May 17 2013

7 Quick Takes (Vol 2)

Posted on by

7_quick_takes_sm1

1
The boys and I were supposed to be in Maine this week and part of next week visiting a friend of mine. Unfortunately, the trip fell through and we ended up staying home. At first I figured we’d just jump in back in the fray of things. That I would schedule the appointments I had been putting off scheduling since we would be out of town. However, after seeing how disappointed the boys were to not go on our big trip I decided that everything could wait. I decided that just because we didn’t get to go on our trip didn’t mean we need to jump right back in the fray. So, we’re having a staycation. So, far we’ve had movie night (complete with popcorn and candy), visited the local splash pad to play and tomorrow we are going to go to touch-a-truck!

2
Seeing Antonio play today at the splash pad warmed my heart. I had packed a few toys for him and figured he would just sit by me. This is the kid who hates water. For him water causes a sensory melt down. He becomes hysterical. Bath time is a nightmare. He even gets upset if he gets rained on. Imagine my surprise when he did this:
21148_10151609800529936_461958604_n

3
We are really like the St. Joseph picture books.  I purchased a bunch for the kids to take to Mass and look at. However, we have also been reading through them together when we are at the table eating breakfast or lunch. Paul and Thomas are asking question and getting excited about the faith.

4
Speaking of the church this weekend the boys and I are heading over to a local church that celebrates Latin Mass.

5
Laundry…..my kids have been playing a lot outside which means lots of dirt. I am having a hard time getting the dirt out of clothes. Lots of stain treating and oxiclean but even then the dirt stains aren’t coming out completely.

6
Mark bought the older 2 Star Wars lego sets and for movie night we watched an animated Star Wars movie.  Paul and Thomas wanted to buy light sabers. So, after seeing this on pinterest we went out and bought pool noodles. I made light sabers but that isn’t enough for Paul. Paul wants his light saber to glow. Tomorrow we go to the craft store to see if Mommy can make it happen.

7
Lots of good thought provoking reading this past week. Here are a few:
http://www.patheos.com/blogs/barefootandpregnant/2013/05/sloppy-seconds-sex-ed.html
http://www.thepublicdiscourse.com/2012/08/6065/
http://www.catholicvote.org/gatsby-madness-and-the-millennials-another-lost-generation/
http://www.ncregister.com/daily-news/americanism-phantom-heresy-or-fact
May 10 2013

7 Quick Takes (Vol 1)

Posted on by

7_quick_takes_sm1

-1-
Mother’s day is coming up this weekend. My boys are to young to plan a mother’s day on  their own. So, Mark made sure to get online and send my favorite flowers to me. They arrived yesterday.  Mark’s work also sent over a mother’s day gift basket full of goodies. The boys helped me quickly polish off the lindor truffles.
417826_10151598743629936_1338737442_n

-2-
Last week I bought myself new sneakers because my previous pair literally fall apart. I have always been the person who goes into a store and purchases the cheapest pair that I can find . However, this time since I have been working out more often I decided to splurge on a pair. They are amazing….I can’t believe I’ve spent so many years wearing crappy sneakers.
302986_10151598743489936_546671523_n
-3-
We’ve had lots of packages from Amazon arrive this week and the boys have been having a blast with them. Nothing like a box to encourage creative play.

-4-
The beginning of the week was very rainy. However, the last few days have been perfect weather for outings to the park and beach.
390699_10151598662444936_16714916_n942549_10151598658289936_189974675_n

-5-
This is the boys’ haul from the beach. Paul was very intrigued about the crab shell; especially since last time we were there he saw a sand crab. When we arrived home we spent some time on the computer looking up more information on the crab.  400705_10151598795469936_1287782111_n
-6-
I’ve been spending the evenings working on a new drawing. I don’t draw or paint nearly as often as I would like due to lack of space. I am working on not letting that prevent me from working on art.
393022_10151598796044936_1279046634_n
-7-
Mark bought both Paul and Thomas a legos star wars kit. In the first 24 hours I rebuilt both ships half a dozen times each. I was ready to super glue them together; so I didn’t have to keep putting them together. However, Mark didn’t want me to do that. Now, several days later I am glad I didn’t. The boys have been using the pieces to build all sorts of cool creations of their own.
303092_10151598795859936_869932524_n
May 8 2013

A Very Late Daybook

Posted on by

FOR TODAY

Outside my window…
It’s wet. It rained all night and is supposed to rain again today. The weather has been unusually chilly considering that we are into the month of May, However, the weather is supposed to warm up as we go through the week. I am hoping to fit in a trip to the beach with some friends.

