Jesus Take the Wheel

Random Stuff...But It's All Good

2012-01-26T15:24:00.002-06:00

I've finally dug myself out from the chaos of the holidays. Yes...I know we're well into January already. Yes, our Christmas tree finally made it back into the attic only last weekend (hey..it's David's job!).

So...I've been organizing, cooking, sewing, crocheting and reading.

Reading: Rebecca got The Chronicles of Narnia for Christmas, and I've reread the entire series again. Don't you just love reading something you read as a kid, and then reading it again as an adult? You get an entirely new perspective out of the book. It's awesome. :-)

On a side note, our Rebecca turns 10 tomorrow, and we had a slumber party for her last weekend. We made homemade pizza, painted pavers, made brownie sundaes, and watched a movie. It was a busy night, and I made it until midnight, barely. David graciously stayed up until 2:00 AM. Rebecca and one of the girls were still awake and playing cards! The next morning, we made apple spice donuts with maple glaze using the donut maker she got for Christmas. Here's a few pictures of the fun.

Okay, back to current events!
Crocheting: A new hat for Theresa. And of course, a crochet rose to go on it. :-)

She's long outgrown all the ones I made last summer...and I haven't had time to make her a new one until last week. I'm making it to match the rose pillowcase dress I'm sewing for her birthday. I can't believe she'll be one in just a couple of weeks. Where has the time gone?!

Speaking of Theresa, she is starting to stand and hold onto furniture. I think it took her a while to build up the courage...she's so tiny, I'm sure the couch looks like a mountain to her. She is also saying, "Ma-ma", "Da-da," "All done," and a few other, 2-syllable sounds, like "Ba-ba," "Bye-bye," and "Do-do." It's so cute. We had to work on "Ma-ma" a little bit. She started saying, "Da-da" first, and I admit...this Momma was jealous. So now she can say, "Ma-ma" nearly as often as "Da-da." LOL!

Sewing: I've got the dress for Theresa, a soft cloth book, and a fabric cake all in the works for Theresa. She just doesn't need toys for her upcoming birthday, so I though I'd make her things she can play with as get gets bigger. Being in a big family, she won't lack for presents, and at her age, I'm sure she won't care. ;-)

Organizing: We bought 2 shoe cabinets and 2 big bookcases at IKEA. We desperately needed some way to contain the millions of books and endless piles of shoes in the house.

David only wanted to buy one shoe cabinet, but I said, "Are you kidding? Are you forgetting how many kids we have and how many pairs of shoes they all have?" So I won...and we got two. :-) They hold 8 pairs of shoes each, but because the kids' shoes are smaller, we probably have 12 pairs in each cabinet. Yeah!

Here's the bookcase. Previously, we had books in 3 different bookcases, AND in the closet, because we just didn't have the room to display them all. These 2 bookcases hold ALL the kid's literature in the house, except for some favorites they keep in their rooms.

Rebecca helped me sort and label the shelves with our label-maker and now all the books are neatly organized by category. She has also declared herself the family librarian, and everyone has to "check out" books through her. LOL. So far, it's working out great...and I'm glad I don't have to reshelve any books!

I just assembled and put a new bookcase with fabric cubbies in Gabriel's room yesterday. It took me over 2 hours to do that, and sort through all his toys, but it looks wonderful in his room. So much better than all his toy just heaped into a corner of his room. It's a lot of work organizing, but I feel great a great sense of accomplishment!

I want to tackle the big girls' room and Joshua's room next. They have sets of hanging shelves in their rooms, which have worked fine up until now. But as they've gotten older, the toys are getting smaller, and the baskets are wire mesh. So everything is falling through, getting stuck, or getting lost through the mesh. I'd like to take it all down, and get a big bookcase with baskets for the girls. Something like this...

Or this...

I probably will get bookcases in a natural finish and baskets with neutral-colored liners though...that way, it can grow with the girls as they get older. Pink and white isn't cute once the girls are 6 or 7 years old in my opinion. And eventually, we'll be moving Rebecca into her own bedroom and Christina will continue to share a room with Theresa (once she is big enough for a twin bed). So I need something that is suitable for girls of different ages (they'll be 9 and 2 at that point).

For Joshua, I wasn't sure what to do at first. He's 12, so a cute bookcase with cubbies/baskets wouldn't be right for him. A friend on Facebook suggested old metal lockers and I though, "Hey, that would look really cool!" And, it would take him all the way through high school, easily.

See? Even David thinks these would be cool. Cool enough for Joshua anyway. ;-)

So when we have the money, I'll be scouring craigslist and maybe even attending the regular auctions our school district holds. From my initial research, it's the best way to get old lockers at a decent price.

Well, that's what I've been up to this year so far. What have you been up to besides taxi-driving, cooking, nursing boo-boos, breaking up fights...you know, the normal stuff? ;-)

Merry Christmas

2011-12-24T11:14:00.000-06:00

We wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. May the blessings of God the Father, the Love of Jesus Christ, and the gifts of the Holy Spirit be with you.

Theresa Update & Impromptu Photo Shoot

2011-12-05T20:47:00.001-06:00

I've been rather neglectful writing regular posts about Theresa. So here's a wrap up of the past few months.

Our little peanut weighed a whooping 14 pounds even at her 6 month checkup. I don't think she's gained much since then. In fact, she still fits nicely into the infant car seat. But we finally switched her into the convertible seat over the weekend...rear-facing of course. It's a bit roomier and therefore, easier to get her in and out of. Thank goodness she loves riding in the van...because we're always driving here, there, and everywhere.

Theresa might not be growing much, but gracious, she is a little pig. Seriously. I made every kind of homemade baby food possible and filled up 14 gallon-sized freezer bags over the summer. Guess what? It's gone...all gone. And that was 3 months ago. Nowadays, I mash up whatever we're eating and feed her that at mealtimes. Tonight's menu was roasted tomato soup and grilled cheese...she inhaled it. Daddy fed her pumpkin pie over Thanksgiving, and she LOVED it. The family could help but laugh at David because he couldn't get it in her mouth fast enough. Every time he paused for just a moment, she would scream at him. I have bought a few jars of prepared baby food...sometimes there is just not enough time to get her anything else...and we have to be somewhere to pick up somebody 20 times a day...you know what I mean? :-)

We keep waiting for Theresa to sprout some hair and cut some teeth. Right around Thanksgiving, she finally cut one of her bottom front teeth, followed immediately by another. She didn't cry or fuss at all while they were breaking through...whew. The hair around the back of her head is getting longer, but around the top and sides...there has been negative growth. I think her tiny, newborn cousin Tim has more hair than she does, lol!

Around 7 months, our wee babe figured out how to crawl. Well...she doesn't crawl exactly. She lurches forward on her hands, and pushes off the carpet with her toes. All of our other kids crawled army-style on their tummies. Theresa apparently has her own style. It looks like that dance move from the 80's...what was it called? The worm? When she seems something on the floor that she wants, especially a piece of food, she shrieks after it. Yes...our little one has become our official floor sweeper.

Let's see, what else? Oh, yes. Theresa knows how to get attention. When she fusses, one of her big sisters comes running to pick her up, hold her, or give her Cheerios. Even Joshua will often pick her up and play with her for a few minutes. It's sweet to see a 12-year-old comfort his baby sister. Of course, I don't actually tell Joshua that. He might not like it. ;-)

Earlier tonight, Theresa found her way into the kitchen, and I had a few minutes for a photo shoot.

I see Mommy...

She's holding a cool looking toy...

I WANT IT!

It looks so chewable...

Just about there...

Sure...I'll smile. Just let me eat the camera. :-)

Five Little Pumpkins

2011-11-02T21:48:00.000-05:00

All right, all right! You wanna see really cute pictures of my kids Halloween night? Fine.

Here's Joshua. He's a Bakugan Draganoid, whatever the heck that is.

Rebecca as Batgirl. If you knew her, you might say, "huh?" Really? But that's what she wanted this year.

Christina. Innocent enough looking fairy, with a skirt that actually lighted up (not shown in the picture, sorry).

Gabriel. Yes, he was a pirate last year. No, he didn't want a new costume. Worked for us...and saved money too.

And the most precious little tomato you ever did see...Theresa. Totally edible, right? ;-) I made the costume for Rebecca when she was a baby, and it fit Theresa perfectly.

Gotta have a group shot before hitting the streets. I know...I really don't have five "little" pumpkins...the older three are rather big kiddos...makes me a little sad...boo hoo.

Not to be outdone by Halloween, our church encourages kids to dress up as their favorite saint and process in for the All Saints Day Mass. Christina was the only one who wanted to costume up, so she went as the Blessed Mother, "because Mary is my middle name." We lucked out, borrowed the robe from a friend, and I sewed the veil. I thought she looked awesome.

Joshua ended up trick-or-treating with his best friend on the other side of our neighborhood. The other kids happily went from door to door with David. We took turns carrying Theresa until she started to fuss, and I knew our little tomato was done. So I went home early and tucked her into bed. The rest were not far behind, and after munching on a few choice pieces of candy, and a good teeth brushing, we got them to bed. Joshua came home relatively early, and we got him to bed by 9:00 o'clock.

I will say this...next year, I think I may have to finally stay home and pass out candy. In previous years, we've put a bowl of candy out on the front porch. Well, after we started out, and passed by our house on the other side of our street, I crossed over to see how our candy was holding out. It was gone...all of it. One big, full bowl gone. Greedy little hooligans...we had left our house barely 5 minutes ago. I knew it wasn't anyone on our street, because they were all out with us, and their parents would have been watchful. So I replenished the bowl, and caught up with the rest of my crew. I knew it would be gone in minutes...oh well.

Something else bothered me. We had a lot of kids trick-or-treating that night who don't live in our neighborhood. That's fine...except a LOT of them weren't wearing costumes. No mask, face paint, or even a hat...nothing. Maybe I'm thinking too much, but come on. If you're getting free candy, at least make an effort. And manners...well, those must be obsolete these days. When I refilled our bowl, one little boy took a big handful...he could barely hold it all. I told him, "Just one young man!" He didn't listen and darted off...his momma was waiting in the street and didn't say a word. Nice...real classy guys. I'm not sure I feel like passing it out to kids who aren't in costume or have no manners. But we'll see...maybe next year I will stay home. I realize I can't police everyone, and Halloween is supposed to be fun...right?

Speaking of candy, I'll going to go get my stash and have a piece. Or two... ;-)

Busy Doesn't Even Describe

2011-10-19T18:54:00.003-05:00

Well, I realize it's been over a month since my last post. Dang..

I'm been busy people. There should be another adjective to describe my life these days.

How about, "I've got ten million things to do, and need ten million hours...preferably uninterrupted to get it all done. And while we're at it, I need to get away to a deserted island so I'm actually not interrupted."

Yeah...that sounds pretty good.

Since that's not exactly realistic, I'll just list what's on my plate these days.

1. An on again, off again headache I've had for almost 2 weeks. Do you think it's stress?

2. A 3,000 envelope mail-out I volunteered to do for David's work. There are 10 big boxes taking over my dining room right now. I've only got one box done. 500 have to be done by next week. Go ahead, say it with me, "What were you thinking???"

3. The mom's group at my church is having a bake sale next weekend. I will probably bake some, but not as much as I have in years past. It's been a long time since I've made some cake ball lollipops, and I promised my kids I'd make some cute pumpkin ones. I know...I'm a sucker for my kids.

4. In addition to the bake sale, the mom's group is having a craft night next month. I said I'd teach some ladies how to sew those adorable pillowcase dresses. Now I need to actually make one so I at least look like I know what I'm doing. Thankfully, I had some leftover fabric, and finished this one today.

Cute, right?

5. I also want to sew matching dresses for the girls for Christmas. I saw this dress on a Pinterest board and fell in love. I already bought charm packs to make some simple kitchen towels as teacher gifts for Christmas. Yes...I have a LOT of sewing projects lined up!!!

6. I'm nearly out of homemade baby food for Theresa. She's eating some table food, but not for every meal, so I need to make more. I feel like there's no time, but I hate the idea of spending money on jar food. Argh...decisions, decisions!

7. It just got cooler here...FINALLY. I need to switch out all the kids clothes to warmer things, like long-sleeved tops and jeans. And wash them all. And get my children to hang them up/fold 'em into their dressers. I'm not doing it all guys!

8. Last but not least, we've had some personal issues to deal with. I can't go into details, but the budget has taken a hit, one major part being the fact that we now have 2 car payments, thanks to my accident back in August (and we had to buy a new van). Sigh...enough said.

9. Theresa hasn't been sleeping well for weeks. I wasn't able to take her into the pediatrician for a while because we didn't have insurance. When I finally got her in last week, she got all her shots, her ears pierced, and a antibiotic for a double ear infection. I was hoping once the medicine kicked in, she would sleep better. After a terrible weekend (and she didn't sleep better at all!), I took her back in on Monday. She still had a double ear infection, so Dr. T prescribed a different antibiotic. Last night, our sweet baby girl did sleep better, so I pray we're on the right track. This momma is TIRED!

Did I leave anything out? I hope not. Now you know why I haven't posted lately on my cooking blog lately. Next week is not looking good either. Sorry folks.

Sigh...

I've got the best group of friends on the planet...my Catholic Chicks. One of the Chicks sent this out a few nights ago, just when 3 of us (including me) were doing some venting. I liked it so much, I'm going to share it with you.

"Satan's never been terribly creative. The tools he uses today are the same tools he's always used - and no wonder, for they've been quite effective. From the Garden of Eden to Martha's kitchen to our own ever day world, Satan still plans his attacks around "Three Deadly D's of Destruction."

Distraction

- Discouragement

- Doubt

"Throughout time, Satan has resorted to these tactics to bring down God's best and brightest. The underlying strategy is fairly simple: Get people's eyes off God and on their circumstances. Make them believe that their "happiness" lies in the happenings that surround them. Or send them good news about somebody else. Then they're thoroughly discouraged, tell them God doesn't care. Then sit back and let doubt do its work."

"When Jesus met Martha that day in Bethany, she was "distracted". That's where Satan usually begins. He know if we're overly worried and bogged down by duties, chances are good our hearts will not hear the Savior's call to come. While distraction may not win the battle for our soul, getting our eyes off of what is important will certainly make us more vulnerable to attack.

"When we're distracted, discouragement is just around the corner. Weariness creeps in as life overpowers us. It causes us to say and do things we would never consider saying or doing otherwise. Discouragement breaks down our perspective and our defenses. Though we may have just completed great things for God, weary discouragement tells us we're useless, hopeless and abandoned."

"Discouragement can drain us of all hope, of all visions, of all our tomorrows and dreams. .....When we're distracted, tired and overwhelmed, there is no better place to go than our Father. He alone is what we need. Go to the Lord and let Him sweep away your discouragement. As you do, you'll find healing for your hurting heart. Even when it can't help but doubt."

A bible quote:

"Do not be anxious about anything." Paul wrote in the Philippians 4:6-7, "but in everything by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

"In other words:

1. Be anxious about nothing (not even grades - haha).

2. Be prayerful about everything (ok......especially grades).

3. Be thankful for all things (even the messy rooms- yea right?)."

I've read this several times over the past few days. I know God is standing right beside me, steady as a rock. I just don't feel very steady. I feel like if one more thing is added to my plate, I'm going to drop.

Then again, I don't want Satan to get the best of me. I want to strive to offer God my best, even when I'm floundering. Sometimes I know I try too hard though...finding that balance will be a life-long lesson for me.

I like to think the Blessed Mother is with me too. I imagine my head in her lap, listening to me pour out all my worries and frustrations. And like any comforting mother, she would say,

"Why are you troubled? I will place all your cares at the feet of my Son. Entrust them to His hands, you have nothing to fear. Don't forget to ask me to pray for you too."

So I have to remember I shouldn't be so stressed. Life is lived one day at a time...so I should focus on the NOW, let go of the PAST, and let the FUTURE rest with God.

All right Lord, here we go...I can do it!. I want to be the kind of woman who puts her feet on the floor every morning, and Satan says, "Aw crap, she's up!"

Texas is on Fire

2011-09-08T08:27:00.006-05:00

Texas is experiencing one of its worst droughts in recorded history. We are SO dry, (officially, we are in a state of "exceptional drought") and nearly the entire state is under a burn ban, Worst of all, we are dealing with wildfires all over the place. 170 fires have erupted this past week alone. Many of you have heard about the fires outside Austin in the Bastrop area. The pictures circulating all over the web and on Facebook have made my heart sink. I love Texas...and it hurts to see so much of the land burned beyond recognition.

Closer to home, there have been fires about 20 miles west of us, in Montgomery, Grimes, and Waller counties. My hubby works in Hockley, and one very large fire, the "Riley Road" fire was burning about 5 miles north of his office. Here's a few pictures he sent me from his cell phone. These were all taken in the same day...you can see how the fire was burning hotter, and how the clouds of smoke grew bigger.

This one is right outside his office, facing north.

Here's another one...right off of FM 1488

And here's one he took at sunset on his way home.

About 12,500 acres has burned from this fire, and an entire subdivision (about 80 homes) was destroyed. That sounds so awful, but Bastrop has it much, much worse. Over 1,300 homes have burned, and 4 people have died. That fire has blacked 45 square miles (nearly 40,000 acres). I don't have any pics of that fire, but I'm sure you've seen them on the news reports.

We desperately need rain here in Texas. Ironically, there is a tropical storm (Nate) out in the Gulf of Mexico. People here are actually praying it comes right at us and drenches us with tons of rain. Isn't that crazy...we actually want a tropical storm that could potentially strengthen into a hurricane to hit us!

This past Sunday, our pastor asked everyone to pray urgently for rain. We have started to add that prayer request when we say prayers with the kid at bedtime. Here's the prayer Father N. suggested:

Prayer for Rain

Lord God,

in you we live and move and have our being.

Help us in our present time of trouble,

send us the rain we need,

and teach us to seek your lasting help

on the way to eternal life.

We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,

one God, for ever and ever. Amen

Please pray for us...especially anyone reading this who lives outside of Texas. Thanks y'all. :-)

So Long Old Friend

2011-08-13T22:48:00.000-05:00

The last time I saw my 2001 Dodge Grand Caravan, it was on top of a flat-bed trailer, and it didn't look so good.

Yeah...it had a mishap. With a Chevy Tahoe to be exact. It wasn't the Chey's fault though.

