Random Thoughts

Despite my little brother's mockery, I choose to defy the snickering masses and inflict my simple thoughts on you all once more.

FOR TODAY, Sunday June 29 (Solemnity of Sts. Peter and Paul)...

Outside My Window... It is dark and windy tonight. There are no lightning bugs, and I wish there were. There's just something so summery about seeing them. While we were driving past dark fields in Indiana last week we saw thousands upon thousands of their tiny lights. I considered trapping some in a jar to bring them home and populate our bushes.

I am thinking... How terrifying living in our culture can be -- and how much trust one has to have in God in order to keep one's sanity. A friend told me today that their pastor recently approached her family and advised that they begin attending a different Mass on Sunday -- some lady who sits behind them regularly told the pastor that if he didn't speak to the parents, she was going to contact Child Protection Services. Apparently she doesn't approve of the way they discipline their children during Mass. The scary thing is that this woman could cause lots of trouble for them if she chose. Each day I beg God to protect our family and keep us safe from evil, and thank Him for protecting us so far.

I am thankful for... White Zinfandel, a hubby who purchases it, and not being pregnant anymore. :) And also that no matter how much they whine and moan and delay, the children will always eventually fall asleep at night. Eventually.

From the kitchen... I haven't actually cooked a meal in 3 weeks! Ah, vacation...

I am wearing... heh, currently, a white tank top and my favorite blue and white floral jammy bottoms from Old Navy. Earlier today I was much classier -- had on the purple floral wrap skirt that I made, and a white poplin shirt.

I am creating... hmm, that's a poser. Nothing currently. I want to make the girls some summer nightgowns (I'm tired of seeing them in t-shirts and undies) but need to go to the fabric store first. Otherwise, the other creative thing I'm doing is researching curriculum for Miriam for 1st grade. That's been lots of fun. Brings me back to the old days when I used to design complex lesson plans for teaching my brother Dave when we were playing school. :)

I am going... to go to bed soon. I'm having a hard-ish time adjusting to Eastern Time, even though we've been in it for a week.

I am reading... all the blog posts and comics I missed while we were gone. :)

I am hoping... to have a good week back from vacation with the kids, and that they don't go all snarky on me. I'm thinking lots of fun activities are in the immediate future, like going to the library, playing at a park (if it isn't raining or too hot), scheduling a play date, running fun errands (like picking out jammy fabric)....

I am hearing... many, many fans moving cool air around the house.

Around the house... not a creature is stirring, not even Stuart Little, which I've started reading to the girls. (while in CA I raided my parents' excellent children's literature collection.) :)

One of my favorite things... What I'm doing right now: staying up late into the night and blowing time on the computer when everyone else is asleep and there's no one to interrupt or distract or annoy me. Ahhh, sweet solitude!

I am wondering.... two things: 1) where I can get a child-size working tea set (the set we currently have is really a doll's set -- I think the tea cups hold 1 tsp); and 2) if there's such a thing as an iron-on sampler pattern suitable for Miriam. Every time I sit down to sew, she begs to sew something too. Usually this involves me stopping what I'm doing, cutting out fabric for her, and helping her with a project. It would be nice to be able to let her work on her own project independently of my input. An easy cross-stitch sampler might be fun. She can already thread a needle and tie a good knot, which surprised me!

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week: cleaning the bathrooms and vacuuming any carpet I can find the time for. Ah, how I love the crazy hedonism of the summer!

Here is a picture thought I am sharing...

Daybook idea courtesy of The Simple Woman

We're baaaaaack....

...And sort of kind of adjusted to Eastern Time... mostly....

We returned from our Big Family Vacation yesterday, which included a 3-day car trip to Chicago, with stops in historic Steubenville, OH and scenic South Bend, IN; a wedding; a plane trip to sunny southern California; another wedding; another plane trip; and another 3-day car trip! We're not as tired as I thought we would be by now -- it helps that we had a great time with family and tried to keep the pace from getting TOO frenetic. We managed to find enough relaxing moments to keep our sanity. I also just want to take this opportunity to say that our children are angels. They handled all the traveling and the rapidly changing accommodations like old pros. That certainly helped. There were moments when they were so tired it hurt, and consequently started falling apart at the seams, but that was to be expected. Even Joseph handled all the change well. When you're on a 2-hour wake/sleep cycle, what difference does a time change make?? :)

Well, now we're back, and I'm happy to say that even though I feel like I spent most of the day just trying to wake up, the laundry managed to get done, and the kitchen and living room no longer look as though a tornado recently swept through them. :) It's good to be home again. Now I get to spend the next couple months organizing playdates and researching curricula!

