Out of the mouth of babes

Ok so I know Benedict is not talking YET but we all agree that if he could these would be his "changes" for 2012:
1. I would like to move from my liquid diet to something of substance, I tried to give you a hint when I grabbed my sock the other day and shoved it in my mouth.
2. I am going to try to speak more clearly as now when I make noise everyone starts making animal sounds at me and singing the abc song.
3. I hope to improve my speed of motion this year and actually make it to my target before someone picks me up and moves me away.
4. Hoping to get a new wardrobe soon as my crotch is hurting from those onesies my mom keeps snapping me into and really the hats?!? Gotta go!
5. I plan on meeting some new peeps and maybe inviting them to my crib!(sorry we HAD to add that one)
6. I have got to stop drooling it is starting to turn people off I think!

Honesty is best policy

Before I post Emerson's resolutions I want to mention that we have been drilling into her the importance of honesty. With that being said here is what she gave me this afternoon on a piece of paper:
1. Save up some money because I am going to be a banker and buy my own yellow lab.
2. Take tap dancing lessons because I am already good at ballet.
3. I want to go to Great Wolf Lodge again since that bucket doesn't scare me anymore.
4. I want to go to the zoo because my dad promised me last Summer and then forgot but I think he didn't want to go.
5. I need to learn my act of contrition because my mom said so.
6. I want to go on a sleepover to a friends house without Julia.
7. I want to do more work with my daddy because he pays more money then my mommy because well you know he works at a bank.

Double Digits means Double Duty

I, Julia, a 10 year old, do promise to accomplish the following in the new year:
1. Invest in a better hamster cage
2. Spend more time with my siblings.
3. Do more chores around the house
4. Approach math differently
5. Not sleep in until 9:30 am
6. Make even more new friends
7. Encourage mom that hamsters are totally awesome
But I am not changing who I am on the inside or my sense of style and creativity!

I resolve to...

My family is working on their resolutions or "changes" as my daddy calls them and these are mine:
1. Take swimming lessons
2. Have another Lego birthday party
3. Learn how to collect the money at church
4. Not be afraid to go in basement by myself
5. Learn how to tie my shoes
6. Go see grandma connell up north more because I like her food
7. Learn my prayers better
Blaise, 4 next month
The editor, whom shall remain anonymous, would like to suggest one: getting a regular haircut without a fuss!

Small Town Mentality

This blog was inspired by an email I had with my MIL! It got me thinking about the small town I live in. On more then one occasion Tony and I have discussed moving to a larger city. Then I start to think about all the reasons our family loves living here. You can shop downtown and people actually know you by name and when your kids were born. If you go into the local grocery store they actually offer to take your groceries out to your car for you. The librarian will order books based on what your kids like just because. Neighbors will look out for you and your kids especially if it looks like your 3 year old is getting into mischief. I can go from point a to point b in less than 5 minutes with no traffic. People still have block parties around here. You can still find a friendly stranger to talk to at the park and not have to worry if they are a creep. (although I am still cautious) I never thought I would like living in a small town but having children now and seeing them enjoy the benefits of a small town community, I don't think I could ever leave!

Oops!

I am not above admitting when I am wrong or that I have made a mistake! Well, I made a mistake! In my rush to get all the "stuff" put away I failed to remember the importance of leaving out the nativity and tree. Thankfully I have my dear mother in law to compassionately remind me the celebrating has just begun! The kids were thrilled to hear that some of the decor was coming back out of storage! It led to a great conversation between Tony and I as we begin to discuss sone of the changes in our family effective 2012. Remember only a few days left before people talk about resolutions. I have done them, Tony has made them in the past...we kept some and left others by wayside. This year instead of resolutions we are "adding" some new traditions to our family. Things to bring ourselves closer to each other, our faith and our community. I don't want to spill the beans yet as the girls are still working on their portion of our new family list. Thanks and love to my MIL for pointing out my oversight!

Feast Day

Ok we did it the decor is put away and the house is back in order but do we stop thinking about what Christmas is all about? No as I explained to the kids we have a few more special days to celebrate! One being today as it is my nephews feast day! St. Steven was the first martyr and known for distributing food to the poor. Steven you not only were named after a great guy (your daddy) but an awesome saint! Love you bunches and we can not wait to meet you! Hope your first Christmas was blessed!

Afterglow

Although within our faith we celebrate up until the epiphany which is after January 1, from the time I was little the day after Christmas is when the decorations are taken down and put away. This is one thing I have held onto out of convenience. I don't always have help putting everything away but thanks to a banking holiday Tony is home for one more day! We started early in the morning in hopes of having our afternoon free. I am still in midst of ornaments and three trees that need to come down but I noticed one small thing...call it a gem that I am tickled to death about! I inherited all of my grandmas ornaments from her tree before she was moved and one of them appears to be from Florence, Italy. It is a bulb with a picture of the Madonna on it. I never noticed it before as the kids helped put up all her ornaments. I dread putting it all away but I do like having the house back in order before the New Year. By the way I am already talking to the kids about 2012 and some new resolutions and the excitement is brewing! Stay tuned!

Favorite moments

The kids are in bed before 8! I had to sit down and take a minute to jot down a few of my favorite memories of today. Being that this is Benedict's first Christmas I want him to know I took special note of him. He loved the wrapping paper and even tore into his little present from Blaise. I loved how the kids seem so thankful and satisfied for the gifts, even though it was minor in compared to most. I loved the fact that my friend could text me Merry Christmas in spite of how busy she was today as well! I loved it when we all sat down to dinner and the kids said this was the best Christmas ever! I loved it that I was still in my pjs at 5pm and it didn't matter. I loved hearing my husband sing the loudest happy birthday to Jesus without shame. I will never forget the calm and peace of today. Benedict you had a wonderful first Christmas and many more just like this one to come!

