Queen of the Castle

Reflections from the past three months

2009-07-10T13:03:00.003-06:00

Wow. Abigail is already three months old. I was really wondering if we would or would not have another little one when she came along, and so I have been savoring these moments with her as much as possible.

That is not easy with the older ones. I find myself completely torn. I want to cuddle in a chair with Abbie, and read to her, talk to her (she already talks back to us - Amazing!). And yet I still want and need to care for the boys. So I go to their needs, meaning to rock with Abbie in just a short while. Yet one boy needs a drink, another wants a long neglected story, an then still another is excited to show me his latest Lego creation. So Abbie is either tucked in my arms as I scuttle about or sitting in place in the family room or kitchen.

New guilt comes in. Poor Abbie is so content to sit there, and the squeaky wheel does get the oil. So I decide to go to my room with her and spend some quality time. Two minutes later, our three year old is in the middle of his brothers' game. Interrupted again.

I wonder what she thinks of the craziness that is our household? I realize that I will not have all of that one-on-one time with her that I had with, well really, only the oldest two. And yet I see that it will be okay, because she has so much love all around her. The boys are all crazy about her. That much is clear. I know she will appreciate being surrounded by so much love.

And because I have yet to post our dear little one...

It really is a girl!

2009-04-13T08:58:00.002-06:00

We have had a whirlwind of an Easter! On Friday, April 3rd we welcomed Abigail Elizabeth into the world. She is a wonderful little girl and such a good baby. Her brothers just love her and constantly hold her and talk to her. She clearly enjoys the attention.

And then we have the Easter celebration. And all of the company. Quite the craziest of times, but you know, I don't think that I would want it any other way.

Happy Easter!

Environmentalism is not just for lefties

2009-01-05T13:11:00.005-06:00

I got to thinking today about the topic of environmentalism. I take it as the idea that we have been given an honor as being stewards of God's creation. With that honor comes a great responsibility. The main issue is that the most vocal proponents of care for Earth also have misplaced priorities. They seem to believe that human beings are even with, or even below the trees and animals.

Now, we as Christians know that this is dead wrong. God placed us in dominion above the creatures and the earth. But with that power comes great responsibility (to quote our friendly neighborhood Spiderman). We have brains enough to know not to be wasteful and do what we can. Now does this mean we should all starve to death because we need hundreds of acres of grassland? Certainly not. But we also know how to not be excessively wasteful, something that falls far short in our society today.

There should be a balance present in the discussion of environmentalism that is sorely lacking today. It should not be "limit the human population so earth can survive" - there is too much human innovation possible for that to be a valid concern. But it should also not be "We can do whatever we want - we're human!". That is lacking a balance of faith AND reason. God does take care of us, no matter what. And the world will end some day. But that doesn't mean we can do whatever because it is all going to end anyway. God still expects us to be responsible and respectful when it concerns His creation. Prudence is a virtue, indeed.

So, so behind...

2009-01-03T04:33:00.004-06:00

When you've been away so long, where do you begin?

Do you start with the fact that you totally did not post on your oldest child's 8th birthday? Or do you speak of December where life seemed to pass by in a whirlwind?

We had a fabulous Christmas. Brennan was asking for a Nintendo DS, and I was wondering what would happen when Santa did not bring one this year (Mom and Dad had a little talk with him about no video systems, just yet). Imagine my surprise when he did not even seem to notice. I haven't heard one word about it. He has been busy putting one of his 4 Lego sets together, and quite happy about it!

Nicholas got his big Playmobil pirate ship - the one thing that was on his list. That was was all he asked for. Philip has spent most of the week dressed in his Venom (aka Black Spiderman) suit. And Jonathan loves his trains.

As for my husband and I, we have been so busy it seems. Finishing our wood floor in the hallway, decluttering the garage and the laundry room, and assembling our gift to each other - our new computer. Actually Colin assembled it - I watched! He had always wanted to build his own system, and he did a remarkable job! He was able to get things just the way he wanted it. And I am glad to have a working computer - our old one died a few weeks ago.

Speaking of exhausting appliances, my bonus gift was that my clothes dryer died, so I got to go pick a new one. It will be here tomorrow. It's a good thing too, because the load that was in the washer on Wednesday has been hanging on a line for two days and the towels and jeans are still damp. How did people live in the humidity of southeast Texas without a clothes dryer, I ask? I am drooling at the idea that this new dryer should have each load dry in an hour or less. Actually it is supposed to take 30 minutes, but seriously? My old one was taking 3 hours to dry a normal load the last few months. I am going to have such low expectations it is ridiculous!

And last (but definitely not least) is the little gymnast inside me! She is doing well, and I cannot believe how quickly each pregnancy passes now. It seems like I was pregnant with Brennan forever - I just could not wait! And while we are counting the days until we actually hold this little person, our busy life helps the days fly. I have felt great, perhaps the best I have felt with any pregnancy. Don't laugh - I am in week 27, you know, that naive time when all is well and you aren't at the "I am 34 weeks and my back is killing me" phase yet. Let me keep my amnesia-induced optimism for as long as I can!

Snow Day

2008-12-11T19:08:00.002-06:00

We had snow last night and this morning! In Houston! All day long it had been quite cold - in the 30's even in the afternoon. So the boys and I stayed put indoors. At about 7pm, we were playing board games when we heard a knock on our door. Our neighbors were there, with screams of "It's snowing!". And yes it was!

We (as quickly as possible) redressed into warm clothes, coats, and such. We had such a great time. Almost our entire cul-de-sac was out enjoying the unexpected surprise. We had snowball fights, and Nicholas loved catching snowfalkes on his tongue! Philip developed a talent for making miniature snowmen. Jonathan stood out in it, just walking around, listening to the crunching sound underneath his feet, Brennan, after being chased by many snowballs (only boy with four other girls his age on our street), decided it was really cold and retired for the evening. Nicholas had to be chased inside after an hour and a half. We know who would do well (and who wouldn't) should we happen to move to a colder climate!

This morning it was still on the ground. And since our backyard had not yet been raided for its snow piles, we called a snow day and played outside this morning as well. At which I finally got one picture of all of the festivities - Philip made a snowman family of 6. It was such fun, such an unexpected surprise! Brennan summed it up best at lunch when he said "Thank you God for the snow!". I couldn't agree more!

The only downside: Philip is now convinced that since it has snowed, it is time to open Christmas presents. Poor kid has to wait a little longer for that one!

Post election thoughts

2008-11-06T06:03:00.003-06:00

I have passionate views when it comes to politics. And so many share their views in this arena that I have felt a little insignificant in putting mine out there. Which is why there hasn't been much here of late - politics and the economy have been the big issues the last months.

I found myself mystified Tuesday night. Although the election results were really what was expected, I wondered why so many people could hand such an important office to a man that is so far to the left politically of the majority of Americans. And I felt despair start to sink in, just a little...

But in the morning there is always hope. At first I entertained the hope that maybe his rhetoric during the election was not just pretty speech. I hoped that he might govern more towards the center. Center left maybe, instead of extreme left? That is my wish for the coming years (but knowing he is a politician, I am not holding my breath!).

And yet yesterday, we had our "big" ultrasound for this baby. We saw our baby girl. (A girl? I cannot quite believe it yet!) We saw perfectly formed arms, and legs, and a beautiful face that even our 8 year old could identify on his own. We saw her kick, flip, and squirm all over the place (Ahhh, she will fit in well in this family) and all seemed so at peace. I think of all of the others I know who are joyfully awaiting their own much wanted additions to their families. And I felt really hopeful. Because these little ones are our messages from God, our messages of hope.

I don't know what these four years will bring. I think our new President will bring some good. And there will definitely be evil in our world - it is a fact. But I can always look at the little people in my life and remember that a key tenet of Christianity is not despair, but hope and faith. No matter what, God will be with us! It will all be okay!

In addition...

2008-10-28T07:46:00.002-06:00

...to the Dinosaur hunts pictured below, we have had more events of note. Particularly, the ever-increasing-in-size hole in my backyard. You see, Brennan has been digging for gold.

At first I thought "How cute! After all, they are using plastic shovels. How big could this get, anyway?" Silly, naive me. Never underestimate the determination of boys! This hole is approaching 18 inches wide and at least a foot deep. With plastic sand shovels!

No gold has been found yet, however, expectation still runs high. I get asked "Is this gold?" several times each day. My dear husband may pull all mining rights from this project soon, however.

I can credit this boyhood ingenuity to the Sonlight book "The Secret Valley" by Clyde Robert Bulla. Needless to say, we are enjoying our curriculum this year immensely!

A Belated Birthday Wish

2008-10-28T07:32:00.003-06:00

Boy time flies lately. Our sweet Philip turned 4 a few weeks ago (and I missed that post). Maybe it's because I have been making a continual effort to spend more time with the younger two, who, what with the start of schoolwork, had not been getting the personal time that I wanted to give them.

I felt a little guilty as I thought of how I "needed" to write a post for my sweet, dinosaur-loving guy. I contemplated thoughts of "what will he think one day if he sees a missing (or very late post) for his birthday?" (I backup each entry to serve as a journal of sorts). Will he ever forgive me?

Yet, as I pondered these thoughts that only a mother would worry about, I thought of the fun that we have had the last few weeks. We have read more stories. We have put together numerous puzzles. And we have played Hi Ho Cheerio more times than I can count.

You know what, I think that he will forgive me. We have created so many memories together. And actions speak louder than any words ever could.

Happy late birthday, little Philip!
(This was a dinosaur hunt, by the way. We have a lot of these at our house!)

We hired a gardener!

2008-09-22T08:07:00.004-06:00

Well, not really. But a few weeks ago, we needed to. Both our front and back yard were massively overgrown. We were awaiting the note from the homeowners association each day that the mail arrived. But now, our yard is beautiful

Our gardener was something called Hurricane Ike. It took out the dying ash tree from our front yard (we just need to get the stump removed). The overhanging banana trees and palm leaves - all gone. The remaining tomato and pepper plants - completely uprooted. Even the fence was taken out! Colin propped it back in place for now (we have two neighbors with pools!), but it will need to be replaced. The big blessing - The huge pine tree that fell did not land on our roof! It landed on our neighbors, but since their roof was fairly new, it held. Amazing, amazing!

