Journal: a very very quick update

I am going to attempt to do this very very quickly, as evidenced by the title of this post.

TODAY

Out my window: Cloudy but sixty-ish.  The weekend was great and the ten-day is amazing.  I'm calling it.  Spring is here.  Amen and that other "A" word we don't use during Lent.  ;-)

Clothing myself in: meh.  Thinking about warmer weather clothes.  Is it sad that my first thought was, "I wonder where I can find some new t-shirts."  Yeah.  t-shirts.

Around the house: Oh man, I rocked the Spring cleaning this weekend.  Got all the cabinets washed and lemon-oiled PLUS did all the blinds and windows.  I have never, EVER (well at least since having kids) done that much deep cleaning in a (mostly) uninterrupted stretch.  I think it is having kids who are a little older and more self-sufficient.  And the nice weather, as they played out back the majority of the time.  Just a few more smaller-ish chores to knock off the Spring list.  I had to pull out bins because the kids were asking for shorts (HA) over the weekend, so I have that process started.  I even made a list of things the kids may need for the upcoming season.  Because ignoring wardrobes and letting them work themselves out apparently isn't going to work itself out.

 

The baby/toddler: Barfed this morning but has seemed fine-ish the rest of the day.  I have heard numerous other people talk about their kids having the same sort of "illness", so we'll see if it makes its way through anyone else.  Still trying to get the puke smell out of his bedroom carpet.  Blurgh.  SO over sickies. OH, and he knows his ABCs and can count to 12.  It is so adorable.  

 

The kiddos: They get along so well when they play outside.  It really is wonderful.  We always get to this part of the year and I wonder, marvel really, over how exactly we survived another Winter.  Seriously...

In the kitchen: Hubby made pulled pork for us yesterday, so that is what the priests are eating tomorrow.  Coleslaw on the side and some tater puffs for us.  Maybe a pizza tomorrow?  Some tacos.  Steaks on Thursday for a guest and a new recipe from Alton Brown for spinach stuffed flounder on a bed of rice and cheese sauce on Friday.  I need to either go find the recipe (since we deleted the show) or rely on my super-awesome memory...  I baked some chicken tonight and am making quesadillas for the kids.  Simple is the name of the game sometimes.

Crafting: merp

Learning: Beginning to think about Gemma's First Reconciliation/Communion prep.  I am looking at using this book with her at home and have had several great recommendations for read alouds.

Reading: Well, the usuals, and then oh my...I picked up a copy of Saints: A Closer Look by Fr. Thomas Dubay last week and I am going to need to bump something from my Top Ten list of books because it is fantastic.  My Theology teacher quotes Dubay quite frequently, and I am listening to some podcasts on the interior life and mystical prayer that are also largely based on his writings and oh.my.wow. Goooooooood stuffs.

Watching: Gold Rush finale.

Bringing me joy: Theology. Breakfast and time catching up with a dear friend. Reading. Family. Prayer. Springlike weather. Springlike weather. Springlike weather. Springlike weather. Springlike weather. Springlike weather. Springlike weather. Springlike weather. Springlike weather. Springlike weather.

Thinking about: Prayer. Heroic virtue. The saints. Co-redemptive suffering. And wardrobes.

Pictures to share:  

Kolbe drew a snowman-pig-alien (and then Clement ripped its head off).

Gemma's train town.

Journal: Fourth of July

TODAY (started Friday evening)

Out my window:  Fireworks.  Gorgeous weather for the Fourth.  It was even prettier yesterday.  Is this July?  In Kansas??

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

Around the house: Got the furniture (mostly) moved out of the bedroom in the basement.  We are having the ceiling re-blown this weekend, painting it in the next week or so (hopefully) and re-carpeting the basement within the next month(ish) in preparation to move Gemma downstairs and both boys in Gemma/Kolbe's room.  I *think* we're ready for this...we shall see.  Gemma is not a huge fan of the basement, and Clem is not a huge fan of sleeping through the night, soooooooo...  I will be glad to get all the shuffling around done.  We still need to get some odds and ends, this and that, so it will be an ongoing project for the foreseeable future.

 

The baby/toddler:  Our conversations of late go like this:

Mommy: Clement, how old are you going to be on your birthday?
Clement: NOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!

The sad thing about that is that "two" is the one number he knows.  He was playing hide-and-seek with Gemma the other day and they were taking turns hiding and seeking.  When he was the seeker, he would go to the stairs, bury his head and go, "two, two, two, COME!!!" and then run to look for her.  It was adorable.  

He also likes to point his finger at you and make this really weird guttural sound with his teeth and throat.  Boy much?

When he is finished with something (the toilet, a toy, etc.) he will shout from wherever he is, "DONNNNNNNE MOMMY!!!!"  It is so cute.

One of his favorite snack foods is a banana.  When he wants one he will come to my feet and yell, "A NANA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

By the next time I blog he will be a two year old. How?

 

The kiddos:  They've been pretty excited about their Fourth of July fireworks.  Kolbe's faves were smoke bombs and poppers (we live pretty dangerously over here) and Gemma is excited because we are letting her stay up late tonight (the boys are in bed sleeping).  She and daddy are currently on a fire-fly walk and then she is going to watch some fireworks with us.  Such a big girl!!  She was pretty excited to get to do something so special!

