The Dark Night

Our priest shared this poem today, by St. John of the Cross, and I thought it was very appropriate for this Lenten season, and wanted to share.

THE DARK NIGHT
One dark night,
fired with love's urgent longings
- ah, the sheer grace! -
I went out unseen,
my house being now all stilled.

In darkness, and secure,
by the secret ladder, disguised,
- ah, the sheer grace! -
in darkness and concealment,
my house being now all stilled.

On that glad night,
in secret, for no one saw me,
nor did I look at anything,
with no other light or guide
than the one that burned in my heart.

This guided me
more surely than the light of noon
to where he was awaiting me
- him I knew so well -
there in a place where no one appeared.

O guiding night!
O night more lovely than the dawn!
O night that has united
the Lover with his beloved,
transforming the beloved in her Lover.

Upon my flowering breast
which I kept wholly for him alone,
there he lay sleeping,
and I caressing him
there in a breeze from the fanning cedars.

When the breeze blew from the turret,
as I parted his hair,
it wounded my neck
with its gentle hand,
suspending all my senses.

I abandoned and forgot myself,
laying my face on my Beloved;
all things ceased;
I went out from myself,
leaving my cares forgotten among the lilies.

I think this poem speaks that it is in times of darkness (hardship, sadness, difficulty) that we truly recognize our need for a God, our need for a Savior. It is very easy to get "comfortable" and just kind of roll along with life, especially when things are going well. The Lenten season, I believe, is the Church's gift of "darkness" to us. A time for each of us to renew and re-recognize within ourselves our need for God. The recognition that without Him we have nothing. Without Him we are nothing. Without Him - the eternal Light in our lives of darkness - our existence would be sheer futility. As said by Jessica Powers (Sr. Miriam of the Holy Spirit) in her poem entitled "The Mercy of God", "...I came forth from nothing and ever toward nothingness tend, that the works of my hands are a foolishness wrought in the presence of the worthiest king in a kingdom that never shall end...I have naught but my will seeking God; even love burning in me is a fragment of infinite loving and never my own. And I fear God no more; I go forward to wander forever in a wilderness made of His infinite mercy alone."

I wish you all light.
BLESSINGS!

Nerdy closet post

So lots has been happening in Gemma's closet lately. FIRSTLY, we went through a bunch of our childhood books at my parents' the other day, and got to bring lots of them home for ourselves. I was really excited about this. But, it presented the problem (that had already begun) that we were running out of room in the book basket. Well, we have this bookshelf that was my parents' and then we inherited, and let me say it's served us lots of purposes in this house including holding piano books, internet/network items, sewing supplies, toys, and now BOOKS (novel idea, I know). We moved the shelf upstairs to Gemma's closet, and have all the books in there now. Well, the "big girl" books anyways. We'll probably use the book basket again when we get the board books out for Kolbe. :-D
Then, lately I've been thinking a lot about clothes for the kids this spring and summer. It's just that time of year. Well, consignment sales are coming up, and I wanted to take inventory of what all we had, and needed to make the decision whether we were going 2T or 3T this summer for Gemma. After debating and trying a few things on her, I decided 3T was a safe bet. Stuff is a bit big...but I would rather that than have her grow out of things half-way through summer and have to buy a bunch more. SOOOOOO, after picking a few VERY cute Garanimals things up at Walmart today, I went ahead and pulled out the tub of hand-me-downs we have generously been given and washed everything and hung (hanged?) it up in G's closet. It's a big closet, so there's still plenty of room for the winter stuff (boo...ready to be done with that!).

Anyways, here are a few of my favorites. The first, these sundresses are just precious I think (I may even have to go back and get a few more). And we are really going to work on potty learning if she hasn't figured it out by summer (she's got the poop thing down, but still working slowly but surely on potty) , so I figure dresses will be ideal for that. And they're just cute.
And here are the shirts, which will be good with pants this spring, and then shorts this summer. The one in the front was my favorite!
And lastly, shoes!! We had a big issues with stinky feet last summer so I refuse to get anything with a canvas or cloth sole. These are sixes, which I am hoping will not be too small by summer, but at $3 I could not pass them up. I was tickled to find something that didn't have Disney Princesses, pokemon, or the like on them. She doesn't even know what any of that is, and I am just annoyed by clothes and shoes like that (weird, I know, but whatever). AND she can put them on by herself very easily, which is always a bonus.
So if you stuck around, thanks for bearing with my nerdiness. :-D And be forewarned, I may just nerd out about our new waffle-maker for my next post...

Because I think they're pretty cute

The "good week" is going pretty well. I've had my moments, as always, but I've really been trying, and I feel like I've had at least some-what success in most areas! Thanks for the comments, they were encouraging. CHEERS to all!!

