Happy birthday to Cole!

Our little bird boy turned FIVE Tuesday!

He also received a Ninja Turtle LEGO set. I had to peel the bird shirt off him the next day to wash and he threw a three hour long fit until it came out of the dryer!

Grandma gave him binoculars, which he calls his "bird googles."

Today was kindergarten round up! First turning five, then round-up.... what's next? a date?! In a note of cute, he kept calling it "Kindergarten Round House," like the kick! Super adorable!

His party is in two weeks and we will be painting bird houses and making binoculars. He is super excited and can't wait.

Happy birthday sweet Bear-Bear!

Happy Easter!

Christ has risen! He has risen indeed!

Look at those four lovely children who only required an insane amount of bribery to sit still! And while I agree the fireplace is lovely, I cannot take credit for it; we took the picture at my in-laws house.

Easter was a bit different this year. Last year, we learned our lesson and held the Easter baskets back until after Mass. Yeah, it only took ten Easters to figure out that children do NOT like to be dragged away from their goodies to get ready for church and kids + candy + no proper breakfast does not equal good Mass behavior.

So! Last year I took Easter pictures after Mass while Adam set out the baskets. This year, I packed up the baskets and gave them to my mother-in-law so we could do baskets at her house! Joseph had to serve at early Mass and I knew that giving them presents and candy, dragging them off to 7:30 Mass and then dragging them away from the toys AGAIN for brunch.... ugh.

We put the kids to bed early Saturday night and woke up at six am Sunday morning. I was smart enough to prep the coffee the night before and got a few sips and a granola bar in before we had to leave. All the kids had a granola bar (or, in Cole's case, frozen corn- weirdo) for breakfast. Super early Mass was nice because it was crowded for 7:30 but no more crowded than our normal 9 am Mass. Getting out was hairy, as the nine am crowd was coming in and Cole decided that he wanted donuts and was going to lay prostrate on the floor and cry until he got one. Unfortunately for him,we don't have donut Sunday on Easter and I had to basically drag him out of the church crying. (A couple people asked if it was post-candy meltdown but he hadn't had any!) We did end up getting donuts because it is Easter and we suck as parents.

Brunch was at my in-laws and, again, it was more relaxed than in years before. I brought a birthday cake to celebrate Cole's fifth birthday on Tuesday and a huge fruit salad. With bagels, eggs and ham, I am now in a post- brunch coma.

Of course, Easter baskets:

I got organized and didn't over buy this year! Since I am never without a child during the day, it is super hard to go from store to store. I just ordered everything from Amazon. They received a toy (in Joe's case, a movie), book, Nerf darts, some Minecraft figures Joe found at a consignment store (six figures for 7 dollars- nice work kid!) and a chocolate bunny. In case anyone is looking for ideas:

almost 11 year old boy- The Giver movie and the second book in the Maze Runner
9 year old girl- hideaway pet bunny and Dog Diaries book
6 year old boy- stuffed Creeper and 2 Pet the Cat books
almost 5 year old- stuffed cardinal that makes REAL bird noises and a bird book

Cole's cake is proof my younger siblings "stole" all the art genes. I make great tasting cakes. I can do chocolate frosting. But the look? My father-in-law said it looked like someone took a bite from the side and it did! When Cole, George and I tried to put the frosting on it, it kept crumbling. In hindsight, my friends and sister said it was probably too warm, as I had taken it out of the fridge earlier in the day. The candies on it are those malt ball eggs. I was going to make a nest on top but... no. Hey, it tasted great!

My parents got him a hummingbird feeder, more bird food and a book about birds. My little bird boy!

In all, it was probably the best Easter we've had. Nice and relaxed with the right amount of candy and leftover. The house in a normal state of disarray and I didn't have to spend all day cooking AND cleaning. Couldn't ask for a better Easter miracle.

Quick Takes Friday: Gettin' Old and Funerals

1. So my hairdresser said she didn't see any grey hairs last night. Now, she has no reason to lie to me because she would make MORE money off me if I was gettin' grey. I should rejoice, right? No because YOU KNOW WHAT THIS MEANS? My eyesight is going! I'm as blind as an eyeless bat so it's not like I have sight TO LOOSE.

Geez.

2. Our church called today and asked if Joseph would be an Alter Server at a funeral tomorrow. He's already serving the daily Mass before that, so I said yes. He's fine with it. I'm not sure if I should be like, "Yay, Joe! They think you're good enough to serve at a funeral!" or be all, "that's sad," because, um, funeral.

