Journal: settling into our new routine

Yes, it's been (almost) a month.  I know.  I think like only two people read this though, so as Pete the Cat would say, "it's all good."
TODAY

Out my window: Sunny and warm.  The days are definitely getting shorter though, and the heat is so much less intense even on the hot days.  We went to a local baseball game last evening, and the weather was so nice, despite being a warm day.  Hubby is watering our trees on the off chance that we don't get the rain that's being predicted for the next five days.  You just never know around here.

Around the house: My pumpkin spice candle is burning, because hey it's almost Fall!  Much as I despise winter, I really do love this season-changing time of year.  And there are so many fun things to do in Fall!  The candle is probably a bit premature, but it smells nice. I saw this idea on Facebook where you put coconut oil, pumpkin pie spice and some cinnamon in one of those little warmer things and I really want to try it.  I don't have a warmer but bet it would work in a small saucepan on the warming area on my stovetop.

The kiddos: They're all back to school!  And despite all the changes around here with me going back to teaching, I think this may be our smoothest start to a school year yet.  Gemma has settled in nicely, although homework is definitely not her fave.  Kolbe had a few rough mornings the first couple days of school but got past that and really seems to enjoy being there, and Clem has never looked back.  He was my first child to not have any tears on the first day of school (and my other two didn't even GO to preschool).  He loves it.  Runs up to the door with gusto and a huge smile on his face every day we drop him off.  I really hope (for his sake and mine) that this continues.  Makes the big change of having him (and me) gone in the afternoons much more manageable (for him and for me). 

In the kitchen: What's cooking here this week? 
Sunday: Grilled steak/jalapeno poppers, corn on the cob and some sort of wilted greens salad that I am still trying to figure out a recipe for....

Monday: French Dips and steamed broccoli

Tuesday: simple spaghetti with meat already in the freezer

Wednesday: lemon garlic chicken (new recipe I'm trying!) with fetuccini in cream sauce and steamed green beans

Thursday: salads (crispy chicken) probably, or leftovers

Friday: baked catfish and simple sides 

I am back to only cooking for one at the rectory, so that is a nice change, especially with heading back to teaching. 

Learning...how to juggle working and school and everything.  Really it's all good so far.  I didn't take into account how short my short days (Monday, Wednesday and every other Friday) were going to be, so that has been nice, still plenty of time around the house to be with Clem and get things done.  And I'm not there until around 9 on my long days, so even then mornings are still relaxed.  Or at least as relaxed as a morning can be trying to get two kids and Aaron out of the house.  The kids seem to be settling in with their respective school workloads and I'm sure they'll learn all kinds of interesting new things this year.  I have ample plan time built into my schedule at school, so I haven't had to do a ton at home (especially with all the work my partner and I did this summer), so that has been nice.

Reading: Um. Nothing. I did make a resolution at the beginning of the year to spend 15 minutes reading/meditating on Scripture a day, and this may very well be the first New Year's Resolution I am still sticking with come (almost) September.  And let me tell you, it has borne much fruit.  The kids and I are reading a book about Clare of Assisi at the breakfast table, and also The Saturdays.  Gemma and I just finished Understood Betsy, and I just don't know what we are going to do to follow that beautiful book.  It may be my favorite read-aloud yet.  And before that we read Caddie Woodlawn and its sequel, so I just really don't know where to go from here.

Watching: MLB mainly and a few other random things....like the back of my eyelids.

Bringing me joy: Confession.  New students.  The coming change in seasons.  Pretty flowers.  A date with my hubby on the horizon.  Doing puzzles with the kids.

Thinking about: lots.

Pictures to share:  

First day of school 2016.  Third grade, first grade and PK4yrs.  If you are friends with me on Facebook you've already seen these.  Sorry.

