Martin Family Moments

The One Where Maggie Sings

2012-02-13T06:18:00.002-05:00

Not only does she sing a wide variety of preschool songs, but also showcases her wide variety of moods.

Good thing she's cute!

Backup dancer credits go to John-Paul.

I really need to clean my office.

7 Quick Takes Friday UPDATED

2012-02-10T07:35:00.002-05:00

1) John-Paul is turning nine in two weeks, and I'm not sure what to get him for a present. He wants an iPod, but I'm not sure if he's too young. I was thinking about a Kindle for him since he loves to read and he could get books from the library on it. But, then again, he may be too young. Does anyone have any good age appropriate git ideas?

2) Half marathon training is going well. I've been following the schedule more or less. With all the illnesses we have suffered through this winter, there have been a couple extra rest days thrown in, but I think we'll be ready. Yesterday after work, I ran 8.1 miles and we ran 9 miles a couple of weeks ago, so we're close! We have been so blessed to be having a warm winter to train.

3) Did you all see that Sarah had her baby girl? Another beautiful Margaret in the world...my Maggie is so excited!

4) I am looking forward for Lent to come because I need to instill some discipline in my eating habits. I'm thinking of giving up sweets (as usual)...but I'm open to any suggestions on what you have found to be fruitful in the past.

5) This week, Phil has had some meetings in the evenings, and boy do I miss his helpfulness with kid duty at night. It's so hard to leave work, pick up the baby, pick up the school kids, get home, feed the baby, make dinner for the kids, get homework, showers, pajamas done, feed the baby again, and put them all to bed alone. How do single mothers do this day in and day out? Or wives of husbands that work long hours? I am so lucky.

6) So what's up with all of this Downton (which I thought was Downtown) Abbey hoopla?

Is it really that good? Should I invest in the DVD's of the first season?

7) Go read this post, and send an email to your representatives and to the White House to tell them you do not support the HHS Mandate. We will not be bullied into this!!!

****It's been slightly changed!!****

Why I Could Never Get an Answer

2012-02-08T20:25:00.000-05:00

So y'all know that we love and have always used Natural Family Planning in our marriage. Well sometimes I hate it, but mostly I love it.

I love that it's completely natural for my body, it is green for the environment, it is in agreement with the teachings of the Catholic church, and it's leaves the possibility of new babies open for discussion since nothing permanent is ever "fixed".

(Side note: How can you "fix" something that isn't broken? Like a man or woman's healthy reproductive system? How can you "take care of" a problem that isn't there? Like a body's natural fertility?)

But back to the point at hand.

One of the biggest spiritual struggles I have in my role as a wife and mother is knowing when we have grave reason to use NFP, or when we don’t. I have asked many, many people this question, and never seem to get a direct answer.

When Phil and I made our marriage vows, we promised to accept children lovingly from God. That means that we don’t do anything to artificially get in the way of God creating life. We also don’t play God and try to create life outside of His design. Therefore we do not contracept and we do not use In Vitro Fertilization or a surrogate in order to have a baby. We truly believe that babies are blessings and gifts, and not deserved.

We have been fortunate to have conceived so easily in the past, and I am well aware of the pain caused by infertility. I do not know why God has chosen to spare us with that cross, but do know that we all have our own cross to carry.

Since we have been super fertile and have used NFP to space all of our children (some more successfully than others!), I find myself in a constant state of worry that we are trying to space those children for a good reason, and not for selfish motives. Luckily my wise and much less emotionally charged husband often can list off the reasons why we are justified in using NFP at the moment.

I just think it would be so much easier if God would just let me know the answer. If only He could say “My dear Colleen, for the next year, you would be wise to save a little money and rest your body before a sixth pregnancy. But then in March 2013, you should begin trying. That baby will be a boy, and when you try again in 2015, you will have a little girl, who will complete your family.” Great! No problem! Then I would have a game plan from the Master Planner, and stop worrying about making my own.

(I do understand that this is the point of faith ~ to trust that God is in charge even when we feel like we haven't been included in the memo. I'm just a slow learner!)

So whenever I come across a priest I respect, I often ask him to tell me if I should have another child. “Just tell me what I should do, and I’ll do it”, I say, or “How am I ever going to know when we are done growing our family?” Inevitably, Father will say that he can not make that decision for me. That it is a decision to be made prayerfully between a husband, a wife, and God alone. I would always end up frustrated that nobody was giving me an answer.

Just recently I realized the reason why I couldn’t get an answer for exactly what to do and when. It's because the reasons (our reasons) for using NFP to postpone pregnancies are constantly changing.

At the beginning of our marriage, we used NFP to postpone having a baby until Phil was finished with graduate school (John-Paul wasn’t aware of that plan, and came 9 months later!). Then we decided to use NFP to space out babies two and three because of financial reasons (some came a little closer than we had expected). After having three babies in four years, our reason for waiting for baby number four was that I was so tired and overwhelmed (and we were still financially barely paying our bills).

Well, that fourth baby came waaaaaay sooner than we had planned, but was more than we could have ever hoped for. After Maggie’s arrival, I definitely told Phil that I was “done”. Done having kids, done being worried about money, done being exhausted all the time raising a 4 year old, a 2 year old, a 1 year old, and a newborn, and done relying on our failed attempts at NFP.

Not wanting to resort to using contraception, we just abstained. For a long time...poor Phil could probably tell you exactly how many months, weeks, days, hours and minutes! After a while, we very cautiously started using NFP again. And this time we sorta kinda had it finally figured out.

And then you’ll never guess what happened? God changed my heart little by little, the kids got older, and I started to get baby crazy. Alexander was an answered prayer. And having such an easy baby after a long space of 3.5 years has made me realize that I don't need to postpone having another baby for the reasons of physical or mental exhaustion right now. Something I never thought I would say when I was back in the trenches raising two toddlers and two babies.

Now, if Phil had gotten snipped or if I had gotten my tubes tied right after Maggie was born, when I was sure that I was done, we would never have even had the discussion of having a fifth baby. And that is the beauty of NFP…there’s always a discussion going. One between you and your spouse about when date nights are (or aren't) going to be, and one between God and us about why we are using NFP at the moment.

And we need these frequent conversations because the reasons are always changing and evolving.

Just like us.

Half a Year

2012-02-07T17:45:00.000-05:00

How can my sweet baby boy be 6 months already? I know time always flies with babies, but I think due to the fact that Alexander is the first baby I am away from full-time, he seems to be growing up even faster. Sad. He is the happiest, most content baby we've ever had. And he has changed my mind that I'm not a "baby person". He is that lovable :)

(ready to go to the nanny's house)

This little guy is definitely our biggest baby, weighing in at 21 pounds 12 ounces. He is wearing 12 month old clothes, and size 5 diapers. He was born the biggest of all my babies (8 lbs 14 oz.) but I think he's a little bigger than he would be if I were at home with him, since his loving nanny likes to feed him. It's a cultural thing. She takes such wonderful care of him, so I can't really complain. But he's going to outgrow his car seat already!

Xander can sit and play with toys, and is this.close to crawling. He can roll and squirm himself to where he wants to go on the floor. He loves being on his belly since that's how he prefers to sleep. Speaking of sleep, he is still such a great sleeper, going to bed at 7 pm and waking up around 6 am. Even when he wakes up in his crib, he just blows raspberries or coos until we pick him up. I seem to remember my other babies crying to get picked up.

Since he has 4 siblings who go to school, Xander gets sick a lot. He has already had a few colds, a double ear infection, a stomach virus, another ear infection, croup, and bronchialitis in his short life time. I hope he just spends his first year of life sick and then develops antibodies to get him through the rest of his toddler years. My doctor says kids either tend to get sick during their first year of life (due to daycare and siblings) or in their first year at school. We are hoping she's right! We are also keeping an eye on his ears and will request tubes if he gets another infection anytime soon. I can't stand seeing him on stronger and stronger antibiotics while he's this young.

(John-Paul giving him a nebulizer treatment)

Alexander still has his hematoma on his forehead. I think it has faded since birth (hard to tell because his skin has gotten more pale once the jaundice went away), but it's still pretty noticeable. We will have it removed if it doesn't go away on it's own, but it seems like it's heading in the right direction.

Oh, look at that drool hanging off his chin. This kid has been teething since he was born ;) He has two bottom teeth, and is working on those top ones. I always think that when babies get their top teeth they look so grown up, so hopefully he'll spare me for a while. Because he won't be a baby for too much longer, and I want to enjoy the moments while I can.

And another thing...

2012-02-06T09:31:00.000-05:00

Even the Superbowl commercials stunk this year.

Here are the only two worth mentioning:

I promise tomorrow I will be back to business as usual. No more Patriots talk and no more Debbie Downer. This is a grieving process ;)

I Don't Want to Talk About It...