In the kitchen: Aaron smoked some pulled-pork and it turned out super good.  He's been honing his method for several years now and I think he's really got it down.  Pizza next week and probably more salad and I'm making some honey chicken to celebrate Clem's bday with my family.

Crafting: heh heh, does the basement remodel count?

Learning:  We've been keeping up with daily schoolwork in the mornings 2-4 days a week.  The kids seem to be enjoying it pretty well, Kolbe asked to "do school" this (July 4) morning and I had to remind him it was a holiday.  ;-)

(continued Saturday morning)

I was interested in starting some virtue study/character formation with the kids, and a few of my friends recommended the PACE program.   My friend Michelle was kind enough to loan me her guide, and we got started the beginning of this month.  It is so easy, and so wonderful.  Stories from The Book of Virtues and The Moral Compass, recommended picture books, divided by age level, for each virtue, Bible stories and quotes (writing and other extension activities are available as well).  I made a paper with our virtue on it for the fridge so we are frequently reminded of it, and we read a book/story/discussion during breakfast.  Boom.  Done.  Did I mention how easy this all was to pull together?  Mama is thrilled. 

Reading: The kids finished their goals for the Summer Reading Program at the library.  Kolbe and Gemma both did 100 bks, and Clem had 25 on his chart.  We came home with copies of The Mitten, Bear Shadow (I love Frank Asch's bear stories...I may or may not have picked this one out myself for Clement), and Let's Count Goats, plus the assortment of restaurant coupons they give out.  The thing the kids were MOST excited about though was a coupon for a "shopping spree" in the Walgreens toy aisle (up to $9.99 value).   We had a blast spending about 45 minutes shopping together.  It was like our Target runs, only they actually got to buy something!!  They are pictured to the left with their loot, they all picked their things out with no help from mama (besides reading prices...over and over and over ;-)

I have too many books going on at once:
The Hidden Power of Kindness (this is positively wonderful, the kind of reading I consider "candy")

The Book Thief (I am really trying to like it, but the writing style is so odd)

Living Beyond Your Feelings (yes, a self-help book, I know...)

Trustful Surrender to Divine Providence (just started this one, I have super-high hopes)
The Problem of Pain 

Just started The Long Winter with Gemma.

Watching:  Duck Dynasty's current season.  I still like the show, and I think the Robertsons are a great family, but I definitely think the older seasons were funnier and less staged.  Oh well.

Bringing me joy:  Fourth of July fireworks, watching Gemma watch them for the first time.  Kolbe's excitement over buying firecrackers at the local Knight's tent.  Oh my word, that boy! Aforementioned Walgreens trip.  Chatting on the phone with my dad.  Going to the Fourth of July parade in my hometown.  For years, after we moved, I didn't go.  Had no interest in going back.  And while I have zero desire for small town life, I am to the point where I do enjoy going back for the parade each year.  And the kids love it!!  Well, except for Clement, who clearly had better things to do (zzzzzzzzzzzzzz).

Thinking about: Kindness.  Minimalism.  Consumerism.  Electronics.  Balance.  Sibling relationships.  Responsibilities.  Parenting.  Wash machines. The price of peace (which sometimes is very expensive and can involve things like corn starch all over my kitchen floor).  How's that for stream-of-consciousness?  

Pictures to share:  

Cousins at the parade.

And this.  My boy.  My dear little four-year-old first-born son in his ever-crooked bicycle helmet.  I hope that I can always remember how he looks like this, because it just melts my heart every single time.

Journal: Pumpkin patch

TODAY

Out my window: Fall is definitely here, it looks and feels like Fall.  And we have pumpkins on the deck!  Everyone is finally well and we made it to the pumpkin patch the other day.  It was a beautiful Fall afternoon and the kids and I had such a wonderful time.  Fun memories, I'm glad Gemma kept nagging me about taking them, we had so much fun and were there for every bit of two hours.

Clothing myself in:  Jeans, tank and an Old Navy sweatshirt.  

Around the house: I have a gal who buys stuff and then consigns it coming over tonight to go thru a big tub of stuff.  I will be glad to have it gone, even better to (hopefully) make a couple bucks!!  I did pretty well last time she came.  Also, we had family pictures taken this past weekend.  OH pictures stress me out ridiculously, but they turned out good and I'm getting excited to get some new pictures in frames around the house.  I have our order all put together and OK'd the final edits from the photog, so now we just wait for pics.  I ordered all our pictures for Christmas cards too so it is nice to have that taken care of and ready before Thanksgiving (and Advent!)  Now to think about a letter.  And presents.  and. and. and.......  holidays.

 

The baby: I'm going to eek a couple more weeks out of "baby" then I should probably change this to "toddler".  When did that happen?  He has definitely started acting more like a toddler...  Naps have been marginally better now that I've just resigned myself to the fact that he naps better on me.  And honestly, when he naps less he goes to bed earlier and that's kind of nice.  You just can't have it all.  ;-)  He is so cute, after I undress him before baths he goes and puts his clothes in the dirty clothes in our room all by himself, and then I love watching his naked little baby butt running to the bathtub. TOO cute! ! !