Last Tuesday, we were on our way to Social Skills Camp. I had Joshua, Christina, and Theresa with me. (Rebecca is an awesome babysitter, and she was at home with Gabriel). We were stopped at a light just a mile from the house. The light turned green, and I turned to say something to Joshua as traffic moved forward. I turned back to the road, and realized the SUV in front of me had come to a dead stop. I remember thinking,

"Oh, no...I'm not going to be able to stop in time!"

I know everyone says it happens so fast. It really does. The next thing I know, I hear a loud "BANG!"

That would be me, plowing into the Chevy.

I then remember opening my eyes, and seeing this funny, white ballon-looking thing in front of me.

That would be the now deflated airbag. Amazing, even though the van was 10 years old, it still worked the way it was supposed to.

Then the horror of the accident hit me. Christina was crying in the seat right behind me. Theresa was in the seat next to her, and she was screaming. Joshua was saying, "Mom, did we have an accident?"

My brain seemed to be on pause...and then like a light switch, my adrenaline kicked into overdrive.

I called to my little girl: "Christina, it's okay sweetie, it's okay! Are you alright? Is Theresa okay?"

"Yes Mommy, I think I'm okay. Theresa is okay too!" I could tell Joshua was fine, since he was in the front next to me.

Thank God my children were all right. If they had been hurt, I would have blamed myself a thousand times. I already felt terrible that I hadn't been paying attention, and couldn't stop in time.

I found my cell phone, and decided even though the kids appeared fine, I needed to call 911. It took three tries, my hands were shaking so hard. Finally, I dialed the number correctly, and told the dispatcher what had happened. She kept me on the line long enough to get our location, determined we needed an ambulance, etc. Then she told me I could hang up and call my husband.

I called David. I was trying so hard not to cry, but I did...I told him we were okay, but that the van was totaled. He asked me where we were, and I told him the intersection. He said,

"Honey, those 2 streets don't intersect, where are you again?"

After telling him the same thing at least 6 more times, I realized I was wrong. I wasn't at Louetta and Cypresswood, I was at Louetta and Ella. Lord have mercy.

At this point, people had stopped, and offered to help us get out. We were right in the middle of the road, and one very kind man (whose name I can't recall now) and a woman (really an angel in disguise) named Carmen helped us across the street to a gas station. The same 2 kind souls also got Theresa out of her car seat, and then the car seat itself out of the van. I cannot tell you how relieved I was to hold our sweet baby girl safety in my arms. I was able to gather my wits and take a closer look at all the kids. They were fine...not a single scratch, bruise, or bump of any kind.

Thank you Lord. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

I called David again and told him were were fine, and exactly where we were so he could find us. I then called the dispatcher back, and aplogized for giving her the wrong address. She said, "Oh, don't worry honey, someone else called us, and the EMT's are on their way." (I still feel terrible about that.)

The EMT's came, and asked if we were all right. They looked over the kids, and said they looked just fine, but warned we might be sore from the impact the next day. One EMT pointed out a big scrape on my left arm, probably from the airbag, but it was relatively minor, and I didn't need treatment for it. After just 20 minutes or so, they left.

At this point, David was still en route. We made our way to the Sonic next door to the gas station so the kids would have someplace to sit in the shade. Someone brought over a watermelon slushie for the kids...which they appreciated. The van had been towed out of the intersection, and the tow driver was patiently waiting for me to decide what to do with it. My heart sank to it's absolute lowest when I got a better look at it...I knew it was not salvagable, and would cost far more to repair than it was actually worth. Oh man.

During this time, 3 constables had arrived at the scene, and taken my statement. There were actually 4 vehicles involved. I had hit the Chevy in front of me. The Chevy hit the sedan in front of her because the impact from my van pushed her forward. Then another sedan hit me from behind, because she was also unable to stop in time. So technically, we were #3 in a four car-pileup. I still don't know why traffic had come to a stop in front of me, and we might never know, unless the police report reveals something (which should be ready in a couple more days).

One of my neighbors just happened to be driving through the Sonic for a drink. She saw Joshua and Christina sitting at one of the tables, and then found me. Joshua was anxious to go to camp, (they were going to Main Event that day), and she offered to take Christina home, and then run Joshua to camp for me. I gratefully accepted her act of kindess. What a blessing that was!

David finally arrived, and I nearly lost it. My wonderful, sweet, calm husband said,

"Honey, it's okay. It's just a van. I'm just glad you all are okay. Really, don't worry about it."

Thankfully, everyone in all four vehicles were fine. Nobody needed any medical treatment. And everyone was rather nice, as nice as a person could be after a car accident. (The driver of the Chevy actually goes to our church, ironically enough, and she recognized me, although I didn't know her. So now we know each other ;-). The one constable who finished working the scene was nice too...even when he presented me with my citation. Yes, I got a citation for "failure to control speed." The driver who was behind me got a citation too.

Rats. Defensive driving, here I come.

Finally after having the van towed, David took me and Theresa home. I cannot tell you the flood of emotions that hit me. I bawled nearly the whole way home, but I could only cry for about 3 minutes (remember, we were barely a mile from the house). I didn't want to scare the kids, and we had decisions to make. Once home, I nursed Theresa, got her down for a late nap, and sat down with David. I was still shaky, but I could think clearly.

We got a rental car for David, (it was cheaper than a van, plus I could use his truck for the time being) started sending out emails to a few car dealerships, and called our insurance company. Over and over, I kept apologizing to my hubby. He just told not to worry, brought me water, medicine, and gave me a reassuring hug. After leaving to get the rental, I made lunch for the kids. Once David got back, it was time to pick up Joshua. I wasn't quite ready to get behind the wheel, so David brought him home, and then left to go back into work.

The next day, I was sore...my chest had a humdinger of a bruise, my arm was a nice shade of purple, and my neck ached. But it was manageable. The kids were perfectly fine...so glad for that.

Today, after spending all day out looking a minivans, we came home with this. "It's a Kia."

It's got way more bells and whistles on it than my old, plain Jane Dodge van. Of course, the kids were thrilled. I still miss my old van. But I admit, it's kinda neat to have power sliding doors and tailgate, rear view camera, built in CD and DVD players. Pretty sure it will take me a while to figure everything out. It's also the first, brand-new vehicle I've ever had. :-)

So, in a nutshell, this week has been way more exciting than I wanted it to be. But overall, I've learned that God works in interesting ways. I mean, doesn't He always? We had a wreck, but there were angels around us. We lost an old friend, but gained a new one, which hopefully will be around for a long, long time. And we are thankful nothing was really lost, and nobody was hurt. We came home with all our treasures intact.

Once more, we thank you Lord.

Venting (with Love and a Smile)

2011-08-05T17:27:00.001-05:00

So...what happens when your hubby takes the child to camp this morning instead of you?

1. Child rushes around trying to get ready—has to be told 3x what to put in his bag.
2. Child forgets his ADHD medicine
3. Child forgets his sack lunch
4. Child breaks his swim goggles and insists on getting a new pair on the way to camp

The Mother...

1. Frantically calls the Father 4x on two different cell phones once the aforsaid forgotten lunch was discovered. (He didn’t call back until it was too late to turn around and retrieve the lunch.)
2. Wishes she had taken the child to camp instead of Dad, because she always carries extra meds in her purse, just in case.
3. Is very disappointed because the Father this morning told the Mother he wished she would pick up the child from camp instead of him. Never mind the fact the Father said he would pick up the child when it was discussed earlier in the week, and only said something different minutes before walking out the door. Never mind the fact the Mother has drive the child to and from camp all this week, and has to do it again every day next week too.

Conclusion:

Mother is very frustrated, and trying very hard not to blow her stack. Praying for her anger to cool before her beloved hubby calls her. Otherwise, the hubby will probably lose his hearing in his left ear. And will almost certainly be sleeping in the guest bedroom tonight.

~Written by yours truly, a full-time wife and mother to 5 awesome kids, and one amazing hubby. She really loves them...99.9% of the time. The remaining .01% of the time is spend praying for more love to spread around.

Kids and Language

2011-07-28T13:37:00.001-05:00

Last night, I met up with my Chicks for a Girls Night Out. Karrie was in town from NC, so it was GREAT to see her, and catch up. We went to one of our favorite places, Olive Garden and got a table in just 10 minutes, instead of the 30 minute wait we expected.

Our waitress was really lovely. It's always nice to get someone who makes conversation, but is intrusive when she needs to be. I always appreciate servers like that. At one point, she asked us if we would be staying awhile.

We said, "Yes, we like to close down the house, is that okay?"

"Oh, please do, that's TOTALLY fine with me. I'm so glad you all are staying. You're the nicest group of ladies I've had in a long time."

My friend Joan asked the waitress why she looked so relieved.

The waitress said she'd had a family in to dine before us. There was a Mom, Dad, and their two kids, a boy and a girl. At one point, the boy said to our waitress,

"Hey, can we get some more f___ing bread?"

WHAT!? My friends and I were agast.

Wait...it gets better.

The waitress continued her story, saying she initially was shocked this boy (who was only about 7 or 8 years old) would say something like that to her. Her shock turned into major disappointment because the parents, instead of disciplining their son, laughed and didn't say a word.

The parents didn't do anything...at all.

We told our sweet waitress we were sorry she was subjected to that. She said her night was much better after we came and sat in her section. We all agreed that if we had said something like that as a kid, our mother/father would have backhanded us right then and there. We also concluded we would never have allowed any of our children to say that word to anyone...let alone an adult without serious consequences.
I thought (and said aloud) it was too bad those kids (and the parents) were obviously living in a barn.

Wow. I'm still thinking about that waitress and her story today. Ironically, Rebecca and I had a conversation about appropriate language earlier this week. I revisited that topic today while driving the girls to Choir Camp at our church.

I told the girls what happened last night. Both of them were surprised someone their age said the f-word, and even more astonished the parents didn't punish him.

Rebecca was thinking quietly for a moment. I watched her facial expressions briefly in my rear-view mirror...and then she spoke up.

"Mommy, tell me why again the f-word isn't a nice word."

I explained that curse words were a poor choice of language because it displayed a lack of respect. Using curse words would only make others look down on you, and God gave us much better, kinder words to say. The girls also told me curse words didn't sound nice, they sounded ugly. Funny how kids can deduce that certain words aren't nice...even when they don't know their meanings.

Christina chimed in and said,

"Mommy, if I said a bad word, not that I EVER would, you would ground me forever and ever and ever, and ever, right?"

"Yes, honey, you know I would!" (I like the way that girl thinks :-).

Rebecca became rather passionate at one point, saying she would have refused to serve that group, sue them, etc. But I told her the only thing she could do was pray for this family; one day might realize they would have more respect if they chose not to use curse words. She said that was true, but I admired her spirit. I also reminded her it was important to think before we speak (something I'm still working on!).

I'm thankful I had the chance to talk to the girls about this, and reflect on my own choice of words. The language we use around our children is SO important. I've been reading a book, Loving the Little Years: Motherhood in the Trenches. This not some "feel good" book, and it doesn't sugar coat motherhood. It's refreshingly honest and practial wisdom from a mother of 5 (ages 5, 4, 2, 2, and 5 months!) I read this blog post a couple of weeks ago, saw that the author also had a book out, and decided I could use a refresher course. I thought I was outta the trenches, but then along came Theresa, so now I'm back in the dugout, so to speak. ;-)

Anyway, halfway into the book, I though...man, I could be doing a better job speaking to my kids. I asked myself--am I building them up, or tearing them down with my words? Since Theresa was born, I've had more moments of talking down to my kids instead of being kind. So I really need to pray for the grace to not only seize the moments when I can talk to my kids, but build them up with more positive words. And here's another thought. I get frustrated easily, and it's aways over something that in hindsight, wasn't such a big deal after all. So, when something happens, do I blame my kids for the incident or take charge and responsibility for the spilled milk on the table, the laundry waiting in the dryer, or the piles of shoes by the back door? Honestly, I know can work harder to not vent my frustration of the day on my kids.

Have you cringed at something one of your kids said to you lately, and realize they're starting to sound like you? I came to that not so comfortable conclusion today. Ouch. I'd better watch my mouth, hold my tongue, and when I do speak, remind myself to use words of praise, comfort, and love towards my kids. It's been a good lesson...not just for my girls, but for me too.

San Antonio

2011-07-18T07:28:00.017-05:00

The kids are loving summer, and even though all they seem to do is sit around and eat, they're really enjoying the time off from school (so am I!). We had Vacation Bible School at the end of June, and Gabriel was able to go for the first time. He cried a bit the first day I dropped him off, but he loved it, and said, "Mommy, I go back...I had fun! Our sweet angel is getting so big!
We made a weekend trip to San Antonio 2 weeks ago to see my grandparents. For the first time, we got two hotel rooms adjacent to each other, and I must say, it was great to have our own space with Theresa while the older kids had a whole room to themselves. We got the rooms at aloft, and it was very nice, very contemporary, and resonable thanks to Hotwire.
It was the first time my Grandparents had met Theresa. Unfortunately, Grandma fell and broke her hip about a month ago. She is recovering amazingly well (the nurse say she is such a trooper) and is able to do her physical therapy to stay as mobile as possible. Grandpa is about the same...he cannot remember things from day to day, but can make decent conversation and knows who we are. He looks so much better than the trip I took last summer, not long after he got out of the hospital. I pray God will grant them a little more time.

Grandpa and Grandma's room is pretty small, so David would take the older ones out after 10-15 minutes. That was as long as Gabriel would last. They'd go for a walk outside or to the lounge area just outside the Health Center, where there was more room for an active toddler. But overall, the kids behaved very well. Sometimes I worry that seeing their great-grandparents in essentially a hospital room would scare them, but I also want them to understand that growing old doesn't mean we love people any less, and they are still beautiful souls, even though their bodies are fading.

I got a really close look at Grandma this visit. She is bend over to one side, and can only go from her chair to the bed, but her smile was just the same, and she still has the twinkle in her eye. I held her hand..it seemed so frail, the skin so paper thin...I could see every vein and bone. She also had numerous bruises all over her, in various stages of healing. It was hard to hold back the tears at one point when she told me she was sorry I had to see her under these circumstances. But I said she had no reason to be sorry at all, and we loved her and wanted to come see her no matter what. She said she loved me too. It chokes me up just remembering her words again.

Both Grandpa and Grandma were both so glad we came to visit. Theresa was a bit of a celebrity...every nurse stopped us and wanted to hold her. I am sure infants are a rare sight in a nursing home. So our baby girl was passed around like a football, and she didn't mind one bit, bless her heart. Grandpa held her for a minute while I got the pictures, and Grandma played with her toes and said she looked just like her Daddy (which is very true). Grandma was so frail, I was afraid Thersa would bruise her if I put her on her great-grandma's lap, so that's why in the picture she's off to the side of the chair. We were able to talk until Theresa grew tired, and started to fuss, so we left and got lunch. We went back to the hotel and got changed for Mass, and went back to the Health Center. It's very fortunate they have a chapel right on the grounds and a local priest comes and says Mass for the residents. So we met up with Grandpa for Mass. After that, we left to get dinner, then back to the hotel...the kids hit the pool, and finally, got to bed.

The next morning, we paid my grandparents one more visit before heading to the Riverwalk and taking one of the riverboat tours. The kids hadn't gone up until this point, and they loved it, even though it was hot. I had my hands full holding the baby, so I handed the camera to Rebecca, and she took all of these pictures. I was really impressed...she got some great shots...check it out. :-)

We walked by the Alamo but didn't go in; the line was a mile long, and we knew the kids wouldn't last in the heat. We got a picture outside though, amongst a million other people (seriously...it seemed very crowded for a holiday weekend).

Lunch was at Fundruckers (so glad I saw that place before the kids talked us into McDonalds!), and then we took the kids to El Mercado...a Mexican market David and I had been to before. The kids talked Dad into buying them guitars (of course!), and I bought another handpainted dish from one of my favorite vendors. I'm getting to the point where I need bigger bowls to serve dinner with...maybe because our kids are eating more than ever?

After the market, we drove back home to Houston. Theresa did amazingly well on the drive...she barely fussed on the way to San Antonio, and only cried when we were 1/2 an hour from home, and I knew she was getting hungry. It was a long weekend for 5 kids, but I am truly thankful we were able to spend precious time with my grandparents. Only God knows how much longer we will have them with us.

Envy

2011-07-15T11:30:00.003-05:00

It's no fun to admit you've been going through a streak of jealously lately.

Yes, that'd be me.

I've been reading my friends' posts on Facebook, and a few have been able to go on some pretty dreamy vacations. You know...to some really great places. Like Rome. Colorado. New Mexico. Florida. Someplace cooler than Texas right now sounds REALLY nice. You know what I mean? Unfortunately, when you have 5 kids all your budget goes to them. And in retrospect, I'm not upset that all our money seems to go to the kids. I'm extremely thankful we have enough money to provide for them, even though they claim they'd skip meals if it meant they could go to Disneyworld. Sorry guys..it doesn't quite work that way. Heck, I'd like to go to Disneyworld myself.

I've been envious of my husband, believe it or not. David left his job at Sterling Bank a week ago and has a a new position as the CFO (Chief Financial Officer) at a company that puts the Santa and Easter Bunny photo sessions on at most of the major malls in the United States. The CEO of this company has been friends with David for many years. Recently, he made David an offer to come on board, and it was David's dream opportunity. So after 15 years, David no longer has to wear a suit and tie, and is working with a relatively small team of very nice people. I am truly happy for him. But envious? Yeah, some. He has a lovely commute down country roads, but has been VERY, VERY busy working very long hours (I don’t envy that of course, I already work long hours!). He’s enjoying his new adventure... and I'd like a new adventure myself. I wish I could have a change of scenery around here, instead of wiping up orange juice, hauling the toddler out of the pantry and the open box of crackers for the umpteenth time, yelling at the kids to stop bickering over the computer, and praying I just might get a nap when Theresa goes down in the afternoons. Sigh...

I wish I had more time to myself. One thing about breastfeeding...you're always on call. Theresa will take a bottle, which the other kids wouldn't, so I should be thankful for that. I can leave Theresa for a little while, and do on the weekends when she is asleep. And David is willing to watch all 5 kids so I can go out Wednesday night. So I know I just have to bid my time, be patient, and love the nursing time I have with Theresa...which I really do. I LOVE snuggling with her in the mornings, and I must say, she loves it too.

