Waiting and waiting

So...this is like when you have a baby and people keep asking when you're due, when the baby is coming, etc.  WE DO NOT KNOW WHEN WE ARE CLOSING ON THE HOUSE.  Every day we hope it's the day, but every day something comes up. 

Maybe I can convince Steven to tell his adventure story from yesterday which included a visit to the Congressman's office, along with a trip to Houston and back to get our now-fixed Suburban, a rolled-over propane truck shutting down the highway, and waiting an hour at the rental car place for the guy from the car dealership to pick him up, followed by wild stories of this guy's "secret government agency-working friend" and their adventures with the law.  In the end through a wide range of events, he was able to get the one missing paperwork item emailed through the Congressman's office.  So yeah, my husband is pretty awesome.  We'll see how many more strings he can pull to get us into this house before December!

My week has been spent with boxes...looking at boxes and trying to motivate myself to pack empty boxes.  Whining at the kids to do some schoolwork and stop playing with the toys I'm trying to pack.  Hoping we could get into the house before the Nutcracker chaos begins (not likely, starts tomorrow).  Trying to convince Thomas that I don't want to nurse him right now!  I'm not keen on sharing a ton of toddler nursing stories, but he's really pretty funny about it and I'm resigned to the fact that I am horrible with weaning...pretty much I'm a total-pushover in all aspects of parenting. 

So I tell him he's too big to nurse.  Big boys don't nurse, nursing is for little babies.  "Are you a big boy, Thomas?"  NO.  "Are you a baby, Thomas?" NO.  "What are you?" TWO.  He is definitely two.  He fights me about every diaper change and every time I try to put clothes or shoes on him.  Totally two.  His other latest nursing comment when I tell him I'm not nursing him and I cover up my chest with a blanket or pillow: "LET ME IN!!!" And finally, when Steven arrived home from work today and I was letting him nurse while rocking in the rocking chair and talking to a friend on the phone...He yells across the house, "Hi Daddy!  I'm nursing!"

Please pray that I can detach this child from my chest in the coming months.  And some prayers that we might be able to move before we all lose our minds amidst the chaos of the half-packed house.  Also for the intentions of two family members and one friend, two of whom have desperate housing needs that make our little hiccups pale in comparison to their great needs.  Thanks for praying!

Other thoughts on this Tuesday:
-Calabaza Con Pollo is such a great meal.  I should make it every other week or so.  If only we could eat it without the sour cream, shredded cheese, and fresh tortillas!  Mmmmm
-Going to the mall by myself at 7pm is half-relaxing and half-headache-inducing.  I'm proud of myself for leaving behind the Gymboree sales (since I already bought online with their sale last night!), and the cute clearance jewelry at Forever 21.
-Everyone said it would take a year before I'd start to feel at home.  I think I'm getting there.  It took a year and a new house, but God knows what I need, right?

It's looking to be a Wacky Wednesday....hope yours is Wonderful!

Monday Motivation!

Wow, this is going to be a week for the memory books!  We had a lovely Thanksgiving with both sides of the family, then woke up on Thursday morning to transmission issues with our Suburban.  It should be fixed today, but we had to get back here for packing, Nutcracker meetings/rehearsals, and work this morning.  So, we rented a car on Saturday evening and drove back.  We arrived after midnight in our Crown Victoria rental...with all 6 of us...such a crazy ride with fussy kids, making singing videos, and stopping for our favorite Raisin' Cane's chicken finger dinner!

So, now here I sit on Monday morning, waiting to find out when our move will be happening.  Steven and the mortgage/realtor guys take care of everything while I just wait to be told what to do and when we are closing.  It could be tomorrow, or it could be who knows when.  I'm running low on packing boxes, and a bit anxious to find out when we'll be in our new house!  Poor Steven has all the headaches, and also has to get back to Houston to return the rental car and pick up our Suburban!

Wednesday evening starts the chaos of Nutcracker week, with rehearsals or performances every day until Sunday.  Aunt Jill is coming to see the show, and maybe NeNe and PaPa too!  This was definitely not the ideal week for moving, or for our car breaking down.  But I'm trying to just roll with the punches and not stress out about it all.  We are so grateful to be able to buy this home, so a few days of waiting and bumps in the road aren't a big deal.  Last week I learned my lesson of getting myself worked up trying to finish my furniture painting project and also having the kids make dessert treats for Thanksgiving.  Wednesday evening I was losing my cool, so a long weekend in Houston was just what I needed to get some perspective and have a break from the house-packing.

