Burning the Candle at Both Ends

Seven Quick-Takes

Seven short items to update on life around here. Read more bloggers' Quick takes here .  

 #1 Wedding plans chugging along. We ordered the gown and it is gorgeous! And that's all I can say about that. Pictures on or about May 23, 2010!   The happy couple is registering for all their household items at Macy's and Target.  Brings back alot of old memories of starting out all those years ago when I needed EVERYTHING, including the kitchen sink. This is such an exciting time!

#2 Tomorrow is Ben's last cross-country meet for this year. Weather is looking dicey, but I believe it takes a monsoon to cancel these meets, so I am planning to gather up the umbrellas!

#3 We've been firing up the woodstove for the last few evenings... I love the cozy feeling it gives the house. Especially when walking in from the cold, damp weather we've been having!

#4 Dancers: I've got three beautiful ballet dancers living here now! Hannah is 6 and in her third year; Rebecca is 14 and has never taken dance before. The school they attend offers a class for teens who have never danced but want to learn. This is perfect...some stretching and basic ballet exercises. Jessie, at 19 , has been dancing since she was three. She thought she wouldn't be able to fit three classes a week into her schedule, but missed it so much that she is finding the time!

#5 Boys' movie night.  Dan works long hours and doesn't get to spend alot of time "playing" with Thomas. So we instituted a guys' movie night. We got ideas from here . It is working out great and is quickly becoming something they look forward to each week. Quality time with Dad does not necessarily have to mean wrestling and throwing around a ball. Sharing these movies has opened up some great conversations between the two of them and has become a tool for bonding we hadn't considered.

#6 Girls' movie night. Not to be outdone, Hannah has insisted on her own movie night with Mom... complete with a "No Boys Allowed" sign posted on the door.  That's OK with me, because I have the complete Seasons 1 & 2 of  Little House on the Prairie on DVD . Without realizing it, these have served as the perfect counter-balance to the Disney Channel culture, which, try as I might to resist, seems to keep seeping into this house, like so much sludge! After only one epsode of Little House, Hannah was deciding which dress to wear the next day. She has a particular calico dress which looks alot like Laura's. 

#7 If you think you are hearing maracas coming your way, it is probably just me. I am taking so many vitamins and supplements in my effort to resist colds and flus this season and to fight the nagging cold I do have, I must rattle when I walk! I have to say, even though I do have a cold, it has been mild compared to past colds. I just wish I could get to feeling 100% again, because a nagging cold that drags on, even though not serious, is just annoying!

Have a beautful weekend!

Wordless Wednesday Meets Quicktakes Friday

 My big girls find their way to the stove at Aunt MaryClaire and Uncle Mike's house 

Hannah runs for the gold at her fall track championship

Luke escapes while visitng the family in NJ, but is dragged back by the collar...

...and thrown in jail!

The eensy weensy spider set up camp on the door to the deck... the kids were fascinated with his dinner.

Halloween in the back of a pick-up

Ben's fall championship cross-country meet... approaching what is aptly called " hernia hill"

See more great pictures at Wordless Wednesday and read other folks'  Seven Quick Takes  at Conversion Diary.

Have a great weekend!

 

 
 

Seven Quick Takes

 

I can't believe how difficult I am finding it to post on my blog these days.  I think that is why I enjoy participating in memes when I can... someone else has done the thinking for me and I just have to fill in the blanks. Here are my quick takes for this week:

1.  All our fall activities are in full swing and this year seems busier than ever! Even though we currently have five drivers livign in the house, there are still days when I need two of me to get everyone else where they need to be!

2.  Wedding plans... the date is May 23, 2010 NOT 2011!!!!! We have so much left to do I am embarassed to go public.  I know it will get done, but my usual last-minute mentality won't be helpful this time.  I mean, if I want to go down a dress size (or two..or more) by May, now is the time, right? I won't even go into more details of things we need to do... I'll focus on the things we have done... Church, hall, Pre-cana... all booked.  Next time I update on the plans, Ihope to have MANY more details taken care of.

3.  We are starting to get a few chilly mornings here and there, I love this time of year.  But, another thing you can't do last-minute (besides wedding plans) is acquire firewood.  UGH! I think we are actually going to have to purchase  some this year. We have paid next to nothing to heat our home for the last two years, so this hurts!

4.  Received wonderful news that my neice, who was suffering from infertility isn't anymore!She  is entering her fourth month!  It has been making me happy all week just thinking about it!

5.   Whole Foods lobster bisque! YUM! 

6.  The chill in the air tells me it is time to do the summer-winter clothing switch. I love this time of year. My goal is to have it done by the end of this weekend.

