With the good news comes the bad. We've been in Wyoming since last week sometime (the days are running together) visiting my father-in-law whom I mentioned was very sick. He passed away last night at home surrounded by all of his kids minus two (one in heaven, and one who just couldn't be here). It was a little bit of a blessing, I suppose, because he was really in a lot of pain. He was completely unresponsive for the past 4 (5?) days. The funeral will be on Tuesday, I think, so we will be extending our trip again, this time until Wednesday or so.
With all of the chaos that has been going on here, I have been trying to focus at least some of my energy to taking care of myself. I am SO tired. I don't remember being this tired with Fritter or Noel (our miscarriage), but I am really exhausted. I also caught a stomach bug that has been going around the family. It was inevitable really, when you have so many people coming in from all over the country, and most of them in the same house for most of the time. So, I'm still recovering from that, and it seems to be taking me longer than everyone else. *Sigh*
I'm really afraid of losing this baby too, so please keep us in your prayers. Also, please keep my husbands family in your prayers. They have been very heroic throughout this whole thing.
Friday, March 28, 2008
Monday, March 24, 2008
Great News
We are still here in Wyoming, and have extended our trip until Sunday, but I wanted to check in and let you all know the good news...We're pregnant!!! Yay!
Monday, March 17, 2008
Spring Cleaning
We are leaving Wednesday afternoon for Wyoming to visit my father-in-law. As I mentioned before, he is really sick and not doing so well. Did I mention that he is Fritter's only grandfather? We are praying a novena to Blessed Karl which will end on Easter Sunday. If you feel so moved I invite you to join us. The miracle that made him Blessed is a great story that is pretty close to what we are facing right now. I'm not mentioning details to respect my fil's privacy. I'm sure you understand. You can read the article here and the link to the novena is here.
Because we are leaving Wednesday, and traditionally I do my spring cleaning during Holy Week (a great time to offer up all that hard work and prepare ourselves to welcome Christ on Easter), I only have two and a half days to Spring Clean! Instead of neglecting myself and my family in order to get accomplished everything I would normally have a week for, I have decided to focus my efforts on the areas that really need it most.
Our bedroom is probably the most disorganized room in the apartment. Because our computer is in there, and well, because I live in there (I'm so messy!) every spare inch of floor space that is not being used for walking is covered in piles of half-read books, piles of magazines I haven't gotten to yet, paper piles I haven't finished sorting, clothes piles I haven't taken to the donation center yet...you get the idea. I'd show you a picture, but it's too embarrassing. So that is my main focus this Holy Week. I have already flipped the mattress and washed the pad and pillows and spread. Dusting, sorting, and throwing away are the next items of business.
I haven't decided the other room I want to concentrate on yet. The kitchen could use some reorganizing, and the fridge needs cleaned. The living room has a couple of hidden areas that contain papers that need sorted. The bathrooms get cleaned every week, but both bathroom cabinet areas are disasters. Hmmm....thanks for helping, the bathroom it is.
I don't plan on packing much until Wednesday. We don't leave for our plane until the late afternoon, and having half-filled suitcases sitting around for any longer than they need to just drives me crazy.
Not sure if I'll get around to posting before I leave, so pray for us to have a safe trip there and back again next Tuesday night, and have a great Easter!
Because we are leaving Wednesday, and traditionally I do my spring cleaning during Holy Week (a great time to offer up all that hard work and prepare ourselves to welcome Christ on Easter), I only have two and a half days to Spring Clean! Instead of neglecting myself and my family in order to get accomplished everything I would normally have a week for, I have decided to focus my efforts on the areas that really need it most.
Our bedroom is probably the most disorganized room in the apartment. Because our computer is in there, and well, because I live in there (I'm so messy!) every spare inch of floor space that is not being used for walking is covered in piles of half-read books, piles of magazines I haven't gotten to yet, paper piles I haven't finished sorting, clothes piles I haven't taken to the donation center yet...you get the idea. I'd show you a picture, but it's too embarrassing. So that is my main focus this Holy Week. I have already flipped the mattress and washed the pad and pillows and spread. Dusting, sorting, and throwing away are the next items of business.
I haven't decided the other room I want to concentrate on yet. The kitchen could use some reorganizing, and the fridge needs cleaned. The living room has a couple of hidden areas that contain papers that need sorted. The bathrooms get cleaned every week, but both bathroom cabinet areas are disasters. Hmmm....thanks for helping, the bathroom it is.