I ran out of photo space on the blog, but need to look into my different options of buying more storage.  For now, I'll have to leave you with your imaginations of a house full of boxes, messes, dust, and kids in PJs (if even).  Hoping for the week to go as smoothly as possible, but preparing myself for more chaos!  And praying for those who are without job or home this holiday season...

Goals from last 2 weeks:

1. Daily readings, Laudate App

2. Bills/budget update (phone call for one specific bill needed)

3. Zumba at least 3 days Well, 2 days.

4. Follow up on pediatrician

5. Continue packing

6. Visit Botanical Garden

7. Painting projects!

8. Meals: leftovers, spaghetti, pasta bake, rotisserie chicken-wraps and Calabaza con pollo, maybe one night eating out.

 

Goals for this week:

1. Pack and move!  Find more boxes and buy some plastic bins.

2. Survive Nutcracker week!  Buy new ballet shoes for girls.

3. Possibly purchase a mattress for us so we don't have to move it twice.

4. Change all the utilities/addresses when we have a moving date (city, electric, phone/internet, cell, insurance, etc).

5. Clean out rental home, steam carpets.

6. Change girls' well-check appt.

7. Zumba 3x/wk

8. Meals: Leftovers, quesadillas, pizza, ???? (Not going to stress out about this; we may eat out for several dinners this week.  I wanted to "close" the kitchen and pack it up, but will wait until we have a definite moving date.  I bought a lot of lunch, breakfast, and snack foods to get us through the week!)

 

Here goes nothin'!  Back to packin'!

 

 

Thankful Day

Blogging from my phone, road tripping over the river and through the farmlands this Thanksgiving morning, I'm thankful for:

God and my sweet little family
A comfy car to get to Houston to spend Thanksgiving with those we love
Grandparents and aunts and uncles and cousins
New house and hidden blessing of closing getting pushed back...a few more days to play, then organize, paint furniture, and pack!
Free XM radio with hits from the 80s and 90s!
Kids that can bake Thanksgiving treats, even if mommy has to "fix" them a bit
Daughter praying the rosary on her own during road trip
80 degree weather
Texas skies
Sleeping boys
Hot Shipley donuts on Thanksgiving morning.
Running out of storage space on this blog, so no need to spend time uploading photos. More time to pack and play!

Thankful to all my readers here who make it fun to blog and share online friendships across the world!

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

7 Quick Takes Friday (Sunday)!

(written on Friday, but my photos wouldn't upload, so I'm posting on Sunday :)

--- 1 ---

Midnight blogging.  So I have about 100 things I should be doing right now.  #1 is sleeping, but I felt like writing.  So my dirty dishes, my empty boxes for packing, and my warm bed can wait a few minutes!  I'm in a sarcastic mood.  And I need an iPhone photo collage:

from top L-R: boys playing guitar, glad we cleaned under the beds before moving!, voting day, prolife rally on voting day.  Apple pie, now he can take off his top buckle, Ellie drew this for me when I was having a bad morning, Ellie and her feet at church playground.  T-ball game, starting to pack boxes, Ellie self portrait, watching a movie on the computer (maybe we'll get a TV screen when we move?).  I won't miss the terrazzo tile, MC self portrait, spaghetti night, and messy kitchen!

--- 2 ---

Old clothes.  I was reading Dwija's blog post  about her crusty sweater and commented about the few high school things I still have around the house.  I'll have to get some photos of my letter jacket and my rainbow polo shirt, yes I will!  Here's what I wrote:

What about crusty high school letter jackets? Anyone else have one of those hanging in your closet? I'm about to move again and am doing another big purge, but I can't seem to get rid of this thing! And it's not even leather but some kind of plasticky stuff! (Did you know plasticky is a real word on autocorrect?). I have also held onto a white polo with a rainbow collar from high school. Pretty sure it's a mens shirt. I once wore it unknowingly during gay pride week, with my rainbow WWJD bracelet. I can't let it go. It's a real Ralph Lauren polo! Then there's the closet full of crusty high school and college t-shirts; wonder how long those will survive! I mean can you wear a prom t-shirt to bed when you're 50?

