Goes nicely with our new favorite TV show (to which we are quickly becoming addicted -- thank the Lords of Kobol for our friends' DVD collection, so we don't have to wait 2 whole days for the next disc to arrive from Netflix!)
Monday, October 26, 2009
My new favorite beverage
Goes nicely with our new favorite TV show (to which we are quickly becoming addicted -- thank the Lords of Kobol for our friends' DVD collection, so we don't have to wait 2 whole days for the next disc to arrive from Netflix!)
Saturday, October 17, 2009
Our annual October trip
Yes, once again we went back to the Alma Mater for Homecoming weekend/Medieval Festival/general family fun times. :)
For the trip out, we FINALLY turned Joseph's carseat around so he was facing forward. He was enthralled by how much more he could see. And he was in total heaven on the highway -- all the TRUCKS!!!
The kids were happily reunited when we arrived. They spent all that afternoon playing. The next day we went to the university's Medieval fair.
All the cousins are growing so fast... and growing in numbers! Edy's family is expecting another sibling next year!
Well, since we missed the pony rides last year, we made sure to stop there first!
That is one happy girl.
Joseph didn't understand why HE couldn't ride the ponies.
As per tradition, everyone get her face painted with the usual flowers and rainbows and stars and hearts. What? No skull and crossbones?
Even little Lucy got a happy face! She is such a sunshiney girl.
The crafts were awesome -- swords and shields and crowns and bead necklaces. We spent a long time at this table!
We also went to the food tent and bought "lamb's wool" from my old household (Love of the Lamb). :)
Joseph wasn't quite sure what to make of his first cotton candy. I think he was weirded out by the texture.
The rest of the weekend was pretty unstructured. We tried to get together with some other friends who were in town, but we ended up just hanging out with the cousins, which was fine by everyone!
Playing Princess Monopoly. In a surprising turn of events, Joseph refused to sit on Miriam's lap, and insisted on sitting with Aunt Rachel!
We had lots of great times together. Lots of loud times...
...and cute times.
It's a pity I didn't keep recording -- they got very cute right after the video cuts off, talking with each other and playing with their feet. It's so fun watching toddlers together! Lucy and Joseph take the cake for cuteness. They were completely enamored with each other.
On the way home, we stopped at our favorite BK for lunch. Not only did Joseph figure out how to give his mother a heart attack by climbing up into the playtower,
...but Katie was also brave enough to make it all the way to the top!
She also braved the BIG slide and was so proud of herself!
The first time she went down, she had this same look on her face, and was jumping up and down and clapping her hands and singing out gleefully, "I'm not afraid! I'm not afraid! I'm not afraid!"
Lucy and "Buddy". Thank heaven for family.
For the trip out, we FINALLY turned Joseph's carseat around so he was facing forward. He was enthralled by how much more he could see. And he was in total heaven on the highway -- all the TRUCKS!!!
The kids were happily reunited when we arrived. They spent all that afternoon playing. The next day we went to the university's Medieval fair.
All the cousins are growing so fast... and growing in numbers! Edy's family is expecting another sibling next year!Well, since we missed the pony rides last year, we made sure to stop there first!
That is one happy girl.
Joseph didn't understand why HE couldn't ride the ponies.
As per tradition, everyone get her face painted with the usual flowers and rainbows and stars and hearts. What? No skull and crossbones?
Even little Lucy got a happy face! She is such a sunshiney girl.
The crafts were awesome -- swords and shields and crowns and bead necklaces. We spent a long time at this table!
We also went to the food tent and bought "lamb's wool" from my old household (Love of the Lamb). :)
Joseph wasn't quite sure what to make of his first cotton candy. I think he was weirded out by the texture.The rest of the weekend was pretty unstructured. We tried to get together with some other friends who were in town, but we ended up just hanging out with the cousins, which was fine by everyone!
Playing Princess Monopoly. In a surprising turn of events, Joseph refused to sit on Miriam's lap, and insisted on sitting with Aunt Rachel!We had lots of great times together. Lots of loud times...
...and cute times.
It's a pity I didn't keep recording -- they got very cute right after the video cuts off, talking with each other and playing with their feet. It's so fun watching toddlers together! Lucy and Joseph take the cake for cuteness. They were completely enamored with each other.
On the way home, we stopped at our favorite BK for lunch. Not only did Joseph figure out how to give his mother a heart attack by climbing up into the playtower,
...but Katie was also brave enough to make it all the way to the top!
