MayFIies, May Flies, May's Flown

Well May has come and gone. In some ways it flew by and others I didn't know if it'd ever be over. I really tried to be present this May and not wish it away. My goal was to take at least a picture a day - and I did that for every day except two. We made it through the craziest part of pool season with alot of asking for and receiving help. It was a fast month. It was a fun month. Here they are with a quick description... 

Quick trip

Soccer snacks

Insta-beach

Goal scorer

PAPA!!!!!!!

Twining 

Bookworm

Accessorizing

Mother's Day breakfast

NINE!

Pom-posting

Reminders...

Character Day

A plane!

Nerves

BUS!

Game time prep

Great church behavior celebration

Dinner mess

The first last

Rock selecting

A really big water gun

Opening Weekend

First popsicle of the summer

Sweet celebrations

Runners Up

EOY Party Ham

The second end sadness

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 : ) 

Nine and Feeling Fine

Yesterday was E's ninth birthday! Crazy I know. We had her party on her actual birthday which made her day because she got to open all her presents on one day. She was given some pretty neat Lego sets and clothes and a long awaited new scooter and a knitted blanket. 

Grammy made the cake (of course) and it was delicious. 

She needed a running start to blow out the candles!

But didn't get them all on the first try : ) 

Our family pic sans C because she had a fever and slept through the whole thing. I was really worried that E would lose it when her one friend couldn't make it because she was sick too but E was surprisingly good with it. She requested popsicles for a treat at school, after swim practice (before her party) and after her soccer game (the next day). 

Next year I told her she could have a party with all her friends (if she wants) and she read this book (shocking) about an escape from Alcatraz which sounded like an Escape Room - ish kind of thing and so now she's busy planning her Escape Room 10th birthday because she's a planner like that. 

She's a planner and a constantly thinking about things to come (we are trying to encourage her to live in the moment and not anticipating the future). She's an avid bookworm and hard working student. A dedicated swimmer and gaining-some-confidence-soccer-player (which has been really fun to watch over the last several weeks) which we are sure she'll continue to work hard it both sports. E is very excited about her summer musical she's in and has read through the script at least a few times to decide what she's going to try out for. It has been a busy, joy-filled nine years with lots of twists and turns and learning curves. We are so grateful God blessed us with her as the leader of our kids.

Seize the May

I was talking to several friends the past few days and reflecting on the next several weeks ahead. The month of May is a busy month for most I know - end of year EVERYTHING at school, spring sports, the beginning of summer and sprinkle in a birthday or two and Mother's Day and BAM your schedule can be filled to the BRIM. On top of that for me/us, Lee is not very available/present because pool season is in full swing. Thus, much of the rigmarole of May fall to MOI. 

It is kind of a grit-and-get-through-it month. It is also a month I'd in theory like to just skip because it is alot. But in my reflections and conversations, if I were to bury my head in the couch and not seize the month of May, I think I'll miss out on a whole lot. The soccer games. The birthday girl. The celebrations. The accomplishments. All because I don't have the right outlook and frame of mind. 

So the motto for May 2019 is, Embrace May and Don't Wish it Away. 

Here's to being present in May and not just rushing through it to throw the kids in bed. Here's to later than normal bedtimes and a stricter meal planning schedule. Here's to driving in many directions and being grateful for the opportunity to go to five hundred million things. Here's to Sundays and spending them with Papa. 

Here's to loving these kids - plus the two not pictured 

and teaching them what it means to be present for each other. 

May, you are going to be a busy month but we will embrace all you have in store.

Pascha 2019

He is Risen!

Well we survived Holy Week and all the church services that go along with it. I'd be lying if I didn't think we'd do terribly because Palm Sunday was ROUGH. Next year I need to remember that my children can get palms AFTER church. There was so much controversy surrounding the palms and who had what and why was this one bigger and let's rip the palm in half to get two palms... Church endorsed liturgical distractions I tell you!

Pascha was actually quite chilly - but dry. It rained ALOT Holy Week. I had to do a quick swap from sandals to tights for the girls but at least it wasn't raining and so the post church feast of City Chicken and Pascha cheese and lots of feast worthy goodies went off without a hitch. I told Lee I wanted to bring a pepperoni pizza but that plan got nixed because it was totally impractical and it wouldn't be fresh. 

Then we headed to my parents for basket hunts - some of which ended up hidden on the roof? and more really good food. The big girls stayed a few days and dyed eggs and made Easter cookies - which were some of the best if you ask me or Lee. The house was eerily quiet on Monday night at 7:30 - A and C were in bed and Lee and I just kind of sat and enjoyed the peace. Thinking back at one point or another it was always pretty quiet around 7:30 when E and R were 3 and almost 2. 

