Little Things

Summer Discoveries...

2011-09-03T05:08:00.000-07:00

1) Rose Marie successfully conquered her fear of the water. I feel so proud watching her jump off the side of the swimming pool now, because I know how much she had to overcome to find that courage within herself. She is proud of herself. I could sit all day and watch her happily jumping in and out of the water.

2) Samuel has zero fear of the water. None. Therefore, he also throws himself off the side of the swimming pool, but the emotion that arises in me is a mix of panic and then frustration. No matter how many times he goes completely underwater and comes up sputtering and spitting, he continues to launch himself off of the highest point and into the water. Oh well...maybe next year we will learn how to swim and then I won't have to worry as much. But he is incredibly cute and manly when he jumps.

3) Sometimes a day in the swimming pool, totally counts as a bath.

4) Samuel has discovered his inner hunter instinct. I have never seen a child carefully stalk a grasshopper/spider/beatle the way Sam does. He follows the bug closely, waits for his moment to pouce and then scoops it up in his pudgey little hands (without squashing it!) and releases it back to its Mommy and Daddy. If the bug looks too big to be captured in his hands, he will get a cup from the kitchen and scoop it into the cup and take the bug outside. It is nice to be able to retire from getting rid of unwated bugs in our house. I will happily pass the baton to Samuel.

5) Drinking my cup of coffee outside in the summer sunshine, somehow doubles the caffine effect, which is wonderful!

6) I am fairly sure that I could eat fresh tomatoes with mozzarella, drizzled with olive oil every night.

7) The kids found out what happens when you pour water into dirt. Needless to say, this provided hours of entertainment.

8) Clouds really can look like something other than a cloud. Furthermore, each person is entitled to his/her own opinion as to what that cloud looks like. While you may see a bunny, it is perfectly acceptable that someone else may see a sword killing a dragon. Or perhaps Mommy is just going to call this whole thing off and from now on they are simply clouds!

9) Pretty much any occassion is "s'more worthy." If we are up past bedtime and the sun is getting sleepy, then it must be time to break out the marshmallows, chocolate and graham crackers.

10) Summer is time of lingering. Cuddles, kisses, and moments linger and hopefully stay a little longer. We have a few more weeks left, and I hope to make them last as long as I can. :)

Happy 5th Birthday Rose Marie!

2011-09-01T16:45:00.000-07:00

This year, my eldest presented me with a whole new challenge for her birthday.

Since Rose Marie was about 2 years old, I began telling her stories at night about a little penguin who lives in Alaska. These stories have taken many fantastical turns over the years, and she has completely fallen in love with, Pierre the penguin, the hero of her stories.

So this year, she asked for a penguin birthday party. At first I was completely stumped. How was I going to pull off a penguin party in the middle of the summer? With some thought, and much input from Rose, we came up with ideas. In the end, I think it turned out much better than I expected. Most importantly, she loved it!

I printed off penguin coloring pages for the little ones to color as they came. Then, they were able to make little bracelets that had penguin charms on them. We set up the pool outside and the kids were able to cool off in the "icy Alaskan waters." We had water balloons for a "waddle like a penguin," game...but the water balloons ended up being more fun to toss (uncles are always brillant examples for this!)

Of course, I did my best with a Pierre the Penguin cake and was able to make a five little construction paper penguins for decorations.

I still can't believe she is five years old! This year, I truly feel her being more grown up. She is going to be an amazing big sister, for the second time around. :) Although she doesn't lay in my arms anymore, or need me as much, I hope she still sees how deeply I love her and cherish her. I am trying to learn now, how to show my big girl how much she means to me. She is still my comfort and my little companion. Right now, I feel closest to her when she comes into the kitchen asking to help me make dinner. We cook and we talk. She is especially open when she cooking and I love it. Now I keep carrotts on hand just in case she wants to come in and "cook," then I set her up with the peeler and carrotts and listen to her talk about whatever is on her heart. I hope she knows just how much that means to me.

Happy Birthday, Rose Marie!!!

1) The Birthday Girl approving of her cake. :)

2) The cake! I was just happy that she was able to identify it as a penguin!

3) These little guys were waiting for her in the stairway when she woke up. There were two more pointing the way to the pool.

The Big News!

2011-08-30T19:09:00.001-07:00

We are so thrilled to be able to announce that we are expecting baby #3, in early March of next year!

What a difference it is to be able to tell Rose Marie that she will be big sister again, and to truly have her understand. She, as always, is so helpful and careful to "take care of the baby." I love how attentive she is! We start our morning by talking about how big the baby is now and how many more days it will be until she is here (Rose is really wanting a sister.)

Samuel, has been surprisingly loving as well. He is always grabing me around the waist as I pass by and squashing his face into my belly and talking to the baby. I think the baby hears more, "I love yous" from his/her brother than I do. :)

As for my part, I am thrilled and terrified all at the same time. I wonder if I will be able to do this again. Will I remember what to do? What if I don't remember anything at all? But then, I do remember the sweet smell of a newborn. I can't wait to curl up in bed with the baby and doze while listening to his/her sweet little breathing. I can't wait to breastfeed again...that is always something I cherish. I can't wait to see which new personality we will be blest with this time! I am curious to see the changes in my first two children as they learn to make room in their little hearts for their new sibling. How will this little one change me? Who will I learn to become with this new life? These are the thoughts and questions that fill my mind on a daily basis.

I feel incredibly blessed to have this opportunity to bear life within my womb again. Thank you Lord, for this gift...I pray that I may hold this life with the kind of love that leads this child closer to You.

Hello World!

2011-08-30T19:03:00.000-07:00

I am feeling more than a little overwhelmed at the prospect of picking up this blog again. So much time has past and I feel like I have so much to catch up on...but I miss this more than I thought I would. Blogging truly helps me to set my thoughts, keep a postive attitude and keeps me more observant to the little things that do make a difference in my life.

So, after many months of silence, here I go, picking this up again. :) I guess the best way to start is just to jump right in.

New York City: From Rose Marie's Perspective

2011-05-24T17:00:00.001-07:00

We recently had the incredible honor of attending a dear friend's ordination to the priesthood, in New York City! I was so nervous about taking my children running around the Big Apple. But, as God would have it, the weekend was so grace-filled! In the end, I cannot imagine that trip WITHOUT my children! We had more fun as a family, then we have had in a long time! We were blessed by how good they were during the ordination itself, and then, how wonderful they were as we went exploring through the city.

Since we have been home, Rose Marie has been drawing pictures of the things she saw while we were there. So instead of boring you with details, I thought I would share with you, her pictures. I find them absolutely priceless! :)

1) The "Big Apple."

2) The Subway: notice the "smoke" rising from the top and Rose Marie and Samuel smiling out of the windows (the smilely faces are the parts that look like the train wheels)

3) St. Patrick's Cathedral: This is the big steeple and the "biggest door in the world!"

4) The Statue of Liberty: This is my favorite! Above the big smile is the "crown" that Liberty wears and then in her hand is the torch and next to her the water.

Happy Easter!

2011-05-02T16:52:00.000-07:00

Happy Easter!!!

I finally have my blog up and running again! Yay! For some reason I was unable to upload photos or write on the blog for a while. It is still acting up as far as formatting goes, but at least I can write a little something. :)

We had an AMAZING Easter this year! I hope you all did as well! We were so incredibly blessed to be able to enter into the Triduum this year with the kids. Those last few days were so beautiful.

Beginning on Wednesday night, our little family went into a kind of silence...no cell phones, computers, generally no outside distractions. On Thursday the kids and I read through the Passion in the Bible and then we did a craft about Holy Week. Before dinner, Daddy washed all of the little feet in the house...it was really beautiful! Rose and Sam were absolutely fascinated by Holy Thursday service. Sam was very upset by the stripping of the altar and by the statues being covered up.

Good Friday was spent remembering Our Lord's Passion. We ended up keeping it fairly low key, but we did manage to have a beautiful Stations of the Cross in our home that night. Rose Marie loves doing Stations at our house, so it was a real treat to her. We turn off all of the lights in the house, and light fourteen candles instead, for each of the Stations. After we pray each Station, one of the children extinguishes the candle so the room gets progressively darker. Rose and Sam are always very touched by this and Rose Marie really made the connection that on Easter, we will "feel the light" again. :) It was beautiful. I also thought it was interesting that Sam's favorite Station is when Jesus meets His mother...he always says that it makes Jesus feel "all better." I think he may be right.

Saturday was relatively quiet for us, but this year we made it to the Vigil! I was so excited for us and for the kids! They were so good at the long Mass. I will never forget Sam's expression when the lights were turned on in the Church when the "Gloria," was sung. He was so happy! He was especially happy to see that the statues were uncovered again and that there were flowers back on the altar. :) Rose Marie kept saying, "Alleluia," rather loudly...but I am sure Jesus didn't mind. :)

Easter Sunday was full of fun and celebration! We had a wonderful Easter Brunch at my parent's house, which ended with a fun Easter Egg hunt in the backyard. That night, my family came over to our home for Easter Dinner. There was a lot of laughter and joy through the entire day, and we couldn't have asked for more. My younger siblings played hard with our kids, so by bedtime that night, Rose and Sam were exhausted and fell into bed saying, "I love Easter!" I do too. :)

1) Jake and I after Easter Dinner.

2) Waiting to go hunt for those eggs!

3) Enjoying a moment of peace at my parent's house, while the kids are scrambling to find the hidden eggs.

4) Drinking sparkling apple cider after the Easter Vigil!

5) Happy Easter!!!

Where I Come From

2011-04-10T18:12:00.000-07:00

In case anyone is wondering:

I am a daughter of man who served his country well for twenty years in the Armed Forces.

I come from a family who values and respects one other's uniquness and difference of opinion.

I was raised in a family that spoke truth...even in uncomfortable circumstances.

Dinner conversations were regularly full of intelligent debate, followed by hugs and laughter.

I was taught to stand firm against things I viewed as unjust or untrue.

I was reminded that evil runs free, when good men do nothing.

Defending those you love, is not an option, it is your duty.

And yes, I plan on raising my daughter the same way. I will expect her to differ from me in opinions. I expect her to challenge authority when she senses that something may be unjust or untrue. I want her to know that she is valued for the unique way in which she thinks, feels and expresses herself. I will guide her to the very best of my ability, but I do not intend to shun my children for making choices that they feel they are being called upon to make. I am working on giving her roots in the Catholic Faith and in Catholic Tradition, and then, I have to let her go and let God work on her little heart in the way that He sees fit. I have to trust her and even more, I have to trust Him. All the while, I have to remember that she is God's gift to me. I have to remember that in order for her to respect me as her mother, she also needs to know that I respect and love her, just as she was created to be. I do not rule her, it is not a mother's place to demand unwavering submission. These little ones entrusted to us by God, deserve respect for the little people they are, and for the grown-up men and women they will become. I pray that one day, my daughter will grow into a confident, God-fearing, truth speaking little woman and that she will have a passionate love for those in her life and for the principles she has been taught. And I hope, that if any of those things are challenged, she will be graced with the strength to make a stand and fight for the ones she loves...knowing full well that her Mama would be proud. :) Thank you Mom and Dad!!

Working the System

2011-03-29T18:16:00.000-07:00

I apologize for the poor formatting of this post. Blogger is not letting me space between lines. The latest way to get out of consequences: 1) "Samuel, why did you stab Rose Marie with your toy sword?!" Sam responds, "It was an accident." (i.e. you cannot punish me for "accidents") 2) "Samuel, why did you pour your milk on the floor?" Without skipping a beat he looks at me and says, "Oh I forgot!" (i.e. "forgetting," is just like an accident and thus there can be no consequences.) This, "Get out of jail free card," now applies to all KNOWN rules in our house such as: we do not use the broom as weapon, it is for sweeping the floor; we do not jump off the top steps, you will crash at the bottom; you only need a little bit of toliet paper for wiping, not the entire roll; we do not pretend to make soup in the toliet; etc. Now everytime I catch him breaking one of these rules, I am quickly met with the trump card of "It was an accident," or "I forgot." Everytime he responds this way, it stops me dead in my tracks and I have to hide my smile. He is too smart for his own good, but he is incredibly adorable. :)

Little Joys

2011-03-24T11:52:00.000-07:00

What a wonderful week! These past few days have been full, but happy. I am so grateful. Thank you for the prayers! I am trying to look harder and see more clearly the joyful moments :) Here are a few snapshots:

1) St. Patricks Day was filled with green pancakes, "stained glass window shamrocks," green sprinkled cupcakes and finished with a Irish Dancing performance by my sister and her dancing class! The whole day was full of fun and good ol' Irish spirit! I love Feast Days!

2) This mischievous little face! Although sometimes I can swear that he drives me to the brink, he also keeps me on my toes. And besides...how can you resist that face! :)

3) My little rainbow! I feel like she is changing so quickly these days. Recently she has started our days by climbing into bed with me in the morning and catching me up on all important information I will need before I get Sam up.

Hello World!

2011-03-19T18:01:00.001-07:00

Here I am once again, after another long hiatus. This time, I cannot say that it has been insane schedules or busy business...it has simply been life that has kept me away. I don't want this first post back to be "doom and gloomish," but I'm afraid that feeling is probably what has kept me leery of posting. For whatever reason these last few months I have been plagued by a "heaviness," that I have struggled to shake off. Maybe it is the weather. Whatever it is, I have struggled and wrestled recently to find joy and laughter in my daily routine. I realize that our days are not always filled with laughter, but sometimes finding it is effortless and at other times, you can feel like it has been days since you felt a full smile cross your face. So, there...it is out there and I said it. Hopefully, I will feel more free to post since I have been more honest with myself. We shall see.

