The costumes are finished (well, at least the All Saints ones; we still can't find Ellie's butterfly wings for tonight...St. Anthony!!!). The kids are ready for candy. And we started off the Halloween/All Saints' Day festivities with a trip to a local nursing home this morning. It was a wonderful experience...
We didn't get off to the best start. Ellie refusing to take a picture, hold baby Jesus, or put her veil on...
Mary Clare refusing to put on a costume at all...
But alas, Mommy wins and the girls participate! I did have to carry Baby Jesus the whole time though. And I thought that would be her favorite part of the costume! Meet Saint Queen Elizabeth of Hungary and the Virgin Mary
All the saints
These residents cracked me up with those wigs on!
I'll have to say that my proudest moment was with Ellie this morning. She has had a hard time since we first painted and filled the bags last week, wanting to carry them around for herself and keep them. She sweetly gave one of them away to a resident early in the visit, but then started crying. We gave all the kids another bag to hand out and I didn't ask Ellie until she was the very last child holding a bag. I saw a sweet old lady in her room clutching a giant stuffed puppy dog. I instructed Ellie to give the lady the bag and the lady got a huge grin on her face, shaking her hands and body and making a gleeful noise, even though she couldn't speak. It was really touching and I was very proud of Ellie, knowing how much she wanted to keep a bag. My baby is getting so big!
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
Monday, October 29, 2007
What happens...
When you tell the 4 year-old she can make dinner. You have canned cinnamon rolls, LOL!
Today was an exhausting Monday. I took the girls to Hobby Lobby and Wal-Mart, came home for a mini-break, and then had tutoring. One of my student's spelling words we worked on was "hauled"...I felt like I hauled my body around all day today.
By the time Steven got home I was about to fall over, but was trying to get up the energy to cook some dinner. I had it all planned out...Shepherd's Pie! But the ground beef was still frozen rock-hard in the fridge where it was supposed to defrost since yesterday. So Steven and I pondered what we could make, meanwhile he challenged Mary Clare to go make something. Cinnamon rolls were her choice!
I couldn't bear to eat that, so I slipped away for awhile, picking up my own little snack and having a nice quiet time shopping at Target BY MYSELF :) Ah, to not have children running up and down isles and grabbing things off the counters. No potty breaks or diaper changing in the middle of the trip, no lifting children in and out of the shopping cart, no fits on the floor, and I literally browsed the WHOLE store in an hour. I was a much happier mommy when I got home :)
Only I still haven't gotten to talk much to my husband, but it did look rather pretty on his trip this weekend...
No fish pictures, but a very nice looking beach :)
I'm trying to motivate myself for these next few days of excitement. I'm not there yet. I know I'll get excited as the girls dress up and participate in all the activities of the week. But right now I just want to curl up in a little ball for a few weeks and meet this baby! I guess it should start with me getting to bed at a decent hour...
Friday, October 26, 2007
Twas a Calm Week
Before the storm of Halloween, All Saints' Day, and First Friday activities! Lots of costumes, accessories, event-planning, and other little details still need to be finalized, but I'm glad this week was a relaxing one where we spent most of our time at home.
Thank you for your prayers yesterday. We had a wonderful Holy Hour at the Planned Parenthood clinic. I hadn't prayed at an abortion clinic since last year when we lived in Aggieland. We pulled up to see "Sergeant Steve", the PP security guy who has been out at this clinic and the one in Aggieland from the beginning. That eerie familiarity was there, kind of like I was "home" back on the front lines again. We were able to pray a rosary and some litanies and pray specifically for some young women who appeared to be leaving the clinic after an abortion :(
The girls did really well and hardly ventured near the street until the last few minutes! I told MC that we were going to a doctor office to pray for babies in their mommies' tummies. She didn't ask much else, and for that I am thankful at this time. My prayers are with all those who go out there on a weekly basis to pray and minister to the men and women who have been or might be harmed by abortion. I really miss this ministry and hope that, if abortion is still legal (which I hope it's not), I might be able to do more in the future.
My pictures from yesterday were accidentally erased and I am camera-less this weekend while hubby camps and fishes on his last hurrah before baby arrives! Hopefully he'll have some exciting pictures of some big fish! Speaking of fishing, a friend gave us a crib last night and I am on the lookout for a dresser and some "fishy" bedding for Peter's room. Less than 8 weeks until his arrival...I can't believe it! My belly is getting really big and he's poking me all over the place this week! I definitely feel like I'm in the home stretch now!
Well, the girls have been playing dress up and I think it's about time they "dress up" for bed! Hope everyone has a fantastic weekend!
Thank you for your prayers yesterday. We had a wonderful Holy Hour at the Planned Parenthood clinic. I hadn't prayed at an abortion clinic since last year when we lived in Aggieland. We pulled up to see "Sergeant Steve", the PP security guy who has been out at this clinic and the one in Aggieland from the beginning. That eerie familiarity was there, kind of like I was "home" back on the front lines again. We were able to pray a rosary and some litanies and pray specifically for some young women who appeared to be leaving the clinic after an abortion :(
The girls did really well and hardly ventured near the street until the last few minutes! I told MC that we were going to a doctor office to pray for babies in their mommies' tummies. She didn't ask much else, and for that I am thankful at this time. My prayers are with all those who go out there on a weekly basis to pray and minister to the men and women who have been or might be harmed by abortion. I really miss this ministry and hope that, if abortion is still legal (which I hope it's not), I might be able to do more in the future.
