Tuesday, December 30, 2014

12 in 2014 - The Link Up

Thank you so much for spending another year with us.  As usual, it's been crazy and wonderful and surprising.

Hey, if they ever make a chick flick about me starring Mandy Moore, they could totally call it that: Crazy Wonderful Surprise.

En-ee-weigh.  Welcome to the third annual sharing of the photos.  It's the perfect time for new readers to get your year paraphrased and for old readers to take a walk down memory lane, don't you think?


Let's photo, y'all.

Monday, December 22, 2014

This girl; That link-up

First, for your viewing enjoyment before getting to the gritty of the nitty: Mary, age 2


She is constantly putting extra things on.  Rarely is she not wearing a tutu over her regular clothes.  Often there are hats involved.  Sometimes even props (think sword, lunchbox, life jacket...).  I love her.

Now, Check me out and the only link-up I've successfully remembered to host for THREE whole years in a row. 

This is truly a feat for the record books, friends.

In 2012 we all posted 12 photos for 2012 because, well, of course.  And then in 2013 I decided to make it 13 photos because that seemed to make sense.  But then a very smart friend was like "So what, we're all going to post 63 photos in 2063?  Get your business under CONTROL woman!" 

(I'm paraphrasing here.)

Saturday, December 20, 2014

6 months

It's the first day of our Christmas break, everything has finally been moved out of the old house, our parish Christmas pageant is on the books (it's the fifth pageant in a row my kids have done with the same church and....wow.  I can't believe that that's a thing.) and I feel like I can breeeeeeeeeeeeathe again.  Aaaaaaaaaah.

Did you watch Elf with us last night?  Gosh I love that movie.

JC turned 6 months old on the 5th of December.  Maybe before he's 7 months, I should post these?  Yes.

What a love he is. You would definitely want to give him the never ending squench.


Wednesday, December 10, 2014

We were (not) on a BREAK!

It's like Instagram is my new blog or something.  See, here's the thing- back at the old house (forgive my ridiculous use of punctuation marks that may or may not belong, por favor?) we had a long stretch of countertop between the kitchen and the dining room upon which The Big Computer sat and as I walked back and forth passed it twelve thousand times a day, I could work on a blog post in little spurts and have something to share with you on a fairly regular basis.

Well.

WELL.

Saturday, December 06, 2014

Feast on this feast day!

Happy St. Nicholas day, friends!  We've always celebrated this feast day as a family, but it's become even more special to us since our own saint Nicholas started interceding on our behalf from heaven last year.

It's been a great day so far, too.  His prayers (and yours!) always make these sorts of days so filled with grace.  Chocolate and presents in the shoes, a morning of family games on the wii, putting up our outdoor Christmas decorations in the afternoon, meeting one of our new neighbors (he was really nice and it turns out his granddaughter used to sit with my Lizzy on the school bus back when she used to ride the school bus.  Don't you absolutely love that sort of thing?) and just in general really living every minute of this day in our home as a family.

Friday, December 05, 2014

A surge of the heart. A look toward heaven.

About ten years ago I was driving my Nissan Altima through the early morning rush hour streets of Southern California with my two little girls, aged 2 and 3 years old, buckled into the backseat.  As usual I was in a hurry.  As usual they started bickering.  It was probably not even that annoying but I didn't know that then.  I was stressed and exhausted and was sure that if I could just have some SILENCE then the stop and go, the rush and brake, would go away.

So I looked at them in the rear view mirror and said...well, I'm not sure what I said because I soon as I finished being angry, I looked in front of me just in time to see the bumper of the car in front of me not moving forward anymore.

Monday, December 01, 2014

3 week redux (mommy blog alert)

So you know what's weird?  I didn't know, when I was a kid living in Michigan, that it was not normal for the sun to set at 10:30 p.m. in the summer but at 4:30 p.m. in the dead of winter.  Over here on the west side of the state it's even more dramatic because we are about as far west as you can get in the eastern timezone so, you know, it's kind of like living in two totally different places every six months.

Anyway, we've entered into the dark part of the year (super appropriate for Advent and one of the things that makes celebrating the liturgical seasons feel really natural here) so instead of running back outside after dinner like they do in the summer, we're "enjoying" a lot of very, very, very noisy indoor play after dinner these days.  Very.  Noisy.
Paul is banging on those "drums," Cecilia is clacking castanets, and Mary has turned the auto-play music on on the keyboard out of frame.  The baby is banging on the floor with a rattle.  Tommy is wailing a sweet tune.  Be jealous.  Be v.v.v.v. jealous

A Traditions Home

I want to have the kind of home that kids remember.  They'll wax nostalgic to their friends, and then their spouses, about the way life felt during every holiday. Holy Day. About the special plates for those very special meals.  About the multiple nativity sets- each one in a different room.  "The Fontanini.  The wooden one.  That one made out of ceramic from Mexico..."  (I don't have them yet, but maybe I will someday).    About all  the beloved things that let them know something important is happening.

I want a home like that.  I want a house of wishes and memories and traditions.  Of familiar and homey and comfortable and intentional.

Saturday, November 29, 2014

Stacking Discounts for Christmas Cards

Last year I was the most on top of things woman who ever was, ordering our Christmas cards on, oh I don't know...Labor Day or something. And then I actually mailed them out the day after Thanksgiving like some kind of fictional character in a novel written by Martha Stewart.

This year? Not so much. 

This move, which is STILL not complete btw (pro tip: even if you're moving locally and don't have to be out of your house by a certain date, give yourself a fictional date and move the heck out. Be loading a truck at 2 a.m. if you have to. Because dearlawdalmighty it will not end!), has really taken up all our freeish time an then every single one of us got sick, but not at the same time. Of course not! No. One after another after another after another. 8 people in a row. The brain was the mush. 

What the bleep  I prattling on about? Oh, Christmas cards!

Monday, November 24, 2014

Praying for Nicole

Earlier this morning I tried to post a bunch of fluff and stuff, but the internet wouldn't cooperate and my pictures wouldn't load, so I slammed the computer shut and instead cleaned up the "mess" Mary had just made on the floor because she's wearing big girl undies for the first time today and just. doesn't. get it.

Then I got an email about a girl that Tommy and I were at UD with and I knew that the fluff and stuff was supposed to wait.

Thursday, November 20, 2014

What do you think of this paint color in my house? (too many pictures)

This is a story
all about how
my life got flip turned upside down...

Wait.  Focus.  It's a story about how 1) you should never trust paint colors online and 2) please help my brain think because it can't do it alone anymore.  Nope.

Tuesday, November 18, 2014

Not always for me

I've been thinking about this for a while, but I don't know how to open.  It's probably not even enough to be a blog post.

Whatever.

I used to try to define my children, and their temperaments and quirks and talents, purely in relation to me.  "God gave me this child to teach me this, God gave me that child to make me better at that." Hey, did you hear that thing about me being the center of the universe?  Pretty awesome.

But what if, as usual, it's not about me at all?  Maybe I just happen to be the best woman to help create a person (we get to help. create. human. beings. #mindblownpause ) who will prompt the other people in my house be the best versions of themselves they can be. Maybe my kids have each other for very important reasons, and sometimes I'm simply supposed to be the facilitator, the delegator, the cat wrangler.

Do you see where I'm going with this?  Am I making sense?

Thursday, November 13, 2014

5 Favorites

Hey, hey, hey- y'all are gonna think I'm obsessed with cleaning pretty soon aren't you? It's all a sham, friends.  All a sham.  Linking up five favorite things with Jenna.  Play along why don'tcha?

(1)
Bar Keepers Friend

Tuesday, November 11, 2014

5 months

Sweet John Charles.  He's five months old now, you know.  I can't believe it either.

This baby is SO LOVED.  I had to sneak him away to my bedroom just to try and get some solo photos of him tonight- a few clicks in and his fan club had already hunted him down.

