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  We were going to do family pictures this Fall but now with being pregnant and the fact that they'd be out of date in six months, I'm up in the air.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: a very very quick update

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

TODAY

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

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

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

 

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

 

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

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

Crafting: merp

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

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

Watching: Gold Rush finale.

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

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

Pictures to share:  

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

Gemma's train town.

Journal: Winter is cold

TODAY

Out my window:  Cold.  Winter blew in this week.  Like, it has hardly been above freezing since Monday evening.  My pansies and mums are dead.  There is ice on the lake.  The winter birds are here (or haven't left, rather.  They are definitely making themselves known at the bird feeder.)  It's cold.  I wasn't ready for this.

Clothing myself in: Jeans and a tank and a long-sleeve T.  I hate winter clothes.  I am always so...cold.  Or if I am warm and comfortable I look like a slob.

Around the house: I have a box of donations I'd like to take in before Christmas.  We got a new ceramic pan from Aldi (we find the neatest stuff there) and were able to swap it in and swap out two of our non-stick pans.  Win-win, less kitchen clutter and less potential chemicals flaking off in our food.  Starting to think about Christmas, shopping, etc.  Wanting to keep things simple this year.

 

The baby/toddler: He thinks "poop" is a very funny word.  He will say it in this sweet, coy little voice and then go into this maniacal laugh.  It is funny.  Sort of.  Until he does it at Church after Communion when the music is over and it is very quiet.  And we're sitting in the front pew.

 

The kiddos: Gemma missed a little school this week.  She had a nasty cold and spiked a fever one evening.  She was back at it this morning (after not a little bit of protest) but seemed to have a good day and seems mostly better.

In the kitchen: Batch of White Chicken Chili tonight, and I have regular chili on the menu for next week.  Some tostadas probably, and a batch of Sesame Chicken with rice, and some Fish Muffins and Aaron shot a pheasant the other day so we will probably fix that this weekend with some other stuff on the grill.  I feel like baking, but I suck at cookies and we don't do a lot of treaty things around here, or bread.  Maybe I will just turn my oven on and leave it slightly open to warm up the place a bit.

Crafting: Oh seriously?  For real??  Nope.  No.  I think my crafting bone fell out.  Did I ever even have one??  I mended a couple things, but heaven forbid that should "count".  Who put this category on here anyways?  Probably someone crafty.  Figures.

Learning:  The usual.  I think I mentioned this last time, but Kolbe really seems to be making progress with his letter writing.  I am very curious as to how he will do with Kindergarten next year... 

Reading: Gemma has been reading a story from this saint book every night.  I like this book a lot.  If you are looking for a gift for someone between 3-8 I would highly recommend it.  We have started Happy Times in Noisy Village as well.  Trying to think of some chapter books I can start reading with Kolbe.  Suggestions??  The usuals for me.  I need to get back into some fiction.

Watching: The back of my eyelids most nights, it seems.  Keeping up with Gold Rush and catching an Alaska: The Last Frontier now and then.  Seems there are a few new Survivormans coming up as well.

Bringing me joy: Early mornings, before anyone else is up, praying morning prayer.  Theoretically.  Doesn't always work this way but when it does it is nice.

Thinking about: Christmas.  Materialism.  Advent.  Snow.  Winter, BLAH!  School.  Education.  Family.  Sin.  Life.  I really run the gamut some days. 

Pictures to share:  

Creativity.  Sometimes I wonder why we even bother with toys.  They typically spend well over half their time doing this type of stuff.

Boys in their new coats.  I was the mom rushing to the store with her poor son in his thin hoodie on the first 24 degree morning to buy a Winter coat.  Oh well, at least he likes it!  A lot.  He (Kolbe, Clem's is a hand-me-down) has told me no less than a dozen times how great he thinks it is.  He is so easily pleased.

Journal: and then it was Spring

TODAY

Out my window:  Sunny!  Warm!!  Spring is in the air for sure, you can just feel it now, even when it's cool out.  The forecast for tomorrow is a little cooler, but then moderate all next week.  For Spring break!!  YAY!!!!!!!

Clothing myself in: Jeans and a t-shirt, so exciting.

Around the house: Ordered a new vinyl seat-cover for our highchair.  Clem still sits in the highchair, and as love/hate as my relationship is with our highchair, if we ditch it for a booster we have to extend the kitchen table and that is really going to make the dining area feel tight, so I am going to stretch his time in the highchair as long as I possibly can.  This will really breathe some new life into it. 