See? Think she's spoiled? ;-)

Oh...my dear, darling hubby has this great idea. He thinks we should take another 2 week road trip next summer, this time to Washington DC and Pennsylvania. That would be really fun! But I tend to look on the other side of the coin. It's hard for me to think about all the great benefits of a trip with plenty of learning opportunities for the kids because I think well...Theresa would be 18 months old. So that means instead of reading exhibit captions, and enjoying the sights, I'll be chasing a toddler, changing diapers, and picking up 1,000 Cheerios off a dirty restaurant floor. I would MUCH rather take a week next summer and go on a vacation with David, just the 2 of us. We've been able to get away for a long weekend every few years, but we haven't had a serious vacation since our honeymoon 13 years ago. Would someone please tell me I'm not being too terribly selfish? I think David's idea is great...but I want to wait until Theresa is just a bit older.

Here's one last thing. I'm envious of those who have the time (and money) to work out and lose weight...I really need to lose more weight, but just can’t seem to. I’m sure it has nothing to do with the fact I’m just mostly home this summer, and eating carbs out of boredom. No...really?! I shouldn't be bored with 5 kids right? Well intellectually, I'm not bored. We just don't have anything going on these days, and it's too dang hot to walk outside like I was doing back in May, unless I get up at 5 AM. Oh yeah, that's right...I'm already up at 5:00 AM to nurse the baby. Sigh..excuses, excuses. I hate exercising anyway. But I need to. Sigh...

Anyway...this little jealous funk I've been in started on Monday, and yesterday, a friend posted this article on Facebook.

http://www.desiringgod.org/blog/posts/motherhood-is-a-calling-and-where-your-children-rank

How does God know when to send you just the right grace, right when you need it? :-)

The author of the post has a book out, called Loving the Little Years. You bet I’m going to order a copy tonight! I think God has been trying to tell me to embrace my cross, just like Jesus did. My cross right now happens to be jealously. And instead of trying to avoid it, I need to face it head on, admit it, and then MOVE on. If I have to dig my trench a little deeper, so be it!

Thank you Lord, for reminding me not to be envious. Mothering is NOT for wimps...and I need to stop complaining, stop being jealous, and just realize this is a great life...it's not always easy...but it's always an adventure. I've got a crown in heaven with 5 jewels in it waiting for me. I'd better go earn it, right? :-)

Summer...

2011-06-17T14:59:00.014-05:00

Well, I made it. Survived the last couple of weeks of school, watched Joshua finish up 5th grade (sob), wrapped up teachers' gifts, and kissed the hustle and bustle of the school year goodbye.

Whew...I made it.

For a while, I wasn't so sure. I hate to admit it, but some postpartum anxiety and depression crept in about 2 weeks after my last post. It wasn't too bad...I knew I just had to work through it, but there were a few days when the darkness hung over me like a bad shadow, and lingered long after the sun went down.

The worst part was the week before Theresa's baptism. David went to Joshua's Boy Scout meeting Tuesday night, came home, and essentially told me he was going on the campout that weekend.

"WHAT???"

"Our daughter is getting baptized! You CAN'T go! How am I supposed to get everything ready for Theresa's baptism party???"

Oh man. It was bad. I yelled, I cried, I yelled some more, and I threw the laundry basket at my dear hubby. He survived. For about a day, I didn't think I would. I knew David wasn't trying to put more stress on me. They really needed more drivers to safely transport the boys to the campsite, otherwise they would have to cancel the campout. I just didn't want MY hubby to be the one to the rescue. Dang it.

The next day, I gathered up all my remaining sanity, and told myself to figure things out. David's parents were coming on Saturday. I knew they would help out...and they really came through. I had already decided to cater in most of the food, but now I placed a bigger order, so I wouldn't have to make a thing except one salad that would take only 15 minutes. David promised to be home in time to shower, change, and get to the church, AND wear sunscreen so he wouldn't look like an overcooked lobster at his daughter's baptism. He did both...I know my MIL's sigh of relief when they pulled up Sunday morning was nearly as big as mine!

Speaking of Theresa's baptism, it went beautifully. She was the first of our children to have the full immersion baptism implemented by our pastor, and while she didn't really appreciate the water, it did make for the most fabulous photo.

See? :-) Photo by Pat VanDeCapelle

Here's a few more pictures from that day.

We had a great party at the house afterwards with my sister and her family, my uncle and his 2 grown kids, Grandpa and Grandma Reisinger, and the Nolte family. I honestly think other than our 10 year anniversary party we had 3 years ago, it was one of our best celebrations ever. Theresa hadn't slept hardly at all that morning, promptly crashed on our bed when we got home, and slept like a baby for 3 hours straight. She missed her whole party, lol. "It's my party, and I'll sleep if I want to..."

Whew...I made it. I've said that before, haven't I? ;-)

Thankfully, all those dreary and dark cobwebs from the past month are pretty much gone. Once school was over, and we had nothing going on (PRAISE GOD), we literally all fell into bed and didn't get up until after 8:00 AM the entire first week of summer vacation. Well, Theresa got up a bit earlier, but bless her heart...she was actually able to take all her naps at home several days in a row, instead of catching a few winks here and there in the van. How wonderful that must have felt to her!

I actually sorta started a new hobby too. Rebecca learned how to crochet months ago from her cousin Mary. Mary and her family (Peter, Stephanie, and the rest of their crew) were in town the first weekend of June. While they were here, Mary taught me some crochet stitches. I actually did crochet as a kid, but I'd forgotten the basics. Once I figured things out, I started making those super cute baby beanies for Theresa. And well...I made 5 in one week. I told y'all we had nothing else going on. ;-)

Not pictured...a pink hat with a brown flower. Every baby girl needs a pink hat. :-)

Of course, having a gorgeous little model doesn't hurt either. The best part is, I can make the hats to match her outfits, not that I'm picky about that...why would I bother, right? ;-)

Cute huh?

Anyways...this week the crochet is on hiatus while I run the older girls back and forth to art camp. It's right by Gabriel's preschool, so I kept thinking it was over at 1:00. It was actually over at 12:30, and I'd barely make it, because my mind was so set on the wrong time. Yesterday, I leisurely went to the grocery store, and then went to pick up the girls. I was just about there, when my cell phone rang. The staff was calling me to see if was on my way. Guess what time it was?

12:58. WHAT WAS I THINKING??? (Obviously, I wasn't).

I got to the pavillion, jumped out of the van, and apologized, profusely. The girls were fine...they had been helping the staff clean up, and were just finishing up. So the staff really weren't put out, but still, I felt awful. I can't imagine where my brain was. It's not like me to forget something so important!

Gabriel and Theresa have been hanging out at home while Joshua has been at Boy Scout Camp at El Rancho Cima all week. He'll be home on Saturday, and honestly, I haven't missed him as much as I thought I would. But I can't wait to see him! Email reports from the troop's Scoutmaster say the boys are having fun...some of them are homesick (I am sure Joshua was), but they are learning so much.

I really hope Joshua was okay. Josh is hesitant to jump into things, and often needs a good deal of guidance, instruction, and monitoring when he's in new situations. Add in ADHD, and it really can be challenging for our son, especially since he doesn't have the reassurance of David being there. There were times I am sure he was frustrated and ready to melt down, but hopefully he pushed through. My biggest prayer is that he comes home and says, "I can't WAIT to go back next year" instead of "I am NOT going ever again." 'Cause let me tell you, he is going, every year. It's the best thing for him. He may think we're "throwing him in the deep end, " when truthfully, he knows how to "swim," and he just has to go for it. You know what I mean?

I can't wait to see Joshua and say, "Hey buddy, you DID IT!"

Hmm...what else is going on?

Oh yes, I'm so glad summer is here. It's hotter than...well, you know. I don't have to say it. And we're in the middle of a serious drought here in Houston. At least our garden is alive and producing tons of beautiful tomatoes right now, so if you want to see what I'm cooking with them, click here. Using home grown produce to feed our family and eating healthy always makes me feel good.

Okay...that's the wrap up from the past 2 months. We have VBS coming up next week, a weekend trip to San Antonio (so my grandparents can meet Theresa for the first time), Junior High Youth week, Choir Camp, and that's it. Plenty of time in between to veg and do nothing. Thank God for nothing!

Living in the Now

2011-04-23T11:49:00.000-05:00

Our sweet baby girl is nearly 10 weeks old now. Theresa is pure joy, and we all love her. She has begun to coo and smile a lot, and it's just adorable.

That being said, Theresa is a very different baby from all our other children. She started out a very calm baby, but by the time she was about 6 weeks old, I felt like something was up. I had to hold her ALL THE TIME. She was fussy, crying, and sometimes screaming two-thirds of the day, spitting up quite a bit, and every once in a while, she would throw up an entire feeding.

After talking to one of my best friends who happens to be a lactation consultant, I took Theresa to see our pediatrician, who listened to me. One of the "perks" of having 5 kids is having a good pediatrician who doesn't just brush you off. Dr T told me "since you have all these kids, I know you're not just imagining these symptoms." So she decided to start Theresa on some liquid Zantac, and it seems to be just the thing. I still am holding Theresa all the time, but she's not crying nonstop now. That was the toughest part, holding her, and still not being able to soothe her, no matter what we tried.

Once we had the reflux issue mostly resolved, we now have to try and get Theresa's belly button to fully heal. She lost her cord at 18 days old, but she developed a umbilical granuloma, which after 2 treatments with silver nitrate, still refuses to dry up and fall off. The first application of silver nitrate didn't do anything, and the granuloma actually grew in the week's time it took me to get her back to the pediatrician for round 2. This time, it took off the outermost layer of the granuloma, but Theresa still has a bit of it left. I wish I could say we won't have to go back a third time for silver nitrate, but so far, it doesn't look good. The granuloma has to come off, and the silver nitrate actually burns the skin as well, so poor Theresa's belly button looks awful right now. In some ways, I have to laugh. All our other babies had jaundice as newborns (both the boys needed light therapy), and Theresa was the only one who had practically no jaundice at all. So I guess she's making up for it now by having a granuloma, LOL.

Sigh.

I really didn't expect anything like this. I knew I'd be tired, heck...exhausted these days. I knew the house would go to pot, the dust would be very visible, and I'd go nuts just trying to get the simplest of meals on the table for dinner.

What I didn't expect was a sweet baby, who I love to pieces, but will not let me put her down for anything. I'll nurse her, cuddle her and put her in the swing, boucy seat, or the floor. By the time I go to the bathroom, make a quick sandwich, or read a book to Gabriel, Theresa is crying her eyes out. Lord have mercy!

So, I am trying really hard not to sweat the small things. Unfortunately, that's what gets to me the most. I can supervise homework, make dinner, do the laundry, you know, the big things. But I can't pay the bills, order my contact lenses, sew the kitchen towels I'm making for teachers gifts, or fix a button on one of my favorite summer blouses.

I'm definitely living in the now. Just ask my husband. If I try to think about what needs to be done in a week's time, or just in a few days, I just can't. I literally shut that part of my brain off, take a deep breath, and say at least 3 Hail Marys. I get completely overwhelmed, and I feel like crying. I really want to spend more time with the other kids, take a walk all by myself, or sit down and really enjoy a good book. None of that is possible these days. All I can do is get through one day at a time, and pray I didn't forget to sign someone's homework folder (which I've already done 2x), or take something out of the freezer for dinner the next day.

I'm trying so hard to just focus on what I CAN do. I can pray. And I can offer it all up. We are just about to celebrate Easter, and this past Lent, I know our Lord has asked me to sacrifice all of my fears and failings. He wants me to focus, to live in the present, to trust Him, and believe His plan is best, even though I am afraid, and don't fully understand why. Having a new baby again has placed me, and our family on a new path, on the road of a different journey, which we're all experiencing together.

As a mother, I know it's up to me to be the example. I am really hard on myself sometimes, and I've fallen short many times in the past 10 weeks. Often, I would rather stay down, and have everyone just leave me alone. I want time to recover, and I'd like a longer pity party than normal. But when you're a Mom, that party is over really quick. Somebody always needs something 3 seconds after I started crying.

Oh, I can see it now, the Blessed Mother standing over me, saying, "All right now, we can talk later, but you need to get up and get on with it!"

So I get up. And I get on with it. Maybe they'll be time for tears later, but for right now, I'm living in the now.

Cover Tune Grab Bag - "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da"

2011-03-19T09:49:00.000-05:00

This video is so great...I can't stop watching it. It features MercyMe, Jars Of Clay, Matt Maher, Thousand Foot Krutch, The Afters & Lecrae. If you search under "Cover Tune Grab Bag" on YouTube, there's more videos to laugh over.

Enjoy!

One Month

2011-03-14T11:10:00.003-05:00

So...our little Valentine is one month old already.

I am seriously in disbelief. Where did that month go???

That's the one thing about being sleep deprived. Time goes by fast. ;-)

But honestly, I'm not too tired. Theresa gets up 2x at night to nurse. 95% of the time, she goes right back to sleep. If she doesn't, she'll cry (and sometimes scream) for a while. But eventually, she'll crash again. I've kinda given up on going back to my own bed to sleep. Once Theresa gets up the first time, we snuggle up together on the futon bed in her room, and I'll sleep with her the rest of the night. It's just easier for me (instead of going back and forth multiple times). And I've been able to take a nap nearly every day since she was born. I'm betting I won't be so lucky this week, since the kids are home on Spring Break.

I suppose I should post a few pics of our sweet baby girl. I admit we haven't taken very many...but the ones we have are pretty cute.

Christina wants to hold her baby sister ALL THE TIME. Thankfully Theresa will let Rebecca or Christina hold her for a good 10 minutes at a time...as long as she's not tired or hungry.

She'll come home from school and say,

"Mommy, where's Theresa?"

"She's asleep."

"Oh. Well, can I wake her up and hold her?"

"NO! Never wake a sleeping baby!"

Theresa's godmother paid us a surprise visit when she was just a few days old. Lara brought the most beautiful bouquet of dark pink roses...I should have taken a pictures of them.

Godfather Jeff came when Theresa was 2 weeks old. He only got to hold her for a minute before she started to fuss.

Aunt Jenn came one day bearing gifts, and brought dinner too. Yum.

And no, you're not seeing things. Yes, we're twins. Don't know if I've ever posted a pic of my sister on my blog. But now you know. ;-)

And Uncle Jim came last weekend. He didn't bring dinner, but he did bring a present for Theresa (including an adorable pair of striped socks) and flowers.

David won't admit it, but Theresa has got him wrapped all around her pinkie finger. She has already cooed at him once.

I managed to get one shot of all 5 kids together in the backyard for the birth announcements...it was nuts! The kids were all cranky by the time I finished, but one good pic was all I needed.

Other than nursing, pooping, and sleeping, Theresa doesn't do much else. But the younger three want to kiss her all the time, and Gabriel especially seems enamored by his baby sister. Sure...he's had a few tantrums, but it hasn't been too bad. I physically feel bad to normal...abeit tired. And my mental capabilities aren't all there yet. David had to order the birth announcements because I just couldn't (he had to do 2 separate orders to use the $40 of credit we had with Shutterfly).

So...I'm off to clean the kitchen, and hopefully grab a nap later today. Later!

THE WINNER...

2011-03-05T07:28:00.003-06:00

All righty...the winner of Black Heels to Tractor Wheels is...

antonina31!

I will email you with my contact information so you can claim your prize.

Congratulations!

A GIVEAWAY!!!

2011-03-01T12:12:00.000-06:00

Wouldn't you know it?

David bought me this book to read while I was in the hospital, recovering after Theresa's birth.

Guess who brought me another copy? My sister...so thoughtful, but I had to admit to her I already had it. She suggested I give it away on my blog. Excellent idea!

Coincidently, the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo starts today, so what better book to give away than a love story about how a city girl meets a cowboy, marries him, and winds up on a ranch in Oklahoma?

Whew...that was a long sentence!

Anyway...here's a pic of the book...it's REALLY purty y'all. It's not a signed copy, sorry.

And yeah, I finished reading my copy already. You'll love it...trust me.

THE RULES:

If you'd like a chance to win this copy of Black Heels to Tractor Wheels, leave me a comment below. Briefly tell me how you and your husband met. If you're not married, tell me one thing about the man of your dreams. (David and I met at the Catholic student center while we were attending Texas A&M University).

One entry per person please, no entries from outside the continental United States. Comments will be closed on Friday, March 4th at 12:00 noon (central time). Winner will be chosen at random and announced on Saturday morning.

Good luck, and I hope to read a few sappy comments! ;-)

Theresa Ellen

2011-02-21T10:53:00.003-06:00

Funny how things don't go the way you think they do. Of course, that means God is up in heaven chuckling away...at you...because it's always HIS plan, and not yours.

This whole pregnancy has been like that, so I should have know our baby girl's birth would be anything but normal. I delivered Christina and Gabriel at 37 1/2 weeks. So by Feb. 9th, we were all on bated breath, thinking our little one would come any time. Well, we got to Sunday, Feb. 13, and no baby yet. David told me every morning, "Well, I got to sleep through the night." I'm notorious for going into labor in the middle of the night, and David always teases me about it. ;-)

I kept telling myself, "Okay, we just wait." I was very uncomfortable by now. I didn't even make it to Mass on Sunday, I just felt miserable. I was sleeping okay, but my whole body hurt. Over the weekend, I took to walking our block, once, twice, three times. On Sunday, I walked it 4 times (although not all at once). I wasn't sure it would start labor, but I couldn't bear to lie down or sit on the couch anymore.

Monday morning, I was exhausted. It had taken me a couple of hours to go to sleep the night before. And of course, I lost track of how many times I'd had to get up and go to the bathroom. I asked David if he could get the kids off to school, and he said yes. So I lay in bed. It was about 7:00 o'clock, and I was have a few strong contractions, but didn't really think too much of it. I'd been having contractions on and off all weekend.

David and the kids were on their way out the door (by now, it was 7:30). All of a sudden, I heard and felt a big "pop." It sounded just like a bottle of wine being uncorked. I called to David and said,

"Honey, you'd better come back after you get the kids to the bus stop!"

"Okay!!!"

By the time David got back, I confirmed what I'd suspected. My water had broke. I told David,

"It's time!" (Oh, and by the way, you did get a full night's sleep, so you can't complain this time.)