Sunday, November 09, 2014

Hardwood Floor Products Comparison

Several days ago I asked for hardwood floor maintenance ideas- products specifically.  I've got hot water and vinegar as a general solution good for all applications known to man, but these floors...well, they've seen better days.  They were dull and scuffed and kind of sad, but according to my husband worth reviving (insert additional conversation about quarter sawn wood and guitar sides and that's all I understood.) so attempt to revive them I shall.

All of that to say that I was looking for some STUFF that I could use.  Since I bought the stuff, I've gotten even more recommendations, but the stuff had already been bought, you know?  So don't feel bad if your suggestion didn't make the cut!  Because there was no cut.  There was just me and my inability to time things correctly.

Show us the stuff.

Okay, yes, sorry.  The stuff.

Thursday, November 06, 2014

Brick (TT)

It's been at least six centuries since I've played along with Theme Thursday.  Did you miss it?  I did.  I miss normal.  Things being normal.  Soon, my pretties.  Soon the old house will be sold and I will get my red sofa back and the normal crazy will resume and this ramped-up psychotic crazy will take a back seat for at least, probably, three days.  Three glorious days.

Wow.  Have not been drinking, pinky swear.

Related: why have I not been drinking?  Am I the boss of this house or am I the boss of this house?  Brb.

Monday, November 03, 2014

Efforts to Bless

Last night I pulled my planner out from under The Pile of Papers (every time you move, you have this...pile.  Of papers.  And they're so important.  Yet you don't look at them for 6 months.  And then you grudgingly file them and never look at them again.  But: important!) and wrote down a few things for the upcoming week.  Finally.  I just wrote them down instead of trying to stash them all in my hole-filled brain bucket.  And it felt so great.  I feel ready now instead of completely panicked.

Friday, October 31, 2014

Stupid chickens, photo fails, furniture salvage help (7qt)

(1)
 Our current flock of chickens is particularly stupid.  We finally brought them over from the old house and set up the coop near the pole barn because a) the barn has running water all winter and 2) when the roosters decide to crow at 6:47 a.m. I won't have the undeniable urge to punch them in the face with a waffle iron.

Would you like to know where they have been roosting?  Would you? Too bad.  I'm telling you anyway.  ON MY FRONT PORCH.

Sweet pickled petunias.

Tuesday, October 28, 2014

No Pressure Preschool & starting FHC prep (Learning Notes vol. 3)

I don't have a system yet, y'all.  New house, new layout, no kitchen countertop space for a computer- all of it is making it super hard to get back into a groove.

When in doubt: learnin' notes.

Chombat photo bomb
Paul is seven, but a young seven.  Until yesterday, I wasn't sure if we would be doing First Communion prep with him this year or not.  Then all of a sudden he started with the questions.  What is communion?  Why does God say that?  Do you get in trouble after you go to confession?  But he wasn't asking me.  He was asking his sweet biggest sister and wow....my heart.

Friday, October 24, 2014

Questions, baby, sugar beets (7qt)

(1)
I have exactly 21 minutes to write this post. How lame is it if I ask you a bunch of questions?  Like....oh, here goes: have you ever installed a new kitchen in a house?  If so, talk to me about the cabinets you chose.  We used Lowe's in-stock cabinets in our last place because that was about the level that the house warranted.

You know what I mean.  You don't want to spend more than what the market will bear once you try to sell and all that.  But this house is a little more something.  So I'd like the cabinets to be a little more something.  But not a LOT more something.  Because we'll only have a few of the somethings we need, namely: money.

Wednesday, October 22, 2014

Hey, how are things going at the new place? (5 faves)

This morning at our weekly co-op my friends were all asking me how things were going at the new house and I thought to myself I thought "Dweej, I bet everyone is wondering that!"  So how 'bout some more pictures?  Perhaps five of them?  Yes.  5 Favorite pictures.

 p.s. at 4 pm EST today, we've got a showing of The House Unseen.  If we sell it, I can get a kitchen that doesn't have duck tape holding the countertop to the wall!  Will you say a quick prayer?  St. Jude, St. Joseph and St. Ann are probably getting tired of hearing from me, but of YOU they are not. I'm sure of it.

Saturday, October 18, 2014

A 34 year miracle

I shouldn't be blogging right now. I have six browser tabs open.  Two of my kids are still awake.  I still haven't cancelled the phone and internet at the old house. 

The old house.

It's weird calling it that.  It's weird but not hard.

God's plans are always bigger than ours, you know?  This whole thing.  This...crazy thing...doesn't even really feel like it was our idea.  Do you know what I mean?

Thursday, October 16, 2014

I cleaned stuff so you could win $100


Oh my gosh.  You guys.  Moving is insane.  Who invented "moving" anyway?  And it's not all the stuff you're thinking about, like the paperwork and the endless phone calls and the putting of each individual glass from your kitchen into cardboard boxes.  Well yeah, it's all that.  But it's not JUST all that.  It's the cleaning!  Holy.  Mackerel. 

The cleaning.

I am in super-duper-clean-all-the-things-non-stop mode these days.  The regular house things, yes, but also the chil'rens.  Because kids gotta be kids, you know?  The syrup and the dirt and the dog hair.  Have fun.  Be happy.  But mama can't have the syrup and the dirt and the dog hair all over her freshly painted, pristine wall of pristine-ness, no she cannot.

Tuesday, October 14, 2014

New House Pics: vol. 2

I'm aliiiiiiiiiiive!!!

I'm in my hooooooouse...at the taaaaaaaaaaaable...on the iiiiiiiiinternet!

(I hope you sang that in your head while you were reading it.)

So I promised you photos of the upstairs and the outside, right?  Let's do it.

Saturday, October 11, 2014

New House Pics: vol. 1

The level of exhaustion. I can't even.

Friday:

kids, breakfast, clean up house to make it show ready in case we got a call, take 2 kids to riding lessons, take 4 kids with me to the grocery store, pick up 2 kids from riding lessons, back to the house for lunch, clean house again, drop 5 kids off at our friends' house, haul myself and baby to the other side of town to the title office...

2:57 p.m.!  I made it with 3 minutes to spare!

Wednesday, October 08, 2014

Lovely, Gracious, Excellent

I was raised to loathe material things.  The spiritual world is spiritual, the material world is material.  We are not at all our bodies.  The body is just a cage that our soul is trapped inside of.  I am no more this person than I was my previous body from my previous life.  A strict dichotomy between things of this world (bad) and things of the beyond (good).  This is what I was not.

Really it was the reincarnation thing that allowed that entire philosophy to fall apart.  I wrote about it more a couple of years ago right here if you're in the mood.

But that's not what I want to talk about today.  Today I want to talk about learning to appreciate beauty.  Not just the God-created beauty of a child's smile or a gorgeous sunrise, but the beauty I can create myself.  The beauty you can create.  The beauty that can lift our spirits, give a foretaste of heaven, and make the drudgery that is inescapable in this fallen world more manageable.

Tuesday, October 07, 2014

Your new favorite piece of jewelry is right inside

Hey.  Two entire weeks ago I talked about the Jamberry nails and my novena bracelet photobombed three of the shots. That totally happened.

I'm finally back with real pictures!  And a coupon code!  Because remember that thing about my brain not functioning correctly due to it being plagued by RET14?  (That's "real estate transactions 2014" for anyone [read: everyone except me because I just this very second made that up] who isn't quite certain what my particular ailment is).  Due to said mental impediment a) it took me two weeks to get back with you on that and dos) I'm in a bloggy fog and am so grateful to have SOMETHING to share with you that is good but doesn't require me to put a non-run-on sentence together.

25 bonus points for you if you made it through every cumbersome word of the above paragraph.

Thank you for not breaking up with me these days, seriously.

Monday, October 06, 2014

The house is on the market and I'm a wreck

Remember that one time that I talked about being all in with this mothering thing, and how I fail but then try again?  Well this weekend (or is it last weekend?  I can't tell.  Whatever.  The two days previous to today.  Me talk goodly.) was one giant enormous pile of fail.

