Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Best advice ever!=NAPS

Everyday around 1 till about 3-give or take 30mins on either side is our 'Family quite time'. 

This is time for the kids to try to settle down to rest-little ones take naps-sometimes if its a super great day, 4 of them nap at the same time~!!! wooohooo!   Usually it is Lil' Lady , my 3 yr old adrenaline running boy, and 4 yr old 'too big for a daily nap but still needs a few naps a week" boy. 

The others rest by looking at books, listening to books on CD, drawing, or they (try) to play quietly downstairs. 

This is also my time to regroup and rest. I overlook the toys and clothes strewn throughout the house.  I overlook the left out lunch on the counters and on the kitchen floor and the overflowing trash.  I make time for me.  I have to.  This is my survival and thrival technique.  I close my bedroom door over a little and just plop down exhausted, sometimes even  in a big pile of clean laundry.  I close my eyes in hopes to actually catch a few zzzz's if possible.  Then if I can, with a cup of tea in hand, I try to catch up on emails, blogs, phone calls.   Before the little ones wake, I begin to make dinner or at least have the idea of what I will make. 

When I share this, many moms and others look at me in awe that I can do this. 

For me, it has ALWAYS been this way.  With my first child was almost one yrs old, another seasoned mom of 6 told me that I had to do this. For me to try not to give up his nap too early and if he did (which he as 2 when he did), to continue to put him in his room or crib with tons of books for quiet time.  This was the BEST ADVICE that I ever got!!!

This nap time was crucial.  And boy, is she right.  It is~!

 I really wonder how moms do it these days without down time.  With a busy life, in order to keep an energy level at a decent (not always top notch!) level, this is so necessary for me. 

This is not all the quiet beautiful time of rest everyday.  Many times in a day, I may come out of my room or off the couch to remind them how and what "QUIET" is supposed to be like!  Many days, they get so wrapped up in playing (since they are schooling most of the morning)  that their level of quiet certainly is NOT the same as mine. 

During this time, my oldest son, who is in 5th grade,  has to be constantly reminded to do his school work and how much he can accomplish when the little ones are not around him, bothering him, or being loud.  This quiet time is the best he has to get focused...yet, it is so tough for him.  Poor kid.  It's hard to see his younger siblings playing or reading or drawing-just what he really wants to do. 

Any advice:  How do YOU get the point across to a kid
that he is older so ...he has more school work expected?

Anyway, long story short.... today after I got up after a little rest, I called for my oldest in which he did not respond.  He was not in the extra room doing school work or doing his science lab experiment or his reading comprehension.  Nope.  His sisters told me he was in the backyard.  When he came in, I ask him where he was and how he got out there, since he did not exit and re-enter through the deck door. 

Head tilted and quietly, he glanced at me and said "Uh....through the basement bathroom window..."

"Why?"  I questioned him.

"Uh....Because I am a boy?"

Best explanation.  Good reason.  But still....

God bless,
Mary

Saturday, October 22, 2011

Blessed John Paul II, pray for us!

Today I am so thankful to have been able to get to Mass this morning.  To my surprise, it was the FIRST ever Mass in honor of Blessed John Paul II.  What a beautiful Mass, as I felt his presence so strongly.  He was and is so amazing.  I am so thankful to have been able to live while he was alive!

He exemplified Christ in how he lived and shared his life with others.



Blessed John Paul II, pray for us!!!
God bless,
Mary

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Some funnies and heart warming moments have been happening around here and I am so glad that I took notice~!  It is easy to look past and not stop and be thankful. 

1.  My oldest daughter, age 9, was watching our Lil' Lady and said, "Oh Mom, my heart is bursting with love for her!"

2.  My oldest son, age 10, and I were looking through cook books on what to make for dinner last night.  After a while, he commented, "Looking through these cook books when I am so hungry is like looking through a really good piano book with all the music that I love".  (We decided on making homemade chicken alfredo and it was SO good and the first time I ever made it homemade!!! :) and we have tons left~ I forgot how filling just a little bit is~!!!)

Thanks God for letting me notice and take note of these precious moments.

God bless,
Mary

Friday, October 14, 2011

Quote of the Day and prayer request

A lot of things have been going on around here....we just got back from a trip up north due to my husband's grandfather who died a week ago tomorrow. 

Lil' Lady was on 2 diff types of antibiotics due to ear infection.  She finished her second one the day we left on our trip.  She started again w/runny nose 2 days ago and not sleeping.  I bet that ear infection is back.  This will be the 3rd one in under 2 months.  They may discuss tubes for her ears.  ALthough I know it is pretty routine for most youngsters, none of mine ever had them.  My lil lady is only 8 1/2 months old and this scares me that she would have to endure those tubes.  But, if it is God's Will to have them, I ask for prayers for my Lil' Lady.   Thanks.

Since we suddenly stopped schooling to travel (Thank God for homeschooling and our ability to do that!), we have strugged these last 2 days trying to get back into the mode of school work.  There is quite a lot of rebellion going on and that charity needs to be much more apparent too!

