I'm still here! And, I'll have a real post up on Friday for 7 Quick Takes Friday. Stop by then to find out what we've been up to around here, get by latest book recommendation and a fun photography tip. See you then!
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
(Almost) Wordless Wednesday
I'm still here! And, I'll have a real post up on Friday for 7 Quick Takes Friday. Stop by then to find out what we've been up to around here, get by latest book recommendation and a fun photography tip. See you then!
Friday, July 1, 2011
Kids' portraits - 2011
Once a year I do the kids portraits all at one time. This usually happens in the summer time since we have three spring/early summer birthdays. All the kids turn a year older relatively close together, except Clara with her December birthday. So, her portrait is always taken around her half birthday.
Two years ago, I took their portraits at different spots around our home and let them choose their own clothes. I then added text with their name, age, and the things they love on the photographs.
Last year I took their pictures on a dock at one of our favorite parks. All the portraits are composed the same way and I think it makes a very nice wall display that way.
This year I decided to return to the same park, but I wanted to do the portraits a bit differently. We brought along a chair from my kitchen table and I thought it would be nice to let the kids sit or stand or do whatever they want on the chair. Their choices would show a bit of their personality and the repetition of the chair would emphasize their relative size differences.
Well, the pictures didn't go quite as I planned. We're in the middle of a drought and the beautiful park was all brown and the large pond was almost completely dried up. We ended going back in the woods for the portraits, which gives the pictures a very different feel from last year, even though they were taken at the same location.
I made several technical mistakes (I wanted to kick myself more than once when I opened them up on the computer. I know better!) as well as logistical mistakes (Elizabeth's flyaway hair!). Photoshop helped but you'll notice that in several of them the focus is a bit soft. I let me shutter speeds get too slow. Sigh...
It's also a bit of a three ring circus trying to corral four children to get their portraits. I was rushed trying to get everyone's picture taken while they were still in a relatively good mood and didn't have enough time to get the variety of shots I was hoping for.
But, despite all that I'm fairly pleased with the results. The kids' individual personalities do indeed come through in the images, which is what I was aiming for. And, thankfully, they're done for a whole another year!
Two years ago, I took their portraits at different spots around our home and let them choose their own clothes. I then added text with their name, age, and the things they love on the photographs.
Last year I took their pictures on a dock at one of our favorite parks. All the portraits are composed the same way and I think it makes a very nice wall display that way.
This year I decided to return to the same park, but I wanted to do the portraits a bit differently. We brought along a chair from my kitchen table and I thought it would be nice to let the kids sit or stand or do whatever they want on the chair. Their choices would show a bit of their personality and the repetition of the chair would emphasize their relative size differences.
Clara, 18 months
Well, the pictures didn't go quite as I planned. We're in the middle of a drought and the beautiful park was all brown and the large pond was almost completely dried up. We ended going back in the woods for the portraits, which gives the pictures a very different feel from last year, even though they were taken at the same location.
Augustine, 4 years
This is a definitive personality picture. Only Gustin would choose to sit on the ground, hold a stick and make a point of not looking at the camera.
I made several technical mistakes (I wanted to kick myself more than once when I opened them up on the computer. I know better!) as well as logistical mistakes (Elizabeth's flyaway hair!). Photoshop helped but you'll notice that in several of them the focus is a bit soft. I let me shutter speeds get too slow. Sigh...
Elizabeth, 7 years
It's also a bit of a three ring circus trying to corral four children to get their portraits. I was rushed trying to get everyone's picture taken while they were still in a relatively good mood and didn't have enough time to get the variety of shots I was hoping for.
Jonathan, 9 years
He looks so grown up to me in this shot!
But, despite all that I'm fairly pleased with the results. The kids' individual personalities do indeed come through in the images, which is what I was aiming for. And, thankfully, they're done for a whole another year!
Thursday, June 23, 2011
No natural homemakers here
I mentioned in a recent post how I struggle to keep up with my house. It is a constant, daily battle, and a vast majority of the time over the last few years, one that I felt like I was losing. And not just losing, but going down in flames. Clutter and messes are created at my house at an astonishing rate (as I'm sure is true in any house with young children) but I was usually at a complete loss as to how to combat it. It really was overwhelming.
The last two years have been particularly bad. We sold our previous home around the same time I discovered I was pregnant with Clara and we moved while I was still consumed by a constant nauseous haze. The remainder of that pregnancy and Clara's first year or so of life were very difficult. We had to adjust to having a fourth child and two school aged children with their corresponding activities and Eric and I were over committed to activities outside of the home. It's been difficult recognizing our limitations and adjusting our commitments and expectations.
