7 Quick Takes -- Random things that make me happy.

*I'm overdue for a post about Samuel's birthday (back in December) and I wanted to get Christmas pictures up, too, but this is on my mind. So first this, then those.

1) Flowers from church.

Every year, at the end of the Christmas Season, the poinsettias are set out, often still full of life, but in need of a new home. Our little clan LOVES to walk them home from Daily Mass the Tuesday following Epiphany (this year -- when the days of the week fall differently, it is the Tuesday following the Baptism of the Lord, to be precise and all).

P.S. Zipporah actually carried the one she is holding below about 3/4 of the way home. She can be a stubborn little lady, just like her momma.

 

2) Paul being helpful.

I've only recently (as in the past year) started really expecting more help from the kids. It has been a slow road -- them learning how to do chores and us getting in a routine for them to do them. And then, once they do them fairly well and remember to do them, the whining about having to do them sets in, of course. But Paul has been different.

A few days ago Paul surprised me by unloading the clean dishwasher before I woke up. The next day he unloaded the dishwasher AND wiped the table off! A few days after that (or maybe before) I was super-busy with something or other at breakfast time, so I asked Paul to make the toast AND HE DID and did a pretty good job!!

*Side note: I offer my kids toast with peanut butter and jelly for breakfast because that's one of my favorite meals ever.

Lately Paul has been exceedingly helpful. He always tries to surprise me by unloading the dishwasher and he never whines when I ask him to clean off the table. I would venture to say he is more helpful and dependable than his older siblings!! And he figured this stuff out all on his own -- I never taught him to unload the dishwasher or wipe the table. He just watched and learned.

3) Some Family Pictures are Up.

I'm sure you all get pictures of your relatives. Sometimes they are photo cards. Sometimes school pictures. And if you are like me, you mean well, but those pictures always end up in an envelope or drawer somewhere, despite your every intention of displaying them somehow!

Well this year I let go of perfection (in every and any sense of the word), grabbed some sticky tack and got busy. They may not be beautiful, but they are up and we are enjoying seeing our family and friends around us.

4) Sponsorship pictures up.

For Christmas, Papa and Nana sponsored some wild animals for the children. The kids got a nice little stuffed animal for each and the joy of knowing they are helping preserve these animals.

Here are the Meercat and the Mountain Lion (which Miriam refers to as her "Mountain Kitty" ).

 

5) I redid the "Prayer Platter"

Here is a "before" photo of the Advent Wreath on "the platter" and baby Jesus just came along for the ride, nice and cozy in his bed of good deed strings.

I mention this concept in some of my earlier posts here and here. Basically my children love the Advent Wreath and I was keeping our on a platter. I would put it on the table at mealtime and then put it up on the bookshelf for safe keeping in-between. Once Advent was over, I decided to keep the "Prayer Platter" but I changed it up some to reflect the proper season.

New set-up here. I plan to put prayer requests in the bowl and the fountain actually works. I'm going to put holy water in it, to use it as a holy water font, as well.

6) Peter napping.

Peter is a somewhat "particular" child. He will sleep okay at night in his own bed. But for some reason he will NOT let me put him down to nap during the day. He will fall dead asleep in my arms, but the second I move to put him down he is awake and wailing. 

I have compensated by sitting with him for the whole nap and napping myself. This would definitely be my solution of choice, if I did not have other pressing duties I often cannot neglect for the entirety of his nap. Instead I have been nursing him to sleep in our main room (instead of his bedroom) and continuing to teach the children as best I can with a sleeping baby on my lap. As you may imagine, this means he does not nap nearly as long (as being in the main room can be loud of course) but it is what it is. I'm not really sure of any other way to fix it right now.

In any case, here he is with Rebekah as I needed to put Miriam and Zipporah to bed for their naps (even though I had just nursed Peter to sleep in my nap -- poor planning today), so I passed him off to Rebekah and she was able to keep him asleep (for a little while anyhow).

7) My children.

Here are some random pictures of the children I have taken lately. Not all of them are equally represented (or represented at all), but that's just how we roll here.

Zipporah and Rebekah:  This is the first time we put Zipporah's hair in pig tails. Yes, they are crooked, but her hair is not grown in all the way, so this worked best.

Peter, eating at the table. His "plate" is awesome, btw -- made of silicone. It is heavy so he can lean against it or bump it and it will stay put.

Miriam, Rebekah, and Zipporah -- Rebekah had just braided everyone's hair.

Miriam and Zipporah, ready for a princess picnic with their kitties.