Merry Christmas!

May you rejoice in the good news of our Savior's birth!

Fight

Quick Takes - The What I'm Loving Right Now Edition

~~1~~

8 month olds who stare wide-eyed with all the curiosity in the world at those strange things on Mommy's head, otherwise known as sunglasses.

~~2~~

2 year olds who don't just ask for a snack, but specifically ask for CHOCOLATE! With a please, of course.

~~3~~

4 year olds who ask Mommy to sing "Silent Night" again.

~~4~~

A scheduled dinner with a girlfriend next week.

~~5~~

My new club volleyball team. The girls seem so eager to learn and improve their game, all with a smile.

~~6~~

A husband who is so excited about this book that he can't wait to get whatever job done so he can get back to reading.

~~7~~

Christmas Cards!!!

Check out more Quick Takes at Jen's.

Wordless Wednesday

Holiday Weight Management

Two words. Stomach virus.

Thanksgiving -0, Stina-1

Enough said.

It's December!

My blogging fast is over and the Lord has so generously given me the chance to stay in bed all day catching up on what I missed in November by giving me Strep throat! Lovely! (My husband says I need to focus more on the positive. How's that?) Look for updates on what we've been up to in November (hint: some of it involves a mouse and a castle), but for now, the codeine and the 500+ posts in Google Reader call.

Going Off Line

If you have been in the blogosphere at all this fall, you've probably seen a post or two about burnout and illness. Our house has been plagued by both, hence my lack of posting. I keep telling myself I will get on here and let you in on what's been going on, I just never get around to it. I'm definitely at a breaking point right now (there may or may not have been tears involved tonight) so I am finally going to do what I probably should have done a month ago, put blogging on hold. This means I won't be posting any in November, and now I won't feel guilty about not posting since I've told you, but the biggest thing is that I won't be reading blogs as well. I'm just going to take the time to help "catch up" a little around here and focus on this household and what we need to be doing without trying to "keep up" with the wonderful ladies out here in blog land. We are going on two trips in November, so I'll be away from my computer any ways, but I really need to quiet my brain a little and I think this will help. I will still be available by email or through Facebook, so if you want to stay in touch that way, I'd love to hear from you. Otherwise, I'll say goodbye for now and see you in December!

Fifteen

-not the number of kisses I received this morning.
-not the number of minutes I hit the snooze for.
-not even the number of dollars in my wallet.

The number of DEGREES on the thermometer!!!

I hope you are staying warm wherever you are.

Friday Funny

From an email I received this morning...


During these serious times, people of all faiths should remember these four basic religious truths:

1. Muslims do not recognize Jews as God's chosen people.

2. Jews do not recognize Jesus as the Messiah.

3. Protestants do not recognize the Pope as the leader of the Christian world.

4. Baptists do not recognize each other at Hooters.



Hee, hee, hee. Have a great weekend!

Rooting For the Home Team

Sorry Patriots.

In a two-year old's world

It apparently makes you quieter if you say "Tiptoe, tiptoe" while tiptoeing down the hall to announce that the baby is crying.

The Last Day of Summer...

...and it's SNOWING!

*I hope to get a picture up later, but I need to go pick up Isabel.

Hospitality

"But in the culture of ancient Israel, out of which the church was born, hospitality was among the moral foundation stones of society. Israel was a wandering stranger, and God took her in, and fed her and clothed her and housed her; and in response, Israel was to care for the alien and stranger in her midst. Christians in their turn saw hospitality as a basic way in which members of the Christian community could emulate and hand on the welcome they had received from God."

-excerpt from Keeping House: The Litany of Everyday Life

Ballerinas and Butterflies

I'm taking this break from the craziness in my life right now, to share this video with you. Of course, there is ballerina in it!

Years ago, my husband's sister was a recipient of a Make-a-Wish after she was diagnosed with leukemia. Unfortunately, God called her home soon after, but the family still remembers her wish with great joy.

Wordless Wednesday...

...because there are no words, only tears.

Six Words For Today

GO AIR FORCE! BEAT NICHOLLS STATE!



Sarah started it!

No Matter How "Ugly" a Caterpillar...

...we can all become beautiful butterflies!