However, over the last few months the house situation has been slowing beginning to improve. You wouldn't necessarily recognize the improvement if you walked into my house right now. I'm still working on creating the habits we need to keep the house uncluttered on a daily basis. So right now my desk is a fright, the bar in the kitchen is covered in books, magazines and random toys, there is clean laundry on the couch waiting to be folded, there are dishes in the sink and on the counter in the kitchen, the kids' bathroom is absolutely atrocious and the bookshelves are a disaster, besides all the random toys, books and shoes scattered everywhere. But -- BUT! -- the playroom and both the kids' rooms are picked up right now. My room is tidy and the bed is made. I'm not behind on the laundry (I'll have that load on the couch taken care of by this afternoon) or the grocery shopping. I have a time scheduled to clean the kids' bathroom and the kitchen will be back in working order shortly. In other words, everything isn't a complete disaster all the time anymore. There are a few areas in my house at any given time that are actually presentable. And I have a plan in place to at least keep the daily messes manageable. This is a huge improvement for us. And, I expect things to continue to get better.
The main reason for this improvement? Clara turned a year old.
Clara turning one marked a huge change in my daily life. She started nursing less, playing independently more, taking longer, more regular naps and sleeping through the night. It seemed like almost overnight I went from being strung out all the time to actually having time and energy to do things. That restored time and energy has allowed my to start tackling the house.
Over the last few months I've been slowly purging room by room and working through the boxes left over from our move two years ago. I've been reading Smart Martha's Catholic Guide for Busy Moms by Tami Kiser and the down-to-earth suggestions in this book have been exactly what I needed. I also downloaded an app on my iPhone called Home Routine. I understand it creates a similar house keeping plan to what Fly Lady does (I don't know exactly since I've never used Fly Lady's system) and it has been such a wonderful blessing. I thrive when I use check lists and I've tried many, many different versions both paper and electronic. This one has been the best for me with it's daily, weekly and monthly to do lists as well as splitting the house into zones that I tackle one at a time.
I don't know when we'll be blessed with another baby, but in the mean time I am doing all I can to try to bring some more organization into my home so that hopefully the next pregnancy/infant stage won't be so difficult. We've come to realize that one of our biggest problems is that not everything has a place to belong. We've bought bins and baskets to keep toys, games and art supplies in. We've also had to bite the bullet (financially speaking) and buy some furniture, storage pieces mainly: additional dressers for the kids' rooms, storage cabinets for the office. I'm making lots of plans to make our home run more efficiently, am slowly putting them into practice and we're really starting to reap the rewards.
But, the main thing that has led to this improvement in my home-keeping really is Clara's no longer being an infant. I repeat this for myself, so I remember that when things are hard when the next baby comes around, it's because that's just the way it is, not because I'm lazy or some kind of failure. I also mention it again as hopefully an encouragement for any of you other mamas out there in the trenches with little ones who aren't natural neat-freaks. It won't always be this hard. Life won't always feel out of control. Time will pass. Kids will grow. Things will get better. Hang in there. Don't be too hard on yourself. Ask for help when you need it. Pray daily, giving Him your worries and needs, and He will provide.
The last two years have been particularly bad. We sold our previous home around the same time I discovered I was pregnant with Clara and we moved while I was still consumed by a constant nauseous haze. The remainder of that pregnancy and Clara's first year or so of life were very difficult. We had to adjust to having a fourth child and two school aged children with their corresponding activities and Eric and I were over committed to activities outside of the home. It's been difficult recognizing our limitations and adjusting our commitments and expectations.
However, over the last few months the house situation has been slowing beginning to improve. You wouldn't necessarily recognize the improvement if you walked into my house right now. I'm still working on creating the habits we need to keep the house uncluttered on a daily basis. So right now my desk is a fright, the bar in the kitchen is covered in books, magazines and random toys, there is clean laundry on the couch waiting to be folded, there are dishes in the sink and on the counter in the kitchen, the kids' bathroom is absolutely atrocious and the bookshelves are a disaster, besides all the random toys, books and shoes scattered everywhere. But -- BUT! -- the playroom and both the kids' rooms are picked up right now. My room is tidy and the bed is made. I'm not behind on the laundry (I'll have that load on the couch taken care of by this afternoon) or the grocery shopping. I have a time scheduled to clean the kids' bathroom and the kitchen will be back in working order shortly. In other words, everything isn't a complete disaster all the time anymore. There are a few areas in my house at any given time that are actually presentable. And I have a plan in place to at least keep the daily messes manageable. This is a huge improvement for us. And, I expect things to continue to get better.
