Kolbe's first week of preschool

This week was Aa week at our house for Kolbe.  I don't think I will document each week of preschool on my blog like I did with Gemma, but I wanted to make sure and commemorate his first week.  This year I purchased downloads for a Letter of the Week program from Confessions of a Homeschooler.  This will be a good fit for us.  There is so. much. good stuff out there it is overwhelming.  This year we will use this (and a few other resources I already have from Gemma's preschool) but I'm not going to look for much more.  There's just too much, and then I go through the whole paralysis by analysis thing and then nothing gets done.  This program has a PDF file for each week (letter) that has anywhere from 30-60 printables (and it's not just worksheets and coloring pages).  Most of them are color (but can be printed black-and-white).  I am trying to plan 3-4 weeks at a time (she already has lesson plans, I just have to print them and hi-lite what we want to do!), and send what I want in color to Office Max or FedEx and print the rest at home.  I request the books we need from the library, pull any other stuff out that I have (I have files for each letter of the alphabet and a stack of books and flashcards as well) and we are good to go!  It's going to be a good year, and Kolbe is very enthusiastic about preschool.  I honestly thought he wouldn't be as into it as Gemma was, but he is every bit as excited about doing school each day as Gemma was, if not a bit more!  It is fun watching him grow and learn, and I can't believe what a big boy he is getting to be.  We are enjoying working on preschool when sissy is at Kindergarten in the morning.  Here are some snapshots of our week (and of some of the regular activities Kolbe will be doing).

Kolbe's first day of preschool, looking grown-up and very proud to be a preschooler!

Matching upper and lowercase A's

Letter "A" puzzle

Find the letter "A" (he's still a little iffy with his pencil grip)

Peek-a-boo!

Doing his "A" do-a-dot page

Counting apple seeds

Some of my favorite alphabet books, that we'll be using weekly are:
Museum ABC
Baby Einstein's ABC's of Art
A is for Altar, B is for Bible
An Alphabet of Catholic Saints
The Baby Signing Book

Next week will hold another big first for Kolbe, as he starts weekly speech therapy with our local school district!  It will be a big, fun year for my sweet little guy.

Journal: settling in

TODAY

Out my window:  Sunny and hot.  Summer is definitely back.  We've even actually had to run our sprinklers!  Guess the well wasn't such a bad idea after all.

Clothing myself in:  Shorts and a t-shirt.  Glamor personified, let me tell you what.  I do have a fresh haircut though, and that always feels good.  

Around the house: Decluttered some more...this time in the master bedroom, namely clothes and a little costume jewelry.  This minimalism thing, it's good stuff.  I also organized some of our preschool/learning items and culled a few things we just haven't (and probably won't) use(d) now that I have a better idea of Kolbe's needs and Gemma's too.  I spent some time the end of last week getting things together (making plans, printing items, requesting color copies, etc.) for Kolbe's preschool at home.

 

The baby:  He's been a little fussy and clingy.  I'd blame it on teething, but he has all 8 front teeth now and this would be a little early (at least in my experience) for molars.  Hmmm.  He is walking more and more each day.  He likes dancing.  He folds his hands when we pray, all on his own, which I think is so adorable.  I don't remember our other kids doing that at one.

 

The kiddos:

GEMMA is settling into her school routine really well.  We had tears all three days last week, that got progressively worse, so I was pretty worried come Monday morning, and not too hopeful when Aaron left with her for drop-off.  He called about 10 minutes later to tell me he walked her in, she met her teacher at her door and told her she looked beautiful (I thought that was so cute) and happily bounced into the room.  Aaron had to remind her to come give him a kiss!  God is good, hopefully we are past the hardest part and ready to settle in to school.  Half day seems to be a really good fit.  She lost her fourth tooth last night.  She was playing with the boys and absolutely freaked out, thinking she had swallowed it.  Super-mom ended up finding it on the living room carpet.  The tooth fairy brought her five dimes.  

