Journal: Summer, it's all good

TODAY

Out my window: Cloudy and a rainy morning.  Maybe more rain?  It has cooled off (relatively speaking) too.  We may? be done with 100 degree days for the Summer.  I'm not holding my breath, but anything is possible.  Overall it has been such a nice Summer weather-wise.  Grateful.  It's all good (as Pete the Cat would say).

Around the house: Getting uniforms all geared up for the kids' school year.  I need to move Gemma's buttons over in her new big jumpers that I am **hoping hoping hoping** will fit her for the next three years (until she switches to skirts).  I got five pair of pants for Kolbe, between the online and in store prices and coupons (Children's Place), everything averaged out to about $8 a pair.  And his undershirts were essentially free since I had Kohls cash from when I bought Gemma's white polos.  I have five plaid shirts for Kolbe that were given to us (oh my, so grateful), everyone has socks and I think their shoes fit.  We are just about ready to go!  I always wonder if we save more or spend more on clothes with uniforms. It's hard to say.  Even if we spend a little more, I am a HUGE fan of the convenience factor (among other reasons).  They definitely simplify mornings.  We got all of Kolbe's supplies and I need to take Gemma out on a "date" to get the rest of hers, then we should be set for Open House.  She is on the third year of the backpack that we got when she was four and I figured we'd use it through kindergarten and then let her get something else.  She has never asked, and it works, so why not?! #minimalism  Summer has been good, real good, but I am looking forward to settling into our new routine this Fall while I savor these last few weeks (EEK, three from today!!).

 

The kiddos:  They have been wonderful.  Really.  I mean, some days I want to tear my hair out and run from the house and maybe never come back because #parentingissohardsometimesitmakesmewanttodie, but overall this Summer has just been amazing.  They are getting older and it is easier to do things with them because we aren't working around naps and diapers and strollers and toddler tantrum volatility (oh we still have those, but as the kids get older it's just different).  There have been more instances than I can count that they have gone off and played, together, nicely, for hours.  Hours!  Playing things like "Pickel and Marshmellow (Gemma's spellings) the dogs" or "restaurant" or some craft they make up with lots of cut up paper, and maybe it makes a huge mess THEY ARE GETTING ALONG!!!!  There were years I thought this day would never come, but I guess after dancing with the chaos for so long I have either learned to embrace it or the kids are just growing up.  Or maybe a little bit of both.  And while we would love to welcome another little baby into our family if that is meant to be, I feel like we're in a very good place right now.  And it's all good.  And I'm grateful.

We started swim lessons this week.  We were going to do them in mid-June with just the older two but then there was the whole HFM debacle and we ended up rescheduling.  As peeved as I was about that whole situation and everything we had to cancel and miss out on, everything has fallen into place so nicely.  Better than I could have planned (**sheepish** #itsallgood).  And now that Clem is three (technically, he still insists he is two because it is "not my brifbay amymore") I went out on a limb and signed him up too, knowing full well he may revolt, and he LOVES it.  Watching him is the most adorable thing.  And they're really pushing Gemma too, which is great.  My kids are kind of wimps when it comes to water (which I suppose is less stressful than them running headlong into 15 ft of water without thinking about what could happen), but nevertheless it is good to see them becoming more comfortable in the pool.  I think a Y membership may be in our not so distant future.

In the kitchen: This week:

• tacos
• spaghetti and jarred marinara sauce (which garnered a, "You're the best, mom!" from Gemma. Thanks?  It took me three minutes...) and chicken salads for Aaron and me.
• loaded baked potato and chicken casserole with roasted broccoli
  
• hamburgers
• baked salmon with sides TBD

I was lamenting my lack of exciting sides last week to a friend and she told me about a tasty salad she made.  Since I can't leave anything alone I kind of morphed her recipe and another (thanks Vicki and Sarah K.) into a big 'ole bowl of awesome.  A cup each of quinoa, corn and black beans.  Green onion, diced tomato and cilantro to your taste.  Mix that all together and toss in a dressing of olive oil, lime, jalapeno, cumin and garlic all blended together.  Try it.

Learning:  Blah.  We have read a whole. ton. but other than that we are still on our streak of pretty much not doing any educational activities.  At all.  Yup.  True story.  But oh, have we read some good books.

