submerged (perhaps drowning) in nature

The kids and I ventured out for a "nature" walk this evening. It's been since spring (Lent to be exact) since we'd visited the wooded trails of the Maria Stein Spiritual Center, so we were overdue. It rained this morning, and I just love that their paths are now paved, and awesome for pushing a stroller, rain or shine.
We loaded up the van right after dinner, and headed off for a nice stroll. We arrived and were greeted by the sweetest little yellow butterfly who danced around each of us as we piled out of the van. It seemed to enjoy the attention as one of the kids caught it, then each took turns holding it gently on a fingertip. The sweet little butterfly stayed with Sam most of the walk, and I had to check it once or twice to be sure it was real. Just so cool that it wasn't inclined to fly away...far, far away from our noisy bunch. I finally persuaded Sam to "let it go" and he literally had to set it down on the ground...the darned thing just wouldn't leave us.
Anyway, we eased down the winding wooded rosary path, discovering that several of the new grottos were near completion now with beautiful statues of St. Bernadette and Our Lady of Lourdes, as well as a gorgeous statue of Our Lady of Fatima. We're so blessed to have this wonderful little retreat so close. The kids stayed busy gathering colorful fallen leaves in the prettiest shades of Autumn...red, orange, yellows. In fact. The leaf-lined trail was so beatiful, I can't even tell you what the trees looked like. About halfway through the trails we realized that we were being swarmed by these tiny gnat-like bugs. They weren't biting or pesky, but our clothing was covered in them...like we'd walked through a cloud and they'd all clung to us. It gave us all the heeby-jeebies a bit, and it hurried our pace more than I'd like. Everyone was swatting, wiggling and trying in vain to rid themselves of the tiny stow-aways. We continued gathering leaves and walked rather briskly back to the van (okay, some of the kids were sprinting) and ended by stripping a couple kids of their outer layers to shake off all the buggies. We laughed about it later on our way home.
We ended the evening with a little craft time. All the kids (except Sam, who was met by neighbor boys in the driveway when we got home) seemed to enjoy arranging and gluing the leaves onto construction paper which will hopefully get covered with contact paper, and become placemats for the fall season...a reminder of the beautiful gifts of nature God provides for our viewing pleasure.



James 1:17 Every good gift and every perfect present comes from heaven; it comes down from God, the Creator of the heavenly lights, who does not change or cause darkness by turning.

cereal sillies

I can't explain it. "Silly" just happens here. I'll take this over grumpy drama anyday! ~God bless Charlie and Frank for the most recent round of impromptu morning giggles.

fumbling for my life preserver.

Somedays, I feel like I've got things covered. Schedules are managed, days roll by smoothly, laundry is under control. (okay, that last one is a stretch.) But still, there are plenty of good days. And then there are the "bad" ones. You know, that stretch of time where you feel like everything is one step forward, two steps back... when you're busy all day long, and by bedtime you can't put your finger on anything that really got accomplished. Wow, do I feel like I've been spinning wheels lately. Yes, there have been big things like lucking into someone's extra garden produce. One friend gave me about 5 gallons of tomatoes, or so which that night became another 10 quarts of spaghetti sauce. That same day a neighbor offered us "free pickins" from their apple tree, so I got about 12 quarts of applesauce canned. I can't really plan ahead for those blocks of time. When produce is "ready," everything else goes to the backburner.

Yesterday I had a bit of time in the afternoon, so I drug my sewing machine and a sack full of simple mending projects out. In that process I spent about 15 minutes cleaning out my sewing box due to a package of straight pin spilled out all over. I finally got things organized and machine running, and wouldn't you know it my needle broke and I have no replacements on hand. Darnit! All the projects went back into the bag, sewing machine and supplies back into the laundry room, all waiting for another day.

Oh, I could go on and on about busy days, feeling exhausted and just wondering if I'll ever get my head above water again...but I already know the answer. It's like the ebb and flow of the tide and just as we tend to think it's going to pull us under completely, the tide rolls out. We find ourselves standing on the smooth sand, perhaps even spotting a few treasures that drifted in. This time of chaos will pass. I just need to breathe now and then, be grateful for my life and all the blessings I've been given, and recall my real "Life Preserver," who through his death on the cross has already saved me. I pray I can keep from getting caught up in the ropes. Amen

John 3:16-17 For God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not die but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to be its judge but to be its savior.