KOLBE and I started our at home preschool this Monday.  I was planning on waiting another week but he just seemed ready so we went for it, and I'm glad.  He tells me multiple times a day that he "loves preschool." His favorite things to do while sissy is at school have been preschool, listening to CD's, reading stories, and he has really been into listening to his Bob the Builder Pilchard Goes Fishing book-on-CD lately.

In the kitchen: Enjoying quiet(er)t lunches since we eat before picking Gemma up (she eats at school).  Don't get me wrong, I miss Gemma when she is gone, but this has been a welcome reprieve.  What's cooking this week?  French Dips, zucchini and green beans last night; Chicken Picadillo tonite; pork cutlets, savory potatoes and steamed broccoli; smoked (wild caught by my uncle in Alaska) salmon; salmon, pasta and veggie casserole.  I need to make some muffins or pancakes or something for breakfasts.

Crafting: Finished our cloth napkins!  All my pictures are stuck on my camera, so I'll post pics on my sewing tab next time I get pictures.

Learning:  It is Aa week for Kolbe.  Since (as aforementioned) my pictures are currently in digital limbo I may do his own post for the first week of "school".  I've snapped some cute ones, but you'll just have to use your imagination for now.  I am enjoying revisiting some of the resources I used with Gemma in addition to the new program I'm using.  We are going to meet one day a week with some friends to do activities together as well.  

Gemma has a math sheet every day for homework and sometimes one other thing, so when she gets home we have a bit of quiet time (IE, the kids watch TV and I catch up and prep for the afternoon) then we have homework time where she does her homework and makes sure her bag is ready for school the next day and Kolbe either works on more Letter of the Week stuff or some of his Kumon books (which he also loves and asks for frequently).  He likes the cutting ones the best.  I have ordered him a few more things like this to work on, as I'm finding it is important that he is engaged in something he can do relatively independently so I can focus on Gemma for a bit.

Reading: My latest Catholic Company review, The New Evangelization and You: Be Not Afraid just arrived, so looking forward to diving in after my, um, entirely-too-long-respite from reading anything.  Still working through Schoolroom in the Parlor with Gemma.  Lots of Aa books for Kolbe, including one of our favorites An Ant's Day Off and lots of books about apples.

Watching: the usuals.  Nothing riveting or worth writing about really.

Bringing me joy: Watching the boys dance.  Our new schedule, it is so nice to be settling in to the "new normal", and a "normal" that I like at that!  Spending some more one-on-one time with Kolbe has been a joy.  I mean, Clem is here too, but it's just different.  It was hard to do a lot with Kolbe without Gemma wanting to answer every question and do everything for him (I think that's just how big sisters are ;-D), so this has been nice.  Gemma seems to really like school, and that brings me joy too, knowing that when she's not here she is somewhere that she feels peaceful and happy.

Thinking about: how I should finish up this post and get off the computer.  Later-gators!!

Pictures to share: 

Watering at the neighbors'.

Boys in hats.

Food-for-Thought round-up: end of August

I need to clear my tabs...and my head.  In no particular order:

Time Magazine Asks: Who Needs Kids Anyway? - I thought the tone of this was a little judge-y, but seriously, the magazine cover is just shocking, sooooo....  The last line of the article was very poignant.

Ten Ways to Be Less Wasteful - I liked these, and some of them we already do.  I actually have a set of nine cloth napkins in progress.  And kind of along the same idea, 7 Ways to Sample Living With Less.

40 Maps That Will Help You Make Sense of the World - This was just cool.  And a little bizarre.

Duck Dynasty on Abortion, Adoption and Abstinence - Love these guys!!

12 Most Important Metrics for Your Child's Education - Yes.  Yes.

The Five Steps - This was a really simple reminder that I think sometimes my crazed-mommy-drowning-in-early-childhood self needs to remember.  Especially steps 1-4, probably work much better than ranting and raving, and, well, it was a long week last week.  This was just a really, really good re-focus.  

All Good Babies - The term "good baby" really bothers me (in the context in which it is normally used).  This lady gets it.  He is a baby. And therefore he is good.