Good week

I am going to make this a good week. I am going to be happy. I am going to be patient with my daughter...when it's easy to, but especially when it's not so easy to (today's First Reading really gave me a good perspective on this). I am going to try to do more productive things with the spare time I have (IE not wasting it all on the computer). I am going to strive to detach myself from the things of this world and grow more in Christ (Fr. Matt's homily on Sunday gave me a great perspective on this). I am going to be loving and kind to my husband. I am going to have a longer "fuse" than usual. I am going to think positive thoughts. I am going to have a positive attitude. I am going to make a concerted effort to see Christ in others and look for the good in others. Am I going to do this all on my own? Certainly not...but with the grace of a God who is patient and loving and kind and all those other things I strive for... I am going to have a good week.

I wish the same to all of you. BLESSINGS!!

Snacky tray

I started something new with Gemma yesterday. The "snacky tray". I read this idea - I believe - in Dr. Sears some time back, and I really think it will be a good thing for Miss Gemma. Gemma isn't a picky eater, she's just not a huge fan of eating in general. She has a pretty small appetite and often doesn't eat a whole bunch at meals. I try to provide healthy snacks for her throughout the day so she is still getting good nourishment, even though it's not the traditional "three square a day" type.

But alas, back to the snacky tray. It is an ice cube tray and each cube is filled with a different healthy choice such as fruits, veggies, cheese, crackers, nuts, cereal, whatever can be chopped up and tossed in a cube.

I set it out for her for about 45 minutes yesterday afternoon to "graze" during snack time and she seemed to think it was pretty cool. When she was finished, rather than having to put everything away, I just put some foil over the top of the tray and put it in the fridge. Well, this morning, she had some of her banana for breakfast as she always does, and then she asked for the snacky tray. Well, I almost said no, but then I was like, "seroiusly, it's all nutritious healthy food, why not?! Who cares if it's not traditional breakfast fare!" So here she sits at the kitchen table, excitedly telling me about her crunchy carrots and goldfish (whole-grain, thank you!). So I'd say it's a hit. I'll keep you posted, but I'm excited about how this might work out for us, and just wanted to share!! Here are some pictures of Gemma enjoying her snacky tray. She looks pretty happy with it if you ask me!
Happy weekend, everyone.

Kolbe - 1 month

Laundry helpers

Gemma has been a huge help with the laundry lately. I open the washer, she brings her step-stool, I put the pile of previously sorted laundry on the floor, and she climbs up and down, putting the laundry in the washer piece by piece. It is so sweet, and really is a great little "chore" for her.
I guess Kolbe wanted in on the action, too!!

What's Gemma been up to lately, "quick-takes" edition

So I decided to combine several of my potential posts into a "Seven Quick-Takes" post on Gemma, since she probably hasn't had as much blog-time as she deserves lately.

#1. A month later, I can say she's really been doing well overall with the whole "transition to two" thing. She has become a bit clingier and wants to be held more often, and sometimes melts-down a bit more often. But seriously, what two-year-old doesn't go through that?! And she hasn't ever shown a bit of aggression or anger towards Kolbe...nothing but love!! Time-outs seem to be effective, and I'm always touched when she comes in and says, "I'm sorry mommy," unprompted. Poor girl is so much like me. Everything has to be just so, done in a certain order, etc. Oftentimes I get frustrated with this (why I don't know because I am the SAME. WAY.) but then I rush her and she gets mad and I get mad and, well, it ain't pretty folks. GAH!!!! She's teaching me a whole new level of patience, and hopefully she is learning some valuable lessons along the way too. We are both works in progress, for sure. Enough introspection. Moving forward...

#2. "Set table over there" which is her way of saying she wants to sit up on the cabinet and help or participate in whatever daddy is doing. In this instance they are baking a pumpkin pie together. YUMMY!!!
#3. The "slumber party". As you may remember, Gemma got a doll crib for her second birthday. It lives at the foot of her bed and is where her baby, "baby" sleeps. Putting baby to bed has become part of our nightly routine (see #1 for a reminder about the importance of this activity). Well, the other night, whatever possessed her I'm still not sure but I think every stuffed animal plus "purple baby" (her other doll) ended up in there. I guess it was slumber party night. And then she had to make sure they all had their "corners" (see second pic). I think I've mentioned her obsession with the corners of her blanket before. Anyways, see for yourself...
#4. Twenty-five months. Yep, she turned 25 months on the eleventh, so here's the obligatory pic. I'm still not sure where her neck is.
#5. Babywearing. I often "wear" Kolbe, either in his front-carrier or the sling. Not only is it very convenient, especially with a toddler running around, but it is very beneficial for baby, also. If you're unfamiliar with babywearing, click the link above, or take a gander at this article. Anyways, I guess Gemma has taken the cue, because I caught her yesterday trying to get her doll in my sling (which was obviously way too big for her). So we made a little make-shift sling with a flannel blanket. She LOVED it!!!
#6. Nursery Rhymes. Our neighbor gave Gemma a Nursery Rhymes book when Kolbe was born, and she really has fallen in love with the sweet little rhymes and songs. She has started singing a lot more now, and can carry a tune pretty decently at times. It's cute. Super cute. Here we are reading before bedtime. I think this is actually Seuss, though (another recent favorite), not Nursery Rhymes.
#7. Daddy. Even though she may be a bit clingier with mom lately, there's nothing like snuggling with daddy...whether you are a tiny baby or a sweet toddler. Ahhhhhhh, life is good.

