Journal: Early October

TODAY

Out my window: Warm, muggy. Rain on and off earlier and more possible later today. It's been a warm Fall, but it's supposed to cool off again tomorrow.

Around the house: Aaron is juuuuuuuust about to wrap up his painting. OH man has that been a job. He is so meticulous, and it saved us a lot of money, but wowza. So much time. So. Much. Time. We will all be glad when this project is behind us. I have most of my Fall chores (cabinets, windows, blinds [shudder], etc.) finished and did some Fall planting on the deck yesterday. I was so excited that Lowe's had their big mums 50% off, and I was even able to find one that was just starting to open!! We should be able to enjoy it for a good long while until we have a  hard freeze (which at this rate, will be a good long while from now). We are currently trying to figure out what our best case scenario is for bedrooms in the not so distant future. Currently the boys share an upstairs bedroom, Gemma has her own upstairs bedroom, and the baby naps in the pack-and-play in the basement spare room where the glider is, and sleeps at night in our room. But she is about to grow out of the bassinet in our room, and there is the dilemma of where to put her to bed when she goes down at night. I nurse her to sleep downstairs, but I have this terror of putting her down in the basement at night and having the monitor malfunction and not hearing her when she wakes up the first time. Probably irrational, but the idea just freaks me out. So I put her in our room, but we are in and out, and the shower is in there so it's not exactly quiet. She does a pretty good job sleeping through noise though and now that the days are shorter, bright evenings and mornings aren't an issue. We will probably put the boys in the basement next summer, but then I am not sure where she will nap/go to bed. We were going to turn the extra bedroom upstairs into a homework room, but it may need to be a homework/baby room because I'm not sure if she will be old enough to share a room/bed with Gemma yet. Just trying to make the most of our space. That was quite a tangent....

The kiddos: Got the girls' pictures taken last weekend, and am hoping to take the boys in the next couple weeks. Can you tell the pic stitch app is my latest obsession?

The baby: She seems a little off today. Teething maybe? She had a really restless night and feels a little warm today and is definitely not herself. :-(  She is rolling over so much now and loves when I tip the bouncy chair forward so she can "sit up" in it. She loves interacting with Aaron and me and the kids and will hold a toy and "play" with it for quite a long time. I am trying to decide whether she will be in 6m or 9m clothes this winter. This is stressing me out more than it should. Eye roll.

In the kitchen: This past week's big meals were beef enchiladas (old recipe my cousin made growing up, with a homemade red sauce) with an awesome garlic cilantro lime rice, and honey chicken, mashed potatoes and steamed California blend. I also made veggie tortellini (ahem, Millie) and tuna patties for the priests. Up this week: chicken tetrazzini (with my own personal modifications) and French Dips. Hubby is making breakfast for dinner tonight.

Learning: Everyone has settled into their school years nicely, and conferences last week were a good affirmation that all is going well. We spent over an hour at the library this morning. I make trips to get stuff from the hold shelf around once a week, and will request specific things for them when they ask, but I only take them to browse themselves about once a month (they get to go weekly at school) and our last several trips have been great. I love their inquisitive minds and the things they want to look for. Kolbe has gotten really into graphic novels, which is a genre I had absolutely no appreciation for. I still can't bear to read them but boy they've sure gotten him excited about reading. But really, what seven-year-old boy wouldn't swoon over a book with the word "underpants" in the title, lol.

Reading: One of the priests I work for loaned me God or Nothing. I am enjoying it.

Watching: MLB. October is always exciting, even if our team isn't playing. New season of Gold Rush is gearing up.

Bringing me joy: Slanty Autumn light. November is on the horizon (I love November more than any other month I think, it's just magical). Pretty mums. A sleeping baby snuggling in my arms. Holy Mass. Good books. My kids, they bring out the worst in me sometimes, but they are also some of the most awesome people I know. Fall beer. Tasty food. Family and good friends. Coffee. A really great work schedule this year, and awesome people to work for and with. Life is good..