Reading: I need to do another Read Aloud Thursday post, but in the meantime we're working on butterfly books this week (Fafallina and Marcel was super cute and we checked out What's the Difference between a Butterfly and a Moth again...it's so informative) and I have a stack of Caldecott medal and honor books from the years that we all were born which will be fun to tackle soon.  We also checked out James Herriot's Treasury for Children and it was superb.  The vocabulary and writing style is just exquisite.  Quality literature.  The type of stuff I love when my kids love!!  I was really sad when -- after several evening readings -- we finished it, but the kids asked to keep it longer so maybe we'll read a few of the stories again.

Watching: MLB. And Aaron has discovered this new reality show about people who blacksmith swords and knives in some sort of contest format where they have to kill dummies filled with ballistics gel and slice cow bones in half.  I do not kid.  Where do they get their ideas for this stuff?

Bringing me joy: Spending time on a real date with my hubby this weekend.  My parents kept the kids overnight.  As nice as it was, we both decided the house was too quiet and we missed those little crazies a ton and we were glad it was only one night.  HA!  Spending time with the kids.  They bring me so much joy...holding Clem's hands when we walk.  Watching them play.  Talking with Gemma about more "grown-up" things.  Snuggling with Kolbe at bedtime.  Watching them interact.  Watching them grow.  I cannot imagine my life without them.  Life is good.

Thinking about: The coming school year.  Gemma is already struggling with some anxiety about the year to come.  She has done this every year.  I truly can identify with her, I struggle with anxiety myself, probably more than I am willing to admit most of the time.  So it is very easy to get inside her head.  But it is so hard to help her.  I am finding, however, in helping her I am helping myself deal with my own...stuff.  And it's just...interesting.  And exhausting.  But it's what helps us grow.  I have been thinking a lot about the ways that God refines us...if we will simply step back, and step outside ourselves and let.Him.work.  Let Him prepare us for the perfection, the completion, He calls us to.  For eternal life with Him.  He is constantly reaching His hand out to us.  How often do I snub Him?  Think I know better?  Refuse to reach back?   Big thoughts tumbling around in my head.

Pictures to share:  

I have not taken many lately.  Sometimes -- I find -- it is good to just experience life.

CHEERS!

Journal: Clement's birthday

TODAY

Out my window:  Hot.  Sunny.  Windy.  It is Summer in the midwest.  Although I must say by recent standards (past 5 years or so) I really can't complain.  And last week the highs were in the seventies!  We had a good friend over for dinner last Thursday and we all spent the evening (after dinner) sitting outside and watching the kids play.  It was remarkable for mid-July and he stayed late enough that after he left Aaron took the big kids on a firefly walk.  Clement had crashed on daddy's lap some time prior to that.  

Around the house: Hmmmmm, not much of note?  No wardrobe switches looming, no major home renovations or reorganizations.  I still have one bag of children's clothing to find a home for, and a few odds and ends I will probably put out for the DAV truck next week, otherwise everything seems to be running pretty smoothly (cue expensive disastrous mishap). 

 

The kiddos:

Clement insists that he is no longer three because, "it's NOT my birfbay AMYmore.  I two again."  The kid has a point.  I spent weeks coaching him to say he would be three ON HIS BIRTHDAY.  Well duh, if it's not his birthday anymore then he's not three anymore.  Perfect three-year-old logic.

Gemma got to see the priest who baptized her this morning (as part of our area Church visits), so that was exciting for her.  

I am getting anxious to see how Kolbe will do with school.  He is due for a change.  I am hoping he likes school and that the routine brings some motivation to his life (or at least his mornings).  Mornings have been...difficult.  He has his lists of simple chores (pray, eat b-fast, get dressed, make bed, etc) and lately carrying out this routine has been about as pleasant as a root canal, unless he has something to motivate him.  Here's hoping...  I know part of it is just middle-kid syndrome, and he is looking for some extra attention.  And I get that, I do.  But it is still frustrating especially when I have 17 other things I am trying to do. 

In the kitchen: This past week we had baked ziti with steamed broccoli, crispy chicken salads (those, or some sort of protein with salad have been a weekly staple of late), white chicken chili and tonight baked cod and I am still working on coming up with some slam dunk side dishes. Which means canned green beans and simple pasta or rice it is. Does anyone have any simple/healthy/tasty/easy side dish recipes they would like to share? Sometimes I feel like I get in a rut with my cooking.

