Superman My brother Mike

Michael Dominic Aud- Superman?

Was he faster than a speeding bullet?
No
More powerful than a locomotive?
No
Able to leap over tall buildings in a single bound?
No
Was he a bird, a plane?
No
Was he a superman?
Yes
Mike possessed no of the superhuman physical attributes of superman, but a superman he was.

While he was not a man of steel, his greatness eclipsed anyone from Krypton.

Mike's superness came from God, and the gifts he endowed his son with.

The kingdom of heaven was/is his, for he was poor in spirit.
He knew right from wrong, understood like a child who God was and what it meant to be a child of God.

He possessed the land, for he was meek.  He would return anger with kindness, insult with favor. While on earth, his needs were always meet, he was like the birds of the air, he did not toil but God saw to it that he had what he needed.

He was filled, for he hungered for justice.  His hunger was for true justice, as God would have it.  He wanted each to have according to his due (as long as he had something special to drink)

He obtained mercy, for he was merciful.  He would always forgive (but did not seem to forget)

He saw God, for he was pure of heart.  A more clean heart would be hard to find, as his heart contained non of the anxiousness of others, (just make sure he has the remote)

Mike was born and remained a child of God, for no one made peace more than him.  In any argument, he would cry out for peace.

He could call the kingdom of heaven his home, for he suffered persecution on account of God.  He existence was contrary to the world, and for this he and his family suffered the slings and arrows of others, for his existence.

Mike may not have been a great man by the worlds view, no superman, but he was a giant when it came to what mattered.

Things my kids say

While playing on a leappad

playing the letter game, press a letter hear it's name and draw it.

Presses the letter, makes a close approximation to it's shape but the system does not recognize any drawings, so it keeps giving the same instructions

Son to leappad

I already have 'puter

While helping get ice from the fridge
Fridge beeps because it was opened too long.
Son to fridge
Don't worry fridge, its OK.

When asked to do something ordinary
Son to parent(s) in a cute voice
How many times are you going to ask me?

While eating breakfast
daughter, doing something cute and silly, as only 7 months old can do
mom to daughter
Silly daughter
mom to son
poor daughter, she is silly
son to mom
poor daughter, silly girl
son to mom
poor mommy, silly daddy

When having to leave when watching a favorite show
mom to son
son, we have to go now
son to mom
Not yet, I am watching my show
mom to son
We need to go so we can get to your friend's home on time.
son to mom
ok, mommy, I like that plan, that's a good plan

While talking about things
dad to son
son, you know where hair comes from?
Son to dad
Yes dad
Dad to son
You do, where does it come from
son to dad
Yes, it is twisted inside my head and then comes out, like this, see daddy?
dad to son
oh, I see
son to dad
yes, and I know there is gum in my ears
mom to dad later
I found ear wax gummy bears
dad to mom
that is so wrong, lets get some

While eating supper
son to dad
Get me a spoon
dad to son
I need you to ask nicely
son to dad, looking confused
Nicccelly?
dad to son, while laughing
Ok, I will get you a spoon

While putting son to bed
dad  and son in his bed reading stories
Dad, why are you burpping me?
Dad, realizing he is patting his son on the back like he does when hold the newest addition
Sorry son, habit

While pulling tablet out of a bag
son to dad
What is wrong with your computer dad
Dad to son
It is broke son
son to dad
need more battery juice?
dad to son
no, it does not need more battery juice
son to dad
get another one
dad to son
yes, son, I will be getting another
son to dad
you be getting an ipad
What, my three year old son is able to relate my tablet to the tablet that is the ipad but what is this predestination to apple products, at AGE THREE??
dad to son
son, I will NEVER get an ipad (but if someone gives me one, I will take it)

And thy own soul a sword shall pierce

Oh Mary, what did you think tonight, good Friday night? You Son has died and is buried. You believe what He said, He will rise again, but was it like at the temple when he was 12, you did not understand the words he spoke?

You stood at the foot of the cross, watching you Son and bearing with him the pain of our redemption.

He is now dead and buried, doing the work of His Father, opening the gates of heaven.
Do you know any of this?
Or are you home with John, believing and having faith but not understanding, the only thing sustaining you from being crushed is the words of your Son, in three days I will rise?


Unlike me, you did not live after the fact and knew what happened, but yet you had faith, you were the chosen vessel for God's son, but yet, did you know what to expect, other than your Son's words would be fulfilled?

Co-Redeemer, how great you faith must have been, to believe in the darkest hour, darker than black, to have faith in the utter void that existed from good Friday till Easter Sunday.

An Ash Wednesday Prayer.