The volume around the house will certainly not be lowering anytime soon and come September it will be increased by one little person. Baby number six will be gracing us with his or her presence a month after school starts! We are very excited and honestly I am actually ready - as ready as one can get - for another baby. C is great but she isn't a baby any more. She is almost two with a lot of sass and spunk and opinions. I think everyone is on Team A Needs a Brother which is the only reason I'd even consider finding out boy or girl (but I didn't). Given our track record there's really only a 20% chance this baby is a boy and A has already declared this baby - his baby brudder. 

On Lent and Other Liturgical Musings

Lent started in what seems likes 1.5 millions years ago but really I guess it was only 6 or 7 weeks. This was the scene on the Sunday of Cheesefare (aka the last day to eat anything and everything before Lent starts Monday - yes not Ash Wednesday... we sneak a few extra days in just for kicks). This all shook out two days into Papa's six month day stint with the flu - which no one else got - Praise the Lord. 

I was gifted a copy of the Catholic All Year Compendulum and picked up some good Lenten ideas I wanted to try out. One of which was no sweets/dessert. The kids have parties at school so I'm not going to even go there and I wouldn't want them making a big deal about it. 

Anyways so we had our last dessert for a while and I let them go out with a bang. We had two big boxes of sweet and treats that had been collected from various parties and celebrations. I let them pick 3 toppings for: 

Their ice cream (I polished off the box) and warm (yes I actually nuked them for them because Lent was nearly upon us) brownies... 

They 

were

thrilled

And I think we have a new tradition in the books. I will say that there have been some very yummy and tempting fast-friendly (aka for those not eating dairy) desserts after Presanctified Liturgy this year that have been a sacrifice not to dive into. Hand raised in the group who wanted some. 

Next from the Catholic All Year suggestion book was a bean jar. This has been a good one but I need to do better with it next time around. The idea is you get a bean for a good deed or sacrifice or something. Then on Pascha there's a jar full of Jelly Beans - on for each good deed bean that made it in the jar during Lent. I've given beans for good pray time behavior, clearing dishes, Andrew saying grace by himself, putting stuff away after school (and not leaving it scattered all over the floor), church (Liturgy, PSL and stations) behavior, helping me out with anything, and, a freebie, for not getting dessert. The kids have enjoyed it and my issue is I need to do the beans in the moment or in the day because I forget and the kids needs the immediate reinforcement. Do I wish I could take beans out for bad behavior, yes -but I don't. 

Then came St. Patrick's Day

Green cookies for breakfast

Leftover from the St. Patrick's Dance 

That Grammy made - that was a fun treat. Usually I do green mac and cheese and other green stuff but with it being on a Sunday this year I didn't. 

Our family green photo. Lee and I are never usually in the pics and I don't think you can tell that R, E and C are wearing green but they are. I love Lee's green vestment so I requested the family pic after church : ) 

And last but not least. First grade would not be complete without the leprechaun trap project. R basically had no idea what she wanted to do. 

ZERO. 

So when I noticed we had green cupcake holders I threw those in front of her with some gold coins and...

This is what you got. The trap was to fall on the leprechaun when it tugged on the gold coin (in the cupcake holder) after it saw the gold coin in the reflection of the spoon - the spoon was 100% her idea. 

Fortunately the leprechauns didn't take my spoon but they did do a number on the traps and somehow all got away. 

Anything's Possible... with M!

M was the last of the 4 kids (the ones who were aware of their outings - sorry C!) to go out with me. She was mad about being last but then I reminded her I still have to take C somewhere (it will probably be Dunkin Donuts - because she's almost two). Anyhow, the swimmers and I raced back from the swim meet to make me and M's date night possible. 

We started out with dinner at Lou's. It is a pretty fancy place for us and reserved for special occasions - aka that's our Father's Day dinner spot. We snacked on sweet potato fries and tried to patiently wait for our food but there was a bball team there (with parents) so party of 20 tosses a monkey wrench into the kitchen. Anyhow we got our food and we were both full from fries so passed on dessert (Skillet Cookie) but we stopped and got M dessert from the candy section - PB M&Ms - a girl after my heart. She refused to let me sneak them in but I think she would have much enjoyed the show more if she had a snacking distraction. 

We went to go see the Seussical Jr. One of the schools put it on and it seemed like a good fit for M's night out. They like watching Dr. Seuss on PBS. 

I am quite sure she was bored about halfway through and I almost let us go but we were in the middle of a row. I think it would have helped a lot if she was familiar with Horton Hears a Who and Horton Hatches an Egg - but those aren't in our Seuss repertoire. 

Regardless, she told everyone she had a fun time.