We have lots of great pictures from the trip -- coming soon! Until then you can see the awesome professional shots from the first wedding, my brother Dave's, here.

Daddy

Why is she running so fast?

...Daddy's home!!


Daddy with his two birthday presents




God is the giver of all life, human and divine. May he bless the father of these children. He and his wife will be the first teachers of their children in the ways of faith. May they be also the best of teachers, bearing witness to the faith by what they say and do, in Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.

(from the blessing of fathers during the rite of baptism)

Thank you, Lord, for blessing me with a man after your own heart. Our children are blessed to have such a father. I pray our son will grow to be just like him.


Happy Father's Day, hon.

Error 404: Enough Time Not Found

I had hoped to put up a couple more posts with random pictures from our files, but ran out of time! We're off for our Big Family Vacation tomorrow, and won't return for 3 weeks. We'll be seeing about 80% of our readers anyway, so it won't really matter TOO much that this blog will lie dormant for a while. :) Lots and lots and lots of pictures to post when we return! Hope you all have a great June!

Grandma time!

I can't believe I haven't posted these pics yet!! Sorry, Grandma E.! We love you!

Here is a bit about when Grandma E. was here with us. I was so grateful for all her help. Grandpa B. was like having another daddy around -- he was good for playing and roughhousing and keeping the girls entertained. But it was so nice having another mommy around too, someone who could clean up the kitchen and reboot the laundry, in addition to reading to and playing with the girls. I was so blessed with all the help we received after Joseph was born. Thanks to everyone who contributed to my mental health! :)

Looking through our pictures, I realize that we don't really have a lot of Grandma -- I guess we were too busy enjoying her stay to document it!

Her birthday occurred while she was here, so we celebrated in style! For Sunday Mass we took her to the National Shrine, a church she'd always wanted to visit, having seen it on EWTN, but had never been able to see on previous visits. So we made it a priority this time.

The requisite asleep-with-baby shot. Grandparents are supergeniuses when it comes to getting cranky babies to sleep, I've noticed. How nice to have an extra pair of experienced hands!

Playtime with Grandma. We were blessed with lovely weather, and so spent a LOT of time outdoors.

Pictures not included (because I didn't take them) would be attending Miriam's last swimming lesson, and other time spent with the girls, particularly reading to them. Tickling was also a favorite pastime. :) One time Katie ran up to Grandma on the couch, flopped on her lap, and said, "Grandma, I want to be a pickle!" It was SO cute and we all laughed!

On one of Grandma's last days here, we drove into the city to meet Daddy for a picnic lunch. Yet another beautiful day! Joseph managed to have an explosion diaper that required about a dozen wipes and a change of clothes -- I should have just wiped him on the dewey grass (I'm sure he would have LOVED that). :) We found a park bench and had lunch. There were lots of azalea bushes in full bloom, and grassy patches full of clover.

We brought home a couple bouquets of sweet clover! :)

We were all sad when Grandma left -- it was so lovely having her here. We had a really good visit, and wish we could visit more often!

Joseph at 2 months

Figured I should hurry up and publish this post, which I started on his 2nd monthday, before Joseph turns 1... :)

So at 2 months old, Joseph now weighs in at 12 lbs. 12 oz. (15 oz. after a feeding) :) and is 24 ins. long. That's 75th %ile for weight, and 90th for height!! So THAT explains why he's growing out of all his clothes! He fits nicely into 9 mos. stuff already. I KNEW he had a healthy appetite. :)

So what is Joseph like at 2 months?



As you can see, he's filling out quite nicely! He's pink and chubby, and has developed those yummy thigh creases and snap-on hands, along with the requisite knee and knuckle dimples. His hair is getting long -- I'm going to need to trim it around the ears soon, and I'm terrified!

Mommy's sunshiney boy

So what's the same as last month? Miriam still gets the biggest smiles and coos from him, although lately he's started smiling whenever he just hears my voice. It's so precious. He also still loves his baths -- he gets very excited when I turn the faucet on and start undressing him, and flails around in the tub. Mr. Pickles even evinced the first giggle out of him as he was pouring water on his belly!

What's different from last month? He doesn't hate diaper changes any more. It's like he's relieved to get the ruddy thing off. He doesn't mind getting dressed so much anymore either -- except for sleeves. Of course, all of that goes out the window if he's hungry. Then he hates ANYTHING that doesn't involve him eating immediately. Priorities, people!! His little innards seem to have regulated themselves at last, so he's sleeping peacefully at night (and so are we!). In fact, he really only wakes once during the middle of the night now, sometimes twice if his schedule gets off during the day. (Watch me jinx it, and have him wake up 4x tonight!) :) He's spitting up much less, which is a big deal for the laundry mistress who's happy she doesn't have to do 2 loads of laundry every day anymore -- we're back down to 2x a week (diapers notwithstanding). It helps that we've figured out his needs and how his little system works -- he has a tendency to want to overeat so I've learned to cut him off once he seems satisfied.


