3 Year Old Wisdom

Babycakes:
Do you know why dogs stick dare tongues out?

Daddy:
No, why do they?

Babycakes:
Because day are dogs.



**Daddy does actually know why dogs do this, just fyi.

Happy New Year!

God Bless You All!

Almost Wordless Wednesday-Work Those Abs!

The girl will not lay flat. Ever. It's funny, because we will sit her up then and she will stiffen her legs and lay back and do it again.

Baking Bread

Any tips on baking homemade bread? I'm terrible. I thought it was my yeast, as I've thought in the past...throw it out, get new yeast...nope! It's the baker.

Hard, dense loaves. They do still taste good, with butter, lots of butter.

Do You Ever...

Get all caught up on laundry, then decide to take a day off from it, only to find you are behind again?

3 Year Old People

I never tire of these cute little people that Babycakes draws!
I'm not sure why their legs are always connected at the bottom, but they are so darned cute!

Fun, Simple Craft

I saw something similar to this snowflake/ornament on Crafty Crow, this is my version...we have to get some white buttons! We are planning on making a bunch of white ones for January snowflakes, but they sure turned out nice for Christmas ornaments!
Jedi is the only one who got burned by the glue gun....his first burn ever!

We hung them in a doorway

Steps 1,2, 3 to make the base

The kiddos actually made a lot more than this, they loved coming up with creations!

A Great Game!

My good friend Sarah, gave us this game for Christmas! It is so fun to play!

(I've seen it in the Mindware catalog, but they no longer sell it, if interested, you can get it on Amazon.com)

It's a new family favorite, as is Apples to Apples!

Merry Christmas!

We all had a wonderful Christmas and hope you did too!

This is what we woke up to Christmas morn....beautiful!

Wordless Wednesday (4 months old tomorrow)

Something No One Ever Talks About

Losing hair after baby.

It happens.

Every time.

When pregnant, I remember the day my hair stops falling out. That happens too. Everyone loses hair. When you have long, dark, curly hair, though, you can't hide it. It's on the floor, in the shower, on the bathroom counter, on my clothes....hopefully not in my food!

SO, while pregnant, somewhere in the middle, when my hair stops falling out, it is SO nice. It's just one of those little things no one talks about. No more taking the hair out of the shower, or the tub, or off the bathroom floor.

I also remember the day I start losing hair again.

It started last week, I noticed a couple hairs on me in the shower. (that had fallen off my head)

Now, today, I had a LOT more. My grace period has ended. Bye bye thick hair...back to my fine, thinner hair, back to picking up chunks out of the shower, out of the tub, off the floor, off the comb after washing my hair!

It kind of makes you realize all the changes and hormones that are going crazy in your body after having a baby and while nursing.

Makes me so very thankful for the gift of these changes and God's magnificent plan for each of us, as He knows every hair that falls from every head.

SO, maybe my grace period is actually beginning. Believe me I need grace.

I need lots of it.

Pretty in Pink

Sweetie Pie sound asleep...
until, mama has to get me dressed to go out in the cold!
This picture is for Jessica, who knows why!

All bundled up to go out with mommy and daddy on their Anniversary!

Some More Crafts

American Violet

My husband and I watched this last week. It was based on a true story and it was very good!!

Sad that this actually goes on all the time.

13 Year Anniversary Sunday!

This is actually from last Christmas, but, I am 25 lbs lighter, than now, so it's the one I'm picturing
Here we are, so young, so long ago, so many things to tell you young couple. this is the $100 dress I had someone sew and the homemade flowers I made to save money, but, I couldn't be happier, I am so very blessed. I think that our love and blessings have just multiplied over the years!
13 years flew by, yet seem like forever.


We will celebrate by going out to lunch (Sweetie Pie is happier in the daytime) and then some finish-up shopping together.
If you click on the picture, you can see it much better!

Not SO Wordless Wednesday

"Oh, these amazing hands are so yummy!"
"Here, let me pull them away like this, for a quick picture!"

Movies and Food!

This is one of my all time favorite movies! I found it last week, while Christmas shopping and picked up one for me and one for someone on my list!

Pizza Ranch has become our new favorite restaurant! Salad for mommy and pizza, chicken fries, dessert, you name it, they have everything kiddos like (daddy too). Notice how when you have kids, you tend to eat at places you'd probably not eat at....like Old Country Buffet? Gosh, I really only like the salad there, but the kiddos LOVE that place!
I watched this movie this past weekend. I was disappointed. It was ok. It was good, I guess. I was expecting so much more after hearing so much about it from other bloggers and friends. I did love Meryl Streep as Julia Child, she did such a great job. I did kind of want to go cook something afterward....kind of...
The blogging part was pretty funny and pretty true...