My pictures from yesterday were accidentally erased and I am camera-less this weekend while hubby camps and fishes on his last hurrah before baby arrives! Hopefully he'll have some exciting pictures of some big fish! Speaking of fishing, a friend gave us a crib last night and I am on the lookout for a dresser and some "fishy" bedding for Peter's room. Less than 8 weeks until his arrival...I can't believe it! My belly is getting really big and he's poking me all over the place this week! I definitely feel like I'm in the home stretch now!
Well, the girls have been playing dress up and I think it's about time they "dress up" for bed! Hope everyone has a fantastic weekend!
Thursday, October 25, 2007
Good Morning!
Just a little note to say GOOD MORNING and to ask you all for prayer as my Regnum Christi team joins others in the 40 Days for Life campaign. We'll be heading out in the cool weather with our little ones to pray at the big Planned Parenthood abortion clinic downtown this morning, something I've done many times before but not so often with the girls. Better go get everyone woken up, dressed, and fed! God bless your day...
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
Monday, October 22, 2007
Clean blankeys
The girls have not been very happy today. Ellie's diaper leaked onto both her blankeys, so I washed them as well as MC's blankeys. We no longer have a "smelly" blankey in the house and the girls are not happy about it. I'm a mean mommy!
But the best news of the day is that I PASSED the 3 hour glucose test! The level for my one hour test was so high that I thought I most definitely had gestational diabetes. I really tried hard to eat healthy and take out sugar, as well as take lots of walks last week in hopes that maybe it would help my scores. Apparently it did, or else the first level was just really high for a strange reason! I should really keep up with the healthy eating and exercise, but at least I don't have to worry about more doctor appointments and blood testing for the next 8 weeks...only EIGHT WEEKS to go, oh my!
Another happy item in today's events...it's in the mid-50s today! Chilly :)
But the best news of the day is that I PASSED the 3 hour glucose test! The level for my one hour test was so high that I thought I most definitely had gestational diabetes. I really tried hard to eat healthy and take out sugar, as well as take lots of walks last week in hopes that maybe it would help my scores. Apparently it did, or else the first level was just really high for a strange reason! I should really keep up with the healthy eating and exercise, but at least I don't have to worry about more doctor appointments and blood testing for the next 8 weeks...only EIGHT WEEKS to go, oh my!
Another happy item in today's events...it's in the mid-50s today! Chilly :)
Sunday, October 21, 2007
Super Saturday
The week of craziness has ended! No, for those who are wondering, that is not a typical week for me. Yes, I'm a busy person and love participating in lots of activities and hosting different events. But that week was really exhausting! Although the next few weeks will still hold some big activities with All Saints' Day, First Friday, Halloween, and some other events I'll probably blog about...well, then we're into November and approaching Thanksgiving, Advent, Peter's arrival and Christmas...I'm hoping that was the busiest week for awhile!
Saturday we enjoyed a quiet morning at home and then around lunchtime ventured out to a festival in our area, celebrating a new "village" of our neighboring community. We had a great time!
Who would've thought that Ellie (my scaredy cat) would want to go on a kayak with Steven???
Not much longer till MC gets kicked out of the double stroller! It's getting hard to push!
Sliding!
Beading necklaces
And decorating rocks!
Last night we spent the evening at my parents' house and brought home their male cocker spaniel, Duke, since their female is in heat and he's going a little wild. Well, Duke didn't do much better at our house...howling and barking and crying until midnight when I put him in the garage (he's not fully housebroken). Then he escaped from our backyard this morning as we were getting ready for mass. We couldn't find him, but my dad actually drove over and found him at someone's home in our neighborhood. The dog had already ventured to the main road...I think he was trying to get home to his wife! Needless to say, we don't have Duke here anymore...
Today was also a children's festival at our parish but I didn't get any pictures of it. Tomorrow should be a rather quiet day with maybe just a little trip to the library. I should also get the results of my glucose test to see how these last 8 weeks of pregnancy will be! Everyone is asleep here at 10:00pm so I better enjoy the quiet night and catch some zzzz's myself before another week really begins...
Hope it's a great one for all!
Saturday we enjoyed a quiet morning at home and then around lunchtime ventured out to a festival in our area, celebrating a new "village" of our neighboring community. We had a great time!
Who would've thought that Ellie (my scaredy cat) would want to go on a kayak with Steven???
Not much longer till MC gets kicked out of the double stroller! It's getting hard to push!
Sliding!
Beading necklaces
And decorating rocks!
Last night we spent the evening at my parents' house and brought home their male cocker spaniel, Duke, since their female is in heat and he's going a little wild. Well, Duke didn't do much better at our house...howling and barking and crying until midnight when I put him in the garage (he's not fully housebroken). Then he escaped from our backyard this morning as we were getting ready for mass. We couldn't find him, but my dad actually drove over and found him at someone's home in our neighborhood. The dog had already ventured to the main road...I think he was trying to get home to his wife! Needless to say, we don't have Duke here anymore...
Today was also a children's festival at our parish but I didn't get any pictures of it. Tomorrow should be a rather quiet day with maybe just a little trip to the library. I should also get the results of my glucose test to see how these last 8 weeks of pregnancy will be! Everyone is asleep here at 10:00pm so I better enjoy the quiet night and catch some zzzz's myself before another week really begins...
Hope it's a great one for all!
More Friday Fun!
The baby shower was a wonderful evening with other homeschooling moms from our group. Here are 7 of the 8 mamas honored last night!
Me with my basket of goodies!
And the gifts I made...
