Daily Science Lesson

After dinner last night, Natalie decided to sit the family down for a "lesson" on the Solar System.  Did you know, for instance, that the earth is the closest planet to the sun?  Or, that Pluto doesn't exist anymore?  Me neither!  During her little mini-course I sat in my recliner, and just took in the scene that was taking place.  Natalie was rattling on about shooting starts, the different types of moons (full moon, half moon, etc...), and how when it's summer in one area of the world, it's winter in another.  Then, Rachel started chasing Andrew in circles around Natalie's dry erase easel/classroom with a bulb syringe fresh from Luke's nose.  Natalie responded in her best whiny teacher voice, "Hey!  You guys need to stop that and listen!"  (I have no idea where she gets that from ;).  And I just had to laugh, because these are the moments that I love the most about being a parent.  You just can't make this stuff up.  These kids are just so cute and funny, and they have no qualms about being themselves.  There's no worry about human respect and "what people will think about me."  This is why I love being a close-knit family, spending time together, and just enjoying each others company.  This pure, unadulterated, raw, honest-to-goodness family life.  It's the best!....we could probably use a unit study on planets, though

Just Another Reason....

....that I am not interested in having a pet live indoors in addition to children:

Eventually, those will be finished projects that I can share here =)  In the meantime, that little Luke sure does keep us on our toes!  He's quite a change from Rachel, who is the next oldest.  She was always (and still is) so quiet and cautious.  She didn't start walking until 18 months old!  This little guy is 6 1/2 months old, and is cruising everywhere.  And, boy, does he get into stuff (obviously ;)

While he can sit all by himself, he much prefers to crawl....

Yesterday, I caught him doing this (the photo is a bit wobbly, but so was he, so it was either get a decent picture, or get him from falling!):

What you can't see in the picture is that he was cracking up laughing at his big brother =)  Those two are SO cute together!  It's obvious Luke adores Andrew.  But, then he also adores the screensaver on our computer....you know, that thing that bounces around the screen, while changing shapes and colors...

What's even funnier is watching Rachel, the 2 year old, sit and watch this, saying, "circle....square....balloon...star...."  hahahaha.  I love my kids!

Needless to say, we'll take this crawling, drooling, little boy over a dog any day =)

In a Galaxy Far, Far Away.....

Ok, I have a confession to make.  The nerd in me has been looking forward to the Star Wars phase of our kids' lives probably since our first son was born!  Well, at the library last week, Andrew happened to pick up one of those 'easy reader' books, and it was a Star Wars one.  He.was.hooked!  And, I promise, there was no encouragement or prompting from me!  It has a been a week full of Jedi Knights, Jabba the Hut, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and, of course, Light Sabers!  And, oh boy, is it fun!  I used to love, love, love watching the original Star Wars Trilogy as a kid, and it's really a joy to see them enjoy something from my childhood.  Andrew constructed a Light Saber out of a medicine syringe and a plastic straw...I totally slacked on the photo op there =(  And, oh my gosh, have you seen all the really cool Star Wars things you can knit and sew for your boy on the blogs these days?!?!?  I doubt I'll make any of it, but still fun to look at =)  I'm not sure who is enjoying it more, me or them.  Andrew told me the other day, "a Jedi is always on his guard...you have to watch out for Jabba the Hut!"   Then, yesterday, Natalie was hiding in the "jungle" behind the couch, and she was telling Andrew about all the things you could find in there:  "you know, Andrew, raccoons, foxes, snakes, Jabba the Hut...things like that."  Tonight, we get to enjoy the first Star Wars episode for our family movie...can't wait!  I'll leave you with one more quote....

Andrew:  "Hey Mom, how do you spell R2D2?"....love that kid!

 Oh, and may the force be with you!

Another Day in the Life

A continuation of the silly antics that go on in my house hold =)

She's either going to be a very popular trend-setter, or have no friends at all, except for me:

she was cold....the main outfit was really cute, but once she stared adding the warming elements, things started to go downhill, and she turned us into "that weird homeschooling family"!

Rachel was tiptoeing around the house, so I asked her what she was doing, and she said "I'm scared."  Me:  "scared of what?"  Rachel:  "I'm scared!!"  Ok...fine.

Oh, yesterday, Luke ate his first solid food!  Natalie was really excited, because I let her have the honor of administering the first feeding =).  He had sweet potatoes, of the organic variety, and he seemed to like it.  He was definitely interested, so I think we are going to have a good eater on our hands!  I probably took enough pictures of this event that if you printed them, and then flipped through them quickly enough it would be like watching the whole thing on video, but I won't subject you to that...here are just a few ;)

excited to try the first bite!!

hmmm...not so sure about this

and he likes it!

 

Rachel is sitting on a blanket with Luke, playing with some toys.  She put one in front of him, and right when he started to grab for it, she took it away and said "noooooo, you can't hab it"...Then, she did it again, and again...so, I walk up and watch for a second, and when she notices me standing there, she says "Lukey can't hab it....he's too wittle."  Right...as if that justifies her teasing him with a toy!  They learn the art of aggravating younger siblings pretty quickly ;)

I think the dishes and laundry are multiplying when I am not looking....so, I better go wrap up the rest of my chores before the husband gets home and it's time for dinner.  That, and I need to go do something effective to discipline my children.  I *specifically* told them not to play in the garden, to which Natalie replied "I'm not!" (sassy responses are like nails on a chalkboard to me!), but I just went out there to FIND THEM IN THE GARDEN..."digging for buried treasure", according to Andrew.  Good grief!  Do you ever feel like you take one step forward and two steps back when it comes to ensuring your children act decent?!?!  Lately, we are on the backtrack....