7.  The chill in the air also gets me thinking of cooking.  Breads, soups, pies, you name it. I am hoping to get some things filling the freezer this weekend.

Check out other bloggers' Quick Takes at  Conversion Diary . Then go have yourself a wonderful weekend! See you Monday.   

Seven Quick-Takes Friday

 

#1    Jessie is going to Italy in two weeks! I will be praying hard for her on this trip. It's funny how I am the one who encouraged her to travel at any opportunity that she got while in college, but now that she is going, I am terrified.  If only there hadn't been two plane crashes in NY in the past month, I think I would be better. She seems fine about it all, so it is up to me to worry for the both of us! It's what I do best!

#2     I have been making homemade granola bars for the house this week. In an effort to cut down on premade and packaged food I have eliminated powdered drink mixes by making my own herbal iced tea blends, I make my own taco seasoning mix to avoid the extra salt and MSG in the packets, and I make homemade granola cereal. I have been happy that the children have been enjoying the granola bars as well because the packaged ones are loaded with sugar and are also getting expensive.  We delude ourselves into thinking that it says "granola" so it must be good for us, but once you get acquainted with the labels, you see that isn't necessarily so. ( I will be posting some of these recipes in the coming days)

#3     Dan's job... I am so thankful that up to this point it seems secure. In the economy today, anything can happen, so we are careful not to take things for granted... like always having somewhere to go to work each morning!  Earlier in the week there was a job fair in Manhattan near Dan's job. He said the line was several people deep, wrapped around the block, with people standing out in the cold with their resumes in hand .I think the word he used to describe the scene was "disturbing".  Let's remember to keep this nation's economy in prayer, and especially those who have been hit with unemployment because of it.  

#4    The family website my brother and I set up is up and running. Looks like a good response from the family, so far. I'm happy about that.

#5    Hannah got over her strep infection and then  immediately went into asthma! Poor kid. I think every large family has that one who seems to get everything.  Luckily, she is a good patient.

#6    American Idol.  Every  year I vow not to get into it, but my kids rope me in!  It is actually nice because all of them, from youngest to oldest, enjoy the show. It is fun hearing their opinions and  seeing  what they like and don't like.  Another thing I like about the show is that usually, a genuinely "nice" person wins.   It is refreshing to see that America still likes a "nice guy/girl". Hoping the same holds true for this year.

#7    It is getting late, but I think this weekend we may sneak away for an overnight trip to the east end of Long Island. There is quite a bit to do out east even during the winter. For the months of February and March many of the restaurants and wineries are participating in a jazz festival.  There is also a large outlet center which I need to visit... oh, and a bit of alone time with my man will be nice,too!

Go to ConversionDiary  to read other bloggers' quick-takes.

7 Quick-Takes Friday

 

#1.  Nancy Pelosi slays me.  Read this article from Catholic News Agency to see how she spins her visit with Pope Benedict. As if he lives to please her. Here is an excerpt:

In her statement, Pelosi says:

“It is with great joy that my husband, Paul, and I met with His Holiness, Pope Benedict XVI, today. In our conversation, I had the opportunity to praise the Church’s leadership in fighting poverty, hunger, and global warming, as well as the Holy Father’s dedication to religious freedom and his upcoming trip and message to Israel. I was proud to show His Holiness a photograph of my family’s papal visit in the 1950s, as well as a recent picture of our children and grandchildren.”

  I had a funny image in my head of the Pope patiently trying to explain Catholic moral teaching and the Natural Law while she is pulling out her wallet to show him pictures, saying "See my family took me to the Vatican in the 1950's... doesn't that count for anything? And look my family has babies. Look at my grandchildren. We don't believe in aborting ALL babies... just the inconvenient ones".

#2.  Dan just bought a copy of Quicken in yet another attempt to get us on some kind of budget. Now he wants receipts and explanations as to where the money is going!!!! I smell trouble.

#3. Danielle Bean has written an insightful piece on overpraising our children.  I am generous with praise over both small and large successes with my own children. But I don't hand out empty praise... I feel it cheapens the real thing and makes us less worthy of our children trusting our words.  Recently one of our basketball playing children came home with an MVP certificate. I can acknowledge he has heart and team spirit, but MVP... not really! Even he recognized  the empty accolades that came along with this award.  He brought it home all crumpled up with a bite taken out of the corner of the paper! He didn't even show it to me! When children are deserving of kudos, by all means, dish them out liberally, but otherwise, encourage them to try harder, study more, or whatever they need to do. We should also be training our chldren to do their best simply for its own sake... not necessarily for recognition. God has blessed each and every one of us with certain gifts and using them to the best of our abilitiy gives Him glory... that alone should be motivation enough!