While walking around the hospital on Thursday in between blood draws, I saw these cute diaper wreaths at the hospital gift store. Many of the moms in the L&D area had them on their doors and they just seemed like such a fun thing to make for way less than the $24 they cost at the gift store (although those ones had many more little gifts...bibs and rattles and other cute things hanging from the wreath). I had to do all but one with yellow ribbon and "It's a Girl" on one side and "It's a Boy" on the other since most of the moms are waiting to find out the gender. I thought they came out pretty cute, and thought I'd share the idea and how to make them...
Started with those thick plastic Hefty Interlocking plates, cut out the center and started tying 10 diapers around the edge.
Tied string in an X across the wreath so the little stuffed duck could be tied on. I did make a little ribbon "hanger" but I think the X portion would work best as the hanger.
One finished product
All of them!
Me with my basket of goodies!
And the gifts I made...
While walking around the hospital on Thursday in between blood draws, I saw these cute diaper wreaths at the hospital gift store. Many of the moms in the L&D area had them on their doors and they just seemed like such a fun thing to make for way less than the $24 they cost at the gift store (although those ones had many more little gifts...bibs and rattles and other cute things hanging from the wreath). I had to do all but one with yellow ribbon and "It's a Girl" on one side and "It's a Boy" on the other since most of the moms are waiting to find out the gender. I thought they came out pretty cute, and thought I'd share the idea and how to make them...
Started with those thick plastic Hefty Interlocking plates, cut out the center and started tying 10 diapers around the edge.
Tied string in an X across the wreath so the little stuffed duck could be tied on. I did make a little ribbon "hanger" but I think the X portion would work best as the hanger.
One finished product
All of them!
Saturday, October 20, 2007
Fantastic Friday!
We had a wonderful time yesterday at the Oil Ranch with our homeschool group!
We started off in the barn and petting zoo area. Mary Clare really enjoyed it!
Ellie, on the other hand, spent the first 45 minutes sitting in the stroller like this...afraid of all the animals!
A quick pet of a turkey!
Ellie starts to sit up and enjoyed watching the kids go on pony rides. Neither of mine were that brave though...
Blue snocones were the perfect dessert after lunch! And great with the white shirts ;)
Mary Clare just looked so tall and old to me!
Girls in a teepee
On the train
Choosing pumpkins
Whoa, what a day! Ready for naptime after a cute punkin pic :)
More on the baby shower and my handmade gifts later...
We started off in the barn and petting zoo area. Mary Clare really enjoyed it!
Ellie, on the other hand, spent the first 45 minutes sitting in the stroller like this...afraid of all the animals!
A quick pet of a turkey!
Ellie starts to sit up and enjoyed watching the kids go on pony rides. Neither of mine were that brave though...
Blue snocones were the perfect dessert after lunch! And great with the white shirts ;)
Mary Clare just looked so tall and old to me!
Girls in a teepee
On the train
Choosing pumpkins
Whoa, what a day! Ready for naptime after a cute punkin pic :)
More on the baby shower and my handmade gifts later...
Friday, October 19, 2007
Thoughts on Thursday
Thankfully, it's over. And I should be in bed. We have an outdoor field trip, a birthday party (added to the agenda today), and a baby shower tomorrow...well, today! But alas, blogging invites...
I survived the 3 hour glucose tolerance test. I somehow managed to get the girls and I to the OB office at 8am and didn't get too nauseated drinking the orange sugar solution. We spent most of the 3 hours between blood draws in the hospital where Peter will arrive, which is right next to the doctor office. We walked around, I pre-registered for the delivery, we watched PBS in the L&D waiting room, visited the cafeteria a few times, and also enjoyed the gift stores! The girls did amazingly well and I'm glad I didn't beg someone else to watch them. They kept my mind off my hunger!
While in the hospital gift shop, I got a nice idea for something to make for the other moms being honored at the baby shower tonight. So after my last blood draw and lunch, we ventured to the 99 Cent store to get a few things (with only 2 trips to the restroom, one for a dirty diaper I had to change on the floor as Mary Clare got her finger stuck in the door!). Then later this evening after a successful tutoring session and Mexican food with my parents, we continued on to Michael's and Wal-Mart to get the rest of the supplies needed to make my gifts. They still have a little more work to go (and need of one other supply, argh), but were mostly finished between 10pm and 1am tonight! I'll post pics after the shower, but for now I better stop blog-browsing and allow my droopy eyelids a rest. The week is almost over!
I survived the 3 hour glucose tolerance test. I somehow managed to get the girls and I to the OB office at 8am and didn't get too nauseated drinking the orange sugar solution. We spent most of the 3 hours between blood draws in the hospital where Peter will arrive, which is right next to the doctor office. We walked around, I pre-registered for the delivery, we watched PBS in the L&D waiting room, visited the cafeteria a few times, and also enjoyed the gift stores! The girls did amazingly well and I'm glad I didn't beg someone else to watch them. They kept my mind off my hunger!
While in the hospital gift shop, I got a nice idea for something to make for the other moms being honored at the baby shower tonight. So after my last blood draw and lunch, we ventured to the 99 Cent store to get a few things (with only 2 trips to the restroom, one for a dirty diaper I had to change on the floor as Mary Clare got her finger stuck in the door!). Then later this evening after a successful tutoring session and Mexican food with my parents, we continued on to Michael's and Wal-Mart to get the rest of the supplies needed to make my gifts. They still have a little more work to go (and need of one other supply, argh), but were mostly finished between 10pm and 1am tonight! I'll post pics after the shower, but for now I better stop blog-browsing and allow my droopy eyelids a rest. The week is almost over!
