Resurrection Rolls

SWEET JESUS IS RISEN!

God bless,

M

Easter 'eve' A.K.A. Holy Saturday pics

Drawing and coloring Easter Eggs!!!

And 3 dozen eggs later...



Lots of pink eggs!!!

With 3 cracked eggs, that left us 33 eggs for the kids to find that the Easter Bunny hid.  WOWEE!

Lots of pretty flowers blooming...

THEN ON EASTER DAY...

 Easter this year...we did bring out the hose and water and little pool to cool off!  It really was that H*OT*!  90*!!!

This is the first Easter that we clebrated by getting in our bathing suits and a pool!!! :)  It was a sure way to make it a different Easter since we did not have any family or friends to celebrate with ;(

So, we made the best of it and had fun anyway :)



God bless,
M



Totally lovin' this moment

My 4 yr old little man ran to my oldest daughter and said, very giggly:

"I thought I married Momma, but I didn't!  (insert heee heee giggle giggle)  I just married 'little lady'!"

You see, just moments before I was nursing little lady and 4 yr old little man came over...

"Oh, Momma, I just have to give her a kiss." 

(Btw, this is nothing new...4 yr old little man adores and I mean, ADORES, his baby sister and is so sweet w/her.)

So I propped her up and just then she turned her head to see him and BOOM-he smooched her right on her lips! :)  The giggles and smirks arose from within him!  Oh if you could have seen his face! 

Now, according to my kids, if a man and woman kiss on the lips, that equals marriage. 

(Not a bad indicator, wouldn't you say???)

He tells me that he just married little lady and I have tried to convince him that he did not.  How do I explain that one to a 4 yr old?  Who knows...but  right now, it is awfully cute!!! :)

4 yr old kids ROCK!  I LOVE LOVE LOVE this age!!!
Thank you God for this moment...

God bless,
M

Two Tornado Turtles

Tornado central? 

Yes (1- 10 miles away, and 1-15 miles away--ugh..Soooo not a fan of these).

31 cent SCOOP baskin-n-robbins ice cream?  Definite Yes (last night).

Rain?  Yes, off and on.

Sun?  Yes, off and on.

Humid?  Oh yes.

TURTLES? 

YES YES YES

Let me introduce you to:

"Storm" and "Chaser"!!!

(Thanks, K, for the names! LOL.  These are the boys name for them)

A.K.A

"Henry" and "Hannah" (what the girls have named them)

here is a video:

God bless,
M

Brothers Rule

B/c early morning reading w/brothers on the stairs is so much more fun than reading alone...

God bless,
M

It's still Easter!

So, all those things that I forgot to do actually ON Easter, we still get to do....

Things like the Resurrection Rolls.  Do you know about those?  Crescent Rolls (tomb), marshmallows (Jesus) , cinnamon, sugar, and melted butter (oils and scents to annoint 'Jesus')-bake and taaadaaa-the marshmallow is gone-Jesus is Risen!

And those Lenten Pretzels that I never once got around to making with the kids.  All those Fridays!  whoops! We'll try to make them this week :)

And our annual Easter Egg Rolling Contest-usually done on Easter-my family is known for  this little game.  (maybe yours too?)

And since it is Easter, my kids are asking for yet another egg hunt.  I think I can manage that too!

I like to think that God made these big feasts of Octave of Easter (and Christmas too), just for big families that can't get to everything in one day-haa haa!!! LOL

God is so good.  All glory to God :)

God bless,
M



Easter Egg Hunt and the Pope mobile

I know, that is a wierd post title, but it is what it is! :)

On Palm Sunday, we went to a Palm Sunday celebration including an early but very happily received Easter egg hunt, carnival games and a fun time had by lots of families and most were our homeschooling families! 

It was so lovely out-yes, some of my kids even wore shorts and short sleeved shirts!!! :)

As always there is some funny or odd happening whenever or wherever we go. 

