Journal: ho-hum

TODAY

Out my window: Overcast but very mild for January.  It's supposed to cool down quite a bit next weekend.  Spring will come.  January is almost over, and then we've just got to get through February.  And probably most of March.  Sigh.

Clothing myself in:  Jeans, hoodie, tank.  I got my hair cut last week (I was wayyyyyy overdue for a trim) and got some product to scrunch it with.  It's nice to have some variety instead of the same thing every day.

Around the house: Meh, not much.  When I had the boys' pictures taken I ordered a big print (it was the promotion) of the two of them for their wall, and  moved the frame that was in that spot down to Gemma's room with some baby pictures of her, so glad to finally have the final empty space on her bedroom wall filled.  Now just need to get and paint the boys a bulletin board for their room and bedroom walls should be good.

The baby/toddler:  Clement is currently obsessed with his little blue backpack and our wooden Melissa and Doug cupcake set.  Like, whenever we go anywhere he has to take a cupcake with him in a ziploc bag in the backpack.  And he has been very into wearing a ball cap lately.  We have had to really talk to him about not wearing it to Mass or mealtime, to avoid epic meltdowns at inopportune times. (Is there ever really an opportune time for an epic meltdown?)  I also think he is in the process of completely weaning.  He seems to be dropping his nap, and on days he does nap it is either in the van, at the table, or in front of the television. Don't judge.  ;-)  So no more nursing at naptime.  And there have been several nights the past week he has not asked to nurse at bedtime and if he doesn't ask I don't offer.  It will be weird not having anyone nursing.  But I think I'm ready.  It has been a very natural progression.

 

The kiddos:
Kolbe got some Legos for Christmas and his birthday and he has really gotten into those.  And I have really gotten into them as well.  Legos are fun!!  There are some things that I just hate the idea of doing with my kids (ahem, Candyland).  There are some things I am kind of meh about and will do but they don't thrill me (eating a play-food picnic for instance).  And then there are things like reading books and now apparently playing Legos, that I will actually ask them if they want to do.  This week is Catholic Schools Week for Gemma. She will have some special duties at Mass tomorrow, I'll take the kids back later in the morning to shop the Book Fair, and there are several different activities this upcoming week in which she will participate with her classmates and her family.  So grateful for our Catholic schools.

In the kitchen: Mexican Chili, Zesty Italian Chicken with stewed lentils, baked fish with steamed broccoli and maybe some rice, and a classy hot-dog dinner out at the school for Read Night.  On a whim I fried some Chicken Fried Chicken this past week with all the fixings on the sides (mashed potatoes, creamed gravy and canned green beans....because sometimes canned green beans are just good).  It was so yummy.

Crafting: Nope.  Nada.

Learning:  Kolbe still seems pretty eager to learn and work on school related stuff.  Here I was so worried about kindergarten readiness and I think he's going to be just fine.  Curious to have his IEP (here in 6 weeks or so) and know what our plan of action will be for Speech next year.

Gemma is getting more independent with her homework which is really nice.  She is just realllllly pokey after school some most days.  Oh well.  Sometimes you've just gotta let it go.  (No, I am not quoting Frozen, thank you.) 

Reading: Theology, Philosophy, and I started Augustine's Confessions this week as well.  Sometime I will probably need to toss something light in there, but for now I am really enjoying keeping up with the Theology and Philosophy.  Gemma and I are about to finish the Kirsten series, and I have been trying to really make a concerted effort to read more with Kolbe.  I read (the first half of and skimmed the rest) Teach a Child to Read with Children's Books and gleaned some really helpful information from it.

Watching: The back of my eyelids.

Bringing me joy: Days that the kids can play outdoors.  Awesome awesome hubby.  New pictures of my boyzos.  A dead mouse that had been tormenting us for TWO MONTHS.  (//Hides head in shame.//)

Thinking about: Trust in God.  And the pro-life movement.  This post by my friend Jackie was really good, and articulated quite well my thoughts of late.

Pictures to share:  

This year's Baptism Anniversaries.

 Beautiful sunrise.

Journal: winter winter winter

TODAY

Out my window:  Cold.  Cloudy.  Blah.  There is a flock (seriously) of robins in the maple tree out back, I think they are mocking me.  First robin of Spring my tush.  

Clothing myself in:  Jeans, cami, Old Navy sweatshirt.

Around the house: We took the aforementioned (last week?) items to charity!!  It actually went really well with the kids and toys, I was very, very proud of them.  We talked about it prior to going through the pile, and said a little prayer, and they only ended up wanting to keep two items out of the whole pile.  WIN!  I got the sunflowers back out yesterday, I just couldn't stand the poinsettias any longer.  Aaron laughed at me.  I also had Aaron hang a calendar for the kids in the kitchen.  I had been making one in excel each month and this will be simpler. I do still intend to try and do pictures/stickers etc. for bdays, Feast days etc., which is a good thing as Gemma about freaked out when she saw the empty January (since there were only 2 days left when he hung the calendar).  And spring/summer wardrobes are starting to creep into my mind.  Much as I hate winter, I'm not super excited about updating everyone's wardrobes.  Again.  It just never ends.

