Divine Mercy Craft

 Lacy, over at Catholic Icing, has this simple little Divine Mercy craft available to print for free.

 I was planning on having my kids do it anyway, but I started thinking about how I could use this little guy (who's glued onto a toilet paper roll) to help us in saying the Divine Mercy Novena (which began yesterday, on Good Friday).

We had also made Lacy's Last Supper craft on Thursday, which she designed to use egg cartons as the base.  Since we were done with that craft... -- Okay, here's where I admit something... I don't save things.  I am not sentimental.  I know it isn't realistic to keep every little piece of shaped clay and glitter-glued paper craft/project/artwork that all of my children create from now until the end of time...so I keep almost nothing.  We do it, we enjoy it for what it is, we take pictures, and then we pitch it.  I'm sorry if that is appalling to anyone, it's just me, and I'm not likely to change soon. -- Anyhow, we were done with the Last Supper craft (it was a teaching tool, a craft we all worked on together, and our centerpiece at dinner), so I dismantled it and used a portion of the egg cartons to get nine cups in a row. 

 Still using it upside down, I used a knife to cut a slit in the top of each cup and inserted a craft stick into each one.

 Since the Divine Mercy Jesus is on a roll, he can sit right over the craft stick and rest on the egg cup.

Then I cut a piece of card stock in half and folded both halves and taped them together.  I wrote out the days of the Novena across the front of the card stock, in front of the corresponding sticks.  As we say each day's Novena prayers, we can move Jesus right along with us, all the way to Divine Mercy Sunday.  A great way to keep track of the days on our Novena!

 Thanks, Lacy!

A Lent-ish Lent

Dear Mr. Smith,

I'm feeling... deflated.

This is the 7th straight day of sickness in the house.  Seven days of fevers, runny noses, coughing, complaining, lethargy.  Cleaning up unmentionable yuckiness when someone didn't make to where they should, cleaning it up again, and again.  Administering medication, ginger ale, cold washcloths, and love.  Seven days of waiting for the other shoe to drop, then watching the first one drop again, and then both shoes dropping over and over again.  Day seven of hoping this is the last of it, then realizing it isn't, and coming to terms with the long road ahead.  And it seems there was hardly a reprieve from the last round.

Many bodies make for long recoveries.

All this illness has made for an interesting Lent.

I had visions of reflective prayer, self-examination and diligent work, which all would have resulted in a deeper spiritual reality... and a super clean house, to welcome Jesus again at Easter.

Oh I've been praying alright.  It's just that it's been less of the rosary-in-the-peaceful-quiet-of-the-adoration-chapel variety, and more of the Lord-please-help-me-get-through-this-day variety.

Which, come to think of it, is actually kind of Lent-ish, isn't it?

I mean, what is Lent?  It's a period of fasting and penance.  A chance to prepare for the Crucifixion, and Resurrection, of our Lord.  A time to take up our cross, to test our strength and our faith.  To unite our suffering with Christ's.  To pray, to abstain, to give; and in the process, remember how much we need Him.

I've done that.

So maybe this Lent has been just what it should be.

Thoughtfully Yours,
Mrs. Smith

Puppy, Love

We settled on Bosco for a name, and we love it.  It seems fitting for a feisty little pup like him, and is such a strong and manly name, it almost gives the illusion that Mr. Smith got the St. Bernard he always dreamed of, rather than this hypoallergenic ball of energy.

Puppies are exhausting!  I almost can't keep it straight, who I have in my arms, the toddler, the infant or the puppy!  And trust me, there's always someone in my arms.

One of the reasons (among many) that we wanted to bring a dog into our home, was for Isaac.  I know I said I'm going to write about his speech progress, and I will, but we've seen that dogs are good for him when he's been around my sister's puppies lately.  So far it's been fruitful.  He says dog, good boy, c'mon, and even attempted his name a few times.  But when it came out "Bobo" the other boys made him self-conscious by fawning over the cuteness of it.  He's sticking with "Dog" now.

And on that topic, I have to record here Isaac's latest, and my favorite of all, speech accomplishment.  Yesterday morning, as I carried him around the kitchen gathering items for his breakfast, I told him I love him for the first of a thousand times in the day.  He leaned into me and said something back that sounded an awful lot like "I love you too".  With Isaac, you can't make a big deal out of it.  He's a stubborn little thing, and if he thinks you want him to do something, that's the best reason he can find not to do it.  I kept quiet about it and didn't hear it again yesterday.

Then this morning, same time, same place, same routine, I said it again and listened closely.  This is what I heard:  "Wa bo dew".  In a sweet voice, with a sweet smile, and love in his eyes.

Sometimes grace comes in very small packages.

Our Newest Addition

...he's a 7-week-old cockapoo.  Won't you help us name him? --------------->

How We're (not) Celebrating

Warning:  The following statements may fall into the category of TMI.

Peyton started heaving his insides out on Tuesday overnight.

He continued most of the day yesterday.

I didn't do much St. Patrick's Day prep.

By this morning he was feeling much better.  I was able to run out and pick up a few things for shamrock shakes and limeade (and popsicles for Peyton), hoping to pull something festive together.