This funny thing is that I thought that the lady said we had 5 mins for our young children to gather as many eggs as possible.  So, I told another dad that and we were having a little competition. 

But little did I know, that ....whoops!...she actually said that each child was to get 5 EGGS only!!! haa!!!

It was quite commical since my kids ended up throwing a whole bunch of eggs back on the lawn again.  The other kids were running after those eggs and my kids felt like they were 'king of the hill'!!! funnnnnnny :)

Pope John Paul the Great, pray for us!God bless,
M

Happy Easter!

He is Risen!

God bless,

m

Holy Week

No, I have not forgotten you.

I have been struggling with what to write these past few days.  Of course, it is the holiest of weeks right now which has provided a bit of a mental block for blogging.  Not that I am complaining, though.  It seems very appropriate for this time of the year.  So, I am going with the Holy Spirit's inspirations and am keeping pretty low with the blogging deal. 

What I do wish to mention is this awesome idea from a priest at Mass this past Saturday morning.  He encouraged us all to pray a decade of the day for the week.  Not only pray it but live it and absorb it and let it seep in.  For example, yesterday, Monday, we focused it totally on the Agony in the Garden. 

For today, Tuesday, we are focusing totally on the Scourging of the pillar. 

Get the idea?  So on Friday, we can focus on the Crucifixion.  Easy and focused.  My cup of tea.

Another reason I have not blogged lately is b/c of this book:

What?  You have not heard of it?  You HAVE to read this book!  Got it?  Fork out the $ and buy it.  It will be on your most read and returning to read over and over and over again.  I promise.

I won't be too hard on you, since I, too, did not read it until a friend sent it to me in the mail.  (Thanks S!).  I was way too lazy and once I started reading it, I wished I was not so lazy!  What was I waiting for?  There are some things worth the wait.  This, my friends, is NOT.  Go get the book...as in...now.

And here is my wish for you, this week...

I am wishing you a happy and holy HOLY WEEK.  May God give you strength and courage to follow Him and accompany Him as he breaks the bread, carries the cross, and is crucified.  May God give you the ability to see all you have as gifts from Him.  May you be open to Him to allow His workings in your busy and chaotic life.  May you seek Him in everyone you know, you encounter, you love.  May you share your life and witness the light of Christ in this darkness of the world.  May you have a wonderful holy week.  May you rise ever closer to Him on Easter Sunday.

God bless,
Mary

On my mind...

It is 11:01 am right now and I should be teaching math and reading and our study on bugs this week and everything else that makes up one of 180 days we should be fulfilling this year.  

But I'm not, you see. 

Instead, I am thinking.  Remember how to do that?  Somehow in the midst of motherhood, that gene got lost and I am re-learning how to do that.

So, here I am thinking.

Thinking about motherhood, of course.

And about why I like to take photographs of my kids so much.  Why do I?  I am thinking about that answer and I think I have a swell answer.  B/c life is moving so fast that I don't want to miss it or forget it.  That's about it and that is pretty deep, if you ask me.

I read on another blog this morning, thanks to a friend sending me the link, that 'life is not an emergency'. 

That, my dear readers, is another deep thought, huh?

And when I do that thing called thinking...of course I need to blog, right?  Any good blogger would.  Well, then again, I am not a self proclaimed good blogger.  Just a momma trying to do right. 

Just me.

I am also thinking about how my kids need my enthusiasm and motivation to do school.  For example, like right now, they are not doing their school work?  Dare I stop typing and re-direct their sweet hearts back to doing what they should be doing?  Noway.  I am as ready for this school year to end as they are.  No doubt about it. 

Instead, my mind is elsewhere and my ears are open to all those noises behind me.  What are they, you ask?
Let me fill you in on a secret.   A secret that all mommas of many children know, it is never quiet.  Ever.  We truly want it to be quiet --sort of that "kids are to be seen, not heard" type of life, but we know that won't ever happen.  We want quiet but the minute it goes quiet, we stop what we are doing, dig around the household to find those little munchkins getting into things that will take us Mommas all day to reconstruct before Daddy comes home to make it good like new.  So, we  get used the loud as normal.

