7 Quick Takes

1) Wondering why I  haven't blogged in about a year are you?

So my computer crashed a little over a year ago. Wha, wha, right? Anyhow, without being able to access my pictures blogging just did not appeal so much. And I figured I would just wait for my pictures to be retrieved from my hard drive before getting back into blogging. Unfortunately the hubby attempted to get to my pictures and documents from my hard drive one evening (many many moons ago), but things were being difficult so he had to stop for the night and has not had time to get back to it. But life marches on. Enough with the excuses. Time to pick up the ball and get moving.

2) We cut Peter's hair and it is STILL tripping me out a week later.

He looks so much like Paul did as a baby. But he acts so different!! Yet, he doesn't look like the Peter I know and love. It's like a new kid, seriously. And it doesn't help that he has suddenly starting talking -- and I don't mean just jabbering. He had been jabbering adorable for the past several months. But now he uses words. Not always correctly, but real words -- LOTS of them! It's crazy. Seriously, someone swapped out my baby for this little boy!!

3) I tried to crush my finger a few weeks ago.

It was the day before Gordie's cousin's wedding in Topeka (a 2.5 or so hour drive for us). I was cleaning out the car for the event. I had just taken the bikes off the bike rack (from our previous trip to Grandpa & Grandma's) so the top part of the rack was loose (normally it's locked tight). As I was pushing the rack to get into the back of the van, the top part wiggled and smashed my finger. I lost the last part of the nail now (as it caught while I was working) but it's almost all healed up!

3) We recently did new chore charts again. I think they are going well.

They each have two chores for every meal. We rotate once a day. Obviously this is just for the big kids. Rebekah, Samuel, Jacob, & Paul. The younger three can help with a few things, like setting the table or clearing their plate, but they are not very dependable. Rebekah did the artwork.

Rebekah washing the dishes tonight. She looks so grown up in this picture!!

4) I made checklists for the kids and so far I am liking these.

I've made a bazillion schedules and then we never stick to them. But these are more fluid. Plus I can look at them on Saturday and hold playing wii on Sunday (which is generally our tradition -- since they don't play during the week) over their heads to get anything caught up if needed. -- I've told them I don't mind if they play during the day. I don't mind if they take breaks. But they need to get their lessons done.

5) I put up two nativity scenes this year.

Since there were two in the box, I decided to put both up. One went on the piano, like usual. The other I decided to put in the kitchen because that's where I spend a lot of time. I felt silly, though, as I don't have a lot of space in my kitchen so as I tucked Jesus on top of the spice rack, I apologized to him. Rebekah said, "I think it's fitting. He is the salt of the earth." -- Well-played, daughter, well-played. :)

6) I was on the radio again this week for our local Catholic stations Care-a-thon.

I spoke on covenants and how each Sacrament is a covenant. And how God relates to us with covenants and Jesus; his life, death, and resurrection, is the final covenant that fulfills all the others. It was pretty deep. I had to like look stuff up and really read my catechism for this talk. It was good.

7) A while back we cut Miriam's hair . . . and I still need to find it.

She had this beautiful long hair, but she was just not fond of keeping it brushed. So we had it bobbed at our local beauty school.  There was enough hair cut off to donate. We brought it home from the salon with the best of intentions, and I have yet to find it again to send it in. Mom of the year here. I imagine will turn up eventually?

7 Quick Takes

1) I got my hair cut today.

It was long.  Now it is shorter.  Nothing too drastic - hubby vetoed the bob, which is probably wise.  I do not think short short hair is my thing.

2) Zipporah had her reguar weekly physical therapy session and I'm starting to lose heart.

I KNOW she will eventually crawl (probably) and walk, but she just seems so uninterested right now!!  She is completely content for me to carry her around in the sling or to set her on the ground and she will play with her close toys or just watch everyone else.  She is definitely Zipporah the Observer!  

(P.S. No, I do not think I "caused" this by carrying her in the sling too much - I carried all the other kids just as much, really - this is her own thing.)

3) It has come to my attention that I need to focus more on relaxing.

My life is really not that stressful.  In fact, it is VERY laid-back, especially this summer.  We are doing things, but not too much.  But I'm having trouble just taking a moment to relax for some reason - it is as if I've been wound up so tight for so long I cannot remember HOW to relax!  In any case, I'm on it now and I feel fairly confident that with the some thought, creativity, and practice, I can learn to "chill" again.

4) Yes, I am still doing this Whole 30 meal plan - mostly.

And this MIGHT be why I am a little stressed.  It is not that the plan is necessarily stressful, but it does make my meal choices a bit more of a challenge.  Plus, every time my instinct says, "eat some chocolate and you will feel better" my brain says "NO!!  You do not NEED chocolate."  But I've been using food to deal with stress for so long I am wondering if that is not part of my stress problem (as mentioned in #3).

