Tuesday, May 27, 2008

Mary Poppins - Everyone Should Have One



We have our very own Mary Poppins (well we share her with others – begrudgingly). You know the type. Always showing up at just the right time to help out…with the kids, meals, the house etc…they are the ones who, when someone has a baby or kicks the bucket, that organize the meals and make sure the house is running smoothly. They are the ones who when someone is in financial need, takes up collections and help them out. They are the back bone of communities, quietly going about doing good deeds.

We have our own extra special Mary Poppins – only hotter than Julie Andrews. Hunter (2) and Mary (4) love Mrs. Poppins. They think she exists to play with them. MP will show up at just the right times. Usually it’s when Sam is in the middle of school lesson with the other kids and Mary and Hunter are distracting everyone and in danger of bodily harm. Poppins will take them to run errands or to McDonalds or to her house to play. But it doesn’t really matter where they go or what they are doing with her, just the fact that they are with ‘their’ Mary Poppins is enough to make their day.

Mr. Poppins is also a great help to our family (and I’m not just saying that because he reads this blog). Joey has gotten many a ride to and from baseball practices/games thanks to him. Whether he is naturally nice or just doing it because he’s afraid of his wife like all good husbands are is irrelevant. Either way we win.

I must admit I’m a little leery of Mary Poppins’ niceness. It’s always the quiet nice ones who turn out to be the axe murderers and serial killers. You watch the news and they are interviewing the next door neighbors of someone who just offed his whole family. The neighbors always say something like "he was such a nice quiet fellow".

I also love when they interview the neighbors of someone who just died in a car accident or some other tragic way. The neighbor always says something like "it’s such a shame, he was great lovable fellow". Just once I want a neighbor to say something like ‘he was a no good scoundrel. He got what he deserved’.

Um, where was I? Oh yeah...Mary Poppins.

MP thanks for all you do for our family. We love you.

Mr. Poppins you might want to hide any axes that you own…just in case.

4 comments:

Catherine said...

No, I must tell you something, Rob, Wisteria lane DOES NOT exist in real life! These nannies-neighbors changing themselves into serial killers are just fiction characters. (I hope so, my neighbor is my mom! And she takes care of her grandchildren. Do I have to let her?)
Wouldn't you be a little sadic instead of sardonic?
Are these words those of a dad.of.eleven :
"I also love when they interview the neighbors of someone who just died in a car accident". What nice neighbor you are! l; )
And, I must say I love when Blogger gathers remarks like "he’s afraid of his wife like all good husbands are".
"Eddy! Come pleeaase,I have something to make you read".

Anonymous said...

Hey if you think parents have unspoken fears about neighbors who seem too good to be true, consider the situation of parish priests.

"Here is our new priest, he is especially good with children. The children love him!" In response, the innocent priest holds out his arms and awaits the handcuffs.

A little girl walks up to the priest at the grocery store and smiles. Her mother, whom he has never seen before, runs up and drags her child away, saying loudly for all to hear, "Get away from him, he's one of THOSE priests!"

There goes, not only Mary Poppins, but Father Flanagan of BOYS TOWN and Father "Bing" O'Malley from THE BELLS OF ST. MARY'S.

Give my best to Sam and the kids. Oh, by the way, are the Legionaires planning any more retreat days with the boys at Holy Family? No one showed up last month.

Rachel said...

HA! I knew you were Regnum Christi, Rob! I just knew it. Is that where Josh is at the LC seminary high school? I am just finishing my 4th and final year in RC's FAMILIA. It's been awesome.

Kudos to you, Dude, coz I can't even imagine Andrew, at 18, leaving for college. Let alone going away younger than that. I am so glad he doesn't like jackasses therefore is not living in a dorm until he makes some friends...and then maybe he'll get an apartment. Robert and I like him so much (aside from loving him, naturally) that we would be heartbroken if he left.

I digress, I wanted to say to your friend, Father Joe, that my daughter adores our priests and hugs them every chance she gets...and I think it's great! She's even "Bear hugged" Msgr during Communion once. He just laughed his Irish laugh. I am a convert and came into the church during all the controversy. Don't think for a second that there aren't plenty of Catholics who are more than willing to give priests the benefit of the doubt.

And to all those Mary Poppins' out there...God Bless you. I have a few myself and would never survive mothering Ben if they were not there for us.

Catherine said...

Sometimes human nature remains only the bad. They forget so many more examples of good priests, and men of God.
I remember having took my son to the cathechist. There were 1 adult and 2 children in the classroom. Before leaving I answered to the man : "Do you want me to close the door?" He replied :" Oh! no, I don't want to stay alone with 2 children, Madam, with all that it is said nowadays!" I was really shocked! Maybe I'm naive, but I leave my children on trust.