By now, my adrenaline was kicking in. I got up, showered, and was dressed in record time. David went to get our babysitter, and by 9:30, we were on our way to the hospital. Once there, I was observed for about an hour, and then they took me to a labor and delivery room. Only then did it really occur to us that unless labor was really long, we would be having a Valentine's Day baby. Awesome.

My OB/GYN, Dr. M came in about an hour later. He said,

"Well, what's the plan Miss Kimberly?" I love Dr. M.

I told him I was ready to have a baby, and to "hook me up," meaning I was ready for the pitocin and epidural. My contractions were managable, but I just wanted to get it over with. Usually, I wait and hold out for as long as I can...I don't like the side effects from the epidural (the shaking, slightly sick feeling, etc.). But not this time. I was ready.

So, by about 1:30, I had the pitocin and epidural. By 3:20, I was dilated to 8 cm. (I walked in at a 3). I was quite surprised it was going so fast! The nurse I had told me to call her when I started feeling pressure. Well, that didn't take long...David called her back only 20 minutes later. Sure enough I was 10 cm dilated, and ready to push. Dr. M was summoned, and he was there 10 minutes later.

I love teasing Dr. M. When Christina was born, she was coming pretty quickly and they'd paged him 2x. I wasn't even pushing, but she was coming all on her own. So by the time Dr. M got there, he had to scrub in quick, because she was born barely 10 minutes later. Ever since then, I tell him, "Now, when they page you, you'd better run, because you almost didn't make it that one time!" Of course, Dr. M says he was there in plenty of time. Sure...

David and I thought we'd have the baby by 4:30, but things were progressing so fast, I changed my estimate to 4:15. I pushed 3 times, and our sweet baby girl arrived at exactly 4:11PM.

Theresa Ellen Reisinger

February 14, 2011

7 pounds, 9 ounces, 19 inches

I was overjoyed when she was placed in my arms. She was perfect in every way, from the light dusting of pale brown hair on her head to the tips of her wee toes. And of course, she scored straight 9's on her Apgar scores. That's our girl. ;-)

All the kids came up to the hospital and wanted to hold their baby sister. Even my big, 11 year old boy demanded a turn, which brought tears to my eyes.

We are still adjusting to having a baby in the house again, but Theresa is settling in nicely, and all the kids are adjusting fairly well. Gabriel is the official diaper helper, Joshua is putting a couple of extra chores, and the girls mostly fight over whose turn it is to hold Theresa. ;-)

As for me, I feel pretty good. Tired, but it is blissful to hold a tiny babe again, and even though my jolt of reality hits at around 2:00 AM, God's graces that are giving me strength.

So we are lovin' on our little sweetheart we got for Valentine's Day. I'll try to post more later.

Almost Time

2011-01-16T16:36:00.000-06:00

It's almost time folks.

We've broken out the nursery furniture...thankfully we didn't sell everything at that garage sale 2 years ago.

Tiny little pink clothes have been washed and folded.

Christina picked this outfit for the baby to come home in. I'd say she has excellent taste. ;-)

Wonderful friends have loaned us assorted baby items...God bless them! I can't tell you how amazing that has been.

Blankets have been made...I made these a few months ago before I knew I'd be too uncomfortable to sit at the sewing machine.

People are starting to ask me if I'm ready. Um...yes, I think so. We certainly don't need anything else for the baby...even Christina looked in the nursery today, and said,

"Mommy, I don't think the baby needs anything else!"

"I sure hope not honey, we have just what we need, don't we?"

Then the next question is, okay...but are YOU ready???

You know...mentally, I'm there. And even if I'm not...God will take us the rest of the way. This pregnancy, I have a million things running through my head, but physically, I am slow to get there. I guess I'm just too tired and pregnant to take care of it right away. (You've probably noticed I'm not blogging much these days either). Usually, I have to get a task done the minute I think about it, but not this time. My spiritual guide says that's not a bad thing...it means I'm allowing God to take over. And so He is...and I honestly don't mind one bit.

It helps having a truly wonderful husband who has done anything and everything this go around. When I've had enough of a day, he asks if there is anything he can do to help. Just asking that question makes my heart swell with love for him, because I know he cares. David has taken over numerous times now when he gets home from work, doing dishes, finishing up homework, getting the kids to bed, rubbing my back, encouraging me to go soak in the tub or take a nap.

About a week ago, David called me from work, and told me he'd arranged to take 3 weeks off from work after the baby is born. I tried my darndest to talk him down to 2 weeks...I really felt like he couldn't afford to take that much time off. Unlike his previous employer, he doesn't get paternity leave now, and he have to use a combination of sick days and vacation time. My sweet hubby told me firmly,

"I know you really need me when you have a new baby. And I want to take the time off. Don't worry about it...I've made my decision."

Wow. I hung up the phone and cried a bit. Just because.

I've said it before, and I'll say it again. I am one lucky gal. "Lucky" isn't even the right word..."extremely blessed" is probably what I should have said.

So...we have about 4 weeks to go. Technically, the baby is due February 28th, but I delivered Gabriel and Christina 2 1/2 weeks early, so my doctor is fairly confident I'll do the same thing this time.

I'll be ready. ;-) I am already having plenty of Braxton-Hicks contractions...so I think our little girl will be ready too.

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-22T12:32:00.000-06:00

From all of us to all of you...

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

David, Kimberly, Joshua, Rebecca, Christina, and Gabriel

Thanksgiving Highlights

2010-11-29T12:32:00.002-06:00

I love Thanksgiving. Just love it. Probably because I grew up overseas for so many years, and we didn't have family to celebrate with. That all certainly changed once I married David. When we gather for Thanksgiving at my SIL's house, there are usually 15 kids, ages 14-3, and about the same number of adults. So it is crazy fun, and it took me a while to get used to the controlled chaos, but now...I just watch the proceedings and enjoy it all.

I thought I would make a list this of this year's highlights.

2. Seeing David's Grandpa at my MIL's house Wednesday night. He flew in from Phoenix to be with us for Thanksgiving. He's 93 years old, and he stays busy going to the senior's center every day and quilting. Yes...quilting. Grandma Lanphear made a Christmas quilt for every one of my kids, and Grandpa has taken over since she passed away in 2006. He's made one for our new baby due in February and gave it to me that night. Awesome.

3. Chatting and helping the rest of the ladies get the Thanksgiving meal on the table. We always have 20 pound plus turkey (and a ham this year), dressing, mashed potatoes, gravy, rolls, maybe a green vegetable, and at least 3 different desserts. Honestly, all I did was whisk the gravy and make scalloped corn because nearly everything else was ready by the time we arrived. This year's feast was exceptionally good. Our Rebecca got in line with the rest of the kids for desserts. She ate it so fast, she got back in line and was able to get seconds before the grownups started. Man...she's good. ;-)

4. Friday we had our first chili "cook off" between my BIL Peter and myself. It is admittedly fun to tease Peter...he can talk smack, and I can dish back out to him. Anyways, he's a pretty darn good cook. So we both made a batch of chili and cornbread, and the family gathered again at Peter and Stephanie's house to eat and vote on their favorite. My chili got 11 votes...I win!!!

5. I loved watching my kids play with their cousins. Mary, Rebecca, Christina, Sofia and Abby were holed up in Mary's room for hours, doing goodness knows what. Nick and Joshua played on the computer together and argued over the TV remote (of course). Gabriel, John, and Daniel were completely engrossed in the train set for most of the weekend, or joined the bigger boys (Adam, Andrew, George, and Joey) playing outside, or wacking each other with nerf swords. At one point, the Twister game was pulled out, and I sat on the couch laughing at their moves...it was so funny!

My MIL insistes on a picture of all the grandkids every year. And every year, the sofa gets a bit more crowded. Here's a pic of everyone...we are missing Ben (he lives in Boston with David's sister and our BIL).

Back row: Adam, Andrew, Grandpa, Joshua, Grandma, George, Mary, Abby, and Rebecca

Front row: Nick, Sofia, Joey, Daniel, Gabriel, John, Great Grandpa, and Christina

6. David and I when over to our friend Rachel's house, where we also met up with Jim. Both are old friends' of David's from high schools, but I've been dubbed "the 4th Muskeeter" since I married David. We stayed up until past midnight, talking, laughing, and drinking spiked tea (except me of course). I begged both of them to please come visit us here in Houston soon.

7. We headed back home on Saturday, stopping at a Braum's for lunch. Gabriel pitched a FIT when David tried to get him to share a double scoop ice cream cup with Christina. Well, he was having none of it, he wanted his own. I guess it was a good thing we did...Christina ate ALL of her ice cream. I was sure she wouldn't be able to finish it, but she did. And Gabriel got his cup all to himself. I can't blame him. ;-)

8. And finally, coming home and unloading the van...we always come back with 3x more stuff than we left with because the family will give us their Christmas presents for us. In addition, this time we had a used bike from my niece Abby that was just the right size for Rebecca...yeah!

Now all my chittlins have been fed pizza, bathed, and put to bed. Ahh...time for me to upack my stuff and go to bed. This momma is worn out!

I hope everyone had a great holiday, and ate themselves silly. We sure did! ;-)

Gem of the Week

2010-11-21T17:43:00.000-06:00

A friend posted this on Facebook today...and I just really liked it.

"Faith is what gets you started. Hope is what keeps you going. Love is what brings you to the end."

~ Mother Angelica ~

What I Know About Bullying

2010-10-08T14:54:00.008-05:00

One Ohio school, 4 Dead Students

I read this article this morning. And I had to hold back tears.

There are kids who are committing suicide because they were bullied at school.

Granted...I'm not an expert on the subject. I don't know all the details...you can't trust the news to report a story with absolute truth.

Some people may think these kids were wimps and didn't know how to stand up for themselves. Maybe so...but I can tell you firsthand; kids who bully are acting out because they are not getting what they need from home, namely proper parental guidance, good role models, and lessons in how to treat others with kindness. They are not being taught that making fun of others is a terrible thing to do, and has lasting consequences.

If you don't believe me...read this blog post. It's long, but it's brutally honest.

Memoirs of a Bullied Kid

What's going on with kids who are bullied? Anyone know? I'll start. I happen to have plenty of experience on the subject.

My Dad was in the military, so we moved every 2 years. Now, that's not so bad when you're young, and friends are made easily especially when you're in military schools overseas. Everyone else is an Army brat too. You all have that common bond, and friendships are there, but not deep, because you know you'll be moving in no time.

By the time I was in 6th grade, I'd lived in 3 countries and gone to 4 different schools. Sometimes it was hard, but I was hanging in there. I was teased some, but it wasn't too bad. My parents told me to, "just ignore it, and they'll stop." Unfortunately, it didn't stop. I realized this harsh reality when I was twelve.

Two boys in my 6th grade class decided I would be their target for the year. They relentlessly called me names, threw spitwads at me, blocked me from the bathroom, etc. One of the boys took a rubber band and staple and sent it flying across the room. It hit me in the face, right above my left eye. I had to go to the school nurse, who carefully pulled it out of my eyelid. I know my Dad made a visit to the principal, and the bullying nearly stopped after that. And that kid? Oh, he just got a slap on the wrist, probably because his Dad was the librarian (yes...really, he was).

Little did I know there would be more things for me to worry about than a staple.

In 7th grade, my Dad moved us to Hawaii. We lived in a tiny Army community just outside Hickam Air Force Base on Oahu. I'll bet you're thinking...WOW. Living in paradise...and the beach right outside our back door! What could be better?

Um..no. It was not paradise. At all. In fact, Hawaii was my least favorite place we lived in. Why?

For starters, my parents had heard the public schools were awful. So they did what they thought was best, and enrolled me in Catholic school. I thought it would be great. Wrong.

I need to back up just a bit and tell you what I looked like back then. I was a very runty child. I recall going to the pediatrician when I was 10. I weighed 50 pounds and was 50 inches tall. Yep...that's it. I was wearing thick ugly glasses because my eyesight was poor. By 7th grade, there were braces on my very crooked teeth. I had stick-straight, dark brown hair with bands cut straight across. I was also a very late bloomer. The uniform shorts were too big, even the smallest size my mom could buy. And because the uniform blouse was white, everyone could tell, (particularly the girls) that I still didn't wear a bra in 7th grade.

So...I didn't like myself much. Okay, I really didn't like myself at all. I knew I didn't look like most girls my age. I was always the shortest kid, and all the other kids at the Catholic school had know each other since kindergarten. The cliques had been establised for years, and needless to say, I wasn't allowed into any of them. My parents did the best they could, but they had pretty high standards, and I didn't always measure up to their expectations. My Father wanted me to stay strong and ignore the teasing. My Mother wanted me to be super smart, and become a prodigy in piano. I failed in all those departments, and my Mom didn't hide her disappointment. So I felt like a failure.

Pretty soon, the boys were teasing me every day. The girls were worse. They made fun of bra-less me. I knew they were always whispering behind my back. Wanting to fit in, I tried to be nice, and even laugh at the taunting. Of course, that was pointless. I even tried out for the girls basketball team, becuase I wanted to belong so badly. I am sure I wasn't but 52 inches tall, so the coach told me, "Maybe next year."

I didn't tell my parents anything. By now, my mom was very sick (years later, we learned she'd had a very bad flare-up of hepatitis), and she was practically bedridden for months. My Dad's assignment was stressful, and I knew he wouldn't be able to do anything. So I stayed quiet. One day, the teasing was so bad, I came home crying. My Dad took one look at me, and promptly went to the principal. The principal was a nun, who was sympathetic, but powerless to do anything. She probably didn't want to lose any students by talking to wealthy, tuition-paying parents.

By now, my parents decided the money they were dishing out for me (and my 2 siblings) wasn't worth it. We were enrolled in public school the following year.

Eighth grade turned out to be the worse year of my life.

In Hawaii, you are either a local or a "haole." Being a military brat, I was automatically labed a "haole, " because I was not a native, and also because I was part Asian. Many locals have deep, discrimating feelings against Asians, because they believe they've bought up their island land for commercial/retail development. I was smart, and had a few friends at the new middle school, but the bullying was much worse.

I learned very quickly to stay out of certain bathrooms around campus. Gangs of boys and girls would hang out in there, ready to shove any luckless student into the toilets. So I'd hold it for hours until PE class when I could go. By then, everyone had to go too-- we knew it was safer in the gym restrooms. I also didn't sit on certain benches in the courtyards, because the students gangs had claimed most of them. The one time I did, my girlfriend and I were shoved off. One assistant principal witnessed the whole thing, and when I asked him why he didn't do anything, he said, "Just stay out of the way, and leave them alone." Excuse me? Since when was sitting on a bench in the courtyard a crime?

Additionally, my backpack was stolen twice and tossed over the 2nd story balcony into a mud puddle, my food thrown in my lap during lunch, and my chair taken away during class. When I told my parents, they just told me to ignore the bulies or stay away from them. Pretty soon, I went to school with a stomache every day, but I also knew no amount of begging to stay home would work. So I just curled up into a ever smaller ball, and stayed quiet.

But school wasn't actually the worse part. The bus ride after school was the worst. My Mom was still very ill, and couldn't pick us up from school, and the bus route wouldn't take us all the way home. So my sister and I rode the bus from school to the base library on Hickam AFB, and we'd wait there until my Dad finished work and could take us home.

Every day after school, no matter where I was in line, I wasn't allowed to get on the bus until the very end. Both the boys and the girls shoved whoever they wanted to the back of the line. I gave up after the first few days of school and just waited at the end to avoid a fight. But it didn't stop there. Nobody would let me sit next to them. Nobody. It was probably a good 20 minute drive to the base library, and I'd stand up the whole way.

One day, one of the particularly mean girls unzipped my backpack all the way open. Out spilled the contents, pencils, pens, books...everything. I tried to pick up the items, but the girls kicked my belongings all over the bus, and the boys stepped on the rest, refusing to let me get them. We finally stopped at the library, and the bus driver yelled at the kids to stop it. I was able to quickly grab most of my things, and got off the bus. My sister and I made it into the library, I asked the librarian to use the phone, and called my Dad. I hadn't cried one tear up until now, but I'll never forget the sympathetic looks the librarian gave me while I sobbed my heart out.

Dad told me to hang on, and he'd be there as soon as he could. The next day, he went to the principal's office and demanded action. He was a military officer, and he wouldn't take bull from anyone. After that, the bus driver made sure to leave one seat free for my sister and I right behind him on the bus. We were relieved, and even more relieved when we moved from Hawaii to Georgia.

Looking back on it now, I learned a LOT in eight grade. For whatever reason, my mother refused to get me a training bra, but she did get a cami for me to wear under my shirts. I guess the girls thought I wasn't paying attention in the locker room, but man...I heard all kinds of things in there. I know you know what I'm talking about. My Mom didn't tell me anything about the opposite sex, how I would develop, nothing. So I quietly digested information, and filed it away in my brain for later.

Maybe it was a good thing I was so ignorant. Thanks to what I heard and very dire warnings from my Mom, ( who instilled unecessary fear in me) I didn't date anyone seriously until my senior year of college. That man turned out to be my husband, and I thank God every day for him.

Back to my story. I ended up going to 2 different high schools. The first one was a fine arts magnet school in downtown August Georgia. I LOVED it there. Everyone had a talent; I played in orchestra and sang in the girls chorus. I was teased a little, but by now, I'd learned a few smart comebacks, and it wasn't mean teasing, it was things like, "Hey, don't you know how to tune your own violin?" I was happy, had a few good friends, and I wasn't a scholar or a violin prodigy, but there was a feeling of belonging.

We had to move toward the end of my junior year to El Paso, Texas, (yes, I was devasted) and the high school was vastly different. I went from a class of 68 to over 700 students. Again, I was confronted with mean girls and long established cliques, but I buckled down on my schoolwork and played violin in the orchestra like mad. I didn't fit in, but I wasn't a total reject either--I made a couple of friends. I knew deep down nobody really cared about me, but I held on to the fact I was going to college in a year, and wouldn't have to tolerate the harassement for long.

Going to college 700 miles away was amazing. Having moved so many times, I knew it was an opportunity to start all over again and meet new people. I soon had a supportive circle of friends at the Catholic church I attended. And I was never harassed, teased, or bullied after that.

Now, I don't worry about myself. I worry about my kids. I am seriously considering homeschooling my girls through middle school. (Our oldest son needs the structure and routine of school with his ADHD). Nearly every woman I've talked to has said the same thing:

"Middle school was HELL. Absolute HELL."