Oh, yeah, loud means noise and I forgot to mention what those noises are behind me.  Let's see....

• A big kid looking for his red sweatshirt that a little kid hid on him.... "Where did you put it?  Where did it go?  I don't want you to look for it, just tell me where my sweatshirt is.  Uhhh...!"  then he says "Hey Mom, did anybody ever been born only a ounce?"  That is how this big kid's mind works.  Interesting, very interesting...

• A little boy pounding on his big brother's bedroom door to go in. 

• 2 little kids playing Zingo!

• A big girl trying hard to organize her room that she shares with a little girl who is a bit clean & organized-challenged...if you get my drift.

• A piano now being played for a private audience of little lady.  She seems to be enjoying it.

• A little boy on my lap, wiping his tears, b/c big brother won't let him into his room with that audience member b/c we all have the house rule of this child not allowed to be that close to little lady.

• A big girl asking to try on her special Easter dress to make sure it still fits.  Good idea, so I let her.  And besides, it gives me a few mins left to finish this post. 

• Some little guy playing around with my answering machine.  I wonder what the message will say today.... :)

Big brother carrying little lady over to me..."Uh, Mom, I think she wants to nurse now."

"Yup, hold on big guy."  I say.

So, he gets out the Atlas of the World to show her instead.  Yeah, that will keep her interested for the next 5 minutes or so.  haaaa

Life is not an emergency. 

So why am I acting like it is?

Why am I in a hurry? 

Why do I rush from one house duty to the next? I have that running list of things to do all day long.  If that list is not that familiar w/me, I have 7 reminders. 

"No, I cannot go to war without an I.D.   One last time, tell me where my sweatshirt is.  That is where my ID is."  is what the biggest brother says walking around with his Nerf gun and  ammunition ready but can't fight the war... yet...

Life is not an emergency. 

Dear Lord, help me to realize this and to give you my life for you to render it not an emergency.  Only you can slow me down and help me to see the beauty of these fleeting moments. 

I don't just want to take pictures to remember them,

I want to be in them too.

God bless,

M

Pure joy

If you could only have just seen the intense joy and realization that my oldest son had on his face a minute ago, and how he found out he can actually help another person...it would probably could convert tons of people.

The kids are all either asleep or reading right now.  My oldest walks over to me as I am tidying up...

"Mom, what is a novena?"

Then I went on to tell him and he said..."So, I can say one for someone?"

"Sure you can."  I reply.

"You mean I can say one for a special family member to come back to the Catholic Faith?"

"Oh, indeed you can.  Yes, you can."  I conclude.

Up on his tippy toes he went with his heart shining through his smile as wide as the ocean, and his eyes are big as watermelons and I do believe I even heard a tiny squeal.

"So, what do I say?  I mean, which one?"  he asks.

We google novenas, to who else but what i thought appropriate...his patron saint.  Sure enough, right on EWTN site, there it was.  I copied it and printed it and off he went with joy.

This is what it's all about, right?
Thank you God for allowing me to see how You are so powerful to work in little people's hearts and souls.  Help me to become like a little child, so that I too, can enter Heaven.

God bless,
M

Dear Altar Servers,

Since I currently have an altar boy in my home and hopefully, God willing, more to come, I found THIS article wonderfully written.  And I do think you will too, even if you don't have an altar server in your home!

God bless your Sunday,
M

This is the STUFF

This is the STUFF that we are listening to lately and I am totally singing along to like a crazy wild Momma!  lol!!!

If you could see how my 15 passenger momma truck can bounce along to this song! haaaa haaaa


And the only thing better is hearing my kids sing along with me :)

God bless,
Mary

150 visitors to my blog!!!

I just noticed that I not getting many visitors to my blog-no a big deal. 

