Seven Quick Takes: the once a month blogger

Well, apparently I only blog once a month now...  And I don't foresee that getting any more frequent once school/work starts.  But, since I know at least one person reads this.........

1. Let's see....where to start?  June was a "busy" month.  And by "busy," I mean enough to keep us out of trouble, but not so much that we were running around like crazy headless chickens. Kolbe has had one baseball practice/game per week, we had a week of Art Camp, a week of VBS, two weeks of swim lessons and Gemma will have weekly tumbling in July.  Things are just now slowing down (read: summer is getting a little long in the tooth) which has had me questioning my sanity, ability to parent effectively (or at all), and whose kids are these anyways?!! The past week was horrible awful really rough, but things will get better.  I'm sure.  Or maybe oblivious.  Or more likely just in denial.  Man, parenting is hard.  The end.

   

   I like how it looks like the frog is going to eat Kolbe's head in this picture.
   I'm such an awesome photographer..

2. Teaching.  I am getting so excited to get back in the classroom!  When I first signed my contract I vacillated between excitement and terror.  It was a horrible roller coaster, and my poor husband had to endure every swing of emotions along with me.  One minute I was excitedly thinking and talking about all the great things the year would bring, the next I was having to breathe my way through a full-on panic attack over "what on earth did I get myself into when I signed that paper?!!!??!"  I am (thankfully) over that phase, have leveled out, and am very optimistic about what the year will hold for all of us.  We'll enjoy this next month, but I am ready to settle into our new normal (and get my kids back into the wonderful, beautiful structure that school brings to our days) once August comes.
3. Speaking of panic attacks...I have to have four college hours by the time I renew my actual license next summer (I was hired on a transitional license).  Being the over-achiever I am, I decided to take care of all these hours this summer, with one one-day workshop (1 credit hour) and a month-long online course (3 credit hours) through our local Catholic university.  The one day workshop was easy-peasy and had me feeling really good about the three-hour online course. Over-confident even (you know what they say about pride...) HA! Because then the online course started.  And in a fit of terror, tears, and every other negative emotion known to man (ask Aaron), I firmly conceded, threw in the towel, waved the white flag and said, "there's no way I can take this class. I am quitting."  Seriously.  It's kind of embarrassing looking back, especially considering the fact that within 36 hours of my, errr, episode, I had completed the material for the first quarter of the course load.  So yeah.  That.  I will be glad to have the hours out of the way here at the end of the month.
4. Kolbe really seems to be taking off with baseball.  His batting is still a little rough, but his fielding, throwing, catching, etc. have improved by leaps and bounds over the last month.  He definitely has some natural athleticism and seems to really enjoy baseball.  I love watching him more than I ever thought I would!!  He was actually asked to play on a more competitive team/league next year, so we are considering the pros and cons of that.  As our kids get older I think it will always require continual discernment, trying to navigate that balance between family time and activities that will allow our children to foster their likes and talents as well as a love for and commitment to their family as they grow into young adults.  Did I mention that parenting is hard?

   

   That's my boy!!!

5. What's cooking here?  Aaron is smoking a brisket today!  He did one over Memorial Weekend and it turned out soooooooo good, so we are all (including the guys at the rectory) looking forward to a repeat performance!  Planning to make a potato casserole and some broccoli salad to go along with it.  Other than that, chicken tetrazzini is the only other "big" item on my menu for the week.  I made stromboli last week and that's always a hit.  Lots of salads this summer.  Made a big batch of waffles this morning with one of my favorite Alton Brown recipes.  I am getting stacked up on frozen, mashed bananas so I see some banana bread in the near future.  Also, ALSO, I think I finally nailed my cheesecake, by dropping the eggs from 3 to 2 in my 9" spring form.  Totally the texture I have been aiming for, so that was a fun win!!
6. Tomorrow is the Fourth of the July!  The kids are so excited!!  So far we have been rained-out both times we've tried to light fireworks, and Kolbe has been begging to light more this morning since 7am.  On a Sunday?  Um, no.  Our neighbors amazingly still seem to kind of like us so I'd like to keep it that way.  I told him 10am, and he has asked me every five minutes since then how much longer.  Did I mention there is more rain in the forecast?  But things can only get better from here, right?  Shhhhhh, don't tell me otherwise.

