Around the house

Our Jesse Tree I did a wonderful Jesse Tree ornament exchange a few years ago on the 4Real Learning boards and have a lovely set-that I couldn't find, so I just improvised this year and used clear glass ornaments and colred sharpies. They turned out great. Of course, I found my other stash a few days later...That's ok though. Maybe I'll make a set every few years and then each kiddo will have one of their own when they grow up. We've been following along with the Holy Heroes Advent Adventure site. I am so grateful for this free resource. We watched a short video explaining the ornament, the symbol and it's story, for the kids every night (well not every night, we missed a few, like every year).
This was the Advent calendar I made. It is just scrapbook paper on envelopes. Inside the envelopes I tucked little cards with an activity for that day. We had prayers for special people, ideas for hot chocolate, Christmas movies, stuff like that.

I just clothespinned them into a garland in our kitchen. I had this unfinished star ornament that we moved along to show what day we were on. I kept meaning to paint and/or glitter it, but never got around to it.

This is the setting up of the snow village. I only put up a few pieces this year. I must have 10-15 more parts and I just didn't feel like getting it all out. I need to remember to take a pitcure of it finished! This is how I set it up though, just stacking the buildings randomly on books and boxes then putting the lights in behind. The 'snow' is white felt and pillow stuffing. And the tree. We have a real tree this year. Also, we used colored lights. It looks great. We have no theme just tons of ornaments, handmade, bought and given to us. I know the top is bare. We have an angel, but I just couldn't get her to fit up there! So this year no topper. The angel is watching over us all from the piano.

MaryClare funny

MC has been trying to stop sucking her thumb. She's doing well, only going for it when she's very sleepy and in bed. Last week I laid down with her to take a nap. She pulled the covers up almost over her head. Several minutes later I peeked over at her and saw the thumb in her mouth.

"MaryClare! Stop sucking your thumb honey." I smiled a bit to take the edge off.

She blinked at me. "I'm not sucking it, I'm just cleaning it."

Oh, ok.
(This is a picture from the day we met)

Babies!

I love this trailer. I hope we'll be able to see the full length when it comes out. I've watched it with the kids several times and we determined you simply cannot watch this without smiling. Enjoy!

HT: Melissa Wiley

7 Quick Takes

Be sure to visit Jen for more Quick Takes.

1.

Sara's first birthday was the 6th. I have yet to write a significant thing about her birth story (much less her conception story, not those details, mind you, but how in the world I became pregnant again) because I'm in denial! She is just a dream baby. She's easy going and charming and so squooshyly delicious. Just like the baby you always thought you'd have when you were 6 and playing grown-ups. Just like the baby in movies and diaper commercials. That said, I truly am excited for her every new milestone and I really hope that someday I can rightly express the bittersweet quality of motherhood that I am wallowing in currently.

2.

My Advent plan is proceeding just as I planned, verrrrrry slowly. Tree is up and a few decorations. Advent wreath is going and the Jesse Tree is filling up. I made a cute Advent calendar with envelopes, scrapbook paper and clothespins. Still, I have boxes in the storage room with even more Christmas stuff, including a snow village set that I was going to just skip this year, but the girls are hounding me about putting up.

3.

Of course when I am tempted to panic that this or that hasn't been done/bought/made yet and freak out when Lee makes plans to have over company at the last minute-I take a deep breath and count to ten and try to remind myself that this is the plan. To live more in the present and to have a kinder, gentler, calmer Advent-that's the plan at least.

4.

School break has begun and I am not sure who is more relieved, me or the kids. Report cards came out for first semester and they all 4 have straight A's. I am so proud, but then also embarrassed at my pride. One reason I like homeschooling is the absence of worldly, schooly stuff like grades. I want my kids to enjoy learning for learning's sake and to develop into thoughtful, critically thinking adults. A quote I read (or heard?) recently about one having to take an education, not be given it really resonated within me. The idea that I am not educating my kids, rather they are becoming educated, educating themselves really, suits me very much and fits in with what I have learned since we began 'home education' a few years ago. OTOH, the benchmark of achieving a certain grade has motivated certain students around here. So there you go. No real consensus on homeschooling methodology has emerged around here (by here I mean in my head) and maybe it never will.

5.