Now that I have put it out there, I will say that the word, "joy," has been my focus this Lenten season. I realize that it may seem an odd focus for the penitential season, but I am finding it so helpful this year! When things or days get hard, or when I am particularly missing the things I have given up, I am trying to find my joy. It is not enough to simply, "give up stuff," for Lent, but even more, we need to be joyful. We need to be joyful in what has been given to us by Our Heavenly Father. We need to be joyful while doing our daily motherly duties. We need to be joyful in the knowledge that we are loved by God. We need to be joyful while standing at a crossroads in our lives and awaiting God's direction. We need to be joyful even when we don't know what it is that God is asking of us. Not that any of this is always easy, but for now, it is what I am trying to find. If I find helpful hints during this season I promise to share them. :)

For now, here are some pictures of the people in my life who make me joyful and who I am trying to be more joyful for! Enjoy!

1) My little comfort...
2) I love how often they are hugging these days! They like to hug before nap times, at bedtime and first thing in the morning.

3) My little man on his very awesome ride! He is just too cool for school!

4) Tire Swings!

5) My boys fixing the car together. Sam is definitely Daddy's little buddy!

A Song :)

2011-02-17T11:53:00.000-08:00

I am here...and I survived! After potty training and the entire family coming down with the flu, we are finally on the other side! Yay!

I haven't been here in a while, partly because I have been playing catch up and partly because now that we are better, we have been "running errands," everyday simply because we enjoy our new found freedom. :)

I have a song I wanted to share. I have loved this song for awhile, and a special thanks to my Mom for sharing it with me. I haven't wanted to post it because the video quality and acoustics are not very good, so I am afraid it comes across as cheesy, but the lyrics are perfect. It is called "How You Live," and it is by Singer/Songwriter Cindy Morgan. I was blest to be able to see her perform live and she is amazing! This is not my video, but was the only one I could find on Youtube. She originally wrote this song and the group Point of Grace sings it, but I love Cindy Morgan's version so much better...plus I love the first line. :) This song and her other song, "How Could I Ask For More," are simply beautiful and so true.

If you are in need of a happy thought, here is the song for you: "How You Live"

A Homeopathic Remedy

2011-01-24T13:33:00.000-08:00

Uses: For the relief of stress, frustration or feelings of insanity brought on after a week-long lockdown with a potty-training toddler, followed IMMEDIATELY by becoming quarantined again because of the flu caught by aforementioned potty-training toddler.

Remedy: For this remedy to be effective you must get out of the fetal position. Turn music of your choice (of the adult variety) up to loudest volume and begin singing at YOUR own loudest volume. Proper tone or pitch is not necessary, but volume is a must, along with dancing moves that are only appropriate in your home. Then, proceed to the pantry and decide that lunch time today will consist of baking a huge batch of Chocolate Chip cookies. Between the dancing, loud singing, eating cookie dough and then warm cookies and glasses of milk, every possible stress from all involved parties will immediately subside. Stress will be replaced with laughter, cuddles, new dance routines and fantastic memories.

Follow these instructions as often as necessary to maintain a positive attitude while locked inside your house for extended amounts of time. :)

My Girl!

2011-01-19T12:05:00.000-08:00

Parenthood really does change, just as soon as you think you have the hang of it! We are at a new stage...or at least the beginnings of it. My little girl is growing up. I realize that this sounds drastic, but quite frankly it FEELS drastic. I am not sure when it happened exactly, but I keep looking at Rose Marie and wondering where my little girl went.

Suddenly, she is confidently striking up conversations with older children and even adults. I catch myself listening very attentively to find out what is going to fly out of her little mouth. She loves to be responsible. Several times this week I have walked into a previously messy room to find that she had "surprised" me and cleaned it up without my asking her to do it, and she actually does a good job! She is incredibly affirming and I love her postitive feedback on my mothering. :)

But along with all of these positives, there is the other side to this growing up. Her worldview is getting broader. She is seeing, hearing and understanding things that were previously unnoticed or simply too difficult to understand. She wants to know what happens when we die. Will we all go to heaven at the same time? Why are there children in other parts of the world without food or mommies and daddies? Why does she have those things and they do not? Do you only get babies in your tummy AFTER the wedding, or can it sometimes happen before? Why do only big kids get to drive cars and not little kids? How long will it be before she can drive a car, because she is bigger than Sam, and therefore considered a big kid? When are we going to fly to England and talk to the Queen?

Yes, hard questions. I find myself getting exhausted by trying to be honest about all of these questions, without giving her information that she is still not ready for...like dying for instance.

It is a good time of growth, for her and for me. I am enjoying this new, older side of my daughter. I am loving seeing her personality continually take on a new form. It is truly fascinating. But, I still will miss these moments of her smallness and her innoncence. It is exciting and bittersweet, as every part of parenting seems to be. I love you Rose Marie, and I love watching you grow into your own unique, very inquisitive little self!

Happy New Year!!!!

2011-01-12T17:54:00.000-08:00

Since I have been so negligent with this blog recently, I think this particular post will have to be done in "Quick Takes," format. :) So here we go, a whirlwind catch up on our lives since Advent.

1) Christmas was more than I could have wished for our little family this year, which is probably what is largely to blame for my silence. Silence. That was probably the word for our Christmas. Our hearts were full, our home was happy and we were very at peace. Jake was able to take almost a full week off from work, and I had made sure everything was ready beforehand. That final week before Christmas was spent mostly in pajamas, snacking on sugar cookies, drinking hot chocolate by the fire, re-reading favorite stories and wrapping Christmas presents. I felt so connected to my husband, and I always thrive when that is the case. :) We were so blest to be able to sit through the ENTIRE Christmas Mass! Yay! I was so proud of Samuel.

2) Speaking of sitting through Mass, that has been a HUGE recent blessing! I think we may have officially graduated to only leaving the Church for disciplinary issues, or potty breaks. Sam is actually very intrigued by what is going on at Mass and the closer we can sit to the front, the better he seems to behave ( I really hope I am not going to jinx us now!) This does not mean that our Mass experience is without many wiggles, stepping on of toes, putting runs in Mommy's nylons, or speaking loudly at inopportune times, but it is overall, much better than before! I just love being able to listen attentively to at least one reading, and sometimes all of them!

3) This year, I do not have any major resolutions. I am not on an anti-resolution crusade or anything, I just simply haven't made any. I may get to it at some point this month, and when I do, I'll let you know. :)

4) Last update thought...my little girl is growing up! I think this may have to wait and be a post all on its own. I feel like she has changed so much just since Christmas and I am not even sure how. She is so smart and opinionated. I love the conversations we have had recently. Yes, I think I will wait and post on these new Mommy/Daughter changes at a later time.

So that's a wrap! I know it has been short, but I do have a lot of other things to catch you up on and I promise I will! God bless and Happy New Year!

O Antiphons!

2010-12-21T10:52:00.001-08:00

I LOVE being Catholic! The Advent Season for Catholics is so incredibly rich in tradition and symbolism. I am grateful that I have a lifetime to truly uncover the richness of this season, because I know that I still have so much to learn!

One of my favorite Christmas Hymns has always been, "O Come, O Come Emmanuel." The verses of the song, echo the prophesies in the book of Isaiah that foretell of Christ's coming. I love that each verse ends with a joyful, "Gaude! Gaude!" (Rejoice! Rejoice!) because Emmanuel has truly come to the waiting Israel.

Over at Catholic Culture there is a good summary of what are known as the "O Antiphons," which are sung or prayed during the final days before Christmas. This year, I was finally able to make our own version of the "O Antiphon House." I have been wanting to do this or the past few years, I am incredibly grateful that I had the opportunity to do it this year. So far, this has gone over much better than what I had expected! Rose and Sam LOVE this. It is a wonderful visual work that encourages great questions! Here are a few photos of what we have done:

1) Today we are on "O Oriens," which is why most of the boxes are already open. I used an unfinished photo frame and spray painted it gold (with a little glitter for sparkle) and then I found seven little cardboard boxes and spray painted them gold and glued them onto the frame. On the inside of each box, is the image for the day which corresponds to the Antiphon. Each box top has a wooden star painted gold, and on the underside of the lid, is a wooden letter that stands for the Antiphon. I punched a small hole in the top of each lid and attached a gold ribbon to it, so we could hang the box lids up after they were opened.

2) When the box is open for the day, there is a small "scroll" that has the prophesy and the Antiphon inside.

3) At the end, "ERO CRAS" will be spelled out which means, "Tomorrow I will come." This is what it will look like, after all of the boxes are opened:

Attention Toddler Age Girls:

2010-12-16T18:07:00.000-08:00

I have in my keeping, the makings of a little man, who would be great husband material...that is if he doesn't feel called to the priesthood instead. :) Below is a list of his qualifications, which I think would make him an ideal candidate for a lifelong commitment:

1) Should you ever feel the need to watch how high the human person can launch himself from any object in your home...Sam is your man. Falling, or injuring himself is only part of the job and previous falls or injuries, will not dampen his spirit.

2) If you have ever wondered what may be lurking behind your toilet, in your toilet or under the stove...again, Sam is your man.

3) No woman likes to be left alone in her kitchen, and with Sam, you never will be. He is quite good at knife handling, dish washing and throwing anything left on the counter in the trash...even if it was about to be part of the meal, but who wants those unnecessary calories anyway.

4) Window washing, this is where his expertise truly shines. Windex is for wimps. Sam's tongue swiped across the window works wonders. This is a chore he loves to do, so you will never even have to add it to your "Honey-do" list.

5) Romance, every girl needs romance. Who could resist a footed pajama man, crawling into your lap and singing sweetly, "Baby its cold outside?" Yes, my heart melts every time he does this.

Ladies, what you are looking at is the whole package. I could list several other endearing qualities like his new found pizza sauce facial mask, or how he drives his cars on the bathroom door when inexplicably you have locked yourself in, but really I don't want to over do it.

I promise to keep you updated, as this wonderful little piece of masculinity continues to maturity. In a few years, you can send us your applications. :)

Pictures!

2010-12-10T11:43:00.001-08:00

Yay! I finally have a few pictures on my computer! It has been a busy month already.

But before I get to this month, we ended last month by celebrating Samuel's 2nd birthday! I can hardly believe he is already two! Because his birthday fell the day after Thanksgiving this year, he ended up celebrating twice, because we were at both sets of grandparent's houses during the holiday. It was so much fun! Samuel was so blest to be surrounded by all of his family!

When we celebrated with my family, my heart felt so overwhelmed by happiness and memories. When Sam was born, I was lucky to have my Mom in the delivery room with me and the day after the birth, we were welcomed home by my entire family celebrating Thanksgiving dinner in our little apartment. It was so special this year to be with my Mom and my whole family, remembering how we had celebrated a different kind of Thanksgiving only two years ago. :) Happy Birthday to my manly little man, Samuel! I love you, Sam and all of the amazing adventures you bring into our lives.

1) Here is Sam's first cake that we took to the first party. :) I was so grateful that Sam recognized it as a train.

2) Sam and Daddy at his second party. I don't have any explanation for the look on Sam's little face. He was actually really happy and excited. :)

3) Sam's fire truck cake. He is obsessed with fire trucks these days and this cake in particular had him completely thrilled!

In these moments

2010-11-12T13:15:00.001-08:00

In these moments, I am enjoying these things:

1) Waking up. At various stages in motherhood waking up can be challenging. For this moment, by that I mean today, I find it joyful. The mornings are truly full of joy these days. I wish I woke up in the morning with the same kind of vigorous excitement for the day that my children do. For now, I let them lead me to it.

2) Moments of silence. Again, at various times in motherhood, silence becomes a foreign word. In this moment, my children are becoming friends and that means there are more times when they are playing together happily, and I am left in silence. It is bittersweet. I am grateful to finally catch my breath, and in that same instance I miss their closeness. I remind myself that this is a VERY fleeting moment, so I try to enjoy it to the fullest!

3) Reading together. Samuel has discovered books! This means that the three of us can now cozy on the couch, or in Mommy's bed, for endless amounts of time reading the same stories over and over. I love it! He has very strong opinions for which books we should read at "his turn," and I love discovering what they are. I love that I have to constantly switch between ballerina stories and "truck books!" Sometimes I read a little slower than usual, just so I can savor that moment of two heads resting on my shoulders.

4) Rose Marie is learning to read! I love watching her eyes sparkle as she sounds out new words! I realize that tomorrow, she could loathe me for asking her to read out loud, but for today, she is thrilled, and so am I!

5) Samuel sings. He sings constantly. He sings from his crib, in the bathtub, while he is eating, while he is playing etc. I hope it means that his heart is joyful and happy.

6) Rose Marie dances...all the time! Between the singing and the dancing we are becoming quite the talented little family. I can't help but smile when Rose prances down the stairs with a purple headband crookedly perched on her head, pink butterfly wings balancing off her shoulders, a pink tu-tu almost resting at her waist, multi-colored bracelets to match her mis-matched socks, completing her attire with red sequined shoes. She then announces that she has a surprise for me and that I am invited to a very special ballet. It truly is special...every single time.

Snapshots from October :)

2010-11-08T05:07:00.000-08:00

I have a few snapshots from last month, that I really wanted to share. Last month, was a full and happy month for our little family. Here a few of my favorites:

1) We celebrated our 5th Anniversary this year! My always romantic husband surprised me with an evening away, which was wonderful! This shot was actually taken the weekend before at our College's Homecoming celebration, but I love it!