A Day in the Life

When I first started this blog a little over a year ago, I did it with the intention of it being a kind of online scrapbook.  A way to remember the fun little memories that happen in our daily lives.  Sure, sometimes I go a little deeper and write about my lofty ponderings (hah!), but really, I just want to come back one day, years down the road, and read these posts and smile about the silly things the kids said and did, enjoy old family photos, and just be able to remember what life was like as a young wife and mother, raising her children - the good, the bad, and the ugly =)  So, I thought I would try something new today.  Quite honestly, I'm not really a "writer"...I'm a math nerd.  Want to know a secret?  I LOVE calculus (and geometry, algebra, and trig, too)!  So, if you're looking for good, solid literature, or deep, theological discussions then move along folks, because you won't find that here =)  What you will find (in this post in particular) are little snippets of what goes on in my day...so, let's get right to it...here is what a typical day in the life of me is like....I'm journaling freestyle today, y'all!

 8:00 a.m  looking forward to the day when the only person's pancake I have to cut is my own!

after-breakfast:  I literally just locked the kids outside, because their only form of communication seems to be shouting or shrieking this morning O_o...

11:00 a.m. Natalie locked herself in her room while punished (she was quite made at me, thus the locking of the door), and is now asleep...with me locked out! Remind me again that the child is not *acutally* 15!!!!  On the plus side, she really did need a nap, as she is getting over an ear-infection.  And, even better, I now have the opportunity to sit and enjoy a cup of coffee while the younger ones play on the floor with their legos =)

Now, Rachel is pulling the lego wagon around the house, with a little toy alligator in it...she brings it to me, all excited, and says "look, Mom!  an alligator!"  Me:  "Wow!  Rachel:  "He's dead...he died"  Me:  "uhhhh, ok...how did he die?"  Rachel:  "he died!"  Me:  "Ohhhh kay"  

1:15:  Natalie is up from her nap, and still holding a grudge against being punished.....it's going to be a long afternoon.

At naptime for the two middle kids:  I go to lay down in bed with them for a few minutes, and Andrew asks me: "Mom, can you sleep with us?"  Me:  "Oh, maybe for a minute or two."  Andrew: "How about four?!"  Me: "Sounds good...four it is =)"  Rachel:  "pour it is!"  

Now, it is time for the Great Nap Debate!  Do I make efficient use of kid free time while they are asleep, and tackle the pile of dishes and laundry???  Or, do I actually lay down and ease the exhaustion??....Except Luke just put in his two cents; he's crying, so I guess both will have to wait until later.

1:45 p.m.: Natalie is back to her smiley, chatty self again =)  The barriers have broken down!  That, and I think she wants something from me...like food ;)

Andrew: "knock, knock..." Me: "who's there?" Andrew: "banana" Me: "banana who?" Andrew: "a banana who thinks you're pretty!" =)  ~a joke from yesterday~

 ***excerpt from yesterday:  Rachel: "Hey! Not pair!!! wee me awone, Mom!"....luckily for her, she finally gave in to the nap I was "unpairly" coercing her to take, so the second part of her request is now being fulfilled =)***

My kids like to play with all those plastic medicine droppers, cups, and other devices cleverly designed for getting small children to consume their yucky flavored medicines.  They like to play doctor, and give shots to each other (which I always wonder about, because they know how much they hate getting shots, so why would they want to subject their siblings to it, even if it is just for pretend?!?!)...they like to pretend to have a stethoscope, and listen to each others heart beat.  So, today, Andrew collected all his "doctor gear" in a little container.  "I'm going to be a doctor, Mom."  Me:  "Ok, have at it."  He starts to walk away, then doubles back and says "wait, I need a spoon."  Me: " A spoon?  What for?"  Andrew: "In case there's chocolate..."  Oh!  Well, of course!  Because, you never know when a yummy bowl of chocolate will just materialize while you are administering pretend shots to your little sister!

 2:45 p.m.:  There is now a craft explosion on my kitchen table.  Normally, I try to have all the kids napping/resting at the same time each day.  Andrew, Rachel, and Luke all still take naps, but Natalie is getting past that.  However, she is still expected to have quiet time while the other ones are sleeping, and for as long as the other ones are sleeping.  She knows that if she doesn't want to go nap (which she still does maybe twice a week), then she can stay up, as long as she doesn't bother me...I laid out the rule that while the little ones are napping, it is also Mommy's quiet time to get chores done, relax, read, play on the computer, or whatever.  So, today, she is crafting!  I have developed a love/hate relationship with crafts.  I'm glad that she is creative, and not vegging out in front of TV or video games all the time.  I like that she is enjoying herself and having fun on her own.  And, I even enjoy seeing the creations she makes...they can be pretty impressive at times!  What I hate is the mess!!!  All those bits and pieces of paper drive.me.crazy!  It's one of the things I have just had to let go, but it still takes effort to let it go.  But that's ok; all those little scraps of paper everywhere aren't so bad, when I look over there and see my sweet Natalie working so diligently on a project she loves =)  She's in her element!