2012-02-05T22:47:00.000-05:00

Preparing for Patriots Party!!!

2012-02-04T18:20:00.002-05:00

The Players:

The Platters:

Veggies with dip

Tortilla chips and mango peach salsa

Pepperoni dip with crackers

Potato chips with Heluva Good French Onion dip

Maple Meatballs

Pepperoni and Cheese Stromboli

Philly Cheesesteak Stromboli

Chicken Fingers (Honey Dijon and Bourbon Glazed)

White Chocolate Popcorn with M&M's

Ice Cream Sundaes

The Prediction:

Victory for the Patriots

and

Stuffed Bellies!

Pictures:

7 Quick Takes Friday: Why We Choose Catholic Schools Edition

2012-02-03T08:14:00.001-05:00

In honor of Catholic Schools Week, here are some of the reasons why we send our children to Catholic schools:

1) The charitable service aspect of the schools. The Catholic schools in our area are constantly accepting clothing for the homeless, raising money for good causes, buying gifts for children who would otherwise go without, donating their time at soup kitchens, fixing up homes and buildings for lower-income people...the list goes on and on. Catholic school students learn how important it is to give of their time, energy and talents.

2) We support the Church and Diocese. I believe if parents can afford to send their children to Catholic school, then they should strongly consider it. Otherwise, Catholic schools suffer and those teachers are out of jobs.

3) The uniforms! I love that they don't feel the need to worry about fashion, and that I don't have to argue with them about what to wear. It saves tons of money on clothes too. Just buy three sets of uniforms, and wash and repeat. Easy!

4) The family-style feel of the schools. Where little preschoolers have "big buddies" that come read to them, sit with them at Mass, and say hello to them in the hall. Where bonds are formed so deeply because there is a common set of core values and morals amongst the student body.

5) The teachers who teach purely for the love of teaching. Because it's obviously not for the paycheck ;)

6) The students are disciplined and taught to respect authority. No backtalk or rude behavior is acceptable, and the teachers have no problem communicating with the parents if anyone comes up below those expectations. And you know what happens in a disciplined classroom? Teachers are free to teach, and therefore children learn more! The academics at the Catholic schools Phil and I have attended far surpassed the academics at the public schools we attended.

7) Our children learn about their faith in every aspect of their day, not just in religion class. Our four year old sings songs about Mary and Jesus as if it's as normal as singing The Itsy Bitsy Spider. Even in the Catholic high school where we work, they have morning prayer, grace before lunch, and each class begins with a prayer. That means students are praying 7 times a day before 2:00! It's important to us that our children view their faith and prayer life as part of their everyday routine, and not just when they go to Mass on Sunday. While we strongly believe that parents are the primary educators in the matters of faith, why not get the help and support we need from a place where our children spend most of their waking hours?

Have a great weekend everybody!

Wordless Wednesday: When Daddy Sorts the Laundry

2012-02-01T06:47:00.000-05:00

How to Get Your Child to Sleep

2012-01-31T08:05:00.000-05:00

"Martin Family Boot Camp"...that's what our friends and family call our approach to getting our kids to sleep. While I wouldn't agree that we put them through some torturous procedure in order to establish a great sleep routine, I will admit that when it comes to that precious commodity known as sleep, we are very disciplined with getting our kids on board.

Ironically, I was thinking about our methods while I was laying in bed, unable to sleep. I had read this post by Melanie yesterday, and was trying to decide if there was even anything that we did that would be worthy of your attention. I don't think we do anything creative or revolutionary, and I also think perhaps we were just blessed with kids who like to sleep. Personally, I love to sleep, so maybe it's genetic?

We are an early-bird type of family, so we get up early (for school and work), we eat our meals early, and we go to bed early. I realize other families have different schedules, and it wouldn't make sense to put your kids to bed at 7 pm only to have them awaken at 6 am. For us, that is the perfect sleep schedule, and what we consider "sleeping through the night". I would also like to mention that some of our children were sleeping through the night at 4 months, and some took up to 19 months. We did find out that the ones who took longer needed ear tubes and possibly took longer because of the pressure and fluid in their ears. Or not. It's not an exact science.

And so, with all these disclaimers, and for what it's worth, here's how we get our kids to go to bed early and sleep through the night. I do realize as soon as I post this, my kids will prove me wrong and become insomniacs. Murphy's Law.

1) Tire Them Out

When you get a puppy, and you want him to get out his energy in order to go to sleep, what do you do? Let him run around outside so that he comes in and collapses. Right? Well, we do the same with our kids. Did I just compare my children to a puppy? Yup! Well, hey, both are cute and cuddly ;)

I think it's super important for our children to be active everyday, and we make sure they have the opportunity to physically tire themselves out. We let them play sports, take them to playgrounds, and put our babies on the floor so they have the chance to roll and crawl around. Just as adults sleep better when they have exercised, children do too. There's few things worse than laying in bed at night when your body is restless from lack of activity.

2) Fill Their Bellies

When they are babies and nursing, my children tend to naturally cluster-feed in the evening. It's like they know they are storing up for their long sleep. Once they can eat and drink real food, we make sure they have enough healthy foods to eat during the day, especially at dinner, and when we feel they haven't got enough calories in (picky eater syndrome) we give them a big glass of whole milk before bed. When our kids don't eat well, they always wake up super early the next morning asking for breakfast. Keeping their bellies satisfied (not stuffed) before bed alleviates this problem.

3) Create a Routine

I don't tend to read any books about parenting, because I think we all do better when we trust our guts, but from any article that has caught my eye about children and sleep, I have learned that creating and maintaining a routine is a standard concept. And I agree with it completely. I think adults need a good winding-down routine before bed as well to let our bodies gently transition.

For our children, the routine is pretty simple: dinner, bath/shower, pajamas, watch a show, brush teeth, say prayers, get tucked in. That's it and it's the same every night. No bedtime stories because we have found that it prolongs the stalling ("just ten more stories...pleeeeease?).

4) Set the Stage

This one is important. Children's bedrooms need to be set up in a way that induces sleep. Every family and house is different, so you must find what works for you individually.

For us, setting the stage means:

~ One child per bed

While I think young children prefer to share bedrooms so they are not alone, we feel they need their own space in that shared bedroom.

~ A dark room

We use room darkening shades in the windows, and a small nightlight hidden behind a piece of furniture.

~ A sound machine that plays white noise

This helps because when you have multiple children in one room, the white noise masks everybody's little noises/snoring/sleep talking, as well as any outside noises. Plus, the soothing sound is associated with sleep, and so when you travel, you can recreate their bedroom just by bringing the white noise along.

~ A "lovie" or blankie or pacifier, etc.

Letting our babies and toddlers have something that is soothing to them helps them get cozy in their bed. And it must stay in their bed. That way they look forward to going to bed in order to get that pacifier or stuffed bear they love.

5) Be Strict

You have to set the rules for what you expect and stick to them. Isn't this true of parenting in general? Our children know that when it's bedtime, that means that playtime is over, and they are not to get out of their beds unless they have to go to the bathroom or there is an emergency.

Once our babies are old enough to stop needing a bottle at night, we try not to take them out of their crib unless they need a diaper change. We have never let our kids cry-it-out in order to get to sleep, but we try not to pick them up once they go down either. We will stand by their crib and pat/rub their back, sing to them, shush them, or whatever it takes for them to be comforted. A lot of times, we have just laid down on the floor and as long as they can see that we are there, they fall asleep quickly, and then we sneak out.

By holding or nursing or taking our babies into bed with us, we are not teaching them that they have the ability to put themselves back to sleep. We make sure to do all of this lovingly and gently. During the day they get plenty of hugs and kisses and cuddles, and we tell them all the time how much we love them. But night time is for sleeping, and honestly, our kids have never given us an issue once the routine is established. They will go through various stages, and we try and reevaluate the routine and just remember that it is a stage, and it will pass!

6) Have Fun and Praise Them

We try to make going to bed somewhat enjoyable, and so we do games like The Tickle Monster (where the last kid up the stairs gets tickled) or we show them a funny way to march to bed, or we count how fast they can get upstairs. Whatever works.

We also praise them for doing a good job going to bed without much stalling or talking. Sometimes when they take a nap on the weekend, we have been know to reward them with a piece of gum or a lollipop. Kids love to be praised, and it's so easy to encourage them to continue the good behavior through praises than to try and correct difficult behavior.

So have fun, praise them, discipline them, and most of all....love them.

Good luck and sweet dreams!

Saturday's Game

2012-01-30T06:52:00.000-05:00

7 Quick Takes Friday

2012-01-27T06:55:00.000-05:00

1) Tomorrow is my Blogiversary! I can't believe I've been ~~writing about things nobody else cares about~~ blogging for four years! Here was my very first post! Maggie was just a newborn when I started, and now she's four going on fourteen. My how time flies.

