Pinewood Castle

Five

 

Please, everybody, look at me!
Today I'm five years old, you see!
And after this, I won't be four,
Not ever, ever, any more!

I won't be three or two or one,
For that was when I'd first begun.
Now I'll be five awhile,
And then I'll soon be something else again.

 

My Baby Turned Twelve!

We are celebrating with very special visitors, Grandma and Aunt Terri from Oklahoma. Our action-packed weekend includes a piano recital, last violin group concerts, and a field trip to a one-room schoolhouse.

Double Digits!

Sunshine turned ten.

TEN!

Her birthday always takes me by surprise as it is just ten days after Christmas. We are just winding down from the holidays and then I panic - I have to plan a party! At least we have learned to order her birthday gifts at the same time as her Christmas gifts.

Her original birth-date also caught us by surprise. We thought she was due at the end of January, but she arrived at what we thought was 36 weeks. Fortunatley she passed the full term baby test. I either had my due date wrong or she cooked fast. I would not be surprised if it were the latter.

(her jovial personality started showing itself quite early in life)

This girl is speedy. She thrives on charging ahead. There's really no stopping her when she wants to do something - cooking in the kitchen, climbing trees, devouring books, writing plays, creating gifts for others, composing music. This girl has drive.

The first time I enrolled the kids in ice skating, the teacher's evaluation at the end of the session read something like, "She is speedy and unafraid - sign her up for fall!"

Unfortunately, I didn't sign her up. I probably should have. She has the guts it would take to be in a sport like figure skating or gymnastics. Sometimes I feel like I failed her by not continuing these activities after a session or two, but it was fun while it lasted.

Theater takes guts too, and she is happy to be resuming this activity later this month, having always loved center stage.

 

(in Psalty's Camping Adventure she played Suzie who was "itchy, itchy, itchy" with poison ivy)

 

And of course she is plenty busy with piano and violin. This takes guts too.

 

Here's to ten years!

1

She had a cake with a big yellow smile for her first birthday.

2

Not sure what kind of cake this was!

3

She liked yellow when she was three just like her little sister.

4

The year she started liking turtles.

5

The Princess Party year.

6

Flower Fairies and Mrs. Peter's Birthday Cake.

7

Sometimes her cake doubles as an Epiphany cake.

8

Still liked My Little Pony.

9

She asked for a zoo cake. Maybe she feels like she lives in a zoo?

10!

A Tea Party with friends featuring angel food cupcakes.

Happy birthday, Sushine - you make us smile!

Thankful Thursday

I really need to reflect on what I am thankful for lately. Sometimes with modern day social media it is all too easy to do one of two things: complain or brag. Even if you just mean to share, what you say online can easily come across as complaining or bragging. The effort to avoid doing either one is an art I am far from mastering.

Honestly, I really feel like complaining this week. I am tired. I feel like every day I have to run a marathon and I always come in last place. Good thing I can pass the baton when my husband comes home and he gladly helps out with some of the driving, dishes, and getting the littles to bed.

Sometimes we bloggers tend to put our best feet forward and make our very normal lives seem more special and perfect than they really are, at least it can seem that way to others. Some readers get intimidated, others know better! In reality, blogging is most often an effort to reflect on what is good about life, to live intentionally, and especially to find and claim the joy in what we do.

So how about a happy balance this time? Here's a touch of realism from Pinewood Castle this week:

Thankful ~ that my wonderful husband has caught up to me and is now in the over 40 club.

 

He was treated to some gourmet wine & cheese, a Camping Guide to the North Shore and another paper creation from Sunshine. Recognize the setting?

Not Thankful ~ for the twitch in my eye this week. The Little Prince wakes up crying at 5:30 pretty much every.single.morning. And he is getting his molars and waking up in the night several days a week. We are getting too old for this. And he hates his Hanna hat. I love his Hanna hat.

Not thankful - that he has discovered the joys of coloring my desktop with highlighters.

Thankful ~ that we found the Little Princess hiding under our bed one morning at 6:30. I went into the girls' room, saw that her bed was empty, and we hunted for a terrifying fifteen minutes. All the time I tried not to think about the possibilty that a weirdo blog reader had abducted her.

Thankful ~ that a biopsy lab test turned out normal.

