s.p.d.

(Can you tell that John got a cell phone...and we're texting more?! I'm all about abbreviations, and shortened phrases. s.p.d. That's my lingo for school picture day.)

See the young'ns here at home want to be doing all the same cool stuff that the big kids do at school, so today they fancied up (i.e. washed the lunch off their face without my nagging) and begged for a home-school picture day. (Okay...I don't really home-school...I won't even pretend to be equipped to know how to do that...but we call coloring, and cutting/pasting, and sorting skittles by color into little cups "homeschool." And everyone's happy.)

So anyways...kids wanted home-school pictures. 'Cept there's one problem...I stink at photography...and my camera stinks even worse than me. So it went something like this...

lets see...that's my big foot and Anne's tiny too-cute toesies. Apparently not as well balanced as I first thought...

oh, but this is a little better...or at least it would have been if my camera took the picture when I pressed the God-forsaken button. What's with the seven minute delay?!

there's that dang delay again! Get back here Annie!!!!

"What do you mean the sun's in your eyes?!"

Work with me, Frank!

Yep...go ahead...eat that mulch...I can wait. (probably need a little more fiber in your diet anyway.) No really...it's okay. AhhhhhH!!!!!!!!

Aaarggghhh. The frustration of it all. Seriously.

Okay, luckily...not so seriously.

We regrouped...laughed a little...and came out with some good ones. Maybe not school yearbook worthy...but perfectly imperfect for this (not-so) homeschoolin' momma of many!

There's my Frank-o! (hold the ketchup, heavy on the CHEESE!)

And Rose...what's not to love about that laugh (and the thumb-suckin' gap in her teeth! Yumm!)

Oh, and Princess Lucy...why yes...she would LOVE to have your vote for Prom Queen!





This belly laughter is priceless...better than any posed smile I nearly hurt myself trying to capture! Love you Annie!!!

and of course...every class needs a couple of clowns...pictures are so much better when we're "dressed up" for them!

first day of school pics

(better late than never, right?!)

Sam (5th gr.), Emma & Alice (6th gr.), Grace (3rd), Mary & John (2nd), Charlie (kind.)

In just a couple weeks Frank and Rose will head off to preschool.

Meeting up with some of the neighbor kids to head off for their first day.

(Rosie was the only young one to venture out in her pajamas to see them off.)

Later that same day, the rest of the crew posed with Charlie just before we walked with him for his first day of afternoon kindergarden.

sunday night laundry scramble

I mentioned last week that I'm taking a "hands off" laundry approach to our quieter school days in an attempt to fully enjoy time with these little ones. Yep, that was just silly. Don't get me wrong, our days at home without the "big kids" has been dreamy...games, puzzles, snuggly books, bike rides, all the good stuff!! But after a few days of school, a crazy-busy weekend of football, shopping, extended-family dinner, late night campfires with 'smores, church, and hiking at Brukner Nature Center...I'm reminded this evening by 4 young ladies that...
"Mom!!! Tomorrow's picture day! What are we supposed to wear?!" (the boys could've cared less...actually they hoped I'd forget.)

Oh Lord. Help me.

So it's midnight, and I'm just wrapping up laundry. Fortunately, I've kept the washer/dryer running daily. It's just the fold/put-away piece of the equasion that I'd been neglecting. It's all done now, though.

This week, in addition to coloring and shape-sorting, I'll be teaching home-ec/laundry education in our tiny tot home school. No more waiting till there are mounds to put away. Mama needs her beauty sleep.

g'night all. and God Bless!

so BUSTED!

(and lovin' it!)

"Who me? (innocently holding her little foot up) It wasn't me mom!"

as school begins...

I'm attempting to make blogging routine again. But, as you know I'm a little out of practice, so bare with me. For now I'll give you a "yes...what she said!" post. Why reinvent the wheel?!

As I scanned a couple of my favorite reads this morning, I came across this post written by G~ at her Momastery blog. She writes a thousand times more eloquently than I ever could...and shared this most awesome post about recognizing our kids treasures/gifts that MUST be read/shared by as many as possible.

AMEN, I say to her. AMEN!

Please take the couple minutes to read it...grab a few tissues first...it's beee-ute-i-iful!

BTS

That's Back To School...back to business...back to alarm clocks, and homework, and snack-packing, gym shoe reminders, milk money, lunch accounts, practice schedules and other after-school where-a-bouts, clothes picked out and lined up before bed...oh, and bedtimes for heaven sakes! Bedtimes...before dark. Oh, the horror!

Admittedly though, despite the necessary evils that come with it...we're genuinely excited about the start of a new school year. I feel "accomplished" when I'm dressed and coffee'd up before 7:30. I can't say that was true...EVER...during the summer months. Early bird is just not in my nature. But its a good change. The kids were ready to bust out the front door this morning, and greet the neighbors who were gathering outside for first-day pictures. All of them excited to meet their new teachers, and sniff fresh notebooks...and sharpen pencils...and place that first doodle on their crisp folders.

A new beginning. An ending too. Funny how life keeps us moving along...ready or not. Now seven backpacks lined up on the window seat in the kitchen. Seven. SEVEN! That makes me pause and count again. Yep. Seven. That's just 4 left at home...for a couple more weeks until Frank and Rose line their backpacks up for the start of preschool. Oi.

What will Lucy and Anne and I do those quiet afternoons? (lots of folks ask me...) With all that quiet? What will we do? "Soak it up!" I say. Hopefully with lots of books, and snuggles, and games, and whatever it is we can do to enjoy these days ahead. We will talk and dance and laugh and sing...I hope EVERYDAY! Cause just yesterday...there were only two backpacks lined up...and now there are SEVEN, soon to be NINE. And I don't want to blink...I want to enter this "quiet" school year with my eyes wide open...hands far removed from the temptations of laundry and dishes...and SOAK UP those couple hours of quiet with my babies here at home. In all the hustle and bustle of our daily life, I've come to be certain of a couple things...God's love for me is everlasting...and time is not. Make the most of each. (oh...and no diaper is truly leak-proof, no matter what the label claims.) Of these things I can be sure.

Happy back-to-school year everyone! Soak it up, and God Bless!

theme for the day: constance

It's not at all unusual for me to throw out a "theme for the day" at mealtime here, just to stir things up a bit. Yesterday's lunch was "stick foods." We had corndogs, pretzel sticks, and strawberries served up on toothpicks. Of course we had popsicles for dessert.