2) And speaking of kid's ages....

My baby turned 6 months old yesterday.

Mom, stop bothering me while I'm spinning the wheel.

How can it seem like he was just born, yet also like we've had him around forever?

3) We had the first snowstorm of the winter last weekend.

(view from the porch)

our neighbor's car:

The kids loved playing in it and Phil even took the older four sledding on Sunday, while I cleaned and Xander did this:

4) We spent the morning indoors while the snow fell, and the kids actually played quite nicely together (and separately). These small occasions fill my heart with hope that one day they will be the best of friends:

5) This little whippersnapper got in trouble at school for putting up his middle finger.

He has no clue what it means (thank God!) and for some reason tends to point with that finger. His cousin (also in his preschool class) told him to stop doing it because it was bad, and then the teacher saw him and he got sent to the principal, who explained that it's not a nice thing to do. Poor guy, he was crying so hard when he told me what happened. The teacher (whom we love) had already called me to explain the situation, and said she brought him to the chapel and Eamon said sorry to Jesus. Needless to say, I don't think he'll ever use that finger again!

6) And speaking of getting in trouble at school...

John-Paul has gotten two detentions (his first ones ever!) within the past two weeks. One was for constantly talking with the pretty girl who sits next to him, and the other was for accidentally hitting a girl while learning a dance/song in music class. At least he says it was an accident, but then the girl hit him back, and they both got detentions for hitting. We took away his snack money and made him write an apology note.

The good news is that he asked his teacher to please move his desk away from the girls he gets into trouble with because they "tempt him". Ha! I guess he understands the whole "occasion of sin" teaching in the Catholic church. The other good news is that my little bookworm talks to girls :)

And from the "I'm Obviously a Girl with Four Brothers" Files:

Maggie told me yesterday that her wiener hurt.

Have a great weekend everybody!

Secret Talent #2

2012-01-26T06:46:00.000-05:00

Are you ready for me to embarrass myself again?

Yes?

Good, here goes my next trick (and yup I am wearing pajamas):

Wordless Wednesday: Two Centerpiece Creations

2012-01-25T07:16:00.000-05:00

Tuesday Reviewsday

2012-01-24T06:22:00.000-05:00

Review One:

My kids got Just Dance Kids 2 as a Christmas gift. They love it, and so do I!

It's one of the few Wii games they can all do together without fighting.

And it's great for these cold and snowy New England winter days, when they need to stay indoors.

Review Two:

After five babies, we have finally found the PERFECT teether.

So simple and easy for a baby to hold and for Mommy to wash.

Xander just got his two bottom teeth a couple weeks ago, and he loves chewing on this seahorse.

(Oh, sorry, this is just a gratuitous baby photo!)

Pro Patriots and Pro Life

2012-01-23T07:53:00.001-05:00

Awesome but close game last night.

Tommy Boy even threw an interception!

(we still love you Brady)

Phil questioned the validity of one of our touchdown calls, but thanks to the nerves of the Raven's kicker, who lost the opportunity to tie the game, we won!

I thought my family was going to have heart attacks from the stress (and all the great food). But it was worth it because the Pats are going to the Superbowl!

Looks like it will be a rematch from four years ago:

Except this time WE are going to win!

In a much more important note....

Please pray for the courageous men, women, and children who are marching in DC today protesting abortion and celebrating life!!

We are with you in spirit:

Love each other, respect each other, be pro-life every day!

7 Quick Takes Friday

2012-01-20T08:02:00.001-05:00

1) These are actually pictures from New Year's Day, when we went to a local ice cream restaurant and got a family-sized sundae with 12 scoops of ice cream.

I only got to eat one peanut butter cup because someone...

...ahem, someone...wouldn't let me get my spoon in.

That girl is just like her grandmother when it comes to ice cream!

2) Well, Xander has his first ear infection. And it's a double whammy. Looks like he'll be our fourth child to need ear tubes.

3) Scenes from the weekend, where it was too cold to send the kids outside to play (like 12 degrees). The boys love doing this:

And Maggie loves hamming it up for the camera:

(see John-Paul's DJ spin table?)

4) I ~~was forced by Phil~~ went to a Women of Grace informational meeting this week, and it looks like a cool program. We are new to our parish, which is thriving, and has lots of things to offer. I guess better complete this program or I will remain a woman of disgrace.

5) So Mrs. Jennifer Fulwiler herself left a comment on my post yesterday. How exciting is that?!?!?!

6) We got snow last night! Only an inch or two, but more is expected for tonight. We are still at the exciting stage of the winter when snow is welcomed, soon we'll be cursing the white slippery stuff.

7) Have I confessed my love for these before?

I can literally eat the whole (big) bag, and was wicked excited to find out they come in individual bags.

Yes, I know I have issues.

Have a great weekend!!

In Defense of Exercise

2012-01-19T08:53:00.000-05:00

I love to exercise. I know some of you think that means I'm certifiably insane, or a masochist, but I truly do LOVE to work out. I like it for so many different reasons, and sometimes I feel like I need to defend myself because of the haters who make me feel bad for going to the gym. So may I present,

In Defense of Exercise:

1) The top reason that I exercise is for my mental health. Going to the gym or out for a run gives me some much needed alone time to think, pray, read magazines, listen to music, or catch up on the news. No matter how much my head tries to convince me not to work out, once I am done, I feel so accomplished and am a much better person for the rest of the day. When I don't exercise, I am cranky and sluggish and overwhelmed. Exercising releases endorphins, which are those hormones that make you feel good, and studies have shown that exercise is a great anti-depressant.

2) Taking time to exercise does not make you a selfish mom/wife/friend/daughter. I feel that some women may rationalize that they don't work-out because they shouldn't take an hour away from their children or husbands. They feel guilty for putting their work-out ahead of x,y, and z on their to-do list. But you want to know a secret? Being a healthy woman only makes your roles as mom or wife easier and more pleasurable. I am not in agreement with the new-age opinion that we moms should put ourselves first at all times (thanks for that misleading advice, Oprah), and things like pedicures or shopping trips do not rank high on my priority list. But exercise? Yes, that is a priority if you want to live a long healthy life.

3) In conjunction with the reason above, and contrary to popular belief...you DO have time to exercise. Listen, we have 5 children and full-time jobs, and my husband and I each manage to fit in about 7 hours a week of exercise. We take turns going in the morning on weekends, and in the afternoons/evenings during the week. I have a co-worker who wakes up at 4:30 every morning to be able to squeeze in her runs, and a friend who does workout DVD's at night once the kids are in bed. Is it always possible every day to find the time? Probably not, but if you prioritize and plan well, you can find a time to exercise on most days. And unless you work a very active job (farming, construction, personal trainer, to name a few) we need to find that time or else we would be living an unhealthy and sedentary lifestyle.

4) Exercising sets a great example for our children. Did you know that obesity in children is on the rise, and it is now recommended that children get one hour of activity each day? When we were kids, we were normally active because we would ride bikes all over the place, play outside with the neighborhood kids, go swimming at the beach/pool, and basically be gone from home all day if we could. Most of us can't allow our children to live that same lifestyle today because we have to supervise them while they play outside. It's the same problem that adults have had to face. People used to walk everywhere and do daily chores by hand, and now the majority of us drive everywhere and sit at desks all day. So now we need to fit exercise into our life, and showing our kids that it is a normal part of our day will become the norm for their life as well.

5) I can't defend exercise without mentioning the physical benefits of it as well. Weight training builds muscles which increases our metabolism and helps our bodies burn calories. It also increases our bone density, which helps prevent osteoporosis and arthritis. Cardiovascular training strengthens our heart and lungs and also burns plenty of calories. Core exercises help our posture and balance. Yoga and Pilates keep us limber and prevent us from pulling a muscle. You get the idea...it's good for your body. I realize that some people may exercise just to lose weight, which is great if you have weight to lose, but vanity shouldn't be the reason we work out. Being healthy is much more beautiful than being skinny, and hopefully we can keep health as our goal in all of this.

Ok, so that's all I can think of for now. I don't want to come across as preachy about the importance and general awesomeness of exercise, but I do hope to inspire some of you that need a good old fashioned kick in the pants ;)

Wordless Wednesday: What Does John-Paul Want to Be When He Grows Up? (Here's a Clue...)

2012-01-18T06:04:00.000-05:00

Meatless Recipe #2

2012-01-16T19:48:00.000-05:00

Roasted Squash and Sweet Potato Soup

The Ingredients:

Half of a Butternut Squash

1 Sweet potato

2 (ish) Celery Stalks

2 Carrots

2 Onions

2 TBS butter

2 TBS olive oil

1/2 tsp Cinnamon

1/2 tsp. Red Pepper Flakes

"Better Than Bouillon" Vegetable Stock Base (or chicken stock)

and (not pictured) 2 cloves garlic

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Put butter on pan and let melt in oven:

Realize you need new pans.