I don't plan on packing much until Wednesday. We don't leave for our plane until the late afternoon, and having half-filled suitcases sitting around for any longer than they need to just drives me crazy.
Not sure if I'll get around to posting before I leave, so pray for us to have a safe trip there and back again next Tuesday night, and have a great Easter!
Sunday, March 16, 2008
Catholics Come Home
Instead of just linking to it on my side bar, I thought it was appropriate to dedicate a whole post to it. Hattip to Sarah.
Thursday, March 13, 2008
Shoo Flu...
...don't bother me.
It's finally happened. After taking care of sick little Fritter for the past couple of weeks, I have the flu. I woke up last night around 2am feeling achy all over, sick to my stomach, and just plain awful. I checked my temperature, and I was running a fever of 100. So I took some ibuprofen and tried to go back to sleep, but it just wasn't going to happen. Around 5am DH's alarm went off and I finally drifted off to snoozeland.
I planned to write this post earlier today, but just wasn't feeling up to doing much more than lay on the couch. I though up the title early this morning, but that's about as far as I got. Can you tell?
It's finally happened. After taking care of sick little Fritter for the past couple of weeks, I have the flu. I woke up last night around 2am feeling achy all over, sick to my stomach, and just plain awful. I checked my temperature, and I was running a fever of 100. So I took some ibuprofen and tried to go back to sleep, but it just wasn't going to happen. Around 5am DH's alarm went off and I finally drifted off to snoozeland.
I planned to write this post earlier today, but just wasn't feeling up to doing much more than lay on the couch. I though up the title early this morning, but that's about as far as I got. Can you tell?
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
Stealthy
Fritter loves drinking out of straws. Even if what is in his cup and what is in my cup is the same, because my cup has a straw he wants mine.
Tonight after dinner, I was cleaning up the kitchen while my dh filled out some forms. I realized things were a little too quiet for this time of the evening, so I left the kitchen to check on Fritter. I found him standing on the other side of the kitchen table with my BIG cup in both hands while he drank out of the beloved straw. Because the cup had been sitting on top of the table, and the tablecloth was noticeably askew, I assumed that there had to have been some sort of a spill. There should have been, right? Right? There wasn't. Not a drop had been spilt. I don't know how he managed it. He can barely reach the top of the table!
Right afterwards he turned my laundry basket upside-down and began climbing on top of it. He has learned since to move it around to reach things that are up high. He keeps me on my toes, this one.
Tonight after dinner, I was cleaning up the kitchen while my dh filled out some forms. I realized things were a little too quiet for this time of the evening, so I left the kitchen to check on Fritter. I found him standing on the other side of the kitchen table with my BIG cup in both hands while he drank out of the beloved straw. Because the cup had been sitting on top of the table, and the tablecloth was noticeably askew, I assumed that there had to have been some sort of a spill. There should have been, right? Right? There wasn't. Not a drop had been spilt. I don't know how he managed it. He can barely reach the top of the table!
Right afterwards he turned my laundry basket upside-down and began climbing on top of it. He has learned since to move it around to reach things that are up high. He keeps me on my toes, this one.
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Children's Book Warning
Ug. Ugugugugugug is all I can say!
We went to the library today and I looked for an Alphabet book for Fritter. He's sick again, this time a stomach bug and all the yuckiness that goes along with that, so since we will be spending quite a bit of time at home, I wanted to pick up some new books for him. I grabbed an alphabet book not looking at the front cover or reading the back. Why would I? It's an alphabet book, how much harm could there be in it? Right?
Once home, I put Fritter down for his afternoon nap, and I settled on the couch to go through the books I checked out. The first one I read was wonderful. It's called Tony's Bread by Tomie dePaola. The story is cute, there are nuns and a bishop in it, the man goes to Mass on Sunday, and the author received the Catholic Library Association's Regina Medal. The second one was cute as well, with very fun pictures in it. It's called The Lion and the Little Red Bird by Elisa Kleven.
And then, feeling like I'd had a very successful library run today, I picked up this book. A Family Alphabet Book. From the first page I knew something was not right. The picture shows two people in bed waking up to a little girl with a tuba. Harmless until you look closer. The two people are both women! The next page says "B is for book. Our moms read our favorite book to us at bedtime." And so on. I think you can guess what kind of a "family" this book is trying to portray to our innocent children.