2) Apple Picking! We went twice last month, which was such a treat! Apples are definitely a favorite in this house. I had wanted to use them to bake with, but they were eaten before I got the chance. :)

3) Myself and the kids, completed our first hike up at Skyline Drive together! I was so proud of Rose for happily making it the whole way on her own! We had so much fun that morning! They were both exhausted by the time nap time rolled around. :)

4) The pumpkin patch! This was one of my favorite years, because both of the kids had strong opinions on which pumpkins they wanted, and each one was absolutely perfect for them. They were so proud of them!

5) Pumpkin Carving! We were afraid that Sam's pumpkin might be too small to carve into, but Daddy patiently worked on it and was able to put a smile on that little pumpkin. :)

6) The Artist and the apprentice:

7) Dorothy and the Cowardly Lion:

Samuel's Vocabulary

2010-11-04T04:00:00.000-07:00

A few years ago I did a post on Rose Marie's budding vocabulary.

Samuel has recently discovered his own voice, and I love it! He can now communicate clearly what he wants...most of the time. He has come up with a few words of his own that make us all laugh. Without further ado, here is a guide to Sam's word usage:

1) "Mine"= this is his own nickname for Rose Marie. She actually answers to it, but only when he says it. It is so endearing to hear him ask, "Where'd Mine go?" My favorite is hearing him yell for her if she wandered too far from him at the park, "MINE!!!" I think he actually means that she is his...she belongs to him and he is very possessive over his playmate. :)

2) "Mouth-Toot"= Burp. Very clever, if you ask me and it makes his Daddy very proud.

3) "Butt"= Bug

4) "Hop Butts"= Grasshoppers

5) "Trick-or-Treats"= Candy

Over Month Has Gone By...

2010-11-02T12:04:00.000-07:00

And I feel like I have so much to say!

Firstly, I no longer have my computer, so I am at the mercy of when I can borrow one for now. :)

Secondly, I have been thinking A LOT about life, marriage, children, the faith, etc. Honestly, my thoughts have overwhelmed me recently and I feel like it has been hard for me to express myself clearly. I am feeling a bit better now and I am anxious to get my thoughts out there somewhere. So, consider yourself warned for future posts.

Thirdly, I can't wait to share again how our lives are daily growing and changing. People always warn you that children grow up way to fast...I finally understand what they mean by that. :) I need to get back to recording it again, so that I never forget.

Here I am! I am back, and I will post when I can. I hope everyone is enjoying this fall weather! God bless!

Vacation!

2010-09-27T12:13:00.001-07:00

We are home again! This year, we decided to go on vacation with friends of ours from our College days and their families. We had such an amazing time!

I have come home feeling incredibly blessed by the friends that God has placed in our lives. It was so encouraging to spend a week with like minded families and to draw strength and wisdom from each of them. I felt so supported as a family by our loving friends. There was so much laughter and fun, and conversations that encouraged us to be stronger in particular areas of our faith. I feel like I am still digesting the beauty of the week and relishing the reconnection with the dearest of friends. It was wonderful to watch Rose Marie begin new friendships with my friend's children! I think I am still in awe of how God has blessed us in this area. Thank you Lord, for the beauty of amazing friends!

Here are a few snapshots from the week:

1) My man and I, enjoying some much needed couple time.
2) Sharks and Stingrays...life doesn't get much better than that! :)

3) The Wright Brother's memorial. No, I promise that Rose Marie was not strangling Samuel.

4) Daddy and his little beach bunny! She LOVED the water!

5) The boys!

6) Our little family, relaxing on a beautiful day at the beach.

Peaceful Days

2010-09-02T10:25:00.000-07:00

What "peaceful" looks like:

1) Leisurely, unrushed mornings that include little girls who give big hugs and little shirtless boys with delicious smelling skin.

2) Sipping my coffee and listening to pudgy little feet pounding through house, accompanied by hysterical laughter.

3) "Irish Dancing" in jammies and tu-tu's with my daughter and watching how her eyes smile when she twirls.

4) Finger Painting, which inevitably becomes body painting.

5) Cleaning up the painting project

6) Nestled in my bed, between my babies, barricaded in by mountains of books and feeling two pairs of toes wiggle on my legs and their heads resting on my shoulders, while their clean hair tickles my cheeks.

These are the best days. I wish everyday could be just like this.

Presence

2010-08-25T18:19:00.000-07:00

I have been doing way more thinking than is good for me recently. This is the poor excuse for my absence from the blog. I hope if I can muddle my way out of my head and into the blog, maybe I can come back to reality. :)

I have been pondering the importance and the difficulty of presence in my life. There are times in life, sometimes joyful, other times tearful, in which words or gifts seem to fall miserably short. Oftentimes, I think the most important thing a person can do is to simply be present. Presence is what is remembered. I remember those were at my wedding, those who held and coddled my babies, those who were simply there. Love was shown, by the act of coming and being a part of what was going on in my life. (Am I slightly revealing here that my love language is "Quality Time.") :) On the other hand, absence is felt most keenly. The lack of someone's presence can be devastating and hurtful. I think sometimes, we...or maybe I, underestimate this gift of self.

I hope, so very much, that I can give the gift of presence to my children. That I can let them know that I am here, and that I will be, for the big and small moments in their lives. They are showing me everyday how vital this seemingly small gift is for them. I pray that when they look back on their lives they will know that they were important to me, and that I showed this, by being there for them and with them.

I passed by the Catholic Church the other day, and I felt a tug on my heart, in a way that I haven't in such a long time. I remembered Jesus, waiting for me in the Blessed Sacrament and thought about how He lovingly places himself in such a humble state in order that He may be present to me. Even when others fail, He is there. He has been there when I cried and when I was joyful. He looked on me in my wedding dress and later, He was present to my children when they were presented to Him in their baptismal gowns. He is ever present, and not only in a spiritual way, but tangibly. We are so loved!

Thank you, Lord for the gift of Your Presence, help me to reflect this in my own life.

A Song

2010-08-12T06:40:00.000-07:00

This is the song these days, that I can't get out of my head and brings me to tears every time. Because this song and the thoughts and emotions it evokes, seem to be occupying so much of my time, I thought I would share it with you. This is Lifehouse's song, "Broken."

County Fair!!!

2010-08-09T12:23:00.000-07:00

This year we decided that we would "try out" the local county fair. We had no idea what a fun evening we were in for! We had so much fun and Rose Marie is already talking about going again next year. The kids were perfect ages to really enjoy what was going on and it was so fun to watch them! Here a few snapshots:

1) Animals! Sam and I had just been going over the sounds animals make that morning, so he was thrilled beyond words to hear them in person. We was so excited to hear the pigs grunting, and then he turned to look at me as if to say, "Mommy you were telling me the truth! They really DO make that funny sound!" Priceless! These little lambs were very friendly.

2) What would a fair be without Monster Trucks! Sam kept saying, "Oh wow! Oh wow! Mommy, oh wow!" I think he was pretty impressed.

3) Carnival rides! I think the two different reactions to the ride are pretty well caught in this photo. Rose had such a great time and was much braver than I expected her to be, while Sam on the other hand...well, not as thrilled.

4) Rose decided she was old enough to ride the roller coaster all by herself. I was incredibly scared and could hardly watch her from the sidelines. I had to fight the urge to talk my brave girl out of the ride and try to be respectful of her decision. At the end of the night, it was her favorite ride! Here is her proud/excited little face after it was over.

5) This little one, was much more to Sam's liking:

6) At the end of a fun-filled Fair day! The whole trip home, Rose Marie made plans for next year's fair. We can't wait!

On Our Shelves...

2010-08-02T19:01:00.000-07:00

First the disclaimer: I realize that I am not a trained Montessori instructor, nor am I as educated in the philosophy as I would like to be someday. This little experiment below, is my attempt at putting some of her theories into practice as best as I can, with the knowledge that I have and with the what my budget will allow. :) I am open to any suggestions or corrections, so that I can continue to learn how to put this into practice for my children.

By the generosity of my Mother-in-law and my Father-in-law, and the expert craftsmanship of my Brother-in-law, Rose Marie was given this shelf for her birthday! Isn't it beautiful! I was so excited, that I actually started to cry. I had been wanting a place for the kids to store their "works," in an organized fashion and that would allow them easy access to them. Up until this point, the works had been either in a large Tupperware box or a cabinet that wasn't very easy for them to get to. So here is our experiment with having our works easily accessible. I have to say, I was a little worried the very first day, but in the end, this bought me an entire half-hour of shower time, to myself, because the kids were so engrossed in what they were doing! Surprisingly, the area has stayed very clean and neat. I think they are getting the idea. :) We will see how long this lasts.

Here are the things we currently have on our new shelf. I know that they should be organized according to practical life/sensorial works, but due to space and age, I have simply separated the shelf as follows: Top shelf are for Rose's works only (mostly because only she can reach it!), middle shelf is for both Sam and Rose and bottom shelf is primarily Sam's but Rose still enjoys working with them as well, which is perfectly fine by me.

1) Weaving work: Both of the kids really enjoy this! I didn't take a very good photo of the entire work, but there is a little basket full of pretty ribbons and the children weave them through the wires to create different patterns. Rose Marie, in particular enjoys this. I can't remember now which blog I saw it on, but I meant to give credit to it. When I find it, I will post it here.

2) Bean Spooning: I think Sam could do this ALL day. He loves the sound the beans make when they go into the bowl. :)

3) Rose Marie's dropper work: She is doing better with this. Fine motor skills are still a bit of a challenge for her, so I thought this one would be a fun way to keep working on them. So far, she is enjoying it.

4) Rose Marie's Letters and Season matching game.

5) Sam's Dinosaur puzzle, animal matching and open close work:

6) Yep...all day! :) Very happy little man.

St. Martha

2010-07-29T10:35:00.000-07:00

I went to bed last night with the resolve to re-group. I needed to take time to sit with my children, read the stories, play the games and do the cuddling. I needed to take a break from other activities and just be present to my little ones. I was thinking of the story of Mary and Martha and thinking how I need to be like Mary and stop and see Jesus in the face of my children.

But I woke up this morning to remember that today is the feast of St. Martha! She is the patroness of housewives...and I really needed that reminder today.

I think we often put Mary and Martha in two separate categories. Mary representing the contemplative life, while Martha represents the active life. Both are good and both have their necessary place. In life, I think we tend to flow in between these two expressions of faith, based on the events taking place in our lives at a given moment. Motherhood, understandably, falls under St. Martha. Perhaps though, in the midst of the housekeeping and child-raising, which are all beautiful, we can still find a little bit of Mary shinning through. We, as mothers and housewives, may not have the time to dedicate to our prayers or devotions that we once had. Prayer may often be for us, a fleeting thought of Our Lord, or a whispered Hail Mary in the midst of laundry. However, I like to think that while we are following the example of St. Martha, in serving our families, maybe we can still "sit at the feet Our Lord," and contemplate Him in a different way. We can reach out and connect with our children while we do our "chores," we can read a quick story between loading the dishwasher and picking up the living room and more importantly, we can touch and express our love to our children at multiple points throughout the day. This may sound easy, but I have found it to be quite a struggle recently, which is why it has been on my mind. Sometimes it comes easy, and sometimes it takes conscious effort. But, I think that in doing our housewifely duties, we can still contemplate with the heart of Mary, especially by reaching out to our children...Jesus speaks so loudly through them. I just need to remember to take the time to see that.

St. Martha, help me to always serve Jesus, through my family, with kindess, love and a smile (at least most days!) :) So that in serving them, I may come to see the face of Jesus more clearly.

Happy Birthday Rose Marie!

2010-07-28T04:00:00.000-07:00

It has been four wonderful years since I gave birth to Rose Marie! I can hardly believe that so much time has gone by already! When people ask me how old my children are, I find myself practically stuttering when I say that I have a four year old.

This year, Rose Marie asked that I make her a "Candyland Cake." Candyland is her FAVORITE game to play! That little game has given the two of us hours of special memories. So, we gave her a Candyland Themed Birthday Party. Her favorite part of the party, happens to be the one thing that I don't have photos of! I decorated the downstairs of our home to resemble the Candyland Game. I used construction paper for the path and made various little obstacles that the kids had to go through, or climb over. We used the cards from the game and the children were the "pieces" that were moved around from spot to spot. We played it several times in a row, and even the mommies were great sports and jumped in to play as well! This was the part of the day that she keeps talking about. I am sorry that I don't have pictures of that part, but here are a few of the other activities:

1) Her cake! I have to admit...I was very proud of how it turned out. She was thrilled with it! She actually asked me if we could just blow out the candles on it, but not cut into because she wanted to keep looking at it. That made my day! :)

2) Sam, hitting up the juice boxes from the cooler. He was more than happy to take part in all of those special goodies that are reserved for "special occasions ONLY." And yes, in our house, juice boxes fall under that category.

3) The kids all decorated chocolate cookies that Rose Marie and I had made the day before. She loved making them, knowing that everyone would get to decorate them. It was a fun, tasty, mess!

4) Of course, we played "Brown Paper Bag Races." Rose Marie discovered this game during the cold, winter months and it is now the activity she looks forward to after EVERY shopping trip. So, we made it a party game! :)

5) Happy Birthday, to my big girl!

6) I love you Rose Marie! I am so incredibly grateful, that Jesus sent you into our lives! You are my comfort and my joy. I love these years with you, and I hope that they are as wonder-filled for you as they are for me!

My Little Man

2010-07-15T11:35:00.000-07:00

Just thinking of Samuel, makes me smile. I really believe he is the cutest little man I have ever seen. That could be directly related to the fact that, he is a perfect replica of his Daddy, whom I also adore.

However, by nine o'clock in the morning I am ready for another cup of coffee, often wishing it were a stiff drink. By that time I have already, pulled Samuel out of the dryer, caught him mid-jump off the dinning room table/dresser/counter-top/seventh stair etc., reminded him not to dangle over the balcony, explained that Rose Marie's hair is not to be used as lasso, firmly reprimanded the stabbing of electrical outlets with screwdrivers and then followed that one up with, "We do not put electrical outlet baby-proofing stoppers in our mouths!" Sigh.