Peel and chop sweet potato and butternut squash, and toss with melted butter on pan:

Roast in oven for 20 minutes.

Check on kids watching Winnie the Pooh Movie:

Heat olive oil in pot on medium heat, and then throw in diced carrots, onions, and celery:

Saute until soft, about 10 minutes.

Add in garlic:

And cinnamon:

And red pepper flakes:

Continue cooking for about a minute and then add in 2 TBS of the veggie base stock, and 5 cups water. (You could just pour prepared chicken or veggie broth in, I just prefer the base):

Now add the roasted sweet potato and squash into soup:

And simmer for ten minutes.

Then, in small batches (don't ask how I know that!) puree soup in blender:

Transfer pureed batches to a bowl, and voila!

A creamy and hearty soup that's healthy and yummy!

And thick. Did I mention thick?

I bet my dishwasher is better looking than yours ;)

Bon Appetit!

7 Quick Takes Friday

2012-01-13T06:49:00.001-05:00

1) My dear friend Sarah had her first baby this week. A gorgeous girl, named Adelaide Josephine, weighing in at 9 lbs. 14 oz. and 22.5 inches long. Can you believe having your first baby that big? Wowzers!

2) In more baby news...Xander woke up on Wednesday morning with the tell-tale signs of Fifths Disease.

He had been sick from the stomach bug the week before, and now this. But it only looks bad, he was actually pretty happy (and noncontagious) once the rash showed up.

3) Phil and I can't wait for ~~Jack Bauer~~ Kiefer Sutherland's new show, Touch, to start this month:

and movie to come out:

We were huge 24 fans!

4) Thank you all for your centerpiece ideas. I have not an artistic bone in my body. I can create an excel spreadsheet or file your taxes, but I can't do anything crafty. Glad there are people in the world who can!

5) Do you guys use Groupon? I have gotten quite a few great deals from them. Yesterday I bought a Groupon getaway for two nights over February vacation to a hotel with an indoor waterpark in New Jersey. It is close to Philadelphia, so we will be looking for things to do in the city with the kids. Any suggestions?

6) Have I mentioned that he's a thumbsucker? Oh my goodness, how stinkin' cute are thumb suckers?

BIG Patriots play-off game tomorrow night!

It's too bad that they are going to crush the Broncos, because I kinda like Tim Tebow, but I must root for the home team. Go PATS!

Wordless Wednesday: What Should I Put in Here to Make a Centerpiece?

2012-01-11T06:25:00.000-05:00

Before I Had Children

2012-01-10T08:06:00.001-05:00

Ah...Before I had Children (or B.C.) I was so knowledgeable, so righteous, so proud. I just knew, KNEW exactly what I would and would not do as a mother. How could these other moms allow the nonsense to go on right under their noses and not discipline their children? My future kids, I decided, would be disciplined, polite, cheerful, non-whiny, and of course geniuses. I had come from a large family, had spent years babysitting, worked in a daycare, and loved children, so I was convinced I had all the prerequisites of being a great mom.

Oh boy, did I critique other people's parenting skills when I would see them out in public. I remember two instances B.C. vividly. One time was when I was in the grocery store and a mom with two toddlers was screaming at her whiny kids to just be quiet and behave. My my, I thought to myself, how disrespectful those toddlers are being! And that mother is not treating the situation properly by yelling at them! Doesn't she know she just has to explain the rules of proper behavior to her kids and then calmly steer them on the correct path when they begin to veer off of it?

The second instance was when Phil and I were at a restaurant, and a little girl was calling out to her mother over.and.over.and.over again. And the mother ignored her! I couldn't believe it! I would never ignore my future daughter's pleas for attention. I vowed to Phil that we would always look our future kids in the eyes and answer them promptly.

And then I had children.

Oh yes, with the first one, I did everything perfectly. After all, John-Paul was the perfect baby. He cooed mamamamama at 4 months, which obviously meant he was saying Mama 8 months earlier than the average baby. He would let me read him books, which showed he would be an excellent scholar. And boy could he kick those legs - a future soccer star for sure! Don't we all do that to our poor first-borns? I was so convinced we were doing everything right and this was a piece of cake, that we decided to try to have another baby before he even turned one.

Oh, the second child started the downward trend to my parenting prowess. For the first time, I had to ask Phil to help with childcare duties...up until that point, I had done it myself since I was a stay-at-home mom and that was my job. But with two in diapers and so dependent, I needed another set of hands. And Andrew gave us a run for our money between his colic and ear infections, he was pretty miserable for the first 6 months of life. I was definitely that mom in the grocery store with the screaming baby and the toddler throwing items out of the cart while I scrambled and sweated to get everything done in record speed. All the while apologizing to the other people in the store.

The third baby made me question my reason for wanting to be a young mother of three. He was so difficult because of his dairy and soy allergies, and puked everywhere we went. "I need a cleanup in aisle 4" became the running joke in our house. Eamon needed to be held all the time, poor little guy, because he always seemed to be in pain. So now I was the mother who had the messy house, spit-up-stained shirt, bags under her eyes, and could easily be found yelling at the 3 and 2 year olds for being toddler boys. Not pretty or proud moments. And far from the idealistic view of motherhood I once had.

Baby four turned me into the mother who ignored all the "Mommy" cries. She just talked so early and non-stop that I sort of tuned her out. I don't even do it on purpose, but other people have to tell me that she's calling out for me. It's terrible. Plus, when you have four kids all vying for your attention all the time you have to learn to pick and choose ;)

As for Baby five, well he is just reminding me of how wonderful babies can actually be. I had never thought of myself as a baby-person. I always preferred toddlers, but this boy is changing my opinion on that. So you see, before I had children, I thought I knew it all, and after I had children, I realize I only know how much I don't know. I don't know how to be the perfect mom, I don't know how to have the perfect children, and I don't know how I'm going to get through the teenage years!

But I do know that each blessing from God has changed me as a person...has allowed me to grow in my faith and patience and humility...and challenged my preconceived notions on parenting. I wish I could go back in time and tell that smug young know-it-all Colleen "just wait!" Because B.C. she would never have believed how her life would change after having kids. In ways she never could have imagined. And all for the better!!

Meatless Recipe #1

2012-01-09T05:36:00.001-05:00

While I am not a vegetarian, I do eat about three vegetarian dinners each week on average. I just prefer veggies and beans to red meat and pork.

Anyhoo, we probably eat pizza about once a week, usually on Friday nights, and we love playing around with different combos. My current favorite is:

Roasted Tomato and Onion Pizza with Pesto Sauce

Here's how you make it.

Have your handsome husband chop an onion so you don't cry, and then toss them into a baking dish with a little olive oil and half a pint of cherry tomatoes.

Roast those in oven for about 30 minutes at 400 degrees. I usually do this while I am cooking the kid's pizza so that I don't waste precious oven energy. You're welcome, environmentalists!

In the meantime, stretch out half of your wheat pizza dough (found in any grocery store), and let your husband make his own pizza with the other half of the dough since he won't eat tomatoes. The nerve!

Spread about 3 Tablespoons of pesto sauce on the dough in a thin layer:

Grant your daughter's request to take a picture of her being Mary:

Now take those yummy roasted veggies out of the oven:

And scatter them over the pesto:

I realize that pizza toppings implies they should be on top of the pizza, but since the veggies are already cooked, I choose to put the cheese on top so the gooeyness holds the toppings in place:

Put in oven for about 12 minutes on 425.

Dance around the kitchen and snuggle with baby while waiting:

(He likes the dancing and the kisses...he just plays hard to get!)

Remove pizza from oven, and slice:

Give one tomato-less piece to the hubby so you can honestly say you didn't eat the whole thing yourself, and indulge!

Bon Appetit :)

7 Quick Takes Friday: Saturday Edition

2012-01-07T13:11:00.000-05:00

1) Why is this post a day late? Because I came down with that blasted stomach bug yesterday. I basically rolled around in bed all day writhing in pain. It was terrible. And the headache and lower backache were so intense. Thank God this morning I was feeling better and could start eating again. Now we've all officially had it and hope we can skip anymore stomach bugs for the rest of the winter. I detest vomiting. And I have such empathy for women on bed rest - my sides were so sore!

2) I had been cleaning and bleaching like a madwoman since the virus entered our house, hoping to kill it in it's tracks, when I realized one night that all 6 of our toothbrushes were touching each other. They all stand in the same holder, and I'm sure our germs are spread around a lot like that.

