Pinewood Castle

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!

Saints in the Making

Happy Feast of All Saints, everyone!

Isn't it amazing to ponder how many saints are in heaven, canonized and uncanonized? I think of family members who have gone before us and am grateful for the gift of faith that has been passed down through generations. I pray for their help in fostering the gift of faith in our own children and hope that we might see them one day in heaven to thank them. Some days this hope is stronger than others - depending on how we are coming along in developing basic virtues. For most of September and October, my hope was pretty low.

After years and years of "laying down the rails" it can be pretty discouraging when our train derails so frequently. My children (one in particular) continue to be challenged with the basic expectations in our family regarding obedience, responsibility, respect, and keeping on task with the rhythm of the day even though we have had daily plans and rules  visibly posted for years. As much as I wish it could all become automatic and habitual, I find that keeping a home (with children in it) and homeschooling takes constant vigilance.

The other night my husband let the kids watch as he unclogged globs of hair and goop from the shower drain. One sister, teasing her brother said, "See, this is what you will have to do if you become a dad!" The brother replied, "Then I'll be a monk instead!" At times like these I think about the future of our children and realize that one of them may very well end up in the religious life - and I panic. Will they be prepared? Do we pray enough? Are they developing virtues? Will they wish we had raised them differently? I guess if God calls them and they follow, everything will work out with His help and grace. I just want them to be prepared for whatever God does call them to do - in religious or married life. This motivates me to learn, to grow, to read and try new ideas that might help me  achieve my goals in raising up saints. Sally Clarkson just discussed this very thing - 

The problem with motherhood and the need for women to build godly estates of godly leaders in their homes, through multiple children that a woman will invest her life into, is that most women had no training, preparation or education of what it would take or how much it would cost them. Most just got married with the hope that someone would love them and take care of them and provide security and affirmation, and then babies came, and overwhelmed them.  They had never been trained for the job, never seen it modeled when they grew up,  never had a vision for how powerful a house (family) for God could be or how much work it would take.

I love reading Sally's blog and her books. She speaks to my heart.

I am also slowly working my way through a stack of very practical and hysterically funny Carol Barnier books such as this one for "highly distractable moms". I say slowly, because every three or four pages she has an idea I want to implement, then I get distracted and it's a week or two before I pick up the book again. See, this book fits me to a T.

One idea I borrowed and adapted is the Dial-a-Child Chart. This is working out rather well for us even though it's basically our old chore chart in a more exciting format. Here's what it looks like hanging on the pantry door:

The dials get turned on Sunday morning. One glance and everyone knows who is supposed to do what.

Another passage from the Barnier books inspired me to fine tune our Family Rules and Consequences. These will look different for every family, of course, but this is what is important enough to our family to post on the wall:

One - We respect God, our Heavenly Father, and the earthly parents He has placed in authority over us.

• We are made to know Him, love Him, and serve Him in this life and be happy with Him in heaven. 
• Obedience, service, reverence, honor, truthfulness. 
• “Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right.” Ephesians 6:1

Two - We respect others: parents, our siblings, friends, and guests in our home. 

• Peacefulness, cheerfulness, truthfulness, generosity, sharing, hospitality, helpfulness, forgiving, compassionate, kindness, gentleness, polite table manners.
• “And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance.” Colossians 3:23-24

Three - We respect property and are good stewards of our belongings and our bodies.

• Clothing, shoes, books, toys, furniture, bathrooms, musical instruments, the van interior, personal hygiene, pets, etc. 
• Orderliness, cleanliness, responsibility, being trustworthy.

Four - We are self-disciplined in our home work, school work, music practice, and commitments to outside activities. 

• Diligence, perseverance, sanctifying and meaningful work.
• “Do you see a man who excels in his work? He will stand before kings.” Proverbs 22:29

(If you have a good quote for #3 let me know - most scripture quotes refer to detaching from our belongings rather than taking good care of them. It's a fine line - not giving stuff too much attention, yet giving them proper care. I tell the kids that you can usually tell a lot about a person by the way they take care of their things.)

We are experimenting with consequences - I suspect I have been at fault by having far too few consequences because they have so few privileges to revoke compared to the average American child. Here's the new routine: when a child is having a problem, I call them over and ask them to tell me which rule they are having trouble with. They get a check mark for each rule violated. For instance, if a certain child (without naming names) leaves dirty socks on the floor they get a check mark for #3. If I ask them to put them in the hamper and 15 minutes later they are still there, they get another check mark under #1.

Two check marks result in allowance reduction and another consequence is added for each additional check mark: an extra job, do dessert, temporary loss of a prized possession, and an 8pm bedtime. No check marks by Saturday = Wii time and some of Mom's birthday chocolate. Plus marks can be earned for extra spectacular behavior like volunteering to take on jobs or being a great example of cheerful service.

Plus mark behavior can also make check marks disappear! Children without any checks and at least one plus mark get to go out for ice cream with Dad Saturday night. Two kids out of four made it this week. We are hoping that at least three kids make it next week, but of course what we are really aiming for is that all five make it to heaven with the rest of the saints we honor today.

We feebly struggle, they in glory shine.

Finding Our Rhythm

I feel as if we have been living in 5/4 time, like there has been one beat too many in day. A few changes and I *think* we are back to an even keel.

We found we needed more margin around breakfast, lunch and dinner. Breakfast at 7:00 am just won't work for our family in this season of life.

The mornings are going better and the afternoon practice/read/finish school rotation is more manageable. Morning Devotions are really stressful with a toddler who fills his diaper or wants to nurse in the middle of everything and a preschooler who feels left out and acts naughty. We really have to have a plan for them during devotion time or else I get too frustrated and want to quit. every. single. day.

Afternoon music practice is going more smoothly after consulting with teachers and deciding which instrument would be primary for each girl. Practice days and times have been adjusted accordingly. Stepping up to the music program at MacPhail has been challenging, but they are making great strides and really seem to fit in quite well. I think this was a good move, musically. I wish we had started out there to begin with, but the price and downtown location always scared me off.

The only real glitch now is with ballet. I enrolled the girls with the expectation that they would be in the same class at a time when I could drop them off and my husband could pick them up on his way home from work.

Well, the new teacher assessed Sunshine to be a level below her older sister and wants her to attend a different class. The added trip to pick her up from the later class means that my daughter eats a bag dinner and reads a book (or two) twice a week while her sister is in class. Then I have to go back for her when her level ends at 7:30. This is not the happy, convenient situation I envisioned.

Add this to the pre-existing schedule of getting my son to and from karate and boy's choir and it totals to 96 miles of driving and over three hours in the van, at least on Thursdays. Doing the home-ballet-choir-home loop twice is not what I had in mind when I signed them up, but at least the different classes are on the same night back-to-back. I am sure this is nothing compared to the chauffeuring we will do in the years to come.

Oh well, at least the evening light is wonderful and we can see the moonrise. Autumn is so beautiful, and even more beautiful when viewed from inside the van without having to inhale allergens and clouds of gnats. I love fall, even if it makes me feel lousy.

 

Every now and then I (like most moms) have to re-evalute my discretionary time. Reading, hand crafts, typing up and organizing recipes, making lesson plans, sleeping, exercising, blogging - all are so important to me. I want to do them all every day but there simply is not enough time, so if my blog is quiet this fall you will know why!

Oh, one more thing - will you please pray that my daughter's beloved cat shows up? We have not seen her in a few days and there are many tears falling and tissues being used around here!