 

The baby/toddler: He is starting to repeat some more sounds and syllables.  No words really though, he mainly speaks a grunt/squeal type language that we actually understand pretty well.  He has a handful of signs too, including "please" and he always says something that sounds like "boooofffff" when he signs please.  I find it amusing. 

 

The kiddos:  Kolbe got a foam robot building set from his aunt/godmother for his birthday and he is in. love. with it.  OH my.  If I had a dime for every time he has told me, "I am so glad I got my new robot thing, this is JUST what I WANTED for Christmas and my birthday."  He is one grateful little dude.  I have had to pick up some size 5/6 clothes for him recently, as he has grown out of most of the 4's (especially pants) that were too big for him in September.  Slow down, kid!  Maybe the new clothes will fit him again next Fall?  Maybe??

It was Catholic Schools Week for Gemma, so she had some fun activities for that, and then has the day off today for inservice, so we've all enjoyed that!  Tuesday was Family Read Night so the kids and I went and ate hotdogs and listened to stories and played some games.  It was fun.  Clem looked like such a big boy sitting at the lunch-table...ridiculous! 

The big kids also got to celebrate their birthdays with my side of the family this week.

In the kitchen: "Fish Muffins" (salmon/tuna melts with Swiss cheese on WW English muffins) tonight.  Next week I've got homemade pizza, tacos, honey chicken and chile rellenos on the menu.  Some brussel sprouts in the fridge for a side at some point, probably some steamed veggies and maybe some lettuce salads with leftover lettuce from the tacos as well.  I have been inspired to try kale on the pizza so we'll see how that turns out. 

Crafting: Oh my, I'm trying really hard here.  Does something I did with the kids count?

Learning: "O" week this week.  We had some fun owl books that Kolbe liked.  I need to make some plans and copies for the next few weeks, I keep dragging my feet, but I do have a good pile of library books ready to go for P, Q and Valentines.  I've also started thinking about Lent plans, though I haven't really "done" anything per se.  I've also started thinking about Summer and some of the educational things I'd like to have available for the kids.  

Reading: Still working on The Joy of the Gospel.

Watching:  We have so many Pawn Stars and Alaska: The Last Frontier on our DVR, we need to catch up.  I'd like to watch another episode of Catholicism.  We've caught parts of this show on Oak Island a couple weeks in a row now, and that is quite intriguing.  And of course it is a new season of Duck Dynasty!

Bringing me joy: The slower morning pace when Gemma is off school.  Going to Read Night with the kids.  A really good Monday.  Evenings with Aaron after the kids are in bed.  Tasty hot tea, a glass of wine, cream cheese frosting (not all at the same time...typically).  Clem, he is oh so cute! 

Thinking about: This earth isn't our home.  Suffering, sadness, and frustration are a part of life, and there is something much, much better to come.  Sometimes I think if I try hard enough I can make things "perfect" here, and I lose sight of the fact that that is just not the case.  Even the "good days" here are nothing compared to eternity.  Trying to stay focused on what is truly important.

Pictures to share:  

(Winter) Baptism Anniversaries 2014.

Journal: Getting well

TODAY

Out my window:  Dark. It's been mild for January, praise God.  Not that my kids were able to get out and play at all last week, bleh.  

Clothing myself in:  Black yoga pants, red tank, college sweatshirt.  Sound familiar?

Around the house:  I left the house a whopping two times in an 8 day period due to my sick kiddos (one of those times was to go to Mass, the other a brief trip to Target), so I've gotten a lot done...more tidying in the storage room, rearranging, purging, got the kids' memory boxes organized, went through some things with the hubby...  Lots of good stuff.  We will not be moving anytime soon, but I like the idea of having things organized and de-cluttered when it does come time to move.  Plus, clutter just stresses me out in general (have I mentioned that?).  I have my eyes on the tubs of baby girl clothes next, especially if my sis has a girl (we should know by the end of the month)!  We hope to have more kids, but we got a lot of hand-me-down girl clothes from various places and I could really use to thin the herd a bit.  A new baby girl in the family would be the perfect reason to tackle those tubs.

 

The baby: He's finally getting back to his normal self.  He was sick pretty much all last week. Nights were rough, especially (and I'm still waiting for them to get better.  Maybe tonite??).  He slept fairly well during the day though, and spent lots of time riding around on my back in the Ergo carrier, so that made things easier-ish.  Still, having a sick baby is no fun.  I had never had a babe get sick this young either, I guess that's what happens the more kids you have and the more germies they bring home from here, there and everywhere.

 

The kiddos:  Spent the week being sick as well.  Actually, Gemma was better by Tuesday, but Tuesday is when Kolbe got hit pretty hard (we're still not sure what they had, possibly respiratory flu since there seems to be a lot of that going around, but who knows) and he didn't really shake his until this weekend.  He was one tired, feverish, sick little boy.  And grumpy too, poor kid.