Then, this afternoon, Isaac's insides presented themselves to me on a silver platter.  (actually, on the kitchen floor.)  And about a dozen times over since.

I did start the day wearing green.  But that was at least 4 shirts ago.

More importantly though, our St. Patrick statue made it to our home altar, and we managed to read our St. Patrick books.

And in an effort to be grateful for ALL things God puts in my life (I am reading One Thousand Gifts, after all), I am finding things to thank Him for, even in the midst of unpredictable illness:

• for the ability to care for my children, and do it well
• for so many tummies that are healthy the vast majority of the time
• for humbling me to serve them, and, therefore, You
• for a safe, clean, comfortable home in which to endure illness
• for a husband who comes home and takes the baby so I can eat dinner with two hands
• for the slower pace and low expectations that come along with a sick day
• for my washer and dryer
• for faith...that a new day will come, and it will all be okay

So it isn't what I thought it would be, but it is good just the same.
Happy St. Patrick's Day, and blessings to you!

Random Updates

The Lenten cleaning is coming along, although not as smoothly as I'd prefer, of course.  A busy weekend + A fussy, teething baby = A messy house.  Oh well.  I'll post an update on our first two weeks later this week, and I also want to get a tally going on my sidebar for our 40 bag challenge.

Spring sports have begun.  Blake had his first track practice last night.  This is our first experience playing a sport with our parish's school team.  Praying it goes well and is a good experience for my sweet boy.  Soccer for two boys and then baseball for two coming over the next several weeks.  It's going to be a busy season.

Speaking of busy -- Isaac is starting a new endeavor with speech therapy.  I need to document his progress here, or I'll have no chance of recalling later how things went during this time.

Be back soon...

Our Crucifix

We moved into our house almost 8 months ago, and we still have bare walls.  Well, not all of them, but a lot of them :o).

You know how it can be so difficult to bring yourself to put a nail in those pristine, neutrally-painted-to-attract-a-buyer, fresh, clean walls?

Not that I thought we'd leave them bare.  I just wanted to be good and sure about what I wanted and where.
The thing is, we didn't bring a lot here to hang, and buying wall art hasn't exactly been in the budget. 

We knew we wanted a crucifix though.  The largest one we owned previously was mine from my bedroom growing up, and it's about 6 inches tall.  It's above our bed, and really more suited to hanging over a doorway.  We wanted something that could stand on it's own on a wall in the living room.  We looked at Catholic stores and websites, but everything we saw that would work, and appealed to our taste, was so darn expensive.

I came across this one from catholiccompany.com
At first I thought it was too good to be true.  The more I looked at it online though, the more I thought about buying it.  The reviews on it are great.  It's the size we wanted (20 inches!), and far less expensive than even the much smaller ones at our local Catholic stores.  The material is actually resin, but fashioned to look like wood.  I took the plunge.

My only fear by the time I ordered it was that it would look cheap in person, but the reviews said otherwise so I went ahead with it.

It is breathtaking.  I can hardly believe this is my wall.
I ordered it on Wednesday and it arrived on Friday, very quick.  Their shipping is a bit steep, but I also ordered a Communion gift and a book, and it didn't go up, so I feel like I got my money's worth ;o).

If you're looking for a beautiful crucifix for a reasonable price, I highly recommend this one.

Lenten Cleaning

During the first three days of Holy Week, Easter housecleaning takes place
in many Catholic communities. This is more than just another secular custom.
Its purpose is to prepare the house for the blessing by the priest on
Holy Saturday, and is an outward sign of the inner newness of soul of the family.
This meaning should be made clear to the children so that they may help prepare
the house for the Church's blessing. By Wednesday of Holy Week the cleaning
should be finished, and the remainder of the week should be considered as
semi-holidays. (from EWTN.com)

There are six Saturdays during Lent, not including Holy Saturday.

When planning my Lenten cleaning, Saturdays are important because Mr. Smith is home.  I plan to organize my cleaning by the week, and  I know I'll have those Saturdays to finish anything I didn't get to Monday through Friday... even if it's everything.

Let's back up a little.  I recently made a checklist for our regular weekly cleaning.  I have each room listed, then the things that need to be done in that room itemized.  As we finish them, we check them off.  For example:

o   kitchen

o   sweep
o   vacuum
o   mop
o   clear/wipe countertops
o   wipe appliances
o   wipe cupboards
o   clean stovetop
o   clean high chair
o   clean out fridge
o   clean garbage can
o   finish dishes
o   empty dishwasher

It's a one page document and I print it out on Thursday morning.  We're generally home on Thursdays and Fridays, and I like to get a head start on the cleaning.  There have been times that we've finished everything on Friday, and that frees up our Saturday for family time.  During our regular chore times on those days, we chip away at the list.  Anything that's not finished has to be done on Saturday.  Of course, anything that gets done on Thursday morning is at risk of being undone by Sunday, but I had to come to terms with that long ago. The goal is to have all of that basic cleaning done well once a week, along with all the daily maintenance, and to have a peaceful, work-free Sunday.  It's never perfect, (there have been many weeks when "clean out fridge" gets a line through it, rather than a check mark next to it) but this system has helped move us closer to that goal.