But then he comes over with those little lips and gives me a huge kiss, curls up in my arms with his blanket and a plea to, "Book read." He rubs my face so gently and even gives me a wink. How can I resist?! I am so in love with this little bundle of mischief and I am pretty certain he is using that to his advantage.

Truly, I wouldn't have it any other way. Each day is utterly unique with Samuel and I need to learn to laugh more and stress a little less...just so long as he lives through the day.

Floundering

2010-07-14T12:22:00.001-07:00

Here we go, with one of those very honest posts, which I generally regret writing later on.

I am floundering. I feel completely disconnected from everything. I feel disconnected from my kids, my husband, myself and more importantly from my spiritual life. I think I am still in a state of shock after the move. For the past few weeks, every free moment has either been preparing to pack boxes or later, unpacking them with wild abandonment and now we are entering into a lull. I think I finally feel like I could catch my breath and somehow it hurts. I realize that doesn't make much sense, but there you go. It is how I feel right now.

I think I need to just stop. Say a few prayers, particularly of thanksgiving, play with my kids, romance my husband, read a book etc. Now that I write that, perhaps that ought to become my "To-Do-List" for the week. I am looking forward to this weekend, our first "real" weekend in our new home. I can't wait to curl up next to my husband and watch a movie while sipping on some wine. I want to play with the kids and be fun again. I think I feel like I haven't been "fun" in such a long time and I miss it.

For now, I am desperately trying to shrug off this feeling of "hurt," and overwhelmed and generally exhausted. Maybe I should start with a good conversation with Jesus over a nice cup of black coffee. Yep, I think I will start right there. :)

Idolatry

2010-07-07T18:29:00.000-07:00

It is hard work to be worshipped.

Today, there was general frustration and tears from a certain little man in the house. I finally gave up, laid on the floor and then, miraculously, there was bliss. He came over snuggled next to me and sighed a happy little sigh. Then, he grabbed his cars and began driving them over me. Finally, Mommy was a highway once again. As long as I would lie there, he would bring toys over and surround me with them. I am pretty sure that if he could, he would have been burning incense.

Despite the worship service, this Mommy has things to do, and that is always a frustration to my fan club. But, I am grateful that for this very brief moment in time, I am the sun in his little sky. If becoming a highway, or being a bridge, or simply a nice place to lean on makes him smile, I am happy to be that. I know it won't last. So for now, I will get a few extra kisses from those tiny little lips before it becomes "uncool," and he becomes to manly.

We Did It!

2010-07-06T11:54:00.000-07:00

We are on the other side! I am so grateful for everyone's prayers. We are back together as a family and gradually getting into the swing of things. Routine is still a long way off, but at least we have Daddy in our daily lives again. What a blessing! I am so glad he is here!

I hate to admit, that in the haze of boxes, movers, and attempting to find our things, I initially had almost zero "feelings" about our new home. I felt overwhelmed and just wanted to try to find the things I needed to get by. I didn't dislike our home, but I wasn't in love with it either.

Now, I am LOVING our new home! I am so excited to be here and I am thrilled with the new memories we will be making here. Today, I decided to forget about unpacking for awhile and I put the kids in the double stroller, and we went on a quest for new jogging trails. We were all so excited by what we found. Wildflowers were everywhere, we saw a fox, butterflies and birds, there was silence instead of car engines, and the best part, we could see the mountains! It was so beautiful! I had forgotten how much I love living in the country! I am grateful that I will be raising my kids around trees, mountains and wildflowers, as opposed to the city life we were in. I love the city for other reasons, but for raising my children, I am glad to be out in the country again. I know I will miss the restaurants and the shopping, but I think I am going to enjoy what we have right here. I know it will have its ups and downs, but I am hopeful that there will be more of the "ups." :)

Once I get some pictures, I will be sure to post them. Thank you all so much!

A Few Pictures

2010-06-28T11:41:00.000-07:00

I am trying really hard to make sure that I am balancing the packing/organizing/purging with quality time in with the kids. I really want this last month in our home to be filled with good memories for them, and for me. Here are a few snapshots of life in the past month. Enjoy!

1) This was a day out at Grandma's pool. It ended up just being the three of us for a few hours, which turned out to be a blast! There was TONS of laughing, screaming, splashing and giggling. I needed that time so much with them. It felt so good to play so hard.

2) I was washing dishes and then heard the usual, "Mommy look at us!" Before I snapped this picture, Sam was next to Rose, trying to stand on his head! They were doing "tricks," in the kitchen and that lasted the entire time I was cleaning up. The laughing was hysterical!

3) I love these two pictures! I had turned on the washing machine and was going through the bedrooms gathering any stray clothes that missed the hamper, when I came upon this scene:

4) He had grabbed the stool from the bathroom, placed it in front of the washing machine and proceeded to throw the clothes in! He was so proud of himself. I allowed him to "wash" several loads that day, just because it was fun...at least to him.

5) Me trying to convince Sam that the water is NOT cold and that it feels good to be in. I wasn't successful. He preferred to fill up the water gun and shoot his sister from the sidelines. I suppose it is sort of like "Shooting fish in a barrel!" :)

Moving Day, Here We Come!

2010-06-22T11:49:00.000-07:00

My apologies for lack of blogging and updates! Our life has been a bit topsy-turvey lately.

The long and short of it is, we lost the house we had been waiting for these past few months. However, we found a very nice townhouse to rent that may actually be in a better location. So we are packing boxes, purging trash, organizing toys (yikes!) and planning on life in a new home.

This is the last weekend in this home. I am going to miss this townhouse and the location. I love the memories we have made here, but I look forward to the new ones to come. Mostly, I look forward to being together again, as a family. I miss my best friend EVERYDAY. The weekends have been amazing, but I am ready for family dinners to be the norm again. I can't wait for the new memories waiting to be made, new celebrations, renewing of friendships and making new friends. I am so excited and nervous!

Neverland

2010-06-08T19:31:00.000-07:00

It all came crashing down today. There were the phone calls, the disappointments, anger, frustration, sadness, shooing the children away so Mommy could make some important decisions with Daddy and then trying hard to find the hope in the future.

Then, there was the pirate ship. And for half an hour, cannonballs were fired, sails were raised and lowered, running, squealing, tickling, goofy name-calling and bright eyes reigned. I hope at the end of this excruciating day, my children were tucked into bed remembering the "Battle for Neverland"...and that Mommy can launch a pretty accurate cannonball. :) It was the silver lining to my day and for that brief time, it was the only thing that mattered. I hope I can remember that tomorrow.

There and Back Again

2010-06-07T17:36:00.001-07:00

Can it be June already? Are we really in the middle of summer? I can hardly believe it is here! I can't believe that I have been away from the blog for so long! Funny how life can do that.

My husband and I were so incredibly blessed to be able to take a little vacation, just us two, down to Florida for a week. We had such an AMAZING time! The funny thing about it, was I initially wasn't so sure I would want to leave the kids for so long. Little did I know that we would have been living separately for three months leading up to that little vacation! It was so needed, and so wonderful to have an entire week just to catch up. And yes, we still found so much to talk about. We laughed so much! We were both saying how relieved we were to have spent that much time together, and we never even turned on the TV or watched a movie (not that there is anything wrong with that) but it was so nice to find that we just really wanted to spend quality time together. Time flew by so fast, but every moment was wonderful! I missed my babies more than I could have imagined, but I knew that reconnecting as husband and wife would be a much better gift to them than anything else. I am so grateful for the opportunity, especially coming at such a crucial time. I will say that the week after we got back and Jake left again for work, was one of the hardest weeks yet. After that much time together, it just made me miss him even more when he was gone.

God willing, we will all be together again soon. For now, I am grateful for the gift of quality time with my husband. I am so encouraged to have found that we are still best friends, soul-mates and lovers. Not that I ever doubted it, but it was comforting to be reminded so strongly. :)

Book Suggestions?

2010-05-17T18:40:00.000-07:00

I am really excited! I am about to take a full week break from my part time job for the first time in three years! With some leisure time looming ahead, I am dying to dive into a good book (or two!) Somehow I feel out of the loop of good reads recently and could use a few suggestions. I am in the mood for something Elizabeth Gaskell/Jane Austen/complete chick-flick and easy reading type of book. Maybe for variety, I would love something a little more thought provoking and beautiful. Have you read anything recently that you would recommend?

Difficult Concepts for Sam:

2010-05-15T04:00:00.000-07:00

1) Why does Mommy have the arbitrary rule of, "Baseball bats are only for hitting baseballs, not your sister?" Chasing a screaming sister through the house is so much more lively than a ball.

2) Mommy does not appreciate the fact, that toilets are just as good as sinks for handwashing. Plus, the toilet is at a much more convenient level.

3) Gravity is really hindering to one's flying capabilities, even if you jump from really tall objects.

4) By the time Mommy finishes reading "Madeline" to Rose, she could have been reading "Gossie," three times over! It is so unfair that Rose's books take so much longer to read!

5) The Priest never includes me, even when I ask, "Bite?" and open my mouth to receive the Eucharist too. He only smiles, but I didn't ask for a smile.

Life is so unfair.

Five Love Languages

2010-05-13T08:59:00.001-07:00

I just recently finished reading the book, "The Five Love Languages of Children," by Gary Chapman. My husband and I have been huge fans of the original book, "The Five Love Languages," since we were dating. We discovered what each of our primary languages were and discussed how to speak the other person's language in a way that made them feel the most loved. We come back to this discussion, along with the discussion on temperaments, quite often. It is always fun and enlightening!

As Rose Marie continues to grow, I have been watching her begin to truly express herself. The thing that has been the most interesting is watching how she expresses love. I have known since she was little, that physical touch was not necessarily how she felt the most loved, nor how she gave love. It seems that right now, at this little stage in her life, she is expressing her love for others through acts of service. It is so beautiful to watch! When Jake comes home for the weekend, she does not always run to his arms, but quickly asks, "Can I get you a drink? Do you want me to take your shoes off? Do you want a snack? Let me put your suitcase away for you!" During the week she talks about how she can't wait for Daddy to come home so that she can "take care of him." She is so attentive and so nurturing.

The book was so helpful in reminding me to pay closer attention to how Rose Marie is loving. It also pointed out that most children do not show their primary love language until the age of five, which is why until that time, it is crucial to purposefully speak all five love languages to the child. We should always be striving to speak all five languages anyway, but I think knowing what a person's primary language is, can help to ensure that you are saying, "I love you," in a way that speaks loudest to their heart.

For now, the book was a gentle reminder to express my deep love for my children in many different ways. I making more of an effort to try to speak each of the five languages to each of my children throughout the day. Some days are better than others, but it helps me stay focused on what is the most important thing...cherishing and loving my babies.

Sam's Words

2010-05-08T04:00:00.000-07:00

In so many obvious ways, having a boy is drastically different than having a girl. One of the ways I didn't think I would see a huge difference was in vocabulary. Here is a list of the words that Samuel can say typically to/about the right thing.

1) Jesus (I had to thrown that one out there first...I think it is the only redemptive one!)

2) Dead (Yup...and I have no explanation for you.)

3) Car

4) Pee-pee (Somehow he talks about his pee-pee a lot recently...maybe I need to think about putting him on the potty.)

5) Yeah-please

6) No

7) Mama

8) Stuck

9) Bug

10) MINE! (This word is the most clear and usually said in the biggest voice he can muster. I suppose it is a necessary word when you are the second sibling.)

Ripple Effect

2010-05-06T18:04:00.000-07:00

Okay, I really love this commercial. It makes me smile every time.

Month of Mary

2010-05-04T11:28:00.000-07:00

The Church in her wisdom, has dedicated the entire month of May, to Our Lady. This has come at such a crucial time for me. I am sad to admit, that in the past, I have often allowed this month to pass by without much thought about her. This month, I already find myself clinging to Mary.

I am completely embarrassed to admit this, but I have never had a strong devotion to the Rosary. I actually LOVE the Divine Mercy Chaplet instead. I will say the Rosary, but for whatever reason, I always felt somehow distanced from it. Since the beginning of this month, I have been making a concentrated effort to get back to the Rosary...and it has been amazing! I am not going to tell tales, and say that I am saying the whole Rosary everyday. No. I have found that I am out of practice in sitting still for a whole 15 minutes and mediating in silence. So, I have given myself more reasonable guidelines, and I am saying only a decade at night. I LOVE this! It is the perfect amount of time for me to give my full attention to the decade I am praying, without my mind wondering about the fifty-million things it has a tendency to drift off to. I hope that as my practice at silence and true mediation comes back, I will add decades back in.

Right now, I feel so close to Our Lady, and it has been such a long time since I felt that. I find myself thinking of her when I cook, when I reach for the babies (especially when I give comfort) and as I clean. I find myself seeking her advice on mothering, more than ever before.

I am praying that this month will be fruitful, not only for me, but for all of you lovely ladies as well! :)

Here are some of my favorite lines from Gerard Manley Hopkins' poem, "The Blessed Virgin Compared to the Air we Breathe."

Be thou then, O thou dear

Mother, my atmosphere;

My happier world, wherein

To wend and meet no sin;

Above me, round me, lie;

Fronting my forward eye;

With sweet and scarless sky;

Stir in my ears and speak there;

Of God's love, O live air;

Of patience, penance, prayer;

World-mothering air, air wild;

Wound with thee, in thee is led;

Fold home, fast fold thy child.

P.S. My big regret this May is that we do not own a statue of Our Lady. I truly hope by next year we will have one, so that we can set up a special place of honor for her.