Not Thankful ~ that I have been getting headaches every night and day that I eat one of those melt-in-your-mouth birthday chocolates.

Not Thankful ~ that I succumbed to a coffee sample at Costco at 4:00 one Saturday afternoon and slept a whole two hours from midnight to 2 am.

Thankful ~ that I picked up the phone on my nightstand that sleepless night, surfed around, and found a link to the Wheat Belly book and blog. A week and a half later I have lost five pounds. This is motivating. I need some motivation to get serious about losing weight after going 19 months without any.

Thankful ~ that some dear readers have clicked book links here and the Amazon credit that came my way almost covered the cost of the Wheat Belly book that is on it's way.

Not Thankful ~ that there has been a big shake up at with the choir boys organization, the two top directors have been fired, and the future of this organization is in question. My faith is rattled, but hopefully the addage of "when one door closes another one opens" will ring true in this case.

Still not thankful - that the girls are in different ballet classes with different pick-up times. But - very thankful for the opportunity to see them in action during the academy's Parent Observation Week.

Thankful ~ that the girls had a wonderful experience playing their first recital at MacPhail. Sunshine played Paganini with flair and Dancer rendered Dvorak's Humoresque with feeling.

Thankful ~ for our wonderful new violin teacher. She is so positive and has such confidence in the girls.

Thankful ~ that Grandma & Grandpa were able to come down to hear the recital and brought us our first ever snow blower, courtesy of his late paternal grandpa. It must be at laeast twently years old but as long as it still runs we are glad to have it.

Thankful ~ that we did not get an October snowfall like the east coast. It's been known to happen in Minnesota.

Thankful ~ that Aunt Charlotte finally made good on her birthday gift to the Karate Kid: indoor rock climbing.

Thankful ~ that Karate Kid's speech therapy through the public school is off to a good start.

Thankful - for the new shower head my husband picked up at Costco. Hello water pressure!

Thankful ~ that my husband, with one child on each hip, takes the little ones down for breakfast every morning so I can enjoy some Introvert Time before facing the day.

Thankful ~ that the girls and I are going on a little musical get-away this weekend!

Fortunately the Thankfuls outnumber the Not Thankfuls. Now maybe if I can catch up on some sleep this weekend the bumps in life will not seem so very difficult!

The Birthday After-glow

 Linking up with Rachel at Finding Joy

..................................................................................................................

I am so grateful for your birthday wishes that I savored throughout the day yesterday. Thank you, new commenters and favorite regulars! Having a blog is sort of like hosting an open house, but not knowing who visits - unless they sign the guest book. I happen to think it's a nice courtesy to "sign the guest book" once in a while and I hope you do too. Not that I am addicted to comments or anything, but a steady one or two replies per post does brighten my day and provide a little motivation to keep going. Just have to admit to that.

Speaking of which, it seems that in this economy (are you as tired of those three words as I am?) you have to support what you value or it really might go away. So in honor of the bravery of all the first time commenters I pledged money to Classical MPR Fall Fund Drive for the first time since college. Classical music is definitely a favorite around here.

On my birthday I spent the morning in the kitchen preparing some favorite foods to enjoy during the thirty minutes I had at home between ballet/boy's choir runs. Crock Pot Chicken Thighs with Carrots, Garlic and White Wine; Baked Squash and Apple Cake with Caramel Glaze.

I was showered with a few of my favorite things on my birthday ~

ZERO gifts from my son. Boys {sigh} He obviously needs to be taught how to treat a lady. He did give me an unexpected kiss.

ONE amazing art project that my daughter decided to give to me for my birthday, and ONE fun bluegrass CD my husband thought I would like.

Larkrise to Candleford Season TWO. I have gotten these through Netflix and am so giddy to have the first two seasons to own forever and watch with my daughters when they are older. Even my husband tolerates watching Larkrise with me because he finds Twister to be funny. Personally I think he's a weirdo, but if it gets my guy to watch with me then, well,  I have a new appreciation for him.

 

THREE Happy Birthday phone calls from family and friends. Nothing beats IRL friends and family.

FOUR POUNDS of melt-in-your-mouth chocolate truffles. These will last nearly a year if I have just one a day, but since this gift was the kids' idea I suppose I will have to share with them.