 

The kiddos:  Gemma's reading is starting to show some improvement, so that is fun for her and me.  Like I said, she was my nagging force when it came to going to the Pumpkin Patch and I'm so glad she nagged, we just had such a great time.  It is fun beginning to see traditions like this develop with the kids.  She is little miss rule follower.  We had an issue with her not wanting to take her coat to school on a cold day when she really needed to wear one, and realized it was because her teacher said they couldn't wear coats in the classroom.  She translated this into she couldn't wear a coat to school and by golly she wasn't going to break that rule.  Once she realized she could wear it and hang it on a hook, we were good!

 

Kolbe has been a little tricky lately.  I'm not sure if it's still just "recovering from being sick funkies" or if he has, erm, turned over a new leaf.  He has always been soooooo stinkin' sweet, and lately he's just been a little bit of a stinker.  But he is always very remorseful for his stinkiness so that helps a bit.  Even so, my can he try my patience sometimes...I find myself failing in the patience department more than I succeed lately though, and I'd like to change that.  Sigh.  He was really looking forward to shooting baskets at the Pumpkin Patch like he did last year (I couldn't believe he remembered, completely unprompted) and we didn't find the basketball goal until we were getting ready to leave.  Needless to say we stayed longer.  Kolbe is currently obsessed with "poppers" (bubble wrap of any shape or form) and every time Aaron comes home he asks, "did you buy any poppers for me?"  One day we found some in the basement and he popped it all.  Now every day we have to go down to the basement and check if there happens to be more.  Haha.  

I love this picture of the two of them

In the kitchen: This week's menu: Park Cutlets with Sweet Potato Fries and Three Bean Salad; Beef and Veggie Stew; leftovers; Honey Chicken and sides TBD; Shrimp Linguine maybe.   We bought a frozen Hawaiian Pizza (we never buy frozen pizzas) and it was pretty tasty, so I think I am going to try my hand at homemade Hawaiian Pizza sometime soon.  Anyone have any tips?  And speaking of in the kitchen, our big renovation is NEXT WEEK !!! !!! !!!!!!!, so it will probably be a couple nights of carry out and chinet while we don't have running water or functional appliances.

Crafting: nothin' nothin' nothin'.  Maybe I should make a YouTube "how to" series about crafting.  Now that would be stellar. 

Learning:  Ii week and activities this week...inchworms, insects, ice cream and iguanas.

Reading: I am currently reading Deus Caritas Est.  YAY for free downloads.  Kolbe enjoyed Isaac the Ice Cream Truck for Ii week and Gemma and I have started Saturday Cousins.

Watching:  Tomorrow, people!  TOMORROW is the season premiere of GOLD RUSH!!  So excited!!!  Oh, and of course the playoffs and World Series has been on in the background many an evening.  Aaron and I have also finally started the Catholicism series.  

Bringing me joy: Pumpkin Patch with the kids.  Pretty Fall leaves.  Mums and pansies.  Footie jammies (on the kids, not me).  Busy fun Saturday.  Family pictures being OVER (and turning out reasonably well). 

Thinking about:  The line between being selfless and putting others first but still taking care of myself.  Does that make sense?  Love.  Trying to be happy with my life the way it is and not getting resentful over things. 

Pictures to share:  

Pumpkin Patch kiddos.

Clem really did have a good time, he was just ready to go. 

Journal: sick

TODAY

Out my window:  Cloudy, breezy and cool.  Very fall-like, and it's not supposed to get out of the sixties for most of the next week.

Clothing myself in:  Grey sweats and a t-shirt.  I got some new sweats and a couple sweatshirts (exciting, I know) from Old Navy that I'm sure I'll get to try out this week.

Around the house: Oh my, have our children been sick.  It started a week ago Thursday, early in the morning, when Gemma started running a fever.  Then, she seemed better, and then she was sick again, and then she went back to school Tuesday and Wednesday, and then Thursday she was so sick she literally slept all day.  I *think* *hope* *pray* she is better for good now.  The boys...same story.  This is the virus (I assume) that will not leave.  Not too many symptoms besides fever and lethargy.  Both big kids' ears were a bit red but have since cleared, and Gemma had a cruddy cough and Kolbe a croupy one, and the baby threw up several times the first day he was sick...whenever that was...It has been a week.  I was able to run a couple errands yesterday afternoon when Aaron was home, so that was nice.  We picked out the clothes that we'll wear for family pictures next weekend (if we are well and photographable by then).  What else?  Not much, not much...

Oh yes, I've had my eye on this crucifix for quite some time now, and recently needed to make a purchase from Autom so I added it on and it has since come.  I like it a lot for prayer-time/our liturgical decorations on the kitchen table, as it's a bit bigger/sturdier than the other one we had. 

 

The baby:  Is super-snuggly when he is sick and has slept a lot more than his usual nothing-ish during the day.  He has also started "hitting", aka rambunctious toddler-boy behavior.  Lots of redirection and "give me fives" and reminders for "soft, gentle touches".  He is growing up so much, it's ridiculous.  Pretty soon I probably need to change the heading of this category to "toddler"...