In praise and thanks

Psalm 34:4 I prayed to the Lord, and he answered me; he freed me from my fears.
I had the pleasure of speaking at a womens conference on Saturday in Coldwater. The group of 150 or so women attended mass together first at Holy Trinity and followed with a day full of prayer, great speakers and reflection centered around Luke's gospel story of Mary and Martha. I spoke mainly about finding balance/time for prayer amidst the chaos of having a large family. (I'm not sure who I fooled into thinking I've mastered any sort of balance here, we are a work in progress...but someone asked me to speak, and I said "yes.")
Anyways, I think things went amazingly well, despite my complete lack of experience/confidence. When my name was announced to come forward and share, I felt the usual lump in my throat, and could feel my heartbeat in my ears...a bit of a mini panic attack, I think. But as I reached the podium and adjusted the microphone, the Holy Spirit took over, and things couldn't have gone more smoothly. I felt relaxed, and enjoyed sharing my story. It seemed well recieved too, which is a bonus. While I'm quite comfortable typing away behind a computer screen, my experience talking with a crowd (that's actually listening) is pretty limited. It scares me to death really. I'm grateful for answered prayers. I felt truly moved by the Spirit! Praise God!

In addition, I met some amazing women who had such incredible stories and kind words to share. I was inspired by the new young priest who celebrated mass (Fr. Stechschulte) as well as Deacon Rob who is to be ordained a priest next May. In this "Year for Priests" I continue to pray for more great men such as these to answer the call. Just wonderful!

to be more specific

When I suggested to 3yr old Frank that he shouldn't wipe his face on his shirt, rather "Go wash up!" I meant, wash his face...not his shirt. I should have been more specific, I guess. So, I'm feeling a little bit guilty for his being reprimanded by Dad, who found him standing at a bathroom sink filled to the rim with water, and dunking the front of his shirt repeatedly like a woman doing laundry at the river.
Water was everywhere. John was upset, which would have been my reaction too, had I not known the vague instructions the little guy had just been given. Frank let the water out of the sink, mopped up the water (a bit) with the hand towel, and walked head-bowed, defeated, into the kitchen only to give me a look of "this is your fault mom, thanks." I felt horrible.
It didn't keep us all from giggling about it later though. God Bless our dear obedient boy.

sigh of relief...

...for now at least. I've been asked to speak to a small group of women at a retreat this coming Saturday. I've been sweating what I'm going to say (have been given 1/2 an hour's time to fill!), and think I've finally finished my notes. Whew! Yet another reason I haven't been posting much of late. I'm actually very excited to attend...the topic of the retreat is the story of Mary and Martha, and finding balance between prayer and work. It should be a wonderful day.
I recieved a letter in the mail yesterday from one of the women organizing the retreat, and she mentioned there are 150 women registered thus far! 150??!! Okay, I'm sweating again...

If you think to pray for me on Saturday morning, that'd be great! Asking for the Holy Spirit to work through me, give me confidence to speak to such a large group, and to give all glory to Him through the message I share. He is Good! (and I'm incredibly nervous! What was I thinking, saying "yes" again?!) Prayers, please.

Toothfairy's on Overtime!

We've been keeping that little pixie busy, for sure! Grace has had wiggly teeth for more than a month now, and last week I could stand the dangling participle no longer. One swift yank with a tissue, and out it came. Whew. (I know some can't stand it, but it's never bothered me to pull out a tooth when necessary....perhaps from when we were kids and would actually help each other with loose teeth. I had two brothers, and yes we used the string tied to a doorknob trick, and yes, it worked.)

Anyhow, Grace was pleased to find a quarter in exchange for the tooth she left under her pillow that night. She was even more tickled when her second tooth fell out on it's own during dinner that very next evening. Although it was a Friday night, and with the busy holiday weekend, football games, etc, the toothfairy needed a reminder note when she still didn't come around after the second night. Another quarter was soon on it's way.
Now tonight, little John turns up in the kitchen after washing up after dinner to announce, "Mom, I lost a tooth." What?! He didnt' have any loose that I was aware of. I'm not mentally prepared to see him with a toothless grin. I double-checked and sure enough, there's one missing. But where is the tooth? Who knows?! He just happened to notice the gap as he grinned in the mirror after dinner. The older kids were quick to start a search party looking for the missing tooth to no avail. We suspected perhaps he ate it. (strange, but possible) Finally at bedtime, as I sat on the edge of the tub as one by one, the young boys took their turns pottying and washing up, there I spotted it in the corner of the bathroom floor. One tiny little baby tooth, now bagged and waiting for the toothfairy to work her magic. (That is, if she doesn't forget.)

has it been almost a week since I last posted?!

Oh my. I swear I have the best intentions, I really do. You must forgive me for neglecting the shop here. It makes it difficult when it's been this long to fill you in on all that's been going on. Suffice it to say though, it's been busy as usual.