Apparently our good Lord likes theme days as well.

Today's theme: "constance." I don't think that's a word used too often anymore...but it was stamped on my brain all day long as the Holy Spirit continued to show me examples.

The word first crept in on my drive to work this morning. After a long sleepless night, with a feverish/restless baby Anne, I sat drinking my coffee, numb and praying for the strength/energy to do a good job today. For only an instant, I'd wished away the sleepless night...wishing I was better prepared for the day ahead of me. And then I was overcome with tears at how grateful I felt for just such a night. Shame on me for wanting to wish it away! Oh, with busy days of what sometimes seem mundane household duties ...the infrequent opportunity to snuggle all night with a baby that's growing much too quickly is truly a blessing indeed. The day will come too soon, when she will depend on me no longer. And then my tears increased to imagine a day when there are children in this house no longer. Who will need me? What will I do then? You see in all the chaos now, and the quiet that is to come; as our duties change through the years, leaving us uncertain of what's to come; I am reminded of God's constance. His steadfastness. His faithfulness. His love for me never changes. And whether I acknowledge Him or not, He is there. Waiting for me. Loving me. Always. Without fail. He is the strength and energy that gets me through a beautifully busy day. He is within me as I care for those who need me most...at home, at work. Constance.

There are four nurses pitching in to cover hours for a full-time nurse gone-a-traveling with her husband to Alaska for the month. I'm one of them. Four women, trying to fill the huge shoes of an amazing nurse, who's constance and quality of care for our residents are top-notch! It's not a terribly difficult job, but there is something about the continuity and compassion she brings to the office. She sets the bar high. Anyhow, as I struggled through e-mails and caught up on notes and requests for the last week, I missed her terribly. And was reminded once again: constance.
Yes Lord, I'm listening. I know You are too. Thank you for the gentle reminders.

Okay, so I recognize...just as I struggle to make a fruit work on "stick day" (strawberries and toothpicks), God also gets a little clever. As my mom was heading out the door after watching the kids for me all day, she mentioned that she wouldn't be over for coffee tomorrow morning.
"Whatcha got going on?" I asked.
"Not, much. Going out for the day with Connie."
(of course~my Godmother~her given name: Constance.)



Psalm 136
1 Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good,
for his steadfast love endures forever.

raspberries.

She's been giving us the raspberries for months.
Yesterday...we gave them back.

After squeezing the life out of them...

And sucking on them a bit...drooling and dribbling of course....

Ooooooh....sour...

...and sweet....

...SHE LOVES THEM!!!!

I LOVE SUMMER!!!

I love library books.
And backyard baseball before the breakfast dishes are even cleared.
I love naked-toes.
And grass-stained feet.
Freeze pops.
Tents made with blankets and pins on the clothesline.
Kids riding bikes and "meeting up" instead of calling.
Piggy tails and sweaty necks.
Sand in the bathtub after a day at the beach.
noon-time picnics in our backyard.
juicy pink watermelon...though my kids don't know about spitting the seeds. They were raised in the "seedless" era.
blackened grilled hotdogs...who needs a bun?!
pitch and catch
babies on blankets in the grass under a shady tree
I love quiet evenings...early backyard campfires.
(with or without marshmallows....though WITH is better.)
Chasing lightning bugs, and capturing them in a peanut butter jar overnight.
Evening breezes and snuggle blankets with popcorn on the back patio.
The hum of a box fan bringing cool night air.
The feeling that we can do anything, go anywhere, at the drop of a hat...but choose instead to be right here...enjoying our own backyard.
living a busy crazy life, at a snails pace, and finding God in it all...through the eyes of our children.

God is good.

celebrating good health

(More to the point...celebrating one healthy kidney!)

You see, this little guy was born with a condition called sumthin' sumthin' blah blah blah...kidney disease. (Okay, so I do remember the whole name, but we'll call it MCDK disease for short.) Anywhoooo... we follow up with a specialist every year to keep an eye on the "bad" kidney, which has slowly been shriveling up into nothingness since birth. Now, it's officially gone. No more yucky Left kidney. Just one healthy "beautiful" (yes that's a direct quote from our good doc!) kidney remaining, and functioning perfectly.

No more follow-ups...no more worries about that business.

So we celebrated good health; celebrated one perfectly healthy beautiful kidney the best way we knew how....with a fun lunch.

The two of us stopped by a Chipotle on the way home (we were first-timers) and toasted good news with a burrito the size of John's head!

Cheers!
No lookin' back baby!
~neither of us were sadly disappointed to learn that kick-boxing, cage-fighting, and ATV riding (among other things we're not likely to try) are off limits to keep the "good" kidney safe. We can live with that.

...and lest I not forget. Praise God! And many thanks to the Blessed Mother for her kindness and intercession.

"Oh Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee."

8 months

Today, she cries when I walk out of the room...
In a few years, she'll be begging for some alone time.

Like clock-work, that whole 8 month=seperation anxiety has kicked in. She can go from laughing to tears in a heartbeat as I step out of her line of sight, and right back to giggling when she spots me again. It's almost comical, except that those crocodile tears just rip my heart right out of my chest. Oh, sheee's goooooood.

Oh, and new this week...Annie's STANDING! That little turkey is pulling herself up to ev-ry-thing! Her first successful attempt, was to the back door...checking out pretty flowers? or trying to escape? Hard to say...I'll choose to believe she's just interested in the pink pretties.

reality bytes.

Not every day is a summer-fun-adventure. In reality, some days I'm pleased to have everyone dressed, teeth brushed, and beds made by mid-morning. Shooooot, seriously... Dressed and teeth brushed. For this reason, I try to have a mental list of small jobs that I can accomplish during a naptime, or rare "quiet" time, just to feel as if I've moved mountains.

Today's mission: clean out the van's glove box.

You see, last week while trekking Tawawa Park one of the kids stubbed a toe and needed a bandaid. Surely I must have a bandaid somewhere in my van, right? Right?! I tore the entire contents of the glove box apart looking for a bandaid and found every useless thing, but no bandaid. Let's see...there were cassette tapes (too bad our van doesn't play cassettes.) There was a phone charger cord, from the OLD phone. Lots of christmas cd's, torn envelopes with grocery lists jotted down, even zoo maps and other stuff of which I have no use for.