"Pink" Sunday

Yesterday was Gaudete Sunday. Which means Rejoice.

My girls had no problem wearing pink for this special day!

Sacrament of Confession

Ballerina Rosie all ready to go!
She said the little girl behind her was very scared and her mom and grandma kept coming over to console her. "Why was she scared, mom?"
Her first words to me after her Confession were "I feel so happy!"
God bless you sweet girl, God bless you!

Another Simple Craft!

These days, I'm all about simple crafts! Here's one, paint paper or cardboard, (cardboard works better as it doesn't curl up like the ones on the left) and then glue cotton balls on. The child also could paint white stripes.

JMJ: I don't know how to put all the crafts together, I'll have to go through and start labeling my posts! Starting now...

7 Things!

I'm not good enough at blogging to commit to anything like the "7 Quick Takes", but here's 7 things I won't ever have enough time to blog about in 7 posts!

It finally snowed here in Minnesota and the kiddos are loving it!!! The only bad thing is it is also finally really, really cold. Too cold to play too long outside....warm up is on the way though, 20 degrees expected Saturday!
These 2 pictures of Sweetie Pie are for Margaret, she is starting to fit into her 3-6 months size clothes and these tees are 100% adorable on her!

Anyone catch the final finale of "Monk"? I've watched him off and on over the past few years and I was really pleased with the final show, it was really cute...don't you think?

Our Catholic Women's Book Club!! (5 are missing in this picture, oh, and I'm taking the picture)

This lovely group of ladies meets in my cold, mixed furniture basement twice a month.

from L-R Amanda, Louise, Clarissa, Susan, Sandy,

Brenda (holding Sweetie Pie), Ann Marie and Christine .

I cut Babycakes hair (age 3 1/2) it was almost to her butt and the ends were stringy and hard to comb through, I cut about 4 inches BUT, I forgot to take a "before" picture....dumb mama!

It looks so cute though!

Ballerina Rosie will be making her first Confession (Reconciliation as they call it now) tomorrow morning! I took Christine's idea of "white gifts" and bought her these, and she gets to take a bath tonight in my big tub, explaining to her that her outside is nice and clean, now Confession will make her inside clean and pure also!

Finally, an easy, Christmas craft for anyone to do! Christmas wreaths made from paper plates, & bingo dabbers! (save your circles for snowmen in January)

Happy Feast days everyone!! We'll be making paper bag tilmas for Our Lady of Guadalupe!

So Hard to Forgive

My aunt's funeral was yesterday. It was very nice. One of her sons gave a beautiful talk about her after Mass. He talked about how she was good at being both Martha and Mary. My aunt survived 5 different cancers and ended up dying from an infection from one of her lung surgeries. She was given the grace to prepare her soul, how blessed she is and her family to see this.




My parents actually did go to this funeral, which I'm glad of. Back after this happened, my mom asked their "priest" and he said they should go to funerals in the future. The problem is, I ended up sitting behind them during Mass, I tried to sit in front of them, but the priest had everyone move up closer, as the church was not very full. I had to see my dad and mom not even acknowledge Jesus, they would not even kneel!!!




I don't even know what I feel. Shock, disgust, anger, sadness, embarrassment, I don't know.
For those newer to my blog, the story is here. A short version is that about 3 1/2 years ago, my parents left the Roman Catholic Church and joined the SSPX Church. (which is pre-Vatican II and not in union with the Holy Father)



I do know one thing I feel, that is that I have not forgiven them. I feel betrayed. I'm just having a really hard time just letting go. I can't get past it. I'm praying for me to forgive and of course for them to return to Rome. I know the forgiving part has to come first. I never thought of myself as not forgiving, but I need the grace, I guess to forgive this one. It's easy to think I've forgiven them, when I don't see them, but when funerals, holidays and birthdays come up, well...I realize it's not happened yet.



Not much else to say here, just had to get it off my mind, couldn't even blog about anything else until I did. Thank you for listening and thank you for your prayers.


I get along with all my friends and anyone I meet. It's family that's hard. As someone told me once, it's because you don't get to pick family. So true.

Advent Thoughts

I've been seeing all over blog world, signs and hopes of slowing down, having a stress-free Advent, a slower, almost time-stopping era before Christmas comes. Take away all the extra things we mothers do during Advent to prepare for Christmas. We take out decorations, decorate the house, go get trees, or put them up, decorate them, (some of us twice) we plan our gifts, buy them and wrap them. We plan and make special meals and bake special treats. Take away all that and think about what we already do. Alot. That "alot" still has to be done, taking care of our families.


