Summer

So, the summer is here, we had our parish VBS, which was a huge success, and now 3 family members are away at camp. MUCH less laundry, and lots of projects getting done here in their absence! AND I'm on the move in my weight loss efforts, which is totally encouraging. I have a great exercise and accountability partner, which has made a WORLD of difference, and as my clothes start to get all big and floppy, it adds more motivation. It's all good! I told the kids that this summer was all about MOMMY, and I am selfishly doing just that--working on me!

Some clips from the girls' recital

Been a long time!

Emily is getting her hair done by Christina, her ballet teacher before the recital.

A little demonstration of their skills set.

All the cute little dancers!

A sparkling hike through the woods on Mother's Day.

Emily WOVE this Lacrosse stick head and fashioned him his own stick. He loves to use Bret's, and now he has his own!

It's been too long! We've been busy all winter and spring...logging lots of miles as I drive kids to all their events, having fun with friends and family, and generally doing well. Hey, in my book, if there's no tragedy or drama, it's a good day!

SLEDDING!

So we got the perfect mix of ice and snow for sledding this weekend: a rare event in this part of the country! The first night, although still a bit rainy, the girls and I spent several hours sledding down the driveway on our trash bags. It was just as fun as I remember sledding on new snow by the moonlight in CT. The next full day, we blazed lots of "trails" in the front yard: the "slip and slide," the "slip and slip," the "turn and twist," the "tree-stopper," "fire and ice," and "the cliffhanger." They don't even know about skiing and naming the runs! Anyway, about halfway through the day, a kindly neighbor lent the kids 3 plastic sleds. Everything changed! The tame front yard trails through the trees gave way to high-speed sledding from one neighbor's yard, across the cove, and up into another neighbor's yard! Spinning, wiping-out, screaming with fits of daredevil laughter, the sleds piled with kids, hit death-defying jumps over the ditch and tumbled everyone into a pile of adrenaline rich snowgear. I was screaming and laughing harder than all of them! Michael loved it! That night, at about 7, daddy came home with a borrowed sled with runners and they went back out to go sledding from the top of our driveway all the way down to the intersection at the end of the street. Steering changes everything! It had gotten REALLY cold and icy by then, so that session of sledding was short. I am so glad that they got to make those memories and feel that thrill of sledding...it had been an experience I was mourning they might never get living in the south. Today, the sun is out, and the sparkling snowy ice calls to us again, before it melts! More fun!

Not a REAL blog

So, I watched Julia/Julie last night, and realized, first, I'm not a gourmet cook, AND second, this apparently is not a real blog. It has no real purpose. I'll have to rethink that concept. New Years came and went for us; Bret and I went to his high school reunion's party. Kind of a disappointment in attendance, but we had fun on the dancefloor anyway. Emily turns 11 in a couple of days and had a giant sleepover this weekend. Lots of chatty girls, and some boys even came for the early part of the party, so that was fun for them. Michael is getting so smart; he puts lots of concepts together, and although he can't tell us what he's thinking, we all know. It's great to see the older kids getting excited about what he's doing or figuring out. A friend asked me why I don't put Michael in some kind of daycare during the day, so I can get school done more efficiently. After I had my surge of indignance, I thought to myself, "hmmm..apparently society feels that a whole room full of 1 yr. olds will have better luck teaching themselves about sharing and caring than their mom and older siblings." That's got to be it. Now, I know my friend was trying to suggest something to make my life easier (although she had no indication that I was having any trouble with him while doing school, which I'm not), but how un-thought-out the attitude of our society. I'm sad about the solutions that push out our kids on underpaid/undereducated girls to "watch" our kids while we get "work" done. I know my kids better than anyone. I know their strengths, weaknesses, what motivates them, and what distracts them. If I get stuck, I give it some time and figure it out. Then we move on, using that new found information to help better the situation. I like knowing my kids are on the edge of the bell curve in schooling, in social awareness, in kindness, in activities. It will give them that special edge in life. They will be endearing, kind, generous, industrious, and committed people. They will be able to empathize and also lead. Okay, I'm going to get off my soapbox. I love my kids and want the best for them. Later!

Christmas!

Emily and Rachael in the Missionaries of Charity's Christmas pageant.

Sophie tries on Emily's home made apron.

All the kids helping Michael figure out how to shred paper.

Sophie and her favorite Santa gift.

All of us after Mass on Christmas eve.

We had a great Christmas here! The girls sang on Christmas eve; yes, I cried at "Ave Maria," and "O Holy night." Uncle Scotty spent the night in order to hear the morning squeals of kid-happiness. They were up at 5! Then, in the evening, our friends Melinda and Leo came over for dinner, and we had such a nice visit! The kids all played while we caught up. We missed my family, but thankfully we had the chance to "skype" everyone for a little while one afternoon. That rocks for keeping current! There are still remnants of gifts floating around here and there; mostly from Michael emptying new things to explore and play with. Now we're gearing up for tomorrow night's New Yrs. eve party!

Advent activity

Emily's nativity

St. Nicholas day

Our annual picture at the Christmas tree farm.

The girls singing at the Peabody with the children's choir

Getting ready for Christmas here! Of course December is completely packed with events, but it's been fun so far. The house is decorated, most of the crafty stuff is done (but not cleaned up yet..thus we're doing school at the kitchen table), Michael is doing the cutest stuff and we're all so enamored with him! AND, it is very hard to do school as we get closer to Christmas!!! The girls all want to be making something, wrapping something, or decorating something! Turns out my family won't be here after all for Christmas, but it's okay, they'll all be making their own family memories, as will we. As Bret gets older, I'm really embracing these holidays, because I know how fast things will be moving in the next several years. Happy Advent!