We are in full-fledged back to school mode. No more nicey-teachers holding off on homework for that first week of school. Nope, from 3:30-4:30 every day, it's controlled chaos at it's finest. 6 little thinkers swarming the kitchen table, plugging away at math facts, spelling words, independent reading, math worksheets, letter formation (for the kindie-gardners), while 4 pre-k's vie for mom's attention just long enough to get a snack, drink, potty break or other. It never fails as I have Grace reviewing flash cards, Sam reading independently for 20 minutes, I'm listing off spelling words for Alice or Emma to write down (Heaven forbid, they'd be on the same list!), and Mary and John circling all the letter G's on their paper...Frank hollars from the bathroom "Mom, I pooped!!" (code for...come wipe me now!) The doorbell's inevitably ringing for the fourth time, because nobody in our neighborhood does homework at this time, and again I hollar from the kitchen "when you see them outside, they're done!" Terrible, I don't even bother answering the door anymore. Sorry if you've stopped by at that time, and heard me yelling...I swear I thought it was the neighborkids!
Yep. If we can make it through homework hour each day, we can make it through nearly anything. I'm grateful for the hour of quiet time in the house that precedes the school kids' homecoming...a time when the four at home are napping, John's just left for work, the house is tidy for a bit, and I can breathe, pray and be grateful for all these beautiful blessings God has given us. He is good!

early morning energy

Do your kids wake up singing and dancing? Wow, the kids had endless energy this morning and as the younger ones sat finishing breakfast with John and I, Alice and Emma serenaded us with some manner of cheering/singing/dancing to a made-up song. I don't even recall the words anymore...even though it was the same line repeated over and over. It was too funny. Each version was slightly sillier and more synchronized than the one before. They even asked for raisins to black out one tooth for their "redneck" version. Where do they come up with this?! Maybe the smell of tomatoes cooking all night did something to them...like a strange drug or something.

pasta follow-up

Even after simmering all night (and waking up a couple times to stir...I was so afraid it'd scorch while I slept) the sauce was still pretty thin. It smells divine, though...and suspect it will taste just as good. I didn't have any tomato paste in the house to add, so I canned it as is. I read somewhere that while you shouldn't can with cornstarch, you can add it later when ready to use to thicken it up a bit, and that's just what we might try.

thanks for the tips everyone! BTW~ Tania (who commented), how do the apples come out with your strainer? As runny and slushy as the tomatoes? I like my applesauce a little chunky. Perhaps your newer model has different attachments for different consistencies? I'd love to know more/try more before deciding to purchase one for myself. It did make super easy work of the tomatoes!

good night sauce...

Tonight I'm working on homemade spaghetti sauce. This is a first for me, but some friends offered us their extra tomatoes and I just can't let them go to waste. I picked 2 full 5-gallon buckets of the gorgeous fruit; a combination of Beefsteak and Roma varieties. They planted 6 just as we had, but ours didn't fare well at all, while theirs were just loaded down with tomatoes, the plants as tall as me. Awesome!
Anyhow, my uncle and I got to talking about canning last week and he dropped off a tomato strainer for me to try. I'd never seen, let alone used one before...well let me tell you it is AMAZING. I put the whole tomatoes into a pan of hot water for just a couple minutes, then into cold water in the sink. Then one by one dropped them into the top of the strainer...all the while turning (or having the kids turn) the crank. The juice and pulp came out one shoot, while the seeds and skins dropped out the back. It was the cleanest process for seperating the seeds/skins that I'd ever seen! It made beautiful slushy tomato juice that probably could have been canned as is without any further doctoring, but I've opted to make pasta sauce instead. I'm using Mrs. Wages pasta sauce seasoning packets, which smells wonderful as it simmers. The sauce is a bit runny though, and everything I've read online suggests just letting it simmer to get rid of the water, for as long as 10-12 hours. So, it looks as though I'll be canning in the morning as opposed to this evening yet. Darn it...I'm in the mood. But, as I said, it smells divine, and will be worth it to have a nice thick sauce to can in the morning. I can hardly wait to try it...the tomatoes, garlic, oregano, peppers & onions all blended and permeating the whole house now. Yumm!

good night gloves.

I just peeked in on the boys for the night. Everyone's resting well. I tucked in a few sheets/blankets, kissed a few foreheads and just as I was walking out I noticed something dark at the foot of Charlie's bed...two of them actually. They were too small to be stuffed animals, and he hadn't worn black socks today. Hmm. I began to cautiously reach for them when it dawned on me. These were the gloves he'd found out in the garage early this morning; a small pair of black football gloves that a neighbor boy had outgrown and donated to our boys to play with. Charlie wore them to play football at first. Later they were work gloves as we spent time weeding the flower beds this morning. They came off just long enough to eat lunch, and soon were worn to push tractors across the family room carpet. By late afternoon they were baseball gloves, sandbox gloves and even biking gloves. It was necessary to remove them for supper, but he was happy to report that "I don't even need to wash my hands mom, cause I had my gloves on!" Yep, bet they disinfect while you where them, I thought.
Anyhow, here he lays lost in peaceful sleep with those silly gloves waiting at his feet for the next big adventure. What will the morning bring?!

