Daybook~ November!

For Today...October 31, 2010

Outside My Window...it's dark, and I think or rather hope that nobody rings my bell again. I understand wanting to get that last bit of candy, but seriously, don't ring my bell after 9 pm. Especially on a school night!

I am listening to...the Get Up Kids.

I am wearing...a blue shirt, denim capris and my new St. Gerard medal.

I am grateful for...a little boy who skips, loves football, Snoopy and reading, a husband who insists on taking me on a date, the reminder of my teen years, an eager reader, a little boy who says "mama" in the sweetest voice ever and a girl who still loves my boys enough to tolerate being thought of as a teen mom.

I am thinking...that life just passes by way too quickly. I can't believe another week has come and gone. I wish I could just stop things for a bit.

I am praying...for friends who have suffered losses, patience, and to win the lottery.

From the kitchen...menu planned again, but somehow we really fell off the wagon once the actual meal was finished. The desserts are starting to kill me and Lance. Why do we love desserts sooo much?!

From the learning rooms...We're onto E week. We're studying electricity, and the Baby Hulk wants to make colored eggs. I have made a schedule for each week this month, and I'm really excited about what we'll be studying to supplement our time together. Dinosaurs were so awesome, esp ending with our field trip and digging for fossils with Dad today. The Baby Hulk is so proud of himself with his reading and this week we start writing a couple of letters outside of his name.

Around the house...don't hold your breath, but I think we have a paint color. At this point, I don't care, I just want the damn thing painted. That and a new garage!

On living the liturgy...Tomorrow is All Saints Day. Goose already completed his project today. We have friends coming over tomorrow to celebrate with the BH and No David. I found the coolest project for the Day of the Dead. I am hoping to make it and then Tuesday, we plan to list all our deceased family members and pray for them as a family. And of course, we have St. Martin de Porres' feast day this week too. LOVE this sweet saint.

One of my favorite things...finding old friends. I finally contacted an old friend, who I went to my very first concert with...I was laughing out loud as I read his email. Of course, all I did as far as catching up was to send him here. Really nice of me!

Texas...how can you let us down like this???? My son faithfully watches football now, and the first thing he asked today was "who won". He doesn't understand what losing to Baylor and Iowa State means, but he will soon.

A few plans for the week...Braces for Squirt!!! Playdates for the BH and some learning with mom.

Picture thoughts...

Goose with his ever faithful companion, also dressed up. Two streets did this to him!

This picture describes this child perfectly!

My Boys

This morning I was telling Squirt about last night's mass and how awesome it was. How moms are so important that God even gave Jesus Mary for a mom rather than have him descend from heaven. Such a nice moment until a black corvette drove up next to us, and I totally lost him. I wanted to say, "dream on".

While I get giddy over Goose reading nonstop and talking about going to reading camp, Lance's proudest moment was this week when Goose wanted to watch football on the drive home Sunday and today when he wanted to watch football on TV.

Today the Baby Hulk and I were making pumpkin bread, and he told me he wanted to learn how to make it for his baby sister. Could he get any sweeter? Now if he could just stop his fits...

And No David...let's see, he hasn't hit anyone this week, made super ugly faces. Okay, really, I have a cute story. The kid LOVES pillow pets. These things are a bigger racket than silly bandz. Every kid wants one and then two, (I will admit they are super soft), and No David is no exception. I bought one for Christmas, which he found. I hid it again only to have him find it again, and Lance gave in and gave it to him.

Correction: No David has taken the time to throw all the magnets off the fridge at me for not giving him piping hot pumpkin bread. Another time for me to think how lucky these kids are that I don't believe in spanking.

Field Trip

Today was Goose's scheduled field trip at school. Since we went to the same place last year, I decided to pull him out so we could take a day together. He wanted to visit the Dinosaur museum and Chili's for lunch. The museum fit perfectly with the Baby Hulk's science for the past two weeks. We had the best day ever. After dropping Squirt off at school, who couldn't skip due to testing, we went to visit Lance at the station. We went to Chili's and Party City in search of costumes. We found something for the baby, but it will literally go into the donation pile next week because it barely fits him now.