Seven Quick Takes: almost back to school edition

1. I got a lot of shopping done last weekend to update (errrr, read: pretty much start from scratch) my professional wardrobe for the upcoming school year.  We happened to walk into The Limited, who I had been told was a good place for what I'm needing clothing-wise, on their *one day only* 60% off the entire store (regular and sale price) sale.  Seriously, the pants I got ranged from $10-$27 a pair (they were regular $80 pants.  Gulp).  Nice dress pants.  I was so excited!  They are currently out for (free) alterations to the hem, so hopefully they fit like a charm when I get them back (fingers crossed).  I have long legs, but after talking to my husband (the fashion expert) and a couple of the gals at the store, I realize I've actually been wearing my dress pants a little too long.  So we'll see how it all hashes out.  I found a brown and black pair of shoes at Dillards that I think are going to fit (it's been a long time since I had to wear dressier-type shoes all day, so I am hoping for comfort, they seem promising...) and some odds and ends at Maurices that I am still trying to decide what I'm going to keep and what's going back, but I'm all of a sudden feeling much better about my wardrobe than I was a couple weeks ago.

2. I also got almost all my meal planning done for August AND September (!!!). I wasn't planning to do September, but it just sort of happened as I would add things and find a time to repeat them and think of other things, etc. Meal planning is normally something I only do a week in advance, before making my weekly grocery list, but with so many irons in the fire as the school year starts, it just felt like something I needed to do.  If for nothing else, for my sanity's sake.  So now I just have to make grocery lists each week.  And grocery shop (which my dear husband has offered to help with). And cook.  But it's all good.  After weighing the pros and cons, I decided to go ahead and keep my (very) part-time cooking job, so it's nice to have my ducks in a row for all that and make sure no one starves, here or at the rectory.  As an added bonus, I won't have to explain why I decided PB&J and hot dogs seemed like a reasonable weekly menu.  Here or at the rectory, LOL.  I even found a new crock pot chicken recipe that looks promising.  If anyone has more crock pot recipes to share, I'm all ears (eyes?).  I have a feeling the crock pot will be my BFF this fall and winter as I settle into my working schedule.

3. Speaking of ducks in a row, earlier this week I finished my second of two college courses this summer to get my teacher's license renewed by next summer.  The first one was a one day workshop on-site for one credit hour, the other class was a month-long, four-module online course that consisted (mainly) of two reading and two writing assignments a week.  It was a lot of work, but ended up not being as bad as I originally thought it would, and I am so SO SO glad to have it behind me and have those hours!!

4. And speaking of planning, I have my first month of lesson plans mostly done as well.  My co-teacher has showed me the magnificent wonder that is Planbook, and I've been on a roll.  Things have changed SOOOOO much since I taught ten years ago.  Wowzer.  I figure if I can stay on top of the lesson planning and meal planning, hopefully everything else will fall into place (at home and school) without too much stress.  Childcare is largely figured out (it has all fallen into place with so little effort) and I am getting reallllly excited to get back in the classroom.  While there's definitely some apprehension, I'm feeling very ready to settle into our new normal this Fall.

5. The kids have all their supplies and I am again grateful for our neighbor and her used uniforms shirts (for Kolbe) she was willing to again let me go through.  His shirts from last year probably would have still fit, but we have another boy coming down the pipe, and he's smaller and will be starting kindergarten younger so I think he'll definitely wear them two years.  It seemed to make sense to save the wear on them this year.  Shopping in someone's living room is the best...for atmosphere and prices!! Gemma's jumpers are all altered and I am hoping (hoping hoping hoping) that if I take the hem out next year (read: someone else re-does the hem for me. I don't do hems.) I can stretch them through next year as well. And then she'll be in skirts!!  Her shirts from last year still fit.

6. Clement is really excited about starting preschool but his concept of time just isn't quite there, plus the big kids start three days before him, so we made a countdown chain to hang in his bedroom.  He feels like such a big kid and is getting so excited!

7. Yesterday I worked in my classroom and (with the help of my co-teacher) got my computer and projector set up.  It was a classic case of the blind leading the blind.  So many cords!  We were hilarious.  But we got my phone talking to the projector, and the computer is up and running (with a few finishing touches from the tech coordinator last night, hopefully he didn't groan too loudly when he saw our work) so now I just need to go in and familiarize myself with everything.  Last time I taught, technology in my classroom consisted of a VCR, so this is a whole new world.  But I'm a fast learner....  After initially deciding to head down to my room after Mass this morning, I looked at the state of my hyper children and decided spending an hour+ around pricey, new (to me) technology with Thing 1 and Thing 2 and Thing 3 wasn't in anyone's best interest.  One of these days....