Overall his personality seems to be textbook baby -- he's doing all the things he's supposed to. As his doctor said, "very normal." :) He's fairly content. He fusses when he's hungry or wet or tired (but rarely gets hysterical), and is alert and social the rest of the time. He's learning to anticipate good things -- when he's fussing, he'll calm down instantly when he gets picked up, knowing that Mommy or Daddy will fix The Issue. He's especially cute when he knows he's going to eat -- when I lean him over into the nursing position and start fiddling with my shirt, he kicks his feet and starts snorting excitedly. It is SO funny! Ahh, this is all great blackmail material for about 15 years hence. :)

The BEST part of his personality, for us parents anyway, is that he is SO easy to get to sleep. As long as his tummy is full and his diaper is empty, he will go right to sleep when he's tired. As in, you put him in his bed, give him a kiss, and walk out the door -- AND HE WILL GO TO SLEEP. By himself!! This is nothing short of miraculous for one of OUR children, since his sisters both needed lots of help getting to sleep when they were infants. It's SO nice now, and probably better for him in the long run.

Mommy's hunky monkey, indeed!

This month we can look forward to him discovering the use of his hands. Right now he's trying to figure out how to get those fat things to go where he wants them -- sometimes he'll just hold one up and stare at it, as if he were trying to realize how it is that he has control of it. He's getting pretty good at finding his thumb -- the only problem is that it won't stay in his mouth for any length of time b/c he keeps flailing his arms around. But pretty soon it's time to bring out the rattles! Big steps! :)

Poetry Friday!

I love the interjection of Little Miss Contrary at the end.

The Joy of Homeschooling

alternately titled: What Miriam Did for Math Today (with a little bit of help from Mom)

Quotable quotes

Generosity is a virtue I try particularly hard to cultivate amongst our small fry -- for one thing, a generous spirit reduces bickering significantly. Today, Katie let Miriam use her treasured Royal Doulton pink bunny plate for lunch, a great honor. After lunch I heard this exchange:

Katie: Do you know why I share things with you, Miriam?
Miriam: Why?
Katie: Because I LOVE you. *smack*
Miriam: Ew, gross! Mommy, Katie just tried to kiss me!
Katie: That's not gross!!

Hm, maybe we need to work on graciously accepting signs of affection...

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Katie, messing around on the piano: I made up a song. It's all about Joseph spitting up!

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Miriam is, to put it mildly, obsessed with age. She wants to know how old everyone is, and who's older or younger than a given person... I'm not sure exactly what purpose this fascination serves -- perhaps it's her way of figuring out her place in the world, or how the universe is related. Anyway, readers may already be aware that Mr. Pickles is much, much older than I (by three whole months -- actually, not even). I joke about it, but to Miriam it's serious business, apparently. Mr. Pickles recently recorded this exchange:

Mr. P: I don't remember Uncle Dan giving you that gift.
Miriam: Mommy does.
Mr. P: Mommy has a better memory than me.
Miriam: Yeah, that's because you're oooooold.

Out of the mouths of babes, hon.... :)

What better way to celebrate a thunderstorm...

...than with a lightning bolt cake? (I, uh, didn't intend to make it THAT blue...) We also watched the thunderstorm scene from Sound of Music. :)

Like Moths to a Flame

oooh... glowyyyyy...


I think I've created an addict...

We all like Mrs. Pickles' shiny new laptop. Continuing in family tradition, I named it. Of course, since it's MY very own, I gave it a girly name -- Priscilla, after the wife of Aquila, who both traveled around preaching the Gospel with St. Paul (since the laptop will be traveling around the house... ba-dum ching). We likes it. We likesss it preciousss.

Echoes from Winter

So I was rifling through some older posts, and came across this draft of random pictures -- apparently I uploaded a bunch of pictures before Joseph was born but didn't have enough time to comment and publish it! So here's a little blast from the (recent) past that I feel obligated to share. :)


Miriam feeding the squirrels. Every time we went for a walk, the girls would collect whatever acorns had fallen on the ground. We filled a large jar with all their treasures, with the intention of doling them out throughout the winter to feed the hungry squirrels. Well, Mommy kept forgetting, until finally one cold day Miriam took it upon herself to scatter the nuts.

