Birthday princess

Our littlest family member is five!  We celebrated her special day on Saturday with a carrot cake and presents from friends and family.  She had a wonderful day.  Gabriel commented that Gemma's birthdays are the best because of her enthusiasm.  She put on her "princess dress" and birthday crown, had her sister paint her nails with sparkly pink polish and made the most of the day.

With her being the youngest, such banner days are bittersweet, as I know that there are none to follow her.  But I cherish her special days and milestones all the more for that.

Monday Musings--20 January 2014

Right now...it's after 10 a.m., sunny and cold.  We had a late breakfast since the kids were involved in building a dummy from Gabriel's camo clothing.  

I'm feeling a little bit limp, as I stayed up with Una--suffering a bit of teen angst--until after midnight, and still got up at 5, since I could't get back to sleep after the alarm.  After prayers and coffee, it was my intention to do at least a mile on the treadmill, and I wound up doing 3.  My gosh, I'm becoming an athlete in my old age!  I couldn't do the 12-minute-mile in high school without grabbing my sides in agony and gasping for air.  

It's going to be one of those days, I can tell.  The younger kids have been bickering on and off for most of the morning, and I'm hearing a lot of um, uncharitable talk.  

This weekend was...too quickly over.  In fact, the entire week went by in a flash.  I hardly have a memory of last week, except for a highlight or two.  On Saturday, Bret went into town to run errands and here I did laundry, put up some crock pot chili, showered and did a few other chores I can't seem to recall right now.  The goal was to get everything done before lunch so that I could find time to work on my writing and spend a little time reading as well.  And that is how I spent the afternoon.  

Mass yesterday was very nice, the nicer for friends of ours whom we've not seen in ages being there.  We had a few things to pick up at the store on the way home, and then at home we relaxed and I did a little more writing.  We watched an old movie from Netflix, and then, as I said, I stayed up way too late with Una.

*yawn*

Some plans for the week:  I'm not feeling terribly ambitious at the nonce.  If I can manage to get the skeins wound for the hat Adrian's requested for his birthday next month and write a stack of receipts into the checkbook, and get dinner done tonight, I'll be satisfied.  I may write a bit or read a bit (if I can keep my eyes open), or maybe play a board game or cards with the kids.  Right now, sitting here, I am yawning incessantly.

Other things I need to do: cast on and start knitting the above mentioned hat; pay some bills, maybe try my hand at homemade tortillas (my sister and I have been discussing this) and of course do school work with the kids.

If I find time for myself, I'd like to...just read and write, really.  But I need to squeeze in some knitting, too...

I'm grateful for...the internet.  I grew up without it and had to rely on the Encyclopedia Britannica and infrequent trips to the library for research.  It is nice having all the information in the known universe at my fingertips.  I love the internet.  There; I said it.  I'm grateful for health right now, and for the gift of music (how bleak my life would be without it!) and for books and our lovely hens.  And wine.  

Some prayer intentions for this week:  I have a lot of people for whom I'm praying.  My sister and two close friends are at the top of the list this week.  My sister awaits biopsy results from her colonoscopy, one friend is getting a biopsy to tomorrow, and another friend needs to have some mammogram pictures retaken...it's all too much.  Thank goodness I also have some friends who are cancer survivors.

Something that makes me smile: her utter disregard for the mores of fashion.

{this moment}: bearded lady

 {this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.  Hosted by SouleMama.

{this moment}: cooling off

 {this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.  Hosted by SouleMama.

 

Gemma Eliana is four!

I've been lazy about getting photos up of Gemma's birthday on Sunday, but here they finally are!  Since my pretty cakes with butter cream frosting are almost always too sweet for the family, I decided to do a yellow vanilla cake with whipped cream and berries, and it went over very well.  The candles were hand-dipped beeswax, left over from Sebastian's birthday, when he dipped his own birthday candles.

       I made that birthday crown for her second birthday.  It makes me teary to compare the photos from              two years ago.  The little ones become big ones so quickly!  In the last couple of weeks she has learned to pedal her tricycle, swing herself on the swing and whistle!

      My main gift to her was a doll outfit for her boy doll, William: a shirt, jeans, cardigan, hat and booties.

      Bret's gift to her beat all.  I showed him some pictures and gave him some ideas, and he did the rest.  I           don't know if he can ever top this one.  It is absolutely awesome!