To me, this blog is a way for me to let go of some of my thoughts, give others some insight into my big family, allow others to learn from my mistakes, and meet some other super great blog-moms too :)  I find some great support here in the blogosphere that is missing in the real world, unfortunatly.  Life is constantly changing and I am trying to adapt to all this technical computer stuff.  Not my favorite thing to use my time on, but a momma's gotta do what  a momma's gotta do.

...BUT get this... I did notice that waaaaaaaay back on January 13, 2009 I got 150 visitors on THAT DAY ALONE! 

What is up with that????

I guess tons of people are interested in sweet innocent 2 yr old little boys possibly dressing in little pink tutu's  b/c they have big sisters or something...haaa haaa!!!

Or, it could be that THIS post was also on that day...but,  I doubt it....must be the tutu thing. lol

And isn't God soooooo awesome?  Little did we know that we'd have a sweet little lady that they get to dress up FOR REAL now!!!! God did indeed give my girls their ultimate wish of a baby sister!!!  Thanks God!!! :)  You are so awesome!  We are all so very much in love with little lady.  She is the delight of all.

I wonder if I'll ever get that many visitors again in one day?!?!?!  woweee!!!

God bless,
Mary

Just another day in paradise

It was brought to my attention, that others that may read my blog think that my life is so peachy and I am one awesome super mom (which I am so not).  Let me assure you that I am in need of a lot of graces, everyday, to do what I do.  I beg God for graces to be a good mom and to know and do His Will everyday.  I try and I fail.  I try again. And I usually fail again.  I do not do well under stress and right now, stress is my life.  With 7 kids under age 10, stress is my life.  So, you can only imagine that it is tough for me.  I like to laugh and be with other people and that helps to relieve my stress.  So, you may see me laughing a lot.  That is me under stress in the company of others.  Get my point?  I hope so :). 

If I don't mention it, it's b/c I have a incredibly sweet little lady to occupy my mind...but don't forget that I do have a set of 2 boys in a row-age 2 1/2 and 4...that at most times are a handful.  They are super cute and alone, they are pretty good but together they are double trouble-watch out!  I wonder if they'll always be that oil and water combo. 

I mean, really.  Do they HAVE to argue about every little thing that goes into one of their hands?  For instance, this morning the hot item was hangers and then it was an empty baking powder can and then it was my keys and then it was backpacks and then cheerios/granola/oatmeal and then it was etc....   Then it was that baking powder can I thought was a great idea to use as a pencil holder for school.  Those green people would be proud of me, right?! :)  I thought it to be a swell idea too, until my 2 little men saw it.  Why, oh why, do these little men always want to play with things that are NOT toys?   And that was it for me.

I caught myself mid-sentence yelling "IF I WANT TO USE THAT CAN FOR A PENCIL HOLDER, THEN I CAN USE IT AS A PENCIL HOLDER!  DO YOU HEAR ME?"  (and yes, I think they did hear me and the rest of our neighborhood too. ;() 

I do have to mention, BTW, that while this was going on with the little boys, that my older 4 were having catechism trivia games all the while they ate their breakfasts.  I guess I have to look at the bright side, right?

And for those little boys....we have moved the playroom upstairs into our living room so that I can keep a better eye on these boys.  I thought that to be quite the solution (thanks Holy Spirit!).   Indeed, it was for a short time.  Yet, those toys are up here but they want not much to do with them lately.  So, then I thought a good solution was to get rid of a bunch of toys.  Why have so many if they just sit there, right?   Give them to kids that would appreciate them and actually play with them.  That worked...for a time.  We are down to minimal play toys now.  I wonder if that was the right decision.  Oh my...

How about some playdough?  Great idea for them, but only seems to keep them occupied a few mins.  You see, they end up fighting about the playdough or the toys associated with the playdough!  Arrrrgh.  Then that playdough ends up all over the floor and we spend MORE time cleaning up the playdough then actually playing WITH the playdough :(  I say WE b/c these boys need to know when they make a mess (uh, almost 90% of the time!) they have consequences and have to clean up.  And this momma has all the time in the world to teach them that lesson....yeah, right.

