I've decided that when I need a break from packing and cleaning in this last week before we exit Stockholm (SIX DAYS!!!), I can spend it blogging about Italy. A productive break, so I won't feel guilty. Note, these breaks are only possible because I convinced Nathaniel that I *must* hire a cleaning service to clean the flat after we leave. I laid in bed for several nights, mind spinning with how I could possibly get the flat adequately cleaned while we were still living in it, and had nightmare visions of trying to get out of the flat as we left for the airport, in a state of complete panic. We may still be in panic mode when we go, but at least it won't be because I'm trying to scrub the oven at the last minute. It's money we don't have, but sometimes you have to invest in your own sanity.
*****
Wednesday in Italy means the morning papal audience! Renee requested our (free but required) tickets months in advance, because she's amazing. Fr Rolling kindly picked them up and delivered them to us at dinner Tuesday. Also at dinner, he gave us some advice on what time to arrive, which security point to enter through, and which seats to head toward for the best views of the pope during his drive through the square. It is SO GOOD to know people in the know.
Nathaniel and I volunteered to go early, around 7am, with a couple of the bigger kids to save seats. Ruth and William volunteered, but come morning, William was still asleep while Henry was awake and fully dressed by the time my alarm went off. I was in awe! So Ruth and Henry accompanied us on a speed walk to the Vatican.
We circled all the way around to the far side to enter at the checkpoint Father had suggested, and waited in line for the gates to open. Unfortunately, just as the line started to move, about 15 minutes after we'd gotten in line and much longer for many of the people ahead of us, the security guards told everyone they had to go through a different entrance and sent us all packing! I have no idea why, but since they run the show and are not required to explain, we headed out with the masses to a different entrance, where we were much further back in line.
As we waited to get to the security point, I could see the seats, and watched people moving in. Father had told us not to bother with the closest two sections, toward which most people would run, but the third section, at the back corner, which the pope would pass twice on his drive. We were nearing security when I saw the first few people heading to that section and taking the seats we'd hoped to score. When we finally got there, there was no hope of being against an edge, but we got seats as near as we could. And we got lucky - someone in the corner had a beautiful baby girl, dressed up in a white christening gown, which was our obvious ticket to extra pope time. Father had even joked, after looking at our kids and noting that none were young enough to be good pope bait, that we should save an extra seat and ask someone with a baby to join us. Pope Francis loves babies!
We settled in for a lengthy wait for the rest of the family. Phil and Renee had a challenge getting to us, as security put them in on the wrong side. We spotted them negotiating with a security guard, trying to get him to let them cross the blocked off center aisle. No go. They had to walk all the way around the back of the square, all the littles in tow, but they made it!
At that point, Nathaniel decided to make a run to the restroom, despite my skepticism about the timing. It was after 9:00, with the audience beginning at 10am, and the pope's drive through the square sometime prior to that. He asked the security guards whether he could expect to get back in and they told him to go. We're not sure in retrospect whether they understood the question, because he did not make it back before they closed things off for the pope mobile. Oops. All that waiting time, and he viewed Pope Francis from much further away. He did still get a view, and he had our videos and photos to enjoy, but bummer.
Pope Francis did, indeed, drive past our corner twice, stopping the second time to kiss the sweet baby girl in front of us, and we all felt honored to be there, so near. A young lady in the row in front of me was in tears of joy. It was moving to see. Once the pope moved up to the podium, the sections were reopened and Nathaniel was able to rejoin our group for the audience.
The audience itself consisted of a reading, read in many (eight?) languages, followed by a short reflection by the pope, which was summarized in all those languages again. It was long and most of it was in languages we didn't understand, but it was an experience we're glad to have had. At the end, the pope offered blessings on all of us and our families and friends back home, so consider yourself blessed! He also offered a blessing on any religious items we had with us. Again, really glad Renee knew about that and tipped us off to do our shopping early. We usually put off souvenirs and gifts to the last minute. This way, we were able to get rosaries and gifts for our godchildren, blessed by Pope Francis.
*****
That was just the beginning of our day! After the audience, Nathaniel and Phil went back to the apartment to drop off all the newly blessed religious goods, while Renee and I found a tiny pizza joint and fed the kids lunch. Delicious! We met the guys at the subway and headed to the Colosseum. Renee had lined up a tour guide to lead us through the Colosseum and Roman Forum. We had a little time to kill, so tried to visit the nearby Basilica de San Clemente, but it turns out many of the church close from noon till 2pm, and we were there at just the wrong time. We spent the time eating gelato and chasing geckos instead. Not the worst swap. I also got stung by a bee - boo! But better me than a kid, or someone with allergies.
As with the churches in Rome, it's hard to adequately describe the ruins and antiquities. You can likely see better photos and get more information online than I can give here, so I won't go into much detail. Our guide, Agnes, was entertaining and great with keeping the kids engaged while still talking to the adults on our level. She walked us around and through the Colosseum, then up Palatine Hill, telling stories and pointing out fun details the whole way, allowing us bathroom breaks as needed (which is often, with nine kids). It was definitely a better experience than when I saw the Colosseum on a trip in college, and we just sort of peeked through a gate, said, "cool!" and moved on (though that's not a hard bar to raise). We happened to run into Agnes several days later, leading a tour at the Vatican Museum, and she was able to point us toward the Raphaels, so it was a good connection to have made. Ha.
I feel like I should have a lot more stories and anecdotes from this afternoon, but my mind is blank beyond the general coolness of the history and the unbelievable cutting edge technology they used in constructing it (they built the Colosseum in just eight years! and they think it had a retractable cover, like the baseball stadium in Phoenix but all manual!). I may have to add more as I remember it.
*****
Our crew (N's and mine) were pretty done by the end of the tour, while Renee's was still up for dining out, so we split up. We headed back to the apartment and sent Marianne and Nathaniel to the grocery store to find dinner food and more breakfast and snack supplies for the next day. A rotisserie chicken and some cold roasted veggies from the deli counter can never taste as good as they do in an apartment in a foreign country after a long day of walking.
Showing posts with label faith. Show all posts
Showing posts with label faith. Show all posts
Thursday, June 21, 2018
Monday, October 26, 2015
Prayers for AJ
I haven't blogged in a month and have a dozen posts I hope to catch up on very soon, as some major events have been checked off the list over the past week and I'm hopeful things are slowing down for a few weeks before holiday hoopla sets in.
Before I get to that light hearted posting, though, I have a serious prayer request.
AJ is Nathaniel's cousin and a dear friend of ours. She lives just around the block, so we're backyard neighbors, catty-corner by a couple houses. Got that? No? It's not really important. They point is, they live right there. We see them out walking often; Nathaniel like to stop at their house when he takes our kids on walks. We love having them in the 'hood. AJ and Isaac are a few years younger than us and have two sweet little people, Cora and Iggy. My kids adore Cora. Iggy is a baby, so they're still getting to know him, but they're pretty big fans of the whole family. Isaac is a professional sword fighter/wrestler/kid-thrower-in-the-airer, so he's attacked by Peter within minutes of showing up. (Now that I say that, Isaac actually was a rock star wrestler in high school, so that part isn't a complete joke.) Basically, they're the coolest.
AJ has cancer. "Big cancer", as she called it.
Her caring bridge site is HERE if you want to read her post. It's good for a laugh despite the heavy subject matter, because that's the kind of person she is, which is probably why we get along so well.
Please pray for AJ and Isaac and their whole extended family. She's one of 10 kids (her mom is the only of Sherri's sisters to beat her in the child-headcount game) and her whole family is reeling. But AJ has more strength and spunk and awesomeness than pretty much anyone else I know, and I have huge hope and confidence that she'll get through this with flying colors.
Before I get to that light hearted posting, though, I have a serious prayer request.
AJ is Nathaniel's cousin and a dear friend of ours. She lives just around the block, so we're backyard neighbors, catty-corner by a couple houses. Got that? No? It's not really important. They point is, they live right there. We see them out walking often; Nathaniel like to stop at their house when he takes our kids on walks. We love having them in the 'hood. AJ and Isaac are a few years younger than us and have two sweet little people, Cora and Iggy. My kids adore Cora. Iggy is a baby, so they're still getting to know him, but they're pretty big fans of the whole family. Isaac is a professional sword fighter/wrestler/kid-thrower-in-the-airer, so he's attacked by Peter within minutes of showing up. (Now that I say that, Isaac actually was a rock star wrestler in high school, so that part isn't a complete joke.) Basically, they're the coolest.
AJ has cancer. "Big cancer", as she called it.
Her caring bridge site is HERE if you want to read her post. It's good for a laugh despite the heavy subject matter, because that's the kind of person she is, which is probably why we get along so well.
Please pray for AJ and Isaac and their whole extended family. She's one of 10 kids (her mom is the only of Sherri's sisters to beat her in the child-headcount game) and her whole family is reeling. But AJ has more strength and spunk and awesomeness than pretty much anyone else I know, and I have huge hope and confidence that she'll get through this with flying colors.
Wednesday, March 18, 2015
More prayers. More food.
2015 has been a heavy year for friends. I've spent more time offering up sacrifices and prayers for friends in the past three months than ever before. Yesterday, after my post about Mary, for whom I'm praying every time she crosses my mind (which is often!), I learned that a friend's 2 month old daughter was being flown from a hospital here to one in Kansas City, where she'll stay for about a week, if all goes well. Melissa has three other children at home, and thankfully has family able to stay with them so she can be in Kansas City with her sweet baby, Lily. But it's definitely not how she planned to spend her week. Lily was born with spina bifida and has been through more procedures at two months old than most children ever will. Currently, a case of RSV took her to the hospital, and I don't know what complications require them to move to a Children's Hospital elsewhere (Omaha's was full?! How is that even possible?), but my heart goes out to you, Melissa. Prayers for you and your family as you battle through this, one day at a time!
