Kendra vs. Bonnie: The Silver Lining Playbook Showdown

Kendra from Catholic All Year came for a visit earlier this week. As you may know we had a massive blogger fight over the merits of the movie Silver Lining Playbook. We agreed to duke it out in person but just as we were about to throw our first punches we looked at the 11 kids who were watching us and decided it would be a bad example to set: a pregnant woman beating on a postpartum woman and vice versa. For the sake of the kids we shook hands and agreed to disagree.

See? Here we are: peaceful and happy to be positive role models.

The day was so great. Kendra's kids were incredibly sweet, polite, mature, and just plain lovely. All our kids played really well together and I was so impressed to see how her older children so readily engaged with my kids. 

Kendra was the ultimate good blogger and got lots of great pictures. 

She was also really sweet - and hip! One of my favorite parts of the day was when I told her that her dangling bird earrings and lime green Buddy Holly glasses made her look so hip and she said her kids think she's a dork and don't believe her when she explains how cool she is. 

I was also a little embarrassed to learn that Kendra really is staying in Chicago. As a down-stater I am so used to people from the Chicago suburbs telling me that they're "from Chicago" when they are not that I just assumed she wasn't actually staying in Chicago... just near it. But Kendra, who I swore was some farmer's wife, Midwestern woman (judging by her header pic) is a 100% city girl. 

Look at all those kids! So happy and sweet. 

Now, folks, let me tell you that Kendra was also super generous. She brought us some meals and made a blanket for JP. It has has the crests / symbols for both of JP's namesakes. The lily and square for St. Joseph and the keys to the Kingdom and the upside down cross for St. Peter. Isn't it lovely?

In the end, what I want to say is that I'm so glad Kendra came down from Chicago. I'm so glad she held my baby and relieved my aching back. I'm so glad our kids played together and we were able to visit. 

And I'm so glad that blogging has allowed me to become friends with interesting women I would have otherwise never met. Kendra and Kelly and all kinds of women I've never met... But if you're ever in my neck of the woods shoot me an email and maybe we can meet up, and if you ever see me mention that I'll be in your area let me know and maybe we can meet. I love this community that I'm a part of - of Catholic women who are smart, funny, and kind.