Enough said, right? I can't even think about putting my girls through 1/4 of what I went through. Sure, every school nowadays has anti-bullying policies. But I honestly don't believe them or trust them. David usually has a "Oh, don't worry about that" approach, but he has listened to me. I'm already praying Joshua will not be teased or bullied in middle school. I'm starting to think (but not necessarily approve) of David's idea--if Joshua is bullied at school, he'll teach him how to throw a punch or two if or when it becomes intolerable. Of course we do NOT condone violence in our house, but I truly believe bullies cannot be ignored. They will keep at it...they don't stop, and the school is usually powerless to do anything.

It goes back to what I said at the beginning of this post: Bullies need love and attention too...if they're not getting it from home, they will seek attention and take out their feelings out in other, negative ways. It's hard to look at it from the other side, but when I think about all those mean girls...I know they didn't have a loving home environment. My parents may not have been supportive and understanding when I needed it most, but they did teach me right from wrong. As a mother now, I will not let my kids call each other names, tease their siblings, or pick on others. And trying to tolerate that kind of behavior does not make a kid tough, it only makes them feel smaller than small. That is not what our faith teaches us. And it really doesn't matter what faith you are...a fundamental lesson of life all children should learn is this:

"Treat others the way you would want to be treated." The Golden Rule. How I wish it was a reality, that every child followed this simple statement.

Well, this soapbox has gone on long enough. Sadly, I am sure there will be more kids who hurting so much, they will end their own life to stop the pain. I don't know if I was just lucky or my guardian angel was working overtime for many years. I pray kids who need postive reinforcement will get it, so they in turn will become kinder, more gentle human beings, instead of hurting others.

A Little Bit of Everything

2010-09-29T09:01:00.000-05:00

Lately, I've had a hard time coming up with something to blog about. I think it's because I've had random thought about all sorts of things. Usually, I am pretty focused and organized, but lately, my brain had not wanted to cooperate. (It might have something to do with the fact I'm pregnant ;-). Nevertheless, here's my attempt to put thoughts into words.

1. Reactions from people who find out we're having baby #5 have been mostly positive. Thankfully, only a couple of comments have been downright awful. I was at Walmart with Rebecca pricing out glasses for her, and the woman next to us said,

"So, is she (Rebecca) the oldest?"

I replied, "No, she's the second out of 4, and we have one on the way."

The woman said, shaking her head, "I'm so sorry."

I said, "Why are you sorry? I'm not sorry!"

I didn't have time to really think about those words until later. And then I bristled...and I prayed to God to help me let go of my anger. Why does our society feel sorry for people with big familes anyway? Why are kids such a bad thing? What is UP with people?

Sigh...I'll leave it at that. Otherwise, I'll be on a soapbox for a while.

2. We've been trying to crack down on discipline in our house. It really fell by the wayside over the summer when I was feeling miserable during the first trimester. So far, David and I are really learning to work together, enforce the rules, and praise positive behavior. The only child showing resistance is Rebecca. She tries to negotiate over everything, and it requires the patience of a saint to talk to her. One minute she is kind, helpful, and so attentive to others, and the next, she is ROARING with anger. We both agree she's really smart, and staying one step ahead of her is a challenge. It can be fun though. For example, I had this conversation with her last week when she offered to clean the master bathroom.

REBECCA: "Mommy, I'll clean the bathroom, but it will cost you."

ME: "Okay, I'll pay you 5 dollars."

REBECCA: "That's it!? I want 10 bucks!"
ME: "All right...I'll give you 3 dollars."

REBECCA: "But...that's less than 5!"

ME (smiling): "Well, take it or leave it."

REBECCA (gruglingly): Okay

She doesn't know it, but I walked away from that one saying to myself, "Yes, I WON!" But I tell you, she not only cleaned my bathroom, but her bathroom as well, and did a very good job. So despite her brain and her tongue, our daughter is really a blessing. And a workout!

3. I'm teaching Christina's 1st grade homeschool formation class this year, and so far, I'm having the BEST time. I just LOVE IT. I love being around these sweet little kids, who are eager to learn more about their faith, and it just makes my day to listen to them read, color their pictures, answer questions, etc. I am so thankful to have this opportunity to spend time with our younger daughter. I've always felt like she gets a bit lost in the shuffle in our family, and being her formation teacher gives me some precious time with her.

4. Since school started, I've had to really remind Joshua to write more neatly. I am sure his teacher is wondering how we can ever read this kid's papers. I wish Joshua could just type out everything...but he has to do some writing. He also has a hard time explaining his work, especially when a test question requires a written answer...and I just don't know how to help him. If you ask him orally, he can reel off the answer, no problem. But writing out his thoughts...man it's tough for him. I am praying we can help him some way!

5. David is trying his darndest to get the study nook finished. I've been putting up pictures on Facebook, but I haven't taken pics of the cabinets...I will do that as soon as he clears off all the tools up there. He's currently working on the countertops, which will be large, 18x18 stone tiles. Believe it or not, it was cheaper to go that route than corian or laminate. I will be so glad when this room is done!

6. Let's see...what else have I been thinking about? Oh yes...five kids. Whew...five kids. Can I really do this? I'm nearly halfway throught this pregnancy already...which I can hardly believe. But I am excited too. And funny thing is, I was worried the first few weeks. We had that garge sale two years ago, and I let nearly all the baby things go. But kind friends have offered a car seat, a crib mattress, etc. I even found a perfectly good infant tub in the neighbor's trash pile this week, and snapped it up. Every offer has been like a gift from God...proof that He does provide!
Then I was thinking...where is the baby going to go? We converted the nursery to David's study 2 years ago...and now we have to rearrange big, heavy office furniture to make room for the crib. Thankfully the room is quite large, so it's won't be too bad.
And finally, at one point, I told David, "What about my mother's ring? Will we be able to put another stone in it?" My darling hubby said not to worry...if we couldn't get another stone put in, we'd just get a new setting. He continues to be so attentive to taking care of me during this pregnancy...I am one lucky girl, let me tell you.

Well, I think that's it. I think...

I told you my thoughts were random. ;-). Maybe slightly overboard. But hopefully not completely crazy.

2010 Reisinger Road Trip

2010-09-03T15:02:00.002-05:00

I am finally feeling up to blogging again...yeah! In case you missed my news, we are expecting a baby in February. Yes, that would be baby #5. Yes, I was sicker than sick the first trimester. But I survived our 2 week road trip to Wisconsin and back without throwing up, praise God.

So...this will be a long post, but our trip was really fun, exhausting, and the kids had a blast. Unlike our road trip in 2008, we went north, with our final destination being Green Lake Wisconsin for the 2010 CCL Convention.

We left on a Sunday morning and headed for Springfield, Missouri. We had dinner that night at Lamberts, a restaurant famous for throwing their dinner rolls clear across the dining room. And boy, they're HOT too...I had to drop mine as soon as I caught it. We had to wait over an hour for a table; it was so crowded, but the food was great, and the portions were huge. David and I had our chicken-friend steak brought to us in big skillets instead of a plate.

Next day, we drove a short distance to Mansfield to vist the Laura Ingalls Wilder Historic Home and Museum. Rebecca has been reading the "Little House" books for nearly a year now, and I loved reading them myself at her age. We toured the house Almanzo built for Laura, the muesum, and of course, the gift shop. Rebecca was impressed to see many artifacts and pictures in the muesum, including Pa's fiddler, and the quilt Laura made as a little girl.

I only took a couple of pictures outside, as no inside pics were allowed.

After a picnic lunch, we headed to St. Louis. We had gotten rooms at the Crowne Plaza downtown through Hotwire. Now the hotel was in a great location...we were 2 blocks from the Arch, and they had a pool on the roof. But it took 45 minutes to check in! There was a ball game that night (the Cardinals vs. the Houston Astros, for which we tried to get tickets to but couldn't), and at least once conference at the hotel that week. But they did serve free drinks, wine, and beer to everyone in line.

Then they tried to put us in a smoking room. I said no way...it could cause Christina to have an asthma attack! So they upgrade us at no charge to a king suite...David and I got a king bed in a separate room (which was great for me to take naps), the boys slept on the floor, and the girls got a pull-out couch. So despite the glitches, we were very comfortable. We had dinner that night at The Old Spaghetti Factory with Ben, a friend of David's from high school, and one of the ushers at our wedding.

Christina got a birthday treat and a song after dinner. I can't believe she's 6 now.

Tuesday morning we walked to the Arch with plans to go all the way to the top. I didn't realize the tourist center was underground, and you had to take a tiny elevator to go up. I played around with the camera and got some great shots of the monument. It seems a simple thing...an arch, but once you actually get close, it's quite impressive.

Once underground, there was one of the elevators you could sit in and try out. I'm sure it was there to give visitors an idea of how small it was...'cause let me tell you, it was tiny. Each one holds 5 people, but they let all of us go together with Gabriel in David's lap. If you're clastrophobic, I highly discourage you from getting in.

We'd bought our tickets online ahead of time to save us time, and they line you up in front of one of 8 elevators. The doors are barely 4 feet high; they are not lined up next to each other, but are constructed in a staircase fashion to follow the angle of the arch.

Gabriel was a little nervous...but only fussed on the way up, and was enthralled once we got to the top.

The viewing area at the top has very small windows, and it's not flat...duh...you're at the top of an arch, right? But the view...wow...pretty amazing!

I hope y'all don't mind me taking pics of your posterier...LOL!

Tuesday afternoon we hit the St. Louis Science Center. It cost $9 to park, but admission was free...great for a family of six. It doesn't look like much from the outside, but was really fun inside. We spent nearly 4 hours there, and only got pics with our phones because we left the camera in the car. Oh well. I think one of the best exhibits was a science show. The presenter (who was quite good and entertaining) talked about Newton's law of gravity. They demonstrated this by dropping different objects from the top floor of the building (which was 4 stories high) over a balcony. Needless to say, the kids thought that was cool.

Rebecca volunteered to catch a water ballon dropped from the top floor. She was wearing a rain coat, but still got a bit wet.

After a late lunch, we headed back to hotel. David and the kids hit the rooftop pool, but Momma took a much-needed nap. Ahh...nothing like having a king-sized bed all to yourself.

We took a risk after reading some online reviews and tried a local pizza joint for dinner. Stallone's was a tiny, hole-in-the-wall place, but the pizza was amazing! They reminded me a lot of our favorite local joint, Pizza Zone. At both places, they treat you like family and the owners themselves are making the pies with fresh dough. If you're ever in St. Louis, try Stallones' you will not be disappointed.

Another reason why we picked Stallone's was it's proximity to Ted Drewe's. I'd heard about this place many times, and was not about to pass up a chance to try some frozen custard. So after stuffing ourselves with pizza, we headed just a few streets over and had dessert. And yeah...it was awesome. Now that we were REALLY full, we went back to the hotel and collapsed into bed.

Wednesday we toured the Cathedral Basillica of St. Louis. David loves to visit major cathedrals whenever we travel. I think it's also good to show the kids how the physical church is different from place to place, but the Mass itself is always the same. We had an excellent tour guide, who pointed out the mosaics, marble colums, and just the artistry itself. Here's a few pictures from my iphone, which really doesn't do it justice.

After daily Mass (in very snug pews) we had lunch on the church grounds...it was hot, but bearable in the shade. We sure were hoping for cooler weather the further north we went, but talk about a heat wave in the Midwest. Except for the lower humidity, it was as hot as Houston!

That afternoon, we hit the road for Chicago. First stop, our hotel. We apparently got a room in one of the biggest shopping areas in town. Seriously, it makes the Willowbrook area here look minute. But it also meant plenty of restaurants to choose from, and we found a Walgreens easily (I needed some TUMS).

The first night, we meet up with David's Aunt Sue, his cousins Becky and Eric and their little boy Jacob for dinner at Olive Garden. Jacob was nearly the same age as Gabriel, but he took to Rebecca within minutes and pretty soon, they were sitting next to each other, talking up a storm. We had a lovely time catching up, but eventually I gave David that look that said "Please let's go before the kids melt down." So far on our trip, the kids were behaving fairly well, but they were really tired. They'd been getting up early despite not going to sleep past 10 PM every night. So we got back to the hotel and the kids were in bed in record time, me included. ;-)

Thursday we went to the Brookfield Zoo with Becky, Eric, and Jacob. Both Becky and Eric had season passes, so we all were able to get in free. Yeah! The zoo had a nice layout, and it was crowded, but not overly so. We saw lions, and tigers, and bears...oh my! But oh my...I don't know why I didn't take hardly any pictures! The zoo also had a new bear exhibit, including a HUGE polar bear. The dolphin exhibit was cute...we caught the last few minutes of the show.

But there were a couple of places for some group photo ops.

The zoo allows food to be brought in, so we had lunch in a nice, shady area next to a big playground. We'd brought our own lunch, but our kids loved Becky's offerings of cheetos, fruit and homemade cookies. It's always a tad embarassing when you kids eat someone else's food, isn't it? Becky highly encouraged sharing though. ;-).

We finally called it quits mid afternoon, said our goodbyes, and headed back to the hotel to rest up a bit before dinner that night. One of my friends from high school suggested Giordano's for their deep dish, Chicago style pizza. So we went, and it was very good. The kids had thin-crust pizza, and thank goodness David and I ordered a small...it was so thick and dense, there was no way we would have been able to finish anything bigger.

Friday we hit one of Joshua's requested attractions... LEGOLAND!

Here's the city of Chicago in minature, made entirely out of Legos.

I honestly thought the girls wouldn't enjoy LEGOLAND as much as Joshua, but they had a blast. There was a short water ride, which the kids insisted on doing...twice, we took a "tour" of how Legos were made, watched a 4D animated cartoon, and built a minature replica of the Sears tower with Legos.

In between these exhibits, there were plenty of photo ops, all made with Legos.

The last bit we did was an indoor ride, adjacent to building centers (where you could help yourself to bins of Legos and make whatever you wanted), plus a large playground. Gabriel was happily engrossed with the slide while David took the kids on the ride. Christina didn't want to go at first, but as with almost everything, she changed her mind, and Dad went with her. And of course, she loved it.

We had dinner that night at Aunt Becky's house, with the rest of the fam and some excellent fried chicken from a local restaurant. The kids were all over Aunt Becky's 2 dogs...great big huskies, who were friendly as anything and kept begging for bits of chicken.

Sunday we drove into downtown Chicago to visit the Sears Tower. (I know, I know, it's known as the Willis Tower now, but none of the locals will call it anything other than it's former name, and I don't want to case any grief on my own blog, okay?) David thought it would not be too crowded on a Sunday morning, and he was right. The kids were impressed at how fast the elevator was...I think we were going up 10 floors per second. Again we'd bought our tickets in advance online, and in no time at all, we were on the skydeck of the tower, 110 stories up.

It was cloudy and misty that morning, but the view was nonetheless impressive.

The glass balconies were obviously, very popular. I was not the only one trying to get pictures either.

Gabriel was not happy about the glass balcony...but it didn't phase the other kids at all. Okay...so I didn't go out there either...I was trying to get pictures people!

Luckily for us, it didn't start raining until we got back down to street level. David and Joshua took off to get the van for us ladies since we'd parked a few blocks away. Thanks boys!

We then headed up to Green Lake, Wisconsin for the CCL Convention. Two years ago, the convention was in Ashville, North Carolina at Ridgecrest Conference Center. David said we had to stop at Lake Michigan for lunch, only to find we had to climb over the huge concrete boulders on the lake shore (to stop erosion), and there was no public restroom in sight. But the view was pretty, and there were tons of birds and dragonflies...I mean thousands of 'em. I tried not to be cranky, but by the time we left, my need to go (along with the girls) was acute, and it took 2 different stops at 2 gas stations before we found a restroom. When a pregnant woman has to go, it means, "now!" ;-)

After an easy, 2 hour drive, we arrived at Green Lake Convention Center. Such a pretty place!

We checked in, found our cabin, and got settled in before heading to the dining room for dinner. There was a meeting for parents about childcare after dinner, which I went to with my sister-in-law Stephanie before heading back to the cabin to help David get the kids into bed.

Our first night, unfortunately was not pleasant. The average temps in Wisconsin are usually in the low 80's during the day and mid 60's at night. But the current heat wave had not only pushed the highs into the 90's, but the humidity was higher as well. And our cabin was non-airconditioned. My SIL and BIL had reserved a campsite for their air-conditioned camper. But our kids took a long time to go to sleep, even afer David made a late-night run for small fans for everyone, plus an additional, larger fan provided by the conference center. I slept fine with a fan blowing over me, but I have to say the mattresses were awful...thin, and I could feel the springs underneath me. Overall, I felt the $70 for the cabin was overpriced, especially since the bathroom was tiny and dingy, and the cabin inself was not very clean. But we made the best of it the first two nights.

We enjoyed all the talks, workshops, and fellowship with other CCL Teaching and Promotor Couples. It's really great to be amongst other large families as well. By now, I wasn't having any anxiety about being pregnant, since I talked to many other moms with 4 or more kids. You can say I got plenty of "large family therapy!"

The kids were in childcare for most of the day. They had a VBS format for the older 2 kids, and they were with their cousins Mary, Nick, Daniel and John, so they had plenty of time to hang out together. I was really tired though, and I didn't take hardly any pictures. The only ones worth posting are from the family dance Tuesday night. Joshua wouldn't have anything to do with a dance, so he stayed back with me and Gabriel, and Stephanie offered to take the girls. They had a really good time. David went to Confession, but came back and I went to the dance later on to watch the fun.

By now, we were staying with our friends John and Kerrie, who are also from Houston. They found out we were staying in one of the cabins, and offered us room in their rental cottage. Turns out they had originally reserved a cabin just a stone's throw from ours. After one night, they refused to stay there anymore though...it was supposed to be air-conditioned (but wasn't), there were no screens on the windows upstairs (so Kerrie was too afraid to open the windows with her baby present), and worst of all, there were critter droppings and ants everywhere (which Kerrie was especially upset about, b/c her kids have major allergies and she was cooking all their food herself during the convention).

Kerrie and John talked to the conference staff, and they were upgraded to a HUGE, lakeside rental cottage, with 5 bedrooms, each with its own bath. They were only using 2 of the bedrooms, so they offered us the remaining 3 bedrooms. When Kerrie found out I was pregnant, she told me to "please come, you need air-conditioning and a comfy bed!" Honestly, I didn't needed any more convincing, so David and I packed up our things and spend the remaining 2 nights of the conference with Kerrie, John, and their 4 kids (who BTW are as cute as buttons). We were much more comfortable, the cottage had a huge living room, and plenty of space to spread out. We all had twin beds, and I slept so well, several people told me the next morning, "you look so nice and rested today!' (I hope I looked at least halfway decent the previous days).