Pictures to share: This picture of my siblings and me is a couple months old but it cracks me up. We were trying to get a serious pic (which we got), but this one encapsulates the dynamics of our relationship so very well.

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: yep, it's been two weeks

TODAY

Out my window: Clear, crisp, cool.  It looks like November.  We've had some pretty picturesque days around here.

 

Around the house: Getting Gemma's upstairs room put together the rest of the way.  She's not moving back downstairs anytime even relatively soon, I am certain of this.  And I'm cool with that.  The basement worked, but it's nice (and convenient) having her back upstairs.  I like it.  A lot.  We have a mattress and box springs in there now (!!!!) with her owl bedding from when she and Kolbe shared a room, and the head/foot board and bed frame should be in next week.  Crazy story on those, we decided to shop and I had a little bit of sticker shock at the price of a twin bed.  Um, holy moly.  Well, we were at a particular store that was having some pretty good sales (especially in comparison to the previous store we'd been at) and the sale price of the twin bed that we liked (we are getting one to match(ish) the baby furniture since that is the dresser she is using) was pretty good.  BUT, the actual non-sale price was considerably LESS than the "HOT DEAL" price.  Odd, but we didn't want to press a lot about the difference and they were willing to give it to us for the insanely low price, so we felt pretty good about that purchase.  (So good that Aaron wouldn't even use the coupon we had.)  Because seriously, after looking at the prices of simple beds, I was ready to just have her sleep on a mattress and box springs.  I mean, she has been happy with a sleeping bag for the past six weeks!!  We moved the desk that our neighbor so generously handed on to us under the window and it can double as a night-stand.  And that will leave room for the dog box (grumble) on the other wall all winter.  And all's well that ends well.  If I would just listen to my husband who tells me to quit sweating things....

I cleared a few bags of donations out this week and have sold a few toys on FB.

 

The kiddos:  Our dear friend from church passed away this past week.  He was an older gentleman who had befriended us (the kids particularly) back when Kolbe was a toddler and we have grown to love him over the past few years.  If we were at the same Mass (he often attended more than one Mass a weekend) he would always be sitting in the pew directly across from us.  When Kolbe was smaller he would go sit with him through most of Mass.  He always gave the kids dollars after Mass and they have done many neat things with their Larry-dollars.  Larry was the first person close to our kids that they have lost, so it has been a process for them.  We attended the Rosary as a family and Gemma requested to attend the funeral so she came with Clement and me.  It was a beautiful tribute to one of the most interesting people I've known, and a good opportunity to say farewell and have some closure.  It has also prompted some really great conversations about this life and the afterlife with the kids.  God is good.  All the time.  Even amidst grief.

In the kitchen: 

This week we've had:

lasagna with steamed veggies and focaccia bread

stuffed green peppers (I used the filling to make super nachos for the kids and they hated them, so that was kind of a bummer)

pesto chicken with lentils and steamed green beans

salads 

smothered cod

Up next week:

a big 'ole November pot of chili

chicken parmesan with spaghetti and steamed carrots and fresh green beans (which were on sale at Aldi for cheaper than the frozen ones!!)

salads

some other stuff     

Learning:  the usual.  I really love keeping up with what the kids are doing at school and supplementing at home as I'm able.  Talking a lot about stewardship and Gemma had a neat Veteran's Day project and a patron saint one as well that we've enjoyed working on this week.  Kolbe's handwriting has improved by leaps and bounds the last few months, despite his continued abysmal grip.  And his reading!  Oh my!!!  It is so exciting watching him learn to read, and he is just loving it.

Reading: Of course the illustrious In November (since I haven't linked it enough times in this post).  Today the boys and I shared two of my fave picture books, May I Bring a Friend and A Sick Day for Amos McGee.  I didn't even think when I grabbed them how nicely they both fit together.  We've had some pumpkin books, and some stewardship books, (and then there was Pumpkins: A Story for a Field that worked for pumpkins AND stewardship) and I have stacks of gratitude and Thanksgiving books from the library ready to go. Getting ready to request our Advent/Christmas books (HOLY MOLY!), although as we grow our home library there are less and less that I find myself needing to request seasonally. For myself I am getting back into Introduction to the Devout Life and Deep Conversion, Deep Prayer and Theology for Beginners.