Camping: A Path to Sanctity

Well, for him anyway -

 

My husband added at least a dozen jewels to his heavenly crown this month. You see, because he wants me like camping he was supernaturally helpful and positive. While I packed up in the house, he packed and unpacked the van and the topper and the platform thing on the trailer hitch. With the record high dew points he was drenched in sweat every time. He pitched the tents, made coffee, grilled meat, hauled anything heavy, did all the driving and let me sleep on the bigger air mattress. He did not complain once, although he did admit at times that conditions were miserable. Saintly, this man who married the likes of me.

As for me, any opportunity to be sanctified by camping was utterly wasted due to my complaining, I am ashamed to admit. I did learn a lot about myself - I learned that heat & humidity do terrible things to my disposition, especially combined with rain, a dirty tent floor, millipedes in the shower, mosquitoes that eat my baby, and crying children in the van. I also learned what my hair really looks like without using a round brush and blow dryer (though this was the least of my worries!)

Did I mention lack of sleep? Falling asleep and waking up on sheets that felt misted,the  baby waking at 2am, a trip to the buggy bathroom at 3am, the birds chirping at 5am and the baby again at 6am.

Exhausting. But worth it? Yes. I can say that now that's it's all over. Over for now anyway.

{I hope you are not too scandalized - I did thank and praise my husband (and children) as often as I could muster, which was when I was comfortably riding in an air conditioned van.}

  

I learned a lot about our children too - that the kids LOVE camping. My eldest girl loved to help pitch the tents, my son became addicted to the fire pit, my middle daughter fashioned a game of mancala on the ground and the four year old learned to play tic-tac-toe in the dirt with a stick.

 

Hands-on experience with insects provided a fantastic learning experience too. We captured this beautiful katydid and witnessed firsthand how the wings rub when it chirps. Several insect specimens were added to this summer's bug collection.

We also continued to learn about Sunshine's talent with paper and scissors - she created this doggy set for her little sister to play with in the van!

Best of all, we learned to travel on a shoestring budget. Compared with two rooms at a hotel, we stayed five nights for the price of one!

Now do you want to know where we went on our second camping attempt?

First stop - The Little House in the Big Woods. Though no longer surrounded by big woods but by cornfields, it was still endearing to see the replica log cabin along the road into Pepin. There's not much else there besides a small museum in town, but it was a nice place to have a picnic lunch and use the restroom.

 

 

Fortunately, there was plenty more to do in the Lake Pepin area -

The National Eagle Center was a worthy stop on a rainy day.

Lark Toys has got to be the most amazing toy store ever. It's like all my favorite kids' catalogs combined into one brick & mortar store. To top it off there is a hand carved wooden carousel could have been designed by Jan Brett - imaginative, detailed and richly colored. My photos do not do justice to the details. I can't believe they actually let kids ride these works of art!

Views of the Mississippi from Buena Vista Park - the drive up the bluff and down a winding farm road that seemed to lead to nowhere was worth the effort.

Here's more scenery of the Mississippi river valley from 500' on top of Brady's Bluff -

Maiden Rock is also in the area - you know that bluff mentioned in Minn of the Mississippi where Princess Winona jumped to her death? We passed it by in a hurry trying to get to our campsite before dark, so no photo.

That was the first leg of the trip.

Part Two:

On the way to Walnut Grove we stopped at the Pickwick Mill c.1850s. They turn the water wheel on for visitors.

Our second campsite was actually 40 minutes away from Walnut Grove at a city park in Redwood Falls, right by a rushing river. Pretty, but humid. We would have hiked all over this park if the dew point had not been near 80.

This also happens to be where my husband proposed thirteen years ago! Last time we were there it was just the two of us!

The dugout site in Walnut Grove has collapsed, but a sign marks the spot.

{Plum Creek was rather deep and muddy for wading.}

The farmers who now own the land graciously let people drive in to see the dug out site and Plum Creek, for a small fee.

The museum in town has a replica of a dugout house as well as a settler's home (like the "wonderful house"), a church, a school, and "Grandma's House". The gift shop and restrooms here deserve an A+.

Everything was refreshingly hands-on, even the pump organ!

Two or three weekends in July they host a family festival in the park complete with food, music, crafts, Civil War demonstrations and the Laura-Nellie Look Alike Contest. And you already know who won that!

{Too bad there was not a Baby Carrie contest too!}

The excitement of our daughter winning made it all worth it - those were longest hottest and MOST HUMID hours I have ever endured, and in Minnesota - go figure. 

See that smile? She is still glowing from this special day. She and the Nellie winner were even in the Walnut Grove newspaper.

Three weekends in July the Outdoor Wilder Pageant is presented by dedicated local volunteers, It doesn't start until 9pm and runs two hours. We were going to skip it, but the contest winners are invited to participate for the night and received a gift certificate for the gift shop on the pageant grounds.

(she's on the front bench on the left - she was thrilled)

More fun in the area - the pageant suppers served up by local community groups in a refreshingly cold community center (with clean bathrooms) before the show begins.

East of Walnut Grove the Sod Houses in a farmer's backyard makes an interesting stop -

These are really quite nice on the inside - the larger one had a wooden floor, the smaller one did not.

Wheels Across the Prairie, a railroad and local history museum in Tracy is the home to this giant engine and several old-time buildings furnished with artifacts from the era.

Jeffer's Petroglyphs is a destination that has been on my list of places to see for some time. See the carving of the Thunderbird sideways in the middle?

Their visitor's center was also a fantastic place for travelers seeking cold a/c, clean restrooms, hands-on exhibits and friendly staff.

The Harkin Store - an 1870's general store/post office where much of the original inventory remained on the shelves after closing.

Here we are enjoying a refreshing wade in the creek at Ft. Ridgely State Park's picnic grounds -we could have stayed here forever! This is what we were hoping Plum Creek would be like.

That wraps it up! Many, many thanks to my saintly husband who accommodates the plans I dream up and to the families who loaned us prairie dresses. I think we will be getting our own before we make it out to De Smet. After we returned Joe discovered that his boss's boss specializes in sewing prairie dresses. I sense she is jumping at the chance to make some for us!

{If you ever go, keep in mind that the gift shops have aprons and bonnets for sale, most likely made by local ladies, so you don't have to have them ahead of time.}

I am not sure when we will go to De Smet if it remains too hot to camp and the hotels are full, but I hear it's the best site out of the three. Maybe next summer?

Our Pioneer Girl

Guess who won the Laura Look Alike Contest in Walnut Grove, MN this weekend?

 

More about our adventures later - after I cool off, rest up, and tackle the laundry!

Thankful Thursday - Camping Edition

Last Friday night our family experienced our first real camping trip. By real, I mean that there was no option of taking shelter indoors if anything went wrong.

For years I have procrastinated family camping for fear that it would be too hot, that it would rain, that there would be too many mosquitoes, that the baby would cry in the night and not sleep well, that the showers would be gross. As long as we could possibly swing it, I have voted (and gotten my way) for a hotel suite or adjoining rooms. Well, this year we couldn't swing it so I decided to give camping a try rather than stay home all summer. A few hundred dollars in equipment is nothing compared to a week of hotel bills.

{The first night we were all in one tent and our luggage in the other. The second night the kids got the blue tent and we got the big tent with the baby}

Were my fears unfounded? No! When we arrived at our campsite (a county one - all the state parks are closed due to a government shutdown) it was nearly 100 degrees, humid, and with a relentless 20 mph wind. Sometime between pitching the tent in the wind and dinner I got a mega headache and by the time we were brushing our teeth a severe thunderstorm rolled in.