I was so grateful to be able to spend some time in Adoration Tuesday night. After mass, I noticed a flyer from the Respect Life ministry that was hosting night of Adoration to pray for the whole health care bill mess. Luckily, both Lee and I were able to attend in a tag team sort of way. It was a nasty, rainy and cold night but sitting in out small chapel, listening to the rain and then praying the Rosary with the diverse group of people who were there filled me with warmth and peace. Of course the health care bill is still a mess, but I know without a doubt our prayers were heard and I had that incredible feeling, one I get sometimes during mass too, of being in communion not only with the Church Militant in the present, but with the saints and angels.

6.

Last night Lee was telling me something about an article he read in First Things about Cicero. I haven't had a chance to read the article yet and I forget what he was trying to tell me. Anyway- I had a sudden thought again about history, saints and historical figures really, and the bizarre notion of being able to meet these people someday in Heaven. I mean can you imagine chatting with St. Peter, St. Bernadette or even some Old Testament folks? Moses, Ruth? Or even folks who aren't declared saints but who we, God willing, could meet up with in Heaven? Chesterton, Lewis, O'Connor? And of course just many, many more souls that history has never recorded. Such a humbling thought. Thoughts I need to think more often.

7.

On Tuesday we watched "The Song of Bernadette". I have seen it before. but it was the first time for the kids. Later we read about her on the internet. Oh for sure, she is one saint I need to read about and become closer to no doubt. What a sweet, humble woman. ***Bonus points for anyone who can guess why I chose Tuesday for these activities.....

The Zoo, Thanksgiving and Rockettes

John, Nancy, Margueritte and Baby Lee came to Atlanta for the week. We went to the zoo on Wednesday (the first sunny day). There is a sweet carousel and of course the kids rode it several times.

Baby Lee is about 6 weeks older than Sara. Isn't he so handsome? We got lucky again as the animals were fairly active. They were probably glad to have the sun out too.

The Thanksgving meal was at Jojo and Gampy's after all. She is feeling back to her old self and was thrilled to deck out her table and have her family all around. I supplied the mashed potatoes and she did all the rest, including an amazing oyster stuffing. Sara loved the turkey and stuffing, a special kids version Jojo made, sans oysters.

Post feast, we sat and talked, laughed and...

slept! She fell asleep about 6 and slept through the night!

Yesterday (Saturday), the Girls went to see the Rockettes at the Fabulous Fox.
Me and my 2/3 girls! Then we came home and enjoyed a surprisingly good football game! ;)

7 Quick Takes

Visit Jen's for more 7 Quick Takes! 1.
Off to camp with Lainey this afternoon. We'll be spending the night and then all day tomorrow. I'm pretty sure we'll come home tomorrow night because it's supposed to rain. And it's going to be quite chilly.

2.
CT5K is going fine still. I got over the dreaded week5day3 20 min. run and it was so much easier than I thought it would be. However, I would be remiss if I failed to give props to the only reason I've been able to get this far:

I can make a playlist of my own music and then use this app. It syncs with my playlist and then I get a little voice over prompt telling me when to run and when to walk. I would NEVER have made it this far without this.

3.

We are taking the entire week off from school next week, the first break we've had since beginning and we are more than ready for a break. All of us. Fourteen weeks straight is brutal. The upside is we'll go back, have two more weeks, have sixteen weeks or half a year done, and then be off for five. I've had my issues with the constraints of the hybrid school, but keeping us on a steady pace has been one undeniably good thing............I think.

4.

MaryClare's special photo book came in the mail this week. We sat down and looked through it together while I narrated the journey of our meeting and becoming a family. Just sharing this with her was incredibly moving. She asked several questions that I answered to the best of my ability. This kid is so sharp I tell you. She loves her book and at first I was tempted to tell her to keep her special book safe, nagging her to put it away nicely and take good care of it, but then I realised I want her to look at it as often as she likes and to feel like she can share it with whomever she pleases. I can always order another one. I want to encourage her to have a kind of familiarity with her story, so that over time it will be at once special and unique, but not strange or odd.

But, later that night I did ask her pick it up off the floor though. She said, "Oh yes, I don't want anyone to read my diarrhea."

!

Honey, 'I do not think that word means what you think it means'

5.

Do you have someone in your life, who's known you a very long time, and who continues to treat you as if you are the exact same as you met? As if you've never aged or grown up or matured at all? I do. And let me tell you it is very frustrating. Thanks be to God, I am not the same person I was 2, 5 or 10 years ago.

6.

I am not prepared for Advent at all yet this year. (neither in my heart nor in my home, despite my talk a couple of weeks ago) Advent is the time of preparing for Christmas, but what is the time preparing for Advent called? I fear it might be called Thanksgiving. *(wait a minute, you know, actually that kind of makes sense. Being thankfully minded does put us in the right frame of mind to anticipate the Good News of Christ's birth. Hmm.)

