Stolen Pictures!

Annie posted a bunch of pictures on Miss Greta on Facebook, so I stole a few (the ones with my adorable offspring!) to post here.

I think Isabella was trying to nose dive off of the chair in the first picture!

I love this one of Anja and Greta.

Christopher and Grace loved holding Greta. They were fighting over whose turn it was to snuggle with her. They were such baby-hogs that I hardly got a turn myself!

This evening I got a fantastic break. Sometimes, no matter how fabulous our children are, moms need a bit of time "off." Now I can breath and make it through the week.

As nerdy as this seems, grocery shopping has become my "me time" and is a very much anticipated evening of my week. This evening, my wonderful husnabd took us out to dinner and then took the kids home while I set off to do my shopping. After I hit the regular grocery and the natural foods store, I called home to check in. Andrew assured me that everyone was doing well (despite the wailing I heard in the background!) and told me to go do something fun. I had a coupon for Victoria's Nothing Left to be Secret (how does one get a coupon to a store were she never shops??) so I went and got my free undies and a free bottle of perfume (sweet deal!). As I was leaving the mall, my phone rang (or buzzed, rather. How do you get the darn thing to produce an audible ring?). I was certain I would hear "Come Home!! She's been crying for fifteen minutes!" But instead, my wonderful hubby told me he had put Bella to bed and that I should go get some coffee and relax! Hooray! So I went to Barnes and Noble and spent a quiet and relaxing hour reading a magazine and sipping coffee. It was great.

Sigh. Now I can survive the rest of my oh-so-busy week.

Girly, Girly!!

Greta Jane Schap was born, via C-section, at about 7:30 this evening.

She is as beautiful as can be! Mama and baby are both doing well, although all four Schaps were looking mighty tired! Anja had a looong day without her mama and is just too young to realize what a wonderful day it is for her!!

That is all I have for now. Annie was still in recovery when we were there this evening. And of course, my camera is still MIA, so I only have the pictures on Andrew's camera, but can't get to them . . . .

I did see a very proud Daddy Smith in the hall, but baby was eating, so I didn't get a peek!

The Latest...

Annie has buckled under the pressure (no pun intended:) and taken the epidural...stay tuned!

Weee!!!!

Keep Annie and her baby in your prayers today! She and Martin headed to the hospital today and we are all eagerly awaiting her happy news! My guess is a little boy . . . what is yours?

Learning Young

Grace has already developed her girly ability to "count calories." The other day, I was making hot dogs for lunch. I asked Grace how many she would be able to eat and she answered with a chipper "two!" I proceeded to make her two, as well as one for each of the boys. She scarfed hers down and quickly polished off the rejected hot dog on Christopher's plate.

Later that day, I enquires as to how many hot dogs she had for lunch. She adamantly insisted that she had only had two.

Did you eat Christopher's as well?

Yes! But I only had two!!!

Clearly. It's what women have been trying to prove since the beginning of time. If you only ask for two, all the rest don't count.

Fixed!

I finally fixed the image on my Catholic Mom Bloggers roll. Get this -- the mom that hosts the blogroll is part of my kids homeschool co-op. Weird! I had no idea! It really is a small world!

Anyway, I am happy to have my image back. You should join the growing number of Catholic blogging mamas!

Another Busy One

We survived another crazy week and weekend. What happened to relaxing on the weekend?? Sometimes I feel like all we ever do is run, run, run. But it was fun-filled, so I can't complain. Yesterday, we spent nine hours helping friends fix up and pack up their home in order to sell it. We actually had a super fun time. The kids all played, the moms chatted, worked, and chased kids and the men all acted manly -- grunting, wielding screwdrivers, and grilling burgers. The even made a trip to every mans favorite store. One dad returned with a big grim "Sigh. I love Menards!"

And today we went to the free matinee, Mass, the park, and my mom's house. Andrew added to our family the other day by getting the kids each a dwarf hamster. We are now the proud owners of "Wicket" "Rosie Serene" and "Super Jar-Jar Binx" I am sure you can guess who belongs to whom. My mom decided they needed to live in a hamster paradise, so today we took our little friends to meet their benefactor and picked up their penthouse apartment. Unfortunately, by the time we got their the little hamster owners were seriously crabby, so we didn't stick around to long. But our little friends are enjoying their new home immensely. And Grace is enjoying rearranging it. If I ever find my camera, I'll post pictures. Even this self-proclaimed pet hater can admit that these guys are pretty cute!

My father in law stopped by this evening and when he saw them, he said "OH! You got rats!"

Antics of a Teriffic Two Year Old

I know so many people refer to the "terrible twos", but I for one think two year olds are magnificent. They are in such a special time of their lives when they are learning so much and at such a rapid pace. Their little sponge-like brains are soaking up anything and everything. And they are just so darn cute! One of my favorite thing about terrific two year olds is their oh-so-adorable speaking ability.