I am thinking…
Education and what I desire for my children when it comes to education. I am still mulling this topic over…be on the lookout for a blog post on the topic.

I am thankful…
My wonderful husband bought me a gps system for an upcoming trip I am taking. It arrived this morning. I am so gratefully that he is such a thoughtful man. Even being deployed thousands of miles from the children and I he thinks of what he can do to make my life easier.

In the kitchen…
This week’s menu was based off meat and main ingredients that were already in the house. The dinner menu is:

Peppered Steak
Lemon Chicken w/ roasted potatoes
Pork chops w/ corn on the cob and mash potatoes
Pasta with garlic toast
Hamburgers
Tacos

Also organization is happening. I ordered gf baking mix and gf bread mix in bulk off of Amazon. The price was great but left me with a question of how to store them. I ended up purchasing a set of these at our local target. I like that they are BPA free and made in the USA. I also purchased 2 of these to hold 4lb bags of gf bread flour mix that will be stored in the freezer. They are the perfect size to slip the unopened bags in. For the giant 25lb bag of Pamela’s baking mix I purchased one of these. Now, I just need to figure out where to put it!

I am wearing…
Today I am clothing myself in my favorite blouse. It is a deep blue with a square neckline and crochet around the neck. I found it a while back at the thrift store. It’s beautiful and very flattering. It is one of the few pieces in my closet that I really like.

I am creating…
I am not currently creating anything but I am itching to do an art piece. Everything in me is yelling for the chance to sit down and draw.

I am wondering…
I don’t know who I am outside of the dysfunction that I was raised in. Over the last few weeks I have done an intense bout of soul searching. It wasn’t pretty and it wasn’t easy but it needed to be done. I think it might have left me with more questions than answers. I don’t know who I am without the dysfunction. I was never given the chance to figure out who I was independently; away from all that.

I am reading…
Real Learning by Elizabeth Foss.

I am hoping…
I miss Mark and the children miss him. I am hoping that as the weather warms up and summer really gets here that time will fly by.

I am looking forward to…
In a few more days we will be heading up to Maine to see a good friend of mine. I am looking forward to going to see moose while we are up there!

I am learning
A lot about the church teachings concerning the subject matter of homosexuality. I’m currently digesting this letter.

Around the house…
We are busy making sure the house is in order for our upcoming trip. I always like to leave a nice and tidy house when I travel. It’s just nice to return home to a clean house. This evening I tried a new carpet cleaning technique. We’ll see how it goes tomorrow when I vacuum. I sprinkled baking soda all over the dining room and then used a brush to scrub it into the floor. According to pinterest it should help absorb grease and other food stains in the carpet.

I am pondering…
“As for what concerns our relations with our fellow men, the anguish in our neighbor’s soul must break all precept. All that we do is a means to an end, but love is an end in itself, because God is love”. -Edith Stein

A favorite quote for today…
Thomas on seeing a photo of his Godparents holding their newest Godson, “No, they can’t have more. They are mine.”

Paul on the subject of babies,
Paul: “I want you to put a baby in your tummy.”
Mommy: “It takes both mommy and daddy to put a baby in mommy’s tummy.”
Paul: “Oh okay. Well then as soon as Daddy’s home put a baby in your tummy. I want a baby sister!”

One of my favorite things…
Antonio’s smile. His smile is just so big and infectious. You can’t help but smile in response.