FIVE coupons for one hour of reading in peace & quiet {the children overheard me telling my mom on the phone that reading time was really the only thing I wanted for my birthday}

The night before my birthday I scooted out after dinner to get a haircut. Of course I had to get something to contribute to my punchcard so I bought some Aveda Tea and Hand Relief ~ two of my favorite things.

One of my all time favorite CDs in playing now that it's chilly enough - The Days Gone By: Songs of American Poets. The frost is on the pun'kin, and the fodder's in the shock.

 

We made it to our favorite Fall Festival. Every year we suggest going somewhere else (less expensive) but nope, the kids are hooked on this one. I am still finding corn in the bottom of the washing machine.

Dancing Fairy Girl moving to another favorite CD here in Pinewood Castle - A Flower Fairy Alphabet. These are sweet, precious, magical and tender years. I love having a four year old in the house.

My daughter's favorite cat,Tabitha, disappeared last Friday and we have not seen her since. We have no idea if she succumbed to a predator, became ill (though she just had all her shots), got hit by a car, was the victim of a neighborhood cat-hater, or just ran off. My daughter is heartbroken over the loss, but we are pouring our affections out on our remaining cat, Snickers. She's such a lovey dove and has always been my favorite.

 

The last thing on my favorites list today is my fall flannel sheets. The only real draw back to their warmth and coziness is that my mind wakes up in the morning (to Classical MPR on the alarm of course) but my body does not want to budge.

Happy Birthday to Me

Don't be shy - say hi!

I'd love to hear from the 99% of you who never leave a comment. I know you are out there. We have stats, you know. Just once a year - it would make my day!

Happy Birthday!

We now have an eight year old boy in the house!

My how he has grown!

 

Eleven!

Thankful Thursday

for affordable Young People's Concerts

for directors of orchestra education who wisely include choreographed dance to Debussy's La Mer

for children who used good enough manners in a restaurant after the concert (even though they don't always use the best table manners at home) to garner a compliment from a little old lady at a nearby table who happened to be the founder of ECFE in Minnesota (Early Childhood Family Education)

for my husband who recognized that I was turning into a zombie with just a teacup of coffee and reinstated my big queen mug

for another opportunity to give a recital at the assisted living center, this time with two other students from the violin studio and for the talented Suzuki mom who can play all the piano accompaniment

that I finally finished my husband's scarf, just in time for spring

and that he let me buy five skeins of merino wool to get it long enough

for maple syruping days at the nature center

for one last trip to the nature center before they tear it down and build a new one

time with grandma & grandpa

for learning that egg-free cakes fall apart, to make the big decorated birthday cake with eggs for everyone else and serve egg-free cupcakes to the egg-free girl

for birthday packages from Oklahoma

for the opportunity to nurture another baby through the first year of life

for the smiles and tears and belly laughs this little boy brings to our family

Happy Birthday Sunshine

I Think I'll Be Okay

I think I am settling into a state of acceptance about turning forty. I appreciated reading each and every one of your comments and birthday wishes and your words are still tumbling in my thoughts:

Grab and hang on for a wonderful ride. The 40's are some of the best years yet.

At each milestone birthday I have always been a little down, I guess it is because of getting older, my kids getting older, time going by so fast, etc. And I look back now and say to myself. "Thirty wasn't old!! I looked great!! blah, blah, blah". I decided I am not going to do that anymore. Because I know when I am fifty I will look back and say "you know forty wasn't so bad"!!

Thank you for your birthday post. It really touched me and I cried because I could really identify with the making peace aspect of my vocation of hidden and small and what I have gained and lost as a result to committing to that.

And especially this one . . .

I had to accept that you (or at least I) don't have that turning point of "being" grown up. Actually I've been grown up for quite a while now (now 43), but I just didn't recognize it. I guess I thought really being grown up would feel so different or that I'd have it all pulled together. Not so much! That was growing up in many ways -- realizing that there is no such single turning point! As a woman, as a wife and mother, it's a continual process and I do the best I can and keep going!

Maturity and wisdom is a process, not an event! Aha! Come to think of it, I have learned a thing or two over the years, some practical and maybe a teensy tiny bit about virtue. I hope at least a little wisdom has taken root for the sake of my children and my immortal soul.

Still, I wish I could go back in time and tell the young mother I once was a thing or two that would make the journey of motherhood a little easier.

