Wacky Tacky Thursday

Slow and Steady

We're still working with Gregory on reading.

 

It doesn't naturally appeal to him, and he doesn't see it as fun.

He'd rather be running outside non-stop playing football, baseball or soccer.

 

 

He values sports.  Part of that (in my opinion) is how much his dad and grandpa enjoy them.

 

So we tried a little experiment where John offers to read with Gregory and makes a big deal of it (like with Redskins games)

 

Suddenly, Gregory wants to read more and wants to read better to impress Dad.

 

Hopefully we can keep it up, and Gregory will realize how enjoyable reading can be.

Bunny, it's cold outside

Now if I could only get her to wear the hat for more than 30 seconds.

Heave-ho!

During the games

Just a little peek at we do during the games:

Some of us watch, while others cuddle or climb over them.

 

Sometimes football is played in our family room.

 

And some of us want to be with the family, but have no interest in the game.

(Sometimes I fall into this category too.)

 

All the fridge...

 

is her stage.

14 months today!

Brownie Crazy!

 

 

The Playoffs

There are several people in our house who really love football.   There are also some lovely blank walls that we need to buy art for.  Combine the two and you get the following wall decor: football playoff brackets

 

To make the playoffs a little more concrete and fun for Gregory we decided to make cards with each team and put the brackets up on the wall.

 

 

Gregory loves this.

 

As each team loses we cross them out and then we will move the other team forward.

 

You probably can't tell, but the card in the middle is supposed to be the Superbowl.  Thomas made that card, and the drawing is of a black alligator (his idea).

 

The Redskins' loss was a bitter blow for Gregory.  He sobbed and he insisted on crossing them out himself.

 

I see it as another way to get through these dreary winter (flu-obsessed) days for me.

 

Every week that goes by is one closer to spring.  There's also more daylight and even occasional warm days.

 

 

Now Gregory and I are rooting for the Broncos (my favorite player is Payton Manning).

Clare is rooting for the Seahawks (I think she likes their colors).

I'm not sure who John is rooting for and Thomas is playing with trains.

Fun with Computers

Ree:  Thomas, they've left the laptop unsupervised!  It's time to go to Amazon and order a bunch of toys.

 

 

I know how to one-click order stuff!  We just click away.

 

Thomas:  Uh....Maria.  I think there's a password here.

 

Maria: Mom!  Don't you trust us?

Anxiety and the Year of Faith

I've been struggling with some anxiety, especially over whether or not my children get sick.  The bout with Maria's ear infection/rash and all of the cases of the flu have me feeling jittery, almost sick to my stomach.  I worry that I have no control over it - which I don't. 

This doesn't make much sense.  I haven't been that worried before, even when Gregory basically threw up and had ear infections all winter one year or during the whole "swine flu pandemic" when Thomas was too little to get a shot.  It isn't because I feel alone when the children are sick, because John is awesome and makes sure I actually sleep sometimes, and takes the sick child when he is home.  It has just seemed to build to a crescendo of general anxiety with the flashpoint being illness.

I decided that I should spend more time in prayer.  Since it seems like a control issue, I decided to read Self-Abandonment to Divine Providence by Father J.P. de Caussade, S.J.  This has helped immeasurably.  In one of the first sections Father de Caussade points out that the more uncomfortable, and uncertain one is the more one's faith can grow.

I realized that in this year of faith, the Lord is asking me to have more faith in Him.  This year isn't just about a knowledge of the tenants of the Catholic faith, but of a deepening of the theological virtue which can only come from Him.

When I have no other pressing matters I am going to try to get to daily Mass more and focus on a daily prayer time.  At this season of my life this seems reasonable.  Maria doesn't like me to focus on chores or any activities that don't involve her, but she doesn't mind going to Mass.  Also I can spend 20 minutes in prayer during nap time.  I am much more inclined to do that than to break out the bathroom cleaning stuff.

Here is one of the latest gems from the work:

"The present moment is always full of infinite treasures, it contains more than you have the capacity to hold.  Faith is the measure; what you find in the present moment will be according to the measure of your faith.  Love also is the measure: the more your heart loves, the more it desires, and the more it desires the more it finds.  The will of God presents itself at each instant like an immense ocean which the desire of your heart cannot empty, although it will receive of that ocean the measure to which it can expand itself by faith, confidence and love." - Self-abondoment to Divine Providence

I want to throw myself into this, to take the Lord up on that ocean of God's goodness, and not to hold back because of the smallness of my heart, my pride and my desire to be in control of all aspects of my life.  If I had do it all myself, that would be good cause for anxiety, but thankfully I don't.

Driving Miss Maria

Here is Maria's favorite Christmas present.

 

She loves this little buggy and wants us to push her through the house for several periods each day.

 

I suspect that she will enjoy it even more come spring.

2013 Goals for the blog

It's 2013!

Somehow I missed posting even once during December, but I think it had something to do with the craziness of the Advent season topped off with a really sick Maria over Christmas.  Maria is also right at that stage when she can't stand for me to be on the computer.  She attacks it every time.

I have pictures from December which will slowly make it up (hopefully), and a new camera so it's easy to take more photos.

I want to get back into a regular posting routine, simply so I can remember all the fun, crazy things my children have done.  I love going back over the old posts and seeing all of the things they used to do, or how much they've changed.   I don't scrap book or really keep photo albums so this is it.

I think my goal will be 10 posts a month or so, making sure to cover all of the kids at least once.  And perhaps I can get in some posts about the spiritual life or something.

While it may not seem like it, I did finish my book project last year, but the last few books didn't get a post.  Some of them were pretty unremarkable, and there were also several books that I just couldn't through.  I don't think I will repeat the project this year, but I enjoyed it.  Life seems busy enough without it right now.

January Dreams

 

Someone is dreaming of summer and the pool!

 

He insisted on wearing his trunks yesterday for about 30 minutes.  After that he got cold and asked for his pants again.

 

Only 5 months and 4 weeks until the pool opens again.