And to clarify the "mostly" is because I occasionally lick my fingers when they are covered in non-compliant food (or even take a bite of a dessert or some such!!) and weigh myself - which are all technically reasons to "start over" on day 1 of "the plan" but I consider this more of a lifestyle change.  I am trying to eat mostly healthy food and not stressing over a few slip-ups.  I did my first 30 days as recommended, now I'm trying to see how long I can generally keep it up.

5) I attended my first Aikido class on Monday.

It was a lot of fun - more than I expected from a basic class.  I hope to attend many more and do more Aikido at home with my kiddos - in our garage-of-awesome :)

6) The four oldest kids started swim lessons on Monday.

They have been a hit.  We have been doing lessons at 10am, then walk across the street to play on the old Washington school plaground some and then at 11:30am head into the school (which is now taken over by Headstart - errr, Early Childhood Connections is what they call it now I think) and enjoy a free lunch!!  (for the kids - I could buy mine for about $3, but it is basically your typical cafeteria meal, so I am not overly excited)  They do also have a choice bar where the kids can take whatever they want and it has quite a few fresh fruits and vegetables on it.  For a free meal it is pretty awesome - plus I don't have to do the dishes!!

7) I just downloaded a program on my computer so I could take snapshots and videos with my built-in webcam.

Seriously, I JUST DID it moments ago in order to post a picture of myself for #1 of this post.  How is that for pathetic?  But we do not have cell phones and I did not feel like digging out the camera and the cord and trying to take a pathetic selfie in the mirror and the wait for it load on the computer and copy over the files.  So I finally got a little further up on the technology pole and now can take pictures with my computer.  I am so cool, right?

*And since we are talking technology, I'm going to do a bonus point here.

The left click button on this laptop is broken and I have learned to work around it with double-tap on the touch pad to click things and such.  In any case I am very proud of myself for discovering (maybe remembering) that holding the shift key and then mousing over text and clicking will highlight it for copy/past etc.  Seriously, I am such a smart one!

Sick again. . . Inside Mary's mind

I am not feeling well today.  As I was laying here, not enduring my discomfort very well, I first came to the conclusion that this MUST be the fault of my doctor.  Her diagnoses are simply too painful (pregnancy/childbirth, infections, the flu) so I simply need to find another doctor that will diagnose me with less painful things like. . . a small scratch or mild bump on the head.  I really think I could handle those better.  Any doctor recommendations for me?

My second thought as I lie here, composing the "letting go" e-mail to my doctor in my head, I realized that what I really needed was simply for Gordie to take me out back and "put me down."  Unfortunately, before I got far down that train of thinking, I realized that he simply does not make enough money to properly replace me - not with the schooling of the olders, the "daycare" for the youngers, and of course the lactating for the baby, not to mention the cooking and the cleaning and keeping of the finances and such.  He would need to make about as much as the president and I do not see him taking that job anytime soon. . .

Thus, I am apparently stuck with my plight.  Prayers for me (and so none of the other kiddos get sick) can be left with Jesus and Mary and Joseph and any other saint that comes to mind - heck, any other deity would be fine - I am not picky at this point!!!

Thanks for listening to my ramblings.  I do hope they made you laugh - I think they may do so for me. . . one day when laughing does not cause coughing - ouch!  If you are nearby friend, please avoid my house for a bit as I REALLY do not wish this on anyone!

Fear not I will keep you posted as things improve. .  possibly even if they do not! (consider yourself warned!!)

Sincerely,
Mary Elizabeth
(Romans 5:5)

Exercise Part 1 - General Overview

Exercise has been on my mind for a while now.  We recently rearranged my exercise room and I really wanted to share the pictures with the world.  I really want to encourage everyone to take time to exercise!!

The problem is that I cannot seem to get my thoughts in a good coherent order.  I have random-encouragement type of thoughts and then they drift into I-LOVE-CATHE-WORK-OUT-VIDEOS type of thoughts, and then back into reflective thoughts about my past work-out experiences and how I have changed and grown and what I have learned.  I guess I really have a lot to say about it, which is odd since I am really not all that old.

But before I get too much further, here is the lovely picture of my rearranged work-out space!!  It probably looks silly to you, but it makes me very happy.



Unfortunately I am TERRIBLE at before pictures.  I only think to take pictures after.  In any case, I post this to encourage others.  A lot of space is NICE, but not required.  This little corner of our utility room works quite well for me.  Note the computer and tv - I often put a DVD work-out video on the little tv and then stream a show or watch something else on the computer.  This way it is not so boring if I am doing a work-out I am fairly familiar with.  I think I get a better work-out when I do not do this, but if this is what I need to do to get it done, than I figure anything is better than nothing!

Moving on. . . here are some RANDOM THOUGHTS ABOUT EXERCISE in the order I thought of them. . .