The main reason for this improvement? Clara turned a year old.
Clara turning one marked a huge change in my daily life. She started nursing less, playing independently more, taking longer, more regular naps and sleeping through the night. It seemed like almost overnight I went from being strung out all the time to actually having time and energy to do things. That restored time and energy has allowed my to start tackling the house.
Over the last few months I've been slowly purging room by room and working through the boxes left over from our move two years ago. I've been reading Smart Martha's Catholic Guide for Busy Moms by Tami Kiser and the down-to-earth suggestions in this book have been exactly what I needed. I also downloaded an app on my iPhone called Home Routine. I understand it creates a similar house keeping plan to what Fly Lady does (I don't know exactly since I've never used Fly Lady's system) and it has been such a wonderful blessing. I thrive when I use check lists and I've tried many, many different versions both paper and electronic. This one has been the best for me with it's daily, weekly and monthly to do lists as well as splitting the house into zones that I tackle one at a time.
I don't know when we'll be blessed with another baby, but in the mean time I am doing all I can to try to bring some more organization into my home so that hopefully the next pregnancy/infant stage won't be so difficult. We've come to realize that one of our biggest problems is that not everything has a place to belong. We've bought bins and baskets to keep toys, games and art supplies in. We've also had to bite the bullet (financially speaking) and buy some furniture, storage pieces mainly: additional dressers for the kids' rooms, storage cabinets for the office. I'm making lots of plans to make our home run more efficiently, am slowly putting them into practice and we're really starting to reap the rewards.
But, the main thing that has led to this improvement in my home-keeping really is Clara's no longer being an infant. I repeat this for myself, so I remember that when things are hard when the next baby comes around, it's because that's just the way it is, not because I'm lazy or some kind of failure. I also mention it again as hopefully an encouragement for any of you other mamas out there in the trenches with little ones who aren't natural neat-freaks. It won't always be this hard. Life won't always feel out of control. Time will pass. Kids will grow. Things will get better. Hang in there. Don't be too hard on yourself. Ask for help when you need it. Pray daily, giving Him your worries and needs, and He will provide.
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Photography tip: Get low
There is one photography tip that I would give any new mom (or aunt or godmother) photographer who wants to be able to take some better shots of her kids (or nieces/nephews or godchildren) that is very simple to explain and the results are instantaneous better pictures, regardless of the type of camera being used.
Here it is: Get low. Like, eye level low, when you photograph kids (or grown-ups, too, for that matter).
If your subject is a standing (or running), growing-like-a-weed 9-year-old boy, bend your knees a bit.
If your subject is a standing 6-year-old girl, you'll have to do a kind of deep-knee bend.
If your subject is a one-year-old sitting on her Daddy's lap, you'll have to do a squat -- the kind that makes your thighs burn after shooting for a few minutes.
If your subject is a one-year-old standing in the ocean shallows, you'll have to do a deep squat; and, yes, your bum may get unexpectedly wet.
The same goes for a the crazy kids zooming around the house on a plasma car. But, if your bum gets wet while you're shooting in the house, you've got bigger problems than I can help you with.
If your subject is the cute bottom of a standing baby or a little one crawling on the floor, you'll have to get really, really low. Sometimes I squat or kneel and then lean over to the side and get my camera as low to the ground as I can go. Other times I'll lay flat on my belly.
If I squat and lean or lay down typically depends on the what type of surface I'm dealing with (tile, concrete, grass, dirt, wet sand) and how much extra laundry I'm willing to do.
This is a belly shot (for both of us):
Give it a try. Focus on always shooting at your subject's eye level.
Whether you're photographing a nose-crinkling, tongue-wagging, rubber-band wrist, thigh-roly-poly, swinging baby...
Or a couple of cub scouts catching grasshoppers...
Get low and at eye-level, even if those eyes aren't actually looking at the camera.
Your photos will go from snapshots, to true photographs, in no time.
Happy shooting!
Here it is: Get low. Like, eye level low, when you photograph kids (or grown-ups, too, for that matter).
If your subject is a standing (or running), growing-like-a-weed 9-year-old boy, bend your knees a bit.
If your subject is a standing 6-year-old girl, you'll have to do a kind of deep-knee bend.
If your subject is a one-year-old sitting on her Daddy's lap, you'll have to do a squat -- the kind that makes your thighs burn after shooting for a few minutes.