It took hours for the storm to subside and the baby to calm down enough to sleep and my headache persisted all night. Lying awake feeling damp, cross, and miserable I planned the speech I would give my husband the next day, explaining that camping was just not for me, that we should cancel our reservations for the rest of the summer and just stay home because this suffering and misery just wasn't worth it. Plus, the bathrooms were gross (rusty water, full of bugs), there was no swimming beach and mosquitoes ate us alive. My poor baby had bites all over his face and neck even though we tried to keep him in the tent the whole time. {Lori, you were right!}

God humbled my proud heart at His earliest convenience. When the birds woke me up at 5:00 and I check the news on my iPhone I realized how lucky we were that a branch did not fall and kill one of our children. How lucky we were that we did not take shelter in a nearby B&B that caught fire in the middle of the night. Lucky that we would not come home to find a tree through the roof of our house. Lucky, protected, spared. Obviously I do not know what misery really is. It could have been so much worse.

After the first night we actually had a great time. It was still hot, but the ultra high humidity broke. The wind died down. We left the campground for the day and explored Mankato, MN and saw the attractions on our itinerary:

The Hubbard House

The Betsy and Tacy Houses

The Bench!

And a huge highlight - I actually recognized a fellow blogger this time - not like last year!

This is Grace from Our Field of Little Flowers. She was with her LIttle Flowers group visiting the Betsy-Tacy houses too!

 

The next night in the tent was not nearly as hot or humid. We packed up, made it to 11:30  Mass at the beautiful church of Sts. Peter and Paul, headed to New Ulm and enjoyed this quaint German town.

The Wanda Gag house (Millions of Cats)

The Schell Brewery

the Cathedral

{photo from the Cathedral website}

and we climbed 100 feet to see New Ulm from the top of Hermann the German

Even though I am most grateful to be home and back in my own bed, I think I might be willing to try this camping thing again if it means we can explore this state.

Misery is relative.

 

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever. ~ Psalm 107:1

 

 

"The Best Dad in the World"

That's what our eldest thanked God for at the close of Sunday night prayer time. I have to say I agree with her. I married a very good man to be the father of my children and I am always edified to witness the my children's growing appreciation of him as they get older.

We have developed a full-fledged routine for these celebrations. There's always the Procession of Gifts -

 

The Presentation and Gift Opening -

The Gardening Dad

A Paper Car (Sunshine can make almost anything with paper and tape)

A card with all his interests represented: fishing, baseball, coffee and Angry Birds!

The special breakfast made while Dad relaxed upstairs -

(cheesy potatoes with sausage and onion)

 
(Pioneer Woman's Marmalade Muffins)

 - all followed by Mass and an outing. This year the weather was cool and cloudy so instead of a family outing we (well, the kids and dad) went to pick out a new grill on sale.Then we played badminton in the backyard, had grilled hamburgers and Neapolitan ice cream (for the Feast of the Trinity), and played Apples to Apples Bible Edition.

Here is the poem Sunshine wrote for the card (she tried not to make it silly):

Dear Dad,

You are so handy to the family

we should give you candy.

You do not get sad or mad

but you are always glad

so you are the World's Best Dad.

You sure take the prize

for being wise

and telling no lies.

If you can afford to go abroad

on a boat for Knapford

you should plant a gourd.

 

 

Thankful Thursday

THANKFUL

 

For another child old enough to receive the holy eucharist and all the graces that come with it.

For fun times with my family from Oklahoma.

For their safe return through tornado alley.

(Joplin, MO was on their route home)

 

That the tornado that hit Minneapolis missed our First Communion reception by a few miles.

(and deeply sorry for the people whose homes were hit)

 

That Magnum bars are now available at Target and my memories of enjoying them with musician friends on the shores of Lake Geneva the summer of '97.

 

For learning about Homeschool Classifieds and the hope of trimming next year's school bill by buying what we can used.

 

For so many ideas out there for celebrating the 50 days of Easter with the Garden of the Good Shepherd calendar.

Lilacs in bloom.

Writing teachers on DVD who make little girls giggle.

Succussfully teaching triple digit subtraction with borrowing to one more child.

That sometimes we make it to a professional photographer so we can get non-blurry family portraits with everyone represented!

 
  

For spring, here at last, rainy days and all.

Thankful Thursday

Thankful that my children wanted so much to call this man "uncle",

that they were bold enough to tell him, and that he took it to heart. Now he has a lovely bride and ten new nieces and nephews!

  

 

Thankful for a beautiful day with too many precious moments to store in my saturated mommy brain.

 

Thankful for this special lady who so loved babies. Her joyful spirit will be dearly missed. She covers us both with all the quilts she made, and especially with her prayers - the thousands of rosaries she prayed for her eight children, fifteen grandchildren, and sixteen great-grandchildren. Thank you, Grandma, for being so good to our children.

May her soul rest in peace and keep praying for us.

How the Washing of Feet Went Over With a Toddler in the House

Simon Peter saith to Him: Lord, not only my feet, but also my hands and my head.

 

Thankful Thursday

eating lunch on the sunny back steps

itsy bitsy spiders

chocolately faces

putting away snow pants and woolies

taking our babies for an afternoon walk

little bouts of the blues that are lifted

the springtime chorus of frogs coming from the ponds and marshes

feeling like a bear coming out of hibernation

French pressed coffee on the table every morning, lovingly made by my husband

the new sofa (and chair)

grand kids spending time with grandparents and great grandparents

 

a child's amazing capacity to memorize long poems like Paul Revere's Ride

baby's first time walking in the grass

family field trips after Sunday Mass

Catholic missionaries in Minnesota history whose stories are told in paintings hanging in the Governor's reception room

(Fr. Hennepin naming the these falls in the Mississippi River "St. Anthony". They were later used to power Minneapolis flour and lumber mills)

learning that our state motto is in French, not Latin: L’etoile du Nord (translation: “Star of the North”)

Family Life Today podcasts

these talks by Victoria Botkin

a refresher on how to be a cheerful servant (and how to encourage my children to help cheerfully too) in Large Family Logistics

 and this exquisite collection of Folk Songs of the British Isles arranged by Benjamin Britten and performed by vocalist Maria Jette and harpist Judith Kogan

Have a wonderful week filled with gratitude, everyone!

Introducing . . .

Our new sofa!

It feels like we have a new member of the family!

You gotta admit, a sofa is a pivotal piece of furniture in the life of a family, especially a homeschooling family. Just ask the kids - we have been without one since early February. Fortunately there were two chairs left for Joe and I, but the kids spent a lot of time on the floor reading, cross stitching and doing cartwheels. They actually liked being able to practice cartwheels inside, but I suspect they like sitting on a comfy sofa even more, especially now that the snow has melted and they can tumble outside.

After years of putting up with our battered leather sofa with a broken frame and bent legs, we finally had the financial means to purchase a replacement. Anticipating a weekend shopping trip and quick delivery, we sold the old one on Craig's List for $40 in just five minutes.

Our first stop was a rather large furniture store up the highway. We announced our requirements to the saleslady: a sofa that will hold up to five kids, two cats, several hours a day of use, a southern exposure and close proximity to a wood burning fireplace. She sent us to the liquidation center and almost talked us into buying this little red sofa, suggesting we wait until the kids grow up to buy a quality piece.