A few plans for the upcoming week:

Beach Trip
Packing for Trip
Apr 28 2013

What it is all About

Posted on by

With Mark gone my least favorite activity to take the children to is Mass.  Mass can be difficult with two pairs of adult hands. When you only have one set of hands among three children under five it can become down right painful. By the end of Mass I normally feel like I’ve ran a marathon.  It’s exhausting. A lot of the time I wonder why we even bother going to Mass because between trying to ensure the older two children behave and keep the baby happy I seldom get to actually pay attention or participate. However, every Sunday we troop to Mass.

Today, though I was reminded just what it is all about.  I was reminded what our primary job as parents is. As I corralled the boys down the aisle to go receive Communion I was frustrated. I was frustrated with the squirmy baby in my arms; who wanted to escape. I was frustrated with Paul and Thomas; who wanted to run and gallop down the aisle. Like a mother hen I clucked at them as I guided them to the Eucharistic minister and back towards the atrium.

Only, when we made it to the doorway between the Sanctuary and the atrium I realized I had lost Thomas. I turned around to see him standing in the middle of the E.M’s and staring at Father and the altar.  I hurried back down to gather him up. As I approached him I saw pure amazement on his face. He was staring wide-eyed at Father and completely entranced. I told him we had to go and he replied, “Mommy. I watching.” I told him we could watch from the doorway to which he replied, “I close.” 

From the look on his face I could tell he knew something special, something important was going on up at that altar. As I picked him up to carry him out I thought to myself this is what it is all about. This is why we suffer through what can be sheer torture some Sundays.

 
Apr 27 2013

Upcycled Ball Pit

Posted on by

 

My children love ball pits. Paul and Antonio play in one when they are at occupational therapy. When Paul first started occupation therapy for his sensory issues I made our own ball pit here at home. I bought an inflatable baby pool and a bunch of plastic balls. This worked great for a while. I loved having a ball pit for Paul to play in. It was a very calming sensory activity for him. He could climb in all wired and when he was done playing he would be considerably calmer.

Eventually, the baby pool popped and wasn’t fixable. So, I threw away the pool and bagged the balls up; forgetting about them after I tossed them in the storage shed. Last week when I was digging out the summer clothes Paul and Thomas saw the bag of balls and wanted me to make another ball pit. Paul kept saying how much Antonio would like having one here at home. I said sure and put buying another baby pool on my shopping list.

Then this morning as I was prepping the backyard to be mowed I had a brilliant thought. My kids don’t use our turtle sandbox. It hasn’t had sand in it for over a year. I was actually to put it up for grabs on the curb. However, instead I turned it into our new ball pit! It’s great. Unlike the baby pool this one can’t get a hole in it and it has a lid to cover the balls if need be.

298179_10151577311259936_1272837569_n
551372_10151577310759936_1416335354_n

538008_10151577310624936_775924578_n

 
Apr 26 2013

Called to Homeschool

Posted on by

I have wanted to homeschool for as long as I can remember. I knew I would homeschool my children long before I met Mark and they were even a thought; much less a reality. I wasn’t sure how my future husband would feel about it but I knew how I felt about it. (Image how tickled pink I was when I found out Mark was homeschooled and supportive of it!) I knew in my heart that I could give my children a better education than they could ever get in the public schools.

Now, don’t get me wrong. I don’t think public schools are inherently bad. There are some great schools out there and some amazing teachers. I spent my entire education k-12 in the public school system and I got a pretty good education. I also was privileged to attended excellent rated schools. However, good my education may have been it certainly lacked in some areas. For example I have never studied history past World War II. I know nothing about the Korean War, Vietnam, etc. When I was in high school and taking American Government my teacher was more concerned with talking football (he was a coach) then teaching us. I can remember sitting in second grade listening to the OJ Simpson verdict coming in. Why a bunch of second graders were listening to the coverage of a murder trial is mind boggling to me.

I was researching homeschool philosophies, curriculum and models when I was still pregnant with Paul. I have been planning for his education since he was in the womb. I’ve read extensively on Montessori, Waldorf, Holt and Charlotte Mason. I’ve studied and weighed the merits of eclectic, unschooling, classical and unit based educations.

