7 Quick Takes - Snow, Swim, School

Linking up with Kelly and co... Going from newest to oldest because I could probably do 4 posts just to catch up

---1---

We survived the end of year / Christmas programs and party rush. 

E and R had their program but I went to the dress rehearsal (because I got 2nd row seats and didn't have to wait in the cold for 30 minutes) but also because A would not have survived the program at 7:30. So everyone enjoyed it. E was an angel and R was a sheep - along with just about everyone in the school. I heard for DAYS... I just don't wanna be a sheep - in the saddest voice ever. Anyhow she powered though and was an excellent sheep - my rendition of one of the song Shaggy, Smelly Kids had the girls giggling. M's program was great and we could hear her sing and say her Bible verse. 

E and R had parties that I didn't go to but all the remnants came home in their book bags and I am blown away by all the STUFF that R came home with. I (and she) totally appreciate the thought but I did not and cannot send in goodies for everyone in her class because then I'd have to do it times 4 kids and that would be 60 goodies. Even A came home with a pudding cup with reindeer antlers and a eyes and a nose (very cute I must say) but honestly I can BARELY get the teacher gifts out the door. I cannot fathom doing classmate gifts too. 

M wanted me to come to her party which entailed watching her eat : ) and stories, songs and Bible verses. It was cute and enjoyable but then she came home telling everyone there was no food at her party - which I promptly reminded her that was a lie and then we went over the consequences for lying... apple cider vinegar. 

---2---

This past week we were in town for church. Papa was on deacon duty here in the Mount and so I figured if I can handle 5 kids at Mass sola - I can handle 5 kids at Dunkin after mass sola... 

They did do quite well in church so they earned it. A made it in church up until he wanted to help the ushers take the gifts up and got called back - then he LOST it. He got it together and then was in and out for the rest of Mass - which isn't too bad for him. 

Donuts were enjoyed by all and C slept through the sugar rush : ) 

---3---

On Saturday I got down to baking because teacher/neighbor/friend/people who deserve pound cake gifts were in order. I made 6 batches in total - 3 Saturday and 3 Tuesday and I'm pretty sure I could use another batch or two

We have lots of people who help make our world go around so that means lots of pound cake

Then the kids unwrapped 8 bags of hugs for our sweet and salty M&M bites. I was impressed A helped and didn't even try and sneak one. Next year I need to use parchment paper with these and I could probably use another 2-3 bags of hugs!

Hopefully next year E can do the bulk of the M&M pressing and hug loading. 

---4---

R lost her first tooth!

It had been loose for a while and finally one day after school I wouldn't let her got play until it was out because I was convinced she was going to lose it or swallow it while she was playing. She nervously grabbed a Kleenx and popped it out herself. 

She was super proud of herself and E got put it her place because E was a nervous wreck everytime she loses a tooth. E noted that R didn't even cry. It was awesome. 

The tooth fairy remembered to come so all is well. 

---5---

We have had some swimming to report... 

I finally got R and M in for lessons and then I didn't think they'd happen before Christmas but fortunately they found someone to do them. The girls are having a blast and beg to go to lessons so I hope they can be free swimmers before the end of winter - it might be a stretch though

E had a swim meet a few weekends ago. She did a 50 and 100 of LEGAL breaststroke - which is awesome considering a few months ago it was still very much not legal. She almost got a time in 200 IM but those last few strokes of fly DQed her or rather she got herself DQed : ( 

---6---

The weekend of E's swim meet there was a touch of winter weather... 

So after surviving returning to Target because we were double charged for a birthday gift

And surviving the party with 4 kids - Y pool party complete with me in a bathing suit and showering kids in Y locker room because that's way easier than at home

Everyone got a small taste of snow

And then we went to a Christmas party - see the snow?

---7---

PSA...

These magic clear markers from Crayola are amazing especially for A. Last minute gift ideas for the 2-4 crowd. 

have you finished shopping? I think we are done. 