3. Yep, one of our kiddos is an Alter Server. You have to be in the fifth grade to be one. Camille is bummed but it will be her turn soon.

4. Ninja Alter Server Picture:

Taking "defending the faith" to a whole new level.

5. The adorable Elf on the Shelf:

If this kid doesn't come up with a decent Halloween costume idea, I'm sticking his red sweater on him, red sweat pants and sending him as the Elf on the Shelf. He picked out the color and yarn and my mom made the sweater. It just happens that he look HILARIOUSLY like the Elf!

6. Fall finally arrived, weather wise. I have not, however, had a pumpkin spice latte. That is just sad.

7. The official Mockingjay trailer is out in a few days and I am DYING. Can't wait!

Quick Takes Friday: The First Day

1.

The first day of school began like this:

 

 

 

Joseph- 5th grade and not amused by the photos. He ditched us shortly after

Camille- third. She has the same teacher Joe had in second grade and is super excited.

George- kindergarten

Cole- last year of preschool!

 

2.

George tried to ditch me right away. I told him mommies stay for a few minutes the first day. He ended up kicking me out after ten minutes, which was fine because I had a preschool meeting to attend.

 



 

3.

When I picked him up, we went to CFA for lunch and then ran an errand. He told me all about "Pete the Cat." Since he can't say "Pete" I had no clue what he was talking about aside from a stuffed cat who had shoes and they colored their own shoes. His teacher sent me a photo of them with Pete and then his SLP said, "Oh, those are cool books!" Whew! But, apparently, he loved the story since he could tell me all the details!

 

4.

His teacher told me that when they introduced themselves he said, "Well, you may not be able to understand me but my name is George." It comes out "Forfe." He didn't seem too bothered by the fact that some people may not understand him, which is good.

 

5.

I met Cole's new SLP at school but have not hunted down the K-5 SLP. I've met her but I need to make sure all the paperwork is in so she can talk to our private SLP. I may also need to ask her IEP questions but I probably shouldn't harass her too much the first few days! ;) Then again, we're going to be working together for the next five years, or more, so she might as well get used to me!

 

6.

There's a new school nurse. The school year is just beginning so we haven't chatted much. Our paperwork should all be finished so I hope I don't have to talk to her about vaccines. Cole had an allergic reaction to vaccines so he's behind. I doubt I will get him the flu shot either, since that's one he had a reaction to. I don't mind explaining to people WHY he is behind but it gets old having to "justify" why we don't want to give something to our kid that he is allergic to!

 

7.

After a good first day at school, there were epic meltdowns last night. No, I wasn't one of them. The middle two were overwhelmed and over-tired, which led to tears and a refusal to go to bed. We finally got them down and life seems much better today... they were ready to leave for school 45 minutes early!

 

 

No longer a "baby family"

This weekend Adam and the kids took me out to dinner. Although I thought about going someplace different, I picked The Cheesecake Factory because I knew we would all enjoy the food and, hello, cheesecake!

While we had dinner, it dawned on me that we can do this now- we can take the kids out to dinner and expect AND GET decent behavior out of them. Sure, there was some shoving and some rude burping (ugh! tween boys!) and some of this:

but everyone sat, ate and had a good time. There were bathroom runs, but no diaper changes. There was no baby food, no nursing, no dropped food. I got to eat my meal while it was cold (a salad) and shared my cheesecake with a very awed and very serious four year old.

Cole: Mommy, we eat dat? Mommy, we share dat?
Me: Yes, Bear, we'll share that!

I failed to convince Adam to drop me at the bookstore while he took the kids grocery shopping but we still had a pleasant time. Cole unleashed his Light Saber in Trader Joe's, which lead to me taking it until we got to the car. (Even Jedi Knights answer to their moms.) When we got home, I bathed the kids while Adam cleaned up the kitchen and put away groceries.

This is first summer in fully "big kid" mode. No one naps on a regular basis. The last of the cloth diapers went to a co-worker of Adam's. I'm sorting through baby toys and 3t clothes for a garage sale. The little slide, tunnel and sand box are going to a teacher friend for  her grandkids. We have one stroller for long trips and even the cheap umbrella strollers are gone. When I took Cole into the cry room during Mass, I realized we don't belong in there. Everyone else had bottles, binkies and diapers. We no longer need any of those.

I know I should moan that I miss it- and I do, to a degree. But I am also excited about this phase of life.