1) Did you know exercise releases happy hormones in your brain? (as does cleaning - another of my favorite activities)

2) Without regular exercise I seriously go a little crazy!  (I notice I lack patience, have more aches and pains, and often have trouble focusing on what I need to do.)

3) Exercise does not have to be intimidating.  Start at your level and just keep building.  If you miss a day, try again the next.  If you need a break, take it.  But keep coming back.  It is worth it!

4) Exercise does not have to be done in a gym.  You can do A LOT of exercise in your own home with little or no equipment!!

5) Exercise can be FUN!!  It might not be at first.  It might not ALWAYS be.  But it CAN BE, so keep that in mind.  Attitude is everything.  (As my dear Cathe says.)

6) My personal preference for exercise is videos done by Cathe Friedrich.  Ninety-nine percent of the exercise videos I own are by her (in other words, I have one video by Leslie Sansone and one that I purchased by Jari Love, but was so disappointed in it that I promptly got rid of it and have been a faithful "Cathlete" ever since). 

Side note: I have purchased a few of Cathe's DVDs and been disappointed.  Not every video is for everyone.  And perhaps.  . . maybe. . . not every Cathe video is absolutely amazing (as you would expect from a  work-out goddess like Cathe :) so be sure to read reviews and such to get what you expect and think will work for you.

7) I do plan to review some of my favorite Cathe videos at some point soon and post about it here.  (I'm sure you are anxiously awaiting that :)  I also got her new set of videos (XTRAIN) for my birthday (that I ordered for myself, of course) and so far I am LOVING those.

Another kind-of side note: I have a lot of "runner" friends.  My favorite form of exercise will probably always be long-distance running.  There is NOTHING like the "runners' high."  Running is great for prayer, reflection, contemplation, and relaxation (well, mental relaxation anyhow).  Unfortunately I do not find myself able to run much for many reasons: my body cannot take the pounding much anymore (hard on feet, knees, back), we do not have great trails or any such to run on nearby, and it is difficult to schedule time for this with a large family and young baby.  But perhaps one day I will be one of those "silver-sneakers" ladies that you see out and about. Hey, my 90-year-old Grandma still walks four rounds at the Mall every morning!!

So the moral of the story?  Get your daily exercise!  You will be so glad you did.

Happy Birthday Me!!

Disclaimer: This post is a bid ego-centric, true, but I do this for the kids. . . and they are not really able to do it for me. . . and I gave blood today (which normally I do without missing a beat, but of course, not so much today) and it has COMPLETELY wiped me out, so all I can do is sit here at my computer and goof, so. . . without any further excuses I bring you a glimpse of yours truly:

Mary Elizabeth

*My mom had planned on calling me Sarah, but when I came out she said I was "a Mary."  To this day I have a bit of an affinity for the name Sarah, but have yet to give it to one of my children.

*All through high school and most of college I SERIOUSLY was going to be a nun!!  (Much prayer and a man practically falling into my lap - to pray with me - how ironic, which finally led me to this life as wife and mother.)

*This year I am the same age as those fancy bags everyone has parties for: 31.

*My favorite food is the honey whole-wheat sandwich bread I have been mixing in my breadmaker and baking in the oven. (I like it so much I have been making it every day or two in order for us to use it for toast at breakfast - every morning.)

*Breakfast is my favorite meal of the day.  99.8% of the time I have two slices of peanut butter (natural of course - the best) and strawberry jam - I used to use 12 grain bread, but now I am seriously in love with this homemade honey-whole-wheat, as I mentioned above.

*I wash laundry every other day (including cloth diapers).  It was not until the addition of our last child (#5) that this came to be.  I used to wash cloth diapers every other day, but only wash "house" laundry every three days or so.  Why the addition of one little baby changed everything is beyond me, but there you have it.

*My favorite past-times are reading my catechism or some other intellectual-faithy-type of book and knitting.  (But I usually only let myself do either of these after I have at least spent a few minutes reading my bible first.)

*Nicknames I use for my kids - sometimes, not always:
Mirimantus - Miriam
Sunshine - Rebekah
Paulonius - Paul
Yacob - Jacob
Samoooel - Samuel

*I usually spend most of my days trying to homeschool the kiddos.  Secondarily I try to keep the house generally tidy and free from mold (hey, no need to set the bar too high, right? :)  Thirdly, in my copious amounts of free time (or when we take time off from school for holidays and such) I deep clean, re-organize, and try to de-clutter as much as I can.

*Virtue I pray for most: patience (second is humility)

*Favorite bible verse:

For God's Love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us.  (Romans 5:5)

I really like the thought of God "pouring" his love into us - so we can be filled up completely with it.

*Latest ambition: to try and cut out processed food.  I'm not going "cold turkey" on it or anything, but I am trying to make more healthy food choices for myself and our family.