--- 3 ---

Doctors :(  We hadn't seen a doctor since we moved here, but now all of a sudden we've needed to see about 4 of them in a matter of a couple weeks.  We had croup, then stomach virus, random pain, and possible UTI.  Then we have well-checks on the horizon!  Just for future reference, kids at age 4-5 who are peeing every 5 minutes and don't have pain or a fever may very well have what the doctor called "urinary frequency syndrome" which may be stress-related or a virus.  It should stop after about 2 weeks.

I had a feeling this was more of a psychological problem, but my pediatrician friend who is also a mom of 5 got me worried today, so we squeezed in for a doctor visit this afternoon.  Also for future reference, if you have a pain concerning enough to make an appointment for yourself, don't change it to a well-check just because the pain goes away.  Because, guess what?  The pain will come back worse than ever the very next day! Yep.  At least I found a doctor I can eliminate from my list of possibilities. Yep.  ~Signed, the pickiest doctor-chooser of the world who had a different OB for every one of her deliveries!

--- 4 ---

Stop committing!  Why do I do things like this?  I suggest a t-ball party when no one else does, and then offer to bring cupcakes but forget about it until the night before!  Why did I sign up for a Jesse Tree Ornament Exchange this week, where I need to make THIRTY TWO wooden apple ornaments during the exact time frame I need to be packing up my house and moving, plus celebrating Thanksgiving?  Brilliant, I tell you!

--- 5 ---

FIVE.  Yes five.  Five as in the time I need to wake up to get to 5:30am Zumba.  The novelty may be wearing off after 4 classes.  I love the dancing and have now found out that besides my friend teaching 2 early mornings a week, there's another fun teacher who teaches 2 other mornings at 5:30.  We even dance to "Gangham Style!"  But it is SOOOO early.  And I am soooo tired when I only get like 5 hours of sleep, and my body starts protesting.  My internal schedule is getting better though.  Except for tonight.  Hello 1:00am!  No weight loss yet, but that may be due to the fact that I'm not eating much better.  I was just eating a cup of Blue Bell Ice Cream from Sprouts, the "healthy" grocery store!  I think buying ice cream there must negate the healthful items you also bought.  I took a "before" picture of me the other day, and am hoping maybe I'll have enough improvement to show it with a better photo before the year is over!

--- 6 ---

Packing.  This is a lot of work.  I'm sure we should have some kind of method to this madness.  But instead we just do a little here and a little there.  I'm trying to organize and purge as I pack so that hopefully when we arrive at our new house we can just unpack and find everything ready to go.  This rental home will need quite a clean-up; we'll need to steam the carpets and maybe do something to the terrazzo tile (polish?).  We'll need to clean all the dead honeybee parts off the window near the side yard and the AC unit that sucked them up!  Hopefully we didn't do too much damage, but I may have spoken too soon as one of the kids just broke a part off of the lamppost in the front yard!  How much of the deposit will we get back?  That is the question.
  

--- 7 ---

Okay, back to packing.  Maybe I should tackle the laundry while I'm at it?

For more Quick Takes, visit Conversion Diary!

{pretty, happy, funny, real}

~Capturing the context of contentment in everyday life~

Every Thursday at Like Mother, Like Daughter

{pretty}

These nature photos were taken by Mary Clare at the Botanical Gardens last week!

{happy}

Happy kids at Nature Club!

 {funny}

Seen at the jewelry store down the street!

 

 {real}

or not real?

I'm finding all sorts of interesting photos on my camera! 

 

 

Hope you're all having a pretty happy week!

Monday Motivation!

Zumba!  Talk about being motivated, I woke up and went to Zumba at 5:30am today!  Yay for Monday Morning fun!  Last week I went to my friend's classes on Tuesday and Saturday, and I'm hoping to make 3 or 4 classes this week to get me moving again.  Those ladies this morning had some serious energy at 5:30am...hope I can get to that point after a couple more week!