Gemma handled being sick quite well, and I was thrilled and amazed that she didn't seem to have much of a sick-hangover, as she normally does (often for us, the sick hangover is worse than the actual being sick...unless it's puke-sick).  But anyways, she is enjoying being five, and I tell you, it's almost like some sort of switch flipped inside her when she hit her 5th birthday.  She just seems to be acting really grown up lately...  We went to the store and she got to buy some blue sparkle nail polish (she picked out all on her own) with some of her birthday money.  She was so proud paying the cashier and putting the change in her pocket all by herself.  It was super cute, and made this mama a bit sentimental at how grown up she is really getting.  She will go to Kindergarten screening here in a couple weeks, so we are both getting excited for that.

In the kitchen: Bierocks; Pork, Broccoli and Rice Casserole; Guacamole (for a family taco dinner to celebrate my kids' and my sister-in-law's b-days); Tuna Melts.  Cupcakes for the much-belated birthday celebration for Gemma and Kolbe.

Crafting: Nothing really, unless sticking letter stickers on plastic tubs to spell my kids' names counts as a craft.

Learning:  I have several handwriting lessons for Gemma planned this week, and other books and activities to go along with them so Kolbe can participate.  We'll work more on puzzles too, Kolbe is really into puzzles lately and can do a 24 piece cardboard puzzle with little to no help.  This is leaps and bounds ahead of where Gemma was at that age.  Boy/girl thing?  I've pulled the Kumon workbooks back out as well, and am thinking of ordering a few for Kolbe soon.  Probably tracing and Let's Cut Paper.  Thinking about doing Letter of the Week activities with him come next Fall...I can't believe he's already old enough!

Reading:  I started reading Something Beautiful for God last week.  I like it.  A lot.  It is giving me lots about which to think.

Bringing me joy: Attending the Rite of Election and Welcome for my future sister-in-law.  It always brings me deep joy to see people entering the Church.  Renewing Gemma's Baptismal vows with her on her Baptism Anniversary, and showing her the St. Gemma relic that we have for her.  Watching the short films on this DVD with Aaron and the kids.  Cooking with cast iron...why did it take me almost 7 years of marriage (cooking for my own family) to realize the wonders of cast iron?!!  Having Kolbe help me cook.  Frustrating as it can be, it brings my heart joy as well.

Thinking about:  The big hunk of wax in my ear.  Hubby brought home his otoscope when the kids were sick to make sure their ears looked OK, and he looked in mine and found a big 'ole hunk of wax.  And I can't get it out with a Q-tip.  I think we are going to get some sweet-oil, as Gemma had a bit of wax in one ear as well.  And now you know.

And Lent.  I suppose that's a little more important (and less gross) than earwax.  

Pictures to share:  

Gemma on her Baptism Anniversary

Kolbe on his birthday, with his new bat and baseball

Clem, with the usual "shocked" looked on his face (it's the monsters that only he can see...or so I am informed...) first time in the bouncy-saucer

Baptism Anniversaries 2012

Soon after our January birthdays, we celebrated Baptism anniversaries. When our oldest was Baptized we got a really neat pamphlet from our parish talking about the importance of Baptism and commemorating this special day.  This has been very helpful as we have begun celebrating Baptism anniversaries in our family.  For Gemma, we actually had her renew her Baptismal vows for the first time this year.  She was very enthusiastic with her "I do".  It was sweet.  We said the prescribed prayers, let her blow out her candle, and then she got a small gift, a Holy Water font for her bedroom.  I think she and Kolbe are a little too excited about it, but hopefully the novelty will wear off soon ;-D  And please, don't be fooled by the folded hands and angelic smile...

For Kolbe we just recited the Apostle's Creed together and let him blow out his candle.  He was quick, Aaron couldn't even snap the picture before the candle was out.  Kolbe received the book Baby Come To Church.  I'm hoping it will keep his attention a little more at Mass.  The realist in me says it probably won't.  Nothing ever does.  

Ahhh grace.  Thank you God for the Sacraments, and thank you for my children who are constantly giving me opportunities to grow in grace.

And don't forget to get in on my Lenten Giveaway if you are interested!  Contest closes Tuesday 2/7 at 8PM.

Baptism anniversaries

After discussing it with some friends at our Motherhood group and hearing my sister talk about some of the traditions they've started with their children, I thought it would be nice to start 'celebrating' the children's Baptism anniversaries. This was our first year to do this with Gemma (although her godmother helped commemorate the special day the other years). We showed her the album with her Baptism pictures, lit her Baptismal candle, said some prayers (as she gets older, we'll have her renew her Baptismal vows) and gave her a little gift (a book called A is for Altar, B is for Bible, which I would highly recommend for young children).

Here she is with her candle. I was very relieved she didn't burn herself with hot wax (note to self, get a taper-holder). Looking at her new book and her Baptism pictures. She was comparing (with my help) the "O is for Oil" with the picture of her anointing with Sacred Chrism. And a look back to January 20, 2008... You can click here for a look back at Kolbe's Baptism (and if you're wondering: yes, they were both Baptized in the same gown). We didn't really do anything special for him this year, but his godmother (my sis I mentioned above) gave him a call to wish him a happy day and assure him of her prayers. She also gave him this super-cool keyring Mass "toy" as part of his birthday present.
There is nothing more beautiful in this world (in my opinion) than seeing your precious son or daughter become a child of God through Baptism...the only eternal gift we can give our children.