Waiting for a closing date that's already been delayed whilst simultaneously getting your house ready to put on the market is lunacy.  At least it is for me.  Because I make everything more complicated than it needs to be.  Super happy fun timez!

So I'm trying a reboot right now.  And since being "all in" will mean not serving lunch late because I was busy writing a super meaningful tome of meaningfulness, here are the house pics I sent to our realtor.

Friday, October 03, 2014

5 recipes and a cute baby (7qt) (5 Faves)

(1)
My bebeh is going to be 4 months old (!!!) on Sunday, but y'all know I am terrible about checking in with e-land on the weekends these days, so I'll go ahead and show you this hilarious cuteness right now:

Wednesday, October 01, 2014

Morning Sickness Remedies

My e-friend Lindsey is a doula in Florida (come to Michigan! Be my birth person!) and is here to chat about morning sickness because I kid you not: the terrible feeling of feeling terrible non-stop is the hardest part of pregnancy for me. Not the being huge or the swollen feet or even the actual labor and delivery. No. It's the anticipation of feeling like death gently warmed over and then that anticipation becoming reality that puts the bowling ball of fear right there in my stomach. So this book of hers- this book matters to me. And Lindsey is gonna do the talking! Yay!

Ready? Let's go.

Monday, September 29, 2014

Learning Notes vol. 2

What can I say?  My kids are weird.

Earlier this evening Charlie (almost 4 months old) helped Paul (7) practice his spelling.  Or reading.  Something word related.  I'll let you decide what to call it, m'kay?  The game goes like this:

Friday, September 26, 2014

I Tracked Every Purchase for a Year and Here's What I Have to Say About That (7qt)

A little over a year ago, we finally decided we were sick of only sorta kinda knowing how we were spending our money.  With a house full of kids and a new(er)-house pipe dream on the horizon, I decided we were finally going to make a budget and stick to our budget.  But guess what?  I couldn't.  And I'll tell you why.  Because...

Tuesday, September 23, 2014

Jamberry Nail Wraps: giveaway

Welcome friends, both new and old!  It's been really moving to be a part of the enthusiastic response to yesterday's post.  Incredible.  God is so smart and good.  So, welcome back to....a product review and giveaway?  Well, I wouldn't want you to get too accustomed to me being full of insight and smartness, would I?  Because truly those moments are few and far between.  Most of the time I'm just here doing my renovating/homeschooling/pseudo girly mom thang and I'm super grateful that y'all like to hang out and do all of that with me.

So let's get to it! 

Monday, September 22, 2014

All In

We have a new pastor. He's the great-grand-nephew-something of a previous pastor at our parish, a pastor we never knew because we just got here 4.2 years ago, but he was definitely much beloved and where am I going with this?

Oh, here's where I'm going.  Our new pastor is really young (younger than ME young!  And I'm...what?  24 or something?  So, wow.  Young.) and he has the same last name and is related to that previous pastor and I sort of...

Ugh.  I bet someone is going to tell him this.  Or he's going to read it himself.  (I saw him checking his iphone right before Mass yesterday.  Then he stealth-like dropped it into the hidden pocket in his ankle length cassock, suited up in his ordinary-time green vestments and processified right in.  Homey ain't afraid of the interwebz.).  But I'll press on.  Because I'm foolish.

Friday, September 19, 2014

Camo overload, boots, cutes (7qt)

(1)
You know, the thing about doing all your own blog "workin'" is that sometimes all your social sharing buttons disappear from your right sidebar and are replaced by a 404 error message and you have no idea what happened nor how to fix it.  Viva 2 a.m. watching youtube tutorials!

(2)
What you really want isn't information on the inner workings of blog land, is it? No.  You're here for the bebe.

Wednesday, September 17, 2014

Before I Had a Seven Year Old

Remember a few months ago when I demanded you start reading Kate Rhodes' blog?  Well, in case you forgot to click her link or didn't add her to your bloglovin' roll, here's another chance.  I love Kate.  I don't know how to explain it.  She just....makes me feel like my heart has an extra layer of frosting on it or something.

Awkward pause.

Tuesday, September 16, 2014

Learning Notes

Melanie writes at The Wine Dark Sea. Have you ever read her blog? I'm blessed to know her from UD, but even more blessed to know her better now through her writing and her mothering life.

Maybe she will be embarrassed by what I'm about to say, but I'm going to go ahead and say it because every mom needs to hear what they're good at from someone other than their husband and kids: when I want advice or guidance or encouragement in opening up the world of literature or art or history to my children, she is the first person I think of.  Her personal knowledge of these things, as if they're woven into her very being, is beyond anything I'm going to able to accomplish in myself.  AND her willingness and ability to allow that to blossom naturally in her kids is so admirable.  I tend to still cling too much to "what the grade level expectations are" in a lot of things and in so doing have in the past stifled what could have been a truly organic learning adventure, the kind that actually brings them joy sticks with them throughout their lives.

Monday, September 15, 2014

Everything you didn't want to know about us selling and buying houses

The best time to do crazy things is when everything is already crazy. That's how I like to roll, at least.  So there's a newborn and a new school year and a house we're trying to buy and this house we're getting ready to sell and it's all happening at a breakneck pace and that's cool, man.  That's cool.  Because once it's OVER, we can immerse ourselves in Thanksgiving and Advent and Christmas without all of this hanging over our heads.

Sunday, September 14, 2014

Me and that baby and what we wore (wiws)

You know what I'm most excited about in the (potential) new house?  It has a full length mirror.  Already installed.  Somehow that particular task, the installation of a full length mirror somewhere in this house, has eluded me for over four years now, so clearly it's never going to happen.  So forever and ever, if we don't get the new house, whenever I decide to share what I wore or a belly or other mirror-requiring photo, you will have to endure terrible selfies like the following:

Friday, September 12, 2014

Ceci speaks, semi-girliness, happy videos (7qt)

Let's shoot out of the gate with four totally true quips from this firecracker of a child because letting my kids write a post for me is just my kind of lazy:

1)
Cecilia, while modeling for Tommy her "hula hula" outfit (bathing suit shown above with a red skirt on the bottom): ...AND I wore it to co-op today!

Tuesday, September 09, 2014

Wait. Why are selling your house???

Blogging is weird because you can write entire posts about itty bitty teeny weeny things, things like how much I despise that show Sid the Science Kid for example.  But then when ginormous things happen, you're like "oh and by the way a herd of elephants trampled our car and it was weird.  Moving on to this MASCARA I FOUND WOW IT'S SO GREAT AND IMPORTANT."

Know what I'm sayin'?

Case in point: we are thisclose to putting our house (The House) on the market, and I sort of just brought it up in passing like it's no big deal.  And then people were like "um, can you back this train up and pick up a few passengers that you left behind, passengers like Mrs. What the Heck and  Mr. Why?"

Friday, September 05, 2014

3 Months; First Day; New House; Awesome Baby (7qt)

(1)
There's probably a really good German word for what my life is like right now.  I wouldn't call it stressful because I feel a river of peace running smoothly underneath this mountain.  But the mountain- the mountain is what I'm talkin' about.  The school year starting, prepping our own house to go on the market, trying to buy this other house, trying not to be surprised every four hours when people want to eat...again. 

Anyway.

Craziness.

How about some pictures?

Wednesday, September 03, 2014

Bathroom Questions Answered (5 faves)


Welcome to 5 favorites: the Stuff We Did to the Bathroom edition!

I promised to answer your combox questions yesterday but there were conveniently FIVE of them, so here's the second post in a row about our quicky, cheapo bathroom reno.  You're welcome.

(1)

What did you do to that bathtub?!? Did it involve the bartering of first-born children?

Tuesday, September 02, 2014

Labor Day Bathroom Reno - SHAZAM!

Remember on Friday when I said we were thinking about selling The House Unseen?

Well.  Deep breath.  Here's what happened since then.

-Our offer on a place two miles away got accepted (as I said to my friend Amanda "I don't want a new life, I just want a new house!)

-We realized we have to get this place, our current house, appraised.