4:45 p.m.:  Naps are over, kids are outside waiting for Dad to get home, and I didn't get near as much work done as I'd hoped, but that's ok!  It'll be waiting for me tomorrow...on to dinner prep, now!  Tonight, I am making spinach quiche with homemade pie crust!  I'm using the pie crust recipe from here, and the filling recipe from here.  I'm adjusting the filling to things I have on hand (like fresh spinach and mushrooms as opposed to frozen and canned, and Monterrey cheese).  Hope it comes out good!!!

Ok, this post turned out a lot longer than I'd thought it would, so I'm ending it here!  It was also supposed to be posted yesterday...oops!  Oh, and the quiche was really good!

My Favorite Time of Day

It's funny how God works.  A few years ago if you had asked me what my favorite time of day was, I would most definitely would NOT have said "oh, right after dinner when I am cleaning the kitchen."  Tonight, however, I found myself at the kitchen sink, elbow deep in warm, sudsy water.  I finished up the dishes, and had just moved on to wiping down the table, counters, and stove top when I stopped and looked around at my family.  And then it hit me...this is my favorite time of the day!  As much as I grumble and complain about all the dirty dishes, when I looked around tonight, I felt nothing but gratitude for my life.  And while I've yet to figure out why, God is SO generous to me.  I sat there and looked at my family....Rachel was sitting quietly by the fridge, playing with her alphabet magnets; Andrew was building some kind of creation on the couch out of Tupperware; Natalie was sweetly helping her Daddy put together some new swivel chairs for the island in the kitchen; and Luke was peacefully sleeping in his baby chair.  I really wish I had pictures to post for all these lovely memories, but right about the time my sentiments welled up so much that I was starting to tear up, and I decided to run and get my camera, Rachel started pelting the alphabet magnets across the kitchen; Andrew saw me break out the camera and started jumping in circles around me asking "can I see?  can I see?  can I see?...."; Phil started fussing at Natalie for getting in the way; and then all three of the older kids started fighting over who got to sit in the bar stool.  Ah, well, back to life!  At least little Luke was still sleeping, and I found time to get this blog post in ;)  I did, however, manage to get this one picture of our evening:

Rach in our new bar stools =)

The Wonderful World of Legos!

In the last couple of months, Andrew has really been enjoying his Lego toys.  I am very excited by this, because it is really fun to watch him play with them, and I would MUCH rather him spend hours building all kinds of Lego creations (complete with sound effects!), than playing video games or sitting in front of the TV.  Legos are great for the imagination, and I'm sure they help with all kinds of other developmental things in children, as well.  He builds cars, trains, airplanes, tractors, insects, pirate ships, dump trucks, jails, and even.....

mobile homes:

I love that kid =)

(oh, and just as a side-note, those Fisher-Price Trio Bricks, Sticks, and Panels are really great, too)

Happy Birthday, Andrew!

I've been meaning to do this post for a couple of weeks now, but we've been caught up with the busyness that is life, so I'm only just getting around to it now.  Andrew made 4 years old on February 9th this year!  And as always, I just can't believe how fast they grow!  

They say that the bond between Mother and son is something very special. I don't think I ever realized just how true that was until I had this little guy...

Andrew's first day of life

I just love this kid!  And, it's not just because he's always telling me I'm pretty ;)  He is one of the funniest and most lovable little boys ever!  I mean, how could you not love a face like this:

Andrew's 1st birthday

Andrew's 2nd birthday

Andrew at 3 (couldn't find his 3rd birthday pic)

This year for his birthday, he asked for a bonfire and hamburgers.  So, we had a nice family dinner with grilled hamburgers...we didn't get around to the bonfire, because he was just getting over being sick, poor thing =(  But, I think he enjoyed his birthday celebration anyway!

Happy 4th Birthday, Andrew!!

So, my cake making/decorating skills are mediocre at best, but I'm pretty sure the gifts made up for it ;)

 

 Although, I'm not sure who enjoyed his present more....

I can't say that I wasn't warned....