I remembered reading a Danielle Bean post where she said she puts all the toothbrushes in the dishwasher at the end of every day before she starts it. For a while I had been doing that but I got out of the habit. Now that's it's cold season, I'm going to start again. Does anyone have any other good tips for staying healthy?

3) Last weekend, Andrew and Maggie helped me make a Gingerbread Man. This is the first ever gingerbread man/cookie/house/anything I have ever made, and the only reason we did it was because our neighbor gave us the pan and kit for a Christmas gift...and the kids wouldn't get off my back until we made it!

We used sugar cookie dough, and it turned out great. I gave each of my children with teeth (sorry Xander!) a limb, and Phil had some of the stomach, and then I ate the whole head. The WHOLE head! I am a disgusting cookie monster like that.

4) I just can't believe Xander will be turning 6 months old at the end of the month. He is such a happy, chubby, easy-going, great-sleeping little guy. Don't hate me for having the perfect baby ;) We've done our fair share of high-maintenance babies to get to this one!

5) Well, I have basically skipped a whole week of half-marathon training due to my sick family. But I'm hoping the small weight loss I had from not eating too much will make my workouts easier next week. Even running 7 miles seems too long...how am I ever going to run 13.1 again?

6) Do any of you use the Marquette Method? We just started it and I think I am one of the unlucky women who will be using 20 tests each cycle. Where's the cheapest place to buy them?

7) John-Paul and Andrew started their basketball season today. It is amazing what a difference a year and some height make! This is our easiest sports season as they are still in the pee-wee league and only have practices and games on Sat. morning about five minutes from our house. Plus they are on the same team. Next year, Eamon will be playing too and J-P will move up to the big leagues so that will get more difficult to plan.

On the plus side, J-P and Andrew have said they don't want to play baseball this year, which means only Eamon will be playing. We're taking these sports seasons one at a time and hoping the kids find their niche soon. But I am glad we are exposing them to all sports and exercise now. I would hate if they were the type of kids who just wanted to stay inside all day.

Have a great rest of your weekend! Time to take down the Christmas decorations!

And Then There Was One

2012-01-05T11:30:00.000-05:00

On Sunday night, Eamon woke up and began vomiting. He threw up all night long, and rested the whole next day, and by Tuesday morning was fine and ready for school.

When I picked up the kids on Tuesday after school, and was driving them to my parent's house to drop them off so I could get my filling fixed at the dentist, Andrew informed me his tummy didn't feel good.

As soon as we pulled into my parent's house, Andrew ran into their bathroom and puked. I went to the dentist, paid $71.00 for that stupid filling and came back to find Andrew in the bathroom again. We drove home, and he was able to wait until we got back to my house to throw up again in the toilet. He's a good dooby like that...very self sufficient.

Phil got home from work around 6:00 and said he wasn't feeling great, and began puking around 7, which continued for the rest of the night. John-Paul joined Phil and Andrew that night, and we all thanked God for two bathrooms in the house. On Wednesday morning, Xander started with the stomach bug as well.

So Phil stayed home from work and took care of John-Paul, Andrew, Xander and Maggie (who decided her stomach was feeling funny just as we were leaving for school) and I brought Eamon to school on my way to work. While at work, I started feeling sick after lunch and left around 12:30. But I never actually got sick. I took a nap and felt fine last night and still do.

This morning, Maggie woke up and puked on the stairs, and Xander was still having yucky diapers, so I am home with the two of them today. They both seem to be much better and I think tomorrow we will all be back to school/work/daycare as normal.

That is, unless I finally get it.....

Wordless Wednesday: Scenes from Christmas Break

2012-01-04T08:14:00.000-05:00

The Year of the D's

2012-01-03T08:30:00.002-05:00

So we are officially three days into 2012, and I have finally decided on my New Year's Resolutions. They all begin with the letter "D" for some reason, so I'm going to roll with it.

1) Devotion

I want to place more importance on my daily prayer life. Luckily, I am able to attend Mass four days a week at work, but I want to add to that more family rosaries and maybe a weekly Adoration and Benediction.

2) De-Clutter

This is a huge priority for me this year, and we've already made great progress over the past long weekend. I cleaned out the kid's coat closet and found seven size 8 boy's jackets. Seven! And they were all hand-me-downs. Now we only have one spring jacket and one winter jacket in each size.

When my house is clean and clutter-free, my whole life feels so much better. I am at peace and I want for nothing.

3) Diet

Well, what would a New Year's Resolution be without a renewed commitment to diet and exercise. I've got the exercise part under control, but I'm trying to be more strict in what I eat during the week, and save treats for the weekend.

4) Discipline

I'm talking about general discipline in all areas of my life. I want to be disciplined enough to stop procrastinating what I need to do, and actually complete the tasks before falling on the couch every night. I want to be disciplined in everything from my half-marathon training to my use of Natural Family Planning. I want to serve my kids a home cooked meal every night and stop our weekly McDonald's trips. I want to be disciplined in flossing my teeth and taking my vitamins. I want to be thankful for all the gifts God has bestowed upon our family and stop seeing what I think I'm missing. Basically I want to be healthy physically, mentally, spiritually, and emotionally - and it all takes discipline.

5) Debt

We have been trying to save a little each month for the past few years, and now I'm finally at a point where I want to stop saving temporarily, and start paying off debt more aggressively. The way I have it planned (and we all know how funny God thinks our plans are) is that we will have my van, Phil's van, our IRS loan, and our college loans paid off in two years. It is worth living simply to be freed from debt! Of course we will still have our mortgage and car payments once we need replacement vehicles, but we're striving to get rid of our current debt as quickly as possible.

I hope by the end of the year I will feel that I accomplished at least some of these goals. Yesterday is the past, tomorrow is the future, and today is a gift from God - that's why it's called the present. I want to live each day recognizing that gift and challenging myself to make the most of it.

What are your New Year's Resolutions?

2011 Through the Months

2012-01-02T12:40:00.000-05:00

JANUARY:

Lots of snowy but fun-filled days.

We enjoyed the next six months doing "big kid" activities before baby was due to arrive.

FEBRUARY:

We went on a long-awaited vacation to Disney World! I love this picture because Maggie was having a moment ;)

Also, John-Paul and I shared our birthdays while in Florida. He turned 8 and I turned a year older.

MARCH:

Eamon celebrated his half-birthday on Gammy's real birthday with breakfast in bed.

Can you tell how excited he was?

APRIL:

Lisa came up to visit and, along with my dear friend Anabela, we attended the Moms Day Away hosted by Faith and Family.

It was awesome!

MAY:

John-Paul received his First Communion.

It was so beautiful and emotional.

JUNE:

This month brought lots and lots of baseball games and practices.

John-Paul and Andrew played on the same team, and improved so much from the year before.

JULY:

Alexander Blaise was born!

He was worth every single contraction (a whole week's worth!)

AUGUST:

Xander gets baptized, and John-Paul becomes an altar boy.

What a holy month!

SEPTEMBER:

A new school year.

J-P started 3rd grade, Andrew moved to 1st, Eamon began P-4, and Maggie went to P-3.

Phil started his ninth year teaching high school theology.

Eamon turned five!

OCTOBER:

I started my new job as the Catholic high school's Business Manager, which I love.

Andrew turned 7 this month, and Phil turned 31!

NOVEMBER:

All Saints Day costumes were recycled from the year before.

A last minute trip to MD was planned to attend the funeral of our nieces, and celebrate Thanksgiving with Phil's family.

DECEMBER:

Maggie turned four on the 1st, and we had so much fun planning for and enjoying the Christmas season together as a family of seven.

2011 was such a great year, and I can only hope that 2012 will be just as wonderful. We are blessed in so many ways, our family, our health, our faith, and our friends (including all my bloggy buddies!)

Happy New Year!

7 Quick Takes Friday: The Last One of the Year Edition

2011-12-30T08:43:00.000-05:00

1) I can't believe Christmas vacation week is almost over! At least we have Monday off too, which will make next week fly by.

2) My sister-in-law, Kelly, started a blog about the loss of her twin girls. Here is the link. It's beautiful but heart breaking.

