Wednesday, November 20, 2013

Halloween.


 Noelle as a sailor girl, in honor of her brother Brian joining the U. S. Navy.






































Natalie as a cheetah, and Regina as a Rose Fairy Princess.





































Theresa was a Ninja, but she took off her hood for the picture.





































Philip as Robin, the Boy Wonder.


Friday, November 8, 2013

Theresa's Tenth

In honor of Theresa's tenth birthday, 
 which slipped by with nary a mention over a month ago, 
 I present this photo collage, starring... 


 T H E R E S A


Thursday, November 7, 2013

2013 Journal Attempt

10/23/13

I recently came across the idea of a one-sentence daily journal for the kids.  I am inspired to try keeping another journal, but one sentence?  Poppycock!  As if I could restrict myself to one sentence.  A half-page, maybe...

Sarah is depressed and seeking help.

I ate artichoke dip last night and today Philip is the gassiest baby in all the land.  Coincidence?  I think NOT!  Got simethicone drops for him.

Gave him another bath in which we only support his head and he just floats, spellbound, in the water, but this time he also kicked his legs and waved his arms around, really enjoyed himself.

Clare got a haircut yesterday and it makes her look even older.

We went to the Halloween parade.

Visited Busha, but she couldn't stay awake.

Twins finished their first Fred math book today.


10/24/13

Philip is 2 months old today.

Andy had a meeting today at work that was part of the current phase of downsizing.  Everybody learned today if they were keeping their jobs or not...and Andy is, for the time being, anyway.  Thank God.

Clare is unhappy with her haircut now because she can't get it as sleek as the hairdresser without straightening it.

Theresa began learning cursive last month and she's the best of any of them so far.  Her practice letters look exactly like the samples. She and I delivered meals today.


10/25/13 Friday

Got ZERO subjects done for school today.  So disgusted.  Had another argument with Clare - every time I ask to check her work, she starts again about how I never have time for her, effectively wasting whatever time I had for her.

Eventually I gave up and took Natalie up to my room - she was feverish, and it was quiet and cooler up there.  She and Philip fell asleep and I decided that since I didn't get anything else done, I would rearrange my bedroom.  I didn't want Philip's crib by the outside wall when the weather turns colder.  3 hours later - success!  It was so satisfying.  I did everything except vacuum, so as not to wake the kids.  They stayed asleep the whole time.  Natalie even stayed asleep in the bed while I moved it!

We had pizza and Chinese for dinner.

Regina has been hanging on me lately whenever I sit - she instantly gravitates to me and wants to climb on my lap.  She's trying to climb on me now so I guess I'm done here.


10/26/13 Saturday

Spent the evening with the Steelys for dinner and their Halloween parade.

Today I found a drowned mouse in the pitcher I have under the kitchen sink to catch the dripping water.

I made 4 pies out of a Hubbard squash from our garden.  I forgot to add the sugar, though.  It's not bad, but it's not the same.


10/27/13 Sunday

Philip slept last night from 11:30 - 2:30 and again from 3-7.  It's amazing how I can look 7:00 a.m. in the eye after a decent night's sleep without wanting to crawl under a rock.

I woke up from a nightmare in which Clare, at age 12, was 2 months pregnant from a boy on her cross-country team named Dylan Kleinbauer.  There is no such boy on the team, by the way.

Sarah sent me a text telling me she's proud of me for asking her if she had suicidal thoughts, even though it was uncomfortable to ask.  Her answer, by the way, was no.  She said she still has too much hope.


10/28/13 Monday

Today was my grandmother's birthday.

Mr. Steely called last night to tell us that the twins' godfather was found, deceased, in his home.  he fell off his roof during the summer and had a series of hospitalizations and surgeries from which he apparently never recovered.

Yesterday we attended the Latin Mass with Fr. Connolly in Gville.   Afterward he hosts a potluck at his house.  We met Sarah & Peter and their 5 boys, and Brian & Marie and their 6 youngest.  The oldest boy they had with them, Marcus, developed an instant crush of Noelle the previous week, and stuck to her like glue yesterday and held her hand.

Philip did not sleep so well last night but I got up at 9:00 this morning.


10/29/13 Tuesday

Philip had his 2 month checkup today.  He weighed 10 lb 13 oz and was 23 inches.  He got three injections and one oral immunization.  He was fussy all day.  I finally gave him tylenol in the evening.  Andy thought Philip felt feverish.  He also vomited a lot around midnight.  Before that, he was all smiles for Clare, though.

Last night Conor and Clare ironed the fabric for Conor's red cloak while I cut out the pattern.  Tonight they helped me pin the pattern to the fabric and cut them out.  Then I got 4 pieces pinned and sewn before the baby would have no more of Andy, and Andy needed to get to sleep.

10/31/13 Thursday

Regina used the toilet so many times yesterday that I thought she'd turned a corner...she even asked to wear her special new pink "unders" to bed.  I agreed, since she's usually dry overnight anyway.  Of course then she woke up with the whole crib soaked and reeking.  Bath and laundry, coming right up!

Philip didn't throw up anymore after the first time, and he seems to be over the shots.

I spent all of yesterday afternoon sewing Conor's red hooded cloak for trick-or-treaking TONIGHT.

Today Philip woke up for a diaper change at 0645, and shortly afterward Natalie woke up, so we started our day extra early.  Now it's almost 3:00 and we are going to visit Busha (in costume), deliver meals, then trick-or-treat for a while.

Baby just woke up starving so I must end here.


11/02/13 Saturday

Yesterday we went to Mass @ Lourdes, and Clare went to the Indians/Tornadoes football game with Micaela.

I made salmon chowder for dinner but Andy didn't get home until 9:00 p.m.

I put Regina in training pants again at bedtime, but by 0500 everything was soaked in the crib again.

Today was the twins' godfather's funeral Mass.

This evening Conor, Clare and Erika went to Survival Night at Ginger's farm.  They had an awesome time and Conor's team finally won first place, after 3 years of frustrating losses.


11/05/13 Tuesday

Scott & Britt brought Scarlett for a visit to Mam & Pap's, then went to see Busha.

Our homeschooling days have been mediocre.  I do math and journaling most days with Theresa and the twins.  I try to do language with TM daily and she does cursive.  I try to read the Bible storybook with T, N & N daily, and also read A Child's History.  I try to read them at least one fable, fairy tale, or tall tale each week, and have them narrate it back to me.  Clare does her own math, and reads a lot.  Conor has 2 college classes, reads history and does math.  But that's not really a lot per child, even if it's all I can manage.

A few weeks ago I rearranged the rec room because the boys trash it regularly.  I misplaced my pink bifocals and had to use my old glasses since then.  Today, after praying to St. Anthony because I lost my BACKUP pair, I had a hunch...I found the bifocals on the rec room windowsill.  I put them there when the window was open because that day was warm, then it got cool and we closed my glasses inside the window!


11/07/13 Thursday

Took the kids to the playground in the Heights because it was sunny and not too cold.  We visited Busha, then came home to a supper of spaghetti and sausage that Daddy made!

Wednesday, November 6, 2013

Our Boys.



One of these things is not like the other...

BD- 17, Scott - 20 holding Philip - 2 months, and Conor - 15.

Scarlett








The kids were delighted to spend some time playing with niece Scarlett at Pap and Mam's house this week.  She is adorable and a total camera ham!