*Final thought:  I am feeling EXCEEDINGLY blessed this year!  I cannot thank God enough for our amazing family, the husband's job, my many many supportive friends, and all the great opportunities we have here.

Happy Birthday, me! :)

Great picture, 'eh?  It is the ONLY picture that includes me which I can find at the moment, so enjoy :)

Thankfulness Thursday

. . . with a heart of gratitude

This week I am especially thankful for:

1)  A day off with the family.  The fourth of July this year was really a great day here.  For the first time in about 7 years, Gordie had the day off (yay for salary this time).  We were able to take it easy in the morning.  We cleaned up the garage (what is done so far) so the van would fit and got rid of an annoying "shrub" that had grown itself too close the air conditioner.  Then I went to Wal-mart WITHOUT ANY CHILDREN and stopped at Dillons (as there are things I needed from each) and went to two other stores to find a cable for our "original x-box.  We hooked up said x-box (which we just had sitting around) and the kids were (and continue to be) ecstatic.  Good family fun there.  (Now if only we could find Star Wars Legos, we would be set :)  Then the hubby grilled for dinner (LOTS of yummy stuff there) and then we finished the day enjoying the city fireworks from the top of the garage (with the youngest three in bed).

 

2) My washer and dryer.  I do A LOT of laundry (2 regular "house loads" every other day or so and diapers ever other day as well, plus sheets or blankets fairly regularly).  We have front-loaders that are high efficiency (using much less water) and they are nice and make me happy.   A friend of mine is constantly needing to fix her washer or dryer which I'm grateful has not been much of a problem for us (yet at least - I think we have had these about 3 years now) and I was also thinking how nice it is to be able to throw in a load whenever I need to. (Since kids make LOTS of messes!)

 

3) A fiction book I am enjoying.  I have read lots of fiction but then took a break from it for a while as I was trying to read lots of other books I though were "important." But in an attempt to "de-stress" (not distress :) I picked up a fiction book and I have been enjoying it (sometimes it is difficult to find something that holds my interest or does not feel like a waste of time).

 

"O give thanks to the Lord, for He is good, for His steadfast love endures for ever." - Psalm 107:1

Pondering the 40 hour work week

Disclaimer: this is a long-winded post -not for the faint of heart or easily bored. . .

Lately I have noticed that I am wearing "a little thin" on the edges.  I'm a little snappy, quicker to anger, slower to think, just flat-out tired.  Noticing was the first step, now I am working on fixing and it has dawned on me that I might need to rethink my schedule. (AGAIN I might add - as I am always trying to fix my schedule it seems! :)  But seriously, I think I am on to something here.  It seems like stay-home-moms are viewed as either not working at all or working INSANELY harder than anyone with a "regular job."  I don't really see it as either.  Some days it is easier than a "real job" and other days it is more difficult.  It probably evens out.  But the catch is the hours.  I begin "work" when the first child wakes up - technically that means I work almost nonstop insofar as the baby is concerned.  Granted there are a few times were she naps for an hour or two at a time, or someone else can give her a pacifier for a bit, but generally I am "on call" 24 hours, 7 days a week.  Now, the catch is that a baby is easy to care for (and so rewarding as holding a sleeping baby is so sweet) so I don't really consider taking care of the baby as "work."  However, taking care of the other children, although sometimes rewarding, is OFTEN exactly like (or more difficult than) work.  Now, the 2-year-old generally gets up at 7am (sometimes a little before) and does not go to bed until 7pm (and lately has been giving SO MUCH TROUBLE at bedtime that he really is not actually asleep until closer to 9pm).  That is a LONG DAY!!  7am to 6:30pm five days a week is. . a bit more than a 40 hour work week.

*Side note: I am considering a 40 hour work week the "typical" or "ideal" for the average worker - setting aside there are several professions where this is not an option due to the nature of the position, but I'm just giving a general idea here.

And it is EVERY DAY.  Weekends, Daddy is home but then we specifically do family things or he does projects and I do what I do all week - be in charge of the kids, cook, clean, run errands, etc. So unless I specifically take a break, there is not really one built in. Granted Daddy does get done with work around 6:30pm and often puts the kids to bed (and back to bed several times).  And there theoretically is a little time in the evening, but that is generally our "couple time" where Daddy and I spend time doing things together.  And I think this is important for our marriage and it is enjoyable, but it is not quite enough.  It is not really a break, just a change (well, and less work - Gordie does not make nearly as big a mess as the two-year-old :)