Ugugugugugug!
From the back cover:
Have fun with the kids, moms, dads and pets in this delightful book that celebrates alternative families as it teaches young children the alphabet.
My heart hurts thinking I almost read this book to my son. So warning about this book. If you want to protect your children from the yuckiness in the world, DO NOT GET THIS BOOK! I REPEAT, DO NOT GET THIS BOOK! I will be sure from now on to preview all books before reading them to my son. It's very sad that I have to do that with books meant for very small children.
Note: I'm not linking to this book for obvious reasons. If a link appears here for it, it's because of a widget from amazon. Please let me know if one shows up so I can remove it. I am NOT promoting this book.
We went to the library today and I looked for an Alphabet book for Fritter. He's sick again, this time a stomach bug and all the yuckiness that goes along with that, so since we will be spending quite a bit of time at home, I wanted to pick up some new books for him. I grabbed an alphabet book not looking at the front cover or reading the back. Why would I? It's an alphabet book, how much harm could there be in it? Right?
Once home, I put Fritter down for his afternoon nap, and I settled on the couch to go through the books I checked out. The first one I read was wonderful. It's called Tony's Bread by Tomie dePaola. The story is cute, there are nuns and a bishop in it, the man goes to Mass on Sunday, and the author received the Catholic Library Association's Regina Medal. The second one was cute as well, with very fun pictures in it. It's called The Lion and the Little Red Bird by Elisa Kleven.
And then, feeling like I'd had a very successful library run today, I picked up this book. A Family Alphabet Book. From the first page I knew something was not right. The picture shows two people in bed waking up to a little girl with a tuba. Harmless until you look closer. The two people are both women! The next page says "B is for book. Our moms read our favorite book to us at bedtime." And so on. I think you can guess what kind of a "family" this book is trying to portray to our innocent children.
Ugugugugugug!
From the back cover:
Have fun with the kids, moms, dads and pets in this delightful book that celebrates alternative families as it teaches young children the alphabet.
My heart hurts thinking I almost read this book to my son. So warning about this book. If you want to protect your children from the yuckiness in the world, DO NOT GET THIS BOOK! I REPEAT, DO NOT GET THIS BOOK! I will be sure from now on to preview all books before reading them to my son. It's very sad that I have to do that with books meant for very small children.
Note: I'm not linking to this book for obvious reasons. If a link appears here for it, it's because of a widget from amazon. Please let me know if one shows up so I can remove it. I am NOT promoting this book.
Thursday, March 6, 2008
California Tries To Outlaw Homeschooling
Did you read this? Since when does a parent not have the right AND the duty to educate their children how they see fit? Aaarrrrgh!!
Parents who lack teaching credentials cannot educate their children at home, according to a state appellate court ruling that is sending waves of fear through California's home schooling families.
"Parents do not have a constitutional right to home school their children," wrote Justice H. Walter Croskey in a Feb. 28 opinion signed by the two other members of the district court. "Parents who fail to [comply with school enrollment laws] may be subject to a criminal complaint against them, found guilty of an infraction, and subject to imposition of fines or an order to complete a parent education and counseling program."
On this very same subject, Pope John Paul II wrote:
The right and duty of parents to give education is essential, since it is connected with the transmission of human life; it is original and primary with regard to the educational role of others on account of the uniqueness of the loving relationship between parents and children; and it is irreplaceable and inalienable and therefore incapable of being entirely delegated to others or usurped by others.
--Article 36: Familiaris Consortio
Parents who lack teaching credentials cannot educate their children at home, according to a state appellate court ruling that is sending waves of fear through California's home schooling families.
"Parents do not have a constitutional right to home school their children," wrote Justice H. Walter Croskey in a Feb. 28 opinion signed by the two other members of the district court. "Parents who fail to [comply with school enrollment laws] may be subject to a criminal complaint against them, found guilty of an infraction, and subject to imposition of fines or an order to complete a parent education and counseling program."
On this very same subject, Pope John Paul II wrote:
The right and duty of parents to give education is essential, since it is connected with the transmission of human life; it is original and primary with regard to the educational role of others on account of the uniqueness of the loving relationship between parents and children; and it is irreplaceable and inalienable and therefore incapable of being entirely delegated to others or usurped by others.