It is so surreal to be far away and see national news blaring pictures as a hurricane passes over your stomping grounds. It is even odd to drive home to streets lined with trees and debris about 5-6 feet high. But I imagine that it would have been devastating to come home to buildings missing where there ought to have been houses. At least those seem to be fairly intact.

We are very thankful to God for our good fortune! We stand amazed at his awesome power, and his wonderful mercy!

Not a tool guy...

2008-09-07T18:47:00.002-06:00

Colin was taking apart our lawn mower yesterday, and Brennan was interested. So Colin took the opportunity to show Brennan the different tools that he was using. I enjoyed watching the conversation, as it was clear that Brennan was fascinated.

So was Philip. He was standing close by, watching intently. All was well, until Colin needed a screwdriver. The first one that Brennan grabbed was a flat head, so Colin explained to him that there were flat heads and Phillip's heads. And that he needed a Phillip's head to fit in this particular hole inside the lawn mower.

At which (our) Philip burst into tears and ran to me, grabbing my leg. "But I don't want Dad to put my head in the lawn mower!" he cried.

Poor guy. I wonder if this little incident destroyed any chance of him being a "tool guy" in the future!

Cloud Nine

2008-08-25T14:25:00.003-06:00

I am bouncing with joy today. I got to see a picture of our newest little "peanut" today at the doctor's office. According to ultrasound, I am due April 9th.

We've known for a few weeks, but because of our past bouts with miscarriage I always hold my breath until I can see that little heartbeat! I felt so silly, it took the technician to point it out to me. You would think I could see it on my own by now. Of course, one never stops worrying... Brennan is 7 and I still worry about one thing or another.

I keep referring to the baby as him out of habit. Brennan and Nicholas actually want a sister, as they don't have one yet. Time will tell!

Anyways, just wanted to share our latest "big news"!

Olympic fever

2008-08-13T15:54:00.003-06:00

I love watching the Olympics. So much so that I even guilted my dear husband off of our sole TV the other night for the first time ever in our 10 years of marriage. Poor guy is enjoying a riveting game of Pacman after a hard day at work and I come in the room with a "Can't we watch the men's gymnastics? It's only on every four years, after all." Shameless isn't it? And my sweet, sweet guy let me have the remote. Did I tell you he is wonderful or what?

The down side is that it has been seriously cutting into my sleep. I had been hitting the sack at 10pm until the last few nights, and boy am I suffering now. Coverage has been lasting until midnight, and then who can sleep after such excitement!

I haven't looked to see what is on tonight. I really hope it isn't something I really care to watch. I am exhausted. Of course I could be an actual adult and just not turn on the TV.

But this only happens every four years, right?

Afternoon Agenda

2008-08-08T12:07:00.002-06:00

I have been in a bit of a quandary as of late. Concerning toys, but of course. Up until now, we have pretty much had "community toys". Aside from the first day after receiving a new gift, everything was up for grabs - first come, first serve. Great way to teach sharing. But I worried that I was not also teaching the very important lessons of "asking permission for things that do not belong to you" and "taking extra special care of those items". Also older boys like their newly configured toys to be left somewhat intact. Quite impossible with little, curious and eager hands around.

So I have decided Legos and Playmobils can be personal toys. Legos are pretty easy - most are Brennan's, and Philip and Nicholas each have a set they purchased last week with their own money. Playmobils are presenting a problem.

I thought that the boys and I could divide up their sets. After all, we knew who each set "belonged" to. But the individual pieces in each set? Very much under dispute right now.

So I, as judge, have decided to spend the afternoon looking up parts lists on the internet and correctly assembling each set.

If this doesn't settle any disputes over Playmobils for the next few weeks, I may just throw them out! Would that be so horrible?

The Moral Compass

2008-08-07T08:27:00.003-06:00

I love watching each child develop. I find it fascinating to see each persons' personality come into its own. And I love watching them "get" that conscience. It really hits that this is not just a person, this is a soul I am raising.

With Brennan, his conscientious awareness seemed to grow day by day. He always had a special sense of empathy for those around him, and the sphere just kept getting bigger as to what he understood.

Then my dear Nicholas. The one who I from time to time wonder if he will ever "get it". The one who I lock into what seems a daily battle to pull him out of that egocentric world of the baby and into reality with the rest of us. Yet I have seen him grow by leaps and bounds in just the last few weeks. Each time an altercation occurs, he has been connecting the "good choices/bad choices" thing with something tangible to him - the Star Wars universe.

He summed it up perfectly in a conversation this morning. "Anakin was a good boy, but made bad choices and became Darth Vader. But then he changed and helped Luke Skywalker. That was a good choice. I need to make good choices like he did when he helped Luke. And if I make a bad choice, I can still change and make a good choice."

He may not be using the vernacular of "do what Jesus did", but he's got the general gist. It's a start. And a huge leap from where this guy was just a few months ago.

And who knew Star Wars could be so "Catholic" with this idea of one person's moral journey taking place over an entire lifetime? I never had thought about that before!

Our Version of "Pinata"

2008-07-25T15:49:00.004-06:00

While in the kitchen working on dinner, I glance out the window to check on all four boys in the backyard - just in time to see Nicholas swinging high up on his swing, with Philip trying to whack him with a stick as he comes down.

I immediately go to the door and ask for the weapon. As Philip hands it to me, he replies "But Mom, you're inside. This is an outside stick.".

As thrilled as I am that he has figured out proper "indoors/outdoors" items, I sure wish he would get that he is not allowed to harass his brothers. Even if they are older.

Some lessons learned, definitely more to go.

Confessions

2008-07-15T07:58:00.002-06:00

After reading this post on our local news website, I feel like I must hide in a darkened room as I say this: I feed my child chicken nuggets. My kids get cookies or pudding for dessert 2-3 times a week. I have been known to mix a boxed mac and cheese for lunch. I think that popsicles are a great afternoon snack these days.

Why oh why do other moms do this? The truth is that I suppose that if this other mother (whom I have never met) and I were in the same room together, we would get along on a lot of issues. We would probably agree that junk food could be limited in our society today (DUH!). But lets not throw the baby out with the bath water shall we!

Do we need this junk food to live. No, of course not! But it's a nicety. A "some of the time " food that is just a special something. It is sometimes the little things in life, and why should we give those up just because there is the potential for abuse.

My kids are far from overweight. In fact, we have more of a low BMI problem than a high one. I attribute it to two things: high levels of physical activity and genes. It probably doesn't hurt that they do eat fruits and veggies as well. But they are not limited to only these things for snacks. For starters, I am already spending $35 a week on fresh produce, and it is gone 2 days before the week is out. Besides, I grew up on the occasional soda. It was a treat when my mom slipped a fruit roll up in my lunch box. And, as a child, I did cheer upon seeing our van arrive under those golden arches!

We survived. I believe my kids will survive. Far from being child abuse, we believe we are doing our children a favor. We our teaching them an important life skill: "In all things, moderation".

Grocery Prices, Oh My!

2008-07-14T14:38:00.002-06:00

Just kidding! Actually, I think that I am adjusting mentally to the weekly increases in something I usually buy. I have vowed to keep our grocery budget under $150 a week for our family of 6, but it is not always easy. You realize where you can make concessions, and where you hold fast. For instance, I am up to buying almost half store brands, and still looking at switching over to more. I have started cutting coupons fanatically (and only coupons for things that I would buy anyway). I have stopped buying ice cream, except for special occasions *sob*. But lest you think that I am giving up everything, we still get our top of the line coffee. No compromise there unless we HAVE TO!

I have begun to think about even more "from scratch" cooking, even though I already do a fair amount. My problem is that when I add up the cost of making some things scratch, it seems even more expensive. I guess the plus is that you only have to store basic ingredients. Less is more, right?

I am just brainstorming this totally random post because Jennie's got me to thinking "What else could I do to get our budget down?"

No solutions here! So I guess we are off to the pool!

Wal-le

2008-07-09T11:50:00.006-06:00

The oldest three boys and I went to see this movie over the weekend. I had declared that with the price of movies, we would be waiting to see everything on DVD, but hearing so many good things about this movie peaked my interest too much. And I am the rather impatient sort.

It was worth seeing on the big screen. What those Pixar guys can accomplish with computers is incredible. The stories have solid values with clean humor (rare these days). Pixar movies are the only ones we have ever bought on DVD without even seeing the movie. Wal-le was no exception. As I am sure most have heard, it is a great lesson in the dangers of over consumption. Brennan was so bothered with the trashed Earth that he has picked up his room and made his bed all week long. Without prompting! See, this movie is already paying for itself.

But what really hit me was the secondary moral. The humans are so tuned into their computers that they are missing everything around them. They are missing nature. They are devoid of relationships. The sad part is that relationships and finding God in nature-this is what we are created for. It is nice that we can have nice TVS, video games, and the internet. I know that the blogosphere has made my stay-at-home, homeschooling lifestyle a little less isolating. Yet it is so easy to slip into the habit of making electronics more of a focus than the people in my life.

So Wal-le was a lesson I needed even more than the boys. We went to the park this morning. It would have been easy to say no. After all, it was 85 degrees with 95 % humidity at 9AM. I am behind in laundry and dishes (thanks to working on our family room floor). I honestly would have preferred to stay in my pjs. But with this movie fresh in my mind, we went anyway.

We saw the most beautiful dragonflies. We all sat on the big swing together. We played tag. I also learned that I am in abysmal shape! Agghh!

It was so worth it. So worth it that I am thankful that I paid way too much to see this movie. It was just what I needed to see!

Trials of a Three Year Old

2008-07-09T11:44:00.002-06:00

Philip is coloring a Star Wars page. He is such a diligent little worker.

"I want yellow" he says. I hand him a yellow crayon, not really checking to see if it is a true "yellow". It so happens that it is not - it is technically "dandelion".

"This isn't yellow. I want my battle droid to be yellow!" Philip cries out.

After five more tries, we finally find a satisfying "yellow. Ah, if only adult issues were so simple to solve!

I'm Not Alone!

2008-07-07T14:31:00.002-06:00

Colin and I have enjoyed these Demotivational posters for some time. It is hard to admit when something so sarcastic is your idea of top notch humor. I am so relieved to see that respected others like Danielle share our style of humor. It makes me feel just a little bit more normal!

