Kendra Tierney's Blog, page 16
June 14, 2015
Answer Me This: Summer, summer, summertime . . .
Welcome to the return of Answer Me This! Here are THIS WEEK's questions . . .
1. Any big plans for the summer?
Well, I'm having a baby. And while that's not exactly an unusual occurrence around here, it's still the biggest thing I've got going.
We usually spend our summers in Chicago with my husband's family, but because of the aforementioned having a baby thing, we're staying here. All the kids except Lulu are going to a day camp just a couple of blocks from our house. It's a decision I fully expected to regret, because what in the world am I going to do with Lulu all morning three days a week ALL BY MYSELF?! But in the first week, we acquitted ourselves admirably, if I do say so myself. She's such a good baby, I even got a bunch of work done on our homeschool yearbook.
We're also in the midst of sorting out some potentially very big school/work/home situation decisions. So, there could be some very big things happening there, or nothing at all.
Other than that, I'm planning to watch the third season of Gran Hotel on Netflix streaming, and in order to do THAT properly, I have to re-watch seasons one and two. I've never rooted for a character's death as much as I am for Diego's. Seriously. I need him to die. Ideally, repentant, of course.
I feel like I should say here that Catholic All Year does NOT officially endorse Gran Hotel, because Catholic All Year does not approve of adultery. But just between you and me, it's a VERY entertaining show. The intrigue, the murders, the re-murders, the romance, the dresses, the dramatic gazing. And while the characters, even the good guys, don't always behave appropriately, the show itself isn't particularly racy or gory. As far a period soap operas go, I think it's better than Downton Abbey. The characters are more likeable and it's more exciting, what with all the murders. So. Many. Murders. (I have just recently been warned that there is some particularly Catholic misbehavior in the third season. I haven't seen it for myself yet, but . . . ugh. I'm enamored enough with the show to keep going and see how it goes down in season three, but consider yourself advised.)
2. What is the strangest thing you believed as a child?
When I was little, we would often drive past a large field just north of San Diego. It looked kinda like this . . .
with stakes for the plants, which were probably tomatoes, but I'm not sure. What it's NOT is a stick farm. But my dad told me it was a stick farm. For growing sticks. And I believed that for a very, very long time.
3. What is your favorite amusement park ride? (can be a specific one at a specific park or just a type of ride)
I like pretty much all amusement parks. But, in my heart, really, nothing compares to Disney. Every time we go (which is usually only every couple of years because we want it to seem like a BIG DEAL to the kids) I'm just blown away by how great that place is.
Just recently, we made an unscheduled trip to Disney California Adventure, because my sister-in-law was visiting with her two kids, and my nephew is pretty much bonkers for Cars. My kids (except Jack who was backpacking) were more than happy to tag along with their cousins.
And *I* got to ride on my all time favorite amusement park ride: Radiator Springs Racers. It combines the fun and imagination of the old Fantasyland rides that immerse you in the movie (but with amazingly updated technology), with a moderate thrill ride. It's got everything!
And I rode it. Twice. Even though I'm pregnant. (It's fast, but not jerky, so I wasn't worried about it.)
Frankie went on it when we were there in February and loved it. This time, not quite so much.
But, then again, this is how he felt about the (non-swinging) Ferris Wheel:
And this is how he felt about lunch:
SO amused.
4. What's on your summer reading list?
Hopefully, I'll have plenty of time for reading this summer. The first three books on my list are these:
Death Comes to Pemberley
: I watched the BBC Miniseries on Netflix and liked it, but didn't LOVE it. I think I'm probably too committed to the casting in the Pride and Prejudice movie. The new actors just weren't the characters for me. Georgiana was great. And Lydia and Mrs. Bennet were well-played. But I wasn't sold on the rest, especially Wickham. But I enjoyed reading The Children of Men
, also by P.D. James, and found it more compelling than its movie. So I want to give the book a chance. I have to reread Pride and Prejudice first, obviously.
A Morbid Taste for Bones (Brother Cadfael Chronicles)
: I was looking around online for Catholic fiction and came across a recommendation for this. It's the first of a twenty book series, which seems like more than I've been interested in committing to since, um, Sweet Valley High. But I'm willing to see how I like the first one.
Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell
: Christy and Haley recommended this one in a podcast, and I've been wanting to read it ever since. And Gaudy Nights sounds great, too.
5. Have you ever fallen asleep in public?
Um, yeah. ALL the time. I like my nap and I'm willing to snooze in public to get it if necessary.
6. What is your favorite smell?
My two favorite smells are kind of opposite. I love vanilla, and I love eucalyptus. But not together, I don't think.
Oh! And newly baptized baby head. Mmmm . . . chrism.
And . . . a couple of links for you. This time two parenting posts I liked recently.
From Kate at Modern Alternative Mama:
How to Tantrum-Proof Your Toddler
From Marilyn at Light-in-Leaves:
Making Life Easier, Part I
Want to play along? Answer THIS WEEK's questions in the comments, or on your blog and link it up below! Please include a link to this post on your blog. The linkup will be open from now through close of business Tuesday.
Now for NEXT WEEK's questions, to answer NEXT WEEK . . .
1. What's the best thing about your dad?
2. If you've got kids, what's the best thing about THEIR dad? (If you don't, feel free to substitute your grandfather or another father figure.)
3. What's the best advice your dad ever gave you?
4. What's something you have in common with your dad?
5. What's the manliest thing you know how to do?
6. Who is your favorite fictional dad?
Stop back by this afternoon if you'd like to see What I Wore Sunday, and how the ol' bump is progressing . . .
An InLinkz Link-up
1. Any big plans for the summer?
Well, I'm having a baby. And while that's not exactly an unusual occurrence around here, it's still the biggest thing I've got going.
We usually spend our summers in Chicago with my husband's family, but because of the aforementioned having a baby thing, we're staying here. All the kids except Lulu are going to a day camp just a couple of blocks from our house. It's a decision I fully expected to regret, because what in the world am I going to do with Lulu all morning three days a week ALL BY MYSELF?! But in the first week, we acquitted ourselves admirably, if I do say so myself. She's such a good baby, I even got a bunch of work done on our homeschool yearbook.
We're also in the midst of sorting out some potentially very big school/work/home situation decisions. So, there could be some very big things happening there, or nothing at all.
Other than that, I'm planning to watch the third season of Gran Hotel on Netflix streaming, and in order to do THAT properly, I have to re-watch seasons one and two. I've never rooted for a character's death as much as I am for Diego's. Seriously. I need him to die. Ideally, repentant, of course.
I feel like I should say here that Catholic All Year does NOT officially endorse Gran Hotel, because Catholic All Year does not approve of adultery. But just between you and me, it's a VERY entertaining show. The intrigue, the murders, the re-murders, the romance, the dresses, the dramatic gazing. And while the characters, even the good guys, don't always behave appropriately, the show itself isn't particularly racy or gory. As far a period soap operas go, I think it's better than Downton Abbey. The characters are more likeable and it's more exciting, what with all the murders. So. Many. Murders. (I have just recently been warned that there is some particularly Catholic misbehavior in the third season. I haven't seen it for myself yet, but . . . ugh. I'm enamored enough with the show to keep going and see how it goes down in season three, but consider yourself advised.)
2. What is the strangest thing you believed as a child?
When I was little, we would often drive past a large field just north of San Diego. It looked kinda like this . . .
with stakes for the plants, which were probably tomatoes, but I'm not sure. What it's NOT is a stick farm. But my dad told me it was a stick farm. For growing sticks. And I believed that for a very, very long time.
3. What is your favorite amusement park ride? (can be a specific one at a specific park or just a type of ride)
I like pretty much all amusement parks. But, in my heart, really, nothing compares to Disney. Every time we go (which is usually only every couple of years because we want it to seem like a BIG DEAL to the kids) I'm just blown away by how great that place is.
Just recently, we made an unscheduled trip to Disney California Adventure, because my sister-in-law was visiting with her two kids, and my nephew is pretty much bonkers for Cars. My kids (except Jack who was backpacking) were more than happy to tag along with their cousins.
And *I* got to ride on my all time favorite amusement park ride: Radiator Springs Racers. It combines the fun and imagination of the old Fantasyland rides that immerse you in the movie (but with amazingly updated technology), with a moderate thrill ride. It's got everything!
And I rode it. Twice. Even though I'm pregnant. (It's fast, but not jerky, so I wasn't worried about it.)
Frankie went on it when we were there in February and loved it. This time, not quite so much.
But, then again, this is how he felt about the (non-swinging) Ferris Wheel:
And this is how he felt about lunch:
SO amused.
4. What's on your summer reading list?
Hopefully, I'll have plenty of time for reading this summer. The first three books on my list are these:
Death Comes to Pemberley
: I watched the BBC Miniseries on Netflix and liked it, but didn't LOVE it. I think I'm probably too committed to the casting in the Pride and Prejudice movie. The new actors just weren't the characters for me. Georgiana was great. And Lydia and Mrs. Bennet were well-played. But I wasn't sold on the rest, especially Wickham. But I enjoyed reading The Children of Men, also by P.D. James, and found it more compelling than its movie. So I want to give the book a chance. I have to reread Pride and Prejudice first, obviously. A Morbid Taste for Bones (Brother Cadfael Chronicles)
: I was looking around online for Catholic fiction and came across a recommendation for this. It's the first of a twenty book series, which seems like more than I've been interested in committing to since, um, Sweet Valley High. But I'm willing to see how I like the first one. Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell
: Christy and Haley recommended this one in a podcast, and I've been wanting to read it ever since. And Gaudy Nights sounds great, too. 5. Have you ever fallen asleep in public?