I have been really enjoying these ancient grain hummus chips we get from Aldi. They are tasty! Speaking of Aldi, last week I went to the store in the evening by myself instead of during the day with the kids. That, folks, was a little slice of heaven (and I may or may not have asked my hubby if I can do the same thing this week).  I am looking forward to grocery stores with ONE once the school year starts. 

Next week's menu includes cornbread and bacon stuffed pork chops with asparagus, more salads, honey sriracha chicken, beef stew and baked Atlantic salmon with more amazing side dishes. 

Learning:  School registration is week after next and then we will be in full throttle getting ready for school mode. Summer has been nice, but I think I will be ready for the change in routine here in about a month. Last week we picked up another booster for Gemma since she and Kolbe will both be riding to school with Aaron. Oh car seats. Have I really purchased seven of you?  Gemma has Bible School next week and then all three kids (crossing my fingers that Clement likes it) will have a two-week session of swimming lessons.  And then it will pretty much be school time.  ACK!

Reading: I finished Happy Are You Poor and will probably be unpacking it for the rest of my life. Up next from Dubay I am going to read Deep Conversion, Deep Prayer and I recently started Theology for Beginners.  I also have my eyes on this book of saints, and am debating Butler's as well.  I am wanting something that gives a little more info on the life of a saint than what's in the Liturgy of the Hours, but something that takes a little less mental commitment than a 300 page biography. Suggestions? Click here for what I have been reading aloud with the kids.

Watching: First it was Shark Week and then it was Space Week. I find I am becoming less and less enamored with the television. I would really like to ditch cable but that would leave us (Aaron) with no way of watching MLB, and I do really enjoy watching baseball with him after the kids are in bed. Sigh.  #firstworldproblems

Bringing me joy: Confession. Grace. Family. Out recent dinner guests have just been delightful! Three separate guests in just over a week for these introverts, can you believe?!!  Cooking.  The times when our kids get along and play well together.  Catching up with some cousins and watching our kids play together.

Thinking about: The whole Planned Parenthood scandal of late. It sickens me, almost more than the Supreme Court decision of several weeks past. Maybe not more, but differently. However, that aside, it bothers me that the information came about essentially by someone else's lying.  Ends do not justify means.  The Catholic Church is very clear about that.  And I realize that this gets incredibly complex, being stuck in the mire of modern day society and all the problems we've created.  Even so...  To that note, I found this article on lying very interesting...and it made me want to study morality. 

Pictures to share:  

Happy Birthday Clement Paul!!  He had strawberry shortcake for breakfast, his request. He was a little grumpy upon waking.  As usual.  But he was so happy his favorite blue shirt was clean.

PRESENTS!  Gemma had a whole party planned and decorated for in her bedroom.  It was very sweet (although she was just a leeeeeetle controlling about the whole thing....)  Clement got some toy farm animals and play food for his birthday.  And a few books.  And Gemma and Kolbe made (and this took them a LOT of time) him a big birthday cake and a few other things from their Perler beads.  He was so excited when he opened their gift.  It was very sweet.

Read Aloud Thursday: this and that

CHAPTER BOOKS
The Squirrel's Birthday and Other Parties - I grabbed this one to go along with our "birthday" theme.  It was a little odd but fun.  The kids liked the short stories.

The Prairie Thief - Gemma found this one at the library all on her own and we've been reading it aloud together at bedtime.  It has been fun! and fits in nicely with our recent read alouds.  It is a little scary, but I have offered to stop and she always wants me to keep going.  ;-)  

She has also started reading her first chapter book BY HERSELF!!!  She picked up a copy of A Little House Christmas Treasury at the library as well, and has been busy (enough) sticking her nose in it.  She told me, "I'm just reading the words in my head mom, and it's pretty cool that way!"  YAY!  She had never shown any interest in reading chapter books on her own (or anything to herself for that matter), and I didn't want to force it (although I would drop hints here and there), so I am glad to see her picking this up on her own.  She has definitely done a ton of reading aloud to the boys this Summer, and her reading skills are good, so I figure she will reach these milestones when she is good and ready.

