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

Weddings make me cry

We watched The Office last night on Hulu, the episode(s) where Jim and Pam get married. {We don't watch much TV, but there are a couple of shows we like. On Hulu we can watch them whenever we want! And it's free!} It was hysterical yes, but it also made me tear up.

Weddings always make me think about my own wedding and marriage. I get all nostaligic and shocked that it's been 5, 10, now 12 years since we were married. I am asked often if I ever thought we'd have this kind of family, this many kids, the homeschooling etc...The answer is NOPE!

But God's plan, it turned out, was waaaaaaay better than my plan.

Small Successes

1. We made it to the homeschool mass.

2. Completed week one of the CT5K. I feel a sense of accomplishment, and I HATE running. I still waiting for the 'runner's high', unless it feels like you have a nasty hangover chased with a swig of tequila. I don't think that's the feeling those runner people are so nuts about though.

3. Took MaryClare to the dentist and Lainey for her 7yr. check-up. Both are just fine. I need to get everyone on a more streamlined checkup/teeth cleaning schedule though because I seem to have an appointment for someone at least once a month an that's not counting sick visits...

So that's it. See you next week!

Feast of the Archangels

We celebrated with fish sandwiches (St. Raphael), cheese triangle 'bugles' (St. Gabriel) and devil's food cupcakes with swords (St. Michael)

When preparing I was trying to find these

But apparently they do not sell them at our Publix. The outrage! In a bizarre twist we ended up having refried beans and that led to a discussion about the musical fruit .... um, yes.

Anywho, the cheese triangle trumpets worked just fine for St. Gabriel.

Tonight's menu includes angel hair past with shrimp and angel food cake for dessert.

Also, we're beginning to teach MaryClare the Guardian Angel Prayer so we'll work on that.

I am an awesome photographer

Not really, but with this new website {free!} I can seem like I am! You just upload a photo and then mess around with the editing tools. Did I mention it is free! You don't even have to register or anything.

Look at my befores and afters:

before

After

after

Isn't that amazing!