Today was truly a change of pace for me.  For the past week I have been obsessed with cleaning.  I have cleaned and filed and vaccumed more times than I would have thought to be humanly possible.  I think I have my girls bored to tears with watching me clean and Im sure they are tired of hearing me ask them to pick something up.  I guess it's a touch of OCD, it runs in the family.  I dont generally sit still and just enjoy life, I'm always too busy cleaning up after it.  However today I made an attempt to change.  Yes, I did clean something but in my attempt I still managed to relax and watch my little girls be little girls.  I took down a pair of blinds that have gotten dusty over time, took the blinds and the girls outside, turned on the water and let them have fun.  Once things were clean and the kids were playing I even managed to sit back and read the first few chapters of a book I have had for years and never touched.  By simply making a little bit of an effort to change, I relaxed for the first time in a long time and my girls got outside to play.  I can honestly say I am looking forward to change. 

In the upcoming weeks life will be changing for me for sure.  As I go back to school and continue to be a "Stay at Home Dad".  I will have to change how I am so that I can survive and my kids can be kids and not little housekeepers.

Life can be interesting considering the hand we're dealt.  For instance, it's been a long time since I've touched on writing here and yesterday I got my automatic renewal on the site and it reminded me it's about time.  For such a long time life revolved around work and being the provider for my family.  As of a few months ago, all that has changed.  My wife is now the provider and I am a "Stay at Home Dad".  I always wished I could have a try at being a stay at home dad and I will admit it is not the easiest job in the world. (Don't tell my wife I said that).  Dont get me wrong, it's awesome to have time with my children as I never would have imagined but when the temper tantrums start, or my lovely nearly 2 year old starts screaming at me or the endless never ending supply of dirty clothes that awaits to be washed, its a long days work.  Yup, I said it, it is a long day... but still its rewarding.  I am desparetly trying to get those never ending piles of laundry done and those small chores that I give myself done in hopes of sitting back and relaxing.   However I know all too well that will not happen.

I am looking forward to sitting back with a good book while the kids are napping and finding my wife's secret stash of bon-bon's that I know she has to have somewhere.  I did discover s secret stash of chocolate yesterday!  As my days continue to revolve around getting my son off to school, girls entertained, house cleaned, dinner cooked, homework done and ready to greet my wife when she gets home from work I look forward to writing about my experiences here and my attempts to be "A Better Catholic Dad".  It's my turn to help guide my children down the right path after my wife did it all of these years.  Hopefully I wont un-do too much of her hard work. 

-Catholic Dad

This past Sunday was Trinity Sunday....  at church for the first time in a LONG time I was able to actually listen to the mass.  Typically I sit in the kids room with my youngest and am chasing her most of the time.  She's 19 months (nearing the terrible 2's).  One thing that was interesting that I did catch was a reference that was made to the Holy Trinity....  it was said that you can look at water and think of the Holy Trinity... it comes in three forms and all are the same thing.... Water, Ice and Gas.  It's an interesting way to look at it and it makes sense....  same thing goes for my kids.  I have three children and all are completely different but in all of them there is one thing that is the same... Gods handiwork. 

Just call me....
 
These days, thats what I feel like now more than ever!  This morning as I got up while my wife was still at work and working late, I unfortunately slept in late and when I woke up, I had 20 minutes to get my three kids fed, dressed and out the door!  Cue Mission Impossible theme song here.  Somehow I managed to get my son fed and the girls to the neighbors and I raced to get him to school on time to avoid another tardy on his record.  And against all odds I made it! 

Later into the morning after I started dinner as my wife was sleeping after working all night I checked on my second oldest (Eve) who was not feeling well for the past few days.  She still had a temperature of 101.3 so I called the doctors and was advised to bring her in.  Before I forget to mention, as I was on the phone my youngest Trinity came running up to me to pick her up.  When I did, I then realized um....no diaper.  Shes on a bit of a streak lately (literally) of being a streak.. she loves to strip and run around laughing and playing chase as we chase her down to re diaper her for the twentieth time of the day... 