Please, if you have the time today, check out "The Butterfly Circus." It will touch you and show you what real HOPE is all about.


Thanks to Catholic Media Review for sharing this.

For Bill

Happy Birthday, Bill!

Isabel

Alexis

A toast to you and to all of our troops for your honorable service to our country. God bless you and keep you safe!

Bring Me Men

Bring me men to match my mountains,
Bring me men to match my plains;
Men with empires in their purpose
And new eras in their brains.
Bring me men to match my mountains,
Bring me men to match my plains;
Men to chart a starry empire,
Men to make celestial claims.
Bring me men to match my prairies,
Men to match my inland seas;
Men to sail beyond my oceans,
Reaching for the galaxies.
These are men to build a nation,
Join the mountains to the sky;
Men of faith and inspiration,
Bring me men, bring me men, bring me men!
Bring me men to match my forests,
Bring me men to match my shore;
Men to guard the mighty ramparts,
Men to stand at freedom's door.
Bring me men to match my mountains,
Men to match their majesty;
Men to climb beyond their summits,
Searching for their destiny.

I wore my long-sleeve Air Force Academy t-shirt that says "Bring Me Men" on it to practice, today. One of the girls I coach asked me if that's what it really said and when I confirmed it, she asked "Isn't that sexist?" I tried to answer her as best I could quickly because this is a topic sure to get me fired up. I came home tonight and looked up the poem so I could print a copy and show my volleyball girls tomorrow and I came across this article. Not only was it a great article, representing my thoughts exactly, but the author is a classmate of mine that I also played rugby with. Such a great find!

You Won't Catch Me at a Nudist Colony

I don't "do" naked.

Never been skinny dipping.

Don't walk around the house in my underwear.

And I'm the same with my daughters. I try to keep them fully dressed at all times. My girls wouldn't be great for diaper commercials. Very rarely will you see a child of mine without their pants on and just in their diaper. If you do, you know just how bad a day it's been. Of course, if you were seeing this and weren't one of a very select few, I would be completely mortified!

I say all of this, but in reality know that if you are surrounded by children under a certain age (I'm not quite sure what that age is, yet), you are going to see some nakedness. The other night, as I was sitting in a chair nursing the baby, Isabel entered the room after her bath. She had dropped her towel somewhere along the way. My initial reaction was to tell her to hurry up and get dressed. Then I had a slight change in perspective. While holding a cheerfully chubby baby, I was able to see how my older daughter's body has changed over the few years since her birth. Isabel is tall and thin for her age, so it made the differences even more obvious. At that moment, I was in full appreciation of God's work.

In all of its naked glory.

Amazing!

Read this story! Skin-to-Skin Goodbye Saves Baby

H/T In the Heart of my Home

Rosary for Children

Does anyone have a preferred version of the Rosary on cd that would be good for young children? Isabel starts preschool soon, and the morning drive would be a great time to pray the Rosary with the girls.

On Being Early

Sunday, we actually got out of the house 5 minutes earlier than we needed to for Mass. Of course, half-way around the block, I realized that we didn't have the diaper bag. After circling around the block, getting the bag, and getting on the road again, I said, "So much for being early."

Tom's reply: "We don't want to be early. If you drop bombs early, you kill your own people."

Uh...yeah.

You Know You Are in the Military When...

...your child randomly blocks your path and instead of asking for the password, they ask to see your I.D.

Laughing and Crying

Making me laugh: Isabel fell down and scraped her knees pretty badly yesterday (not the funny part). Today she was complaining that her knees hurt (again, not funny), but the various ways she was trying to "limp" were so complicated, and with the wrong leg sometimes, that it made me laugh.

Making me cry: Potty traing. We are still having major setbacks and the longer it goes on, the angrier I get. And I do mean ANGRY. And I know it's wrong. That's what is making me cry. I'm at a complete loss.

Check It Out

A new site powered by The Catholic Company

Rosary.com

Must Haves For Baby

My dear friend is pregnant with her first baby, a boy, and is asking moms what they think are the most important things to have when baby arrives. So, I figured I would pose the question here. What were the things you could not survive without when you had a newborn? What did you use most often? Remember, this is her first baby. Another friend and I were discussing how there were some things we used all of the time with our first babies, but not as much with later additions. I think I'm just as curious to read all of your thoughts! Thanks for your help!