My personal favorite one!

And the Winner Is...

2008-07-01T17:09:00.002-06:00

We live in a neighborhood full of beautiful parks. It boasts a lovely walking trail which even ventures down to the bayou (Houstonian for "drainage ditch"). We often enjoy taking a stroll down to the little bridge to watch birds, turtles, minnows, and frogs. It is one of the boys' favorite outdoor activities.

As Brennan and Nicholas were toddlers, I often thought that we would assuredly have someone end up in that nasty water one of these days. And with Philip and Jonathan adding to the testosterone levels in our family it became a guessing game of "who would be the first one to do it?".

The answer - Philip. And of course that makes total sense. He is the most innately curious of all four of them. Yesterday he got just a little too close to the bullfrog we saw hopping into the water and SPLASH! I rescued the little guy as he screamed "It bit me!".

No, nothing bit him. He just scraped his leg on a rock as he fell - I'm quite sure it felt like a bite. Time will tell who else will join Philip in his exciting experience. Or if Philip will be right back on the edge of the rock next time.

Actually, I'm betting that he will be!

Manners definitely need some work here...

2008-06-30T11:35:00.004-06:00

Brennan: "Look, I'm a shark!"

(He proceeds to pick up his sandwich without hands and vigorously shake his head left and right. Pieces of sandwich fly everywhere.)

Me: "Brennan! That's rude. You don't eat like that!."

Brennan: "But that's how sharks eat."

And this is not an isolated incident. We had read "How do Dinosaurs Eat Their Food". Now when we have spaghetti dinner, Philip will flip his spaghetti "high into the air." Every time.

*Sigh* Boys will be boys indeed!

Happy Birthday Jonathan!

2008-06-30T11:23:00.005-06:00

My precious two year old! You are such a perfect part of our family! You look just like Brennan did at that age. You have Nicholas's facial expressions (and his temper!). And your voice in indistinguishable from Philip's - I never know which of you is calling "Mom" until I get into your room! Yet you are your own person all the same. You love your trucks, especially those Monster trucks. You will eat anything - Thank you! And you give the biggest bear hugs! My only request - please show just a little more fear in the swimming pool. You truly believe yourself to be part fish!

Happy birthday little buddy. We love you!

My monster: The Dirty Dishes

2008-06-06T15:23:00.002-06:00

I hate washing dishes. Seriously, HATE IT. Why? I don't know. There is no rational reason why I would rather be doing just about anything (even waiting for hours in a doctor's office with small ones) than running a load. How horrible is that? I even have a perfectly fine dishwasher, yet still no love for the job. I feel so spoiled!

I am working on keeping a cheerful attitude concerning this household duty. It has to be done. And I do get it done (eventually) But I want to work on my attitude, accepting this task and accomplishing it with an attitude of gratitude. Gratitude that I even have dishes to wash and such pleasant means of washing them.

Even so, I am still looking for any shortcuts. That is when I stumbled across a help in Family Fun magazine. A mom of 8 stated that she also was battling the dirty dishes demon when she had a brilliant revelation: Less is More. So she packed up every glass, bowl, and cup. She bought clear, wide glass bowls, 1 for each person. Everyone decorated his/her own bowls. And that is what they ate off of. If your bowl wasn't clean, you didn't eat! Talk about natural consequences!

She claims this solved her problem. And I am really, really tempted to try it! Maybe I can conquer my own demons as well!

I'm not quite brave enough to take the dive yet! But I am pondering the possibilities...

These Days...

2008-06-05T21:00:00.003-06:00

I cannot believe that it is June already! June! 2008! As in half over!

Where has my time been going? It's not just baseball taking its toll on our schedule (Our seasons ended last week). It is life happening all around me. I feel as if each Monday morning starts, and we carry through our routine. Next thing I know it is Wednesday and we enjoy our morning at the park with dear friends. And then the weekend rolls around, flurrying with activity. And Monday comes again...

It is with this that time flies. Colin and I celebrated our 10th anniversary a few weeks ago with dinner at a restaurant which we had been wanting to try for awhile and a viewing of Indiana Jones. Brennan and I finished reading Prince Caspian and then went and saw it in the theater (Yes, I went to the movies two weekends in a row - when was the last time that happened? College, probably!). And my baby MY BABY BOY will be TWO on Saturday! Ahhh!

Sometimes I just wish time would pause for a moment. The whirlwind would stop momentarily and allow me to savor the present. But then I realize that time will not slow down. I instead have to make the best use of the time that I have.

So tonight I did the best thing that I have done in a long while. I left the dirty dishes in the sink. Our van is not cleaned out like I had hoped. The pile of books is still on the living room floor. But tonight I pulled each one of the boys mano a mano. Each boy picked his book and we read together, just the two of us. And best of all, I did not rush through, discouraging any commentary from my little listener. And we talked together. It took an hour and 20 minutes to go through all 4 of them, but it was time well spent.

I know that it would not be practical to accomplish this every night. Dishes, laundry, and such have to get done. Yet I do hope that I remember tonight, and do not let this become a one time event. It was just so worth it!

Happy Birthday to Nicholas!

2008-05-13T20:06:00.002-06:00

My special 6 year old! I know sometimes that I can become frustrated with your stubborn willfulness, but it is that strong personality that makes you who you are. I know that it will serve you well in life!

You are such a great helper in the kitchen - you love to cook and you are very attentive to the details.

It is a joy to watch you ride your bike - it brings you such obvious pleasure to whiz down the street.

You are reading now...No book is too big for you to tackle.

You are so careful with Jonathan, and he looks up to you so much for it!

I am also so proud that you do your chores (most of the time) without being reminded - you have come such a long way this year!

We love you very much Nicholas! Our family would not be complete without you!

A Perfect Hiding Place

2008-05-12T14:48:00.002-06:00

We took advantage of our gorgeous weather this morning and made a trip to the zoo. In doing so, we discovered the perfect environment for Jonathan - the bird cages!

Lately, Jonathan has developed this high pitched scream that really is quite something. Seriously, the neighbors probably believe that we are torturing something over here. In all honesty, it is merely the result of life not going the way in which my 23 month old wishes it would.

But with all of the squawking birds, his screeches merely blend into the melee. It is actually pleasant. I also think that Jonathan was a bit unnerved that his own vocal contributions weren't quite as noticeable.

We need to visit again soon.

Rainy day Karaoke

2008-05-05T13:49:00.002-06:00

While we have a flash flood in our midst, we are busy inside. The oldest three are trying to have a karaoke hour, singing songs from their "Kids Favorites" CD. Such rousing tunes as "Five Little Monkeys" and "My Little Red Wagon". Except that karaoke turns to competition, and taking turns morphs into trying to shout out the other two. My head!

The amazing thing is that Jonathan is still sleeping through this.

On other notes, I tried my best to ruin my strawberry plants. I saw standing water in one bin with my best plant. I decided to drain it by tipping it slightly. Except that I got a little greedy, and out came my plants. The good news is that they came out in one piece, so I made an attempt to replant them. They look sloppy, but seem to be well rooted. I guess only time will tell...

See, not everything is the boys fault!

First Things First

2008-05-03T20:14:00.003-06:00

Me to Brennan: You're becoming such a handsome young man (Moms can indulge in these comments, right?)

Brennan: No I'm not. I'm still a boy

Me: But you'll be a man some day.

Brennan: Yes, but I have to get a lot more teeth out first!

Garden Casualty, Numero Dos

2008-04-30T19:56:00.003-06:00

Nicholas picked blueberries for me yesterday. Except that they were still green. And he picked about 4 dozen.

I should probably fence the whole garden in, but the boys do enjoy exploring there. And what a learning opportunity! We have had a fabulous time, finding (and relocating) caterpillars, trying to identify them and even little experiments to see which leaves are their favorites.

I may not have much of a garden come June (the Houston summer will probably do it in by then anyhow), but I can definitively say that we have enjoyed the process!

Happy Birthday!

2008-04-21T12:39:00.003-06:00

And speaking (below) of that awesome husband of mine, he celebrates his birthday today! Happy birthday honey! We all love you very much!

The cake for today - Yellow cake with chocolate chips topped with chocolate fudge icing!

Tis the Season

2008-04-21T12:18:00.008-06:00

Have I fallen off of the face of the Earth lately? Judging by the (lack of) phone calls to family and the absence from this blog, you might think that I have! But alas, I am here. Between the prep work for next school year and baseball, things have been hopping.

Did I mention the baseball? The last several weeks have seen us at the field an average of 5 nights a week. That's only with a 7 and 5 year old! Next year, Philip gets to start. I used to joke that with four boys, we should really look into those houses across the street from the baseball/soccer fields. I am still saying this, only I am no longer joking.

Although it may sound like I am complaining, I am not. Really. I LOVE sports. Especially baseball. I grew up attending baseball games left and right. Spring break often times found us traveling to someone's spring training camp in either Florida or Arizona. And the most memorable date that Colin and I had was a Chicago Cubs game at Wrigley field. We were headed to Virginia to visit my Grandma, and he planned to trek out of the way to Chicago because I had always wanted to attend a game at Wrigley. How awesome is he!

So I don't mind all of the baseball this time of year brings. And besides, with needing two uniforms cleaned several times a week, I might even get my laundry caught up!

Thoughtful

2008-04-16T17:32:00.001-06:00

I am so glad that my young, almost 2 year old wants to share. And I am hungry. But the pretzel with all of the salt licked off?

I think that I'll pass.

A Job Well Done

2008-04-09T12:26:00.002-06:00

People who work in Marketing really know what they are doing. Especially when you work for the big guys.

Disclaimer: My kiddos watch oh so little TV. We don't have cable, and 99% of what they view is on DVD. So what gets through to them is pretty good.

Brennan and Nicholas were playing in the toy kitchen today. Brennan informed me "We got hungry for a snack, so Nicholas and me(I) decided to have a happy meal."

McDonald's should be proud.

Eclectics are us

2008-04-08T13:09:00.004-06:00

This weekend, I attended our Catholic Homeschoolers conference here in Houston. The key note speaker was none other than Laura Berquist. Wow! Talk about inspiring! It almost made me rethink our dismissal of the Classical method. Almost.

I agree with her principles and many of her goals. I even bought and attempted the Kindergarten lesson plans with Brennan last year. Attempted I say, because we made it through about 12 weeks. That's it.