Along these lines, I LOVE to here PeterXavier say his own name. "Pete-ya-yer Ben-e-nic Tonio" In fact, I laugh so much at this cuteness that I often pretend to have forgotten his name, just to get his ire up and make him yell it at me. (It's even cuter when shouted!) So today, I said to him: "What is your name? Is it George? John? Is it Sam?"

"No, Mama, Tar-Sam in the JUNGLE!!"

Birthdays, Play Dates, and SPRING!!

Yesterday was my mom's birthday, so we had a little shin-dig here at our house. Andrew made fish tacos -- his specialty and a favorite of my mom. Yumm-o. And Annie made a super pretty and delish cake. And mega limey, yummy guacamole. Mmm!

Cousins!! My kids think Anja is the cutest thing ever (cuz she is). They love to play with her!!

Christopher had a big a special day yesterday as well. His first solo "play date"!! (I hate that term . . . but what else do you say??) He was returned to me covered in mud and sporting a big ol' grin. I'd say it was a success. He is blessed to have fantastic friends. And they have a big woods filled with muddy hills. What more could you want in a friend?Christopher and his pal Will. You can't see the mud in the picture (although you can see the top of a wine bottle. hmm.), but it was there! This was at our house at drop off time when they decided to run away and steal a little more play time.

The kids have been outside all day! It's been great. Christopher even begged me to put Isabella in the little swing so that he could play with her. He pushed her while she giggled, gleefully flying through the air. Big brothers get a bit excited with their swinging ability, but she didn't seem to mind! She was thoroughly worn out and napping now. They others have no intention of coming back in and I plan to leave it that way!

Try As We May, We're Still Not Classy

Does anyone else find it hilarious that Lafayette got all high and mighty and got a "David's Bridal" . . . and who should move in next door??

Dollar Tree.

Traditional Latin Mass

This evening was the first of our newly regularly scheduled Tridentine Mass. It was a really neat eperience and I am really excited to have the oppurtunity to attend this form of the Mass once a month! We got to the Church a few minutes late (big surprise) so we ended up standing in the "kids act like monkeys on speed" room. It was crazy. I think they would have been WAY better if we had been in a pew.

I had been trying to figure out who would be saying the Mass, and fully expected to see Fr. Cano, but what a happy surprise when it was Fr. David!! There is something so amazing about seeing someone you have known your entire life say the Mass. I spoke with his Mom afterwards and I could tell she was so proud!

I was so nervous beforehand about doing everything "right". I had a cute chapel veil for Grace and she was so excited about it. Then, I couldn't find anything for Bella, so I made her a sweet little bonnet. When we got there, hardly anyone was wearing a veil! I was glad we had them, though. I think it is a neat custom and hopefully more people will pick up on it.

I heard afterward that there were 209 people at the Mass. I actually was surprised at how low the number was. I expected better. Hopefully the numbers will grow as time goes on. It was a wonderful Mass and we are blessed to have it available to us! Mary and Una Voce have worked SO HARD to make this all come together!!

My Life: A Six Year Olds Version

If you know me well enough to know the stories my family tells about me, you will find this funny.

Christopher talking to Grace: Once, Mama got a bone stuck in her mouth and she couldn't close it!! And then, she fainted and FELL IN THE RIVER!!! Hahaha."

I'm sure if I let him go long enough, a goat would have jumped into save me.

Yummy.

Christopher just took a big swig of water and said:

"Mmm. Fresh from the sewer!"

Bleh.

No, I haven't run away. Although it's tempting.

I haven't been blogging because, well. There isn't really anything interesting to say. My kids are sick, whiny, and (on the bright side) snuggly.

The paradox of illness:

*No one is hungry, yet my kitchen is a mess.

*They've been in their PJ's for three days, yet the laundry is overflowing.

*They have zero energy, but still manage to play plenty of Wii.

*They can barely stay awake at noon, but won't go to bed at eight.

We are really looking forward to April.

Warmth, Simplicity, and Laughter

This weather is amazingly wonderful. Such a treat in the midst of the loooong, dark winter. The kids are outside, getting very dirty and thoroughly enjoying every ounce of fleeting warmth. I love to stand in the kitchen listening to their giggles and shreaks.

This evening, we are going to a friends home to visit and play games, so Isabella took her nap in the sling on my back while I made Special K bars. Yum! I'll pop some chicken wings in the oven later to take along as well. I am so glad that we won't have to bundle everyone up in order to leave the house!

Somedays, with four little children, life can get very crazy and wild. But on days like today, I can appreciate the simplicity and leisurly pace of this life with tiny ones. We are lacking the rush to practices, lessons, and games. It's nice sometimes to step back and realize that we aren't in a hurry to get anywhere. We are here, and that's a pretty good place to be!