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
Wild Wednesday!
Well, I thought it was going to be a nice, calm day. I had such a nice reflection last night and was sure I'd be able to keep myself off the internet and have a productive day with the girls....Well...
It started off okay, but as soon as the time started approaching to leave for my one appointment of the day, chaos broke loose! The girls had been in and out of the house all morning, playing in the backyard. As I dressed myself and started packing up, I realized that Ellie had once again gotten into the Ovaltine chocolate powder...chocolate on her face, fingers, and all over her shirt! She refused to take the shirt off, so I had to do it with her kicking and screaming. Meanwhile, Mary Clare had changed her wet pants (since the backyard was wet after a rainfall that I never noticed), but she still had on a muddy shirt. Then she put on a shirt with a big stain around the neck. It took a few minutes to finally get her to put on another shirt, which would not have been my choice of attire (short skirt and sleeveless shirt hand-me-downs), but they would have to do for today. Ellie, on the other hand, was now screaming up a storm, throwing a fit on the floor about the shirt I took off of her. I thought she would be excited--our meeting was at McDonald's--but instead she retreated to the closet, screaming and crying and refusing to come out.
Also at the same time, I was trying to make myself a somewhat healthy toasted sandwich, since I have my final glucose test in the morning and didn't think McDonald's would be a good choice of lunch. So the girls were also whining and crying for food, watching me eat my own lunch. And finally, the shoes. Well, their shoes of choice (Ellie's beloved turquoise flip flops and Mary Clare's hot pink sequined flip flops) were wet and dirty in the backyard, so I threw the girls into the car and went back into the house to locate some possible shoe options. White glitter flip flops would have to do for Mary Clare (why doesn't she like those again?), and Ellie would wear her sandals. But of course fussing ensued when they saw my chosen shoes. Oh well. Mary Clare refused to wear them into McD's, she would only hold them. Ellie did put on the sandals but insisted on doing it herself. She also at some point allowed me to change her shirt, amazingly!
The meeting was productive and one of my sweet girls did fall asleep on the way home. Mommy got a nice nap too! But the early evening proved to be just as challenging as the girls continued in and out of the yard all evening, got attacked by mosquitoes, were forced into the bathtub, and later escaped again to the backyard with Mary Clare wearing long sleeves, jeans and sandals in the heat ("so the mosquitos won't bite me") and Ellie was totally naked climbing on the swings and fort.
Well, Steven arrived for dinner and did some homeschooling with Mary Clare, one of those things that has been way on the backburner these crazy days...thanks, honey! These last 2 days of the week should prove to be just as exciting, with my 3-hour glucose test in the morning (yeah, WITH the girls), my tutoring job, my husband out of town, a field trip to a farm out of the city, and a big group baby shower for all the moms in the homeschool group (any creative gift ideas for 7 other moms?).
But there was one very productive thing I did today (aside from a short prayer time and my meeting at McDonald's). And that was that I found the item that was smelling up our refrigerator...2 week old raw shrimp! Yum! And it looks like I may have 2 children asleep before 11pm, way to go me!
Aren't you looking forward to Thursday's post???
It started off okay, but as soon as the time started approaching to leave for my one appointment of the day, chaos broke loose! The girls had been in and out of the house all morning, playing in the backyard. As I dressed myself and started packing up, I realized that Ellie had once again gotten into the Ovaltine chocolate powder...chocolate on her face, fingers, and all over her shirt! She refused to take the shirt off, so I had to do it with her kicking and screaming. Meanwhile, Mary Clare had changed her wet pants (since the backyard was wet after a rainfall that I never noticed), but she still had on a muddy shirt. Then she put on a shirt with a big stain around the neck. It took a few minutes to finally get her to put on another shirt, which would not have been my choice of attire (short skirt and sleeveless shirt hand-me-downs), but they would have to do for today. Ellie, on the other hand, was now screaming up a storm, throwing a fit on the floor about the shirt I took off of her. I thought she would be excited--our meeting was at McDonald's--but instead she retreated to the closet, screaming and crying and refusing to come out.
Also at the same time, I was trying to make myself a somewhat healthy toasted sandwich, since I have my final glucose test in the morning and didn't think McDonald's would be a good choice of lunch. So the girls were also whining and crying for food, watching me eat my own lunch. And finally, the shoes. Well, their shoes of choice (Ellie's beloved turquoise flip flops and Mary Clare's hot pink sequined flip flops) were wet and dirty in the backyard, so I threw the girls into the car and went back into the house to locate some possible shoe options. White glitter flip flops would have to do for Mary Clare (why doesn't she like those again?), and Ellie would wear her sandals. But of course fussing ensued when they saw my chosen shoes. Oh well. Mary Clare refused to wear them into McD's, she would only hold them. Ellie did put on the sandals but insisted on doing it herself. She also at some point allowed me to change her shirt, amazingly!
The meeting was productive and one of my sweet girls did fall asleep on the way home. Mommy got a nice nap too! But the early evening proved to be just as challenging as the girls continued in and out of the yard all evening, got attacked by mosquitoes, were forced into the bathtub, and later escaped again to the backyard with Mary Clare wearing long sleeves, jeans and sandals in the heat ("so the mosquitos won't bite me") and Ellie was totally naked climbing on the swings and fort.
Well, Steven arrived for dinner and did some homeschooling with Mary Clare, one of those things that has been way on the backburner these crazy days...thanks, honey! These last 2 days of the week should prove to be just as exciting, with my 3-hour glucose test in the morning (yeah, WITH the girls), my tutoring job, my husband out of town, a field trip to a farm out of the city, and a big group baby shower for all the moms in the homeschool group (any creative gift ideas for 7 other moms?).