   

   So excited about their stash!! 
   And then it thundered and started pouring.

7.  We did manage a few sparklers.  In the rain.  Happy Fourth, everyone.  Be sure to check in with other SQT over at This Ain't the Lyceum!

Those eyes!!!

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: sickies, it was bound to happen (alternately titled "come on spring")

TODAY

Out my window: sunny and the weekend and early next week are supposed to be gorgeous.  Almost Spring, right?  Right??

Clothing myself in: The same thing I have worn for the past 3? more?? days.  Yeah.

Around the house: Sickies. Gemma came up last Sunday night about 10:30 and told Aaron she didn't feel well.  It has been pretty much same story, second, third, fourth verse ever since.  Luckily we only had one puker, and she only puked once.  Mainly lethargy and fevers.  Gemma missed Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday school.  I kind of felt badly not sending her back Wednesday afternoon, but alas she went back Thursday.  And Friday.  And then I picked her up Friday afternoon and she was tired and cold and weak and came home and crashed on the couch to the tune of an almost 104 fever.  Come on!!  Clem got hit the lightest, he was only feverish for one day and has been fine since.  Kolbe got hit last but seems to be pretty much recovered now.  But then, so did Gemma.  Sigh.  Our last round was a year ago January, so we were due I suppose.  Even so.  Come. On. Spring.

 

The baby/toddler: He is funny.  He loves playing games from our game closet.  Trouble and Connect 4 are favorites. He will sit and pop the Trouble bubble and move the little pawns to different spots, yelling, "I'm winning!  I'm winning!" all by himself.  It's pretty funny.  He also likes to pack up his backpack with random toys and other things and wear it around all day.  Or push his things around the house in his shopping card.  Lately he is adamant that he wears his shoes all day every day, often his hat as well.  There are only a few shirts that he really likes, on the days those aren't clean it is a tough sell getting him dressed.  He can take himself to the bathroom completely on his own now.  He shimmies up on the toilet backwards and shimmies right back down when he's done.  Sometimes his underwear are on backwards and inside out, and his shoes are on the wrong feet about 50% of the time, but if he wants to do it himself I am all for that.  He is completely weaned, hasn't nursed since my last blog post.  Hasn't even asked.  I figured weaning him would be a little more difficult, he really liked nursing, but I suppose he was ready to be done.  First time I haven't been nursing or pregnant (or both!) since before I was pregnant with Gemma.  Ages and stages. 

 

The kiddos:  Like I said, Gemma has spent most of the week sick.  I was encouraged though, from my kid whose favorite activity is *not* going to school, the first thing she said when she realized she was sick Monday morning and wasn't going to school was, "but it's PE day.  I'll have to miss PE."  And something else, though I don't remember what it was now.  Sometimes I wonder if she likes school more than she lets on.  She has a "best friend" now, and this makes me smile.  She never really clicked with anyone last year, and that had me just a wee bit concerned.  Because I like to worry.  But she has made good friends with a sweet little first grade gal in her class from a wonderful family, so that makes me happy for her.  I don't want her to be the most popular or have the most friends, those things don't matter, but I did really want her to find at least one good friend, and she has.  God is good.  

Kolbe.  Kolbe Kolbe Kolbe.  Kolbe has been my tricky one lately.  I don't know if it's growing pains or his age or what, but he has just been a ticking time bomb the past 2-3 weeks.  And when he gets set off it is just a matter of weathering the storm, which can last anywhere from 10 minutes to two hours.  Usually on the longer end.  I do not kid.  We have figured out some triggers, and removing those has helped, but even so oh this is more trickeration than I was looking to deal with.  Sigh.  Parenting.  It ain't for the faint of heart. 