A Night On the Town . . . Sort Of.

There is this crunchy group of Mama's in town called "CHOICES" (it stands for something), and I have been wanting to go to their meeting for a while now, but have just never made it. For one thing, I hate going to things like that alone, and I also hate leaving Andrew and the kids in the evening. Last night, Annie and my friend Stephanie were able to go with me (Martin was busy, too!) and Andrew had class, so the kids were at my mom's (where they'd rather be half the time, anyway!). It was perfect. I am so glad that I was able to go. Christopher's naturopath was the speaker, which made it all the more interesting. She is always informative without making you feel like what you are feeding your kids is going to kill them. The other mom's there seemed very laid back and not crazy fanatics. Different than me, yes . . . I guess I like the skin color God gave me. But I am not judging. She was really nice! And colorful!

Afterwards, the three of us went to Vienna, which was really fun. I never get to just hang out and relax with friends. I am not a big "girls-night-outer", but once in a while it's fun! And it's always great to load your totally adorable niece with caffiene at bed time!

We are definetly going for a walk today -- I love this weather!!

Little Gracie Homemaker

My lack of housekeeping skills are going to drive my daughter mad.

Today, she combed the fringe on the table cloth.

But she refuses to comb her hair. Go figure.

Day Full O' Fun

What a crazy, insane, fun day! We started the day by taking a trip out to our friends house to go sledding. The "hill" of choice was more of a 90* drop than a slope. The kids didn't seem to mind, though, and the dads loved it! I sat inside with Bella and the other kids trickled in as they got cold and tired. So we cozied up by the fire reading stories and warming little hands and toes.


After everyone was too cold to stay out any longer, they all came in for hot cocoa and snacks. Snacks turned into ordering pizza for lunch and we all lazed the day away chatting and laughing together. It was great for the kids to play and the grown ups to relax. The boys even went out for a second round of sledding! Christopher loves going out side with his friend Will, sans grown-ups, because it makes him feel so independent! Their property is covered in woods and creeks that are perfect for curious and adventurous little boys.

We finally headed home late in the afternoon. Which meant that Andrew and I had to hurry up in order to get ready for our big event that evening! We got all gussied up, put Isabella in a sparkly dress and headed out for the night. I never dress my girls in sparkles; I much prefer smocking and puffed sleeves, but for this evening, sparkles were perfect! She was adorable! The event was nice and Bella was pretty well behaved. Her teeth are coming in and really bothering her, so she was a little grumpy, but nothing a little carrot cake and a nursing wouldn't fix! And of course, all of the people there thought she was wonderful! She was the only baby there (I guess most people don't take their kids to fancy dinner-dances?!!? =), and she was pretty popular!

Quick Catch Up

Wow. . . I sure didn't mean to go another week without updating. Oops! For the sake of easy recap, I'll do another "Seven Quick Takes" and then it's back to our regularly scheduled blogging . . . I hope!

~1~

We are finally well! Last Saturday, I thought we were all over our lingering illness, so we went to a friends house for a game night. It was great fun, until Grace threw up all over me!! Ahh. Poor baby. But now, I think we are finally in the clear and I don't think any of our friends got sick!

~2~

Yesterday was our first homeschool coop. The kids really enjoyed it, even though it was really long. They are taking an art class, a virtue class, and spanish. It is the polar opposite of the unschooling philosophy we live by here at home, but it is nice for them to have a learning environment with their friends and that is different than home. We'll see how it goes through the rest of the year. It only meets twice a month, which is really nice. What I don't understand is that these other moms are so determined to homeschool, but then want co-op and other group activities to mirror a school environment so completely. Am I missing something??

~3~

Isabella had her "real" food the other day ("real" as in, we purposely gave it to her -- she didn't forage it for herself from below PeterXavier's chair). We gave her carrots; she didn't like them much.

~4~

Grace and I went out last night on a "Girly Date." It was great fun! First off, we both got a much needed hair cut. Gracie looks so grown up!! It is really cute and her curls bounce up a lot more now than they did before. We also bought her a couple new tops. She loved having a say in her new clothes! Then we split a Cinnabon, because isn't the consumption of insane numbers of ooey gooey calories a requisite part of a girly date?

~5~

Isabella finally got a couple of teeth. The two on the bottom are popping through. They are making her incredibly cranky and she nurses constantly!! She is nusing right now.

~6~

We have a big weekend coming up. Fun times tomorrow morning sledding with out friends. They have a big hilly, wooded piece of property South of town and the kids are really excited to go flying down the very steep hills. I am not so excited to see them flying, but I trust that their daddy will keep them safe. (Because I will be inside. Where it is warm. Sipping coffee and watching out the ginormous windows).