Basically, I have been impatiently waiting for him to be school age. As much as I have loved babyhood, toddlerhood and the preschool years I can’t wait to start this new adventure with him. I also know it isn’t going to be easy. We will surely hit some bumps along the way and I am sure there will be days when I want to throw up my hands and quit. I will want to ship him off to the nearest public school. However, I also in my heart and soul that God has called me to be a home educator and take responsibility alongside Mark to educate our children; instead of relying on the public school system to. It is because I know this that when things get tough I know I can turn to God and he’ll help us through them.

“In fact it must never be forgotten that the subject of Christian education is man whole and entire, soul united to body in unity of nature, with all his faculties natural and supernatural, such as right reason and revelation show him to be…”  - His Holiness Pope Pius XI, “Divini lllius Magistri,” 1929
Apr 22 2013

Re-Energizing Daybook

Posted on by

FOR TODAY

Outside my window…
Spring seems to have taken a break. It’s been gray, cloudy and chilly. Sunday for Mass I had to dig out the light weight jackets. Today it was long sleeve shirts. I have had to turn the heater back on as well.  It should warm up as the week goes on so that we can enjoy plenty of time outside.

I am thinking…
Rejuvenation is needed by all the kids and I after a busy few weeks.  Since Easter we have been going non-stop and it finally caught up with the boys at Mass yesterday. Mass was not pretty and we ended up having to leave early. This week we have nothing on the schedule minus an orthodontist appointment for me and therapy for Paul and Antonio. We will have a week of free play and unscheduled fun around the house; as well as lots of good eating and good quality sleep.

I am thankful…
For this giggling baby that I am blessed to call mine.

In the kitchen…
I’ve been enjoying a new regular breakfast of scrambled eggs and sausage. It’s a big departure from my usual sugary breakfast. I have a sweet tooth and have started my mornings off with a sugar sweet breakfast of some kind for as long as I can remember. I love cereal…all kinds of cereal but not grown up cereal. Nope, I am a total kid at heart when it comes to cereal give me the Lucky Charms, Coco Puffs, etc. Oddly, enough I am finding that I don’t miss the sugary breakfast. The morning runs more smoothly when I eat a good breakfast. I don’t find myself getting cranky and frazzled around lunch time.

 IMAG1844
My new favorite pot holders! Silicone and super easy to clean.

I am wearing…
It’s night time so I am wearing yoga pants and a tee-shirt so that I am ready to go to the gym first thing in the morning. I am also snuggled up in one of Mark’s hoodies for warmth. The house is on the chilly side of things tonight.

I am creating…
I am working on a gift wrapping station. I saw it here thanks to pinterest and decided it was a perfect project to do. I already had all the materials on hand and I am always struggling with what to do with my rolls of wrapping paper.

I am wondering…
Thoughts of my wardrobe have been on my mind a lot lately. Pre-kids I use to dress wonderfully. I had nice clothes and I presented a pretty nice put together picture most of the time. However, when I moved out of my house I didn’t get to take all my clothes with me. My mom decided to keep a lot of my clothes that she liked. Then I had Paul and somewhere down the line I allowed her voice in my head to convince me that I had to wear the “mom” clothes and that I wasn’t allowed to dress pretty; unless I was going out on a rare date with Mark. So, now I am faced with a closet full of nothing but yoga pants, tee-shirts and what few other clothing items I have are ill fitting and/or unflattering. My closet is in need of a serious re-vamp. So, I’ve been doing lots of thinking and wondering around the internet in search of clothing that speaks to me. Clothing that I like.

I am reading…
Currently, I am re-reading Large Family Logistics- The Art and Science of Managing the Large Family by Kim Brenneman. Technically, our family is still small but regardless of size the book if very helpful, in my opinion. I first read it right after I had my back surgery last summer and frankly I was on some very heavy pain killers and can’t clearly remember last summer; much less what I might have found helpful in the book. :-p

The Boys and I have been doing lots of reading too. Antonio is at the stage where he likes to sit and just flip through books. He will listen to stories but more than anything him and I will just sit and look through them while I identify the things in the pictures that he points to.