That's all, folks!  I'm off to the work-force a week from yesterday, feel free to send any extra prayers my way!  If you made it this far, I'll leave you with this adorable picture of my precious baby who will literally sleep anywhere, including the dinner table at grandma's house.  Find more quick takes this week at This Ain't the Lyceum.

PAX!

Journal: has it been almost two weeks?

TODAY

Out my window:  Cool morning, warm forecast.  Maybe Fall will come in November.  More likely it will be winter and we will skip Fall.  Oh well.  The kids have been playing outside a ton (that's where they are currently).  Last night they were thrilled to realize they were out so late they tripped the motion-sensor light before coming in for bed.  Fridays are nice.

Around the house: Meh, not much.  The bedroom situation is still up in the air, although I don't think she'll be moving back downstairs anytime soon.  We usually put the dog box in the baby (currently Gemma) room during winter, but I have no idea how it is going to fit with our current setup.  Aaron assures me everything will work out fine.  He always does this, and amazingly things always do seem to work out.  Still, I am dubious.  I ordered some new candles for our Advent wreath.  I believe we got 3 years out of the last set, so I am happy with that.  We could probably limp through with them for another year, but they are pretty discolored and we had wick issues last year.  This time I went with 3x4 inch pillars instead of 3x6s. Don't ask how long I spent shopping for them.

 

The kiddos:  Gemma seems to have hit a bit of a rough patch of late.  She has matured so much in the past six months or so, and I know I need to look at how far we've come (because believe me, its far), but it's still frustrating.  She is growing up and I think she is experiencing some emotional growing pains.  But enough of that!  She was really excited about some pictures of the Pope they looked at at school yesterday.   Like, super-duper excited.  She wrote out, verbatim, the directions for how to get to the website and everything.  She said it was www.vat, I figured out the Vatican.va part from there and as soon as we got to the website she was able to navigate it into English and find the photo page.  I was pretty impressed.  She also started spouting off all the Internet safety tips she has learned, which double-impressed me because we don't do much Internet at home and admittedly haven't talked a lot about that.  Don't get me wrong, we will eventually when the kids have more access at home, but for now I am very pleased with what they're teaching her at school.

We had the kids' pictures taken at school as we have with Gemma the past two years.  I really debated, because it's pretty pricey, but decided to go with it mainly due to the convenience, plus they turned out really nicely the past two years.  Not so much this year.  Gemma's head was tilted really funny (which I understand, and we could retake if we wanted but retakes are over a month away), but both kids' pictures seemed to be somewhat out of focus and had funny looking shadows in them.  I returned them and am hoping the refund process will be straightforward.  We'll stick with Portrait Innovations or another avenue for the foreseeable future.

Clement is so cute.  The lady we visit in the care home gave him some stickers on Wednesday afternoon.  He has literally carried them everywhere since then.  He even slept with them Wednesday night.  He is so proud of them.  

Kolbe is always glad when the weekend comes. He seems to like school, he definitely tolerates it.  He isn't quite as head-over-heels for it as he was at the start of the year, but he doesn't despise it either.  I was a little anxious for his school conference to see how he was doing, and I was very pleasantly surprised at what his teacher had to say.  Handwriting is more a struggle for him than it ever was for Gemma, but then he will go and surprise me with how beautiful he can write.  I suppose I should stop obsessing so much.  He is learning his sight-words and is starting to sound out /cvc/ words as well!  He is very excited to learn to read!!  He also talks about school a lot to me...what he had for lunch, what they did or read, different kids in his class, so that is fun.  They do this "Zero the Hero" thing every ten days (10th, 20th, 30th day of school), that I am guessing will culminate on the100th day of school, and he really gets a huge kick out of that.  School has been very good for him.

In the kitchen: This past week we had the first batch of Mexican chili of the season, chicken enchiladas, tuna/salmon casserole and breakfast for dinner.  Up next week is pulled pork with potato casserole and some steamed veggies, homemade pizza, crispy chicken salads, stuffed bell-peppers and a family birthday party.