Also this weekend, Andrew and I are going on a hot date to the Ebony and Ivory Ball at Purdue. Hilarious. I guess it is super fancy -- it's mostly black tie, but Andrew is wearing a suit. I might borrow a dress from Stephanie, except that she is like three feet taller than I am. I think I am going to be a total nerd and take a couple dresses to her house tomorrow and have her help me choose. In the warmth. While the kids are playing. And the daddys are sledding.

~7~

Belle is still nursing and the others are getting into mischief. I am off to do my duties. I'll try to post weekend adventure pictures as they come!

Seven Sick Takes

I mean quick takes. Sorry. These days, we are a bit more sick than quick, though!

~1~

Just when you think life is running smoothly, stop thinking. Put on the auto-pilot and hold on to you seats; things are about to get rocky.

~2~

I am eternally grateful for all of the many blankets, towels, washclothes, and sheets that I have. I never knew I would need all of them at once. Now to tackle that laundry . . .

~3~

If you have a child with even the remotest possibility of vomiting do not, under any circumstances, put him in the top bunk to sleep. Just trust me on this one. Unless, of course, you enjoy changing two sets of sheet, two comforters, two pillowcases, and that trusty guard rail. If you like that sort of thing, then have at it. But don't say I didn't warn you.

~4~

When your husband comes home after the long (sick) day, bearing pizza and a free pass to the nearest shower -- run. Because they might see you. And the pizza. And you just might now be able to handle that.

~5~

Sick babies are amazingly sweet to snuggle. Even four of them at once. And even if they do occasionally vomit on you.

~6~

The upside to everyone being ill, is that they take random and spontaneous naps. In this child declared "No Nap Zone", that is a welcomed treat!

~7~

There is always hope. Maybe tonight, everyone will sleep soundly and peacefully. And even if they don't, at least it's Saturday and Andrew will be here to share in the suffering (I mean fun!)

To be honest, it was harder to come up with seven that I was expecting! Hop on over to Jen at Conversion Diary for more Quick Takes!

Last night, I went to bed early, thinking how lucky we have been that no one has gotten sick this winter. Last winter was pretty rough, with kids getting sick repeatedly. At about 12:10, Belle woke up to eat and I thought how nice it is when you go to sleep early and get woken up only to see that you have tons of time left to sleep.

And then at 12:15, Christopher woke up and vomited all over everything. And in the process of cleaning up and resettling, everyone else woke up as well. Eventually, everyone got back to sleep, but it was clear that Isabella wasn't feeling well. Today, we are living on a healthy diet of movies, naps, and water.

That's the last time I revel in my own awesomeness and jinx myself!

Fun with Math

We were driving in the car today and I was trying -- and failing -- to explain to Christopher what "division" means. Math is not my strong suit. So Andrew, resident Math Man, took over. He briefly explained (well) and then gave the kids a few problems to figure out.

First he says to Grace "If I have three cars and need to give one to each of you: Christopher, Grace, and PeterXavier, how man would each of you get?"

Grace: Easy! One -- I would get a pink bug car, Christopher would get a Porche and PeterXavier would get a baby car!

And then for Christopher, he says: "If I have nine M&M's and want to give each of you an even amount, how many would you wach get?"

"Oh! Grace and PeterXavier would each get two, and I would get five!"

We Could Use a Little . . .

Global Warming.

Please.

I'm freezing here in this NEGATIVE NINE DEGREE weather.

But, I must say, this is awesome. When I am boiling water for my third cup of French Press coffee, I may have to make a bit extra to turn into a cloud. If you are also afraid of losing your toes to frost bite (inside the house), you may want to have a look.

ETA: This is utterly amazing. If you're getting cabin fever and have a bit of ingenuity, give it a try!

Snowy Day

It's been a beautiful, snowy day here. I hear it's slippery and slidey our there, but I opted not to find out myself and declared us "snowed in". Technically, I could have gotten the car out, but no one else around here needs to know that! So we skipped our gym time and got some old fashioned fresh air and exercise. I spent 30 minutes tracking down snow gear and bundling them up so they could spend ten minutes outside before pronouncing it too cold.

One of my favorite things is when all of the kids play together for longer that 0.3 seconds without fighting. Here everying is playing happily together in our little nook. This cheery little picture actually lasted a good portion of the day.

Since is was a cozy snow day, I baked a batch cookie bars. Mmm, warm and cozy.! Nothing like the chococherry lava yumminess that Annie made the other day. They were so yummy that my non-dessert eating husband barely even shared one bite with me! He probably won't even eat my cookie bars!

These pictures are small because I hijacked them from Stephanie's facebook. I forgot both my camera AND my video camera last night. Luckily Stephanie got a bunch of great pictures, including a smashing one of my husbands rear end. You can view it on FB, if you care to (sorry, Joannie. Just one more reason to join the crowds, I guess!).