Trying to Forget My Fantasies

"Forget fantasies of 'accomplishing something.' Perhaps somewhere in the world there were people who measured their days by how much they got done-at work, in class, wherever. I measured my days by whether, at the end of them, the members of the household had been dressed and fed and bathed and put to bed. If we had been, then that was a good day. I had done what mattered most. Everything else was gravy."
~Keeping House: The Litany of Everyday Life

Oops!

If you have had trouble posting a comment here, I apologize. I have fixed the settings.

On the Memorial of St. Clare

I would like to honor Maire Clare with a name change. She will no longer be known as my sweet, precious, Princess Maire, but now shall be dubbed as Maire of the Poopy Pants!

Do NOT let the cuteness fool you!

Her First Cold

All three girls have been sick the last couple of days. There seems to be much improvement today, but now I'm starting to feel less than great. Maybe chicken soup for lunch...

The Last 6 Months

Blogging has been a little light the last few months because we have had a few things going on...

MARCHWelcome, Maire!

APRIL
Happy Birthday, Alexis!

MAY
Maire's Baptism

JUNE
Happy Birthday, Isabel!

JULY
Isabel and Alexis at Dance Camp for the 4th of July Parade

AUGUSTOur Luau

Magnificat

As my first review for The Catholic Company's Review Program, I chose the June edition of Magnificat Magazine. I had read about the magazine on several blogs over the past couple of years and was interested, but did not want to commit to a full year subscription. Fortunately, the opportunity came up to review a single issue, so I jumped at the chance.

I always love the art on the cover. The issue I received had a beautiful painting of the chalice and host. I'm definitely not an art guru, but I appreciate when beautiful pieces of art show up in every day life. Then there are the great resources within the magazine, the liturgical calendar for the month, articles, prayers and blessings, and of course, the order of the Mass and the daily readings. The thing I liked the most, however, was the convenient size. The magazine fit very nicely in my purse. This turned out to be very helpful when we were in Texas and a question came up that I was able to help answer by pulling my issue out of my purse. Overall, I think this is a great resource and would recommend it to anyone who asked.

WELCOME!

If you have traveled from my old place, I hope you had a nice trip! If you are visiting for the first time, I hope you enjoy your stay!

Ruthless is...

...the 2 year old who takes her 3 month old sister's blanket since she didn't bring her own "blankie."

Thought for Today

There's nothing like having children to shove the Greatness of God right in your face.

Happy Birthday, USA!

*These pictures are actually from our Flag Day celebration.

Friday Funny

June has been busier than I ever expected. Hopefully, I'll get some more posts going soon, but until then, enjoy this picture of sweet Maire that makes me laugh.

Quick Takes - The Photo Edition

This week's Quick Takes is sort of a catch up on what's been going on that I haven't quite gotten around to blogging about, all in pictures. Enjoy!

~~~1~~~

Alexis turned 2! (I'm really late on posting this.)

~~~2~~~

My little "Cover Girl" found my makeup bag and the mascara in it. At least she knows mascara is for her eye, right?

~~~3~~~

I already posted the video here, but I just love this picture of my ballerina!

~~~4~~~

I have been waiting to do a post on Maire's baptism, but I still don't have the words to do it justice. I'm still so emotional about it.

Maire is Irish for Mary.

~~~5~~~

Maire is 2 months!

~~~6~~~

The girls helping daddy out in the yard.

~~~7~~~

This is my first year to be back in Colorado Springs for graduation day in over 5 years. I was really surprised how many memories and emotions came back to me. I also realized how much the graduation ceremony itself affected the local area. I knew to stay away from the stadium where the ceremony was held, but I didn't realize how things like, oh, the vice president being on the highway, could stop traffic off base. Of course, the most exciting part of graduation day was the Thunderbirds! It turned out to be a perfect day for them to fly. Here are a few of the pictures I took. It's a day like this that makes me hope a better camera is in our future!

For more Quick Takes, visit Jen.

Hitting Close to Home

This commercial cracks Tom up. I think he sees his future in it!





I'll let you know if I see him wearing a tutu.

On this Memorial Day

Please remember, and say a prayer for, those men and women who have made the ultimate sacrifice for your freedom.

War is an ugly thing, but not the ugliest of things. The decayed and degraded state of moral and patriotic feeling which thinks that nothing is worth war, is much worse. The man who has nothing for which he is willing to fight, nothing which is more important than his own personal safety, is a miserable creature and has no chance of being free unless made and kept so by the exertions of better men than himself.

-John Stuart Mill

7 Quick Takes - The Struggles Edition

Visit Jen's for more Quick Takes.