A couple of  Sundays ago, after Mass, we went out to lunch with a few other families from our parish.  Our priest came along, as well.  I think there were something like 20+ people, and the adults were far outnumbered here!  We went to an Indian buffet, which is really indifferent to this story, but it was SO good!  If you've never had authentic Indian food, you should...kind of spicy for the kids, though (and I have Cajun kids, so that's actually saying something).  Anyway, the restaurant pulled a few square tables together, and we were ready to get seated.  Since Rachel was in need of a high chair, that limited me to one of the end seats, since it was easiest to put the high chair at one of the corners of the table.  It ended up working out that I sat next to Father, with the high chair between us (he sat at the head of the table).  Now, while I didn't exactly knock everyone over to try and sit by the 'guest of honor', and I would have happily sat at the complete opposite end of the table, I will shamefully admit that my pride kicked in, and I did feel a tad privileged to get to sit next to him during the meal.  I should also mention that my pride was on a bit of a high from a comment that my OB doctor made to my neighbor about how well-behaved my kids were when we last went for a visit, so I was expecting quite a lovely performance out of them.  Before you start judging, wait...I do, in fact, get that 'lovely performance.'  And, I should clarify that the time my doctor was referring to was the time that my kids were only acting so well because they were under the bribery of Frosties, if they were capable of not making a single peep during said doctor's visit.  So, here we are...at the restaurant...Father at the head of the table, then Rachel in her high chair, then me, then Andrew next to me.  Phil was several seats down (in the middle of the table, locked in by several people on each side of him), and Natalie was across the table, situated somewhere between Phil and me, next to her friends, but *just* out of ear shot of both Phil and me.  NEVER a good move...I don't know what we were thinking.  Actually, my pride was thinking, so that's what that was about.  Anyway, I should also mention that the chairs at this restaurant are darn near impossible to get out of without climbing out of them (I was on the side of the table that was against the wall, so there was no room to back the chair up so that I could properly get my 8 month pregnant self out).  That made for an interesting experience in and of itself.  It also meant that I had to climb out of that stupid chair every time I wanted to get more food (which added up to a total of about a million times, since it was easier for me to get out than Phil, since he was both in the middle and situated against the wall).  So, here we go...the fun really begins now.  Phil and I finally get all the kids situation with the blandest thing we can find on the buffet, which was this AWESOME jasmine rice and these tasty little fried potato thingies - no, not French fries - and, of course, the kids didn't really like anything we put on their plate...go figure).  For most of the meal, Natalie is fine...she's sitting down, happily chatting with her friends.  Rachel, however, doesn't really want to sit in her chair...she wants to climb out..."no, Rachel...SIT DOWN."  Then, she proceeds to bang on the table with a spoon (loudly).  I take that from her...she yells in response.  I calm her down, and she tries to feed Father her rice: "no, thank you, Rachel...he doesn't want your food."  Then she tries to give him a sip of her water.  Then she attempts to demand that I give her a knife O_o.  She also continuously tries to lift the table cloth...maybe to play peek-a-boo??...I have no idea.   She tries to climb out again, and yells to my strapping her in  *polite smile at Father*.  I'm sweating now.  In the meantime, Andrew is on the other side of me, complaining about his belly ache - after Mass, he ate somewhere around 2,467 of those little, white, powdered doughnuts they serve.  He reminds me about every 5 minutes that his belly hurts, and that he'd like some ice cream:  "no, you may NOT have ice cream...now, SIT STILL and be quiet!  Drink some water...it'll help."  Then, Andrew starts getting upset because "is Natalie getting ice cream?  Because, if Natalie gets some,  I want some toooooo!"  Gah!  "no, Andrew, no ice cream for anyone!  Now, hush and sit still so your belly will feel better."  Then, he really lets me have it...he finally states, loudly (is there really any other way?!):  "I HAVE TO GO POO!"  As far as I know, Father didn't even hear him say that...and, if he did, he made no indication whatsoever that he did...the man is a saint, and gives phenomenal homilies on top of that!  I've actually already climbed gotten out of my chair 2 or 3 times to take Natalie to the bathroom (first to take off her stockings - they were itching...really bad! -, and once for her to actually use the facilities).  This is in addition to the multiple other times I get up to obtain food for myself or one of the kids various times throughout lunch.  PHEW!  Is this meal ever going to end?!  It's a good thing the food was excellent, otherwise it just would not have been worth it.  The whole time, something about 'not choosing the best seats at the table' keeps running through my mind.  By the end of the meal, Natalie begins to get restless, and is sitting UNDERNEATH the table!!!  Rachel is climbing all over my lap trying to bang her spoon on the table and feed Father her cup of water again.  Luckily, Andrew is just calmly sitting in his chair...or, maybe I made him go sit with Phil...I can't remember...oh wait, now I remember.  He's sitting at a completely different table than the one we are all at!  Please don't ask me how that happened.  On the plus side, I did get to learn a few nuggets of interesting details about Father's life during the course of lunch.  He's been a priest for around 32 years (I think...don't quote me on that exact number), and he went into the seminary right after high school.  He knew he wanted to become a priest when he was 17!  I just love that. I also learned that sometimes, that little thing called 'control' is *just* out of reach, no matter how much you want to grasp it.  I think this Advent, I will try and pray for a deeper trust in Christ, the ability to put into His hands those things that I can't control, and to joyfully accept those things that I can't force to happen the way I (aka my pride) prefer.

Like I said, I can't say that I wasn't warned:

"7 And he spoke a parable also to them that were invited, marking how they chose the first seats at the table, saying to them: 8 When thou art invited to a wedding, sit not down in the first place, lest perhaps one more honourable than thou be invited by him: 9 And he that invited thee and him, come and say to thee, Give this man place: and then thou begin with shame to take the lowest place. 10 But when thou art invited, go, sit down in the lowest place; that when he who invited thee, cometh, he may say to thee: Friend, go up higher. Then shalt thou have glory before them that sit at table with thee. 11 Because every one that exalteth himself, shall be humbled; and he that humbleth himself, shall be exalted."  Luke 14:7-11

Boys will be Boys....

