“MOM! They are BACK!!!”
Yes… My kiddos were very excited…
We all really enjoyed seeing the lovely photos that some of you have shared of your own backyard birds!
Here are a few pictures of ours:
And one more picture of my own little turkeys:
This was taken right after I caught them chasing the turkeys… :SGood Morning!
Is it morning ALREADY?!?!Yes, mornings are more often than not my least favorite time of the day. That said, I am really looking forward to reading all the discussion on this second chapter of Mitten Strings For God, titled Morning.
Reading this chapter made me realize how very important my mood is in the morning, and how it effects the day for all of us. You know that old saying from the south, “If momma ain’t happy, ain’t nobody happy!” I find that my mood can set the tone for the entire family and it’s up to me to bring balance and joy to our home.
But I cheat myself if I fail to give the morning it’s due. For these first waking minutes can affect the quality of the entire day, determining the way things will go for each one of us. It is a tender time. Our soul, returning from their mysterious sojourns of the night, must now become grounded once again in the here and now and the concerns of the day. If I am conscious enough to honor this process–greeting my husband and children with hugs and kisses and gentle words–then each one of us may actually experience the sense of renewal that each day offers. The mistakes of yesterday are forgiven, regrets put aside. Here, in the day’s first hushed moments, our family can come together again in loving spirit, rested and refreshed.
~Katrina Kenison (page 16)
I loved that paragraph of this chapter. It was exactly what I have been needing to hear. My children are naturally inclined to be simply joyful and when I am out of sync with that, our whole family seems to fall apart.
Personally, I find that how well our mornings go really depends on whether I have gotten enough sleep! Our best mornings are the ones in which I wake up before the children refreshed and ready for the day. So much of the time I find myself up until the wee hours of the morning… Whether it be doing laundry, nursing the baby (although he does sleep with us), reading, or spending time online.
In another favorite book of mine, A Mother’s Rule of Life, the author tells us to ask our self:
How much time do I sleep every night? Is this enough, or do I find myself exhausted by mid afternoon? How much time do I think I reasonably need to add to or subtract from my present sleep habits? Do I need nap times? When can I schedule these?
She goes on to tell us to:
Establish a rising hour that gives you ample time to meet your morning responsibilities. Count back from your rising time the number of hours you need to sleep, and you’ll have established your bedtime.
Apply all this to the varying ages of your children too.
My children have set bedtimes, but I really need to set, and try to stick to, a bedtime for myself. Even then, sometimes things are out of our control which effect the amount of sleep we get. During these late mornings, when momma is exhausted… Why not have the kids jump into bed to just enjoy each others company for awhile? Then get up and make a nice comfort breakfast all together. This is one small benefit of home-schooling! As well as one of our favorite morning routines! 🙂
I find that even when I am tired, if I greet my children with love and a smile, it really helps to start our day off well.
Someday our [children] boys will decide that they have grown too old to climb into bed with Mom and Dad for cuddles before the work of the day begins. Till then, though, I will cherish this morning ritual, our small universe of [seven, so far] four, the sweet comfort of embrace.
I need to remember, especially when I am overwhelmed, that one day these precious children of mine, will no longer be living at home. They are growing so fast, and I want to cherish each moment that we have been given with them… And in the meantime, create some wonderful memories!
One of my favorite calendar pages this week said:
of what mothers
contribute to their lives.
~ Anoyomous
O my God! I ask of Thee for myself and for those whom I hold dear, the grace to fulfill perfectly Thy Holy Will, to accept for love of Thee the joys and sorrows of this passing life, so that we may one day be united together in heaven for all Eternity. Amen.
I’m going!!! Are you?
If you homeschool and live in the Pacific Northwest, have you heard about the Spring 2008 Northwest Catholic Family Education Conference?
The conference is being held on May 2 & 3, at the Tukwila Community Center. Hubby said I could (and should) go, so I just registered, and I am so excited! This will be the first home school conference that I have ever attended, and I can’t wait to be inspired and motivated by all the wonderful speakers!
It looks like the speakers include Laura Berquist, Stephanie Maricich, Lee Binz, Chris and Alison Evan, Fr. Henderson, Fr. Miller, Fr. Nagel, Albert and Bonnie Landry, Camille De Blasi Pauley, Amannda Schneider, and Anne Wilson. Laura Berquist and Stephanie Maricich will even be available for consultations!
My dear friend Trina says that Stephanie is an incredible resource when it comes to living the liturgical year in our homes. I am really looking forward to hearing her presentation!
The list of vendors is being updated regularly and includes:
- Bethlehem Books
- Healing the Culture
- Kolbe Academy
- Mother of Divine Grace
- Our Father’s House
- Stone Tablet Press
- The Home Atrium
- The Home Scholar
- Usborne Books
To register or read more information, visit the Northwest Catholic Family Education Conference website.
I am also looking forward to meeting other home educating mothers! So, will you be there?? I hope to see you at the conference!