So during Lent, I plan to keep up on our regular cleaning routine, as well as work on one extra area per week.  These are my dirty half-dozen:

• basement utility area
• clothing (sort, donate, organize)
• basement play area
• closets (linen, craft/sewing, foyer, shoe, boy's)
• bedrooms
• food (fridge, cupboards, snack cabinet, pantry shelves)

If we can tackle one of these areas each week, and keep up on our 40 Bags in 40 Days, I will feel pretty darn good about things come Holy Week.  My plan is to print our regular cleaning list at the beginning of that week, so that by Wednesday of Holy Week our home will be prepared for Christ's rising, and we can concentrate on preparing our hearts.

Week one is the basement utility area, and we only have three days now!  It's the most pressing, since it includes my laundry room, but also the closest to being finished, which is why I chose it for this first short week.  

So, that's the plan.  I will try to update our progress on Saturdays!

The Beginning and The End

We celebrated yesterday, in true Mardi Gras fashion.  We Alleluia'd our lungs dry.  Blake played the chorus on the piano for 3 minutes straight, while the younger boys ran around, singing and dancing and screaming it out.  We ate donuts, we ate paczkis, we had pizza and king cake.  We played video games to our heart's content.  It was too much, but it was as it should be, for it was the end.

a less-than-perfect monkey bread version of king cake

  

The end of the indulgent season we've been living.  The end of ordinary time.  The end of the Alleluia.  At least for a bit.  We placed our golden letters into a purple bag.  And stapled it shut.

Today, the ashes.  The fasting.  The reflecting.  The quiet.  Mass this evening as a family.  All is as it should be.

Small Steps Together

From Elizabeth's blog - 2/28/11 :

 

"Just give up.

Give up me. All of me. Give up worry. And all my illusions of control. Do I really want to be in control anyway? Wouldn't it be better for all of us if God were in control? What is worry anyway? Can I hold worry and trust in the same soul? If my soul is filled with worry, if I am anxious about the things of this world, can it be filled with Him? If I am worried, am I really able to seek God's kingdom and His righteousness?"

 

 

From Small Steps - March 2 :

"Unhappy is the soul enslaved by anything that is mortal."  --St. Augustine

 

From my heart - March 2011 : 

 

It makes so much sense, doesn't it?  My brain and my heart get it, they know what I should do... and yet the free will, the habits, the weaknesses, that affect my daily actions are constantly working to the contrary.

I had a fairly typical day yesterday.  I was thinking after lunch, "this has been a really good day".  Mr. Smith got home, we ate dinner, and pulled out a family game to play.  I was slicing fruit up for dessert and the boys were getting the game ready at the table....when my mom called.  Let's suffice it to say it was not a pleasant phone call.  Something that was important to me, that I had worked hard on, had gotten really messed up.

I was angry with her, with other people involved, with myself for my part in it.  I was so upset, of course I got short with the boys.  I was close to tears, and over the top with anger.  I went off by myself, abandoning my family, to breathe (and seethe).  Mr. Smith was sympathetic, he understood why I was upset and he tried to talk it over with me.  I had been saying Hail Mary's and asking for peace, but it wasn't coming.

Then, I just made a decision.  I decided right then that I would not let it take this evening with my family away from me.  What had happened was nothing life-altering.  It was mostly vanity and annoyance that was eating at me, I realized.  Not good reasons to abuse my family.  So I told myself and Mr. Smith that I was over it, not going to worry about it.

At first I had to fake it, for sure.  My insides were still boiling, I just wasn't showing it anymore.  Then after a bit, the inside caught up with the outside and I started feeling more peaceful.  A little time brings a lot of perspective, and I knew by then that what had happened wasn't worth sacrificing a good day for.

So that's what I'm trying to do, to look for times when I can make a conscious decision to just stop, and change my path.

We can't expect not to hit those bumps, they'll always be there.  And our failed human nature will allow the initial flare up.  But there's always a point where we make a choice about how far we take it and how deeply it affects our day and our spirit.

Initially I'll still feel like I failed, just by letting something get in and cause a hiccup.  Victories are sometimes small and imperfect though, and a victory it is, to make that decision for the better.  We bless our families by sparing them, even if not perfectly or wholly.

When I bump into something that I can feel is getting me off track, I've been trying to keep this (sent to me by a friend with good timing), or something like it, in mind:
 "The accomplishment of the divine will is the sole end for which we are in the world."   --St. John Eudes 
Again, it's so much easier to stay on track when you keep your eyes on the goal.  I ask, "Is being upset,  worrying about this, or concerning myself with it at all, going to bring myself and my family closer to Christ, now and eternally?"  Most of the time, the answer is no.  Then I know what I need to do.

Everything in its Place

Dear Mr. Smith,

I'm so glad,
that your toothbrush,
is next to mine today.

Instead of in your bag,
in another state,
like yesterday.

From Home Sweet Home,
Your,
Mrs. Smith

2011 Lent: The Plan

-Fat Tuesday-

Mardi Gras Celebration:  Pancakes, King Cake, Paczkis (oh my!)