Here is the oldest photo I have of myself stored on Picassa:

 

Here is my advice to her (and I do mean this advice for myself, not necessarily anyone else!):

• Relax! Enjoy these days before school begins. Enjoy grocery shopping on weekday mornings. Cuddle your babies as long as possible every morning. Make more friends and spend time with them.
• Read and craft as much as possible before your days are too busy with homeschooling.
• It's not too early to establish daily and weekly routines of cleaning, shopping, cooking and laundry.
• When you first pick out a baby car seat, get both the double and single stroller to go with it. You will use both.
• Get enough sleep. Go to bed when the baby does and don't worry about getting things done at night.
• Just keep you hair long while you are young and slender enough to get away with it.
• Whichever discipline method you choose to use, please realize that it won't work. At least not as fast or as effectively as you want it to. Use one anyway, because children need boundaries - it makes them feel safe. Children are wired to misbehave and test those boundaries constantly, so don't take this personally. Just carry out your job of law enforcement with as much love as possible and over time (years) you will end up with reasonably well-mannered and well-behaved children.
• You have made a lot of choices regarding pregnancy, labor & delivery, newborn care and education. Even though you feel strongly about the choices you made, try not to judge others for choosing differently. 
• Also realize that you are not cut from the same cloth as your in-laws. Don't hold them to your standards.
• Insist on Quiet Time after your children outgrow naps. This is more for yourself than for them!
• Try to compliment your husband before he has a chance to brag on himself.
• Show ample gratitude for anything your in-laws help you with or give to you.
• Keep trying to spend at least five minutes alone with your husband every day. Five minutes does not sound like a long time early in marriage but later it is a crucial amount of time.
• Keep track of the gifts you send to friends and family. That way you won't have to ask them every year what you got them for their birthday the previous year.
• Buy quality = buy once. Usually. But remember that your kids don't need everything in the Magic Cabin and Nova catalogs. You will need a bigger house if you do this, just for the toys.
• If you get a bigger house, kids and toys will still be underfoot, no matter how big. And even if you get a house with three toilets, the kids will still want to use the same toilet at the same time. 
• However, if you get a bigger house, pay attention to room dimensions. A 13 x 13 family room might seem bigger than what you are used to, but it will feel mighty crowded with five kids and a Christmas tree, not to mention gifts and wrapping paper everywhere and a hot fire in the fireplace you can't get too close to.
• God has a wonderful plan for you. Pray, listen and obey. But if your husband is not supportive, don't do it. Stay aboard the same boat as much as possible.

I could go on and on, but I won't lecture myself too much here. Somewhere else, maybe. That's all for now. I am retiring my forty year old self for the night. Blessings to all of you reading!

 

Happy 39th

To the best man in the world!

Diamonds in the Making

"A diamond is a piece of coal that stuck to the job." - Michael Larsen

I suspected Margaret was up to something based on the number of comments flooding my inbox this morning. I thank you all from the bottom of my heart for your birthday wishes. I found each one uplifting as I went about my morning taking the kids to piano and the orthodontist.

Uplifting is exactly what I needed today. I have to admit that turning forty was not as easy as I thought it would be. I had never been bothered by birthdays before - why was forty so different? Why did I dread it? Why did I feel so blue today? I have a few guesses:

Maybe is was because Margaret cancelled our plans to meet at the MHS Chocolate exhibit tomorrow. I felt really let down about this.

Maybe it is because, as a child born in 1970, I only looked forward to turning thirty in the year 2000. I never thought past age thirty, so everything seems downhill after that.

Maybe it is because forty is so final. My life is set: I am married with five children whom we choose to home educate. My husband has a good job in his field and we are in a house we don't plan on moving out of any time soon. Maybe I am experiencing the final stage of acceptance of where God has lead my life.

Maybe it is because I am insanely sleep-deprived on account of my poor stuffed up baby who is keeping my up at night. He can't nurse or take his pacifier all stuffed up so I just hold him and rock him as long as it takes to lie him down again.

Or maybe it is because I had expectations about turning forty - that I would be more polished, professional, mature, a master of my vices: a diamond polished by years of experience. Instead I still feel like a lump of coal. I am still a mom with (greying) hair in a ponytail and spit-up and baby buggers on my shirt. I still have an extra fifty pounds from having five babies. I still feel like a self-centered kid who gives in to chocolate and coffee splurges and looses my temper when things don't go my way.