In the middle of getting Spring wardrobes ready for the kids.  Everything is out now, and more-or-less in closets/drawers.  I've taken inventory, the kids and I went shopping yesterday afternoon to pick up some more stuff they needed (got some C.U.T.E. dresses/skirts for Gemma), I've packed away some of the real cold-weather stuff like fleece footie-jammies and sweats and stuff.  Getting there.  The kids still all need summer sandals, but they can do no-show socks and tennies for the foreseeable future.  I'll psyche myself up to get back out and find them shoes soon enough.  We'll probably go with Nike sandals again, but I still need to size them.  Bluuurrrgggghhh.  And speaking of sizes, their clothing sizes are completely schizophrenic this year.  Gemma is anywhere from a 5 to a 7/8 with some 6/6x tossed in as well.  Kolbe has a few 4's some 5T stuff and some 5/6's, and it's looking like the 18mos stuff may work for Clem for a little while, but then after that we really don't have much 24 month 2T.  But that size is huge on him now so I am not really inclined to buy much yet even though I know the 18 month stuff won't last him all summer...  Good. Grief. 

And I had to come back and add...a word to savvy shoppers, never shop at a Carter's store.  Their prices, oh my word.  I actually did buy a pair of shorts for Kolbe there, but they are currently sitting in my basement with the receipt because I still cannot believe I paid what I did for them and I am seriously considering just returning them.  Seriously, they had "clearance" jammies for $19.99.  For real??  I'll choose the leftover VBS t-shirt and $4 cotton shorts from Target please.  That said, we went to Children's Place too (I had never shopped there, but we've been given clothes from there before and I've always been impressed by their quality) and their prices were decent.  I'll go back.

 

The baby/toddler: Started saying "more" (instead of signing it) the other day when we were feeding him strawberries.  It reminded me of the first time Kolbe said "more" and I remembered videoing it because it was so cute.  I figured he was probably about the same age so I pulled up the video and would you believe he and Clem were the same age, to the day (five days shy of 20 months, since I'm sure you care) when they said "more" for the first time.  How weird is that?   

He has also become one opinionated little dude the past couple weeks.  Like, oh my goodness.  He ended up sleeping shirtless the other night because I tried to put short sleeves on him instead of his footie jammies.  He got so mad that his sleeves were short that I took the shirt off to put on some long sleeves, but then in his anger he wouldn't let me put anything else on him.  I even tried to give him a shirt in the middle of the night when he woke up and he grunted at me and shoved it away.  Oy.

The kiddos: Have been enjoying playing at the park and in the backyard on these warmer days.  Gemma has the bike-riding thing aaalllllllmoooooost down, I really am amazed how quickly she has caught on.  The other day she rode from in front of the house three houses down from us down the street and up our driveway all on her own, I wasn't even standing by her.

In the kitchen: Last week we had meatloaf, rice and leftover veggies, Loaded Baked Potato and Chicken Casserole, a fish fry, family dinner and some fried meat and veggie burritos.  Next week I'm making spaghetti (Gemma's favorite!!) and maybe Chicken Picadillo (although the kids really don't like it a whole lot, I am thinking of leaving the raisins out of theirs and putting it in tacos though and maybe it will be more 'edible' to them??), baked fish and some other stuff.  We have fresh asparagus and brussel sprouts in the fridge to be used as sides as well.

Crafting: I renovated the pony house for Gemma, adding a roof, parapets, floor, and bunk beds made of cut apart toilet paper tubes.  Seriously, give me some cardboard and my trusty glue-gun and I can make just about anything.

Learning:  We'll try to keep up with some school-type activities this week and there will definitely be a trip to the library some afternoon.  I've been timing Gemma with her addition worksheet and sight-word flashcards lately, she seems to like the challenge and keeping track from day-to-day.  I suppose I should add another dimension and have her chart her times...  The older two have been really creative with the pattern blocks lately too.  The other day while I was cooking I let Clem play with some chunky beads, he had fun pouring them and trying to string them on a pipe-cleaner.  I have our letter Ss week stuff ready to go and will probably pull some of it out this week and then spread it over the next couple weeks.  Planning on seed-planting in a couple weeks with our little preschool co-op.  Anyone have any cute ideas for decorating little planters?

Reading:  We have some good Spring books from the library, check out And Then it Was Spring if you haven't.  It's wonderful.  In keeping with my better-late-than-never New Year's resolution to order at least one hardcover book a month this year to add to our collection, I ordered a used copy of Gemma and the Baby Chick to give Gemma on her name-day next month.

Watching:  Gold Rush finale was last night, always a little sad when one of our shows is over.  Will be interesting to see what next season brings.  Aaron has his hypotheses and he also thinks there's probably only one season left of this show.  Especially if gold prices continue to go down.  Time will tell. 

