Post-Lent Lent Post

It has been a while in the posting department so what better to do, then to catch up. Here's how went Lent - even though its Bright Week

Lent kicked off with BIG dessert night the night before. It's become a tradition of cleaning out all the candy and sweets in the house and consuming as many as possible before dessert is nixed for Lent

THE 

ONLY 

RULE 

IS

You can eat as much 

So long as you don't make yourself sick

So we will call it a successfully kick off to Lent 

Not long into Lent the BFFs from waaaaaaaaaay back swam the 500 free at the last meet of the season. They pretty much rocked it and I love that they do all the things together (except they aren't on the same soccer team this season - which they are bummed about!)

Siblings at the swim meets can be tough

But we persevered though with lots of snacks and PBJs and playing on the playground

and taking lots of funny pics

We went out for a end of season swim treat - even though it was Lent - because there were a number of jobs well done. There are some who are hoping for a post meet ice cream trip for the Open Water meet like we did last year

Ukraine has been weighing heavily on my mind and still is

We got real fancy one night and hit the town for a fundraiser. For as much as I didn't want to get dressed up, I had a great time. If I could live, work and play in soccer shorts - I'd be happy as a clam. I suppose it is good I can't so I'm forced out of my shell. 

Hopefully it won't be another 13.5 year before Lee wears a tux : ) 

J loves taking and seeing pics of himself so I have lots of these on my phone

H seems to have finally gotten into the sleeping mode. February and March were ROUGH times in the sleeping department and it felt like we were regressing to newborn sleep patterns between her and sick kids and kids needing things in the middle of the night. 

BEFORE 

AFTER - she took the braces plunge 

A was way proud of his baking creation at Trail Life 

We came cat owners. Some friends had found kittens and we had been looking for some OUTSIDE cats for awhile - since the snake in the bathroom incident. We transitioned them from the garage to the outside and Oreo and Skittles were doing great and then one day Oreo didn't come home. We would like to think she just waltzed into someone's home and hopped on their lap and they kept her. She was a sweet cat. Skittles is too but he is the resident Kitty Cat and we are trying to decide if he needs a friend. Before she departure, Oreo caught a mole so we are hopeful Skittles will follow suit and keep other unwanted animals away. A and C follow him into the tree and brambles behind the house - Lady C has dubbed the Crown of Thorns. 

Soccer has started for everyone and this might be the only pic I have to prove it. 

AHG went camping and to the bird park - E needed a night of camping to advance so she camped and I didn't. 

We met up with the troop after soccer since we had never been. 

And we will definitely go back 

J almost stepping on parakeets was terrifying 

A got the hang of it. C preferred watching from afar

And that's about all there is to report. 

May it set up to be an extremely busy month - as it usually is for us. Lots of fun things, new and old, on tap. 

 

7QTs - Lent and the Last Man Standing

Linking up with Kelly ... for Lent

---1---

Lent started... 

So we had BIG DESSERT night the Sunday before. We did not have any ice cream so it was anything and everything you wanted from the treat box

A is the boy after his mama's heart and pulled out as many chocolate candy as he could find. He can C lasted the longest at the table and finally we told them enough was enough after about 20 minutes because they might have gotten sick. 

C loves a DumDum and of course was double fisting them. 

Now the constant topic of conversation is when is it going to be pasta? Pascha - I ask - so you can have dessert? It will be a little be longer : ) 

---2---

Backtracking to January... 

On theophany/ January 6, we blessed the house. Or I guess Papa did. Prayers, chalk, holy water.

---3---

Kibbe Swimmers - The Next Generation!

I've taken A and C to the rec pool while the bigs have swim practice a few times. J hangs in the stroller so I don't want to push my luck. Since masking is required for soccer they won't be playing this spring so maybe I can suit up J for the pool and we can all go. 

---4---

How we Roomba...

With big siblings entertaining him.

J has to be contained when Roomba runs around. Sometimes he’s in his chair and other times he’s in a basket 

---5---

Valentine's Day, so you know what that means...  

Flowers for the girls, balloons for the boys, heart shaped muffins and a swim meet for E 

---6---

With the girls I did lots of matching pics...

 

 

So here's one of the boys who desperately need haircuts. I think I'm going to have to breakdown and trim up Js. 

---7---

We are in the throw of the stomach bug. I thought just half the kids had it because we had a pretty quiet day at home but this afternoon me and R succumbed to it and then E and A weren't far behind. Papa appears to be the last man standing. We'll see if that holds. Praying he does.  

We've been battling it since Tuesday afternoon. Fortunately the weather has been nice so the non sickies can go out. 

Holy Week and Bright Week

Linking up with Kelly ... we survived and writing about it a month later

---1---

Soccer FINALLY began the Tuesday of Holy Week. It has rained and rained and rained here and the first two weekends of soccer were canceled. 

A's team is the Tigers and A is intent on scoring a goal so he can go out for his first goal ice cream treat. He thinks he scores goals in warm ups but I keep telling him it has to be DURING the game. We are working on that concept.

---2---

Our crew survived Holy Week... 

Good Friday vespers and PB and jelly or honeys was our simple meal of choice. I remain quite proud of the kids powering through 5 of 8 days at church services and all the travel time that went along with that. 

---3---

Holy Saturday is a strange day, no? Not solemn like Good Friday but not celebratory like Pascha. Lee cooked all day. The girls and I made cupcakes to go along with a meal Lee was cooking: 

They worked on their Cake Decorating badge for AHG. 

We learned about different frosting dyes and piping with the star tip. That was interesting to say the least. 

M and A decorated a few remaining cupcakes with sprinkles which was waaaaaaaaaay more up my alley. 

Their flower and butterfly cupcakes with piping!

Sprinklers!

We dropped all of them off knowing there were lots of sweets to be had at church and at Grammy's the next day but there was lots of bowl, and knife and spatula licking :  )

---4---

It was a late and colder Pascha than normal

As in I had to swap out the sandals for tights and closed toed shoes late Saturday night. Pascha Matins and DL is a LONG service and the kids gave it their best. 

Then we went to my parents for dinner and basket hunting. Pringles and cereal are also a huge hit and I am still looking for about half of the peg dolls I gave them (which does not make me a happy mama). 

---5---

The last week of April aka Spring Break - I decided that M needed to giving swimming a whirl - just so she could feel good about it going into the summer season. Soccer was off that week and they were out of school so it seemed like a good idea. 

Which meant lots of park time for A and C

Which they loved

Forever with shoes on the wrong feet... 

---6---

So there was lots of swimming and one tired M who powered through most of it

She couldn't decide if she loved it or hated it because she always said she wanted to go to swim practice but then while she was there she got really nervous (spoiler - we ended up swimming in May and she's been doing much better)

---7---

The Friday of Bright Week it rained

So A and C and me were stuck inside while the big girls did yoga during their swim. I realize there are some questionable breathing and noising and intentions that cane be made during some yoga classes but I trust that is not being taught at our Y. E even said she wanted to go to yoga class so maybe there will be a kids yoga class in the works? 

Then we all headed home to enjoy some super meaty pizza on a Friday which is basically unheard of around these parts : )