3) Phil and I have started training for a half marathon in March. We are on week one of our 12 week training program (from Hal Higdon, but tweaked):

Half Marathon Training Schedule:
Week	Mon	Tue	Wed	Thur	Fri	Sat	Sun
	26-Dec	27-Dec	28-Dec	29-Dec	30-Dec	31-Dec	1-Jan
1	3 m run & toning class	4 m run	Rest	4 m run	3 m run	3 m run & arms & abs	Kickboxing
	2-Jan	3-Jan	4-Jan	5-Jan	6-Jan	7-Jan	8-Jan
2	3 m run & toning class	Rest	5 m run	Rest	3 m pace	3 m run & arms & abs	Kickboxing
	9-Jan	10-Jan	11-Jan	12-Jan	13-Jan	14-Jan	15-Jan
3	3 m run & toning class	Rest	6 m run	Rest	4 m run	3 m run & arms & abs	Kickboxing
	16-Jan	17-Jan	18-Jan	19-Jan	20-Jan	21-Jan	22-Jan
4	3 m run & toning class	Rest	7 m run	Rest	4 m pace	3 m run & arms & abs	Kickboxing
	23-Jan	24-Jan	25-Jan	26-Jan	27-Jan	28-Jan	29-Jan
5	3 m run & toning class	Rest	7 m run	Rest	4 m run	3 m run & arms & abs	Kickboxing
	30-Jan	31-Jan	1-Feb	2-Feb	3-Feb	4-Feb	5-Feb
6	3 m run & toning class	Rest	8 m run	Rest	4m pace	3 m run & arms & abs	Kickboxing
	6-Feb	7-Feb	8-Feb	9-Feb	10-Feb	11-Feb	12-Feb
7	3 m run & toning class	Rest	8 m run	Rest	5 m run	3 m run & arms & abs	Kickboxing
	13-Feb	14-Feb	15-Feb	16-Feb	17-Feb	18-Feb	19-Feb
8	3 m run & toning class	Rest	9 m run	Rest	5 m pace	3 m run & arms & abs	Kickboxing
	20-Feb	21-Feb	22-Feb	23-Feb	24-Feb	25-Feb	26-Feb
9	3 m run & toning class	Rest	9 m run	Rest	5 m run	3 m run & arms & abs	Kickboxing
	27-Feb	28-Feb	1-Mar	2-Mar	3-Mar	4-Mar	5-Mar
10	3 m run & toning class	Rest	10 m run	Rest	5 m pace	3 m run & arms & abs	Kickboxing
	6-Mar	7-Mar	8-Mar	9-Mar	10-Mar	11-Mar	12-Mar
11	3 m run & toning class	Rest	10 m run	Rest	5 m run	3 m run & arms & abs	Kickboxing
	13-Mar	14-Mar	15-Mar	16-Mar	17-Mar	18-Mar
12	3 m run & toning class	Rest	2 m pace	2 m run & arms & abs	Rest	Half Mar

We will be running it with some co-workers, so they should keep us on our toes during the training process.

4) I will admit I may not end up running in the half marathon, but I will train for it. I just don't know if my body will be ready to run 13.1 miles when my fifth baby is only 7 months old?!?!?!? I hope to be ready, but I am giving myself a pass just in case.

5) We are rearranging bedrooms again. We have 4 boys and one girl to place into two bedrooms. One is big and one is normal sized. We have a set of bunk beds, a queen bed, two twins, and a crib that we can use. I will be drawing up plans this weekend. How would you divide everyone up?

6) We just watched The Help and Dolphin Tale over break. Both great movies...the kids really liked the dolphin one.

7) I just ordered more Christmas cards to send out (gulp) late. I had originally ordered 50, but when you have a family as big as ours, I guess you need 75. I've never sent Christmas cards out late before....maybe I can get by on the "oh she just had a baby" excuse?

Have a wonderful rest of your Christmas celebrations and Happy New Year!

I will be posting my version of resolutions soon :)

The Post Christmas Blues

2011-12-29T06:50:00.023-05:00

Ever since I was a kid, I remember having the Post-Christmas-Blues. It's pretty hard not to feel a little depressed when the day you've been waiting for all year has come and gone too quickly. As soon as Thanksgiving ends, we start preparing for Christmas.

We decorate our homes, put on the holiday music, make our wish lists, purchase and wrap our presents, watch Christmas specials on TV, attend Nativity pageants and choirs, go carolling, bake cookies and plan meals, stroll around to see the lights....the events go on and on.

We put so much of our time and thoughts and energy into making Christmas time so magical. And it's the anticipation that I love. Christmas Eve is my favorite day of the year because Christmas is so close and you can practically feel the excitement in the air. All we've done to plan for December 25th is complete, and now we are just waiting for the big day and spending time with family and friends.

We go to Mass on Christmas Eve and celebrate Jesus' birthday with a cake afterwards. We reinforce the true meaning of Christmas, and think about all the events that led up to Jesus' birth. But even though we try to meditate on this true meaning, our humanness often takes over and refocuses our minds on the business and materialistic parts of the day. We look forward to presents and food and visiting with family. And while there is absolutely nothing wrong with finding joy in those things, we can't let it become more important than the joy we find in Christ.

I heard a homily recently by the deacon at our parish, and at the end he said "If you find yourself feeling depressed the day after Christmas, then you've got to ask yourself....did Christ really come to me?"

That message hit home hard! I started thinking about all the years when I did feel so sad on December 26th, because there were no more presents to open, no more Christmas activities to do, etc. If I had truly placed my hope and joy in Christ's birth instead of the material pleasures of this world, then I wouldn't have been blue at all! Because on December 26th (and every other day), Christ is still born...He is still with us...He still died for us so we could have eternal life. There is nothing to be sad about at all!

Yes, the presents may be gone, but His presence is here to stay!

This year I am trying to remember that message and allow Christ to come to me and stay with me. "For unto us a Child is born", and we celebrate that today and every day. We remember that Christ was born to save us, and while we can never repay His debt, we can at least appreciate it all year long.

Wordless Wednesday: My Big Christmas Present

2011-12-28T08:25:00.000-05:00

Five Months!

2011-12-27T06:32:00.000-05:00

Stats:

19 pounds

26.5 inches long

Smile = contagious!

First Cup:

First Cereal:

Oh yeah, that's the good stuff!

Faster, Dad, faster!

Mmmmm, rice cereal...where have you been all my life?

OK, time to take matters into my own hands.

Spoons work as teethers too!

Compliments to the chef!

For My Kids

2011-12-26T18:22:00.000-05:00

Merry Christmas!!!

2011-12-25T19:54:00.000-05:00

The Obligatory Waiting-On-the-Stairs Picture:

Stocking Time:

Xander's first present on his first Christmas:

Happy kids:

We took a break from opening gifts for breakfast. Cinnamon rolls and eggnog were on the menu:

OK, back to the presents:

Great minds think alike! We bought each other the same gift:

Legos were a huge hit, as usual:

A munchkin toy for our munchkin boy:

Maggie put on this new Cinderella dress and wore it all day! Here she is posing with Eamon in his new robe. She just said to him, "Eamon you should say something nice to me. Say I look beautiful." No wonder my boys think girls are bossy!

The "After" Shot:

We played all morning:

And then went to my sister's house for brunch, followed by another sister's house for playtime, and then my brother's house for dinner. Fun and crazy!

Like mother, like daughter:

Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!!!

'Twas the Night Before Christmas...

2011-12-24T21:26:00.002-05:00

From Our Family to Yours...

2011-12-23T10:56:00.000-05:00

A Baby Changes Everything

2011-12-22T08:49:00.000-05:00

Wordless Wednesday: Christmas Pageant 2011

2011-12-21T06:45:00.002-05:00

Secret Talent #1

2011-12-20T06:04:00.002-05:00

Pretty much only my immediate family knows I can do this...

Breakfast with Santa

2011-12-19T05:38:00.000-05:00

The high school where Phil and I work had a Breakfast with Santa this weekend.

We took the kids for some pancakes and sausages, face painting, crafts, and of course...pictures with the big guy!

John-Paul asked Santa for a 3DS, an iPod, trash packs, boy squinkies, a camera, a DSiExcel, and an iPad.

So not too much ;)

Maggie asked St. Nick for trash packs.

Because obviously that's what a girl with four brothers would want :)

Andrew asked Santa for an iPod.

Santa promised that he would try to get that for him. Try being the operative word.

Eamon asked St. Nick for trash packs.

Notice the theme??

Xander asked for new diamond earrings for his mom!!

Actually, he asked to get off Santa's lap :)

The elves posed with my elves.

There was an awesome balloon lady there who made all these cool holiday hats.

Some cousins came to the event and we all had fun!

6 More Days Until Christmas!!!!!

7 Quick Takes: It's Almost Christmas!!! Edition

2011-12-16T06:24:00.000-05:00

1) Oh my goodness, December is FLYING by...right? This is the last weekend to get any shopping done before Christmas!

I *think* I only have a couple things left to buy for some ~~siblings-in-law~~ ~~sibling-in-laws~~ Phil's siblings. I've done all the rest online, and I'm almost good-to-go.

3)
Although I never really feel that I'm good-to-go until I wrap all the presents and pile them according to recipient. Because above all else, the presents must be fair. The last thing I want to hear on Christmas morning is "It's not fair that so and so got a stereo and I only got ice skates." (Which is what SOMEONE said back when SOMEONE was ten and coveting her sister's new stereo.)