I also finally let the kids watch Wallykazam!.  They have seen previews for it at the beginning of another show they watch and have been begging, and I finally relented.  I should have given in sooner, it is adorable.

Bringing me joy: Shopping with the kids, even if it was crazy and I felt like crying in desperation more than once, we really had a nice time together.  And time at the zoo this morning with the kids...there was no desperation and we got to watch them shear sheep!  It was our second year to do this, so fun!!  This year's weather was muuuuuuuch nicer.  Last year I think it was low-40's, cloudy and drizzly.

Thinking about:  Lent, sacrificing, the Church, letting go and letting Christ fill me up.  I have so much to learn and so much progress to make in this life, in my vocation, sometimes it just overwhelms me.  I am a driver, I want to get things done, see outcomes, etc.  Sometimes it is hard for me to just wait and let Christ work.  

I've also been thinking about looking for a new carrier for Clem on my back.  It is kind of ridiculous, I have a mei tai and an ergo and a couple slings, but I mainly just use the mei tai for the first couple months when you can still frog a baby's legs, and the slings are only nice for short in-and-outs.  The ergo is OK, I really want to like it but I wish I had researched more before I got it.  It says up to 45 lbs, but I do not like how he fits in it at all, and he's only 22 lbs.  OH well. Looking at Boba and Kinderpack but not really serious about buying anything too soon unless I come upon a really good deal...  Definitely mulling it over though.

Oh and this article, Seven Steps to a Holier Life.  Such a wonderful reminder.

Pictures to share:  

Enjoying a Spring fishing trip...they were both successful!  Gemma even cast, caught and reeled in a few all by herself.  She needed a bit of help getting them off the hook.

Clem got his first "big-boy" haircut (IE, first time to have any hair taken off the top).  He was not too fond of this procedure, as you can see.  He looks so handsome though (as you cannot see, as I didn't think to take an "after" picture.  Yeah.)  On that note, Happy Spring, everyone!!

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.

Journal: I think it is going to be Winter forever

TODAY

Out my window:  Um, Spring?  Where are you?? In case you haven't looked at the calendar, it is now mid-April.  Come on already.  That said, we have enjoyed some time outdoors on the (seemingly few) nicer days we've had.  And oh, regarding the snaggle-toothed furry mis-predictor of Spring of whom I spoke quite deprecatingly last week...there was a bit of confusion on my part regarding the opinions of a certain reader in Denver who shall remain unnamed.  While he is understandably experiencing much angst about their current weather, no "hate" is actually being felt toward the mangy perpetrator.  He did however mention something about a bounty...  OK, inside joke over.  In all seriousness though, this kind of weather in mid-April is ultra-depressing.

Clothing myself in:  Jeans and a t-shirt.  So original. So classy.  

Around the house:  Packed away a bunch of the kids' clothes.  I toss stuff they've outgrown on closet shelves, and then when there's enough I haul it downstairs and toss it in a laundry basket.  And then when it piles up into a big, scary, unruly pile of randomly-sized sort-of folded clothes, I whine and complain and then sort through them all and put them away in the correct tubs.  I do the same thing with my paper filing.  And as soon as I'm done I vow I will always file things the minute they leave my hands.  And I never. do.  Now you know.

The laptop hunt is on.  A friend's hubby (thank you!) took a look at the Toshiba, and even if he replaced the motherboard there is a good chance the same thing could happen again with the USB's.  Ugh.  I'm  managing OK without the USB's, but I'd really like to get a new laptop with Windows7 (read: not Windows8) and I don't now how much longer that is going to be an option.  Stupid technology. 

 

The baby:  Oh goodness he's not crawling yet but boy can he get around!!  Wowza, life is about to get even more interesting (is that possible?) in this house once he takes off.  He can go from belly to sitting now, and is pulling up on his knees.  He had his 9 month well-child last week, he weighed 17 lbs 6 oz and was 28 inches long.   He really likes to feed himself little chunks of food, so much so that I actually gave away the baby food I had made for him.  I do not miss baby food.  He has tried many various veggies, fruits, meats, beans, fish and whole-oat cereal.  He still nurses a lot too.

 

The kiddos:  Gemma is sounding out words and writing left and right.  Her spellings crack me up.  I got confirmation that we will have half-day kindergarten available at our Catholic school next year, so for that I am grateful.  I think it will make our family's (and Gemma's) transition into school much smoother.  I am beginning to really look forward to next year, it'll be a huge change for our family no doubt, but I think school is going to be a very good thing for our Gemma-girl. 