Despite the fact that the boys have been to this museum several times, they never get tired of it. We spent a lot of time in the gift shop. So many books we could add to our library. Lance held me and Goose to one book.

The Pendulum at the museum...I have been going here for years and waiting and waiting for one of the pegs to get knocked over. Today was the day!!!

Afterwards we played in Hermann Park until it was time to pick up Squirt.


Tonight, Goose went with me to Mass for expectant moms at our parish church. It was a beautiful mass for me, and Father Troy presented all the pregs with St. Gerard medals to wear. I loved that Goose went with me tonight.

And on the way home from mass, I stopped at Party City and found his costume! Yay for him, bad mom on my part considering it was after 8 pm. But you know what, I loved every second I had with him and for today, that is all that counts.

SEC Guy Hits Oregon

http://thebiglead.com/index.php/2010/10/27/sec-radio-caller-is-the-best/

Daybook~ Really???

For Today...October 25, 2010

Outside my window...it's cloudy. According to the weather calendar the Baby Hulk has been keeping all month, there hasn't been any rain in October. It's supposed to happen this week. (It might have rained over the weekend, while we were gone.)

I am wearing...my workout clothes. After spin we came home and immediately started school. It is so nice when we finish before lunch. And really, there is no reason we shouldn't finish pre-school in less than two hours, including breaks!

I am listening to...small feet running around the house.

I am grateful for...weekends away with my family. I would be miserable without them.

I am thinking...about this quote from mass: Prayer is like love, you can't live without either. So true, but how to keep the prayer going when it seems stale.

Really????Halloween is Sunday and we have one costume, sort of. WHAT IS WRONG WITH US? It's not happening today, so now we have less than a week and nothing.

I am wondering...if some relationships are worth it.

I am praying...for my little baby and that my sinus infection leaves. Having a fever put a definite cramp on my weekend.

From the kitchen...menu planned, trying to eat healthy. Of course, there will be pumpkin bread and banana bread before we even get to the candy.

From the learning rooms...last week was a great week. I am more and more convinced of the BH's brilliance! Most of the time! I'm just so happy that he is excited about reading. He isn't great, doesn't recognize words yet, but he sounds out his little books each day without an attitude. For that I am grateful. I might get this teaching thing down. I am trying to convince myself not to buy a math curriculum, but I so want to for him. I am forcing myself to stop at Costco and buy one of the pre-K books they sell. There is nothing wrong with review, right? We're still on Dinosaurs, and we'll end this week with a field trip to the Museum with Goose joining us. Goose is also "studying" Mozart this week.

Really????While every school in the city was having parent teacher conferences over the last couple of weeks, our teacher decided not to say a thing to any of us about scheduling a conference for Friday, the day that was designated for such conferences at our school. WTF??? You only get a conference if your kid isn't doing well, I guess. I have no idea, going straight to the principal on this one.

Around the house...paint color change again. Maybe one day, I'll have a new living room.

One of my favorite things...vacations: big or small. It doesn't matter. I love getting away. Except for the part where the kids don't fall asleep unless all the lights are off. I suppose at some point we're going to have to actually pay for a suite so we have more privacy than when throw all the kids into the shower.

Really????Texas, you lose to Iowa State, really? I hope all of the players and coaches are embarrassed. Yes, I am that kind of person, I don't feel sorry for them at all.

On living the liturgy...getting ready for the Feast of All Saints. I have a neat idea planned that I hope the boys will enjoy.

A few plans for the week...orthodontist consult today, Halloween crafts, field trip with Goose, find costumes, Mass for pregnant moms

A picture thought I am sharing...

My Promise

I had Lance take at least 50 shots of me so I could post a picture of what 30 weeks looks like on me. Delete, Delete, Delete. I am all belly and boobs. 46 pounds worth to be exact. I can safely say that at least 20 pounds are in my chest. My dear little girl, I promise you this: if you inherit my chest, I will let you have a reduction the first time you ask. I won't make you wait until you are 40 plus years to get one. You can hold me to it. When I say I know the misery you are going through I will be telling you the truth and I won't make you deal with it.