No bandaid. No napkin. No tissue. The only useful item seemed to be the garage door opener...which doesn't help with a stubbed toe.

So, today I will spend 30 seconds with a garbage bag and another minute or so stocking a small Ziploc container with some bandaids, wipes, tissues, etc and overhaul our glove box. Major endeavor? Certainly not. But it will feel good to get 'er done, and that can provide a sense of accomplishment great enough to have me ready to take on the world! (or at least my little corner of it.) Baby steps...changing the world for the better...one mini-mess at a time.

Have a great day everyone!

thank you Lord...

For that threat of rain showers today.
It's okay if they don't come, but you see, we had our tents out last night for a little backyard camping...and our good Lord knows I need my beauty sleep. So "Thank you Lord." for gray skies and the need to take down the tents...I couldn't bare another night of camping.
One night of giggling and talking and tossing and turning and giggling some more and middle of the night treks into the house for bathroom breaks and worrying about kids wandering or sleepwalking or worse, strangers finding us vulnerable...all those silly things that go through my head. And I didn't even venture into the tent! Only the 6 oldest braved the backyard. The younger four "camped" with sleeping bags on the living room floor, while Anne and Dad and I sacked out in our own beds. Of course I didn't sleep much. The first few hours I sat up "policing" for shananigans. They all collapsed shortly after midnight. The rest of the night I spent tossing in bed, constantly getting up to peek out the window and make sure all was well. Uggh. I'm not ready for kids to be growing up, doing big kid things.

I do love the novelty of camping though...especially campfires with 'smores and silly stories, and songs. We always have a faux broomstick "microphone" for everyone to take turn entertaining the rest of us. And of course neighbor kids join us for after dark games like "ghost in the graveyard", "wolf" and "German spotlight". I don't know the rules to most of these games, but that's okay the rules change as needed. Just run and hide, and wait for some one to find you. And scream loud, cause the neighbors LOVE that.

We've had several of these campfire nights already this summer (sans the tents, thank goodness).

We've had a good share of lot's of other fun things too (in addition to the full schedule of baseball, softball, swim team, library reading club, etc.)

In fact, our summer is off to a fabulous start! Well...mostly...if you skip the first day of summer break, when Samuel needed a few stitches on his thumb. Bike wreck. Minor in the grand scheme of things, but kept him from baseball for 10 days. Big bummer! (right, Sam?)
He had to wear that crazy splint for a week or so to keep him from bending his thumb and tearing it open again. Nice.

Sunday, I took the oldest half over to the Starlite drive-in on St Rte 127. Of course we packed our popcorn, and sleeping bags for the cool evening! It was awesome! (We saw Diary of a Whimpy Kid followed by Soul Surfer...I highly recommend that second one!) Oh, and can you say "VALUE!" It's just $4 for adults, and kids 12 and under are FREE! Wooohoooo!

~nice face Mary~

Yesterday we headed over to Lake Loramie State Park for a little picnic and play time at the beach. Okay, so it's no white sand, clear blue ocean...but it's a nice (very clean!) little beach, and we were practically the only ones there to enjoy. It was Annie's first lake adventure, and she LOVED it!

We could spend a whole day just building sand castles and rivers and moats!

Baby Annie...in her little swimming suit...LOVE the rolls poking through that little cut-out in the side and strap hanging off the shoulder...Yes, she is ALL THAT!

Oh, this is my Goddaughter...Jamie. (I think she's a perfect 10!) She graduated high school this year, and my brother and parents and I drove down to Tennessee for the event! So proud of her! (and so grateful to John for holding down the fort for the quick bit I was gone!)





We all managed to squeeze in a daytrip to Ft. Wayne zoo last weekend. I don't think we've been there as a family in a couple years, so that was very nice. Lucy's favorite part (or at least the part she keeps talking about) are the trashcans that are shaped like various animals. Her favorite was the elephant trash-can. Umm. Hello?! Did we not see REAL animals there?! Apparently they weren't as interesting.

I unplugged the cable in the basement this week. Wow, has that been NICE! There's still the occasional quiet tv time in the family room, but for the most part it's been pure playtime. I love it!

We've picniced at several local parks in the past couple weeks, including Tawawa park in Sidney (love to wade in the stream there, and climb the "big rock") and Coldwater park, which is just a gem! I remember going there as a kid...and some of the same playground equipment is still there, like the giant swirly slide...but now much more!

Oh...time just moves so fast! We're trying to soak in as much of it as we can...making memories to last. Today, I'm grateful for those gray skies, playdough playing, Nerf wars in the basement, and quiet reading on unmade beds upstairs. Oh, and while I've managed to squeeze in a few more veggies than usual this week, I'm grateful that Grace's favorite barbecue chips were on sale this week...that sounds good for lunch today.

Peace to you all!

Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful and kindle in them the fire of your love.
V. Send forth your Spirit, and they shall be created.
R. And You shall renew the face of the earth.

my summer to-do list

For me, summer is much like the New Years. It seems a good time to regroup, reconsider what's important, and resolve to make good with the gift of time and energy that summer brings.
Just like New Years though, I tend to overthink, and underdo.

Here's what's been rolling around in my brain for the coming months...

1.Enjoy as much outdoor time as humanly possible...parks, pools, lakes, walks & bikerides & running, backyard games, bubbles, sidewalk chalk, you name it! This only makes sense after the long winter.

2.Serve more veggies, and insist that someone starts eating them. (How depressing is it that I actually worry about this as a "summer priority?" But, sadly this is how my mom-mind works.) Somewhere over the last year or so, we seem to have become okay with the notion that potato chips count as a vegetable. And while, sometimes that's okay...it can't be a meal-time staple anymore. Or can it???

3.Organize my recipes...torn from magazines, written on old napkins or homework papers, index cards with spills and icky-stickies from Lord-only-knows-what all tossed haphazardly into a folder. Not conducive to good cooking. (Where's that recipe for Broccoli Fondue when I need it?!)This is actually something I'm hoping the girls will help me with. On rainy days. (refer back to #1)

4. Pray more. Maybe even on a picnic blanket...in the backyard...with popcorn. What the heck...Jesus was an outdoorsy type, right? (Again, referring back to #1.)