Watching: The World Series of course (hey, I am less than a week belated).  Those were quite the exciting games and we are pretty jazzed around here!!!  Keeping up with Gold Rush and I think Survivorman starts a new season and there is this new show called Mysteries at the National Parks, and as much as I like Mysteries at the Museum, I really despise the National Parks one.  They go out of their way to make it too creepy and just... I don't know.  It weirds me out and I certainly wouldn't want my kids watching it.  For all the education value in the Museum edition (which I would watch with my kids when they are a bit older), sadly the Nat'l Parks one is completely lacking.

Bringing me joy: The opportunity to reflect on life and death, on my own and with my kids.  Prayer.  The saints.  Beautiful November.  There really is something magical about November I think.  A World Series WIN!

Thinking about: Life and death.

Pictures to share: (picmonkey is cool. yes i am slow)

Professional pictures.

Halloween.

Journal: end of Summer

TODAY

Out my window:  Warm, muggy, light rain.  We had a realllllly cool week two weeks ago, it was hot last week, and is supposed to be pretty moderate this coming week.  It has really been a nice Summer weather-wise.

Clothing myself in:  Some grey Old Navy shorts with green and pink Target tank-tops.  

My SIL got married yesterday and I got a new dress for her wedding.  It was so much fun having something new to wear, I hadn't purchased a nice new dress for years.  Probably college.  The shopping trip may be the best part.  We took all three kids to Von Maur, still not sure whether that move was nuts or savvy, but we came out with not one but two dresses, for less than what we'd planned to spend for one.

Around the house: I got some new frames for our living room wall.  We have an 11x14 family picture and then had 4 5x7 frames around it with pics of the kids/Aaron and me.  The 5x7 frames just always seemed a little small for the space, but I have tried to ignore it for years.  Finally something snapped on Friday and I decided we needed 8x10 frames for that spot instead of the 5x7 ones.  I went and picked some up at Hobby Lobby, and would you believe they still had the exact frame that I had in 5x7s.  I am glad because I always thought they complemented the 11x14 frame very nicely.  It looks so. much. better.  One of those little improvements that I see all the time and am shamelessly nerding-out over.  

Getting ready to have carpet laid in the basement (optimistically this week, more realistically probably in another week or two) and then we'll get Gemma's room all set up down there, so there will be a big flurry of stuff and then it will be nice to have everyone settled into their new spots. 

 

The baby/toddler:  He is talking so much, he will string 3-4 words together to make a sentence.  He has strong feelings about, well, pretty much everything.  Aaron's sister got married yesterday and he screamed for the entire wedding Mass.  I seriously missed the whole thing.  We sat in the Church office and he hung on the doorknob and screamed "daddy, daddy, daddy" more times than I could count, I actually tried to count but lost count.  Aaron sang the Responsorial psalm and there was sort of a mix-up in communication and he ended up not coming back to the pew like I thought he would after the Psalm.  Long story.  Miserable hour.  You don't want any more details, trust me.  Nights have been great!  He still wakes up once or twice, co-sleeps sometimes but much less, and doesn't even ask to nurse anymore.  He still likes his milks at nap and bedtime, but nights are so much better.  It makes me giddily thrilled, I actually look forward to bedtime/nighttime now!

 

The kiddos:  Both had a blast at the Wedding.  Thank goodness my parents were there, as they ended up sitting with them during the Mass while I, um, hung out with Clement.  They made fast friends with a couple kids at the reception and had a blast running around and dancing.  Kolbe, oh my that boy has some moves.

