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| Recent shot of Sunflower, just to satisfy the auntie's and grandma's out there. :) |
*And now I'm off to finish my movie...
Thursday, June 30, 2011
The Present Moment
Right now, the laundry is on the line, kiddies are all in bed resting or sleeping, dinner tonight with good friends, housework is done for the day (mostly), and I have a wonderful husband who loves me. Right now, in this moment, in this place, life is good. I couldn't ask for more.
*And now I'm off to finish my movie...
*And now I'm off to finish my movie...
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Quiet Slumber
Shhh...All three kids are still sleeping and it's 4 in the afternoon. Dare I wake them? Dare I let them sleep? Dare I continue to enjoy The King's Speech while I can?
Decisions, decisions...
*Update: Ladybug woke up 15 minutes later. I was almost at the end of the movie where he gives his speech, but didn't get to see it. Oh well, guess I'll have to find something else to iron tomorrow as an excuse to finish it. Ironing can be fun. :)
Decisions, decisions...
*Update: Ladybug woke up 15 minutes later. I was almost at the end of the movie where he gives his speech, but didn't get to see it. Oh well, guess I'll have to find something else to iron tomorrow as an excuse to finish it. Ironing can be fun. :)
Monday, June 20, 2011
Use What You Have
I may not have a clothesline, but that's not going to stop me from using the hot Arizona sun to my advantage.
Sunday, June 19, 2011
Thursday, June 16, 2011
Saying Goodbye to Duckie
This morning we said goodbye to Duckie. Duckie has been Fritter's lovey since he was six months old, but we've had him since before Fritter was born. When I was pregnant with Fritter, I worked at Subway in between semesters at college. My boss, Bunnie (really her name), was such a sweet lady and this cute yellow duck was a gift from her.
My dear husband and I have been thinking of putting Duckie away for sometime. For the past six months or so, Fritter's attachment to The Duck has waned, and we're finding that he's being forgotten in random places. Duckie has been around so long, it would break both of our hearts if he got lost for good. We debated just putting him away one day when Fritter wasn't paying attention, but in the end decided that we would let Fritter be the one to put him in the memory box.
Today, Fritter asked me if I knew where Duckie was. It was then I decided it was time. I told Fritter the plan, and he was ok with it, so we found The Duck, and tucked him in a cozy spot in the box. Fritter made sure he had his little blanket so he would stay warm. Fritter told him goodbye and said he would miss him, and then in his cute little Duck voice, answered back, "Goodbye, I'll miss you too!"
When we put the box on the top shelf in Fritter's closet he asked me, "Mom, when I get growed up, I can get Duckie back?" My little boy is growing up so fast, that will happen before I know it.
As I was looking for pictures of Fritter and Duckie for this post, I realized there are Duck sightings everywhere. It was hard to pick. Duckie really has been around to help Fritter grow up.
And the goodbye picture...
My dear husband and I have been thinking of putting Duckie away for sometime. For the past six months or so, Fritter's attachment to The Duck has waned, and we're finding that he's being forgotten in random places. Duckie has been around so long, it would break both of our hearts if he got lost for good. We debated just putting him away one day when Fritter wasn't paying attention, but in the end decided that we would let Fritter be the one to put him in the memory box.
Today, Fritter asked me if I knew where Duckie was. It was then I decided it was time. I told Fritter the plan, and he was ok with it, so we found The Duck, and tucked him in a cozy spot in the box. Fritter made sure he had his little blanket so he would stay warm. Fritter told him goodbye and said he would miss him, and then in his cute little Duck voice, answered back, "Goodbye, I'll miss you too!"
When we put the box on the top shelf in Fritter's closet he asked me, "Mom, when I get growed up, I can get Duckie back?" My little boy is growing up so fast, that will happen before I know it.
As I was looking for pictures of Fritter and Duckie for this post, I realized there are Duck sightings everywhere. It was hard to pick. Duckie really has been around to help Fritter grow up.
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| May 2007 - 6 months old |
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| July 2008 - 1 year 8 months old |
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| October 2008 - 1 year 11 months old |
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| January 2009 - 2 years 2 months old |
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| August 2009 - 2 years 9 months old |
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| December 2009 - 3 years 1 month old |
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| June 2011 - 4 years 7 months old |
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Guessing Game
After sending Fritter to the corner this morning, I called him out and asked him if he knew why I put him there.
"Ummmm...Because I hitted my sister?"
"No son, you didn't hit your sister."
"Because I...talked mean to you?"
"No son, you didn't talk mean to me."
"Because I played with the train track by mistake?" (This isn't even an offense in our house.)
I wonder how often I ask him this question and he tells me correctly, not because he really knows what he did, but because he just happened to answer one of the most common infractions.
"Ummmm...Because I hitted my sister?"
"No son, you didn't hit your sister."
"Because I...talked mean to you?"
"No son, you didn't talk mean to me."
"Because I played with the train track by mistake?" (This isn't even an offense in our house.)
I wonder how often I ask him this question and he tells me correctly, not because he really knows what he did, but because he just happened to answer one of the most common infractions.
Monday, June 13, 2011
Vacation Bible School
Today was day 1 of Vacation Bible School for Fritter. He was super excited to go. I was more than a little nervous. Would he be good? Would he have fun? Would he make friends? Most of all, would he learn something valuable about his faith?