But there was one very productive thing I did today (aside from a short prayer time and my meeting at McDonald's). And that was that I found the item that was smelling up our refrigerator...2 week old raw shrimp! Yum! And it looks like I may have 2 children asleep before 11pm, way to go me!
Aren't you looking forward to Thursday's post???
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
Terrific Tuesday...
Because it ended with a most wonderful Evening of Reflection...exactly what my soul needed today! We had Adoration and Benediction (that sweet smell of incense was honey to my heart!), I signed up first on the list for Confession, heard a beautiful talk and meditation on God's will, and just enjoyed the evening of quiet time with My Lord.
The topic of the reflection, "Respond to God's Love with Love, Doing His Will" was very appropriate for this time in my life. My mind is spinning with a thousand things, my days are very full, and honestly I'm not sure how many of my daily activities I've actually taken to Christ first...to discern if they are something I should be doing. How can I love him best? It's so hard to discern especially when my prayer life seems full of distraction. Father also reflected on the "rich man" in the Gospel of Matthew and the importance of detachment. Just an evening full of deep spiritual thoughts and motivations for my spiritual life.
As for the rest of the day, we had a fun time this morning with the twins added to the mix! The kids all played well together and we only had a few crazy moments of me getting important phone calls while children got into the wet backyard, etc. We couldn't find Mary Clare's tap shoes when it was time for dance, because they were in the Lost and Found box at the studio! Then after we got home from dance class, the girls let the dog out of the backyard once again, unbeknownst to me until 2 girls showed up at the front door with him! Timber must be up for some real adventure this week...what, 3 escapes so far?
Tomorrow should be a rather quiet day with only one lunchtime meeting. Hopefully I can get some housework done and rest up for the next few days which hold a doctor appointment, field trip, baby shower, and more! Better catch some zzzz's before it's too much later! I'll leave you with a picture of the girls from Sunday morning before mass :)
The topic of the reflection, "Respond to God's Love with Love, Doing His Will" was very appropriate for this time in my life. My mind is spinning with a thousand things, my days are very full, and honestly I'm not sure how many of my daily activities I've actually taken to Christ first...to discern if they are something I should be doing. How can I love him best? It's so hard to discern especially when my prayer life seems full of distraction. Father also reflected on the "rich man" in the Gospel of Matthew and the importance of detachment. Just an evening full of deep spiritual thoughts and motivations for my spiritual life.
As for the rest of the day, we had a fun time this morning with the twins added to the mix! The kids all played well together and we only had a few crazy moments of me getting important phone calls while children got into the wet backyard, etc. We couldn't find Mary Clare's tap shoes when it was time for dance, because they were in the Lost and Found box at the studio! Then after we got home from dance class, the girls let the dog out of the backyard once again, unbeknownst to me until 2 girls showed up at the front door with him! Timber must be up for some real adventure this week...what, 3 escapes so far?
Tomorrow should be a rather quiet day with only one lunchtime meeting. Hopefully I can get some housework done and rest up for the next few days which hold a doctor appointment, field trip, baby shower, and more! Better catch some zzzz's before it's too much later! I'll leave you with a picture of the girls from Sunday morning before mass :)
Monday, October 15, 2007
Manic Monday
Wow. This has been a day! So for your enjoyment and my stress relief, here it is! Times are approximate...I don't have a watch.
5:45am-Wake up to 2 of Steven's alarm clocks. Go in the kitchen to make his lunch. Get out bread, lunchmeat, and mayo. Realize that the bread is starting to smell (I'd noticed some condensation in the bag, but no smell last night). Make him a lunch without a sandwich.
6:05am-Take a few minutes on the internet. Then head back to bed.
6:15am-While trying to fall back asleep I realize that I scheduled my 3-hr glucose test for tomorrow, when I also told a friend I would watch her 2yr old twins for the morning while she goes to a reflection. Plus tomorrow Mary Clare has dance and I'm planning to attend the evening reflection. Realize that it would be better to postpone it for another day. Fall asleep and have a nightmare about scheduling too many things for tomorrow afternoon.
7:27am-Turn off my alarm and go back to sleep.
8:15am-Wake up and happily discover that both girls are still fast asleep in their own room! Have some prayer time. Start breakfast.
8:45am-Girls wake up and eat breakfast in a good mood. So far, so good!
9:15am-Start trying to call OB's office to reschedule glucose test. Number is busy. Allow the girls to watch Barney while I get us all ready for a morning walk. Miraculously Mary Clare allows me to dress her and fix her hair while she watches the movie. Ellie tells me her pants are too big but then refuses to take them off. I roll up the waist which made them look lopsided all morning. I somehow manage to fit myself into a pair of non-maternity workout shorts...woohoo!
9:45am-Call again to reschedule glucose test. They answer and put me on hold for about 10 minutes. Then interrupt me while I explain my situation. Rescheduled for Thursday. Call my mom for a good morning hello. She comments that I'm not talking. Oh, I'm clipping my toenails and can't breathe and do that at the same time!
10:15am-Start trying to convince the girls to go on a walk. Finally get them out the door. One of them screams for the first 5 minutes...I can't remember why. Then she slaps her sister in the face. Somehow the rest of the half-hour walk goes pleasantly, besides the whining about being ready to go to the grocery store, and to go back to the street with the giant blow-up jack-o-lantern where a ghost pops in and out.