Now, there are times during the day when the kids are "mostly occupied" so I can do things like read a little (if I can handle being interrupted every 2 minutes or so :) or check facebook or write a letter or pay a bill, etc.  But the catch is that I'm ALWAYS ON, even when I'm not specifically playing with or doing things for the kids.  Even now as I try to collect my thoughts here I have been interrupted an average of every minute or two (and let me tell you it is wrecking havoc on my thought process - I hope this makes some sense when I'm done).  So what I'm trying to say is that I don't really get coffee or smoke breaks - if that makes sense.  I don't really get a true break until every child is in bed (or in the 2-year-old's case, asleep), unless I leave the house for some reason or another in the evening and leave the kids with Daddy.    This is basically my point.  I'm not writing this for pity or to awe you with my "amazingness." (although you are more than welcome to think I am amazing :)  What I am trying to say in many more words than necessary is that I NEED A BREAK SOMETIMES!!!  There I said it.  I love my job.  I love my kids.  I love my life.  But sometimes I NEED A BREAK!!  I need to leave the "chatterboxes" and go somewhere and soak up some quiet.  I need to eat a meal I don't have to cook or clean up after.  This really hit home as I left the house to take dinner to a friend a few days ago.  It was a 15 to 20 minute drive to her house.  Now, I took my oldest child and the baby.  The baby was sleeping and the oldest child was blessedly quiet, or maybe she was just not asking any difficult questions at the moment.  Honestly I cannot quite remember, but I do remember how I FELT.  I had some music on and I just sat there and enjoyed it as we drove.  It felt wonderful - like soaking up sunshine on the beach.  It was only at that moment I realized how much I NEEDED this break.  I know I need adult conversation regularly (as does my husband - haha) so I often meet with other adults (often stay-home-moms) during the day, but this was more than just adult conversation.  This was uninterrupted quiet - well there was music, so perhaps it would be more precise to say it was uninterrupted pleasure - something I have trouble getting during the day.

Now, if you have actually read up to this point, you are probably thinking, "well, this certainly is not earth shattering.  Many poeple have come to this conclusion before."  And of course you are right.  Although this was my "ah ha" moment where it really hit home, that is not my main point for bringing this up.  My point is that now I have a plan. . . and I'm curious what you think of it.  Or if you have already come to these conclusions and have a plan of your own to share.  Ideally I would take time to actually leave the kids, but this would require outside help for babysitting.  Although Daddy does give me some time away, he works all week and needs some down time as well, plus he has projects and friends and other commitments.  So a sporadic day or evening out and away while Daddy keeps watch is a necessity, but unfortunately, in my case those have been too few and far between (and with Daddy's new crazy work requirements it could be a LONG WHILE before things "settle" and he is able to relax a bit and spend more time with the kids, simultaneously freeing me up). 

So here is my plan. . . one day a week I take an "easy day."  I'm still plotting how this will all shape up, but I want to see it as at best, a less stressful day where my "regular duties" are decreased or avoided as much as possible.  I want to take a day where all we eat is left-overs or sandwiches or whatever does not require effort. I suppose we could get dressed, but I want to have no "to do list" or appointments or errands to run on this day.  I want to have no activities planned for the kids (well, maybe a playdate if I want to get some "adult conversation").  I want to do no laundry, do no cleaning (unless, of course, I feel like it and that is another post entirely - taking pleasure in simple chores).  I want to get up and goof off as best I am able.  And most importantly - I want to do all this and NOT FEEL GUILTY ABOUT IT!!  I basically just want to set my expectations a little lower and have a "chill" day because we all need a break once in a while.  So, what do you think?  Or do you do this already?

He said to them, "Come away to a deserted place all by yourselves and rest a while."  For many were coming and going and they had no leisure even to eat."  (Mark 6:31)

Thankfulness Thursday

I have participated in Whiney Wednesdays and Small Successes Thursdays, but I feel inspired to create my own weekly reflection.  I'm calling it Thankfulness Thursdays.  It is just me and what I feel called to do at this time.  Whining can be a great release, but listing things - specific things - that I am thankful for really helps me "realign" myself.  The material will probably end up looking a lot like my Small Successes lists and reading between the lines will probably look like my Whiney Wednesday list, but when combined it creates the ups and the downs with the important part underscored - a heart of gratitude.  So without further ado. . 

This week I am especially thankful for:

1) The gift of a second daughter, Miriam.  Even when she fusses and cries and is not "the perfect baby" (and wakes me many times at night, making me weary), I am so grateful for her presence in our family.

2) How hard my husband (and children's father) works to support us financially.  His new position is quite stressful right now, but I am so thankful for his effort!

3) My group of friends that pray with me (and for me) and share my joys and struggles.  (I'm still looking for that checkbook, btw, but I'm sure God has HIS eye on it (and is laughing at me in the mean time) so I'm not worried.)

4) My first daughter who is so sweet and innocent and helpful in caring for her sister.  My life would be MUCH MORE STRESSFUL without her in it to help in caring for our family.