Of course a beautiful group of friends is offering meals and after school snacks to help make life easier for the family left at home... it's the smallest thing for us to do, as mothers. Providing food. It's the thing that comes the most naturally to us, and we all recognize how much help food can be, both in removing a chore from the recipient's day, and in providing physical nourishment and psychological comfort. Sometimes it feels like an incredibly small gift of service, but when many hands offer small gifts, it adds up to something large and wonderful.
And again, I'm comforted as I watch help being offered. Comforted knowing that, should anything happen to me, I have no doubt that these same friends would care for my family while I could not. I think that's what moves me most about a silly thing like a meal signup. It's such a small thing for me to create the website, or for me to click "signup" for a date or two. But when I look at it and know that, should the need arise, so many people would offer the same for me - it's enough to make my chest tighten up and prayers of thanksgiving flood my thoughts. No one wishes for suffering (well, some of the saints maybe did... but they were stronger than I!), but the prayers - and food - of friends will help carry us through when it comes.
Of course a beautiful group of friends is offering meals and after school snacks to help make life easier for the family left at home... it's the smallest thing for us to do, as mothers. Providing food. It's the thing that comes the most naturally to us, and we all recognize how much help food can be, both in removing a chore from the recipient's day, and in providing physical nourishment and psychological comfort. Sometimes it feels like an incredibly small gift of service, but when many hands offer small gifts, it adds up to something large and wonderful.
And again, I'm comforted as I watch help being offered. Comforted knowing that, should anything happen to me, I have no doubt that these same friends would care for my family while I could not. I think that's what moves me most about a silly thing like a meal signup. It's such a small thing for me to create the website, or for me to click "signup" for a date or two. But when I look at it and know that, should the need arise, so many people would offer the same for me - it's enough to make my chest tighten up and prayers of thanksgiving flood my thoughts. No one wishes for suffering (well, some of the saints maybe did... but they were stronger than I!), but the prayers - and food - of friends will help carry us through when it comes.
Monday, February 23, 2015
Marianne Elizabeth Ita
Marianne received the sacrament of Confirmation this weekend. I can't really wrap my head around having a child old enough for me to write that sentence, but time marches on whether we want it to or not.
As mentioned previously, Marianne asked Mary to be her Confirmation sponsor, and chose St. Ita as her patron saint. The class had a retreat on Thursday, and a couple rehearsals leading up to the day, all of which helped to alleviate her nerves. Still, the first thing she told me when she got up Saturday was, "I'm not going..." though she knew full well she was. The poor girl. I prayed hard during the mass that the Holy Spirit would pour out his gift of courage (fortitude) on her, along with all the other gifts of the Spirit.
Curls, courtesy of cousin Sara. So glad she was able to take over and save me the time! Plus, she knows way more about these things than I do.
I only have a couple photos of the event, also courtesy of Sara who braved the packs of parents up front to snap them, but I'm hopeful I'll be able to update soon with more. A couple of class dads who are wonderful photographers appeared to be stationed on either side of the church, documenting the mass in great detail. I look forward to them sharing their photos!
Nathaniel was asked to be an acolyte. It was his first time serving at a mass with the bishop (not counting as an altar server in high school). I like that the altar servers, lector, acolytes and ushers all tend to be family members of the students. It makes it a very family-oriented celebration.
Mary said that when Marianne walked up to be confirmed, she looked pretty terrified, but she got through it. Shortly after, I discovered she was one of the three students carrying up the gifts. She hadn't bothered to tell us she'd be doing so. That's very like her.
My parents, my grandma Sara, Aunt Carolyn, Sara and Elizabeth all drove up to spend the weekend with us, celebrating. We had a lunch reception after mass. We did everything possible ahead of time, then my mom ran the final set up just after mass, while Mary and our family went down for the little cake reception in the church basement, and the photo ops with Bishop Conley.
I chose fire colored flowers to lend some color to the party, and filled vases with red, orange and yellow candies to supplement the beautiful cookies I ordered for dessert.
If you're local, and you need really lovely cookies, check out Cara Bella Cookies. Cara is the sister of a friend of mine, and her cookies are gorgeous and delicious. (I was not paid for this ad, I just love cookies. We used her for Rachel's baptism, as well.)
Lunch was pulled pork and shredded beef sandwiches, veggies, a Waldorf-style salad and chips. Simple and yummy. I cooked up crock pots full of meat a few weeks ago, then froze it for the party. I don't know quite what I was thinking, but I made enough for a small army. There was plenty left for lunch the next day for us and our out-of-towners, and for several additional meals for us. Sweet! Pulled pork tacos, here we come...
Cousin party! I only set up the one table for the kids. The rest of us ate on our laps, and I had some wooden tv-trays scattered around so people could set down drinks and plates.
We were extremely flattered to have Bishop Conley stop by after a lunch reception given for him and the other priests at the rectory. Nathaniel had dropped him a note inviting him, but saying that of course we understood he probably had a full day. He replied that he'd have to play the afternoon by ear. When he popped in for a brief visit, we were surprised and honored. What a special gift to Marianne, to receive an extra blessing from the Bishop on her Confirmation day!
As mentioned previously, Marianne asked Mary to be her Confirmation sponsor, and chose St. Ita as her patron saint. The class had a retreat on Thursday, and a couple rehearsals leading up to the day, all of which helped to alleviate her nerves. Still, the first thing she told me when she got up Saturday was, "I'm not going..." though she knew full well she was. The poor girl. I prayed hard during the mass that the Holy Spirit would pour out his gift of courage (fortitude) on her, along with all the other gifts of the Spirit.
Curls, courtesy of cousin Sara. So glad she was able to take over and save me the time! Plus, she knows way more about these things than I do.
I only have a couple photos of the event, also courtesy of Sara who braved the packs of parents up front to snap them, but I'm hopeful I'll be able to update soon with more. A couple of class dads who are wonderful photographers appeared to be stationed on either side of the church, documenting the mass in great detail. I look forward to them sharing their photos!
Nathaniel was asked to be an acolyte. It was his first time serving at a mass with the bishop (not counting as an altar server in high school). I like that the altar servers, lector, acolytes and ushers all tend to be family members of the students. It makes it a very family-oriented celebration.
Mary said that when Marianne walked up to be confirmed, she looked pretty terrified, but she got through it. Shortly after, I discovered she was one of the three students carrying up the gifts. She hadn't bothered to tell us she'd be doing so. That's very like her.
My parents, my grandma Sara, Aunt Carolyn, Sara and Elizabeth all drove up to spend the weekend with us, celebrating. We had a lunch reception after mass. We did everything possible ahead of time, then my mom ran the final set up just after mass, while Mary and our family went down for the little cake reception in the church basement, and the photo ops with Bishop Conley.
I chose fire colored flowers to lend some color to the party, and filled vases with red, orange and yellow candies to supplement the beautiful cookies I ordered for dessert.
If you're local, and you need really lovely cookies, check out Cara Bella Cookies. Cara is the sister of a friend of mine, and her cookies are gorgeous and delicious. (I was not paid for this ad, I just love cookies. We used her for Rachel's baptism, as well.)
Lunch was pulled pork and shredded beef sandwiches, veggies, a Waldorf-style salad and chips. Simple and yummy. I cooked up crock pots full of meat a few weeks ago, then froze it for the party. I don't know quite what I was thinking, but I made enough for a small army. There was plenty left for lunch the next day for us and our out-of-towners, and for several additional meals for us. Sweet! Pulled pork tacos, here we come...
Cousin party! I only set up the one table for the kids. The rest of us ate on our laps, and I had some wooden tv-trays scattered around so people could set down drinks and plates.
We were extremely flattered to have Bishop Conley stop by after a lunch reception given for him and the other priests at the rectory. Nathaniel had dropped him a note inviting him, but saying that of course we understood he probably had a full day. He replied that he'd have to play the afternoon by ear. When he popped in for a brief visit, we were surprised and honored. What a special gift to Marianne, to receive an extra blessing from the Bishop on her Confirmation day!
Monday, December 15, 2014
Gaudete!
I think it's a full fledged tradition now - our (nearly) annual Gaudete Party!
Is it weird to say that I've always wanted to have a holiday party tradition? It may not happen every year, but I like to think it'll happen most years. So far the only two years we haven't done it since starting were the years I gave birth to babies in November. I hope we'll be celebrating Gaudete Sunday for years to come - it's a fun way to draw attention to a liturgical celebration many people never notice beyond the pink candle on the advent wreath and the crazy rose vestments that the priests wear, AND it's a fabulous time to visit with a big group of friends. Win-win, for sure.
I took a handful of photos, and I will share a few, but the truth is, they look pretty much the same as last year's. I used my pretty burlap garland that I made last year again. Rather than spend time stringing cranberries, though, I bought a few strands of wooden beads made to look like strung cranberries. I figured if I used them for a couple years, they'll have saved me money, and they've already saved me loads of time. I once again clipped a couple poinsettia plants and placed individual branches in small vases - an idea I got from Real Simple (or Martha?) years ago and love. I don't especially care for a big poinsettia plant, but I love the way each flower/branch looks on its own. My one new pinterest idea this year was using silver jingle bells around candles, to add a festive touch. (You can kind of see one of the places I used that on the photo below of the food table.)
I took these pictures of the living room when it was cleaned the day prior to the party, then told the kids they weren't allowed into the room anymore till after the party. I was tempted to go so far as to make them use the side or back door all weekend, but I didn't let myself get quite so crazy. They could tell you I was close.
My decorations are simple, and my furniture is still the same old grubby stuff (see how badly those couches need some pretty new throw pillows?! not to mention new slip covers...), but I mentioned to a couple people that this is one time of the year when, despite how many things I might like to change, I LOVE my home. The touches of decor make it feel so warm and peaceful to me. Also the fact that I really cleaned - the walls washed free of marker of the cobwebs out of the corners. It feels very ME, to me, you know?
