Seven Quick Takes...it's been awhile...

Well, it happened.  I went back to work and blogging went by the wayside.  I am not terribly bothered by this, but I would still like to have some semblance of record that we actually are alive and do things once in awhile, so alas it's time for an update.  Seven Quick Takes seemed the least intimidating... 

1. NEWS.  Big news!  The BABY kind of big news!!  WE HAVE A BABY ON THE WAY!!!!  (If you're friends with me in real life or on Facebook, which is probably most of you, you already know this.)  But yep, you read that right.  I went back to work and now we have a baby on the way.  Bwahahahaha.  But it's all so, SO SO good! God's hand was so obvious in the way my teaching job came about in the first place, I know this newest little one is just another part of His great plan.  Not mine.  Because slowly and surely, He is teaching me to quit planning ahead.
2. FALL PICTURES (see sidebar).  After a not-so-great experience last year with the pictures taken at school, we decided to just stick with Portrait Innovations exclusively for the kids' yearly professional pics (minus the sono shot.  obviously.)  I've always been pretty pleased with them and this year is no exception.  Gemma - 3rd Grade; Kolbe - 1st Grade; Clement - PreKinder; Baby - Coming This Spring!!!  We were going to do family pictures this Fall but now with being pregnant and the fact that they'd be out of date in six months, I'm up in the air.  I really don't want to do them in Spring because newborns change so quickly, but our most current one is 1.5 years old.  I don't know. Pictures stress me out...
   
3. PRESCHOOL. Three kids and this year is my first experience with preschool.  I had always sworn I would NEVER send a child to preschool.  I am learning that along with making long-term plans, I also need to eliminate the word "never" from my vocabulary.  Before the job even came about, I had the thought that Clem may benefit from a little more than he would be getting (being the only kid) at home this school year, but still wasn't thrilled about adding the expense of preschool to our budget.  When the job came about, and it overlapped nearly perfectly with the half-day, five-day-a-week preschool schedule at my school, it seemed like the obvious choice.  Clem's visit to the preschool room last spring was awful.  I bumped his head on a table when we were sitting down right after we got there, and he cried the whole time.  But I enrolled him anyways.  And all summer he seemed pretty stoked to be going to school like the big kids, but I was still a little nervous.  He went his first day and has never looked back.  Well, I take that back, he had one really rough day about 3 weeks in, but had no hesitation before that and has had none since.  And he doesn't just like it.  He LOVES it.  Talks about it ALL the time (which is new to me after a Gemma who maybe said two words about kindergarten the whole year, and Kolbe who says more but still not to the level that Clem shares). They do so much cool stuff...painting, cooking, play dough, shaving cream and salt letters...all the stuff that stresses me out at home because of the mess!  They sing and dance and go to recess and I think they've done like two worksheets the whole first 8 weeks.  We couldn't ask for a better setup. 
4. CONFERENCES. We had school conferences last week. The third graders had these little "Guess Who" things hung up in the hallway outside their room.  Didn't take long to nail Gemma's.  She was the only third grader whose favorite food was sushi.
5.  Good heavens, SEVEN?!  I seriously can't think of seven things to talk about right now.
6. PREGNANCY.  I'm 14 weeks this weekend.  This pregnancy has definitely been different.  The ickies didn't hit until like 8-9 weeks, and even then they weren't debilitating like I remember them being, (although I think working has helped keep my mind off of feeling yuck) they were still definitely there. The lack of/difference in "ick" was a little concerning at first (because I like to analyze every aspect of my life), but seeing that healthy babe on the sono screen was incredibly reassuring.  We're so excited!!!  Just the past week I've been feeling a little better, and less inclined to take a nap every waking moment, so that's been a plus.  And I haven't had too many food aversions (besides CheezIts, veggie dip, meatloaf and chicken tenders) but oh my have I had insanely intense cravings.  For the most random things (maybe because I like to watch foodie shows after the kids are in bed sometimes).  I still haven't gotten my Indian taco.  Sniff sniff.
7.  SATURDAY.  Saturday has taken on a glorious, amazing and magnificent meaning that it has never in my life possessed.  Between working and being pregnant, my Saturday mornings are like gold.  Sleep in. (Normally I find the idea of sleeping in repulsive, but this AM I didn't roll out of bed until 7:15.  SEVEN FIFTEEN!!!  That's like practically noon, people!)  Live in my jammies until, ahem, well, anyways...  Morning prayer.  Cup of hot tea (or coffee, which I have just again redeveloped a taste for after about a two month hiatus.  OHHHH coffee!!!!!)  Simple breakfast for the kids, or maybe a batch of waffles or something.  At our leisure.  Chores at my leisure.  Oh my word, I could write a whole book of Odes to Saturday Morning now. 