Siblings

2010-04-24T08:48:00.001-07:00

We have entered into a brand new phase of the sibling relationship here. I love being able to see this unfold! I feel so blessed to watch God's handiwork and see why He choose these two little personalities to enter into this little family specifically. I know I will never fully understand it, but occasionally I catch a glimpse and I am so grateful for whatever His plan may hold for us.

The art of "playing together," is becoming a regular, and even fun activity for everyone. I love watching the games the two of them come up with now. Samuel brings fresh fun to old games for Rose Marie because he plays so differently than she does. They even have inside jokes now and I love hearing the crazy laughter that floats out of their rooms.

The most interesting thing I have noticed recently is how Sam's fearless nature and Rose Marie's cautious nature complement one another. They are unknowingly tempering the other one's natural tendencies. Samuel has a new game of climbing on the couch, yelling, "Three!" and then jumping/falling off. Luckily, cautious Rose Marie, gives Mommy a fair warning or she is next to him and holds his hands so that his fall is a little less painful. She is always there guiding him and gently ensuring that his little escapades don't end in complete disaster. On the other hand, Rose Marie has always had a fear of the vacuum cleaner. She has always been so fearful that she has to be sitting on her bed, with the door closed while I vacuum the rest of the house. Needless to say, vacuuming has not been high on my priority list, because it is always so hard for me to see her be so frightened. Yesterday, thanks to Samuel, we had a HUGE breakthrough! Unlike his sister, Samuel has no fear of the vacuum and he follows me around the house watching me and blowing me kisses of encouragement. Low and behold, I turned around yesterday to see Sam AND Rose Marie holding hands and following behind me as I vacuumed. I was shocked! I asked Rose why she had come downstairs and she said she wasn't afraid anymore because Sam was with her. (Yes, I bravely held my tears back!) Sam did what I couldn't. In his innocence, he had given her courage. Thank You, Lord for the blessing of such different and beautiful little personalities! I am so blessed to be an observer of Your plan.

P.S. I am thrilled to finally have cleaner floors on a regular basis! Thank you Sam!

Fridays

2010-04-23T13:32:00.001-07:00

Daddy's Work

2010-04-14T05:48:00.000-07:00

My amazing husband, turned to me this weekend and said, "I have an idea of a work I want to make for Samuel." I sat there, stunned, and then said, "Okay!" So we all got ready and went out to "The Man Store," a.k.a Lowes. It meant so much to me that Jake wanted to actively participate in putting together a Montessori inspired work for the kids! He knows that it is something important to me and he knows that I try very hard to make my materials as economical as possible, so it meant the world to me that he wanted to help. Here it is:

Needless to say, Sam LOVES it! He sat there forever putting it together and taking it apart. I was really amazed at how he was able to put the sizes together correctly. It is also pretty amazing watching those little fingers deftly twist the screws in place. I think it made him feel pretty manly. :)

Refreshed!

2010-04-13T05:43:00.000-07:00

I am so eternally grateful for the man whom God choose for me to be with. As sappy as it may sound, I do believe in soul-mates. Thankfully God led us to one another. It is incredible how after 41/2 years of marriage we are still best friends. I think it explains why I feel such a vacuum in my life when he is gone. This past weekend we had plans to go and "do things" together...get out and reconnect. That never actually happened because time flew by just being near each other at the house. We didn't watch TV or a movie, we didn't go out, we simply enjoyed being together. It is amazing how after that much time together we still manage to fill an evening with laughter, amazing conversation and fun. I was reminded again why we focused so much on the "friendship" aspect of our relationship while we were dating. I am so glad we did. Thank you Jake for being the man in my life, and especially for being my best friend. I love you. God is so good!

Not Feeling the Fun!

2010-04-07T12:16:00.000-07:00

Okay, so here is an honest I-am-just-having-a-hard-time-with-this post. :) I miss my husband, my kids miss my husband, I don't feel fun after 5:00 pm, I really miss talking to an adult especially after 5:00pm and just blah! There I said it! We have been having good days, lots of sunshine, playtime, good food and dancing, but I just feel his absence...especially around dinner time. Sigh. Sorry for complaining, but it does feel better to get that out there. :)

Prayer Buddy Revealed!

2010-04-06T05:31:00.000-07:00

Thanks to a lot of encouragement from my sister-in-law, I decided to participate in Lenten Prayer Buddies this year. I have been so blessed by this!

First of all, I feel so humbled to have had "Frustrated Musings of a Seemingly Calm Gal" praying for me. Your prayers have been incredibly powerful for our little family. I feel like those prayers must be where this peace is coming from. I had been so worried about this time apart, but we are more than a month in and the peace is still strong! That alone, has been more of a blessing than I could ever express! Thank you!!!!

I was blessed to have been able to pray for Kate, over at Chasing Joy! During the first part of lent, I thought of her often and I felt like I just wasn't able to pray enough for her. It was hard to find the time to sit and pray a rosary, so I simply began offering up my days, my chores, difficult moments, especially times I was missing my husband for her. I think my heart all but fell out of chest, when I read her post that she is pregnant!!!! Congratulations!!!! I am so excited. I definitely began praying harder and I promise to continue to do so. Grow baby, grow! I have a little package ready to be sent your way, I hope to get it in the mail this morning. God bless!!!

Washing of the Feet

2010-04-01T16:58:00.001-07:00

We slowly read the story of Jesus washing the feet of the disciples. Then, Mommy had the privilege of washing these delicious little toes! Look at those chubby little things! (And they got a few kisses as well)

Then these big girl toes, curled up in anticipation of the water. :)

Holy Week

2010-04-01T11:38:00.000-07:00

Have I ever mentioned that I LOVE being Catholic! I love being Catholic in this Lenten season. Honestly, this year's penances that I intend to keep were fairly good (I wasn't as good as I wanted to be) but more importantly, by God's grace, I am feeling closer to Him. I realize that this has NOTHING to do with any of my efforts, and this nearness is pure gift, and I am incredibly thankful it!

Palm Sunday was one of those Masses for me, where I felt so near to Our Lord. This was due in large part, to my husband volunteering to take newly-walking Samuel out during Mass. Rose Marie and I were able to be there together and that is ALWAYS precious. I was so grateful for the opportunity to sit and listen to the Gospel and then the Homily and to actually be both physically AND mentally present during the Consecration. I know that every Mass is grace-filled and I am so blessed to have children to chase around outside of Mass...but occasionally it is an incredible gift to sit in the Presence of Our Lord and speak with Him. So, thank you to my amazing husband for giving me such a great gift on Sunday!

Rose Marie, has once again led me through this season of Lent. It is the little ways that she views things that gives me pause, and makes me see our faith through her wonder-filled eyes. For example, she has her "Station Matching Work," but she affectionately calls it, "Mary's Work." She calls it this, because to her, the most important parts are the stations that involve Jesus and Mary together. These particular ones, touch her very deeply. Her little flower vase, that we began on Ash Wednesday, is full to the brim with beautiful flowers! I didn't know she would take to that with the enthusiasm with which she has. I have to admit that there have been a few Fridays that have come, and I did not exactly "feel" like doing Stations of the Cross. But Rose Marie looks forward to it with so much excitement and after we do the Stations together I am always blessed beyond measure from her reflections. So, to you little daughter, thank you for being my guide this Lent! Truly, you are my angel, leading Mommy gently by the hand closer to Jesus. Thank you!

I hope you all have a prayerful, grace-filled Triduum! God bless!

P.S. The photos above are from my Junior Year in College, when my future husband and I were in Rome for Holy Week. The memories from that Holy Week will be with me forever. The first photo, is of Jake and I with our brothers who came to visit us, sitting on the steps of St. Peter's after the Easter Vigil. The second, is a photo from the Sacred Steps...the same steps that Jesus walked up when he was condemned to death. The last photo is of all of us at the Coliseum for the Stations of the Cross led by Pope John Paul II. Such amazing memories!!!

Here I am!

2010-03-22T18:56:00.000-07:00

Somebody out there has been praying! And whoever you are, thank you! Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!! (And please keep the prayers coming!)

Last week seemed to be covered with grace! Despite starting our Daddy-less week with Mommy coming down with an awful cold, everyone was in such peaceful moods! (Which as many of you know, is a huge blessing in itself!) The kids were so patient with me. Rose Marie was nurturing and Sam was content to simply be near me or would wander off to play alone for awhile while I rested. There was laughter, dancing, games, school work and lots of cuddling! We even had a fantastic St. Patrick's Day celebration! We spent the morning finding green things to wear and then baked green cupcakes, which was a blast! That evening my in-laws all came over for an amazing Corned Beef and cabbage dinner made my my Mother-in-law. Friday we cleaned the house and got ready for our weekend with Daddy.

I guess what I am trying to say, is that we had such a wonderful week simply being together and relaxing. I hope this week is just as wonderful! Thank you again for your prayers while we wait to make this transition and finally be together as family again!

1) Getting ready for making cupcakes!
2) Sam not waiting so patiently for Rose to frost a cupcake (or two!)

3) Um...yeah!

4) Heaven at last!

5) My little leprechauns!

Simplify

2010-03-14T07:54:00.000-07:00

Do you ever have that feeling that, something is not right? Like something here needs to be changed? That persistent feeling that somehow I need to fix whatever that thing is that is hovering like a negative cloud over my day?

I am fairly certain that I have written this before, perhaps it is because this "feeling" seems to come in waves for me. The thing that needs to be changed, is my outlook. I think I have allowed myself to go back into "Mom Survival Mode," instead of "Living to the Fullest Mode." I am not sure how that happened, but I am embarrassed to admit that it has. I think my youngest, has been going through "phases" recently that have been making daily activities more than a challenge. So, I think I began viewing this time as a time that I need to just get through, instead of relishing in. It is hard to joyfully live in teething, in acute separation anxiety, in sickness and general 1 year old crankiness. I have gotten caught up in still doing all of things that "have to get done," instead of maybe simplifying my life to better deal with the difficult phases that come along.

Therefore, my goal this week is to take deep breaths. I will simplify where I can. Laundry will wait until after I finish having a tea party. If Candy Land gets in the way of dinner preparations this week, then fish sticks may be on the menu instead of Chicken Marsala. And if a certain little 1 year old just wants me to lay on the floor so that he can drive his cars on me, well then, maybe that is what I need to be doing for now. At least for this week, until I regroup and get back to that joy in the little things. I need to find a way out of "Survival Mode," and back into "Loving my life Mode." This time, and these ages, with my kids are so precious and so fun. I can't believe I am letting other meaningless things make me forget that! Hopefully this will be a better week! :)

Some Perspective

2010-03-03T11:54:00.000-08:00

I have a weakness for funny t-shirts. There I said it! I am totally the kind of mother, who stands in the store and laughs and giggles over the funny sayings plastered on onesies. One of my biggest regrets is that I did NOT purchase that adorable one last Christmas for Samuel which said, "I don't need mistletoe to get kissed!" I still can't remember why I passed that one up.

The one which Samuel is so graciously modeling says, "Future Knight in Shining Armor." Somehow this onesie not only gives me a good giggle in the morning when I wrestle to put it on him, but it gives me much needed perspective on certain behaviors of his.

For example:

It helps me realize that perhaps his incessant need to chase his sister around the house, stabbing her with anything that could look like a sword, is actually in preparation for the "dragons" he may have to slay for his future love.

Maybe he is not trying to make Mommy fall and break her neck when he empties all of her Tupperware all over the kitchen floor, but merely practicing for the day he will help his beloved in the kitchen.

He understands that women do like men with good hygiene, and this would explain why he is always turning on the faucets in the house and playing in the water. (I only wish the water had the good sense to somehow stay in the bathroom!)

And of course, all women love a man who is good with babies, which is why he demonstrates his love for Rose Marie's baby dolls by using them as roadways for his cars.

Yes, this shirt explains so much. He is not really mischievous, he is merely a young squire, training for knighthood.

Odd Sayings Part 2!

2010-03-02T15:29:00.000-08:00

Last year, I made a short list of some of the odd things I caught myself saying to the kids. Recently I have heard myself saying even stranger things. So, here we go with "Part 2!"

1) "Shoes do NOT go in the trash can!"

2) "Pee-pee's stay in the water!" (Just to clear up any confusion, this was said to Samuel who had just discovered that he could stand up in the bathtub.)

3) "No dangling body parts off the balcony!"

4) "No, Mommy doesn't usually play kitchen in the bathtub...only sometimes."

5) "Please stop killing Mommy with your sword, I have to make lunch!"

Prayers Please

2010-02-25T08:30:00.000-08:00

I can't go into too much detail right now, but we could really use a few extra prayers for peace right about now. Jake is changing jobs next month and with that comes tremendous blessings, but also a few temporary sacrifices. The biggest one, being that our little family is facing another separation for at least two months. Some of you will remember that this happened last year at the exact same time (only that one was for about 5 weeks), so it is still pretty fresh on our minds. I have hesitated even asking for prayers on this one, because I know that other people have much heavier crosses than this that they are facing, but it will be hard for us nonetheless. I HATE being without my best friend. I already feel lonely and he is still with us. We will see each other on the weekends and occasionally on weeknights, but I will really miss the daily contact, for myself and the kids. Daddy will be a very missed presence in our lives. I know that there are huge blessings waiting for us on the other end, but if you could spare a prayer or two for peace for this time, I would so appreciate it. God has been so good and generous to us, I need to find the strength to joyfully lift this small temporary cross and carry it with a smile. :) Thank you so much!!

Ash Wednesday!

2010-02-17T17:30:00.001-08:00

"But the men signed of the cross of Christ

Go gaily in the dark.."