Paul and Thomas have been enjoying the Disney Small World Library books. They are stories set in different countries featuring Mickey and the gang going on adventures that deal with the local culture of the country. The boys are enjoying learning about other parts of the world.

Their enjoyment is seriously making me wonder if I want to introduce the subject of history this year to Paul as part of our homeschool curriculum. I don’t want to over burden us but also think he would enjoy it. For now I am prayerfully considering what to do.

IMAG1845

I am hoping…
I can begin the healing process of dealing and overcoming the emotional abuse I suffered as a child and young adult. I want to be the best mother and wife I can possibly be and that means I need to let go of the baggage I carry with me.

I am looking forward to…
Since, this week is all about re-energizing and relaxing I am looking forward to doing just that. As the weather warms up I am excited to be able to get outside with the boys; so we can play, pick flowers and just enjoy each other’s company.

I am learning
Water is my friend. I have never been a good water drinker and have always struggled to drink enough water. However, I have really been working on making sure I am drinking plenty of water and have seen amazing results from this. I have learned that when I drink plenty of water my skin looks and feels nicer. I get less headaches. I eat better and don’t snack as much.

Around the house…
Purging and more purging. I am working on purging the laundry room, linen closet and our bedroom. I am also working on getting our homeschool area set up. I am looking forward to having lots of time to work around the house this week.

I am pondering…
This article about the Kermit Gosnell trial and what it says about us as a society here in America.

http://www.lifesitenews.com/blog/to-look-into-the-face-of-kermit-gosnell-is-to-look-in-the-american-mirror

A favorite quote for today…
Thomas has been sleeping in my room the last few days and every night when I come to bed he sits up and looks at me. Then he tells me he loves me, hugs me and goes right back to sleep. I am not even sure if he actually wakes up or not

One of my favorite things…
I’ve been blessed this past week to get to spend time with a couple good friends; who don’t live super close. Both of them are internet friends I meet from two message boards I joined when I was pregnant with Paul. I have made some amazing friends because of these two boards. While, the boards have long since gone in-active we have moved over to facebook groups. In a lot of ways I consider these groups of women more family then friends.

A few plans for the upcoming week:

Nothing
Apr 15 2013

Spring is Here Daybook

Posted on by

 

FOR TODAY

Outside my window…
Spring has finally arrived. This past week has been sunny and warm. A few days have even felt down right summery. With the arrival of spring the yellow pollen has arrived. Thank goodness for allergy meds. We also took the first beach trip of the year this past week. The sand toys that were in the boys Easter basket were a good purchase.

I am thinking…
Truth isn’t always pretty to tell. Sometimes, the truth is downright ugly but it’s important to tell the truth. This past weekend I spoke the truth to my mother. I let go of secrets about myself as a teenager to her. It’s wasn’t easy and it wasn’t pretty. She has decided not to believe me and that is alright. I had to speak the truth for myself and I am glad I did.

I am thankful…
That I, the girl who wrote this in 2004, “I am trying so hard to fight the depression, but I am afraid I may not be able to for much longer. Lord, help me. I wish I could crawl into a hole and disappear. I feel empty cold exposed. There are no words to invoke my pain. I would like to die. I pray to die” held on. That despite everything not only did I hold on; I survived. I left that situation behind me and learned how to thrive. I am incredibly thankful that God didn’t grant my prayer but instead allowed me to survive and be blessed with an amazing husband and 3 amazing children.

In the kitchen…
Routine and rhythm are the game in the kitchen right now. Several years ago I ran a pretty efficient kitchen. We had a general schedule of breakfast, mid-morning snack, lunch, afternoon snack and dinner. Somewhere in the process of chronic pain, adding more children and multiple moves we dropped that habit. The kids started constantly grazing and the amount of food that was being wasted because of this process was ridiculous. Given how expensive gluten free foods are this cannot continue. So, now we are working on getting back into this habit. It has been very painful and invoked lots of whining from my kids; especially, Paul and Thomas.