Well, I suppose that's all.  Check out more Quick Takes from the Catholic Blogging World over at This Ain't the Lyceum.  Happy October, everyone!  The way my record has been, I'll probably see you again in November.  :-)

Journal: preschool for Clem

TODAY

Out my window: nice. nice nice.  The deck door is open at 5PM letting fresh air in!!!  This has me so ready for Spring, but everyone I talk to seems to insinuate I'm crazy for not thinking we have more Winter ahead of us.  People!!  Whatever the case may be, I am very grateful for the outdoor play this little break in the cold weather has afforded us.  Winter (or the children) may not kill me after all.  We shall see...

 

Around the house: I decided it was time for Clem to start Letter of the Week preschool at home with me.  Both other kids started the September they were 3, but Clem is six months behind them with his Summer birthday and just didn't seem ready this past fall.  Lately, though, it has been apparent that he would probably get a lot out of it so I decided (semi on a whim) this past Monday to go for it and he really loves it so far!  I am going a little non-traditional though and we're not doing ABC order.  Gemma was appalled.  I have used this handwriting book (highly recommend) with all three kids, and by he time they started it (in their 4s) I thought they were all just a little too old for it, so I went ahead and started it now with Clem and we'll use it for our LotW guide.  He already loves and is very familiar with the wood pieces, so adding the book is a very natural next step.  It introduces the letters in order of ease in writing them.  Vertical and horizontal lines, then curves, then diagonals, etc.  Our first four weeks are L, F, E and H.  I may or may not have picked up over 30 books from the library this afternoon.  I LOVE any excuse I can find to check out good books, and this is a great one!  Checking out ones for him to enjoy as well as ones geared more towards the older kids.  Good times. Picture books are my favorite.

 

The kiddos:  Well, I'd say I updated on Clem enough above!  He had his 3.5 year old pictures taken (see side-bar), and for whatever reason has (finally!!) decided he is no longer two and has started telling people, "well, you know, I'm three-and-a-half now."  Funny kid.

Gemma is preparing to make her First Reconciliation next week!  So exciting!  Helping her prepare has really helped re-orient my relationship with this Sacrament as well.  It's been good.

Kolbe seems to have leveled out after getting all the bad holiday and birthday food out of his system.  We are back to being fairly careful with his diet and just realizing that occasionally (especially with school-related events. and holidays.) he just takes a hit.  Sigh, it's so frustrating for us and him. Kolbe has been building lots of legos lately. 

In the kitchen: This past week we had grilled meat with green beans and potato casserole, fajitas, tacos and lots of leftovers.  Creamy tomato tortellini and salmon turnovers (store-bought and re-heated) tonight.  Next week: French dips, crispy chicken salads and pesto chicken with boiled potatoes and steamed carrots.  I have gotten into the bad habit of leaving Friday up in the air (you know, in case the dinner fairy decides to come...) so we'll see what we end up doing late-week.

Learning: It is Catholic Schools Week!  We are so, so grateful for the Catholic education available to our children with the Catholic school system we have in our diocese.  I seriously do not know what we would do if we didn't have these Catholic schools as an education option.  There is hardly a day that goes by that I don't have a very deep sense of gratitude that this integral part of our children's formation (religion and education and so much more) is so richly provided for by the generosity of so many.  God is good.  Abundantly good.

We've started using the First Communion Catechism (which is an adaptation of the Baltimore) at the breakfast table, and the kids, all three of them, have really surprised me with how much they are getting into it.  I've always bemoaned the fact that we don't do much memorization, so this helps with that plus it teaches such solid theological concepts!  Win-win!!

Reading: Bible.  Trying to get a "chapter" of The Imitation in before the kids are up on days that I'm able. Not much else currently.  Mr. Popper's Penguins with the kids!  The chapters are the perfect length for the breakfast table.

Watching: the usuals.  I won't bore you with our nerdiness.

Bringing me joy: Grace.  Good people. Fun conversations. Preschool lessons with Clem. A good meeting (who knew such a thing existed?!).  The sacraments.

Thinking about: Confession, sin, grace, forgiveness. etc.  Please say a prayer for Gemma (and all of us) as she prepares for her First Reconciliation.

Pictures to share:  

Baptism anniversaries!