 

The kiddos:  By Friday Gemma was champing at the bit for our friends to drop her schoolwork off and started working on it immediately after it came.  She also told me how excited she was to go back to school.  I was glad to hear this.  She is pretty matter-of-fact about school, not really loving or hating it, so I was glad to hear she missed going.  She will get her "report card" next week, and has Adoration at school this week.  Gemma is also very into nature, each time she is outside she comes back with leaves, flowers, acorns etc. so I had her start a nature journal notebook.  We'll see if her enthusiasm for it continues.

I have been meaning to document this here, whenever Kolbe wants you to hold him he asks you to, "come sit on my lap, mommy (or daddy)."  It's so cute!  He has been one sick little dude, he literally slept almost non-stop (albeit restlessly) from 5PM yesterday until about 3 this afternoon.

Both big kids are scheduled to start Catechesis of the Good Shepherd classes this week.  I do not think Kolbe will make his first class, sadly.

In the kitchen: Fried Chicken (store bought, I know...) tonight; have the fixin's all ready to put together a taaaaasty meat and veggie lasagna tomorrow; something easy (quesadillas?) with broccoli salad; linguine or some other shrimp dish; whatever else I feel inspired to make, that's the loose menu for the week.  I will probably make some more whole-grain banana choco-chip muffins as well, the kids really enjoy those for breakfasts and snacks.

Crafting: Noth.ing.

Learning:  We managed to get in a few Gg week activities last week and did a neat Rosary activity a friend brought by (since we had to miss out), but all in all things were pretty subdued.  Gemma is learning about bats at school, and has been bringing home word lists to learn sight words and her phonics decodable words.  She has learned about Creation, Jonah, and it appears they are working on Noah now.  I am beginning to see her making some bigger strides in her reading which is exciting.  I am so excited for her to get to the point where she can sit down and read (and understand!) books all on her own.  Her teacher puts together a little newsletter online with their lessons/objectives for the week, so it is nice to see what she is working on and do some enrichment things at home as we're able.

Reading: Almost to finish The New Evangelization and You.  The last few chapters have been great, very inspiring.  For Gg week we enjoyed Chavela and the Magic Bubble, Days of the Blackbird (a story about a girl named Gemma), Growing Vegetable Soup and The Gingerbread Man.  Gemma got her materials for BookIt! and has already read (been read to) her goal of 8 books for the month. 

Watching:  MLB playoffs, lots of Little Bear with sick kids, I discovered the show Little Einsteins, and have really enjoyed it with the kids too!  A couple Pawn Stars are on the DVR queue ready to watch, we have been watching this show on Sunday nights sometimes called Alaska: The Last Frontier, and it's pretty neat.  Less than two weeks until the Goldrush season premiere!!!!!!!!!  Yes, I'm really that excited.  

Bringing me joy: A quiet Mass and witnessing the Baptisms of some new parishioners.  Kolbe's speech teacher telling me what a pleasant kid he is.  Working on Gemma's homework with her.  Cute new soft-sole shoes for my little toddler.  Spending a fun Tuesday afternoon with the kids when everyone was healthy for a whopping 3 hours!  Beer dates "in" with Aaron.  Snuggling my sick kiddos.

Thinking about: Charity.  Evangelizing. 

Pictures to share:  

I took these a couple weeks ago for our frames in the hallway.

Being very silly.

Journal: Summer is here

TODAY

Out my window:  Hot and windy.  Summer is here to stay, I'm afraid.  Spring was sure nice, if not fleeting, while it lasted.

Clothing myself in:  Meh, sweat capris a tank and a t-shirt.  And I haven't showered since the day before yesterday.  Oh yeah.  Keepin' it classy.

Around the house: Let's see.  I have moved some various furniture and vacuumed behind and under it.  As much as I would like to deep clean everything at once, it is just more practical these days to chip away at things here and there.  Oh, and the pillow.  We have a couple throw pillows on our love seat, and one of them got its zipper completely busted due to the sheer number of times it has been jumped on in some crazy and loud game that involves a stepstool, lots of pillows (and yelling) and is called "mudslide" (but pronounced "muttslide").  OH children.  Anyways, the zipper was beyond repair, so I figured there wasn't much to lose and took the hot glue gun to it.  Really, it looks [almost] new.  Take THAT, Martha Stewart.  Now if I could only find some sort of baby-friendly decoration for my end-table top...

 

The baby:  Is he really going to be a year in a few weeks?  Heavens. 

 

The kiddos:  Gemma has kind of been a pickle lately (understatement of the year).  Like, just when it gets really bad she continues to kick it up another notch.  Mainly sass and disrespect and blatant/rude refusals.  It has been an exercise in patience for me, which is good for me, but mainly I just want to teach her the importance of kindness and respect without manipulating her to get the results I want.  Does that make sense?  Oh, parenting is tricky.  And apologies...  How do you handle kid apologies (to each other and to parents) at your house?  Because boy, along with those other things I mentioned above she has a quite commendable stubborn streak...

I don't want it to seem like I only complain about her though.  She can be so sweet and fun.  She loves to hear stories.  She is really into ponies lately and likes making houses and games for them and playing with them in the shower.  I am really getting excited for kindergarten, I think she is going to just love it, and I think it will be very good for her.  For both of us.  She has some hand-me-down jumpers ready to go, and I just ordered her polo shirts.  It's getting closer!