(If your out on the east coast… This Conference sounds wonderful too! I wish it wasn’t so far away!!)
Spelling Time
Today Twinkle Toes came up to me and said:
Momma, can I do Spelling Time, ’cause it’s not really hard ?It’s like, “Shirt. c-o-p-h-i. Shirt!”
See, Momma, it’s easy!
Can I please do it?
Sounds like she is ready to start, or at least willing! 🙂
As I was logging in to Spelling time, I heard her saying to herself, “Clothes. c-o-p-h-m. Clothes.” Followed by, “I’m ready momma!”
It’s Wednesday!
Can you believe another week has gone by already? Time for my WOW (Weight on Wednesday) check in.
Well, I was fairly good about my food choices this past week, but as far as exercising went, I really didn’t do all that much, unless ice skating Friday, ballroom dancing with hubby Friday night, and then cleaning the garage Saturday count–I am still sore! 🙂
Anyhow, I’m not complaining… I did better than last week! This morning I was down one pound from last Wednesday. This is actually great since you have to burn 3500 calories more than you consume in order to lose one pound in a weeks time.
My goals for this next week are to continue eating well, work on drinking more water, and to exercise at least 3 times.
Summary:
- Week two progress: -1
- Overall progress: -1.5
- Total Inches lost: 4 *
*This is a combination of 6 measurements, and is very motivating, especially when the actual weight loss is not all that much!
Check out everyone else’s progress here.
One in, One out
Unlike this other brave child, Captain likes to wait till his teeth fall out on their own. Today was no different. This morning it was just flopping around when he would talk, and Captain was not too interested in eating.
Snuggles was also very cranky. Just look at his poor mouth and those teeth that are taking forever to come in.
Well.. It turned out that today was their day. Captain came running in to tell me, “Look Mom!! It’s OUT!!”
And within an hour, we also got to see (or rather feel) Snuggles first tooth! He wouldn’t smile for anything.
Surprisingly enough, it was actually his bottom right tooth that made the first appearance. I wasn’t even expecting it, thinking for sure it would be one of those top two teeth that are just right there!
In the Garage
This past weekend, my hubby suggested that we clean the garage. It has needed to be done for years, and it is definitely going to take more than a weekend, but at least we got started.
I really don’t like our garage. In fact, I’m afraid of it. It is a detached garage and there are cracks everywhere that let in all kinds of scary things. Hubby and my dad have both found rattlesnakes in there, and I have found a few black widows. ooooohhhhh… I am really a wimp when it comes to these creatures.
We need to get that garage cleaned out so we can replace the doors and windows, sheetrock it and actually USE it. Other than our Christmas and Camping Supplies (which are sealed well in plastic tubs), I only put things out there when I don’t plan on using them… ever again! 🙂 I am seriously scared of that place.
Anyhow, we decided to take a couple old book cases that were left from the previous owner (8 years ago) and move them into the school room. This entailed moving a few things around in the school room AGAIN, and moving my partially painted bookcase to the garage.
Hubby and I carried the bookcase to the garage, and right as hubby started to move a picture so we could slide it against the wall, he said, “Um, you might want to go out for a minute.” My mind jumped right to rattlesnakes and black widows, but instead we found this little guy:
The kids knew right away what it was:
It took him about 30 minutes to come to, and fly off to find a new home… I think we disturbed the little guys hibernation.
Seven Things Meme
In case any of you want to know some weird and random facts about me… read on.
I was just tagged by, Christie, at Tis’ But A Season for another Meme! It didn’t take me long to come up with seven things! LOL!!
Here are the rules…
1. When tagged place the name and URL on your blog.
2. Post rules on your blog.
3. Write 7 non-important things/habits/quirks about yourself.
4. Name 7 of your favorite blogs.
5. Send an email/comment on their blog letting them know they have been tagged.
1. Growing up I always said, “When I grow up I am going to have a small family–ONLY 5 or 6 kids. And, I am NOT going to home-school them!” Now, 5 or 6 does NOT seem small (only when you are the oldest of 12) and I’m only 30 with lots of childbearing years left–God willing. Plus, I AM home-schooling my kids! God has His own plans for me, I guess!
2. I love to read. I started reading in pre-school and just kept on going… I would hide in my closet(which I still do on occasion), or under my bed (I don’t fit under there anymore–but it was really cool as a kid) and read with a flashlight. In fact, I use to get grounded from reading! You see, when I was, oh, about 10 years old, I figured out that if I made my mom mad she would send me to my room and I could read. So, if I was in the middle of a good book, I would do something to make her mad and then get to go read. I became a very naughty daughter. She actually didn’t catch on, till one time, after she said, “Go to your room, RIGHT NOW!” My dear sweet sister Jennifer said, “MOM! That’s not fair! She just wants to go and finish her book.” Anyhow, that ended that, and from that point forward, if I got in trouble, I was grounded from my books and given extra chores. Basically, I became Cinderella. (If you want to see what I am reading now, you can check out my Good Reads shelf. I am loving Good Reads!)