O Lord,
help me to bear fruit during this Lent.
Let my practices of prayer, fasting and alms giving have an effect on my life, just not during Lent.
Help me to grow closer to You and to my family through these practices of mortification.
If the practices selected are not enough, help me to do more so these Lenten practices take root in my soul.
Give me the strength to embrace and bear my cross as you, O Lord, did on Cavalry.

Giving

This Halloween is my first Halloween were I was giving out the candy. It seems in my neighborhood that if you want to give candy to the people asking for it, you stand at the end of your driveway and hand it out.

Anyway, Ellie and our son got home late, after the trick or treating started and after I figured out how to get rid of all the sugary snacks bought for this occasion. The plan was for him and I to go door to door asking for the usual treats. He did not want that so his mom took him up and down the street to get treats.

He got home well before the trick or treating ending and thought it was the best thing to run inside when some came trick or treating and get a piece of his candy to give away. He had much more fun giving away his candy than he did getting it.

I don't think he was really attached to his candy as some kids are, don't think he completely understand what trick or treating is, but I just could not be prouder of his for his desire and willingness to share what he was given. He does love to do what I do but I think this was more than that, since I was parsing out candy from a bowl but he ran inside to get his store of candy.

Truly amazing.
The angels of children are constantly praising God.

the first kid

OK, so my son is now about 2.5 years old.
He is becoming quite the little person, sometimes being helpful around the house (he always wanted to "help"), wanting to read his bedtime books for himself, becoming articulate.

For the first time (to my knowledge) he requested me to change his diaper. He was in the basement with his mom and she told him he needed a diaper change. All needed material as well as a changer where available in the basement. I was upstairs. He stated that he wanted daddy to change his diaper and walked up the steps for me to get him cleaned up.

Tonight I put him down for bed. A little while later he called out, but not for mom. Daddy is who he wanted. I went to check on him but he was still asleep, having a bad dream I guess. I spoke softly to him and laid him back down. That seemed to be good to him.

Anyone who does not want children, whether because they think it is wrong to bring a child into this world, they are too self absorbed or are just to lazy to put the time in are missing out on one of the best things in life.

One year anniversary

My wife and I recently celebrated our one year anniversary. Our one year anniversary of buying a house.

We looked for a house for about 3 months and found a good little house that needed only minimal amount of work to make it liveable that was very near to the parish we go to.

We placed a bid and got the house, our realtor helped me fix the plumbing to the kitchen sink and we closed on Friday and moved in on Saturday.

Ok, so the house is able to be lived in, but needs tweaking.
With some help from my dad on some of these projects,
1. I have fixed the downstairs bathroom so the toilet and bathtub don't leak, (replaced 3 hole bath fixture with 2 hole) made a hole in the dinning room to repair the broken pipe to the shower, repaired that.
2. put a french door in the downstairs bathroom to have access to the closet, replaced the fan in that room ran a new wire to the switch, and Ellie pained the walls,
3. Ellie painted the dining room
4. had foam insulation put in the attic
5. had a new furnace and a/c unit installed, with the furnace moved to provide better flow in the basement.
6. moved all the water lines to accommodate the new furnace placement.
7. had energy audits and recommended improvements done
8. installed rubber floor in the TV room of the basement
9. replaced/moved hot water heater
10. worked on wiring to balance load in the house/free up circuits for new outlets/lights in the basement/behind the entertainment center
11. Ran heating and a/c duct work to the second floor and installed Fantec fan to move conditioned air up to the second floor.
12. dug dry wells, sowed grass in the back yard
13. built a raised garden next to the garage, planted produce there
14. built rain barrels to collect water off the garage to water the garden
15. outfitted garage as a workshop (benches, table saw, miter saw, drill press, new light)
16. Installed motion detection lights on the back door and front of the garage
17. got Joseph a playset
18. Ellie started a rose garden in the front yard.
19. Replaced the fence going from the house to the garage

Also, we wanted a house in this location so we would be close to St. Gertrude Church.
We liked and were familiar with the Dominican priest, were in the choir and close the the choir director and several members of the choir.

Well, almost a year exactly after we moved, all the priests at the parish were moved to other parishes, the choir director moved on and we both dropped out of the choir, due to reasons no related to the changes at the church.

We try to stay in contact with our friends from the choir with game nights and individual visits.
We are trying to get used to the new priest, but the choir director left due to the new pastor not liking the wide variety of music he uses to give glory to God and sanctify and edify the faithful, so that has left a bad taste in my mouth.

All in all, I am very glad to have moved where we did. It is a nice neighborhood, close to lots of stuff (grocery stores, Lowes), close to the church we still attend. It is about the same distance from Ellie's work, but with her going to part time soon, that will have less of an impact.

I have a short list of projects to complete (short, but will not be able to be finished quickly) After they are finished, I plan on taking a break from the improvement bug.