In the kitchen: Hmmm, this past week I made quesadillas and creamy tomato tortellini, cornbread and bacon stuffed pork chops, salads (with crispy chicken for us, a side dish for the pork chops for "The Fathers" as we've dubbed them), and French dips with whole grain sour dough (from the store) and green beans.  Because you have to serve green beans with French dips, didn't you know?  Next week is grilled meat (with mashed potatoes/cauliflower and steamed asparagus for TF), something TBD, spaghetti with meat sauce and roasted broccoli and cauliflower, fish a la foil and my dear hubby is planning to make sushi today.  Oh, and we bought our first cantaloupe of the season, but haven't cut into it yet, so the jury is still out.  Along with being ready for Spring weather, I am ready for all the fresh fruit that will come with the season change as well.

Crafting: no.

Learning:  We've read a few books this week.  And watched dozens (I do not kid) of hours of television.  Because TV is educational right?  It is pretty much the only thing we do when we are sick around here.  I have offered to read to Gemma and for the most part she hasn't even been up to that.  Spring will come. (Spring will come, Spring will come, Spring will come.)

Reading: My Theology is about the only thing I've gotten to this week.  Oh, and I got a new Bible and am beginning the process of incorporating regular Bible reading/meditating (starting with the Gospels) into my day.

Watching: Keeping up with Gold Rush.  A friend loaned as The Lego Movie (if you click the link it will take you to a great website that reviews movies as well as books I am told) so we will probably watch that soon.  Since we obviously have not watched enough television of late.

Bringing me joy: Reading from my new Bible.  Dear friends.  Snuggling Clem.  Gemma falling asleep on my lap.  Kolbe's apologies.  As tenacious and difficult as he can be, he is always very apologetic and remorseful.  Which helps.  (Looking for the silver lining here, people.)

Thinking about: lots of things.

Pictures to share:  

Fun at the school's annual "Read Night".  Look at those happy faces.  It is fun to let the kids splurge and eat things we don't normally buy or eat once in awhile. Even though we had to bring Kolbe his own food, at least we were able to find some suitable substitutes.  Clement must have been looking at some other camera.  Two for three ain't bad.

12 ways I'm trying *not* to be the meanest mom in the world

I recently stumbled upon the article 12 Ways to be the Meanest Mom in the World.  While I actually agreed with virtually all the points the author made, I thought the way the article was framed was awful.  Yes, I want my children to learn responsibility for themselves and their actions.  Yes, I want them to learn independence and confidence and all those other good traits.  But children are children.  They are people, but they are not miniature adults, and I don't feel like it is right or responsible for me, as their mother, to treat them as such.

As a Catholic mother, the "mean-mom badge of honor" is just not something for which I am striving.  The "us-against-them" mentality when it comes to parenting really grates on me.  No, I certainly don't think it is my job to be my kid's BFF, but I like to think it is important for them to know that, no matter what, I am on their side.  That I am here to help them when no one else will be.  That my job description is something more along the lines of tenderly guiding them through experiencing the emotions and realities of life versus standing on the sidelines and watching them fail, all in the name of teaching responsibility and independence.  So I am taking the same concepts, re-titling, re-framing, and giving you 12 ways I'm trying not to be the meanest mom in the world.