Um, yeah. ALL the time. I like my nap and I'm willing to snooze in public to get it if necessary.
6. What is your favorite smell?
My two favorite smells are kind of opposite. I love vanilla, and I love eucalyptus. But not together, I don't think.
Oh! And newly baptized baby head. Mmmm . . . chrism.
And . . . a couple of links for you. This time two parenting posts I liked recently.
From Kate at Modern Alternative Mama:
"I found my older two quite difficult from around 18 months to 3 years or so. And it wasn’t them, it was me. I didn’t get how to deal with them. I had expectations that were not in line with their developmental capabilities, and I was holding them to a standard they couldn’t achieve. I was their adversary.My toddlers *mostly* do not throw tantrums. Even Frankie, who is a real piece of work, and gets mad about EVERYTHING, can mostly keep it together, especially in public. I have heretofore attributed that fact to my always meaning what I say, and just not allowing tantrums. But, ya know, I ALSO do all this stuff. It really helps.
I learned, by my third child, what not to do…and what to do instead. We’ve had much smoother sailing with three and four because of it. (Yes, because of it. Remember how different they are?)
This is a summary of what I’ve learned."
How to Tantrum-Proof Your Toddler
From Marilyn at Light-in-Leaves:
There's a ton of great stuff in this post. And Marilyn and I are almost parenting twins. But I just couldn't agree more with her point about figuring out what will make YOUR family life liveable, and then being really on top of THAT stuff. And not worrying one bit about the rest of it.
"It doesn't even really matter what the things are that you decide to make your stand on. What matters is that you pick those things that seem to make life best for your family, and then pursue those goals relentlessly. And always mean what you say. I'm going to list a few of the things that make life easier for us. Some of them may seem kind of silly to you. Hey, they may seem kind of silly to ME in ten years! But I would like to remind you, Me-From-Ten-Years-in-the-Future, that what I'm talking about is pursuing what makes life feel liveable to me NOW. I'm fully aware that not all of these behaviors are moral issues that will Matter in the Eternities. But right now, they make the difference between "Self-Sacrificing-Life-Full-of-Drudgery" and "Fulfilling-Life-Full-of-Little-Joys."
Making Life Easier, Part I
Want to play along? Answer THIS WEEK's questions in the comments, or on your blog and link it up below! Please include a link to this post on your blog. The linkup will be open from now through close of business Tuesday.
Now for NEXT WEEK's questions, to answer NEXT WEEK . . .1. What's the best thing about your dad?
2. If you've got kids, what's the best thing about THEIR dad? (If you don't, feel free to substitute your grandfather or another father figure.)
3. What's the best advice your dad ever gave you?
4. What's something you have in common with your dad?
5. What's the manliest thing you know how to do?
6. Who is your favorite fictional dad?
Stop back by this afternoon if you'd like to see What I Wore Sunday, and how the ol' bump is progressing . . .
An InLinkz Link-up
June 12, 2015
The Tierneys go to Washington Part IV: Monticello Jello and the OTHER Happiest Place on Earth
This is Part IV of the Washington DC trip recap. If you missed anything you can click over to catch up on Part I and Part II and Part III.
Day seven of our DC area adventure started at our hotel in Richmond. The forecast was for rain. We headed to Monticello anyway.
Frankie made friends with Thomas Jefferson. And it started to drizzle a bit.
We did the house tour, and it was raining pretty good.
We started a tour of the grounds, and it was no kidding pouring buckets.
But how great is this garden?
Fortunately they have a movie about Thomas Jefferson, which was indoors, and a restaurant where we ate our sack lunches and bought hot chocolate and jello, because . . .
On the drive over, Jack had hoped aloud that they'd have Monticello Jello, and I told him that I thought that was pretty unlikely. But then they TOTALLY DID have jello. So, we got some for the kids, on the condition that Jack ask to speak with the manager and make the suggestion that if they put up a little sign that said "Monticello Jello" next to the jello, they'd probably sell more. Which he happily did, while we all cracked up back at the table.
Somehow it doesn't seem as funny when I type it up. But it really was.
Good times.
Anyway. They also have an excellent hands-on exploration center for the kids, with recreations of many of Thomas Jefferson's inventions and possessions. It was really cool.
Then we headed back to the heated hotel pool where we (but not ME) went for a swim.
Lulu was pretty suspicious of the whole process.
That evening, the four big kids completed an interactive online spy game, to prepare for our trip to Colonial Williamsburg. Even if you don't plan to go there in person, my older kids (fourth grade and up) really enjoyed the game. And it's free! You can play it here.
The next morning, we headed to Colonial Williamsburg. I had been there as a child, and remembered liking it. But I really had no idea of the amazing scope and attention to detail we'd find when we got there. What a unique and extraordinary place it is.
We started the day ready to storm the Governor's Mansion. I'm not sure if Frankie knew what was going on, but he was for it.
Then we made a quick (just kidding NOT quick) stop at the gift shop. Nana was able to resist buying these rifles for the boys.
But she was helpless in the face of these lovely dresses and bonnets for the girls. So we looked GOOD the rest of the day.
The kids had to find one particular shop and check in discreetly (hence the finger moustaches, obviously) to get their next contact for the spy game.
They were awarded official spy neckercheifs . . .
And certificates.
Then they went to find this guy. He gave them some clues they had to decipher.
And off they went.
It was actually pretty complicated, and time consuming. And since we wanted to see some of the non-spying sites as well, they didn't get everything completed in the one day we had. But one of the militia men gave them some colonial money for their efforts, so the kids ended up satisfied in the end.
Frankie, "being a bad guy":
We could not have been more impressed with the place. I wish we had had three days there. All the "historical interpreters" were great, and the buildings were great, and the shops and the shows and everything was GREAT. The kids just LOVED it. They all said it was their favorite attraction of the whole trip, and that they liked it better than Disneyland, if you can believe that.
If it weren't for child labor laws and whatnot, I think our family would make an excellent addition to the place. :0)
The next day, Jack kept his ten day waffle streak alive. Thank you Residence Inn.
And we headed to Quantico for our last stop of the trip: The Marine Corps Museum.
We met up there with the husband's ROTC drill instructor! Here they are in front of the actual Iwo Jima flag.
After a bit of a snafu with our airline reservations (pbbbbthhhh) we got home very late that night. But all together, so I'll take it.
It was a great, great trip. I feel so very lucky to have gotten to share all this amazing history with my kids. Planning and coordinating and logistics and packing and transportation and expenses can be really intimidating when traveling with a big family, or with any kids at all, really. People ask me how and why we do it.
The how is mostly Nana and Grandad. We are fortunate enough to have grandparents who love to travel and want to bring us along.
But the why is because we really just love sharing these experiences in person with our kids. I've seen hundreds of pictures of the Lincoln Monument, but WOW, when you see it in person for the first time, it's just a thousand times bigger than it was in your head. I love that we're getting to have that experience together as a family. I know the little guys won't remember it all. But they love to hear the stories and look at our vacation photo books.
As long as we have the means, we'll keep traveling with these guys. Thanks for virtually joining us.
We now return you to our regularly scheduled programming . . .
Updated to add . . .
Happy Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus today!
It's also a Friday. And you know what THAT means . . . :0) We're grilling out in celebration.
And tomorrow is the Feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. I love how her feast follows his. They probably did that on purpose. ;0)
Happy weekend and happy feasting!
p.s. We've got a birthday party coming up this weekend. You're probably going to hear more about it.
Day seven of our DC area adventure started at our hotel in Richmond. The forecast was for rain. We headed to Monticello anyway.
Frankie made friends with Thomas Jefferson. And it started to drizzle a bit.
We did the house tour, and it was raining pretty good.
We started a tour of the grounds, and it was no kidding pouring buckets.
But how great is this garden?
Fortunately they have a movie about Thomas Jefferson, which was indoors, and a restaurant where we ate our sack lunches and bought hot chocolate and jello, because . . .
On the drive over, Jack had hoped aloud that they'd have Monticello Jello, and I told him that I thought that was pretty unlikely. But then they TOTALLY DID have jello. So, we got some for the kids, on the condition that Jack ask to speak with the manager and make the suggestion that if they put up a little sign that said "Monticello Jello" next to the jello, they'd probably sell more. Which he happily did, while we all cracked up back at the table.
Somehow it doesn't seem as funny when I type it up. But it really was.
Good times.
Anyway. They also have an excellent hands-on exploration center for the kids, with recreations of many of Thomas Jefferson's inventions and possessions. It was really cool.
Then we headed back to the heated hotel pool where we (but not ME) went for a swim.
Lulu was pretty suspicious of the whole process.
That evening, the four big kids completed an interactive online spy game, to prepare for our trip to Colonial Williamsburg. Even if you don't plan to go there in person, my older kids (fourth grade and up) really enjoyed the game. And it's free! You can play it here.
The next morning, we headed to Colonial Williamsburg. I had been there as a child, and remembered liking it. But I really had no idea of the amazing scope and attention to detail we'd find when we got there. What a unique and extraordinary place it is.
We started the day ready to storm the Governor's Mansion. I'm not sure if Frankie knew what was going on, but he was for it.
Then we made a quick (just kidding NOT quick) stop at the gift shop. Nana was able to resist buying these rifles for the boys.
But she was helpless in the face of these lovely dresses and bonnets for the girls. So we looked GOOD the rest of the day.
The kids had to find one particular shop and check in discreetly (hence the finger moustaches, obviously) to get their next contact for the spy game.
They were awarded official spy neckercheifs . . . 
And certificates.
Then they went to find this guy. He gave them some clues they had to decipher.
And off they went.