I quickly emailed this photo to friends for opinions.

Uncertain, we traveled in the opposite direction to another large furniture store, entered, and announced the same requirements. The sales guy didn't even blink. "Just have a look around," he said. Evidently he was confident about the quality of the furniture he sold. And btw, after showing him the photo of the red sofa we were considering, he told us that he had only sold one red sofa in twenty years!

It did not take us long to find something with firm support and a classic look. We had to check out some fabric samples before deciding on a coordinating fabric. The hard part was waiting six weeks for our order, but knowing that American workers were making it for an American company helped the time go by. We tried our best not to complain and counted the wait and the lack of sofa as a Lenten sacrifice.

So here we are, reading and nursing and crafting and doing school on a sofa again. We think it's a keeper, and from all accounts, this brand wears like iron. People tell us that it will last so long we will get sick of the sofa but it will still be in such great shape that we won't be able to justify getting rid of it!

A Good Thaw

I made a mistake.

I had asked my husband to take the older three snow tubing last week on our week "off" but forgot to check the hours. Snow tubing did not open until 3:00 pm - the same time as the girls' ballet class. Oops.

Daddy took a precious day off work and now we had to get over the disappointment and make the best of it.

Quickly, we made a Plan B, C, and D.

B) Go ice skating. But rinks opened later in the day as well.

C) See the IMAX Hubble Telescope movie at the zoo.

D) Go to Como Park Conservatory.

You see, I had chickened out about driving to Como after dentist appointments on Tuesday. We received a foot of snow the day before and, well, they do plow in Minnesota but not that well. At least not on Twin Cities side streets.

The kids chose Plan D.

It was a wise choice.

Warm + sunny + humid = tropical. Rain forest Habitat, Fern Room, Palm Dome, Sunken Garden: each one provided a bit of unbelievable refreshment to our vitamin D deprived family.

It was a bitter cold day in the single digits. My husband is a native Minnesotan. That's why his coat is unzipped. The children and I were bundled up like sensible people.

 
I forgot the real camera - all of these were taken with an iPhone. Sorry.

My girls in braided pigtails.

My son and I.

That furry thing above our heads is indeed a sloth. Good thing he only poops once a week.

Every type of palm imaginable resides here.

Learned from a docent: an orchid does not have five petals. It has three sepals, two petals and a modified petal. Now we know.

We were feeling downright steamy at this point.

But not too sweaty to enjoy the bursts of color.

We have a few weeks yet to work in snow tubing. We will still go. But I am kind of glad we went to Como instead!

Every Six Months

Today we made the the bi-annual trek to the dentist. We drive into the cities to be able to see someone specialized in holistic dentistry (no mercury fillings). With the weekday morning traffic this trip typically takes over an hour. This morning was no different - each interstate we tried was tied up with accidents due to yesterday's 12+" snowfall.

My husband is on his own appointment schedule but I schedule my appointment on the same day as the children's. Luckily, my husband has always worked more or less close to this dentist's location and usually comes along to watch the littles while the rest of us get scraped and polished and then we all go out to lunch. The older girls are just not quite old enough to be left in the waiting room with the baby and a 3yo.

On the up side, we were cavity-free for the first time in a long time and we do not have to go back for another six months! (Must be because I actually flossed a few times!) We decided to buy this Vitality electric toothbrush for the children with four interchangeable heads and try to keep up the good work. We got to see Dad all morning and lunch at the Neapolitan pizza place was tasty as usual.

On the down side, over the years it gets harder for Joe to get away from his increasing responsibilities at work. I feel guilty about taking up his whole morning and asking him to help me out. How does a homeschooling mom of many (without parents or in-laws nearby to babysit) get to the dentist any other way? What do you do?

 

Plans for a Mid-Winter Break!

Checking in here - has it really been over a week since I last blogged? Oh my! It seems I never have chunks of computer time lately or have chosen rest or reading over the glowing screen before bedtime. We have also been dealing with various viruses the last several weeks that have caused fevers, coughing, and sudden messes on the floor necessitating a Rug Doctor rental. Then there are the various mishaps that put the whole day behind - the baby peed on me while waiting for the 3yo to bring a diaper, the toilet overflowed, you get the idea!

At least in the midst of this busyness the 3yo tantrums are down about 90% after the egg allergy diagnoses. Do you know how much time this saves? Hours. Yes, she still has a strong personality and can't take "no" for an answer, but at least now, if she gets started, she can STOP after a few minutes instead of carrying on for an hour or more. Thanks for all of your help in this department. Moms are the true experts!

We have been working diligently with our schoolwork for six weeks straight and plan to take a midwinter break next week! Yeah! Today we might head over to the Scottish Ramble since the forecast predicts 5-12" of snow for Sunday when we originally planned to go. We are not an ounce of Scottish, but love a strong dose of the festive music, food, dancing, pipes and plaids this time of year. Then my little choir boy is supposed to have his first overnighter at the choir building with rehearsals and fun planned for Monday. We will see if the roads are passable by Sunday night!

Monday brings vision check-ups and making these cupcakes for President's Day. This year I am having the kids memorize the presidents on all the coins and bills (among other various and helpful facts) in case they ever have some fun-loving uncle offer a $100 bill to the first kid at a family reunion who can name the president memorialized on the front. I am hoping to have time write up some blog posts before violin lessons and my monthly homeschool mom's meeting.

Tuesday we head to The Cities for dental check-ups. This means dad will scoot out from work to help with the Littles in the waiting room and we get to go out to lunch with him too - maybe to the Neapolitan pizza place! While we are in the city I am thinking of going somewhere warm and tropical after lunch like Como Conservatory. This will tie in wonderfully to Dancer's reading about South America in geography and rain forests in science. We will have to beat the traffic to get back in time for group violin.

Wednesday morning is always piano and the afternoon is blocked out for Peabody testing and a quick trip to town for karate. These tests are always interesting - how to take great scores with a grain of salt and what to make of scores that are "just" at or below grade level. For me it's a crash course in statistics as well as curbing the horrid tendency for pride and comparison among siblings. I have to admit, though, that it is also a time to pat myself (and other moms) on the back and breathe a sigh of reassurance that a mere mom really can successfully homeschool her children.

Thursday is still up for grabs. I wanted to take them to an indoor trampoline jumping place, but they are not open to big kids until after school hours. We might go to a juried art show at the government center or just stay home and play games before Rocky goes to choir.

Friday we are heading halfway into the metro. DH is taking the older kids snow tubing while I take the littles to an indoor park. Hopefully they won't get too worn out for an afternoon of ballet and karate. Oooh - I just realized it's parent observation week at ballet and daddy will be off to watch!

Next Saturday dh is going to a Catholic Men's Conference. The Holy Spirit nudged me to sign him up, put the printed info in an envelope and set it on his dinner plate as a surprise. I hope and pray he enjoys the day!

A week from tomorrow is the opening of "The Real George Washington" exhibit at MHS. A perfect dessert for all the Revolutionary War reading my 5th grader has done recently!

Here is a description to entice you locals:

Activities include 18th-century style military drilling; a visit to the colonial doctor; a look at the fashions of our founding fathers and mothers from elaborate wigs to buckled shoes; demonstrations of Martha Washington's favorite dishes; music, dance and etiquette performed by Dance Revels Moving History; and a Shadowy Silhouettes History HiJinx activity. Visitors also can join in the Washington’s Adventure Gallery Game, learn how to read a compass and follow clues through the museum, collect facts about the real George Washington along the way and win a prize. Revolutionary War reenactor John Neitz, Minneapolis’ official Town Crier, will transform the History Center into a colonial village, announcing events and activities throughout the day.