I am wearing…
I am suffering from a nasty headache today; so comfort is what is needed. I am wearing yoga pants, tee-shirt and flip flops. I figure I am doing good to have just made it out of bed today and gotten out of my pajamas.   

I am creating…
The lego workstation didn’t work out so well and ended up having to be thrown out. We have been out of town for Easter and this past week was catch up week from that. Therefore, not much creating here but I have started working on making my diaper boxes that I use for storage pretty. I will take a few pictures and share later.

I am wondering…
How I came to be so blessed with my boys; who melt my heart on a daily basis. I am also blessed to have a wonderful husband; who surprised me with a delivery of chocolate covered strawberries this morning. He knew it has been a tough weekend,

I am reading…
Currently, sitting on my desk is the following:

Style, Sex and Substance- this was given as a gift from my mother-in-law way back in September for my birthday. I read part of it and misplaced the book. I found it under the couch the other day and I am excited to finish reading it.

Healing the Scars of Emotional Abuse by Gregory L. Jantz- Mark bought this book for me when we first got married. I tried to read it but at the time was not ready to admit that I had been the victim of emotional abuse. The time is right now.

I am hoping…
That potty training Thomas is going to get easier soon and not be a long drawn out painful process.  

I am looking forward to…
A May visit to see a good friend of mine up in Maine. I am also looking forward to long afternoons spent outside with the children enjoying the sunshine and all the fun summer has to offer.  

I am learning
Recording keeping for homeschooling is my current topic of research. With Paul’s kindergarten school year set to start in July I am trying to figure out the best way to organize and keep records of his education.  

Around the house…
We are trying to get back in the groove of things after being gone for a week and half and then coming home to a jam packed week. The boys’ clothes need to be changed from winter to summer. I also need to get the chance to de-clutter our outdoor toys. It’s on the to-do list for the upcoming week.

I am pondering…
The following excerpt from Healing the Scars of Emotional Abuse:

“Emotional abuse isn’t normal. Emotional abuse is the consistent pattern of being treated unfairly and unjustly over a period of time, usually by the same person or people.[…] Emotional abuse is an intentional assault by one person on another to so distort the victim’s view of self that the victim allows the abuser to control him or her. […] If you have grown up in an abusive family, your experiences will all have a bizarre sense of normalcy.” 

A favorite quote for today…
Paul- “I love you 20,000”
Thomas- “Me too, me too!”

One of my favorite things…
How happy Antonio is. He is just happy.  When he is unhappy it is normally very easy to make him happy again. His smile is infectious.Also, getting to see dear friends and catch up. I was able to meet my best friend sister 2 weekends ago for a lunch date. It was the first time in over 2 years that we were able to spend time in person together. While, I am gratefully we can easily stay in touch via the phone and internet nothing beats face to face time.

A few plans for the upcoming week:

Tire Shop to get leaking tired fixed- Tuesday
Speech and OT- Monday and Thursday
Play date- Wednesday and Friday
Birthday Party- Saturday
Mass- Sunday
Mar 27 2013

The Secret

Posted on by

Family quarrels are bitter things.  They don’t go by any rules.  They’re not like aches or wounds; they’re more like splits in the skin that won’t heal because there’s not enough material.  ~F. Scott Fitzgerald

I have sat and debated on writing this post for longer then I care to admit. My therapist suggested that speaking writing about this could be helpful. Do I start at the point of who I am? The daughter of drug addicts and alcoholics; who has spent her life trying to run away from that trying to leave the bitter cycle of drugs, mental illness and addiction behind her. I would like to think I managed to succeed in that. I worked my entire life to be able to walk away from it- have something more.

However, my definition of leaving it behind wasn’t quite right. I figured as long as I was out of their house and living my own life I could keep them in my life. I figured that by living away from them I could keep their habits and unhealthy addictions from spilling into my world- from affect my children, husband and I. I thought I could keep them close but not their habits. I thought when I moved out and married I was leaving those habits behind. I thought I could be just a daughter and not the daughter enabling addicts by not speaking up. I was wrong. I was so terribly wrong and it took me five years to get that.