She also braved the BIG slide and was so proud of herself!
The first time she went down, she had this same look on her face, and was jumping up and down and clapping her hands and singing out gleefully, "I'm not afraid! I'm not afraid! I'm not afraid!"
Lucy and "Buddy". Thank heaven for family.
School Days
School is going very well. Much better than this time last year! Let's hear it for no-brainer pre-packaged curriculum! I also schedule lots of breaks into the year, so even if (who am I kidding? WHEN) we get behind, we'll have plenty of opportunities to play catch-up.
Miriam is reading very well now, which is great, because it means she can READ DIRECTIONS and WORK INDEPENDENTLY! Yay for workbooks! I can let her do math, spelling, grammar, handwriting, and some geography and science independently. I think she actually actually enjoys the responsibility of doing her work herself. Now I need to stock our home library with good children's literature -- she's already devoured everything I had!
Katie also loves to "do school." She's busily learning her letters -- writing and sounds. I'm hoping to have her reading by Christmas, at least simple words, but I know I have to wait for that magic click in her brain. So far, she gets it. She already knows most of her letter sounds, we're just going through the alphabet systematically to make sure everything's covered. Her drawing has also really improved -- sometimes it's hard to tell who drew which picture of a princess. :)
Joseph even has school time -- by which I mean I lay out a blanket and put out his basket of toys that are only for school time, like stacking cups and stringing beads and puzzles and things. If he gets interested in something, he's actually good for about 20 mins., which is enough to listen to Miriam read, or do phonics with Katie. Whenever the girls are doing their handwriting though he HAS to sit at the table with them and scribble too!
We go to the library about every other week -- ideally I'd like to go each week but it hasn't always been practical. We get the bulk of our science and history books there, plus lots of good literature and early reader books. Science started this year with learning about reptiles. I found a great craft book and we made models of the three types of reptiles:
Of course, Katie's turtle is a girl. With orange eyelashes.
Next is the human body. I currently have a chicken bone soaking in a jar of vinegar to leach out the calcium. For a field trip we went to see a display of illustrations from David Macaulay's new book, The Way We Work.
For history we're studying Medieval times and the Renaissance. We just finished a great children's adaptation of the Canterbury Tales (heavily, heavily edited!). We also read Beowulf, and a story of Sir Gawain. I need to find a good version of stories about King Arthur. Any suggestions?
Last week our homeschool group went on a field trip to Emmitsburg, MD, the burial place of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton. What a lovely shrine.
We broke for lunch at the seminary a few miles down the road. These are our pastor's stomping grounds, so he felt right at home. :)
After lunch we went up to the Lourdes Grotto, an old, prayerful place where St. Elizabeth Ann and her sisters used to like to come and pray. (before the Lourdes apparitions, of course!)
Despite the cold and the gray and the traffic heading back, it was a lovely day spent with our homeschool group. We're so blessed to be a part of it!
Miriam is reading very well now, which is great, because it means she can READ DIRECTIONS and WORK INDEPENDENTLY! Yay for workbooks! I can let her do math, spelling, grammar, handwriting, and some geography and science independently. I think she actually actually enjoys the responsibility of doing her work herself. Now I need to stock our home library with good children's literature -- she's already devoured everything I had!
Katie also loves to "do school." She's busily learning her letters -- writing and sounds. I'm hoping to have her reading by Christmas, at least simple words, but I know I have to wait for that magic click in her brain. So far, she gets it. She already knows most of her letter sounds, we're just going through the alphabet systematically to make sure everything's covered. Her drawing has also really improved -- sometimes it's hard to tell who drew which picture of a princess. :)
Joseph even has school time -- by which I mean I lay out a blanket and put out his basket of toys that are only for school time, like stacking cups and stringing beads and puzzles and things. If he gets interested in something, he's actually good for about 20 mins., which is enough to listen to Miriam read, or do phonics with Katie. Whenever the girls are doing their handwriting though he HAS to sit at the table with them and scribble too!
We go to the library about every other week -- ideally I'd like to go each week but it hasn't always been practical. We get the bulk of our science and history books there, plus lots of good literature and early reader books. Science started this year with learning about reptiles. I found a great craft book and we made models of the three types of reptiles:
Of course, Katie's turtle is a girl. With orange eyelashes.