1. Establish healthy sleep-routines from an early age, so your children learn to listen to their bodies and recognize their needs
   Good sleep is important.  A child who lives in a home with an established bedtime/naptime routine (at generally the same time each day, give or take) will not generally balk at bedtime.  Sure there are holidays and vacations and such where routines get out of whack, but then can the child really be blamed for "off" behavior?  Think about the last time you spent several days eating bad food and getting too little sleep.  If your mood wasn't very good, is it really reasonable or fair to expect more from a child than you expect from yourself?  Bedtimes will occasionally be rough, and your kids may need more from you on these nights.  If a child learns from an early age that sleep is a good, healthy thing, he will be much more likely to see entering into sleep as a desirable thing.  Seriously, my two-year-old comes to me at roughly the same time each morning and says, "I ready nap."  A child who is forced to bed at random times with no routine and no explanation as to why will likely balk.  As a child, and later in life as well.
2. Make family mealtime and healthy eating an important part of each day
   Mealtime is such an important time for families.  At the dinner table we nourish not only our bodies but our spirits!  Make after-meal treats something special for which to look forward.  Mark them on your calendar.  Only have them on Feast days or weekends.  Show your kids the importance of healthy eating, and that treats are really something special.
3. Empower your children to be savvy savers, spenders and givers and teach them the difference between "needs" and "wants"
   When you are a kid, your parents typically buy you everything you need.  Sometimes kids need a gentle reminder of this.  Birthdays and Christmas are exciting times to get things you need and possibly want as well!  Maybe your mom or dad even picks up a special surprise on occasion for no reason.  What a neat way to speak to a child's potential love-language!  When your son or daughter is old enough to begin learning that money has value, talk to them about saving, spending and giving.  Give them some proportions with which to work (it is 50-40-10 respectively at our house).  Point out the things that you buy for them so they can live comfortably (pants and shirts, groceries and warm jammies in the winter!).  Encourage your child to save for something they really want!  How satisfying it must be for them when they make that purchase all on their own!  Be excited with them.
4. As your child grows up, he or she slowly grows into more personal responsibility as well
   Growing up is hard work.  Sometimes your child may forget her homework or library books.  Maybe he doesn't like his teacher.  This can be really disappointing and tough to handle when you're seven.  Or eleven.  Or thirty-four.  Make sure he knows that you're on his team.  People make mistakes.  "Son, you must have felt awful when you realized you'd forgotten your books.  What do you think you could do to help you remember them in the future?"  Brainstorm a little bit together.  Maybe he can put a little reminder on the calendar or chore chart in his room to help remember in coming weeks.  Find some cool stickers or bright markers he can use to write the reminders himself.  If they don't like their teacher, empathize with this tough situation.  Sometimes we have to work with difficult people, that can be a tough reality to grasp for anyone.  We can teach our kids responsibility and lessons without rubbing their nose in the proverbial pile of poop.  They are children.  They are still learning how to be adults.
5. When going gets tough, be your child's coach not her critic
   There is no ruder awakening than getting to adulthood and realizing you have no idea how to do something.  Chances are if you come to a seemingly insurmountable task as an adult (I'm thinking about the first time I visited the meat department at the grocery store as a young-married), you'll ask someone to show you how to do it (not to do it for you, hopefully!)   As your children get older, expect them to do hard things!  Let them know you have confidence in them.  If they fail or don't understand, you'll be there to troubleshoot with them so they can do better next time.  It's a process, a lifelong one.
6. When your child learns to tell time, he or she should also be ready for some of the responsibilities that go along with time telling
   When my daughter moved into her own bedroom at 6.5 years, we bought her her own alarm clock.  She was so excited!  I showed her how to set it and she felt so grown-up having a piece of electronics that was her own and something for which to be responsible.  I have yet to get her up in the morning.  She was ready for this responsibility and readily embraced it.  Independence is something into which a child emerges and eventually embraces (with our gentle help and guidance of course).  It is not something to be arbitrarily forced.
7. There is value in simplicity
   Your child doesn't always need the latest and greatest electronics, etc.  Neither do you.  Teach by example.  Your children will probably listen to this better than your words anyways, and it won't be such a shock to their systems when they get to their teen years and don't always have the latest and greatest gadgets if you don't either.
8. Be there for your child when he experiences loss
   This one really goes hand-in-hand with #4.  I don't have a whole lot more to add so see above.
9. Teach self control
   If a TV show or video game is inappropriate, tell your child.  Explain why.  Teach them how to see these red-flags for themselves when viewing media, and what to do when they come across them.  A controlled child never learns to self regulate when you're not around to control them.  Teach them why they shouldn't jump off the bridge, not just that they shouldn't.
10. Show them the importance of apologizing for their actions... 
    ...and teach them how.  Apologizing doesn't always come naturally for kids...or adults.  It's handy to have some tools in your belt.  To that note, I really liked this perspective.
11. Model manners
    I agree, one catches more flies with honey than vinegar.  To me there is a disconnect between the author making this statement and the tone of her article as a whole. 
12.  Families help each other out
    Why do we do chores?  Because families help each other out.  Why might I ask you to do something out of the blue that needs to be done?  Because families help each other out.  Why are we going over to grandma's to rake leaves?  Because families help each other out.  Not because you are my God-given slave labor.  Not because I am mean and want to make you suffer.  Not because I am going to bribe you with money or because I am lazy and don't want to do it myself.  Families help each other out.  Plain and simple.  

