Kids update

We went trick-or-treating around the parking lots here and adjacent to us.  The boys each filled their buckets about half full.  They have candy to last them until Christmas :)

I have now earned the  “worst mom of the year” award.  There are a bunch of things I’ve been forgetting to mention. 
Doodlebug:
1. Doodlebug can do puzzzles!  And has been able to do them for about 2 months now.  I just noticed it one day, so I have NO idea when he started being able to do them. 
2. He gives kisses on demand now. 
3. He picks up toy phones and actually talks like there’s a person on the other end.  “hello”, “how are you”, “good-bye”.  It’s really cute and funny.
4. His verbal skills are really taking off.  The other day he comes over to me and says “my daddy go work” (hubs was at work).  Yesterday hubby left for work while he was napping.  After Doodlebug gets get up from his nap, he goes to the front door, bangs on it and says “I love you Daddy” clear as a bell.  Then he says the same to me (except using Mommy :) ).  He also responds “I love you too (goo)”. 

More currently, Tuesday we moved him to the table.  He had discovered how to remove his tray, complete with plate of food, from his highchair.  So his booster is now at the table.  We got another floor mat and put wheels on the chair.  He can climb up into the chair (surprising since it’s quite a bit higher now), buckle up, and he has learned how to pull himself in to the table.  Unfortunately, he has also learned how to push his chair out from the table :(  He likes to do this, especially during meals.  So, now he’s learning that he looses his food when he does that.

And, he speaks Latin!!!  Yes, that’s right, Latin.  When we start prayers, someone (the boys) usually say “oremous” (let us pray).  The other day he chimed right in with them!  I couldn’t believe it.

The Professor is taking showers by himself now.  He still needs a bit of reminding not to take all day in there, but he does a thorough job.  Fortunately, he turns off the water while he’s lathering, washing and shampooing (his idea!), so the water bill isn’t through the roof.  It was getting hard to bathe the three of them together since they’re getting so big.

Velcro Boy: The pediatrician’s office put us in touch with Child Find (the agency that does free speech therapy).  I’ve contacted them and they are sending out an information packet and forms to fill out.  After that we’ll set up an appointment.

Small Successes

For Today October 29, 2009

It’s important for moms to recognize that all the small successes in our days can add up to one big triumph. So on Thursday of each week, we do exactly that.

1.

There's nothing small about this success, but I've made it through the past 10 months of misery torture difficulty with the most needy/clingy/complaining of my 3 kids.  He finally seems to be past what ever was bothering him and is now a MUCH happier boy!  YIPPEE!

2.

Got the house clean AND managed to bake brownies all in one day!

3.

Doodlebug has been transitioned from eating in a high chair to sitting in a booster seat pulled up to the table, and he loves it!

What are your Small Successes this week?

Stop by Faith and Family Live to read more of this week's Small Successes.

Daybook October 26, 2009

For Today:

October 26, 2009

Outside my window... HEAT.  This is ridiculous, it's the end of October for Pete's sake :)  I remember trick-or-treating as a kid (in Connecticut) in a winter jacket.  Lots of puffy clouds too.

I am thinking...that's it's been one of THOSE days.  We took last week off, I'll post about that next, so we're back to business.  There seem to be more discipline problems on our first day back, so I may rethink taking so many breaks.

I am thankful for...a full belly.  There are a lot of people in the world that aren't so lucky.  This has been weighing heavily on my mind lately.

From the learning rooms... back to school.  And a lot of complaining.  I (finally) printed out some of the sheets from the planner I purchased.  Unfortunately I waited until last night (at 10:00 no less) to do it so I wasn't able to play with it as much as I would have liked.  So, the jury's still out, so-to-speak.

From the kitchen...the smells of homemade pizza.  Yummy!  And the best salad I've had in a while.

I am wearing... tan shorts, a pink and white stripped short sleeve shirt that I've had for too many years and bare feet.

I am creating...Joseph for our Nativity.  Halloween chaos (see the pictures from this post.)

I am going...to put the kids to bed soon.  Hubby is still at work, so I *may* have a few minutes of blessed silence.

I am reading...several things. These will be long term projects since they're on-going studies. 
1. MOM's a Personal Journal by Paula Hagen and Vickie LoPiccolo Jennett. This is a study course to help us realize the importance of our ministries as mothers.
2. Full of Grace by Johnnette S. Benkovic. This is another study course to help deepen our appreciation and understanding of the Catholic faith, recognize the strength of prayer and the power of obedience.

3. The latest issue of the Florida Catholic.

I am hoping...that I can get through this week with my sanity intact.  Women of Grace meeting tomorrow night, a get together of women from church Wednesday night (here-have to plan dessert!), Doodlebug turns 21 months Thursday (where did the time go???), MOM's group Friday morning, grocery shopping AND my parents get back to town Friday afternoon.  Then Halloween on Saturday, and several crafts I want to finish/do with the kids.