5. Unplug the tv. I'm so OVER it, and want the kids to be too. (back to #1...am I getting redundant?)

6. In general, lighten up. Physically, emotionally, spiritually...and see it reflected back in my family.

Yep. That sounds like a good start. Now to squeeze that in between swim team, baseball, softball, piano and guitar commitments. We should be set to get started by mid-July. Well...we'll have to see about the veggie thing. Baby steps.

in case I forget to remember...

Days are blowing by at lightning speed.

I try not to blink...and yet I find myself waking up in the morning and wondering who stole those days away. Those days when there were only babies, or only toddlers in this house. Now there are 'tweens... wonderful and awkward all at once as we all adapt to changes that "growing up" brings.

Anyhow, with each new stage of Anne's baby-hood, I can't believe how much I forgot to remember ten times before.

I love the workings of her tiny hands. Amazing. Those tiny matchstick-size fingers working to pick up a cheerio, only to drop it just before it hits her lips. Mesmerizing.
I love when she stops just to stare at them too. Busy grasping a toy, or reaching out, when her eyes lock-in on the hands...and just stare intently as she wiggles chubby fingers back and forth. Truly a miracle of creation.
I love the way she sucks air and squeals when she hears my voice first thing in the morning...or when she sees me sneak from around a corner into the room.
I love when her rice cereal hangs on her toothless gums and appears as if she's wearing baby dentures at breakfast...just a glimpse of what it might look for her to have a full set of teeth someday. Funny.
I love the fine fuzz of hair on her naked shoulders.
I love the way her toes grip my upper lip when I kiss the bottoms of her soft padded feet.
I love the way she likes to sit on my forearm, her back against my belly, my other arm holding her belly from falling forward...all the while kicking her legs wildly as if dangling them off the edge of a dock into the water.
I love bathtime...because she does too. Splashing wildly and giggling outloud in the water. Fussing only when it's time to get out. My little fish.
I love the way her ear leaves a perfect imprint on my arm for long after she's done nursing...like angel kisses, a reminder of our special bond.
I love wrinkled-nose, squinty-eyed silly faces.
I love those first days of learning to crawl, when everything goes backwards, and legs find themselves wedged under couches...and she gets so frustrated. But she's learning and growing.
I love how the other kids melt like butta' around her...even grumpy brothers can't bare to walk by you without a hug, or silly face, or tickle. Babies shine with Christ's light.
I love how she can fall asleep on Daddy's shoulder at the drop of a hat...though she's never done that for me. He's had that "touch" with all of the kids...perhaps God's gift to Daddys.
I love the end of the day, when I nurse her into a sleepy little coma in my arms, and she smiles with eyes squinty closed. Because everything in that moment is right with the world. And in that moment she reminds me how much God loves me...and how good He is.
I love the way she makes my heart weaker, and stronger all at once...prepared to love more, and hurt more.
I love you Anne. Uniquely. And yet in the same way I've loved each of your siblings before you.
This time though...I'm writing it down, so I don't forget to remember.

A blessed Easter

~from our family to yours.

oh, and yes.

It's been almost exactly a month now, and he is going with Frank "Buck-Yoda" Elmer Schmiesing.

The good Lord only knows what we'll add to it by next month.

I want to remember these moments forever.

I stopped folding laundry for a few minutes to stop and listen to Alice practice guitar, and play me her newest strum patterns for a song she's working on. I sat on the edge of my bed, little Annie on my lap and just gazed in amazement at the little girl turned young lady strumming from a foot stool in front of me. My heart swelled with love, and pride and gratitude. Forgotten were the mounds of folded pants and jammies and socks surrounding me on the bed. There was no room to think about dinner dishes still in the sink. Instead I sat soaking in the sounds of Annie giggling, boys wrestling on the bed in the room next to us, footsteps pounding on the hardwood floors upstairs, all the while Alice plucking and strumming to Taylor Swift's "Our Song" that was streaming from the tiny speakers on my computer. It was awesome. It was surreal. It was a tiny moment in time that I want to remember forever. A simple glimpse into the everyday chaos that surrounds me, and how truly blessed I am, how grateful I am to be in the thick of it.
These are the sounds of my song, and you can bet (to steal a line from Miss Swift) "'fore I say Amen, I'll ask God if he can play it again."

My cup runneth over. God is so good.

laughing through tears.

at this note, written by our 6 year old in anticipation of Easter Bunny's arrival...

Dear Ester bunny. I hope you had fun deelivering the gifts. Thanks for the pet ginee pig. But now we had to gave it to our Naber. Because she stunk up our living room. Tuns of people love you Easter Bunny. Please get us a nuther pet please. Thanks for coming.

John

Buck just stopped here.

Frank just wandered out of bed and into the living room to mention that he's changing his name.

He'll be "Buck" from now on.

I can't imagine what he was dreaming of, but I'll see how he responds when I call "Buck" to the breakfast table in the morning.

Too cute.

Rice, Rice Baby...

It was another milestone for little Annie, as she had her first taste of rice cereal. It's still a far cry from "big people food," but certainly a step in that direction.

(It truly is a amazing when I stop to realize that for the last 5 months, her only nourishment has come from me. Truly miraculous how God worked out those details when you really stop to think about it.)

Anyhow...here's the setup...
The older kids were off to school, and little Anne woke up smiling and happy...her usual routine. Only today, I changed her and plopped her right into the bouncy seat on the kitchen cupboard for her first taste of Rice cereal. Her sleepy little eyes were a little confused about the change in schedule. I think as I look back at the photos, her eyes were definitely fixed on my chest area. "Hmmm. This isn't how it usually works."


She didn't mind one bit when I spooned in the mushy stuff. As a matter of fact, after the first spoonful, she grabbed my hand and/or spoon each time to try to pull it to her mouth faster. She LOVED it!

Of course, big sister Lucy was right there...not wanting to miss one moment of it!



And mother-hen Rosie was there too. Folding the washcloth, and cleaning up/assisting anyway she could. Oh, she's such a big helper!
Of course she had lots to talk about when the bowl was empty. Not the least of which was "Now bring on the milk!"