4)

After about 6 months of hearing John-Paul proclaim his love for trash packs, and how much he hopes to get them for Christmas.....this week he decided he would rather have "boy squinkies".

Well, guess what I bought him over a month ago?

Trash packs.

And I thought I would be the coolest.mom.ever.

I just can't keep up.

5)

Speaking of "keeping up"(get it?)....this trampoline is on our ultimate wish list for the kids. We don't have a huge yard, but I think we could find a place for this. If it means they will go outside all the time to jump until their heart's content...then we would love it!

6) Andrew's teacher called us this week to let us know that a parent called to complain that Andrew told her child that "Santa doesn't bring the toys. Our parents do." We've been through this Santa debate before, and in the end we don't tell our kids the truth (Santa is fake) or lie to them (Santa is real and brings you presents).

We try to stay somewhere in the middle by avoiding their questions and just asking them what they believe instead. And we emphasize that St. Nick was a real man and Santa is a story about him. Which would be fine if my kids live in a bubble. But they don't, and while they should not go around dashing the hopes and dreams of little children who's parents tell them that Santa is real...they should also not get in trouble for telling the truth.

John-Paul got in trouble for doing something similar back in first grade as well. I'm not looking for a Santa/No Santa debate here, but I would like some advice on how to talk to Andrew about not telling everyone that Santa is a fake without telling him to lie.

7) Well, #6 was so long, I think I'll skip this one.

Merry *Almost* Christmas!!

Wordless Wednesday: Christmas Village 2011

2011-12-14T06:19:00.001-05:00

"All I Want for Christmas" or "Phil, I'm Making This Easy for You!"

2011-12-12T08:09:00.001-05:00

1) A healthy baby and delivery for three of my mommy friends. You are all in my prayers!

2) An end to abortion. Today is the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, so that would be especially nice!

Now for the more materialistic...

3) An iPhone.

4) An arm band to hold my iPod while I run.

5) An electric car starter, because baby, it's cold outside!

6) Some bangers (Irish sausage).

7) Tights.

8) Just Dance Wii game. I love to bustamove in the privacy of my own home :)

Ok, that's it.

What do YOU want for Christmas???

7 Quick Takes: Things I Love About My Children Edition

2011-12-09T12:51:00.001-05:00

1) John-Paul

He gets me. He truly gets me. I don't know if it's because he's the oldest, or because we share a birthday, or what, but we are totally in sync. He appreciates my humor and my crazy dance moves, and is the first to join in. I understand his sensitivity and awkwardness at times. We both forget things all.the.time and can't hear anything or anybody while reading. He's such an awesome big brother, and has been super helpful with Alexander. Except diapers. He does not do diapers!

2) Andrew

Gosh, this kid just exudes cool. Everything comes easy to him. School? Check. Sports? Check. Making Friends? Check. He even dresses with a cool vibe; wearing his watch and backwards hat. He looks up to and respects John-Paul so much, and is constantly making Eamon and Maggie laugh. He is still my cuddlebug, and doles out hugs and kisses without complaint.

3) Eamon

This middle child is exactly that. He is constantly trying to get the older boy's attention while at the same time wanting to be the big brother to Maggie and Xander. There's something almost magical about this kid. I think it's his huge personality crammed into his teeny body. Everywhere we go, people seem to be drawn to him and he makes friends so easily. He seems to be quite a natural athlete like Andrew, but is usually found keeping the baby entertained.

4) Maggie

She is a great mix of girly-girl and tomboy. She loves her dolls just as much as her scooter. Everytime I go into the computer room, she follows me in and sits at the kid table to color. She can color forever. She has recently started making her faces with "pretty red cheeks" and will always write "Maggie Mom Dad" on the bottom. She still sleeps in her brothers' bedroom because she doesn't want to be "alone in the night". She also still fights us about her hair almost every morning, but prefers dresses and tights to pants. She is the queen of giving compliments no matter how terrible you look; "I love your hair and your earrings and your shoes and the whole outfit"!

5) Alexander

This picture doesn't capture this little guy's happy personality. He is constantly giving us big happy gooey smiles if we just glance in his direction. He loves his big brothers and sister, and could watch them all day. He also adores his exersaucer, bouncy chair, diaper changes, and his nightly baths. This boy can splash up a storm! We lay him down in his crib and leave the room, and he just finds his thumb and falls asleep. No crying or fussing. He knows the drill ;) Plus he's been sleeping for about eleven hours in a row every night. He's a dream!

6) Well, I only have 5 kids, but this is supposed to be 7 Quick Takes, so I guess I'll just leave a spot for future baby #6.

(Future. I am not pregnant, just sayin'.)

7) And maybe lucky #7 in the more distant future.

Heck, if they're all as wonderful as the ones we've got...why stop? :)

CCD with Colleen

2011-12-08T07:35:00.000-05:00

Happy Feast of the Immaculate Conception!!

Today we remember when Mary was conceived without sin in her mother (St. Ann)'s womb:

And in nine months we celebrate Mary's birthday, on September 8th.

Today is not the day when Mary conceived Jesus...that happens nine months before his birthday (Christmas), which is on March 25th, known as the Annunciation.

So, CCD teachers everywhere...Get it? Got it? Good!

Because I've Got Nothing Else..

2011-12-07T10:53:00.000-05:00

...here's a joke :)

Bill and his wife, Blanche go to the state fair every year.

And every year Bill would say,

"Blanche, I'd like to ride in that helicopter."

Blanche always replied,

"I know Bill, but that helicopter ride is fifty bucks,

And fifty bucks is fifty bucks!"

One year Bill and Blanche went to the fair, and Bill said,

"Blanche, I'm 75 years old.

If I don't ride that helicopter, I might never get another chance."

To this Blanche replied,

"Bill that helicopter ride is fifty bucks, and fifty bucks is fifty bucks."

The pilot overheard the couple and said,

"Folks, I'll make you a deal. I'll take the both of you for a ride. If you can stay quiet for the entire ride and don't say a word I won't charge you a penny!

But if you say even one word it's fifty dollars."

Bill and Blanche agreed and up they went.

The pilot did all kinds of fancy maneuvers, but not a word was heard.

He did his daredevil tricks over and over again,

But still not a word...

When they landed, the pilot turned to Bill and said,

"By golly, I did everything I could to get you to yell out, but you didn't.

I'm impressed!"

Bill replied, "Well, to tell you the truth

I almost said something when Blanche fell out,

But you know, Fifty bucks is fifty bucks!"

Real Mom Moments: 2nd Edition

2011-12-06T12:35:00.003-05:00

Well, we missed putting out our shoes for the Feast of St. Nicholas. Of course, they do it at school today, so my kids weren't too disappointed, but I wish I could get my act together for all the saintly feast days.

John-Paul made the spring soccer competitive team. Go him! But it's a travelling team, so no go him. We just can't figure out how we will get him to weekly practices and games up to an hour away while still holding down the fort with the other four children, some of whom play baseball in the spring. It's times like this that make me wonder if the children in big families sometimes do get less than families of fewer children.

We are 1.5 weeks into Advent, and I still don't have Advent candles in our wreath.

Maggie has had bandaids on her elbow for a couple of days, which she wouldn't let us touch. I thought Phil had bandaged her up, and he thought I had bandaged her up, so we don't even know how or when she got hurt. When I finally held her down to take them off, she had a huge red bruise/infection under there. We are keeping it clean and applying antibiotic ointment and it's healing, but seriously, how terrible is that?

I've woken up twice in the past week to find John-Paul laying on my bathroom floor. He had woken us up in the middle of the night to tell us he was going to puke, and we told him to go to the bathroom. Then Phil set up a pillow and blanket for him on the couch. But he decided sleeping on the bathroom floor was a better alternative. Poor kid! We definitely need to bring him to the doctor because this random vomiting has happened three times in a few weeks. Not so random anymore. I'm thinking he's allergic or sensitive to something he's eating.

Andrew has been interested in Maggie's Bitty Twin, and keeps saying he wants the boy twin. I told him he needs to play with boy toys. There's something that just rubs me the wrong way when boys play with dolls...but I do want to encourage his nurturing side. What to do?

If we want Maggie to do anything that she doesn't want to do, we threaten to braid her hair. She is so set against having her hair braided, that she'll do chores, eat veggies, etc. just to avoid it. Is that wrong?

Share your own "real" mom moments with me!!

Being Girly

2011-12-05T05:40:00.000-05:00

We've been telling Maggie for a few months now that when she turns four, she could get a baby doll from the American Girl Doll store. She devoured the catalog,

and finally settled on this Bitty Baby:

Well, yesterday was the big day!! Maggie put on her "Mrs. Claus" dress and sparkly headband. My younger sister and her two girls came with us since it was Abby's birthday gift as well.