Time is not going to stop for us. It's not going to be as peaceful as we want it to be. We will be busy, no matter how hard we try for it to not be busy. We put too much pressure on ourselves to achieve that "perfect" Advent.


I really think the only way to make Advent count is to add those little things that bring us closer to God. Stay close to the Sacraments. Frequent Confession. Extra Masses. Adoration. Novenas. Teaching our children about Jesus and why we have Advent to help us prepare our hearts for Him. How preparing that heart is our gift to God and in return we are given more grace.



If Jesus were physically, actually coming to our home on December 25th, wouldn't we be cleaning, baking, decorating and sending invitations (Christmas cards), to everyone? I would be. I'm such a Martha.


I love the season of Advent. I love the busy-ness of it. I love the preparations and all that goes with it all. I don't necessary love the crowded stores, but it does give me an opportunity to give lots of smiles to lots of people. It gives me an opportunity to hopefully let Christ shine through me, while standing in line with others, or letting someone go ahead of me, just because. Waiting in lines give me the opportunity to rest and see the beauty of it all.


There is so much more to Advent than what I've touched here, like giving to the poor, the lonely, comforting the sick. There are so many opportunities. Opportunities that are always there, not only in Advent.


Lord, help me to stay close to the Sacraments this Advent season. Help me to teach my children all that You want me to. Bring me closer to You. Help me prepare my heart for You.


Happy Feast of the Immaculate Conception Everyone!! It's snowing here, symbolizing Mary's pure perfection!

It's Up!

After an hour and 1/2, my husband got it up to stay. Branches were cut, the trunk cut and it still fell...without resorting to screwing it to the floor, (which gave me a chuckle, great idea though)

We ran to the store and bought a new bottom for it! Note to everyone buying bottoms: Don't buy the $7 one, buy the $18 one, it is more expensive for a reason. It works.

Now, we will dress the tree again!

Sunday Morning Conversation

On the way to Mass:


Mary Hannah (age 5): So, Jesus is born on Christmas Day, what happens on Easter?


Daddy: Jesus rises from the dead.


Mary Hannah: Hmmmmmmm...Okay, so Jesus is born on Christmas Day and He rises from the dead on Easter....what happens to Jesus in the Fall?

Monday Morning!

This is the way our tall, skinny, tree looked last night...
This is the way it looked this morning!
Great way to start my Monday morning....
I cannot get the tree to stand up, I think it's too tall and skinny!
We took all the ornaments off, unplugged the lights and laid it back down.
My floor is soaked, I'd just filled it with water about a 1/2 hour before it fell.
Crabby mama is around today.

God Is So Amazing

Saturday, my 69 year old aunt died.
Saturday, my good friend Sarah's, 90 some year old grandfather died.
Saturday, a friend had a baby girl, a sweet, precious baby girl!



I'm amazed at how BIG our Lord is. Look at all these major life changing events. They all happened very close to eachother. It's too much for my mind to even grasp. God is in control of it all. Lives ending, new life coming forth. So many prayers going up to Heaven.



Thank you for your prayers for my aunt's soul. She died in a state of grace, wearing a scapular, surrounded by her family. She had 9 children (2 are in heaven). I keep thinking about how much her children's lives are so changed now, how yesterday, we celebrated the feast of St Nicholas and went and got a tree, but they won't be doing that now, if at all, instead they will be planning a funeral. And missing their mom.


I have lots of aunts, and feel close to all of them. (my dad had 7 sisters) I keep tearing up every time I think of her and what her kids are going through now.


Eternal rest grant unto her oh, Lord,
and let Perpetual Light shine upon her.
May her soul and the souls of all the faithful departed, through the Mercy of God, rest in peace.
Amen.

Please Pray

For my aunt Carole's soul. She passed away this evening. She has fought cancer for years now. She is my dad's oldest sister. Thank you so very much.

Back to Sleep?

We've always had our babies sleep on their backs, because of that "Back to Sleep" campaign out there to prevent SIDS deaths. Our 3rd child actually, literally, never took naps, except during nursing. I think she might have, had I given in to the "no tummy sleeping" rule. Sweetie Pie is just like her. BUT, I've given in to the rule, she does sleep good on her tummy. I pray to all the angels to protect her while she is sleeping. When on her tummy, she actually sleeps long, like sometimes 3 hours!!! Do you know how much a mama can get done in 3 hours? (alot) Do you know how much a mama can get done when there is no nap? (not much)

What do you do? I feel so guilty when I let her sleep on her tummy. I check often. I check for blue lips and breathing movement constantly.

Are some babies just tummy sleepers and other not? Is it ok to let them sleep on their tummies? Dear Lord, bless our sweet babies when they sleep, keep them safe. Thank You for the gift of their beautiful little souls, help us to take good care of them.

Amen.