I am hearing...Velcro Boy play on the electronic keyboard.

Around the house...more Halloween crafts, cleaning day tomorrow and planning still more school changes.

One of my favorite things...a big Velcro Boy hug!

A few plans for the rest of the week: ...see "I am hoping", plus "winter" clothes shopping, trick or treating, working with my planner, lining up some of those school changes.  And, hopefully, scheduling the speech therapy eval. for Velcro Boy.

Here is picture thought I am sharing...

Velcro Boy, he's such a happy kid!

Doodlebug's getting too big!

The Professor is getting sooo big, he can almost touch the floor with those looong legs!

To view more daybooks, visit Peggy.

AHHH...

Wouldn't I LOVE to live here...

A fall day on the back roads of Amherst County, Virginia.

Visual Thoughts

Halloween Crafts

I've been meaning to post some pictures of the Halloween crafts we've been doing.  Finally, here they are:

I got this craft at this site.  It's a great resource for all kinds of crafts.

This is Doodlebug's version:

Velcro Boy's:

And The Professor's:

Then the little kids made paper plate jack-o-lanterns.  I helped Doodlebug with his.

Velcro Boy's

Doodlebug's

We made something called a Graveyard Treat, but due to a lack of decorations (oops!), it turned out more like a pumpkin patch!

On the inside:

Graveyard Treat

Crust:

2 3/4 cups crushed Oreo cookies (I remove the cream first)

1/4 c sugar

1/2 cup butter, melted

combine all ingredients in the bottom of a 13x9 pan (sprayed with non-stick cooking spray).  Press firmly to bottom and refrigerate.

1st layer:

8 oz cream cheese, softened

6 oz Cool-Whip

1/4 c sugar

Beat sugar and cream cheese until smooth.  Stir in Cool-Whip.  Spread over the crust.

2nd layer:

2 cups boiling water

1/2 cup cold water

ice cubes

8 serving size package orange Jello

Stir boiling water into the Jello until dissolved.  Mix cold water and ice cubes to make 1 1/2 cups.  Stir into Jello.  Gently pour onto cream cheese layer.  Refrigerate until firm.

Spread 6 more oz Cool Whip on top.  Sprinkle with more crushed Oreos.  Decorate as desired.  I usually use candy corn and the pumpkins.  The original picture shows cookies decorated to look like headstones.

This is delicious and goes quite quickly.

Some decorations from years past:

I made this *years* ago.

The Professor and Velcro Boy made these last year:

 

Then they made tissue paper jack-o-lanterns.

The Professor's

Velcro Boy's:

Egg carton Spiders:

This was a 2 day project.

The Professor's:

Velcro Boy's:

And the mess they made painting

.

 Spiders on the move!

The Professor and Velcro Boy in their Halloween shirts.  I didn't make the one The Professor's wearing :)

They also decorated pumpkins:

The Professor's

Velcro Boy's:

 

 

And...Doodlebug's (obviously I helped, but he pointed to where he wanted the stickers):

 

Thanks to all who stuck with this post.  I know it was long, but we had a lot of fun making all these things!

She's Done!!!

Mary's finally done.  Actually she was done several days ago, I just never got around to posting pictures :)

Here she is

While I'm at it, here's the before of Joseph.  I got so excited by the progress I was making that I forgot to take his picture BEFORE I started painting.  So here he is

I've made quite a bit of progress on him so far and I expect to be done with him shortly into the beginning of November.  I had hoped to be done by the end of October, but got behind (sick kids).  Now I have a few other obligations that I have to take care of.  At least the Holy Family will be done well before Advent.  I MAY even get to Gabriel  before Christmas :)  We'll see how Advent goes.

The Domestic Monastery

You have GOT to check out this article!!!  I originally found the link here.  If you've never been to her site, you should check it out too!  This article made me look at our domestic church in a whole new light. 

...the mother who stays home with small children experiences a very real withdrawal from the world. Her existence is definitely monastic. Her tasks and preoccupations remove her from the centres of power and social importance. And she feels it. Moreover her sustained contact with young children (the mildest of the mild) gives her a privileged opportunity to be in harmony with the mild, that is, to attune herself to the powerlessness rather than to the powerful.

Hence, a mother raising children, perhaps in a more privileged way even than a professional contemplative, is forced, almost against her will, to constantly stretch her heart. For years, while raising children, her time is never her own, her own needs have to be kept in second place, and every time she turns around a hand is reaching out and demanding something. She hears the monastic bell (all monasteries have one...whenever the monastic bell rang, they (the monks) were to drop whatever they were doing and go immediately to the particular activity (prayer, meals, work, study, sleep) to which the bell was summoning them.)  many times during the day and she has to drop things in mid-sentence and respond, not because she wants to, but because it's time for that activity and time isn't her time, but God's time. The rest of us experience the monastic bell each morning when our alarm clock rings and we get out of bed and ready ourselves for the day, not because we want to, but because it's time.

Just some food for thought.