That's all, folks! Hope to catch up with a belated Valentine's post and some book/CD reviews with my time off this week.

One more thing - I just can't leave you without a picture of my very busy baby who is causing daddy to install locks on every single drawer and cabinet within his reach!

 Actually we are taking pity by leaving the one cabinet open for him - the one with the plastic bowls. He just has too much fun whipping them around and we have too much fun watching him!

Thanking God For . . .

:: my loyal husband, our growing children, our comfortable home

:: reliable vehicles in Minnesota winters

:: accurate weather forecasts

:: my husband's job and his colleagues

:: family and friends, near and far

:: faith that endures

:: food on the table, pies in the oven

:: $5 turkeys (with coupon)

:: the calling and the freedom to homeschool

:: the grace to continue each day

:: opportunities to our children to discover and develop their talents

:: wool socks and down coats

:: hot cocoa and peppermint Oreos

:: picture books and sofas and blankets

:: crackling fires on snowy days

:: indoor plumbing, furnaces and refrigerators

:: my plump happy baby who giggles and gurgles

:: my nursing baby who melts to sleep in my arms

:: the periods of deep sleep I manage to get between night-time nursing sessions

:: being able to find any recipe I want by googling

:: for this blog; my own little place to focus my thoughts, to record our family life, and to share with like-minded friends

Happy Thanksgiving to you!

Christmas Family Photo - Outakes

 

A Saturday in November

A Day Book of sorts -

My husband had planned to mow today, one last time, but -

We are shoveling instead.

Last minute winterizing was accomplished last night. In the dark. Garden statues and stepping stones are now in the garage.

The Little Princess is fearless in the snow, not like other children we have had. We just read Over and Over this week so she is particularly excited to see snow. Maybe she remembers snow from last year. It is hard to tell.

Between a breakfast of pumpkin muffins and a lunch of leftovers I planned out a menu for December featuring meatless meals on weekdays and whole chickens and feast day treats made on Sundays. Oh what fun it was to revisit holiday recipes!

Our Saturdays in December will not be great for baking due to successive performances: Violin Christmas Recital, Boy's Choir Christmas Concert, and the Little Princess will be an angel in a local production of the Nutcracker. Much of the baking will have to be done the 20th - 23rd!

We also cleaned the house for three hours. After years of doing it bit-by-bit during the week (and being rather OCD about it) I have finally lost my grip on the housework. Going back to Saturdays was dh's idea. I feel defeated, even though he is helping. Especially since he is helping.

I also spent an hour with Lime Away and rubber gloves trying to get the white cruddy rings off the base of my faucets. Sorry to say, it didn't work.

So I returned to more advent preparations by ordering this advent calendar, this Twelfth Night calendar, these St. Nicholas chocolates, this star lamp and these twelve days of Christmas ornaments. This year we are finally going to try Jotham's Journey and this Jesse Tree book. Other advent traditions will remain in place: the star path, the Jesse Tree ornaments, singing advent carols, etc.

Time to make the expected hot chocolate for my snow-covered children.

Thanks for all your replies to my questions, bty. I am totally impressed with your suggestions. I hope you are not disappointed with my intellectual curiosity! Some things are googleable and others just are not.

My little love this week:

Fall Family Field Trips - James J. Hill House

The first two days my mother and sister were here in October we hunkered down and stayed out of the hurricane-like winds. The third day we were ready for an excursion! Destination: the James J. Hill House. Have you ever been there?

- photos and quote from the MHS website:

Rugged stone, massive scale, fine detail, and ingenious mechanical systems recall the powerful presence of James J. Hill, builder of the Great Northern Railway. Guides lead tours that help you imagine family and servant life in the Gilded Age mansion. Completed in 1891, the red sandstone residence was the setting of the public and private lives of the Hill family.

I love visiting this 36,000 square foot house. There is something new to notice and learn each time. I just wish the orientation and windows let in more light to show off the amazing woodwork. I wonder if the family must have had poor eyesight as a result of such dim lighting. Good thing they owned several other homes across the U.S. I hope they had better light elsewhere.

Dim lighting or not, imagine walking down this staircase in an evening gown -

Being invited to dine at this table -

Being the servant who stored dishes in this pantry -

Or enjoying organ concerts in this art gallery -

Personally, I think this would be a great place for a historical fiction novel/movie about the Hill family, their ten kids and the ruthless railroad business. Intertwine the story of Archbishop Ireland, his association with the Hills, the Cathedral being built across the street, and the growing Catholic population and it might be a movie you or I would want to see.

I picked up a Summit Ave. tour guide on the way out. I am completely fascinated and absorbed by the collection of architecture on this strip. I wpuld love to go on their Saturday morning walking tour someday.

After our tour we popped in the Cathedral across the street for a quick look and headed out for an early dinner. We tried Bucca's once, about ten years ago and have not been back. I don't know what possessed me to try this restaurant again. Maybe it was the dessert platter? The look on Sunshine's face was worth the price of all that sugar.

I admit that we did enjoy the family-style entrees, in spite of the photos decorating the wall. We were so early they sat us in the bar, so the ambiance seriously lacked taste. No photos to show of that, this is a family blog! We should have asked to be moved.

One more evening together of fun and swimming at the hotel pool and the next morning they were off. I always pray for an army of angels to protect their car on the twelve-hour journey home. So far they always have.

Why I Like Blogging Better Than Facebook

This was too long for FB so I cut & copied it here:

Morning soccer, Costco, MHS Exhibit about Chocolate, angel hair pasta and angel food cake for the Feast of the Guardian Angels. That is all that will fit in the day today. If I had eight more hours I would add to that a long hike in the woods, vacuuming and dusting upstairs, cleaning and decluttering, an at-home pedicure, starting the kids on cross stitch kits, going through photos to develop, watching a movie with my Joe, reading a book and baking up some autumn favorites. Shouldn't every weekend be three days?

God Knows Best

Some years we include our children in our anniversary celebration with a nice steak dinner at home instead of having a night out. This year we chose that option since we have  a new baby and all the nice restaurants are an hour away. The older the kids get, there more fun it is to tell them stories of what our lives were like before they were born.

As we were sipping our wine and Izze sodas we heard a piece on the classical music station performed by clarinetist David Shifrin. I explained to the kids that he teaches at the prestigious Yale School of Music and that when I was a clarinetist I always admired his playing.

Of course the mention of this school means nothing to them, but they enjoyed the story I proceeded to tell them of my audition at Yale long ago. Based on a preliminary tape screening I was invited to audition in person. I traveled by plane, then by train to Connecticut. After settling in an old hotel in New Haven with noisy radiator heat I explored the campus and went at the appointed time to play for David Shifrin. Although he liked my tone quality, I had gotten nervous and messed up a bit too much to be accepted into the graduate school. It's a good thing though, I explained, because if I had attended Yale I would not have met Dad and none of then would have been born.

They all looked shocked at the possibility of this until Sunshine explained with a smile, "God wanted you to get nervous and mess up because he wanted us to be born!"

Of course.

Here's a marriage poem that we printed on the back of our wedding program. Such a good reminder eleven years later.

Marriage Takes Three

I once thought marriage took
Just two to make a go,
But now I am convinced
It takes the Lord also.