Maggie, Lilly, Abby

After an hour drive, we arrived and the girls skipped their way to the store:

We're here!!

Maggie looked at all the dolls and found the baby she originally wanted. Then I saw that the Bitty Twins could be purchased separately for only a little more than the baby, and they had hair!!

Maggie decided to get a Bitty Twin instead:

The nice cashier opened her up so Maggie could hold her right away. Abby chose a Bitty Baby with brown hair, and Lilly picked out a carrier for her ~~old~~ well-loved Bitty Baby.

Such joy!

Then we went next door to The Cheesecake Factory for lunch. I love that restaurant!

Of course, Rosemary had lunch with us as well:

And then the waiters came over and sang Happy Birthday to the birthday girls:

Mmmmm, strawberries and whipped cream.

Even though I adore my boys, at moments like these, I truly love having a girl!!

Phil loved that we brought him home a slice of Adam's Peanut Butter Cup Fudge Ripple Cheesecake:

...and also one for me (Peppermint Bark Cheesecake). Don't judge, it's a limited edition flavor!

Besides, there's no sense in dieting until after the holidays :)

7 Quick Takes Friday - The 4 Years and 4 Months Edition

2011-12-02T08:05:00.001-05:00

1) My little girl turned my favorite age yesterday: FOUR! She requested M&M pancakes and tacos, which we had for breakfast and dinner, respectively.

2) Her godfather, Fr. Dave came over for dinner and gave her this awesome medieval castle from Melissa and Doug complete with the royal family:

3) Gammy and Grandpa came over as well, and Maggie was very happy with their gifts of a cute dress and "four monies", and of course a Princess card:

4) We had "chocolate cake with chocolate frosting with M&M's and a princess" just as she requested. She also asked for hot fudge, but I had to draw the line somewhere. That girl is in love with chocolate!

5) Her boyfriend, Robby, sent her this birthday message:

6) My other baby turned 4 months old on Nov. 26th!

What a sweetie...he has everyone wrapped around his little finger:

7) Xander is soooooo big and happy. My parents compared him to a sumo wrestler last night ;)

We recently moved him to a crib in another bedroom and he is sleeping through the night!!!

Wordless Wednesday: Somebody's Turning FOUR tomorrow!

2011-11-30T11:25:00.000-05:00

Week in Review

2011-11-28T12:10:00.003-05:00

What a week! Where do I even begin?

I guess I’ll start with last Sunday when we got two messages that rocked our world. The first was to inform us that a teacher at our high school who was about 19 weeks pregnant had lost her baby boy. The second was that Phil’s sister, Kelly (24 weeks pregnant with twins), was on her way to the hospital one day before her scheduled appointment because “something didn’t feel right”.

She and her husband TJ were scheduled to go to the hospital on Monday so that the twins could be tested for Twin to Twin Transfusion Syndrome. After a few complications in her pregnancy, the doctor had determined that this was the most probable case, and surgery would most likely be in order to try and correct the problem.

But on Sunday, Kelly (we later found out) went in to premature labor and was fully dilated when she arrived at the hospital. They told her the twins had zero chance of survival is she delivered naturally, and a small chance if she had a c-section. Like any loving mother would, she chose the latter and was whisked away to an emergency c-section. The babies were born…beautiful identical twin girls and passed away just as quickly in their father’s arms. How devastating. They named their beauties Josephine Angelina and Nadia Rose, and we celebrated their short lives at their funeral Mass on Saturday. Our colleague's baby boy was buried on Friday, which we unfortunately had to miss.

The funeral was in Maryland, where Phil’s family is from, and so we travelled down on Wednesday to be with Kelly and TJ and her family. We were able to sit with them on Wednesday night and they told their whole story to us, and showed us professional pictures taken by a wonderful group called Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep, who offer their services for free when parents suffer an infant loss.

Heartbreaking. She and TJ are writing their story which I will publish later.

On Thursday, we celebrated Thanksgiving (and we really did try to be thankful despite the overwhelming grief). It's a sad reality that sometimes it takes a tragedy for us to realize how lucky and blessed we are.

Phil went out and started a pickup football game with some of the neighborhood kids:

I think Xander is a true Redskins fan since he already knows how hard he has to pray for a win!

Here he is with Aunt Erin

Phil's family starting from left:

His Mom, sister Diana, Phil, Uncle John, sister Erin, TJ, TJ's brother Brian, Kelly, and the back of Phil's Dad!

And the "Kid Table" (again from left): John-Paul, Maggie, Aunt Beth, cousins (and twins) Christina and Caitlin, Uncle Joe, Andrew, and Eamon:

I was thankful for:

and of course:

and definitely:

On Friday, we were able to spend time with the awesome Gale Family. They came over for breakfast and brought us some homemade apple cider, my fave cookies, and pumpkin bread. She sure knows how to win us over!! Then we went outside to play:

Here's Elena with Maggie:

And Eamon with Leo:

And the bloggers - Lisa (how awesome is she rockin' baby #3???) and I:

Of course I just had to take this picture of Elena laying on the ground for about 15 minutes. She's so content in any situation!

Sorry, Jason I have no pictures of you! But I assure you he was there, making us all laugh.

Later in the day, Phil's sister, Sister Denise, came over to visit. Maggie was super excited to spend time with her godmother! Then the much-loved cousins from PA came to visit and our kids played outside for hours together. Luckily, Nana and Gramps live on nine acres and have lots of sticks...the perfect combination of fun.

Saturday was the Funeral Mass, and although I have no pictures, I will remember the beautiful and simple casket that held the twins for the rest of my life.

So small.

That afternoon we went to Mass for the First Sunday of Advent (how did that happen already?) and I laughed when at the first "May the Lord be with you" I responded "And also with you." D'oh! I was pretty good with the rest of the responses of the new translation. The cheat sheet is a lifesaver. And the righteous ones who ~~yell~~ loudly say the correct responses to mask those of us who can't quite get with the program. Of course, Phil pretty much has it all memorized already. Catholic Nerd :)

Saturday evening we hung out with family and friends, and packed up and said our goodbyes. We drove home early Sunday morning (left at 3:30 am) and spent the day decorating our home for Christmas. We are exhausted but so glad we were able to spend time with family and friends and have true moments of joy amongst the sadness.

See My New Header Photo?

2011-11-28T09:44:00.003-05:00

That's all.

A real post is coming soon, I promise!

Wordless Wednesday: Thanksgiving Through the Years

2011-11-23T06:09:00.000-05:00

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

Martin Family Moments

The One Where Maggie Sings

7 Quick Takes Friday *UPDATED*

Why I Could Never Get an Answer

Half a Year

And another thing...

I Don't Want to Talk About It...

Preparing for Patriots Party!!!

7 Quick Takes Friday: Why We Choose Catholic Schools Edition

Wordless Wednesday: When Daddy Sorts the Laundry

How to Get Your Child to Sleep

Saturday's Game

7 Quick Takes Friday

Secret Talent #2

Wordless Wednesday: Two Centerpiece Creations

Tuesday Reviewsday

Pro Patriots and Pro Life

7 Quick Takes Friday

In Defense of Exercise

Wordless Wednesday: What Does John-Paul Want to Be When He Grows Up? (Here's a Clue...)

Meatless Recipe #2

7 Quick Takes Friday

Wordless Wednesday: What Should I Put in Here to Make a Centerpiece?

Before I Had Children

Meatless Recipe #1

7 Quick Takes Friday: Saturday Edition

And Then There Was One

Wordless Wednesday: Scenes from Christmas Break

The Year of the D's

2011 Through the Months

7 Quick Takes Friday: The Last One of the Year Edition

The Post Christmas Blues

Wordless Wednesday: My Big Christmas Present

Five Months!

For My Kids

Merry Christmas!!!

'Twas the Night Before Christmas...

From Our Family to Yours...

A Baby Changes Everything

Wordless Wednesday: Christmas Pageant 2011

Secret Talent #1

Breakfast with Santa

7 Quick Takes: It's Almost Christmas!!! Edition

Wordless Wednesday: Christmas Village 2011

"All I Want for Christmas" or "Phil, I'm Making This Easy for You!"

7 Quick Takes: Things I Love About My Children Edition

CCD with Colleen

Because I've Got Nothing Else..

Real Mom Moments: 2nd Edition

Being Girly

7 Quick Takes Friday - The 4 Years and 4 Months Edition

Wordless Wednesday: Somebody's Turning FOUR tomorrow!

Week in Review

See My New Header Photo?

Wordless Wednesday: Thanksgiving Through the Years

7 Quick Takes Friday UPDATED