Journal: this, that and the other

TODAY

Out my window:  Sunny, windy and warm.  The big kids are playing outside with the "helicopters" from our maple tree.  Looks like a cooler week is in store, but spring is in full-swing for sure and I know I'll blink and it will be 105.  Some rain would sure be nice.

Clothing myself in:  Old Navy bermudas and a T from Maurices.  

Around the house: Nothing of note.  My mom was so kind to give us a "date afternoon" last week so we did some shopping, grabbed some appetizers at the sushi place down the street, went to Adoration and came home before the kids went to bed.  Because we are exciting like that.  I won't even say what we shopped for.  Starting to think about getting the basement bedroom ready for Gemma this summer.  We need to get the ceiling redone, paint, and then we're going to re-carpet the basement.  We use the basement some now (we have a futon, desk, piano and some toys down there), but I think once we have a bedroom in use down there we'll use that area of the house even more.  I'm not a huge fan of the layout in our basement, I think the way they used the space was terrible, but I am grateful for the space never-the-less.  Aaron has been spending some time outdoors getting the yard all spruced up for the spring.  He works so hard.

 

The baby/toddler:  He is getting quite a few words (at 21 months): more, milk, bubby (Kolbe), mommy, daddy, drink, water, kitten, grandpa, dry diaper, flower, love you, uh-oh... I think he is more verbal than Kolbe was at this age, but way less than Gemma.  He kisses me so many times a day, and if he is angry about something (usual two-year-old problems) he will start kissing me while he's still crying as if to say "I'm sorry".  It is very sweet, and reminds me of my Kolbe, who is so very remorseful after a rough bout.  I gave Clem his first full haircut with the clippers.  I had trimmed the back before, and my sister scissor-cut the whole thing about 6wks ago, but I decided it was time and took the clippers to it yesterday.  He looks like he's ready for summer!

 

The kiddos:  Gemma is just getting so grown up.  I cannot believe it is almost the end of her Kindergarten year.  Less than a month left!!  It has been a good year for her, for all of us, and I think she is ready for the transition into all-day school for first grade, although I will miss her being around in the afternoons.  We go to a big parish where the median age is like seven.  OK, it's probably not that low, but it is a parish full of young families, so this year being involved in the school has really started to make us feel more at home in the parish.  Not that we didn't before, but now it feels like we've really found our niche and it makes me look forward to the years to come.

I finally got around to buying a kids' hair-cutting cape.  Kolbe is quite grateful, haircuts were not his fave, and I trimmed him up yesterday when I gave Clem his cut and he was pretty pleased to have a cape to wear.  He haaaaates how the hair feels on his skin.  I feel like I get better at this hair-cutting gig each time I give one, and with two boys these clippers have already paid for themselves multiple times over. 

In the kitchen: Seafood linguine, french dips, baked salmon, breakfast casserole.  Lots of fruits and veggies on the side, probablhy some rice with the fish and sourdough with the french dips.  I joke to Aaron that when I am done raising kids I want a pet sourdough starter.  Until then, Dillons has a very tasty, healthy version from their bakery.  Also going to try my hand at homemade alfredo sauce.  Figure that's another thing that's probably better for me to make homemade vs. buy in a jar.

Crafting: 

Learning:  Ready for the break from school, hopefully we can find a nice balance of structured and un-structured learning for the summer.  I love all the outdoor play that comes with this time of year, and I love having older kids who can play outside and be creative on their own!!!

Reading: I have several fictions on the hold shelf at the library.  I need something light and easy, and when I have a book (or several) I find that I waste spend less time on the internet.  I picked up one of these books for my nephew's First Communion, and also got one (Therese) as a read-aloud for Gemma.  They look promising.  I have started A Shepherd in Combat Boots, am still working on The Joy of the Gospel, and requested Nothing Short of a Miracle (anyone read it?) from inter-library loan.  I am admittedly a very skeptical person, I am hoping this will be an opportunity to increase my faith.  Lord I believe, help my unbelief.

Watching:  Baseball.  Cosmos.  River Monsters.  The back of my eye-lids.

Bringing me joy: Holding Clem's hand while we walk to the park.  Flowers.  We've had some really good days lately, and that makes me absurdly happy. 

Thinking about:  How you are really a trooper if you've made it to the end of this post.  Sometimes I bemoan the time I spend blogging, but then on the flipside I really enjoy going back and reading old posts.  Such a conundrum.  Oh first-world problems...

Pictures to share:  

Kolbe and me on my 34th birthday.

Journal: quick (hopefully) update

TODAY (started Wednesday afternoon, finished Thursday morning)

Out my window:  Sunny, windy, warmish.  It has been up and down, but now it seems we're having more nice days than cold.  The kids are currently all playing in the backyard.  LOVE!!!

Clothing myself in:  Capri sweats and a t-shirt.  I looked nicer earlier, but I don't think anyone really cares one way or another.

Around the house: I finished my last "big" spring cleaning chore (kitchen cabinets), so I am now "done".  But the first windows I cleaned are already looking dirty again.  Bleh.  This housework gig is never-ending.