Upon arriving at the doctors, Eve's temp had gone up to 104......for a dad, mom or anyone, this is scary mode.  Fortunately it was a quick visit and the doctor was amazing and she checked out to have strep and an ear infection and we were on our way with meds in hand.....  After I finally got her meds filled and got home by then my wife was wide awake and I then realized in the past month I have been to more doctor visits flying solo than I have ever been to in the past 6 years.  All the while I have a mental list of things that need to get done (laundry tops it) it's time for me to exit stage left and get my butt to work for a LONG GRUELING 4 hour day! 

How I long to get back to a topic of religion and not a child being sick!  Hopefully sooner than later as long as no one else catches strep!  Maybe this is when I should say a prayer that they all get well soon!

I can not wait for this weekend to start!  Aside from the self imposed list of "honey do" chores I do have a few fun things planned.  I am hoping to camp out in my living room with my children.  And by camp, I mean bring my very large tent inside and set it up camp.  I am also hoping to get the kids out to the beach or something fun, especially Sunday.  Sunday is an extremely special day.  It only comes once a year......it's.... it's... my birthday! (oh yeah, and Mothers Day!) Sorry moms!

Funny how the only thing I want for my birthday is to relax.... I almost forgot this weekend was it until someone mentioned the word birthday at work about someone else.  Then I remembered..... I gotta renew my car tags!  Happy Birthday, time to spend a lot of money on a useless little sticker!

All else aside I do plan on having fun with my family and making Sunday a special day for everyone (including my wife)!  I want there to be laughter and fun all day long!

Ever have those days where you have that pain in the back of your neck?  Seriously... those days where lifes stresses get you wound up so tightly that it hurts?  Today is one of those days.  Its a stressful day at work and I feel like I could run for miles in hopes of relieving the tension.  But I'm not a runner so thats marked off the list.

The day started with my oldest daughter coming down with what her brother had the other day and this morning she was puking nicely... even once on me.  Ah, it's good to be a dad.  Someone has to catch the puke!  Then I get to work and there is gossip and near conspiracy happening and days like this I'd much rather be home and getting puked on.  Of course I could run for miles and I might feel better but I think tomorrow I just need to schedule an hour for me and go to confession.  It's been a while and I've missed mass and etc. etc., we all have our reasons and excuses but after days like this I need to feel some sort of peace.  Have some sort of knowledge that there is still right in the world and not everyone is just down right horrible.  I've had my fair share of backstabbing for the day and as a result I'm feeling resentment towards others.  I think it's time to change that feeling.  Time to.... time to get back to what matters most. 

Talk about a relaxing day around these parts!  I actually took the day of from work.  I honestly can not remember the last time I took Wednesday off from work. Perhaps never is the answer.  Its been nice, got up and got my son out the door to go to school, cooked my wife a sunny side up egg for breakfast (aka snot) and cleaned the girls room.  It's noon and I already have dinner planned and the girls are napping.  Talk about productive!  Of course I am sitting on my ass staring at a HUGE pile of laundry that needs attention but for once I'm sitting still, typing and watching a movie on TV.  As I've said before I'm playing a little larger role in being Mr. Mom.

I feel as though I should get up and clean the garage..... or something...perhaps wash a car (oh wait, we're in a drought so nope, saved by that one!)  I'm not a person who ever sits still, I always have to be doing something, cleaning something, cooking something... anything but sit still.  I can never ever watch a movie during the day because I typically feel like if it's daylight there are chores to be done.  But today, I think I will enjoy the R&R while the girls are napping.  These days, I completely understand what my wife means by the "down time" when they are napping.  It's a feeling of "WOOHOO", I can sit still for five minutes!  Now I completely understand why the laundry was not always done or the bathrooms were never spotless.

In case you were wondering what's for dinner... it's Tater Tot Casserole.  Having the better of both worlds in one dish.  Tots and ground beef.  What more could anyone ask for! 

--

I love my wife.
I love my children.
I love my family.
I love my life.

-ABetterCatholicDad.