10:45am-Load up for grocery store! Re-install carseats which were in hubby's car yesterday. Put them on opposite sides as a consequence for slapping behavior during walk. This child screams for the whole drive to Wal-Mart, first because of the carseat location, then because she wants her blanket, and finally because I mention that her sister's good behavior might allow her to choose something special at the store.
11:15am-Arrive at Wal-Mart Super Center. Turn off car and try to open carlocks with automatic switch. Locks don't open. Car won't turn back on. I try to figure out how we will get out of car. Climb out back seat using door switch, then realize I also had a switch in the front seat I could've used. Oh well. Frantically call hubby who can't make it across town to help me and isn't sure if it's the battery, alternator, or what. Imagine what the next few days of carlessness might be like. Call Dad who will come to my rescue.
11:45am-Quickly do my Wal-Mart shopping while Dad is on his way. Get to checkout in record time. All checkouts have long lines. Realize I forgot a key ingredient for a meal this week. Turn back to get it. Realize I also forgot water jugs. Ask store worker if they are on a particular isle near the front where I remembered finding them recently. She looks at me like I have 2 heads and points to the far back of the store. Go retrieve water and spend 5 minutes trying to find canned mushrooms (which only Steven likes!).
11:50am-Back to checkout. Girls climb out of shopping cart and pick up every item on shelves near checkout. Dad arrives, hooray! Vent to very nice older checker lady about my car that won't start in the parking lot.
11:55am-Walk out to parking lot to load groceries and children in the car. Dad goes to check on my car. Realizes that it WASN'T IN THE RIGHT GEAR and turns it on. Glad it's nothing serious but frustrated to have put my dad on a one-hour wild goose chase. He follows me home as I stop to pay water bill which is due today.
12:10pm-Arrive at home (deep breath), dad helps unload groceries (nice!), and he leaves. Start making lunch. Mary Clare wants to go get her doll out of the car and asks permission (way to go!). She lets dog out of the yard on her way to the car and I find her on her bike in the driveway and not getting her doll from the car. Lecture her for a few seconds. Finish making lunch.
12:30pm-Get a call from a man who found our dog. Mentally note address and tell him I'll try to get over there quickly. Tell the girls we must go get Timber. Ellie tells me she can't sit down because she has poo-poo. Mary Clare goes outside only to come back in with wet clothes she needs to change.
12:40pm-Somehow change diaper, turn off stove, find my keys, and get dry kids in the car. Allow them to sit in backseat while I drive the one block to get the dog. Realize it's a police who is holding the dog in the street. Hope he doesn't notice my non-secured children in the back seat. Feel bad for making him wait in the street for 10 minutes. He comments that I need to register the dog at the city office, bringing along rabies papers (how many years since he's had a rabies shot?..way too many!). Thank him several times and put girls in carseats for the one block drive home.
1pm-Convince girls to finish their lunch. Ellie cries for more strawberries (you don't want to know how much I paid for those). Let the girls watch Barney again to try to get them to go to sleep. Take a much-needed shower. Hope that no one is getting into things while I shower. Lay on the bed to recover for a few minutes.
2pm-Fall asleep watching Barney with the girls. Then Barney is over and one child is still awake. Try to put my Rick Steeves travel movie on but this child screams. Phone rings, no message. Get on the internet to write this post. Wireless keyboard dies and needs new batteries. Child is getting into Ovaltine chocolate powder when I enter the kitchen. Thankfully I take it away from her and convince her to lie down.
3pm-This child finally falls asleep on the floor playing with toys, and I realize that my tutoring student will be over in less than an hour and the schoolroom is filled with Barbie dolls all over the floor. Finish this post so I can clean up and look presentable for my "job". So much for my nap.
Hope your morning was less manic!
"Manic Monday...wish it were Sunday...cuz that's my funday...my I-don't-have-to-run day...it's just another Manic Monday!"
5:45am-Wake up to 2 of Steven's alarm clocks. Go in the kitchen to make his lunch. Get out bread, lunchmeat, and mayo. Realize that the bread is starting to smell (I'd noticed some condensation in the bag, but no smell last night). Make him a lunch without a sandwich.
6:05am-Take a few minutes on the internet. Then head back to bed.
6:15am-While trying to fall back asleep I realize that I scheduled my 3-hr glucose test for tomorrow, when I also told a friend I would watch her 2yr old twins for the morning while she goes to a reflection. Plus tomorrow Mary Clare has dance and I'm planning to attend the evening reflection. Realize that it would be better to postpone it for another day. Fall asleep and have a nightmare about scheduling too many things for tomorrow afternoon.
7:27am-Turn off my alarm and go back to sleep.
8:15am-Wake up and happily discover that both girls are still fast asleep in their own room! Have some prayer time. Start breakfast.
8:45am-Girls wake up and eat breakfast in a good mood. So far, so good!
9:15am-Start trying to call OB's office to reschedule glucose test. Number is busy. Allow the girls to watch Barney while I get us all ready for a morning walk. Miraculously Mary Clare allows me to dress her and fix her hair while she watches the movie. Ellie tells me her pants are too big but then refuses to take them off. I roll up the waist which made them look lopsided all morning. I somehow manage to fit myself into a pair of non-maternity workout shorts...woohoo!
9:45am-Call again to reschedule glucose test. They answer and put me on hold for about 10 minutes. Then interrupt me while I explain my situation. Rescheduled for Thursday. Call my mom for a good morning hello. She comments that I'm not talking. Oh, I'm clipping my toenails and can't breathe and do that at the same time!