Joseph and Camille took part in their first tournament this weekend and did very well. I can see Camille wishing to join the "forms" team some day. I got to take George and Cole to baseball practice and was so impressed to see them paying attention, listening to instructions and trying so hard. For two boys with plenty of challenges, they blended right into the team and loved it. I'm looking forward to their adorable games this summer!

I know if we were blessed with another baby, I would love an embrace that child. I am confident in my baby-caring skills and would whip out the cloth diapers, nursing bras and swaddling blankets with no second thoughts. But this phase- the phase where we read Percy Jackson together, talk about serious things, have friends over for sleep overs and where Mommy can sleep in a touch, knowing they can get their own cereal- is pretty wonderful and amazing too.

This Mother's Day, I have the gift of knowing we are entering the next phase in parenting, the big kid phase. It's pretty cool.

We partied this weekend

thank you Catholic Memes on Facebook

I was anticipating this past weekend... but dreading it too. We would have so much fun stuff to do but... so.much to do! In the end, it was the perfect weekend and I couldn't have asked for a more perfect weekend.

It began with a little of this:

 Man, the frosting was pink but it was the perfect pink for our pretty pink princess. I did her hair that morning and it looked awesome. I also figured out that I am veil-deficiant. I have never worn one and wasn't sure how to pin  it to her head without drawing blood. I got it on her, though, and she looked lovely. All the children did, really. I know you sometimes see a dress and think, "What the heck were the parents thinking?" but there was none of that at her Mass.

After Mass, Adam took the little boys to baseball practice. They loved it and were properly tired when they came home. Adam said they hit the ball a few times and managed to catch it. I have no dreams of major leagues in this house. I want them to have fun, learn the game and be tired (not always in that order!). Plus, you know the "games" will be precious!

Right after they got home, we had our open house where we cut into the "rustic" cross cake:

I made marshmallow fondant. I have made this before with excellent results (see also: Cole's first birthday cake). It began coming together just fine but then I added too much of something and the result was a thick paste of .... not fondant. I asked Adam to roll it in a ball in the fridge and he didn't. It did not roll out easily or drape nicely. I didn't have any buttercream left so I put in on the cake in strips. I couldn't get the pink (PINK!) buttercream to pipe out, so Grams suggested we place the cupcakes around it to hide the edges. I joked we were going for more symbolism since Jesus was wrapped in a shroud after he died but one of my friends, "No, it's RUSTIC!" Rustic it is!

After tons of cake, more cake and yummy Subway, we watched Frozen and then hyped the kids up on more sugar....

The school carnival was perhaps the best one our school has ever hosted. The weather was perfect and everything was outside. The kids were safe to run fairly free and their tickets got them oodles of candy. All that running made them super tired and Cole asked to go to bed that night! I think we would have all slept in if it hadn't been for this the next day:

My parents and my sister's family joined us for the first time. We all walked together. It was nice to introduce my parents to the people who saved George's life and have them meet some of the children they last saw as babies in the NICU. My sister surprised me by showing us Miss Who's sign on the Boulevard of Babies.I didn't know she had one and it's nice to know that others will see her name and maybe smile.

My camera shy husband and son!
They ended up o n the hospital's FB page!
And the look like they have a bodyguard.

 In many ways, the March was a safe place for all of us. We could talk about Miss Who without having to censor ourselves. People would understand all the terms and it was highly likely no one would say stupid stuff, like "God needs her more than you." I talked to some friends from the NICU who did not know about her and we had a "there but for the grace of God so us" kinda moments. Their children were born at the same gestational age as Miss Who and knew, all too well, the fear of loosing a child. They were super sweet to us.

When we got home that afternoon the kids played with friends and I dozed. We were all soooo tired!

While I couldn't have asked for a more perfect weekend... I'm glad a break is coming! We have two weeks before another huge weekend of birthday parties, baseball and a huge garage sale!

Quick Takes Friday: We interrupt this First Communion Prep...

To bring you Quick Takes Friday and allow me something to do other than cleaning!

1. Mad, mad props to my little boys who have been drug on errands all week. They have put up with Hobby Lobby, JoAnn's (which seem to be taking a leaf of out Wal-Mart's books and never, ever have enough cashiers staffed!), Wal-Mart, Target, JoAnn's AGAIN, and the Catholic bookstore. Both boys were so well behaved and helped me pick out everything I need for our open house.

2. In a fit of ... brilliance? thinking I am crafty? insanity? I ordered the pink cupcake toppers from Pink Posy Paperie. They came out oh-so-cute and the file was easy to download and print. I adore them and we're using them for cupcake toppers and to put on treat bags.