"O give thanks to the Lord, for He is good, for His steadfast love endures for ever." - Psalm 107:1

Happy Mommy Moment - Take 2

I just wrote an entire post on how happy I was at the moment.  Then I bumped something and lost the entire post.  But I am still joyful, even to have to write it twice - maybe it will stick well and I will be able to remember my gratitude longer this way.  Here are my joys for this afternoon.

1) I had a great afternoon with the kiddos as we began our "summer school."  Rebekah did a week's worth of work this afternoon!  I'm going to have to rethink our timetable for her.  Samuel on the other hand did. . . some.  Not quite as much as I had hoped (or planned for) but I knew I would have to adapt some for him, so no surprise there.

2) I finally got our "New Mass Response" book for the kids put together.  I got it from Catholic Icing.  In my defense, I wanted to make it more sturdy than just a print-out.  So although it has been printed for SEVERAL months, it is now glued to manila folders, cut out, and the ends are taped (to give it a more finished edge).  I just need to bind it, but I have to find my single hole punch so I can run some string as staples just don't make it through three manila folders.

3) I gave the kids dessert before finishing their dinner tonight.  I read in a book that I should do this all the time.  I normally have them finish their food as I don't want them to eat only dessert all the time and nothing else.  In any case, it felt good to be "nice" for no particular reason.  And the kids enjoyed the surprise.

4) After two tries of putting the baby down to nap in her own bed I finally nestled her here in the main room and she has been sleeping soundly ever since.  This is what she is used to I guess.

5) I finished two loads of laundry, got them folded, and put away.  (It makes me feel very happy to "get things done."  I am one of those "tangible" kind of people.)

6) I also vacuumed our entire room (even under the bed!) and washed our bedding and got it back on the bed.  (As stated in #5, this makes me happy!  And tidy rooms make me happy, too :)

7) I just received a used cd player (for only $5) and it is nice to have music in the house again!  (As our cd player broke and I just could not bring myself to buy another one.)

Well, the baby is starting to stir and Daddy is working late tonight so I better wrap this up so I can get dinner put away, the kitchen cleaned up, and the kiddos off to bed.  Then my "work-day" is finally over. . . for a while.

You know, I'm wondering if that snowball I had today is what is helping with this mood.  If so, Praise God for caffeine!!  :)

A party and a revelation for me

Paul's birthday was last week, but I strategically planned his party for this weekend thinking I would be a little recovered from having our latest baby.  I had HOPED to have a bit more time to recover, but I survived and everyone seemed to enjoy themselves so I'm going to consider it a win.  I did not get a lot of pictures as I often take lots of pictures and most of them are not very good, plus, I seem to have pictures in excess these days, or maybe I'm just moody and did not want to take pictures today.  Whatever, I only have a few to capture these memories, but they are cute and they make me happy, so here there are.

Paul LOVED this toy.  He was entirely too excited about the balls in my opinion.  I know, kids love balls, but I cringe at the thought of them as we are constantly loosing them and finding them and the chaos of it all drives my obsessive-compulsive nature a little crazy.  But anyhow, I love his serious face as he showed me his balls.

Here he is again, showing me.  Notice how serious this is.  HERE is THE BALL.

So, here is his cake and this is where the revelation comes in.  I have traditionally started making a slightly more healthy cake for the birthday parties I have at home.  I am always trying to choose more healthy options and get my kids accustomed to good healthy foods.  Traditional birthday cake is really not healthy - not even carrot cake.  Sorry to burst your bubble, but it is the truth.  So I make this recipe I found called nutri-cake.  It is pretty healthy.  It has whole grains, protein, and fruit.  It is also pretty yummy and the kids like it a lot.  Now, I have recipes for frosting ("healthy frosting" made from melted raisins, and the "regular kind" made from powdered sugar) but I have never had much success making frosting.  I don't have the patience for it I think - or just have never quite gotten the ingredient ratio quite right.  I can get it to taste good, but then it will be too runny, or I can get it to be a good consistency and taste horrible.  In any case, I know my limits and to top my nutri-cake, I used store-bought frosting and I'm ok with that.  This is the beginning of the revelation.  (On a side note, I should add that the cake tastes great WITHOUT frosting, but half the fun of a birthday is frosting - at least for me, because I LIKE TO EAT FROSTING!!  But we often make this cake and eat it "as a snack" without the frosting - and no one complains :) The next part has to do with the picture.  It is supposed to be a train.  could you tell that before you read this?  Maybe.  Paul likes trains.  So I put a train on it because I like Paul.  It is that simple. 