Marianne made a lego advent wreath, and each week, when she adds a new flame, she takes a few legos out of the "old" candles to make them shorter. We don't actually have any purple legos, though, so it's darker pink and lighter pink. She's very serious about it. She asked whether she should remove the white Christmas candle from the center before the advent party. I said I thought she was okay to leave it in.
We actually got around to decorating a little bit outside this year! I haven't done that since the first year we lived in the house, I think. That year the big evergreens that used to flank the house were still short enough (and neatly trimmed enough) that I could get on a ladder and wrap them in lights. They quickly outgrew my abilities, though, and each year the weeks before Christmas have slipped away without my finding time. This year, I took inspiration from the tomato-cage tree idea that's been all over pinterest for years. In lieu of tomato cages, I used the stalks of our dead zinnias on the left side, tying bunches of them together with twine and wrapping them in light. On the right, Nathaniel suggested bamboo gardening stakes, which worked perfectly in the urns we already had. I love simple and pretty, and these are that!
Back at the party...
This is seriously the one time of year I get my kitchen clean enough to really welcome people into it. There was hot cider on the stove top, coffee and water (with cranberries and lemon) on the counter, and my friend Sarah brought the "Santa Sangria" which was delicious! I could have drunk it all night!
I kept food simple this year, with the goal of keeping it all to one table to leave more room for mingling. On the invite, I encouraged guests to bring a bottle of wine or other beverage to share (knowing that a few of them, at least, would bring food out of the kindness of their hearts). Then I contacted a handful of friends for specific additions to the food table. This photo is just as the party was starting, while I was still waiting on a few food items to arrive. The plate stand filled up with home made baklava and oreo truffles, and there was a big platter of almond bark in the open space in front of the stand. One friend brought amaretto nut bars that were a huge hit! All I made myself were a crock pot of cranberry-chipotle meatballs, a big bowl of home made Chipotle guacamole* with chips and salsa, and peanut butter balls (of course).
I asked Renee to bring cheese and crackers, or something similar. She (and Phil) did not disappoint. I got more compliments on the pretty cheese labels than just about anything else on the table. (I didn't keep all the credit, I promise.)
We had a great turn out, with over 40 guests here at various times. Several people were attending The Nutcracker, so came after the ballet. We even had guests arrive at 11:15pm and 11:30pm (the 11:15 folks cheered "We weren't the last to arrive!" when the last couple showed at 11:30 - ha!).
There were, at one point, two tiny phone screens showing sporting events. Apparently Nebraska had both basketball and volleyball games going strong during the party. Volleyball is huge here, with the women typically in the top few teams in the country! Who knew? (I mean, I've known for a few years now, but had no idea till I moved here that anyone really followed college volleyball).
We were excited to have the bishop join us this year (that's the back of his head in the front of the photo above - the priest further back is our own Monsignor).
I love to see my house full of people! It always makes me laugh when people compliment me on a "great party", since all I provide is the space (and some refreshments). Our friends are responsible for making it awesome. We're blessed to have so many amazing friends; without them, there could be no great parties.
The next morning at mass, Father spoke about Gaudete Sunday and the church's call to Rejoice!, and I love knowing that we're doing that each year in a special way. I hope my kids will remember these parties, even though they spend most of the time in the basement with movies and pizza, then in their rooms, sleeping through the white noise of grown up conversation and laughter, and always remember what a beautiful time of year Advent is.
*The Chipotle guacamole recipe is delicious, and I definitely recommend it. There's a video tutorial by a manager at Chipotle teaching how they do it at the link above. I'm not sure I'd say mine tasted just like the restaurant version, but it was yummy. That said, I learned an important lesson about working with spicy peppers while making this recipe. Each batch requires 12 serrano peppers. I knew to be careful not to touch my eyes or face while chopping them, but I didn't take the time to protect my hands. Within an hour of working up the 24 peppers I used, my left hand was ON FIRE. The whole night it was on fire. The next day it was on fire. Anytime water touched it, it was worse. CRAZY! Most people probably know already, but just in case you decide to use the recipe I linked, take care - wear disposable gloves or something. I have never had that experience before, and I hope not to do so again. The funniest part is that the guacamole is not all that spicy. It's got a kick, but nothing outrageous. Clearly the peppers carry some heat, though. Sheesh.
Is it weird to say that I've always wanted to have a holiday party tradition? It may not happen every year, but I like to think it'll happen most years. So far the only two years we haven't done it since starting were the years I gave birth to babies in November. I hope we'll be celebrating Gaudete Sunday for years to come - it's a fun way to draw attention to a liturgical celebration many people never notice beyond the pink candle on the advent wreath and the crazy rose vestments that the priests wear, AND it's a fabulous time to visit with a big group of friends. Win-win, for sure.
I took a handful of photos, and I will share a few, but the truth is, they look pretty much the same as last year's. I used my pretty burlap garland that I made last year again. Rather than spend time stringing cranberries, though, I bought a few strands of wooden beads made to look like strung cranberries. I figured if I used them for a couple years, they'll have saved me money, and they've already saved me loads of time. I once again clipped a couple poinsettia plants and placed individual branches in small vases - an idea I got from Real Simple (or Martha?) years ago and love. I don't especially care for a big poinsettia plant, but I love the way each flower/branch looks on its own. My one new pinterest idea this year was using silver jingle bells around candles, to add a festive touch. (You can kind of see one of the places I used that on the photo below of the food table.)
I took these pictures of the living room when it was cleaned the day prior to the party, then told the kids they weren't allowed into the room anymore till after the party. I was tempted to go so far as to make them use the side or back door all weekend, but I didn't let myself get quite so crazy. They could tell you I was close.
My decorations are simple, and my furniture is still the same old grubby stuff (see how badly those couches need some pretty new throw pillows?! not to mention new slip covers...), but I mentioned to a couple people that this is one time of the year when, despite how many things I might like to change, I LOVE my home. The touches of decor make it feel so warm and peaceful to me. Also the fact that I really cleaned - the walls washed free of marker of the cobwebs out of the corners. It feels very ME, to me, you know?
Marianne made a lego advent wreath, and each week, when she adds a new flame, she takes a few legos out of the "old" candles to make them shorter. We don't actually have any purple legos, though, so it's darker pink and lighter pink. She's very serious about it. She asked whether she should remove the white Christmas candle from the center before the advent party. I said I thought she was okay to leave it in.
We actually got around to decorating a little bit outside this year! I haven't done that since the first year we lived in the house, I think. That year the big evergreens that used to flank the house were still short enough (and neatly trimmed enough) that I could get on a ladder and wrap them in lights. They quickly outgrew my abilities, though, and each year the weeks before Christmas have slipped away without my finding time. This year, I took inspiration from the tomato-cage tree idea that's been all over pinterest for years. In lieu of tomato cages, I used the stalks of our dead zinnias on the left side, tying bunches of them together with twine and wrapping them in light. On the right, Nathaniel suggested bamboo gardening stakes, which worked perfectly in the urns we already had. I love simple and pretty, and these are that!
Back at the party...
This is seriously the one time of year I get my kitchen clean enough to really welcome people into it. There was hot cider on the stove top, coffee and water (with cranberries and lemon) on the counter, and my friend Sarah brought the "Santa Sangria" which was delicious! I could have drunk it all night!
I kept food simple this year, with the goal of keeping it all to one table to leave more room for mingling. On the invite, I encouraged guests to bring a bottle of wine or other beverage to share (knowing that a few of them, at least, would bring food out of the kindness of their hearts). Then I contacted a handful of friends for specific additions to the food table. This photo is just as the party was starting, while I was still waiting on a few food items to arrive. The plate stand filled up with home made baklava and oreo truffles, and there was a big platter of almond bark in the open space in front of the stand. One friend brought amaretto nut bars that were a huge hit! All I made myself were a crock pot of cranberry-chipotle meatballs, a big bowl of home made Chipotle guacamole* with chips and salsa, and peanut butter balls (of course).
I asked Renee to bring cheese and crackers, or something similar. She (and Phil) did not disappoint. I got more compliments on the pretty cheese labels than just about anything else on the table. (I didn't keep all the credit, I promise.)
We had a great turn out, with over 40 guests here at various times. Several people were attending The Nutcracker, so came after the ballet. We even had guests arrive at 11:15pm and 11:30pm (the 11:15 folks cheered "We weren't the last to arrive!" when the last couple showed at 11:30 - ha!).
There were, at one point, two tiny phone screens showing sporting events. Apparently Nebraska had both basketball and volleyball games going strong during the party. Volleyball is huge here, with the women typically in the top few teams in the country! Who knew? (I mean, I've known for a few years now, but had no idea till I moved here that anyone really followed college volleyball).
We were excited to have the bishop join us this year (that's the back of his head in the front of the photo above - the priest further back is our own Monsignor).
I love to see my house full of people! It always makes me laugh when people compliment me on a "great party", since all I provide is the space (and some refreshments). Our friends are responsible for making it awesome. We're blessed to have so many amazing friends; without them, there could be no great parties.
The next morning at mass, Father spoke about Gaudete Sunday and the church's call to Rejoice!, and I love knowing that we're doing that each year in a special way. I hope my kids will remember these parties, even though they spend most of the time in the basement with movies and pizza, then in their rooms, sleeping through the white noise of grown up conversation and laughter, and always remember what a beautiful time of year Advent is.