I wanted to be different by age forty. I don't feel like a diamond, I feel like I am still in the coal mine, dusty and dirty. Not like the other moms whose outsides I admire - who show up at soccer practice after work in their tailored work clothes with polished nails and salon hair. Not like other moms whose insides I admire - who attend daily Mass, weekly adoration, monthly pro-life activities and have the patience of a saint.

Fortunately for me my life course is set in the vocation of motherhood and I try to be the best wife and mom I can be, in spite of my many shortcomings. There is really no question of what I need to do every day. I need to love my husband and children, cook for them, clean the house, clothe the kids, teach and train the kids, read to them, drive them to activities, pray with them, teach them the faith, etc. I have learned to manage the increasing workload and actually gain a great sense of satisfaction in my work. The hardest thing about being a mother, really, is not what I do every day, it's what I can't do when I am down with illness, pregnancy, or caring for a newborn.

I may still feel like a lump of coal, but I am also a diamond in the making, thanks to the vocation of motherhood. I have complete faith that "sticking to the job" will turn me into a diamond eventually, especially when I am surrounded by gemstones - my husband, children and friends.

Do you know how they showered me today?

My husband, after letting me get some extra snoozing in, sat on the edge of the bed and woke me up gently, wishing me a Happy Birthday. So simple, yet so sweet.

My children escorted me downstairs in a procession complete with tambourine and violin. They had decorated my chair and placed the birthday plate at my spot.

Two friends sent packages with wonderful gifts and my sister called after noticing that the date (10/20/10) added up to forty.

This evening my children presented me with homemade cards and wiki stick creations. My husband gave me $40 and a salon gift card.

(I have to put "birthday" on Sunshine's spelling list!)

The big kicker, though (remember Margaret's post about the candles?) was when my daughter exclaimed, "Mom, there's a big white van parked outside and someone is coming up the driveway with a cake that has a lot of candles!" I rushed to the door and saw the familiar face of a friend's child:

(There really were 40 candles. You get a big collection of leftover candles when you have six kids!)

What kind of friend would drive an hour with a vanload of children to deliver a birthday cake unannounced?

 

A diamond of a friend, that's who.

And that more than made up for cancelled plans ; )

The Face of Reason . . .

 . . . of a boy who just reached the age of reason!

Although he still loves dinosaurs I might have to change his blog name to Rocky!

Happy Seventh Birthday to a boy who frequently and sweetly uses words like "beautiful" and "gorgeous" - even if only referring to rocks!

Sweet Weekend

Did you have a very happy Mother's Day weekend? I do hope so.

Saturday we woke up to this, which was not so sweet -

We had the last of four parties since the Little Prince was born, this time to celebrate the Little Princess' third birthday. My kids are actually tired of cake! This time I made a box mix instead of buying store bought and it was much less sweet - and much more tolerable.

Our little yellow-loving girl was thrilled with her new yellow dress and yellow cupcakes -

Mothers and Grandmothers were also honored with chocolate and photo sessions - it's not too often we have two grandmas and one great-grandma in one place -

Great Grandma always enjoys holding the babies!

The next morning I was served a delicious breakfast in bed the next morning and enjoyed some peace and quiet before heading out to Mass. My DH remembered something that has been on my wish list for quite some time - you see, every time I used my Pillsbury Baking Cookbook pages fell out so he took it to Office Max and had it spiral bound. Woo-hoo!

This week I get to hang out with my sister and mother who are here for a visit. Unfortunately we have to get in another week of school since we are so behind but it is luxurious to have two wonderful assistants to help out with math and reading and such. Now they know what I do all day! We will get to take one afternoon off to have some some fun.

Hope you have a great week.

I Fwee!

More Tenth Birthday Memories

Please set me straight here - is the 27th the Feast of St. Zita or St. Gianna or both? I see different dates different places. Regardless, I am in awe of both of these holy women and grateful that their special day falls on or around my daughter's birthday.

I was particularly struck by this description of St. Zita in Saints for Young Readers for Every Day:

"Zita was always conscientious and always did her best. To her, work was an expression of her love for God. But the other workers were annoyed. They tried to do as little as they could get away with . . . She insisted on doing her work as well as possible no matter what others thought of her."

