Journal: Autumn, rags and cheetos

TODAY

Out my window: Sunny, on the cool side of maybe barely warm, Fall shadows.  I was marveling on the way home from half-day kindergarten pickup today how long the shadows are at high noon.  Highs in the seventies and lows in the fifties over the weekend, but about 10 degrees warmer on both ends next week.  So says the forecast.

Around the house: Some new (Fall) potted plants on the deck that hubby just finished stain/weather proofing.  We have a couple years left with the current flooring, and something (read: new flooring) is going to need to be done.  It's such a nice space though.  Planning on lighting the chiminea up this weekend.

I got started on my Fall blinds/window cleaning (is there anything worse than cleaning mini-blinds?  I will answer for you: no.) and then became irritated with all the rags and bowls of vinegar water (that I spilled, on carpet, TWICE) and paper towels and spray cleaner, etc. etc. etc. sooooo..... 

I will admit to immense intrigue over all the microfiber cloth hubbub out there, so I purchased some e-cloths.  I think I will like them, and they should eliminate the need for window, stainless steel and countertop cleaner chemicals.  That just leaves the stuff I use for tubs and toilets (and I don't care who says what about chemicals, I like bleach in my bathrooms) and Pledge for dusting, but I may even punt that for microfiber.  Maybe.  I used the rags yesterday in the kitchen and then for some blinds and windows and couldn't believe the ease of use.  The results were pretty good too, particularly on glass and stainless steel.

I have found some new clothes (some long sleeve tees, a hoodie, some jeans and sweats) for myself for Winter and am feeling very content with those purchases.  I would like to find some capri/workout sweats that a.) are not super tight and b.) do not have the little band cuff things around the bottom.  I am beginning to think such a thing does not exist.

Last week I thought I broke the wash machine but it was just a quarter that got wedged in the spinny thing on the bottom.  Aaron fixed it.  And then I vaccumed over the vacuum cord and it took a chunk out of it but I didn't electrocute myself.  And Aaron fixed it too.  And he stained the deck.  And fixed the toilet (I actually didn't break that). And now the smoke detector in our bedroom is randomly chirping so add that to the list.  It has been a productive week, even if some of the productivity has been self-inflicted by my lack of carefulness.

That was all very random.

 

The kiddos:  They are currently playing school, which they spend an immense amount of time doing when they are not...at school.  haha.  Gemma is always the teacher.  She is very bossy and very particular (where does she get this?) and it works until one of the boys decides to have an opinion.  Which luckily (for her) may not happen until an hour plus of this game.  She has them trained where she will say "class class" and they immediately look at her and say "yes yes," and then she gives them their marching orders directions.  Future teachers and army drill sergeants can thank her.

Today Kolbe got very sad at school because the lunch staff wouldn't let him have the Cheetos served with the school lunch due to his food sensitivities.  It was a miscommunication (he has only had one issue with school lunches this year and we're still trying to figure out what caused him to flare up).  I was pleased they were so diligent, even though Kolbe could have had the chips, and we worked out what we'll do in the future so all's well that ends well but boy was he sad when I picked him up.  Absolutely, positively devastated.  Like, he hadn't eaten a bite of his lunch and was bursting into tears devastated.  It just broke my heart.  So anyways, Gemma comes out after school this afternoon and apparently she had gone over to comfort him in the lunchroom (she gets there about the time he is leaving) and found out what happened.  So she hops in the van and what does she do?  Pulls a bunch of Cheetos out that she had shoved IN HER JUMPER POCKET from her own lunch.  My heart nearly burst.  These kids.  I am so glad they have each other.  Like I said, all's well that ends well.

In other Kolbe news, he has recently learned to swing himself so that is pretty exciting.  I should try to post a video...

Clement sure enjoys eing the only kid at home in the mornings.  He plays well by himself and we run lots of errands together and it is just good times all around.

In the kitchen:  

Tonight: Nantucket Baked Cod.  I have never had the real thing from Red Lobster, but I think this version is pretty tasty, I've made it at least a half dozen times for us and/or my job.

Tomorrow: I am making a bunch of German Potato Salad for a family get together this weekend.  For dinner we will eat the Fisherman's Feast box dinner for four that I picked up on a very good deal at Sams a couple months ago.