#4.  This has been the most boring winter break in our family's history. Hannah had strep and the rest of us were confined because of it.  I have no imagination when it comes to dreaming  up ideas to redeem us from the boredom this coming weekend.  Hopefully Dan will come through and plan something fun! If not, I may just pull the covers over my head and sleep in!

#5.  A certain family who lives in Blue House has asked my husband to be the Godfather for their newest addition. We are both tickled!

#6.  As one of seven children, I  find it increasingly difficult to stay in touch with extended family as time goes on. It has been even more dificult since the passing of my Dad. At least we all spoke to him on a regular basis and he would fill us in on the others.  One of my brohters and I found a website called My Great Big Family which makes it simple to design a webpage for your family and extended family. We are having so much fun with this and can't wait to unveil it to the rest of our siblings. If you have a large family, spread around the country, as we do, I would recommend this service.  Of course, the proof will be seen when the rest of the family actually starts to join in the fun!

#7 I don't think dogs have nerve endings on their tongue. Why do I say this, you ask? Two reasons: our dog Luke will eat anything... and I mean anything. He must not have tase buds! Let's just leave it at that. Second .. the other night while I was checking what was roasting in the oven, he licked the blazing hot oven door! And then came back for seconds! Ouch. 

Go to Conversion Diary to read the quick-takes of other bloggers! 

Seven Quick Takes Friday

1.  Things are going pretty well with Luke, our latest addition. He is a lovable hound mixed breed. He has all the great qualities that people love about dogs... he loves to play; he hates when you leave;  but he is ecstatic when you come home. He is cute and loves to have his belly rubbed or just to rest his head on your lap.  He is at his cutest when he does something wrong.. which leads me to the qualities that people hate about having a dog.  He gets into mischief... to put it mildly. He likes My Little Pony toys, fuzzy slippers and robes and dirty laundry. He has that really annoying way of "getting to know" new people who come to the house! (embarrasssing!) He likes destroying carpet. He also has a taste for small animals.  The first time he drops a bird or squirrel at my feet may be the last!

2. Ballet. I was deprived of ballet classes as a child. Well, gosh darnit, I wasn't going to let my daughters grow up feeling deprived! This week their ballet school had open classes where parents, friends and family are permitted to observe a class. Wow!  My eighteen year old was amazing. There is just so much control and strength invoved in the exercises she does. Even though it doesn't look strenuous, the concentration and discipline is evident. I was truly blown away. The five year old's class was adorable. I love that this school teaches technique through age-apprpriate games. The little ones have so much fun while also learning.

Much to her chagrin, Jessie, the 18yo., is developing some muscles in her legs she didn't know she had. Apparently dancers call them "cankles"'. This condition occurs when your ankle muscles develop to a point that there is no definition between the ankle and calf. It came on rather quickly once she became serious about pointe work. I am happy to say  that her love of dance is greater than her love of dainty ankles!

3. Ben... I don't write much about him. He is my still water. At sixteen, he doesn't always have alot to say out loud, but clearly there is alot going on beneath the surface. He loves running and is on his school's cross country, winter, and spring track teams. He loves anything related to the computer.. especially gaming. He is great at strategy games and building things. He comes in really handy at Christmas when gifts come with the dreaded words  "assembly required" stamped all over the box! He has a great sense of humor and keeps the whole family in stiches when he gets on a roll! His performance on his PSAT's is garnering mail from colleges that accept applicants after the tenth or eleventh grades! Yikes! I didn't know that was possible.  But I think we'll hold on to him here for a few more years, thank you .

4. On Saturday night, my very shy boy, Thomas was persuaded to perform on the keyboard for some friends of ours.  It took some work to convince him to do it, but he played "Ode to Joy" so sweetly. I was teared up, not just because of his playing, but THAT he played at all. And not badly at that! I was a very proud mama!

5.  Our homeschool music class got off to a great start last Friday. We had seventeen children participating the first week, with six more to join the fun from now on.  Driving some of the children to our weekly ice skating outing afterward was a joy! They were practicing their songs in the back of the van. It sounded like the Von Trapp Famliy Singers!

6. One week and counting til the engagement party! I am usually one to do parties at home, but since it is winter, and it would be crowded in the house, we  opted to have this one in a restaurant.  I think that will make it easier to get to know Katie's future in-laws somewhere other than standing at the kitchen sink while washing  dishes, which is where I usually  am during our home parties!  Even so, I am hoping the bridal shower will be at home!

7. Finally... a word about my Becky... she starts HIGH SCHOOL next year!!! How the heck did that happen???

Go visit Conversion Diary to check out other bloggers' Quick Takes.