The Moffats - almost done with this one, and we'd better hurry!  It's due next week!!

FROM THE BOOKSHELF

Our Nursery Rhyme Books have been popular with Clement recently.

For Clem's recent birthday he got:
Tawny Scrawny Lion
The Monster at the End of this Book
Katy No-Pocket

FROM THE LIBRARY
Pumpkins - This was a cool story about living simply with what you need (always a great message). And the importance of a nice view.  ;-)

Danny, the Angry Lion - Cute.

Beatrice's Goat - Oh my, this book was positively wonderful.  We recently met a priest from Africa and were able to send some clothes and shoes back with him to his village, and between that and our involvement with Unbound, this book just tied in so very nicely.  It is a beautiful story, beautiful message.

Tops and Bottoms - Another one on my wishlist to own someday.  SO fun!  This time Clem grabbed the sound recording.   

Happy reading, friends!

Journal: Fourth of July, middle of Summer

TODAY

Out my window: Hot and windy.  The weather for the Fourth was nearly perfect.  Very light wind, not too hot.  It was a great day!  Warmer today, but the ten day is definitely bearable.

Around the house: I went through my closet/drawers and packed away the clothes I don't wear, or that I wear but don't particularly like.  If I haven't missed them in six months to a year I will donate them.  I also went through all our baby/little girl clothes tubs that I have packed away and was able to get rid of three tubs' worth, still saving enough that were we to have another girl some day she would be adequately clothed.  We came into so many clothes (gifts, hand-me-downs, consignments, etc.) with Gemma, and I kept everything.  We do not need everything.  To that note, if anyone knows of someone with a little girl who will be wearing size 18 month clothes this winter, I would love to pass a big bag along to them.

 

The kiddos:

CLEMENT will be THREE this week.  Three!!!  He is obsessed with the word "poop".  He sings it, he says it., he yells it, he whispers it.  At home.  At Church.  And Church.  It is apparently the awesomest word ever.  (See picture below of the firework aptly named "The Poopy Puppy".  So fitting.)  He has gotten very emphatic with his final consonants, especially when he is trying to make a point.  He can't say words with "R" blends at the beginning.  Or rather, he changes the "R" to an "L".  Gleen instead of green, clunchy instead of crunchy.  I may or may not encourage these words by pronouncing them wrong myself, and will be admittedly devastated when he grows out of this speech habit.  He thought fireworks were pretty neat.  We let all three kids stay up last night and they had SO much fun.  Clement thought the big loud ones were pretty cool as long as he was sitting on my lap.  I'm glad he still likes to snuggle with me sometimes, because he reminds me more than once a day, "I are NOT a baby," said in the sternest, most grumpiest tone you can imagine.  He is a funny kid.

KOLBE was our little pyro on the Fourth of July.  I am glad firecracker day only happens once a year.  He was pretty careful though and had so much fun.  He thought lighting things after dark was pretty much the best thing ever.  He seems to have grown out of his food sensitivities.  Back in May we were at an anniversary celebration and he was positively heartbroken he couldn't have a cupcake, so we fudged and let him have one and figured we'd just take the hit, but then he didn't react to it by breaking out.  Since then we have kept up our typical eating habits at home but have loosened up at grandparents', parties, Church functions, etc. and save for one flare-up after a DQ M&M blizzard, he has weathered it fine.  I am so immensely relieved.  This makes school, and all the food that goes along with it, seem much more doable come this Fall.  Sigh.  Thank you God.

GEMMA is having a good Summer, but I can tell some days she's a little under-stimulated.  I have some guilt about not doing enough educational things with them in the summers (oh, I had plans for math and handwriting and phonics lessons...), but then if I offer to go over math facts or something equally "exciting" it is typically not met with open arms.  (Understatement.)  We really have done some cool "out of the box" educational stuff (and read a ton of great books) this summer, so I rationalize that they can do their bookwork from September to May, and focus on some more of the non-traditional learning activities during the summer months.  That's fair, right?  I hope the first semester of school treats her well.  In Kdg and 1st Grade she seemed to really hit her groove...about February.  Sigh.  I am hoping maybe with Kolbe being in school too (albeit half day) it will make things a little easier.  It's not that she dislikes school, she really seems very content with it overall.  Blah, I don't know.  She will also be preparing for the Sacraments of First Reconciliation and Eucharist.  It will be a big year.  We got her uniforms the other day.  They are pretty big, so I am hoping we can squeeze three years out of them (at which point she'll switch to skirts).