It was actually pretty complicated, and time consuming. And since we wanted to see some of the non-spying sites as well, they didn't get everything completed in the one day we had. But one of the militia men gave them some colonial money for their efforts, so the kids ended up satisfied in the end.
Frankie, "being a bad guy":
We could not have been more impressed with the place. I wish we had had three days there. All the "historical interpreters" were great, and the buildings were great, and the shops and the shows and everything was GREAT. The kids just LOVED it. They all said it was their favorite attraction of the whole trip, and that they liked it better than Disneyland, if you can believe that.
If it weren't for child labor laws and whatnot, I think our family would make an excellent addition to the place. :0)
The next day, Jack kept his ten day waffle streak alive. Thank you Residence Inn.
And we headed to Quantico for our last stop of the trip: The Marine Corps Museum.
We met up there with the husband's ROTC drill instructor! Here they are in front of the actual Iwo Jima flag.
After a bit of a snafu with our airline reservations (pbbbbthhhh) we got home very late that night. But all together, so I'll take it.
It was a great, great trip. I feel so very lucky to have gotten to share all this amazing history with my kids. Planning and coordinating and logistics and packing and transportation and expenses can be really intimidating when traveling with a big family, or with any kids at all, really. People ask me how and why we do it.
The how is mostly Nana and Grandad. We are fortunate enough to have grandparents who love to travel and want to bring us along.
But the why is because we really just love sharing these experiences in person with our kids. I've seen hundreds of pictures of the Lincoln Monument, but WOW, when you see it in person for the first time, it's just a thousand times bigger than it was in your head. I love that we're getting to have that experience together as a family. I know the little guys won't remember it all. But they love to hear the stories and look at our vacation photo books.
As long as we have the means, we'll keep traveling with these guys. Thanks for virtually joining us.
We now return you to our regularly scheduled programming . . .
Updated to add . . .
Happy Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus today!
It's also a Friday. And you know what THAT means . . . :0) We're grilling out in celebration.
And tomorrow is the Feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. I love how her feast follows his. They probably did that on purpose. ;0)
Happy weekend and happy feasting!
p.s. We've got a birthday party coming up this weekend. You're probably going to hear more about it.
June 10, 2015
The Tierneys Go to Washington, Part III: Gettysburg, Grotto, George, and That Time My Kids Found a Giant Stick and Recreated the Marine Corps War Memorial
This is Part III of the Washington DC trip recap. If you missed anything you can click over to catch up on Part I and Part II.
Okay, now where were we? Annapolis, White House, monuments, miracle cousins, basilica, Mt. Vernon . . . ah, yes. Day five: Gettysburg.
'Cause here's the thing about the East Coast: It's all really close together. Out here in the west, you can drive all day and still be in California (but you will have seen amazing sights like the world's biggest thermometer and some giant cement dinosaurs).
If you're back east (which we were) and you have a car (which we did) and you're willing to drive for a couple of hours (no problem) you can see practically every historically important thing that happened in America from Jamestown to the Civil War. It makes trip-planning pretty daunting.
There were a ton of battlefields from which to choose, but we decided to go to Gettysburg.
Problem: Dad had to make an important call for work during the drive.
Solution: Giant suckers.
So. Drive and phone call completed. Hardly a dent made in the suckers. Baby-wiped off. Shirts back on little kids. We were ready to learn about the Civil War.
First stop was the Gettysburg Cyclorama: a giant 360 degree painting of the events of the last day of the battle, from the perspective of someone standing atop a particular hill. It was really impressive.
Frankie was really impressed with how many "dead guys" there were in the painting, and pretty disappointed by the dearth of "dead guys" when we got out to the actual battlefields. So . . . there's that.
Then we walked through the museum, which houses an extraordinarily large and varied collection of artifacts. Look how impressed Lulu was:
The Battle of Gettysburg took place over three days: July 1-3, 1863, and events spanned some 6,000 acres. So . . . as much as we like to walk, we decided to do a driving tour. We bought an audio CD guidebook
in the gift shop (plus some icees) and piled back into the van. The tour guide was great, and there were easy to follow signs through out the park, directing us which way to go next.
The park wasn't crowded, and we were able to jump out at various spots along the way to get a closer look.
Frankie wanted to get in on the action with these fellas from North Carolina. Fortunately we had bubble guns.
Anita seems to be feeling kinda Charlie's Angels about the Tennessee monument.
Lulu, just being Lulu.
Everything you've heard about brothers meeting on the Civil War field of battle? Totally true.
You never know what you're going to get with Frankie. Sometimes it's buttercups.
Sometimes it's a bubble ambush.
Their dad was an artillery officer, so they know how this is done.
We were all in the car, and wondered where Bobby was. He was stock still. Doing this.
Speaking of Bobby, do you see him?
And we got to see the ORIGINAL Fair Catch Corby, of the Irish Brigade. It's such a beautiful story.
Gettysburg is huge. In every way. It's a big place and a big story. But the park is well organized and well-presented. I think we all learned a lot.
Then, since it was right on our way home, we stopped at the beautiful National Shrine Grotto of Old Lady of Lourdes.
Our family has a great devotion to Our Lady of Lourdes, and we're fortunate enough to have visited the original shrine in France with the kids. So it was lovely to see the replica created here only about twenty years after the apparitions, and frequented by St. Elizabeth Ann Seton. If you've asked me to keep your intention in my prayers, we lit a candle for you.
We arrived just as they were closing up, but they couldn't have been nicer and let us look around at our leisure. Our Elizabeth with Elizabeth Ann Seton (I should have put Anita in this photo too, so we'd have Elizabeth Ann!:
And our Francis hanging out with St. Francis and the Gubbio wolf:
And our John Paul hamming it up with St. John Paul I:
Even though we weren't particularly near the water, we WERE in Maryland, so we had soft shelled crab for dinner!
On day six, we checked out of our hotel in DC, a hit the last of the monuments.
Jefferson:
And the Marine Corps War memorial, where Jack found this giant stick and the kids all decided to recreate the raising of the flag on Iwo Jima themselves. Then I made them do it again so I could sit Lulu in front of them and take a picture. (Confessions of a momtographer.)
Then we visited Arlington National Cemetery.
We saw a horse drawn carriage funeral procession.
We also saw the grave of John F. Kennedy. He is buried alongside his wife, and two of their children, a son Patrick, who lived only two days, and a stillborn daughter named Arabella.
We also saw the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, and the changing of the guard.
Then we heard towards Richmond, with a stopover in Fredericksburg to see Ferry Farm, the boyhood home of George Washington.
It was a cool stop because, unlike the other historical sites we visited, Ferry Farm is a working archeological site. They are actively excavating the site of the original Washington family home, and we got to help.
Can you spot Lulu?
I wish we had had time to see Historic Kenmore Plantation as well, the completely restored home of George's sister Betty. It looks like the two sites are very complimentary. But it was getting late, so we headed to check in to Residence Inn number three.
And that's where we'll pick up for our last installment: which will include a very wet trip to Monticello, and the town to which we're moving (if the kids have anything to say about it).
Okay, now where were we? Annapolis, White House, monuments, miracle cousins, basilica, Mt. Vernon . . . ah, yes. Day five: Gettysburg.
'Cause here's the thing about the East Coast: It's all really close together. Out here in the west, you can drive all day and still be in California (but you will have seen amazing sights like the world's biggest thermometer and some giant cement dinosaurs).
If you're back east (which we were) and you have a car (which we did) and you're willing to drive for a couple of hours (no problem) you can see practically every historically important thing that happened in America from Jamestown to the Civil War. It makes trip-planning pretty daunting.
There were a ton of battlefields from which to choose, but we decided to go to Gettysburg.
Problem: Dad had to make an important call for work during the drive.
Solution: Giant suckers.
So. Drive and phone call completed. Hardly a dent made in the suckers. Baby-wiped off. Shirts back on little kids. We were ready to learn about the Civil War.
First stop was the Gettysburg Cyclorama: a giant 360 degree painting of the events of the last day of the battle, from the perspective of someone standing atop a particular hill. It was really impressive.
Frankie was really impressed with how many "dead guys" there were in the painting, and pretty disappointed by the dearth of "dead guys" when we got out to the actual battlefields. So . . . there's that.
Then we walked through the museum, which houses an extraordinarily large and varied collection of artifacts. Look how impressed Lulu was:
The Battle of Gettysburg took place over three days: July 1-3, 1863, and events spanned some 6,000 acres. So . . . as much as we like to walk, we decided to do a driving tour. We bought an audio CD guidebook
in the gift shop (plus some icees) and piled back into the van. The tour guide was great, and there were easy to follow signs through out the park, directing us which way to go next.The park wasn't crowded, and we were able to jump out at various spots along the way to get a closer look.
Frankie wanted to get in on the action with these fellas from North Carolina. Fortunately we had bubble guns.
Anita seems to be feeling kinda Charlie's Angels about the Tennessee monument.
Lulu, just being Lulu.
Everything you've heard about brothers meeting on the Civil War field of battle? Totally true.
You never know what you're going to get with Frankie. Sometimes it's buttercups.
Sometimes it's a bubble ambush.
Their dad was an artillery officer, so they know how this is done.
We were all in the car, and wondered where Bobby was. He was stock still. Doing this.
Speaking of Bobby, do you see him?
And we got to see the ORIGINAL Fair Catch Corby, of the Irish Brigade. It's such a beautiful story.
Gettysburg is huge. In every way. It's a big place and a big story. But the park is well organized and well-presented. I think we all learned a lot.
Then, since it was right on our way home, we stopped at the beautiful National Shrine Grotto of Old Lady of Lourdes.