No sour grapes here.

Mmm. Nothing but purple sweetness! The kids love helping me pick, clean and measure out the grapes for this super simple grape juice. And in a couple weeks, they'll love to help taste it too! This afternoon we put up 18 quarts of the yummy stuff.

The recipe couldn't be any easier...
Measure out 1 cup clean grapes, 1/2 cup sugar, and boiling water to fill clean hot jars. Place lids, and process in boiling water for 20 minutes. Check to be sure they've sealed. After 2 weeks of shelf time (to allow the grape flavor to permeate the water) it's ready to enjoy. Just pour the juice through a colander into a pitcher to seperate out the grapes, and enjoy it's sweet goodness!

...all the better to SEE you with, my dear.

John "Squints" Schmiesing has some new specs...and is looking rather handsome, I think. He had an eye exam last month after failing his kindergarten vision screening. We learned he is farsighted in his left eye, while he has perfect vision in his right. The difference not only affects his ability to focus, but also his depth perception...which may explain some of the silly accidents he's been in over the years (like walking into poles, etc.) The problem with his left eye is most likely a result of his having Cerebral Palsy, muscle weakness that affects his entire left side. So far, he's in love with the glasses and the new resposibilty it entails. Oh yah, he's ALL that!

remember when...

...the greatest decision you had to make each day was whether to have chocolate milk, white milk or orange drink at snack time?!

Yup. Critical thinking going on there. John and Mary are feeling the stress of it.
Kinda makes me long for kindergarten again...I met my BFF there you know. I can still remember the two of us reaching for the same jumprope at recess. I think we shared.

and there they go...

All morning I heard the question "Mom, are you making lunch yet?!" It just didn't make sense to them that lunch wasn't until noontime, and not 10am. John and Mary were a bundle of nervous excitement, and couldn't wait to join the other big kids for their first official day of school. The morning flew by though (for me) and at 12:15 we hustled out the front door for a quick picture (to the tune of "C'mon Mom! Lets go!!") and the 2 block walk down to the kindergarden. They just seem too little to be this big already. Where does the time go!?

and they're off!

With butterfly bellies and backpacks full of fresh gear and crisp notebooks, my oldest four were out the door to school this morning. The next two will follow behind after lunch for PM kindergarden. I'd forgotten how nice it is to have everyone up at the same time, eating breakfast together and laughing through their nerves about how the year will go. Sam's face was priceless when Alice mentioned that his new teacher keeps a whip hanging in her classroom for when she needs to "whip" kids back into shape. (He was horrified, and grateful to be forewarned!) It didn't take long for Alice to bust into laughter at his being so gullible. We all got a laugh on that one.

Now that they're gone, what will we do?! Oh, I think we'll find something. Younger ones are taking turns in the bathtub, my second load of laundry is nearly ready for the clothesline, and there's still a little coffee in the pot. Frank and I shared some prayers for the big kids in the quiet family room this morning as Dad and others watched all the kids and cars streaming by from the front porch this morning. Yep, it should be a good year.

Busy with BTS

Never before have we spent this much time celebrating "Back To School" (or perhaps better said 'mourning the end of summer.') Our weekend was full, beginning with shoe-shopping Saturday morning, and later that day an end-of-summer celebration at grandma & grandpas house where we enjoyed a fish-fry dinner, treasure hunt, volleyball, campfire, glow sticks, sparklers & s'mores. It really was a good time for all ages, and nice to be outside enjoying the unusually cool August weather. On Sunday after mass, we attended the Back to School ice cream social at the Elementary building where we visited Sam and Grace's classrooms and enjoyed root beer floats and freeze pops. Sunday evening brought about an impromptu bondfire in our back yard with all the neighbor kids staying late to enjoy s'mores, popcorn, ghost stories by the fire, and lots of fun backyard games (like ghost in the graveyard, hide-n-seek, capture the flag, and more.) It really was a fun night, and I'm grateful the kids came up with the idea. This evening John was back at work, so after dinner the kids and I met up with some friends for ice cream at the park, and while the kids burned off a little energy (for their early bedtimes tonight) the moms got some walking/talking in on the path that surrounds the park area. It was a nice simple way to say goodbye to our carefree days of sleeping in, no homework, and unlimited outdoor fun. Tomorrow begins a new school year for our 6 oldest...Alice and Emma walking in one direction to the middle school for their first year there as 4th graders, Sam and Grace walking opposite towards the elementary to 3rd and 1st grade, and in the afternoon Mary and John will begin kindergarden. It's amazing to me how time has flown these past 5 years, and seems impossible that these next two could be starting school this year. It really does feel like just yesteday they were babies, although, I guess I could say that for all of them. Moms of little ones, be warned, one blink and you'll miss it...they'll jump from blankies to back packs quicker than you can imagine!!