And because I'm not trying to counter-balance my meanness, the need for excessive praise and rewards seems null or at least over-stated.  I really do believe the author of this article had her heart in the right place.  She wants to raise kids who are responsible, respectful, self-sufficient and generally pleasant to be around as kids and as adults.  Who doesn't?  It's her method -- or at least her mindset -- that I find flawed.  In what other relationship do we consider meanness an attribute?  In fact, I would argue that with the advent of the mean-girl persona, more people than ever are going out of their way to encourage the opposite of meanness.  Why strive for it in motherhood?  Yes, there are times that my children think I am mean, I won't argue that, but I'm not going out and looking for those opportunities, and I certainly don't  rejoice in them.  Rather, I look at it as a reminder to reconnect, reassess, and make sure I am taking the time and effort needed to build and maintain a healthy, loving relationship with my child.  Our children are people too, young people (not miniature adults) who have so much to learn about life.  I hope that when they are grown they will look back and think, "wow, my mom sure worked hard to help me learn and grow," and not, "man, she was mean."

Journal: Autumn, books, and babies wearing headlamps

TODAY

Out my window:  Beautiful Autumn day.  Fall has finally found its stride.

Clothing myself in:  Darkish denim jeans, a fuchsia tank with a black fleur de lis on the front and a black half-length sleeved cardigan/shrug.

Around the house: I went through our boxes of Christmas decos and consolidated things quite a bit.  There were a handful of decorations that we've accumulated through the years that either a.) we've never used, or b.) have no sentimental meaning.  Those went.  Packed a few toys away that don't get played with regularly (just dumped out, haha) and have sold a few things on Facebook this past week (purse, Chuck the Truck and our old Christmas tree is PPU). 

 

The baby/toddler: Oh he is so adorable.  I've had some one-on-one time with him on several occasions the past week and I love just being able to sit and soak up his cuteness.  It is funny, now that I have three kids, spending time with only one makes me wonder how I ever thought I was busy when I only had one kid.  Perspective.

 

The kiddos:  Kolbe and his daddy had their big fishing trip that they have been planning for months yesterday.  Only they got there to find out that trout season has apparently changed since the last time Aaron fished trout years ago, and now it doesn't start until November 1.  So there was a little disappointment for both of them, but they did some exploring and had a picnic and tossed their lines in a bit and caught a few other fish so the day wasn't a disaster or anything.  Just not what they were planning really.  I am so glad they had this time together!  They are looking forward to hopefully actually fishing for some trout here in a few more weeks. 

Gemma has had her ups and downs lately.  Today I got a call from the school nurse saying she'd been in a few times today missing me.  I was really pleased with how the nurse handled it, and thought it was really nice to get a prompt phone call about it.  I asked if this has ever happened before and she said never.  I was glad the answer wasn't, "well, this has been going on for five weeks," or something.  Hopefully we can work through this.  She has been having some behavioral issues too (at home not school to my knowledge) that we've been trying to work through though so I wonder if everything is kind of related.  Prayers, please, that she can settle into school.  She had such a great second semester last year, I was really hoping we'd pick up where we left off.  Sigh.  Nothing is ever simple or straightforward.  Other than that, she is all things Gemma.  Writing and drawing up a storm as usual, always an idea for a new book.  She has had an author come talk at her school twice this year and she always gets really stoked about that.  She has started liking to chat with me about her school day while she showers, which is nice.  Sometimes I have other things to do, but it's important for me to stay and listen as she is not one to always open up much, especially about school.  

In the kitchen: This week was beef stew, Sesame Chicken and brown rice, Tacos, leftovers, and Fish Muffins tonight.  Next week we have meatloaf with probably potato and steamed broccoli sides, Chicken Enchiladas (if I make it to the tortilla place), Spaghetti and Meatballs with canned green beans, Baked Salmon (I plan to come up with something exciting or at least semi-interesting for side dishes) and Aaron is going to grill some steaks this weekend.