Anyway, last night we had our reschedules Epiphany Party with a bunch of our good friends. There was a yummy "king cake" and PeterXavier won the prize. The prize went to the person who found the very large Brazil nut in his piece of cake. PeterXavier didn't really "get" it and promptly ate the very large nut in one very large bite. Luckily, he was still awarded his prize -- a big bag of chocolates for his mama to eat.


The children all (kind of) acted out the Nativity Story, from the Annunciation to the Birth of Our Lord. It was totally adorable, despite the fact that we had three angels, two shepherds and only one wise man. And a dad who stood in for Joseph, because all of the boys wanted to be shepherds. It was a bit chaotic, but absolutely charming! And the kids had a blast and that is what really matters.

What is WITH the Blood today???

Oh my. What a day. As far as I know, everyone is still breathing. But that is saying something. It's been an amazingly bloody day today. First, Isabella cut her finger. Mysteriously. I looked down and the floor was covered in blood. After I figured out it was coming from a minuscule cut on her finger, I calmed down a bit. But then it took at least half an hour to stop bleeding! Luckily, I could recall Mr. Studebaker's "Freak Week" in high school biology (how PC!) to know that girls can't be hemophiliacs, other wise I would have been wondering!

And then, PeterXavier's nose erupted like Mt. Vesuvius all. over. creation. His face, his pajamas (yes, he was still wearing them at 2 in the afternoon. shoot me), my craft room, my kitchen, me. In all his bloody glory, I was certain he had stuck something up there. Surely this would merit my days trip to the ER. But, no, it stopped as abruptly as it began.

So far, we've gone 47 minutes without blood or tears. It's a record!

Nine months in, Nine months out

Isabella "turned" nine months old yesterday. I snapped a few pictures of her -- digital cameras, blogs, and computerized "scrapbooks" make this documentation SO MUCH easier. I have more pictures of Belle than of any of the other kids!

Clearly, we haven't had any "adjustment issues." Unless you count trying to smother her with love!

In other news, it's been a wonderfully slow week here in our house. We've been trying out a new bedtime routine and it is working beautifully. The kids have fully recovered from Christmas craziness and have been enjoying playing together and getting back into a normal type of day!

A Christmas' End

I emailed a friend on Monday lamenting the fact that, after a glorious nine day vacation from work, Andrew was gone and here I was alone in a house with four kids. She informed me that, husband or no, it's still Christmas and we must still party. In fact, she claimed, Jesus demands it -- it's His party, and it ain't over. So, party we did. But now, it is over. Yesterday was Epiphany, and the Christmas Season has ended. Although, our Epiphany Party, due to illness has been postponed until Sunday. Does this mean I can still party? I say, why not!

In that spirit, we celebrated the Three Wise Men last night with a "King Cake" just like we did when we were young. It was fun to see the kids find the "prize" (a quarter). PeterXavier couldn't believe it! Money! In my cake! Two year old joy is so great!

I thouroughly enjoy the Catholic tradition of spreading Christmas over 12 days. Christ deserves a long and drawn out celebration, most certainly. But my more boring self is glad to see the slower pace of life return. Although nothing is truly slow around here!

Happy New Year!

We rang in the New Year Gatsy style. Good food, good friends, and plenty of good drink! We went to a friends "Great Gatsby" party where everyone dressed up twenties style and all of the kids ran around like crazy and most of them made it to Midnight!

Andrew is purposly not smiling in this picture to make it more "accurate." And I think Christopher is following suit.

This ukelele has become a permanent fixture with PeterXavier the last few days. He even took it to Mass and then tried to serenade Fr. Tim at the party.

Wii . . . It's What's for Dinner.

Cause, I haven't gotten much else done. The little Wii aliens have decsended and taken over our lives. Actually, I have been thrilled with the kids ability to play for a while and then move on to something else. In fact, they are far better at it than I. Or Martin. Here's what we did Christmas Day.

Santa knew what he was doing when he dropped this gift into the home of such a competitive family!! Wow. I am not sure my poor arms will ever recover from boxing with Annie. The other night, my parents came over to play. There is no better way to get rid of latent teenage angst than to beat up you dad!! (I'm totally kidding. I never had teen angst. And my dad is awesome!)Sweet little cousins playing with the new doll house!Anja Pie got a lot of new books. I thought she and her mama looked so cute reading together!And another favorite Christmas Day activity . . . . lifting Uncle Mortin with the new block and tackle! My parents got this for the kids and they were so excited that they insisted on setting it up right away. And Uncle Mortin was a good sport in allowing them to lift him up off the ground.

And now we are relishing our Christmas season with a week Daddy being home!