Friday, August 29, 2014

House Fixing, House Selling, School Planning, Hyperventilating (7qt)

(1)
So. We're thinking of selling the house unseen.  Not the blog or the domain name but the actual house.  I know!  I know.  But a little more land, a little less dirt road. A second bathroom...those would all be nice things.  Especially that last one when you've got six kids and are tryin'a homeschool and people are fighting in the hallway about who needs to pee more urgently.

Tuesday, August 26, 2014

Happy birthday to my biggest boy

My first baby boy turned seven years old on Sunday.  Seven.  Seven years of knowing this sweet boy.
I already told you about how he careened into our lives  (and hasn't stopped since).

Monday, August 25, 2014

Cotton & Laden Weighted Baby Blankets for Charity- review and giveaway

You know that thing that babies do where they get all surprised that you've laid them down so they punch  themselves in the face to punish you?  Oh yes, we've all been there- with the putting weight on their torsos and sort of kind of holding their arms down, but not too much or they know what you're doing and not too little or they freak out.

So a few weeks before Mr. Chombie was born (have I explained how Chombie became his nickname?  Charlie the Burrowing Wombat became Chombat the Wombat which became Chombie Wombie which became just Chombie for short because that's super normal), when Freya of Cotton & Laden was all "Hey, do you want a special treat that will help your baby not to punch himself in the face?", I responded with a most enthusiastic "I am want all the treasures this very instant!"

And lickety split an absolutely adorable weighted blanket arrived in the mail.

My sweet boy at 8 days old with his magic blanket
From the product description:

Thursday, August 21, 2014

My lip synch video + Theme Thursday. It's a twofer!

So. I'm giving my vanity the ol' one-two punch today with my contribution to Kelly's lip synch challenge. Whew, I am not good at being postpartum, y'all. Baby is 11 weeks old and I look like I just delivered last Saturday. THROAT PUNCH TO MY VANITY BY POSTING THE VIDEO ANYWAY.

Wednesday, August 20, 2014

5 (really 3) Favorites

(1)
Christy

You know that song with that line.....like...."can't buy me loooooooove, can't buy me loooooove, money can't buy me love."  Well I don't believe in that song.  Or I do because Christy didn't send me money.  But she did send me a handbag, and that's pretty much the same thing, so I guess I really don't believe in that song because I love Christy.  Yay!  Goodies for me!  Buy my love!
I guess she was cleaning out her closet or something and decided to give away her amazing things using her IG account (so clearly you should be following her on IG.  Clearly.) because she is nice and not lazy like I am.




(2)
 Firmoo

 Several times Firmoo has tried to send me glasses, but I kept ignoring them because I don't, um, actually wear glasses. But then I realized that they also do sunglasses and boy-howdy was I on board then.  So I picked this pair in tortoise shell with the darky darkest brown tint and today they arrived and I actually think they look pretty great!  The color of the lenses makes the world look beautiful and golden too, which is a huge plus in dweej land.

Note to self: apply make-up before taking selfies for blog.  Also brush hair.

EDIT:  I forgot to tell you that the glasses came with a hard case, a cleaning cloth AND a tiny screwdriver on a keychain.  So.  Free stuff.  That's fave #2.5.



(3)
Babies napping with daddies

I try to get a photo of every baby snoozing with my husband.  They always look so much alike when they're sleeping and the cuteness level is off the chizarts.
(4)

Oops, I gotta wrap it up because kids are freaking out and I'm trying to do, you know, better at momming and stuff.  They're already yelling at each other in the kitchen.  A fight about butter.  Save me.

Only three favorites for you today!  And they're not even anything you can buy!  I'm so helpful.

FF.jpg

 post signature
Pin It

Monday, August 18, 2014

Back to School Money Savers

I guess the seven days straight of blogging didn't reboot my blogging mojo after all, huh?  Hello!  Welcome!  Long time no see!

First, my not so tiny tiny one is ten weeks old.  Ten!  Sigh.  What an adorable, fabulous baby he is. Ogle:

Thursday, August 14, 2014

Tuna 'n' Egg salad recipe of amazingness

You guys know this isn't a food blog.  I mean, wow, can I mess up food something fierce.  Which is why I am inordinately proud of my little ol' self for creating this egg 'n' tuna salad recipe yesterday.

It was SO good.  Goody goody good good.  So good that I took a bite out of my sandwich before I remembered I wanted to take a photo.  Evidence:

Also, blogger's kid probs: having your mom bring the big camera to the lunch table like it's nbd. Pretty sure this terrible scarring is going right into their record-smashing memoirs in 20 years.

Tuesday, August 12, 2014

The best person for the job

When I was a going to work mom, I thought being a stay at home mom would be so super easy.  I mean, I was already doing both jobs, right? And pretty darn well (or so I assured myself).  So if I could one day just drop the job job and make the home thing my only job, I would be so relaxed!  I'd have all this free time!

Surely my house would be kept clean, the laundry would be finished, errands would always be run on time, I would never be late for an appointment.  Because my work would be cut in HALF, you guys.  I'd be doing half the work!  Because look!  Clearly by going to a job job, I'm doing twice the work of a mom who stays home!

Sunday, August 10, 2014

House shopping when I should be house fixing

You know the blogging challenge you gave yourself is a resounding success when you lose followers because of it.  Consider me the dad from The Berenstain Bears. You know, the one where he's trying to teach them how to ride a bike and he keeps riding into ravines and smashing into trees and then saying "yes, that's what you should not do.  Let that be a lesson to you?"  You read that as many times as I did when you were a kid, I just know it.

Anyway, I am he and "blogging so much that you lose readers is what you should not do. Let that be a lesson to you."  But I can't wimp out on day seven, so onward we press.

Saturday, August 09, 2014

Lake day photo dump

The thing about a 7 day blogging streak is that sometimes it's 10:30 p.m. and you just have to throw some pics up here because maybe you spent the day at your friend's lake house and beer....


Friday, August 08, 2014

Lip synchs, not lip synchs, the coop y mas (7qt)

What's a seven day blogging streak without a little 7qt? Nothing, I say. Nothing!

(1)
Most of y'all have probably already heard of Happy Saints (totally adorable, no?) but maybe you haven't seen the alphabet card and poster project he's launching this year.  You should see it!  And since he's already met the crowdfunding goal, you won't even feel guilty if you can't order a set right now.  Clicky aqui, pronto.

Anyway, I'm in love.  That is all.

Thursday, August 07, 2014

Panic. Time.

It is absolutely...

Hold on while I take my watch off. When I take my watch off, you KNOW it's time to write.

Ahem.  It is absolutely no accident that today's Theme Thursday theme is panic.

Wednesday, August 06, 2014

How I (fail to) Meal Plan

Last evening I was making my husband's day amazingly interesting by bemoaning the fact that I cannot (I use the word "fact" in this case kind of loosely.  Or maybe it's the word "cannot."  You be the judge) manage to meal plan in any way that really saves me time or frustration or money.

You guys.  When I designed my planner at the end of last year, I made sure to include an ENTIRE category every day dedicated to the listing of the food for the consumption.  True story.  Every day is divided into categories and one of my categories is "eatin."  Do you know how many times that box has been filled out ahead of time?

Tuesday, August 05, 2014

Dat Baptism in 10 Pics

I'm trying to do one of those "7 posts in 7 days" things to get myself back in the bloggin' groove.  Consider this your warning.

p.s. It's not really 7 a.m. right now.  No.  It's 12:04 a.m. and the baby just went to sleep and earlier tonight Paul got sick all of a sudden and  now I'm all "somehow he got ebola!  I can't go to bed because I have to check on him every six minutes!" Of course.  Aren't you so excited to be reading the blog of an insane person?

Monday, August 04, 2014

Two Months

Tomorrow John Charles will be two entire months old and I'm gonna go ahead and jinx the bejeezus out of this here situation and say that he is a fabulous baby.

Sure we eat at night and get fussy about gas and spit up directly down the front of mom's clean shirt, but he is a baby after all.  But the colic....I do believe we've dodged that bullet this time and seriously ALL PRAISE AND GLORY TO GOD ON HIGH.