*The Chipotle guacamole recipe is delicious, and I definitely recommend it. There's a video tutorial by a manager at Chipotle teaching how they do it at the link above. I'm not sure I'd say mine tasted just like the restaurant version, but it was yummy. That said, I learned an important lesson about working with spicy peppers while making this recipe. Each batch requires 12 serrano peppers. I knew to be careful not to touch my eyes or face while chopping them, but I didn't take the time to protect my hands. Within an hour of working up the 24 peppers I used, my left hand was ON FIRE. The whole night it was on fire. The next day it was on fire. Anytime water touched it, it was worse. CRAZY! Most people probably know already, but just in case you decide to use the recipe I linked, take care - wear disposable gloves or something. I have never had that experience before, and I hope not to do so again. The funniest part is that the guacamole is not all that spicy. It's got a kick, but nothing outrageous. Clearly the peppers carry some heat, though. Sheesh.
Thursday, June 26, 2014
Roadtrip
We don't have any big summer vacation plans this year. My one small roadtrip is over and the rest of the summer will be filled with the crazy "routine" of more swim lessons, camps, afternoons at the pool, and the rest.
This weekend, though, we spent day after day partying with my family. It was great fun! My wonderful, beautiful, sweet cousin Cari, who is ten years my junior, married her sweetheart, a gentleman from Nebraska (which I happen to think is a pretty great place to find a husband). All of my dad's side of the family was in Kansas for the event, all staying at the same little Holiday Inn Express near Wichita, and all of us getting in trouble for being too loud and cantankerous in the lobby into the late hours of the night. One of my uncles and his progeny - who I refer to as the Phoenix family, although one of my cousins now lives in Seattle - hadn't been back to Kansas in nearly four years, and have recently adopted three children from Haiti, so there were even NEW cousins to meet and lots of catching up to do.
The wedding itself was beautiful. Solemn, joyful, faith-filled, deep. I loved it. Rachel was so excited by it all that she couldn't keep from singing (a little hymn reference joke for you there), so we spent a little time in the cry room, but at least they had a nice one. Here are the couple pictures I took of the ceremony:
Cari is a grade school teacher for the parish where she was married. She invited her students to the wedding and the first part of the party, during which some of her friends ran games for the kids, and there was a popcorn and candy bar, as well as cupcakes. Later, after the students were "dismissed" and the wedding party finished some photos, there was a dinner and dance. The kids had so much fun!
The reception was in the school gym, which had been beautifully decorated by Cari and her crew of friends and family. There was more delicious food than we could eat, and (crazy strong) drinks flowing freely. It was a great night, all around. We didn't manage to make it till the end of the party, as the nap-less children began to melt into puddles of crazy, but we enjoyed it all.
Back at the hotel, I intended to meet up with family to hang out longer in the lobby, as we'd done the night before, but once kids were all settled into bed, I couldn't keep my eyes open. Apparently there was midnight pizza and all sorts of fun that I missed out on. Oh well.
We did create one last opportunity to visit, by meeting up with the Phoenix family after mass for lunch at a nearby park. I hope it's not another four years before we get to see this crew again. (Most of my kids must have all been at the playground or catching tiny frogs by the lake, because they're conspicuously missing from the photo).
To stretch out the fun, we spent a couple nights with my folks before heading home. We had intended to visit Schlitterbahn and try out the crazy new "world's largest" water slide there (Dad and Nathaniel would have ridden it while the rest of watched and crossed our fingers that they'd survive), but it turns out they haven't been able to open the crazy slide because they're still testing it. Well then. Monday was forecasted to be temperate (70s) and Dad had the day off work, so my mom suggested we go to Worlds of Fun instead. That suggestion went over very, very well!
I was surprised to discover how many rides the big girls would be able to ride! They went on the Prowler roller coaster immediately, and then Marianne, without seeing what it would do, declared she wanted to ride the Bamboozler (shown above). There were hardly any lines all day, but she had to wait just long enough to see it run once and second guess her choice. Nathaniel talked her into giving a shot, and she loved it!
Marianne, Ruth and Elizabeth loved that they were able to ride most of the rides alone.
Peter and Meg got their fill of thrills as well. Meg was even tall enough for one of the bigger roller coasters, the Spinning Dragons.
Rachel was starting to feel left out till we went on the carousel. She would happily have stayed on those horses all day. But the kiddie rides beckoned!
The one disappointment for Marianne and Elizabeth was discovering they are now officially TOO TALL for the kid rides. They couldn't even ride along with the littles. They didn't mind once they realized they could ride one of the coolest roller coasters, the Patriot, though. Ruth walked the line between big rides and little; she could ride most of the roller coasters (not the Patriot, sadly) and still ride the kid stuff if she felt like it.
Rachel was fearless both on rides, and with giant costumed characters. She happily hugged all the Peanuts gang.
I realize most of the pictures are of Rachel. Her rides were slower, making it easier to catch happy faces like this one. Loving every minute!
We spent a long, full day at the park and the kids pretty much just crawled into their beds when we got back to my parents' house. On Tuesday we took it easy and spent the day playing in the pool out back. Marci and her crew all came over to play with us till we had to head out that afternoon. We tacked on a brief stop for pizza with Sam, Mary and Francis on the drive home, and rolled into our driveway late Tuesday night.
Yesterday we had Henry's birthday party across the street to look forward to - good times with dry ice! And now there's a weekend camping trip for Nathaniel and the oldest two girls, and the 4th of July is on the horizon, getting nearer. The fun doesn't stop around here, folks!
This weekend, though, we spent day after day partying with my family. It was great fun! My wonderful, beautiful, sweet cousin Cari, who is ten years my junior, married her sweetheart, a gentleman from Nebraska (which I happen to think is a pretty great place to find a husband). All of my dad's side of the family was in Kansas for the event, all staying at the same little Holiday Inn Express near Wichita, and all of us getting in trouble for being too loud and cantankerous in the lobby into the late hours of the night. One of my uncles and his progeny - who I refer to as the Phoenix family, although one of my cousins now lives in Seattle - hadn't been back to Kansas in nearly four years, and have recently adopted three children from Haiti, so there were even NEW cousins to meet and lots of catching up to do.
The wedding itself was beautiful. Solemn, joyful, faith-filled, deep. I loved it. Rachel was so excited by it all that she couldn't keep from singing (a little hymn reference joke for you there), so we spent a little time in the cry room, but at least they had a nice one. Here are the couple pictures I took of the ceremony:
 |
| Sara was a bridesmaid, and a beautiful one at that! |
 |
| The happy bride with her dad. |
 |
| Rachel, all jazzed up! |
Cari is a grade school teacher for the parish where she was married. She invited her students to the wedding and the first part of the party, during which some of her friends ran games for the kids, and there was a popcorn and candy bar, as well as cupcakes. Later, after the students were "dismissed" and the wedding party finished some photos, there was a dinner and dance. The kids had so much fun!
 |
| Doing some activities before the games began. This may be the only time our family was all in one place at one time for the rest of the evening. |
 |
| This puzzle that Peter "won" in the games was probably his favorite part of the whole weekend. |
 |
| Rachel, dancing the night away with Meg (in headbands that she won in the games - I did not style her hair like that). |
Back at the hotel, I intended to meet up with family to hang out longer in the lobby, as we'd done the night before, but once kids were all settled into bed, I couldn't keep my eyes open. Apparently there was midnight pizza and all sorts of fun that I missed out on. Oh well.
We did create one last opportunity to visit, by meeting up with the Phoenix family after mass for lunch at a nearby park. I hope it's not another four years before we get to see this crew again. (Most of my kids must have all been at the playground or catching tiny frogs by the lake, because they're conspicuously missing from the photo).
To stretch out the fun, we spent a couple nights with my folks before heading home. We had intended to visit Schlitterbahn and try out the crazy new "world's largest" water slide there (Dad and Nathaniel would have ridden it while the rest of watched and crossed our fingers that they'd survive), but it turns out they haven't been able to open the crazy slide because they're still testing it. Well then. Monday was forecasted to be temperate (70s) and Dad had the day off work, so my mom suggested we go to Worlds of Fun instead. That suggestion went over very, very well!
I was surprised to discover how many rides the big girls would be able to ride! They went on the Prowler roller coaster immediately, and then Marianne, without seeing what it would do, declared she wanted to ride the Bamboozler (shown above). There were hardly any lines all day, but she had to wait just long enough to see it run once and second guess her choice. Nathaniel talked her into giving a shot, and she loved it!
Marianne, Ruth and Elizabeth loved that they were able to ride most of the rides alone.
Peter and Meg got their fill of thrills as well. Meg was even tall enough for one of the bigger roller coasters, the Spinning Dragons.
Rachel was starting to feel left out till we went on the carousel. She would happily have stayed on those horses all day. But the kiddie rides beckoned!
The one disappointment for Marianne and Elizabeth was discovering they are now officially TOO TALL for the kid rides. They couldn't even ride along with the littles. They didn't mind once they realized they could ride one of the coolest roller coasters, the Patriot, though. Ruth walked the line between big rides and little; she could ride most of the roller coasters (not the Patriot, sadly) and still ride the kid stuff if she felt like it.
Rachel was fearless both on rides, and with giant costumed characters. She happily hugged all the Peanuts gang.
I realize most of the pictures are of Rachel. Her rides were slower, making it easier to catch happy faces like this one. Loving every minute!
We spent a long, full day at the park and the kids pretty much just crawled into their beds when we got back to my parents' house. On Tuesday we took it easy and spent the day playing in the pool out back. Marci and her crew all came over to play with us till we had to head out that afternoon. We tacked on a brief stop for pizza with Sam, Mary and Francis on the drive home, and rolled into our driveway late Tuesday night.
Yesterday we had Henry's birthday party across the street to look forward to - good times with dry ice! And now there's a weekend camping trip for Nathaniel and the oldest two girls, and the 4th of July is on the horizon, getting nearer. The fun doesn't stop around here, folks!
Monday, April 21, 2014
Easter 2014 Recap
He is risen!