Giant Gingerbread and a Living Nativity

We spent the day taking advantage of the many wonderful holiday offerings in our town. I am not one to jump the gun on Christmas -- I like to enjoy Advent to its fullest, but often times the rest of the world doesn't agree. So, compromise is a must!

Purdue always has a fantastically enormous Christmas tree in their Union Building, as well as a life-sized gingerbread house. We went over this afternoon to see the splendor. The kids were sufficiently impressed. As was I. That gingerbread house must have been a ton of work. There was even a dog house!

This evening, along with my parents, we took the kids to see the "Living Nativity" at a local church. It was truly amazing. Elaborate scenes, live animals, and actors marked all of the major biblical events starting from Adam and Eve all the way through to the Resurrection. We walked through and listened to narration. At some points, the actors even spoke and interacted with us. Walking through Bethlehem was particularly amazing. The children got a real hands on sense and feel of the Nativity story in a way they could not have attained otherwise. It was definetly worth the very cold walk!

And here is a rare thing: A family picture! I was so excited by this picture, as we never have pictures of all of us together.

Sometimes, it's just easier to give him the root beer for breakfast. The sooner he drinks it, the sooner it's gone!

Someone is a little crazy

PeterXavier just stuck his head in the empty dryer and started shouting

"You there, Dada?? You in there??"

Gaudete! Rejoice!

I love Advent. I think it is my favorite liturgical time of the year. But my favorite is the little respite we get toward the end -- Gaudete Sunday. A few years ago Andrew and I established this day as the day for our annual party. It seemed fitting to throw a party of Rejoicing as we make our way towards Christmas. This year was no exception to the rule of Gaudete Sunday being a great day of Rejoicing!

The grown ups wined and dined while all of our many munchkins played games, made crafts, and forgot to eat. I had set up a number of crafts in our "craft room", but only the one involving candy gathered much interest! None the less, the kiddos must have been having fun, because I hardly saw them all night!

Here is a picture of our mantle and our new stockings! I have been meaning for three years to make new stockings and PeterXavier only had a makeshift one anyway. Since I needed to make Isabella one as well, I just made everyone new ones. I am quite pleased with the results!

Who Taught This Guy to Read??

Sometimes I wonder if teaching children to read is really such a good idea after all. Today, we were out driving and Christopher says

"Hoo . .. .Hoot . . . .Hoot-ee-ers, What's that mean? Hoot-ee-ers?"

Feast of the Immaculate Conception

Today is the Feast of the Immaculate Conception. Which also makes it "name day" for our Isabella Concetta. Some people have given us flack for giving our daughter a name that means "conception", but I think it is a beautiful name in honor of Our Lady and her sinless perfection. I love the idea of celebrating "name days" for our children, but so far have been terrible in execution. I think that today I will try to make a batch of brownies and dust them with powdered sugar -- white for purity. Yes, it's a bit more reminiscent of Martin Luther's snow covered dung heap, but it's the best I can do for today!! Or maybe I'll skip the brownies and just give them a bowl of powdered sugar?? For some better ideas to remember Our Lady today, check out Catholic Cuisine.

Our Lady, Conceived without Sin, Pray for Us!

Growing Parents

This weekend we tackled our basement. We have to ton of work that needs to be accomplished and would like to have it finished sooner rather than later. As we were painting with little people underfoot (some wielding paint-filled brushed!) and on our backs, I got to thinking about how far we have come.

We bought this house five years and three children ago. In fact, we moved in on Christopher's first birthday and I was seven months pregnant. Every wall in the house was a horrid glaring white. We painted the majority of them, but it was quite a trial. And we didn't do it alone. I remember my parents and most likely my sister, spending hours painting, wallpapering and otherwise ridding our home of white. It seemed like a major undertaking. And certainly one that Andrew and I would never have dreamed of tackling it alone. But this weekend, we had no need to call in reinforcements -- even though we have twice as many children. Somehow, in our six short years of parenting, we have learned to be productive despite little hands and feet getting in the way. We have grown in patience and ability.

I don't want to paint (haha) a picture that this past work weekend was all fun and games -- it wasn't. I was just struck by how our reactions to the situation have changed. But it made me think about all the young families, just starting out, who only have teensy tiny children and are aspiring to be something that no mother of littles has ever been. She is aspiring to be a mother to eight, when she is only a mother to two or three. Many young moms, my self included, have gotten caught up in this "blog-o-sphere of support" run by these seemingly super moms with a gaggle of children.

We log on and read that Mrs X knitted fifteen sweaters while homeschooling her seven year old in third year Latin, took all ten kids to the TL Mass, and got home in time to take her seven year old to Orchestra practice. And mom of three, with her dirty t-shirt, dirty diaper clad three year old (who is also her oldest), and mountain of laundry thinks that she is somehow failing. It's ridiculous. But what mom-of-three doesn't realize is that Mrs. X used to be her. But now, seven kids later, she has learned how to run a home efficiently, she has older kids to help, and has learned to relax. They are living in different world.