 

The baby/toddler:  Cute.  Has been eating a ton lately, but still enjoys nursing plenty at night.  Come on kid!!  ;-)  He is the kissiest little fellow, he kisses me a million times a day.  He has such strong feelings about pretty much everything.  He loves his stuffed kitten so much, I decided to order a "spare".  Just in case....  He's been napping less (under an hour), bedtimes have been smoother, and he sleeps a bit later in the mornings.  It works.  OH sleep, once we get in the groove with something it seems another factor changes.  Such is life.

 

The kiddos:  Let's see.  Gemma has seemed to need less sleep lately, but she still goes to bed at the same time as Kolbe since they share a room.  The past week or so I've been going in and reading to her from a chapter book after Kolbe goes to sleep.  It has been so nice.  Cozy.  We just finished All of a Kind Family Downtown, and now we're reading More All of a Kind Family.  I also decided it's time for a chore chart for Gemma.  I found this one and customized it for her.  She has 2 chores a day (in addition to the regulars like making bed, feeding fish, tidying play areas, etc.)  So far so good.  She is really growing up lately, I am noticing so many things about her that are just so much more mature than even six months ago, namely she is beginning to show remorse for her actions (that is HUGE) and I am seeing a ton more empathy from her as well.  Oh my baby girl...

Kolbe is just Kolbe.  I enjoy him in such a different way when Gemma is away at school.  I'm so glad I get this time with him.  Still working on the speech.  Sometimes I worry about how he will be doing come kindergarten, but I suppose that is over a year away.  Still....  I thought about making a chart for him but then thought it may squelch his enthusiasm.  He loves to help with laundry and vacuum the kitchen, and he makes his own bed most days.  So for now we'll leave it at that.

In the kitchen: Black bean and Chicken Tostadas; Meatoaf with edamame and green beans; Meat and Veggie Lasagna with mixed veggies on the side; wraps; salmon patties and simple sides.  This past weekend we grilled some steaks and I steamed asparagus and made mashed potatoes and homemade white gravy.  It was mighty tasty.

Crafting: durrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

Learning:  Thinking about Summer and what our days will entail.  I think I'll mainly focus on math facts, handwriting and reading with Gemma.  I figure she gets enough science going to the zoo and traipsing around the lake, trees, etc. around here.  Homework can be somewhat of a battle with her somedays, I think she is just "done" and thus has a bad attitude.  So we'll see how summer goes.  I also got her Kumon books on time and money.  Kolbe has some new speech exercises we've been working on.  The kids have been playing together, all three of them (!!!!!!), better and better as the time goes by, so I anticipate lots of basement and backyard play.  The other day they played...all three of them.  BY THEMSELVES.  In the BASEMENT (this is huge, since that's where the monsters and other scary things live).  For ONE AND A HALF HOURS.  It was amazing.  I had to document it here, and am thinking about writing it on a paper and taping it to my fridge so when I am in the midst of wanting to leave and never come back I remember they CAN do things like that!!

Reading: Still working my way through The Joy of the Gospel.  Trying to read the Passion narratives from The Better Part this week.  At least from Matthew for starters.  I'd like to read John as well.  I think his story of the Passion speaks to me the most, maybe for no other reason than I accompanied for the men's choir several years when they sung the Passion, and it was the Passion according to John, so whenever I read it these little snippets of song go dancing through my head.  Hmmm...  I also checked out Ten Days to a Less Defiant Child upon the recommendation of someone, in light of some of my struggles with Gemma.  I really, really hated the title, but still tried to have an open mind about the book.  I skimmed/read about the first half one afternoon while the kids were playing and it just wasn't for me.

Watching:  Not a whole lot this week.  Here's a great commentary from Fr. Barron on the Cosmos series that my uncle (hello!) shared with me.  I believe there are 1-2 episodes left of the series??

Bringing me joy:  The graces and beautiful liturgies of Holy Week and the coming celebration of our Lord's Resurrection.  Gemma.  Gratitude.  Good books.  Spring weather.  Looking forward to an upcoming family reunion with relatives, some of whom I haven't seen in decades!!! 

Thinking about: Logistics for said reunion.  Confession.  My Faith.  Kolbe's skin issues. 

Pictures to share:  

I took some pics of the kids on our deck to update our frames in the hallway and my MIL's grandkids frame.  I thought they turned out pretty sweet.

 

And a few outtakes.  The kids have figured out the whole "making faces for pictures" game.  Oh joy.  I blame school, they hadn't figured this out up until now, haha.

Seven Quick Takes: Lent, protein shakes, cute babies and more...

Linking up with Jen at Conversion Diary again this week for Seven Quick Takes.  Mine certainly won't be as entertaining as hers, but alas...

