Funny Guy Friday... Give it up for Lent!

    Well... we are almost three weeks into Lent and we are each having various degrees of success with our Lenten sacrifices.
    I have given up two things.  First, I have given up cursing. I am not a big curser, but any cursing is bad, so why not?  I must admit that I have come to believe that some jokes are just a little funnier with a little curse word inserted in the exact right place. I have justified ''joke cussing," so I must admit, that one is not going so well.
    On the other hand, I am kicking ass with my second one. I have given up soda. Since I do not drink coffee, basically this means that I have given up caffeine.  As a result of giving up soda and caffeine, I have also given up being awake past 10 p.m. every night.  Fortunately, I have not given up ibuprofin because I walk around with a constant headache as a result of caffeine withdrawal. I would kill for a Dr. Pepper right about now, but I am staying strong. I give myself a B-.
    Grace has given up her snooze button.  If you read Funny Guy Friday on a regular basis, you know that my girl loves to sleep in the morning. But this sacrifice has not been as difficult as you might think... she also has given up setting her alarm at night.
    As a result, I have to get up early and wake her up every morning. She is so used to hitting her snooze alarm, that she reaches up with her hand and fumbles around with my face until she finds my nose and pushes in on it until I stop talking. It works pretty well because it takes about nine minutes for my nose to stop hurting before I go back in to try again. I give Grace a B for her clever strategy.
    Noah has given up video and computer games. This has been pretty tough for the little guy. He will ask one of us to play so he can watch, but then he just sits there and drools like Pavlov's dog. It is kind of sad, but on a happier note, I am getting better at Angry Birds. I will admit that he has at times slipped up and grabbed his brother's ipod and played a game or two. At least he is honest and rats himself out. I give Noah an A- because he is very cute.
    Matthew has given up dessert. Typically, he is strong with his Lenten sacrifices, and this year is no different.  Most of the family feels guilty as we eat our ice cream and cake and he grabs a glass of water or a banana. We don't feel bad enough that we refuse to partake, but we do feel bad as we gobble it up.
    Grace, yeah, not so much.  She tests his resolve by slowly licking her spoon and commenting on how much she loves her Italian ice.  Perhaps Grace should consider giving up teasing her little brother, but what fun would the Easter season be without a little sibling tease. If Jesus had a big sister, I am sure she would have had a few comments for him as He battled the devil in the desert. Matthew comes in with a solid A.
    Then there is Cheryl. She has given up a few things this year. First, there is the laundry.  She is doing great with this one. The laundry room is five feet high with clothes, and we can barely open the bathroom doors. Second, she has given up doing the dishes... although she fell off the wagon tonight and washed some pots and pans. I am guessing that God will forgive her. Third, she has given up hanging up my suits and picking up my shoes. We can't both give that up can we? Finally, she has given up French vanilla coffee creamer, but don't get too excited about this one because we ran out last week and apparently, she has also  given up going to the grocery store to buy new creamer. I give Weez a C+.
    Actually, our family does our best to prepare for Easter. Our little sacrifices are just a small part of what we try to do during Lent. Of course we will abstain from meat on Fridays, attend all of the Masses as well as attending Stations of the Cross. We will also be sure to go to Reconciliation in preparation for the Holiest of seasons. Recently a priest said that all of these types of things are nice but they don't mean much if you are not committed to Jesus Christ. We do all these little things in honor of the big things He did, and continues to do, for us.
    God has blessed us with three great kids and He has blessed me with a wonderfule wife... even if she won't hang up my suits. What the heck, I can do it myself for the next forty days... but after Easter, it is back to business as usual around here.