If your subject is a one-year-old standing in the ocean shallows, you'll have to do a deep squat; and, yes, your bum may get unexpectedly wet.
The same goes for a the crazy kids zooming around the house on a plasma car. But, if your bum gets wet while you're shooting in the house, you've got bigger problems than I can help you with.
If your subject is the cute bottom of a standing baby or a little one crawling on the floor, you'll have to get really, really low. Sometimes I squat or kneel and then lean over to the side and get my camera as low to the ground as I can go. Other times I'll lay flat on my belly.
If I squat and lean or lay down typically depends on the what type of surface I'm dealing with (tile, concrete, grass, dirt, wet sand) and how much extra laundry I'm willing to do.
This is a belly shot (for both of us):
Give it a try. Focus on always shooting at your subject's eye level.
Whether you're photographing a nose-crinkling, tongue-wagging, rubber-band wrist, thigh-roly-poly, swinging baby...
Or a couple of cub scouts catching grasshoppers...
Get low and at eye-level, even if those eyes aren't actually looking at the camera.
Your photos will go from snapshots, to true photographs, in no time.
Happy shooting!
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Our Engagement Story
Hallie Lord, aka Betty Beguiles, is hosting a round up of engagement stories today. Her post inspired me to share mine, too!
Eric and I began dating in college and did so for two years before he popped the question in October of 1999. We were both working and paying our own way through school and, when we finally did marry, we knew that we would be combining debts, not assets. We epitomized the stereotypical "poor college students" with our dates consisting of renting a $0.49 movie from the combined change that we scraped up from the seat cushions in our cars to watch after eating a dinner of mac & cheese.
We also knew that we would marry long before we were officially engaged and talked about it often. We made all kinds of plans for the future: lots of kids, Eric starting his own engineering company, me staying home with the children once they started to come, big vegetable gardens, getting debt free as fast as we could.
Eric used to tease me about all the extraordinary ways that he had come up with how he would propose. Supposedly, he had so many great ideas that he was having a hard time choosing which one to go with. "I leaning toward Plan C at the moment," he would tell me. "I just thought of the most amazing Plan J, you won't believe it!" he'd say a few weeks later. By the time he finally proposed, I think he had gotten all the way to Plan Q, at least that is what he claimed.
By our senior year, there was only one obstacle to us officially getting engaged: the ring. Eric wanted to get me a ring, but it couldn't be any ring, it had to be one that he thought was worthy of me. He went shopping and found exactly what he was looking for, but the price tag left him distraught. There was no way he could afford it.
I could tell he was really struggling with the whole ring thing, so we had a long talk about it. We already had a mountain of debt and we really did not want to add to it. The debt was an obstacle to me being able to stay home once we started having children and my being home with the kids was top priority for both of us. The engagement ring no longer seemed like such a wonderful thing to either one of us; it was a burden and was in the way of us being able to fulfill our vocation. So, I told him I didn't want a ring. A wedding band is much more precious to me than an engagement ring, anyway, as it is the symbol of our sacrament. We moved forward with our lives and I have never regretted not having an engagement ring.
I don't know which plan he finally went with, but Eric choose to go simple with the proposal, which suited both of us. We were sitting down to eat dinner together before dashing off to teach RCIA classes at church later that evening. We held hands as Eric led the prayer, first asking the Lord to bless the food and then he asked for a special blessing on the two of us as we were beginning our lives together; he concluded by asking me to marry him. Yep, he proposed with a prayer. And it was perfect. Except we were so excited and busy calling family to tell them the good news that we never did get to eat that dinner. My tummy happily rumbled all through RCIA that night.
We were married 5 months later when he slipped a simple gold band on my finger -- that I absolutely love -- and I slipped a matching one on his. We've been married for 11 blessed years and I wouldn't change a minute of our lives together.
Eric and I began dating in college and did so for two years before he popped the question in October of 1999. We were both working and paying our own way through school and, when we finally did marry, we knew that we would be combining debts, not assets. We epitomized the stereotypical "poor college students" with our dates consisting of renting a $0.49 movie from the combined change that we scraped up from the seat cushions in our cars to watch after eating a dinner of mac & cheese.
We also knew that we would marry long before we were officially engaged and talked about it often. We made all kinds of plans for the future: lots of kids, Eric starting his own engineering company, me staying home with the children once they started to come, big vegetable gardens, getting debt free as fast as we could.