Pizza carry-out for the last time
We give up all food of any kind that's not from the grocery store.  No drive-thru coffee.  No fast food dinners.  No restaurants of any kind.  We don't eat out much at all as it is, but when we do it's very expensive for so many people.  This is a good way to save money, after all the over-indulging of the Christmas season, as well as a lesson in self-discipline and sacrifice.

Put away the Alleluia 
Our happy little golden letters.  They'll find their home again on our altar table for the Easter season.
 

King Cake 2010

-Ash Wednesday-

(fasting, abstinence)

Evening Mass, Ashes

Blake 2010

-Throughout Lent- 

PRAY:

Daily Divine Mercy Chaplet

Sunday Rosary

Friday Masses

Stations of the Cross

FAST:

No restaurant/carry-out food of any kind

No candy

No video games

TV-free Fridays

GIVE ALMS:

Extra 10% from spending allowance to donate to charity

Gather food items to donate

Give time at food bank

Lenten Calendar
We've done one similar to Jessica's the past few years.  One of my favorite Lenten traditions.
 

Crown of Thorns
We've always done a braided salt dough crown with toothpicks for thorns.  We pull out a toothpick for each sacrifice we make during Lent, and when they're all out on Holy Saturday, we paint the crown gold and glue jewels on.  It's a great concept, but implementing it has sometimes been a pain.  The dough can get moldy by the end of Lent if it's too moist.  The toothpicks are difficult to pull out, especially if they're pushed in too deep to begin with.  We end up breaking them off, and are left with a somewhat dangerous crown in the end.  So instead of our original crown of thorns, which we would miss if it were absent entirely, I was absolutely delighted to see Charlotte's version.  I plan to pick up the things we'll need this week to adopt this new tradition.  
 I want to keep the visual and tangible reminder of our daily sacrifices though, which is why this year we're going to bring in:

Sacrifice Beans
An empty jar, a bowl of dried beans.  With every sacrifice made, a bean gets transferred to the jar, with hopes of all the beans being moved by the end of Lent.  We've done this before, using beads or stones.  What the children don't know is that those dried beans just might become jelly beans on Easter morning.  A sweet reward for their walk through the desert.

40 Days for Life
We'll be spending some time praying in front of an abortion clinic, with our local 40 Days for Life campaign.

Pretzel Fridays
The soft pretzel recipe in this book is awesome.  I think it'll be a fun tradition for meat-free Fridays.  
 

-Lenten Cleaning-
40 bags in 40 days
Is anybody else doing this this year?

...detailed Lenten cleaning plan to come!

 -Feast Days-
St. Patrick
 St. Joseph
The Annunciation

St. Joseph Altar 2010

-Palm Sunday, Holy Week, Easter-
...plans to come!

Getting Organized

It's time!
We've had such a busy/overwhelming/exciting/crazy year, that I've allowed myself to get really off track on a lot of things.  Other things, I've never really been on track with.
I feel an opportunity though.  At this time in life, lots of pieces have fallen into place, some of which have eliminated many of my excuses (crutches, really).  Right now:

• I don't have a newborn.
• I am not pregnant.
• We aren't in the process of, or planning for, a move (now, or ever, God willing).
• Our home has adequate space for our family.  Room for living, schooling, and playing.
• I do not have to work outside of the home.
• We are all healthy.

Now of course, this doesn't mean my life's a breeze.  I have lots of everyday challenges (tons of them!), don't we all?  But they're of the ordinary sort, the ones that I've taken on and accepted as part of my vocation, part of this life that God has called me to.  It's time for me to embrace my life's circumstances and incorporate them into everyday functioning.
What better time than Lent, right?  To prioritize?  Get rid of the muck?  Strip down to the essentials, to make room for grace?
Plus... I have no memory anymore!  I don't do baby books.  I'm terrible about printing pictures, much less getting them into organized albums.  I make lots of lists (many, many lists), but when the focus of the list has passed, it gets tossed!
In preparing for this coming season of Lent, I looked around to find the remnants of what we done in the past, and I found... nothing!  I don't have pictures, blog posts, lists of any kind.  Thankfully, my childrens' memories function much better than mine, and they remember everything.
So, after a brainstorming session with them, we have our Lenten plans mapped out.  I'd like to get them up here, in this ever-permanent little space of mine, so that next year we can build on our plan without having to start from scratch!
Blessings to you who still come here to visit me!  Bear with me as I try to make better use of this space!

10 Things I Learned From My Children This Week

1. An A+ on a math test is a thousand times more special with a sticker next to it.

2. Never let a 2-year-old eat Pringles on your bed.

3. Fevers can be random and scary.

4. Adoption instead of abortion is just plain common sense.

5. I am capable of maintaining physical contact with my baby for 11 hours straight, no breaks. (note #3, above)

6. A paper towel can substitute for a coffee filter, in an emergency situation.

7. There is, in fact, such a thing as too much pizza.

8. 6th grade English is where we cross the line between what comes easily for me to teach, and what I have to really think about. 6th. grade. English. Deep breath.