It always intrigues me that there are people out there who don't want to impose gender stereotypes onto their children....like this guy.  There's this whole attitude in the media and secular society that people should be free to be whoever they want to be...even if that violates their actual person and their personal DNA.  I guess they are afraid of inequality among the sexes, but who ever said the strengths natural to femininity are any less/more important to the strengths of masculinity?  Ok, I guess some people have, but those people have misconstrued the roles proper to genders in a whole different direction.  Either way, my point is, I can't help notice with my children that boys naturally emulate masculine qualities and girls naturally emulate feminine ones.  And, they are comfortable with "gender stereotypes", too.  My girls genuinely prefer doing girly things, and my boy prefers doing boy things.  Even from young ages.  My little girl, who is not quite two, will carry a baby doll around all day and love on her, try to change her diaper, rock her, and sing to her....and, in the next moment, put her in the corner and command her to say "yes ma'am".  When my son gets his hands on the doll, it's not quite as pretty.  It's funny...no matter what toy you give my children, the girls will put a feminine touch on it (like using the toy dump truck for a shopping trip), and the boy will put a masculine touch on it (like putting the baby doll in prison because she set a house on fire).  You would think my son would be a little more comfortable with his softer side since he is in a house full of females for the majority of his life, but just the other day, he told me he wanted a toy axe for his birthday that he saw at Target.  I asked him what he would do with it, and he said, in the deepest voice he could muster, "chop off people's heads!"  Now, I guarantee he never heard that from the girls in this house!  Again, just today, they were all three playing at the island in the kitchen while waiting for lunch.  They built one of Natalie's My Littly Pony puzzles (alright!  I built it...I can't resist a puzzle, even if it does only have 24 pieces), and they were using a few little figurine toys to play pretend.  There was a miniature my little pony doll, a little dog, an air plane, a helicopter, and a lego building they had built earlier today.  Andrew went straight for the airplane and helicopter, Rachel opted for the pink pony, and Natalie wanted the dog with the pink collar.  I joined in the fun intermittently while fixing lunch.  It started off quite friendly....their toys pretended to talk to each other and play together...Natalie had them picking apples, flying kites, and sliding down rainbows that were pictured on her puzzle.  Everybody was getting along, at least until Andrew entered the scene.  His airplane flew in, demanded to know what was going on, and then proceeded to blow everything up and set the entire scene on fire.  I think they all ended up in prison by the time it was over, and I'm sure Natalie was disappointed because her cakes and pies burned up in Andrew's helicopter attack.  My point is, when parents try to squash gender roles in their children, all it does is cause problems.  People grow up to be confused about their identity, unsure of where they are supposed to be in life, and at a loss of how to properly interact with others - especially others of the opposite sex.  So, let your boys be boys and let your girls be girls.  I think some parents today try to make their girls too tough, and their boys too soft.  And, I'm not saying that girls should be weak and incapable of doing things for themselves, or that boys should lack compassion and sensitivity, but there's nothing wrong with knowing and accepting that men are better at somethings than women, and that women are better at somethings than men.  And, whether women are willing to admit it or not, we actually do want our husbands to be strong and masculine.  Maybe I'm only speaking for myself, but it makes me feel safe, protected, and loved.  As men and women, we should compliment each other, not constantly compete with each other.  I mean, I know my husband is better at taking out the garbage than me, so far be it from me to stand in his way for the sake of self-sufficient, feminist pride  =)

Dirt In All It's Glory!

Humility comes in so many different shapes and sizes.  I know this from personal experience.  Just this morning, in fact, we had a load of dirt delivered to fill in a low spot in our yard.  The problem began when I completely forgot they were coming early to deliver the dirt today - like before 8 a.m.  So, the kids and I were all cozy in my room, still sleeping....heavily (no judgment!  we're on summer break), when I heard this deep "Honk, Honk!"  I woke up, half in a daze, realized who was here, and threw on the first items of clothing I could find that were not pajamas...which means, I was decent enough to be seen, but I SO did not match in any way, shape, or form.  I actually debated about brushing my teeth before going out to direct the guy where to put the dirt, but he just kept honking, so I didn't have time.  So embarrassing!  I guess that's what I get for actually begging God for humility.  Humility always comes in ways I least expect, and in ways I really would rather it not.  Anyway, we now have a nice mountain of dirt in our backyard.  Which means the kids have a new playground...at least until Daddy gets around to spreading out the dirt to fill the low spot.  So, they spent the better part of the morning playing in the sprinkler and playing in the giant dirt pile.  I love these kinds of days!  Where the kids have no other care in the world, besides just enjoying being a kid.  Just simple fun.  It's country living at its finest.

Of course, the aftermath is not near as pretty, but hey, that's what bathtubs are for =)
(this was actually from a couple days ago, when they were playing in non store-bought dirt, but they pretty much looked like this today, as well)

Natalie told me before the dirt arrived that she was particularly excited about digging for dinosaur bones...I'll let you know if she finds anything ;)

Oh, and just for good measure, here's Rachel, watching the cows from our front window.  This was too cute to pass up!  She was actually 'mooing' at the window =):

Just so I don't forget this story years down the road...