Learning:  I got my little accordion folder back out to keep track of the kids' school things (papers that have to be learned/signed/returned, flashcards, etc.)  I made some handwriting pages for Kolbe on this website.  I still use the Handwriting Without Tears method with him though (just with the regular lined paper they use at school), even though they use ZB at school (the letter formation is similar for the most part).  The HWT just makes sooooooo much more sense IMHO. I wish the school used it but oh well, I am pleased with what we are able to supplement at home.  Clement loves the Mat Man song and can build Mat Man all by himself while listening.  It is adorable.  I am so glad we purchased the wood pieces set for capital letters, it is a great manipulative.

Reading: I have started Farmer Boy with Kolbe at his request.  He didn't even want to read our own copy, he wanted one from the library, haha.  I am not sure it will keep his interest, but we are reading it in the van while we wait for Gemma at pickup so we'll see.  Almost finished with Rufus M. with all the kids and then we will read The Moffat Museum.  Gemma and I got to page 170 of Ginger Pye and it was just too scary for her, oh she likes it a bunch and wanted to go on but then she would get so freaked out by the "unsavory character" that I made the executive decision it was time to put it down.  We started First Farm in the Valley last night.  I think Ginger will be a great read aloud with all three kids here in a few years.  Clem's favorite book of late has been Press Here.  He loves being read to and will also sit and read it to himself, and oh how he giggles.  We read Angel int he Waters and On the Night You Were Born as part of Respect Life month, and we will also be reading Horton Hears a Who soon.  And since it is now October, I pulled out our (very own, squeal) copy of Too Many Pumpkins this past week.  That is probably in my top 10 list of favorite picture books.  LOVE it!  Both kids' teachers send e-newsletters in which they include a book title or two of what they've been reading in class, so I've been expanding on that by checking out said books plus other books by the same author or illustrator or whatever.  This week we have been enjoying a big stack of books by Don Freeman.  The kids took a particular liking to Earl the Squirrel. I have stunk at personal reading lately. I need to get back into it.

Watching: MLB postseason.  Gearing up for Gold Rush!

Bringing me joy: Snuggling with the kids.  "Dates" with Aaron after the kids are in bed or before they are up, or even the quiet time we have to visit on his day off when the kids are at school and Clem is playing on his own.  Tasty beer.  Good friends.  Fall flowers.  Cooking.  Having the deck door open on cool mornings and evenings. 

Thinking about: Oh, a lot of things.

Pictures to share: 

I have taken so few pictures of late, it is insane. Here are a few recent ones I took of the kids when we went to a party downtown last weekend.  We felt so classy.  ;-)

Journal: moving things around

TODAY

Out my window: Sunny and warm.  Same thing it has been for the past month.  HOWEVER, by the looks of the forecast we have one more day in the eighties and then autumn should arrive for real, complete with a few rainy days and one that doesn't get out of the fifties (so they say).  I am ready for the change.  I have mums and pansies on the deck, and another flowering plant that I got in the summer and it has really taken off these past few weeks.  Wish I kept the tag so I knew what it was...

Around the house: Well, I mentioned last week that after 13 months, Gemma seems to have gotten cold feet about sleeping in the basement.  Maybe it was the puking incident?  Maybe just the length of time not being in close proximity with the rest of us??  Who knows.  I need to quit analyzing it.  She spent a week on the floor in the boys' room, which worked out well enough but it definitely wasn't a good permanent solution, and there was no talking her into going back downstairs.  SOOOOoooooo, we decided to move her (temporarily, with the option of being permanent) back upstairs and into the "baby" room.  We would like to have another baby, but so far nothin' doin', so the room has just been sitting there empty.  For now we have moved some of the baby stuff out (sniff sniff) and all of her stuff up (I told her she could not keep things in both rooms) but she is just sleeping in a sleeping bag on the floor.  We don't have an extra twin bed, and the room is too small to move her queen into.  We're not opposed to buying another twin but I want to know for sure that she intends to stay upstairs before I do that, so we're going to give it a month or two. And if we have another baby...well...we'll figure it out.  I am in a little bit of a quandary about the bathroom situation, she had been using the bathroom downstairs, but still needs help with things like doing her hair, turning the shower on, and not showering for 45 minutes.  So it is a lot of up and down (for me and her), especially now that she's not rooming down there.  So I am weighing my options.