Crafting: I bought Halloween costumes for the boys?

Learning: We've read some really good books lately.  Today we finished The Story of Holly and Ivy as part of our monthly virtue study, and we've read some nice autumn-themed books as well. I am so grateful for library books and the Internet to aid me in my quest for good books.  We had some strong feelings about Scholastic book orders and after entirely too much rigamarole decided that we are going to skip the book orders entirely.  There was a little drama involved in this (understatement).  I'll spare you the details, but I let things die down a week or so and then talked with Gemma and told her I do like the idea of adding to our home library with good, quality books, so could she think of anything she'd gotten from the library that she really liked and of which she would like to own a copy.  We talked, and looked at this and that, and ended up ordering a nice, used, hardbound copy of Thundercake from Amazon. 

I've let Kolbe start having some computer time.  Sigh, it was bound to happen.  We seem to have reached a happy medium with time he gets to spend (20-30 minutes 2 or 3 mornings a week) so I'm good with it.  OH technology.  I love you and I hate you.  

Reading: See above.  Still working my way slowly through "Peaceful Parent, Happy Kids", "The Hidden Power of Kindness" and "Theology and Sanity" (for class) and I browsed through "The Little Oratory" as I was able to get a copy through inter-library loan.  About halfway through "The First Four Years" and "Therese" with Gemma.  I will be glad to finish these and pick something else up, for her sake, she seems to be ready for something fresh.  The last two Little House book haven't captivated her nearly as much as the others, and Therese seems just a hair above her.  See my Bookshelf tab for links to all those titles, too lazy to re-link.

Watching: Post-season baseball, baby.  New season of Gold Rush premieres tonight.

Bringing me joy: Autumn.  Good friends.  My kids.  Success I've been having in my struggle with a particular vice.  Confession and Spiritual Direction.  Our crazy life (for the most part).

Thinking about:  Stuff.

Pictures to share:  

Gemma at her school Living Rosary.  She got to hold a flower and participate!  (I should have forced the flash, but felt badly enough having my phone out in Church).

Kolbe (and his trusty side-kick) playing the Angry Birds game his teacher let him borrow.

Love this kid!

Seven very quick and random takes

Linking up with Jen at Conversion Diary again for Seven Quick Takes.  These will be random, and hopefully quick.  ;-)

1. Bought Clem a little potty-seat topper for the regular toilet instead of his potty-chair.  Too many poops getting dropped in the transfer (sorry if that was TMI).  It's time for poop to go directly in the big toilet.  We're also switching to Huggies Overnights after several nights of potty explosions in our Touch of Nature dipes (even after sizing up).  Here's to not washing the sheets every day!  OK, enough potty-talk...
2. The trees should bloom this week, I can't wait!!!  Love this time of year.
3. Clem has been skipping a nap every 2-3 days or so.  He seems awfully young to be dropping his nap (Gemma was past 4, and Kolbe was about 2.5), but he does fine (as long as we don't go anywhere in the car in the afternoon/evening).  Since we have early bedtimes here anyways it doesn't bother me a whole lot, it's just not worth fighting him to sleep.  Plus, on the days he does nap well bedtime can be difficult.  If there is one thing I have learned in six years of parenting it is that you can't make a child sleep.  That said, I kind of miss having a little break from him mid-day.  OH well, can't have it all. 
4. I have started meal-planning for breakfast (with the kids' help).  It was getting so hectic in the morning, trying to please everyone, waiting for everyone to decide what they wanted...and then change their minds.  After I had already made what they said they wanted.  BAH!  I sat down with the kids late last week and we planned a week out.  So far so good, and I am trying to have breakfast on the table before they are even up so that really cuts down on the morning crazies, which = a much happier mommy.
5. I have such a wonderful husband.  I am so glad we are a team.
6. I am reading (my purchased, used copy of) How To Talk so Kids Will Listen and Listen so Kids Will Talk.  I've checked it out from the library several times, read the first couple chapters, skimmed the rest, but never really read and took in the whole thing.  Plus, the first time I checked it out Gemma was all of 15 months I think and back then I already knew it all.  HA!    I am amazed at how practical it is, the communication advice it gives would be helpful in any relationship, not just the parent/child dynamic.
7. Sigh.  The laundry, the children, the homework, dinner, et al beckons.  LATER!!!