3. Now, I thought I was being all frugal with these things. The price of the download was quite reasonable. I already have the card stock. I could have cut them out by hand but a) why? and b) friends promised me that the punch for them was reasonably priced. I'm sure this is true... if you don't have to buy TWO. The big pink flowers in the back are from the orginal punch I got. I opened it, used it and realized it wasn't what I needed. I had to go BACK to the store to get the one I did need. The four dollar cupcake toppers ended up costing me nearly $25! I really, really hope there is another occasion to use "God Bless Camille Julia" themed items!

4.I'm not sure if this is the cheapest thing I have ever done or if I was going to EPIC SYMBOLISM but I bought Easter Candy at 75 per cent off to use in the bags. I found chocolate coins, which the kids love, and placed 2-3 in each bag. I mean, if we didn't have the Eucharist, we wouldn't have Easter... or, um, vise versa. And the coins are the size of a Host! See? Not cheap at all. Right. 

5. I also have to give a shout-out to the Religious Education department. Camille was chatting about the "dress rehearsal" they did and she was making comments like, "We used the Eucharist but it wasn't the REAL Eucharist because the priest hadn't made it into God's body yet" and "They said I can take it in my hands or my tongue. Mommy, which should I do?" I'm impressed with that because few people Recieve in the mouth now so it's nice that it was presented as a viable option for the kids. I told her to do what she prefers and what is most comfortable. I think she should do what she is most comfortable with the first time but after that, she can try receiving in a different way. 

6. Oh, you want to see a pic of my daughter in her dress before the big day?

The dress and veil were actually a gift from a friend. Her mother couldn't just sell it or donate it and wanted to find a little girl who would use it. My mom did the minor alterations. We all love it because it is so pretty, so fancy but modest and very "little girl." I found her tights on sale at the Gap and her shoes came from Zulily. The Rosary was a gift from my parents when they went to Italy a few years ago. It has SAINT John Paul II and Pope Emeritus Benedict on it! The bracelt is a small gold one and each link is shaped like a bow. It was my mother's. I bought her birthstone earrings as a gift (yes, they are red) and my mom gifted her with a cross necklace. She also has a little white sweater (yep, made by Grams!) to wear.

I love that so many people donated time and gifts to her special outfit. It really makes it even more special, don't you think?

7. Sunday is also the March for Babies. This year, my parents and my sister's family will be joining us. I am a little emotional about it but I'm reminding myself of all the GOOD things that have come from our time in the NICU. I mean, I would do nearly ANYTHING to bring my niece back but... at least good came come out of bad! But I suppose that is a post for another time.

Have a wonderful weekend and please keep my daughter, and the other kids receiving their FHC, in your prayers!

Apraxia Awareness Day, May 14th

He has risen!

Our own version of an Easter Miracle- all four kids and the dog looking nice for the camera and not poking each other!

April 20th also marks our 12th anniversary. This year, Adam got new shelves for the garage and fixed the fence. Yup, newlyweds, it won't always be roses and wine but hey, the outside of the house looks good!

Have a "hoppy" day!

Throwback Thursday: Baby Camille

Hard to believe this bald baby will be eight this month! Where does time go?

Oh and she's wearing a dress my sister and I both wore!

Recipe: Homemade Goo-Be-Gone

I love stickers.

Well, I love stickers as prizes more than I love giving my children a constant stream of candy or cheap plastic junk that will break in two seconds, only to be found by my bare feet at two am. But stickers on the kids TKD uniforms are the ban of my exisitence. Even if I take them off before the laundry, they leave a goopy residue that I cannot get off.

That is, before I turned to Pinterest and found a Homemade Goo-Be-Gone recipe.

You will need:
An article of clothing or whatever with sticky goo from stickers on it
a small bowl
measuring spoons
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
2 teaspoons baking soda
a paper towel or old tooth brush

The the bowl, mix the oil and the baking soda.

Using the paper towel or old tooth brush, gently scrub some of the mixture into the goo.  Use a little at a time, mixing more as needed. You don't want to over do the oil, as you could end up with oil stains.

The goo should clump up and start peeling off. The black writing you see on the background is my child's name, written in Korean.

As soon as I had the goo removed, I popped the uniform in the wash. They came out nice and clean!

*Note: I have not tried this with other oils. I imagine it would be okay but, as always, spot check before you do the whole thing!

Proof that 2013 wasn't all bad (Or, as close as I will get to a Christmas letter)

When I complain that there wasn't a single thing about 2013 I really care to remember, Adam rolls his eyes. I didn't even make a quick note for the back of our Christmas card this year because I couldn't think of anything that wouldn't depress the piss out of people.