I'm looking forward to the school year.  Gemma had Totus Tuus (Bible School) last week and really enjoyed it.  It was really nice having something to keep her engaged during the day, I anticipate first grade being a very good fit for the whole family.  We got her all registered, and uniforms and supplies are ready to go.  I even let her pick out a special hair bow to match her uniform.  Kolbe told me last week that since "sissy was in [Bible] school he was ready to go back to 'special school' (speech)," so he seem anxious to get back in the school routine too.  He will have two half-hour sessions of speech a week this year.

In the kitchen: Fajitas (as long as I make it to the tortilla store) and a pot of chili on the menu this week.  Eating dinner with family one night, and we will be gone one evening so will do something simple then.  Aaron will probably grill on his day off, that seems to be about par for the course around here lately.  He has started grilling on the smoker, and I never thought I'd notice the difference but the meat really tastes a lot better than stuff grilled on our propane grill.  HUGE difference. 

Crafting:  I decorated a matte and framed Clem's Baptism picture for his 2nd Baptism anniversary.  Better late than never.  Both older kids had been given special frames for their Baptisms that I like to get out on the day of their anniversary, and little Clem didn't have anything so I got some scrap-booking stuff and put one together.  I was pleased with how it turned out.

Learning:  Thinking about what kind of things I'd like to accomplish with Kolbe this year.  I think we will do a modified Letter of the Week program...we are doing weekly co-op again with one other little boy so I think each week we will get a book and do some sort of literary extension activity (craft, etc.) to go along with the story.  That's the plan.  Planning on tackling some Handwriting Without Tears with him as well, as he seems to have a longer way to go to be "ready" for kindergarten. 

Reading:  I am trying to read too many books at once, but the one that has made its way to the top of my stack for now is Beyond the Birds and the Bees: Raising Sexually Whole and Holy Kids.  I have every high hopes for this book and can't wait to finish it (which is good, since it is an ILL and I have less than three weeks to read it). 

Watching:  Clifford the Big Red Dog is currently playing on my television. 

Bringing me joy: Some one-on-one (two?) time with the boys this past week.  Watching Kolbe dance.  Reading Little House on the Prairie with Gemma.  Children who were relatively well behaved at Mass this morning.  Talking with Clem, how he says "taaaaayyyyy" (OK) when he answers me.  A new place to get fresh eggs.  Celebrating eight years of marriage.  Good books.

Thinking about: God's mercy.

Pictures to share: 

The two-year-old with his trademark "scrunch face."

Journal: recovering

TODAY

Out my window:  Cloudy.  Cold.  Very cold.  Very very cold.  OHHHHHH January...

Clothing myself in:  Jeans, tank, sweatshirt.  This is the time of year I get really tired of my wardrobe.  I am yearning for shorts and t-shirts about now (which is pathetic in and of itself, but at least it's something different).  Bleh.  OH, I am excited about some new dress pants I have on order from Maurices.  I tried them on over Christmas, but they didn't have my size (long) so I kind of sat on it and kept checking to see if they had them online.  They never got them in online, so I called the store again and the gal remembered helping me (really?  am I that, um, memorable?  This worries me a little...) but anyways, she looked and found a pair in Utah and Maine or something, and said since I'd been in before and they hadn't gotten them in they'd waive the shipping.  I am excited!  It is time for new pants.  

Around the house: Everyone seems to have recovered from last week's illness.  Kolbe was the slowest to get better (he always seems to be) as he was getting better over the weekend and then relapsed with a presumable double ear infection on Monday.  Aaron yanked on his ears a couple times, he had a horrible night Monday and slept most of Tuesday and seems fine now.  Hallelujah!  Last week was not  a fun week.  

I have a box of donations to take in, but first I need to talk to the kids about the toys I have in that pile.  It is stuff they never play with, but I still feel badly getting rid of it without telling them.  Still trying to psyche myself up for that conversation.  I will be glad when it's all gone though.  I feel like we've really cut down on clutter the past several months, and it just makes living here more pleasant.  I honestly think the kids play better when they have less to get out.  It's weird...