I love Easter. Truly. This year the weather warmed up perfectly for the weekend, and we had an afternoon thunderstorm, like icing on the cake. Spring, in all her glory.
Andrew and Sherri decided a few weeks ago to drive up to Minnesota to spend Easter with Arthur and April, so we found ourselves in the unexpected position of having no Easter plans. We tossed around the idea of roadtripping to Kansas to spend the weekend with my family, but sometimes I'm just not in the mood to pack for seven people and deal with five kids on the road and the rest of work a trip would involve.... you know? Once I confirmed that Sam and Mary would be in Lincoln for the weekend - her family has a huge, annual, post-Vigil party that I thought they weren't likely to miss - and that they'd be free to join us for Easter dinner, I was sold on staying put.
Then, to make things more fun, we found out Friday evening that Phil, Renee and their boys would join us for Easter dinner as well! (Her sister had to cancel a trip home, which was sad for them, but we were so very glad to have them fill out our party).
When it was just Sam and Mary coming with baby Francis, I didn't give much thought to decorating, since we would all fit around the dining room table. When the party nearly double, though, and would involve two full tables, I hit pinterest for some quick and easy ways to spruce things up. I'm getting ahead of myself. Let's back up to Holy Saturday for the annual egg hunt!
Since we wrapped up our term as Godteens leaders last year, we got to enjoy the hunt without worrying about working it. Hooray!
We ran into a bit of a snag during the egg hunt. Marianne volunteered to assist Rachel, which was perfect. I suggested to Nathaniel that he coach Peter, and I intended to take some quick pics of each of the kids while they hunted. The hunt is broken up into age ranges such that each of our kids young enough to participate (all but Marianne) are in a different section of the lawn, but all hunting simultaneously. I told Nathaniel to point Meg in the right direction for her hunt, but I didn't give a thought to Meg's abhorrence at being away from a parent in a crowded place, even if the crowd is comprised entirely of friends, classmates and family. So...
Marianne and Rachel, above, were all set and ready to go. I popped over to snap a quick pic of Peter hunting (that's his back in the green shirt with blue stripes).
While I was doing so, a neighbor girl came up to tell me that Meg was crying because she was all alone. {sigh}. I hustled over to the 5-6 year old section, and found one of the Godteens kids (who also happens to be a second cousin) helping put some eggs in Meg's bucket. The hunt was mostly done at this point, though, and she had next to nothing.
Enter, cousin Henry. To the rescue! Before I even knew what was happening, he popped up, poured half his eggs into Meg's basket, and disappeared again. Seriously, the sweetest kid I know. Unfortunately, when Meg gets sad, she loses all ability to communicate, so she barely thanked him and just continued to look stunned and broken-hearted for some time. Her friend Melissa (another second cousin from the same family as the teenager who was helping out above) showed up and gave her some more eggs. All in all, she didn't have a bad haul.
A few minutes later, we realized that wasn't all. Ruth showed up from the 7-8 year old hunt and had only one egg in her basket. I asked what happened, and she informed me that she had tried to point Meg in the direction of her hunt, then leave to go to her own, but that's when Meg started crying. Ruth stayed with her to try and calm her down, and ended up missing out on her own hunt in an effort to soothe her sister. She had only just left when I got to Meg, and by then the older kids' hunt had been cleaned out. This might not have been quite such a big deal, except that next year Ruth will have aged out of the hunt, and she knew full well it was her last time. We assured Ruth that we were proud of her for putting her sister first. And just then, Henry showed up again, and dumped half his remaining eggs into Ruth's bucket. I tell you, that kid! It didn't totally alleviate her sadness at having missed her last year in the hunt, but it helped. A cup of dippin' dots I brought Ruth from the grocery store later that afternoon did manage to make it all okay again.
It was a lot of drama for a neighborhood egg hunt.
We had a peaceful Saturday evening at home. Nathaniel attended the Vigil, then came home to help out around the house a bit before heading out to Mary's family's big party. I stayed home to put the finishing touches on Easter morning. Something about knowing eggs will be hidden all over a house makes me want to get it tidy. Although I suppose a messy house provides more hiding places.
All bunnied up and ready for the kids! (There's a copy of Frozen hidden under the Peeps. That got the most squeals of excitement come morning.)
Rachel was not messing around when I got her out of bed. She went straight for the eggs, and not just the totally obvious ones. She was spotting eggs Peter passed right over. Of course, she thought they were just colorful maracas, rattle rattle...
...until the first one hit the floor and bunny crackers scattered everywhere. You could see the dawning understanding. Once she found jelly beans, the hunting was over and candy eating was the sole focus.
Like rock stars. In curlers.
Since the kids were up and hunting eggs just after 7am, we ended up with time to get ready for 10am mass, rather than wait till noon. It was a rush, but we pulled it off. Nathaniel headed out the door with the three oldest to save seats while I finished prepping an egg casserole for the oven, and got Rachel up from her nap. Minutes later, though, Ruth popped back in to change into new earrings she'd gotten in her basket. Then a minute later, Nathaniel was back with Meg, who had two bleeding knees after taking a spill on the way to church. Marianne had gone on ahead with some neighbor friends to work on the seat-saving solo (a brave girl!). Nathaniel, Meg and Ruth left again, still ahead of me, and took Peter with them. I got Rachel up, dressed and out the door in record time, and we were all there with five minutes to spare, and seats right up front. Go team!
All smiles on Easter morning (because we told them they could have more candy in just a minute if they'd sit still and smile pretty).
We had a great day, with brunch and a little quiet time. Sam very sweetly invited Marianne and Ruth on a bike ride during the little kids' nap time, so I had a peaceful house while I cleaned and prepped for Easter dinner. I love cooking and I love setting a pretty table, so it was a lovely Easter for me!
I frosted the lemon poppyseed cake I'd baked on Saturday; I served it with a choice of lemon and strawberry sherbets.
The grownups' (and babies') table, complete with bunny-folded napkins and little bunny place cards.
The kids' table, obviously also with bunny accessories. Those were my simple pinterest finds. Marianne helped me with the place cards, but when it came time to set the table, watching Frozen won over assisting Mom. I didn't really mind (read: I'm a control freak about table setting).
We had my in-laws' traditional opening course, eggs in beef broth. I'm sure I've mentioned it before, but you start by "fighting" eggs with one another, knocking the end of your egg against someone else's to see whose cracks first. You then peel the eggs and slice them into your bowls, and pour hot beef broth over them to make a simple soup. My kids adore this meal, and request eggs and broth for dinner every couple months throughout the year. Funny story - we were in the middle of dying eggs on Friday when Renee told me that they were able to join us for dinner. I did a quick egg count when I got off the phone and realized I probably needed more than we'd made, so on Saturday evening, after the kids were in bed, I dyed more eggs all by myself. It was kind of awesome.
My first glass of wine in a very long time, in Hebron glass, given to us as a wedding gift nearly fourteen years ago. Phil brought a gargantuan bottle of Prosecco. Call me happy! You can see the bottle in the background, but the proportions of the photo make it hard to tell that's it's the size of probably three normal bottles of wine.
We had a wonderful Easter, from start to finish, despite over-tired, over-sugared kids. Then today, in an act of absurdity, we arranged with my friend Sarah to have family photos taken. The kids did remarkably well, for all the post-holiday crazies going around. You'll have to wait till I have the photos for more on that, though.
I hope you all had a fantastic Easter as well!
He is risen indeed!
I love Easter. Truly. This year the weather warmed up perfectly for the weekend, and we had an afternoon thunderstorm, like icing on the cake. Spring, in all her glory.
Andrew and Sherri decided a few weeks ago to drive up to Minnesota to spend Easter with Arthur and April, so we found ourselves in the unexpected position of having no Easter plans. We tossed around the idea of roadtripping to Kansas to spend the weekend with my family, but sometimes I'm just not in the mood to pack for seven people and deal with five kids on the road and the rest of work a trip would involve.... you know? Once I confirmed that Sam and Mary would be in Lincoln for the weekend - her family has a huge, annual, post-Vigil party that I thought they weren't likely to miss - and that they'd be free to join us for Easter dinner, I was sold on staying put.
Then, to make things more fun, we found out Friday evening that Phil, Renee and their boys would join us for Easter dinner as well! (Her sister had to cancel a trip home, which was sad for them, but we were so very glad to have them fill out our party).
When it was just Sam and Mary coming with baby Francis, I didn't give much thought to decorating, since we would all fit around the dining room table. When the party nearly double, though, and would involve two full tables, I hit pinterest for some quick and easy ways to spruce things up. I'm getting ahead of myself. Let's back up to Holy Saturday for the annual egg hunt!
Since we wrapped up our term as Godteens leaders last year, we got to enjoy the hunt without worrying about working it. Hooray!
We ran into a bit of a snag during the egg hunt. Marianne volunteered to assist Rachel, which was perfect. I suggested to Nathaniel that he coach Peter, and I intended to take some quick pics of each of the kids while they hunted. The hunt is broken up into age ranges such that each of our kids young enough to participate (all but Marianne) are in a different section of the lawn, but all hunting simultaneously. I told Nathaniel to point Meg in the right direction for her hunt, but I didn't give a thought to Meg's abhorrence at being away from a parent in a crowded place, even if the crowd is comprised entirely of friends, classmates and family. So...
Marianne and Rachel, above, were all set and ready to go. I popped over to snap a quick pic of Peter hunting (that's his back in the green shirt with blue stripes).
While I was doing so, a neighbor girl came up to tell me that Meg was crying because she was all alone. {sigh}. I hustled over to the 5-6 year old section, and found one of the Godteens kids (who also happens to be a second cousin) helping put some eggs in Meg's bucket. The hunt was mostly done at this point, though, and she had next to nothing.
