As a catechist (CCD teacher to those non-Catholics reading this blog) for over 5 years, I often wonder if the catechumens (CCD students) ever absorb any information that I attempt to teach in lessons each week. I ask myself questions like Are they really getting it? and Did I make sense in explaining that difficult subject today? or Will the kids actually apply what they learned when they walk out the door? The list goes on and on.

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Believe it or not, I am finally ready to get back in the swing of things and start blogging regularly again. Seriously, it’s true! For those folks out there without kids home with you 24/7 during summer break, you have absolutely no idea how much time and energy is involved in keeping young people occupied for over 2.5 months. That is unless you’re the type who is inclined to leaving them in front of a television set to zone out during this time, of which I am not.

But I digress.

So there it is. I’m back, and I really do have high expectations for what I’ll be posting here in the months to come. In the meantime, I’m hopeful that my blog readership hasn’t deserted me completely while I’ve been entertaining Catholic Peeps over the summer…? And if so, perhaps you’ll be back to see the goings-on in the Catholic Homestead as we trek through our usual crazy but fun life & times in the Heartland of America? I hope so. No disappointments, I promise!

It’s all happening so fast. In a nutshell, I truly believe school administrators have a strategic plan in place for students who are finishing out the end of elementary school and embarking into the big MIDDLE SCHOOL experience, and that plan is to:

Bombard kids and parents with as much activity as humanly possible to keep them from realizing what is about to happen to their lives.

So now that I’m onto these people, I just have one request: Can’t we just skip it and say we did? You know. Skip all of the painful experiences of puberty and tween-hood, and move right on to high school - or better yet college? Because I’m really wanting to breeze right past this whole complete and utter trauma. *sigh*

Lord help this ITCM. :’(

As a catechist for 2 CCD classes, the kids and I are always honored to have a priest visit during class time. Yesterday was no exception when the Assistant Pastor stopped by our pizza party as we celebrated the final day of CCD for the year. Only, something kind of funny happened as Father M entered the cafeteria, something that made me think, Oh I just have to blog this one. What happened, you ask?

In unison, kids started chanting a little sing-songy hymn as if in worship of Father M:

Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleeeeluiaaaa!

I snickered and then asked Father, “So, does that kind of thing happen whenever you enter a room?” And he replied, “Actually, yes it does. It’s so embarrassing. I mean, teachers start turning off lights to get the kids to quiet down, because the singing turns into this really thunderous noise where you can’t even hear anymore.”

At first, I thought he was joking. But then realized, wait a minute - he’s serious about this, that people start chanting ‘Alleluia’ wherever he goes. Can you imagine? It’s like being a high ranking military officer where the room comes to attention every time you enter. Ten-Hut! Wow. To have that kind of attention must be thrilling at first, but then has got to become a total drag after awhile. The poor guy just wants to be left alone, and yet it seems to go with the priesthood title.

It’s like Priesthood Paparazzi. Scary.