Wanna see his cuteness?  Of course you do!

Tuesday, July 29, 2014

The things I didn't do

I've had these thoughts rolling around in my head for a while now, but keep pushing them aside.

Haven't a hundred women written about this same thing?  But maybe you don't read their blogs...

So now it's the Feast of St. Martha and Kathryn just posted this and I think it's time.

Years ago...probably 8 years or so, I traveled to Chicago alone to spend a weekend with one of my dearest friends from college.  It was summer.  We went to the vigil Mass on Saturday night, the two of us and her husband.  The reading was the story of Martha and Mary.

Monday, July 28, 2014

Confessions of a closet shy girl

I spent the weekend obsessively checking the #edel14 hashtag, trying unsuccessfully to blue-skidoo into my screen.  We also had to say 'no' to a big family reunion up north for many of the same reasons that I had to let that airplane out of Grand Rapids leave without me.  But our annual three day parish festival is successfully on the books (despite the fact that I had to drive behind the procession on Sunday instead of walking [although Tommy tried to make me feel better by assuring me that the humidity level + bug count was severely uncomfortable.  So nice of him] which is usually, like, my favorite activity of the year) and I know I was right where I needed to be.

Wednesday, July 23, 2014

5 Favorites in 2 minutes!

I'm supposed to be leaving in TWO minutes to pick Lizzy up from the horse camp she's working at this week, but I think she often prays I'm late, so how about the world's fastest faves?

(1)
Zucchini Bread

This zucchini bread recipe

It is so good.  Every person with teeth loved it.

Monday, July 21, 2014

Big kids and little kids and worksheets...oh my!

A few days ago, Micaela  graciously allowed me to participate in her How I Homeschool series (the submissions have all been so interesting and diverse. You really should read them!) and our mutual reader Heather asked the following question in the comments: 

Hi, Dwija! Thanks for your insight into Borobia homeschooling! We pulled our school-age kids from Catholic school to homeschool at Christmas break this year, and, well, it was a hot mess. Our eldest (rising 6th grader) really craves structure and organization in her school day that I, with four younger kids (including 3-yo and 18-mo Destructo twins plus high-functioning autistic unschooled) cannot provide. Any ideas? Also also … how do you keep your leeetle people occupado? And how do I convince my husband that people are actually learning without tests, quizzes, and worksheets? Thank you, O wise one! God bless yer socks off.

Whew!  That's a lot.  That's like....all the things every homeschooling mom worries and wonders about all the time.   So you are not alone, Heather!  Not even close.  Before I start rambling, I'll warn you that I've only homeschooled for 3 years so far.  So I'll be referring you to lots of other places after I offer the little bit that I can.

(As is common, this picture has nothing to do with anything.  But isn't it so cute?)


First, let's break down this question (hammer time...)

Thursday, July 17, 2014

The first anniversary

Tuesday.  I went into it so cautiously.  Maybe nervously is the better word.  Because those days leading up to it were rough.  Really rough.  Maybe it was the uncertainty?  The anticipation?  I've never celebrated an anniversary like that before.  All of it was uncharted territory for us and I just...I just didn't know.  I was sad.  The combination was not good.

Emotions are hard.

Wednesday, July 16, 2014

Peace, Love, Homeschool

Yesterday was...actually kind of wonderful. Peaceful.  And it wouldn't have been, I know, if it weren't for all of you.  The power of prayer is real and tangible and the most incredible blessing during trying times. 

And I'm going to tell you all about it. 

Tomorrow.

Monday, July 14, 2014

Two Anniversaries

The scene:

A woman sits on the middle cushion of a sofa.  On her lap is a boppy.  On her boppy is a five week old baby.  The baby is nursing.  A 6 year old boy hangs on her right shoulder, a 4 year old girl on her left.  A 2 year old girl leans against her left knee. 

On the coffee table in front of her you'll find three stuffed animals, an Ergo baby carrier, a box of baby wipes, a discarded pair of earrings, a library bag (the contents of which has been dumped onto the floor), and the empty wrapper from a mozzarella cheese stick.

Thursday, July 10, 2014

Bright (TT)

I miss blogging. I miss chatting with y'all.  I miss working through my thoughts by spilling my brain here.  And it feels like the longer I'm "down" the harder it is to get back up because where do I even start?

Link-ups to the rescue!

Back when Theme Thursday first started, I used it as encouragement to hone my photography skills.  I mean you know how it can be with a house full of kids- you get so wrapped up in the corporal needs of small people that you forget that there are other sorts of non corporal needs and that you are a person with those needs too.  I've always denied that I have any sort of artistic talent, but the camera lets me explore skills that I didn't know I could have and find beauty looking at the world in a way I didn't know I could.

Tuesday, July 08, 2014

Help bring Brett home

It's been a while since I've honked the adoption horn up in this piece, but mostly that's because I haven't been doing much here at all. BUT.  I've gotten two different adoption help requests recently and I'm taking that as a sign that we better hop back on the train.

Okay, fine- enough transportation metaphors.

Yesterday I shared this couple's story over on the fan page and today I'm here to get you PUMPED about helping a sweet little boy with cerebral palsy bust out of his Eastern European orphanage for good and come home with his forever family.

This is Brett:

Monday, June 30, 2014

Me blog good someday

But today is not that day.

This is an "off" week at la Casa Borobia, meaning that there are no camps or trips scheduled.  So: recover from last week (VBS, Dwija & Lizzy birthday), prep for this weekend (baby's baptism! 4th of July! open house for friends who are moving!), and plan for "on" week next week (2 big girls working at horse camp at the barn down the street.  Monday thru Friday, 8-4 p.m.  Help me Jesus.  Seriously Imma need your help).

Tuesday, June 24, 2014

Third Week Redux (with pics!)

So.  It's Tuesday?  I...

Here's the thing.  I really was like "wow, that Friday post was so negative and if people come back to check for new posts and just keep seeing that over and over again, it's gonna be such a downer man." Complete with put-out surfer dude accent and everything.  So I vowed to come and replace it with something new.  Something happy! And fresh!  And interesting!

Friday, June 20, 2014

The ugh and gah and the eek of the last week (7QT)

(1)
I'm gonna open with this, so'n I don't skeer y'all away.

Can you see that enormous cranium?

Almost TWO whole inches bigger than any of my other kids' heads.

Thursday, June 19, 2014

Baby, accessories, and other good stuff {phfr} {FF}

This weeks has been...wow.  When a new baby is born, I always know it's going to happen and then it always happens but then when it happens I'm like "gah!  what is happening?!?!?" But I'm not good at sharing things while I'm in the middle of them, so I will emotion-dump on you in retrospect on some other day, okey doke?

Let's keep it lite 'n' lively for now (trademarking lite 'n' lively rightthissecond.  It could be a low calorie chili recipe or something. Oh my gosh, so just kidding.  Even the idea of that sort of makes me gag).

{pretty}


Sunday, June 15, 2014

About my husband on Father's Day

I don't know if anyone reads other people's Father's Day posts.  It's okay if they don't.  Because see, I was just about to put something in my facebook status update and I decided that I wanted to say too much.

My husband isn't like any person I've ever met before.  Somehow he manages to be weird and quirky and unpredictable and conservative and steady and serious and funny and somber all at the same time.  We somehow always know exactly what he's going to think about things but never have any idea what he's going to do next.

Friday, June 13, 2014

More baby photos? Inconceivable! (7QT)

So I felt super proud of myself for getting a 5 Favorites posted on Wednesday and had totally planned on including a bonus 6th favorite which was, of course, going to be a picture of our little Chombat the Wombat (a million nicknames, all of 'em).  But post-partum brain completely forgot and THEN I got straight called out in the combox.  Gah!  World's worst mother!  So.  7 photos for your enjoyment, which will make this the quickest quick takes I ever took.