Enter, cousin Henry. To the rescue! Before I even knew what was happening, he popped up, poured half his eggs into Meg's basket, and disappeared again. Seriously, the sweetest kid I know. Unfortunately, when Meg gets sad, she loses all ability to communicate, so she barely thanked him and just continued to look stunned and broken-hearted for some time. Her friend Melissa (another second cousin from the same family as the teenager who was helping out above) showed up and gave her some more eggs. All in all, she didn't have a bad haul.
A few minutes later, we realized that wasn't all. Ruth showed up from the 7-8 year old hunt and had only one egg in her basket. I asked what happened, and she informed me that she had tried to point Meg in the direction of her hunt, then leave to go to her own, but that's when Meg started crying. Ruth stayed with her to try and calm her down, and ended up missing out on her own hunt in an effort to soothe her sister. She had only just left when I got to Meg, and by then the older kids' hunt had been cleaned out. This might not have been quite such a big deal, except that next year Ruth will have aged out of the hunt, and she knew full well it was her last time. We assured Ruth that we were proud of her for putting her sister first. And just then, Henry showed up again, and dumped half his remaining eggs into Ruth's bucket. I tell you, that kid! It didn't totally alleviate her sadness at having missed her last year in the hunt, but it helped. A cup of dippin' dots I brought Ruth from the grocery store later that afternoon did manage to make it all okay again.
It was a lot of drama for a neighborhood egg hunt.
We had a peaceful Saturday evening at home. Nathaniel attended the Vigil, then came home to help out around the house a bit before heading out to Mary's family's big party. I stayed home to put the finishing touches on Easter morning. Something about knowing eggs will be hidden all over a house makes me want to get it tidy. Although I suppose a messy house provides more hiding places.
All bunnied up and ready for the kids! (There's a copy of Frozen hidden under the Peeps. That got the most squeals of excitement come morning.)
Rachel was not messing around when I got her out of bed. She went straight for the eggs, and not just the totally obvious ones. She was spotting eggs Peter passed right over. Of course, she thought they were just colorful maracas, rattle rattle...
...until the first one hit the floor and bunny crackers scattered everywhere. You could see the dawning understanding. Once she found jelly beans, the hunting was over and candy eating was the sole focus.
Like rock stars. In curlers.
Since the kids were up and hunting eggs just after 7am, we ended up with time to get ready for 10am mass, rather than wait till noon. It was a rush, but we pulled it off. Nathaniel headed out the door with the three oldest to save seats while I finished prepping an egg casserole for the oven, and got Rachel up from her nap. Minutes later, though, Ruth popped back in to change into new earrings she'd gotten in her basket. Then a minute later, Nathaniel was back with Meg, who had two bleeding knees after taking a spill on the way to church. Marianne had gone on ahead with some neighbor friends to work on the seat-saving solo (a brave girl!). Nathaniel, Meg and Ruth left again, still ahead of me, and took Peter with them. I got Rachel up, dressed and out the door in record time, and we were all there with five minutes to spare, and seats right up front. Go team!
All smiles on Easter morning (because we told them they could have more candy in just a minute if they'd sit still and smile pretty).
We had a great day, with brunch and a little quiet time. Sam very sweetly invited Marianne and Ruth on a bike ride during the little kids' nap time, so I had a peaceful house while I cleaned and prepped for Easter dinner. I love cooking and I love setting a pretty table, so it was a lovely Easter for me!
I frosted the lemon poppyseed cake I'd baked on Saturday; I served it with a choice of lemon and strawberry sherbets.
The grownups' (and babies') table, complete with bunny-folded napkins and little bunny place cards.
We had my in-laws' traditional opening course, eggs in beef broth. I'm sure I've mentioned it before, but you start by "fighting" eggs with one another, knocking the end of your egg against someone else's to see whose cracks first. You then peel the eggs and slice them into your bowls, and pour hot beef broth over them to make a simple soup. My kids adore this meal, and request eggs and broth for dinner every couple months throughout the year. Funny story - we were in the middle of dying eggs on Friday when Renee told me that they were able to join us for dinner. I did a quick egg count when I got off the phone and realized I probably needed more than we'd made, so on Saturday evening, after the kids were in bed, I dyed more eggs all by myself. It was kind of awesome.
My first glass of wine in a very long time, in Hebron glass, given to us as a wedding gift nearly fourteen years ago. Phil brought a gargantuan bottle of Prosecco. Call me happy! You can see the bottle in the background, but the proportions of the photo make it hard to tell that's it's the size of probably three normal bottles of wine.
We had a wonderful Easter, from start to finish, despite over-tired, over-sugared kids. Then today, in an act of absurdity, we arranged with my friend Sarah to have family photos taken. The kids did remarkably well, for all the post-holiday crazies going around. You'll have to wait till I have the photos for more on that, though.
I hope you all had a fantastic Easter as well!
He is risen indeed!
Thursday, October 31, 2013
Baby Francis and Brave; an unlikely pairing, I know.
Reeeaaaaaallllly hoping my kids will sleep in tomorrow. They were up late. Marianne hosted a few friends from her class for a movie night tonight - they watched Brave - and then there was the typical long time to get them all calmed down from their sugar- and friend-induced high once the other girls had gone. But let's back up a minute.
It's been a busy week since Marianne's birthday!
Last weekend we drove down to St. Joseph, Missouri, for the baptism of our newest godson. Francis Paul is a darling little boy, with the finest features I've ever seen on a newborn. His nose is so prim and proper, nothing like my typical newborns' pudgy little flat things.
We spent a few hours with Sam and Mary on Saturday, catching up and holding Francis. After dinner, we retired to our hotel, which had a small indoor water park. The hotel was nothing to write home about, but the kids loved every minute of it. Sadly, I couldn't find my camera, so all I have to share are my memories, and they were made hazy by lack of sleep. There was one very large, almost completely dark tube slide that the older girls rode countless times. There was also a play area for younger kids with one of those giant buckets that slowly fills and every couple minutes tips to dump water in a huge splash. Meg was terrified of it at first, but I coached her through how it worked, and she quickly determined that she could run up the stairs and slide down one of the slides three times before she had to wait at the side of the pool for the bucket to dump, then she was off to the races again. I went back to the room with Rachel after only a few minutes at the water park, but Nathaniel assured me that by the time they were done, she'd braved up even further, and stopped just long enough to cover her head with her arms wherever she was when the bucket tipped, but she quit letting it slow her fun.
The room we reserved was a "bunk bed suite", but the term "suite" here is used very loosely. Don't worry; we knew that going in. It was a single room with a king bed, a bunk bed, and a pull out sofa (plus a pack'n'play). So the bedding arrangements were fine. In fact, we ended up not needing the pull out, since of course all the kids wanted to sleep on the bunk bed for the novelty of it. I think it was slightly larger than standard twin size mattresses (although I can't imagine why it would be...). Whatever the size, it worked to have Marianne and Meg up top, with Ruth and Peter on the bottom bunk. We put Rachel's bed on the other side of ours in the hope that some space between all the kids would help her sleep, but that was wasted effort. She did not fall asleep before they got back from the pool, and then their excitement got her revved up again, and it took a long time to get everyone settled down. I say that, but in truth, they were probably all asleep by 10, and they slept through the night until that fateful moment when one of them had to use the bathroom shortly before 6. {sigh} You can imagine how this went, I'm sure. Within a minute, all four kids on the bunk were awake, but being quiet, as they took turns heading to the bathroom and getting drinks. I almost thought we were going to get lucky. And then the pretty little head popped up over the edge of the pack'n'play. {repeat sigh} There was some cat-napping between 6 and maybe 7:20 before I finally called it and started turning on lights. Next time I will go with my gut and take the hotel with a less spectacular water attraction, but a two room suite. Sometimes a little space (or a wall) makes all the difference.
After a pleasant breakfast and a leisurely morning watching cartoons on cable and getting ready for church (again, novelty! cable channels!), we checked out and headed to mass and the baptism. Sam and Mary's church is beautiful! The service was nice (it was my first time receiving communion at a communion rail - novelty for ME even!) and the baptism after was lovely. Francis didn't make a peep. Good boy!
We are honored and blessed to be godparents for this new tiny Catholic. I look forward to watching and praying for Francis as he grows in stature and in God's grace.
Oh hey, and check this. We even managed to get a quick family photo at the reception in the church basement. It's a good thing we did - Meg has to take a family photo to school next week and I'm not sure we've gotten a group shot since Rachel was born!
The few days since the weekend have felt unceasing in chores and errands and cleaning. I've been prepping a little (a very little) for Marianne's movie night tonight, and much more so for a family brunch we're hosting on Sunday, to celebrate Marianne's, Peter's and Rachel's birthdays (10, 3 and 1, respectively), which fall ridiculously close together and will continue to stress me out all the years I am on this earth. This weekend is also the wedding of Nathaniel's cousin. He's an usher and they kindly invited our family to the rehearsal dinner on Friday. Oh, and, in case you'd forgotten, tomorrow is Halloween, so there's that. It struck me today that I don't have to worry about making dinner again till Monday, praise God. Well, I have to put the take-n-bake pizza in the over tomorrow, but it's already bought. Nathaniel brought home dinner tonight, then the pizza, the rehearsal dinner Friday, the wedding on Saturday, and Sunday is our couples' book club following the birthday brunch. All good things, but wow! I'm a little tired just thinking about all things I have to dress my kids up for, whether in costumes or just nice clothes.
At least I can check the movie night off my list. I think Marianne had a really wonderful time with her friends. We took the kids' pottery barn chairs down to the basement to arrange "stadium seating" for the movie viewing, and we set up a refreshments table with popcorn, candy and juice boxes. If fun is measured in giggles and opera singing (no kidding), then the girls had a rip-roaring good time.