Eric used to tease me about all the extraordinary ways that he had come up with how he would propose. Supposedly, he had so many great ideas that he was having a hard time choosing which one to go with. "I leaning toward Plan C at the moment," he would tell me. "I just thought of the most amazing Plan J, you won't believe it!" he'd say a few weeks later. By the time he finally proposed, I think he had gotten all the way to Plan Q, at least that is what he claimed.
By our senior year, there was only one obstacle to us officially getting engaged: the ring. Eric wanted to get me a ring, but it couldn't be any ring, it had to be one that he thought was worthy of me. He went shopping and found exactly what he was looking for, but the price tag left him distraught. There was no way he could afford it.
I could tell he was really struggling with the whole ring thing, so we had a long talk about it. We already had a mountain of debt and we really did not want to add to it. The debt was an obstacle to me being able to stay home once we started having children and my being home with the kids was top priority for both of us. The engagement ring no longer seemed like such a wonderful thing to either one of us; it was a burden and was in the way of us being able to fulfill our vocation. So, I told him I didn't want a ring. A wedding band is much more precious to me than an engagement ring, anyway, as it is the symbol of our sacrament. We moved forward with our lives and I have never regretted not having an engagement ring.
I don't know which plan he finally went with, but Eric choose to go simple with the proposal, which suited both of us. We were sitting down to eat dinner together before dashing off to teach RCIA classes at church later that evening. We held hands as Eric led the prayer, first asking the Lord to bless the food and then he asked for a special blessing on the two of us as we were beginning our lives together; he concluded by asking me to marry him. Yep, he proposed with a prayer. And it was perfect. Except we were so excited and busy calling family to tell them the good news that we never did get to eat that dinner. My tummy happily rumbled all through RCIA that night.
We were married 5 months later when he slipped a simple gold band on my finger -- that I absolutely love -- and I slipped a matching one on his. We've been married for 11 blessed years and I wouldn't change a minute of our lives together.
Thursday, June 9, 2011
Satisfied sports fan
I've always loved sports. I was the little girl in elementary school who played soccer with all the boys at recess. I played basketball all through junior high and high school and then continued to play intramural basketball in college. I also enjoyed playing weekly games of ultimate Frisbee with friends during college and made regular use of the rec center.
Not only have I played sports all my life, I love to watch as well. As a teenager and into my twenties I could never get enough of NBA and college basketball, tennis, gymnastics, figure skating, NASCAR races, NFL and college football and, of course, the Olympics. I am in heaven for two weeks every two years when the Olympics are on.
But, as I have become a mother and slowly added to the size of my family, my ability to participate in or watch sports has drastically diminished. I haven't picked up a basketball in years. I very rarely catch a bit of a college basketball game. I try to watch at least a match or two of Wimbledon, but even that is getting sketchy.
So, even though youth sports are logistically a major pain, I absolutely love being about to experience them with my kids. We've played a couple of seasons of soccer at the Y with Jonathan and one season with Elizabeth so far. Jonathan is playing baseball for the first time this spring. It is so much fun!
I love going to the practices and the games. I love that the younger kids get to play outside in the dirt with the siblings of the other players and that everyone comes home dirty and sweaty and renewed by the fresh air.
And, I might get a wee bit excited during the games. Don't worry, I'm not one of the crazy parents that yell and scream and criticize from the sidelines. I'm one of those crazy parents that yell and scream and encourage and cheer from the sideline. That's a pet peeve of mine. I think parents should only express positive things from the sideline. Sports should be fun!
We'll see if I'm quite as enthusiastic this Saturday. Jonathan's game isn't until noon and the high temperature is supposed to be 96°F. But, I guess that's all part of the fun.
Not only have I played sports all my life, I love to watch as well. As a teenager and into my twenties I could never get enough of NBA and college basketball, tennis, gymnastics, figure skating, NASCAR races, NFL and college football and, of course, the Olympics. I am in heaven for two weeks every two years when the Olympics are on.
But, as I have become a mother and slowly added to the size of my family, my ability to participate in or watch sports has drastically diminished. I haven't picked up a basketball in years. I very rarely catch a bit of a college basketball game. I try to watch at least a match or two of Wimbledon, but even that is getting sketchy.
So, even though youth sports are logistically a major pain, I absolutely love being about to experience them with my kids. We've played a couple of seasons of soccer at the Y with Jonathan and one season with Elizabeth so far. Jonathan is playing baseball for the first time this spring. It is so much fun!
I love going to the practices and the games. I love that the younger kids get to play outside in the dirt with the siblings of the other players and that everyone comes home dirty and sweaty and renewed by the fresh air.