St. Nicholas Day 2017

Coming home from late night Vespers and setting up for St. Nicholas without Papa's help is not fun but it's totally worth it.

There were some tough decision made in regards to what to give St. Nicholas (our kids have to go through their toys and give St. Nicholas a pile to take). Even Lee commented about some of their selections but WE CANNOT KEEP EVERYTHING! Lee went through his closet and gave St. Nicholas a huge bag to take! 

This is one of my favorite scenes... the darkness, the candles, the peace, the excitement

We were at church late the night before and it was an early morning. I think I should just plan on taking the kids to school late every St. Nicholas Day. 

We have everyone go in together so there is no peeking. 

A was excited and confused

St. Nicholas brought Papa and I a Charlie Brown nativity set - we needed a new one and this is super cute! 

Everyone else got cereal, a book, toothpaste, soap, and socks. E had written a note to St. Nicholas so I wrote her back (for him of course) in cursive : ) 

Then we feasted on cinnamon rolls and caught up on Jesse tree

C did not get any rolls

A was a sticky mess

M perked up 

R wanted another

E might have actually gotten another

Next year I'd like to be a bit more up on my St. Nicholas game and get the girls icons of the saints they dressed up as for All Saints Day - I think this really help them remember but I struggled this year to find a Our Lady of the Snows Icons. I think I might get peg dolls for Pascha baskets. I had thought about signing them up for a monthly Lego delivery but I thought better of it since we have had medical expenses out the wazoo this year. 

St. Nicholas, pray for us!

Week in My Life - Thursday

Oh today was good...

A was up bright and early for some good snuggles which I'm glad to have some time for

The it was off to the races with breakfast and getting dressed and praying and stuff and stuff

The Catholic school girls were running late. Literally. 

They weren't moving at quite the speed I needed - like you are late. You need to run to the van, not walk. 

So I drove up the first hill and hid in the side street and my neighbor called to make sure we were okay. Just teaching the girls a lesson, you know. So I think some lesson was learned. There was tears and discussion of what they would have done if I had really left them - like going to ask our neighbors to use the phone to call Papa and he would have been REALLY MAD. 

Indeed. 

I was happy to note that E would not leave R. E lugged some of R's stuff up the hill because she couldn't carry it (because she hadn't put it in her book bag). She's a great big sister. 

After the drop offs I went to get my glasses fixed because about a month after I got them fixed earlier this year (right before C was born) A got a hold of them and they are mangled. That was a pointless trip since the glasses people weren't there ; ( 

Then off to drop the microbus off for an oil change - hi Uncle Kevin, evidence I did it. 

C and I hung out at work - which is slow now that people aren't really using their pools 

Before I got the girls from school I had time to work on M's stocking - yes I'm that far behind : (

And there's A's stocking waiting in the wings

We met up at Jibbe's for dinner because that's what we do

We stopped for gas on the way home and yes Lee pumps my gas whenever he's around. 

Week in My Life - Wednesday

Just another wacky weekday...

A has a bad habit of pushing M off the stool when they brush teeth. A loves to brush his teeth so he lingers for a while and I hope he doesn't dapple in the sink too long. 

On to bigger an better things all before 7:15... The Amazon Subscribe and Save box is always loads of fun. M usually tries to rush upstairs so she can play with Barbies and Legos with E and R. 

E and R and me are warring over their room and putting stuff away and keeping it halfway straight. There are usually pajamas on the floor and hangers from school clothes on the beds. Usually I try and turn a blind eye to it but this morning it was particularly bad. I make them clean it up before our prayer time and that's always met with a cheerful face and immediate compliance... NOT

E is usually the last one out of the house. She lingers and complains about packing up so thank goodness for long range garage clickers to prove my point. 

When I pull into the office after doing the morning shuffle I'm met with my lovely reminder of things that need to be taken care of... Please see Tuesday as another example. Plus the dirt on the dash would also remind me the van had not been cleaned since we got it in March (which as since been remedied) but a clean car often takes the back burner.