It's been a busy week since Marianne's birthday!
Last weekend we drove down to St. Joseph, Missouri, for the baptism of our newest godson. Francis Paul is a darling little boy, with the finest features I've ever seen on a newborn. His nose is so prim and proper, nothing like my typical newborns' pudgy little flat things.
We spent a few hours with Sam and Mary on Saturday, catching up and holding Francis. After dinner, we retired to our hotel, which had a small indoor water park. The hotel was nothing to write home about, but the kids loved every minute of it. Sadly, I couldn't find my camera, so all I have to share are my memories, and they were made hazy by lack of sleep. There was one very large, almost completely dark tube slide that the older girls rode countless times. There was also a play area for younger kids with one of those giant buckets that slowly fills and every couple minutes tips to dump water in a huge splash. Meg was terrified of it at first, but I coached her through how it worked, and she quickly determined that she could run up the stairs and slide down one of the slides three times before she had to wait at the side of the pool for the bucket to dump, then she was off to the races again. I went back to the room with Rachel after only a few minutes at the water park, but Nathaniel assured me that by the time they were done, she'd braved up even further, and stopped just long enough to cover her head with her arms wherever she was when the bucket tipped, but she quit letting it slow her fun.
The room we reserved was a "bunk bed suite", but the term "suite" here is used very loosely. Don't worry; we knew that going in. It was a single room with a king bed, a bunk bed, and a pull out sofa (plus a pack'n'play). So the bedding arrangements were fine. In fact, we ended up not needing the pull out, since of course all the kids wanted to sleep on the bunk bed for the novelty of it. I think it was slightly larger than standard twin size mattresses (although I can't imagine why it would be...). Whatever the size, it worked to have Marianne and Meg up top, with Ruth and Peter on the bottom bunk. We put Rachel's bed on the other side of ours in the hope that some space between all the kids would help her sleep, but that was wasted effort. She did not fall asleep before they got back from the pool, and then their excitement got her revved up again, and it took a long time to get everyone settled down. I say that, but in truth, they were probably all asleep by 10, and they slept through the night until that fateful moment when one of them had to use the bathroom shortly before 6. {sigh} You can imagine how this went, I'm sure. Within a minute, all four kids on the bunk were awake, but being quiet, as they took turns heading to the bathroom and getting drinks. I almost thought we were going to get lucky. And then the pretty little head popped up over the edge of the pack'n'play. {repeat sigh} There was some cat-napping between 6 and maybe 7:20 before I finally called it and started turning on lights. Next time I will go with my gut and take the hotel with a less spectacular water attraction, but a two room suite. Sometimes a little space (or a wall) makes all the difference.
After a pleasant breakfast and a leisurely morning watching cartoons on cable and getting ready for church (again, novelty! cable channels!), we checked out and headed to mass and the baptism. Sam and Mary's church is beautiful! The service was nice (it was my first time receiving communion at a communion rail - novelty for ME even!) and the baptism after was lovely. Francis didn't make a peep. Good boy!
We are honored and blessed to be godparents for this new tiny Catholic. I look forward to watching and praying for Francis as he grows in stature and in God's grace.
The few days since the weekend have felt unceasing in chores and errands and cleaning. I've been prepping a little (a very little) for Marianne's movie night tonight, and much more so for a family brunch we're hosting on Sunday, to celebrate Marianne's, Peter's and Rachel's birthdays (10, 3 and 1, respectively), which fall ridiculously close together and will continue to stress me out all the years I am on this earth. This weekend is also the wedding of Nathaniel's cousin. He's an usher and they kindly invited our family to the rehearsal dinner on Friday. Oh, and, in case you'd forgotten, tomorrow is Halloween, so there's that. It struck me today that I don't have to worry about making dinner again till Monday, praise God. Well, I have to put the take-n-bake pizza in the over tomorrow, but it's already bought. Nathaniel brought home dinner tonight, then the pizza, the rehearsal dinner Friday, the wedding on Saturday, and Sunday is our couples' book club following the birthday brunch. All good things, but wow! I'm a little tired just thinking about all things I have to dress my kids up for, whether in costumes or just nice clothes.
At least I can check the movie night off my list. I think Marianne had a really wonderful time with her friends. We took the kids' pottery barn chairs down to the basement to arrange "stadium seating" for the movie viewing, and we set up a refreshments table with popcorn, candy and juice boxes. If fun is measured in giggles and opera singing (no kidding), then the girls had a rip-roaring good time.
Sunday, October 06, 2013
Sick babies, friendly bugs and saints on parade
Our computer was dead and in the shop for a few days. Of course I've never wanted to blog more than I did on those days. Oh sure, I could have written on Nathaniel's laptop, or even on our tablet, but it's just not the same.
Poor me.
So I blogged none. I did very little on the computer apart from email. I wouldn't want to have to try to remember those pesky passwords if they aren't pre-filled for me. Ooh. Did I just admit that? My i.d. will have been stolen by tomorrow.
Rachel is sick. She started coughing and wheezing on Friday night, shortly after I put her to bed and then continued to cry and fuss most of the night. It was a loooooong night, let me tell you. Eventually I got a couple small blocks of sleep, but a note to you mothers of newborns - I now remember what that feels like. So sorry. Prayers for you all!
She is still coughing and rattling and wheezing some. I took her to the doctor on Saturday morning and he prescribed some cough syrup for her (you have to have a prescription for cough syrup now, you know {sigh}). Last night she woke up a time or two but settled back down before I had to get up with her. That probably means Nathaniel doesn't even know she woke up, but a mother doesn't sleep through things like that so well. Especially when it's a breathing issue. My mommy-radar is set on super high intensity.
A couple friends have had kids with croup in the last week or so. When I mentioned that to the doctor yesterday he said, "Did her cough sound like a croupy cough last night?" I replied that I don't know, never having had a kid with croup. He said, "Oh, you'd KNOW!" and explained it as sounding like a seal barking. When I relayed this story to Nathaniel later that day, he said, "I can't believe you told him it didn't sound like croup. She's definitely barking." Um, okay. I don't know. I just expect more from the phrase, "Oh, you'd KNOW!" Like I will have no doubt because there will be a herd of seals in her crib, barking nonstop. (It reminds me of talking to my mom about how you know if milk is sour. Her response was always, "If milk is sour, you KNOW it's sour." Meaning, if you smell it, and you're not sure, then it's fine. I've repeated that one more than a few times in my adult life, and fallen back it on, for better or worse, when I'm not totally sure if it's sour.)
On an unrelated note, with no attempt at a segue, Peter cracks me up. A couple nights ago at bedtime, I heard Nathaniel say, "Go tell Mom what you're upset about." Sad, crying Peter walked up to me and said, "Remember the fly was my friend!" Confused pause on my part as I waited for more... "Remember Daddy killed the fly and he was my friend". Aha. Right. Turns out there was a gnat in the bathroom and Nathaniel smashed it, after which Peter burst inexplicably into tears and declared the fly to be his very good friend.
Sidenote: Peter starts about 80% of sentences with "Remember...?" whether it's a question or statement, and with no regard whatsoever to whether we could possibly "remember" anything having to do with this. I love it! I hope he's still doing it when he's 16, although it's sure to mean he has very few friends by then.
Anyway. Luckily there was another gnat in the bathroom when I took him back in to brush his teeth. I pointed out that THAT gnat could be his friend, and he was instantly cheered. Kids! Marianne couldn't quit laughing at the whole interchange, especially the part where I promised Peter that this gnat was a friend for life, to whom he could tell all his secrets and with whom he could share his food. She wrote up an entry in her journal all about it, then insisted I read about my own great wit. (Kids are great for the ego when they're not too busy insulting us.)
I also commented that the gnat thing was a very fitting incident as it occurred on the feast of St. Francis, a great lover of all animals (preaching to the birds and all that). I can't recall if whether that made it into the journal entry, however it went on to be the determining factor in how Peter should dress for our annual parish picnic and saint parade. Little St. Francis joined his sisters, St. Kateri Tekakwitha and St. Theresa of Lisiuex. Ruth chose St. Kateri because she recently received her Tigerlily costume for Halloween so figured she might as well get some early use out of it (lest you think there was any great depth of spiritual reasoning), and Meg wanted to be St. Theresa after watching her sisters dress as her for her feast day a few days before. (Marianne didn't want to be in the parade, but was designated to assist with the costumes and help Peter not lose any of his animal friends).
Poor me.
So I blogged none. I did very little on the computer apart from email. I wouldn't want to have to try to remember those pesky passwords if they aren't pre-filled for me. Ooh. Did I just admit that? My i.d. will have been stolen by tomorrow.
Rachel is sick. She started coughing and wheezing on Friday night, shortly after I put her to bed and then continued to cry and fuss most of the night. It was a loooooong night, let me tell you. Eventually I got a couple small blocks of sleep, but a note to you mothers of newborns - I now remember what that feels like. So sorry. Prayers for you all!
She is still coughing and rattling and wheezing some. I took her to the doctor on Saturday morning and he prescribed some cough syrup for her (you have to have a prescription for cough syrup now, you know {sigh}). Last night she woke up a time or two but settled back down before I had to get up with her. That probably means Nathaniel doesn't even know she woke up, but a mother doesn't sleep through things like that so well. Especially when it's a breathing issue. My mommy-radar is set on super high intensity.
A couple friends have had kids with croup in the last week or so. When I mentioned that to the doctor yesterday he said, "Did her cough sound like a croupy cough last night?" I replied that I don't know, never having had a kid with croup. He said, "Oh, you'd KNOW!" and explained it as sounding like a seal barking. When I relayed this story to Nathaniel later that day, he said, "I can't believe you told him it didn't sound like croup. She's definitely barking." Um, okay. I don't know. I just expect more from the phrase, "Oh, you'd KNOW!" Like I will have no doubt because there will be a herd of seals in her crib, barking nonstop. (It reminds me of talking to my mom about how you know if milk is sour. Her response was always, "If milk is sour, you KNOW it's sour." Meaning, if you smell it, and you're not sure, then it's fine. I've repeated that one more than a few times in my adult life, and fallen back it on, for better or worse, when I'm not totally sure if it's sour.)