And, I might get a wee bit excited during the games. Don't worry, I'm not one of the crazy parents that yell and scream and criticize from the sidelines. I'm one of those crazy parents that yell and scream and encourage and cheer from the sideline. That's a pet peeve of mine. I think parents should only express positive things from the sideline. Sports should be fun!
Distracted by an airplane passing overhead.
We'll see if I'm quite as enthusiastic this Saturday. Jonathan's game isn't until noon and the high temperature is supposed to be 96°F. But, I guess that's all part of the fun.
Thursday, June 2, 2011
Good at/Bad at
Does anyone else have a problem with comparing yourself with other women? I know I cannot be alone in this. I'm horrible about obsessing about the laundry list of things that this friend or that friend is able to accomplish while I can't seem to manage a fraction of those things. Eric gets on to me all the time that I need to stop comparing myself with other people. But, it's hard to turn off those voices in your head, ya know?
So, I've been trying to come up with things that I can tell my self to help me try to stop this pointless behavior. First, I remember my husband's great advice that I'm not supposed to compare my insides to other people's outsides. I also remind myself that these other moms don't have more hours in the day than I do. So for them to get all these things done, there must be plenty of other things that don't get done. Those other things are probably some of the things that I do well. Then I remind myself of all the things that I am good at.
To get a complete picture of any person, you have to understand both the things that they excel at as well as their weaknesses. On blogs we tend to put only our best "out there" for everyone to see. I would never want another woman to feel inferior because she only reads on my blog about my accomplishments. I'm highly flawed and would never want anyone to think I am not.
As a reminder to myself, and as an encouragement to any other of you women who are out there struggling, here's a look at what I'm good at and bad at.
I'm good at:
Cooking/feeding my family nutritious meals
Photography
Reading with my children/ teaching them to love books
Doing a task thoroughly
Listening to others
Making time daily to spend with my husband
Making time daily to pray
Gardening
Keeping track of the family finances
Nurturing my children
Reading (I love to learn new things!)
Disciplining my children
Working off a task list
Not spending money frivolously
I'm bad (more like horrible) at:
Keeping my house/car/desk/counter tops/pretty much anything tidy
Dishes
Cleaning in general
Organizing
Getting stressed out over details
Inviting people over for dinner (because my house is always a mess)
Shopping
Scrapbooking/recording my children's childhood
Crafting
Printing/framing/hanging the pictures I take
Getting to know people
Returning phone calls
Being spontaneous
Blogging regularly :)
I'm sure there are more things in both of these categories, but that's what I can come up with for now in the sliver of time between supper and bath time.
Does anyone else want to share? Please feel free to leave your own good at/bad at list in the comments or let me know if you do a similar type post on your own blog!
So, I've been trying to come up with things that I can tell my self to help me try to stop this pointless behavior. First, I remember my husband's great advice that I'm not supposed to compare my insides to other people's outsides. I also remind myself that these other moms don't have more hours in the day than I do. So for them to get all these things done, there must be plenty of other things that don't get done. Those other things are probably some of the things that I do well. Then I remind myself of all the things that I am good at.
To get a complete picture of any person, you have to understand both the things that they excel at as well as their weaknesses. On blogs we tend to put only our best "out there" for everyone to see. I would never want another woman to feel inferior because she only reads on my blog about my accomplishments. I'm highly flawed and would never want anyone to think I am not.
As a reminder to myself, and as an encouragement to any other of you women who are out there struggling, here's a look at what I'm good at and bad at.
I'm good at:
Cooking/feeding my family nutritious meals
Photography
Reading with my children/ teaching them to love books
Doing a task thoroughly
Listening to others
Making time daily to spend with my husband
Making time daily to pray
Gardening
Keeping track of the family finances
Nurturing my children
Reading (I love to learn new things!)
Disciplining my children
Working off a task list
Not spending money frivolously
I'm bad (more like horrible) at:
Keeping my house/car/desk/counter tops/pretty much anything tidy
Dishes
Cleaning in general
Organizing
Getting stressed out over details
Inviting people over for dinner (because my house is always a mess)
Shopping
Scrapbooking/recording my children's childhood
Crafting
Printing/framing/hanging the pictures I take
Getting to know people
Returning phone calls
Being spontaneous
Blogging regularly :)
I'm sure there are more things in both of these categories, but that's what I can come up with for now in the sliver of time between supper and bath time.
Does anyone else want to share? Please feel free to leave your own good at/bad at list in the comments or let me know if you do a similar type post on your own blog!
Monday, May 30, 2011
Beach fun
About once a year we pack up all the kids and make the hour and a half drive to Galveston Island to have some fun at the beach.