Kolbe is a funny little man.  He uses the word "anymore" a lot, only he pronounces it "amymore".  He is also obsessed with his boogers, which he calls "boobers".  He will often proclaim, "mommy, I not eat my boobers, AMYmore."  And then, well, I'll stop there...  He also often asks, "sit on my lap, mommy" when he wants to sit on your lap.  One time I actually went and sat on his lap, and he was very confused.  He has started gritting his teeth and screaming, "you not be very nice," quite emphatically when he is angry with someone.  He says, "I love you often," but he also says, "I like you," which I think is cute.  I mean, there are people out there who I love but don't necessarily like.  I'm glad my Kolbe likes me. 

In the kitchen: There were a lot of leftovers from my brother-in-law's wedding, so we enjoyed those quite a bit this past week.  Fresh broccoli and carrots and barbeque pork (and some beans).  And some really tasty cheese too.  I have been nursing a bottle of pinot noir for the past week or two and really enjoying that.  We had flounder and some salad and roasted sweet potatoes on Friday and that was a nice break from the leftovers.  Flounder has become our latest favorite go-to fish.  This upcoming week I have fajitas, Shepherd's Pie, homemade pizza and chile rellenos on the menu.  And lots of fresh fruit.  We have really been enjoying the summer fruit around here.

Crafting: The pillow.  Maybe I should have put the part about the pillow down here...

Learning:  We have been talking about maps lately.  I ordered world map and US map placemats from Amazon, and then made and had laminated a state and city map and have them hanging inside our pantry door.  We checked out Me on the Map and Follow That Map from the library and those were both really great selections.  We also have read a couple books that talk about various world cultures.  

My parents had one of my old watches fixed up for Gemma (new battery and sized down) and she is really excited about that and has shown some interest in learning to tell time, so I have some books from the library about that.  Any tips on teaching time telling? 

Reading:  Still working on St. Francis and the Catechism.  I haven't had/taken much time to read recently.  About to finish Charlotte's Web with the kids, Gemma has really enjoyed it. 

Watching:  Is Gold Rush going to have an off season or not?  Still waiting.  Some new Pawn Stars each week.  Evenings (as with June in general) seem to have been nuts lately. Less TV.  Not necessarily a bad thing.

Bringing me joy: Seeing the kids genuinely excited about things.  Especially little things.  Sometimes I think I don't appreciate or encourage their childlike wonder enough.  A wonderful husband.  An afternoon to myself to run errands (thanks mom!). 

Thinking about:  Whether my sanity will still be intact when I hit 40 (or tomorrow for that matter).  Here's hoping!

Pictures to share:  

Gemma with her friend Gianna.  They will both be in kindergarten at our parish school this year.

Kolbe sitting on the cabinet...I forget what he was doing up there.  Notice the cantaloupe in the background...I think we've gone through four or five this week.  And my go-with-the-flow Clem.  "Mommy didn't put me down for a nap at home so I'll just sleep here."  I can hear my former self scornfully turning up her nose at me just looking at this picture.

Journal: Week of May 20

TODAY

Out my window:  Warm and muggy.  Survived the big storms over the weekend unscathed.

Clothing myself in:  Monday clothes.  Very glamorous.

Around the house: Caught up (thru March) our photo albums and updated some pictures in frames.  Working on the monthly photo-collages for Clem's first-year calendar.  I wish I had just done this for all my kids.  So easy and comprehensive.  Oh well.  I also am working on getting all of our photos uploaded to SmugMug.  Cleaned some light fixtures and the front windows and blinds.

 

The baby:  He was sick a couple days last week.  Mainly just a fever and lethargy.  Teething?  He was one snuggly little guy whatever the case.  His napping of late has been abysmal.  I am so much less anal about sleep with my third, it is kind of funny.  But I still wish he would nap better. Lately I'm lucky if I get 15 minutes out of him in his bed/on his floor.  He sleeps on me great, but the more kids we have/more we have going on the less convenient that is.  He is currently snoozing in my arms while I type and the kids are watching TV.  He will sleep in the back-pack carrier or the stroller or car though if we are out and about so I suppose I shouldn't complain.  When he is awake he gets around and likes to get into just about anything his curious little hands can reach.  Except for toys.  Toys are apparently boring.

 

The kiddos:  I'm not sure what to say.  Sometimes they play so well.  Sometimes they fight so horribly.  I have been trying to parent them in a more peaceful and loving way...especially thinking about the way I talk to them.  If I don't want Gemma to say, "knock it off," in a snotty, disrespectful tone to me, then maybe I shouldn't say it to her.  Trying to look at things from their perspective instead of mine.  Sometimes I do better than others.  Motherhood is hard.  I liked this article on the topic.

They have been playing in the backyard a lot and I am so grateful for the times they play nicely out there for long periods.  Gemma has a really nice [farmer's] tan.

In the kitchen: Baked Ziti; Pulled Pork with Quinoa and Black Bean salad; family bday dinner; Fish Crisp; lots of fresh fruits and veggies in the fridge to prepare for sides...we are loving all the spring and summer fresh produce around here.  Aaron will probably grill something this week too.