We are a cloth diapering family.  Well, I am into cloth diapering...my husband has already told me that if I die, he's throwing them away.  Not that he doesn't appreciate the money it saves us, and he doesn't mind me using them, but I am pretty sure he has no interest whatsoever in cleaning the things.  I mean, let's face it, it's not exactly roses and lovely fragrances we're dealing with here.  I can't really blame him, but for some reason, I actually really enjoy using them, and, for the most part, I don't mind the maintenance.  And, all those different colored FuzziBunz on a baby are just so darn cute!  Anyway, I use one of those plastic garbage cans with the step on it that opens the lid as a diaper pail.  So, last night I put all the diapers and the diaper pail liner to wash, and I just left the diaper pail in the pantry, instead of putting it outside to rinse and air out (it's not exactly the best smelling item when you empty it).  Well, Andrew was playing with a bouncy ball, and naturally it landed *in* the empty diaper pail.  (I'm sure you can see where this is going now...).  I didn't realize what happened, until I walked to the laundry room to get something, and I see Andrew....he is headfirst inside the diaper pail!  I said "Andrew!  what are you doing?!"  Actually, first I said "Phil, will you look at your son?"  Andrew said, "just getting my bouncy ball", as he climbed out, wiped himself off, and ran off to play with his ball...he had just had a bath, too.  Little boys are so gross!  I hope we have a bunch more of them ;)

New Baby

Well, we finally got to see the new baby!  My husband met me at the doctor's office yesterday morning, and we all got to see little Baby #4 kicking around on the ultrasound machine.  Technology can be scary at times, but so amazing nonetheless.  Anyway, everything checked out great, and Natalie was beyond giddy with excitement.  I'm not sure if Andrew really gets what is going on, but I think he'll catch on when we come home with another sibling for him to play pirates with =)  After we left the ultrasound room he said "Mom, what do you have in your tummy?"  I told him a baby and then he asked if he could see it O_o  Rachel was not keen on the ultrasound at all...she was not happy about the nurse messing with me, or with the fact that she had to stay with Dad instead of Mom.  She'll be in for a rude awakening when the new baby takes its place as youngest of the family!  On the plus side, she is finally starting to make progress with the walking!!  The girl is a few weeks shy of 18 months old...it's time!  Anyway, here are a few pics of the new baby and my pregnant self; I am trying to keep up a pregnancy photo journal (we'll see if it lasts), and my goal is to take a picture every time I have a doctor's appointment....I've actually not done this for any previous pregnancies, but seeing as I am the youngest of 4 kids, and I completely got the shaft when it came to photo albums, I refuse to do that to kids that show up later in our family.  My oldest brother and my two older sisters all have these big, thick photo albums bursting to the seams with pictures...mine is easily a quarter of the size of theirs, and it is only half full.  Feel the love!  Anyway...not the point of this post...

this was on the day of my first doctor's appointment, about a week ago:

this is the afternoon of my ultrasound, yesterday (a week after the first visit)

(and, I'm going to have to make sure I stand the same direction for future pictures!  I have this weird symmetry thing...it bothers me that I'm not facing the same direction in both pictures!!!....):

The Baby!!

This one is just for good measure...I take the kids to weekly story time at our small town library.  If you've never been to a small town library, go now!  They are the best!  The librarians are the sweetest ladies you'll ever meet, and they are always taking pictures of my kids, and then printing them out for me...how sweet is that?!  The sad part is that it is a library rule that they can't accept gifts from library patrons...what is that about???  How am I suppose to show my gratitude.  Anyway, they gave me this one a few days ago, and I just LOVE it...I sent it with Phil to work, so I had to get a copy of it before I parted with it.  Unfortunately my scanner is not working (because my color ink cartridge is out...did I ask the thing to print?!  no, I don't think so!), so I just took a picture of it with my camera =) 

And, finally, here is a video of little Miss Rachel learning to walk!  She's only been doing this for the last couple of days (note:  I don't have videos of the other kids walking...see??  no shafting the younger kids on memories like my family did to me - no bitterness, though ;):

Oh, and please excuse all the tangents...you can blame it on the pregnancy brain =)

Little Thoughts

My husband does this thing with the kids where he pretends to be mad at them, even though he really isn't.  He says it has something to do with building character, but as they walk away, dejected and sulking, and he's cracking up laughing, I just don't get it.  Maybe it's oldest child syndrome, and he just feels the need to pick on someone smaller than he is.  I still don't get it...I'm the youngest in my family.  Anyway, he did that tonight with Natalie, and there were lots of "yes, sirs" and "no, sirs" on her part, complete with a sad, but confused look on her face.  He was giving her a hard time about going swimming without asking him for permission, when she had, in fact, asked my permission, and I had told her yes.  After she left the kitchen, and Phil was laughing, I fussed at him and told him not to do that, or she wouldn't like him anymore.  He replied "whatever, she loves me...everyday when I come home, she runs up and hugs me."  Point well taken.  But, I really hate to be wrong, so I tried to prove him wrong, anyway.

Me:  "Natalie?"

Natalie:  "yes, sir"

Phil:  "see??  She likes me better"

Me (giving the evil eye to Phil):  "Do you love your Daddy?"

Natalie:  "yes, ma'am"

Me:  "Do you love your Mommy?"

Natalie:  "yes, ma'am"

Me:  "Who do you love better?"

Natalie:  "Uh...Jesus."

Smart kid...it must be all that 'character building' she receives around here ;)

Forget the Purell

Seeing that dirt is a major part of me and my family's life, especially my children, I thought I would share this article:

 

Playing in the Dirt Could Make you Smarter, Researchers Say

May 25, 2010 12:52 PM EDT

Go ahead, let your kids play in the dirt, it could make them smarter.