Wednesday, June 11, 2014

5 Favorites (thing, stuff, hair, book, song)

(1)
 Paper Plates



Y'all, I do usually care about the Earth and stuff.  I mean we gots the composting and the gardening and the recycling and all the INGs, but dang- when a new baby comes, you buy yourself the super jumbo package of paper plates.  I mean, put that ish on your baby registry if you have to.  Because you know the only thing more awesome than when friends bring you meals?  You know it: not having any dishes to wash when you're done.

Monday, June 09, 2014

Mary and Charlie's first fight

I'm so glad you guys have been enjoying JC's birth story.  Several people have pointed out that what the heck, this is not the end of the story is it?  Make with the further details, devil woman!  So I'll try to be quicky quick about sharing part two, swearsies.  But until then, enjoy this photo series that I will treasure for all time...

Sunday, June 08, 2014

The 1 hour homebirth of John Charles

Little Juanito (I know I said we're calling him Charlie, but every baby of ours has seventeen thousand nicknames so roll with me) is snoozing on the boppy next to me on the sofa, Cecilia is watching Spongebob (so holy.  Happy Pentacost Sunday!) and the rest of the family is at Mass (actually holy.  Hoping the latter makes up for the former) and I gotta just get this birth story tappy tapped out before someone decides he's actually a colicky baby or someone else goes back to work and I'm expected to cook and clean again and my brain goes back to mush mode and I can't remember where my other shoe is, what to speak of being able to retell our exciting tale of excitement.

Let's start with this: Even if we hadn't been planning a homebirth, this baby would have been born at home.  So it's a darn good thing we had a bunch of supplies around and a midwife who showed up to take care of everything as opposed to, you know, being in an even bigger panic because THIS BABY IS COMING RIGHT THIS SECOND AND CLEARLY THE WORLD WILL COME TO AN END.  Yes, I think things like that.


Friday, June 06, 2014

The Little Oratory book bundle giveaway

I promised you  a super quick giveaway of Leila's new book The Little Oratory bundled together with Father of the Family for Father's Day, and I'm gonna deliver (hah!  deliver!  I had a baby!  Get it????  Okay.  Done. Promise.) because I'm still riding high on those baby birthin' hormones and it's still acceptable for me to sit here and not cook or clean or get dressed.

Also Tommy is playing his new baby games on the sofa with JC and the big girls are cracking up.  My fave.  What better time to hot bliggity blog?

Happy birthday to youuuuuuuuuuuu.....!

Enough with the grainy ipod pics!  Can you believe I went into labor on a not-Friday?  And also he was born that same day?  A one hour birth (literally ONE hour) deserves it's very own birth story for sure, but these photos I cannot not share while they're all still letting me do nothing.

Thursday, June 05, 2014

41(!) week belly

Later I'm going to be posting a super quick giveaway of Leila's new book The Little Oratory bundled together with Father of the Family for Father's Day (it'll close on the 10th so there will be time for it to get to you) but first lemme get the not-so-important bizniss of the prominent potentially 41 week belleh out of the way, especially for any of you wishing/hoping/praying that he has already made his exit after Tuesday night's adventure of badness.

(hint: no)

Wednesday, June 04, 2014

Could it be?

June 4th

1:29 a.m.
I'm wondering if this is really finally it.  A few minutes ago I dowloaded the Pandora and Spotify apps onto my ipod because what fun is it to be in labor if you don't troll other people's carefully crafted l&d playlists?

Sunday, June 01, 2014

Prayers for a special family

A few days ago, I decided that I wouldn't post anything until something exciting was happening with baby and his pending arrival.  I just couldn't get myself out of that when-will-I-be-in-labor-for-real headspace and force myself to talk about other things.  And see a long time ago I decided that if I had to force myself to talk about something, then I wasn't doing the work of the Holy Spirit and this blog can be nothing if it's not that.

Well, now I have something that I don't have to force myself to talk about.  In fact, I can't not talk about it, so I know I must.

Thursday, May 29, 2014

40 whole weeks belly pic + midwife update

Have you noticed how the quality of these mirror selfie belly photos has been decreasing over the weeks?  If I have to post a 41 week shot or a (heaven forbid!  I'm serious right now.  Lord, can you please forbid it?) 42 week shot, they are gonna be some doozies.  And by "doozies" I of course mean "terrible."

Okay, 40 weeks and still standing.  Barely.

Wednesday, May 28, 2014

How rural (read: inconvenient) is your house? {Questions from the Combox}

I've been informed that it's been too many days since I've blogged and people are starting to imagine me cozied up on my babymoon with my sweet tiny.

No. Such. Luck.

Tomorrow is my 40 week due date so I'll be sure to post a photo of the frightening goddess-like belly for your shock and wonder enjoyment, but until then, I will answer one of the questions from Monday's combox because placenta brain.

Monday, May 26, 2014

Where do all those kids sleep?

A few days ago, a reader named Mari Mari left this comment on a post "since you're talky talkative, wouldn't you like to share with us details about your sleeping arrangements? Now that you have to make room for one more bed/crib/sleeping stuff, I`m very curious to know how do you fit so many beds in a house, if kids share room, and what about boy/girl ratio, does it count at all? :-)"

Mari Mari, thank you so much for asking this question!  Even if you're the only one interested, placenta brain has prevented me from having a coherent blog thought in some weeks now, so rooming conditions at La Casa Borobia are going to have to suffice for err'body.

Sunday, May 25, 2014

What I Wore Sunday, 39 weeks prego edition

During the last days (weeks? Sigh. It could be weeks I guess.) before a bloggy friend's baby is born, I find myself scouring their various accounts multiple times a day....

Wait.  That sounds creepy.  Um, I imagine  that there is someone out there that does that.  Yeah, that's it.

Thursday, May 22, 2014

39 week belly

The good news is that everything seems to be coming together- all my ridiculous visions and pre-baby plans.  The bad news is that despite my record-shattering size and my seemingly fail-proof labor day theory, I am not feeling laborish at all.  Oh, I've had some laborish moments in the last couple of weeks, sure.  And some crying for no reason and some comalike sleepiness.  But he's just....not cooked yet.  I can tell.  Even though I am 13 pounds over what I was on Mary's delivery date, I can still tell.

Ready for the jaw dropping photographic evidence of me gaining over 50 pounds already this pregnancy?

Wednesday, May 21, 2014

We gots new birds 'cause that's what every newborn needs

Hey, remember that one time that the phone rang at 6:24 a.m. on a Wednesday morning and it was the post office calling to tell you that your box of 16 birds was waiting for you in their package area?

You guys, I could hear them cheeping their little beaks off in the background and I was all "Oh my gosh, they're starving!  They need water!  SOMEBODY SAVE MY BABY BIRDS."

Tuesday, May 20, 2014

Come and get us, summer. We're ready.

You guys.  It worked.  Remember that hair brained scheme I cooked up a few weeks ago?

Well, not only did he decide that yes, clearly this would bring peace to the Middle East, but that we should not banish it to the back with the lonely tire swing but rather that he would WILLINGLY dismantle the unused glorified dog shack in the front yard ("play house") and put this together for us instead....

Thursday, May 15, 2014

38 week belly pic

One of the comments on yesterday's post made me feel a whole lot better about non-stop preg talk these days.  You know what she said? If'n somebody don't like the baby talk, maybe they should rethink their Catholic momblog reading habit.  I'm paraphrasing, as usual, but it did make me laugh.  Because do you know what I L-O-V-E reading on other people's blogs?  Pregnancy updates.  You know what I L-O-V-E seeing on other people's blogs?  Belly pics.

So I'm just gonna post all about the babe because soon enough I will be not pregnant anymore and I will get back to...you know what?  I don't even know what I write about here anymore.  I'll get back to rambling about non-torso related things, how 'bout that?

Less talky, more belleh.

Wednesday, May 14, 2014

Pre-baby photo dump

Does this happen to everyone? I have no non-baby thoughts left in my brain.  And if I do, they are not suitable to share in polite company because honey badger. 