And not one marriage fails
Where Christ is asked to enter,
As lovers come together
With Jesus at the center.

But marriage seldom thrives,
And homes are incomplete,
Till He is welcomed there
To help avoid defeat.

In homes where Christ is first,
It's obvious to see,
Those unions really work,
For marriage still takes three.

Eleven

11 fruitful married years

10 Commandments we try our best to keep

9 family vacations

8 different churches we've attended Mass

7 we are now a family of seven

6 annual fall dates to see A Prairie Home Companion

5 great kids

4 changes of employers

3 big steaks split six ways tonight

2 glasses of red wine

1 new diamond ring to replace the lost one

White Flour & Butter

Last week the three older children attended a day camp through our parks & rec department. This was the perfect opportunity in my mind to see what my day might be like if we weren't a homeschooling family. I envisioned a relaxing day with the littles, going on a walk to the park and going through the day without my head spinning in five different directions and answering to "mom" every two minutes. I dream of a life like this at least every three or four months, don't you?  I imagine that I could get a gym membership and use the days my kids are in school to lose the baby weight and get fit again. I announce to my husband that I've had it with homeschooling and that starting Monday the kids are getting on that school bus and I am going to regain my sanity as well as my health. This never happens, of course, because by Monday I am ready to tweak my approach and give it another go.

So what was the day like with the littles? Honestly, we went through a lot of white flour and butter. It was a rainy day so we stayed indoors and made play dough - two different kinds. One chocolate and one white with lavender oil and glitter mixed in. Lots of white flour there. We made snicker doodles. My 3yo loved rolling the balls of dough in cinnamon and sugar while I bounced the baby to sleep in the sling - lots of white flour and butter. My little girl requested macaroni and cheese for lunch which required even more butter. Nap time finally arrived and fortunately the Little Prince's nap coincided with the Princess's. I took a short nap too and we all woke up just in time to pick up the kids.

Even though I didn't feel quite so overwhelmed that day I felt just as busy. Very busy - and without the help of the older kids and the little bit of intellectual stimulation that comes with homeschooling. My preschooler relished in all the attention mommy was able to pay her that day and I resolved to carve out more time for my little one and quit farming her out so much to my husband and older children - a habit I developed almost a year ago to cope with pregnancy ills. I brought up books from storage just for her and cleared a shelf for them with her name on it. I've been taking the time to read to her before naps and bedtime and enjoy the way she cuddles up to me. She has missed me and I have missed her. I will make more playdough and cookies and even macaroni and cheese even if we have to use more white flour and butter and even if it takes me longer to lose the baby weight. She's worth it, she's only three once.

A Grand Old 4th

Friday: Backyard camping

Saturday: The boys went to a Twins game at their new stadium (Father's Day/birthday gifts). The girls stayed home and we made cool knotted bracelets and clothespin dolls.

Sunday: A lakeside family reunion. 

Great Grandma's youngest Great-Grandbaby -

After almost eleven years of marriage I am still meeting members of my husband's family for the first time. This is his cousin, Sheri. We have emailed and talked on the phone so many times it was great to finally meet her in person. Come again, Sheri, and I promise we won't be doing school on July 5th next year so you can come over and hang out!

We all enjoyed our town's fireworks show that night. Little Princess like the "ello" ones best, of course. I totally forgot to take pictures. I was probably too worried about the kids being up so late and how many tantrums our 3yo would throw the next day from lack of sleep but there were just two big ones as usual.

I had better go catch up on sleep myself before I blow!

Father's Day Family Hike

Destination: The Pooh Stick Bridge

Love from your children,

(Father's Day Frame)

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.

The Children's Turn for Tea

Last week the Little Prince went out for his first field trip with the school aged kids while Pipsqueak stayed with Dad while he worked from home. Our destination: a theater performance of Nick Tickle Fairy Tale Detective. Being a most accommodating little babe, he was still asleep in the sling when the performance ended so we walked a block down Main Street to the very same tea room where several MN bloggers have enjoyed three annual luncheons. Each year I have slipped out of the house for this gathering feeling slightly guilty for going and each year my children have felt slightly jealous at my going - even my little boy asked when I would take him to the tea room! Needless to say they were thrilled to have a turn.

Although I remembered something printed in their menu that stated their "inability to accommodate infants" I approached the proprietor and politely asked if I could treat my children to lunch. Seeing that the children were nicely dressed and the baby was safely sleeping she showed us to a table by a fountain.

Even better than the delicious tea, chicken salad, fruit and scone was the experience the children gained from dining in a tea room. I could not believe how unusually mannerly they behaved. Dino asked, "Do people who have bad manners here get kicked out?" To which I answered, "No, but the beauty of the surroundings helps inspire people to use their best manners."

As we were discussing the play, a lady at the next table who was out with her three year old granddaughter asked if we home schooled. We entered into a nice conversation about education, teas (she hosts an annual tea at her senior community center), sewing (she is a seamstress) and music (her granddaughter was named Elsa and I mentioned how much I liked Wagner's Elsa's Procession to the Cathedral).

I have to admit that it felt good to have represented homeschoolers well and to finally have three children old enough to behave in public, at least for a couple of hours. Like most parents we have endured our fair share of public embarrassments. When things actually go well (and even when they don't) I give myself permission to smile and feel grateful to be a mother, to have received a calling and granted the freedom to homeschool, and to receive the graces God provides to continue this vocation, day by day. Not in a gloating or bragging way, just out of appreciation for our family life and God's goodness.

This was a refreshing break for all of us, not just me. It was nice to just enjoy the one another's  company without the constant chatter or a two year old or a fussy baby. At home it seems my patience is tested at least once every three minutes so three hours of peace was a Godsend!

 

P.S. My husband thought it was a Godsend that I resisted the store-wide 20% off sale in their gift shop.

P.S.S. if you are a MN blogger I didn't know about last year or you were inadvertently left off the invitation list and would like to participate in our annual tea this summer please pipe up and I will add you to the guest list!

Bread of Angels

 

 

Corpus Domini nostri Jesu Christi custodiat tuam in vitam aeternam. Amen.

May the Body of our Lord Jesus Christ preserve your soul unto everlasting life. Amen.

 

First Confession

"I feel lighter!"

Loving Hands, Waiting Hearts

Love to All

Our Valentine's breakfast this morning was lovely.

I can't believe I got flowers and jewelry this year. I must be doing something right these days. I have no idea what - I think I must be rather difficult to live with when I'm pregnant. Especially for a guy. Maybe my suffering has garnered me some TLC points.

I gave my husband a CD set of Focus on the Family: Best of 2009. I hope he likes it. I also hope he gets through it fast so I can listen to them too!

This evening we are getting cozy by the fire, watching a fresh coat of snow fall as well as an annual viewing of The Song of Bernadette. We meant to watch it Thursday but were busy making Valentine's. There's a great blessing before meals in that movie - have you kids picked up on it?

"In the name of the Father, and the Son and the Holy Ghost, whoever eats the fastest gets the most!"

This scene will most likely be re-enacted for the next week, complete with a chiding sibling warning the blasphemer of the fires of hell.

My husband just went outside with his boots on.

What, might you ask, is he doing shoveling snow in the yard?

Shoveling a path to the grill, of course - to grill steaks for our Valentine's dinner! I am oven roasting some potatoes just how he likes them. The kids are looking forward to the jam-filled shortbread cookies.

Hope you are having a wonderful day!

98% Cured

But two hours behind with school!