10:15am-Start trying to convince the girls to go on a walk. Finally get them out the door. One of them screams for the first 5 minutes...I can't remember why. Then she slaps her sister in the face. Somehow the rest of the half-hour walk goes pleasantly, besides the whining about being ready to go to the grocery store, and to go back to the street with the giant blow-up jack-o-lantern where a ghost pops in and out.
10:45am-Load up for grocery store! Re-install carseats which were in hubby's car yesterday. Put them on opposite sides as a consequence for slapping behavior during walk. This child screams for the whole drive to Wal-Mart, first because of the carseat location, then because she wants her blanket, and finally because I mention that her sister's good behavior might allow her to choose something special at the store.
11:15am-Arrive at Wal-Mart Super Center. Turn off car and try to open carlocks with automatic switch. Locks don't open. Car won't turn back on. I try to figure out how we will get out of car. Climb out back seat using door switch, then realize I also had a switch in the front seat I could've used. Oh well. Frantically call hubby who can't make it across town to help me and isn't sure if it's the battery, alternator, or what. Imagine what the next few days of carlessness might be like. Call Dad who will come to my rescue.
11:45am-Quickly do my Wal-Mart shopping while Dad is on his way. Get to checkout in record time. All checkouts have long lines. Realize I forgot a key ingredient for a meal this week. Turn back to get it. Realize I also forgot water jugs. Ask store worker if they are on a particular isle near the front where I remembered finding them recently. She looks at me like I have 2 heads and points to the far back of the store. Go retrieve water and spend 5 minutes trying to find canned mushrooms (which only Steven likes!).
11:50am-Back to checkout. Girls climb out of shopping cart and pick up every item on shelves near checkout. Dad arrives, hooray! Vent to very nice older checker lady about my car that won't start in the parking lot.
11:55am-Walk out to parking lot to load groceries and children in the car. Dad goes to check on my car. Realizes that it WASN'T IN THE RIGHT GEAR and turns it on. Glad it's nothing serious but frustrated to have put my dad on a one-hour wild goose chase. He follows me home as I stop to pay water bill which is due today.
12:10pm-Arrive at home (deep breath), dad helps unload groceries (nice!), and he leaves. Start making lunch. Mary Clare wants to go get her doll out of the car and asks permission (way to go!). She lets dog out of the yard on her way to the car and I find her on her bike in the driveway and not getting her doll from the car. Lecture her for a few seconds. Finish making lunch.
12:30pm-Get a call from a man who found our dog. Mentally note address and tell him I'll try to get over there quickly. Tell the girls we must go get Timber. Ellie tells me she can't sit down because she has poo-poo. Mary Clare goes outside only to come back in with wet clothes she needs to change.
12:40pm-Somehow change diaper, turn off stove, find my keys, and get dry kids in the car. Allow them to sit in backseat while I drive the one block to get the dog. Realize it's a police who is holding the dog in the street. Hope he doesn't notice my non-secured children in the back seat. Feel bad for making him wait in the street for 10 minutes. He comments that I need to register the dog at the city office, bringing along rabies papers (how many years since he's had a rabies shot?..way too many!). Thank him several times and put girls in carseats for the one block drive home.
1pm-Convince girls to finish their lunch. Ellie cries for more strawberries (you don't want to know how much I paid for those). Let the girls watch Barney again to try to get them to go to sleep. Take a much-needed shower. Hope that no one is getting into things while I shower. Lay on the bed to recover for a few minutes.
2pm-Fall asleep watching Barney with the girls. Then Barney is over and one child is still awake. Try to put my Rick Steeves travel movie on but this child screams. Phone rings, no message. Get on the internet to write this post. Wireless keyboard dies and needs new batteries. Child is getting into Ovaltine chocolate powder when I enter the kitchen. Thankfully I take it away from her and convince her to lie down.
3pm-This child finally falls asleep on the floor playing with toys, and I realize that my tutoring student will be over in less than an hour and the schoolroom is filled with Barbie dolls all over the floor. Finish this post so I can clean up and look presentable for my "job". So much for my nap.
Hope your morning was less manic!
"Manic Monday...wish it were Sunday...cuz that's my funday...my I-don't-have-to-run day...it's just another Manic Monday!"
Saturday, October 13, 2007
33 People
Fit comfortably in our home for an afternoon of food and fun! It was a great day!
Started with a trip to the grocery store to get some last-minute foods for the potluck. Decided to attempt our first pumpkin pic of the year as we walked in :)
Off to the park. It was a beautiful breezy morning at our nicely shaded park. The kids collected leaves and glued them on paper to make animals or other designs.
The 2 year-olds have fun with glue and leaves!
Then down the street to our house for lunch, play, and a little more on autumn and leaves. Here are some of the kids picnicking in the backyard.
We had our Fine Arts "sharing" time where the kids get up and do some kind of performance, usually poetry. They sat or stood on the fireplace which made for a great stage! A recorder performance:
The audience looks on:
And the littlest performer of the day shows his artwork. So cute:
We're still recovering from our busy day but enjoying the beautiful weekend. I am just more and more thankful each day for our family, wonderful friends, great hometown, and beautiful home that we're able to share with others! I like having a kid-friendly place where I don't mind having groups like this over. We were all surprised at just how little a mess was actually left after the group went home!
Please offer a little prayer for me and baby as it looks like I might be facing a gestational diabetes diagnosis. I'll find out next week after another blood screening. Hope everyone is having a great weekend!