 After conducting a series of experiments, researchers have found exposure to specific bacteria in the environment could increase learning behavior, ScienceDaily.com reported.

"Mycobacterium vaccae is a natural soil bacterium which people likely ingest or breathe in when they spend time in nature," Dorothy Matthews of The Sage Colleges in Troy, N.Y., said.

Previous studies on M. vaccae involving mice showed stimulated growth of some neurons in the brain that resulted in increased levels of serotonin and decreased anxiety.

"Since serotonin plays a role in learning, we wondered if live M. vaccae could improve learning in mice," Matthews said.

Matthews and her colleagues discovered they were on the right track.

"We found that mice that were fed live M. vaccae navigated the maze twice as fast and with less demonstrated anxiety behaviors as control mice," she said. "It is interesting to speculate that creating learning environments in schools that include time in the outdoors where M. vaccae is present may decrease anxiety and improve the ability to learn new tasks."

The findings were presented Monday at the 110th General Meeting of the American Society for Microbiology in San Diego.

Yay for dirt!

3 a.m. Fun

Early on Monday morning, around 3 a.m., Natalie comes running to our bedroom.  "Mommy!  There's a mouse in the bed by Andrew's foot!!"  Well, I'm guessing it wasn't a restaurant grade mouse like Little Chef from Ratatouille.  They never are!  Why do movies like to portray mice as some kind of cute, little creatures that are oppressed by humans??  Don't get me wrong, I love Little Chef...but, in real life, mice are WAY grosser than that.  Once, at our old house, I went to grab a pair of shorts off the top shelf of my closet, and I saw two little pairs of eyes and ears peeking out at me from the corner of my closet, on top of my pajamas!  The nerve of those things.  Mice are probably close to the top of my very short list of things that I don't like about living in the country....second only to snakes.  Anyway, back to Monday morning.  Of course, Natalie comes to my side of the bed.  So, I do what any logical woman would do in this situation...I shake Phil, who's still sleeping, and send him to save his only son from the mouse.  Meanwhile, Natalie gets snuggled up, all nice and warm, in our bed next to me and Rachel.  Phil comes back and mumbles something about "no mouse"..."must have been dreaming."  Natalie shoots up and quickly defends herself:  "yes there was!  I heard it squeaking, and I felt it when I pushed on it."  What, and then you just left Andrew to fend for himself against the ROUS???  Actually, I found out the next day that she did try to wake Andrew:  "I shook him and said 'Andrew, wake up, there's a mouse', but he wouldn't wake up, so I came and got you."  That's good to know...at least she tried to save him.  So, who knows.  Maybe there really was a mouse, and maybe there wasn't.  We have an excellent barn cat who we've actually seen hunting in the pastures, so while I believe Natalie wasn't making it up on purpose, I do think she may have imagined it (at least that's what I keep telling myself so I can sleep without being paranoid about mice in the beds).  But now, they are completely scared to sleep at night!  Last night, they must have woken me up 4 times!!!  "Mom!!  Did you hear that?"  "There's another mouse in the bed" (me:  "no there's not...go back to bed.")  Andrew came in at one point claiming he heard ducks!  Good grief!  They are really paranoid.  Hopefully tonight is better.  And then there's Phil...I was almost asleep last night, and he says "I just heard a mouse run across the floor!"...me:  "really??"...him: "no, just kidding, haha."  *SIGH*

Best Mother's Day Present Ever!

Aside from the very cool, sleek, new digital camera that I got from Phil, of course.  Really, the best Mother's Day present ever is just being a Mom and experiencing the things that children are made of.  Yesterday, on Mother's Day, Rachel stood up for the first time all by herself!  She just stood there...for about 5 minutes smiling, and holding on to *nothing*!  I was very excited.  It was so cute.  She also fed herself for the first time yesterday.  It was too funny.  Her eyelids were almost glued shut by the time she was done from all the macaroni on it.  Thanks to my new handy, dandy (and fancy) camera, I was able to catch a few pics and a video (of the eating...not the standing...the camera came after the standing, and my old one is officially dead - RIP):

Haha..I have no idea what this expression is about ;)

Then, there are the times when, after months and months of constant reminding, the kids finally pick up on using manners!  This is really the best.  I've been working with Rachel on teaching her sign language, especially please and thank you.  Supposedly, it helps with tantrums and whining.  Today, she was sitting at her little table, playing with an empty cup and a straw.  She dropped the straw and started fussing.  I told her, "Rachel, please don't cry...say 'please'".  Well, she immediately stopped crying, did the sign for 'please', and said 'peeees'.  It was awesome!  I realize she is young, and we've still go a LONG way to go, but still!  It was very gratifying.  

Or, there are the times when their imaginations are just so precious, you just want to squeeze them.  Andrew told me today, "Mom, when you grow up, I want you to be a princess...and, when Daddy grows up, I want him to be a pirate.  And, can you and Daddy buy me a real Pirate Boat?!?!".  He was serious about this!  

And, of course, there are those rare moments and treasures when they actually tell you that they think you are a good parent.  Natalie does this most often.  Once every blue moon, she'll just climb on my lap and say something like:  "Mom, you are the best mom...you're so kind and gentle."  (She actually told me this once, months ago, so I figure I'd better get it in writing as proof ;).  