Learning is so fun, huh?  Hard life for little people sometimes too.

You may say "Well then, split those boys up if they cannot play together."  And I do.  Everyday there comes a point they need to be separated and do their own thing and that is what happens.  But in my oppinion, it is not healthy to have them in thier own rooms most of the day.  I try to teach them and minister to them on how to play together.  And this momma has all the time in the world to teach them this lesson too, right?  Yeah, right.

It's not so easy, you see.

Not that easy since I have a baby in my arms most of the day.

Not that easy that one big brother likes to smush her or hold her hands or feet a little toooooooo tight. 

Not that easy when I have 4 older kids that need to be doing school and need to be watched over and read to or they will not do school! 

Not that easy when I have a dinner to make, a house to clean, a blog to keep updated (haaa haaa!). 

Seriously, you get the point.

But, life here on earth is not supposed to be....easy.  We all have our crosses to carry. 

Matthew 16:24
"If anyone wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross and follow me."

So, there you have it.

God bless,
M

Livin' on the edge

Yesterday, our family went on a hike to a new forest park.  It was one we were told was full of great hiking adventures.   Since our family loves the outdoors and hiking is one of our top activities to do together, we couldn't wait to get there! :)

We decided on a path that was along side the big stream and of course my kids loved it!  What kid wouldn't?  I love the woods, the sounds of birds chirping or flying overhead.  The sounds of crinkling leaves underfoot, the sounds of rushing water over rocks.   So soothing and I am so glad we all enjoy this together.  

On part of the hike, my hubby and I were getting nervous as we watched them ahead of us and the path got dangerously close to the water.    At one point, we had to pull them aside to talk with them about getting too close to the edge and not knowing b/c one cannot see, if there is adequate support under what one is standing on or else it will cave in and drop and they'll fall in the water.  A couple giggles resounded as that sounded pretty fun to them but then I reminded them that their younger siblings do not swim and could drown an that was the clincher-they got it and understood our point.  Thank God!

It made me think about in a short amount of years,  I will not be there to pull them back and warn them.  I will have to trust and hope that they'll make the right decision, esp. when I am not looking.  For right now, they have me to help them but not for long.  This is the time of youth, of formation, and I pray that we can help them in the way God needs us to and that is pleasing to our Lord.  Then, I'll have to let go and watch.  But for now, I think I have a little more time.  Thank you God for this time.  Precious time.

God bless,
M

Comments

Hi :)  I wrote a comment on another blog and it came so easily to me to comment on her blog!  And here I sit trying to figure out what to write on my own blog! haaa haaa LOL!

So, I thought..why not copy and paste what I wrote on HER blog on MY blog!

Here it is:

She was having trouble and with homeschooling&kids and life in general and I responded:
--------------
Sometimes that's all we need for a weeee bit-a break. Good for both momma's and kids' spirits, right? The cirriculum has EVERYTHING to do with mom being excited to have school as much as the kids.  We use CHC -catholic heritage Cirriculum and it is so much low key and fits our family so much better than others. Took me a few years to switch but so glad. Yes, we have rough days but that's ok. and its ok that you take days *off*. Why not?! You homeschool and you can do that! :) One thing I try to remember frequently is that we are called to raise little saints, and homeschooling is so much more about HOME than school. I totally know about that fighting and how it drives us MOmmas nuts. but hang in there. Even if I just PRAY with the kids, do reading and math-that is a great school day for us. Lower your expectations. It'll all be ok. Beg God for guidance and fortitude, wisdom, and sef control and believe He can help you and will give you the graces. Praying for you...God bless you.
---------------
 
So, that is what my post is today.  Simple enough.
 
God bless,
Mary

Quick Takes on 1st Friday

1.  Prayer Request....for a friend who just found out some not-so-good news health wise.  I don't want to go into details until I ask her permission :).  Thanks for praying!  She has 5 kids under age 10 and a baby that still nurses and she cannot nurse.  My heart goes out for them all.  Please pray for this family. 