So, the revelation part: I am good at a lot of things.  But some things I am just not good at and that is ok.  I am not an artist.  No one wants me on their team for pictionary.  Now, there are a lot of blogs out there and the people on them seem to be good at EVERYTHING.  Seriously, some of the blogs I follow, I honestly wonder if these women leave golden nuggets in their toilets instead of the regular human waste.  Everything they try to do turns out BEAUTIFUL!  Well, that does not happen here at our house and you know what?  I'm ok with that.  My cake is not perfect.  My train looks like I let my 2-year-old draw it (probably my 6-year-old could have done a better job) but I'm ok with that.  Coming from a slightly obsessive-compulsive-wanna-be-perfectionist, you have no idea how freeing it is to admit this to myself.  My cake is not PERFECT, but it is acceptable and it is yummy and it is even a little bit good for you!  Kinda like me.  Thanks, Paul, for having a birthday so I could figure this out :)

Baby Baby Baby

So I don't mean to run the world over with thoughts of pregnancy, childbirth, and of course, BABIES!  But I have four minutes to wait while my external hard drive moves my clip art onto this computer so I can finish making my Girl Scout Certificates for our final meeting this evening and I figure I might as well pop over here and share my thoughts for today, as that is generally what blogs are for, right?

Anyhow, I visited my doctor again today (wouldn't want her to miss me, you know :) and I am still in shock over what she said.  When I asked her last week  about potential times and dates to induce, there was some mis-communication going on.  I was speaking about this week (my 39th) and she thought I was referring to the current week (my 38th).  Apparently current OB doctoring law says no voluntary inductions before 39 weeks and I am all for that - don't get me wrong.  I was asking about being induced two days before 40 weeks (but she thought I was asking about 2 days before 39 weeks).  So anyhow, there was the confusion.  So today when we sat back a minute to "talk" and she says, anytime this week is fine if you really want this baby out, I about died of shock.  I have been SOOO READY to be done and now all of a sudden, I could be - AS EARLY AS THIS EVENING!!  Good thing I was sitting down!  The funny thing is that now that "the time" is finally here, I have this odd patient feeling and actually ended up leaving the hospital planning to return again in a week - unless, of course a miracle happens (hint hint, God) and my body decides to kick this baby out on its own.

So,why did I decide to wait another week and a half?  I'm not 100% sure, but it just feels like "the right thing to do" at this time.  Maybe I got a little scared thinking about labor (especially induced labor - with those mean pitocin contractions. . . /shudder) and maybe I have been looking at my schedule too much and I do have a lot planned this week - my last MOMS club coffee shop visit until August, my Parents As Teachers visit, a pedicure (who can give birth without one of those?!? :) with my daughter.  Yeah, I guess I can keep busy and let the baby cook another week.  Just, please Baby Girl, don't be 11lbs like your brother Jacob.  Anything under 10lbs would be golden - really.

Oh and for all those praying for me, thank you.  I imagine that is where the peace in all this is coming from.  (Well, that and getting very little sleep the past couple nights - exhaustion makes me a little calmer.  That's why I'm such a good mom.  I am greatly subdued in my usual sleep-deprived-stupor:)  Hopefully I can rest up, finish up these last few things, and then some time next week, ready or not, she will have to come and we will start our new adventure as a family of seven.

Pregnancy update #2 for Baby #5 and some rambling

I am a big fan of pictures.  I like to take pictures.  I like to look at pictures.  I like pictures!!  I think I have "bloggers' block" because I just cannot seem to imagine blogging without pictures!!  But for many reasons I am not able to have pictures at this time, such as:

1) I have no current prego pictures of me and do not feel like trying to take any at the moment.
2) Although I am aware of the location of the camera and the camera cord, I have no desire to get up and gather them and make it back to the computer.  (By that time I would loose interest in blogging. Trust me, this happens ALL THE TIME.)  So all those "cute" pictures I have taken recently of who or whatever are still not accessible at this time.
3) Even if I did manage to get all those amazing pictures off the camera, onto the computer, I would surely get distracted by organizing them, ordering prints for them, and/or I would find pictures from that last event I MEANT to blog about and get myself back in a I'm-so-far-behind-I-might-as-well-not-blog-anymore-funk.

So, to summarize, I have no pictures to go with this post.  Now, on to the actual post.

I am 39 weeks pregnant today.  After some discussion with my doctor at my last visit, I am trying to prepare myself for going AT LEAST a week over and then of course, to being induced again (ugh).  Don't get me wrong, I am optimistic (or was - as I was having quite a few contractions - off and on - for several hours at a time - and I was just SURE things were happening, but then I got checked to discover. . . .nothing is happening) and would really LIKE to have this baby soon and go into labor on my own, but for whatever reason my body just does not seem to get things figured out and my babies tend to be HUGE so I can't wait for my body to "get things figured out."

In any case, that is where we are at now.  I have whined to anyone and everyone who would listen.  I am pretty miserable.  Mostly it is the varicose veins that have been doing me in as all my support hose are all getting runs (not to mention they are hot!) and even with the hose, my body does not like being vertical (or even sitting) for very long.  I have been "couch camping" as much as possible lately.  For some reason being physically troubled makes me mentally off my game as well.