Sunday: family get together

Monday: spaghetti and meat sauce with roasted broccoli and cauliflower and maybe some focaccia bread

Tuesday: the children will eat hot dogs.  Don't judge.  Aaron and I will eat something else that is yet to be determined.  Leftovers?  Salads?  Who knows.  Trust me, it will be spectacular.

Wednesday: white chicken chili

Thursday: something from the grill?  Or maybe leftovers from our amazing dinner on Tuesday.

Friday: swiss tuna melts on WW English Muffins with canned green beans

Learning:  Ask Gemma.

Reading: I haven't read a bunch this week but I picked up a copy of The Joy of Full Surrender someone had given me and I like it.  Continuing to enjoy Saints of the Roman Calendar as it applies.  Gemma and I finished The Year of Miss Agnes (so great) and will start Ginger Pye tonight.  Still reading Rufus M. at the breakfast table/snacktime/lunch on non-school days with all three kids.  The kids each get to check two books out from the school library (Gemma has read a chapter book a week the past two weeks!!!!! I thought I'd never see the day!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) and I try to keep a steady diet of true-good-beautiful (and fun!) picture books coming from the hold shelf at the public library as well.

Watching:  MLB.  A little bit of Ken Burns' documentary on the Civil War.  It's interesting enough, but I am not a huge Civil War buff.  Some of his other stuff (the Dust Bowl one comes right to mind) has been just amazing though.

Bringing me joy: A new nephew/godson.  Prayer.  Autumn weather.  My kids, they are so seriously amazing.

Thinking about: My utter dependence on God.  For everything.  Every.Thing.  This has really struck me of late. 

Pictures to share:
I seriously got nothin'.  And I can't figure out how to share that video of Kolbe...
TGIF everyone!!  Enjoy the weekend.

Journal: the new school year

TODAY

Out my window: Windy and warm, but overall the weather has been really mild. The light is slantier and the days are getting shorter.  I can tell Fall is coming.

Around the house: It is quiet around here.  I had no idea adjusting to having the two big kids in school (even though Kolbe is only half day) would be such a big deal.  But it is really quiet around here.  I think I already said that.  I will continue below...

 

The kiddos:

Gemma has had her best start to a school year yet.  She actually had to miss her first day because she had pink eye, so that was a pretty big deal.  I think it actually ended up being more traumatic for me than it was for her, but we weathered it and she is settling in and seems to really like her teacher and is getting along well with the kids in her class.  She LOVES having Kolbe at school with her, she is in full-on big sister mode.  The last two years, Aaron walked her in every day and sat with her until her class walked by because she didn't want to go in the "kiddie holding pen".  This year, she won't even let Aaron walk in the building with them. Once they get to the sidewalk they say goodbye to him, and she walks Kolbe into the building and drops him off in his designated location and then walks herself to the place where second grade waits.  She really likes her teacher and homework has been a relatively painless event each day.  I am so grateful.  We had some really rough first semesters the past two years, and this year seems to be starting off in a much more positive direction.  Providentially, on the first day of school our neighbor gave us a really nice, sturdy child size table/desk that fits in her bedroom perfectly.

Kolbe likes school a lot.  Lunch and recess are his favorites (and we have lifted all food restrictions for him when out and about and he has been doing just fine with that! YAY!!).  I believe school will be a bit more academically challenging for him than it is for Gemma, but he seems to be keeping up and he feels like such a big kid going to school every day.  He loves to talk to me about things that happen at school too, which is exciting because Gemma really never says much and I have learned to just not press the issue with her and simply let her talk if she feels like it.  The irony is that Gemma is my louder, more bubbly kid, and Kolbe is my quiet one.  Oh well, I'll take it.  There are 17 in his kindergarten class, and I'm so glad he has the same teacher that Gemma did.  

I was worried that having to get two up and around in the mornings would mean we would need to get the kids up even earlier.  Gemma got up at 6:30 in kdg and actually had to move back to 6:15 in 1st due to some chronic breakfast table piddling issues.  This year after a few days of 6:15 and way too much extra time on our hands the kids have been getting up at 6:25 and that is giving us more than plenty time!  I think they both enjoy having a sibling doing the same thing they are (if that makes sense).

In other news, we found out today that Kolbe's ruptured ear drum is completely healed!!