10 Things I wish the Mainstream Media would get right about Parents who don't Follow the Recommended Vaccine Schedule - I am not looking to incite any battles or start any big thread-wars here, I just really appreciated this perspective on people who choose alternate vaccine schedules.

Here is a video about St. Kolbe.  I am actually just putting it here so I will remember to watch it sometime.  I pulled it up with the kids watching and then decided maybe I should watch it first to make sure it wasn't too much for them.  But we celebrated Kolbe's feast recently so we've read and seen several things about him of late.  Really an amazing saint with an amazing story.

That's all.

Journal: School days

TODAY

Out my window:  Sunny and warmer (comparatively speaking).  Finally drying up.  We've had 20+ inches of rain since June 1 this Summer.  Unbelievable.  

Clothing myself in:  Jean shorts and a college t-shirt.

Around the house: I updated my weekly chore list for the Fall.  I had to switch my laundry schedule around just a little with adding in school uniforms (!!).  I also added a "swing chore" on Saturday, and then made a list of chores that need done but not weekly (or even monthly necessarily), like windows and blinds, wiping out the oven or wiping down cabinets, vacuuming under furniture, etc.  Then I can choose a chore or a few each Saturday and note them on my chart so I can keep track of what's been done when.  Yes, I am that big of a nerd.  Now you know without a doubt. 

 

The baby:  Has been really restless at night.  Like, from midnight to six he has been wanting to nurse several times...an hour.  It just frustrates me because I can tell I am a lot less rested with all the restless, interrupted sleep.  He will settle down and sleep for Aaron though, if I'm not around, so a couple nights Aaron has either taken him out to the sofa, or I've gone to the sofa and left the boys in the bed.  Sigh.  Maybe I need to try resettling him in his crib after he nurses, but I can't for the life of me stay awake.  

Other than that, he loves to dance, he waves at anyone and everyone with this big 'ole cheeser grin on his face, and the other morning I was trying to grab a few more minutes of rest, and I opened my eyes to find him sitting by my head, smiling at me and signing "milk" right in my face (he wanted to nurse, imagine).  It was soooooooo cute.  He had signed it before, but this was the first time he did it un-prompted.

 

The kiddos:  Gemma will head back to kindergarten tomorrow after a small hiatus after her first day (they stagger the kids' start dates so they can have a chance to meet the teacher and get to know the classroom in a smaller group setting).  I think she'll like school, and it will be nice to really settle into a routine now.

Kolbe had quite the time being man of the house on Friday when sis was at school.  He was really cute.  I am going to enjoy my time with him (and Clem).  The dynamics will definitely change in many ways around here with the advent of school.  I take him later this week for his speech assessment with the district, where we will see whether he qualifies for (needs) services or not.

In the kitchen: Cast-Iron Shepherd's Pie last night, a tasty recipe I got from Symon's Suppers; chicken spaghetti; my dad's birthday dinner; chile rellenos; I have some cauliflower in the fridge I'll probably steam with something and we have a really tasty honey dew we're working on.  And a tasty blueberry pie my dear hubby made.  He's been using coconut oil in the crust and YUM-O!

Crafting: Working on some cloth napkins.  I took the kids to the mall and let them help me pick out prints (IE, they each got to pick out their own, and then I picked some grown-up looking fabric as well).  Gemma picked pink sparkly butterflies (imagine), and first Kolbe found some baseball stuff he liked, but upon further looking we found some robot material which he loudly proclaimed was "FANTASTIC" (I still love it that he used that word), so we came home with it.  I got them all cut and pinned after the kids were in bed, and then they got to take turns using the gas pedal (haha) on the sewing machine while sitting on my lap.  Uncle Jim, do you suppose this could count as some sort of NASCAR activity?  Kolbe definitely has the lead foot for it, although I've an inkling his ability to follow a caution flag may be, well....  Hopefully he wouldn't pull a JPM (OK, inside joke over).  We turned them and I pressed them and now I just have to do the top-stitches and we'll have nine 12x12 napkins.  A good start.  I'd definitely like to make more (maybe rectangular instead of square).