Oh Anne. Where does the time go?! Won't be long you'll be sitting at the big table with the rest of us...in your own chair...with your own plate...entertaining us all with stories of your day...at least what you can manage to squeeze in between all the other laughter and conversations. Oh my.

recipe box--soup

Last week I mentioned the younger kids and I attended a Soup and Bread Luncheon. I tasted two soups (of the DOZENS provided). There was a Chicken Tortilla which did not disappoint...and I have the recipe here at home. I've made several recipes similar...can't go wrong with any of them.
The other soup I tried was something I'd never seen before, so of course I was immediately drawn to it's thick creamy base, swimming with fluffy cheese pasta. YUM! It was WONDERFUL!

Fortunately a friend of my mom's saw that I had posted a request for the recipe, and found the lovely chef who agreed to pass it on. I'm looking forward to making this for a family gathering this weekend...but here's the recipe. Enjoy!


Asiago Tortellini Soup

Ingredients:

· 1 49.5 oz. can chicken broth
· 1 or 2 chicken breasts cut into 1/2" chunks
· 1 clove garlic (minced)
· 1 small onion (about a half cup chopped)
· 1 carrot (1/4 cup chopped finely)
· 1 stalk celery (about 1/4+ cup chopped finely)
· 2 tbsp parsley
· heavy pinch of dried basil (1/8 tsp)
· 1 20 oz. package of Buitoni Three Cheese Tortellini
· 1 pint heavy whipping cream
* with 2-3 tsp flour for thickening
· 5 oz asiago cheese, grated

Directions:

· Add garlic, onion, celery, carrot, parsley, and basil to the chicken broth and bring to a boil.
· Add chicken chunks and continue boiling gently for 30 minutes to an hour.
· Add tortellinis and bring to a boil again.
· Add flour-cream mixture and bring to a boil.
· Stir while simmering for 10-15 minutes while adding grated asiago cheese.
*** Tip: Add asiago cheese gradually and keep stirring. Otherwise it may sink to the bottom and clump/burn.

making memories.

Little Annie turned over today!! She's pushed herself over from belly to back for a couple weeks now, and today she managed to do the same in reverse. No more hanging out on the kitchen table...the center of our wonderfully hectic world. Time to stay safely at ground level, where she can roll till her hearts content!

It started right here...centered on the table where siblings were doing homework or helping mom bake, others doing chores, all the while remembering a tickle or "ga ga" talk for Annie. She loves being at the heart of the action.

Before we knew it, she'd heaved one of her fluffy little thighs over...
...and in a second she was up. Believe it girl! You did it!!! Wooohooooo!!!!

Of course all this rolling was to answer one simple question, "Mom, do these stripes make my butt look chubby?"

Of course they do sweet pea. But we love you anyway!!

God Bless baby Anne, who's growing so quickly!

Feast of St. Patrick

Of course we're all a little Irish on St. Patty's Day!

And we do love us any good reason to celebrate...



So we all donned something green this morning...nobody to be pinchin' us.

We told a few cheesey jokes.

Found us some leprechaun treasure.


added a few drops of green food coloring to our milk, and spruced up our lunch table with dollar store green paper plates and cups. It was festive indeed!

and of course little John's craft opened up a nice conversation about St. Patrick himself, and how we can use the shamrock as a reminder of the mystery of the Holy Trinity.

Oh, it really was a beautiful day. I didn't fold the first bit of laundry. Instead the kids and I did crafts and enjoyed the gorgeous weather by taking walks, going to a couple of the nearby parks, playing hopscotch in the driveway. Just thoroughly enjoyed the simple moments. All that fresh air and nap-skippin' helped to heavy the eyelids come bedtime tonight too. Life is good. I feel very blessed!

Top o' the day to ya!

at the foot of the cross

This past Sunday, John was asked in to work for a few hours, so the kids and I took a drive over to the Maria Stein Spiritual Center for a "nature walk." We LOVE it there. It's been almost a year since we were last there to walk the rosary path through the woods. It's good to see the constant improvements/additions. They have new benches and grottos along the paved path now, and have added a new pavilion near the pond/cross with tables for picnics. We'll definitely be planning that into our next trip. And of course our walk always ends at the foot of the cross. It's just AWESOME and inspiring. I love how the various statues and symbols, even the new plaques along the path for the rosary mysteries lead to such wonderful conversation and questions from the kids. This trip's hottest conversation had to do with the St. Michael the Archangel statue along the circle drive that leads to the parking lot. There's something very fascinating about a sword and shield toting angel conquering the serpent...little boys LOVE it!

soups on.

Today I tried something new. Something outside my comfort zone. I packed up the 5 little kiddos and attended our parish Soup & Bread luncheon. It's something the lovely ladies of the Mission Commission host each lent, and something I've wanted to attend in years past, but just figured it wouldn't be a great fit with little ones in tow.
Wow. Am I glad I went.
The guest speaker was Linda Thieman (from Mercer County ways...St. Henry to be exact) and she was speaking on her many (50+?) mission trips to Haiti. Awesome to hear her stories...I could have listened much longer.
There were several great points she mentioned, but a couple jumped right out at me...

1. "If someone asks for one, they probably need two." (this was a lesson her mother/father taught her as a young girl. Often local nuns would come to their family farm seeking a bag of grain...her parents always had two ready for them.)
What a powerful statement on giving more than is asked, or giving more than is expected. I should work harder to inspire my own children with great lessons such as this.

2. In commenting on her many trips to Haiti, she mentioned that she learned early on that her calling was not to build schools, or provide medical care, or other large projects. Rather, her calling was to "open hearts/eyes" of folks here...the many numbers of students and adults that travel with her. She brings the unfathomable reality of extreme poverty to life...and puts names to faces...that others might find a way to lend a hand as well. So often I feel like my very minimal donation to Food for the Poor or some other charity certainly can't be doing much, and yet she recognized her part in this body of Christ...and encourages others. Truly inspiring!

What a wonderful opportunity to hear her, to chat with others over a great meal...one that provided food for nourishing both body and soul this Lenten season.

As a side note...I laughed with John this evening, that aside from my kids I was probably the youngest person in attendence...then I remembered my sister-in-law and her kids were there. But in general it was largely attended by the retired members of our parish. What a shame that so many more young'ns weren't there. I know there are plenty of other stay-at-home moms and maybe even dads who would have thoroughly enjoyed this, shoot even college age kids lookin for a hot meal and some fellowship...perhaps one of St. Augie's best kept secrets. I'm doing my part to spread the good word for next year...you must come.

