Math Club

I love math club. It is fun and I get to be around my friends. Today we learned about measuring and converting a recipe. We made an Alfredo sauce and sugar cookies. My whole family enjoyed it a lot. Mom liked it because all she had to do was boil noodles. Math club + friends= fun!

Random Surprise

I love waking up in the morning and finding my coffee sitting on the countertop, cream added waiting for me. Sometimes I make the coffee for Tony... With our keurig the kids can even easily make the coffee for us! Simply put, the random act of kindness is a ripple effect...Tony makes me my coffee, I eagerly help him get out the door on time....Emerson sets the table for breakfast without being asked...Julia offers to clean up.....all because of a cup of Joe!

Hallmark Holiday

Valentines Day is my favorite hallmark holiday. My favorite color has always been red and I love making paper hearts and cards with the kids. It wasn't until a few years ago that Julia and I researched who St. Valentine really was. Yes, Virginia there is a St. Valentine. So, for the next two weeks we are focusing on love. Love comes in all shapes and sizes....there is the deep love from God that is unconditional and then the sweet baby love from Benedict and the constant strong love between Tony and I. I have a mother/daughter love and a mother/son love. I think when you have to gush a lot about it you are trying to convince yourself that love actually exists in spots where it is nonexistent. Instead I want to focus on some "small" acts of love that may normally go unnoticed. My first proclamation of love on February 1 is this: I love looking into my baby boy's eyes and feeling like I am the greatest person in the whole world he has ever laid eyes on!

Dentist

Agh! Nobody likes going to the dentist. Especially me! Not because if fear but logistics. Awhile back I developed pain in my wisdom tooth and I knew it meant something was arise. I put off going just due to the fact that finding someone to come and watch the kids, and work around school was a hassle! Well the pain became unbearable and so today the girls are loading up their backpacks, Blaise is filling a bag of legos and Benedict and I had a long chat that morning naps at the dental office are now the latest trend. Am I nervous? Not so much about what the dentist will say, but the mere fact that I will be sitting in a vulnerable position. It is times like this I really find myself praying and reminding myself that in the grand scheme of life this is a mere moment. On a positive note Old Bessy is back from shop and is running like a top. God is good and always provides peace of mind...even at the dentist.

St. Vincent

Today is the quarterly year clean out the closets and basement donation day! With four kiddies and a pack rat hubby we seem to explode with "junk" treasures, and things that we don't use! Donation day is total therapy for me! Out with the old I say...ok so it isn't all old but it is nice to clean out the basement and for a few days feel a sense of tidiness. Also I like the kids to feel charitable and paying it forward to a catholic charity is a great way to instill in them the value of generosity.

Physicals

Every year around this time Julia and Blaise go in for a physical. They have birthdays close together so it makes sense. Today was that day! Blaise was anxious he always is! But Julia went in excited to learn how much she weighed, and how tall she has gotten! Normally I am excited to see all the new developments, but with the recent changes in health care...yikes I was there over two hours and most of it was answering questions and looking at the doctor looking at HER laptop! It was a little different but we managed to get thru both physicals. The kids are healthy and growing fine!

Mass Journal

Julia loves keeping a journal. She doesn't like to call it a diary as she shares many of her entries with the house. So when her dad ordered a Mass Journal she was the first one in line to jump on board. The concept is basically to reconnect yourself to the daily readings and homily. There is a challenge to you to ask God daily to show you one way to be the BEST version of yourself. I am interested to see how Julia approaches this. Last night she and her dad went to mass (we are shuttling in shifts due to van in shop) as soon as Julia came home she began writing in the journal. As a mother it deepens my own faith to see the fire and passion of my 10 year old's faith!

Blizzard?!?

Ok so we had grass visible at Christmas...girls were stomping in rain puddles last week and right before February we have this?!? I never heard "I'm dreaming of a white Valentines day...." kids are loving it today!

Clover Beach

Once a snow season Tony takes the girls sledding down our town's biggest hill. It is a local hot spot for sledding so he tries to time it when there are little or no crowds. With our recent car pool situation and the fact that we are shuttling to church until Tuesday, he decided Sunday morning would be perfect time. The girls woke up and downed a bowl of oatmeal and then they bundled up and went off to sled. I am normally at home making the cocoa and warm bread or pastry for when they return. Blaise and Benedict stayed home with mommy, and I think big brother had his first taste of feeling left out. The hill is way to steep and long for him and I didn't feel comfortable thus year with him going. Next year he will have his debut. Meanwhile he looks out the window glumly and comments on how much fun they are having and when they will return. I am remembering the year Emerson stayed home because she was too little and I recall the same sadness...I suppose it is a life lesson that we learn. It doesn't make it easier but next year while Blaise joins the sledding club I will have Benedict peeking out the window thinking the same thing. Call a rite of passage....

Fred

Hi, I am Fred! Born today, hope to be here tomorrow...probably will be gone by Spring. I was made with love and fun by Blaise and Daddy.

Baseball for Benedict

A few blogs back I spoke of the pocket watch that would some day go to Blaise. I foreshadowed a mention of another heirloom that would go to Benedict. It is a signed baseball from Mickey Mantle. Tony's stepdad John gave it to him when he was roughly 9 or 10. As I mentioned before, when you get something special and you come from a large family with many brothers and sisters...well that trinket becomes a treasure. Tony has held onto this baseball and has mentioned it would someday go to one of his children. It is not so much about the monetary value of the baseball, but that his stepdad took the time to give it just to him.

Highlights

My little gym stars really embraced their first time at gymnastics. Tony took the photos and they speak for themselves.