3. When I was 16 my hair started falling out. Mom couldn’t figure out why and she put me on tons of different vitamins and herbs. (Money was always tight when I was little, and my parents didn’t have any medical insurance, so I wasn’t able to see a doctor.) Eventually it stopped. Luckily!!! Anyhow, about 4 years later-when I was 20, I was visiting my brother Sean (who was in the seminary at the time), and he said, “Jessy, there is something I need to tell you. Do you remember when your hair was falling out? Well… I had put Nair in your shampoo bottle. I dumped it out before it caused too much hair to fall out, though.” Wasn’t that sweet of him… Gotta love those little brothers who just love their big sister!
4. I have a horrible fear of needles. For some reason, every time I need an IV (which seems to be quite often, since I get so sick when I am pregnant) they have a difficult time inserting it… They say my “veins are small.” I say, “you get one more try, and that’s it!” 😉 One time, they were digging around in my arm forever, as I clenched my teeth and hubby’s arm, and then finally stopped. I finally took a breath and looked up at hubby asking if they were done–since I couldn’t bare to look. He didn’t say anything, and so I looked over at my arm, and there was nothing in it.. She said, “I think we will try the other side, honey.” I cried. Speaking of child birth, I choose to deliver my babies naturally, although during this last delivery, I thought about reconsidering–Snuggles was our biggest baby and a whole pound bigger than the previous 2… But then again, I am too terrified of needles, anyways!
5. I have a weird allergy called chronic (idiopathic neurotic) angioedema. A large variety of things trigger it, and cause me to itch like crazy, swell, or go numb on one side of my face. It is SO annoying! A few of the things that trigger it for me include: Nsaids (most pain-meds fall in this category), antibiotics, Berries, Shellfish, Sodium Benzonate, alcohol, the Cold, the Heat, vibration (especially if I drive hubby’s car), lack of sleep, and stress. So, I basically have allergic reactions ALL THE TIME! 🙂 So, you see Christie, I’m a little neurotic too!
6. I love, love, love, Gymboree’s clearance racks! My clothes may be rather plain, but my girls sure have some darling clothes! My friends don’t even bother asking where I “found that cute dress” anymore. HOWEVER, I seriously hope to be able to remodel our kitchen before my mustard colored oven comes back into style, or stops working completely… so lately I have been staying away, and have become very grateful for hand-me-downs from friends, and gifts from family.
7. Ok, this last one is rather petty, however, I very much dislike being called “Jessy.” You see, when I was a in 2nd grade there was a very mean boy in my class (I went to a private Catholic school till 5th grade, when my parents decided to start home-schooling us.) by that name, who picked on me. My family all call me Jessy though, and you can always tell the people I know through my family since they all call me that too. If your going to shorten my name, I prefer Jess… It’s sort of like how a guy prefers to be called Tom if his name is Thomas rather than Tommy. But, if you insist on calling me “Jessy” please spell it “Jessie-with-an-ie,” I think it looks better. 🙂
Ok, so now I have to tag seven people… Hum… Who to tag?? I am always afraid I will tag someone who has already been tagged, or that really hates to be tagged, so I’ll try to avoid tagging the bloggers I suspect would really hate it and go for the following who seem like jolly good sports and, who, when I search their blog for “meme”, don’t seem to have done this one yet:
Dawn at By Sun and Candlelight
Michele at Decrease to Increase
Meredith at Sweetness and Light
and Marci who just started her very first blog!
Leave me a comment if you post (or have posted) this meme so I can check it out!!! I’m off to finish dinner before I leave for my monthly Bunco night out! See you all soon!
Ice Skating
Last Friday, after Mass and Stations, we met up with a few families from our homeschool group, as well as the birthday girls, to go ice skating! I even got to skate for the first time in YEARS… it seems that in the past, I am always pregnant when we end up at the rink! 🙂
The boys had a blast as usual, and Chiquita throughly enjoyed being pushed around the ice in the stroller. Hubby even got to take a break from work, and meet us there! We all had such fun! But the coolest thing, was seeing Twinkle Toes ice skate for the first time!!! She was so cute. Since Friday she has been asking me constantly, “Momma, can we go ice skating today? I really like ice skating!!!”
I forgot my camera at home, but thankfully Regina emailed me a few pictures! Thank you Regina!
Twinkle Toes and I had a blast skating together.
And here is a picture of her with Aunt Mary!
Not Very Becoming
Last Sunday I finally got to watch Becoming Jane. I had been wanting to watch it forever, but I missed it when it was at the theaters, and then had given up movies for Lent.
Well, I was disappointed. It was ok, I guess, but nowhere near outstanding like my beloved A&E version of Pride and Prejudice. Unfortunately, due to a couple inappropriate scenes, I wouldn’t even recommend this movie. But then, as hubby said, “What did you expect from Miramax?!”
I came across this review that pretty much sums up how I felt about the film. Have you seen it? What were your thoughts?
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