C wasn't so sure about her first bounce in the door jumper. She's so stinking cute and she may drive me a little crazy, I know what a blessing it is to be able to have a sidekick at work. 

Once the pick up and lunch shuffle are complete, C and I sit down for the afternoon work session. She really needs to get on the bottle program but I'm not up for the fight because breastfeeding is much easier for us. 

E has a slightly later than normal swim practice so she and C and me head out and leave R and M to their own devices upstairs and Papa and A knee deep in Legos and books. 

After E and I eat our late dinner it is time for the Jesse Tree - hello Advent! I really love the visual reminder of Advent thru the Jesse Tree. Our activity for the week is packing Operation Christmas Child shoe boxes so more on that later. 

Sometimes I wonder, and I often pray about the faith of our kids. I hope that we as parents are doing our job of passing on the faith to are kids well enough - though we often fall short. I hope that when they get older and look back, they'll remember doing the Jesse Advent for Advent or eating dirt and worms for the birth of John the Baptist or eating white pizza for the Transfiguration. I really would like to make it a priority of picking a feast day or a saint each month and doing something that helps teach us something about that person or that feast. Fortunately I don't have to recreate the wheel, we just have to pick something and implement it. 

Week in My Life - Saturday

It is funny to me that this Saturday, of all Saturdays, is the one that is documented so thoroughly because it was actually quite uneventful and out of the ordinary. Well, highly event-filled in the swim events department but that is about it.

5:55 am push back to leave to pick up a sweet swim friend and mama to ride to the swim meet. Having a navigator sure made the trip go by much faster with some good conversation and company

The swimmer

Armed with her lane assignments (my sorry attempts at humor)

E had a great first three events. I think she swam faster in all three and didn't get DQed in IM which is HUGE. Yay! 

C was a trooper - as usual. She got ooooooed and awwwwwwwed over a million times. It was blazing hot in the pool area and silly me forgot that it would be so I packed all footed, long sleeve clothes - but that made for some warm toasty naps. 

Then the last event she swam was the 500 free. The back story to the 500 is this. At the beginning of the swim season I set some goals for E (we do it during summer swim, we did it during swim last year, we do it for the other kids too and not just in sports). I set one of her goals for this year as swimming the 500 free. It is a long race - 20 laps. It isn't easy, but it's achievable. That's the point of a goal. Reachable but requires some stretching. She didn't have to take me up on it, but if she swam it - and finished and didn't get DQed - the prize was a swim backpack. She has been bouncing around between several bags/packs for the past year for goggles, towels, bathing suits etc etc etc. 

Not surprisingly she wanted to do the 500. Or she really wanted the backpack. This was the first meet that she could do it and as soon as she saw it on the meet sheet, she was game. I can't say I was. I thought she'd build up to swimming it and maybe do it toward the end of the season. I may have triple checked with the coach - You are sure she's not going to sink, right? She was certainly nervous in the time leading up to the race though I cannot say if it was she or I who was more nervous. The next closer swimmer in the race was 10 but the little 7 year old was determined to swim with the big girls... 

She was the last one to finish, the last race of the day. I told her before I didn't care about her time. I just wanted her to do her best - and not get DQed. Because how many other 7 year olds was she swimming against? 

She was so exhausted. I was so proud. 

Then we loaded up, hit up Panera, grabbed a gallon of milk and got back home 10.5 hours after our early morning start. A was so happy to see me. R and M didn't realize we were home for at least 45 minutes. Of course, I dutifully made good on the swim bag. E had to check out all the colors - there were at least 30 - before confirming the choice she already had her heart set on, yellow. There are probably only a handful of people who can appreciate the fact her color choice shows she is my child. Her bright yellow swim backpack will be here on Monday (thanks Amazon Prime for having the best price and of course 2 day shipping) hopefully in time for her to sport at practice. I think you can agree she deserves it. 

Then it was time for dinner and showers and Jesse Tree and then everyone was tossed into bed by 7. Lee held down the fort like a champ. Did laundry. Cooked dinner. Maintained order. 

I think we make a heck of a team.