      Along with the play dishes from Gemma's auntie and Oma, the thing is irresistible, even to the boys!  She      also got a bath toy from a dear friend in North Carolina and I made her a pair of pajama bottoms and a  skirt as well.

     I can't believe she's four!

    We are all crazy about you, Gemma--you bring such light and sparkle into our home!  

{this moment}: country girl

 {this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.  Hosted by SouleMama. 

{this moment}: a classroom without walls

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.  Hosted by SouleMama.

{this moment}: hanging out with big sister

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.  Hosted by SouleMama.

{this moment}: hangin' out

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.  Hosted by SouleMama.

{this moment}: five stitches

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.  Hosted by SouleMama.

Trip to the city

Wish it was just a fun trip, but it was a visit to Vanderbilt Children's Hospital for Gemma.  She has a "horseshoe kidney" and they just wanted to monitor the growth.  Seems everything is fine and growing normally.

Gemma's had some unpleasant experiences with the medical profession, and decided that there was no way she was going to willingly lie down on the exam table.  I had to pin her with hands and both forearms to get her down on her tummy.  Of course, after a few minute she realized that ultrasounds are neither painful nor very frightening, and she relaxed, turned over when asked to do so, and watched the cartoons happily.

She was rewarded with a sticker.  We opted for Disney Princesses, since they had no Viking Shield Maiden stickers.

Nothing like praying the rosary in the van after a long day to knock everyone out...well, almost everyone!

If you haven't done so already, please do enter my giveaway from Armadillo Dreams this week!  They are giving away the most adorable chicken family!

A few little things for Gemma

I would have loved to show you photos of Gemma opening her gifts, but the lighting was so poor and the photos were terrible.  I have a couple to prove to her that we did indeed celebrate her third birthday, but they are few and Not Very Nice.  So, I am making up for it with a show-and-tell post about her gifts.

We tend not to go overboard with the gift-giving at birthdays, especially with the younger kids.  Gemma has been enjoying the things she received for her special day:

Gemma really loves the illustrations in Gyo Fujikawa's books.  They're really sweet, and this set is perfectly sized for taking along in the van.

 Lovely beeswax crayons (much better price than those from Stockmar), a gift from her aunt and uncle.

 Another book, this one from her Oma.  The illustrations are full of the most amazing details.

 And yes, another book by Gyo Fujikawa.  I tell you, we can look at these every day and not grow tired of them!

 My main gift to her was clothing for her favorite baby, Abbie.  I made a selection of mix-and-match items.

 For when the weather gets cooler...I still need a pattern for itty-bitty booties.  Just noticed the bonnet is wrong-way in the photo...the garter stitch goes 'round the face, of course.

This was my favorite outfit.  Can you believe it, I made the dress without a pattern and without even measurements!  It was risky, but it worked...the notes for the three sweaters are on my Ravelry page.

 I won this adorable weather-learning set from Armadillo Dreams on Nicole's blog a while back.  I was so impressed, I asked them if they would like to put their button on my sidebar.  I'll be hosting a giveaway for them beginning this weekend, so stay tuned!

And finally, a special bracelet from a special friend (thank's Annita!), purchased on Etsy.  Gemma loves shiny girly things!

And that's it!

Monday Musings--16 July 2012

Right now...5:45 a.m.  Way too early for all the little ones to be up, and yet up they are.  I don't like it when I have to share my "morning quiet time" with them, mainly because the quiet element is suddenly gone!  But since I got out of bed at 4 (insomnia again...)

This weekend...Well, first we had drought, and now we have an abundance of rain.  Very good for the pastures, but not so good for kids who want to go outdoors.  And the temperatures are still up in the high 90's, so it is too muggy to even open a window, even at 5 a.m.  As one who likes to sleep with open windows, it's not been pleasant.  Summer is not my favorite season.


 Saturday was Gemma's birthday, although we decided we would celebrate on Sunday.  We left the house early to get our grocery shopping done, and we were home by noon.  After putting away the groceries, I baked Gemma's cake (chocolate by request) and frosted it. The afternoon was busy with house-cleaning, showers, wrapping Gemma's gifts and such.