9. Cabin fever is a very real thing.

10. Sometimes it's okay to call it quits at noon and pile into bed to watch a movie. (Or, in my case, to close your eyes and listen to the movie while a 2-year-old flicks your nose and points at the screen.)

And I thought I was teaching them.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

May you find Joy in the Babe in the manger, Peace in birth of the Savior, and Happiness in your heart and home.

God Bless You and Yours,

Mrs. Smith

I'm Sensing a Pattern

-- UPDATE --

The very night of this post, Mr. Smith's brother and his wife (N&L), gave birth to a beautiful baby... GIRL!

only one chance left for now, for our boys to have a boy cousin. my sister and her husband have their ultrasound next week!

Dear Mr. Smith,

It's happening again.
My brother called. We're getting another niece.

In case you've lost track, here's a little chart:

Between us, we have 4 siblings + spouses

----------my side ----------------------------------------- your side--------------

- R&K- = 2 girls - --------------------------------N&L - 1 girl, having ??? any minute
- R&H- = having a GIRL in may
- A&S- = having ??? in may

-------------------------- mr.&mrs. smith = 6 BOYS -----------------------------


I've got ten bucks on what those ??? are going to come out as, what do you think?

Surrounded by Testosterone,
Mrs. Smith

p.s. You know this is all in good fun. I'm thrilled for them and love all my sweet nieces. And I wouldn't trade a single blue blanket or ounce of mischief for all the bows and tights in the world.

Advent Notes

First notable -- the reason I'm only doing about half of what my heart desires in homemaking, crafting, and baking this Advent: Totally worth it.

In a most prominent place, a reminder:

To be replaced with JOY for the Christmas season. With hopes that our hearts reflect our intentions.

The St. Andrew Christmas Novena--
Last year, I began making 15-beaded chaplets with St. Andrew medals for this novena. We never really got off the ground with it then, and I've since realized that beaded chaplets are not really ideal for us, with as many little hands as we have. This year I was a more determined than ever to say this novena. We decorated and laminated cards with the prayer on them on November 30th, the actual feast of St. Andrew. (I know. can you believe it? we haven't missed a day yet.) As a way to count the prayers, I came up with this:

I had wanted to pick up some wooden fish (since St. Andrew was a fisherman) that the kids could paint, but couldn't find what I was looking for. I grabbed these fish stickers instead and they do the trick (they're just stuck to card stock and trimmed around). We use a glass votive holder that Owen made for me a few Christmases ago. We take turns. One child is in charge each evening. They drop one of the 15 fish stickers into the cup, "on the Amen!". When the fish are gone, our prayers are said. It is truly a beautiful novena. I'm so glad we've finally adopted it into our Advent traditions.

Another work in progress -- Jesse tree ornaments:

I've mentioned before how we came to use our Christmas tree during Advent. I'm excited about these ornaments I started making (sometime I'll get around to doing a separate post on them), even though daily life has gotten in the way of finishing them. We've started switching over to our regular Christmas ornaments, so now I have a whole year to get the rest of them ready for next Advent!




Our Advent wreath, which I forgot I had purchased last year. I was happy to find it tucked away:
It makes a nice centerpiece, and the boys are fully dedicated to lighting it every night during prayers.

Even in this crazy hectic time in our lives, I feel like we're establishing some beautiful Advent traditions, which I hope our boys will carry with them throughout their lives.

{this moment}

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. If you're inspired to do the same, visit SouleMama and leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see.

Another Year

Dear Mr. Smith,

I would like to take this opportunity to say...

Happy Birthday!

It's weird getting old, isn't it? I know.

Thank you for spending your special day working your pants off for your family.

Thank you for being born on such a beautiful day, and for appreciating that you'll forever celebrate your birthday at Mass.

Thank you for being you, the best husband and father, ever.

I will try my best to keep the children from calling you Old Man when they see you.

No Promises,
Mrs. Smith

A Timeline

1:30 -- Isaac walks in the direction of his bedroom.

1:45 -- I notice he's been quiet for way too long, "Where's Isaac?!" I say, jumping up and running for the hallway.
1:46 -- I open the bathroom door and find Isaac, dental floss in hand, looking like the cat that swallowed the canary. I briefly think to myself, "Two feet of dental floss? That's all the damage he did in that time?", and then let the thought pass and pull him out of the bathroom.

2:10 -- I step into the bathroom to throw a tissue into the garbage. I notice that there's no spare roll of toilet paper where I keep one, where I knew there had been one earlier. I look to the floor, under the sink...nothing. My eyes go to the toilet itself, the lid is closed. My 6th sense kicks in and I know exactly what I'm going to find when I look.
2:11-2:13 -- I plunge my hand into cold water over and over, pulling wads of half-disintegrated toilet paper out and dropping it into the garbage.
2:14 -- I think to myself, "At least he didn't flush."
2:15 -- I realize it requires a special state of mind to be a mom.

First Words

Dear Mr. Smith,

I was wrong.

When I took Isaac for his first speech therapy session, and came home saying it didn't go well.

When I said Miss E. looked like she was 15, that she wasn't going to be able to get through to him, and I wished we had been assigned another therapist.

I was wrong.