Kolbe had his speech screening last week.  He was very quiet and nervous but the gal doing the screening was really sweet and got him talking even so.  His language (ability to communicate and understand) tested fine, but she gave him a referral for speech, so the next step is to have him tested in our district and see if he qualifies for services.  And then go from there...  We'll see what that brings.  Everyone seems to think that it is quite odd that I'm not planning to send him to preschool, so that's a little frustrating.  I just want him to have the help he needs (IE speech pathology) while still meeting the needs I am able to meet in our home.  Does that make sense?

In the kitchen: Pork cutlets, mashed potatoes/cauliflower, steamed broccoli; Beef/Italian Sausage and Veggie Lasagna with green beans; crock-pot chicken, still debating on sides; Fish Crisp and maybe a fruit salad.  Hubby made sushi over the weekend.  Yum!

Crafting: ahhhh, nope.

Learning: Nothing terribly exciting or out of the ordinary.  Thinking about this Letter of the Week program for Kolbe next year.  And this.

Reading: Finished Bible Basics for Catholics.  Nothing earth-shattering, but a nice overview of Salvation History never-the-less.  Still working through the Catechism.  Started Navigating the Interior Life and A Father Who Keeps His Promises this week.  Those fictions from the library are still on the end-table, but the thought of reading four books at once seems silly.  Yet I haven't taken them back...  So many good books, so. little. time.

Watching:  We're about 3/4's the way through (TV) Episode 4 of The Bible.  I'll just come right out and say I liked the way they portrayed the Old Testament better.  The New just seems really disjointed, like they took a bunch of the stories of Jesus' ministry and just kind of mashed them together so they could cover all His "most quoted" moments.  I don't know, it's just weird to me.  We have about three hours (really probably closer to two once we zip thru commercials) to go, so we'll see what the final verdict is, but honestly I've liked it less the more I've watched.  The thing I DO like though, is it's got me thinking and kind of lit a fire under my butt to read the Bible more, and that's a really good thing.    

Bringing me joy: A date with Aaron.  We went on a walk around the neighborhood and actually visited instead of having a dog and three kids strung out a block-and-a-half between us.  Then we sat at the dinner table.  At home.  For FIFTY minutes.  Yes, five-zero.  And we had our wine and food ON THE TABLE!!  The whole time.  And nobody spilled anything or threw any food.  It is funny for me to think that this was the norm for us five years ago.  We had no idea how good we had it!!  And don't get me wrong, I love my life, love my kids, wouldn't trade it for the world, all that cliche stuff.  But oh, it was nice to have a couple hours together away from the kids. 

Thinking about: Prayer.  How to live a life of prayer amidst my vocation, rather than in spite of it.  My relationship with Gemma, how to help her through the anger and tantrums that she so struggles with.  And just my relationship with her in general.  We are a lot alike and I feel like we are constantly at each other's throats.  And while I don't want (or need) to be her BFF, I'd still like us to have a happy, healthy, loving relationship, and right now it just rarely feels that way. 

Pictures to share: 

Silly monkeys.  Errrr, monkey and dragon.  (Halloween costumes are fun year-round!!)

Kolbe is my child who will fall asleep (and stay asleep) anywhere.

 Look-alike brothers.

Journal: He is Risen

TODAY

Out my window:  Cloudy and gray and cool.  Grateful for beautiful weather over the Easter weekend, and looking forward to the end of this (hopefully) last cold snap of the season.  Have we ever had a later Spring?  I don't think I can remember a year that we didn't have pear blossoms in March (although I did see a tiny one on Saturday).  I looked back at pictures, and last year trees were blooming on March 10!!

Clothing myself in:  Monday clothes.  Nuff said.

Around the house: Laundry day today.  Sorting through the kids' Easter baskets from grandparents and getting stuff put away.  It no longer looks like Lent around here, I took our prayer garden down, the alms jar is gone and we have our Paschal Candle as our centerpiece.  I really do love this time of year.  Closets are a bit schizophrenic with the crazy weather we've been having.  I will be glad when it's warm for good and I can pack the long sleeve stuff and pants away (especially since they are all starting to look to small on my getting bigger littles).