 

The kiddos: Meh, the usual.  Nothing standout really besides aforementioned bedroom drama.  They have Thursday and Friday off school this week, so everyone is looking forward to a Friday on a Wednesday!!

In the kitchen: Aaron got a new smoker (his was falling apart, he literally poked a hole through the bottom of the smoke box the other day).  What he got was quite an upgrade (bigger, heavier gauge steel, etc.)  He took it on its inaugural voyage yesterday and mmmmm YUMMY!  I am really excited for him, smoking is something he has come to enjoy and is really good at.  He has his sights set on a brisket this fall.

This week:
goulash and steamed carrots
honey sriracha chicken bites
family dinner
smokey hamburgers for guests
something with cod maybe?
The farther out I get, the vaguer I am this week.

Learning: School is in full swing, so we are just keeping up and reading lots of books at home.  

Reading: With the super-dee-duper-blood-harvest-whatever-else-moon (which my kids did not stay up late enough to see, but they watched it rise and heard about the eclipse), we read Kitten's First Full Moon (LOVE this one), By the Light of the Harvest Moon and Possum's Harvest Moon.  Here are some fall-faves in our book basket this past week.

Watching: MLB.

Bringing me joy:  the papal visit: following it via Facebook, TV and reading articles was pretty cool.  The upcoming cool-down.  Having all my babies sleeping upstairs again. Laughing with Aaron about dumb stuff. 

Thinking about: We bought some fair-trade coffee at Sams the other week.  It is very tasty.  And I will be honest, we bought it more for the fact that it is good coffee than the fact that it is fair trade, but the fair-trade thing has me (Aaron too) thinking.  It would be nice if more stores (clothing comes right to mind) offered fair-trade items and really marketed them as such.  I know the coffee story kind of makes me sound lame, but seriously, I would spend a couple bucks more per item if I knew the clothing (or whatever else) I was buying was made or farmed or whatever by someone who was given a fair living wage for their work.  OK, end rant. 

Pictures to share:  

A couple pics of Gemma's new digs. It is a work in progress (and probably will be for the foreseeable future).

Journal: Autumn?

TODAY

Out my window: Cloudy, moist and on the warm side of mild.  It was fairly Autumn-like the past weekend, but overall it has still been very warm.  Highs in the 80s (approaching 90 some days) and lows in the 60s or even 70s.  We've left the window open a couple nights which is nice, but it definitely does not really feel like Fall yet, even if the slanty sunlight and shorter days are making it look like Fall. On the deck I have a mum and a few pansies, and the rest of my summer potted plants have seen their better days.

Around the house: I am really liking my microfiber rags, and think that the general purpose and window ones should be enough for about any task I have.  Lots of cooking to start the week (more on that below).  The kids are off school today and have had a GREAT day just playing with each other around the house and outdoors, which is very welcomed after a very angsty day yesterday in anticipation of the annual parish picnic (they woke up at 6am asking if it was time to go yet).  Recently (past 6ish months) they have been getting along SO well and I just love watching them together.  I am so glad they have each other.

 

The kiddos:  Well, about two weeks ago Gemma woke up sick during the night and called us and apparently we didn't hear her the first time so she came up the stairs and then puked on the carpet right in front of the bathroom door.  This was very very traumatic for her, and for the entire duration of her sickness she was terrified that she would puke during the night again.  Well, since getting better she has been getting needier and needier at bedtime ("just lay with me ONE more song, just a LITTLE bit longer"), and she has been waking up anywhere between 4-6am and needing someone to come lay with her.  Not the worst thing in the world, she has a queen bed, but still...  Then over the weekend she completely refused to sleep in her bed and slept on the floor in the boys' room.  She told us it's not fair, the boys have each other, and daddy and I have each other and she is all alone  And she makes a very valid point.  Even so, I am a little at odds as to what to do.  She did very well in the boys' room, and even helped Clem fall asleep last night, but still...  I am hoping that this will just blow over and we will be back to normal, but I'm not terribly optimistic.  I just don't get it though, she's had her own bedroom for over a year now and this is the first time we've had issues.  I guess maybe the puking episode was just that traumatic.  I feel badly for her and wish I knew how to make it better.