Our problems seemed to be in every subject (well, almost). Math, I was using Horizons because I thought the Golden Step Ahead workbooks would be too lax. Looking at her curriculum down the road, I struggled with the notion that the kiddos would not have any Calculus in high school, much less the two years of it that I had received. And Science seemed weak. We were taking the 100 Easy Lessons book way faster than she had stated. I thought she went straight to Writing Road to Reading (I was wrong, BTW). And after the fourth week, Brennan cringed every time I told him that it was time to draw the Bible story. This from the kid who loves to draw.

So this year we went all Charlotte Masony, with a little of this, a little of that! Things went much better. We incorporated some of the Mater Amabilis curriculum (Science and Literature - the rest didn't work out). We kept with Horizons and took up Handwriting Without Tears. For Phonics, I finished out Little Stories For Little Folks - Brennan dislikes them too, however. Before you believe him not to be a reader, let me clarify. Brennan loves to read. He just loves to read what he deems interesting. Everyone keeps telling me to let him go at it. So I have. This month he has read : Titanic: Lost and Found, the entire Usbourne Time Traveler book, Magic Tree House:Revolutionary War, Amazing Sharks, Amelia Bedelia, and Birthday Ban in Munchkin Land. He is reading.

The dilema is that I feel rather crazy, bouncing around from curriculum to curriculum. And even though Elizabeth Foss's fabulous book tells me otherwise, I cannot help but feel I need a curriculum. Something to give me a general direction with the freedom to tweak here and there. As a result of my crazy search, I (think) I have made a decision to go with Sonlight next year. I worry a little about it not being Catholic, but hey, what better way to learn our faith than to see the differences between Catholic and Protestant beliefs.

Until I change my mind again next year! They'll just have to label us Eclectic, I guess!

Quiet

2008-04-04T20:23:00.003-06:00

I was so inspired by Elizabeth's post that I have not posted in two days - and why? Because I am finally going to get the wallpaper off of the rest of our master bath and get it painted.

I've been saying "but the master bath is just for us - no hurry". That is why it has been like that for almost a year - enough!

It is for us. And that is just enough!

This should also count for my new month's resolution.

So glad that our Math program is working

2008-04-02T08:48:00.002-06:00

Happy Birthday to me! The boys get excited about each family member's birthday, mostly because it means something fun and exciting will happen. Last night we had my Baskin Robbins Ice Cream cake, which followed everyone's favorite dinner, Chicken Divan with Rice. Present number one: No one complained about dinner last night!

And today, the actual day, we will go to our favorite seafood restaurant for dinner. I am so excited! This is where my husband and I would eat every other Friday night before we had kids. Now it is more of a once a year thing. It is especially nice since we really gave up on eating out about 9 months ago. We now only dine out once a month, and it is almost always fast food or the pizza or chinese buffet. I cannot wait for dinner tonight! And present number two: No kitchen to clean tonight! I am on a roll...

In the boys excitement at breakfast, they talked about when their own birthdays would be arriving. And they discussed how old they each will be. At which Brennan popped up with "Hey Mom. How old are you today?".

Not feeling too down about it, I promptly replied "I'm 32 today.".

Brennan thoughtfully chewed on his toast, and then responded "That's a lot older than 7!" Present number 3: My son's Math skills are growing.

I cannot wait to see what my day brings next!

I Never Learn, Do I?

2008-04-01T17:48:00.006-06:00

You might think that after last week's unsupervised backyard adventure, I would be out there with Philip and Jonathan for a little while. But alas, Nicholas needed a little more help finishing up schoolwork, and so I turned the other three loose into the wild outdoors (aka our backyard). When Nicholas and I rejoined the group, I discovered this lovely sight.

Philip was so thoughtful as to "help a brother out" and run the hose to make this delicious looking muddle. Such the go getter!

Actually, I prefer this surprise to last weeks. After all, this all comes out in the wash. I still have not located the rest of my cucumber seeds to do some replanting.

Living in a Fantasy Land

2008-03-31T14:15:00.003-06:00

Sure we live in Houston. And yes, I know that it is coming up on April and the temps are already hitting near the 90's. But Philip will not be deterred. These are the two books that we will be rechecking out once again for a new 6 weeks.

Seriously, we should probably just buy copies already. This item is on our next Amazon order for sure! It is incredibly frustrating for Brennan when we only get to keep his favorite listening CD for two weeks, and then have to return it to the library and wait for our turn on the request list to come up again!

The best medicine

2008-03-27T16:37:00.005-06:00

Laughter. It really can put situations into perspective.

Like when you go outside to retrieve your 5 year old, who needs a dousing in the shower (We won't get into the why - just that we have been dealing with the remnants of a nasty stomach bug). Of course I leave the others in our nice safe fenced backyard. Because they couldn't really get hurt.

But they can find trouble. And find it, they did. I got Nicholas out of the shower and found Brennan reading in the living room, leaving Philip and Jonathan outside unattended.

I found them safe, sound, and into mischief. They were both sitting in the garden, digging up every new cucumber plant that had sprung from the ground. Every single one of them.

Philip smiled proudly and proclaimed "Look Mom! We are helping you weed!". With all of this gardening help, it will probably require a miracle for my little plants to make it.

What can I do? After the momentary shock, followed by a timeout, we hugged. And laughed. It really is the best medicine.

And a post all its own...Coloring Eggs!

2008-03-24T18:40:00.004-06:00

Happy Easter!

2008-03-24T18:32:00.004-06:00

Of course I cut Philip off partially on the one decent picture! THe other dozen weren't anywhere near as good.

And chocolate sensation!

Gangsta Wannabe

2008-03-24T18:20:00.004-06:00

Brennan: "Hands up! Do as I say, or I'll play you a tune on my violet."

And Philip uses his Kids Knex to build a handy dandy machine gun!

Yes, yes. This gangster (attempt at) talk comes from TV. Specifically from the old Underdog cartoons.

So nice to have TV back, huh!

Digging out the Old Stuff

2008-03-13T13:48:00.003-06:00

Every once and a while I actually benefit from my clutter bug gene.

Like all of those "Little Saints" preschool program manipulatives that I copied and cut and laminated in my sheer joy of beginning my oldest (then 3 years old) on school. They have come in quite handy lately. With that same child, now 7.

Odds and Evens? So much easier when you have the cute brown and orange monkeys which you can hang on and off a clothesline according to the story (odd or even monkey?)

Months of the year/Days of week - Those little train cars are wonderful.

And best of all are the "Sense of smell" cups. 4 Years later, and the cinnamon, cloves, lemon juice, perfume, and vanilla still smell great. The old coffee beans? Not so good.

I knew fresh coffee was a really great thing! :)

My Little Helper

2008-03-03T12:28:00.002-06:00

Jonathan is such a great helper. A regular "Monkey see, monkey do" kind of guy. He unloads the silverware from the dishwasher. He picks up toys. He even puts books back on the shelves.

I know, I know, I'm one lucky gal. Lucky to the point that as I was in the shower this morning, Jonathan decided to "help" some more. Apparently the phone rang. None of the older boys bothered to answer it, so Jonathan was up for the job. He got the phone, ran into my bathroom, and threw it at me. Unfortunately, I didn't realize that he had THE PHONE and now our brand new phone doesn't work. After all, how many pieces of electronic equipment enjoy a good soak?

Hopefully it will work when it dries out. Until then, I need to find a way for Jonathan to NOT be quite so helpful next time.

Perspective

2008-02-28T08:35:00.003-06:00

The boys and I have been talking about snow this month. We've made our craft snowmen, and read some great winter time books. You really have to "invent" the season of winter when you live in a place where "Brrr Cold!" means it is below 50 degrees.

So for perspective, I showed the boys this blog picture.

Brennan's response shows our Houstonian perspective well - "Mom, that must be where the Eskimos live!".

Book Club Time!

2008-02-27T22:43:00.006-06:00

It's time to discuss "The Christmas Box".

Brief Synopsis for those who have not read this book - A young family which is struggling to get by financially answers an ad for a live-in family to cook and do lawn work for an elderly lady. After they settle in, the father begins to have strange dreams in which he envisions a stone angel. As he becomes swamped with his work and his duties as the family's provider, the dream haunts him more often. When the older lady finds out that she is dying, she determines to impress upon the young father the importance of not letting work get in the way of family time together with his wife and young daughter. Very brief, but you kind of get the gist :).

There is a definite lesson to be taken from this short story - Never take any moment for granted. Savor each person in your life, each and every day. This really hits home for me right now.

I have always loved small children. I never wanted to do anything else except have lots of little ones and spend my day playing games, reading books, and makings lots of great crafts with my kids. After Brennan was born, I embraced this dream wholeheartedly. When Nicholas joined us, I remember sitting on the floor with the two of them, living the moment. I remember nothing but the joy.

Something has happened over the past few years. Life has intervened more often. I have found myself "getting through" the boys' routine, but for what? Nothing too worthwhile. It was such a subtle transition in my mind that I hardly realized that it had taken place.

The lesson from reading this book has brought my altered priorities into the light in a very real way. I suddenly realize that my guys are growing up all too fast. I have spent the last week attempting to get back to "savoring each moment" (Hence the light blogging :) ). When they go out to play, I normally would get on the computer. The past few days I have joined them outside instead. I have refused to answer the phone for large parts of the day. The TV has been on less and we have been reading lots of books.

To top it all off (sometimes God is really trying to get a message into my head!), Brennan's Religion lesson today tied into this topic beautifully. It was the story of Jesus and the Children. In closing, the book stated "We should also have special care for children and love them as Jesus loved them". What a difficult challenge for moms each day! Yes, it is easy for me to say that there is housework that has to be done and meals to cook. These reasons are all true, and it might be necessary to reject a child's request for a book or help at a particular moment. But often times I find myself merely using those words as an excuse. It comes back to saying "yes" whenever you possibly can to a child's request, especially when it is a very real need for attention, for love. To respond to them just as Jesus would have.

This week has been fantastic. I feel like I have reconnected with each of my boys (all 4 of them). This has been my gift from reading "The Christmas Box". I truly hope that I don't forget this important lesson again!

Nutmeg has her incredibly insightful thoughts as well. Emily also has her post up too! Celeste has a fantastic post up - Thanks!