Clement is having a harder time adjusting to the change in routine than anyone (well, I may be giving him a run for his money).  Part if it I am sure is that he is #three and going through all those fun things that #three year olds do, but he just seems a little off without the other two around in the mornings.  He plays really well by himself though, it is cute to see him get so engrossed in toys and other activities completely on his own, something he's never really gotten the chance to do before.

All three kids have been getting along together and playing together so nicely.  It just makes my heart happy and our days so much more pleasant.

In the kitchen: 

This week: lasagna and sauteed summer squash/zucchini; crispy chicken salads; shredded Mexican chicken soft tacos; some sort of pasta, squash and shrimp or chicken fettuccini-type dish tomorrow night I think and still trying to figure out what we're going to have tonight.

Next week: homemade pizza; chicken and twice baked potatoes; beef stew; cod?; I will fill in more blanks later in the week.

Learning:  Just keeping up with school routines and homework and such.  So far the homework seems very manageable for both (Gemma's good attitude has helped this immensely). I will say, I am glad that Kolbe is half-day and we can tackle his homework when he gets home (he needs quite a bit of help/direction), and then I can give Gemma some time (it's not so much help that she needs as it is attention) when she gets home.

Reading: We have enjoyed the Jamela books so much this summer. They are just adorable picture books.  I don't know if it is because they are written and illustrated by the same person, but there is just something really great about them.  Kolbe checked out the audio book Count on Culebra for maybe the fourth? time this week.  It's fun, and the accents just make the audio version.  Finished The Middle Moffat and started Rufus M this morning.  The breakfast table, after our saint/Bible reading, seems to be the best time for family read-alouds currently.  We have some dedicated time for picture books before bed.  Gemma and I are reading The Year of Miss Agnes at bedtime as well. I got each of the olders a book for the first day of school.  Kolbe's was Pete the Cat: Rocking in My School Shoes (the Pete illustrations just crack me up).  His speech teacher introduced us to Pete and Kolbe has really liked him ever since.  For Gemma I got Little Nellie of Holy God, which I thought was very appropos for her big second grade year.  It is a beautiful story that we've read together numerous times, and I think she even read it on her own once or twice.  I am excited to begin a few other First Communion preparation books with her in the coming months.  The kids both had their first trips to the school library this week.  I am so glad they have that opportunity.  Gemma got a Magic Treehouse book and she actually started reading it on her own (this is big for her, she still hasn't gotten into chapter books independently).  We'll see if she perseveres, it's due next Wednesday.

Watching: MLB.

Bringing me joy: My kids, they are so awesome.  A bit more time in the evenings with hubby now that said children's bedtime is earlier.  Watching baseball with said hubby.  Nicer weather.

Thinking about: Trust, surrender, forgiveness. Oh my.

Pictures to share:  

Gemma helping Kolbe get ready on his first day of school.  She was so helpful, and so sad she didn't get to go.  She has been such a sweet big sister to him this past week.

Traditional front door pictures.

Together.

Journal: basement/bedroom renovation part I

TODAY - I am going to do this in twenty minutes.  I even set a timer.

Out my window:  Rainy.  Thunder rumbles.  Warm.  Perfect weather to not send the kids outdoors to play.

Clothing myself in:  A college basketball t-shirt and some new running shorts I got from Target and have (literally, not figuratively) lived in the past week.  

Around the house: Sigh.  We were going to re-carpet the basement in time to get Gemma moved down to her new bedroom before school starts (this coming Wednesday).  The carpet was scheduled to be laid on July 31.  We moved all the furniture (haphazardly I might add, since we'd be moving it back the next day) into the storage room, they came out (I will give you the Reader's Digest version), did the demo, installed the pad, unrolled the carpet...and it was the wrong color.  They (I won't name the store right now, I don't want to bad-mouth them as they have actually been very accommodating, and the mistake was not their, but the manufacturer's, fault)  sent a sales rep out to convince us that that was the color we had chosen and we were simply having buyer's remorse.  The rep took one look at it and said, "that's not the right carpet."  Sigh.  So here we sit, hottest part of summer, all three kids home all day, without our basement (which is coincidentally also our playroom/we allow the kids to be crazy and run and jump and throw balls room).  Nevermind the fact that we were really hoping to make the bedroom transition before school started.  The new order of carpet is currently in (as of Thursday or yesterday), but we have yet to confirm the correctness (or lack-thereof) of the color, and have not heard from the installers yet, which is making me more irate by the minute because WHY IS MY CARPET, THE CARPET THAT I HAVE PAID FOR IN FULL AND WAS TO BE INSTALLED OVER A WEEK AGO, SITTING IN A WAREHOUSE WHEN IT SHOULD BE IN MY BASEMENT?????????  OK.  I'm done sounding pathetic.  Suffice it to say it's been a rough week-and-a-half.  