~~~1~~~

I don't mean to get too down in the dumps with the title here, but this has been a hard week, unexpectedly. I think, maybe the sleep deprivation has caught up with me plus 2 major events are over with, so I think my body is crashing from the adrenaline rushes.

~~~2~~~

Probably the biggest source of my struggling right now, is potty training. You know how some people don't "do" blood? Well, I don't "do" bodily functions that require a toilet. So, this is an extra difficult "trench of Motherhood" for me to navigate. Isabel has made progress, but I really feel like I'm at the end of my rope and out of ideas on how to get her to be fully successful.

~~~3~~~

My biggest struggle with Alexis right now, besides the fact that she is TWO and acting every part of it, is her sleeping. She gets out of her bed a gazillion times, both at bed time and nap time. It's frustrating because she has always been a good sleeper, we didn't have any issues when we transitioned her to her toddler bed. I also get really upset when the other two girls are down and I could be doing something productive or sleeping myself.

~~~4~~~

After I passed my 6 week check-up, I was so ready to start working out. I got off to a great start with the 3 mile MS Walk, and then a couple of good workouts with my friend, including an amazing stair workout (I'll have to post a picture later). But then events got in the way (Isabel's recital, Maire's baptism) and I dropped the working out off of my to do list. And last week was such a hard one, I turned to food. It didn't help that I had all of the leftovers from the baptism party. Nothing left to do but start over again this week.

~~~5~~~

I've decided to take the girls on a World Tour. I needed some direction to help me with activities for the girls (an area I desperately lack in) and came across this and was very excited. Of course, then I got really serious about getting it perfect and my stress level increased. So I've been struggling with the details and probably been a little too obsessive. I just need to remember that anything the girls take out of it is a plus and there is no formal requirements to be met.

~~~6~~~

If you haven't read this post by Kate yet, go read it! It hits so close to home!

~~~7~~~

Maire has been a wonderful baby. She sleeps well and so far has only really cried if she is hungry or needs to be changed. This is where I make up my own Mommy guilt and feel bad that I may be taking her laid backness for granted and taking advantage to get things done. I'm also reading some books that are making me second guess some of my parenting "techniques" and this isn't a good thing when you are already emotionally drained and having a "bad week."

I started writing this last week, but of course, it was put on hold, like so many other things. I'm glad I decided to finish it, though. It has helped me to wrap up the bad week and start fresh again today.

Singing a New Song

Alexis: "Yes, Jesus loves me...E-I-E-I-O!"

Small Successes

1. I ironed.

2. I took all 3 girls to the library.

3. I did not eat all of the brownies. Yet.

Signs I'm losing my mind

~I almost forgot to put make-up on one of my eyes

~I found the kids' thermometer in the pantry

~Upon arriving at my destination today, I realized I had only half buckled the baby in her car seat (don't worry, she's safe and it was only a 5 minute drive)

I think a little more sleep is in order.

Incredibly Proud Mama

Friday evening was Isabel's first dance recital.

Isabel is the second one from the left, with her hair in a bun.

Isabel is the furthest left dancer.

Can you feel the pride beaming through the computer?

Gone Again

Praying for another safe return.

Image source

Wordless Wednesday

A Mother's Day Realization

Hubby: "I had a realization this morning."

Me: "What?"

Hubby: "I have 3 daughters."

Me: "Um...yes."

Hubby: "So I should have bought 4 cards."

Me: smiling

Hubby: "But Maire is always with you, so technically she couldn't buy a card for you without you seeing it anyways. So she teamed up with Alexis."