The funeral was as nice as one can be.   It was such a learning experience for my kids.   This year we have been talking a lot about soul vs. body and this experience made it not so abstract but so real to them.  We are so thankful to God to have the chance to go to the funeral, see family and see our missed friends....we miss you guys so much!

Lastly, a quote that is on my heart today from my favorite MOTHER THERESA:

"I know God will not give me anything I can't handle.  I just wish He didn't trust me so much."
God bless,
Mary

Friday, October 7, 2011

Joys of Motherhood

Last night, as I was tucking my girls into bed, one of them declared that they wanted to be a 'Mommy'. 

"How sweet!",  I thought.

She proceeded on to tell me that she wanted to be one "at this very moment!"

...so that she could have a big bowl of ice cream!  And my other daughter said "Yeah! and a smoothie anytime I want one!"

HA!! HA!!!
The joys of motherhood!!! :)

God bless,
Mary

Tuesday, October 4, 2011

Kitchens...love it, love it not...

I have a love-hate relationship w/my kitchen.  

I love the fact that my whole family likes to hang out in this specific room in the house. 

I love how the kids all coral around a little kitchen table squeezing in 6 chairs where only 3 would be most comfortable.

I love how they bring their books in and lay on the kitchen floor just b/c the others are in this room and Momma is in the room too.

I love how when I am cooking or cleaning (about 70% of my day), how drawn my kids are to be around me.  Whatever they are doing, they bring it in this room and plop themselves down....near me. 

I love how eating and talking go hand in hand.  Some of our best conversations have been in the kitchen.   Some of the best moments of parenting happen in the kitchen.

Learning math while cooking.  Painting tons of pics.  Spelling tests while Momma cooks.  Social Studies--learning about generosity and patience while waiting for dinner and setting the table in the dining room.   The list goes on and on. 

What a wonderful feeling.  (Thank you God :))

I love this room.

I love kitchens.  Don't you?

But do you know what I do not love about it?  Actually I really really don't like it?  OK, I admit...I pretty much hate it.  Period.

The size of this kitchen.  It is 1/3 the size of our last kitchen.  Not a big deal if a family is not that big or does not truly "LIVE" all day in the house, right?  No.  But, for us?  This does not work. 

I guess you can say our kitchen is a work in kitchen with very limited counter space.  Barely enough room for those chairs I mentioned above.  It is really tight.  Then throw in a highchair, and it's quite the maze to get around.  Seriously. 

I dream of a big kitchen where we all can be around comfortably.  A big long farm style table.  We've got the benches already (thanks to Daddy and the boys!!! You rock!)

Kitchens.

Love them and hate this one.

God bless,
Mary

Happy Feast of St. Francis!!!



My kids and I love this Saint and love celebrating this feast day.

First, I printed off a bunch of great St. Francis coloring pages. 

This one HERE from Catholic Heritage Cirriculum is, by far, our favorite!

Today's snack is going to...
ANIMAL CRACKERS!!!

Another idea I had was to make those easy bird feeders-pine cone, PB and bird seed....we'll see since that would require me to actually go out to buy the bird seed!  Maybe I'll have an adrenaline rush to actually do it!!! HA :O

The other idea I had was to go on a little trip to the pet store!   Maybe...


St. Franics, pray for us!!!

God bless,
Mary

Monday, October 3, 2011

Snowsuits already???

We went from hot and muggy humid weather directly into very cold days of 50* for the past number of days.  Add that into the mix of 3 weeks of rainy cloudy days and this Momma is going a bit crrrrazy!!!

I also don't have the guts to turn ON the heat...just yet.  So, our house has been lingering around 60* throughout the day and it is quite chilly.  Not too bad, but enough that we have the massive amounts of clothes that have escaped from storage bins-the changing of seasons always brings out mega amounts of laundry and clothes galore, right?! :)

So, that leads me to allow the kids to let them put on their snow suits (well, they have to stay warm somehow, right?) and sleeping bags (warmth, OK?) and "sledding" down our staircases all dolled up in these particular super FUNNY outfits!

And I will add in that those kids are my boys.  Not my girls-ha ha!!! :)  Those girls just finished their math assignments and are off to play dolls for a little bit.

OK, so I have noted quite a lot of things my boys have been up to lately.   It is just that they are so peculiar and so well...boy-ish!  They just crack me up.  Totally.

Boys need to be boys---that is how I also "just do it"---having let them be just who they are w/out stopping their creativity. Schoolwork had to take a little recess break....and I needed to blog :)   Mind you, the little boys are totally loving every minute of it too!!!

I might even make some hot cocoa for us :)

Best go now.

God bless,
Mary

Saturday, October 1, 2011

Dinner at 6 tonight

Only in my house full of little curious backyard boys will I find a taped together skin shell of a snake in front of my dinner plate!

How lovely and totally true.

God bless,
Mary