--Article 36: Familiaris Consortio
Hmmm...so now parents can face criminal charges for raising their children? Yuck, yuck, yuck!!
What Spice Are You?
You Are Ginger |
 Like ginger, you are a total shape shifter. You can be sweet, spicy, mellow, or overpowering. You are both soothing and unique. You are popular... yet you are often overlooked. |
Oh, how true, how true. (Except maybe the popular thing).
(HT: Dawn)
What Is Your Personality DNA?
You are Considerate
*You trust others, care about them, and are slow to judge them, making you CONSIDERATE.
*You value your close relationships very much, and are more likely to spend time in small, tightly-knit groups of friends than in large crowds.
*You enjoy exploring the world through observation, quietly watching others.
*Relating to others so well, and understanding their emotions, leads you to trust people in general, even though you're somewhat shy and reserved at times.
*Your belief that people are generally well-intentioned contributes to your sympathy regarding their problems.
*Although you may not vocalize it often, you have an awareness of how society affects individuals, and you understand complex causes of people's behavior.
*You like to look at all sides of a situation before making a judgment, particularly when that situation involves important things in other people's lives.
*Your close friends know you as a good listener.
*You enjoy exploring the world through observation, quietly watching others.
*Relating to others so well, and understanding their emotions, leads you to trust people in general, even though you're somewhat shy and reserved at times.
*Your belief that people are generally well-intentioned contributes to your sympathy regarding their problems.
*Although you may not vocalize it often, you have an awareness of how society affects individuals, and you understand complex causes of people's behavior.
*You like to look at all sides of a situation before making a judgment, particularly when that situation involves important things in other people's lives.
*Your close friends know you as a good listener.
You are an Artist
*Your appreciation of beauty, ability to think abstractly, and innovativeness make you an ARTIST.
*Never one to be tied to a particular way of doing things, you let your imagination guide you in discovering different possibilities.
*You would rather seek out new experiences than stick to your everyday habits, taking in as much of the world as possible.
*Your eye for beauty and your willingness to consider different perspectives make your creative efforts interesting—even though you may not realize this yourself.
*You prefer to think about things before voicing your opinion, considering a wide, diverse range of options.
*While there are forms and styles that you prefer, you tend to keep an open mind when it comes to your artistic preferences.
*You are curious about things, interested in the "why" more than the “how.”
*You have an active imagination that leads you express yourself in a distinct way.
*You're not afraid to let your emotions guide you, and you're generally considerate of others' feelings as well.
*You do your own thing when it comes to clothing, guided more by practical concerns than by other people's notions of style.
Not entirely accurate, but hey does any test ever really know me?
(HT: my friend Kate)
Rub-a-Dub-Dub
It's puppet time! We (read I) made some finger puppets today. They were really very easy, and at these two websites, you can find some ideas and templates on how to make them. I wanted to make my own, and although they probably would have turned out better if I would have used these templates, I think they turned out ok.
Peter Rabbit
Elephant
Humptey Dumptey
After making these, Fritter was still napping, so I played some more. I had recently bought some felt, thinking that I could use it for something, so I made the three men in a tub for his new felt board. It was very fun, and easy. I think they are kind of cute.
Rub a dub dub,
Three men in a tub.
And who do you think they be?
The butcher, the baker,
the candlestick maker,
Turn them out, knaves all three.
Small Update
Well, I had a fun post written out for you with pictures, but blogger decided it didn't want to upload any of them, so I suppose I'll have to try again later.
I really have many posts waiting in the queue for you, but have been so busy this week, that they may have to wait until next week. Last week my mom visited us, and while I plan on posting about it, I will tell you that it was a good week. A long week, but a good week. She went to mass with us the Sunday after she arrived, and prayed our family rosary with us each night, and with Fritter before bed. Good stuff.
So I have been busy catching up on housework and other things after her visit. This weekend, starting tomorrow evening, I will be going on retreat! I'm very excited about it. This will be my first retreat I've ever been on. It is a silent retreat, and we will be doing the Spiritual Exercises by St. Ignatius. I'm looking forward to it. Things have been a little tough for me lately, and I really, really need this.