"Life: Imagine the Potential"

H/T Catholic Mom

7 Quick Takes - The Catch Up Edition

~~~1~~~

Before I put it off any longer, I need to announce the winner to this contest. Congratulations Barbara! She wins the $20 gift card plus an extra $5 for being within half an inch of Maire's birth height.

~~~2~~~

I finally really hit the wall yesterday. I plan on writing more about it in a different post, but let's just say that my children had defeated me before I got out of bed yesterday morning. I'm trying to make today better.

~~~3~~~

We've made some real progress on our yard. I hope to post some pictures later, when things are a little more finalized, but I'm excited about the progress and being able to enjoy it all.

~~~4~~~

I'm trying to make all of the arrangements for Maire's baptism next week. The planning so far has been a bumpy road, so I'm hoping it is a little smoother this week.

~~~5~~~

Speaking of Maire, she is 6 weeks old! Can you believe it? I don't think I can. I'm also planning another post to catch you all up on her first 6 weeks. (I'm planning a lot of posts, huh?) For now, let me just say she is a beautiful blessing!

~~~6~~~

I'm struggling with cleaning out the girls closets. It's just not something I am enjoying. Alexis is between sizes, so I can't just clear all of the old and the weather has been all over the place, so I haven't been able to take all of the winter stuff out yet. (Did I mention we had two major snowstorms in April?) Progress is finally being made, though, and I hope to be done with it tomorrow.

~~~7~~~

And finally, tomorrow the whole family will be participating in the Walk MS fundraiser. This will be our first time and I am excited to get all five of out there to get some fresh air and exercise while supporting a good cause. Please pray for good weather and if you are interested in learning more or donating, you can go to this website.

Happy Mother's Day!

See more Quick Takes posts at Jen's.

You Know You Need a Little More Sleep...

...when you realize half way through the wash cycle, that you forgot to put the clothes in the washing machine!

Wordless Wednesday

Prayer of St. Gianna

God our Father we praise You and we bless you because in St. Gianna Beretta Molla you have given us one who witnessed to the Gospel as a young woman, as a wife, as a mother, and as a doctor. We thank you because through the gift of her life we can learn to welcome and honor every human person.

You, Lord Jesus, were for Gianna a splendid example. She learned to recognize you in the beauty of nature. As she was questioning her choice of vocation she went in search of you and the best way to serve you. Through her married love she became a sign of your love for the Church and for humanity. Like you, the Good Samaritan, she cared for everyone who was sick, small or weak. Following your example, out of love she gave herself entirely, generating new life.

Holy Spirit, Source of every perfection, give us wisdom, intelligence, and courage so that, following the example of St. Gianna and through her intercession, we may know how to place ourselves at the service of each person we meet in our personal, family and professional lives, and thus grow in love and holiness. Amen.

For more information on St. Gianna, visit SaintGianna.org.

Well Said

I really appreciated Kathy Ireland's comments about why she is pro-life.

Safe and Sound...

...she's here with us now!

Introducing Maire (My-ra) Clare

Born March 26th

Anyone Seen a Stubborn Child?

No, of course not. Because she's STILL IN MY TUMMY!

Down with G-O-D

39 Weeks

Not the greatest picture, but at least one was taken, right?

7 Quick Takes - The Emotional Roller Coaster Edition

~~~1~~~

Obviously, my week started off with some bad news. I haven't received any further information, so I just keep praying. And while, yes, my fears for my own upcoming delivery have been raised a little, I really just can't stop thinking about what my friend must be going through, not being able to do anything for her newborn baby.

~~~2~~~

Minutes after receiving the details of my friend's baby in the NICU, I received an email from another friend with pictures of the first sonogram of her new baby. This friend miscarried her last baby, so I was so full of joy to see her healthy baby boy. The two vastly different emails made me think about just how much God is in control.

~~~3~~~

My doctor's appt. was a little disappointing this week. After hearing my "status" last week, I had higher hopes for this week's status. There was no change this week :( I know that really means nothing about when the baby is coming, but I was a little discouraged nonetheless.

~~~4~~~

After returning home from my appointment, my husband got the news that he has been selected for promotion! Woohoo! As he says, "I'm guaranteed a job for the next few years." As great as this news was for me, it was a little bittersweet. This will be the first promotion I won't be sharing with my husband, and many of our friends as well. So my pride took a little hit and I had to refocus on why it was I separated from the military in the first place. Luckily, I have 3 very obvious reminders with me at (almost) all times.