After reading it,  my heart leaped with hope (but I refrained from saying anything) that the example of St. Zita would make an impression on my daughter who, when given the option, tends to take the easy route. She is a sweetheart of a girl, don't get me wrong, but shies away from challenges. I am inspired to ask St. Zita to pray for my daughter. Being the eldest of five now, she certainly has a special role in the family.

Dancer thoroughly enjoyed her party last Saturday, her guests and her gifts. I wish I had time to blog more about the last few days but I already hear the Little Prince grunting. Loudly. Blog posts are composed here and there lately.

At dinner tonight we placed our Wee Felt Saint Zita in the middle of the birthday ring and had baked ziti in her honor. Our dessert was a nice break from all the cake we have had lately - a Door County Bumbleberry Crisp. Dad brought her flowers and we gave her new clothes for her doll, Betsy. (Who knows how much longer she will love her dolls) We also gave her a copy of the Daring Book for Girls, with the objectionable pages glued together. Her face lit up when she opened a package from Aunt Terri - the Josefina books.

Her siblings gave her all sorts of handmade goodies, served her dinner and cleared her plate. We had fun watching them treat her like royalty.

Sunshine penned the following poem for her beloved sister:

Your words are so sweet

and good foods you eat

And who? You!

I can love you away

so that you sway.

You are like roses,

I will do all kinds of poses

just for you.

I will play a song

for you to a bong (?)

all for you.

You are so pretty

and our sister so bitty

is not as pretty as you.

Your soul is like snow

and how your love does flow.

Oh my dear, have no fear

because of me.

Oh my love of above

come down and I will kiss you.

My sweet girl, I will give you a pearl

because you are so sweet, so very sweet.

Your hands are so soft,

so take hard things off.

Oh, sister, I LOVE YOU!!!!!!!!!!

Double Digits

The day of your Garden Party

The Real Day is Here

God bless you, Dancer! Let's take the day off and do something fun, shall we?

Two Weeks Worth of Holiday Photos!

Christmas Eve

The new nativity set appeared the morning of Christmas Eve. This gave the kids something to do while they waited. We open a few gifts on Christmas Eve, ones that have arrived in the mail from relatives and friends.

At dinnertime the seafood lovers in our family were indulged with crab legs, linguine with clam sauce and smoked oysters all lovingly prepared by my husband as the children and I finished decorating the cut-out cookies. Hmm, I don't seem to have a photo of the cookies. Most are eaten by now! We made way too many and I still have ingredients for recipes we didn't get to like peppermint bark and fudge. I will just have to save all that chocolate for St. Valentine's Day since we are ridding the house of all the extra sugar. Date sugar and agave syrup are arriving tomorrow via the buying club delivery truck. My husband actually used the dentist tactic of buying the kids' extra Halloween candy for $1 a pound and he took it to work in a big bowl. You know what he was told? That it's against "the rules" to bring in candy after the new year. Everyone must be starting their diets.

 

We still love this carousel/pyramid from Chinaberry. It mesmerizes the children. We have found that mesmerized children are preferable to wildly excited children during Christmas Eve dinner.

 

Christmas Day

Here's our newest treasure from Chinaberry - the Christmas morning coffee cake dish. Soooo moist!

Stockings were the first order of business.

Baby Jesus appears in the manger Christmas morning. No plastic toys came to adore Him like they have in years past.

Snow fell all day Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, making the roads too dangerous to travel the distance to Mass. I intended to take a photo of this bird feeder after the grand finale of large flakes, but by then the temperature warmed up to just above 32 and everything began to drip. I think 14" was the recorded total. Twice a day shoveling sessions for DH provided a strenuous workout! I can see why they call it "heart attack snow".

After prayers and a musical program of carols featuring piano, violin and voice (all planned by the children) we slowly began the gift opening. There were some awfully pleased faces.

Looks like a messy project to do with dad some Saturday.

Three sets of American Girl books for less than the price of one doll!

 

This is something Dino calls a "grab-nabber". He loves contraptions like this. I think it's really for senior citizens.

 

I sat on the sofa with Wild Strawberry played with this ice cream set for at least an hour. She hogs all the chocolate and vanilla. Everyone else gets mint chocolate chip and strawberry.