-The Ballad of the White Horse

G.K. Chesterton

I have always loved that quote from Chesterton! Today, I was able to watch the absolute excitement in my daughter's eyes as she received her ashes and was marked by the sign of Christ. She was anticipating it ALL day. It was interesting to be there at Mass today when all of the adults were somber and prayerful and Rose Marie was practically beside herself. She kept whispering loudly, "We are all going to have crosses on our foreheads because we love Jesus so, so much!" I think there was so much pride in the fact that she was joining in this great action of the community around her. She walked by herself down the aisle and was able to lift her little face up and receive the ashes that everyone else was receiving. She belonged there today in a special way. It was so beautiful to see it!

This year, I knew that Rose Marie was ready to understand, at least to some degree, the idea of offering special prayers and doing charitable works during Lent. I struggled with finding something that would convey the idea that we do these things as an act of love for Jesus. Here is what we came up with:

This is a little "prayer corner" we set up in her bedroom. We hung the crucifix at her eye level, placed a purple (for preparation) placemat on top of the table and then placed a glass vase on top. Beneath, is a basket of pink flowers and white flowers (fake flowers so that they last!) The pink flowers represent, "acts of kindness" and the white ones represent "special prayers."

2)

She understands that when we do either an act of kindness or offer up more prayers, we put a flower in the vase for Jesus. He can see them from the cross and in her words, "it makes Him hurt not so much." She has mentioned trying to make Jesus' suffering "a little bit better," several times today, so I am hoping that she has the general idea. I explained that on Easter we will take her little flower arrangement, made from acts of love during Lent, and use it in our Easter celebrations.

Right after we set up her corner, she wanted to say a prayer so that she could give Jesus a flower. I have a feeling that Samuel is going to offer her several opportunities for filling the vase with pink flowers. :)

I hope you all have a beautiful beginning to your Lenten season!

Lent!

2010-02-14T17:12:00.000-08:00

Lent is almost here...this year I am truly excited. I am desperately feeling the need to stop, place myself at the feet of Our Lord, rest my head on His knees and listen to His voice. I need to get closer to Him and I feel my soul crying out for His nearness. I can't wait to work with Rose Marie as we follow Jesus in this beautiful season. I am excited for myself to be able to enter into the fasting and praying again this time. I am trying to be realistic about sacrifices this year and focusing more on the heart of lent as opposed to what to give up. I am already reading the book, "Jesus of Nazareth," by Pope Benedict and I LOVE it! I think I am going to consider that my Lenten reading for now and if I finish before the season is over, I will go to my favorite, Fulton Sheen. :) This week I need to finish preparing our Lenten works to begin on Wednesday. I also need to nail down some creative ideas for meatless meals (cheese pizza only goes so far.) Does your family have any favorite meatless meals? I could really go for some soup ideas. God bless!

To My Husband on St. Valentine's Day

2010-02-14T13:06:00.000-08:00

(For those of you who are not a fan of wives bragging about their husbands, do NOT read any further.)

I think you deserve to know that you are one of the most amazing men I have ever met. Your hard work, your dedication to your family, your desire to provide for all of the people who depend on you, are such admirable qualities. You have made some very difficult, demanding decisions...decisions you felt were necessary for the good of your family. These sacrifices you have made without complaining. You simply picked up your cross and marched forward...EVERYTIME. I know that your motives have recently been called into question, and by sources that are extremely hurtful. They don't know you and the man that you are, if they refuse to see why you do what you do. You lay your life down for your family with every waking moment, I see the way you strategically handle our finances so that our children can have the clothes they need and the food they eat. And you do it with so much love. I know the sacrifices you make and the things you give up for the little ones who depend on you. I know how excited you are for our future children and I have listened to you, as you dream about their arrival.

I know that you probably will not hear the words, "I am so proud of you," or "Good job," from the people you really need to hear it from. I am sorry that those wonderful, affirming words are instead being replaced with criticism and hurt.

But for what it is worth, I am so proud of you. I am so grateful to you for the sacrifices and the very hard decisions you make on a daily basis. I see the two smiling little faces you are giving yourself up for. To borrow the expression from one of our favorite songs, "I see our unborn children in your eyes," and I know you are already giving yourself to them even though they have not been given to us yet. Do not question your motives, my love. Those who know you, who really know you, know that you are a man of integrity, honor, faithfulness, loyalty and passionate love.

I love you, Jacob and I am so incredibly proud of you!

A Girl After my Own Heart!

2010-02-11T17:43:00.000-08:00

I was trying to finish the last few bites of my dinner, while Rose Marie and Sam were supposed to be playing happily in her room.

Then I heard it.

It was that cry.

The cry that is not caused by physical pain, but hurt so much worse. It is the little sob that has witnessed a tragedy.

I ran upstairs, threw open her door and found her standing to the side of her room, cradling her books in her arms, tears flowing down her little cheeks. He was sitting in the middle of the floor, watching her...with a dark, blue crayon clutched in his grasp. It all became crystal clear.

"He colored on my books!" she sobbed. I went right to her and held her, and the books, close. "Oh, Rose Marie, I am so sorry! I understand that when someone colors on your books that makes you so sad." She cried even harder.

Once we put confused little Samuel and his offending blue crayon under the watchful eye of Daddy, Rose Marie and I inspected the damage. Luckily, it was minimal and I think the books will still be readable and beautiful. I think it was more the idea that Sam INTENDED to "enhance" the illustrations on her precious books, that was causing all of the heartache.

Rose Marie, I understand your heartache so very well. My family will laugh at this. Yes, dear family, my daughter shares my love/obsession with books. Although, I am truly sorry for the damage that happened (almost happened!) today, I am so grateful to see that I have a kindred spirit in my daughter! I hope we continue on the adventure of reading together and I am so glad that her books are true treasures, just as I hoped they would be. :)

Snow Days

2010-02-10T08:21:00.000-08:00

Cabin Fever is becoming more difficult to ward off. We (mostly a certain small man) are going stir crazy. There is a saying that goes, "Babies are lucky to be so cute, because if they weren't..." well you know how it ends. Sam is proving that saying to be true. In a single hour, I pull his hands out of the toilet, get him off the dinning room table, stop him from plugging and unplugging the lamp, pull him off the bookshelf, stop him from shoving things into the DVD player etc. But then he gives me that adorable look or blows me a kiss, and I just melt. He is VERY lucky to be so cute, and it doesn't hurt that he looks just like his Daddy either. Oh well, spring is coming eventually right?

Here are a few of our attempts at keeping busy while locked down:

1) Playing dress up. We were princesses at the ball and Sam was the reluctant prince. Rose Marie was just thrilled to be able to wear make-up.

2) Yep, washing dishes is still a favorite!

3) Spooning.

4) A little outdoor time between the storms! :)

Make the Connection

2010-02-04T18:39:00.000-08:00

Take the time to make the connection:

1) She reaches for your hand while she stares out the window eating her oatmeal...make the connection.

2) He plays the "walking game" for the pure pleasure of falling into your arms...make the connection.

3) You read the same story for the 500th time already by 9:00 in the morning and a little head suddenly lands contently against your shoulder...breathe it in.

4) His arms are wrapped around your knees while lunch is waiting to be prepared and those mischievous eyes are begging for an "airplane kiss"...breathe it in, make the connection.

5) Tucking her into bed after her first day of swim lessons she wraps those lovely little arms around your neck and whispers in your ear, "Mommy, you are the Mama dolphin and I am the baby dolphin now, and we can swim together always!" Make the connection, breathe it in, kiss her again softly on the cheek and say, "We will ALWAYS swim together, you are my swimming buddy," let her fall asleep peaceful in that thought.

These are the moments that can take your breath away. They are so precious. I want so much to be the mother that makes the connection with my children. They each seek that connection in very different ways, but their need is the same. They need that closeness, the union, the comfort, the love and they seek it from me daily. I am learning to watch more closely for the little ways in which they ask for it. It is not just the morning/bedtime hugs and kisses, or the comforting that comes after bumps and bruises, I think the more important connections are the ones made in between those moments...the little ones that could seem insignificant but go so much further. These are the little moments that could so easily pass unobserved at the time, but whose loss would be felt forever. My little ones, I love these small moments with you and I hope I allow you to see just how much they mean to me! :)

Overwhelmed!

2010-01-26T15:41:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was just one of those days. Nothing was going particularly wrong, but nothing was going particularly right either. Laundry seemed insurmountable, every room in the house was a mess, my part-time job was piling up and dinner was just out of the question. Luckily, we were able to accomplish some school work and that is always a breath of fresh air. Rose Marie did a new transferring work, using chopsticks and it was a huge hit! She had gotten away from transferring works for awhile, but it was a welcome change of pace yesterday. Samuel did his very first "spooning" work and he LOVED it! It is so fascinating to watch a child in the middle of their work and see what interests them the most. He was so careful not to spill, and if he did, he was quick to pick up and put the little ball back into the proper bowl. This is a skill that is still extremely challenging to him, but he was not frustrated by it all and seemed to enjoy trying to do it over and over again. Hopefully, I will push past the overwhelming feeling of yesterday, and just relax in the little things that are being accomplished. I just need to vent a little. :)

Family Date Night :)

2010-01-20T17:54:00.000-08:00

Last weekend, Jake and I were really in need of a date. It had been one of "those" weeks (for three weeks!) and we were craving a little time out to talk and reconnect. Unfortunately we couldn't find a babysitter for our little guys. I went into the kitchen and began dinner preparations, when he turned around and said, "Well...why don't we ALL go out for a date?" I stood there for a long moment thinking about the situation and weighing my options and decided..."Hey, why not?!" So we packed up the kids and went out on a date! Rose Marie decided that we needed to take special pictures of our date night. She was in charge of the camera, which was a blast.

We had a FANTASTIC time! We all laughed and giggled. It was so much more fun that I had expected it to be (based on our last eating out experience.) Here are the pictures from our budding little photographer:

1) Where did we eat at?

2) "Mommy, make a silly face for the picture!"

3) Of course:

4) Bottomless chips and salsa for Sam!

5) Daddy trying to get in focus:

6) Waiting for our table.

Isaiah 62

2010-01-18T10:05:00.000-08:00

"You shall be called by a new name, pronounced from the mouth of the Lord...No more shall people call you, 'Forsaken,' or your land, 'Desolate,' but you shall be called, "My Delight," and your land, 'Espoused,' for the Lord delights in you."

This is perhaps one of my favorite readings, (along with a few others.) This was the first reading at Mass yesterday.

It has always struck a deep cord in me, as I feel like it reveals that romantic part of Our Lord's heart...it shows his passion for us. The "calling by a new name," is so significant throughout the scriptures. Here it is clear that to the world, Israel is lost, but God not only acknowledges her beauty, but changes her name to reflect His love for her. The idea of giving delight to Him, is one that I think of with trembling. "For the Lord delights in you," how can I possibly be or do anything worth the delight of God? How can I delight Him, when sometimes it feels like the entire day is a struggle to listen to Him or be close to Him? However, insignificant as I am, sinful, wayward, stubborn, prone to fall into temptation, "Forsaken," and "Desolate," He still "delights" in me. This is one of those unfathomable mysteries and one of the most romantic love stories ever written! Fulton Sheen, was fond of calling this, "The Divine Romance," that romance between the soul and her Maker. Thank you, Lord for whispering to me again through the words of scripture! I will strive to be Your Delight in all of the small things that I do!

School Days

2010-01-14T18:14:00.000-08:00

We did it! We are back in the swing of school and it is WONDERFUL! The, "he is being annoying," "I don't have anything to do," and "Mommy, what are you going to do with me now," statements have reached an all time low. Whew! That first morning of working with letters and numbers (with a bit of art work mixed in), was incredibly peaceful. I am so grateful and encouraged. It takes a great deal of planning and "stick-to-itness" but it has huge payoffs. Rose Marie in particular seems much more content and happy after having a little time with Mommy doing letter works. Samuel had his first crayon experience and he was so excited! I felt guilty for not having introduced it sooner. He would scribble happily for awhile and then sit there and point to his masterpiece and then bend over to kiss it. :) Very cute! He has been showing everyone his picture. I hope we can stick to this, because I think it gives all three of us a sense of accomplishment. I just need to be more determined to plan out my days a little better and actually stick with it. Wish us luck! :)

1) Focusing very intently:
2) He couldn't resist tasting just a few colors:

New Beginning!

2010-01-10T19:17:00.000-08:00

We have finally taken the Christmas decorations down and thus we welcome winter. I am ready to begin this New Year with the kids. I am hoping tomorrow that we will start our school and if we accomplish only that much, I will feel very victorious! (I will let you know how that goes!) I have been missing our school routine, and I get the impression, that Rose has too. She needs and loves to be challenged. The break has been nice, but I definitely feel like she has been bored. Hopefully with some focused, challenging activities in the morning, she will be more happy to play in the afternoon.

In other moments, I feel like I have been reminded in many ways that my Rose is growing up. I can't believe how fast this time has passed with her. I went shopping for a few clothes that she needed, and realized that she is quickly outgrowing the "baby" sections. :( I am not ready for this! I realize that she is still young, but I am not ready for the fact that even department stores no longer consider her a baby! When did this happen? I am feeling more like giving in to playing her "baby game," just to keep her small for a little longer. I know this is good, and I am trying to enjoy this stage without being too sad about her leaving behind babyhood for good. She is daily becoming such a nurturing little girl (except where her brother is concerned!) I love it!