But I am not worried, not really. It will be as it will be. Preparing my soul is the first order and thankfully I do have this.

7.

I really must go pack for camping now.

.

Warning: Do not use this or you might just eat your kiddos right up!

I will never buy another baby wash again! This smells dee-licious on Sara. I have to fight the urge to just eat her soft, yummy chubbiness right up. I am also using it for the older girls now too. MC is not very chubby, but equally soft and yummy.



Oh and they make a lotion too with the same smell that I have been using. Who needs Bath and Body Works when you have Johnson's?

Personality colors

I found this short quiz that 'reveals' what decorating colors would best reflect you. I think it was pretty accurrate about me. I already have colors in my home that are very similar to these, just lighter. My house faces north and it could get dark and gloomy, not warm and cozy, if I painted in these tones.

Let me know if you take the quiz!

7 Quick Takes

Head over to Jen's for more Quick Takes

1. We went to the zoo last Friday. It was a spur of the moment trip and we had a wonderful time. The weather was perfect and the and the animals were active. We haven't been to the zoo in awhile and there were some changes. Our favorite new exhibit is the parakeet experience. You enter and enclosed bird house and they are just everywhere. You can feed them off a little seed stick ($1 a stick! what a rip! we were lucky to have a kid pass us along his when he was leaving the exhibit and also we found quite a few just on the ground that we picked up) The birds were colorful and friendly, luckily no one was pooped on. Another winning exhibit was the gorrilas. In the viewing house there is a glass panel in front of some risers and you can just sit and watch them. One came right up to the glass and was eating his snack-staring right back at us!

2. My talk on Advent traditions went just fine, thanks for the prayers. No vomiting on the podium-YAY! My sweet husband has been travelling and he sent me flowers yesterday with a note saying he was so proud of me for doing this thing way out of my comfort zone. The kids were all ooohing and ahhing about their thoughtful dad, even the boys were impressed!

3. Now that the talk is done and not looming over my head I feel free to begin planning for the next big thing. Laine and I are going camping with her AHG troop. Just girls. We're looking forward to it. I actually sort of enjoy camping.

4. Right after the camping is Thanksgiving week. I am having it here for the first time ever. My in-laws will be coming over and I know I won't be cooking everything all by myself, but it is still exciting!

5. It is going to be in the 70's and sunny all weekend. How lucky are we?!

6. I ordered a photo book just for MaryClare and I really hope it gets here soon. It is full of pictures from our trip to China and our meeting for the first time. She has been very inquisitive lately about her 'story' and I want to be as forthcoming and gentle as possible. My hope is this photo book will show her how special she is. Four is such a busy age. Lots of lightbulbs going off for her right now prompting many questions and, I am sensing, a bit of insecurity.

7. I've been working on a little family project and I hope to be done this weekend. It's unique and it is so 'us'. I'll share some pictures when I finish.

'Tis the Season - Already?

*picture from my MIL's (aka The Queen of Christmas Decorating)*

Our parish has an elementary (k-8) school. It is a nice school with small classes and good teachers. Last spring I met a neat woman on the soccer fields whose five kids attend and she is now the Spiritual Life coordinator for this year. A couple of weeks ago she shocked me by calling and asking me to come speak at an event they are having called Preparing Our Hearts and Our Homes for the Holidays. "C?" I said, "Um, you know I homeschool the kids right? Is that ok? I mean I'm not a parent there."

Yes, of course she knew, and she still wanted me. She said the Holy Spirit kept bringing my name to her when she was planning though and she was sure I would have something great to share. Listening to her, I felt a sinking sensation in my stomach. Oh no! I've been praying about this, about how I can serve in my parish. Oh dear, it looks like this is your answer, Lord. Wait, can I change my prayer real quick?

See, I am not a public speaker. I have no problem chatting and talking and often in small groups of friends I later wonder if I've talked too much! But in front of a large group? With a microphone?

Um, no. In fact, I'm getting butterflies just sitting here typing this!

But, I said yes.

Fast forward a few weeks and Boom! The thing is tomorrow night. I have written it all out and I will probably just be standing up there reading. I am going to do this. *sigh* I'm sure it will be fine. I do feel strongly that this is something I am supposed to do and that God will just make it work somehow, but I am still intimidated. I just want it to be over already and not looming in front of me.

So, if you have a moment and can spare me a quick prayer for my nerves I would so appreciate it!

