Halloween Night Book

October 31, 2011

Outside my window- It is dark, windy, and cold.  Random people honk as they drive by.  I think it's a country thing. 

I can hear- Several kids breathing loudly while they sleep, my sweet hubby working on the shower in the basement bathroom, and the fire crackling as it dies (that last one was just to make you jealous, did it work?)

Our day today- Was a perfect day for Halloween.  Strike that, it was a perfect day before a great Feast Day that reminds us of God's wonderful love and His amazing Saints who pray for us.  Today I went as the "Wicked Witch of the West".  I didn't mean too, truly I didn't.  I didn't sleep well, had a headache, all the kids seemed to need me just a little more today, we took our car in for some minor yet pricey repairs, etc...  As we were singing the Litany of the Saints together tonight it struck me that I have quite a ways to go yet. 

In our homeschool- We are plugging along nicely.  The kids have the day off of regular stuff tomorrow and we are going to sit and read the collection of Saints books that we have.  We are also going to clean.  Read, clean, read, clean, read, clean. 

In the kitchen- A plate full of bat muffins sits on the stovetop.  "Chef Aidan" and his trusty sidekicks, I mean helpers, whipped up a batch of pumpkin muffins.  They looked good, and I had to trust that they were.  None for me. 

We are praying for- Lots of friends who need healing, a friend who will be welcoming another boy soon (I can't believe it, but I think she's the only friend I know who is pregnant...hmmm...this can't be right), and some special intentions that may or may not include the sale of our "town" house. 

I am reading- "Eat Right 4 Your Type".  It's an interesting read on different blood types' abilities to handle different foods.  Felicity doesn't seem to tolerate anything.  If I cheat at all on my diet I can tell immediately.  We just started introducing stuff to her, and so far I think we're doing okay, but she's just so sensitive about everything.  Sweet, sweet miracle. 

I've been contemplating- Facebook.  I have a big post coming up about this, really, I do.  For now let's just say that I'm grateful that Facebook exists for many personal reasons.  However, I hate how I seem to mull over what people from my 3rd grade class post about their feelings about...well, anything.  I need to limit my time and use fb for the good that it offers and not let it be yet another way to be distracted.  Our children have very limited "screen" time.  I would say less than 4 hours a month.  I need to learn something from their ability to be "entertained" and content without the help of media. 

This week- Ah, the calm before the storm, and yet.  Well, we have quite a bit going on this week.  Tomorrow is All Saints Day, Wednesday we are having our Bishop over for dinner and then Brett is picking a friend from Brazil up at the airport, we will have a guest for a week (aforementioned friend from Brazil), and I should try to teach my children something in there and maybe get some work done on a project.

I am grateful for- My home, kids, and husband.  For all of those who prayed for us and our sweet Felicity Perpetua.  For prayers that are repetitive for those times you can't think straight. For those same familiar prayers that light up the face of our babe.  I'm hopeful that someday the fear and anxiety of Felicity's birth and 4 weeks that followed will fade.  They haven't yet.  I'm trying to embrace them and realize that I've learned so much from our experience with life and almost death. It's okay to be reminded about how precious every life is, how we are all miracles.  Tomorrow we will honor many of the Saints that stuck with us through every moment and prayed us through the toughest time we've had as a family.  It's been almost 8 months since Felicity was born and it's time to revisit some of those great friends that we held so close during those hours of uncertainty. 

*For my non-Catholic readers I apologize for leaving you in the dust with all this.  In short...the Saints in heaven are a part of the Body of Christ just like any other Christian brother or sister.  Just like we ask our friends and family to pray for us, as Catholics, we ask those who are in Heaven to pray for us. The pictures/images that are displayed are no different that the pictures of our loved ones that we have on our walls or the refrigerator door.* 

Some picturethoughts:

A Ninja, 2 cowgirls, a lamb, and Native American

Felicity Perpetua (with a hint of lamb-nose)

Just a handful of the Saints we love.  Felicity's super-talented godmother made these. 

How Easy it is

I've recently reached that phase of motherhood that I've watched several friends enter.  The one where you don't have all "littles", the "a little bit biggers" are really helpful, and the "littles" you do have just go along with the family life that has been establishing itself since children entered the scene.  True, it can still be busy and hectic and crazy, but I have more help than "non help". 

In our family the older two have been taking on a couple of chores that really help to lift some of the burden off my shoulders.  We don't do an allowance and we don't expect our children to do everything.  We do, however, recognize that having some age-appropriate responsibilities help to establish a healthy work-ethic and some...well, responsibility. 

Here's the trick though.  I've watch other mom's struggle who are not in this phase yet.  As mothers we look to others for suggestions and help.  Sometimes, though, we look to compare and are left feeling inadequate.  My challenge for myself is to not forget what it was like when all my kids were younger and required a lot of my energy.