We had a perfect day at the beach this year. The weather was perfect with a nice breeze and it was warm enough so that the kids weren't cold when they were wet but not so hot that we were sweltering under the bright sun. There wasn't a single cloud in the sky.
I'm so glad that we have been able to do this for our kids. The quick drive to Galveston isn't all that big of a deal and we just pack PB&J to eat, but it sure makes a lot of good memories. All that's necessary is the water, the sand and a few buckets and shovels and my kids are happy for hours. And, maybe a few seagulls.
But, I never even saw the ocean myself until I was in college. Actually, Eric was the person who took me on my first trip to the beach. Eric has been the person that created many opportunities for many firsts for me, which is one of the things I love about him. He constantly expands my horizons.
He also let's me have all the time I need to take about a bazillion photos every time we go to the beach.
Keeping track of four active kiddos while I snap away certainly isn't easy.
But, he's a good man and he loves me. And, I love him.
Saturday, May 28, 2011
Summer break is coming
My older kids only have one short week of school left. Monday they are off for the holiday and Friday is just a half day of school. I'm looking forward to the summer... and I'm not.
I'm looking forward to more relaxed mornings, not packing lunches, NO HOMEWORK!, and much less busy schedules in the evenings. I'm also looking forward to time in the pool, more produce from our vegetable garden, and eating more watermelon than is probably healthy for me.
But, for the first time ever, I'm not really looking forward to having all my kids at home all day. Wow. I can't believe I just wrote that! I've always been the mom who loves having all her chicks home with her. And, I still feel that way for the most part, but I'm feeling a little anxious, too.
Last summer was very difficult for me. Clara was still a tiny, nursing around the clock infant, potty training Gustin was going absolutely no where and the dynamics between Gustin and the older kids were tough. Gustin was trying to figure out his place with respect to the older two (I now understand why being a third child is hard) and his sometimes aggressive, always stubborn personality was really starting to show itself. And, I was going through postpartum depression.
I keep reminding myself that this summer will be different. Clara only nurses briefly once in the morning and once at night now. The postpartum depression is long gone. The potty training still isn't complete (Gustin does pee in the potty now, but only manages to not poop in his pants a few times a week), but it is definitely improving lately. Turning 4 a couple of weeks ago seemed to motivate him a bit, thank the Lord!
This summer will not be a repeat of last summer.
But, Gustin is still a very strong-willed child. There are days where he fights me over absolutely everything! Earlier this week he absolutely refused to eat his favorite lunch and voluntarily refused any snacks or any other food until dinner time and only ate a couple of bites then. It's a control thing for him (just like the potty training) and he won't do anything that he doesn't decide he wants to do.
Please, don't get me wrong. I love this little boy very deeply! He is strong-willed, but he is also very generous, attentive and loving. He cracks us up all the time and is so very imaginative.
But, I pray every day that God will give me the wisdom and courage to be the mom that Gustin needs me to be. He's forcing me to grow and to learn to be patient with a capital P and sometimes it hurts. But, motherhood is my vocation, which means it's my path to heaven, so I shouldn't expect it to be easy. In fact, without Gustin here to help smooth out my rough edges, I wouldn't have nearly as many opportunities to grow as a person. He's helping me on my path to sainthood, and, hopefully, I'm helping him on his path as well. So, every night when I say my prayers, after I pray for the Lord's grace and guidance, I also thank God for my little boy and for the amazing opportunity to be his mother.
I'm looking forward to more relaxed mornings, not packing lunches, NO HOMEWORK!, and much less busy schedules in the evenings. I'm also looking forward to time in the pool, more produce from our vegetable garden, and eating more watermelon than is probably healthy for me.
But, for the first time ever, I'm not really looking forward to having all my kids at home all day. Wow. I can't believe I just wrote that! I've always been the mom who loves having all her chicks home with her. And, I still feel that way for the most part, but I'm feeling a little anxious, too.
Last summer was very difficult for me. Clara was still a tiny, nursing around the clock infant, potty training Gustin was going absolutely no where and the dynamics between Gustin and the older kids were tough. Gustin was trying to figure out his place with respect to the older two (I now understand why being a third child is hard) and his sometimes aggressive, always stubborn personality was really starting to show itself. And, I was going through postpartum depression.
I keep reminding myself that this summer will be different. Clara only nurses briefly once in the morning and once at night now. The postpartum depression is long gone. The potty training still isn't complete (Gustin does pee in the potty now, but only manages to not poop in his pants a few times a week), but it is definitely improving lately. Turning 4 a couple of weeks ago seemed to motivate him a bit, thank the Lord!