Oh, and if anyone knows who made that Creamy Chicken Tortellini soup, I'd LOVE the recipe.

lenten schmuck

Okay, so I'm humbled by the effort that my kids are putting forth this lenten season. It makes me feel like a real schmuck though. I didn't officially give anything up. I figure my noncommitance to anything makes it impossible to "cheat." It's win-win for me, right? Meanwhile my older kids have refrained from sweets and unhealthy snacks, Rosie's trying desperately to give up sucking her thumb (or at least not while I'm looking.) She came up with that sacrifice all on her own, and it makes me want to cry at how huge that is. Charlie hasn't stolen any beer (that I'm aware of) and some of the kids are even keeping television at a minimum...wow. Meanwhile...schmuck mama nibbles between meals, eats chocolate...caving to cravings left and right.
I am trying to be more aware though...appreciate more, pray more, say "thank you" more, argue less (the kids may not agree?) I keep thinking that despite the fact that time moves at warp speed, there's lots of time left...plenty of moments, anyway...for practice/improvement. Afterall, I don't want this transformation to last just 6 weeks. I hope to find the tools to change, to draw closer to Christ for the long haul---beyond Lent, through ordinary time and beyond.
I pray you all are chugging along nicely.

someone reassure me this is nothing to worry about...

Last evening over our dinner, the kids chatted about things they were giving up for Lent. There was a lot of mention about the usuals...no sweets, limited tv time, etc. Out of nowhere (and in all seriousness) 5 year old Charlie mentions casually that he'll "quit stealing beer from Mom and Dad" this year.

I nearly snorted my soup out my nose in laughter/disbelief, but a glance over at his Dad assured me I'd heard correctly. He was holding back tears of laughter as well.

Where does he come up with this stuff?!

Lenten Prayer

I posted this one a few years back. Think it's worthy of reflecting on again.

Fast from judging others; feast on Christ in them.
Fast from wanting
more; feast on being thankful.
Fast from anger; feast on patience.
Fast from worry; feast on trust.
Fast from complaining; feast on enjoyment.
Fast from negatives; feast on postitives.
Fast from stress; feast on
prayer.
Fast from anger; feast on forgiveness.
Fast from self-concern; feast on compassion for others.
Fast from fear; feast on truth
Fast from
discouragement; feast on hope.
Fast from gossip; feast on silence.
Fast
from fighting; feast on peace.
Amen
~Adapted from a Lenten prayer by
William Arthur Ward in Take Out, Family Faith on the Go.

To begin this Holy Season of Lent...

Ashes
We rise again from ashes,
from the good we've failed to do.
We rise again from ashes,
to create ourselves anew.

We offer You our failures,
we offer You attempts;
The gifts not fully given,
the dreams not fully dreamt.

~lyrics to a popular lenten hymm

I used to have the feeling that Lent was a time to "hole up," that is "go inside ourselves," drop off the map of all things "good" for a few weeks. Eat nothing, sacrifice, sacrifice, sacrifice. Mostly a negative thing when I'd stop to think about it. And while sacrifice and self mastery are a good part of what's required, this song reminds me that it's more about self-transformation. It's about rising up, shaking off the dust of what's holding us back from a loving relationship with Him. It's recognizing our failings, and attempting to break free of them. This is a time to humble ourselves, to become more Christ-like in all we do. It's a time to wake up, shake off, sacrifice, serve, and give more of ourselves to others for the sake of our Lord who loves us so much he paid for our freedom with His life.

My prayer today is for a Holy, transformative journey called Lent.

Lord let me keep my focus on you and the love that you have for me. Help me to listen, and hear what you desire from me in this life, that I may serve you well.

Peaceful, holy Lent to you all!

and a bit of ironic humor

We ran out of milk with dinner tonight, so I needed to run to the grocery one more time today. I went alone after the kids were all settling down before bed in their pj's.
While there, I ran into another mom of many who was out shopping by herself and she chuckled "Isn't it therapeutic...just 5 minutes of silence in the grocery store?"
She had no idea, I thought to myself, after today's earlier experience.
I said something silly like "Yep, better than the bathroom...nobody's knocking to get in!"

It had me wondering in the car ride home where other moms find their "5 minutes." Exercise? Prayer? Grocery shopping? A good book? I was imagining the start of something new...like mall walking...only friends meet at the grocery to pick up the essentials, walk a few laps around the store, and catch up over a cup of hot coffee. Hmmm. I might be on to something. Practical, multitasking at it's best? perhaps not. It really is the silence I crave. It's when I can actually hear myself think...better yet, hear what God's thinking.

heart still pounding

As I tucked her in tonight, kissed her soft forehead, and prayed our nightly "Angel of God" I shook again remembering our close call today. The "what-if's" can be paralyzing if we allow ourselves to dwell in them.

Praising God for his mercy and protection...that baby Anne is just fine.

Another prayer, recalled from childhood...

Now I lay me down to sleep,
I pray thee Lord, my soul to keep.
On waking with the morning light,
I ask thee Lord to guide me right.
Amen.

shopping with kids; and getting more than I bargained for.

I'll start by (guiltily) admitting that I don't typically take my small kids to the grocery with me if I can help it. It's one of the few "outs" that I get nowadays, and I look forward to the peaceful aisles of the store as I shop for the things we need. Here lately it's just been too cold, too snowy, too icey...whatever...to bundle everyone up anyways. Today the weather was warming (melting things nicely for the next snowy blast) so I thought it would be nice to get my errands done with the kids, and not have to go this evening. I love our local Dollar General for "short lists" cause they have a little of everything, including toys to entertain the kids while I shop.

Everyone was in good spirits, begging for EVERYTHING in sight, but not terribly disappointed when I said no to the majority of it. (cause I'm the meanest mom in the whole world, right?) Little Annie was sleeping soundly, buckled in her carseat in the top of the cart. We managed to get everything on our list (and then some) and were heading for the register, when my active helpers gave me the scare of a lifetime...

(and here's where I backtrack...about 5 years, to when Charlie was about 10 months old.)