Anyone else?

Feeling the Love

2008-02-20T09:04:00.002-06:00

We were outside in the front yard enjoying the beautiful weather. Jonathan was in the neighbor's yard, listening to their teenage boy practice the drums. Philip came up to me, tackling me with a big bear hug. As I sat with Philip in my arms, Jonathan suddenly realized what was happening. He immediately ran over to us, arms out wide, chattering "Mom, mom". Or so I thought.

As he arrived closer, I heard him more clearly. And he was not saying "Mom". It was a distinct "Mine, mine" chattered over and over. With those words he ran headlong into me, knocking Philip out of my lap. Jonathan can pack quite a punch for a featherweight, momentum and all.

Seeing that he was now the only little boy in my lap, he sighed rather contendedly.

The real question is do I feel more loved? Or do I feel like a security object, much like a favorite toy?

Probably both. And I'll take it (And yes, we will teach him to share Mom's lap with the others. The other boys never did this. Jonathan sure has an interesting personality - very mild mannered, until there is something that he really wants. Then, watch out!)

Escape Artist

2008-02-18T15:43:00.002-06:00

I know, I know. With four little boys, we should have dealt with this problem already, but we haven't. Jonathan can now climb out of his crib. With great dexterity, he can pull himself up and over the rail.

Why haven't we gone through this with the others? Well, Brennan and Philip were both evicted from the crib at 18 months due to the arrival of the next sibling. Nicholas wasn't the climber that the others were, and was very content to stay cuddled in his bed.

Now with Jonathan's newfound ability, questions emerge. Do we keep putting him back? Do we get Philip a twin bed and give Jonathan the toddler bed? And if we do that, what do we do with the crib? I cannot bear to take it down, even (hopefully) temporarily! As trying as it may be at times, I am not ready to be a house without a baby!

Decisions, decisions!

And just one more before bed...

2008-02-16T22:05:00.002-06:00

I will host the Bloggy Book Club on Feb. 28th. We are reading "The Christmas Box" and it is 80 quick pages, so you still have time! And if you find yourself with loads of extra time (hahaha), you can also read the two backstories "Timepiece" and "The Letter". I read all three this last week and I could not put them down!

Hope you can join us!

And because this deserves its very own post!

2008-02-16T21:58:00.003-06:00

Brennan has done it! He can officially ride his bike without training wheels or any help (even without a little push!) It has been exhilarating to watch him overcome his fears and zoom around our cul-de-sac. Although I will admit that now it is hard to watch as he has gone from scared to daredevil overnight. We might want to realize some limitations, like no jumping curbs and definitely no purposely trying to play "bumper bikes" with your brother!

We are proud of you Brennan! Congrats!

What have we been up to lately?

2008-02-16T21:53:00.002-06:00

Let me tell you just why I have not been able to post as of late:

Science Fair Projects
Valentine's Party
Start of Lenten activities
Sick little people
Finishing that science fair project - In fact, cramming the final details until the last possible minute, which is this weekend. Brennan and I have been working most of today to get his display board together.

*sigh* I really do not want my children to learn procrastination from me.

I Know How the Prodigal Son's Father Felt...

2008-02-07T09:03:00.000-06:00

I lost Jonathan yesterday afternoon. It was only for about 10 minutes, but of course it felt like an eternity. The weirdest (or funniest) part was that I lost him in our house. It's definitely not a mansion, so there is some humor to it.

I was finishing up Math with Brennan and Nicholas. I had Philip playing under my feet. I turned to put Philip and Jonathan down for their naps and then I realized that I hadn't seen Jonathan in about 15 minutes. In fact, I couldn't think of where I last saw him.

I called for him, looking in the bedrooms. Nothing. Now Jonathan does like to hide, but usually when I call for him I can hear him giggling. Not this time. So I check closets, the laundry room - level two. Still nada. Now I start to panic.

I make sure the front door is still bolted and the blinds are still down over the back door. Yes and yes. I check the garage - door still closed. And now the tears start to flow.

This sudden emotion sparked quite different reactions in my oldest two as I quickly pleaded for their help in finding him. Nicholas came and patted me on the back with a "It's okay, Mom". Brennan went laughing and shrieking into the living room, as if the entire event was just a game. That's my fun loving one!

Yet it was there that Brennan found Jonathan. In the family room. Curled up in the corner between the couch and end table, fast asleep. With an open book over his head.

No picture of it (although it would have made a cute one!). I snapped up my sweet little boy as fast as I could. And then, we all laughed together.

Balanced Diet

2008-02-07T08:59:00.000-06:00

Philip came into the kitchen the other night as I was preparing dinner. "I'm hungry" he roared.

"Well, dinner will be done in a few minutes." I replied.

"I'm a skeleton." Philip exclaimed. "I eat bones and apples!"

Where do they come up with these things?

Pancake Day: The Sequel

2008-02-05T18:02:00.000-06:00

Last year, we celebrated Pancake Day, the day before Ash Wednesday. Traditionally, this is a day that all of the white flour and sugar is used up in preparation for Lent. We had a blast with the pancake races (running while flipping a pancake in a pan) and I had every intention of making these festivities a tradition.

I almost forgot. In fact, I would not have even thought about it if it hadn't been for an innocent request at breakfast this morning.

"Mom, can we have pancakes today?" My 7 year old asked.

As I pondered his request, I remembered. Tomorrow is Ash Wednesday. Today is Pancake Day!

"Absolutely." I replied. We even held our races. Indoors, due to the weather, just like last year.

I'm sure Brennan didn't realize what day it was when he made his request. Even so, the reminder was just perfect!

Thoughts on Decluttering continued...

2008-02-04T15:19:00.000-06:00

We were on a family retreat with our parish this weekend. The boys loved romping through the woods. Brennan and Nicholas got to go on their first ever canoe ride with Dad. And Philip became best friends with the camp goose. Actually, I am not sure if the "friendship" was a two way street. It would be more accurate to say that Philip loved the goose and spent the weekend stalking it. I bet that poor thing is glad we are home again!

The talks this weekend centered on the Beatitudes. It dawned on me that I had not ever studied them in depth. And they can be quite deep. Each family was challenged to live out a Beatitude this Lenten season. We chose the first - "Blessed are the poor in spirit".

It is interesting on how things sneak up on me. I don't believe that our family has that much in the way of material goods because, after all, look at what so and so has. The clutter builds, and I think that we need more space to store the things.

Last month we began systematically going through each room of our house, getting rid of that which is not necessary. The family room and master bedroom are done. I am surprised at how hard it has been. Yet it has also been freeing at the same time. I am beginning to understand just why Christ asked His followers to leave what they had. I also know that this must have been excruciating. After all, I am having difficulty giving up items that are much less significant. How could they have left it all behind?

Our family may be out of our league with this "Blessed are the poor in spirit" business! At least I am! But I do know that God appreciates any effort I give, however small. Someone shared with me that "Clutter in the home is clutter in the heart.". My goal for this Lenten season is to free up both my home (nd my heart) so that I can truly offer it all up to Him. That is my resolution for this Lenten season.

As a part of the fun, I am going to keep track of just how many van loads of stuff we can haul out of here. So far the count is two!

Painting, Quilting, and Decluttering, Oh My!

2008-01-29T17:46:00.000-06:00

Colin is out of town this week. It doesn't happen often, so when it does hit us it is weird. Now, I do get quite a lot of work done. So far I have finished Philip's quilt and painted our master bedroom. I have been using this fabulous book to get the junk out of our cozy abode. (You should see the piles of stuff leaving our house! It is awesome!) I don't feel obliged to cook a big dinner for the boys as they are thus far content with eating chicken nuggets and frozen pizza. So the kitchen even stays clean!

But despite our productiveness, we cannot wait for Dad to be home again! We cannot wait for life to be a bit more normal!

And pictures of the quilt and rooms are coming, as soon as the camera battery is charged again. Ah...some things never change! :)

Every Problem has a Solution

2008-01-24T11:43:00.000-06:00

Nicholas: Mom, can I ride my bike.

Me: No. It's raining, cold, and besides it is getting dark.

Nicholas: Oh, okay. So I just need a coat, an umbrella, and a flashlight?

This looks like fun...

2008-01-17T12:26:00.000-06:00

...And after reading Celeste's, I am motivated.

1. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE? Not my first name. Mt middle name, Elizabeth, was also my Mom's, Grandma's, and Great-Grandma's middle name. Time will tell if we will have a daughter of our own to pass it on to.

2. WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU CRIED? Last night.

3. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING? Not at all. I got all A's in school until third grade where we were first graded on handwriting. I received a C- and cried and cried and cried. Now I sort of accept the fact that my writing is horrid.

4. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCH MEAT? Oven roasted turkey breast.

5. DO YOU HAVE KIDS? Four.

6. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU? Yes.

7. DO YOU USE SARCASM A LOT? Absolutely.

8. DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS? Yes.

9. WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP? No way!

10. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL? I am not really a cereal person. I do like Post's Blueberry morning, but is expensive.

11. DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF? I hate shoes. When I do wear them, I kick then off with my feet. And I slip them back on without untying them. Lazy, huh!

12. DO YOU THINK YOU ARE STRONG? Yes.

13. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM? Blue Bell Rocky Road!

14. WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE? Their eyes.

15. RED OR PINK? Pink.

16. WHAT IS THE LEAST FAVORITE THING YOU LIKE ABOUT YOURSELF? I also worry obsessively.

17. WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST? Colin definitely. Fortunately he only travels once a year.

18. WHAT COLOR PANTS AND SHOES ARE YOU WEARING? Black pants and no shoes (of course).

19. WHAT WAS THE LAST THING YOU ATE? Sausage Egg English Muffin and my coffee of course!

20. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW? He-man.

21. IF YOU WERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE? Purple.

22. FAVORITE SMELLS? A fire in the fireplace. Pumpkin spice candles. Anything baking in the oven.

23. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE? Colin.

24. FAVORITE SPORTS TO WATCH? Football, Basketball, Baseball, Tennis. If we had cable, I would probably have ESPN on all day long. Which is a good reason for us NOT to have cable.