2.  I woke up today to NO COFFEE in the house!!!  For those of us that depend on our caffeine jolts, that can be detrimental to a momma!!! haaa!  So, quickly I made that judgement call to gather the kids up   and I told them that it doesn't matter what they wore or what shoes b/c just  a drive thru...or so I thought---look at #3! yikes!

3.  Since we were out so early---it made me realize that I can actually get out that early in the morning if I let down my guard of having the kids look 'oh-so-nice' and I may actually be able to get to daily mass every now and then.  See how pumped I was to get my jolt of coffee?!?! Made me realize how I can be just as pumped to get to Mass that way too!!!  Well, we'll see how that goes...I am going to try, though.

And since we were out so early....and it was nice to be driving around with not too much traffic...and the kids and I were listening to some music and singing along.....I asked them if they wanted to go back home the LONG way to count how many school buses we saw.  Of course they were up for that!  Going the long way home put us on the road that EXACTLY led to one of the parishes around here and also EXACTLY the time to get to uh...Mass....First Friday Mass, no less. 

And no matter how I tried to convince myself it may not be the best (now, in retrospect how ridiculous I was to try to avoid Mass....oh, when will I ever learn?!:( ) there were signs everywhere for me to get to MASS!  Besides the road, the time it was...it was also the songs on the radio said 'church' right at that moment. 

I bought that really big coffee and I took a sip  and burnt my tongue and mouth-should have been a sign to not drink it an hour before MASS!!! So, then I thought to myself not a good idea to go to Mass b/c I just drank coffee, albeit a SIP, but a sip is still a sip. 

Then there was me trying to convince myself that I had all the kids, why in the world would I do that all by myself?  Besides, the baby was up and crying on/off in the car seat as I drove around and I did not have the most needed pouch/sling while at Mass...but wait a minute....now she was asleep in her car seat. 

Oh, but my 4 yr old has flip flops on and my sons were all wearing jeans/sweats/no collar shirts...to which my oldest said on the way there was "Mom, I have NEVER been dressed like this going to Mass."   What would be my excuse now?  Right.  Nothing.  So I called my hubby to tell him I was going to Mass.  What a hoot that I would do this, I obviously needed someone to cheer me on.  Tyring once more to make sure I should go, hubby added in that a sip of coffee is still a sip and it was too close to receive at Mass but Mass is still Mass and it'd be so good to go.



OK, so we went.  I felt pumped to handle anything.  Even going to 9am Daily Mass...by myself with 7 kids.  It was not a total craze but it was not easy.  Why would I think it would be? 

About 5 mins into Mass, little lady woke up.  And the rest of the Mass, I was squished in the 'crying room' with my little lady, my 2 double trouble boys and about 5 other moms with little ones.  One mom was having a horrendous time with her 2 yr old having tantrums and oh, I know how she felt but I could not do anything about it.  And since we were out of the house in record timing, I did not worry to change my little lady out of her BOY pajamas-yes, boy outfit complete with blue and trucks and cars.  And one of the moms handed me a tissue b/c my 'boy' spit up! haa haaa!  lol. 

It was Mass and I was there.  We were there.  All 8 of us.  First Friday.  All of us to offer up our Mass for our friend who was told yesterday that not-so-good health news (see #1).  And if it's all we do today, so be it.  It is the BEST thing we can do today, the BEST.

God is good.  ALL THE TIME.

Gratitude...

Dear Lord, Thanks for that push of actual grace to get my gang and I to Mass!!!
Thanks for helping me to say YES to that grace and all those graces you bestow on me and my family.  Thanks for speaking through my husband to make sure that I heard you!  Thanks for the sun today-it's been a long week.  Thanks for reminding me that it's perfectly OK to respond to Your promptings, even if it's not at the time I think is best, but Your time, no matter what the world may say about it.  Amen.
God bless,
M