I also had a coupon code (comment or email me if you'd like it) for a free Shutterfly 8x8 photo book (you just have to pay shipping, which is around $8), so I did one of our summer.  I have decided to stop doing 4x6 prints and photo albums, namely because they take up so. much. space.  Like, I look at our past seven years of albums and it kind of sends me into a cold sweat...our house very well could be taken over by photo albums if we keep up at the rate we're going.  So I think I'm just going to try to do a few photo books a year.  We'll see....

Learning:  I'm planning on letting things shake out over the next couple weeks when it comes to a balance for Gemma with home and school learning.  I'd definitely like to continue her reading and handwriting lessons, but that may be about it for written/academic activities at home.  We'll try to spend some time each afternoon on either that or some manipulatives.  And crafts of course, she loves projects and I'm not sure that she gets art at school this year.  I have Kolbe's Letter of the Week program all purchased and downloaded, I just need to go thru and decide what I want to use/print/laminate etc. in addition to the other things we have from when Gemma did LOTW.  I think we'll start with Letter A the week of/after Labor Day.

Reading: Shameful.  It is shameful the lack of reading I have (haven't?) done the past month or so.  That is all.  Oh, I am reading Schoolroom in the Parlor with the kids.

Watching:  New season of Duck Dynasty is on.  Still watching the summer short-season of Gold Rush...can't believe they're really going to mine in Guyana!  And been catching new Pawn Stars as they're on as well.  Other than that not a ton of TV, I am really trying to get in bed by 10 as my wake-up time is a bit earlier  now with school (and I can't fudge that anymore), and with the aforementioned sleep issues, I need to take it when I can get it.

Bringing me joy: A better week.  Last week was aw.ful.  This week has been pretty good so far.  Sweet Clem, sleep issues and all.  Sweet new pictures of my boys.  A good Catholic school for our daughter.  Beautiful evenings.  

Thinking about: We were at the Mall yesterday, and part of the reason we went (aside from napkin material) was because I wanted to surprise Gemma with a pretzel as a special treat before school started.  The kids were really excited, and we had a lot of fun, but I was reminded yet again how offensive I find Victoria's Secret anymore.  And I suppose we just need to take our pretzels to another spot in the mall, rather at one of the convenient tables right outside the pretzel shop (and directly across from VS).  Pretzels is something we do maybe 2-3 times a year, and as Gemma (and my boys for that matter) get older, the floor to ceiling "advertisements" are making me increasingly uncomfortable.  I am mulling over whether calling the mall would make any difference, or if they'd just laugh at me. 

Pictures to share:  

Gemma has learned to cross the monkey bars at our park all by herself.

Dancing boys.

Gemma's First Day of Kindergarten

Gemma had her first day of kindergarten today at our Catholic parish school.  After an awful (yes, horrible, terrible, no good) week around here (someone and another someone do not deal well with change, add some nerves to that and BAM!!  Bad week.), I am grateful that her first day of school was a really good day.  For all of us.  Yes, I was emotional and had a good cry about it the other night and there were a few tears (from both me and her) this morning when I dropped her off, but we are ready for this.  It is going to be a good year.  A good year for Gemma as she begins her formal schooling.  A good year for Kolbe as he gains a little more autonomy at home.  A good year for me as I enter this next phase of motherhood.  And Aaron and Clem, they just roll with the punches.  ;-)

Gemma's kindergarten is half-day, for which I am grateful, but she does eat lunch at school.  Honestly, even though I wasn't thrilled about the extended "half" of a day, I think the schedule will work out pretty well for her and for me and the boys.  May tone down lunches around here a bit (which I certainly won't complain about).  She was pretty matter of fact about her day today. They went on a treasure hunt, said a prayer (oh thank God for a Catholic school) sang/listened to a song that she didn't know, read one book, did a couple puzzles, she had tater puffs, peaches, and a rice krispy treat for lunch. And chocolate milk. (oh dear...)  Her favorite part of the day was seeing Father in the lunchroom.  And she brought home a couple papers. She's not a huge sharer about stuff, so that was about all I got. But she was in a good mood this afternoon and smiled a lot so I know it was all good. She also said that she still likes home the best and I told her that was just fine.

Life is good.  Now for the pictures.

Eating breakfast...she didn't eat much, she was getting nervous I think. (those are our new glasses, I realllllly like them.  bye-bye sippies!!)

Getting dressed.  She chose blue socks because blue is Kolbe's favorite color.  I thought that was very sweet.

By the door with her backpack.  I made her hairbows for her yesterday with some leftover uniform material my MIL had given me.  Our neighbor very kindly let me serge them on her machine, and then I tied them onto some ponytail holders (and used lots of hot glue).  Gemma chose pink and purple buttons to go on the center of each.  :-)

When did she get so big?

With daddy and baby brother.  And Kolbe who was acting like a robot.

With her teacher

And she was all smiles at pick-up!!

Here's to a GREAT year!!!

Food-for-Thought round-up: August 10

A few that have been all over the internet lately and are probably nothing new to you, but still good:

To Moms of One or Two Children - I've read several articles of this type in the past year or so and oh my, they are so true.  As much as I treasure the days when it was just me and Gemma, or even me, Gemma and a baby, I do.not.want.to.go.back.  Being a first time parent is hard, really hard.  You second guess yourself and everyone has advice for you and you feel like you are parenting in a big fish bowl.  Not that I am completely immune to caring about what others think but oh it gets easier the more kids you have.  Life gets more nuts but you learn to dance with the chaos.  The kids test your limits and stretch and change you (literally and figuratively) in ways you never thought or wanted to be possible, but you emerge a better person on the other side.  Our children - with all their idiosyncrasies and craziness and love and everything in between - are gift.  Pure gift.  Don't let anyone tell you otherwise. 

Mama Knows, Honeychild - I linked the "Adventures in Family Prayer" one, but poke around a little [and grab a box of tissues because you will laugh so hard you might cry].  It's like Crappy Pictures for Catholics.

Moving on, no real order to the rest of this:

Social Media Marriage Killers - This was really great.  In a former life before I was married I spent fairly regular time around people who enjoyed (??) talking very disparagingly of their husbands.  It really bothered me then, and it bothers me more-so now that I actually have a husband.  If I have a problem with Aaron, I will take it up with him, not my friends and certainly not Facebook or my blog.  Sure, I will joke about things now and then, but I honestly would never say anything about him behind his back that I wouldn't be OK with him reading or hearing me say.   

The Coming Push to Give HPV Vaccine to Infants - Seriously, my husband called this one several years ago.  They get you at Hepatitis B before you leave the hospital and then they have you.  I realize Health Impact News Daily is probably a fairly biased source, but I've seen several articles on this from various sources of late.  Watch out.  That's all.  (said in my most doom and gloom conspiracy theory voice, haha.)

Teach Your Six Year Old to Tie Shoes in Five Minutes - I don't know.  It looks cool.  And Gemma can't tie her shoes yet (so we have velcro for kdg), but isn't there something to be said for learning to tie shoes the real way?  Someone chime in on this because I honestly don't know. 

This one on Modern Word Choices was interesting.

Six Great Mysteries of the Bible - This is why I like all those shows on Discovery and NatGeo and the like.  So intriguing. 

Gemma has gotten into mazes lately and I found these free printables after a (very quick) google search.  They print in a 20 page PDF booklet which was very handy! We've both enjoyed working on them together.

Why I Want my Kids to be Bored - I liked this a bunch.  The only technology our kids use currently is the TV and their CD player.  Sometimes I feel badly that I don't let them play games on the computer or that we don't own a tablet or whatever else, but then I read things like this.  And I'm not saying those things are bad or shouldn't be used.  Moderation in everything, and I know as our kids get older technology will become more a part of their lives, and that's fine.  But for now, I like where we are and definitely appreciated this article.

What were your favorite articles this week?

Journal: briefly?

Brevity has never been my strongest suit, but I don't have a ton of time and would really like to journal.  We'll see if I can pound this out before Clifford is over....

TODAY

Out my window:  Sunny and hot.  And humid.  We have had so much rain, it's insane.  In a good way, but insane nevertheless.  Sunning diapers this afternoon.

Clothing myself in:  Gray short/capris from maurices...something I had looked at late winter but not bought, and then went back and got a couple months later because I kept thinking about then.  A good purchase, I like them.  And a tank and a T.  See what I mean about brevity?

Around the house: More decluttering.  It feels so good.  Now I need to get the stuff I have sorted OUT of the house.  Maybe a trip to goodwill later??  I have a whole bag of stuffed animals from when I was a kid.  Too many to get out and let the kids play with.  I feel silly storing them.  I mean, I will never use them and seriously no one is going to want them.  But the thought of throwing them away.... well...  Sigh.  OH stuff.

Oh, and I got a new (bigger) basket for the library/other books in the living room and I like it.  :)

 

The baby: Has been taking more steps, and loves walking if you hold his hands.  He gets this adorable, proud smile on his face and his eyes just light up.  He waves at you if you are across the room.  He really liked my lasagna last night.  Tried cow's milk today, was pretty "meh" about it.  LOVES drinking water from Gemma's water bottle.  I bought her a new one so she gave her old one to him.  He is very proud of it.  Twelve months old and already wanting to be like the big kids.  I wish tooth number 8 would hurry up and cut through.  Nights have been...restless.  Lots of nursing.  During the day when he wants to nurse he has started coming over and tugging on my shirt.  It is cute.  Naps are a mess.  I'm just rolling with it (HA) with school starting so soon.  He'll level out sometime.  At least that's what I keep telling myself.

 

The kiddos:

Gemma starts school in a week and a half.  In the meantime I feel like we are just in this huge holding pattern with our routines and pretty much everything.  She is excited, but from some things she has said and done I know she is fairly apprehensive and anxious as well.  Any extra prayers sent her way for a peaceful and happy transition would be appreciated.  She is worried about "missing out on all the fun" and "not having enough time to play."  Valid concerns when you're five.  She saved enough money (it didn't take long, as Larry has been giving her a dollar after Mass every Sunday) to buy Rainbow Dash pony, so that is her latest excitement.  She has been coloring pony pictures today.   

Kolbe has an obsession with robots.  He talks about them all the time.  He also talks a lot about helicopters and how he wants to buy one.  I am not exactly sure what he wants, but I'm afraid his expectations are probably a little high.  He also asks me quite regularly to "play roll" which involves sitting on the kitchen floor and rolling a car back and forth.  He would do this for hours.  I let him take one of his "Larry dollars" to the store and he bought this little spring-loaded "button racecar" from the dollar bin at Target he had seen (and talked about daily and maybe thrown a big fit about) about 2wks ago.  He was beyond ecstatic.  Until he broke it by jamming the key in and trying to pull it out. without pushing the button (those darn curious three-year-old minds).  Then he was beyond sad.  Like, lips-turning-purple, crying in bitter anguish sad. (tell me my kids aren't the only ones who get so upset they forget to breathe and their lips turn blue/purple...)  I surprised him and ran to Target and got another one after he was in bed last night.  He was pretty thrilled to see it on the kitchen table this morning and has been much more careful today. 

In the kitchen: Lasagna with lots of veggies baked in, chicken pizza, meatloaf, baked flounder.  Lots of fresh fruit.  Simple side dishes this week, it is so easy to just pull a bag of veggies out of the freezer and steam them.  

Crafting: I have some uniform material I'd like to use to make some hair-things for Gemma for school.  Maybe I'll use the neighbor's serger and make some bows?  Still mulling it over...  I have never made hairbows before. 

Learning:  Reading books.  Lots of books.  I got an alphabet poster from the dollar bin at Target and hung it in the kitchen at Kolbe level.  He knows some letters (like the ones in his name, and a few others) but I thought this might ignite more daily interest in recognizing his ABC's.  The "K" has a picture of a kid beside it, and I told him it was "K for Kolbe" which he thought was pretty cool.  Been working quite a bit on Gemma's handwriting book with her. My sis saw a good deal on some HWT paper that she ordered for me, so we've been using that in addition to the book lessons.  A few people shared some shoe-tying links with me, so I think we will revisit that together as well, and we've been talking a lot about telling time.  Oh, and Kolbe has been really into puzzles lately too.   

Reading:  I go through spells with reading, and am definitely currently in a dry period. 

Watching:  Gold Rush: South America, the three episode off-season is finally on!  Aaron also got into Inkmaster a couple years ago and it just started a new season (I am hiding my head in shame).  The drama makes me laugh, they are like a bunch of middle-schoolers.  The show itself is actually kind of interesting though.  Have enjoyed watching the Royals WIN lately too!!

Bringing me joy: Confession and chatting with my SD.  Always such a good refresh.  Finding a $13 ring to wear while my wedding ring and band are being re-dipped.  I hate going without a ring sooooo much.  Rainy nights.  Family swim-time at the gym, especially the part where Kolbe told me my swim shorts were, "SOOOOOOOO AWESOME, MOMMY!!!!!!!!"  I love that kid. Daily Mass.  Adoration.  Silence (when I was at Adoration...it's kinda hard to come by around here).  

EEK!  Clifford is over.  Better hurry....

Thinking about: Kindergarten and the big changes in our lives that are coming soon soon soon.  Teaching my children through example and my relationships with them without being overbearing and just plain mean.  OH parenting is soooooooooooooooooo hard. 

Oh, and the Our Father.  Thanks Deb.

Pictures to share:  

Kolbe with the spider he engineered all on his own.  He gave it to grandma and I kindly requested she give it back when she was "finished" with it for his keepsake box.  

CATERPILLAR!

(belated) Birthday celebration with my side of the family

Food-for-Thought round-up (August 2)

There is no rhyme or reason to the order (or lack-thereof) this week.  Apologies.  They're still good articles.  

Bringing the Liturgy Back to the Real Vatican II - This article gave me real hope, something that sadly I feel at times I've lost in regards to the Sacred Liturgy.  Some quotes I liked:

Young people are going back now and studying both the texts of the Second Ecumenical Vatican Council with its serious texts on liturgical theology which remain valid also today. They’re studying the rites as they were celebrated, striving to understand the meaning and various elements of the rite and there’s a great enthusiasm for that and a great interest in it. All of it, I believe, is directed to a more intense experience of God’s presence with us through the sacred liturgy. That transcendent element was most sadly lost when the reform after the Council was, so to speak, side-tracked and manipulated for other purposes – that sense of transcendence of Christ’s action through the sacraments.

and especially

There’s no question in my mind that the abuses in the sacred liturgy, reduction of the sacred liturgy to some kind of human activity, is strictly correlated with a lot of moral corruption and with a levity in catechesis that has been shocking and has left generations of Catholics ill prepared to deal with the challenges of our time by addressing the Catholic faith to those challenges. You can see it in the whole gamut of Church life.

Finding Happiness Where You Least Expect It - What a powerful message.

If happiness cannot be found in material possessions, where can it be found? The answer is: we find happiness where we least expect it—in self-denial. This is not a piece of wisdom that is easily learned and lived, because it is so paradoxical. Who, without being told, would ever imagine that denying oneself would bring happiness? ...  Denial of self prepares us for disappointments from others: “Contradictions from others will hurt us less when we have first contradicted ourselves. The hand that is calloused will not pain as much as a soft hand, on catching a hard ball. Contradictions can even be assimilated and used for further taming of our own errant impulses.”