Where is Kolbe?

I have so many little posts that I have pictures and cute stories for, they've really piled up...so I'll probably be posting a lot this week to get them all taken care of!! Today's edition..."Where is Kolbe?"
Gemma was sharing her most very special toys. Yep, he's really under there.

Sweet knits on my sweet boy, and sweet "sweets" for my girl

My friend Erin knit these pants for Kolbe. Aren't they precious??! This was his first "big boy" outfit (the only other thing he has worn is sleepers), and he wore them to Mass this morning (Valentines Day). Doesn't he look handsome?! Four weeks old yesterday...my, my.
Aaron picked up some Dove chocolates for Gemma for her Valentine. The ultimate "capo-chip" (as she says). She was excited, as you can see by her chocolatey grin!!

He smiles!

Kolbe had been doing a bit of "pre-smiling" this week...well, yesterday he busted out some real live happy smiles, directed right at mommy and big sis (daddy was at work :-( boohoo). Anyways, the sweetness of it practically melted my heart...and I was tickled pink to capture a few of his first sweet grins on camera.
And my personal favorite.
And here - just for kicks - are a few of Gemma's first grins at around the same age.

Photo montage

Normally when I take pics I delete most of them on my camera and just keep the very best ones to save on the computer, print, etc. It stresses me out to have to sort thru hundreds of pics of the same thing later on and decide which ones are "the best". Weird, I know. But it really is very stressful to me. However, I just couldn't bring myself to delete any of the utter cuteness that ensues below. So while I still probably won't print them all out, I just had to post them here. Enjoy!

Peek-a-boo

Some sewing (and a few other odds-and-ends)

I actually did some sewing this weekend!!! It had been awhile. Kolbe was needing some more burp-cloths, and I had some extra flannel blankets that I "recycled" for this use. I love the "little boy" pattern, and I just wasn't going to use the blankets (they were the one-layer store kind that just aren't that big), so I thought I'd make them into some burp cloths so I could actually enjoy the cute print. Here they are! I'm pleased with the results.
And here is what Mr. Kolbe did while I was sewing.
I tell you, he is such a content little guy. As I mentioned in my previous post, we moved the mattress up and put the bumper on the crib this weekend. I really didn't think he'd start sleeping in it yet (and he's still in our room at night), but if he's happy and comfortable I figured, why not!! He seems to really like it in there. I laid him in it when I was getting Gemma dressed this morning and he loved looking back and forth at the animals on the bumper. It was sweet.

And here is Kolbe, all dressed for the Superbowl yesterday.
Yeah, wrong sport, I know, but I still thought the sleeper was really cute. We're excited around here...the Olympics are coming up, and then March Madness, and then it will be time for BASEBALL!!!! Wow, seems like we were just watching the World Series, and now it's almost time for spring training. Time sure flies!

Baby quilts

My mom has made cross-stitched baby quilts for all the grandchildren thus far. And yes, if you're counting, that means she's currently working on her fifth!!! She just finished up with Kolbe's, and I wanted to share the finished product!
Our baby room is done in farm animals, and we have a spot above the dresser where we hang them so they can be on display for all to see. I think they look just PERFECT!!!! Here is Kolbe's:
And I thought I'd take a pic of Gemma's Noah's Ark quilt, too, (before we took it down) just so you all could see all the sewing that has been done. And this is just two of the four completed ones!!!
And here is Kolbe laying in his farm-animal bed. He doesn't sleep in there yet, but Aaron moved the mattress up today, and I put the bumper back on. Now it REALLY looks like a baby room. Just need to get some more little-boy pictures for the walls. :-D
(**Aunt Lorrie, if you're reading this, that's the burp cloth you made that he's laying on. See how well it matches the bedroom set?!!)