Those are some special moments.  Those are what make Mother's Day worth celebrating, and what make me glad to be a mother.  Because, sometimes, when I'm in the trenches and caught in the day-to-day mundane, and the kids are fighting and arguing, or we're all exhausted from lack of sleep, or if I'm so tired of changing dirty diapers I just want to cry, and I forget about the better moments, I think...if I could just not be a Mom for today, my life would be so much easier!  But, that is not my calling in life.  Christ didn't come so we could have an easy life on Earth, but so that we could have Eternal Happiness in Heaven.  But, it only works out that way if we keep our hand to the plow here and now...no matter how much we want to drop it and look back.  C'est la vie!  I'm just so thankful that God gave me these particular children, and my particular husband.  I don't think my sanctification would have benefited as much without them.

Plus, the fact that we spent the entire day just relaxing together as a family, and my husband both fixed dinner and cleaned up the kitchen after dinner, certainly made the day extra special.  Thanks, Phil, for making my Mother's Day so wonderful!!

Gather around, kids...it's time for Family Rosary

Back in the early stages of my marriage, before we had children, I used to envision what family Rosary would be like.  It went something like this:  The whole slew of kids would gather around Phil and I, the older ones kneeling piously next to their Dad, in front of a beautifully ornate, yet tasteful, picture of Our Lady.  The littlest ones would snuggle up with me on the recliner, each playing quietly with their Rosary.  We would, of course, be saying the correct mysteries on the correct day, and no one would ever lose their place.  Then, the children came, and exhaustion reality kicked in.  Tonight, I was laying in bed while waiting for Phil to finish up a few things after dinner.  I started to think that we hadn't said the Rosary as a family since Lent, and since the kids were conveniently jumping on the bed next to me, unraveling my latest knitting project, I decided we would say one...NOW.  So, I send little Andrew to get everyone's Rosary from their home on top of the TV.  Ten minutes later he comes back with his sword, but no Rosaries.  "Andrew, where are the Rosaries?"  "I can't reach them"  "What were you doing?  Never mind...Natalie, will you please go get our Rosaries??"  She skips off and returns promptly with the Rosaries.  Phil comes in after getting ready for bed..."we're saying a Rosary?".  Excellent!  He's on board!  Gather around, kids...it's time to start!  In this particular scenario, the only picture we have in our bedroom is a framed playbill and two ticket stubs from Phantom of the Opera that Phil and I attended our first Christmas as newly weds.  But, if you relax your eyes a bit, and tilt your head to just the right angle, I'm pretty sure you can see the Holy Family in it.  Now, we used to use just regular Rosaries; you know, the beaded kind on wire.  But after many sessions of tears because Natalie's precious heart-shaped Rosary was broken and scattered on the floor, Crucifixes being ripped off and used as swords and daggers, and Rachel almost strangling herself, I decided to get something safer.  So, for Christmas, I enlisted the help of one of Santa's very Catholic elves - Jim from RealLifeRosary - to make everyone a corded Rosary to put in our stockings.  I don't remember now how much these little beauties cost, but they were worth every penny!!  So, we get started on the Rosary.  It's Thursday, so we should be praying the Luminous Mysteries, but no one can remember them (Natalie asks what Station we're on O_o), and I think Rachel may have eaten our card that lists the mysteries, so we go with the old faithful - The Joyful Mysteries.  Which is fine.  It's May Crowning season, so The Coronation had a special place this evening.  I tried to focus...I really did, but Rachel was crawling over everyone, screeching at the top of her lungs at anyone who refused to relinquish possession of their Rosary to her, so that she could wear them all as necklaces.  If you did, however, give in to her pleas, you were rewarded with a polite "ti-ti" (aka "thank you") in the sweetest, most angelic voice she could muster.  Andrew's got his Rosary wrapped around his wrist so tight, I'm worried his hand might fall off.  Then he starts making these karate noises, and re-adjusts his Rosary to bow and arrow status.  By the end, he's doing head stands and tuck-and-rolls on top of Rachel.  Natalie is asking me about every five minutes which bead we're on, but I have no idea because Rachel is using my Rosary as an accessory.  By the time we get to the Hail Holy Queen, I'm starting to get the fit of giggles, and I'm just so thankful that it didn't start until then!  We manage to squeeze in a final St. Michael prayer, and after we make the Sign of the Cross, Andrew, while standing on his head, says "that was good!".  I laugh and say "yeah, it was something."  Natalie says "It was prayer!".  Yeah, I guess it was.  It may not have been perfect, but it was our attempt at family prayer this evening.  Do you think three year old Jesus did head stands during the Holy Family's prayer time???

**I should probably clarify...we do not actually have monkeys for children.  We actually work hard at making sure our children are well behaved and respectful when it comes to prayer; however, life does not always work out the way you want, and every so often we have a situation like this...which always reminds me that it's not me who is in control here; it's God, and if I don't rely on Him for the graces to be a good parent and steward of the gifts He has given us, then our little family just won't work properly.  Besides...kids will be kids sometimes...and, that's ok, too =)

Dizzying

What we do for fun in lieu of watching TV (yes, we are one of those crazy families that only catches snow on the TV when you turn it on =):

it was fun until it made her so dizzy she couldn't sit up without falling over =)

Even though we do not have cable, we do still enjoy movies and such...especially on Saturday mornings: