MSB {3}: Delighting in the Imperfect

This week at Mass Moe and I continued our discussion of the miracle of bread and cheese.  (Oh, you haven’t heard about that miracle before?)  He probably loves bread and cheese equally, so I imagine for him the whole thing is as much a mystery as the real Eucharist is.

This week’s whispered theology conversation:
Moe: (during the consecration) Is that cheese?
Me:  No, it’s bread.  (long pause) Now it’s Jesus.
Moe:  Can I have the bread?  I want the bread.
Me:  (pretending I don’t hear)…

Once again, excellent parenting.  Pretend not to hear when your kids ask tough questions.  It worked this week.

Here is my actual Sunday best.  Look familiar?  Same outfit, different week, different photographer.

Would you like to see a comparison of the photography skillz?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Moe insisted that he wanted to button his own shirt, which made a 30 second task into a 5 minute task.  That’a big deal during the “Mass starts in 20 minutes” rush.  He also insisted that he wanted to be in the picture with Cee and me, but couldn’t be troubled to smile.  Go figure.

David apologized afterward and said his finger was over the flash.  He did take another nine shots where I was looking at the camera, but then my head was tilted weird, so this is actually the best one.  I use the word “best” loosely.

I’m not sure if that means he or Elle gets the trophy for best photography.  I think we should add “family photography class” to our Christmas wish list.

One new addition for this week was a bracelet that I found behind my dresser during some procrastinatory cleaning.
(Procrastinatory cleaning – you know, when you have a list of several important, time-sensitive tasks, but you get overwhelmed and decide to organize a draw or clean a closet instead.)

 

The girls made it for me a long, long time ago.  It’s so…imperfect.  The colors don’t match.  The letter beads don’t spell anything.  There are animal print beads, a cross, a peace sign, a planet bead…

It’s my favorite, and I’ve been disappointed that it was lost.  What a lovely surprise to find it for Mass today!  The bracelet reminds me,“it doesn’t have to be perfect to be beautiful.”  I look at my bracelet and see myself as my kids see me, not as the world sees me.

Oh, the highlight of Mass?  Okay, aside from the Eucharist and the host of grace and mercy that we received.  We closed with the song “City of God.”

It’s a normal church song.  There weren’t rainsticks or anything unusual.  But my family struggled to keep it together and not burst into fits of laughter.

Jennifer Fulweiler and Marie Miller released this parody, “Weary Parents of Church,” and my life hasn’t been the same since.  That is not an exaggeration.  I became a more confident and successful person because there was an actual song written about my life.

So when everyone else around us was singing, “For the Lord, our light and our love,“ my whole family (yes, the kids know this song, too) was thinking “For the love of the Lord, please sit down.”  Release the giggles! 

Off to get ready for fireworks.  Check out more of My Sunday Best at Rosie’s place.