Small Successes

1. Sorted through their fall/winter clothes and put away the summer stuff. Of course, I can't put away all the summer stuff because we have freaky weather and it is possible we might need our shorts and tees even in November. This is a task I dread every spring and fall. I am so sad to see the little boy clothes go. Sometimes, when Luke has outgrown something, it is an item that has see us through three boys! The jammies are the worst. See these darling Superman jammies? They came with a little cape that velcroed to the shoulders. My boys wore these out! I finally parted with them *sniff*:

2. I completed week 4 of the CT5K. I should have been on week 5, but I did week 4 twice. Last Thurs. I pulled a hammy (hee hee, I never thought I would be typing that) or something so did a week 3 run and then went back to do week 4 over. I'm still enjoying this program so far and I am amazed at how much my stamina has improved already.

3. We tidied and cleaned out the playroom. I wanted to start that space for our homeschool time and it needed a big cleanup before we could be up there and not be comepletely distracted. It has been wonderful to begin our mornings at home with a prayer, a Bible story and some good read-alouds before we dive into math while listening to the local classical music station very softly in the background.

We have always done math first, just to get it out of the way honestly, but this change has helped us start and finish our seatwork more calmly and peacefully. Thanks to my internet friends and the ladies at the 4 Real Learning forums for their suggestions...

Mother in law update

Thank you for your prayers!

It was discovered that Jojo has a severe hiatal hernia. When she arrived at the hospital, her hemoglobin count was 4! The docs said she was talk of the day. They'd never seen anyone walking around with a count that low. She took 4 units of blood!

Now she is back to her old self and feels like a new woman. She will be taking Nexium and iron pills and should make a good recovery.

7 Quick Takes

It's my first time joining this enormously popular meme, but I had lots of little things to say so here it goes. Be sure to visit Jen's for more quick takes

1. Kids had an All Saints party today. They were supposed to dress up as saints. Thanks be to God I managed to pull together a few costumes. Laine was Mary, Luke was St. Maximilian Kolbe, Ryan was St. Peregrine and Jake was St. Phillip of Neri. Come to think of it, the last All Saints party we went to they were all the same except for Luke who was St. Michael the Archangel. They ended the day with some games and food and the kids enjoyed it.

I have to admit, I am ambivalent about the kids dressing up for All Saints. Sure, I think it's great to celebrate the saints and all, but I am not thrilled about scrambling for a costume and playing the silly games though like Fishing with St. Peter, where someone behind the cardboard cut-out attaches a treat bag to a fishing pole. I don't know, it all feels kind of forced to me. Maybe I am just being a bah humbug grump though. (I hate kids birthday parties too. shhhhh!) Like I said the kids all had fun and were very enthusiastic.

2. Sara's two upper teeth cut through this week and she's learned the thrill of tapping them and grinding them together. So cute! So cringe inducing! Oh and apparently she's a nature lover too.

(when I was posting this I noticed again how much she looks like Ryan. I mean she has the same ears even! See how that one is a little bendy... just like Ry's!)

3. We made the best three ingredient cookies, maybe the best cookies evah (well except for chocolate chip, cause they will always reign supreme in my book):

Yep, just canned pumpkin, a spice cake mix and a bag of white chocolate chips

4. I bet your house doesn't have one of these:
In case you can't see, here is a closeup of the sign on my hall closet.
Yes folks, we have our very own Transmographier right here in our upstairs hallway closet. Just set the dial to whatever you would like to become, then enter the closet and instantly you will be Transmographied. Luckily the inventors added a Human selection so you can return to your natural form when your Mom calls you for dinner, cause if your mom is like mine, it's humans only at the dinner table. (well, ok, maybe unicorns sometimes, but definitely NO armadillos allowed!)

5. We're loving the new deck! Visit my sister's blog (Young At Art...over there on the sidebar) for the final pictures.

6. Speaking of my lovely sister... Her sister-in-law (whom I am now claiming as mine too) and I held a shower for her and also attended another one recently. Doesn't she look wonderful!
The one I went to on Saturday was so cute! The hostesses outdid themselves with a totally adorable Dr. Seuss theme. One of the girls is an event planner and every detail (I mean every!) was themed.
7. I need to end these 7 quick takes on a serious note. Please keep my wonderful mother-in-law, Jojo, in your prayers. She is in the hospital with severe anemia caused by some unknown internal bleeding. She had a few transfusions today and will be having lots of tests run tomorrow.

Thanks for visiting and reading~!