~~~5~~~

We finalized most of the baby details, like the room, choosing a name, and godparents. A HUGE weight has been lifted off of my shoulders by doing this. I even had a little Mommy fun and bought matching dresses for all 3 girls.

~~~6~~~

Alexis has an ear infection, again. This stresses me out because 1) I obviously want my children to be healthy 2) Isabel has never had an ear infection, so I have all of these questions about why Alexis would be getting sick and 3) it's not an ideal situation with a newborn on the way.

~~~7~~~

I am soooo ready to have this baby.

Small Successes - Vol 2

I wasn't going to post about this today, not feeling very successful and all, but then my husband said something that made me rethink it. So my one small success is...

Tonight at dinner, as we sat down and were beginning to say grace, Tom began by saying "Father" and then Alexis continued by saying, "Son, Holy." I was in total shock. She has been attempting to do the sign of the cross with us for a while now, but I had never heard her actually try to pray, except to say Amen. After finishing our praying, seeing the shock on my face, Tom said, "See, you must be doing something right." That's when a light bulb went off in my head. There are more important things in life that we teach our children than potty training, how to make their beds, and cleaning up their toys. If we can teach our children the greatness of God and His infinite love for us, then we can truly call ourselves successful.

Where I'm at Right Now

**Caution: There are a few choice words in the clip.**

Prayer Request Details

I received an email from my friend today about the status of her daughter and the news is heartbreaking. Without going into too many details, the baby is in a drug-induced coma so that the doctors can stabilize her. Once she is stable enough to do more testing, they fear they will find severe brain damage. Please, please pray for everyone involved. My friend says it is between baby and God now.

URGENT PRAYER REQUEST

I received a text message today from friend of mine. Although it wasn't full of details, what I got from it is that her newborn baby, born 2 days ago, is in the NICU "fighting for her life." Please, if you can, say a prayer for my friend and her new daughter and their family.

Thank you.

Step Right Up and Win!

So while I'm "patiently" waiting for the arrival of my newest child, I thought I would put a little contest out there into the Blogosphere. All you have to do is write a comment guessing the day I will actually deliver this baby, the time of day, the length and weight. That's it!

The winner will be the person who is the closest on the day, then the time, then the length and then the weight of the baby. The winner will get a $20 gift card to Kohls!

But wait, there's more. I will add an extra $5 for EACH of the following...

- being within an hour of the correct time
- being within a half inch of the correct length
- being within 3 oz of the correct weight

AND if you get all four categories correct, I'll add and extra $5. Did you do the math? That's a total of up to $40!!!

So what are you waiting for? Stop by, say hi, and leave your guess along with a way to contact you if you win. Please leave your guess by midnight on Friday, the 6th. (Remember, I could have this baby at any time!) Obviously we won't know who the winner is until after the baby is born. OH, and if you don't have a Kohls near you, we'll work something out, like maybe a Target substitution.

GOOD LUCK!!!

Oh really...

While watching The Tigger Movie today...

Tom: "I've decided I'm the Tigger of this family."

Me: "Then who am I?"

Tom: "Rabbit."

7 Quick Takes

~~~1~~~

Me: "She's naked."

Tom: "Who?"

Me: "Your eldest." (Although, technically, I guess his youngest is naked as well. :)

Tom: "Why are you naked?"

Isabel: "I'm a gorilla. Gorillas don't wear clothes."

Oh.

~~~2~~~

As you can see from Wednesday's post, we have a little construction going on. Tom is finishing the basement. When all is finished, we will have a storage area, guest room, Tom's office, and a play room which will include a spot for me to do scrapbooking and other crafts. I've been amazingly hands off, except for some consulting in the carpet and paint departments, and I'm kind of okay with that. I have missed my hubby though, as he has spent all of his free time down there. It has been a little humorous as well, watching my cool, calm, unstressable husband feel a little bit of urgency to get this all done before the baby comes.

~~~3~~~

Speaking of baby, my appointment went well yesterday. My weight and BP were good which was a relief after a little (self-induced) scare earlier in the week. And this appointment marked the beginning of the end, so to speak, with the signing of some forms, the scheduling of my LAST 3 appointments, and receiving my "Stork Parking" pass. The nurse-midwife even took a little peak with the in-office ultrasound to see if baby's head was down. It was! As I told Kristina last night, I guess that means that things are moving in the right direction. :)