I had him contentedly buckled in his pumpkin/carseat ready for an outing, but needed to run to the back of the yard to talk to John before we left. I set his seat on the little tykes picnic table for a moment while I walked back to the garden. His bigger sisters Grace and Mary knelt on the benches to peek in closer and "love" on their little brother. In an instant, his carseat was upside down in the grass, and he was screaming at the top of his lungs. A little scratch on the forehead, but he calmed quickly and seemed fine...mostly. The next day I took him in for a check to find he'd broken his little chubby leg. OUch. (That was one of my many nominations for Mother of the Year award.)

Before you're panicking (cause I did enough of that for all of us today), there are no broken bones here today...that I'm aware of. But boy did I get more than I bargained for at the Dollar General.
As we (myself, baby Annie dozing in her carseat, Charlie 5, Frank 4, Rose 4 and Lucy 3)headed for the checkout, I paused one last time to look at a "Clearance" sign that caught my eye. We were at the end of an aisle and Charlie (anxious to get his bubble gum to the checkout) took it upon himself to keep steering the cart onward. All the planets were aligning...as at that same moment, the other 3 jumped on the side of the cart, while the front wheels were caught on the display. The whole cart went toppling in the blink of an eye...I saw it in S L O W M O T I O N as little Anne's carseat toppled out onto the floor. turning her enire seat upside down, and nearly missing the edge of the metal display shelf. My heart was pounding in my chest...as I grabbed for her, but couldn't catch in time. Thank God the carrying handle was still up. Thank God she was still buckled in. Thank God she was okay. She was crying and startled, but not a bump or bruise in site. (and trust me, I've stripped her down a couple times already today just making sure.) She cried and instantly, Charlie was in tears too. Broke my heart, as I knelt down to show him Annie was okay, and remind him how quickly accidents happen. That mom doesn't give instructions/ask him to be careful, just for the fun of it. I was still shaking at the checkout as I held Annie (whose gummy grins and giggles helped to reassure us all that things were more than fine.)

As we drove away in the van, and I was reminding Charlie of his fall years ago, I remembered too that the same thing had happened to one of the other kids at Walmart years back. Can't remember anymore who was involved, but it was in the checkout line...baby buckled in a carseat, and wild kids climbing on the cart...pulled it over. Yep, it's coming back to me... Gosh, how many times could I have let this happen?!
Did you know they have a "Code" for things like that at Walmart. I remember being horrified when they announced a "Code something" over the loudspeaker system and paged a manager to the register. As if I didn't feel guilty enough...they were letting the whole store know about the screw-up mom on check-out 12. Ugggh.

There must be a lesson here for me somewhere...leave the kids at home? no, not possible. Perhaps just a simple reminder of the blessing of life/health, and how completely out of our hands those things are, even when we're trying our best. Perhaps a humbling reminder that as much as we think we have things under control, accidents happen. We can be grateful to God for his gift of guardian angels.
Thank you Lord for watching out for baby Anne today. Certainly the guardian angels here get no rest whatsoever!

our bedtime prayer:

Angel of God,

my guardian dear,

to whom God's love

commits me here.

Ever this day,

be at my side,

to light and guard,

to rule and guide.

(and protect us as we topple from high places.)

Amen.

Ahhh... R&R. Vacation. Good family, Good food, Good fun.

Yep, we just returned from a 4 day weekend in the beautiful Smokey Mountains of Tennessee with my parents, siblings and all our children. It was wonderful! We all shared a "little cabin" in the hills and forged many great memories for all of us. It was wonderful to disconnect from the everyday hustle-bustle and reconnect with the ones I love.

I wanted to tell you all about it as I was packing/preparing last week, but my parents didn't think it was wise that I should announce to the whole blogosphere that we were all leaving town, homes unattended for the weekend...you know, cause that's mom...and she worries about stuff.

Anyways. We're back. And laundry continues, life goes on. And the snow day today was welcome. I'm so grateful that we got a bonus day to ease back into our routine.

Lovin my crazy family!

Mom and Dad,brother Jim & Judy, and daughters Jenna & Jamie, brother Joe & Kristen & daughter Madison, and my whole gang. We were also joined by Jenna's beau Jean Francois, and Judy's mom who aren't pictured.

my little rose

as I fumbled through little sleepers and onesies for Annie the other morning, I asked Rose (who was propped up next to Anne on the bed) for her opinion.
"Hmmm. What should little Annie wear today?"
"Ummm. Hot dogs?" Rose replied.

I couldn't help but giggle.

Bet you'll never guess what Rose responds everytime I ask her what sounds good for lunch.

finding joy amidst the laundry

Annie cries out "Help! Someone throw me a sock and pull me out! Mom nearly lost me in this heap of folded jeans and jammies."

I say...they're never too young to learn about Laundry.

happy birthday mary & john!

SEVEN?!?! are you sure? ( I really asked them this morning.)

there I go, blinking again.

Thank God for the gifts of you!

You remind me to stop and smell the roses,

and of how important it is to pay attention,

and that the best things in life are not always the easiest,

and should never be taken for granted.

I love you both VERY much.

How blessed am I that you should call me Mom.

i blinked.

...and just like that, my tiny precious newborn grew into the big girl sitting here, smiling at me with those sparkly eyes and gummy grin.
I can't believe she's nearly 4 months old already!

Sweet Annie Therese

the real secret about that groundhog...revealed.

I'm beginning to understand why that groundhog decides to crawl back in his hole for 6 more weeks of winter. It has nothing to do with his shadow afterall.

Today, anxious to see the sun shining in, I peeled open all the blinds. All of them...even in the bedrooms which rarely see daylight. (We still have nappers in each of the kids' rooms, so I just leave blinds closed all day.)
Anyway, that beautiful sunlight pouring in with all it's might quickly revealed layers of dust...everywhere! Uggh. It was a tough decision to weigh out...Do I pull all the blinds and wait till spring, or do I buckle down and get to work?? I actually had to think about it for a minute, but the sun won out, and I dusted my way through the down stairs bedrooms knocking away dancing cobwebs from the corners, and layers of winter dust. It was good for the soul.

But, I'm seriously understanding why some days that groundhog decides that it's not worth the effort. She realizes too that sometimes, the dusting can wait. 6 more weeks of winter isn't an ETERNITY. And then some years the sun wins, and working through the dust is necessary to appreciate all it's beauty.