One of the best things about going to the Convention is talking to Vicki Braun and Marilyn Shannon. Vicki is the Project Manager at CCL, and she is also extremely knowledgable about good nutrition. So I always have a question or two for her. Pinning her down long enough is another story...I finally just had to grab her after breakfast one day. But after consulting with her, she thinks I need more vitamin A, so I am going to try buying range-free eggs from a local co-op. She says they're the best source for vitamin A.

I also was able to ask Marilyn Shannon, author of Fertility, Cycles, and Nutrition a few troubleshooting questions about menstrual cycles and breastfeeding. Even though I consider myself an "expert" having breastfed 3 out of our 4 kids, I still always like to learn as much as possible. In addtion to presenting a workshop, Marilyn also hosts "Dorm Talks" at every convention. Mostly women (and a few hardy husbands), gather in the evenings and we just talk about anything and everything...babies, breastfeeding, cycle issues, vitamins, etc. It's always fun and really informative.

The last day of the conference, we found out the 2012 Convention would be in Colorado Springs, Colorado...whoo hoo! I sure hope the weather will be COOL over there!

After 4 days of the Convention, we drove back south on Friday to stay with David's relative, Uncle Tim in Racine. Uncle Tim used to work for Johnson and Wax, so we had sent him a list of cleaning products, which he could buy for us at a significant discount at the company store. So there were 8 boxes of products waiting for us in his basement! But I'd packed carefully for our 2 week trip; David loaded the boxes in the luggage shell on top of the van, and there was still room for the duffel bags. No problem!

Speaking of the basement, Uncle Time thought it was hilarious when the kids asked him right away if they could see it. We'd told the kids what a basement was, but they just didn't quite understand...after all, there are no basements here in Houston (or Texas for that matter) because of the heavy clay content in the soil. So Uncle Tim gave them a tour, and the kids thought it was "awesome."

The first day there, Uncle Tim loaded up his boat, and took us out to Browns Lake. He took the kids in two shifts out, and the older ones went fishing. I didn't go...pregnancy nausea + motion sickness = major misery for me, so I stayed back with Gabriel. David took the camera though, and the kids caught dozens (literally) of fish, which they released back into the water.

Uncle Tim was such a trooper keeping up with everyone...he even let the kids have a turn driving the boat. Here's Christina...I hope nobody told him that Christina is one mean driver with the little Hummer we have at home!

Watcha doin' Daniel? ;-)

Here's Johnny! (and David with Gabriel)

After fishing, the kids came back to shore. It was getting late, but they REALLY wanted to go tubing. So Joshua, Rebecca, Christina, Nick, and Mary went back out with David and Uncle Tim for more fun on the water.

In the meantime, the rest of us headed back to Uncle Tim's to get dinner and feed the younger kiddos. The others didn't get back until after 8 PM, and boy, were they hungry. I don't know about my niece and nephews, but our kids fell asleep pretty quicky that night. I think we especially wore out Uncle Tim...he sat down with a drink after putting up the boat, and didn't get back up again for several hours!

Friday, Uncle Tim took us out to a local splash fountain, and then to North Beach on Lake Michigan. We spent the morning getting wet...

burying various victims in the sand...

and watching the catamaran boats. We didn't see too much at first because they were a good distance away, plus there was fog out on the lake, but eventually the boats came in to dock. Quite a sight!

After the beach and a late lunch, I took a nap along with Gabriel and John while David took the older kids out to the Jelly Belly Factory. Of course, I had to sample everyone's bag of goodies when they came back. ;-). David got a sample of lemon-lime ones for me...thanks honey!

We took off very early (6:00 AM) the next morning to start the drive back home, and headed for Little Rock, Arkansas. It was a very long day, over 11 hours of driving. The kids managed, but Rebecca was awfully cranky by the time we got to the hotel. I'm sure it was because she was just so tired from the activities of the previous 2 days. But our room was very comfortable, and the continental breakfast the next morning was the best we'd had during our entire trip.

Sunday, the last day of our trip, we drove another 7 hours and got home about 4:30 that afternoon. The kids said it felt like we'd been gone forever. Gabriel seemed to perk up once we were a few miles from home and recognized where he was. I was ready to sleep in my own bed again, let me tell you. ;-)

It was a few days before the kids readjusted to being back home, but we got nearly everything unloaded, unpacked, and put away within a few days. Despite doing 6 loads of laundry during our trip, I spend nearly a week doing more laundry and getting it all put away. Thank goodness the kids were home to help...they willingly folded and put their clothes away, in exhange for computer/TV time.

Whew...I think that's all folks. What a trip! And in two years, we get to do it again! Yee haw!

Guess what?

2010-08-06T21:50:00.001-05:00

I am sorry I have been absent for so long. I haven't had much time, let alone energy to post anything. But I did want to share some happy news.

We are expecting a baby. I honestly thought we were done, but God had a different plan. And after a week of...well...quiet panic, I went to Adoration. And Reconcilation. I told God, "I'm not sure I can do this." He said, "Yes, you can. All you have to do is love this baby, and everything else will work itself out."

I took a deep breath, and said, "Okay Lord, I trust you."

I had my first doctor's appointment at 9 weeks. Here's our first peek at our new little one!

The morning sickness hit me at barely 4 weeks though, and I haven't been able to do anything except get through one day at a time. Ironic, how being nauseaous 24-7 helps you let go of a lot of worries.

Yes, I had a garage sale last year and sold nearly all our baby things. I still have the crib and changing table, the cradle, one pair of maternity pants that I coudn't bear to part with, the baby sling, and one box of baby clothes (boy and girl things). That's it.

I really believe God is still trying to cure me, or at least tame my tendency to be a perfectionist. This baby is going to be a tiebreaker! Rebecca and Christina are already praying for a little sister. Joshua said 2 sisters were enough. :-) Gabriel is too little to have an opinion. Thank goodness for that!

So I've been directing my troops from the couch, choking down small meals, gagging in between, napping every day, and popping TUMS like candy. That about sums up my days.

Thankfully, I am starting to feel better. I've had 4 "good" days in a row, and tonight is the first night I haven't gone to bed 30 seconds after the kids.

Before I go, I have to say one more thing.

I love my husband more that ever before. When I found out I was pregnant, he calmed my fears, and right away, insisted that I take it easy. He would come home, see me curled up in bed, not even able to talk, and he's go into Mr. Mom mode. David had no qualms about making dinner, cleaning up (with help from the kids), giving baths, doling out other chores, and putting the kids to bed every night. And he did all of it, without a single complaint. Seriously...not one.

And...every morning, he'd ask me what I'd want for breakfast (usually a piece of toast and juice), and he would bring it to me before leaving for work. Breakfast in bed...yeah, I had to choke it down, but it really saved me. Talk about a new appreciation for my other, better half. Sigh...I hope I can make him a great steak dinner when I feel better. I love you David!

All right, I am off to bed. Right now, we are on our vacation, 2 weeks on the road, final destination the 2010 CCL Convention in Green Lake Wisconsin, with stops in Springfield, MO, St. Louis, Chicago, and Racine, WI. I did cave and ask my OB/GYN for some medication, because I couldn't deal with the nausea AND the motion sickness I always get when I'm in the car for more than 2 hours. It did help, but I actually haven't had to take it the past few days. I'm really hoping I'm over the hump!

Summertime...and the Livin' is BUSY

2010-07-05T11:44:00.000-05:00

I cannot believe it's been over a month since my last post. Whoa...how did that happen?

Then again, this past week was our first real break since school got out.

We had swim team practice every morning except Mondays, and of course the meets on Saturdays. Both the girls kept improving their times. Rebecca now has a qualifiying time for all 4 strokes, freestyle, backstroke, breastroke, and butterfly. Not bad for an 8-year-old. :-). She missed All-Stars by 2 seconds on her backstroke, which sorely disappointed her. But I can't lie...I was a bit relieved. Divisionals (which was outdoors for us) was so long and hot...whew! I can't imagine All-Stars and the long day that would have been.

Some random pics of the kids swimming.

After swim team was over, we had Vacation Bible School at St. Ignatius. And no, I didn't get a single picture. I was busy in the kitchen, helping with snacks, and honestly didn't stand still the whole week. It made me a bit sad, realizing this was the last year Joshua would be able to participate. Sigh...

In between all this, I took the kids blackberry picking, bought farm-fresh peaches, and made lots of homemade jam. Of course, we had to make trifle and cobbler with all our bounty of fresh fruit. And we sure have been enjoying it too. YUM!

Gabriel when to his first birthday party at a fire station. It was really fun...and he loved it, especially the eatin' part. That child would not stop eating the bananas and grapes off the food table! I had to stop him at one cupcake too...darn kid!

My brother popped into town for a quick visit. He had to meet us at IKEA because we were trying to pick out cabinets for the study nook. (We still haven't ordered any yet!). The kids were thrilled to see their Uncle before he heads out to Fr. Rucker for more flight training.

Speaking of the study nook, David has been hard at work. I helped him glue down the wood floor last week. It took all day, but I think it looks pretty good!

David will use the leftover planks and some matching trim to build the step down into the room. There's still the electrical and floor trim trim to install, the cabinets (if we ever get around to ordering some!), building the work stations (a large, build-in desk along one wall), putting in the bar sink, etc. Sigh. It takes major patience to deal with a big home improvement project!

We had a great 4th of July. I made a big dinner, we had friends over, and David shot off fireworks with the kids outside in the street until nearly 11 PM. Nobody got up before 9:00 AM this morning. I felt bad because I had David cut up a whole watermelon, put it in the fridge to chill, and forgot all about it until after dessert. Oh well!

I think that cover the last 5 weeks. Hope everyone else is having a great, hot summer!

Managing the Fun

2010-06-09T10:06:00.027-05:00

Ever since the kids got their new Nintendo DSI's, it's been a constant battle with how much time they're allowed to play. I wasn't keen on getting them in the first place. David and I told Joshua and Rebecca if they wanted one so bad, they had to save up their own money and buy it themselves. Secretly, I was hoping they'd give up and their desire would just disappear.

Well, no such luck. Josh and Rebecca actually save up their allowances for nearly a year. They turned down book orders, trips to the dollar store, souvenirs at gift shops, and the bargain bins at Target. I admit...I was impressed. So about 6 weeks ago, the DS craze started, and it really hasn't quite tapered down yet.

Of course, this mean ongoing fights over this darn electronic device. Christina didn't get a DSI (at at 5 years old, we told her she was too little anyway), so she was always begging to play, and the kids wouldn't heard me if I called them for chores, dinner, etc. It was driving me NUTS...and that's putting it mildy. I also knew the kids were always bugging me, or asking me to play because I had no rules in place. David and I knew we had to figure out some system to keep track of playing time, but kept putting it off...end of the school year activities plus swim team left us too mentally drained for anything else.

Finally, last Sunday night, we sat down and came up with a game plan. First, we came up with a "Nintendo DSI Contract." It spells out a few simple rules, and the consequences for breaking them. This includes being prompt and respectful towards Mom and Dad, no sneaking playing time, failure to do chores, etc.

In addition to the DS Contract, I made up a chart on a dry-erase board. There are 4 vertical columns--TV, Computer, DSI, and Reading. The kids' names make up the 3 vertical columns.

Every day, the kids start out with 1 hour for each category. They are free to use their time as they like, but once it's up...that's it for the day. We might make special exceptions if friends show up to play, but so far, it's working well. I decided not to let the kids watch each other on the TV/Computer/DSI; if they did, it would count towards their time. This has been a little tricky...obviously it's hard to stop them from watching/playing with a sibling. But I know if we don't at least try, the kids will complain that they used up all their time watching/playing something they really didn't want to in the first place.

David wanted the kids to be able to keep track of their time themselves, so he came up with the idea of having timers for each of them. I bought 3 digital timers at Walmart (at $3 dollars each), and they are magnetized, so they are up on the fridge right below the dry-erase board.

Whenever the kids want to play/watch something, they go set their timer. They start with one hour, and if they only want to use 20 minutes, they set the timer for that amount. I really like these timers...they beep when the time is down to 10 minutes, and again at 5 minutes. So the kids get 2 warnings, and I don't have to say a thing...awesome! When their time is up, they erase the "60" on their chart, write down how much time they have left, and zero their timer. Joshua and Rebecca can do this completely on their own. Christina needs a little bit of help, but she understand how it works...she has me do the subtraction for her ;-).

David thought of one more "rule" last night. The kids have to do their 1 hour of reading sometime during the day. If they don't, whatever reading time they have left has to be done the following day BEFORE any TV/Computer/DSI time. I plan to throw in some lessons at some point during the summer that will count towards their reading time.

So now you wonder, how has this been working thus far?

Let me tell you...the past 2 days have been SO much more peaceful in our house! No more yelling at the kids to get off the TV, the DSI, or the computer. No more bugging Mom, no more fighting over anything. The kids are negotiating with each other, "Okay, I'll play for 25 minutes, and when I'm done, it'll be your turn." And best of all, I don't have to play referee! I'll give you an example.

Christina got on the computer this afternoon, just before one of Joshua's friends called. Joshua was none too happy to see his little sister on the computer...he'd made plans to play a game online with his friend earlier that day. But he called his friend and said, "Sorry, call me back in an hour, my sister is on the computer right now." No meltdown, no tears. Before we put this time management system in place, Joshua would have had a HUGE fit.

As a parent, it is hard to bite the bullet and take the time to plan...I know we should have come up with this system sooner, and procrastinating only made things worse. At one point, I wanted to throw the DSI's in the trash, and David thought about unplugging the TV...no joke! But our plan is working so well...I am not dreading this summer at all now. The kids are managing their times all on their own...it is teaching them to be responsible, fair to their siblings, and I get to keep all my hair. ;-)

Hope your kiddos aren't driving you crazy this summer! If they are, send 'em to our house. We can manage them until you get your game plan together. But just so you know, I will send them home eventually...I'm liking the peace and quiet over here!

Rebecca's First Solo

2010-05-29T17:02:00.020-05:00

Rebecca's second grade class (and the rest of the second grade) has been getting ready for a musical program for the past 3 months. We got the information send home back in February for the costumes. Rebecca was supposed to wear a tan sweatsuit, white t-shirt, and a sombrero with dog ears on top...her character was a chihuahua.

By the time the parent information sheets came home though, I wasn't able to find a tan sweatsuit anywhere. So I decided to make Rebecca tan pants using 2 towels (so it would look fluffy and dog-like), and use the leftover material to make a set of ears. I emailed the music teacher, Ms. F. first, and she said that would be fine.

The first performance of the dog show was last Tuesday afternoon, and I was able to go without Gabriel, thanks to my neighbor's girl who watched a napping Gabriel. The second performance was Wednesday night. I was glad to get plenty of pics and video of Rebecca's solo because it was controlled chaos that night.

We got to the cafeteria in plenty of time to get good seats, but unfortunately, for whatever reason, the AC wasn't working. Nonetheless, the performance started, with Ms. F graciously reminding the kids to "use your concert manners." I have to tell you a little bit about Ms. F. She is the epitamy of a lady. She must be at least 60 years old, but is always dressed elegantly, always calm, poised, and polite. And the kids love her.

Anyway, about halfway through the performance, you could tell the kids where getting hot and restless. The audience I must say was awful...I heard people talking constantly, not even bothering to whisper, parents called out to their kids on stage, etc. I was apppalled, but Ms. F kept her cool. Then a little girl on the risers fainted, and the decision was made to cancel the show. It was the right decision, but I sure felt for Ms. F. and the kids...I knew they worked really hard. The show has been rescheduled for next Tuesday, but since I already have video, we've decided not to go again.

Here's some of the pics I took of Rebecca and the video of her solo. She is wearing the sombrero and wearing a white t-shirt.

We were really proud of our girl, she sang her part perfectly. I knew she was nervous, but I told her to just pretend she was singing in the shower, and that everyone in the audience was in their pajamas. ;-) Don't know if Broadway is in her future, but she said she had fun being a dog.

The Magic Stethescope

2010-05-07T11:07:00.000-05:00

Watch this...your kids will like it too.

Grandpa and Grandma

2010-05-03T17:18:00.003-05:00

I drove to San Antonio this past weekend to visit my grandparents. This was a painful visit to make, and I made it alone. I knew this road trip would be difficult, partially because I didn't know what to expect, and also because I knew Grandpa was now in a assisted care facility.

The events leading up to this trip have been sketchy until now. I was finally able to hear the entire story from my Dad over the weekend.

The day after my Grandma's 90th birthday (March 22), Grandpa accidently drove into an intersection on a red light. Grandpa is 89 years old...that says it all, doesn't it? To make matters worst, their car was a '95 Toyota with no air bags. Grandma had taken off her seat belt for a moment to take off her jacket when they were hit. I didn't see her at her worst, but my Dad said her face looked horrible. They were both taken via ambulance to the hospital, released the same day (no broken bones, thank God), and went home.

Once back at their apartment, both Grandpa and Grandma got sick because they couldn't really take care of themselves after the accident. They were in pretty good shape beforehand...no long-term medical issues, they were mobile, etc. My Dad found out about their state during one of his regular phone calls, and promptly went to San Antonio. He spent the next 3 weeks nursing them back to health. I can't get into the details because even I cannot comprehend them yet...all I can say is my Dad had to do nearly everything for them.

Grandma got better, but Grandpa did not. Something happened to him after the accident...he just stopped doing his normal routine, taking care of himself, eating, etc. It took my Dad 5 days to convince him to go to the doctor, and by then, he decided he had to go straight to the hospital. When the ambulance came, Grandpa refused to go. After more convincing from the "really big, 6' 4" EMT," (my Dad's words), Grandpa finally went to the hospital. He spend 4 days there and was diagnosed with pneumonia. Thankfully, it was not a severe case, and Grandpa responded to the antibiotics.