When I told you that we should cancel, and start pursuing other options of treatment for him. When I said that he wasn't ready for this, that it wasn't going to work, he wasn't going to make any progress with this method.

I was so wrong.

When he comes to me now, making the sign for "more", and his little lips form the word, and force his sweet, husky voice out, and he holds out his cup, and the word "more" spills out at me in a rush of joyful progress.... I can hardly stand it. And I realize how wrong I was.

Thank God for nudges from the Holy Spirit, prompts that push us past our rushes to judgement.

Thank God for progress and hope, and guidance when we are wrong.

Love,
Mrs. Smith

Thank You

Dear Mr. Smith,

I think I'm in love.

From Shoe Heaven,

Mrs. Smith

Brothers

Dear Mr. Smith,

We have cool kids.
(my, how my definition of cool has changed over the years.)

Anyhow.
Right now, they are all at the table playing with play-doh. They're being chefs, talking with Italian accents, and serving up things like spaghetti, bread with olive oil and lemon juice, and coffee with caramel and whipped cream. (where did they ever get that idea?)

None of that is the noteworthy part, though. The thing that I admire about them is how they play together, without a thought or a care of how old (or young) the others are.

There's no talk of things being "babyish", no one making another feel silly because they can't do something as well as someone else. They are serving each other, helping and encouraging one another in their creativity.

It is a testament, I believe, to this life that we lead. And it makes me happy.

Contentedly Yours,
Mrs. Smith

A How-To Guide

How To Make Haircut Day As Stressful As Possible

(in seven easy steps)

Step #1 -- Choose a Saturday. Everyone else you know is sleeping in, relaxing, or watching college football, you'll question your sanity in taking it on before you even begin.


Step #2 -- Make sure it's a Saturday that your husband is working. Even better if he's clocked 60+ hours for the week, you should be just about at your wits end.


Step #3 -- Start off by announcing what's going to happen to all the children at once. The moans and groans of despair should set the mood quite well.


Step #4 -- Be certain the 2-year-old (who is new to haircuts) is adequately afraid of the hair clippers. Also, give him pretzels for a snack before you begin, to aid in the execution of Step #5.


Step #5 -- Allow 2-year-old to get worked up and crying hard enough that he throws up on you during his haircut. Be sure he then tries to hide his vomit-covered face in your hair-covered pants, let the two mix well.

Step #6 -- Once you have finished cutting the hair of the 2-year-old and the 4-year-old, put them in the bath and begin on the 8-year-old. (For optimum stress, it is best if the 8-year-old has an attitude the size of Manhattan.) Next, make sure the 4-year-old dumps a cupful of water on the floor at your feet, where all the hair clippings are. This will make them nearly impossible to clean up.

Step #7 -- Finally, when everyone is trimmed and presentable, turn away from the mess that is now your bathroom, it'll still be there later. Take and deep breath and admire your work. And remember: Only a few short weeks until you do it all over again.

{this moment}

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. If you're inspired to do the same, visit SouleMama and leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see.

I'm Just Sayin'

Dear Mr. Smith,

Thank you for sending pictures of the big machines that are your job. I know you intended them for the boys, they think that kind of thing is cool after all, but I spotted you in one of them, and just so you know, you're kinda cute.

There's something about a man in his element.

You Can Stop Blushing Now,
Mrs. Smith

A Glimpse

Dear Mr. Smith,

Earlier today:

Me: Owen, go ahead and do your timed worksheet. You have five minutes to complete these problems. I'll start the timer, and we'll go over the lesson when you're finished. Ready? Go!

5:00, 4:59, 4:58....

Me: (sitting quietly, in my head) What should we have for dinner tonight? Tacos? We have lots of ground beef from when we bought into that cow...are we eating too much beef? I could use turkey...were my tacos good the last time? Can't remember if I used a recipe or just threw stuff together...I need to gather some new recipes, getting a bit bored with the same old.... and we might actually have a decent meal here and there now that the baby will sit in his high chair and let me cook once in a while, he's getting so big...should we put the crib up, or will his bassinet suffice a little longer? It's nice to keep the smaller of the two, it hardly takes up any room, although we actually have space for a crib for once...maybe I'll move that pink chair out of our bedroom...is it too pink for the living room?...I wonder where we'll put the Christmas tree in this new house. It would look nice in front of the big window, but I think it's more practical in the corner opposite the piano...the piano really needs to be tuned, I'll have to look up that number and call the guy...I wonder if painting it is a no-no. I'd really like to paint it -- green, is that too much? Although, if I'm going to paint anything, those shelves need to be painted and put up in the boys room, finally...we really have to get them to keep up on their room, it's a mess! I should get into the habit of sending them in there before dinner every night for a quick tidy, then it wouldn't get so bad....dinner! Tacos?...

3:21, 3:20, 3:19...

Welcome to my world, Honey.
It's like this all the time in here,
Mrs. Smith

Making History

Dear Mr. Smith,

This letter is to document an historic day in our lives.

A day for the books, a "Remember when...?" day.

This is the day we found out that nerf footballs are, indeed, flammable.

We know this because Isaac threw ours into the fireplace,
and we all watched it burn.