On an unrelated note, with no attempt at a segue, Peter cracks me up. A couple nights ago at bedtime, I heard Nathaniel say, "Go tell Mom what you're upset about." Sad, crying Peter walked up to me and said, "Remember the fly was my friend!" Confused pause on my part as I waited for more... "Remember Daddy killed the fly and he was my friend". Aha. Right. Turns out there was a gnat in the bathroom and Nathaniel smashed it, after which Peter burst inexplicably into tears and declared the fly to be his very good friend.
Sidenote: Peter starts about 80% of sentences with "Remember...?" whether it's a question or statement, and with no regard whatsoever to whether we could possibly "remember" anything having to do with this. I love it! I hope he's still doing it when he's 16, although it's sure to mean he has very few friends by then.
Anyway. Luckily there was another gnat in the bathroom when I took him back in to brush his teeth. I pointed out that THAT gnat could be his friend, and he was instantly cheered. Kids! Marianne couldn't quit laughing at the whole interchange, especially the part where I promised Peter that this gnat was a friend for life, to whom he could tell all his secrets and with whom he could share his food. She wrote up an entry in her journal all about it, then insisted I read about my own great wit. (Kids are great for the ego when they're not too busy insulting us.)
I also commented that the gnat thing was a very fitting incident as it occurred on the feast of St. Francis, a great lover of all animals (preaching to the birds and all that). I can't recall if whether that made it into the journal entry, however it went on to be the determining factor in how Peter should dress for our annual parish picnic and saint parade. Little St. Francis joined his sisters, St. Kateri Tekakwitha and St. Theresa of Lisiuex. Ruth chose St. Kateri because she recently received her Tigerlily costume for Halloween so figured she might as well get some early use out of it (lest you think there was any great depth of spiritual reasoning), and Meg wanted to be St. Theresa after watching her sisters dress as her for her feast day a few days before. (Marianne didn't want to be in the parade, but was designated to assist with the costumes and help Peter not lose any of his animal friends).
Wednesday, August 28, 2013
Prayers for a friend
Praying today for the baby of our neighbor. She's just hours old and being transferred to Omaha's children's hospital for heart surgery. They knew there was a problem, but it's worse than they thought. Please pray for her when you see this.
Tuesday, February 26, 2013
Confessions of a slacker parent
Peter is our first child to pick up the Elmo-like habit of referring to himself in the first person. It's not as drastic as the obnoxious furry monster who supposedly "teaches" our children, but it's still noticeable. The high point of his grammatical failure is that he often references himself with both his first and middle names. "Mommy, read to Peter Joseph, please." It is so. stinking. cute. that I'm actually a teensy bit glad we had this little slacker moment in parenting. And yes, it is OUR fault. We spent much more time teaching the girls proper speech. Happily, Peter understands when we correct him and is responsive, so I don't foresee a long term issue.
*****
Ruth made her first confession this weekend. I failed to take a camera, so I'll just refer you to Marianne's first penance. Same adorable Sister handling preparation, same lovely church. Just picture Ruth there instead of Marianne. (How's THAT for slacker parenting?)
Ruth's attitude approaching her first penance was a complete 180 from Marianne's. Whereas Marianne was anxious and scrupulous, Ruth was relaxed and even a little excited. I wish we could all feel that way about confession. Her only complaint was the long line she had to wait in because she had to climb over all her little siblings to get out of the pew so several other students beat her to the priest she wanted.
Similar to last year, we let Ruth choose a restaurant for lunch after the ceremony. She opted for Pizza Hut's lunch buffet. I wasn't very excited beforehand, but it was awesome and hilarious. First they had some salad, then pizza and breadsticks. Then they moved on to dessert pizza and breadsticks. Oh but wait, then back for some pickles and vanilla wafers from the salad bar. And oops, I missed the jello salad, Mom, can I get some of that? And then everyone else sees, and therefore must have, jello salad as well (despite them all proclaiming it "kind of hard" jello). Such good times, made all the better by the waitress complimenting how well-behaved our children were as we were leaving. Success! (Maybe the girls were afraid we'd make them go back to the confessional if they were naughty... or at least the confessional line.)
*****
Rachel is more strongly attached to her pacifier than any of her older siblings were. Or perhaps, as Nathaniel frequently insinuates, I rely more heavily on it to stop her fussing so I can get other things done than I did for her older siblings. (I'm sensing a "slacker" theme to this whole post. In case you're wondering, this is the point at which I determined the title of the post. It was not premeditated.)
I have mixed feelings about the paci, although I don't fear it the way I did thumb-sucking when Peter first went down that path. (He still sucks his thumbs when he's tired, but I'm not worrying myself about it just yet.) Rachel will go to sleep without her pacifier sometimes, but if she's fussy, it'll solve the problem. She's much better at keeping it in long enough to fall asleep now; having to jump out of bed every four minutes to reinsert the plug is one of the most miserable ways to spend half an hour in the middle of the night.
BUT! Just when I thought this kid might be an official pacifier baby, she has begun exploration of her fingers and seems really taken with sucking on her hand in general. Sometimes it's her balled up fist, sometimes her first two fingers, sometimes her ring and pinky. Once today I came upon her sucking on just her pinky finger. I've actually gone to the trouble of unrolling her thumb from her tightly fisted little hand and inserting it into her mouth just so she'd know it was there, but she was indifferent. Time will tell.
*****
I signed all three of the older girls up for a rec center ballet class this spring. It's for ages five to nine, but they agreed to take my four and a half year old as well. This means Meg will be little for the class, and Marianne will be on the big end. I'm curious to see how that dynamic will work out. They have a class for younger kids, but it's at a different time and heaven knows I don't want to be there waiting any longer than necessary.
Marianne took ballet once, years ago, at the same rec center. It was adorable. Ruth has forever since felt neglected, so I decided it was time to give her her own chance. And Meg... I mean, can't you just picture her in ballet?! It's too perfect. As for Marianne, she said she'd like to join in, and it's only $21 per kid for the eight classes. Why not? I can't wait to fill you in on the sister-bonding, ballerina fun.
 |
| Photo courtesy of Sarah S. |
*****
Ruth made her first confession this weekend. I failed to take a camera, so I'll just refer you to Marianne's first penance. Same adorable Sister handling preparation, same lovely church. Just picture Ruth there instead of Marianne. (How's THAT for slacker parenting?)
Ruth's attitude approaching her first penance was a complete 180 from Marianne's. Whereas Marianne was anxious and scrupulous, Ruth was relaxed and even a little excited. I wish we could all feel that way about confession. Her only complaint was the long line she had to wait in because she had to climb over all her little siblings to get out of the pew so several other students beat her to the priest she wanted.
 |
| Photo courtesy of Sarah S. |
Similar to last year, we let Ruth choose a restaurant for lunch after the ceremony. She opted for Pizza Hut's lunch buffet. I wasn't very excited beforehand, but it was awesome and hilarious. First they had some salad, then pizza and breadsticks. Then they moved on to dessert pizza and breadsticks. Oh but wait, then back for some pickles and vanilla wafers from the salad bar. And oops, I missed the jello salad, Mom, can I get some of that? And then everyone else sees, and therefore must have, jello salad as well (despite them all proclaiming it "kind of hard" jello). Such good times, made all the better by the waitress complimenting how well-behaved our children were as we were leaving. Success! (Maybe the girls were afraid we'd make them go back to the confessional if they were naughty... or at least the confessional line.)
*****
Rachel is more strongly attached to her pacifier than any of her older siblings were. Or perhaps, as Nathaniel frequently insinuates, I rely more heavily on it to stop her fussing so I can get other things done than I did for her older siblings. (I'm sensing a "slacker" theme to this whole post. In case you're wondering, this is the point at which I determined the title of the post. It was not premeditated.)
I have mixed feelings about the paci, although I don't fear it the way I did thumb-sucking when Peter first went down that path. (He still sucks his thumbs when he's tired, but I'm not worrying myself about it just yet.) Rachel will go to sleep without her pacifier sometimes, but if she's fussy, it'll solve the problem. She's much better at keeping it in long enough to fall asleep now; having to jump out of bed every four minutes to reinsert the plug is one of the most miserable ways to spend half an hour in the middle of the night.
BUT! Just when I thought this kid might be an official pacifier baby, she has begun exploration of her fingers and seems really taken with sucking on her hand in general. Sometimes it's her balled up fist, sometimes her first two fingers, sometimes her ring and pinky. Once today I came upon her sucking on just her pinky finger. I've actually gone to the trouble of unrolling her thumb from her tightly fisted little hand and inserting it into her mouth just so she'd know it was there, but she was indifferent. Time will tell.
*****
I signed all three of the older girls up for a rec center ballet class this spring. It's for ages five to nine, but they agreed to take my four and a half year old as well. This means Meg will be little for the class, and Marianne will be on the big end. I'm curious to see how that dynamic will work out. They have a class for younger kids, but it's at a different time and heaven knows I don't want to be there waiting any longer than necessary.
 |
| Photo courtesy of Sarah S. |
Marianne took ballet once, years ago, at the same rec center. It was adorable. Ruth has forever since felt neglected, so I decided it was time to give her her own chance. And Meg... I mean, can't you just picture her in ballet?! It's too perfect. As for Marianne, she said she'd like to join in, and it's only $21 per kid for the eight classes. Why not? I can't wait to fill you in on the sister-bonding, ballerina fun.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)