Now don't get me wrong, I think that the "blog-o-sphere" support system is wonderful and very beneficial. I don't begrudge Mrs. X has marvelous ability or her willingness to share with those of us who are less seasoned. But I do think that there is a danger that the whole picture is not always shown and those who are still in the more difficult years might at times feel inadequate.

Maybe the term "terrible twos" was actually referring to the years of only two children? And maybe this is why so many couples only have two children. Because that is the hardest time of all.

I guess this is so clear to me right now because I am in the position where, while still in the throws of the harder times, I have cleared the worst and see the better days ahead. I no longer spend my days only with people who can't carry on a conversation, follow commands, or use the bathroom.

I think these days of parenting are kind of like the transition phase of labor -- it gets really rotten for a while and then, all of a sudden, it's wonderful! And it is amazing how quickly it happens.

A picture post.

My dad was quite impressed with this little guys first "shiner." I was impressed that he had made it two and a half years with out one! If you know our little guy personally, you know that he has no fear and he never stops. Well, almost never. This is Thanksgiving -- too much turkey and too much fun, I guess.

Guessing Game

I found a picture of Grace this morning from when she was about the same age Bella is now. Grace looked at it and said "Hey! Look at Bella!" She had a hard time believing it was her!

So . . . can you tell who is who?

After a fanastic Thanksgiving with our families and a wonderful long vacation from work, we all collapsed in a sick heap of exhaustion. Blech. I think we wore ourselves out so much that we couldn't even stay healthy any longer. I think we are all better now. Thankfully.

We had a two day Thanksgiving feast filled with family, yummy food, and rousing games of Boggle. Super fun. And now we are all totally addicted to the online version "Scramble" I don't get many chances to play, with children for whom to care. But my mom apperantly has tons of time, because she calls to tell me that Andrew is "ruining" her life by having a higher score than she. Ha! She's not dramatic or anything.

Now it is almost Wednesday and I think we are getting back on track. I had a zillion Advent ideas swimming in my head and haven't started anything! Tomorrow we are (hopefully) going caroling at a nursing home with some friends. I think that will be a nice (re)kickoff of Advent for us. We can start from there!

What Happens When The Kids Stay Up Too Late

A weekend of cuteness overload!

I love dressing up the kids. Being a mother is kind of like the fulfillment of every little girls dream: dressing up a baby doll that is alive!! Wee!! It's so fun. Sunday was my parents anniversary (whoa! 34 years!!) AND the Feast of Christ the King. Major dress up in this house. My mom bought Christopher and PeterXavier super cute dress coats and hats. Now, the down side of treating you children like your very own toy dolls, is that they get older and tend to protest. Christopher refuses to wear his coat. But PeterXavier is totally loving his. Can you tell?

I love this picture because it sums up the boys so well. Christopher is telling a long drawn out story and PeterXavier is completely focused on his food.

My parents took us all out to celebrate their special day, which was super fun. PeterXavier enjoyed licking Anja and stealing her bite sized food. And Gracie liked that last piece of chocolate cake. It sure looked good!

Our parish goes all out in celebration for the Feast of Christ the King. We clebrated the magnificent Feast with trumpets, Vespers, and a Eucharistic Procession through the streets of town. And of course a big feast afterwards!

And NOW Andrew has the rest of the week, through the Thanksgiving holiday, off! Woo! Hooray for Vaca! When we were first married and he worked at the school in Florida (boo), they had this lame policy that you couldn't tack your vacation days onto holidays. So now I think we'll do it all the time, just because we can!

A Weekend Recap

We spent the bulk of our weekend cleaning and organizing our newly emptied basement. Eventually, it will be a cozy place to play games and relax, but it might take a while! My mom went to an auction on Saturday and got us a really nice game table, which fits perfectly! I am very excited to have to LARGE craft room complete with sink and built in cabinets. Grace has already begun stocking it with all of her craft supplies. I am excited to paint and decorate the room, but the challenge is making it not feel like a basement.

Andrew called me Friday from work saying that he had six tickets to a Thai dinner fund raiser for the Wabash Valley Youth Symphony. We scrounged up two "couples" -- my cousin Phillip and his wife and Matt and Jeremy. (Bachelors are always up for a free meal!) The event ended up being a goofy combination of raising funds for the WVYS while also advertising this new restaurant and a travel agency. The presentations were interesting and the music was nice as well. The food was great. It was a really fun night, with an interesting group of people!