25. HAIR COLOR? Black.

26. EYE COLOR? Dark Brown.

27. DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS? Yes. Oh, I am blind!

28. FAVORITE FOOD? Turkey dinner with all of the fixings.

29. SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDINGS? Happy endings.

30. LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED? Bourne Identity.

31. WHAT COLOR SHIRT ARE YOU WEARING? Grey sweatshirt.

32. SUMMER OR WINTER? Fall.

33. HUGS OR KISSES? Hugs.

34. FAVORITE DESSERT? Chocolate Cheesecake with a raspberry sauce.

35. WHAT BOOK ARE YOU READING NOW? In This House of Brede.

36. WHAT IS ON YOUR MOUSE PAD? The mouse pad was carried off by a little boy long long ago.

37. WHAT DID YOU WATCH ON T.V. LAST NIGHT? American Idol.

38. FAVORITE SOUNDS? A baby's belly laugh. That one will cheer you up every single time.

39. ROLLING STONES OR BEATLES? Beatles.

40. WHAT IS THE FARTHEST YOU HAVE BEEN FROM HOME? Hawaii

41. DO YOU HAVE A SPECIAL TALENT? Not sure. I am sort of a "jack of all trades master of none".

42. WHERE WERE YOU BORN? Carlisle, Pennsylvania

Grocery Shopping with 4 Boys

2008-01-16T17:02:00.000-06:00

Step one: Plan your attack. I cannot emphasize this enough. Write down exactly what you are going after, preferably in the order that you will approach each item in the store if you start at the produce and work your way aisle by aisle.

Step two: Deep breath. Hustle all 4 across the parking lot, telling 7 year old to slow down, 5 year old to hurry up, and hang on to other two. This may not be easy as the 3 year old will most likely be trying to wrestle his hand out of yours so he can race through the cars.

Step three: Buckle all four boys down in the special car buggy. Proceed to go aisle by aisle, gathering items on list. Just throw in the basket and go. Exchange knowing smiles with other moms wrestling their own children in the carts (strangely enough, their children are boys as well).

Step four: Reach the foil trays. Realize that these are a little pricey, and that there is no generic brand. Pause to think if you really want to spend that much on something that will be thrown away. Boys realize that the cart has been still for 30 seconds. Boys start to tussle. Realize that you don't have time - just pay for them this time and start moving again.

Step five: This is it! Get all of the items onto the checkout stand. Warn 5 year old that he is getting a bit too loud - use that inside voice! Retrieve 3 year old's discarded shoe. Pick up 1 year old who is now fussing.

Load the car and drive. Hustle everyone into the house. Exhale.

Side note: Rainy days, where boys have been cooped in all day are not good errand days. At all.

Zoo Quotables

2008-01-15T14:19:00.001-06:00

Our trips to the zoo always leave me with the most hilarious collection of "obviously boy" quotes. Today's additions:

Nicholas: "I want to see some lions. I want to see ones who are eating zebras."

Me to Brennan: "See those long grizzly bear claws. Those help him climb and dig."
Brennan: "Yea. They help him kill people too!"

It might be obvious to you by now that we have seen several National Geographic videos as of late. The oldest two are enthralled by them. One might believe that seeing wild animals viciously attack (and eat) each other might be disturbing to a 7 and 5 year old. But apparently not boys. It looks like our next rabbit trail will be learning about the food chain.

And of course Philip continues to stomp through the zoo, making his best impression of an elephant!

Jonathan liked the pigs. The big black farm pigs. The pigs were quite vocal today, walking right up to the fence and oinking loudly. Jonathan found this absolutely hysterical! This pig thing might even be genetic. When Brennan was 4, I found him with the garden hose on, making a big mud pile. When I asked him why he was doing that, he very nonchalantly replied "I am making a mud hole, so that I can get a pig. A real one."

Maybe a puppy isn't looking so bad after all!

First Sentence

2008-01-11T10:19:00.000-06:00

Jonathan did it! He put together his first, unmistakable sentence this morning!

As it is a regular part of our routine these days, I was wrestling Jonathan in order to get that pesky shirt over his head. He clearly said "I don't want it!" as he fought getting dressed with all his might.

"I don't want it!". The perfect first sentence for a toddler. I cannot believe the other three boys didn't say this one first either!

Rave Reviews

2008-01-08T10:46:00.000-06:00

From the "things that only a boy would say" files:

Brennan, after finishing his dinner last night (which was not one of his favorite meals): "Mom, I finished all my dinner. And I didn't even throw up!"

It's our turn now

2008-01-04T09:21:00.000-06:00

I remember reading a little while back about another blogger's little boy who smeared Vaseline in his hair. I read the suggestions about how to get the stuff out of his hair with amusement, but silly, naive me, I made a mistake. I didn't copy them for myself!

Jonathan smeared Vicks vapor rub in his hair last night. I am thankful that it did not get in his eyes! I cannot, for the life of me, get it out of his hair!

On the plus side, just snuggling my sweet little boy also provides me with relief from allergy congestion. Awesome!

Well Trained Child

2008-01-02T09:28:00.000-06:00

I have been using the buzzer on the oven lately to help me be more consistent. My hope is that now when I tell the boys that they have 5 more minutes, it really will mean 5 minutes and not thirty because I'm incredibly absentminded these days.

So this morning I set the buzzer for the boys to get dressed. Setting that buzzer really works. Knowing that the buzzer was set jump started the older boys into gear (at least today). They were finished way before the buzzer sounded.

And of course, I had forgotten that I had set it. So as I rushed to shut it down, I was greeted with a hilarious sight. Little Jonathan had my oven mitts on and was opening the bottom oven, looking for whatever it was that he was supposed to be getting. And saying one of his favorite words "Hot" and blowing "whoo, whoo).

I am grateful that this absent minded mom has some really great help around here.

Bicycle Tales

2007-12-31T19:08:00.000-06:00

I am so glad to have my computer back. A few days ago, I spilled an entire cup of coffee over the keyboard. Needless to say, that keyboard is history!

We have had a great time this past week. Temps in the upper 70's with virtually no humidity - is this really Houston? Lots of bike riding. Brennan is trying so hard to ride without training wheels, but alas, he tends to freak out and bail. Quite literally. He's going along fine, then he senses that the adult has let go of the seat. He immediately dives off of the bike, catching himself on his hands as the bike comes crashing down after him. I really should video tape these things...

Nicholas is very pleased with his new big boy bike. He rides it quite well (training wheels on, of course). Philip now gets the hand me down tricycle. And Jonathan happily scoots along on his bouncy inchworm. Quite a picture.

Today starts the trek back to normalcy. We spent the vast majority of today getting the house back together. Tonight is full of family fun - board games mostly! Brennan really wants to play a complete game of Monopoly. Well, we will see what happens there...

Since tomorrow will be full of football watching, an early Happy New Year to all!

Giving it our best shot

2007-12-25T23:17:00.001-06:00

This is it! Everyone is looking at the camera. Nobody's tongue is sticking out. (Why, oh why does my life remind me of a Calvin and Hobbes cartoon sometimes?) Score one for Mom!!

Merry Christmas everyone!

One Down, Three to Go!

2007-12-24T09:39:00.001-06:00

Nicholas's quilt is finished!

Complete with Snoopy themed squares

Next up is Philip's!

Whew!

2007-12-24T09:05:00.000-06:00

So it's not just me then...

Here is our morning so far...

And never fear! Little elves have duly warned this mama that this little Jedi will be receiving his weapon in about 24 hours. He won't be left out for long!

Actually, that fishing pole is a serious weapon. It has a string which allows that plastic end to swing freely.

I'm just happy that mine is not the only household out of sorts today. I was beginning to feel like a really bad mama! :)

Calling in the Pros

2007-12-19T09:37:00.000-06:00

We had a glorious afternoon yesterday riding bikes. Brennan was doing great practicing his "no training wheels" riding skills when I noticed he had two flat tires. We were down in our cul-de-sac (about 3 houses down) so I told him that he couldn't ride the bike home on account of the tires being flat. I offered to pump them up at the house, if he would bring his bike.

Brennan walked it for about one house length, and then suddenly dropped it on the neighbor's grass and began to follow me without the bike. "Get your bike." I told him.

Brennan merely replied "Oh, I'll come back. But first my bike needs a tow."

My Spiritual Thought for the Day

2007-12-18T09:45:00.001-06:00

I am re-reading (again) A Mother's Rule of Life. There are always insightful new thoughts to be gleaned from each reading of this wonderful book. And my latest rumination is this: Since God is a God of order, and we all need this order in our lives, why oh why did He make some of us (like the author seems to be, and I definitely am) free spirits? Such free spirits that we struggle mightily with anything considered to be routine as dull and monotonous. Is it a character flaw, or can it really be turned into something better?

I sure hope it is the latter! Obviously, the author worked her way past it, so there's hope for me yet! :)

Christmas Shopping: 2007 edition

2007-12-18T09:15:00.000-06:00

I am done. Yes, I should have been done a while back (and I thought that I was) but my dear friend's suggestion of turning to the power of the internet (namely ebay) to look for these books on Nicholas's list led to a bit of a last minute shopping spree. Basically, I found the two books with such ease and at such a good price that I begin to ponder "Hey, what about this truck and this movie that I also could. not. find. anywhere. else.".

The movie was a breeze to find. I actually bought it used from a private collection instead of new from a warehouse, as I have found you more often get an authentic USA version (aka legal) copy this way. And a DVD viewed several times is still just as good - we frequently shop Blockbuster's pre-viewed DVDs.

The fire truck was quite another story. Apparently, I was not the only one looking for this particular item, and there just were not that many out there. I found one, starting at a reasonable price, and I decided to watch it. Even if it arrived a little after Christmas, no big deal. Late one night, I checked the listing, only to discover that someone else, in the same boat as me, asked if the seller would consider a Buy It Now option. Apparently there were two trucks, one of which the seller agreed to place as Buy It Now. I looked for this other listing.

There it was! Just placed on the auction and still available! I scooped it up for a bargain price!

I just discovered that the other truck that was auctioned finally sold for almost thirty dollars more than I paid. I must admit that I feel a little guilty, because I was not the one who asked for the Buy It Now option, yet I am the one who benefited from it. All I know is that there is no way that I could have/would have paid $45 for this wooden truck! I consider it pretty fortunate that I checked in on the item at the time which I did.

All in all, I was pretty impressed with my Christmas shopping on ebay. I need to remember that next year, earlier!