Our family has a great devotion to Our Lady of Lourdes, and we're fortunate enough to have visited the original shrine in France with the kids. So it was lovely to see the replica created here only about twenty years after the apparitions, and frequented by St. Elizabeth Ann Seton. If you've asked me to keep your intention in my prayers, we lit a candle for you.
We arrived just as they were closing up, but they couldn't have been nicer and let us look around at our leisure. Our Elizabeth with Elizabeth Ann Seton (I should have put Anita in this photo too, so we'd have Elizabeth Ann!:
And our Francis hanging out with St. Francis and the Gubbio wolf:
And our John Paul hamming it up with St. John Paul I:
Even though we weren't particularly near the water, we WERE in Maryland, so we had soft shelled crab for dinner!
On day six, we checked out of our hotel in DC, a hit the last of the monuments.
Jefferson:
And the Marine Corps War memorial, where Jack found this giant stick and the kids all decided to recreate the raising of the flag on Iwo Jima themselves. Then I made them do it again so I could sit Lulu in front of them and take a picture. (Confessions of a momtographer.)
Then we visited Arlington National Cemetery.
We saw a horse drawn carriage funeral procession.
We also saw the grave of John F. Kennedy. He is buried alongside his wife, and two of their children, a son Patrick, who lived only two days, and a stillborn daughter named Arabella.
We also saw the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, and the changing of the guard.
Then we heard towards Richmond, with a stopover in Fredericksburg to see Ferry Farm, the boyhood home of George Washington.
It was a cool stop because, unlike the other historical sites we visited, Ferry Farm is a working archeological site. They are actively excavating the site of the original Washington family home, and we got to help.
Can you spot Lulu?
I wish we had had time to see Historic Kenmore Plantation as well, the completely restored home of George's sister Betty. It looks like the two sites are very complimentary. But it was getting late, so we headed to check in to Residence Inn number three.
And that's where we'll pick up for our last installment: which will include a very wet trip to Monticello, and the town to which we're moving (if the kids have anything to say about it).
June 8, 2015
Twelve Free Father's Day Printables
Since Father's Day is coming up, I thought I'd make a batch of free Father's Day printables, using a few of my favorite Father's Day quotes.
I hope you like them, and I always love hearing how you use them!
As with all my printables, you are welcome to right click on the image and save it to your computer for your own personal use. You may print the images and / or upload them and have prints made for your personal use or to give as gifts. (These are sized for 8x10 or square but will print well much bigger.) You may use my images on your blog, just please link back to my blog. If you would like to sell my images, please contact me first.
For LOTS MORE free printable prayers, check out my Pinterest board.
Ephesians 6:1,4
Fr. Lawrence Lovasik
Mark Twain
The Lord's Prayer
I hope you enjoy them!
I hope you like them, and I always love hearing how you use them!
As with all my printables, you are welcome to right click on the image and save it to your computer for your own personal use. You may print the images and / or upload them and have prints made for your personal use or to give as gifts. (These are sized for 8x10 or square but will print well much bigger.) You may use my images on your blog, just please link back to my blog. If you would like to sell my images, please contact me first.
For LOTS MORE free printable prayers, check out my Pinterest board.
Ephesians 6:1,4
Fr. Lawrence Lovasik
Mark Twain
The Lord's Prayer
I hope you enjoy them!
June 7, 2015
The Triumphant Return of Answer Me This!
Look out world, 'cause Answer Me This is back . . . for a limited time.
It's the McRib sandwich of blog linkups, so get it while you can.
Here's how it works . . . today, I will give you six questions. NEXT Sunday, I'll answer those questions here on this blog. If you'd like to play along, you can answer the questions for yourself in the comments here, or on your own blog, and join in the linkup. Or you can just read MY answers and be done with it. That's fine too. There are no rules and the points are made up.
At midnight Pacific, every Sunday, all summer long, I'll open the linkup for the answers to the previous week's questions, and I'll post a new set of questions for us to answer the NEXT week. And on it will go, only through August.
So, without further ado . . . here are the questions FOR NEXT WEEK.
1. Any big plans for the summer?
2. What is the strangest thing you believed as a child?
3. What is your favorite amusement park ride? (can be a specific one at a specific park or just a type of ride)
4. What's on your summer reading list?
5. Have you ever fallen asleep in public?
6. What is your favorite smell?
In the last Answer Me This go 'round, I would tag two bloggers each week, and share one of their posts. I may still end up doing that, but I also might just share some links I enjoyed recently. You'll just have to wait and see, I guess.
For this week, here are a few posts on the issue of the moment. I found them helpful and well-reasoned.
From Jenny at Mama Needs Coffee:
Hurting to be whole: the cultural obsession with self harmFrom Next Steps With Pastor Steve Davis:
Destructive AdorationFrom First Things, by Dr. Paul McHugh, University Distinguished Service Professor of Psychiatry at Johns Hopkins University:Why We Stopped Doing Sex Change Operations And from cnsnews, with very compelling statistics about children who report gender confusion:Johns Hopkins Psychiatrist: Transgender is ‘Mental Disorder;' Sex Change ‘Biologically Impossible’
If you check back around noon, I might even update this post with What I Wore Sunday on this Feast of Corpus Christi, the most holy body and blood of Jesus Christ.
Don't worry, Flannery. It's not.
Updated: here's what we wore Sunday!
Lulu and I are wearing our Boden Easter dresses. Frankie's in hand me downs. And the bump is thirty four weeks! Man, I've got a lot of stuff to do.
It's the McRib sandwich of blog linkups, so get it while you can.
Here's how it works . . . today, I will give you six questions. NEXT Sunday, I'll answer those questions here on this blog. If you'd like to play along, you can answer the questions for yourself in the comments here, or on your own blog, and join in the linkup. Or you can just read MY answers and be done with it. That's fine too. There are no rules and the points are made up.
At midnight Pacific, every Sunday, all summer long, I'll open the linkup for the answers to the previous week's questions, and I'll post a new set of questions for us to answer the NEXT week. And on it will go, only through August.
So, without further ado . . . here are the questions FOR NEXT WEEK.
1. Any big plans for the summer?
2. What is the strangest thing you believed as a child?
3. What is your favorite amusement park ride? (can be a specific one at a specific park or just a type of ride)
4. What's on your summer reading list?
5. Have you ever fallen asleep in public?
6. What is your favorite smell?
In the last Answer Me This go 'round, I would tag two bloggers each week, and share one of their posts. I may still end up doing that, but I also might just share some links I enjoyed recently. You'll just have to wait and see, I guess.
For this week, here are a few posts on the issue of the moment. I found them helpful and well-reasoned.
From Jenny at Mama Needs Coffee:
Hurting to be whole: the cultural obsession with self harmFrom Next Steps With Pastor Steve Davis:
Destructive AdorationFrom First Things, by Dr. Paul McHugh, University Distinguished Service Professor of Psychiatry at Johns Hopkins University:Why We Stopped Doing Sex Change Operations And from cnsnews, with very compelling statistics about children who report gender confusion:Johns Hopkins Psychiatrist: Transgender is ‘Mental Disorder;' Sex Change ‘Biologically Impossible’
If you check back around noon, I might even update this post with What I Wore Sunday on this Feast of Corpus Christi, the most holy body and blood of Jesus Christ.
Don't worry, Flannery. It's not.
Updated: here's what we wore Sunday!
Lulu and I are wearing our Boden Easter dresses. Frankie's in hand me downs. And the bump is thirty four weeks! Man, I've got a lot of stuff to do.
June 5, 2015
The Tierneys Go to Washington, Part II: "Bring It" Jesus, a Bloggy BBQ, Monuments, and Forced Marches OF FUN
This is part two of our Washington D.C. area family adventure, if you missed part one, you can check it out here.
On Sunday, we went to Mass at the very impressive Basilica National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, where we got to meet a fella I like to call "Bring It" Jesus.
Apparently the locals call him Angry Jesus, but either way, he is NOT messing around. You will knock it off this second or he will turn this basilica around. (Molly.)
Frankie's a big fan.
Every time I look at this I wish I had taken Frankie's shirt halfway off.
The whole place is very beautiful, and very manly. And the mosaics are right in my wheelhouse of church aesthetics preference.
The kids loved this many-headed serpent mosaic. You don't see that every day.
In kinder, gentler news, Lulu liked the side chapel of her patroness.
Then we went to Mt. Vernon, to visit with ol' George and the fam.
I could use a yard like this.
They had some cool activities for the kids that had them running all over trying to solve puzzles.
Then, we were lucky enough to get to meet up with Rosie of A Blog for my Mom (here's her recap), and Mary of Passionate Perseverance (she brought this, it was super yummy) for a barbecue at Rosie's house.
Complete with Ascension crafts.
Yay for IRL meetups with bloggy friends.
Monday was the craziest day of the whole trip, schedule-wise. And, the hottest.
Along with Saturday's tour of the White House, our congressman's office set up a few other free tours for us. We visited the Bureau of Printing and Engraving. Our tour guide was great, and made the process of printing paper money very interesting for kids and grownups alike.
Then we hustled over to the Library of Congress, which Great Googley Moogley is THE most beautiful building I have ever been in in the entire United States.
Every inch of it is both visually appealing AND infused with meaning. Like the best of the old churches in Europe, EVERYTHING means something.
And SO MANY BOOKS. I loved it.
But we had to run off in a hurry to make it to the Capitol Tour.
THEN, we walked all over the National Mall to see the monuments and memorials and there was ice cream but IT WAS REALLY HOT.
Lincoln Monument . . .
Nice hair, Bob.
And if you're wondering why Lulu isn't wearing any pants . . . I don't want to talk about it. Let's just say it was a diaper the U.S. Capitol won't soon forget.
The Vietnam War Memorial . . .