And then there is Sam! He is, and always has been, his father's son! Need I say more? I am going to try to find challenging works for him to use over the course of this week, because he is in desperate need of them. This little one, has a busy mind that frightens me! :) I need to find activities to occupy it. His kisses, on the hand, well...they can continue to find a landing spot on his mother's lips. He is an adorable kisser, complete with the spicy little "come hither" look. But, we are going to stay focused this week and do works, so that we get away from manipulating Mommy with delicious kisses and making eyes at her! :) We shall see.

Family

2010-01-09T05:26:00.000-08:00

This past week our whole little family was down with a nasty version of the cold/flu. We were all spiking fevers, coughing and generally just feeling horrible. After we had gotten the kids down for bed finally, trying to make them as comfortable as possible, someone knocked at our door. It was my sister and my brother, who had driven 2 hours and had come just to be here to help! They dropped all of their plans, all of their comforts and came just to lend a hand. It was an incredible relief! The next day, while I was still feeling like I had just stepped out of the boxing ring, they helped hold, comfort and entertain my sick babies. They stayed for two whole days and even took one morning to get the babies up and feed them!

That is true family! They are family who makes everyone feel important. When you need help, they never wait for you to ask, they generally just appear. These are my siblings. They are the ones I used to babysit, play with, change and comfort. I remember one particular time when my younger brother was terribly sick, how we went to great lengths to try to make him laugh and to bring a smile to his face. Now, years later, that same younger sibling shows up at my front door and is the one to bring me comfort! God is so good!

As I look at raising my own little family, I hope that I am able to raise children who will value their siblings. I know that not all siblings do, and mine have been one of the biggest blessings in my life. I hope I raise a family who appreciates one another's differences and cherishes the unique gifts of each person. I hope we embrace new members that come into the family with arms wide open and without judgement (Ahem!) I hope we support one another, even if we disagree with how things may be done. These have been some of the many gifts given from my girlhood home and I pray that I may pass them down to the next generation.

Thank you Mom and Dad for the gift of generous, loving and amazing siblings! :)

Resolutions

2010-01-03T16:44:00.001-08:00

So, the New Year turned out to be slightly different than we had planned, but I am feeling like God is teaching me more and more to roll with the punches. We planned on having at least one romantic date night to kick-start our New Year and a party at our home. However, everyone came down with a horrible cold/flu. We canceled our party and ended up having a date night in. It turned out to be fairly relaxing. Anyway, here are a few of the resolutions I would like to keep this year.

1) I want to get my spiritual life on track. I want to commit to some spiritual reading or reflection every day. More than anything I want to get this one to stick!

2) Exercise more regularly. I feel so much better about life in general and more capable about dealing with life stresses when I have an outlet. I think for the good of my mothering, I need to make this more a priority.

3) I would love to pick up a new skill this year. I have yet to decide what it will be, but I am on the lookout. I have toyed with taking some cooking classes, or taking up knitting, or playing an instrument. This is the resolution I will probably not quite attain, but I like to think I will. :) If you have any suggestions for this one, I am definitely open to them!

4) Last, but not least, I would love to be able to talk to my friends on the phone more regularly! I always feel so refreshed and renewed after spending time in grown-up conversation. I really want to show my friends that they are important and cherished by reaching out and calling more than I do. This requires me to overcome my fear of talking on the phone, but I intend to be brave this year and to pick up the phone and call. :) I really hope I can follow through on this one!

A Year in Photos 2009!

2009-12-31T16:59:00.000-08:00

1) January

2) February

3) April (Blogger is not letting me organize these correctly!)

4) March

5) May

6) July (I know misplaced...Blogger won't let me change it!)

7) October (Again, blogger is being a pain!)

8) June

9) August

10) September

11) November

What a fantastic year of growth, changes and adventure! Thank you, Lord! I can't wait to see what this new year will hold for us! I have some New Year's resolutions that I will post later. For now, thank you Lord for such amazing memories!

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-29T16:57:00.001-08:00

I have so many thoughts going through my head as I sit to write this post. I think I need to work through them all before I attempt to write them down. For now, I was so grateful for such an amazing Christmas! Christmas Eve and Christmas Day were such grace-filled, joyful and fulfilling celebrations! I think I am still letting it all sink in. The kids loved everything and they allowed us to enjoy it. One of the most special moments was that we actually sat through the entire Christmas Vigil together as a family! I was so absolutely certain that Sam and I would be doing our usual dance in the back of the Church, but not that night. It was all beautiful and I pray that yours was as well! Merry Christmas!

1) After Mass reading the Christmas bedtime story:

2) Before the Vigil:

3) So excited!

4) Himself:

Favorite Things:

2009-12-23T11:23:00.001-08:00

1) Listening to Rose Marie sing, "Flunkity, flunk, flunk, Flunkity, flunk, flunk, Look at Frosty go..."

2) Seeing Sam's excitement and surprise to see geese swimming in the pond outside our kitchen window! He stood there all day, pointing at them and blowing them kisses. :)

3) Dancing like crazy with the kids to Christmas songs, in between wrapping presents and baking cookies.

4) Spending evenings with my husband curled up near the fireplace, sipping St. Brendan's Irish Creme, and watching Christmas movies.

Favorite Christmas pictures, so far:
1) Our romantic weekend getaway!

2) Sam in his fort, pointing to the decorations that bring him so much joy!

3) Making Christmas cookies, with "sparkles!"

4) The Christmas bunny???

5) Sam in his Church outfit! Such a handsome little man!

Advent Presentations Week 4!

2009-12-21T16:35:00.000-08:00

Christmas is almost here! We are so excited! We pray that you are having a very fruitful Advent Season as you begin those final preparations to welcome the Christ Child.

The past Sunday, Rose Marie expressed her excitement in Church! We were on our way back to our pew, after receiving Jesus in the Eucharist, when the Church's Advent wreath came into view. She got so excited that she started skipping (instead of quietly walking!) and "whispered" loudly, "Mommy, ALL of the candles are lit! Christmas is almost here!!!" People around us, began giggling and I tried to keep a straight face as I corralled her back to the pew. I am grateful to learn that she is understanding what has been taking place over these last four weeks. She understands that we have been preparing and that the wait is almost over.

So, here are our final photos from our presentations. I hope to have a presentation with her on Christmas Eve and if we do, I will be sure to put pictures of that up as well. This week we focused on the Visitation. This story seemed to mean much more to Rose Marie than the Annunciation, which I thought was interesting. She was much quieter and more attentive with this story. After this, she wasn't so interested in using the works again, but she played being pregnant all day! She talked about her baby moving in her tummy because the baby was happy.
1) Mary visiting Elizabeth!
2) Notice Elizabeth's pregnant tummy?

3) Our Week 4 Card and Rose Marie's coloring page with the matching picture.

4) Up close:

Cute Book!

2009-12-21T04:00:00.000-08:00

I realize that we are in the final days before Christmas, but I had to share this. If you have any little ones on your list and are looking for a good book about Christmas, this one is charming! My Mom gave it to us last week and it has now become our bedtime story for the rest of the Advent Season! It is called, "Hurry! Hurry! Have you Heard?" Thank you, Mom! :)

A Wonderful Day!

2009-12-18T16:52:00.000-08:00

1) A very long bath with Rose Marie and a cup of coffee. We practiced holding our breath under water and helped wash one another's hair. She hasn't stopped talking about it all day!

2) Finally laying my work aside and giving in to wrestling/snuggling with Samuel. He giggled and laughs so hard! :) I didn't finish my work, but I figured that spending time to make his already huge smile even bigger, was worth it. He is such a fun-loving little man!

3) Finally getting through a book reading session with BOTH kids on either side of me, "listening" to the story. Sam is getting better at it.

4) My favorite part of the day...skipping normal bedtime and bundling both of the kids up in snow gear and running outside to play in the snow! Snow is always magical, but particularly so when it is dark. It was so peaceful and the Christmas lights looked so amazing covered with the snow! Rose Marie was obsessed with making snow angels and she was thrilled about running down the middle of the snow covered street, screaming/singing Christmas Carols and laughing till her sides ached! Her little cheeks were bright red and her hair was covered in tiny snow flakes...the perfection of beauty! George Bailey would have been proud! :)

5) After our late night snow escapade we got snuggled under a blanket and cuddled by the fireplace until Rose decided that her toes were finally warm enough for jammies. :)

Thank you Lord, how could I ask for more!

Advent Presentations Week #3!

2009-12-17T18:20:00.000-08:00

Gaudete Sunday! This is the week when we focus on the joy that we have as we continue to prepare for the coming of the Christ Child! I think that most of the "joy" in this house came from the lighting of the pink candle...but that is okay! :)

This week our presentation focused on the Annunciation! I felt so blessed to be able to share this with Rose. I don't know how much she understood, but I do know that she sat so still and quiet as I read the story to her. She was really absorbing every word I said and watching very intently as I used the figures of Mary and the angel Gabriel. I think that we are going to revisit this presentation a few more times this week. I think it was a new concept for her to see Mary without Joseph. I think it was the first time she really saw Mary as a girl, apart from the nativity scene. The one-on-one communication with the angel seemed to really intrigue her and I wonder what she was thinking about that. I think this next week will hold a few questions that may leave Mommy searching for answers. :) Here are a few photos:

1) The angel Gabriel and Mary in "Mary's House." I cut this out of cardboard this year. I hope that next year I may have the resources to make something out of wood, but for now, this worked to get the point across. :)

2) A close-up of Mary and the Angel. I used the figures from the Playmobil set, which was my "investment" piece this year. All of the figures are movable, simple and separate (so the gifts from the Three Kings can be moved out of their hands and the baby Jesus can be moved out of the manager.) This is the set I will use for the actual Christmas presentation.

3) Our pink candle and our Week 3 card.

4) Close up of our Week 3 Card with scripture verse.

5) Rose Marie's coloring Advent wreath. She LOVES this! She was a little overzealous this week and already colored in the last candle. :) She loves seeing how her coloring page continues to look just like our Advent wreath on the table. I keep our Advent wreath on the dinning room table along with the cards for the week. This has been really beneficial for her and keeps it always present in her mind.

Good Book Alert!

2009-12-14T16:53:00.000-08:00

Reading is a very bad habit for me. I really do try to limit my reading. On occasion, a book will fall into my hands which causes me to lose the power to ever put it down. Consequently, my house looks like a disaster and whatever chores I do accomplish are done in haste so that I can pick the book up again. I know...it is terrible. There really needs to be a self-help group for people like me. I am forbidden to go into bookstores because my otherwise thrifty self, spares no expense on reading material. My poor little library card has seen better days. Oh well!

This latest little gem is one that I had to share! If I had the money, all of my family and friends would be receiving this as a Christmas present! :) It was a sheer delight and absolutely enchanting! If you are looking for the laugh, cry and heavy sigh book, this is the one for you! It is the book you think of when you want to curl up on the couch with your favorite blanket, fuzzy socks and good cup of tea.

So here it is: The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. Enjoy!

Christmas Wonder!

2009-12-12T12:06:00.000-08:00

I have been looking forward to this Advent season, since last Christmas. I was so certain that this year, everything would be peaceful, calm, prayerful and joyful. As life would have it, that has not been exactly the case. There has been much suffering, baby sickness, 3-year old emotional issues and a general feeling of disorder.

However, a few nights ago, we took our children out and hunted down a Christmas tree. We sang, we laughed, we played, we all gave our stamp of approval on the beautiful tree. We decided to give up on dinner, eat sugar cookies, turn on Christmas music and decorate our tree. We had such a glorious, fun-filled night!

Then, after Samuel was snug in his bed, I gathered up my little Rose Marie and we padded down the stairs, shutting off every light as we went. We shut off all of the lights except for the Christmas tree lights. Her eyes were so wide and so bright! We laid down beneath our beautiful tree and admired the lights. We spoke in soft whispers and snuggled close. I whispered to her the story of Our Lord's birth. She was so thrilled! We prayed and asked blessings of the Christ Child.

Here is my Advent. Thank you little daughter for bringing me down to the manager once again. Thank you for helping me to see the wonder in this season! Thank you for reminding me that no matter what storms are raging around me, Jesus always has the power to calm them...and more importantly He always does. I just need to go and snuggle close to Him and ask Him to hold me. Thank you Rose Marie for being Jesus' special gift to Mommy! I love you!

Thanks Mom!

2009-12-09T18:52:00.000-08:00

After a tearful conversation with my incredibly wise mother, she tipped me off to this wonderful article by Elizabeth Foss. I read it and re-read, because it was exactly what I needed today. In case I am not the only mother out there feeling like a completely imperfect human being right now, I thought I would share it. It is so difficult when something arises that steals away our sense of self worth. I begin to look to "things I do," to fill my sense of identity and worth. In reality, I need to find Our Lord and realize that it is my love and His that matters. I need to find myself in the stable, kneeling at the cradle of Our Lord and asking Him the questions my heart so desperately seeks.

Thank you, Mom...you know me well. :)

Arlington Catholic Herald - Give up on being perfect - catholicherald.com

Advent Presentation Week 2!

2009-12-09T18:36:00.000-08:00

This week, we discussed the prophet, Micah and his prophecy concerning, Bethlehem. Rose Marie especially liked the fact that, "Bethlehem," means, "House of Bread." She has not made the broader connection that this has to the Eucharist, but she sees it as a very interesting fact. Here are a few photos of this week's presentation:

1) Our "Micah Card," with a picture of Bethlehem and his prophecy beneath. She now likes the song, "O Little Town of Bethlehem," because she sees that it goes with what we have been talking about...and that it actually makes sense as a Christmas song. :)
2) Micah!

Giveaway!

2009-12-07T13:55:00.000-08:00

There is several giveaways going on over at Faith and Family! Check out the giveaways and look through their fun site! I love getting their e-mail updates.

Advent Presentations Week 1!