I was 8 years old when I became aware of my parents drug use. The knowledge came from the death of my regular babysitter. She was the oldest sister of a friend of mine. Her death was the first real defining moment of my life. She died in a car accident. They had drunk a couple beers and shared a joint beforehand. He ran a stop sign and they were hit by a van full of drunks. She died at the scene of the accident.

In the days that followed I heard the word marijuana mentioned several times and picked up that my parents smoked it and that it was different than the regular cigarettes they bought at the store. I wondered what it was but something told me it wasn’t something to ask about. So, I went to the library and learned all about it there.

I knew it had to stay a secret and that no one could know. I guard that secret for years- well into adulthood. I didn’t tell my parents that I knew about the drug use till I called my mother out on it when I was pregnant with Thomas. As I grew older I picked up on the fact that while marijuana was my parents’ drug of choice it was not the only drug they did.

At first the secret wasn’t hard to keep. It became much more difficult to keep as I got older and went to junior high and high school. At that point just about all my peers knew about drugs, knew what they smelled liked, looked like and what people looked like when they were high. It was at this point that I started inviting my friends over to my house less and less. I preferred to go over to their houses. It was less stressful for me because I didn’t have to worry about my parents’ secret getting out.

By the time I was in high school the only person; who stayed over regularly was my best friend Caitlin. I have known her practically my whole life. Until, I meet Mark she was the only person I ever told about my parents’ drug use. I can still remember telling her. When I get to the end of my confusion of the secret I had kept for so long she looked at me and simple shrugged and said, “I know. I’ve known for years.” and that was it.

I am a lot more open now about my parents’ lifestyle but in some ways I still feel like I am betraying them whenever I speak of it; like I have a responsibility to keep their secret. For so long I kept it- took on a responsibility that no child should ever have to take on. That it ended up defining me more than I would have ever guessed when I was 8 years old.
Mar 17 2013

Daybook Marking 1 Month Down

Posted on by

FOR TODAY

Outside my window…
It is gray but nice. It rained this morning and has remained over cast most of the day. However, the temperature is wonderful. Spring is coming. You can feel it in the air and see it the planets trying to start blooming. Soon, we will be moving into April- what I like to call the yellow month which means I need to stock up on allergy meds!

I am thinking…
Homeschooling and how to organize for it when space is limited; that seems to be the problem I keep running into organizing when the space just isn’t really there.

I am thankful…
That we have wonderful friends; who came to join us to celebrate Paul and Thomas’ birthday today. Despite my original reservations about throwing the party everyone had a great time. 9 of the boys’ friends joined us for playing, cake and a piñata. The boys had a great time and were sad to see their friends go.

In the kitchen…
Gluten free seems like it will most likely be a long term thing. We had Thomas’ 3 year well check up at the beginning of March. It had been 2 months since his last weight check and a month and a half of being gluten free. (well 90 to 95% of the time, we do cheat occasional like when we go over to someone’s house for a playdate) and he gained 2 whole pounds! That is an amazing weight gain for him. The previous year (January 2012-January 2013) he gained 3 pounds the whole year.  I made a gluten free cake for the boys’ party using a gluten free betty crocker mix as my base and it was a hit with everyone! I felt pretty proud of myself. Apparently, I can bake a better gluten free cake then I can a regular cake. The cake I made for the party was super moist and yummy; whereas my regular cakes tend to be dry and crumbly.

I am wearing…
I wore jeans and a ruffled blouse with my sequin flats for the boys party. The sequin flats are some of my favorite shoes I have ever owned. They are super comfortable and I can’t help but smile when I see them! Now, I am wearing my new yoga pants I bought recently from old navy and a tee-shirt since I stretched and did my yoga routine after the party. I am thinking I am going to need to get some new sneakers soon for working out. Mine are pretty worn out and several years old.

I am creating…
I have been very busy of late in the creative department. I re-did the dresser that we use as an entertainment center in the loving room. It came out amazing. I painted the coffee table to compliment the dresser as well. However, the top of it already needs to be re-painted since Paul scratched the paint finish (even through the clear protective coat) with a toy. He and I had a long talk about doing things to intentional cause damage to something. My next project is to make a lego work space for the boys. I’ll post about it when I am all done! I have about 3 days to get it finished; since daddy is sending them a surprise gift of a huge bin of legos- 700plus! They are going to be over the moon.