Once Grandpa was released, he was as weak as a baby, and they moved him to a room in the Health Care Center. This is right next door to the high-rise condominiums at the retirement community they live in. For the first few days, he would not eat, drink, or take his medications. Grandpa is a very, very stubborn man, and I was truly afraid he wouldn't make it. He even yelled and cussed at some of the nurses...which didn't surprise me, but it gave me hope. Obviously he had some fighting spirit in him! Currently, he is doing better and can sit up to eat, but has no energy at all, and cannot get out of bed yet. Long-term, the doctor says is recovery is up to him. If he eats and drinks enough and takes his meds, he should be fine. Without it being said out loud, I think we all believe Grandpa will not be the same ever again though.

So Grandpa has been down in Health Care for a couple of weeks now. They moved Grandma down to his room because they wanted to be together. All the nurses are very kind, and they're all pulling for them...June 15 is their 70th wedding anniversary, can you believe it? One of the nurses took these pictures for me.

I knew I wanted to go and see my grandparents before it was too late. I realize this is their "journey into the sunset of life." When I got to San Antonio Saturday morning, I went straight to their room. Grandma looked fine, and Grandpa recognized me right off the bat. He cannot remember anything from one minute to the next, but he knew who I was. I visited them on and off all the rest of the day and twice on Sunday before I went back home. I told them over and over again I loved them, and they said they loved me too. I will never, ever forget those precious words. The last thing my Grandma said was, "I hope you took some things to remember me by." It took everything I had not to cry.

Honestly, the most difficult part of this whole weekend was helping with the clean-out of my Grandparent's apartment. I went through a lifetime of things, and seeing their belongings brought back so many memories. I knew certain pieces of furniture, pictures, and little accessories had never been moved from their places in my lifetime. And...Grandpa had become a hoarder. My Dad had tackled the worst, but I still threw out periodicals and catalogs that were 10 years old, used batteries, empty bags, empty boxes, a dozen small cheap radios, it was mind-boggling.

My Dad told me I could take what I wanted as long as I ran it by him first. I initially wanted only 4 paintings, (Grandma had done over 40 oils over the past 30 years) but came home with a few other things...a small box of jewelry, a hand-painted lap desk, a holy water font, a wooden nativity set, a few pieces of china, old photos, a scrapbook my Grandma had kept of all the pictures and letters I'd ever sent her (I choked up when I saw it), a small rug, 12 of her paintings, and some other momentoes. Nothing was of real value, just things I knew I wanted to pass down to my own children some day.

The most precious thing I was able to bring back was my Grandma's rocking chair. It was the one thing I admit I'd hoped to have. Yesterday, as I drove home, I would look at it through my rear view mirror, and would just start crying. I couldn't even sit in it until today...there is a crack in one of the runners that will have to be fixed, but otherwise, the chair is in fine shape. The finish is a bit worn on the armrests; David said we could have it refinished, but I said no. I want to keep it exactly the way it is. I still cannot look at it without getting choked up...it doesn't seem real to have things of my Grandparents while they are still living.

The chair is now in our bedroom. Grandma embroidered the upholstery herself many years ago.

And here are a few of the oil paintings.

I am praying my Grandparents will be around a little bit longer. Maybe they are ready, and know things we don't, but none of us are ready to say goodbye just yet. I know this is all in God's hands, and His plan is perfect, yet our whole family is struggling just the same. A good friend told me it's because we all love Grandpa and Grandma so much. That much is true...no matter what happens, they will always be loved.

Rebecca's First Holy Communion

2010-04-25T15:52:00.003-05:00

Rebecca made her First Holy Communion today. Truly, there are no words to describe how I feel. More than anything...to know Jesus now dwells forever in our daughter's heart, and she really understands what that means...how can you express that?

Since I'm at a loss for words, I'll just let the pictures tell you everything.

The day was beautiful, Rebecca received the Body and Blood of Christ perfectly. We are so happy family and friends shared our special day with us, and we owe so much to Ms. Katie and Ms. Valerie for preparing Rebecca so well. She was calm and reverence at Mass, but she did say one adorable thing Sunday morning:

"Mommy, I feel famous!"

I said (laughing), "Sweetheart, you can be famous for now...today is all about you!"

"While they were eating, He took bread, said the blessing, broke it, and said, 'Take it; this is my body. Then He took a cup, gave thanks, and gave it to them, and they all drank from it. He said to them, 'This is my blood of the convenant, which will be shed for many.' " Mark 14:22-25

The Kids and Summer Plans

2010-04-20T14:43:00.000-05:00

I have been remiss...I haven't posted about all the kids since last summer. They've all changed so much since then. Here is the latest.

Joshua will be 11 in June...I still haven't recovered from his double-digit birthday last year. He has been diligently saving up his allowance, birthday money, etc. for a Nintendo DSI. Apparently, David and I are the only parents who did not give their child a DS for Christmas last year. I guess we are just cruel and insensitive; making our kids pay for an expensive electronic toy themselves. There will also be a written contract governing the use of the DS that Joshua will have to sign. He already asks me a million times a day if he can go play on the computer or watch TV, so there had to be some regulation plan. At least it's one more thing I can hold over his head if he is disrespectful, brings home a bad grade, harasses his sisters, etc. Joshua is enjoying being in Cub Scouts with David...they shot off model rockets yesterday at the high school parking lot. He said it was "really, really awesome!" We were really impressed with his last report card, three A's and three B's, which was insanely good for him.

Rebecca (8) also saved up her money to get a Nintendo DS...because she can't bear to be outdone by her older brother (and yes, she'll be signing a contract too). I constantly find papers, journals, and her other writings all over the house. The past few weeks, her conduct at school has been below par...talking too much. After an email to her teacher, and a stern discussion regarding her behavior, we have not seen much improvement. But...I know it is spring fever; it's running rampant at school, and she is bring home stellar work and grades (she's made straight A's all year long on her report cards). So...we told her to be quiet, or that new DS coming in the mail would not make it into her eager little hands! The biggest event for Rebecca is her First Holy Communion this Sunday. I don't know how I'm going to get through Mass without crying...I got choked up just getting her pictures done. She is really, really ready!

Christina (5 1/2) is starting to emerge from the shadow of her big sister. We'ver tried very hard to give her a little more attention. As the third child in birth order, I really think she doesn't get enough. Now that we know she has allergies, (read more about that here) she is getting fussed over, although we're trying not making a big deal about it. She understands more than I give her credit for--and she has assurred me if she needs her inhaler, she will tell her teachers and go see the school nurse. Sometimes she is rather quiet and shy, so I wasn't sure she would speak up for herself. There are times she acts like a baby, and throws massive temper tantrums...which require every ounce of my patience to get through. But she loves coloring, drawing, and making sweet pictures for me, and is slowly becoming a more independent child. She went to a birthday party all by herself yesterday (I didn't stay, and her older sister wasn't invited), and everyone told me she behaved beautifully...I am really proud of her. ;-)

Gabriel (3) still thinks he is the baby of the house, and will tell you this is true, ("I the baby, I not a big boy."). But officially he is...he was fully potty trained just after Christmas, and loves going to Mother's Day Out 2x a week. Unfortunately, he went through a period of separation anxiety in January, right before he was supposed to start a new speech program. Being in a new environment for speech didn't help his anxiety at all, so we pulled him out, and will have him tested again in the fall. I am hoping he won't need speech at all...his MDO teacher say he communicates very well, speaks in full sentences, and interacts with his other classmates. We will just have to wait and see. Gabriel is in love with Elmo, Blues, Clues, and is constantly singing in the van along with the radio. He tries very hard to keep up with all the other kids, and just learned how to pedal a tricycle. The girls dote on him...sometimes too much, but he certainly doesn't lack for attention around here.

I have our summer nearly all planned out. Swim team for May and most of June, and VBS the last week of that month. Then a math camp for Joshua, a cooking camp for the girls, and a trip to Dallas in July. The last week of July, the girls will have Choir Camp, and Joshua has a science camp (otherwise he will be bored at home with no sisters to harrass. ;-) In August, we will head up to Wisconsin for the 2010 CCL Convention in Green Lake with plans to stop in Mansfield, Missouri to vist the Laura Ingalls Wilder Historical House and Museum, and visit with relatives on David's side of the family (in Wisconsin and Chicago). Our 10-year-old van has 112,000 miles (and counting!) miles on it, and just had a major transmisson overhaul last month. I hope it makes the trip and back!

I think that is enough for now. I will be one busy bee this week, getting ready for family coming into town for Rebecca's First Communion. Here's praying I won't stress too much, or cry too much on Sunday!

100 Years

2010-04-07T20:32:00.000-05:00

I've been a fan of this song for a long time. This has to be one of the best music videos ever. No fancy props, sets, or a big band in the background. Just a man and a piano, simple and pure...it doesn't get much better than that.

Happy Easter

2010-04-04T16:10:00.001-05:00

Happy Easter everyone! May we rejoice in the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ!

Christina

2010-03-24T21:09:00.001-05:00

About a month ago, we took Christina to an allergist for tests. The doctor we saw was good, but David didn't think he answered all of our questions. My husband is very logical, and prefers information delivered without a lot of hype, along with concrete evidence backed by numbers. (That's a banker for ya, right?) Long story short, Dr. F just wasn't convincing enough for David.

At first, I was like, "Honey are you kidding? Christina is really allergic to dust mites...we have to do something...NOW." We even had a couple of fights over it! I felt David wasn't being proactive or supportive enough. But once we talked some more, I realized David was right. I know I was being a mom...and I wanted to immediately work on reducing Christina's exposure to dust mites as much as possible. David wanted a second opinion, and was quite adamant about it. I knew it was a smart thing to do.

Yesterday, we went to see a different allergist. Dr. B was VERY thorough. She sent us a stack of paperwork to fill out even before we had our appointment. Once in the exam room, she spend nearly 3 hours talking to us, Christina, and running a few tests. One test involved analyzing her peak flow (how much air she could blow out), before and after running non-stop for 12 minutes. Our poor girl was coughing and gasping only 5 minutes in...she couldn't keep up the pace, and had to slow to a walk. Towards the end, she got a second wind, but was clearly spent. Dr. B looked at the results and told us her output was quite poor. So she got a dose of a steroid inhaler...and her levels went back to normal.

So what does all this mean? It means Christina has allergy induced asthma. Because she is so allergic to dust mites, her airways and nasal passages are compromised...they are always a little swollen and irritated. We had taken her off all the medications prescribed by Dr. F, (as David was hesitant to give them to her), but now Dr. B told us to put her back on all of them, and to keep her on them. The medications will keep her body from reacting to all the things she is allergic to, and keep her airways healthy. This was disappointing to hear, but we certainly don't want her to get sick, have an asthma attack or wheeze/cough after physical activity (which we really hadn't notice before, but are seeing now, since we know what to watch for).

Dr. B still has a few tests she wants to do. We have to get a peak flow meter and measure Christina's output 2x a day for 3 weeks until we go back to see Dr. B. We also have to have blood drawn and an upper GI done at Texas Children's. The blood test is to check all her immunoglobins and make sure she is fully immunized against everything she's ever been vaccinated for (certain diseases could make her very sick, and result in a severe asthma attack). The upper GI is to check for reflux (or anything else that might be irritating her digestive track).

David was very pleased with Dr. B's treatment plan for Christina going forward. Once Dr. B explained Christina's needs and backed it up with medical evidence, David had no problem taking her recommendations to heart. Chrstina will be on Singular, Veramyst (nose spray), and Xyopenex (inhaled steriod). She only takes the inhaler as needed (if she starts coughing or wheezing). Within the next year, we may start her on allergy shots, since Dr. B feels certain her allergies will not lessen as she grows older. We also will encase both the girls' mattresses (since they share a room and sleep in bunk beds), get a air purifier for their room, slowly remove more items that hold dust (like dolls, stuffed animals, etc.), keep her room and bed linens as clean as possible, and eventually replace the carpeting with laminate wood flooring.

It seems like a lot...but we already have a kid with ADHD. That was really overwhelming at first, but now it's second nature to us. I know in time Christina's allergies will become second nature and we will be taking the necessary precautions without any prior thought. Our number one goal is to keep her as healthy as possible so her allergies won't compromise her already affected body. This means giving her meds and making her environment as dust-free as possible. David is already looking into an air purifier big enough to keep most of the air in the house dust-free.

I am thankful we now have a good doctor that David likes, and have a plan of action in place, for the present and the future. And I thank God Christina has been very healthy her whole life. Except for the one wheezing episode she had at school a month ago, she rarely gets sick. She's never even had an ear infection, whereas everyone else has had at least two. Dr. B says this is reasurring. I personally think her guardian angel has been working overtime for quite a while!

Cub Scout Fun (with cake!)

2010-03-22T20:33:00.001-05:00

Joshua's last Cub Scout meeting was the best one yet. When you put together a group of boys, a cake auction, and an egg-dropping contest, it's bound to be a fun night!

First of all, we had to make a cake. After some debate, Joshua decided he wanted to try and win the "Most Chocolatey" catagory. So we make a 3-Tiered, Triple Chocolate Cake with chocolate buttercream, chocolate ganache, chocolate sprinkles, and a white chocolate candy topper. Gracious...I'm exhausted just typing that!!!

I did a separate post about the cake on my cooking blog...take it on if you dare!

Once we got the cake made and safetly transported to the school gym, we went around and admired all the other cakes on the tables.

Here's some pics:

This cake won for "Most Patriotic."

This one had no competition at all. It was probably 6 feet long, and the entire Boy Scout motto was piped on it! It was brought in the back bed of a pickup truck...of course. ;-)

This cake was precarious...but pretty.

Everyone thought this one was neat...and creative.

And this one was just cool.

This cake won for best depiction of a Cub Scout activity.

Another multi-tiered cake...don't you love all the badges?

Look...a submarine!

And this one...this one is a kitty litter cake. It won the trophy for being the "Most Creative." Um...yeah, no kidding!

First up was a the ceremonial business. All the packs advanced in placements...Tigers became Wolves, Wolves became Bears, etc. Joshua officially became a Webelo II.

Next we had the egg drop!

This is not your ordinary "walk with an egg balanced on a spoon" people. The boys were divided into teams according to rank, and each team got a kit of materials. Using the materials, (ballons, some craft sticks, tape, plastic straws, and other things) the boys had to create a contraption to cradle an egg...the goal being to drop the entire device from the top of a ladder (about 12 feet high), WITHOUT the egg breaking.

After a designated amount of time, one of the adult Den Leaders had each team take turns getting their eggs dropped. All the boys counted each drop down, "5, 4, 3, 2, 1!"

Here's pics of the fun!

It was hilarious! After each drop, a second Den Leader would run and check to see if the egg had survived.

Mr. Justin was very dramatic...he'd yell, "IT'S ALIVE" if the egg was intact, or "IT DIDN'T MAKE IT" if the egg was broken. The boys whooped or cried with dismay with every drop. I think about 1/2 the eggs made it. The funniest device was a water-filled zip-top bag filled with water...I am sure that egg feared for it's life...and of course, it didn't make it. ;-)

Nothing like a little competition among boys!

We got home late, and I promptly collapsed on the couch. My feet hurt from the hours I spent in the kitchen, but it was worth it to see Joshua so pumped about his cake. He won the prize for "Most Chocolatey" and our cake went for the highest bid ($15). I'm just glad we didn't have to bring it back home! And...I'd saved 6 cupcakes for the kids (using leftover cake batter and frosting) which they happily devoured before bed.

I don't know who won our cake...but I am sure it fed that family for days.

Round up at the Rodeo

2010-03-13T18:24:00.101-06:00

Today was all about train ridin' (Gabriel's first time)...

Lamb and goat petting...

Not sure about this ride...Gabriel cried, "I get off!"

(but he recovered in a few minutes)...

Super slidin'...

Pink mouse spinning...

Ferris wheel sight seeing...

Water splashing...

Bumper car drivin'...

Sliding with Daddy...

Hangin' with cousins James, Audrey, and Emma...

Turkey leg eatin'...

Chick watchin'...

Tractor tryin' and tire sizing...

Bunny viewing...

Boot shining...

Prize huggin'...

Rip roarin' good time at the Houston Livestock show and Rodeo.

(And Gabriel learned how to say, "YEE HAW!")

A Real Life Olympian

2010-03-06T21:19:00.000-06:00

About a month ago, Rebecca came home from school and said,

"Mommy, Mommy, we have to watch Chad on TV!"

"Um, okay, but who's Chad?"

"We have to watch Ms. Hedrick's brother skate!"

"Rebecca, WHAT in the world are you talking about?"

At this point, I feel like I should know what she's talking about, but since I don't, I can feel an invisible "C" for "clueless" slowly emerging from my forehead.

Rebecca took a deep breath, clearly exasperated with her clueless mother and said,

"Mommy, Chad Hedrick is Ms. Hedrick's brother, and he's skating at the Olympics! So we have to watch him on TV and cheer for him!"

"Ohhhh....okay, I understand now."

It takes me a while to figure these things out you know. ;-)

Now to help you all understand. Natalie Hedrick is Chad Hedrick's sister. She is also Rebecca's second grade teacher. Ms. Hedrick had been telling her students all about her brother, Chad, whom you all know, is an Olympic speed skater. His parents own Champions Rollerworld just a couple of blocks from the kids' school. I'd seen the pictures on display at the roller rink and heard about Chad the few times we'd gone skating, but hadn't put two and two together.

Like I said...it can take me a while to catch on.

It didn't take long for Rebecca to develop Chad Hedrick frenzy...I am pretty sure her entire class was the same way. Ms. Hedrick was gone for 2 weeks during last month's Winter Olympics in Vancouver, and told the class all about it when she got back.

Once the Olympics are over, Rebecca calms down...a little.

But then on our way to choir practice Thursday night, we see the marquee outside Strack's Farm Restaurant. It says Chad Hedrick will be there Saturday to sign autographs. Well of course, Rebecca just HAS to go.

We got there just before 6:00 PM, and thankfully, there was hardly a line at all. We got pictures with Ms. Hedrick and her niece, Hadley (Chad Hedrick's little girl), which thrilled Rebecca to no end.

Then we got Chad's autograph, AND a picture with him too. Rebecca was over the moon. :-) I think Christina was in awe, but she is much shyer than her big sister, so she just smiled for the camera.

On the way home, Rebecca said,

"Wow, I can't believe I actually got to meet Chad Hedrick!"

I said, "I'm happy for you Rebecca, are you going to calm down now?"

"Yes, Mommy!"