Journal: a rainy afternoon

The big kids are watching Clifford and the baby is napping on the loveseat (don't judge), so I think I will journal.

TODAY

Out my window:  It is rainy and cool outside, very late Fall looking and feeling.  I like it.  But I still dread winter.

Clothing myself in:  Jeans, tank, Old Navy sweatshirt.  Debating about some socks, it's getting chillier as the day goes on.

Around the house: Kitchen renovation is COMPLETE (aside from sealing the travertine backsplash which needs to be done towards the end of the week when the grout is done curing).  It took about 72 hours from start to finish, and while we didn't do any of the work ourselves Aaron did a great job playing contractor.  Everything went off without a hitch until the very end when Aaron and our tile guy were installing the over-mount microwave (those things are tricky) and one of the brackets fell into the inside of the microwave.  Thankfully Lowe's had another microwave in stock and let Aaron come and switch it out.  Other than that, everything went so very smoothly!  We are grateful and enjoying our "new" space immensely.  We are also enjoying homecooked meals again.  72 hours of carry-out left us with some hung.over. guts.  Oh my goodness...

 

The baby: Is sleeping.  By himself.  I don't care if it is on the couch.  He is NAPPING!  Of course, now he probably won't go to bed so easily or early.  He is a busy boy and likes to keep up with the big kids (a little too much probably). 

 

The kiddos:  

GEMMA has recently turned a corner, and many of the things that were huge struggles with her seem to have ironed themselves out more or less.  I'm not saying she doesn't still have her issues, but oh my we have taken many steps forward in the past month or so it seems.  It is refreshing.  She is really growing up.  I cannot believe she will be six in a couple months.

KOLBE has also turned a corner, but he seems to have turned the wrong way down a one-way street.  OH my has he been trying lately.  And by "trying", I do not mean trying to be good.  More like "trying" every ounce of patience that I have, and then borrowing from there.  Spitting, aggressiveness, not listening, throwing toys, not listening.  He keeps me on my toes (understatement of the century).  Guess he feels like he has to step it up now that things are going better with Gemma??  I don't know.  I am grateful that he is at least temporarily quiet and calm on the couch right now.  Thank you, Clifford.  Other than that I am just surviving each day, attempting to be peaceful and patient and loving, and trying to savor the times that he is my lovey, snuggly little guy (usually at bedtime). 

In the kitchen:  REAL FOOD!  WW spaghetti with beef/Italian sausage and lots of spinach and mushrooms last night, flounder tonight with some sort of side dishes TBD.  Not sure what Aaron is cooking on Thursday.  Salmon, fried rice and steamed broccoli.  Family dinner.  I should probably make more muffins now that we're up and running again, the kids love muffins. 

Crafting: Kolbe's space rocket costume last week!  I also performed surgery on a bra to remove the underwire.  That counts, right?  NO comments from the peanut gallery please (yes I'm talking to you U.J.). 

Learning:  Gemma has been practicing her November sight words and color words and I think will test on them soon.  Kolbe also has flashcards to do each day for speech, so I made the kids each sticker charts for the fridge and they put a sticker on each day when they've done their cards.  This seems to help everyone (me included) remember to do these important things each day! 

Reading: Prayer for Beginners (ILL, so I need to hurry) and The Faith Understood.  Trying to read a saint story each morning at breakfast with the kids for the month of November.

Watching:  Finished episodes I and II of Catholicism.  Enjoying the new season of Gold Rush!! and have a number of Pawn Stars on our DVR to catch up on.    

Bringing me joy:  A fun Halloween with the hubby and munchkins.  A new kitchen.  Kind people.  Rainy Tuesdays.  Autumn leaves.  A quiet afternoon with the baby (thanks mom!) when the kids were going nuts (another understatement) with workers in the house.  People who are uplifting and kind when my kids (ahemKOLBEahem) make Mass, um, challenging. 