This pretty and feminine little lady was named Noelle. Before the name sticks we are trying out Tiger and Tabitha. She is the one the girls fell in love with on the adopt a pet website.

 

We came for one, but left with two. Missy is not quite the looker as her companion, but is friendly and affectionate. When she can't find Noelle she meows until they are reunited. They like to stick together. She might get a name change too - Snickers or Snickerdoodle.

 

Cat bunkbeds
 

Squabbling
 

She's a snuggler!

Last Weekend's Fun

 

 

 

Fall Break and a Homecoming

Do you take a fall break? I have been noticing from reading other blogs that I am in good company with others who do. After all, there is the Seasonal Clothing Exchange project and cleaning and baking and just taking time to enjoy the fall weather, if you do have fall weather where you live. Sometimes the school work just has to be set aside to accomplish such tasks.

I did do all of these things on our break and more, which is why it turned out to be a little longer than expected. You see, my mother turned 80 this month. While I had hoped we could get away for a visit, it wasn't until a cousin organized a joint birthday party for her and two other relatives that I knew we really needed to get there. I was not at all sure I would make it, based on how I felt most of my first trimester. After quitting Zofran two weeks ago it took about five days until I felt well enough and confident enough that I could make the 12+ hour trip to Oklahoma and survive 4-5 night of motel living. But I did, so we made our hotel reservations and drove out of Minnesota's dreary cold and rainy weather.

My mother has two cousins (who are brothers) with October birthdays - one turned 80 and the other 90. It was a surprise party of sorts - each thought the party was for the other two! My mother had no idea we were coming, can you tell from this expression?

All of our family attended: my two brothers, my sister and all of mom's grand kids. 

 

Each birthday honoree explained the photos on the posters made for them and it was fascinating to hear the life stories of two octogenarians and one nonagenarian.

I just have to say that my mother's 90 year old cousin (on the left) is a complete hoot and thoroughly enjoyed joking with the kids. He is an accomplished woodworker as well and brought wooden spinning tops for the children.

The next day we met my mother for Mass and drove around my hometown. It is quite comforting in some ways to revisit the environment in which you were raised and humbling in other ways. The place where I would have most liked to enter into again was our old church, abandoned after it was deemed "structurally unsound". A new contemporary church was built, a controversy that caused a huge rift in the parish, even though they did have the decency to re-use some of the stained glass windows and all of the stations of the cross.

When we drove past the corner of the old church I was shocked to see that the church was GONE! Leveled. Steps leading up to an empty lot. I was too shocked to even take a picture, but here is what it used to look like:

The rest of Sunday was happily spent meeting an old friend and her husband for lunch, swimming with the kids, my sister and niece, and taking my mother out to dinner. For some reason I don't have pictures of that day either; sometimes I guess I don't want to ruin the moment with the interruption of the camera, but just want to keep the memories safe in my heart. The friend we met was one I have known since elementary school all the way through high school. We were in band together and part of a little group of friends that ate lunch outside under a tree. Now that's a photo I do have if I can figure out how to scan it in:

 

My friend Stephanie is on the right in the back row. I am on the right sitting in the front row. I am still in touch with a few friends in this photo, some through Facebook and one much more personally.  Two of the girls were foreign exchange students. I still exchange Christmas cards with the one from Japan! Stephanie and I were just so happy so see one another happily married (finally!) and to sense so much of the same heart and soul in one another still intact.

Monday morning after a quick tour of the city in which I attended college and had my first teaching job we headed down the turnpike for a side trip to Fantastic Caverns. They were indeed filled with fantastic formations!

One more night in a hotel and we were crossing the border back into Minnesota, finding the weather to be exactly the same as when we left: cold and rainy.

The rest of the week was busy with unpacking and laundry, lessons and errands. We joined some friends on Thursday to make a frosted sugar cookie rosary and on Friday we cleaned out the girls' room (again) and filled an entire trash bag with Pack-Rat's stuff. My dh's grandmother turned 80 something and we had yet another birthday party to travel to on Saturday, this time only a few hours away. While we were out that way we stopped in a museum to see the Kensington Runestone and Big Ole. Vikings territory indeed.

Of course you may have heard that the weather here worsened over the weekend. The rain turned into snow. This really isn't funny to me - the leaves are still green! The grass is still green! Our tomatoes have yet to ripen! And there is more on the way!

We only accomplished two days of seat work in our two weeks off so tomorrow we will have to get back to our normal routines. We are praying for an Indian summer so we can enjoy our usual fall pleasures - pumpkin patch, fall nature hikes and apple orchards.

Why I've Been Such a Lazy Blogger

Honestly, I have not been feeling well. I spent an unprecedented amount of time in bed or lying on the sofa feeling quite ill. Can you guess the cause of my happy affliction?

My due date is April 4th, Easter Sunday!

Other than this exciting news, my life has been rather boring because I don't feel like going anywhere or doing anything. I haven't taken any photos since the first day of school. Most of the day I feel utterly exhausted and would love to take a nap after every meal that I can actually eat. My new bedtime is 8:30 when the children go to bed unless I fall asleep before then! Weekends have been spent at home rather than exploring the city or the great outdoors.

So if my posts are infrequent these days it's not because I have so much to blog and no time for blogging. It is because I really don't have anything to blog because I have been lying in bed watching PBS while eating cereal or deli sandwiches. Yes, normally I am Mrs. Whole Grain right down to my hamburger and hot dog buns but all I want these days is white bread. Rudi's organic sourdough really hits the spot!

Have a blessed weekend and please forgive my recent lack of contribution to the blogshpere!

Ten Years Today!

WHEN LOVE IS FOUND

When love is found and hope comes home
Sing and be glad that two are one.
When love explodes and fills the sky
Praise God and share our maker's joy.

When love had flow'red in trust and care
Build both each day that love may dare
To reach beyond home's warmth and light
To serve and strive for truth and right.

When love is tried as loved ones change
Hold still to hope though all seems strange
'Til ease returns and love grows wise
Through listening ears and opened eyes.

When love is torn and trust betrayed
Pray strength to love 'til torments fade
'Til lovers keep no score of wrong
But hear through pain love's Easter song.

Praise God for love, Praise God for life
In age or youth, in husband's wife.
Lift up your hearts, let love be fed
Through death and life, in broken bread.

Precious Times

I just want to lock all these memories up tight in my memory treasure box. The procession of gifts, breakfast in bed, soaking in all of their love and cuddles, and a day spent attending Mass, visiting the Farm and of course placing a call to my mother. And, yes, I did remember to send a card to my MIL and MIL's Mother! And I must say that although I thoroughly appreciate the card and garden center gift certificate from my husband, my heart was warmed when he honored his own mother with a call.

I hope you soaked it all up today, moms because it's back to work tomorrow! Leave your cards out this week as a reminder to stay motivated to do our best to love and nurture our husbands and children and to serve God through our vocations. Blessings to you!

A Quiet Day

Hmmm, now I am wondering what sort of viruses were living on the window my toddler was lapping up the other day. I have two out of four down today with fevers and vomitting.

Circle time and seat work were a cinch today. That is, after cleaning up two bouts of Pedialylte regurgitation. One all over Dad's work clothes and one all over Mom's white sweater. At least my 5yo managed to make it into a bowl at 3am.

Please pray that our little one recovers in time to celebrate her 2nd birthday tomorrow!

On Tap this Weekend

No, it's not green beer!

Green Goodness juice perhaps!

I would love nothing more than to have the time to write a few really good blog posts this weekend. I've packed things a little too tightly.