I'm a little nervous though, as this will be the first time I've ever left Fritter. He's been going through this...stage. He is very clingy to me, and if I leave the room for even a second to, say go to the restroom, he runs to the door and screams. Yep. So I think my hubby may have his hands full this weekend. Also, he's not entirely better from his RSV yet. He is still waking up nightly coughing, and I've been giving him the breathing treatments. I've made an appointment for him tomorrow morning to make sure everything is still good before I leave. So please keep me and my guys in your prayers this weekend. And all the ladies who will be participating in the retreat.
God bless!
I really have many posts waiting in the queue for you, but have been so busy this week, that they may have to wait until next week. Last week my mom visited us, and while I plan on posting about it, I will tell you that it was a good week. A long week, but a good week. She went to mass with us the Sunday after she arrived, and prayed our family rosary with us each night, and with Fritter before bed. Good stuff.
So I have been busy catching up on housework and other things after her visit. This weekend, starting tomorrow evening, I will be going on retreat! I'm very excited about it. This will be my first retreat I've ever been on. It is a silent retreat, and we will be doing the Spiritual Exercises by St. Ignatius. I'm looking forward to it. Things have been a little tough for me lately, and I really, really need this.
I'm a little nervous though, as this will be the first time I've ever left Fritter. He's been going through this...stage. He is very clingy to me, and if I leave the room for even a second to, say go to the restroom, he runs to the door and screams. Yep. So I think my hubby may have his hands full this weekend. Also, he's not entirely better from his RSV yet. He is still waking up nightly coughing, and I've been giving him the breathing treatments. I've made an appointment for him tomorrow morning to make sure everything is still good before I leave. So please keep me and my guys in your prayers this weekend. And all the ladies who will be participating in the retreat.
God bless!
Monday, March 3, 2008
Hot... or is it Cold?
We are still recovering from our visit last week around here. I've packed today so full, that I think when I hit my pillow tonight I will fall right asleep. I really shouldn't even be blogging, but I needed a small break, so while I'm guzzling water I decided to check in.
The weather here is crazy. Not in a bad way, like I know a lot of you are experiencing, but just in a strange way. It is climbing into the 80's in the daytime, and then at night it drops to around 50 or so. When I put Fritter to bed at night, it's still hot in the house, so I lay him down in just a onesie, but at night it gets so chilly that our heater is coming on, and he is under dressed. I'm not complaining though. My dh was talking to my brother-in-law last night in Oklahoma City, and they were in the middle of a tornado. Everyone is ok, I don't think it got too close, but yikes!
Anyway, tomorrow will be a little slower around here, and I plan on giving you something with a little more substance to it (I hope!).
The weather here is crazy. Not in a bad way, like I know a lot of you are experiencing, but just in a strange way. It is climbing into the 80's in the daytime, and then at night it drops to around 50 or so. When I put Fritter to bed at night, it's still hot in the house, so I lay him down in just a onesie, but at night it gets so chilly that our heater is coming on, and he is under dressed. I'm not complaining though. My dh was talking to my brother-in-law last night in Oklahoma City, and they were in the middle of a tornado. Everyone is ok, I don't think it got too close, but yikes!
Anyway, tomorrow will be a little slower around here, and I plan on giving you something with a little more substance to it (I hope!).
Sunday, March 2, 2008
Hi!
Whew! Has it been a week. I've been making a list of things to blog about over this last week, but I just wanted to say hi. Hi!
Fritter is much better, but still a little sick. He had a doctor's appointment Friday, and his ears are all healed up. He still has a little junk left in him, and he is waking up around 5 each morning coughing pretty good, but we are using a nebulizer (sp?) with Albuterol (sp?), and it seems to be helping. As long as he continues to get better and doesn't get any fevers, we don't have to take him in for anymore follow-ups. Actually our doctor said we are better off staying away from the office. EVERYONE is sick. Including the doctor.
Anyway, be looking for some updates from the last week. I have lots to say!
Fritter is much better, but still a little sick. He had a doctor's appointment Friday, and his ears are all healed up. He still has a little junk left in him, and he is waking up around 5 each morning coughing pretty good, but we are using a nebulizer (sp?) with Albuterol (sp?), and it seems to be helping. As long as he continues to get better and doesn't get any fevers, we don't have to take him in for anymore follow-ups. Actually our doctor said we are better off staying away from the office. EVERYONE is sick. Including the doctor.
Anyway, be looking for some updates from the last week. I have lots to say!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)