 

The baby/toddler: So many words.  Sentences even!  He has some strong opinions, particularly lately about the color of his diaper cover, and his clothing.  He has one pair of pajamas he prefers (blue fish), and two shirts (baseball and blue) and if they are dirty getting him dressed is a chore (understatement of the year). 

 

The kiddos:  Gemma has been having a rough go.  I am hoping she is just nervous about school and acting out (we had issues with this last August).  She had such a great stretch from about early spring-ish to mid-summer, and I feel like we've lost all ground we gained.  Hoping that once we settle into the school-year things moderate out a bit.  Bickering, sass, lying, hitting, pushing.  It is stressing me out.  The basement situation doesn't help the personal space issues.

In the kitchen: Meatloaf, salads, family dinner, baked cod, lasagna, honey chicken, breakfast casserole on the menu last week and this.  Lots of fresh fruit.  Fasting as a family from treats and praying together about the Black Mass scheduled in OKC.  Trying to think of fast easy snacks I can prepare ahead of time and put in baggies to bring in the car when I pick G up from school, that way we can hit the ground running when we get home for the rest of our day.  Full day school will be an adjustment for all of us.

Crafting: oh please.

Learning:  Just enjoying the rest of the Summer.  We have made some good trips to the library, and "Work" is our family virtue for August. 

Reading: I have a big pile on my end-table, but the two that are on top now are (my first timer just rang, five minutes to go!!!) The Rest of her Life (a very thought-provoking fiction, I'm almost finished) and Beyond the Birds and the Bees: Raising Sexually Whole and Holy Kids (fantastic).

Watching: Royals MLB baseball mainly (I have always thought MLB baseball was very redundant, anyone else think this?), a bit of channel surfing after kids are in bed.

Bringing me joy: Prayer time.  Pool time with the family.  My hubby, he's so wonderful.  Tooling around Lowe's and Academy Sports with the family last Saturday.  We didn't buy a thing but boy we had fun.

Thinking about: School.  Carpet.  Relationships.  

I made it to the end of the post and the timer is just ringing!!!

Pictures to share:  

Water balloons.  Clement's face in this picture makes my day every time  I look at it.

Journal: The New Year

TODAY

Out my window:  Sunny, windy and cold, a few remnants of a light snow we got the other night.  Very cold temps in the forecast.  It is Winter, bleh.  Although it is now January so that just means this month and then Feeeebbbbbrrrruuuuuaaaarrrrryyyyyy and then Spring, right?  Right???  Right.......

Clothing myself in:  Jeans, tank, sweatshirt, socks.  Casual Friday around the house.  Haha.

Around the house: Packed a bunch of toys away before/during Christmas.  They are the ones that rarely get played with.  If they stay packed away and no one asks for them by March we will have a chat with the kids about getting rid of them.  I am ready for the Christmas decos to come down, and since we're about to the end of the Twelve Days we will probably take them down this weekend.  I leave my Nativity on the mantel until Candlemas and the other winter things up until Februaryish as well.  Can you tell I am ready for Spring, already thinking ahead for it.  heh.  Trying to think about and plan what needs to be done for our January birthdays as well.  Goodness they always come so quick after the holidays!   The rush of presents and then ensuing present drought (from January to December, haha) for the kids is getting more difficult as they get older.  I suppose they probably don't care, but it just makes shopping for them really hard when it all has to be done in 3wks time.  Sigh.  OH well. 

 

The baby:  Cuteness.  I love how he throws his clothes in the dirty clothes each night before getting in the bath.  He loves the big kids so much and wants so badly to play with.  Most of the time they are pretty good sports about it.  He understands and follows simple directions and really seems to keep up with what is going on around the house.  I suppose it is about time to quit referring to him as "the baby"...