I recently experienced (okay, it was through facebook, which I have a love/hate relationship with) a young mom with a brand new jaundiced baby and a sick toddler receive such unhelpful comments when she cried out "enough!".  Comments like, "Welcome to having 2 kids", and variations of that sentiment.  Really?  We have a new mom who is all sorts of hormonal and upset because her new baby is already causing some concern and her other babe is sick and all we can think to say is "Yeah, that's how life is going to be, good luck with that!"????  What happened to, "I'll bring you a casserole" (do people eat those anymore), or "I'll come over and let you rest" or "That's awful, what can I do to help"?  I only have one "friend" in common with this sweet lady, but she happens to be my sister and the new mom happens to be a young lady who has been another sister to my sister so I'm kinda sorta biased here. 

So, this is my plea to all those moms who read this (hello?  are you there? ).  Be a source of comfort and encouragement.  Don't forget what it's like during those "dark days" of mothering young ones when the sun doesn't feel like it's going to come out tomorrow.  We're hard enough on ourselves, don't be hard on one another. 

Stay tuned for my "why I love/hate facebook" post. 

Hands Full

No, this isn't the typical post of a mom of many who hears the "My, you sure have your hands full" comment over, and over, and over.

I had a funny experience this weekend.  I took Aidan to town for a karate seminar he was attending and only my smallest companion came with us.  I had her in my carrier (Ergo!!!!!) and was checking out at the store when the clerk said, yes, you got it, "My, you sure have your hands full."  I couldn't contain myself and I may have blurted out something obnoxious like, "Ha!  I'm on a break!  My other four are doing something else.  This is nothing."  I think I left the poor lady stunned, but she had a good story to tell for the rest of the day. 

I killed the Keifer

Since this sweet and precious little girl has had so many digestive issues a doctor who we are working with suggested "Keifer".  Have you heard of keifer?  I've been a little afraid of keifer to tell you the truth.  Really, what is the stuff?  It multiples, it bubbles, it just isn't right.  Nevertheless, this is something that could potentially really help Felicity so I ordered my keifer grains and they sat, and sat, and sat. 

I finally built up enough courage and was feeling rather motivated since I was having quite a productive day.  Felicity went down for an afternoon nap and it was keifer-making time.  I was making keifer water, as opposed to a dairy keifer because dairy is a big no-no for me while nursing.  I got my organic sugar, my molasses, my filtered water.  I mixed, I measured.  The baby woke up.  Never fear!  I am a mom, I can do anything with one hand (and the 9 1/2 year old helper sure doesn't hurt).  I scooped Felicity up and started reading the next step.  Ugh.  My keifer grains needed to be rehydrated which is a 3-5 day process.  Oops.  I rallied the troops (Aidan), and we started *that* process.  Grains in bowl, sugar in bowl, water on to boil (does any one see where this is going yet?).  Perfect, water boiling, sugar ready to be dissolved in water.  Pour water in bowl.  Wait!  Were those the grains in the bowl?  The 9 1/2 year old informs me that they were since that's what I told him to do.  Nooooo!!!!!!!!!  I killed the keifer! 

I decided to see if the keifer would still work.  I mean, what's the harm.  It's either dead, or it will work, right?  Of course then I got busy and there it sat on my counter for a few days longer than it was supposed to.  The directions specifically say not to consume the keifer if it smells "foul".  Maybe I'm just a keifer-snob, but foul does not begin to describe the way this smelled.  Into the garbage it went.  Fail.

My View

This is what I see when I look out of my living room windows.  Well, it's what I saw when I took these pictures a couple of weeks ago.  Now, of course the trees are almost bare and the leaves are crunchy.  When we lived in Texas I really missed fall.  Living in the forest during the fall has reminded me about how much I love this season.  I'm going to have to make up some pumpkin muffins for the family to enjoy! 

My Fabulous Five

 

The last time I took the kids to a picture studio we had a less than wonderful experience so I thought I would try my hand at taking their pictures in our backyard. I'm not going to start a side-job or anything, but I was pleased with how they turned out.  We had to evict a few toads and I was holding a baby while taking the pics (except the ones with the baby in them), add to that the fact  Nica's chair fell over and dumped her in the leaves where she happened to lose her smile.  All things considered, I think we got a few "keepers".

Miss Felicity at 7 mos. 

Veronica- 2 1/2 years

Gianna- 5 1/2 years

Aidan- two months shy of 10

Emma- 8 years old

 

 

 

I'm so glad I took these when I did because that afternoon we had a windstorm and our tress are looking a little drab.  This fall has been absolutely beautiful and we have tried to get out and enjoy it.  The rain is falling now and I think we've had the last of the "warm" days.  It will be warm again in...July of 2012 or so.