 

The baby/toddler:  Has learned to climb on the kitchen table.  None of my other kids have ever climbed anything, so this is a bit of a mystery to me.  An annoying mystery.  If the table is clear it's no big deal (until he falls off).  He probably thinks I am psychotic though because sometimes I go all AWOL on him, and other times I pretend I don't notice he's up there because he is contained and not causing any trouble.  This new-found talent of his makes playing games (or doing anything with lots of pieces) with the big kids a huge exercise in not losing my mind.  Sigh. 

 

The kiddos:  Speaking of games, Gemma got Trouble, Sorry and Spot-It for Christmas and we have been having lots of fun playing games (when the baby is not sitting on them or throwing the pieces).  She and Kolbe both do really well with Trouble.  Sorry has a little more strategery that they don't get, but they (especially Gemma) get better at Spot-It every time we play.  And I have been really enjoying the games.  As much as I hate Candyland (and oh let me tell you, I would burn Candyland if I didn't think it would send the kids to therapy later in life), when Gemma asks if she can pull out Trouble I actually find myself looking forward to sitting down and playing a game with her.  It's been a fun Winter activity.   OH Winter...

In the kitchen: I made some Tomato and Chicken Tortelloni soup the other night that was pretty tasty.  Pot of chili last night, "breakfast" tonight, we had meatloaf and brussel sprouts on Monday and fish crisp is on the menu for tomorrow night.  Gemma has been a tricky eater lately.  Like, she just won't eat dinner.  "I don't want a treat mom, I'm done with dinner," she has told me the past two nights.  I have been just letting it go, I mean, she's not going to let herself starve.  She requests that I make her something else which I usually deny (if she were old enough to fix her own food I'd probably consider it, but I refuse to be a short-order cook...) so we just move on and I offer her a (healthy) bedtime snack.  Not sure what to make of it though.  It makes mealtime not incredibly pleasant listening to her sit there and wine (er, whine, wine is what I am drinking) about not wanting what I fixed, but honestly I don't like putting her plate away and then pulling back out.  To me it's water under the bridge at that point and I'm not in the mood to pick up the battle where we left off later in the evening or the next day.  Sigh.  Why can't anything be straightforward??  We've been on a French toast kick for breakfast this week, which has been more pleasant than muffins.  Kolbe and Clem can crumb-out muffins like no one else.  You should have seen my kitchen floor Monday.  It was sca.ry.    

Crafting: 

Learning:  "N" week for Kolbe,  he has been really into doing preschool stuff this week.  Usual homework for Gemma.  She has had a rough week of mornings not wanting to go to school this week (even though she is fine and has fun once she gets there).  Say a little prayer for her if you will, it's been hard on all of us.  Hoping for a better week next week...it is Catholic Schools Week and they have some fun activities planned!  She has also been doing extra chores around the house to earn money for the St. Katharine Drexel fund (a fund in our diocese that gives extra money to children in need in the lower-income schools).  This is the first time she's ever been paid to do chores, so that has been interesting.  I realize I probably need to give her some daily (unpaid) chores to help the family out now, aside from the things she already does for herself (making bed, etc.), so I have those ideas bouncing around in my brain now...  I'd love to hear how others handle chores with the 5-10 year old crowd.  Gemma gets a $1 a week allowance, but it is not tied to any chore doing.  Anyways...

Reading:  My spiritual director recommended Pope Francis' Apostolic Exhortation The Joy of the Gospel.  I like it a lot and would highly recommend it.  It is easy reading and very applicable. 

Watching:  The back of my eyelids.  We went to bed at nine, yes 9:00 PM, last night.  

Bringing me joy: Celebrating both older kids' Baptism anniversaries this week.

Thinking about:  Discipleship, evangelization, the poor, stewardship, my vocation, use of my time, living simply with less.  Pope Francis has given me a lot to mull over this past week.  And chores, haha.

Pictures to share:  

A few of my favorites from Kolbe's four-year professionals.