The Korean War memorial . . .
A sweaty break in the shade for the cousins. Then RIGHT BACK TO HAVING FUN.
The relatively new and (amazingly) traditionally beautiful World War II Memorial . . .
And the Washington Monument . . .
It looks really big here . . .
But it's actually only half a Gus high.
Annnnnd . . . there's more. But that's probably enough for today. Stay tuned for BIG NEWS of a throwback nature on Sunday, and the end of the trip recaps sometime next week. Have a lovely weekend!
On Sunday, we went to Mass at the very impressive Basilica National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, where we got to meet a fella I like to call "Bring It" Jesus.
Apparently the locals call him Angry Jesus, but either way, he is NOT messing around. You will knock it off this second or he will turn this basilica around. (Molly.)
Frankie's a big fan.
Every time I look at this I wish I had taken Frankie's shirt halfway off.
The whole place is very beautiful, and very manly. And the mosaics are right in my wheelhouse of church aesthetics preference.
The kids loved this many-headed serpent mosaic. You don't see that every day.
In kinder, gentler news, Lulu liked the side chapel of her patroness.
Then we went to Mt. Vernon, to visit with ol' George and the fam.
I could use a yard like this.
They had some cool activities for the kids that had them running all over trying to solve puzzles.
Then, we were lucky enough to get to meet up with Rosie of A Blog for my Mom (here's her recap), and Mary of Passionate Perseverance (she brought this, it was super yummy) for a barbecue at Rosie's house.
Complete with Ascension crafts.
Yay for IRL meetups with bloggy friends.
Monday was the craziest day of the whole trip, schedule-wise. And, the hottest.
Along with Saturday's tour of the White House, our congressman's office set up a few other free tours for us. We visited the Bureau of Printing and Engraving. Our tour guide was great, and made the process of printing paper money very interesting for kids and grownups alike.
Then we hustled over to the Library of Congress, which Great Googley Moogley is THE most beautiful building I have ever been in in the entire United States.
Every inch of it is both visually appealing AND infused with meaning. Like the best of the old churches in Europe, EVERYTHING means something.
And SO MANY BOOKS. I loved it.
But we had to run off in a hurry to make it to the Capitol Tour.
THEN, we walked all over the National Mall to see the monuments and memorials and there was ice cream but IT WAS REALLY HOT.
Lincoln Monument . . .
Nice hair, Bob.
And if you're wondering why Lulu isn't wearing any pants . . . I don't want to talk about it. Let's just say it was a diaper the U.S. Capitol won't soon forget.
The Vietnam War Memorial . . .
The Korean War memorial . . .
A sweaty break in the shade for the cousins. Then RIGHT BACK TO HAVING FUN.
The relatively new and (amazingly) traditionally beautiful World War II Memorial . . .
And the Washington Monument . . .
It looks really big here . . .
But it's actually only half a Gus high.
Annnnnd . . . there's more. But that's probably enough for today. Stay tuned for BIG NEWS of a throwback nature on Sunday, and the end of the trip recaps sometime next week. Have a lovely weekend!
June 3, 2015
The Tierneys Go to Washington, Part I: Bill the Goat, Baby Bumps, and Whatever This Stuff is Falling From the Sky
We have had a crazy couple of weeks around here, what with trying to get the school year FINALLY finished, and an awesome visit from my sister-in-law and niece and nephew, and -whew- have I ever been feeling pregnant lately. But things have settled down a bit and I'm pretty sure I owe you guys some Washington D.C. photos. I'm going to break 'em up a bit so as to not overwhelm you with awesome all at once. So . . . here's part I.
The husband was already in D.C. for a work conference, and my parents were in Florida for an event. So the kids and I were on our own to make the trip from L.A. to D.C. Which, really, isn't as bad as it sounds. Flying with one or two or three little guys is way harder. (Especially if you have to deal with a flight crew like this one. Boo!) I have plenty of big kids to help me. But, I gotta say, we were quite the spectacle.
We had the whole plane to ourselves for a few minutes in Houston, before we took off again for D.C.
I had all my favorite stuff with me: iPad, pearls, Dr. Pepper, Lulu.
So did Frankie: Lotso . . . end of list.
I think we get counted by passersby more often in the airport than anywhere else. Anyway, we met up with the husband and the grandparents, got our rental car, and headed out to Annapolis for our first night, in the first of many Residence Inns.
The next morning, after waffles (obviously), we headed over to Grandad's alma mater, the Naval Academy.
Bill the Goat . . .
Fun with torpedoes . . .
And Heisman Trophies . . .
And awesome mottoes . . .
When Jack was three years old, he announced that he was going to go to the Naval Academy and become an astronaut. We'll have to see how prescient he turns out to have been. But he said the beds seemed fine. So far, so good.
Just a boy and his gun shell . . .
Gus and Frankie sat on this canon for quite a while, and whenever anyone walked past, they'd shout. "KABLAMMO!" at the top of their lungs. It was pretty great. I wish I'd gotten a video.
Next we met up with the very sweet Julie, of These Walls, who, when she heard we were going to be in Annapolis, offered to set us up on a private tour of the Charles Carroll House. He was the only Catholic signer of the Declaration of Independence, so his story is an interesting look into the Catholic history of the colonies.
And Julie and her friend Betsy and all their kiddos and our very knowledgeable docent were all amazing and very fun. Thanks Julie!
That afternoon, we headed back to the city, to Residence Inn number two. (This trip was not sponsored by Residence Inn, but now I'm thinking I should have asked them. I'm a big fan.)
Babies and little kids and pregnant ladies and nanas hit the sack early, but Dad and Grandad and the big kids went to the Marine Barracks Washington for the Evening Parade.
The kids were REALLY impressed. I was almost sorry to have missed it. But it was nice to put my feet up.
The next day was the best part of the whole trip.
First: waffles. Then: down, down, down to the metro.
We did the reservations only tour of the White House, which was cool, but they won't let you bring cameras or strollers or even purses. So all I've got are a couple phone pictures. I'm glad we did it, but, honestly, the whole process of security to get to a very basic tour of a very limited part of the White House was time consuming, inconvenient, and, frankly, kind of embarrassing as an American. I think we should let Disney take over tours of the White House. They seem to have a better handle on the concepts involved.
Frankie: Word to your mother.
Next we did the Smithsonian American History and Air and Space Museums, which were also cool, but I still had a handful of diapers and wipes and no camera, because of the White House not being good at this. But the husband got this phone pic of Frankie, ready to take on Kid President.
It was hot. Then it POURED rain, which was pretty exciting for my super SoCal kids.
But that's not even the REALLY good part. Fortunately, we had stopped back at the hotel so I'd have my camera.
Remember my very sweet brother- and sister-in-law, who asked for your prayers for a very special intention?
Well, here he is:
We got to meet our nephew/cousin Luke for the first time! He was adopted as a new newborn last August.
The kids loved all over him and he's just the easiest-going little guy you ever could meet. He was totally unfazed by our crazy.
And. Because God is good/HILARIOUS, my sister-in-law and I also got to compare bumps.
We have almost the exact same due date in July. So, Luke is going to be a big brother AND an Irish twin, as if being a Tierney wasn't Irish enough already. Thanks so much for your prayers everyone!
And that seems like a good place to break.
Stay tuned for the rest of the adventure, including "Bring It" Jesus, and a very Bloggy BBQ . . .
The husband was already in D.C. for a work conference, and my parents were in Florida for an event. So the kids and I were on our own to make the trip from L.A. to D.C. Which, really, isn't as bad as it sounds. Flying with one or two or three little guys is way harder. (Especially if you have to deal with a flight crew like this one. Boo!) I have plenty of big kids to help me. But, I gotta say, we were quite the spectacle.
We had the whole plane to ourselves for a few minutes in Houston, before we took off again for D.C.
I had all my favorite stuff with me: iPad, pearls, Dr. Pepper, Lulu.
So did Frankie: Lotso . . . end of list.
I think we get counted by passersby more often in the airport than anywhere else. Anyway, we met up with the husband and the grandparents, got our rental car, and headed out to Annapolis for our first night, in the first of many Residence Inns.
The next morning, after waffles (obviously), we headed over to Grandad's alma mater, the Naval Academy.
Bill the Goat . . .
Fun with torpedoes . . .
And Heisman Trophies . . .
And awesome mottoes . . .
When Jack was three years old, he announced that he was going to go to the Naval Academy and become an astronaut. We'll have to see how prescient he turns out to have been. But he said the beds seemed fine. So far, so good.
Just a boy and his gun shell . . .
Gus and Frankie sat on this canon for quite a while, and whenever anyone walked past, they'd shout. "KABLAMMO!" at the top of their lungs. It was pretty great. I wish I'd gotten a video.
Next we met up with the very sweet Julie, of These Walls, who, when she heard we were going to be in Annapolis, offered to set us up on a private tour of the Charles Carroll House. He was the only Catholic signer of the Declaration of Independence, so his story is an interesting look into the Catholic history of the colonies.
And Julie and her friend Betsy and all their kiddos and our very knowledgeable docent were all amazing and very fun. Thanks Julie!
That afternoon, we headed back to the city, to Residence Inn number two. (This trip was not sponsored by Residence Inn, but now I'm thinking I should have asked them. I'm a big fan.)
Babies and little kids and pregnant ladies and nanas hit the sack early, but Dad and Grandad and the big kids went to the Marine Barracks Washington for the Evening Parade.
The kids were REALLY impressed. I was almost sorry to have missed it. But it was nice to put my feet up.
The next day was the best part of the whole trip.
First: waffles. Then: down, down, down to the metro.