 

Entrapments like these now appear all over the house thanks to a large set of straws and connectors.

The Days Following

As my new dishwasher sat in the garage patiently waiting installation and I paced inside impatiently waiting for an installation call from Sears, my DH helped.the time pass for me with this last-minute gift. I mixed and baked, the kids watched the mechanical action and he did the dishes. Piles of them.

Usually after a big Minnesota snow we get a sudden drop in temperature and high winds. This time we enjoyed a few beautiful days that made for pleasant sledding with brand new sleds. Even the baby loved the ride.

 

Since Dancer is studying the states this years we picked up this 1,00 piece state bird and flower puzzle at the MHS gift shop for her. It took hours, but we did it. She helped a little.

Out to Eat

Our neighborhood babysitter was home from college and gave us an hour of free babysitting as a gift so we took the opportunity to make up for our missed date back in October when we were all sick with the flu. Although most really good restaurants are all the way in Minneapolis, we found a great one in a northern suburb that spared us the trip of traveling into the heart of the city. It was this description that pulled us in:

Restaurant  X pairs the culinary traditions of the great wine growing regions of the Mediterranean with an ever changing mix of fresh, local and seasonal ingredients.

It proved to be a great pick. We feasted on Roasted Beet Salad, Plowman's Plate (duck liver pate, game sausage and 8 yo cheddar), Beef Bourguignon and Prosciutto Wrapped Rainbow Trout. My only mistake was taking up the server's suggestion of trying Foie Gras with cherry compote for dessert without a clue as to what Foie Gras actually was. It sounded French and sweet -  I thought perhaps it was some sort of cheese or dairy delicacy like Crème fraiche. Boy was I ever wrong - it's fattened duck liver! It tasted like a hunk of fat on toast! Next time I am sticking with crème brûlée.

(not my photo)

New Year's Eve

Our original plans were to celebrate with a family (of nine) from church who generously invited us over to their house to celebrate on London time. The plans were a go until the the morning of when we received word that one of their children got sick in the night. (this kind of thing always seems to happen to me or another large Catholic family with whom we have plans - making socialization somewhat difficult) We partied alone and made the best of it. Truth be told, I was exhausted after a day in the city going to the dentist and taking the kids to spend their Christmas money at Lakeshore Learning Store and Creative Kidstuff. I conked by 10:30.

Sunshine's Birthday

Always sneaks up on me, just like her birth. We thought she was due at the end of January. She was determined to be full-term so our due date must have been wrong. Her arrival was a pleasant surprise and she still provides pleasant surprises each and every day. She's a happy soul.

We just can't believe she is eight. We also can't believe she chose My Little Pony for a birthday party theme. We try not to indulge the kids in brightly colored plastic when they are little. Well, she had to have her fill and make up for lost time! Now I feel guilty for repressing her cartoon craving.

Even with sub-zero temps we had a few brave party guests over to celebrate.

Here she is the morning of her real birthday. I think I have posted somewhere before about our family birthday traditions but can't seem to find the post. I'll try to post links the next time there is a birthday, ok? Ok.

The  birthday ring is half candles this time!

 
That's it, folks! Are we all caught up?

We saved some Epiphany things for the 6th and I am still working on my 2010 resolution list so I can't post that yet. I wish this year would look more like my bucket list but since this will be a Baby Year I have to be realistic and rein in my ambitions. Like Margaret, I still can't believe it's already Epiphany and the long list of things left undone. Good thing a year is 365 days!

A Big Thank You

For all of your birthday wishes (here and on Facebook) and for all of the maternity clothes advice I extend my most sincere appreciation. Your tidings cheered me as I camped on the sofa with a head cold on my birthday. Yes, the night before my DH came down with a fever and I with a sinus headache and cough. My birthday was spent on the sofa in PJs with honey-lemon tea, my iPhone to keep in touch with the world, and this DVD given to my by my DH and Wild Strawberry.

It's my all time favorite. Yours too?

The children, for the first time ever, did for me what we usually do for them - read to me A Verse for the Night Before Your Birthday (Sunshine reverses numbers easily and said I would be 93!), woke me up with singing, and had a little gift at the end of the yarn that I followed from my bed to the kitchen table.