What I wore Sunday.  I think it's fun that a bunch of the mommy bloggers are joining the What I Wore Sunday link-ups.  My Sunday clothing is rarely blog-worthy...but maybe when I lose a bit of weight and can fit into some of my skirts again, I'll join up too!  What I wore yesterday...pajamas all day!  We had a stomach virus going around and I was sick all Saturday evening.  I didn't want to pass along those germs, and some of the kids were feeling bad, so I didn't make it to Mass :-( 

Moving in 2 weeks!  I did get a good start on the packing this weekend!  I've got almost all the kids' books packed along with a start on some of the toys.  I'm working on toy organization. It was fun to find some toddler toys (wooden puzzes, etc) that Thomas hadn't seen in awhile because the toy baskets have been so mixed up! We had packers and movers paid for by Steven's company when we moved here a year ago, so I had to organize when we arrived, after the packers threw everything together in boxes.  This time it'll hopefully be easier, since I can organize and purge everything as I pack it.  Steven's car was loaded up with clothes, shoes, books, and toys this morning to drop off at a donation spot!  

The final countdown.  I love thinking about all the "lasts" in this house...last time to do this or that.  There are so many things I'm looking forward to in the new house...the location near friends and walking distance from a church, the cul-de-sac, the big backyard and patio, the laminate wood floors, and my dream kitchen to name a few.  But I think the thing I'm most looking forward to is the master bath!  Our last two master bathrooms have been shower-only and they have been rather dark showers, where you feel like you're in a cave and can't even see your legs to shave them!  When I was sitting in my shower on a metal chair Saturday night (while sick), I was dreaming of my nice bright bathroom, and especially the big bathtub.  It sounded so appealing to a tired, sick mama.  I can't wait!

Whoop for the Aggies and the Texans!  I think my husband is a happy football fan after those games!

Look how well I did with my goals last week! 

Goals from week:

1.  Daily Readings, Laudate App (about half the days)

2.  Schedule dr/dentist appts (still waiting for pediatrician to call back!)

3.  Vote!  Pro-Life rally and Holy Hour on Voting day

4.  5:30am Zumba 2x/week!

5.  Find boxes and start packing

6.  Bills/Budget update

7.  Nature Club prep

8.  Photography project for girls (I let them take too many photos and now the battery needs charging and I need to delete most of the pictures!)

9.  Meals: leftovers, Grill steaks and chicken, quesadillas, baked chicken and rice, pizza

 

Goals for this week:

1. Daily readings, Laudate App

2. Bills/budget update (phone call for one specific bill needed)

3. Zumba at least 3 days

4. Follow up on pediatrician

5. Continue packing

6. Visit Botanical Garden

7. Painting projects!

8. Meals: leftovers, spaghetti, pasta bake, rotisserie chicken-wraps and Calabaza con pollo, maybe one night eating out.

Hoping to move along with these goals, so we don't get too overwhelmed with the move!  Have a great week!

{pretty, happy, funny, real} Master Bedroom Challenge

~Capturing the context of contentment in everyday life~

Every Thursday at Like Mother, Like Daughter

(rushing off to nature club today, must post quickly but wanted to document my success!)
 

BEFORE:

a bedroom filled with a pile of sweaters and coats and an always-unmade bed with a fussy toddler!

These are actually baskets of clean clothes that need to be hung!

working on school reader in the midst of the chaos!

AFTER:

 excuse the curtain rods in the corner; no use putting them back up since we move in a couple weeks! and a new comforter has been purchased but I'm not brave enough to use it yet!

 coats and jackets are off the vacuumed floor, but still awaiting hangers so I can now get them off the hallway floor!

 only one laundry basket left with mostly socks!

I'd say that was a success!  Thanks for the inspiration, Like Mother Like Daughter!

iPhone Collage Memories

from top left: girls at Nutcracker rehearsal, T watching SJ's tball game, someone's nose, MC trying on stuff at The Gap, and the hallway of coats and sweaters that need hangers!
row 2: Ellie practicing her Christmas piano piece, the cooking challenge team practicing, T on the guitar at 6am, T dancing on the new rug, MC and her St. Gianna costume
row 3: saint procession into mass, boys in the bath, girls with "toilet tattoos" to show NeNe, MC in shades at some store, E reading to SJ at bedtime
row 4: kids playing video games at urgent care last fri, waiting to see dr at urgent care (SJ had croupy cough), E taking self-portrait while on the phone, Daddy cleaning his ducks from hunting while the boys look on, and Daddy with T and friend W at church festival
row 5: T is the only one on the carousel!, SJ on his first rock climb, vision of the festival--kids' Saturday night dream and parents nightmare!, cooking challenge team with their blue ribbons, and both my girls with their 4H awards!