~~~4~~~

I found Michelle's post very funny, considering I have been asking myself all week why Alexis' ever growing vocabulary sounds as if she has a French accent, especially when she says "weasel" (as in Pop Goes The...).

~~~5~~~

We've had some hints of spring here, with some beautiful weather, animal sightings, and a definite increase in chirping birds. I am fighting hard not to get my hopes up though, as I know March is known for lots of snow. I am definitely ready for spring, though!

~~~6~~~

I've been surprised lately, to find that some of my most inspiring moments for what to blog about have been in the shower. I guess, even though it is still noisy with the water running and fan on and everything, you can kind of chalk these up to background noise, which don't require any brain energy, versus the constant use of brain energy involved with the care of small children. I definitely hear what I'm thinking much better in the shower. Why don't I post more then, you ask? Well, I'm still working on that whole from the brain to the computer concept.

~~~7~~~

You know you are near the end of your pregnancy (and look it) when your husband sees you squatting down to speak eye-to-eye with your child and says, "Get up! I don't want you popping anything out yet!"

Check out Jen's blog for more Quick Takes.

Small Successes-Vol 1

I figured I'd give this a go this week, so you don't think I'm totally negative about everything right now!

1. On Monday I washed every piece of regular laundry in the house (not the special hand wash stuff). This was badly needed after two weeks of illness and being just too tired to get to it.

2. See this picture.


This pile of socks has been sitting on my dresser for months. I kept thinking that I will find the matches to all of them. After #1 above, I realized this was a lost cause and I finally threw them all away! Aaahhh...detachment!

3. I had a good check-up today for the baby. Normally, I wouldn't take credit for that. But my wonderful husband continuously tells me when I'm feeling like I didn't get enough done and too tired to do anything, that of course I am doing something, I'm building a baby!

Wordless Wednesday

It is Wednesday, isn't it?

Quick Takes - The "I'm tired" Edition

I'm tired...

~~~1~~~

...of being sick and not being able to function at full speed.

~~~2~~~

...of forcing myself to eat even when I don't want to, just so I don't throw up.

~~~3~~~

...of unsuccessful potty training efforts.

~~~4~~~

...of being disappointed by people, especially when it's my fault for having unrealistic expectations.

~~~5~~~

...of childrens' irregular sleep habits these days. I will be glad to have my bed back.

~~~6~~~

...of worrying about the arrival of the new baby (when, where, how, names, godparents, announcements, etc...).

~~~7~~~

...of being in such a crummy mood all of the time and feeling like a horrible mother.

Visit Jen for more Quick Takes.

On my Mind

Exhaustion, nerves, depression, and the sense of disillusionment are not peculiar to the present age. These things are probably more acutely felt at the present time than at other times because everything in our highly developed society conduces toward them. If living in the senses and for the senses has produced the civilization in which we exist, it seems peculiarly futile to turn for relief and escape to those very senses that have been at the bottom of all the trouble.

A more sensible course would be to look in precisely the opposite direction and try to bathe the over-materialized spirit and not in the things of matter. Weary bodies, frayed dispositions, broken hopes, dampened enthusiasms, and so on are not likely to get much good out of excitement. That is what they are suffering from - the hollowness of a departed thrill. They will find their fruition in God, not away from Him; not in distraction, but in closer union.

If we were to realize that God is our true rest, we would waste far less time running around looking for somewhere peaceful or pleasurable here we could throw off all our cares and enjoy ourselves.

"I set the Lord always in my sight, for He is at my right hand that I may not be moved."

-Holiness for Housewives And Other Working Women by Hubert van Zeller

(emphasis mine)

Mother Teresa's Words of Love

H/T Abigail's Alcove

Quick Takes

~~~1~~~

I think the girls and I are finally on the road to recovery from our illnesses. They definitely had a resurgence in energy yesterday afternoon. Mommy, not so much.