My Christmas Gift

2007-12-17T09:00:00.000-06:00

I don't know if it was actually my Christmas gift, but if so, it was one of the best! My husband took all three older boys to the park yesterday afternoon for an hour and a half. Without any prompting.

I am definitely not a jewelry person. I do like old movies, but there are only so many movies that you can watch anyway. So this time to do as I wished was fabulous. And the best part was that it was so spontaneous, so unexpected.

I had a coffee. I read a book to Jonathan without three other people trying to sit on top of him. I got the dishes done and the living room clean. The school papers were organized. And best of all, it left me time last night to nearly finish Nicholas's quilt! I also have have half of Philip's squares finished.

Thank you, thank you honey!

Narration Gone Too Far Part Two

2007-12-14T10:55:00.001-06:00

I'm sure that this will be an ongoing series with little boys! In this episode, Nicholas takes to performing the story of "The Grinch Who Stole Christmas", a family fav this time of year!

I walk into my bedroom where the boys were watching Cars, only to find Nicholas holding a piece of fabric to his shirt.

"Look at my Santa Claus coat I made" he proudly boasts. I respond with a "That's nice honey", all the while trying to place that fabric. It looks familiar, but I cannot figure out why.

"Where did you get that?" I ask.

Nicholas grins. "I cut it out, like the Grinch!" he exclaims.

Uh oh.

It didn't take long to figure out where the fabric came from. He cut it right out of the middle of my fitted bed sheet. No wonder it looked so familiar!

Jedi Master

2007-12-10T15:47:00.001-06:00

I'm crazy, but this is exciting news! I am now the reigning Jedi champion in my household!

We have this crazy Star Wars plug and play game where a sensor picks up your own lightsaber moves and translates them onto the screen. Really, this game is quite a workout!

And I have now gotten farther on the game than any of the other members of my household (including my husband!).

The things that I never knew that I would be proud of!

I am sure my DH will pass me in no time, but until then I will bask in my victory!

This is how we play...

2007-12-06T20:26:00.000-06:00

Happy St. Nicholas's Day! We thoroughly enjoyed this book today, which led us to a little discussion about Santa Claus and his comings and goings. How interesting, after the discussion on Danielle's blog this week. No, Brennan does not know for sure. Or at least he isn't letting on. Basically, the conversation went something like this:

Brennan: So, St. Nicholas is up in heaven?

Me: Yes.

Brennan: So who is Santa Claus now on Christmas Eve?

Me: (not wanting to over play it, yet also not wanting to give too much away too soon) Well, what do you think?

Brennan: Maybe he comes down from heaven to deliver the gifts?

And then Brennan ran off, without waiting for an answer. That tells me that he is still ready to indulge in the fantasy of it all.

We also watched the CCC video "Nicholas: The Boy Who Became Santa". Which led to the following exchange outside:

Brennan: Hey Mom! Philip is throwing us in jail!

Me: Why?

Brennan: Because we are Christians. I am St. Brendan. And Philip is the Roman guard.

Me: Who is Nicholas?

Nicholas: I'm the Grinch!

Me: The Grinch? Why are you in jail then?

Nicholas: Because the Grinch is a Christian too!

See all of the things that we learn in our household! :)

Hope your day was awesome too!

The Little Things

2007-12-04T08:25:00.001-06:00

Danielle has been posting some thoughts for each day of Advent. Yesterday's reminders hit me particularly - especially the bit about eye contact. I am notoious for listening as I do whatever it is that I am up to. I have always championed myself as the master multitasker, and taken this as a good thing!

Yet I must remember that the little people in my life don't see me multitasking. They equate my lack of eye contact as a lack of attention. So for the rest of this Advent, I am challenging myself to stop what I am doing and make eye contact when a little one is speaking to me. No small task, since my 5 year old constantly has things on his mind!

Deprived Children

2007-12-03T14:38:00.000-06:00

I have enjoyed seeing the pics of everyone else's decorating sprees. Normally I would already have our tree up too, but I have one more thing on my to do list first: paint the living room. This is no small task with those 12 (or 14 is it?) foot ceilings!

The boys are pestering me, however. So maybe, just maybe, we will have the tree up this weekend.

Only time will tell...

Nice Try

2007-12-02T22:46:00.001-06:00

Conversation in our kitchen:

Nicholas: What are you doing?

Me: Making dinner.

Nicholas: (Said nonchalantly) I can't eat dinner. My stomach hurts.

Me: I'm sorry.

Nicholas: I bet if I ate some candy, that would make my stomach feel better!

Foreshadowing

2007-11-27T09:18:00.000-06:00

Apparently Jonathan thinks that I am not getting enough to eat (quite the contrary). His latest craze has been feeding me every time he has food. And Jonathan finds food constantly!

Between my dear son's generosity and the impending holidays, I can already see my New Year's resolution peeking from behind the curtain - lose that extra weight!

Comfort of Routine

2007-11-26T19:41:00.001-06:00

We're back! We really enjoyed our holiday time with all of our family. There is something to be said for the joy of returning to the everyday routine, however. Even the boys seemed more relaxed today (and no complaints about schoolwork! Yea!).

Vacations are great, but it sure is nice to be home!

Oh, and I am looking forward to a relaxed Advent as well. I was one of those crazies out the day after Thanksgiving. Lines were long, but people in Oklahoma City were generally friendly to each other - no fights you hear about on the news! And the bonus - I am done with my shopping, minus one big item that we have to get in a few weeks! Who hoo!

Necessities

2007-11-16T14:08:00.000-06:00

A look in Nicholas's backpack (packed for our trip up to Oklahoma for Thanksgiving):

Snoopy stuffed toy
LarryBoy stuffed toy
Special blanket
A shirt
Soccer ball
Plastic play food - Turkey and bread slices

I guess he is providing dinner!

It seems like yesterday...

2007-11-14T19:53:00.000-06:00

...that I welcomed my firstborn into the world. And now he is 7 years old - it just doesn't seem like it should be so! And then, Brennan has been a part of our lives for so long, I really strain to remember our pre-baby days!

Brennan, you have shown me what it means to sacrifice, and to love completely! From the moment I held you, I wanted to protect you from everything evil in the world. Now that you are 7, you are starting to see the things around you. Yet you don't fret about them as I do. Instead you always remind me that "things will be alright". We can be 20 minutes late to an appointment. I could read about something sad happening elsewhere, and you still will give me your big hug and remind me that "it will be fine, Mom".

You are such a great big brother! You are so careful with your little brothers and cousins, and they look up to you for it too! You jump to their defense when you feel they are being wronged. And they love you!

Happy 7th Birthday Brennan! Hope your day was great! Just always know that Mom, Dad, Nicholas, Philip, and Jonathan love you very, very much! It wouldn't be our family without you!

What you see at the zoo...

2007-11-12T21:42:00.000-06:00

...when you go with a entourage of little boys is this: You might just see the 6 year old howling at the lions. The 5 year old would throw dirt into his hair, just like the elephants. The 3 year old gets on the ground and walks on all fours after a visit with the monkeys. And even the one year old tries a nose dive off of the park, just like his new found friends, the sea lions.

Life with little boys is so much like a zoo. But what a wonderful zoo it is!

Growing up too quickly

2007-11-07T09:33:00.000-06:00

The boys have been enjoying the Do-A-Dot markers lately. So this morning, I let them get the markers out a little early. The pictures all turned out great, but my favorite this morning is Nicholas's.

He started on a blank piece of paper. He drew a happy face. And then he added a beard. Deciding this was ultra cool, he proceeded to add a beard to his own face.

And the critics response? Courtesy of Brennan: "Great beard Nicholas! Now you are a man, just like Dad."

Obligatory Costume Pics

2007-11-06T09:47:00.001-06:00

This year, they only took me a week to get on the computer!

The infamous last minute Captain America! That shield was made from a frozen pizza box! Talk about recycling!

Nicholas really wanted to be Snoopy. Thank goodness he settled for Charlie Brown!

Our scarecrow - Philip really took to Wizard of Oz after a family movie night viewing!

And the baby always looks cute in costume! Although he only wore it for about 4 houses - who could blame him, it was 85 degrees here in Houston!

Choosing to be Thankful

2007-11-06T09:16:00.000-06:00

Today, instead of tensing up at the thought of breaking up the umpteenth fight between all of these little boys, I will instead choose to be grateful that we all have each other. Because the good moments always outweigh the bad.

Thank you Margaret, for reminding me to keep things in perspective!

It's Already Happening...

2007-11-05T10:09:00.000-06:00

When "Spring forward, Fall back" times arrive at our household, my husband changes the clocks around here. He is the fanatic about correct time. Myself, I used to set my clock ahead 20 minutes on purpose, hoping that the jolt might pull me out of bed each morning. Once Colin and I married, this little trait of mine drove him nuts. So instead, the clocks were appropriately set and he would nudge me out of bed (I had to get up earlier than he did).

These years have changed me. I have grown accustomed to our clocks being set to the precise time (Greenwich Mean Time, Central Zone). Yet my husband has had a change of heart. As each time change rolls around, certain clocks get set: our bedroom, the computer, the car. But my kitchen clock doesn't get changed right away. Not until I realize "oh yeah, that time's not right". It happened this morning.

I was congratulating myself on a smooth Monday morning. Lessons were proceeding nicely. Moods were chipper. I think to myself "I have plenty of time for that second cup of coffee before Math". As I am making the coffee, I look at the clock - 11:15! Time for lunch already? In a panic,I start to call the boys in for a rushed Math lesson and I go to quickly check email. Lo and behold, the computer clock says 10:15! Oh yeah! Time to change that kitchen clock...

I am just grateful that I am on time this morning after all!

Trick or Treating Economics

2007-11-01T21:09:00.000-06:00

If you ever went trick or treating (or at least went to a fair which left you with a decent sized candy stash), did you Dad ever help himself to it? My Dad did, so it was no surprise when Colin began to help himself to our own boys' candy each Halloween. But what I love is that Colin never misses out on a teachable moment.