For Today...October 17, 2010

Outside my window...the sun is going down. The boys are getting in their last bit of outdoor play until tomorrow afternoon. They love playing outside until the very last second.

I am wearing...a pink t-shirt, black shorts and flip-flops. The pink t-shirt has food all over it. This always happens when I'm pregnant. I am such a slob.

I am listening to...do I really need to say it? The Old 97's.

I am grateful...for each and every one of my boys. All five of them. They each add something different to my life.

I am praying...for the rest of this pregnancy. It's gone by so fast, I have to look at a calendar when someone asks "how many weeks."

I am realizing...that I LOVE life without the phone. Who would have thought that? I cringe every time the phone rings now, and that happens before I know who is calling. I feel so free from the phone. And emails. I have people asking to send pictures through email and I think, one click and you can see all the pictures you want. The chance of me sending pictures is zero. Which sounds bitchy, but it's really just honest. I hate loading pictures and for whatever reason we have the slowest computer in the world when I am using it.

From the kitchen...a great menu planned for the week. We just finished C week, so we had cookies and carrots!

On keeping home...the purge continues, this week it was serving dishes and cookbooks. We have to clean out our garage this week, which means more to throw away. I love this feeling. I talked to someone who just moved from DC and she said she loved being a small space because you didn't have a bunch of crap. You learn to live with what you need. I think I could handle a big city like that.

From the learning rooms...I LOVE Handwriting Without Tears. The more I delve into this program, the madder I get at our school system for not adopting some kind of handwriting curriculum. It is amazing how kids are not taught anything about writing anymore. The Baby Hulk is loving his wooden letters and only writes his name four times a day. We are not moving to writing for a bit. We start D week as far as science goes which means one thing: Dinosaurs! I am pretty excited about it and have lots of fun things planned. Still completely and utterly unsatisfied with Goose's school and teacher.

The Baby Hulk this week...read for ten minutes each day!!! I have a timer set so that both he and I don't get frustrated. We are trying this for another week then evaluating if this should continue. Honestly, he's a bit lazy when it comes to reading, but he is so, so ready. We're on book four of the second set of BOB books. Over the weekend, he tried to trick Goose and Lance into reading for him. Saying stuff like "I bet you can't read this page."

No David...continues to act the same. I try for most school work while he is asleep, but honestly, the best time for learning is in the morning. So I usually throw some letters at him and then the Baby Hulk has to make whatever letter he picks for him. I figure he will learn his letters this way. He is also coloring and so proud of it. I have a wall, (so sad) devoted to the kid's work and he always gets the tape for me to post his artwork! Too cute.

On living the liturgy...what a great week! We celebrated Our Lady of Fatima as it was the anniversary of the Day the Sun Danced. We also celebrated St. Therese of Avila and St. Gerard. Plus, we had Super Saints. This week, we'll focus on The Little Flower and St. Francis again.

To be Fit and Happy...working out. I think I am buying shoes for spin. I keep saying I'm going to wait until after the baby arrives, but I don't see myself going back to Body Combat for a while, so the shoes won't be a waste.

Around the house...I finally went to the attic and brought down Halloween decorations. Last year, Squirt made scary signs and I kept them. Lance wants to toss them, says I am "hoarding them, what about purging". He even asked Squirt if he would be mad if I threw them away. I let Squirt know he wouldn't have to be mad at me, but instead his dad. I won, they stay. The kids love holiday decorations.

One of my favorite things...Mad Men. LOVE this show. I can't wait for tonight. I have to wait until Lance comes back from Mass and CCE before watching it.

Squirt this week...I wrote a note in his lunch, not normal for him anymore. He brought it home with him and asked where he should put it. He knows this is what Goose does with all of his lunch notes. Isn't that the sweetest?!

Goose...while he continues to nerd out on a regular basis, he is also a trash talker. You should have heard him yesterday and today while the Cowboys played. And he doesn't care that I love the Cowboys.

A few plans for the week...school, swim, the gym, OB appt, field trip, Lost Pines.

A picture thought I am sharing...

So excited to finally "beat" his father in chess!