Yesterday:

• Stopped by chiro for a weigh-in. I am going to put away my inaccurate home scale. It says I gained a pound but I really lost one. I am still losing fat pounds and lowering BMI. Not very quickly but this plateau won't last forever, right Renee?!
• Took Dancer to the dentist in the cities. Two baby teeth were pulled (eeesh) to make room for braces and headgear. I held her hand but had to look away for most of it.
• Stopped by the church where she was baptized for a short visit.
• Treated her to a shake from Ben & Jerry's.
• Stopped for an oil change at the dealership that took over an hour. Long line at the car wash I guess.
• Came home to reconnect with the littlest one and check progress of the kids left with Dad who worked from home. I missed Tricia's call. Sorry Tricia! Let's try again!
• Took toddler grocery shopping with me. Gathered things like beef stew meat, pistachio pudding, buttermilk and Guinness stout (for stew) for Tuesday's menu. Also steak & potatoes to treat dh on his name day Thursday!
• DH made salmon loaf while I was away. Heaps of praise!
• Forgot to do stations at home. Oops.

Today:

• Take the kids to try out a 4-H event. Would 4-H would be a good option over scouts for next year?
• Run to the library for St. Patrick materials.
• Come home for lunch.
• Go down to Orchestra Hall to hear the Suzuki graduation concerts. Our kids do not graduate this year, but I thought they might like to know what to expect for next year. Motivating too I hope.
• Date night movie - previewing Man on Wire before showing it to the children. Our FIAR book this week was Mirette on the High Wire.
• Stations at home.

Tomorrow:

• Get a chicken in the crock pot.
• Quick Sunday breakfast.
• Load the CD player with Irish music.
• Get out the St. Patrick's Day decorations.
• Go to St. Agnes for Mass.
• Hop over to the Irish Music and Dance day.
• Come home to eat and plan the school week. St. Patrick's Day, St. Joseph's Day, a trip to the Bakken Museum of Electricity, a Maple Syrup Festival and Laetare Sunday next Sunday.

THE BEST PART:

A whole week above freezing!

Growing Pains

My 8yo daughter is getting greasy hair and pimples on her back (is this normal?).

My little Sunshine who is of the cute & cuddley variety who you (friends, family, total strangers) want to freeze so she never grows up just turned SEVEN.

My 20 mo old held up a pony tail holder and grunted until I did her hair just like her sisters'. Such a big girl!

But the real kicker is that that my 5yo boy is in love. With a girl from the Target flip, clip and save coupon book.

After Dino marveled at how cute this little girl was, my husband obliged him by flipping, clipping and taping her three sections together for his son (my little baby boy) to carry around everywhere. He even sleeps with this picture on his nightstand. I had to sneak it off while he was sleeping to take this photo:

Well, I have to admit that she is cute. He has good taste. I might feel a little jealous if she didn't still have all her baby teeth.

The perk is that when I suggested to him that the little girl might like to hear his piano pieces he RAN to the piano before I even finished my sentence.

Talk about love making obedience easy!

Maybe I should start wearing my hair in braided pigtails.

Well, it's a great reminder to pray for my future daughter-in-law, whoever she might be. I pray that her soul may be every bit as beautiful as this little girl's face!

Two of These Children are Not Like the Others

For you "Four Temperament" experts - four kids: two sanguines, two melancholic/phlegmatics. My husband is hoping some of his choleric personality rubs off on at least one of them!

Oklahoma Travelers

Our favorite visitors ventured "up north" a couple of weeks ago!

Grandma and Aunt Terri!

Finita Est

 

Daddy and his #1 helper!

Date Night

We went to our favorite farm on our anniversary to hear a bluegrass band called Buggy Whipp. The concert was part of the farm's free summer concert series.

Have you ever seen a female banjo player? For a partially deaf grandma who began only four years ago, she was amazing. Such a stage presence. Her daughter and grand-daughter also play in the band.

Our babysitter came over to watch the older three so we enjoyed being out with only one of our four children. After a quick stop at Jimmy John's we arrived just as the evening light let the colors of the what and oat fields come alive.

The farmhouse is just up the bank from the Mississippi that provides a nice breeze to cool things down and blow the bugs away.

I'm nuts about the oak trees here.

Joe has our camera figured out better than I - he found the right setting to capture the clouds that evening. If I were an artist I think clouds and sunsets would be my niche.

I also go gaga when I see my children with my husband from a distance. I just want to cry for joy.

Happy 9th!

Boring List, Not So Boring Week!

So much real life; so little blogging time!

What ever happened to the "lazy summer"? No one I know is having one, including us! And I even try not to schedule more than one outing a day!

I have dozens of ideas for blog posts, but haven't even caught up with blogging about O and P weeks.

So instead of a witty or creative post like some people effortlessly whip up for our enjoyment, I will bore you with a list.

Last week went something like this

• Thursday - Dino's real birthday. Ate out at the "train" restaurant (model train going around from room to room up near the ceiling).
• Friday - the girls' dance camp performance, Dino's 5 year well visit. Clean and grocery shop.
• Saturday - pick up cake, ice and balloons. Dino's Thomas party with five little boy guests.
• Sunday - go to the cities for Mass and hurry back to cook for a family party which turned out to be just Grandma, Grandpa and a Great Aunt. The basil-rubbed salmon turned out great.
• Monday - go to library, swim lessons and take Dino to book store to spend gift card. He picked out two books and I buy five!
• Tuesday - play at the park with Montessori friends. But no one else showed up so we went for a walk by the mighty Mississippi. Had an early dinner since daddy works late on Tuesdays
• Wednesday - a normal day at home!
• Thursday - go to Hanna Andersson outlet after hearing that they are having a big sale. Buy 30 items, all averaging less than $10 each! Go by produce market and library. Make room for and assemble new bookshelf (more about that later!) Make lemon bars.
• Friday - Daddy took the kids strawberry picking while I made potato salad and baby napped. Went to hubby's annual 4th of July family reunion. Kids got first ride on a jet ski and baby got a pound of sand in her diaper! Came home to grill burgers for dinner and shoot off our own (legal) fireworks. Kids stayed up later than they ever have in their whole lives.
• Saturday - we all slept in until 9 am! This never happens! Hubby and the kids had 30 minutes to get ready to go to a turtle class at the nature center. He even took the baby so I had time to be alone in my own home. That hardly ever happens either! I did my buying club order and moved into my new classroom shelf while hubby set up the new kiddy pool on the driveway and mowed and we all kept careful watch on the caterpillars. The day was gone like that and I have yet to make anything fun with all of my strawberries like strawberry rhubarb pie or the strawberry shortcake recipe in Mrs. Sharp's Traditions. The one that takes seven eggs.

There's always tomorrow which is also Dino's baptism day so we will need a lovely dessert, right?

Five Years Old

Please, everybody, look at me!
Today I'm five years old, you see!
And after this I won't be four,
Not ever, ever anymore!
I won't be three - or two - or one,
For that was when I'd first begun.
Now I'll be five a while, and then
I'll soon be something else again!

Dads

Any man can be a father. It takes someone special to be a dad. 

— Anonymous

The children with Dad's Coat of Arms - the symbols are for baseball, coffee, ice cream and fishing!

The King of Pinewood Castle with his prince and two princesses (baby princess was already asleep in the royal cradle)

 

Sunday Best

(Dino's first shirt and tie!)

Happy Birthday Baby Princess!