We did the reservations only tour of the White House, which was cool, but they won't let you bring cameras or strollers or even purses. So all I've got are a couple phone pictures. I'm glad we did it, but, honestly, the whole process of security to get to a very basic tour of a very limited part of the White House was time consuming, inconvenient, and, frankly, kind of embarrassing as an American. I think we should let Disney take over tours of the White House. They seem to have a better handle on the concepts involved.
Frankie: Word to your mother.
Next we did the Smithsonian American History and Air and Space Museums, which were also cool, but I still had a handful of diapers and wipes and no camera, because of the White House not being good at this. But the husband got this phone pic of Frankie, ready to take on Kid President.
It was hot. Then it POURED rain, which was pretty exciting for my super SoCal kids.
But that's not even the REALLY good part. Fortunately, we had stopped back at the hotel so I'd have my camera.
Remember my very sweet brother- and sister-in-law, who asked for your prayers for a very special intention?
Well, here he is:
We got to meet our nephew/cousin Luke for the first time! He was adopted as a new newborn last August.
The kids loved all over him and he's just the easiest-going little guy you ever could meet. He was totally unfazed by our crazy.
And. Because God is good/HILARIOUS, my sister-in-law and I also got to compare bumps.
We have almost the exact same due date in July. So, Luke is going to be a big brother AND an Irish twin, as if being a Tierney wasn't Irish enough already. Thanks so much for your prayers everyone!
And that seems like a good place to break.
Stay tuned for the rest of the adventure, including "Bring It" Jesus, and a very Bloggy BBQ . . .
The Tierneys Go to Washington, Part 1: Bill the Goat, Baby Bumps, and Whatever This Stuff is Falling From the Sky
We have had a crazy couple of weeks around here, what with trying to get the school year FINALLY finished, and an awesome visit from my sister-in-law and niece and nephew, and -whew- have I ever been feeling pregnant lately. But things have settled down a bit and I'm pretty sure I owe you guys some Washington D.C. photos. I'm going to break 'em up a bit so as to not overwhelm you with awesome all at once. So . . . here's part I.
The husband was already in D.C. for a work conference, and my parents were in Florida for an event. So the kids and I were on our own to make the trip from L.A. to D.C. Which, really, isn't as bad as it sounds. Flying with one or two or three little guys is way harder. (Especially if you have to deal with a flight crew like this one. Boo!) I have plenty of big kids to help me. But, I gotta say, we were quite the spectacle.
We had the whole plane to ourselves for a few minutes in Houston, before we took off again for D.C.
I had all my favorite stuff with me: iPad, pearls, Dr. Pepper, Lulu.
So did Frankie: Lotso . . . end of list.
I think we get counted by passersby more often in the airport than anywhere else. Anyway, we met up with the husband and the grandparents, got our rental car, and headed out to Annapolis for our first night, in the first of many Residence Inns.
The next morning, after waffles (obviously), we headed over to Grandad's alma mater, the Naval Academy.
Bill the Goat . . .
Fun with torpedoes . . .
And Heisman Trophies . . .
And awesome mottoes . . .
When Jack was three years old, he announced that he was going to go to the Naval Academy and become an astronaut. We'll have to see how prescient he turns out to have been. But he said the beds seemed fine. So far, so good.
Just a boy and his gun shell . . .
Gus and Frankie sat on this canon for quite a while, and whenever anyone walked past, they'd shout. "KABLAMMO!" at the top of their lungs. It was pretty great. I wish I'd gotten a video.
Next we met up with the very sweet Julie, of These Walls, who, when she heard we were going to be in Annapolis, offered to set us up on a private tour of the Charles Carroll House. He was the only Catholic signer of the Declaration of Independence, so his story is an interesting look into the Catholic history of the colonies.
And Julie and her friend Betsy and all their kiddos and our very knowledgeable docent were all amazing and very fun. Thanks Julie!
That afternoon, we headed back to the city, to Residence Inn number two. (This trip was not sponsored by Residence Inn, but now I'm thinking I should have asked them. I'm a big fan.)
Babies and little kids and pregnant ladies and nanas hit the sack early, but Dad and Grandad and the big kids went to the Marine Barracks Washington for the Evening Parade.
The kids were REALLY impressed. I was almost sorry to have missed it. But it was nice to put my feet up.
The next day was the best part of the whole trip.
First: waffles. Then: down, down, down to the metro.
We did the reservations only tour of the White House, which was cool, but they won't let you bring cameras or strollers or even purses. So all I've got are a couple phone pictures. I'm glad we did it, but, honestly, the whole process of security to get to a very basic tour of a very limited part of the White House was time consuming, inconvenient, and, frankly, kind of embarrassing as an American. I think we should let Disney take over tours of the White House. They seem to have a better handle on the concepts involved.
Frankie: Word to your mother.
Next we did the Smithsonian American History and Air and Space Museums, which were also cool, but I still had a handful of diapers and wipes and no camera, because of the White House not being good at this. But the husband got this phone pic of Frankie, ready to take on Kid President.
It was hot. Then it POURED rain, which was pretty exciting for my super SoCal kids.
But that's not even the REALLY good part. Fortunately, we had stopped back at the hotel so I'd have my camera.
Remember my very sweet brother- and sister-in-law, who asked for your prayers for a very special intention?
Well, here he is:
We got to meet our nephew/cousin Luke for the first time! He was adopted as a new newborn last August.
The kids loved all over him and he's just the easiest-going little guy you ever could meet. He was totally unfazed by our crazy.
And. Because God is good/HILARIOUS, my sister-in-law and I also got to compare bumps.
We have almost the exact same due date in July. So, Luke is going to be a big brother AND an Irish twin, as if being a Tierney wasn't Irish enough already. Thanks so much for your prayers everyone!
And that seems like a good place to break.
Stay tuned for the rest of the adventure, including "Bring It" Jesus, and a very Bloggy BBQ . . .
The husband was already in D.C. for a work conference, and my parents were in Florida for an event. So the kids and I were on our own to make the trip from L.A. to D.C. Which, really, isn't as bad as it sounds. Flying with one or two or three little guys is way harder. (Especially if you have to deal with a flight crew like this one. Boo!) I have plenty of big kids to help me. But, I gotta say, we were quite the spectacle.
We had the whole plane to ourselves for a few minutes in Houston, before we took off again for D.C.
I had all my favorite stuff with me: iPad, pearls, Dr. Pepper, Lulu.
So did Frankie: Lotso . . . end of list.
I think we get counted by passersby more often in the airport than anywhere else. Anyway, we met up with the husband and the grandparents, got our rental car, and headed out to Annapolis for our first night, in the first of many Residence Inns.
The next morning, after waffles (obviously), we headed over to Grandad's alma mater, the Naval Academy.
Bill the Goat . . .
Fun with torpedoes . . .
And Heisman Trophies . . .
And awesome mottoes . . .
When Jack was three years old, he announced that he was going to go to the Naval Academy and become an astronaut. We'll have to see how prescient he turns out to have been. But he said the beds seemed fine. So far, so good.
Just a boy and his gun shell . . .
Gus and Frankie sat on this canon for quite a while, and whenever anyone walked past, they'd shout. "KABLAMMO!" at the top of their lungs. It was pretty great. I wish I'd gotten a video.
Next we met up with the very sweet Julie, of These Walls, who, when she heard we were going to be in Annapolis, offered to set us up on a private tour of the Charles Carroll House. He was the only Catholic signer of the Declaration of Independence, so his story is an interesting look into the Catholic history of the colonies.
And Julie and her friend Betsy and all their kiddos and our very knowledgeable docent were all amazing and very fun. Thanks Julie!
That afternoon, we headed back to the city, to Residence Inn number two. (This trip was not sponsored by Residence Inn, but now I'm thinking I should have asked them. I'm a big fan.)
Babies and little kids and pregnant ladies and nanas hit the sack early, but Dad and Grandad and the big kids went to the Marine Barracks Washington for the Evening Parade.
The kids were REALLY impressed. I was almost sorry to have missed it. But it was nice to put my feet up.
The next day was the best part of the whole trip.
First: waffles. Then: down, down, down to the metro.
We did the reservations only tour of the White House, which was cool, but they won't let you bring cameras or strollers or even purses. So all I've got are a couple phone pictures. I'm glad we did it, but, honestly, the whole process of security to get to a very basic tour of a very limited part of the White House was time consuming, inconvenient, and, frankly, kind of embarrassing as an American. I think we should let Disney take over tours of the White House. They seem to have a better handle on the concepts involved.
Frankie: Word to your mother.
Next we did the Smithsonian American History and Air and Space Museums, which were also cool, but I still had a handful of diapers and wipes and no camera, because of the White House not being good at this. But the husband got this phone pic of Frankie, ready to take on Kid President.
It was hot. Then it POURED rain, which was pretty exciting for my super SoCal kids.
But that's not even the REALLY good part. Fortunately, we had stopped back at the hotel so I'd have my camera.
Remember my very sweet brother- and sister-in-law, who asked for your prayers for a very special intention?
Well, here he is:
We got to meet our nephew/cousin Luke for the first time! He was adopted as a new newborn last August.
The kids loved all over him and he's just the easiest-going little guy you ever could meet. He was totally unfazed by our crazy.
And. Because God is good/HILARIOUS, my sister-in-law and I also got to compare bumps.
We have almost the exact same due date in July. So, Luke is going to be a big brother AND an Irish twin, as if being a Tierney wasn't Irish enough already. Thanks so much for your prayers everyone!
And that seems like a good place to break.
Stay tuned for the rest of the adventure, including "Bring It" Jesus, and a very Bloggy BBQ . . .