Last evening was spent with my hilarious cousin and his wife (among others, more later!). I was telling him about the goofy way my mother broke her foot (she was playing a game with my kids and took a litle jump, which broke her foot). Our conversation went something like this:

Me: Yeah, my mom broke her foot . . . .
Him: I heard! My dad told me, (rolls eyes) Aunt Roseanna broke her foot doing a kartwheel!!

Good old Uncle Johnny. You can always count on him to make a good story better!

Baby Legs from Baby Snazz!!

I LOVE to get a good deal and great product while supporting small family businesses. So when I went searching for a great pair of Baby Legs Iwas thrilled when I also found Baby Snazz. And then when owner, Sara, offered to send me a free pair of Baby Legs to review on my blog, I could barely contain my excitement!

With the cold Indiana winter setting in (ugh) I needed something to help keep my little monkeys warm. And I hate when I get them all bundled up, but then when I pick them up their pants get pulled up to their knees and their sweet little skin is exposed to the freezing cold air. Baby Legs solves this problem. They are trim enough to be worn comfortably under pants and stay put when the child is picked up.






And have I mentioned how cute they are?? There are tons of patterns and prints to choose -- I had a really hard time picking my favorites!


When I got them out this morning, the striped pair that Grace is wearing was intended for Isabella, but Grace was so excited that she snagged them claiming that she and Bella would share them -- but she would wear them first! Needless to say, Baby Legs were a hit in this house. Head on over the Baby Snazz and get your own. Support Sara, her home business, and her four princesses! Use coupon code "blogreview5" to get 5% off order over $40 AND make sure to sign up for her latest giveaway to win TWENTY PAIRS of babylegs!!!

ETA: My kids did this nerdy posing all on their own!! I was going for a more natural look . . . .

Reading with Oompa

My kids are currently enjoying the wonderful Roald Dahl book "BFG" read so marvelously by my dad. He really gets into the vioces and bizzare Dahl language, making it the perfect bedtime read aloud!

Big Weekend

Wow. What a weekend. We just kind of partied our way right through it. Saturday was John and Elisabeth's beautiful wedding. The ceremony was fabulous and the party afterwards great fun. I am always so pleased with the group of friends we have at Church. We have about four times the children that anyone else has, but everyone is always so nice to them. It is so nice to be able to give our children such a friendly and happy vision of the Catholic Church.



One Sunday, after Andrew steam cleaned every carpet in our house (that's a lot of nasty carpet!) we wento the Annie's to celebrate Anja's first birthday!! Woo!! I can't believe she is ONE! Annie made her the cutest shirt -- it was just a onsie that said "I am ONE today!" and the date. The whole point was for her to get it covered with chocolate cake and make a nice souvenier. Of course, Anja was neat and tidy with her cake eating and got nothing on her cute shirt. (Probably the only time she's ever done that!) It was a great party and Anja scored a lot of loot!

And now back to the grind. But at least my carpets are clean!

And now back to our regularly scheduled broadcasting.

I finished with political rants.

Today . . . . I am tired from staying up so late, but that is beside the point. The kids had their first "gym class" today. We met up with our friends for a picinic beforehand (I am LOVING Indian Summer) on the lawn in front of Lambert. "Gym Class" is actually the Purdue Ed students learning to teach PE and using our little homeschool kids as practice. (Ok, I was going to call the kids that giant rodent that is kind of like an overgrown rat that twisted parents let their kids have as pets ** pigs, but how do you spell that word??) Anyway, the kids love it and it gives them a chance to hang out with their friends and learn to follow directions! And it gives the mothers a chance to chat. It's a bit chaotic because the little kiddies can't participate, but it's not too bad.

After gym, I was going to take the kids to Hobby Lobby to get some craft supplies. We got all the way out there (after much whining from the back seat) and then one person started complaining that I wasn't buying him anything, another person tried to sufficate the sleeping baby with love and made her scream, and yet another person had kicked his shoes off AND had somehow gotten himself entirely covered in melted chocolate. I turned right around and came home.

A Turning Point in Our History

Tomorrow marks a turning point in the history of our country. Never before have we as Americans faced such a crucial election. Never before have lives literally been at stake to the degree that they are right now. We have to opportunity tomorrow to place our country into the hands of a killer, a socialist, a man not worthy of holding the important seat of Commander in Chief of this land. This country founded on the very principle of freedom and the right to life. Is is Freedom or Free-dumb? I am a bit fearful to find out.

As Deal Hudson points out, one man here claims he will "save the world" and another knows, that is humanly impossible. But McCain will do everything he can to keep this nation and all of its citizen -- even the most defenseless -- safe. One man claims to be the Messiah, the other a humble servant of this country. We need to ask Christ to accompany us into the voting booth tomorrow. Beg Him to be with every Free American as he walks into that booth that he may cast his vote for the silent, the innocent, the one quietly begging for a chance to exercise his freedom.