Age Appropriate Bedtimes for Kids - Liked this, and agreed mostly.  Was relieved to see that my kids are hitting about right for hours slept.  Bedtimes are a little later around here than what this suggested, especially for the baby (usually 8 give or take) but they will probably get earlier once school starts.  Although whew, it is hard with a hubby who works a little later and wanting to sit down and eat dinner all together.  And I just can't do staggered bedtimes at this point, besides with the baby, he goes to bed when he's ready to sleep which sometimes coincides with the big kids and sometimes is earlier or later.  Kolbe probably gets a little less sleep than he needs sometimes since he doesn't nap, but all in all I feel like my kids are generally well-rested.  

My husband is not my soul mate - This title really piqued my interest when I saw someone post in on Facebook, and she brings up some really good points Aaron and I have actually discussed before.  This whole idea that God has one person chosen for you and you magically end up with that person and fall in love and live happily ever after, etc. etc. blah blah, you know the story.  At the end of the day (especially a really rough one) sometimes you have to choose to love.  And sure, I look back and I see God's hand in every aspect of the road that led me to my vocation, absolutely! But this romanticized idea that it was all completely beyond my control and I have nothing more than the cosmos to thank for my husband falling in my lap.  Well...  She says it better, a few quotes I liked:

A husband is not only not a biblical promise, it is also not a specific element of God’s “plan for my life.” God’s plan is for us to be made more holy, more like Christ… not marry a certain person.

There is no biblical basis to indicate that God has one soul mate for you to find and marry. You could have a great marriage with any number of compatible people. There is no ONE PERSON for you. But once you marry someone, that person becomes your one person.

This is profoundly unromantic advice. We love to hear of people who “just can’t help who they love,” or people who “fall in love,” or “find the one person meant for them.”  Even within the Christian circle, we love to talk about how God “had someone” for someone else for all of time. But what happens to these people when the unstoppable and uncontrollable force that prompted them to start loving, lets them stop loving, or love someone else?   What happens is a world where most marriages end in divorce, and even those that don’t are often unhappy.  My marriage is not based on a set of choices over which I had no control. It is based on a daily choice to love this man, this husband that I chose out of many people that I could have chosen to love (in theory, don’t imagine that many others were lined up and knocking at the door). He is not some illusive soul mate, not some divine fullfulment, not some perfect step on the rigorously laid out but of so secret “Plan for My Life.”

 Seriously though, I think I've quoted about three-quarters of the article.  Just go read it.

How I Avoided and Got Rid of GBS - I was GBS+ with my third pregnancy, and after seriously weighing the risks/benefits, we ended up going ahead and doing a round of IV antibiotics before Clem was born (they actually only had time to get one round in, I guess two 4 hours apart is preferable).  I was not thrilled about doing this, for my gut or his, but it seemed to be the best decision for us at the time.  At any rate though, several of these protocols are things we already do so I am definitely interested in trying to avoid being GBS+ next go around (no that is not in any way shape or form an announcement), as once you are positive your chance of being positive with subsequent pregnancies is pretty good.   I think I would scale back on the Vitamin C by about 1000mg (as per hubby's recommendation), but I think it's worth a try.

15 things You Should Give Up To Be a Happy Parent - This was just a good reminder.

What Pope Francis Really Said About Gays - Sigh.  The media.  

Kate used no painkillers during birth - I really didn't want to get sucked in.  I tried so hard to turn the other way.  But alas...I've only read two articles though, so I only just got a little sucked in.  But this was great!  Props, Kate!

First Steps: A Stay-at-home Mother Faces Letting Go - **Sniff**  Oh Gemma. This made me tear up a little as we approach the beginning of the school years for Gemma.  We are ready for this step, I am confident, but I still feel emotional about it.  Oh life.  I liked this the best:

It all snuck up on me but here we are. After four and a half years of holding her close, it is time to slowly begin to let go. A bittersweet process that will last the rest of our lives.  I hope that she never forgets the love and the fun and the magic in our first four years together...even if the details grow fuzzy in time.

 I don't know this blogger, but this post definitely struck a chord with me right about now.