Kolbe, oh my he can be so intense and impulsive.  Sometimes it takes every ounce of patience I possess to make it through and I still look back and am ashamed at how I handled myself.  But yet I remember not so long ago Gemma being the same way (well, different, but the same) and now she has grown up soooooooo much and so many of the problems that were huge issues with her are just not even on the radar anymore.  Aaron and I were talking about this last night.  Parenting your oldest is so hard, everything is new.  It's so different with subsequent kids.  Still hard, but there is light at the end of the tunnel my friends.  Kolbe is a little more chill about school now that the newness has worn off, but he still seems to like it.  We have conferences end of next week, so I am really looking forward to talking with his teacher and seeing how she thinks he is doing.

Clem.  Oh I am so glad to have my little buddy to hang out with me in the mornings when the big kids are gone.  He is so fun.  Instead of saying, "thank you for _______,"  he says, "thanks you to _________."  "Thanks you to making me muffins for snacktime."  "Thanks you to buying me my basketball shirt."  Stuff like that.  It is so adorable.  When he is carrying something he doesn't want to drop (perler beads come to mind of late), he repeats over and over, "careful, caaaaaareful," and if he waits too long to make it to the bathroom he yells, "hurry, hurry hurry," over and over on his way back to the toilet.  He cracks me up.  Last night he woke up at 3am crying, haaaaard, because someone took his blue donut.  It took me about 10 minutes to calm him down.

In the kitchen:  

Today: a big batch of stroganoff for us/Father.  I love this recipe, the wine makes it taste sooooo good.  I always add a chopped onion and instead of the flour I make a roux.  We will have steamed green beans and applesauce on the side.  I also made some pumpkin bread today.  I've made this recipe twice, using an entire can of pumpkin and leaving out the banana.

Tuesday: crispy chicken salads.  We don't buy many convenience foods, but the crispy chicken tenderloins from Sams are so good and the ingredient list isn't half bad.  (andtheyaresoeasy)

Wednesday: honey chicken, wild rice, steamed broccoli and cauliflower

Thursday: hamburgers.  Aldi is out of their whole wheat buns for the season (sad day, and bread takes up too much room in the freezer to store), but Aaron found some on sale at the other grocery store 4 packs for $4 (they are usually about $3.50 a piece).

Friday: vegetable tortellini (thanks Mlada!)

Learning: Mainly school stuff.  I am trying to be very intentional about taking the kids' lead when they are interested in something at home (Kolbe loves science experiments, Gemma likes making books about things...she is on the hunt for information about flowers currently).  Lots of reading together.  Gemma and I are trying to go to weekly Eucharistic Adoration (for about 10-15 minutes) and then we do a little Catechism lesson together from our Jesus and I book. I am very pleased with the religion she is learning at school as well.  They are covering a lot.

Gemma is doing Little Flowers Girls Club this year (for the next four years actually).  She was sick the day of her first (monthly) meeting :-( but we did the lesson together at home and I am so excited for the year!  It has inspired me to get PACE back out, as it will weave in nicely with her Little Flowers topics.

Reading: Meh, I have been kind of lax on any personal reading lately.  Morning Prayer and Saints of the Roman Calendar as it applies.  Trying for daily Bible reading/meditation.  I go in spurts where I do better and where I don't.  With the kids: Rufus M. with all the kids and Ginger Pye with Gemma.  I can tell "Unsavory" is making her juuuuust a little scared, but not enough to stop reading it.  So many good picture books...Gemma requested that I get Violet Comes to Stay and Violet Goes to the Country again.  She told me she is going to write to the author and tell her to make more Violet books.  All three kids really like Eric Carle, and in the basket now is Pancakes! Pancakes! and A House for a Hermit Crab.  Life Size Zoo was an awesome library pickup, and Clement can't get enough of Ten Apples Up on Top.   I also have a stack of books about apples in the basket, and a stack of Autumn books ready to pull out here later this week.  OHHHHH there are some good Fall books.  I am so happy that we now have our very own copies of Fletcher and the Falling Leaves and Too Many Pumpkins.  I am seriously giddy about reading these books (nerdy much?).

