Hooray!!

Oh Happy Day! Andrew had a gift card to Best Buy that he has been saving to use on some fancy DVD thing-y. He was pretty excited about it. Our DVD player kicked the bucket and he was using that as an excuse to get this fancy-dancy item.

But tonight, he said he was taking me to Best Buy to get a new camera!! And it's pink!! Isn't he SWEET!?! I am SO EXCITED to have a new camera!! And I totally don't deserve it since I LOST the old one. But this one is so cute and wonderful. And he got me this new kind of SD card that gets rid of that annoy "delay" between pictures.

So long boring old picture-less blog. Now you all have to suffer through pictures of all my little sweeties!

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!