Thinking about: Prayer.  And Low-flow toilets.  Does it really save water when you have to flush it three times?

Pictures to share: 

Matching brothers.

Food-for-Thought round-up: end of August

I need to clear my tabs...and my head.  In no particular order:

Time Magazine Asks: Who Needs Kids Anyway? - I thought the tone of this was a little judge-y, but seriously, the magazine cover is just shocking, sooooo....  The last line of the article was very poignant.

Ten Ways to Be Less Wasteful - I liked these, and some of them we already do.  I actually have a set of nine cloth napkins in progress.  And kind of along the same idea, 7 Ways to Sample Living With Less.

40 Maps That Will Help You Make Sense of the World - This was just cool.  And a little bizarre.

Duck Dynasty on Abortion, Adoption and Abstinence - Love these guys!!

12 Most Important Metrics for Your Child's Education - Yes.  Yes.

The Five Steps - This was a really simple reminder that I think sometimes my crazed-mommy-drowning-in-early-childhood self needs to remember.  Especially steps 1-4, probably work much better than ranting and raving, and, well, it was a long week last week.  This was just a really, really good re-focus.  

All Good Babies - The term "good baby" really bothers me (in the context in which it is normally used).  This lady gets it.  He is a baby. And therefore he is good.

10 Things I wish the Mainstream Media would get right about Parents who don't Follow the Recommended Vaccine Schedule - I am not looking to incite any battles or start any big thread-wars here, I just really appreciated this perspective on people who choose alternate vaccine schedules.

Here is a video about St. Kolbe.  I am actually just putting it here so I will remember to watch it sometime.  I pulled it up with the kids watching and then decided maybe I should watch it first to make sure it wasn't too much for them.  But we celebrated Kolbe's feast recently so we've read and seen several things about him of late.  Really an amazing saint with an amazing story.

That's all.

Food-for-Thought round-up: July 26

Emotional Security - This was just a good reminder.  Nothing earth-shattering, but I'm glad I read it.

Some thoughts on Humanae Vitae and NFP - I don't really want to start a big debate about this, I've witnessed enough Facebook threads on this topic of late to make my head spin.  SO many strong (and often misinformed) opinions, whew.  But this article (and I actually didn't read the whole thing) did provide some good information I thought.  And if you have never read Humanae Vitae, two words...read it.

Mercy and Confession - I am so grateful for the opportunity for regular confession and Spiritual Direction.  This article had some good, concise nuggets of wisdom about the Sacramental Grace we receive from Reconciliation.

Sexy Little Girls - Sigh.  I hate this trend.  I can hear my daughter telling me "we don't say 'hate' mommy," but this is an instance where I will unashamedly say it.  I got a Penney's ad in the mail the other day and I seriously couldn't tell what age the kids were in the ads because the style of clothing made them look so much older than they probably were.  It was just weird.  And I'm not even talking modesty strictly.  I mean, yes, modesty is an issue, but some articles of clothing, even if they are modest, are not intended for a five year old girl to wear.  I didn't completely identify with everything the author said (perchance it was her atheist perspective??)  but she made some good points.  

In the parenting category:

• Going Against a Toddler's Will - I liked this, especially the distinction between "soft" and "hard" rules.  So many parenting methods are so big on "consistency" no matter what, and that has always bugged me, as I do believe different things carry different weights, and also that you have to pick your battles sometimes depending on things like tiredness, hunger, etc. This was a good read.
• Truths About Consequences -  Some of the "consequence based" parenting styles I've seen and read about just seem so arbitrary to me.  This summed up my disdain for that approach to discipline quite succinctly.  I thought some of her model conversations were a little wordy and/or forced, and not exactly what I'd say, but I agree that consequences are often simply a euphemism for punishments, and that we teach our children much more effectively through our own example and secure relationships with them than through rewards and consequences.
• The Sweet Spot - I'm not there yet.  Not really even close.  But I liked this article a lot and thought maybe some of you out there could relate and appreciate it now.  Maybe I'll come back and read it here in 5-7 years....

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.