Watching: MLB mainly.  We watched a little bit of the Republican Debate on CNN the other night.  OHHHHH Donald....  And people, PEOPLE!!!!  The Gold Rush Alaska season premiere is OCTOBER 16th!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Bringing me joy: Reading with the kids.  Nice weather and lots of time outdoors.  Hanging out just me and Clement in the mornings.  He is so very #three these days, but when it is just me and him and we are not on a super tight schedule it is so much easier to be patient.  When all three kids are off playing and it is just me and Aaron hanging out and talking about anything and everything under the sun. Those are good times, such good times.  My life is very good.

Thinking about: Faith. Trust. Prayer. Abandonment. My relationship with God.  Whether or not to attend the upcoming library book sale.  Other stuff...

Pictures to share:  

Love.

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: June and a Summer slowdown

TODAY

Out my window:  Sunny and warm.  Today is the first time I've run the air conditioner before evening.  This has been the longest stretch (5 days?) we've had without rain for awhile.  There's been about a 20% chance every day but we seem to be out of the super rainy pattern.  I tell you, it's either feast or famine around here with the weather.  We've had some very pretty mornings and evenings, but the days are definitely getting warmer.

Around the house: Meh, not much.  It's been pretty low-key around here (see below).  The kids have been doing some really creative playing though with Gemma being out of school and that's been fun to see.  Sometimes I feel like I am so at my wits' end with them, and that they always fight, and can't entertain themselves etc. etc. etc., so these days when they play for hours, HOURS together and work through their squabbles on their own make me realize that life really is pretty good in our little corner of the world.

 

The kiddos:  All three kids currently have Hand, Foot and Mouth disease.  Joy.  Gemma has had it since last Thursday evening, though we didn't know for sure that's what it was until she came up to me Sunday morning (she had been fever free since Friday PM and was acting fine) while we were (frantically) getting ready for Church and said, "what are these funny spots on my hands?"  NOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!  Needless to say we ended up splitting Masses that day.  The boys both came down with it within the past 24 hours, so we are still quarantined for 10+ days.  Good times.  We had to miss VBS, reschedule swim lessons and Gemma is missing out on a friend's birthday party this coming weekend.  Sigh.  Trying really hard to make the best of it.  A neighboring parish is letting our kids come to their VBS in several weeks though so that's a real bright spot.  After the initial fever, Gemma has felt fine and been her normal self, which is good and bad.  I am glad she doesn't feel super sick, but it is hard being cooped up in the house when you feel fine.  They can still play out in the yard, and we've let them do a little fishing behind the house as long as no one else is around.  We will probably OD on TV today since both boys have fevers and are definitely feeling more under the weather, although currently the kids are making life-size replicas of themselves on big white paper with seemingly every craft supply we own.  Hopefully the boys' cases are as mild as Gemma's has been.  Still waiting for their spots to appear.

In the kitchen: This week:

Dijon chicken with boiled potatoes and steamed green beans

homemade beef, pepperoni and mushroom pizza

French dips with WW sourdough, au jus and broccoli salad

vegetable tortellini

I need to work on next week's meal plan...shredded Mexican chicken is tentatively on the menu, we'll see what else I come up with.

Learning: I have not been forcing the issue.  There are more educational activities I would like to be doing, but it is also nice to not have WWIII over a math facts worksheet.  The kids all have summer  journals and we are trying to write in them daily.  We've done a lot of reading.  Our "routine" that I made up before summer started seems to be a pretty good fit.  I will be anxious to jump back in fully the week after next when we are un-quarantined.

Reading: The usuals.  My Theology class only has three more sessions and I will be finished up with that!  Hard to believe!!  It has been a great year; I have learned sooooo much.  The kids and I decided to do a "theme" each week for library books, so this week (among others) we have a whole pile of books about chickens.  I hope to discuss these further in my next Read Aloud Thursday post.  As far as chapter books go, reading The Moffats with all the kids, and The Courage of Sarah Noble with Gemma at bedtime.