Crafting: Helped Gemma make a couple pillows for "Baby Lamb" and "Buttercup" her stuffed lamb and bunny friends.  And that's about it. 

Learning:  We went to the zoo last week -- just the kids and I -- and had so much fun.  Hoping to make it over there again this week maybe.  

Reading: Started St. Francis of Assisi: A Biography, my latest Catholic Company review.  This is a little off the beaten path from my usual fare (in a good way), but my SD recommended it, and then it was on the CC review list so I took that as a sign I should read it.  I kind of wish I were reading it on an e-reader (which I don't own), because there have been more words than I'd like to admit that I should be looking up.  I also requested The Running Dream from the library because it looked good (stumbled upon it on Amazon).  Still keeping up with Catechsim readings [most] days.  Just started section III.  The part at the end of section II on marriage was great.  Every married Catholic, or Catholic considering marriage, should read it.  It is short but oh so good.

Watching:  Nothing out of the ordinary.  I got this TV survey thing in the mail after doing a phone survey which entailed locking myself in the baby room while Kolbe or Gemma (or maybe both of them) screamed at me from the other side of the door and it is kind of stressing me out.  My husband channel surfs too much.  :-) Why do I let myself get roped into these things?  They paid me like $30 for the last one I did though, so maybe they will send me more money.  Money in the mail is fun.

Bringing me joy: Spending an hour in Adoration.  I appreciate Adoration so much more now that my life is so, um, loud.

Thinking about: Having a plan for storms.  We really have no plan.  I mean go to the basement yeah of course, but it got kind of iffy looking Sunday afternoon and I was grabbing shoes and flash drives and stuff in case we had to head down.  To the creepy area under the stairs that is probably spider infested.  And we should probably have water down there?  And food maybe??  Or an axe?  Or a radio that doesn't rely on electricity...  I don't know.  See, as much of a planner as I am, this is something I really have no plan for.  And probably should.

Pictures to share:  

Gemma with the birdhouse she painted.  This has been an ongoing project since Christmas.  She is hoping Daddy will help her hang it tonight.

Kolbe: "I drew a eleshant!!!!"  He was very proud, he's been really into the magnadoodle lately.  That is one toy that is really a favorite around here.

Clem at 10 months!  Seriously.  Where has this past year gone?

Journal: Come on, Spring!

TODAY

Out my window:  Gray, chilly, just enough snow that combined with the brown yuckiness of the bare ground it looks pretty gross outside.  Come on, Spring!

Clothing myself in:  I actually just changed into my sweats, before that jeans a tan tank and purple henley, before that brown dress slacks, same tank and a yellow-green sweater (for Mass).  I have been trying to dress nicer lately and it has actually been very, I don't know, therapeutic?  Is that vain??  I've done some shopping and gotten some new things and it makes me smile.  

Around the house: Kids wardrobes.  Inventorying what we have and what we need.  One of these days soon (probably when we have our first 70 degree day) I'll drag the clothes out of tubs, wash them up and get them in closets.  I keep a laundry basket of the clothes the kids grow out of in the basement, I just toss them there when I pull them out of closets.  I went through that this week and "filed" everything away.  I need to clean the kitchen cabinets.  I have been lax about dusting lately.  Progress?  

I ran several errands with the kids this past week once the weather was conducive (oh were we desperate to get out) and it was actually really nice.  Everyone came home alive.  I still have my sanity.  I got some new things with some good coupons.  No one tried to drag the dog-on-leash-mannequin out the front door of Old Navy.  Heck, this may be worthy of its own Small Successes post.

 

The baby:  Sitting really well.  Has both of his two front (top) teeth.  Wants to nurse all night.  Has been "talking" a lot.  Is already getting upset if I take something away from him (like the Church bulletin he was trying to eat) and distract him with something else.  Really baby?  You're not even eight months old.  This scares me a bit, especially as I keep in mind the strong wills of my older two.  His cry is starting to sound less "baby" and more "big kid".  Was July really 8 months ago?

 

The kiddos:  Kolbe, oh my goodness he is such a funny kid. In the bathrooms at our Church there are those motion-sensor towel dispensers that you have to wave your hand in front of to get the paper towels to come out.  Well, somehow he has gotten the idea that you have to yell at them to get the towels out, so he stands there and waves his arms and yells "hallo, hallo" at the top of his lungs until paper comes out.  It is soooo funny.  OK, and then, the other night at bedtime I was laying with him and he was being all lovey and snuggly and he says, "I yove you, mommy, God bless you mommy."  Then he gets this impish grin on his face, holds out his had and says, "pull my finger, mommy," and proceeds to make a toot noise with his mouth upon my pulling said finger.  OH Kolbe.  He did NOT learn that joke from me.

Gemma lost her other loose tooth.  We decided she lost her teeth and Clem found them. This is a  cute book for the tooth-loosing crowd.  Did you know a lot of countries have a Tooth Mouse not a Tooth Fairy?

In the kitchen: Beef and Veggie Stew (Kolbe's personal fave); Loaded Chicken Breasts (topped with sauted peppers, onions, mushrooms and maybe a little bacon); Fish Crisp and Steamed Veggies (if you find plain cornbread stuffing in a bag it is MSG free; and last time I made this I experimented with my own vinaigrette too and it turned out pretty good.  I really should quit reading labels...) ; Taco Meatloaf with Mexi toppings (did you know you can take the Aldi ad into Walmart and get $.19 Avocados? [as long as they're on sale at Aldi]?  Theirs are about 3 times as big and haven't been refrigerated so they actually ripen as opposed to the Aldi ones.) 

Crafting: Should I just take this category off?  I did sew some darts in a pair of pants for Kolbe though.  Even when I am not doing much crafting stuff, I am very grateful to own a sewing machine. 

Learning:  The kids are watching Blue's Clues so I can blog.  That's educational, right?

Reading: Catechism.  Fill These Hearts.  (Re)started Introduction to the Devout Life with my Catholic Motherhood group.  Happy Little Family with the kids.  Thinking we need to make poetry a part of our day again.

Bringing me joy:  Funny Kolbe.  Eucharistic Adoration.  Good books.  Great neighbors.  Family time.  Getting out of the house.  Chatting.  The thought of upcoming Spring.  Dressing up (in something other than sweats).  Meeting a new baby.  All three kids in the tub at once.  Gemma's art.  Lent. 

Thinking about: Treating my kids with respect.  Taking a deep breath instead of yelling (why is it that I only think about that when I'm not feeling like a fire-breathing dragon?).  Just parenting in general.  Priorities.  The upcoming Papal Conclave.  Time.  Randomness. 

Pictures to share:  

playtime

bathtime

Journal: New Years

TODAY

Out my window: Snowy!  It snowed yesterday morning, and then melted before the kids even got to play out in it.  Then it snowed a bit more yesterday afternoon and now it's snowing again this morning.  The grass still isn't completely covered, so there isn't much, but it's nice never-the-less.  The kids are hoping for a snow-walk with Daddy this afternoon.

Clothing myself in: The usual.  I am so over winter. 

Around the house: Just cleaned the bathrooms.  I updated my calendar for the fridge for the next six months and reworked my daily chores a bit to better fit the current state of our family.  Example: the floors do indeed need scrubbed more often than once a week (daily?).  However, when I scrub them more often than once a week, my expectation for how clean they should be is raised, and then I freak out disproportionally when someone spills something.  If I just scrub them once a week, I am more cool with them not being perfect.  For me, this is progress.

 

The baby: Cute as ever.  He has gone with the flow quite well with all the holiday celebrations and such.  Yesterday he took a 4 hour 45 minute nap.  Now if only he could sleep that long of a stretch during the night...

He got some new (size 9 month) clothes for Christmas, for which I was very grateful.  He was growing out of everything, and Kolbe only had a few winter items in that size.  He looks so cute in his new duds. 

 

The kiddos:  Had a good Christmas, and they too have gone with the flow quite well.  It is so hard though, when they don't eat or sleep as well as usual because we are going going going, then they don't behave as well either.  And it is hard to get mad at them when they misbehave and it is for reasons of poor sleep and poor diet.  Actually, it is quite easy to get mad, but when I am rational I know it is not their fault so that makes it difficult.  Looking forward to a return to normalcy...once we get through birthdays.  ;-)

Gemma got a little Casio Keyboard for Christmas from my parents and we've all been having a lot of fun with it.  I had a similar one as a child and remember using it a lot.  I think she will enjoy this one for years.  This one is lightweight and runs on batteries (several AA...we've been going a week and they still haven't run out so I suppose I'm impressed) so it is very portable  It has lots of demo songs, different rhythms and instruments so it really does a lot.  In fact, I have been listening to the same drum beat for the past 10-15 minutes now.  It is Gemma's new "favorite song".  Yay.  

Kolbe got some new Thomas items that he has been very excited about.  He likes Thomas so much.  It's funny, because we've just watched a very few DVDs from the library and checked out a couple books about Thomas, but gosh is that boy over-the-moon for anything Thomas related.  It is very cute. 

In the kitchen:  I made a pizza last night (this crust in the breadmaker with about half white half WW).  I used to make homemade pizza once a week, and I couldn't tell you how long it had been since our last pizza.  Months.  Tonight we are baking one of those pre-smoked turkies and I'm making a potato casserole to go along with it.  We will probably steam some Normandy Blend as well.  Hubby picked up some gorgeous looking looking grape tomatoes at the store and that inspired me to make chicken linguine, tomorrow I think.  Probably Chile Rellenos on Friday, and some good turkey leftovers in between. 

Crafting:  Kolbe got some wooden blocks and trucks for Christmas so I made a drawstring bag to store them in with some leftover flannel from this project (top picture).  I'm always thrilled about projects I can do with stuff already around the house.  I really liked that print too, so it will be nice to see it on a regular basis. 

Learning:  Ah, I am looking forward to getting back to some regular learning activities during our afternoon quiet time.  We are working on thank-you notes now, and when we finish those I plan on jumping back in with handwriting lessons and some numbers work. 