After walking him to the church (it's two blocks from our house), and watching him sit and strike up a conversation about names with a little boy in his class, I felt better. Knowing he had two friends we already knew in there helped too. But Ladybug did not care that Fritter was going to learn about Jesus, or that he was going to have fun, or that we would have fun at home just us girls. She only knew that her big brother, her self proclaimed "bes fwend", was not coming home with us. She cried tears that reason alone would not stop.
Once at home though, she did better. But, in between the finger painting, and playing in Fritter's room, and snacking without sharing, she still asked for him. It was weird for me too. As I was pushing the stroller out of the church building I realized I didn't have my big boy to hold the door for me. The house was quieter, I got some stuff done, and the two little girls got more of my attention. But I missed my boy. I'm glad VBS is only one week.
Fritter, on the other hand, didn't seem to care much at all that he wasn't with us. He told me all about how he made a key chain of himself, and how he learned that God made all the land, and he's been walking around singing the theme song of Bible School since he got home. The most upset he got was when he found out the sugar cookies I made this morning were all taken to VBS with him, and he didn't get a single one.
We are planning on signing him up for Catechesis of the Good Shepherd this fall at this particular parish, and I was hoping to see how he did with VBS to gauge how he'd do. After today, I think he is going to do just fine.
I think I'll be getting caught up on some housework this week, and Ladybug will get a little more freedom in her play. But, I think for us at home, we'll be glad when this week is over so Fritter stays home and plays with us. ;-)
After walking him to the church (it's two blocks from our house), and watching him sit and strike up a conversation about names with a little boy in his class, I felt better. Knowing he had two friends we already knew in there helped too. But Ladybug did not care that Fritter was going to learn about Jesus, or that he was going to have fun, or that we would have fun at home just us girls. She only knew that her big brother, her self proclaimed "bes fwend", was not coming home with us. She cried tears that reason alone would not stop.
Once at home though, she did better. But, in between the finger painting, and playing in Fritter's room, and snacking without sharing, she still asked for him. It was weird for me too. As I was pushing the stroller out of the church building I realized I didn't have my big boy to hold the door for me. The house was quieter, I got some stuff done, and the two little girls got more of my attention. But I missed my boy. I'm glad VBS is only one week.
Fritter, on the other hand, didn't seem to care much at all that he wasn't with us. He told me all about how he made a key chain of himself, and how he learned that God made all the land, and he's been walking around singing the theme song of Bible School since he got home. The most upset he got was when he found out the sugar cookies I made this morning were all taken to VBS with him, and he didn't get a single one.
We are planning on signing him up for Catechesis of the Good Shepherd this fall at this particular parish, and I was hoping to see how he did with VBS to gauge how he'd do. After today, I think he is going to do just fine.
I think I'll be getting caught up on some housework this week, and Ladybug will get a little more freedom in her play. But, I think for us at home, we'll be glad when this week is over so Fritter stays home and plays with us. ;-)
Thursday, June 9, 2011
Lessons in Stone
A family we have become good friends with is moving to Chicago. This family embraced us when we first moved here and have become like an extension of our family. So we're feeling their move keenly.
In the process of packing up, there were a few things they wanted us to watch over so they didn't get damaged until their final pack in the moving truck. These two are my favorites:
In the few weeks they have been with us, their impact has been great. For those non-Catholics who read this, it's not because I attribute any sort of magic or something to the statues. No. The blessing has come simply by the reminders they give me. On my way to "chew out" a child for some misdemeanor, I will catch a glimpse of Mary and think to myself, "Is this how she would handle this? Is this how I should handle this?" When thinking about my dear husband and how he can be messy sometimes, I see dear St. Joseph there with his saw, and I am reminded about just how hard my husband works to provide for us. So I am more inclined to cut him some slack.
And since they are getting packed into the moving truck today, I find myself wondering if I will remember these lessons when they are gone. We have religious art in our home, and of course we have crucifixes hanging in several rooms reminding us not only of THE sacrifice made for us, but how we also must sacrifice. But something about having these very large statues make the lessons that much harder to ignore. They verbally say nothing, they really are just statues, but their meaning is so poignant.
I'm thinking we may have to find something of this sort to fill their spots after they are gone.
*Obviously I am only talking of these statues, not of the dear family that is leaving. I don't think anything could replace them, and we will miss them so much. I think most of you will understand this, I hope.
In the process of packing up, there were a few things they wanted us to watch over so they didn't get damaged until their final pack in the moving truck. These two are my favorites:
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| Mary and St. Joseph the Worker |
And since they are getting packed into the moving truck today, I find myself wondering if I will remember these lessons when they are gone. We have religious art in our home, and of course we have crucifixes hanging in several rooms reminding us not only of THE sacrifice made for us, but how we also must sacrifice. But something about having these very large statues make the lessons that much harder to ignore. They verbally say nothing, they really are just statues, but their meaning is so poignant.
I'm thinking we may have to find something of this sort to fill their spots after they are gone.
*Obviously I am only talking of these statues, not of the dear family that is leaving. I don't think anything could replace them, and we will miss them so much. I think most of you will understand this, I hope.
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Note To Self
Zumba is a ton of fun. Remember that you will be sore for like a week afterwards. The childcare at this particular Y is not so great. So you will have to just continue with your aerobics class at the other Y. Which is ok too. It's just not as fun. But it's still hard, which is, I guess, the point. BUT, if you ever get the chance again, take the Zumba class. Seriously, so fun.
Friday, June 3, 2011
Donuts
*True story, I first heard about this yesterday at my aerobics class. I think I know why we are all there.
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