In our house, the boys get a complete lesson in political economics. As Dad raids each Halloween bucket, he responds to each protest with a reasonable explanation - this is his tax that he must levy against the boys, much like the government taxes Dad's paycheck. Sure the boys do the leg work for the candy, but dear Dad provides security and support during the walk. His income provides the overhead that makes the costumes possible. He examines the treats once we arrive back at the house (quality control). Without Dad, the opportunity to earn that candy is impossible, and so he deserves a cut of the profits.

Of course, the boys begin to look at him like he is nuts at this point. I just laugh. After all, he does make a good point. Besides, my Dad never offered up that good of an explanation!

My Bad Habit

2007-10-31T09:40:00.000-06:00

I tend to procrastinate. Try as I might to get things done ahead of time, something always gets left until the last moment. All to often, too many somethings.

It was because of this mighty character flaw that I spent Monday night (missing Heroes!) going to a total of 6 stores in an attempt to piece together three last minute costumes. It was this flaw, coupled with my inability to pay $20-$30 for a silly costume, that I was up until 1 AM last night making Captain America's helmet "just so".

But we are now ready for tonight - yes, we do trick or treat around our cul-de-sac. The boys have great fun with the neighbors kids, and it is like one big happy family! And then tomorrow is the pinnacle, All Saints Day. A great day where my husband takes off of work, and the boys and I skip our sports practices. We go to Mass, and then spend the day together (usually outside!). Our parish also has a Saints Superheroes Party tomorrow night.

I love holidays! It is just the prep work that gets me! But now it is over - let the fun begin!

Trials and Tribulations

2007-10-29T13:13:00.000-06:00

Oh yes, it is potty training time once again here in our humble abode. Philip is officially training as of last week, and I have to say that so far he has been the easiest of all of my boys. For starters, he willing comes to the bathroom when I remind him to go, and he will even go all on his own initiative. That is impressive compared to my first two.

But like his brothers, he has underwear issues. Namely, he insists that the ultra cool design be IN FRONT (where he can see it) instead of in the back which is where it is supposed to be. And a fight will ensue if I dare suggest that the underwear should be returned to their proper (aka more comfortable) position.

We have been here before. He will eventually figure out that while it is cool to have the design in plain eyesight, it is not worth the wedgie that inevitably occurs when underwear is facing the wrong direction.

Live and learn, dear Philip!

Book Review: Left to Tell

2007-10-24T18:54:00.000-06:00

What an incredibly moving book! I was slightly familiar with the Rwandan genocide, but what a moving account to read the details of a survivor. Not only was this an enlightening read in and of itself, but also the story of faith and even more fascinating, a huge lesson in how to forgive, were just astounding. I am unsure of where to begin, but I will attempt this as best as I can.

The story drew me in immediately. I was at first struck by the politics of it all. I can so relate with school as being my own first experience with racial issues. As she talked of a lack of awareness of racial differences, I nodded in agreement. I did not ever hear the terms "black, white, hispanic" in my home, or notice that anyone was anything other than a person until I was in school. It was a huge shock, very unsettling. As I read of her experiences with this (of course to a much larger degree than I ever experienced), I could not help but notice the irony of it all: The former minority punishing the new minority in retaliation for past injustices. I could go on about the politics of Rwandan history and some parallels to our own society, but that is not the shining gem in this story.

Next, I noticed her blossoming faith as events began to unfold. Her very real, haunting accounts of Satan's temptations hit me deeply. It is amazing how she was able, in such dire circumstances, to keep at bay these very real and overwhelming whispers at a time when her faith was most vulnerable. The author also underlines the importance of those "rote prayers". Especially in the darkest times, her faith clung to those prayers and pulled her through all of the muck around her. This struck me so because it was a reminder that even when we feel totally in a free fall with wolves nipping at our feet, God can always pull us through if we only hold on with our faith. Faith is such a vital component to our lives, one that we cannot ever afford to let go of.

But most of all, the story of forgiveness got me. At the end of Chapter 11, as she likened the killers to "children who do not realize what they do", I was dumbfounded. As she wrote about "how they did not understand that they were hurting their brothers and sisters", even through these atrocities that they committed were to her own loved ones, I was in tears. Here was a woman acting out, in the worst of situations, the very same forgiveness that Christ showed us. This woman was modeling Christ's perfect love. Here she was doing the impossible - forgiving without judging the others at all! Forgiving without any remaining ill will or thought of revenge. How incredible! She could truly love those who hated her.

This forgiveness is the pinnacle of her tale. To me, it was the climax of the story. From there on out, she faced mortal danger many times, as well as many more attempts on her faith, but now her faith was bolstered by peace with God. And that peace was only possible with true forgiveness. Could I forgive like that? While I certainly hope I could, I just don't know.

So for me, that is the lasting value in this book - a reminder that we must always forgive, WITHOUT JUDGING. I hope that I will forever hold this lesson in my heart, and act it out in my own life. Thank you for such an inspiring read, Nutmeg!

Fall At Last!

2007-10-23T08:00:00.001-06:00

There is so much that I love about fall. I love the changing trees (although this is not as prevalent down south as it is up northeast). I love the crisp coolness in the air after the hot summer days. I love hot chocolate, and campfires, and hay rides. But my most favorite thing about fall is this:

Little boys in long pajamas. It's hard to get much cuter than that!

What is "In" with the Boys This Season

2007-10-18T07:57:00.000-06:00

What we are finding totally cool this morning.

HT: Mark Shea

Dancing Close to the Edge

2007-10-18T07:36:00.000-06:00

We have not moved jobs since being married over 9 years ago. And so this wonderful house which we purchased eight years ago is still ours. I love our house, and it has really taken this long to get things just so.

But I am starting to feel a bit cramped. My "toss it out" binges have been occurring more frequently, and yet we still feel like we are on top of each other. It has admittedly gotten better now that the rain has slowed, and the heat/humidity have abated somewhat. Yet I still feel the closeness. Which is good. And yet it can at times be not so good.

So we browsed around at houses. We even found a really nice one this weekend. And over the next few days, for the first time in eight years, we really considered a move. The extra space was inviting. More kitchen counter tops, bigger bedrooms for the boys, and an indoor sun room where they could run on those miserable Houston days.

But then again we have issues with change. The thought at leaving not just this house, but OUR HOME, saddened me. The idea of keeping a clean house for showing to potential sellers, all while homeschooling four boys (as well as hiding the cat) terrified me. The unknown - new neighbors, new surge zones, new commutes left us so uncertain.

And so for now we will stay put. I am sure we will feel another need to move again in the future, and maybe we will be more ready next time. But for now, there really is no place like home.

Living on Planet Boy

2007-10-15T11:58:00.000-06:00

Now I am not admitting this of course, but I may or may not have been playing with a big rubber dinosaur today. I may or may not have portrayed this particular creature eating various other toys from around the room, rubber fish, Little People cow, an astronaut, Larryboy... This dinosaur did, of course, occasionally break out into bouts of dancing to the Jimmy Buffet CD we were listening to.

(Yes, the kids do listen to "grown up" music. We just "edit" out the songs that are inappropriate with a handy remote control. It does require me to stay in the room, but gives me a break from kids' music. There's only so much "Barney music" that I can handle in a day!)

I really do enjoy my kids. Best of all, I enjoy getting moments to be a kid myself again. Nothing like getting a little silly with the boys to pull me out of stress or even a bad mood. Because just like Jimmy sang "If we weren't crazy, we'd all go insane!"..

My Birthday Boy

2007-10-12T10:26:00.000-06:00

Philip Benjamin is 3 today, my special "Columbus Day" guy!

Philip had a wonderful Spiderman birthday party over the weekend. At age 3, the party is all about the cake, and Philip didn't let anybody forget it!

Philip is such a loveable sweetheart! How could you not love his big bear hugs each morning, followed by "Mom, did you have a good nap?". He is always so thoughtful! He serves others so well for his age. If you need the silverware put away, he's your man! Can I even brag that he puts the forks, spoons, and knives all in their correct slots? He is always eager to share what he has with his brothers. Philip adores his brothers. He absolutely cannot wait to join them on the sports field.

And now my little guy is three. He is no longer a toddler. He is all boy. And we wouldn't have it any other way! We love you Phil! Happy Birthday, honey!

Lucky Us!

2007-10-11T08:49:00.001-06:00

Have you ever found yourself thinking "I really wish we lived closer together to all of these wonderful people we meet through the blogosphere.". Pictures of idyllic coffee (or tea if you prefer) and mom chat, all while kiddos run through the house, dance through my head. I find myself wishing for the days when everyone lived near family, near friends with like values instead of being separated by miles and miles (or even busy schedules).

As I sit in my self-induced pity party, I then recall the early pioneers. The ones who left their family, their homes to travel out into strange new lands, with nary a soul to keep them company. These travelers might never see their families again, due to the mere distance and rough paths (and here I complain about only getting to see our family a couple of times a year). They might never grow up near cousins. Mail might take weeks to reach destinations, and they certainly didn't have the phone or even internet to keep in touch and form pen pal relationships. How isolating!

It is with those thoughts that I can be thankful for today. Surely I need to be better at setting time aside for the people I do have in close proximity (and I, in particular, am very thankful for several of those dear friends!). But today I am also thankful for the phone calls that I can make to my mom on a regular basis. And everyone I have "met" through the blogoshpere! Thank you to you all! I know for me, it makes our stay at home lifestyle just a little less lonely.

Lost Opportunity

2007-10-09T15:29:00.000-06:00

I just missed out on what would have been a most precious, surely a must blog picture. And now the moment is gone.

I heard an ominous clanking noise in the family room where I thought the boys were playing and listening to music. What I found was Philip and Jonathan, my dear 2 and 1 year olds having a tea party. The fireplace had a lovely play tablecloth spread out with cups, saucers, and plates ready to go. It was so cute.

Why did I not get the picture you might ask? Because they happened to be using my good china! I so panicked that I immediately moved the cups, plates, and saucers out of reach before that veteran mom inside me said "Take a picture!". That's what I get for being so concerned with the things!

I would say maybe next time, but I really don't know if I want to risk the china for a picture. At least not until they are older, and then what are the chances of that happening?

I know, I know. I really messed up, huh!

The best thing about a little rain is...

2007-10-08T16:43:00.000-06:00

...that they bring out some little friends to observe.

Here he is up close!

When Brennan was about 14 months old, he stuffed his finger into the shell of one of these little creatures. It was quite an interesting substance to clean off of his hands! The fascination started early!