Happy 10th Birthday Ryan!

Ryan and Sara last week. She looks so much like him when he was a baby.

Jake was only 14mo. old when Ryan was born, still a baby himself. But when he came to the hospital to visit me when Ryan was born, he looked huge! My Ry was just 6lbs 13oz. He had a sprinkling of dark, auburny hair and a classic English roses and cream complexion. The freckles came later! He gained weight quickly and became a strong and sturdy little toddler with round cheeks and the absolute softest skin. We called him butter baby cause his skin was 'soft as buttah'. He was also nicknamed Danger Baby. Ryan is almost fearless and is full of bold curiousity and as a baby, we could always count on him to find the most dangerous object or situation no matter where we were. He gave and surely still gives his guardian angel a workout! He has always been a people person. He is a friendly and outgoing kid, a total extrovert! We joke he has never met a stranger and he could make friends with a doornob. This kid is a total charmer and one of the most good hearted people I know.

He is a nurturer type, always looking out for the little guys and born leader with a soft heart. The younger kids adore him and even the sibling he fights with most can often be found giggling and whispering with the adored big bro. Lately they have found some common ground and have been getting along so much better. He is a great big brother and he actually likes to help with Sara, asking us if he can feed her, hold her or just play with her. I see him making great strides in his self-control. He is so determined and willfull, two traits that can really try the patience of a mom, but will serve him well as an adult as he continues to learn to apply those strengths in positive ways. I admire that quality in him.

Happy Birthday, my son. I treasure you and I'm so happy that God has put you in my life. You make the world a better, brighter place.

Love, Mom

Do you Boo?

We do!

What the heck is 'Boo-ing?' you may be wondering. Well basically you make a little sack or two of treats and take the treats and a note like this to your neighbors. You place the treats and the note on the front door step then ring the bell or knock loudly then run and hide!

(scary faces)

We've been doing this in our neighborhood for a few years and our kids look forward to it every October. It's fun to walk the streets at night and hide in bushes giggling with your family.

a dream for my children

“Our aim in Education is to give a Full Life.––We begin to see what we want. Children make large demands upon us. We owe it to them to initiate an immense number of interests. ‘Thou hast set my feet in a large room,’ should be the glad cry of every intelligent soul. Life should be all living, and not merely a tedious passing of time; not all doing or all feeling or all thinking––the strain would be too great––but, all living; that is to say, we should be in touch wherever we go, whatever we hear, whatever we see, with some manner of vital interest. We cannot give the children these interests; we prefer that they should never say they have learned botany or conchology, geology or astronomy. The question is not,––how much does the youth know? when he has finished his education––but how much does he care? and about how many orders of things does he care? In fact, how large is the room in which he finds his feet set? and, therefore, how full is the life he has before him?”
Charlotte Mason(Vol. 3, pp. 170, 171).

Confessions of an introvert

This article is fantastic. Go read it and then come back here and tell me what you think.

I have been in denial about being and introvert. But I am done hiding. It's true, I am an introvert.

Even my bestest friend, who has known me since I was 11, was skeptical about my introversion -and she's an introvert too! We've talked about this ,at length, and discovered we've both had misconceptions about intoversion and also felt societal pressures to surpress our introverted tendencies.

Of course there is a general misunderstanding of what introversion is and also I'm very good at masking. I know there are several people who think I am this social, outgoing gal. They've been surprised after they get to know me better they realise I'm actually quite melancholic.

I'm not particularly shy and I do enjoy being with others...to a point. I know what is expected in certain social situations and of course I'm not going to run off and hide in a corner when I'm suppossed to be making small talk. I want to make others comfortable and I do genuinely care about people. Introverts are not misanthropes.

So are you an extrovert or an introvert, in general?

PS. Here is another short blurb about introvert confusion

I love my giant sink!

...And these girls do too! Yes, that's my 4 year old AND my 10mo. old in my kitchen sink!

Small Successes

I am really stretching here people. I'm not sure why, it has been a perfectly good and productive week. But for some reason I am really having a hard time pulling three seperate small successes together.

1. Finished the deck! Woo Hoo!! (pictures forthcoming after the rain ends..ugh)

{not small I know, however this is probably it's hard for me to pick out other stuff. It was a fun project, but it did kind of dominate life around here}

2. did lots of reading, praying and talking to Lee and the kids about our home education thanks to some thoughtful posts by Leila

3. signed up for AHG for Lainey (first meeting tonight!) and Boy Scouts (tomorrow night!) for the boys