I am wondering…
About what is in store for the Church now that a new Pope has been chosen. From the media coverage and my reading this past week I believe God has great things in store for his Church under the leadership of Pope Francis. I am excited to get to know more about our new Pope and look forward to getting to know him better. I think it is amazing that the Orthodox Patriarch Bartholomew I of Constantinople plans to attend the inaugural Mass of Pope Francis on March 19. This is a first since 1054! Maybe, under Pope Francis there will be reconciliation between Rome and Constantinople.

I am reading…
A young adult fiction called Flappers that I checked out from the library. So, far they are a fun light easy read. I am also reading lots of different teaching manuals for the various curriculums we have decided to use for Paul’s schooling this upcoming year.

I am hoping…
The next five months go by as quickly as this month has. We have successfully made it through the first month of Mark being gone. Despite how much I have missed him we have been busy enough that this past month went fairly quickly. I am hoping that is how the rest of the months go. I am also hoping and praying for the results of the officer board coming out in May that Mark applied to.

I am looking forward to…
Easter and a visit to see my sister-in-law and her family. The boys are eagerly looking forward to it as well. When I told Paul we had 2 more weekends to go he said, “But mommy, all the chickens will have crossed the road by then!” I am not sure what he was talking about but it made me laugh.

I am learning
The getting up before my children doesn’t work. Last time I wrote I was so excited about the idea and how wonderful that quiet time was. It lasted all of a week before my kids were getting up earlier. Every time I try to get up earlier they, most especially Antonio move theirs up too. I have given up on it. However, I am swamping it for starting the day with snuggles in my bed with my 3 favorite little boys in the whole world. It’s not a bad way to start the day.

Around the house…
De-cluttering and decorating. Since, Lent started I’ve removed 5 13gallon bags of clothes out, 4 brown bags of clothes given away to friends,  3 large toys removed, 3 bags of paper trash, 5 brown bags of miscellaneous stuff to the airman’s attic. I have also been busy re-organizing and decorating the house. I am thrilled with my “new” dining room table. The red makes me happy. It’s so cheerful.

I am pondering…
How amazing God is. No matter how many wonderful things I see his amazingness never ceases to cause me to look on in wonder. Thomas and Antonio’s Godparents; are expecting their first; a very long awaited baby. I couldn’t be happier or more excited for them.  This past month through the wonders of the internet I watched a brave little boy and his parents deal with the news that he had a brain tumor and needed immediate surgery. All of this happened while they were thousands of miles away from home on vacation. Praise to the Lord his tumor was benign and he is making a good recovery. I was also privileged to watch a pretty amazing group of women from across this country (and some aboard too!) mobilize to help this family- a group of women that I am proud to consider myself a part of. Many of us have never met each other but in a lot of ways we’re family. We take care of our own when they need us. We lift each other up and no prayer request is too small or too large.

A favorite quote for today…
Thomas in response to his kite being a spider man (it was a birthday gift from friends), “Mommy they know me. They really get me!” My children keep me from being too serious or to fuddy duddy.

One of my favorite things…
Being able to see Paul discover and learn about our Faith. He is at the age where he is just soaking it up and actually starting to understand things. We have wonderful discussions after Mass about what we heard that day. When Pope Francis was elected this past week I was telling him about the Pope. His reply, “Wow, he sounds so awesome! I bet he would like that I can make the cross. I want him to come visit!” When I explained he couldn’t just come visit Paul replied, “Yes, he can on an airplane. I think he should come on Thursday!”

A few plans for the upcoming week:
We have therapy and a few playdates planned. This upcoming weekend is the big Easter event at Mark’s work so we’ll go to that and then we also have the playgroup’s Easter party. I would like to try and figure out something special to do to mark the Feast of St. Joseph and Pope Francis’ inaugural Mass on the 19th.