I was treated to sprinkles on my oatmeal 

and several hand-made gifts. This one from Dancer is an ear muffler to use during toddler tantrums:

A little figure from Sunshine

a necklace from Dino

 

and a beeswax ring

Who could wish for anything more?

Well, me I guess. I wished for homemade chicken soup and my DH felt well enough by evening to deliver. It was divine. And in spite of illness that persists even today, it was a Very Happy Birthday indeed.

 

the Queen of the Castle's Throne for the day

Now I am Six

When I was One,
I had just begun.
When I was Two,
I was nearly new.
When I was Three
I was hardly me.
When I was Four,
I was not much more.
When I was Five, I was just alive.
But now I am Six, I'm as clever as clever,
So I think I'll be six now for ever and ever.

~ A. A. Milne

Oops!

I seem to have accidentally published an unfinished draft! For those who saw my first rough sentences I have to explain where I was going with my thoughts.

I had meant to share this photo with you

of our little little toddler who did indeed benefit from your prayers and recovered, if only for a day, in time to enjoy her 2nd birthday!

All of us here at Pinewood Castle thank you!

Yesterday, however, she was back to being sick and today she is napping again on the classroom floor so we can keep our eyes and ears on her. So please do keep praying. Little answers, even for a day, mean a great deal to me.

Quickly here since I have children alone with paints in another room - what I said before is true that I (sadly) have often lost faith in prayer, especially after prayers seem to go unanswered for years. A new approach, recommended by a friend and recently adopted, is to pray for God to change the desires of my my heart - to acknowledge that while the desires of my heart may be noble and worthy, that they may not be God's desires for me. I am feeling a greater peace recently by letting go of my deepest (and I thought very good) desires and waiting faithfully for God to replace my desires with His.

I also wanted to share that a recent reading of this book - 90 Minutes in Heaven - made a huge impact on me. More about that later . . .

Blooming Buds

Did I ever mention that the last patch of snow melted weeks ago? I've been holding my breath, hoping that we would NOT be in for one last snow this spring like last year. So far so good.

Evidently, the Root Children have woken and Mother Earth is watching over their efforts to prepare for spring. I can't wait to see the painted beetles.

The forsythia went from this

to this

and the tulip buds are rearin' and ready to pop!

The lilac promises to be on time for Mother's Day

The best blossoming bud of all is our new nine year old. Here she is before her birthday party beaming about her kitty-cat cupcakes ~

When I went into labor nine years ago all the leaves on the trees were mere buds. The day we took her home the world had leafed out into a most refreshing spring green.

Happy Birthday, Dancer! May God's graces and blessings in your life blossom around you and secure you in His love.

Epiphany Birthday Party

Postponed a week due to slippery roads last weekend, but all worked out for the best.

We began with a coloring contest followed by crown decorating.

This game is "Close Your Eyes and Turn Around and Guess Who Sings Your Name". Such fun sung to the tune of Merrily We Roll Along. The name tags helped!

Tea Party time - thank you Alice for the inspiration!

And gifts or course amid a sea of crowns.


Smiling faces all around - she won this crown by having the lucky almond in her cupcake!











Happy Birthday, Sunshine!

An Epiphany Birthday

Due to slippery roads, her party had to be rescheduled. In the meantime we are enjoying the morning with these books:

Before You Were Born

This is My Wish for You

Gifts of the Magi

Here are some scenes to share -

What I am hearing as they spin, "We Three Kings of gloriant are, bearing gifts we travel so far". Well, close!

Do you see that little folded lavender paper with the gold glitter in it? Dancer gave that to Sunshine - it's a "birthday wish"!

This is My Wish For You

This is my wish for you That the spirit of beauty may continually hover about you and fold you close within the tendernesses of her wing.
That each beautiful & gracious thing in life may be unto you as a symbol of good for your soul's delight.
The sun-glories and star-glories
Leaf- glories and bark-glories Flower-glories and glories that lurk in the grasses of the field
Glories of mountains and oceans of little streams of running waters
Glories of song of posey of all the arts
May be to you as sweet abiding influences that will illumine your life and make you glad.
That your soul may be as an alabaster cup, filled to overflowing with the mystical wine  of beauty and love.
That happiness may put her arms around you,
And wisdom make your soul serene.
This is my wish for you.

Charles Livingstone Snell