mission accomplished

Kids waiting for mom to order up pretzels and drinks after a successful attack on the mall!

I took 8 kids with me to the mall on Saturday morning with one task in mind: school shoe shopping. Happy to report that we got 'er done! Sam (8) and Lucy (1) stayed behind with John, while the rest piled in the van with me. (I had just picked a new pair of tennies up for Sam mid-summer, and Lucy probably needs shoes, but not today.)

Anyhow. Our first stop was Penneys where we found two pairs of sandals (for next year) that were on summer clearance for 7.00 each. With the remainder of an old gift card I was carrying

around in my purse, we got both pairs for $4 total. Perfect. Next stop was Payless to take advantage of their "Buy One Get One 1/2 off" offer. We usually do well here for the younger kids, but unfortunately I find the need to spend a little more on a couple of the older kids who wear their tennis shoes out too quickly. Anyways, I was fortunate to get an incredibly helpful sales woman, who despite the crowds, measured everyone's feet, wrote their sizes on a sticker and pasted it to the front of everyone's shirt without batting an eye. She was incredibly efficient...LOVED HER! Alice and Emma were also really helpful in shepherding the younger kids to their size and helping them to choose/try on what they needed. I just checked for toe room, and nodded a final approval for a couple of them. So nice to have the older ones able to help out now! I believe we were in there less than 1/2 hour to get all but 2 fitted and finished with new sneakers. On to Sears where we scanned the shelves quickly, and didn't find what Emma was looking for (in my price range). Off to another shoe store, where we lucked into a couple of really reasonably priced shoes for Emma and Grace. We stopped back at Payless a second time as I decided to pick up Sam a second pair of tennies...if I didn't, in a month I'll wish I had. Things had gone so well, we back tracked to the food court and shared some pretzels with cheese. One final stop to Walmart for a couple odds and ends while we were out, and home again we go. It was exhausting, but productive. 15 pairs of shoes (several of which were clearance sandals/flip flops for next year) later, and we called it a day. So grateful that we don't have to shop like this often!

garden goodness

Our home is spilling with yummies from the garden this week. Fresh tomatoes sliced with a bit of salt and pepper have been a staple with lunches for the last week or so, and today I had enough to make a first batch of salsa for the season...complete with garden fresh onions, assorted peppers and corn. Yumm. The jars are processing now, and the kitchen still smells of the aroma of tomatoes and spices. Earlier this afternoon I picked our meager crop of pumpkins and baked them up to make pumpkin cookies (with the melty icing on top...mmmmm!) The grapes are abundant on the vine this year and turning a beautiful, deep shade of purple. I foresee many quarts of grape juice in my near future. I think last year we put up 48 quarts, and it looks as though we may make more than that this time around. I have a half-dozen loaves of zucchini bread in the freezer with more of the shredded stuff measured and frozen to bake more bread later. I love this time of year, when a few simple items from the garden and a bit of sweat equity turn into something wonderful to last throughout the winter months. I just finished the last package of frozen apple pie filling last week that I put up last September, and it tasted as wonderful as the first. Sometimes it made its way into a pie or crisp, and other times, we just ate the baked apples plain...which couldn't be any more simple and delicious.
It was a blessing to have the cooler weather today, to keep the oven and stove going without overheating the house. I can clearly remember canning salsa just days before Frank and Rose came into this world...in 90+ heat, no air conditioning, 9 months pregnant with twins and sweating like there was no tomorrow. But it needed to get done, and I was on a mission to tie up loose ends. Funny how that nesting thing works.
Anyhow, I've got a few more items that need washed up and put away in the kitchen. Tomorrow morning the school kids and I (and maybe a couple extras) will be heading out for school shopping. Everyone needs tennis shoes again. It's that time of year when I get that mother of the year award for not realizing that the kids feet grew 3 sizes through the summer, and I've been forcing them to wear their too-small shoes to church on sundays with that "Oh, you'll be fine for an hour!" scowl. Yup. It's that time of year again. Pray for us ;')