Write it down, and hope that history doesn't repeat itself.

Someday we'll laugh about these things...right?

The House is Still Standing, But Barely,
Mrs. Smith

The Feast of All Saints

Dear Mr. Smith,

We had a wonderful time celebrating the richness of our Faith today, with all our precious saints.

First, we read the story of St. Martha. We learned about how she was a fantastic baker and housekeeper, and very different from her sister Mary. Then we baked bread, in honor of St. Martha. We played "St. Simon Says" and talked about St. Sebastian. Once the bread was done baking, it was time for lunch. We read a poem about St. John Bread and Water, a little-known saint whose sacrifice for the Lord was to forgo all food and drink but bread and water, for his entire life. We ate our bread and drank our water, imagining how difficult that must have been for St. John. (Then we had a healthy dose of Halloween candy and everyone was better.)

We played games, like this one in honor of St. Nicholas:

We took turns trying to toss as many gold coins as we could into the "chimney".
(Thanks for the idea, Charlotte :o)!)

We made roses while learning about St. Therese, and then presented them to Mary, the Queen of all Saints, via a Saint Trivia game.

Can you spot the objects in the beans?

A sword for St. George, a clover for St. Patrick, and a St. Gerard medal, all *lost* in the beans, to be found with the help of St. Anthony.

"St. Anthony, St. Anthony, please come down, something is lost and can't be found!"

We read lots of saint stories, did some printable activities, and had a really great day overall. As you know (since you were here by then), we ended the day with a beautiful Litany of the Saints.

All you Holy Saints, pray for us!

In Christ, Through His Blessed Mother,

Your Wife,

Mrs. Smith

{this moment}

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. If you're inspired to do the same, visit SouleMama and leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see.

Two-Year-Olds

Dear Mr. Smith,

Your son, Isaac, is really something. By "something", I mean a pistol, a firecracker, stinker. A mischief-making, mess-making, headache-inducing child.

So far today, he has:

• pulled half the items in the fridge out in an effort to reach the orange juice that he knew he wasn't supposed to have
• drawn with blue hi-liter all over our bedsheets, bed skirt, and himself
• drawn with yellow hi-liter all over the refrigerator and dining room walls
• pulled the curtains off the french doors numerous times
• squeezed a tube of ointment all over the dining room table
• assaulted Oliver on multiple occasions
• gone through the junk drawer looking for treasures three times
• found, unwrapped, and attempted to eat old Easter candy in the basement
• pulled said candy, as well as plastic eggs and other discarded items, out of the garbage where I put them

That's all I can think of right now, and it's not quite 4 pm yet, so I'll let you know the rest when you get home. Plus, he's way too quiet, better go check...

He's lucky God made him cute...

Clinging To My Sanity,
Mrs. Smith

A Chore

Dear Mr. Smith,

I don't think we should let Blake leave the house anymore. I just had to empty the dishwasher, all by myself.

Your Overworked Wife,
Mrs. Smith

The Babe

Dear Mr. Smith,

Sebastian had his 4 month check-up with the doc today. He's huge chunky hefty perfect, at 17 lbs. Grandma kept the big guys and sugared them up with cinnamon rolls for me.
All is well.

Your,
Mrs. Smith

Field Trip

Dear Mr. Smith,
Today we went to the zoo.
Don't worry, I know there are only four in this picture. The baby was strapped to me, and the, well, other baby, was in the stroller. I didn't lose anybody, promise. Although, you might think I had picked up a few extras when the docent in Amphibiville asked if we were a tour group. I smiled and said no. She reluctantly accepted that they were all mine... and then wanted to know if there was a "holiday from school". Once she seemed satisfied with my answer about being homeschooled and on a field trip, she quietly walked away.....then returned a few minutes later with a docent-friend and proceeded to point at us and whisper. Come to think of it, I probably should have asked them if there was a vacant habitat for us -- we could just hop in and let the rest of the world gawk and gasp... but I digress. Luckily by this time we met up with Mrs. K and the boys and we went on our merry way.

The zoo is decorated for the season. Some of the decorations are less than desirable. As in, so scary and demented that they have no business being where children can see them much less at a zoo. Others were fun though, like this giant pumpkin. Peyton and Oliver wanted me to make sure I got a picture of it "squishing" them.

Then came the polar bears. You know how we hardly ever get to see one swimming around the tunnel? Well this was a rare treat, he was standing right here when we got there, and then spent the next 20 minutes or so swimming back and forth for our entertainment. And then there was this:
I heard a little voice say, "Mommy, he's pooping!" Sure enough....bet we never see that again. (Is that gross that I took a picture of it? I think I'm becoming de-sensitized, being around all these boys all the time.) Sorry you missed it, honey.
Overall, it was a great trip- beautiful weather and good company. Oh, and now I know what to get our godson for his birthday...
(wink, wink, Mrs. K.) Let's just say, he almost took one home with him.

So, Mr. Smith, that's our day in a nutshell. I think I will hit the hay a little early tonight, because it is positively exhausting taking your children to the zoo. Thanks for working so hard so we can play.
With Love and Yawns,
Mrs. Smith

P.S. I have in my possession a red Netflix envelope. You know what it contains. Can't wait til you get home.