Oh, and the laptop.  Sigh.  My USB ports quit working a couple weeks ago, which is kind of a huge deal as we don't have a desktop so I use this for printing (and don't have a wireless printer), uploading pictures, getting MP3s on my phone (as I don't have a SmartPhone) and my wireless mouse.  The mouse isn't a huge deal, but the other things are.  It has been hard going with out a printer, and thankfully my parents are letting me upload pics and such on their computer in the meantime, but it's still a pain.  It appears the problem is hardware not software, (something with the motherboard and/or a solder) and fixing it would be just about as expensive as buying new.  Did I mention my laptop is only 2.5 years old?  Blurgh.  We've had two Toshibas but are looking at going Dell this time.  Any recommendations?  Oh technology...

 

The baby: Has started trying to clap his hands.  Will stay on all fours if you put him there instead of immediately flattening out, and likes to creep his hands down into a quasi-crawling position from sitting. LOOOOOOOOVES his daddy when he wakes up in the morning, and often cries when he has to come to me so daddy can get ready for work.  Aaron loves it!!

 

The kiddos:  We went to Art Class last week for the first time in close to a year.  Gemma was soooo excited to go again, and Kolbe was old enough to go this time too.  He had fun, I think he likes the idea of art class more than he actually liked the class itself, but he had a pretty good time and felt like quite the big kid.  Kolbe is currently painting and Gemma is drawing an elaborate rocket that takes up two pieces of paper.  Seriously, sometimes I wonder why we have toys. 

Gemma has just this past week started sounding out words on her own and writing notes.  Today when I came out from nursing Clem down there was a letter for me by his door that said, "Cam se mi pat it is a bane Love Gemma I love u mom."  Translation: Come see my pet, it is a bunny (she got a stuffed bunny for Easter).  Pretty cute.

Kolbe has a big problem with putting his fingers/hands in his nose and mouth.  It is really gross and I am at a loss as to how to, errr, break him of this nasty habit.

In the kitchen: Homemade pizza tonite: beef, sausage, mushrooms and spinach I'm thinking with some leafy green salad; Chicken Stuffing Casserole with mixed veggies; a tasty recipe using link sausage (thanks Vickie!) and butternut squash and some other goodies; Aaron will probably grill on Thursday; breakfast casserole on the menu for Friday but as of now I'm not feeling it.  Too many brunches over the weekend...maybe I'll change my tune by then.

Crafting: I made a Paschal Candle for our Easter centerpiece.  (Read about it here.)

Learning:  Nothing too out of the ordinary this week.  We'll be doing this Divine Mercy craft later in the week.  I recently discovered That Artist Lady and may use some of her Easter ideas with the kids during the Easter season.  Other than that we have some cutting and handwriting work on the lesson plans this week, and a trip to the library.  Between three littles and winter our weekly trips to the library have been, errrr, not always weekly.  Hopefully warmer weather will spur us to be a bit more regular about that.  It is just really hard for me to get motivated to get out of the house with three little kids when it's cold and windy.  And by cold I mean anything below about 55.  Yes, I am a wimp.

Reading:  I'm a ways into section II of the Catechism and am really enjoying my readings.  I received Navigating the Interior Life as my next review from The Catholic Company and am looking forward to starting that.  Review to come.  On chap8 of Heidi with the kids.  I have a couple fictions sitting on my end-table but haven't picked them up yet...  I've also pulled Walking With God back out and been reading/skimming along as we watch The Bible (see below).

Watching:  I thought I'd add this category...We started watching The Bible on History here a couple weeks ago and set the DVR to record the entire miniseries. So far (we are up to David) it is really, really good.  I would highly recommend it.  Aaron has discovered Duck Dynasty and is completely obsessed.  He told me one night, "hon, if it weren't for my job, and if I had a brother to do it with me, I would totally grow my beard out like that."  Then he felt the need to look me straight in the eye and say, "really hon, I'm serious about this."  Oh dear.  All that said, I will sheepishly admit to finding the whole show pretty stinkin' entertaining.  Looking forward to a new season of River Monsters starting next week, we always catch Pawn Stars when it's new and looking forward to Gold Rush's off season, this summer I think??  And if we have nothing better to watch we like to make fun of Finding Bigfoot.  Yes.  We are nerds.  Oh, and Aaron has really gotten into The Men Who Built America as well, and I usually end up watching with him although I'm probably not quite as enthralled with it as he.

Bringing me joy: Easter and the Risen Lord.  

Thinking about: The range of religious emotions (for lack of a more theological way to put it) experienced from Holy Thursday night to Easter morning.  I am always filled with such an overwhelming sense of joy at Easter Mass, but even then the crucifix hangs above the altar, an ever-present reminder that only because of the Cross do we know the true joy of the Resurrection.  This really should strike me every week, but for whatever reason it always gives me great pause on Easter Sunday. 

Pictures to share:  

Clement's first Easter!

At Church on Easter