We'll see how long that lasts. ;-)

Why Big Families Might Be Easier

2010-02-27T15:46:00.002-06:00

I like reading McMama's blog My Charming Kids from time to time. Last week, she posted an excerpt from a great article:

Why Big Families Might Be Easier by Matt Archbold from the National Catholic Register.

(I'd like to say this first....the National Catholic Register ROCKS).

Archbold has 5 kids, so in my mind, he's an expert when it comes to big families. Here's part of his article (with my own thoughts sprinkled in between).

Why big families are easier:

Patience. I never have to teach patience. My children know that I can’t drop everything for them if I have a baby in my arms. This is mostly true in our house. I admit I could use more patience myself!

Work Ethic. My children have learned to work because there are always chores to do in a small house packed with little messy lunatics. And they all learn quickly that sometimes they have to clean up a mess even though they didn’t make it. All our kids except Gabriel have chores...and they do 'em...otherwise they get no TV, or computer time. Then then fight over the TV/computer. But at least the laundry was done first.

Humility. My children have learned it’s not always their turn. They’ve accepted they can’t always get their way because other people have to get their way sometimes. They’ve learned that some children are better at certain things than they are. Our kids aren't angels when it comes to sharing. But they're smart enough to not go complaining to Mom. Otherwise they get nothing! Most of the time, they're able to solve disputes on their own, because they never like my solution.

Foreign language skills. You can learn a lot of Spanish by watching ten years of Dora the Explorer that you just can’t pick up in two. And now with the Diego spin off I’m practically fluent. Yes, very true!

Laughter. The children have learned to laugh at the insane non sequiturs of younger siblings. They’ve learned that laughing just feels better when seven people are doing it along with you. Gabriel says the funniest things, especially at the dinner table. You gotta laugh at yourself too...otherwise, you're just not living.

Competition. Do I really need to go into this? Everything is a competition in big families. The children compete over who reads faster, who drinks their milk faster, who gets to the bathroom first…etc. Everything is a competition and they’re all keeping score. Lately, it's been a race to see who can get to Daddy first when he gets home. I've actually joined the race. Talk about beating back the mob...LITERALLY to get to David first. I have a few "battle wounds" to prove it!

Balance. The floor of the front room of my home is a minefield of toys and childhood paraphernalia. Just walking through the room requires great skill and balance. I’m absolutely convinced my two year old will be a favorite for Gold on the balance beam in the 2016 Olympics. (She might have to lay off the cookies a little but I’ll deal with that later.) Until I got a box for each of the kids to put on the stairs and catch all their stuff, just going up the stairs required the skill of a tight-rope walker. It's a miracle nobody has even take a bad fall on the stairs because they tripped over someone's toys.

Life isn’t fair. Sometimes you just give it to the baby because you want a little quiet. Not all the time. But sometimes. Boy, you're not kidding. Gabriel has this down to a science. All he has to do is give me or his big sister that puppy dog look, and he'll get the moon...or at the very least, the last cookie in the jar.

Just say “No.” Being able to say “no” may be the most undervalued skill in this world. The need to be liked is pervasive. The need to be cool even more so. Having brothers and sisters teaches children to say “no” about 143 times a day. It’s a good skill. I think this is personally my best skill as a mothers. And when my kids say, "WHY?" I tell them, "My no is the only reason you need!"

Praying. They learn that nothing beats praying together as a family. We've been saying the Act of Contrition every night since Rebecca made her First Reconciliation. Gabriel just turned 3, and he can say it all by himself. Not word-for-word, but he knows it. Maybe he's trying to tell us he lost my keys 2 weeks ago, 'cause we still can't find them.

Nature/Nurture. Having many children has taught me that nature has a lot more to do with who my kids are than nurture. This is helpful, especially when your children misbehave you don’t have to feel bad about it. Just say “Stupid nature!!!” and blame your spouse’s genes. Absolutely!

Namecalling. You can occasionally call your child by the wrong name and still not be considered a terrible parent. They know who you mean just from your tone. Sometimes if you need something done you can call the wrong name and someone will still show up. That helps. It really does. My kids sometimes do each other's chores because one has a test to study for, or someone is sick. Taking up the work of a sibling teaches charity...and doing something "just because." And they do laugh if I call them by the wrong name. It's one way of letting them know Mommy/Daddy isn't perfect, just human.

Spying. My children have learned that they can’t get away with anything. I have spies who look a lot like them who are willing to drop the dime on them for anything. Even at school I’ve got a child in just about every grade. If they do something I’ll hear. That keeps them nervous. And I like keeping my kids a little nervous. A little fear never hurt anyone. I like spies...I encourage my kids to tell on each other all the time. Ok, not really. But they do tell on each other...ALL THE TIME!

Friendship. The children have many friends. They’ve got girly friends, crying friends, fun loving friends, consoling friends, and crazy friends. And they all have the same last name. And they’ll be there forever for each other. No matter what. Friends will come and go, but siblings stay. I tell my kids they will always have a brother or a sister who will love them, no matter what.

Love. I think my children have learned to love because there are others around them to love and who love them. I honestly can think of no better way to teach children to love than siblings. Yes...even if your brother steals your pencils and your sister breaks your favorite toy, they're still related to you. You can't disown them. Nope, not happening!

I'm going to add one more comment to Archbold's list.

Continuing Education. I believe having 4 kids HAS been my continuing education, thank you very much! I have teaching certificate through the state of Texas...for life. After Sept 1, 1999, the state of Texas no longer issued lifetime certificates. They now issue the Standard Certificate, which must be renewed every five years. This means a person with a Standard Certificate must continously take Continuing Professional Education courses to keep their certification (150--200 hours over the 5 years). Being "older" does have its perks!

Sigh...I love having 4 kids. It means I'll probably have to start coloring my hair soon. But that's okay. Each one of our kids has taught me something different about myself. Each child in our family has their own special gifts and graces. I wouldn't change it for anything in the world.

Happy Birthday Gabriel

2010-02-21T21:45:00.001-06:00

I can't believe Gabriel is 3.

I know everyone says that when your child has a birthday.

But honestly...I don't want to believe it.

Yeah...I'm in denial.

Sigh...but the truth is, he's 3 as of yesterday.

If you ask him, he'll even tell you he's 3.

"Gabriel, how old are you now?"

"I THREE!"

Ah well...what do you do when your kiddo is three?

Throw a party of course! Specifically, a Blue's Clues party!

(I'm not sure I've told y'all about Gabriel's obsession with Blue's Clues. Joshua had a Blue's Clues party when he turned three too. Both boys have love watching Blue's Clues videos on our old VHS player. And I saved some of the party supplies, so we were in business).

Here's a picture of his cake...nobody makes them anymore...but I was able to order a cake topper online, and gave it to the ladies at Walmart along with a picture, and it turned out great.

First order of the day...opening presents of course. I found a "Handy Dandy Notebook" online, and after Gabriel opened it, that's all he was interested in. He's had substitute notebooks in the past, but those don't hold a candle to the real deal. Gabriel was so enamored...he wouldn't put it down for nearly an hour. ;-) Later on, he did get into the rest of his gifts, but he wouldn't let anyone touch his new notebook. Anyone who tried was yelled at! By the end of the day, the wrapper on the crayon was gone, and by Sunday night, David had to repair all the pages...good grief!

We had a small get-together Saturday afternoon, just a few friends Gabriels' age to come over and play. I thought we'd watch one episode of Blue's Clues so Gabriel could try out his new notebook, but the kids played outside for nearly the entire party. It was a mild day, thank goodness...earlier this week, it was rather cold and dreary.

Everyone finally headed back inside for the cake. I'd like to say Gabriel blew out his candles by himself, but Christina was right next to him, and I'm fairly certain she helped him out. ;-)

I ordered a 1/4 sheet cake, and somehow, the entire thing was gone by the end of the day! I only invited a few people! (It's just as well, since I gave up sweets for Lent).

Gabriel opened a few more presents, and loved them all, especially an Eric Carl puzzle depicting his favorite book in the whole wide world, The Very Hungry Caterpillar. We must have put it together at least 10 times that day.

I tried to get one last picture of the birthday boy, but he was much too busy to be bothered by the camera, let alone being still for just one second.

Our little guy was tired by bedtime, and willing went to bed after plenty of birthday hugs and kisses. Tonight, while we were saying prayers, he said, "I pray I have good birthday!"

Oh sweetheart, you did...you sure did.

Happy birthday to our sweet angel boy. We love you!

Good News, Bad News

2010-02-18T20:41:00.002-06:00

This week has been something...I never thought I'd have to process so much information all at once. Ironically, I've had a stuffy nose too...like my body is confirming what my head is feeling. I've had one good cry, one major yelling session at the kids (which I apologized for right afterwards), and many moments of hearfelt prayers.

Where should I start?

I guess I'll start with Christina.

The bad news is, 3 weeks ago, she started wheezing. The school called me...I had to go pick her up, take her to the pediatrician, and she ordered breathing treatments for a week. Christina responded very well, and hasn't wheezed since. But I knew it was time to take her to an allergist and have her tested. We already knew Christina was very allergic to cats, and probably dogs too.

They pricked the skin on her back in 23 places...and of course, she broke out with big welts for cats and dogs, plus a few very small welts for different grasses. But the big surprise was dust mites...her welts were SO big, Dr. F called in all the nurses to come and have a look. Poor Christina squirmed and cried for 1/2 of the 15 minutes she had to lie still, but she was braver than I though she'd be.

The good news is, we can treat Christina's allergy with medication, and a LOT of precautionary measures, especially in her room. I still have to clean her room from top to bottom to eliminate as much dust as possible, and buy encasements for the girls' pillows and mattresses (since she's in a bunk bed with Rebecca). I only cried at one point when I was talking to David about everything we needed to do...it really seemed overwhelming at first. But deep breath...and one step at a time, right?

Then another thing happened the same day.

We were on our way to swim lessons. The brakes on the van had been squealing just a little bit all day. As I pulled out of the driveway, they squealed so bad, I stopped. I had 4 kids in the car, and was worried about the possibility of not having working brakes. I decided to drive to the end of the block to see what would happen...and the engine light came on. Well, that's never a good thing. So we turned around and went home. I called the swim place and told them we weren't going to make it, then called David and told him he would have to make emergency repairs on the van.

The good news is my hubby is very, very handy. He came home early, stopping at the auto parts store on the way, and was able to change out the brake pads in just over an hour, and even rotated the 2 fronts tires in the process. A quick wash and change of clothes, and we made it to the church's Mardi Gras potluck, just in time for us to grab a table, and get in line for the buffet. Kids had a ball, and had at least 2 desserts each (well okay, we did too!).

But another not so great thing was yet to come!

Once we got home from the church, we put the kids to bed, and I started to head out to the drugstore to pick up Christina's prescriptions. Only I couldn't find my keys. David helped me look, but after looking everywhere we though possible, David took his keys and went to Walgreens to get the meds. I was a mess, it had been such a long day. I was exhausted, and decided to just go to bed.

It's been 3 days...and we still haven't found the keys. I offered the kids $5 to whoever found them....David upped the prize to $20. But no keys...St. Anthony, pray for us!

The good news is...we do have a spare set of keys to the house and van. We've decided to wait a couple of weeks to see if the keys turn up before we spend the money to get a new set made. Prayers would be appreciated!

And the last thing...

Today, I went for a follow-up with my doctor about my Hepatitis B status. I inherited chronic Hepatitis B from my mother...it's fairly common among Asian populations.

The bad news is there's no cure. Once you have it, you have it for life.

Most people are classified as "carriers," and don't have any noticable symptoms. Thankfully, I'm in that catagory...I've never had any symptoms, and don't have to take any medicine. The kids are not carriers because they now have a Hepatits B vaccine which they receive right after birth.

However, other close family members who are Hepatitis B carriers have developed symptoms, and are currently taking meds. Because of this family history, I knew I needed to have a full work-up done, since I haven't had any tests in nearly 10 years.

So the good news is...all my test results came back normal. Liver functions were good, abdominal ultrasound showed no scarring on my liver, and all the bloodwork was fine except for one. The Hep B viral load was very high...but that is typical for a person like me. I have to have more labs drawn in 3 months and Dr. C wants to see me in 6 months. He wants to see if one particular test result stays the same or fluctuates. If it remains steady, I will not need to go on medication, if it goes up, I probably will have to start treament for the viral load. If my viral load goes too high, I can develop acute hepatitis...which of course would not be ideal.

Sigh...and Dr. C said he would not recommend having any more kids, because immediate family members are presenting symptoms, and it's just a matter of time until I do, no matter how well I take care of myself. My risk of symptoms also increases as I get older. I guess I expected that...but it was sad to hear. I admit David and I were not thinking about having any more children...but a part of me still longs to hold a baby again.

I think that's everything...this week has been a true roller coaster ride...and I feel like I'm still hanging on, waiting for the ride to end. So much to think about...decisions to be made, medicines to take. Someone let me know when the ride is over!

But...I am thankful...thankful beyond words. When the ride is the roughest, that's when your faith is truly tested. And on this ride, the good outweighed the bad.

UPDATE: We found the car keys! Actually Rebecca found them in the back seat of the truck, stuck in between the seat cushion and the booster seat we use for Gabriel. Of course, she hadn't forgotten about the $20 reward. :-) But we decided it would be fair if she got $10, and Joshua and Christina got $5 each, since they'd helped looked when the keys first disappeared. Thank you St. Anthony and St. Jude!

A REAL "Gem of the Week"

2010-02-07T08:39:00.001-06:00

One of my friends posted this on her Facebook status this past week. I laughed so hard, I cried. This is so, so true of women, especially those who are also mothers!

"Women are angels. When someone breaks our wings, we simply continue to fly...on a broomstick. We're flexible that way."

~ Anonymous ~

The Things Gabriel Says

2010-02-03T17:23:00.001-06:00

All of our kids have been slow to talk. Even Rebecca, who is our earliest talker didn't combine words into simple sentences until she was 25 months old...and she had 6 months of speech therapy. Go figure.

So I guess that's why we get a kick out of what comes out of Gabriel's mouth...even though he's our fourth kid. He'll say something...and we'll all just crack up. It's even better when he looks at all of us like we've lost it...giggles...and then busts out laughing.

Here are just a few of the things Gabriel says (and the responses we give him).

GABRIEL: "I can't reach it! Help Mommy!"

MOM: "Um no...you can't have the scissors."

GABRIEL: "PLEASE?"
(What, we're negotiating already? You're only 2!)

MOM: "No Gabriel!"
(And he gives me that impish grin...the one that says, "Okay...I'll figure out a way later...when you're not looking!")

GABRIEL: "Mommy, what's for dinner?"

MOM: "Leftover chicken."

GABRIEL: "YEAH!"

MOM: "Well okay...even though you turned it down last night."

GABRIEL: "Again...again, PLEASE!"

DADDY: "Okay...hold on tight!" (He's swinging around in David's arms).

And we can't forget the 2-year-old classic...

GABRIEL: "I do it...I do it...I DO IT!"

MOM: "Sheesh...okay kid! I'll even give you 5 points for persistence!"

MOM: "On Friday, he ate through..."

GABRIEL: "...But he was STILL hungry!"
(Gabriel can "read" most of The Very Hungry Caterpillar all by himself).

MOM AND DAD: "What do you want to pray for?" (This is when we say prayers at bedtime.)

GABRIEL: "I pray I have good day at school."

MOM: "Gabriel, are you a big boy or a baby?"

GABRIEL: "I baby...I a baby (and he knows it too!)."

And my personal favorite...

GABRIEL: "More hug Mommy (or more hug Daddy)!"

And of course, we hug him to pieces!

Rebecca is 8

2010-01-27T22:02:00.000-06:00

Rebecca woke up this morning with a big smile on her face.  I said,

"Happy Birthday sweetheart!"

She giggled, and dived back under her covers :-). It's hard waiting all year long for your birthday, esepcially when it falls a month after Christmas. So you can imagine it's all she's talked about since.

Rebecca requested the same menu for dinner tonight as last year, chicken quesadillas and Strawberry Cake with Strawberry Frosting. The cake recipe I tried this time is slightly different from the cake I made a year ago. The Cake Mix Doctor came out with a new book, and she altered her existing Strawberry Cake Recipe. I don't believe in copying a recipe exactly and posting on my cooking blog, so all I can do is show you a picture of her book, and tell you to go get your own copy. You won't regret it. ;-)

I can at least show you a picture of the cake...it was really good, and Rebecca loved it. I posted more about it on my cooking blog.

Last Saturday, Rebecca had her first slumber party and invited 3 other girls. They had a blast...playing, eating, roller skating, talking, eating (did I say that already?), and they were all in bed asleep just after 11:00 PM.

Here's pics of all the fun. :-)

Playing "Wheel of Fortune." Who says slumber parties can't be educational?

Eating homemade pizza...Gabriel sure enjoyed all the attention from the ladies. ;-)

The girls all gathered around the coffee table to play with a stencil kit.

And tonight, Rebecca opened presents, blew out the candles on her cake, and I wished she could stay 8 forever.

Happy Birthday Rebecca! We love you to the moon...and back!

Gem of the Week

2010-01-24T15:51:00.000-06:00

"And when night comes, and you look back over the day and see how fragmentary everything has been, and how much you planned that has gone undone, and all the reasons you have to be embarrassed and ashamed: just take everything exactly as it is, put it in God’s hands and leave it with Him. Then you will be able to rest ...in Him -- really rest -- and start the next day as a new life.

~ St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross ~

Gem of the Week

2010-01-17T13:20:00.000-06:00

Father Norbert added a little story to Deacon Larry's homily during Mass this morning. He talked about how important it was to ask for the Blessed Mother's intercession. It was funny too...and I wanted to share it with you.

A man died and went up to the pearly gates, where St. Peter was waiting for him. After consulting his book, St. Peter said,

"I can't let you in, you're not in the book."

The man slowly walked away, very sad.

Then he heard someone say, "Pst...pst...come here!"

A beautiful lady, dressed in white, with a blue mantel over her head, was beckoning to him from a window two stories up. She held a rosary in her hands, and held it down to him, saying,

"Here, grab ahold of this...and I'll pull you up!"

Music Monday

2010-01-11T16:35:00.003-06:00

Pardon the sideways view...I'm not much for video-taping, hence my lack of experience...but Gabriel singing "Jingle Bells" with the new karaoke machine the kids got for Christmas is just too cute. Obviously he is unaware the Christmas season is over, but I think he'll be ready for choir camp this summer ;-).