Happy Birthday Jesus!

Julia, Emerson and Blaise made their cakes!

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas! Tony and I are making breakfast for the kids (homemade cinnamon rolls, eggs, juice, toast and sweet breads) then we are going to hang out in our pjs, drink some delicious coffee compliments of the Lindsay family! The kids have some new games and puzzles to play and we always watch the Nativity movie. Later on I am making fresh salmon and rolls and we are going to continue doing next to nothing except hang out together and chill! This is where we make the best memories together. The kids will bake a birthday cake for Jesus and we will sing happy birthday to Him. I am loving vicariously living thru my kids as we celebrate the real reason of the season!

Children Mass

Not to appear bias all the children did marvelous! Not a dry eye in the church!
But, I must brag for one moment...when we arrived we were informed that julia's drawing was chosen for the cover of the bulletin! It was beautiful and precious to see the children do the nativity story. Blaise was a bit shy at first and shed a few tears but in the end he stuck it out and even smiled and gave us the thumbs up thru out the mass. As we drove home the kids were all a buzz at how much fun it was and how they couldn't wait until next year to do it all again.

Letter to our kids

Dear Julia, Emerson, Blaise, and Benedict,
Daddy and I started this blog to record our memories of you guys and journal our hopes and dreams for you guys. Tomorrow people will open up presents of iPads, laptops, beer of the month, toys and wii games. Some will be searching for the ultimate gift to fill some deep need internally. Their will be a few small things under our tree for all of you but never forget the greatest present you will receive which was the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ! You won't need a gift receipt, or batteries and you won't have to worry if it fits. It is truly the greatest gift ever and should never be replaced by a box with some material possession inside. Daddy and I love you all very much and hope and pray every Christmas eve you will remember this letter. If you should happen to forget just remember Mommy always has a healthy dose of mother's love and a pinch of guilt to help you remember! Merry Christmas my loves!

Rehearsal

Tonight was the rehearsal for tomorrow's children's mass. The kids are all participating in some way or another. Julia is reading the prayers of the faithful, Emerson is playing the part of Mary and our little Blaise is debuting as a lamb. I won't bore you with the proud rants of a mother, but instead I will tell you that the shepherd boy in charge of this flock will have his hands full! The sheep outnumber the entire cast of the play. Mary was so proud of her role she was found to be preening herself all the way to Bethlehem where she pushed Joseph forward to help him remember his lines, and then gave us a thumbs up! Julia was loud and clear showing no nerves as she read the entire prayer, although has informed us that she will be wearing her brand new black converse high tops with her mismatched socks to show others that God loves everybody. My Blaise looks more like a deer in headlights than a sheep and Benedict is thinking he looks much more like baby Jesus than the doll they had Emerson practice with! Thankfully this was just the dress rehearsal!

The Saga Continues...

Oh my houseman will he ever learn? After rest and relaxation he decided to clean out the dryer vent. This notion led to vacuuming under the dryer which led to switching the door. I'm not sure why the houseman did this as he and a drill don't get along too well. After lots of loudness and a bloody finger my houseman is still working on the dryer. Please pray for me!

Good Deeds

All month the kids have been doing good deeds and placing a piece of yarn in baby Jesus' crib to keep him warm. This morning they woke up to a surprise. A note was left in the crib thanking them for all their good deeds. Things like: making a siblings bed, washing the dishes, fetching a diaper, or mopping the floors, all constituted a good deed. Blaise even participated by learning how to collect trash cans, dustbustering the stairs, and playing with the baby so mommy could shower. Imagine their surprise receiving a package as a thank you. Isn't it more exciting when you don't expect anything in return for doing something nice? Their package contained journals, pencils, stickers, socks, and ring pops.

Trials and Tribulations of a houseman

This one is for all my homeschooling mommies that also cook, clean, and car pool! My sweet dear hubby has gotten it into his skull that house keeping is not a hard job to do! Recently he announced he would take over all deep cleaning duties to free me up and be able to....sleep a little bit more or sit down once in awhile! Well he was gung ho about three days ago and scrubbed our bathroom out, cleaned the floors, toilets, kitchen. He even announced he wanted to be Eco-friendly and starting researching the Internet for cleaning supplies! I have been biding my time and waiting for the "dust to hit the fan"! It did this morning! While trying to entertain the three year old and clean a toilet the seat came crashing down on his middle finger! It had to be the middle one right?!? Well he is claiming compensation and bedrest now! So what do I do? Don't worry about me my new housekeeper is starting effective 2012! I just wanted to watch my husband walk a day in my shoes! Gotta go and put my white gloves on and do a test of his dusting ability.

Christmas Countdown

Are you ready folks? The most amazing thing is about to happen in a few days. I love this picture as I think of the four candles representing my advent wreath and the window pane looks like a cross. Even my little guy is filled with a sense of anticipation.

Mr. Hoot

Thank you daddy for taking the day off and making my birthday the best day ever! You were so funny and you made my friends laugh! Thank you for getting all the pizza and making the snowy owl coolers for me with ice cream. You are the best daddy ever I love you, Juice

Cake and Ice Cream and Snowy Owl Coolers

Eat Drink and be Hooty