After a few "attempted resting" days I am feeling "a little" better and that is certainly helping my sanity lately.  But I certainly miss exercising and doing more than just "surviving" each day.

The one perk to all this sitting is that I've had more time to sit around and "goof off" (aka do things just for pleasure) but I am out of practice on taking time to myself.  Plus, often my house and children "taunt me" as I just want to get up and cook and clean and play with them, but I just CAN'T so not only do I feel bad, but I feel bad that I can't do what I want.  So not cool.  But the end is near and I am trying to stay focused, as maybe the baby really does just need a little more time to"mature."  Plus, in the grand span, what is two or three more weeks?  Oh and I still have that "to do" list that needs to be FINISHED, of course, before the babe comes.  Some of it has been done, but I keep adding to it.

Here is the current version:

1) Homeschool prep
*I've really made great strides in this department, but I need to finish up a few more things.

2) Picture organize
*Yes, I want to get all my pictures, from the three different "digital storage devices" I have them on and put them all together in an organized fashion.  Then I want to order the prints from the most recent ones - then label the prints and put them in albums - hah, I laugh even as I type this.)

3) Knit baby hat
*I know, it is May, the baby does not need a hat, but it is a small project and I am still a "beginner knitter" and I just want to FINISH AN ENTIRE PROJECT already - as I have several started (including 2 slippers that don't match - one for my pair and one for my daughter's pair) but other than a small scarf and a few "pretty cloths," nothing really completed.

So these three, keeping the house clean, the laundry done, and the meals coming . . . that is the plan for the next few weeks.  Sounds like the plan for the past few years and probably the next few years, doesn't it?  But because of the nature of this time I am more acutely aware of all that is going on right now - living each moment more fully somehow.

Well, it is time for dinner.  I will stop with the ramblings now.  And I think I will just post this without thinking about it too much (as saving it will cause me to delay and then it will be obsolete).

So there it is.  Hopefully my next post will be pictures of our new little lady.

Blessings all!

Spiritual Reflection

In Conversation With God

I asked for these for Christmas and my birthday (December 27th) and received the first two volumes.  They are AMAZING!!  They have three short reflections for each day (corresponding to the liturgical calendar, for example, today is Saturday in the Third Week in Ordinary time).  The reflections are about two and a half pages (counting each side of the page as one - and keep in mind the book is a smaller size).  I really enjoy them.  They are deep enough to get me thinking, but not too heavy and not too long.  I recommend them for a nice short, but serious spiritual reflection each day.

New Year's Intentions

"Resolutions" just sounds so resolute. I want something a bit more flexible, so I'm calling mine "intentions." These are what I "intend" to do this year. Some of them I have been doing for a long time (or some version of) and I just want to keep up. Others are new to my routine and sound like a good idea. So, without further ado, here they are:

Spiritual

*Read the Gospels for 10 minutes a day and try to apply them to daily life (this was actually suggested by our priest and although I try to get in my bible regularly I like this focus).
*Read my catechism for 10 minutes a day. (I used to do this in college and I miss it.)

*Liturgy of the Hours:

-Morning Prayer WITH the husband
-Evening Prayer
-Night Prayer WITH Rebekah (and possibly husband) at least twice a week

Physical

*Show temperance in eating and make good healthy choices.

*Continue to work-out regularly and listen to my body on days I SHOULD take it easy.


Personal

*I want to COMPLETE at least two "crafty projects" (knitting or crochet or some such).

Other

*I'm going to try and stick to my chore chart. (It does not have to be perfect, it just needs to get done. And I will have no guilt if I choose to do something over cleaning.)

*I will sort and file/dispose of the mail AT LEAST once a week. (No more letting it pile up for weeks on end.)


Kids
*Continue to read books to them (or with them in Rebekah's case) daily.

*Be more vigilant about having them do their chores.

*Let them "help" more in meal preparation and baking.

A new look.

 I am all about functionality.  So I grow my hair long and then when it annoys me (approximately every couple of years), I cut it short and donate it.  This way I only have to go to my hair dresser every couple years.  Last Saturday it was "time for a cut" again.  Here are so pictures to document.

I never knew how difficult it is to hold your hand steady to take a picture when not using the flash.

This one is "a little" better but you can't see my hair as much.



It does not look like much here, but it should be enough for Locks of Love to use.

From the back.

And the final product.  Again - taking my own picture - definitely not my area of expertise, but here ya go :)

More Safety

This is really an extension of my previous post. Paul needed some "safety gear," as well. Obviously he does not ride a bike by himself yet or have roller skates, but he does ride on the back of my bike and they "recommend" a helmet for him in that carrier, so here he is - in all his cuteness :)

P.S. I have no idea what I found so entertaining, but obviously I am deliriously happy for these photos.