By the way? What did that ol' groundhog decide this year? I was too busy watching that catastrophic storm sweap across the country to notice.

calamity over make-up days.

I received a call from Charlie's preschool teacher last evening. I could instantly feel a lump in my throat, and my heart raced for a moment, as I could only begin to imagine what he had done.
She called to inform me of an incident that occurred during "calendar time." (oh Lord, what happened...my mind was racing.) Then her voice cracked in laughter and she assured me it was nothing wrong.
She went on to say that they were discussing the recent bad weather, and the days missed from school. They talked about how the plan to have a long President's Day weekend, was going to be changed to allow for a "Make-up" day. As she talked on to the class about make-up day for that Friday, she noticed Charlie's hand go up. His voice was one of concern and hesitation, as he spoke very seriously..."But Jackie, I'm from Minster, and I'm a boy, and I don't wear make-up." She said she and the other teacher could barely hold back laughter over his misunderstanding of "Make-up" day, and thought it even funnier that he had to clarify where he was from, as if boys from other towns might wear make-up.
She couldn't contain her laughter on the phone either.
Neither of us could.
And I couldn't resist asking Charlie about it when we hung up. I told him his teacher had called about makeup day, and asked him what color eye shadow he'd like to wear that day...in a most defeated look, he shrugged "Blue I guess. That's a boy color."
Poor boy.
He couldn't figure out why his dad and I were nearly in tears with laughter.

Yes, I did finally reassure him there was no make-over/beauty school, only a day to take the place of the one missed...he's still not certain about it all.

out of the mouths of babes

"It's Grandma's birthday today!" I tell the kids after breakfast.
"How old do you think she is?" (a totally loaded question for a group of preschoolers, I know.)
Charlie: "300!"
Frank: "I don't know? Ten?!"
Lucy: (holds up 10 fingers and giggles)
Rose from the other room, hollars: "70!" (ouch.)

I would never be so rude to say for sure, but Rose minus Lucy...you do the math.

I remember Dad helping us to order black tipped carnations when she turned 30. (I was 8 then.) She seemed so OLD back then, and now...she's more like the sister I never had. Funny how our own age changes our perspective. 30 was nothin!

Happy Birthday mom!

You're another year younger.

Love you.

rockin the sweatpants.

I know I mentioned my "rut" last week. I do appreciate all your helpful words of encouragement. I know many of you have been there/done that (maybe even bought the tee shirt.) It helps to know we're not alone in this crazy world of dinosaur chicken nuggets. (We wouldn't actually buy those if we didn't have kids, would we?!)
Anyway, I wanted to follow up (for those of you who were ready to have me committed for more serious "help")...I'm doing better each day. I started the next day, by convincing grandma to babysit for an hour so I could get my haircut. Wow! Is that therapeutic?! Turns out I haven't worn a bobby-pin in a whole week! (Why did I ever think that could be considered a hairdo? If you're currently wearing one, and you're under 70...and it's not holding your tightly coifed bun in place...take it out! It's not a style. It's a cry for help.) Unless of course your a teenager, in which case all style rules are out the window.
Even greater therapy than the hairdo though, was buying a new bra. OMG! The elastic in my very old worn-out nursing bras was probably past it's expiration 6 kids ago. I can't tell you the psychological value of having your "girls" up where they belong. I'm just saying. I was singing out loud when my new bra arrived in the mail. Who new nursing breasts could look "perky" again. Not I. It makes me want to sing..."Love lifts us up where we belong!" or something.
Oh, and I should definitely mention the whole "gratitude" thing. It really is the most basic form of prayer, don't ya think. If we can recognize all the good things God has provided, it makes us want for less, content with all we've received. My life is VERY good. Our God is VERY good. My morning offering reminds me to live in the moment, and make each one count...for love of Him. Being "present" for all the little moments the day has to offer, makes me happy...not a fleeting, worldly happy, but a profound joy in knowing I am a child of God...and I've got work to do...for me, for the kids, for hubby, for HIM. Life is good.
I Feel good.
(BTW~ I'm still in sweatpants. Got work to do there. But I'm rockin' em now. Even splashin on a little eye make-up some days...keeps the kids guessing where we might be going. I want them to know they're the most important "job" I've ever had, and I think our day is worth looking "pretty" for. Even if it's just a little pink strawberry lip gloss borrowed from my 4 year old.)

God Bless ya girls!

who am i kidding?!

We're gettin' a little nutty around here...Emma fancying herself to be a mime...Frankie jumping on beds. Another school day cancelled already for tomorrow. Someone send help...or chocolate?! Come sip coffee with me, and tell me everyone's gonna be alright...

hollering from the hill tops...

WE (we, we...) LOVE (love, love...) SNOW DAYS!!! (days, days...)

We are enjoying day 2 of our "crippling, catastrophic, storm of the century" as described by the weather channel. Fortunately in our area, none of those descriptions fit. We did get plenty of sleet, a little snow, and wind to stir it all up a bit. Just enough to keep us at home and out of school. Oh, and are we enjoying our busy "lazy" days.

Yesterday the kids kept busy most of the morning playing school (of all things.) The older ones set up stations in various rooms, herding the younger kids from "classroom" to "classroom" for such activities as media (library time) with stories read aloud and other books laid out for kids to check out later; gym class with exercise balls and obstacle courses in the basement; social studies; language arts; music (with recorders and harmonicas for all); even art class in the kitchen where the kids created drawings of our town...all taped together now and hanging along one long wall in the basement for display. Very cool. We wrapped up school by lunch time and later enjoyed playing in the snow. Of course we had a new puzzle to put together...500 pieces, on a card table in the tv room where we'd all take our turns sitting and fitting a few pieces throughout the day. We had it completed by bedtime last night. Wooohooo!

Today we baked a cake to celebrate another day at home. And more snow play...this time with forts and neighbors helping out. Chocolate milk warming in a pan on the stove becconed the kids back in...with marshmallows of course.

Yep...we're loving life here these days. Enjoying the "lazy" days and grateful the weather wasn't all it was predicted to be. No power outages (although, my washer/dryer hasn't run in 24 hours...cause mom's takin' a snow day too!), no downed trees or power lines here. We're safe and snug...happy for the change of pace the weather brings.