Reading: I received Jesus of Nazareth: The Infancy Narratives in a white elephant gift exchange (apparently it pays to have an uncle who is a Dominican priest), and I'm looking forward to starting it.  I am about 4 days behind on my daily Catechism readings for the Year of Faith, so I need to catch up with that as well.  

Bringing me joy: How much Gemma loves her great-grandma.  Going to Mass (alone).  Snow.  My sweet family, even on the crazy days, and especially my husband. 

Thinking about: Cutting my hair again.  Not super-short like when I regretted it, but shorter.  Long enough for a pony, but short enough that it is simpler (faster) to style in the morning, and doesn't get so tangly during the day if/when I wear it down.  I don't know, it just feels so "blah" lately.  I blame it on winter.  This whole January/February time of year is not my favorite.  I am ready for spring.  Sigh. 

Pictures to share: 

The family on Christmas, before Mass.

Kolbe, sharing some protein shake with his new Thomas (still in the package) on Christmas morning.  He got it on Christmas eve and was so patient, we didn't open it until after Mass on Christmas day.

 Handsome Clem in his new clothes...can't believe he's almost 6 months!!!

Gemma with one of her many drawings.

Gemma with her great Uncle Father Andrew, O.P.

Journal (11th edition)

TODAY

Out my window: Feels like late Fall.  A bit chilly but lovely really.  I am mourning the loss of the leaves from the trees until next Spring. Just not a huge fan of winter, for multitudinous reasons.  But alas, it is upon us.

Clothing myself in: Black sweats, one of these cami/tanks that are oh so comfy and great for nursing, and a college sweatshirt.  Comfy.

Around the house:  Thinking about Feast of St. Nicholas and Christmas gifts and have done a bit of shopping (online and in stores).  Keeping things very simple (especially with our children) this year.  Along that vein, anyone have any recommendations for a good wooden block set, preferably colored?  I'm looking at a few but wondered if anyone had a set they liked that they could recommend?

Started decorating for Christmas.  It seems so early, this early Thanksgiving really threw me for a loop.  On the brighter side, this gives us more time to enjoy our decorations.  I figure if I'm going to put forth the effort, then I want to be able to enjoy them for more than a week or two.

 

The baby: Has started sucking his thumb.  I am still unsure how I feel about this.  I had purposely not introduced a binkie with him.  Gemma and Kolbe both took binkies and getting rid of them was definitely a process.  Although probably easier than getting rid of a thumb.  But he will soothe himself with it sometimes which is super cool.  Like I said, I am not sure how to feel about a thumb-sucker.  I am trying not to encourage or discourage it, but have found myself doing both.  Mixed messages much?

 

The kiddos:  Recent conversations with the kids:

Gemma: Kolbe, what's your favorite animal?

Kolbe: BLUUUUUUUUE!!!!!

Gemma: NO! I said, animal!!

Kolbe: (in his typical monotone inflection) Oh. A'mal tatters. (animal crackers)

When we were talking about what we were thankful for I had to explain a little more to Kolbe just exactly what 'being thankful' meant, so I said, "thankful is something we are really glad that we have at our house...so Kolbe, that are you thankful for?"  To which he responded, "Oh. Ha'ween tandy." (Halloween Candy, for those of you who don't speak 'Kolbe')

He's a man of few words, but man does he crack me up sometimes.  ;-D

In the kitchen:  Chicken Alfredo; Meatloaf with Quinoa and Kale Salad; (extended) family birthday dinner.

Crafting:  I finished a HUGE amount of photo organization last weekend, namely getting all our albums caught up, labeled, organized etc., and also made up a book on Shutterfly that I will order in December when I have five years of monthly pictures.

Got some sports-ball print fleece at Joanns on Black Friday for a super good deal and am going to "make" a blanket for Kolbe's bed for him for Christmas.  And by "make", I believe I will wash it, cut it to the right length (I purposely bought too much, not wanting to have not enough) and call it good.  I am a little iffy about sewing on fleece as it stretches funny (in  my experience), and I don't want to do a tied one.  Since fleece doesn't fray I figure I'm good taking the lazy way out.  Any advice?

Working a lot lately on our Advent plans.  Hoping to blog about them soon.

Learning: We had fun with this handprint turkey craft this week.  Lots of cutting, and messy (but washable) paint.  But fun for sure.  Have I mentioned I am a sucker for handprint art?

Bringing me joy: Listening to Handel's "Messiah". Thanksgiving and time with family.  My hubby having some time off work.  The huge kick my kids get out of seeing Christmas lights, especially our neighbor's across the street.  Just the coming holiday season in general...seeing things through the joyous eyes of my children helps me stop and appreciate the simple things.  A working wash machine.  Preparing for Advent...hands-down my favorite liturgical season.  A sweet (professional) picture of our three. 

Thinking about: Christmas gifts.  Advent.  See above.

And our Christmas letter.  Anyone want to write it for me??

Pictures to share: 

My sister took a nice "up and down" photo of us on Thanksgiving, and then I said, "OK let's take one the other way," meaning landscape instead of portrait.  Aaron thought I meant he and I should switch places.  Hence the over-the-top cheesy weirdly posed picture.  Think I should frame it (haha)?  See the side bar for the "real" one.