~~~2~~~

My baby appointment went well yesterday. I'm measuring well and the heartbeat sounded great. We even started talking a little bit about details for the birth. (This will be my first time delivering at this hospital.) The excitement is definitely building.

~~~3~~~

Of course, getting closer to the due date is adding a little stress because we have not settled on a name yet, or godparents. We are definitely praying for the good Lord's guidance in these areas.

~~~4~~~

Another prayer of ours was answered this week, however. We went to two different Catholic pre-school open houses and it was very obvious to both Tom and I which would be better for our family. I wrote a little bit about this here, and am still wondering about what our school choice will be for Kindergarten (Catholic/public/home), but for now, I think we have settled on sending Isabel to a Catholic pre-school next year to see how it goes.

~~~5~~~

Due to Isabel's cold, and a little bit because Alexis and I aren't well either, I kept Isabel home from dance class today. It was surprisingly difficult for me to do this. Isabel LOVES dance class and I love watching her learn. But I had to remind myself of the misery that comes with having a sick child and how I didn't want the other mothers to have to deal with that.

~~~6~~~

I came across the site, String of Pearls, thanks to The Bodman Family blog. This site will truly touch your heart. Please visit it and while you're at it, say a prayer for all of the families who have to deal with this difficulty.

~~~7~~~

I think all of this illness has been a big whack on the head to slow down a little bit. I have SOOO much to do, still, the house isn't completely moved into, the girls' room isn't completely decorated, the baby's room isn't completely finished, tons of things still need to be done before the baby gets here, not to mention projects I want to do that aren't urgent. But I've also realized that there were some hidden blessings. I've seen what a wonderful caretaker my husband is. I actually rocked Alexis to sleep in the glider a couple of times. I haven't done that in over a year. I've been able to just sit and cuddle with BOTH of my children. They usually don't stop long enough to complete a hug before they are off again. Not only have I been able to reminisce a little about their time as babies, but I think it has also prepared me a little bit for the coming of our newest blessing. I'm just grateful that I was able to recognize this as the gift it is, and stop stressing over all of the other things I "should" be doing.

Wordless Wednesday

And The Diagnosis Is...

...an ear AND sinus infection for my poor, sweet baby girl. Alexis has pretty much been sick since the new year. She and Isabel had colds right away, but Isabel seemed to burn right through it, and Alexis never quite got better. After waking up screaming last night with a fever, and being difficult to console, we said enough is enough and took her to the doctor's. The following things are going through my mind:

~relief that we know why she is sick and that we have some medicine.
~guilt that we may not have taken her in as soon as we should have.
~frustration at the boys next door because they have had multiple ear infections this winter.
~more guilt for taking pride in the fact that "my kids don't get ear infections."
~exhaustion and worry because I, too, am feeling under the weather and hoping it's just a little head cold.
~and a little bit more guilt that I am not keeping my kids healthy enough.

Here's praying for a healthier February!

Not So Much Celebrating...

...as freaking out. Jane posts today about celebrating Catholic Schools week. Sounds like fun, right? I, on the other hand, will be freaking out instead, as I go to my first pre-school open houses this week. Somehow, my little Isabel is now old enough to go to pre-school. How did this happen? And now Tom and I have to figure out what we are going to do about it. Truth be told, I did most of my freaking out over the weekend. After talking with two wonderful women, however, I'm feeling much better, at least calmer, about the task at hand. Maybe I'll go into further details of all the craziness in my head in another post, but for now I'm going to enjoy the little peace, however temporary it may be.

The Great Destroyer of Peace

"I feel the greatest destroyer of peace today is abortion, because it is a direct war, a direct killing - direct murder by the mother herself. And we read in the Scripture, for God says very clearly: 'Even if a mother could forget her child - I will not forget you - I have carved you in the palm of my hand.' We are carved in the palm of His hand, so close to Him that unborn child has been carved in the hand of God. And that is what strikes me most, the beginning of that sentence, that even if a mother could forget something impossible - but even if she could forget - I will not forget you. And today the greatest means - the greatest destroyer of peace is abortion. And we who are standing here - our parents wanted us. We would not be here if our parents would do that to."

~Mother Teresa of Calcutta

H/T Praying for Grace

Wordless Wednesday