Next is the human body. I currently have a chicken bone soaking in a jar of vinegar to leach out the calcium. For a field trip we went to see a display of illustrations from David Macaulay's new book, The Way We Work.
For history we're studying Medieval times and the Renaissance. We just finished a great children's adaptation of the Canterbury Tales (heavily, heavily edited!). We also read Beowulf, and a story of Sir Gawain. I need to find a good version of stories about King Arthur. Any suggestions?
Last week our homeschool group went on a field trip to Emmitsburg, MD, the burial place of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton. What a lovely shrine.
We broke for lunch at the seminary a few miles down the road. These are our pastor's stomping grounds, so he felt right at home. :)
After lunch we went up to the Lourdes Grotto, an old, prayerful place where St. Elizabeth Ann and her sisters used to like to come and pray. (before the Lourdes apparitions, of course!)
Despite the cold and the gray and the traffic heading back, it was a lovely day spent with our homeschool group. We're so blessed to be a part of it!
Yet Another Desperate Attempt to Catch Up
Wow. I am just a pathetic blogger. Apologies to all you adoring fan(s). I finally cleaned off our camera after we ran out of memory (we had pictures going back to February!). Everyone is either gone or asleep, and I'm awake, so since the planets seem to be aligned I'm going to take advantage of this rare occurrence!
All hail, King Joseph!
So, obviously we're not dead yet. We've just been sucked into that swirling vortex known as The School Year. Wait, I thought homeschooling was supposed to be relaxed, flexible, customizable, and all those happy go-with-the-flow things?
must... keep... straight... face.... Bwa ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha haaaaa!!!!! Who am I kidding? Any family that is certifiably insane enough to assume the full-time task of educating its youngest members is destined to be suck into the educational vortex for a couple months. School itself only takes up about 3 hours of every day -- even less, excluding breaks. But there are weekly library trips, field trips, CCD, co-op classes on Thursdays, art projects, science projects, plus all the usual homemaking stuff like cooking and dishes and laundry and housecleaning and phone calls and doctor appointments....
So, yeah, that's where I've been the last couple months. Not that I'm complaining. Life is very full right now -- in a good way.
(Speaking of pathetic -- our garden's yield this year. I'm finally coming to grips with the realization that I just do not have a green thumb.)
One thing I've learned in the last few months is that I need to take better care of myself. Why do we mothers think that by completely sacrificing ourselves, we're doing our families a favor? I'm not being a good mother when I stay up late at night, even if it's doing something important (and not just watching free movies on Netflix). ;) Our daughters are watching us, and learning what it means to be a woman through our example. I don't want to appear tired, frumpy, and run-down on all time. My family is not forcing me into slavery -- I'm doing it to myself. So I've taken Mr. Pickles up on his many offers to take time off. Often I go shopping (SOMEONE has to support this economy!), :) sometimes I'll just go to a bookstore or the library. Another mom and I have also worked out an arrangement where we trade off babysitting each week. I've had to use most of my days so far for medical appointments, but once I did get a haircut and go to the mall. I'm learning to squeeze in these little breaks that I now know are so important -- I'd lost sight of who I was outside of Homeschooling Homemaker. I'm much more at peace with my life and children, now that I know I don't have to surrender everything I am to them.
Another benefit is that the kids get more time with just Daddy. Daddy is fun. He takes them to parks and McDonalds and all those fun things that their mean mommy NEVER does. :)
Ah, playground static!
Why yes, I do have monkeys for children.
Sigh... the baby is getting so big...
All hail, King Joseph!So, obviously we're not dead yet. We've just been sucked into that swirling vortex known as The School Year. Wait, I thought homeschooling was supposed to be relaxed, flexible, customizable, and all those happy go-with-the-flow things?
must... keep... straight... face.... Bwa ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha haaaaa!!!!! Who am I kidding? Any family that is certifiably insane enough to assume the full-time task of educating its youngest members is destined to be suck into the educational vortex for a couple months. School itself only takes up about 3 hours of every day -- even less, excluding breaks. But there are weekly library trips, field trips, CCD, co-op classes on Thursdays, art projects, science projects, plus all the usual homemaking stuff like cooking and dishes and laundry and housecleaning and phone calls and doctor appointments....
So, yeah, that's where I've been the last couple months. Not that I'm complaining. Life is very full right now -- in a good way.