So I'm going to share the photos that I just snatched off the camera and you can scroll through the feed of the 'gram to see the happenings and we can all pretend like that's some quality blogging.  Bueno.

Friday, May 09, 2014

My totally reasonable way to pick a labor day (7qt)

(1)
I am having the best time reading through everyone's birthday and weight guesses for the belleh babe.  If you want to make your OWN guess without my ridiculous neuroses tainting your judgement read no further!

Let us entitle this Being Weird About Numbers and Junk.

And via the power of the internet, I already know there are others out there like me.  Others who can't leave the volume on the t.v. at an odd number, for example.  Or who wear their watch on their right wrist because they wear their wedding band on their left hand.  STOP LOOKING AT ME LIKE THAT. I'M TOTALLY FINE.

Thursday, May 08, 2014

37 week belly. Birthday guessing time!

Term, baby term. Disco. Inferno.

Lemme parse out the details of this picture so as to give you a little glimpse into this day, m'kay?

Tuesday, May 06, 2014

Due date decided! Happy, happy day.

My faboooolous midwife just left. Remember the due date confusion? Well she is really super totally very sure that the earlier date, the May 29th one, is the right one. Which means that in...um...two days I'll be 37 weeks?

37 weeks is a term pregnancy, people.

WHUT?

Saturday, May 03, 2014

Rosary Bracelet Flash Giveaway! #mothersday

I don't really know what a flash giveaway is. I'm imagining it means "super quick."  That sounds reasonable, right?

Shannon of OrganicMamas is offering a rosary bracelet of your choice to the winner.  BUT, in order for her to get it to you or your mama by Mother's Day, we've gotta end the contest by 12 a.m. Tuesday so she can get it out priority by Wednesday so it will arrive by Friday or Saturday.

Friday, May 02, 2014

My epic selfie, what the kids are saying, and a winner (7qt)

(1)
Firstly firsterson, let's get the business bidness out of the way.  Muchas gracias to everyone who entered to win the Connected in Hope giveaway.  Such an awesome organization to support!

The winner of her choice of scarf from their website is...

Wednesday, April 30, 2014

In which I do an amazing impression of Jennifer Fulwiler

The talk around the virtual water cooler today is aaaaaaaaaaaaall about Jen's book being released yesterday and the trailer for said book being shared today.  So I started watching the trailer and I was like "Wow.  This is incredible. Everyone is so poised and collected and well spoken. Oh my gosh, am I starting to cry??? (I was).  I'm so grateful she thought to include me in this proj....."

Tuesday, April 29, 2014

The summertime plan he CAN'T not agree to

I think most of you are aware of my "What if we..." disease, but just in case you're new or you've forgotten, it goes something like this.

"Hey honey?"

"Yes?"

"I have an idea."

"Uh oh..."

"What if we insert-thing-that-makes-my-husband-want-to-puncture-his-own-eyeballs-to-avoid-doing?"

Sunday, April 27, 2014

What I Wore : Divine Mercy Sunday (wiws)

You know how sometimes you think you're looking pretty okay, especially considering the extra redacted pounds that you're carrying around?  And then you ask your daughter to take some photos of you so that not every picture will be a selfie taken in the non-full-length mirror in your living room?

Yeah.

Saturday, April 26, 2014

Connected in Hope giveaway and promo code

The other day I was contacted by a Catholic homeschooling mom who is also the co-founder of Connected in Hope Foundation, "a non-profit, social enterprise empowering women and families in Ethiopia to rise above poverty through sustainable income development, improved educational opportunities and increased access to basic health care" asking me if I would host a giveaway to help raise awareness about their organization.  Triplequadruplequintuple yes I will, I says to her!

Thursday, April 24, 2014

Not knowing your due date is weird (33/35 week belly pic)

To anyone who has demanded to know where my "pregnancy face" is or why my arms aren't pregnant along with the rest of me, and other very sweet but invalid things, I present to you: Dweej Pregnant from Head to Toe...

Wednesday, April 23, 2014

5 Favorite things for kids and pregnancy

(1)
It's you babe prenatal cradle

A few days ago, I mentioned that my midwife had suggested I purchase and voluntarily wear a sort of elastic torture device so that I could maybe take more than three steps without ye olde irritable uterus causing scary-ish contractions, sending me to the sofa way too often for this far away from delivery.

As much as I objected (and really, I did vehemently object), I also needed a solution.  So I didn't get the Nacho Libre style wrestling suit and instead opted for this bad boy:

Monday, April 21, 2014

Easter photo dump and some words

(1) What did you and your family wear to Mass on Easter Sunday?

Here are the chil'rens first.  Well, mostly, because I hate making them stop to pose for a photo, so they're not very good "photojournalistic."

Wednesday, April 16, 2014

Don't pray for me

Yesterday I freaked out a little lot over on the blog's fb page because my midwife came and recommended, based on something she felt which has yet to be identified, that I go in for that second ultrasound after all.

I got all selfishy and demanded that people pray for a the scheduling office to call rightthisverysecond and guess what?  It worked.  They DID call rightthatverysecond, which has never happened in the past.  I was so grateful.  So, so grateful.  And then I got to thinking about all the struggles that people have endured this Lent.  All the real, awful, heartbreaking struggles that make your heart race just to think about, and I felt really very petty.

Monday, April 14, 2014

Splurge vs. Steal : skin care

I like to tell myself that despite the fact that majority of the girly products (not to be confused with feminine products, because ew) I use on the regular are purchased from the grocery store, that I'm still an excellent real world judge of goodosity vs. badosity because I'm allergic to wasting money.  But the truth is probably that I just have too many opinions and my own blog that lets me talk about whatever I want.  Proceed with those delusions of grandeur, dweej.

Let's do some more splurge vs. steal then, shall we?  We shall.

Friday, April 11, 2014

Dishwasher, belly device, a winner and more (7qt)

(1)
So I was feeling proud of myself (can you hear the ominous music playing in the background?) a few minutes ago.  We'd just wrapped up a surprisingly successful catfish nugget dinner (which Cecilia announced was "so much better than LAST night's gross food..."  Um, thanks?), the non-outside toys had been brought in from outside AND the dishwasher was loaded and ready to go.

So I happily skipped over to this here computer (when I say "skipped", I of course mean "waddle" because ginormous, gravity defying belly) and was like "I can do my quick takes and continue being productive and it'll be great!"

Thursday, April 10, 2014

A Day in the Life in 10 Pictures

A day in the life in 10 pictures on the 10th of the month.

Shhhhhh....pretend you see protein in this breakfast #coffee #bagels

Wednesday, April 09, 2014

A Little Book about Confession review and giveaway

It's been a few weeks since I got Kendra's book A Little Book about Confession for Children in the mail.

And finally!  Here I am!  Not shirking in my duties!  Chances are you've already read a review of this handy little book, but....well, you should read another one.  Because I gots stuff to say!

Monday, April 07, 2014

A spring break daybook

outside my window

It's raining right now.  We've finished dinner and Tommy has instructed me to enjoy a little quiet while he plays a video game with Paul gets the little ones ready for bed.  It's taken me a long time to even start this post though because I could watch the water drip from the bottom of the downspouts for hours.  If there is anything more calming for me, I'm not sure what it is.  So maybe I will.  Just sit, with my feet up, and watch.

Friday, April 04, 2014

No news is good news!

My midwife was able to squeeze me in after all today. Oh happy day!

I called her in a little bit of a tizzy this morning because of course I was scouring the internet last night discovering all the horrible things that can be associated with polyhydramnios.  Big baby I can handle, malpositioned baby I can handle, multiple babies I can handle, but a problem with baby...well, God and doctors will have to handle that.  And STAT.

Wednesday, April 02, 2014

Wherein you discover how truly crazy I am

What I'm supposed to be writing about is this sweet little book by Kendra and then posting a giveaway so one of you lucky people can get your hot little manos on it for free ninety-free.  And I will, eventually.  Hopefully tomorrow.  But I just can't right now because uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuugh.