June 1, 2015
Exactly How to be a Good Catholic
Knowing just what is required of faithful Catholics can be confusing. Especially in this time of blogs and social media. Blogs can be a really great way to learn about our faith, but it's easy for bloggers (even yours truly) to make it seem like particular practices are mandatory for Catholics, or even just "better," when in reality those are just practices that SOME people find helpful in living out their own faith, but that are by no means required to be practiced by all Catholics.
Things like homeschooling, and not working outside the home, have been such an important part of my own faith journey that it's easy for me to confuse them for "Best Practices for Catholics." They may be best practices for ME but they're not universal.
Similarly, I've encountered folks who present things like veiling, or attending Latin Mass, or adhering to a prairie-dress-type standard of modesty, or boycotting, as things that "real" Catholics should do, but I haven't personally felt called to any of those things, myself.
On the other hand, many beliefs and practices that ARE required of the faithful are often presented as optional, or expired, or nice but unrealistic, or a private matter of individual conscience. When, really, they're not.
If only there were a list, right? A list of the opinions and actions that ARE required of Catholics. Well, now there is. Just kidding. One comprehensive list would be pretty much impossible, but here's my attempt to compile a list of the basics, so we'll all know what our goals are.
A good Catholic is required:
To believe in God, the Father Almighty, the first person of the Trinity, who created Heaven and earth.To believe that Jesus Christ is God's only son, the second person of the Trinity, fully God and fully man.To believe that Jesus was born of the Virgin Mary, was crucified, died and was buried.To believe that Jesus rose from the dead and ascended into Heaven.To believe that the Holy Spirit is God and the third person of the Trinity.To believe that the Catholic Church is the one established on earth by Jesus Christ.To believe that the souls of the just live in Heaven and that they can hear us and intercede with God on our behalf.To believe that Jesus Christ gave to his apostles the power to forgive sins, and that this power has been passed along to the priests of today.To believe that this world will come to an end, at which point there will be a final judgement of each and every soul by Jesus Christ, and our souls will be reunited with a corporeal body, and we will live forever.To believe that the Blessed Virgin Mary is the Mother of God, a perpetual virgin, immaculately conceived, and assumed into heaven.To believe in the power of baptism to forgive sins we have already committed and strengthen us against future temptations to sin.To renounce sin and the lure of evil.To believe in and renounce Satan, not as a concept, but as a being.To avoid occult and new age practices including Ouija boards, horoscopes, astrology, palm reading, and mediums.To attend Mass on all Sundays and holy days of obligation.To fast and to abstain on the days appointed.To confess our sins at least once a year, but monthly or even weekly is recommended.To receive Holy Communion during Easter time, but weekly or even daily is recommended.To contribute financially to the support of the Church.To observe the laws of the Church concerning marriage.To raise our children in the Catholic faith.To remember Jesus' Good Friday sacrifice by observing every Friday of the year as a day of penance by abstaining from meat, or with the permission of the bishops (as in the US) to substitute another voluntary penance instead of abstinence from meat. To observe the Ten Commandments.To love the Lord our God, and our neighbor as ourselves.To defend Catholic social teaching and, whenever possible, to vote only for policies and candidates that are in line with those teachings. When that isn't possible, to vote giving greatest weight to the matters of greatest moral significance.To oppose abortion, euthanasia, sexual activity outside of marriage (be it heterosexual, homosexual, or solo), contraception, sterilization, polygamy, divorce, pornography, unjust war, and unjust use of capital punishment.To practice the corporal and spiritual works of mercy as our station in life allows, and to support others who do with prayers and financial support.To properly form our conscience. A good way to do that is by reading the Bible, the Catechism of the Catholic Church, and the lives of the saints, and getting to know faithful Catholics.
Ummm, apparently, I'm not a good Catholic. Now what?
Well, the good news is, you are still welcome. As James Joyce said of the Catholic Church (in Finnegan’s Wake), "Here comes everybody!" The Catholic Church on Earth is called the "Church Militant." That means fighting. It means fighting against sin, against our baser inclinations, against our failures. It also means fighting against our ignorance and misunderstandings. It means we're all a work in progress.
I'm pretty sure I'm in a state of mortal sin. What now?
Don't receive communion until you have made a good confession. Change your life. Avoid the near occasion of sin.
I want to be Catholic, and I agree with most of it. But the Catholic Church is wrong about <insert particular issue here>.
Inform your conscience and pray. Learn what the Catholic Church really teaches about that issue and why. Check out Catholic Answers. Read a good book. Find a faithful priest and talk to him about it. Email a faithful Catholic blogger. Pray about it. Ask God to help you understand. "I believe, Lord. Help my unbelief."
I've tried before, but I just can't do it.
Try again. Trust in God. You can do it. Read the lives of the saints. Some of those guys were a MESS. If they did it, you can do it.
Works cited:
The Nicene Creed
Rite of Baptism for Children
The Precepts of the Church
Doctrine Concerning the Blessed Virgin Mary
The Laws of the Church Concerning Marriage
The Ten Commandments
The Corporal and Spiritual Works of Mercy
The Participation of Catholics in Political Life
The Catechism of the Catholic Church
The Bible
Where to learn more:
Catholics Come Home
Catholic Answers
Things like homeschooling, and not working outside the home, have been such an important part of my own faith journey that it's easy for me to confuse them for "Best Practices for Catholics." They may be best practices for ME but they're not universal.
Similarly, I've encountered folks who present things like veiling, or attending Latin Mass, or adhering to a prairie-dress-type standard of modesty, or boycotting, as things that "real" Catholics should do, but I haven't personally felt called to any of those things, myself.
On the other hand, many beliefs and practices that ARE required of the faithful are often presented as optional, or expired, or nice but unrealistic, or a private matter of individual conscience. When, really, they're not.
If only there were a list, right? A list of the opinions and actions that ARE required of Catholics. Well, now there is. Just kidding. One comprehensive list would be pretty much impossible, but here's my attempt to compile a list of the basics, so we'll all know what our goals are.
A good Catholic is required:
To believe in God, the Father Almighty, the first person of the Trinity, who created Heaven and earth.To believe that Jesus Christ is God's only son, the second person of the Trinity, fully God and fully man.To believe that Jesus was born of the Virgin Mary, was crucified, died and was buried.To believe that Jesus rose from the dead and ascended into Heaven.To believe that the Holy Spirit is God and the third person of the Trinity.To believe that the Catholic Church is the one established on earth by Jesus Christ.To believe that the souls of the just live in Heaven and that they can hear us and intercede with God on our behalf.To believe that Jesus Christ gave to his apostles the power to forgive sins, and that this power has been passed along to the priests of today.To believe that this world will come to an end, at which point there will be a final judgement of each and every soul by Jesus Christ, and our souls will be reunited with a corporeal body, and we will live forever.To believe that the Blessed Virgin Mary is the Mother of God, a perpetual virgin, immaculately conceived, and assumed into heaven.To believe in the power of baptism to forgive sins we have already committed and strengthen us against future temptations to sin.To renounce sin and the lure of evil.To believe in and renounce Satan, not as a concept, but as a being.To avoid occult and new age practices including Ouija boards, horoscopes, astrology, palm reading, and mediums.To attend Mass on all Sundays and holy days of obligation.To fast and to abstain on the days appointed.To confess our sins at least once a year, but monthly or even weekly is recommended.To receive Holy Communion during Easter time, but weekly or even daily is recommended.To contribute financially to the support of the Church.To observe the laws of the Church concerning marriage.To raise our children in the Catholic faith.To remember Jesus' Good Friday sacrifice by observing every Friday of the year as a day of penance by abstaining from meat, or with the permission of the bishops (as in the US) to substitute another voluntary penance instead of abstinence from meat. To observe the Ten Commandments.To love the Lord our God, and our neighbor as ourselves.To defend Catholic social teaching and, whenever possible, to vote only for policies and candidates that are in line with those teachings. When that isn't possible, to vote giving greatest weight to the matters of greatest moral significance.To oppose abortion, euthanasia, sexual activity outside of marriage (be it heterosexual, homosexual, or solo), contraception, sterilization, polygamy, divorce, pornography, unjust war, and unjust use of capital punishment.To practice the corporal and spiritual works of mercy as our station in life allows, and to support others who do with prayers and financial support.To properly form our conscience. A good way to do that is by reading the Bible, the Catechism of the Catholic Church, and the lives of the saints, and getting to know faithful Catholics.
Ummm, apparently, I'm not a good Catholic. Now what?
Well, the good news is, you are still welcome. As James Joyce said of the Catholic Church (in Finnegan’s Wake), "Here comes everybody!" The Catholic Church on Earth is called the "Church Militant." That means fighting. It means fighting against sin, against our baser inclinations, against our failures. It also means fighting against our ignorance and misunderstandings. It means we're all a work in progress.
I'm pretty sure I'm in a state of mortal sin. What now?
Don't receive communion until you have made a good confession. Change your life. Avoid the near occasion of sin.
I want to be Catholic, and I agree with most of it. But the Catholic Church is wrong about <insert particular issue here>.
Inform your conscience and pray. Learn what the Catholic Church really teaches about that issue and why. Check out Catholic Answers. Read a good book. Find a faithful priest and talk to him about it. Email a faithful Catholic blogger. Pray about it. Ask God to help you understand. "I believe, Lord. Help my unbelief."
I've tried before, but I just can't do it.
Try again. Trust in God. You can do it. Read the lives of the saints. Some of those guys were a MESS. If they did it, you can do it.