All three kids recently had doctor appointments, here are their height and weight stats (this is mainly for my record-keeping purposes, you can skip this part).
Gemma: 7 1/2 years, 53 inches (96%ile), 52.1 lbs (47%ile)
Her hair is finally growing and she was so excited it was long enough to do a "star" on the Fourth of July!!
Kolbe: 5 1/2 years, 47 inches (94%ile), 42.6 lbs (49%ile)
Clement: 3 years, 37 inches (46%ile), 27.6 lbs (12%ile)

In the kitchen: Planning to try and get our digestive systems back after the Fourth and all its, um, festive eating.  Ugh.  Grilling today, homemade pizza tomorrow (I found a great new crust recipe), salads, beef stroganoff and ribs the rest of the week.

Learning:  Blah.  See above.

Reading: Check out my latest Read aloud Thursday post for what I'm reading with the kids.  I am almost finished with Happy Are You Poor.  It has been an incredibly impactful read, and I've been discussing it with Aaron quite a bit.  It is a perspective-changer, that's for sure.  I need to get back into Introduction to the Devout Life, and now that I'm finished with Theology, I picked up a copy of Theology for Beginners as a bit of a review, and for some future Theology work I may be doing.

Watching:  MLB mainly.

Bringing me joy: Family.  Friends.  Summer.  The kids and I are visiting area Churches for daily Mass twice weekly this summer, and that has been a really neat opportunity that I am enjoying immensely.  The kids have been doing pretty decent with Mass, and usually there is a fun new playground at which to play...an added bonus!

Thinking about: Always something.

Pictures to share:  

Three (two pictured) of our very favorite readers visited from out of state, so we had to take some pictures for the blog!!!

Read aloud Thursday: ogres, Africa and birthdays

CHAPTER BOOKS

We are still reading The Moffats, namely during snacks and some mealtimes.  Most days, but not every day.  Gemma and I will start the Latsch Valley Farm series (at bedtime) as soon as it comes in the mail (I got a super good deal).

FROM THE BOOKSHELF

The kids had our Nursery Rhyme books out the other day.  I just love these books so much, and the fact that they are board books makes them so very durable.  The illustrations are precious.

Hey Diddle Diddle (and other favorite Nursery Rhymes)

Hickory Dickory Dock (and other favorite Nursery Rhymes)

I have been encouraging Gemma to read to Clement from our copy of A Big Treasury of Little Animals.  This has long been a family favorite.  When Gemma was Clem's age I think she and her daddy read one before bed every night.  For months.

Excited to have our very own copy of Adele and Simon in America this year.

FROM THE LIBRARY
The Odious Ogre was one Gemma picked up because she thought she remembered it from kindergarten.  But then when we read it she said she'd never heard it before. Oh well, that's neither here nor there.  This was a neat story with great use of vocab and a very good (but not overly preachy) lesson reminding us that our actions (negative and positive) can often make a more lasting impact on ourselves than they can on others.  I would definitely check this one out again.

At bedime we've been reading books about Africa.  We really liked these.
Jamela's Dress
My Rows and Piles of Coins
Why Mosquitos Buzz in People's Ears
I Lost my Tooth in Africa
The Butter Man
Beatrice's Goat
Galimoto

Since Clement has an upcoming birthday, we will be doing a week with our favorite birthday books.  Some of our favorites are:

Otis and Sydney and the Best Birthday Ever

A Birthday for Bear 

C is for Cake

Happy Birthday Moon

For something new we thought we'd try at least a few chapters from The Squirrel's Birthday and other Parties.

I keep wanting to get back to our Virtue Study, but have never really taken the leap to jump back in.  For whatever reason, courage has kept coming up, and when Gemma came out and asked me the other day what it meant to be courageous, I finally said, "OK, we're getting back into this".  For now, I decided to just use a virtue (courage here in a couple weeks) as our weekly (maybe two weeks) theme.  We'll see how this evolves once the school year starts.  But that's a whole other conversation...   For courage, I got much of my inspiration here, but I'll have to report back once we dive in.

That's all for now!  What are you reading this week?