Watching:  Baseball, River Monsters, an episode of Good Eats here and there.  Honestly nothing of note.

Bringing me joy: prayer.

Thinking about: forgiveness.

Pictures to share:

Birthday wishes to one of our favorite readers!!

Saying farewell to our dear neighbor.  SO sad to see them go.

Journal: almost Easter

TODAY

Out my window: Sunny and cool, but we have some hot days in the forecast (mid-upper 80s) and looks like it will be favorable weather on Easter!

Clothing myself in: jeans, blue tank, pink T, grey cardi, my hair hasn't been washed in mumble mumble mumble days and I'm looking forward to getting it trimmed this afternoon!

Around the house: Once the kids are in bed tonight I will put the rest of our Lenten items away and get out our Easter candles, flowers, window clings etc.  That is always an exciting transformation.  I ordered some art! after agonizing over it for close to six months.  I ended up with a 12x16 (that I will matte and frame in a 16x20 frame) of The Presentation in the Temple, and an 8x10 (matted and framed in an 11x14 frame) of Mater Boni Consilii.  So excited!  I still don't have a definite spot for the one of the Blessed Virgin, but it was a good price and so beautiful.  I will find somewhere.

The baby/toddler:  Got his own fishing pole this week.  We had a minor setback when Kolbe got it stuck in a tree (don't ask) but he loves it.  It just has a little rubber fishy (read: no hook) on the end and he is learning to cast (sort of) but man he thinks he is big stuff. 

 

The kiddos: Gemma has a four-day weekend for Easter.  Yesterday was a little tenuous.  Today has been better.  Kolbe has his last day of speech this coming week.  Can't believe we are down to the last seven weeks of school!

In the kitchen: This morning we had hot cross buns for breakfast, that Gemma made with her grandma yesterday.  Easter feasting with both our families tomorrow. Next week,
Monday: shepherd's pie and steamed broccoli.  Making a Cherry Cream Pie for the Fathers.
Tuesday: crispy chicken salads
Wednesday: crock pot shredded pesto chicken, whole wheat pasta and sauteed green beans
Thursday: grilled meat of some sort and Friday: maybe leftovers?

Crafting: I've got nothin'.

Learning:  This morning we counted our Lenten alms.  I am so excited about what we are doing with them this year!!  Gemma's school has snack sales on a semi-regular basis, where one (or several) classes bring snacks and all the school kids get to bring a quarter and "shop" for snacks.  The last and next sale, they are doing what is called a "virtual snack sale" instead, and the kids bring money but instead of shopping for food, it is being sent to a mission our church is affiliated with in Guaymas, Mexico, where a gentleman from the US has moved down there and has a little snack-shop of sorts for the kids to come and eat, play, etc.  This money will allow him to buy more food and especially milk (which is a rare treat) for the kids in Guaymas.  SO cool!  So we are sharing our Lenten alms with them.  Also in our alms jar the kids put their purple beads for sacrifices and acts of love done throughout Lent.  This morning I cut out a white foam cross and the kids glued their purple beads on the cross.  We talked about how all those acts were deeds that we do to "work out our salvation", but we can't do it on our own, so the white cross is the part that God makes up for what we cannot do ourselves.  It was really neat.  I have always struggled with how to tie in the sacrifice beads at the end of Lent, and this just came to me this morning kind of spur of the moment and it worked out so well.  We will do it again next year.  I will keep the cross in our prayer corner during the Easter season as a tangible reminder of our salvation.   

Reading: the usuals.  I finished Saints: A Closer Look and am planning to jump back into Introduction to the Devout Life.

Watching: we have a new Survivorman: Bigfoot on the DVR that we are looking forward to watching and some special beer for an Easter beer date!

Bringing me joy: Holy Week and the coming Easter season.

Thinking about: Redemption.

Pictures to share:  

Dying Easter eggs this morning.

The boys with their fishing poles.  We sure do love fishing around here.