Started with a trip to the grocery store to get some last-minute foods for the potluck. Decided to attempt our first pumpkin pic of the year as we walked in :)
Off to the park. It was a beautiful breezy morning at our nicely shaded park. The kids collected leaves and glued them on paper to make animals or other designs.
The 2 year-olds have fun with glue and leaves!
Then down the street to our house for lunch, play, and a little more on autumn and leaves. Here are some of the kids picnicking in the backyard.
We had our Fine Arts "sharing" time where the kids get up and do some kind of performance, usually poetry. They sat or stood on the fireplace which made for a great stage! A recorder performance:
The audience looks on:
And the littlest performer of the day shows his artwork. So cute:
We're still recovering from our busy day but enjoying the beautiful weekend. I am just more and more thankful each day for our family, wonderful friends, great hometown, and beautiful home that we're able to share with others! I like having a kid-friendly place where I don't mind having groups like this over. We were all surprised at just how little a mess was actually left after the group went home!
Please offer a little prayer for me and baby as it looks like I might be facing a gestational diabetes diagnosis. I'll find out next week after another blood screening. Hope everyone is having a great weekend!
Friday, October 12, 2007
Pray for Me!
Looks like we're going to have 7 moms and 25+ kids at the Nature/Fine Arts Club in an hour and potluck lunch at my house!!! Should be a fun, crazy time! Off to the grocery store to get last-minute goods...
Hopefully I'll get pics of this ;)
Hopefully I'll get pics of this ;)
No, I'm not starting a daycare
But the current contents of Peter's room would sure make it look like one! And there's even one swing missing in this picture! I think for Mary Clare all we had was a carseat and a bouncy chair. Now (thanks to our generous sis-in-laws) we have 2 bouncy chairs, 3 swings, an exersaucer, a johnny jump-up, a walker, and probably a few other things I'm forgetting. Most of these items had been previously banned by my sweet hubby; we'll see how many survive until baby's arrival! I've been waiting to pass some of these things along, and hoping that some of our weekly baby guests for my various meetings would get some use out of them, but the only users so far have been the girls' baby dolls and the girls themselves! Mary Clare was "walking" around the house in the walker last night. The issue right now is that the exersaucer has a problem and there is a button that's malfunctioning and playing "Mary Had a Little Lamb" on and off all night long! It's a little freaky because the button actually has a face with blinking red eyes and looks a little possessed as it plays...on...and...on...Hopefully it will break in the next few hours!
Mary Clare's Nursling
Ellie insisted on bringing her pink blankey "my ray ray", and both girls brought a doll into Wal-Mart the other day. After awhile the girls always end up walking and not sitting in the cart. But Ellie was grabbing and smelling her blanket through the side of the cart while walking alongside it (it was naptime, and my girls have a 'thing' about the smell of their blankets). At one point Mary Clare wanted to get back in the cart and hold her doll. Then she grabbed Ellie's blanket, throwing Ellie into absolute hysterics. "But Mommy, I need to nurse my baby and I don't want anyone to see my tummy!", she responded. I tried to convince her that she could discreetly nurse using her little sling, which was also in the cart, but she refused. I don't think her doll got to eat on that outing ;)
Thursday, October 11, 2007
Fall is Here!
This was the coolest morning in a long while here in Texas (still warm enough for the girls to wear flip-flops to my OB appt though!). I've been really excited approaching the holiday seasons now having our first house! We can decorate our home and yard like never before :) I'm looking forward to getting our pumpkins on our ranch field trip next week, and really can't wait to put up Christmas lights in a couple months! Yesterday I spent all of $3 at Wal-Mart getting some fall flowers which I added to our mantle arrangement (removing the blue flowers)...
and put together this wreath with my new little scarecrow...
Tomorrow I'm teaching the Nature/Fine Arts club where we'll be collecting leaves, doing some crafts, and talking about fall. Hopefully I'll get some good pictures!
We found a new thrift store the other day which had a ton of dress-up clothes and accessories for Halloween. We bought some butterfly wings (for Ellie, who says she wants to be a butterfly for All Saints'!), angel wings and halo, a crown (for Mary Clare's princes/St. Elizabeth of Hungary costumes), and a wedding veil! MC couldn't wait to put on her wedding dress-up clothes with her new veil! Oh, and she also picked out a $1 stem of white flowers at Wal-Mart for her bouquet when she plays wedding :)
It's beginning to feel a lot like Autumn!
and put together this wreath with my new little scarecrow...
Tomorrow I'm teaching the Nature/Fine Arts club where we'll be collecting leaves, doing some crafts, and talking about fall. Hopefully I'll get some good pictures!
We found a new thrift store the other day which had a ton of dress-up clothes and accessories for Halloween. We bought some butterfly wings (for Ellie, who says she wants to be a butterfly for All Saints'!), angel wings and halo, a crown (for Mary Clare's princes/St. Elizabeth of Hungary costumes), and a wedding veil! MC couldn't wait to put on her wedding dress-up clothes with her new veil! Oh, and she also picked out a $1 stem of white flowers at Wal-Mart for her bouquet when she plays wedding :)
It's beginning to feel a lot like Autumn!
Arboretum
Yesterday we met a friend and her little boy at the nearby Arboretum. We had a nice walk in this new somewhat-cool weather! The kids mostly enjoyed watching the big fish in the little ponds.
Watching the fish
They kept throwing in leaves and getting the fish all excited (thinking they were getting food)!
Checking out the other little pond
A fun morning!
Watching the fish
They kept throwing in leaves and getting the fish all excited (thinking they were getting food)!
Checking out the other little pond
A fun morning!
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