Works cited:
The Nicene Creed
Rite of Baptism for Children
The Precepts of the Church
Doctrine Concerning the Blessed Virgin Mary
The Laws of the Church Concerning Marriage
The Ten Commandments
The Corporal and Spiritual Works of Mercy
The Participation of Catholics in Political Life
The Catechism of the Catholic Church
The Bible
Where to learn more:
Catholics Come Home
Catholic Answers
May 29, 2015
Daredevil is Catholic (so far)
Superman (although born pagan and raised Methodist) has a very Calvinist ethos. Dude is SAVED, right? Once and for all.* Superman's heroism is predestined. But not Daredevil. His friends, and even he himself, aren't always sure whether he is doing the right thing.
He and the villain he hopes to bring down have pretty much exactly the same goals. And rather similar motivations. And their techniques vary only in (important) details.
Daredevil is working out his salvation in fear and trembling. Daredevil is Catholic.
It's always problematic to endorse a show before they've stopped making it, because you just never know where they're going to take it. It's especially dangerous to pronounce that a show is "Catholic" or even that its values are in the right place. But, hey, I like to live dangerously.
I really enjoyed this show. And I appreciated seeing Catholic themes and struggles fairly portrayed on mainstream TV.
Comic writer Frank Miller, on whose "Born Again" story arc the Netflix show Marvel's Daredevil is based, has said, "I figured Daredevil must be Catholic because only a Catholic could be both an attorney and a vigilante." (via)
He's no Man of Steel, impervious to pain or injury. We see him beaten, broken. He is seriously hurt every time he goes out to fight bad guys. But he keeps getting up and getting back in the fight.
He's no millionaire playboy with a basement full of ridiculously awesome technology at his disposal. He has to work for a living. By day, he upholds the law, trusting a jury to make the right call. By night, he's the judge and jury, punishing bad guys with his own two hands. (Literally. He eschews guns. And the fact that he doesn't kill any of the bad guys seems to be mostly on purpose.)
Even his superpowers are born of weakness. He has extraordinarily heightened senses of hearing, and smell, and kinesthetics, but only as a result of the car accident that robbed him of his sight.
Perhaps even more central to his life as a crime-fighter are the lessons young Matt learned from his father, a tenacious but troubled professional boxer. Battlin' Jack Murdoch was never knocked out. Beaten, yes, but always on his feet. Daredevil is the same way. Dude gets his Butt. Kicked. Every night. But he drags himself up again and keeps fighting through the pain.
Oh, and there's his faith.
Claire: On top of that, you can take an unbelievable amount of punishment without one damn complaint.Matt: That last part's the Catholicism.
Religion and superheroes can be tough to sort out. Most of the well-known comic book superheroes have a religious affiliation, assigned to them by their (largely Jewish) creators. As a writer, if you want to know a character, and understand his motivations, you'd, of course, have to understand his faith.
But, for the vast majority of them, that faith is nothing more than back story.
Daredevil, throughout his long-running comic (which I haven't read), through multiple writers and reboots, in his movie (which I haven't seen), and now in this TV series (which I have seen), has consistently been a notable exception to the rule. His religion is a deep part of who he is.
Daredevil isn't, ya know, a GOOD Catholic, but he is a Catholic. In the opening scene of the Netflix show, it's clear that he doesn't understand how confession works. But he's there. And the priest DOES understand how confession works, so that's nice. That same priest features prominently throughout this first season. His advice is consistently empathetic and theologically sound.
Matt: I'm not seeking penance for what I've done, Father, I'm asking forgiveness for what I'm about to do.
Priest: That's not how this works.
Daredevil/Matt Murdoch has been a comic book character through many decades and many writers. It's my understanding that in that medium, he doesn't always live out Catholic moral teaching in his personal life. But THIS review is on the Netflix show. And in season one of this show, he does. There are multiple allusions by other characters to how Matt "does well with the ladies." But what that means precisely isn't confirmed by Matt or shown on screen. As far as we know from watching this show, he is a good Catholic boy.
Matt Murdoch spends this season in much the same state as Seeley Booth was when we met him in the first season of Bones. Both men have a deep sense of the Truth of Catholicism, and are searching for answers in religion to the difficult questions posed by their career choices.
Priest: It's all right, seal of confessional. Anything you said during the Sacrament of Penance stays between us. You could have killed ten people. I couldn't tell anyone.
Nine seasons later, it's clear that Booth isn't willing to move from a faith of ideas to one of actions. And it's clear that the writers of that show think that theology of the body doesn't apply to attractive people.
If every other show that's ever been on TV is any indication, Daredevil will go down the same way next season. And I will be sad. But, for THIS season anyway, Daredevil is Catholic.
* except for 2013's Man of Steel, directed by a guy who is awesome at making Batman movies but who doesn't seem to understand the character of Superman.
p.s. There is a scene of other non-married characters waking up together. There's no nudity, but there is some language. And a LOT of graphic violence. I had to employ the "hand over the gross part of the screen" many times, but that works for me. It is rated MA. I would recommend it for teens and adults.
And that's my honest opinion. But this is a sponsored post.
Have you seen Daredevil yet? What did you think?
You might also enjoy . . .
Bless Me Father, for I'm a Catholic on a TV ShowThere's a Right Way and a Wrong Way to Fracture a Fairy Tale . . . Maleficent vs Cinderella and the Heroes We Give Our Children
He and the villain he hopes to bring down have pretty much exactly the same goals. And rather similar motivations. And their techniques vary only in (important) details.
Daredevil is working out his salvation in fear and trembling. Daredevil is Catholic.
It's always problematic to endorse a show before they've stopped making it, because you just never know where they're going to take it. It's especially dangerous to pronounce that a show is "Catholic" or even that its values are in the right place. But, hey, I like to live dangerously.
I really enjoyed this show. And I appreciated seeing Catholic themes and struggles fairly portrayed on mainstream TV.
Comic writer Frank Miller, on whose "Born Again" story arc the Netflix show Marvel's Daredevil is based, has said, "I figured Daredevil must be Catholic because only a Catholic could be both an attorney and a vigilante." (via)
He's no Man of Steel, impervious to pain or injury. We see him beaten, broken. He is seriously hurt every time he goes out to fight bad guys. But he keeps getting up and getting back in the fight.
He's no millionaire playboy with a basement full of ridiculously awesome technology at his disposal. He has to work for a living. By day, he upholds the law, trusting a jury to make the right call. By night, he's the judge and jury, punishing bad guys with his own two hands. (Literally. He eschews guns. And the fact that he doesn't kill any of the bad guys seems to be mostly on purpose.)
Even his superpowers are born of weakness. He has extraordinarily heightened senses of hearing, and smell, and kinesthetics, but only as a result of the car accident that robbed him of his sight.
Perhaps even more central to his life as a crime-fighter are the lessons young Matt learned from his father, a tenacious but troubled professional boxer. Battlin' Jack Murdoch was never knocked out. Beaten, yes, but always on his feet. Daredevil is the same way. Dude gets his Butt. Kicked. Every night. But he drags himself up again and keeps fighting through the pain.
Oh, and there's his faith.
Claire: On top of that, you can take an unbelievable amount of punishment without one damn complaint.Matt: That last part's the Catholicism.Religion and superheroes can be tough to sort out. Most of the well-known comic book superheroes have a religious affiliation, assigned to them by their (largely Jewish) creators. As a writer, if you want to know a character, and understand his motivations, you'd, of course, have to understand his faith.
But, for the vast majority of them, that faith is nothing more than back story.
Daredevil, throughout his long-running comic (which I haven't read), through multiple writers and reboots, in his movie (which I haven't seen), and now in this TV series (which I have seen), has consistently been a notable exception to the rule. His religion is a deep part of who he is.
Daredevil isn't, ya know, a GOOD Catholic, but he is a Catholic. In the opening scene of the Netflix show, it's clear that he doesn't understand how confession works. But he's there. And the priest DOES understand how confession works, so that's nice. That same priest features prominently throughout this first season. His advice is consistently empathetic and theologically sound.
Matt: I'm not seeking penance for what I've done, Father, I'm asking forgiveness for what I'm about to do. Priest: That's not how this works.
Daredevil/Matt Murdoch has been a comic book character through many decades and many writers. It's my understanding that in that medium, he doesn't always live out Catholic moral teaching in his personal life. But THIS review is on the Netflix show. And in season one of this show, he does. There are multiple allusions by other characters to how Matt "does well with the ladies." But what that means precisely isn't confirmed by Matt or shown on screen. As far as we know from watching this show, he is a good Catholic boy.
Matt Murdoch spends this season in much the same state as Seeley Booth was when we met him in the first season of Bones. Both men have a deep sense of the Truth of Catholicism, and are searching for answers in religion to the difficult questions posed by their career choices.
Priest: It's all right, seal of confessional. Anything you said during the Sacrament of Penance stays between us. You could have killed ten people. I couldn't tell anyone.Nine seasons later, it's clear that Booth isn't willing to move from a faith of ideas to one of actions. And it's clear that the writers of that show think that theology of the body doesn't apply to attractive people.
If every other show that's ever been on TV is any indication, Daredevil will go down the same way next season. And I will be sad. But, for THIS season anyway, Daredevil is Catholic.
* except for 2013's Man of Steel, directed by a guy who is awesome at making Batman movies but who doesn't seem to understand the character of Superman.
p.s. There is a scene of other non-married characters waking up together. There's no nudity, but there is some language. And a LOT of graphic violence. I had to employ the "hand over the gross part of the screen" many times, but that works for me. It is rated MA. I would recommend it for teens and adults.
And that's my honest opinion. But this is a sponsored post.
Have you seen Daredevil yet? What did you think?
You might also enjoy . . .
Bless Me Father, for I'm a Catholic on a TV ShowThere's a Right Way and a Wrong Way to Fracture a Fairy Tale . . . Maleficent vs Cinderella and the Heroes We Give Our Children
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