Just Another Manic Monday

I wish it were Sunday...

Yesterday, I woke to a smiley, content, little baby who nursed and fell back asleep so I could more easily get everyone ready for Mass. The steam rising over the shower door reminded me how blessed we are. To top it off, my wonderful dh brought me hot, toasted, and perfectly buttered (this is an OCD quirk of mine) cinnamon raisin bread from Panera. We then headed out for a beautiful Palm Sunday Mass. It was a peaceful morning.

This morning, well let's just say peaceful wouldn't be an adjective I would choose. Fussy babies, yucky diapers, bloody noses, and grueling Math lessons have been the order of the morning. Even Banana remarked that there was just something about Monday mornings, and this Monday morning has been a doozy. Not exactly the way I wanted to start our Holy Week; but as dh says, how you begin is not as important as how you finish.

Daddy's Home

While trying, unsuccessfully, to get a video of Gabriel's first little smiles, I captured a moment that occurs daily, often repeatedly, in our house.



In case you missed it, the heat turns on. The dog barks because she thinks it is the garage door and she will be fed. Bear hears the dog bark and says "Daddy's home." Banana hears Bear and quite loudly repeats, "DAD'S HOME!" Well, then you hear the rest...

What you didn't hear was Bophie's little feet running back through the kitchen and her announcement that dad was, indeed, not home. You also didn't get the chance to hear this scene repeat itself four more times until Dad actually was home.

Prophetic?

A few months ago I thought the day I had been anticipating had come. I, however, was thwarted by dh who had been praying the day would be long delayed. We found that we were rather divided in our prayers about our major household appliances. I was thankful at the time that dh was able to fix our ancient, ailing machine; but I also ended my post with a wish that his fix would only last until March. Turns out that was prophetic, or maybe just a self-fulfilling prophecy (could it have been I was trying to wash too many winter comforters?).

This week the machine went kaput-- for good. Today, these new beauties arrived and were installed. They are now getting quite a workout as I attempt to catch up on laundry.

**P.S. Don't I have the cutest washing machine model?

Wordless Wednesday

Happy feast of St. Patrick

Who's Been Sleeping in My Bed?

**I was going to save this for Wordless Wednesday, but I am too absentminded these days so there is every chance if I waited it would slip into the abyss that is now known as post-pregnancy brain...

Lost and Found

A small miracle occurred in our house this week. On a bright, sunny Monday afternoon, the two older girls were out of the house and somehow I managed to get all four- all f.o.u.r- little ones to nap at the same time. The house was bright and quiet, too quiet. Suddenly, it occurred to me why it was so amazingly quiet. I had let the dog out, and I couldn't remember letting her back inside.

Stealthily, I moved through the house. I am a bit (though by no means very much) lighter on my feet without a nine pound boy. In every room I whispered, "Bella!" but there was no tell tale ringing of her collar on the floor.

Oh, that dog drives me crazy. Of course she had to go out as I was trying to get lunch on the table, wash Joseph's hands after they found the toilet, take Juju's shoes off, deal with little Gabe who was fussing at being put down, and take a phone call. How could I have possibly remembered to let her back in? Of course not three days ago, I was really letting Bear know how important it was to not walk away after letting Bella out, and now I had done the same thing.

Since everyone was peacefully sleeping, I quietly walked onto the back patio hoping Bella had found a sunny spot to rest. No Bella. I opened the front door and went onto the porch searching down the street. No Bella. Then I knew what had to be done. No matter how horrible it seemed, it was my only choice. Or rather it was the selfless choice. I have little attachment to this dog who always seems to be causing me grief; but I could just see the faces of my older girls. I could see little Bophie's face when she realized Bella wasn't here. So I did it.

I woke Bophie and asked her to help find shoes. I woke Joseph who lay in my arms like a sack of potatoes. I crammed shoes on little feet, I stuffed limp arms into jackets, I buckled sleepy, whiny children into the stroller. Lastly, I put on my baby wrap and maneuvered little Gabe into place.

We walked, and walked, and walked. Finally, a neighbor stopped us. She had found Bella and allowed her to spend the afternoon with her. The neighbor had given her treats, played with her, and then Bella found a nice sunny spot in her house-- and NAPPED.

Happy Birthday Bophie!

My little girl is already four. It is hard to believe four years have gone by so quickly. All week she has been counting down. "Is today my birthday?" she has asked a bazillion times. This morning she woke me to tell me she was growing up; now she is four. When she is five or eight she won't have to take a nap. I told her when she is thirty-four, she'll rethink the whole nap thing :)

Bophie is my princess. She loves all things girly, tea sets, dolls, princesses, pink. She only wants to wear dresses and skirts, always wants a hair bow, and has a nice collection of charm bracelets. She tells fantastic stories, can imagine anything, and it is so fun to hear the conversations her pretend people have. She is a true mommy's girl (still) and has picked up many of my mannerisms. She talks very emphatically with her hands even when talking to herself.

I have so enjoyed her grow from the toddler age into the preschool stage, but I wish time moved more slowly. I love watching her personality grow, but the transformation seems to have come so quickly. While I look forward to all that awaits her this year, I want her to stay my precious little girl.

Happy Birthday Bophie!

Friday Food for Thought

"Without this love, you live a shallow life; you vegetate. Externally you do your spiritual exercises, fulfill the duties of your state in life, but if your heart is not there, life is not there. Without love, everything is painful, everything is tiring, everything is burdensome. The Cross, taken up hesitantly, is crushing; taken smilingly, by free will, and with love, it will carry you much more than you carry it."

--Father Jean C.J. d'Elbee in I Believe in Love

Sacred Scripture and Poopy Diapers?

This morning, after my sixth diaper change in two hours, I was reminded of one of dh's favorite bible verses.

One day when Bophie was probably a year old or so, dh was rather insistent I change her diaper. He is usually pretty helpful with diapers, so I was a little put off that he was hounding me to get to it. Finally, I finished up whatever it was I had been doing and took Bophie upstairs to tend to her stinky diaper. As I laid her down on the changing table, I found this bible verse strategically placed above it:

"Behold, I tell you a mystery. We shall not all fall asleep, but we will all be changed" 1 Corinthians 15:51.

Monday's Monkeys

This little monkey is already one month old! I can't believe how quickly this month has passed. I also l.o.v.e his crazy hair :) He is "Bananas Over Mommy," and already has a strong desire to have mom hold him all the time. Our homemade baby wrap is getting lots of use.

Monkey #2 has now been home with us a little over a month and is already sporting his second shiner. This picture was taken a few days ago, thankfully pre-second black eye and the first is finally getting lighter. He got his first rough-housing with his sisters, the second comes compliments of the garage steps. Poor kid didn't know what he was getting into when we brought him here.

Monkeys 3 and 4 are cannibals-- little people eating little people :) This was a clear case of monkey see, monkey do.