...and came back with a present for Mommy. :) (our AC is currently on -- it makes me hot just looking at this picture now!)

About ten minutes after the previous picture, we took this one. It was the last snowstorm of the season, and the girls made the most of it. Miriam loves snow so much. She was disappointed in our snow fall this year, and is already looking forward to NEXT winter. I should ship her out to Minnesota for a winter to get it out of her system. :)

toasting their toes in front of the last fire of the season

Bulbs are so dependable!

We've had a lovely spring this year. It came just when it was supposed to, and behaved just as it was supposed to. I only wish I had been more on the ball and planted all of our flower seeds -- I did the front garden but haven't gotten around to the back (I blame Sudoku). Now it's probably too late. Maybe I'll plant the seeds in the fall and let them lie dormant through the winter...

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While I was pregnant and busy and tired, the girls did a pretty good job of entertaining themselves. (Of course, now that we've gotten back into doing school, Miriam is used to lots of hands-on Mommy time, and has lost this talent!)

Who needs Barbies (and all the necessary accessories) when you've got a cardboard box & an imagination? :)

Madeline in her new luxury convertible. Note the fancy hubs...

functioning steering wheel...

and deluxe leather bucket seats. This was yet another craft Miriam designed and made while I was under the weather. Even though her formal schooling was fairly patchy over the winter, the time wasn't wasted -- she was extremely creative.

Exhibit B :)

I swear she's used up a whole ream of paper drawing princesses and making cards and plastering them all over the house. We finally had to make some rules about where pictures could be taped up (so now her bedroom wall is papered with Miriam -- and Katie -- original artwork). She just about had a heart attack when I tried to surreptitiously throw some of them away (the girls have taken to checking the trash periodically, just in case Mommy "accidentally" throws something important away), so to placate her I decided to keep them to use as packaging paper! Much more creative than newspaper, which we seldom have anyway.


I've got a couple more picture-heavy posts planned... here's hoping I'm able to get to them before The Big Pickles Vacation '08!

A Day in the Life

FOR TODAY, Monday June 2...

Outside My Window... it is very green and bright and summery and lovely. Two days ago it was beastly hot and humid, and then we had a TREMENJUS thunder storm complete with howling winds and hail, which actually cooled everything off nicely. (usually rain makes it worse!) It's a day that I feel guilty staying inside.

I am thinking... that just for today, I will put their dishes in the dishwasher. Just for today, I will change that burned-out lightbulb. Just for today, I will pick up their socks and put them all the way in the laundry basket. Just for today, I will put the dirty diaper IN the diaper pail. And I will do it all cheerfully. Just for today.

I am thankful for... my Mother's Day present -- a new laptop! (from which I am publishing this very post)

From the kitchen... Mr. Pickles has been The Grillmaster this weekend! Hamburgers, chicken, and tonight hot dogs! With baked beans, corn on the cob, and lemonade. Mmmmmm.

I am wearing... a new blue print shirt from J. Jill (my all-time favorite clothing store -- there's an outlet about 30 mins away from us), and linen maternity pants (sigh...).

I am listening to... Dave Brubeck (finally used up my amazon.com gift certificate from my birthday last year!) and the baby swing. Everywhere else it's silent -- everyone is sleeping!
I am going... to feed the baby as soon as he decides he's OFFICIALLY awake and hungry -- right now he's trying to decide whether he really wants to wake up from his nap or not.

I am reading... Designing Your Own Classical Curriculum by Laura Berquist. Gearing up for next school year -- first grade and preschool! I've got so many ideas that I need to research and discuss with Mr. Pickles.

I am hoping... to get together with some friends tomorrow to see their baby gerbils.

I am creating... silver purses for Miriam and Edy, to match their flower girl dresses. I just finished a wrap skirt for myself, of which I am very proud -- I designed the pattern with some help from Home Grown and Butterick. I used rayon for the main skirt, added a lining and tucks -- and it came out very well, if I do say so myself! I wore it to Mass yesterday, and then just kept it on all day b/c it was so comfy!

Around the house... it desperately needs cleaning. I've been too busy sewing and reading. :)

One of my favorite things... Vanilla Chai tea by Bigelow. I'm not a huge Bigelow tea fan (I know, I'm becoming a tea snob), but this one is pretty yummy, with lots of milk and sugar of course. :)

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week: sewing, shopping, and packing!!

Picture of the week:

HT: The Simple Woman via Ecclesia Domestica

I agree with Theresa: I don't really care for strangers reading my blog uninvited, nor do I have the time to read everyone else's entries, so I'm not participating on the Daybook site -- but I do give The Simple Woman full credit for the great creative writing idea!