1. Yesterday when the baby woke up from his nap, he got up and opened the door all on his own (he sleeps on the floor), ran down the hallway to the living room, and shouted "BOO!" at us.  It was sooooo cute!
2. I pulled this DVD out today, I do each year around Holy Week (for the kids).  It is so beautifully done, in a cartoon sort of way.  Really.  If you are Catholic, Christian, whomever.  Check it out.   I will be honest, I always tear-up at the end when I watch it with the kids, a beautiful depiction of the Easter story for even the youngest viewers.
3. Today is the Feast of St. Gemma, and being a Friday it was also Show-and-Tell.  I checked with her teacher in advance and Gemma was able to bring her St. Gemma (First Class) Relic to show her class.  Pretty neat.  
4. I am enjoying our Lenten Cross Readings with the kids so much.  I made the cross and icons and everything three years ago, and it was way above the kids then.  I almost got rid of it, I'm so glad I had the foresight to hold onto everything.  This year I correlated about half the readings with our Children's Bible (the other half just from our NAB) and it has been just great.  We do our readings each day at breakfast.
5. The weather today is so gorgeous...baking Feast-day cookies (per Gemma's request) and playing outdoors are on the "to do" list this afternoon.
6. We finally found a protein shake that we like AND has an acceptable ingredient list.  Check out Designer Whey.  This is my sanity saver most mornings (because if I do not eat breakfast, I turn into a bear.  For real.)
7. I read several good articles this week.  Portraits of Reconciliation was a beautiful reflection on the Rwandan Genocide, 20 years later.  And I really liked this Catholic Mama's take on modesty.

PEACE OUT!!!

Journal: breath of fresh air

TODAY

Out my window:  Dark.  Thunder rumbles in the distance and some rain coming down.  The weather has been nice lately and the trees are juuuuuuust about blooming.  

Clothing myself in:  Jammies.

Around the house: Got the front windows and blinds cleaned, that leaves only one "big", deep-cleaning Spring chore left, wiping down the kitchen cabinets with Murphy's Oil Soap and then lemon-oiling them.  Fun times.  We moved a bookshelf that wasn't really being used up to the kids' closet, and it is great for toy storage.  I am finding rather than having all the toys in one place, it is nice to store various ones in various places, and to store them in the place they will be used.  Example: we now store most of the toy cars that live upstairs in a kitchen cabinet that the kids have access to, because they play with cars in the kitchen.  Duh.  It took me 6 years to figure this out why?  Oh nevermind.

 

The baby/toddler:  Sleeping on the floor in his room.  Skipping his nap some days (really child?  really??)  Still not sleeping thru the night, maybe he will be amenable to night-weaning after his last two teeth come through.  Not crossing my fingers though.  He's had a great appetite lately.  Growth spurt?  He loves his "kitten" oh so much, it is very cute.

 

The kiddos:  Kolbe is going to start going to speech twice a week now, for the rest of this year and then next year (sounds like we will skip summer unless we want to get a tutor, still mulling that over).  I am glad, I think he will benefit from the additional time.  Apparently part of his problem is actually poor muscle control/tone in his mouth.  Who knew?  So glad there are people to help him!

Gemma has been really pleasant lately.  I'm not sure what all to attribute it to (I probably shouldn't over-analyze or give myself too much credit, haha) but it's been nice. 

In the kitchen: This week we've had honey chicken with mashed potatoes and steamed green beans; a leftovers night; and tonight was salmon, rice and broccoli salad.  Tacos tomorrow and tuna salad on Friday if I can decide on a recipe.

Crafting: I used the sewing machine this week, but "craft" would probably be a stretch, as it involved modifying some t-shirts to fit better.  Since I am so classy and everything.

Learning:  usual.  Trying to be more deliberate about reading to the kids.  Lots of basement play with the boys in the morning.  And puzzles.  We have been very into puzzles lately.  Ordered a handwriting workbook for Gemma for summer and a preschool one (same series) for Kolbe.  I also plan to do the Handwriting Without Tears PK book with him as well.  At some point when he seems ready.  His pencil grip is abysmal, any tips?

Reading: I think I'm going to read Stuart Little to the kids, hoping for more time for read-aloud chapter books over the summer.  About 3/4 the way through How to Talk... myself.  This has been a really good breath of fresh air for my interpersonal communication skills, especially with my children.

Watching:  We've been watching the Cosmos series.  It's been good, decidedly devoid of God or any faith, but the science part is interesting and if you are able to realize that at some point one is no longer able to reason and know and faith takes over, then it is easy enough to look past the lack of religiosity (if that makes sense).  It has been very thought-provoking.

Bringing me joy: A new swim suit...that FITS...AND I LIKE IT!!!!!  Top.  Bottom.  Thrilled.  Spring.  My kids and spending time with them.  Remembering to breathe.  Our friend who has cancer was able to surprise her family and come back for the week (she is a days'+ drive away in/in and out of the hospital indefinitely), I am joyful for her to get this time with her dear ones.

Thinking about: Parenting.  Summer schedule.  This is starting to sound like last week's "thought box".  I am lame, the end.  Peace out!!

Pictures to share:  

"Homework time"

He's so ornery.