When I tell you what I'm about to tell you, you will know the depths of my lunacy.  I will stop being "charmingly quirky" (I like to pretend that's how you all think of me) and start immediately being "just a leeeetle too off her rocker."  For weeks I've been not telling you all of this, in fact, because INSANE.

Monday, March 31, 2014

March Birthdays 2014 (Photos. So. Many. Photos.)

Little Miss fancy pants Cecilia has finally turned 4, which of course means she's hitchhiking to get her driver's license as we speak.

party dress and party hair courtesy of one big sister Lizzy

Friday, March 28, 2014

Well-dressed toddlers and their brother (7qt)

(1)
If there has ever been a picture of two sisters that I've loved more than this one, I can't remember it.


Completely self-directed.  Oh my heart.

Tuesday, March 25, 2014

It's Not Like a Box of Chocolates

The image I had was of God giving me a gift, a present, that was for me.  Like, say, a box of chocolates.  And to "share my gifts" meant that I got to eat some of the chocolates but I should also give a few chocolates to other people. And maybe some gifts are like this.  The material wealth God blesses us with, for example.  Of course we use it to care for the very real physical needs of our family, but then we share a portion of what we've been given with those in need.  And then I kind of stuck my fingers in my ears and went "lalalalala...I can't hear you" when it came to gifts of talent and ability.

Sunday, March 23, 2014

What I Wore Sunday (28/30 weeks)

I'm heeeeeere...with my wrap dress...and I love you, I love you, I love youuuuuuu!

So, I'm not sure if I've What I Wore Sunday-ed for this entire pregnancy, but I think I'll be wearing this dress long after baby is born and won't it be fun to compare before and after shots and be all like "dang girl!  You was a whale of a woman way back 6 months ago!"?  Yes, it will be fun.  Trust me.  I know all about fun.

Friday, March 21, 2014

Riches, them kids, and a must-watch video (7qt)

(1)
Yesterday's theme for #holylens and Theme Thursday was "rich" and I kept waiting until I could take a really great picture with my real camera so I could be all photographer-like.  "The rich...it's gotta LOOK rich!"

Which means of course I did nothing.

Perfection is the enemy of progress.  Sigh.

Wednesday, March 19, 2014

Discounts, Novenas, and Important Prayer Requests

(1) 
20% off at Kohl's

This coupon code doesn't go live until tomorrow, 3/20, but it's valid through Sunday and I didn't want to forget to tell you.  So, use the code SPRINGTIME and you'll get a sweet 20% off your purchase.  Shop via Ebates and get 6% cashback as well!  Much saving of the dinero.  (think Easter apparel, summertime clothes, clearance winter stuff.  But our birthday season is just starting up so maybe I'm too much in shopping mode right now....)

Tuesday, March 18, 2014

Green. With. Envy.

The bad part about using a bloglovin' to do my reading...

Wait, let's start off with the good. The GOOD part about using bloglovin' is that every blog is the same, so anyone who reads mine can forget how stale and old and ga ga goo goo baby goes poo poo in her diaper it looks. 

The bad part is that I don't see other people's blogs either until I use a real computer some fateful night. Like last night.

Thursday, March 13, 2014

Siblings, reading, jam and answered prayers (phfr, TT, WWRW)

{pretty}
I stepped outside this morning, braving the brisk -5 degrees, to catch this photo of the sunlight and the snow together, hopefully for the last time this season.  Because I couldn't think of any other pretty to shoot.
 Then I turned around and saw this and thought that maybe despite the pajamas and the messy hair, the toys and food strewn all over the table, that this might be an even more beautiful sight.

Wednesday, March 12, 2014

5 Favorite Ways to Un-frumpify a maternity wardbrobe

The other day a sweet mama named Katie left this question in the combox of one my my posts: "I know this is really off topic, but can you talk about maternity clothes? Like, what to thrift and what do you splurge on? How do you look so cute and not frumpy, like I always feel?!"

Well, first of all, I think all pregnant women tend to feel like frumpy beached whales (can beached whales also be frumpy?  Work with me.) and they perceive that all the other pregnant women they know have it totally together in the style department.  So I feel funny answering this because if you talk to anyone who knows me in person, they will assure you that I can barely go for four minutes without talking about how ginormous I am and how unflattering every article of clothing I own is.

But I will press on because who doesn't like a ready-made blog post topic?

My 5 fave items to wear while pregnant to combat frumpage

Tuesday, March 11, 2014

Midwife appointment redux

My darling midwife just left (we often end up having the most interesting existential discussions.  So enjoyable) and instead of dumping this on one or two people via email, I thought I'd go ahead and force all of you to listen.  Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

Sunday, March 09, 2014

The Crying Season

I cry a lot. Well, maybe I should say that I cry easily.  What I mean is that I'm not sad a lot, but happy things make me cry as much or more than sad things do.  And I was reminded today that Crying During Mass season has started.

Saturday, March 08, 2014

Go to this, stat.

You guys.  I feel so super energized.  If you do any work with your parish or for your parish or someone at your parish knows you have a blog and they sometimes ask you for interwebz advice, advice-ify them to register for The Digital Church Conference prontisimo.

Thursday, March 06, 2014

Dirt.

This is the real condition of the real bottom of the real produce bin in my actual, indoor refrigerator.

Wednesday, March 05, 2014

Rosary bracelets you'll love (with discount code!)

Will you just look at this gorgeous piece of gorgeousness?  I am in love!


Shannon is a friend of mine, a homeschooling mom up in Grand Rapids, and the creative smarts behind the OrganicMamas shop on Etsy.  She recently started making these rosary bracelets from semi-precious stones and I am so grateful she sent me one as a gift.

Sunday, March 02, 2014

Two wrongs don't make a right, but three wrongs do?

Day 7 of the 7 day blogging challenge and this is probably the third time I've tried to start this dang post.  Gah!  Clothing management? No one wants to hear me whine.  What I wore?  No good photos.  The Dutch baby pancake(s?) we ate for dinner?  Blaaaaaaaaaaaaaah.

Wait, if three ideas are bad, writing about ALL three bad things at once is going to be great, right???  Oh my gosh, I'm a genius.

Saturday, March 01, 2014

Lent for Pregnant People

A sweet reader, who happens to be 35 weeks pregnant, messaged me a couple of days ago (hi Claire!) asking about observing Lent while with child.  In previous years she's incorporated fasting into her Lenten observance, something that won't really work during this season of her life.  Normally I would just respond to her message personally, but since I have to write a post today anyway, all of you get to see what I would say.  Lucky!

Friday, February 28, 2014

Degrees and kids and birds and SUMMER (7qt)

(1)
This morning I peeled myself out from between my toasty warm child sandwich.  Or was it a mom sandwich?  Mom sandwich with kid bread.  Yeah, that's what it was.  So the filling peeled herself out of bed into the silent, chilly house and went to check the temperature on ye olde atomic clock that hangs in the dining room.

12 degrees.

Dagnabit!

But wait.  What's that little mark there in front of the 12?  A MINUS SIGN, PEOPLE.  Negative twelve degrees.  Honestly...if my kids didn't love going to co-op so much, I woulda thrown in the towel right then.  But not literally because a towel can also be used as a small makeshift blanket and at that point I needed all the help I could get.

Thursday, February 27, 2014

Nothin' to see here, folks

Right before I sat down to write this, I was making 20 copies of color and shape sorting worksheets for the pre-schoolers in our co-op tomorrow and packing my extrabag (all one word) with art supplies and an ergo and seven shirts that can be worn as smocks.  Because you just never can tell with 3 and 4 year olds.

Wednesday, February 26, 2014

This Week's 5 Favorite Homeschooling Resources

I'm pretty sure I read in the fine print that no homeschooler is permitted to participate in the 7 posts in 7 days festival without devoting at least one to the schoolin' of the youngins.  And I am a rule follower, people. Give me my gold star and certificate of achievement and my green light in the classroom and...an m&m.  Or whatever you use to reward kids.  Give me all the rewards! 

 5 favorite homeschooling resources (for this week)
Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...