife and kids.

Nowadays sleep doesn't come as easy, and I sometimes complete five decades before sleep overtakes me. I figure that God is granting me a special mercy to pray for my living children NOW rather than when they are dead and gone. Either way I must pray for them; I would prefer to be proactive.

More than anything else I want my children(and my wife and I, and the whole extended family) to die a holy death.

Thank you, Lord, for the opportunity to pray with You in the middle of the night, the other Hour of Mercy.

Freaky Friday Mass Incident

Yes, those of you who have read this blog for a while may recognize the little pink pig at the top of this post, and how she only appears when I report on strange behavior - on or off the altar - at Friday Mass.

In this case, the Mass was on a Saturday - the first Saturday of May, last Saturday(how many times did I overuse the word 'Saturday' in this last sentence?). In particular, this Mass was the vigil Mass for Sunday, which will always be referred to in the United States as 'Ascension Thursday Sunday.' This is a Freaky thing in an of itself, as it shows the hardness of so many hearts in our country, where Catholics can't find the time to go to Mass on a Holy Day of Obligation because it falls on a weekday. They apparently don't have the time.

Ask them who got kicked off 'Dancing with the Stars,' and they can tell you....

...but I digress. What made this Mass Freaky was the music. It was awful. It was so awful that none of the parishioners joined in. So we got to listen to the man in the choir loft sing solo songs by such writers as Dan Schutte - a Jesuit who seems to have forgotten his vocation.

I can't put this kind of garbage on my blog, but HERE IS THE COMMUNION SONG WE HEARD. What is missing is the line containing the words 'devil on your back' which we heard right before receiving Our Lord in the Eucharist. Very distracting.

Thankfully the priest launched a pre-emptive strike for the recessional hymn, as we all joined in singing 'Regina Caeli.'

Another Musical Presentation

Oldest Daughter Noisykid sings 'There is a Reason' while someone operates the 'Vomit-Cam.'

Psalm 142 from today's Night Prayer:

A Prayer in Time of Trouble

Lord, listen to my prayer:
in your faithfulness turn your ear to my pleading;
in your justice, hear me.
Do not judge your servant:
nothing that lives can justify itself before you.

The enemy has hounded my spirit,
he has crushed my life to the ground,
he has shut me in darkness, like the dead of long ago.
So my spirit trembles within me,
my heart turns to stone.
I remind myself of the days of old,
I reflect on all your works,
I meditate once more on the work of your hands.
I stretch out my arms to you,
I stretch out my soul, like a land without water.

Come quickly and hear me, O Lord,
for my spirit is weakening.
Do not hide your face from me,
do not let me be like the dead,
who go down to the underworld.
Show me your mercy at daybreak,
because of my trust in you.
Tell me the way I should follow,
for I lift up my soul towards you.
Rescue me from my enemies:
Lord, I flee to you for refuge.
Teach me to do your will,
for you are my God.

Your good spirit will lead me to the land of justice;
for your name’s sake, Lord, you will give me life.
In your righteousness you will lead my soul
away from all tribulation.