Yesterday was full...more full than I care for on a Sunday, but it was very nice, too.  We went to Mass at the Chapel of Divine Mercy, and afterward the younger children were enrolled in the Brown Scapular.  They have been wearing them, but only Una and Sebastian had actually been enrolled.  Bret, the oldest three kids and myself were also enrolled in the Confraternity of Angelic Warfare.  Afterward, we headed home, and after a very quick lunch, I made up some icing to decorate Gemma's cake with.  I had just finished cleaning up the kitchen, when our friend Fr. Tom came by.  The afternoon was full:  enthronement of the Divine Mercy image, followed by the Chaplet of Divine Mercy and a home-blessing; cake and homemade ice cream and an opening of gifts.  Gemma loved all her gifts, but I was a bit disappointed by the way she tore through them.  It wasn't until later that she took the time to appreciate each one.  I may post more about what we got for Gemma this week.

Some plans for this week:  Ugh.  Don't want to think about it.  I am still undecided about some of the school curriculum, and am thinking of waiting until Jessica has her homeschool curriculum blog-hop in a couple of weeks.  I really feel like that is waiting until the last minute, though, and I am eager to say, "it is done."  I have orders to place on Amazon for some birthday gifts ('tis the season for us...) and with Vitacost for some supplements.  We have a couple of orders to get out from the Etsy shop, too (the kids will be doing a lot of sanding, I think!)  Wednesday is our wedding anniversary, and we are hoping to go out to eat, if Bret isn't working too late.  I have put up batches of wine, but I have basil overgrowing and need to make pesto, and I need to tie up my tomatoes, and I might make peach jam, if the kids will leave me any of the peaches...and I have some scapulars to make/repair.

If I can find some time for myself, I would like to...work on my writing and start some holiday-gift knitting.

I am grateful for...the big box of peaches my mom got us from the co-op; a wonderfully fresh bunch of kale from someone at church, not to mention the kefir grains he gave us; sweet cantaloupe from Bret's boss; rain (oh, yes; very grateful for it after the long drought); my new Kindle (although I have used it less than have Una and Sebastian); all the graces from yesterday.  We are blessed!

Some special prayer intentions for this week:  for discernment regarding curriculum choices; for another 25 years with my husband; for nothing but good results for his CT scan Friday (he has had nodules in his lungs for at least 11 years, and they haven't changed, but we need to keep an eye on them); rain for those parts of the country--and Canada--that are still drought-stricken; for the blessing and intercession of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, whose feast is today.

Something that makes me smile:  With all the rain and humidity we've had, the kids have been indoors, and I don't take pictures indoors because of the lousy lighting.  So bear with me on the flash photo!

Hope you all have a great week!

{this moment}: pioneer girl

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.  Hosted by SouleMama.  

The stark beauty of winter

 Just a few shots taken on the way to Mass on Sunday.  After having experienced nine years of life in Tucson, Arizona, I came to the conclusion that I really am in love with the cycle of the year and the changes that take place with each season.  Although I love some seasons more than others, and each season has its pros and cons, I find beauty in every one.

Black and white photography seems to highlight what I love best about winter: the stark contrasts, the play of light and dark, the silhouetted filigree of branches against a white or steely sky...

 I don't care much for being cold.  And I don't like the mud we have in lieu of snow here in the South.  But I love the stark, somber landscape.  I will have had my fill of it, however, by the end of next month, and my heart will sing at every evidence of the coming of spring.

 We are hanging in there with our first week back at school.  I feel much better today after a good night's sleep, and the kids did well with the things they worked on today.

I have been looking into alternative therapies (read: diet, supplements, vitamins, etc.) for Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis, which Gemma seems to have.  Her doctor suspected it, but he said there wouldn't be any need to do anything much unless she was in a lot of pain.  As it stands, she wakes up with pain in her left knee or right ankle now and then, sometimes limps for a little while first thing in the morning, and has a tendency towards rashes and inflamed eyelids (just like a sty now and then).

It is, of course, an auto-immune problem.  It seems to have started with the enormous amounts of antibiotics they had to give her back in April when she seemed to have some kind of resistant bug.  Within a month of the last antibiotic, the rashes began, and then then the leg pain.  I am praying that with a good, healthy lifestyle it will not become degenerative, and that her flare-ups will become very rare.  I believe in the power of prayer, and that she could end up free of it one day, if God permits, and so there is always hope.

Strange, but in my mind, the stark beauty of a winter landscape somehow ties in well with discussing Gemma and her health problem.  Beauty in a barren landscape; sweetness in suffering--both can be overlooked, but discovered by those who know that the Cross is our salvation, and that it was the shedding of the blood of our God that made our redemption possible.

Anyway...enough musing on profound truths.  Back to folding laundry and thinking about dinner...