Monday Motivation

Ah, a new week with a time change!  Going to work on early morning productivity this week!  Voting Day tomorrow with a Pro-Life prayer vigil at the abortion clinic followed by a holy hour.  Also, we've got our 2nd nature club on Thursday!  And I have an exercise plan and plans to start packing soon.  We had a very FULL weekend with a doctor visit Friday night, a festival Saturday night, and dinner with friends Sunday night.  Hopefully we'll have a restful and productive Monday.  But I've got to get everyone moving, now!!! Will update pictures soon.

Goals from last week:

1. Bills

2. Daily readings, use Laudate App

3. Call last few people for Nutcracker donations and reminder email to others

4. Schedule well-checks and dental appts

5. Prep for All Hallow's Eve celebration, costume for Thomas

6. Prep for 4H food show and food challenge

7. Meals: Crockpot Roast, Carnitas, Leftovers, Baked chicken and rice, food at church

8. Checklist for school, stay on schedule!

Goals for this week:

1.  Daily Readings, Laudate App

2.  Schedule dr/dentist appts

3.  Vote!  Pro-Life rally and Holy Hour on Voting day

4.  5:30am Zumba 2x/week!

5.  Find boxes and start packing

6.  Bills/Budget update

7.  Nature Club prep

8.  Photography project for girls

9.  Meals: leftovers, Grill steaks and chicken, quesadillas, baked chicken and rice, pizza

All Hallow's Eve

We had a great time attending our parish's All Hallow's Eve Festival!  The kids mentioned trick or treating a few times this week, but overall I don't think we missed it much.  We of course missed our friends back home and our old traditions, but this new tradition was lots of fun, too! 

Here are the saints:

Thomas as St. Ignatius (priest), Steven as St. George (knight), Ellie as the newly canonized St. Kateri (Native American), and Mary Clare as St. Gianna (doctor).  Both the girls' choices are fairly new Catholic saints; I'll tell their stories a bit below...

Ellie was excited to get to buy a "real" costume!  She would have been happy and accepting if we had to just cut up a brown t-shirt to make fringe, so this was a real treat to find such a cute Native American costume!  St. Kateri Tekakwitha was just canonized a couple weeks ago, so she is the newest American saint!  The "Lily of the Mohawks" converted to Catholicism as a teen and was shunned by her tribe.  She professed a vow of virginity and died at age 24.  Many miracles have been attributed to her intercessory prayer after her death.

A nice part of this celebration was starting with a saintly procession into the Vigil Mass for the Feast of All Saints'!

Here are all the games set up in the field behind the church.  They had quite an array!  It kept the kids busy for a few hours, then they had time to eat their candy and play on the playground.

Mary Clare's saint, Gianna Beretta Molla, was an Italian pediatrician, wife, and mother.  She is remembered for her life of holiness and continuing with the pregnancy of her 4th child, even though her life was at risk.  She died a week after her daughter was born, in 1962.  This daughter became a doctor herself!  Her own husband and children were at her canonization in 2004.  A beautiful quote by this daughter, also named Gianna, at her beatification:

"Dear Mom, thank you for having given me life two times: when you conceived me and when you permitted me to be born… My life seeks to be the natural continuation of your life, of your joy of living, of your enthusiasm, and it finds its full meaning in the engagement and dedication to whoever lives in suffering. Dear mom, intercede always for all mothers and all families who turn to you and entrust themselves to you."

 

Once again, he was St. George, the knight and dragon-fighter!  His "armored" shirt had some rips in the front about which he commented, "that's okay, it makes it look like I was really fighting a dragon!"

Steven brought a white label home from work to stick on his black shirt.  I knew that Thomas would not handle a costume with a tunic or anything this year.  St. Ignatius was a good choice.  Such a cute little priest!

Looking at some fun games; I like this spinning wheel with the gifts of the Holy Spirit.  The bounce house was lots of fun, too!

Thomas probably spent over an hour at the fishing station!  He was one happy boy!

And Ellie was very happy to share her chosen saint with the girls' favorite little baby R!  Baby wasn't too thrilled about her costume though ;)

The two sisters after some face painting and a fun evening!  We didn't leave until 10:00, and are still recovering from all the excitement this week!

St. Ignatius, St. George, St. Kateri, St. Gianna...pray for us!

All you holy men and women pray for us!