Dear Mr. Smith,

There are a million things I should be doing.
Even though we never stopped moving this weekend, and gave nearly constant effort to the cause of organizing our lovely home, it is still a catastrophe. But instead of putting away the folded laundry, finishing the dishes that wouldn't fit in the dishwasher or dish drainer last night, or, hmmmm...seems like there's something else... oh yes, schooling our children, I am messing with my blog.

Do you know that this blog is really for you?

You see, we like you, a lot. But you work, a lot. This weekend I realized just how much you are away when you pointed out to me that Sebastian had rolled over.

Honey, he's been doing that for quite some time.

So in an effort to connect with you even when you aren't here, I am re-dedicating this spot to you.

I hope you enjoy your letters from home.

With Love,
Mrs. Smith

I Could Just Smack Him

I actually liked this guy. I hate it when someone I think is decent turns out not to be, it's very disappointing. I read his wife's book a few years ago and enjoyed it, as I hadn't realized they were a Catholic family. I'd like to give him the benefit of the doubt, but unfortunately these things usually turn out to be true.
Just another reason to avoid looking up to high profile people, I guess.

{this moment}

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. If you're inspired to do the same, visit SouleMama and leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see.

Blessings

There is something truly miraculous about homeschooling on a cool, rainy day in September. I think we'll have pancakes for lunch and bake some bread this afternoon. There is a peacefulness about us on these days that I hope to treasure in my memory forever.

Quote of the Day

On the way to soccer practice with Peyton and Sebastian, after dropping the rest of the family off at Owen's baseball game. The game we'd be returning to after soccer. All of which was after we shoveled our dinner down our throats and rushed out the door. Sebastian was fussing in his car seat the whole way:

Peyton: "Mama? I hope you have your nursing cover. You're going to need it."

{this moment}

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. Hosted by Soulemama.

Two Months Old, Already

subtitled: How Could I Choose Just One?

August 16, 2009

A Year Ago Today... We went to a baseball game. We stayed a night with my sister and brother-in-law, and saw a minor league game for their town's team. That's not their town anymore. They've moved even further away, across the state. We're planning another game with them now, in another town, a whole new adventure.
A Year Ago Today... We lived in our "old-old house". In less than a year's time we've moved twice. The first move was not so pleasant, the second was a dream come true. It's been interesting hearing the kids distinguish between the houses... which old house? :o)

A Year Ago Today... The outfits in these photos fit the children wearing them. They now fit their next younger siblings. How time does fly.

A Year Ago Today... The baby who is sound asleep next to me was not even a whisper in my ear. He wouldn't be conceived until the following month, his presence unknown to us on earth until the night of our first move (to our old house ;o)). And now here he is, a whole little person, a part of our life. I couldn't have known what the coming year would bring. I probably wouldn't have believed it if I did.

This Minute

I was just thinking about posting here, wondering where to start, to begin again, after so much change with no documentation, and I read my profile blurb. ...and loving every minute of it! With enthusiasm. When did I write that? Really, every minute? In theory sure, I love my life. The ups and downs, the battles and rewards. But every minute? Not really.
This minute right now for instance, not loving this minute I'm in.
The kids are getting ready for bed. I can't tell you how many times I've said "now go brush your teeth" in the last 10 minutes. Should I even have to say that anymore? I mean, they do it every night. You might think they'd remember and just do it again. It's been a long day. Doors are slamming as I type. Repeatedly. Over and over. Open and close. I don't have the energy to see why. The baby is strapped to me in a sling carrier, finally sleeping after a fussy evening. I smell like spit-up. My hair is a mess. I have on the same clothes as yesterday because a shower wasn't in the cards today, and these stretchy pants and over sized shirt are some of the only things that fit this post-partum frame of mine.
Did I pray today? Not really. I probably started to several times. My brain is a jumbled mess of to-do lists and unfinished thoughts, and somehow prayer, real prayer, has been relegated to a "when I have the time" status. I realize the danger of this, but haven't figured out a way to fix it. I teeter between exhaustion and elation, contentedness and overwhelmedness, sometimes hourly it seems. I live one day at a time, hour by hour, minute by minute, at times just surviving. At the end of the day I can look back and count successes, but many failures. I try not to succumb to guilt over the failures. Tomorrow is a new day.
Do I love my life? Of course. Just maybe not every minute of it.

A Baptism and a Birthday

In the Name of the Father...
And of the Son...
And of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Blake is 11 today. He's the awkward one in this picture. Oh wait... that could be any of them. He's the one on the left, enjoying a birthday ball game with his best-friend-since-they-were-four and some brothers, and several thousand other people.

Sebastian was baptized on Blake's birthday, wearing the same white garment, 11 years later. We are so blessed.

Oh Sweet, Sweet Sleep...

...how I miss you.

adjusting

this is what it looks like when i type now.
i use one finger. and it takes forever.
the problem is, i cant put this baby down.
i mean, i could.
but i don't want to.
lots of exciting things to write about though.
so i'll be back soon.
two handed.
maybe.