(Yes, I said that. Sorry.) Instead, it said something like, "Looking forward to joy and peace in 2014!" I thought that was generic enough for people that didn't need to know ALL. THE. THINGS. while people who did know would get it.

Anyway, when I get like this, Adam makes me think of all the GOOD things that happen. Honestly, sometimes it's hard. But with Dwija's link up, I think I might. I can find one good thing every month, right? Like...

January- Camille turned seven and we surprised her with a PINK bedroom!

February: George potty trained!

And who can forget....

March: Pope Francis love. Visiting my parents and sister and co for my mother's birthday. Painting the inside of the house.

before

after

April: Oh, April. Traveling to New York for my uncle's funeral. Cole turned three. Joe turned nine.Miss Who was born... on Joe's birthday! March for Babies.

The HILLS! They were alive, people! And trees! Big trees! But no Bigfoot.

May: Mother's Day and a road trip with just my big ones.

Camille tried on the wedding dress my grandmother, aunt, mother, myself AND sister wore! Joe ate too much bacon and I visited Miss Who and co again. And the chicken pox. Whoa to the chicken pox!

June: The Epic VBS Disaster, another trip to see my parents, and chicken pox, 2013, part two! Cole also potty trained and we had ZERO KIDS IN DIAPERS, YAY!

Cole also spent the entire summer in swim trunks. It was hilarious!

We went to a local garden to see LEGO statues. 

July: One does not speak about July. Ever

Well, we did go to Wisconsin again. But other than that....

August: My birthday and massive DIY projects inspired by Pinterest. 

I did not make this dry sink. My uncle, who passed away in April, did.
I changed out the hardware.

September: First Pumpkin Spice Latte of the season and the NICU Reunion and a fun trip to Austin with friends!

October: Halloween! My sister came to visit and we had awesome, awesome photos taken.

I have no Halloween pictures. Instead, I give you adorableness at the pumpkin patch:

November: Surprise trip to CO, George turned five and had a huge party, Thanksgiving and the NICU Thanksgiving.

And the hats. Don't forget the 80 hats we had donated to the NICU!

Can you smell the turkey toniiiight?

December: Camille's First Reconcilliation. Joe's first strings concert. Food allergy results. A new diet. And CHRISTMAS!

It took all year to get this good photo!
A big thank you to my brother-in-law for taking it!

Looking back, it seems like the beginning of the year- Camille's new room, painting the house, the Conclave- all happened in a "before" life.There's been an "after" since July, where it feels like the world is a bit topsy-turvy. Now that they year is nearly over, I feel like I have my feet under me a bit and I'm returning to a new me. It's defiantly been a journey.

Am I sad to see 2013 go? Not really. In some ways, this year has perhaps been the most defining year for me and my extended family. We've gone through trial under fire. Do I think we will all be better for it? Sure, in some way. Does that mean I want us to go through any of this again? Um, hell no!

Am I looking forward to 2014? YES! Like I posted yesterday, I have hope that things will be better, Hope that things I feared won't be as bad. Hope that I have someone on my side who can advocate with me. 

And, geez, in 2014 Camille will turn eight and have her first Communion. Joe will turn TEN! Cole will be four. George will start kindergarten and all that it brings. It will be Joseph's last year in elementary school. Friends will be coming to town for a retreat. My cousins and I are talking of getting together this summer. 2014 will mark the end of so many firsts and eternal anniversaries but the beginning of so much more.

I can't help but... for the first time in a long time... I can't help but hope.

Never, ever get sick

At least, not at the same times your child is diagnosed with food allergies and your husband leaves on a week long business trip.

Adam got home Friday and my throat was a little sore. By  Saturday morning, I was laying in bed, shivering, with 3 heavy blankets on me. I don't think I got out of bed until Sunday morning. Then, I cleaned the house because, holy cow. After 20 minutes of good cleaning, the fever and chills were back and here I am, in the recliner, watching Dinosaur Train with a sick kid.Yep, George is down too!

2013 has not been terribly kind to us and it seems like it is trying to heap everything on us in the last few weeks. Provided I am healthy, I have my third funeral to attend on Thursday. Please keep a college friend in your prayers, as her mom passed away this past week.

Anyway, enough downers! Since I don't have the energy to blog, here's a picture of Santa Yoda in our Nativity:

My Facebook friends came up with some GREAT captions!

"Savior, you need."

"Frankincense, I bring."

"Gold have I."