This summer will not be a repeat of last summer.
But, Gustin is still a very strong-willed child. There are days where he fights me over absolutely everything! Earlier this week he absolutely refused to eat his favorite lunch and voluntarily refused any snacks or any other food until dinner time and only ate a couple of bites then. It's a control thing for him (just like the potty training) and he won't do anything that he doesn't decide he wants to do.
Please, don't get me wrong. I love this little boy very deeply! He is strong-willed, but he is also very generous, attentive and loving. He cracks us up all the time and is so very imaginative.
But, I pray every day that God will give me the wisdom and courage to be the mom that Gustin needs me to be. He's forcing me to grow and to learn to be patient with a capital P and sometimes it hurts. But, motherhood is my vocation, which means it's my path to heaven, so I shouldn't expect it to be easy. In fact, without Gustin here to help smooth out my rough edges, I wouldn't have nearly as many opportunities to grow as a person. He's helping me on my path to sainthood, and, hopefully, I'm helping him on his path as well. So, every night when I say my prayers, after I pray for the Lord's grace and guidance, I also thank God for my little boy and for the amazing opportunity to be his mother.
Friday, May 20, 2011
Testing... testing...
Is anyone out there? Does anyone read my neglected little blog? I wouldn't blame anyone for abandoning it. More than three months without a post. Wow. Pretty pitiful.
I do miss my blog, though. I miss interacting with all you wonderful Catholic women (do any men read this blog I wonder?). I don't know when I'll be posting again, though I do hope it will be soon. But, I know better than to make any promises at this stage of my life. Maybe things will slow down a bit once school is out? Maybe not.
I did have an amazing experience this week that I'd like to briefly share with you all. Our pastor approached a friend of mine recently asking her if she wouldn't mind getting together a few mothers who had experienced natural childbirth. He had be spending a lot of time contemplating the Blessed Mother and wanted to speak with some women about motherhood so he could deepen his own relationship with Mary. So, a mother of four who lost a child as a toddler, a mother of 5 who is expecting her sixth child and myself spent two hours with our priest talking about everything from pregnancy to childbirth to nursing (the emotional and spiritual sides, not the gritty details as our pastor was quick to point out.) It was such an amazing experience! I was on an intense spiritual high afterward. I learned so much speaking with other mothers, whom I highly respect, about our vocation and the insights that our pastor had were profound. It would take many more blog posts to communicate everything that I experienced that day and I really don't think that I'm a talented enough writer to do it all justice. I left with a deep sense of gratitude for motherhood, our Blessed Mother and the priesthood.
I'm praying for all you mamas out there (and all of you patiently waiting for the opportunity to be mothers)! Please remember to pray for our priests. They need men and women faithfully living out their vocations as mothers and fathers just as much as we need them to be holy priests.
And, finally, I'll close in a way that is becoming a tradition on this blog, with a picture totally unrelated to the post content. Enjoy!
I do miss my blog, though. I miss interacting with all you wonderful Catholic women (do any men read this blog I wonder?). I don't know when I'll be posting again, though I do hope it will be soon. But, I know better than to make any promises at this stage of my life. Maybe things will slow down a bit once school is out? Maybe not.
I did have an amazing experience this week that I'd like to briefly share with you all. Our pastor approached a friend of mine recently asking her if she wouldn't mind getting together a few mothers who had experienced natural childbirth. He had be spending a lot of time contemplating the Blessed Mother and wanted to speak with some women about motherhood so he could deepen his own relationship with Mary. So, a mother of four who lost a child as a toddler, a mother of 5 who is expecting her sixth child and myself spent two hours with our priest talking about everything from pregnancy to childbirth to nursing (the emotional and spiritual sides, not the gritty details as our pastor was quick to point out.) It was such an amazing experience! I was on an intense spiritual high afterward. I learned so much speaking with other mothers, whom I highly respect, about our vocation and the insights that our pastor had were profound. It would take many more blog posts to communicate everything that I experienced that day and I really don't think that I'm a talented enough writer to do it all justice. I left with a deep sense of gratitude for motherhood, our Blessed Mother and the priesthood.
I'm praying for all you mamas out there (and all of you patiently waiting for the opportunity to be mothers)! Please remember to pray for our priests. They need men and women faithfully living out their vocations as mothers and fathers just as much as we need them to be holy priests.
And, finally, I'll close in a way that is becoming a tradition on this blog, with a picture totally unrelated to the post content. Enjoy!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)