2009-12-06T17:24:00.001-08:00

I have promised several people that I would upload photos of our Advent Presentations, and I am finally getting around to it. :) I am a week behind, but hopefully by Monday or Tuesday of this week I will be up to speed.

I am using Moira Farrell's Home Catechesis Manuel for 3-6 as a basis for these presentations, along with the inspiration and practical application from the moms over at CGS MOMS. This is my first year with this, so I am still in the process of investing in better quality materials, but for now, I am working with what I have and can afford. :) These first presentations have already sparked wonderful discussions between Rose and I! I love seeing how God moves her little heart and learning what speaks to her the most.

1) This first week of Advent, we focus on the prophet Isaiah. Here is a photo of our Advent wreath, our purple drape, our card with a picture of "light" and Isaiah's prophecy written beneath it and our little figure of Isaiah himself.

2) After the general presentation of the Advent wreath, we took "Isaiah's Candle" from the wreath and went to Rose Marie's work space and we discussed who Isaiah was and we read his words from the Bible. After this we discussed various parts of his message, focusing primarily on darkness and light.

3) Here is an up-close photo of Isaiah, whom I am very proud of! Rose Marie loves him. Our Advent wreath sits in the center of our table, and now Isaiah stands in front of his candle, so he is a constant source of discussion these days. :) Thanks to the moms over at CGS MOMS for the wonderful inspiration!

4) Here is an up-close of Rose Marie's Advent wreath for coloring. After the presentation, she colored one purple candle with orange for a flame, and then taped a smaller image of the light which is on our large purple card.

5) The Purple card with our image of the light and Isaiah's prophecy:

I hope you all have a wonderful beginning of Advent! God bless!

Her View vs. His View

2009-12-02T13:33:00.000-08:00

Rose Marie: "Mommy, he keeps making my spoons be swords, and I need to feed my dolly!"

Rose Marie: "Mommy, he keeps making my princess carriage make car noises, but it is NOT a car!!!"

Rose Marie again: "Mommy, he is making my pots and pans be drums, but they are for cooking."

In utter frustration: "Mommy, he is using my brush for a sword, but it is to make my hair soft!!!"

With a heavy sigh, "Mommy, he doesn't understand my things."

Welcome, little daughter, to the fundamental differences between men and women!

Picture Update! :)

2009-11-30T10:53:00.000-08:00

Blogger is giving me picture difficulties today, so these are not in proper order. :( But I still hope you enjoy them.

1) Sam's first taste of "sweets"...his First Birthday Cake! He LOVED it!

2) After Sam's first haircut...

3) The haircut

4) Second (or third) piece of gooey-delicious cake...

5) Happy Birthday Sam!

6) Rose Marie and her Aunt and Uncle performing the Thanksgiving Play! Rose Marie played the part of a "girl pilgrim." :)

7) Sam's Birthday cake. (I had to put a turkey on it...you don't have a birthday on Thanksgiving Day every year!) Rose Marie helped make it more colorful around the edges.

Thank You Lord!

2009-11-28T10:43:00.000-08:00

This year I am thankful for:

1) My husband! His friendship and his ability to keep us constantly in the "honeymoon phase," is incredible. He is truly my very best friend and my protector. Thank you, Lord, you picked the best...as You always do!

2) Rose Marie, I love her companionship and her nurturing nature. I am excited about experiencing Advent with her this season and seeing what God has in store for us both.

3) Samuel, my little knight in puppy pj's! He is a one-year old version of his Daddy, and that just absolutely melts my heart!

4) My family! This year my parents have been our family's "safe haven," on more than one occasion and never seemed to bat an eye! They just scoop us all up and shelter us under their wing and I will never forget that! They are the most loving and supportive family I could ever ask for!

5) For my children's ability to remind me that dancing is more important than laundry.

Victories #2

2009-11-17T11:00:00.000-08:00

1) Finally got the biggest part of the Advent presentations made!! Yay!

2) Individual quality time with both babies!!! :)

3) Two successful trips to the YMCA, thanks to the cooperation of Sam and Rose!

Goals for the week:

1) To get Rose Marie to brush those little teeth twice a day. (Somehow that seems to be falling behind.)

2) To make a batch of oatmeal/chocolate chip cookies with Rose Marie.

3) To finish reading my book. A book just for Mommy, which requires taking some time out for Mommy time. I need to get better at that. :)

Oh, Bother!

2009-11-16T13:39:00.001-08:00

Samuel's list of accomplishments (all within a single afternoon!)

1) Leaped over the side of his crib in a single bound! Luckily, no injuries, only frightened and then quickly elated by his new skill.

2) Crawled half-way up the stairs when Mommy wasn't looking.

3) Pulled himself up to a standing position using the coffee table for the first time to reach a snack.

4) Pulled himself up to a standing position using the couch, just because he can.

5) Pulled himself up to look inside of a box and then narrowly escaped falling head first into said box.

I feel like my life has changed in the course of a few hours. Up until nap time, Sam hadn't even bothered to pull himself up to a standing position and he still only crawls (wounded soldier crawl). So all of these new found standing skills feel extremely sudden and out of the blue! These brave "jumping over things" skills are things that his sister never did, so I am feeling like a rookie Mom again. Oh well, it keeps things interesting and lively! :) Now if he will just reach his first birthday bruise-less, that would wonderful!

My Hero, Brave and Strong!

2009-11-12T07:12:00.000-08:00

Samuel's adoration of Mama, has reached new heights! He has become protective of me...and I must confess that I find it absolutely adorable.

Thanks to his uncles, Sam has learned to "shoot" at people using his little pointer finger and making a "shooting" noise. He shoots at everyone, and thinks it is funny when other people join his one man army. However, Mommy is strictly off limits for being shot at. If one breaks this cardinal rule, the fun is abruptly stopped and Nazgul-like screaming ensues.

Similarly, when playing the "hide and tickle game" with the kids, everything is fun and laughable, until Mama gets tickled. This is interpreted as the desecrating-of-all-that-is-sacred and again, end of game and lots of screaming.

The remedy when such an offense has taken place, is cuddling and I get showered by kisses until he has made sure that I am unscathed. I know, it is obsessive, but I find it really charming. :)

Victories

2009-11-08T16:49:00.000-08:00

1) A well planned out dinner menu for the whole week that stayed in budget and was wholesome! :) I love knowing what is for dinner ahead of time.

2) Despite a difficult week with Sam, I was able to press through and maintain my composure most of the time. I am trying to keep calmer when his little temper tantrums escalate and I did a better job than usual.

3) I felt like I have been reaching out to Our Lord again in more concrete ways. I find myself "looking to heaven" as St. Therese would say and knowing that I am in prayer in those moments.

For this upcoming week, my goals would be:

1) Another dynamite dinner planning week!
2) Shopping trip to Michaels for our Advent Presentations. :) I can't wait!!!
3) Individual quality time with both of the little ones.

Just to Review:

2009-11-04T10:30:00.000-08:00

Last year:

This year:

Funny how things change. :)

From my View

2009-10-21T17:15:00.000-07:00

I went for a jog the other day, and looked down to find Rose Marie's arm around Samuel...they stayed snuggled like this the whole time. I am so glad for the sibling love that is shown in these random moments.

Halloween

2009-10-12T11:13:00.001-07:00

I thought this might be an interesting point of discussion. We have not yet done the "Trick-or Treat" thing with Rose Marie, but we are revisiting the topic this year. We are still in the process of discovering what our family will do during these holy days of All Saints and All Souls. What are your thoughts on Halloween? Do you participate? What traditions do you have for these Feast Days?

Here is an interesting link that I thought I would share: http://www.fisheaters.com/customstimeafterpentecost12aa.html

Works!

2009-10-08T18:33:00.001-07:00

Today was one of those wonderful, productive kinds of days. Sam and Rose Marie were both introduced to new works today, and they LOVE them! Both are simple, but I think for their ages, they were introduced at a time when they could be enjoyed to the fullest. Hopefully, later this week I will put up a few pictures of some of the other works that have been keeping us busy, but these are the two newest:

1) Rose Marie was given the "open and close" work today. I was afraid that it would be boring to her, but instead I was given hugs and kisses with exclamations of, "Mommy, I love this work so much!" I think she had so much fun trying all of the different closures. She went back to it several times throughout the day. I think the key was that each top is different: magnets, buttons, zips, screw tops, ones that pop off and two that you pinch to open. Some were fairly challenging, so she was very proud of herself for eventually getting the hang of it. I am so grateful that she loves it as much as she does!

2) Sam was introduced to his very first "work," today and I was literally amazed. This was an old one of Rose's that had been given to me by my Mom. Sam transfers the wooden blocks from the glass bowl into the wooden box. He repeated this work for a solid half hour! He was so proud of himself for getting them all in the box! I thought it was fascinating that when he would misplace a block, or drop one, he would first return it to the glass bowl and then to the wooden box. It was very important to him that the blocks went straight from the glass bowl into the box. I think I was also amazed at his ability to grasp what the object of the work was, after I had presented it to him. I am excited to see what he will be drawn to next!

Beautiful!

2009-10-01T15:47:00.000-07:00

I realize this one is going around, but it really touched me and I wanted to share. Enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cZtU676jA_k

Feast of St. Therese!

2009-10-01T10:18:00.001-07:00

Rose Marie was so excited to go choose flowers for St. Therese! She picked one color for each member of the family. For our afternoon treat we will have tea and petits fours (our line of thinking was: little cakes with flowers on top remind us of St. Therese and her little way) :) Happy Feast Day!

Happy Feast of the Archangels!

2009-09-29T06:31:00.000-07:00

Rose Marie really enjoyed this simple cut and paste activity. We spent some time discussing the three angels, St. Raphael, St. Michael and St. Gabriel. She put these little angels together and then we added symbols to their robes, which are often associated with each one. St. Michael has the swords/spears, St. Gabriel was given the lilies and St. Raphael has the fish. St. Gabriel was Rose Marie's favorite. :)

Walking on the Beach

2009-09-28T18:45:00.001-07:00

While on a recent family vacation, my ever romantic husband took me for a moonlit walk along the beach. The beauty of that walk was what I needed more than anything else, my husband knew it, and more importantly, God knew it. We stood there with the endless eternity of space above us, complete with the brightest stars shinning with all their might for their Creator. Before us was stretched the unfathomable depths of the ocean. I felt swept away by the beauty that was overwhelming my senses. It has been such a long time I have felt the closeness of God in the power of nature. I stood there being held in the arms of the man I am in love with surrounded, in a powerful way, by the beauty of God's creation. Thank you Lord, for that amazing reminder of how much I am loved by You!

Here are a few of my favorite photos from Beach Trip 2009!

1) Touching the sand for the first time...not to sure about that stuff.

2) Just us!

3) Two cute boys in the hot tub!

4) Inside the Lighthouse

5) Getting connected to the water. By the end of the trip, Sam really enjoyed the water. :)

6) Rose Marie and Mama!

7) "Hello!"

8) Wondering...

9) The little family...

My First Project!

2009-09-18T19:35:00.001-07:00

For quite some time, I have been coveting the ribbon boards sold at Pottery Barn for Kids. I will go into that store and simply stare at them, wishing I had one for Rose Marie's room. I know she would love it. Finally, I was tired of dreaming and decided that I would not spend that ridiculous amount of money for a ribbon board, so I decided to make one myself. I had so much fun with this project and Rose Marie is thrilled! We are going on vacation soon and she can't wait to print of some photos of her very own and organize them on the board. Rose Marie chose the fabric she liked (pink of course) and I added a few touches of my own to make it special. Here it is!

1) The materials were: an artist's canvas, quilt batting, nails/tacks, fabric, ribbons (of course) and decorative brads.

2) Covering the canvas and batting:

3) The finished product!

The Squire and his...Spoon?

2009-09-15T06:35:00.000-07:00

Samuel has become attached to a small blue spoon. This spoon, is now carried all over the house, all of the time. He uses it to bang on EVERYTHING. He hits the coffee table with it, the refrigerator, the Little People, his sister etc. Nap time is now tragic, solely because I do not allow him to sleep with his spoon. Upon awaking, it is the very first thing he looks for. We have come to the conclusion that perhaps it is sword. Maybe this is a boy thing. Whatever it is, I think is absolutely endearing, and hilarious.

Prayer (Again)

2009-09-13T07:40:00.000-07:00

I feel as if this is a constant theme for my little blog, but it is something that is on my mind constantly.

With the fall approaching, we are beginning to do "school" in earnest these days. For me, the most important part of my children's education will be their religious formation. I have been feeling overwhelmed by the enormity of this task and my own inadequacies in the spiritual life. There is a large part of me that would rather procrastinate on the religious formation, until my own spiritual life is what it should be.

The reality is that it will never be what it "should" be until after this life. I am so imperfect in so many ways. But a wise mother once said to me, "God gave you these specific children, because He knew that you were the one, who would help lead them to Him. And, they are the ones, that you need, in order to bring you closer to God."

I think I feel guilty that I cannot seem to spend adequate time in quiet prayer. Sam is nursing less, and therefore my quiet, sitting down time is no longer there. I need to embrace, in a more ardent way, the ability to "pray without ceasing." I need to seek Our Lord in the faces of my children. I need to see Him in them as I wash their little faces and their little hands. I need to see His heart as they reach to me for comfort and love. I need to see myself as serving Him, in my little daily tasks such as food prep and laundry. I realize that this is very elementary, but it is something I am ashamed to say that I have lost sight of.

My prayer needs to be a constant looking for and at Our Lord through my daily tasks. I do need to find a way to get closer to Him. I need to accept the enormous task of trying to make Our Lord present to my children, all the while, trying to get closer to His Sacred Heart myself. This is my vocation.

Thank you Lord, for Your gentle reminders.