 

The kiddos:  Have had a really nice Christmas break.  I am kind of sad it is over, it has been nice having Gemma around and the more relaxed wake-up time/mornings that brings.  Although I think she is ready to get back to the structure school brings (even though she would never admit it, haha;-).  For the most part they have had some really good playtime together over the break, and our schedule really hasn't been too crazy or out of the ordinary.  For the most part.

GEMMA has learned to tie her shoes!!!  We had worked on tying on and off the past year or so and it has never clicked.  I told Aaron I thought if I bought her a pair of tie shoes that she would figure it out before too long.  She was on the cusp of needing them, and we could demote the velcro ones to "play shoes" so she got to pick out a pair of tie shoes.  I showed her twice how to tie them and she has it down pat!  She is very excited to get a shoe bead when she goes back to school.

I know I mentioned previously that KOLBE had seemed to kind of hit a rough patch, and well he seems to be mellowing back out to his usual self which has been nice.  Still an oh so strong will, but I have resigned myself that's just how my kids are so that aside he really has been much more manageable lately.  He was able to survive the holidays and all the extra food mainly unscathed when it comes to his dye sensitivity (I am particularly glad for this as I want to take him in for four year pics soon and am glad his face is not broken out).  I ordered some natural food coloring for frosting for the upcoming bdays, so we'll see how that works out.

In the kitchen: This week we had Shepherd's Pie; Chinese carry-out (or "Chinese Lemonade" as the kids call it, haha); homemade pizza; smoked salmon with steamed broccoli and tater-puffs; and Loaded Baked Potato and Chicken Casserole is on the menu for tonite.

Crafting: nope, nada.  New Years, shmoo-years, what resolutions??

Learning:  I have M, N and O weeks planned for Kolbe.  I am backing off a little and just planning one thing a day for him to do during "homework time" in the afternoons, and even then I'm going to try to pull out more manipulatives and such.  Mornings will be for reading books or doing other non-paper and crayon related things.  Kolbe is still struggling a lot with his pencil/crayon grip and I just don't want to force too much before he is ready.  Looking forward to starting our co-op back up next week as well!  We will be using Mouse Paint, one of my favorite picture books!  We've all been working on a thank you note a day since Christmas so hopefully those will be hammered out soon.  Just in time to turn around and write more for birthdays.  OH these January birthdays get me very year.  Sorry, tangent.

Reading: Well, Larry's Christmas letter, - at 17 pages - is at the top of the list for this week!  If any of you other readers know Larry from Church (anyone?) you will know how great this is.  Seriously, it was awesome.  My dad got me The Better Part for Christmas and I have been trying to pray with it daily.  I started with the Gospel of Luke.  I really like it.  The best way I would describe it is a loosely structured Lectio Divina.  I will be able to munch on this book for years, probably decades.  It is nice. 

Watching:  We watched all but the last part (don't spoil it, we're finishing it tonite) of The Curious Case of Benjamin Button last night.  I am not a movie person.  Aaron literally has to just start a movie and then ignore all my kicking and screaming and whining.  And whining.  It was really good.  Gold Rush also resumes tonight, and the goats on Alaska: The Last Frontier had babies.  Seriously, the noise that a goat baby makes is very adorable.  

Bringing me joy: Faith and Family.  Prayer and the Mass.  Hubby, kids, parents, siblings, cousins, aunts and uncles....so grateful. 

Thinking about: Life and death.  Between the movie we watched last night, the sudden and rather tragic death of a friend of ours, the death of my aunt last month and visiting Aaron's aging uncle and grandparents last weekend it just really has me thinking about mortality. 

Pictures to share:  

I think I will love this picture forever.

Sweet siblings X

This picture makes my heart so happy.  Every night after Kolbe is asleep I lay with Gemma for one or two songs before leaving their room and she always asks to hold Clement.  This particular evening I just couldn't resist taking a picture.  She loves him soooooooooooooooo much, and I really marvel at how helpful she is at the tender age of 4, and also how comfortable Clem is with her.  She has helped him go to sleep on more than one occasion while either holding him or sitting by him.  It's nice having an extra set of arms as our family grows.  I'm so proud of my big girl, and thankful for her help.

Sweet siblings IX

Sweet siblings VIII

Love these moments...