(Speaking of pathetic -- our garden's yield this year. I'm finally coming to grips with the realization that I just do not have a green thumb.)One thing I've learned in the last few months is that I need to take better care of myself. Why do we mothers think that by completely sacrificing ourselves, we're doing our families a favor? I'm not being a good mother when I stay up late at night, even if it's doing something important (and not just watching free movies on Netflix). ;) Our daughters are watching us, and learning what it means to be a woman through our example. I don't want to appear tired, frumpy, and run-down on all time. My family is not forcing me into slavery -- I'm doing it to myself. So I've taken Mr. Pickles up on his many offers to take time off. Often I go shopping (SOMEONE has to support this economy!), :) sometimes I'll just go to a bookstore or the library. Another mom and I have also worked out an arrangement where we trade off babysitting each week. I've had to use most of my days so far for medical appointments, but once I did get a haircut and go to the mall. I'm learning to squeeze in these little breaks that I now know are so important -- I'd lost sight of who I was outside of Homeschooling Homemaker. I'm much more at peace with my life and children, now that I know I don't have to surrender everything I am to them.
Another benefit is that the kids get more time with just Daddy. Daddy is fun. He takes them to parks and McDonalds and all those fun things that their mean mommy NEVER does. :)
Ah, playground static!
Why yes, I do have monkeys for children.
Sigh... the baby is getting so big...
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Now I know how to say "hippopotamus" in French
This must be Katie's long-lost twin. In France.
Don't you just want to eat her up?
Once upon a time... from Capucha on Vimeo.
Don't you just want to eat her up?
Monday, September 07, 2009
Guess where I was this weekend
Hey, I can see my old house from here! Wait, what? You don't see it? Okay, I'll zoom in:
There it is, see it? Right there?Okay, fine, so I went to go meet the latest family member and be present at his baptism. I went by myself. It was very weird being alone. Traveling was actually... pleasant! I couldn't stay for very long -- about 48 hours to be exact -- but that's enough time to have a good time with family and partake in some baby worshipping!
Hello, Damien Alexander!
Yes, teeth are overrated, especially when you're this cute!
Uncle Dave practicing for when it's his turn. :)
This cracked me up, because it brings back so many memories: how new parents bathe their new baby.
All fresh and fluffy! (and staring at Daddy)
Father and son. Joe is a good Daddy. (I wish I'd taken a picture of him playing WoW with Damien in his lap.)I spent one night with Joe and Rie so I could get in some extra Damien time before the baptism. Since I was up and at 'em before 6 (technically I slept in!), I got to spend some special auntie time with Damien while the rest of the household slept some more.
Say hi to the internet!
Damien is just a cutie and a half. Lookie dat face! Chubber chubber!
I don't think he ever stopped moving while I was holding him. He's a boy, all right!Newborn smiles are so precious.
After the last-second frenzy of getting ready and Joe's demonstration of his Pontiac's acceleratory powers, we arrived at the church, where Dad and Grandma together got the star all cuted up.
Grandma with the lucky grandchild who will get the most opportunities for spoiling.
The church was, appropriately, St. John the Baptist.
Welcome, newest Christian!
The godparents were our brother Dave, and Rie's sister Christine (you may remember that Miriam was flower girl at both weddings last summer). Fr. Patrick has been a family friend for ages -- we knew him when he was still frater Patrick, and we attended his ordination and first Masses. He also celebrated Joe and Rie's wedding (as well as Christine's), so it was very special for him to be able to perform the first baptism as well!
Although Damien was the newest Christian on the block, he wasn't the new kid any more -- his second cousin James now holds that title:
babies, babies everywhere!Before:
After!
James was over 11 lbs. when he was born. Yes, Sara is a superwoman!
All the cousins! Martin, me, Dave, Timi (for whose wedding we came out back in June), and Joe with Damien.
Here's one for Nana. :)
Damien with his godmother, Aunt Tine. She was telling me how close she feels to him -- that when he was born (she was at the hospital, waiting), she felt that he might as well have been hers, she loved him so much. I realized I felt the same way -- when I was playing with him that morning, and snuggling with him while he slept on my shoulder, I felt all my mothering instincts focus on him as well. I never realized I could love another mother's child as if it were my own.There's nothing like family in the whole wide world. And I'm happy to be back with mine, where I'm queen bee again, even if that involves filling soap dispensers, replacing toilet paper, turning off lights, cleaning off counters, and all those little things that tend to get forgotten when the details person is away. :)
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