Sweet Siblings VII (Professional Edition)

We had Kolbe's professionals and Gemma's as well, of course we had to get some of the two of them together. Always easier said than done, but we got some (a very few) good ones. That being said, I just had to post the "outtakes" as well. Enjoy!

Sweet siblings VI

Mealtimes are always an adventure with young children. At least at our house they are. ;-D Lately, Gemma and Kolbe have become very good buddies at mealtime. Gemma loves to feed Kolbe bites, and I honestly think Kolbe is helping encourage Gemma to be a better eater. He eats more than she does at most meals!! Anyways, Gemma loves to pull Kolbe's highchair right up next to her and they just have a great time together. This was pizza night (which is a weekly occurrence at our house more times than not). I got a breadmaker for Christmas, so I used a new crust recipe that I will definitely have to share. We love our homemade pizzas, and I love it when the whole family can eat the same thing for dinner!!

Sweet siblings V

We were going somewhere as a family last weekend (Aaron was driving) and I turned around to see this. I had to take a picture. Sometimes if I don't it is too easy to dwell on the negative moments and not remember the positive ones. Anyways, this made my heart happy.

Sweet siblings IV

Gemma was making some music in the kitchen while I was cooking the other day, and Kolbe wanted to join in too. It was so cute to see him trying to imitate her.

Sweet siblings III

As I mentioned in my last post, Kolbe has been enjoying his food immensely. Gemma asked to feed him the other morning and she really did a great job! I took some video, and really should figure out how to use the software to take it off my camera and then post it on here. Maybe soon. For now you will have to be happy with the still photos.
Very sweet. Then she read him some Nursery Rhymes before his nap. Such a good sissy.
While we're on the subject of Gemma and feeding Kolbe, I thought I'd share a Gemma-funny from the other night. I was sitting in the chair feeding Kolbe in his highchair and she kept poking her head up under the arm I was feeding him with so she could get right in on the action. Sweet as it was, it was getting reallllly old after about the seventeenth time of knocking food off of his spoon and making me miss his mouth all-together, so I physically moved her aside and told her that it was sweet that she wanted to help, but I needed some space and could she go do, I don't remember what, some random project I came up with. Well, so later on that evening she was playing with her baby-doll, and I came up beside her and she said very sweetly, "mama, I'm feedin' my baby, I need some space." They really do repeat whatever they hear!

Sweet siblings II

Kolbe's ability to sit up has made playtime for him and Gemma much more exciting. Gemma is really having fun with it. Her latest...she has me sit him in her room by the CD player so they can listen to "Whistle Man" (or whatever the favorite song of the day is) together. She will bring him toys and I even caught her reading Polar Bear to him the other day. So sweet. I put a pillow behind him, as he still tips back once in awhile, and Gemma decided she needed one as well, "for in case I fall over, mama." Ha!
I took this picture the other morning and thought it turned out very good of both of them together. Definitely print-worthy and give-to-the-grandmas-worthy.

Oh my heart!

While Gemma is certainly a very sweet little girl, she definitely has a naughty streak about her. (But then, don't we all?) At any rate, there are times with her when all the Hail Mary's and counting to ten in the world aren't enough to keep my patience in check (part of this is my problem, I realize, even so...) Anyways, she got up from her nap the other day and was just sweet as honey. I mean, she was sitting on her bed talking about how Jesus wants us to share and be gentle, and giving her toys to Kolbe, and just being an all-around, A-plus, number-one sweetheart. It sort of made my heart melt. And then, and THEN, she took her beloved pink binky -- the one she picked out from the store all by herself when her others broke (yeah)... the one that I have to set a timer for after naps and in the morning so she will finally part with it... the one that is her. binky. ... -- and she sweetly gave it to her brother. Oh. My. Heart. It was one of the sweetest moments I've witnessed between those two yet.

Part of the reason I put this on here was so I could look back and remember this moment. Because sometimes when she's melting down and being an all-around, A-plus, number-one stinker, I need to remember that there are, after all, good times (sometimes this is reallllllly hard to recall).

So even though I'm not a huge fan of my son sporting a pink binky, the moment was way too sweet not to commemorate with a photo. Ahhhhhh, how I love these kids.

Sweet, sweet siblings

She loves him soooooooooooooo much. Did I mention that??