7 Quick Takes - In Which I use Hashtags

#quicktakes #totallynotnecessary...

--- 1 ---

Okay this one is really old. So back around Easter we had Pascha bread (and Pascha cheese for that matter) and E wanted to save the flowery bread decorations to eat because she could not bear the thought of giving them to the squirrels.

Well about a week passed and she forgot about them and the scientist within me said "How long will this bread last without mold" so it was not but a few more days and we had three different colored molds growing: yellow, white and blueish. 

After my curiosity was overtaken by disgust, I promptly threw the bread in the trash and sterilized the container for several hours. 

--- 2 ---

How about some T-R-U-T-H in this gem of an article titled "I've got 9 kids. Are we killing you yet?" 

Here's my top three favorit-o quotes:

3. As for me and my husband, we will keep having children and raising them to become responsible citizens.

2. You don’t have to be a scholar in demographics to see that large families are not the cause of overpopulation

1. Let me tell you what is killing the planet. It’s egotism. It’s a culture of entitlement that drives us to grab what should be ours, whether we need it or not

I only bring it up because Nani is siempre on the lookout for great articles like this AND some guy came in the store this week and asked when the 'next one was coming because I have 7 and kids are great'. 

Go read it. 

--- 3 ---

So I ordered something and it got sent via the USPS. Can I get a #USPSfail

Yeah… You think?

Fortunately I called customer service and it was resent. In a cardboard box. Free of charge. 

--- 4 ---

R has picked out her book-bag for the fall. Did I mention we opted to keep E at her current preschool? Back a few months ago we were having a crisis over Common Core and decided to punt on the issue for another year. 

Not my 1st pattern pick but LL Bean backpacks are the way to go

To say the schooling decision is taking a wild ride would be an understatement. Let's just say homeschooling is no longer 'off the table' and I (yes me) might be just a tad bit intrigued. 

--- 5 ---

Bouncing on to a totally different but equally rant-able subject:

Please note the lady pushing the double stroller and walking her not one but two dogs. If you look close enough in that double stroller you'll see not a person but another dog. Let's give her the benefit of the doubt and say maybe she's a professional dog walker.

But for arguments sake what if she wasn't?

Seriously. PEOPLE!!!!! Dogs are not kids. Stop treating them as such. All this natural 100% purified organic farm-fresh in the refrigerated section mess is OUT OF CONTROL. There are PEOPLE who don't have enough food (as we tell our kids when they don't want to eat their food) so you mean to tell me Kibbles and Bits are too good for FIDO and FIFI.

Lee was thumbing through a magazine today and there was a double page ad about how to cook a meal for two - one for your and one for your pet.

I'm all in favor of people having the right to do this and that - if you have the means to pamper your pet by all means, do it - I'm not here to judge. I may think it is a little weird but you'd probably say the same thing about me!

#priorities 

--- 6 ---

Speaking of food...

How amazing does that look? I've never eaten too much tomato pie but when we were invited over for dinner one night there was tomato pie and I might say I'm hooked. Then this recipe came across my email this week and now I really want to replicate some form of tomato pie. ASAP. 

--- 7 ---

Left handed safety scissors. Not that I have scoured all the stores in the Mount because I really have not had time to leave the house by the time Lee gets home and the girls are settled; I'm not going out. I'm thinking about ordering from Amazon. BUT… I have to buy them with something into to get the free shipping

Soooo… everyone's into essential oils these days it seems and who better to try them out on than Lee. Forever a skeptic; except when it comes to his foot. He has Plantar Fasciitis which he blames me for (but that's a totally different story). Anyways, he's been dealing with the foot problem since BEFORE we were married. So going on 6 years. #cannotbelieveit

He's tried two boots. He's tried ice baths. He's tried different shoes/inserts. Nothing

Back in February my SIL had him convinced he needed to see a physical therapist who also does acupuncture. (I had been advocating for acupuncture for awhile but he does not listen to me). Well he got put on her waiting list and got a call the week that pool season really started. So PT got temporarily nixed until the fall. 

Enter essential oils:

Don't know much about them but we have some extra Amazon points so technically we won't have to pay for it so if this is a total waste-o-time then no big deal. I have high hopes though. I need an EO tutorial 

For more Quick Takes, visit Conversion Diary!

                               

Recently - In Photos and in Overheards...

{These are way random and are totally unrelated}

A few pics from puzzle night

R is not too into puzzles at the moment

200 piece puzzle

Done. A bit past bedtime

R - I no-noooo
Me - Why?
R - I no-nooo

E - What was that?
Me - I hit a tree in the road.
E - Are you going to hit on another tree?

Need to recap E's 4th bday… It was great

E - Can I borrow R's Cinderella pajamas?
Me - No
E - Why not?
Me - Because you can't share clothes until y'all are in high school!

Me - R, why did you go pee-pee in your pull up?
R - Be-tuz
Me - Because why?
R - {pauses} I play sak-her. I play sak-her

Papa-daugther date at the baseball game

E - God has a plan for me, because He loves me and He made me for great things… (repeat x100 at 6:30 in the A to the M)

R - Skitter-mer-ring-key-ding-key-ding-key-ding Skitter-mer-ring-key-doo I LOOOOVE MEEEEEE!

E - Here R, do you need a Philippian?
R - Naww
E - You need to eat a Philippian!
Me - {laughing in the front seat}
Lee - Did she just say Philippian?
Me - Yes
Lee - Like the people from Philippi?
Me - Maybe she's getting confused with filberts

While E and Lee were at the baseball game… R and I enjoyed straw-beee-ries and cream

Answer Me This - Hello June!

Happy Ascension Day for all you people who live in dioceses that clearly misunderstand Christ ascended after 40 days - not when it was convenient for people to make it to Mass : )

1. Do you have a smart phone?

Yes. An iPhone. It kind drives me crazy with work sometimes but it is super convenient for taking pics for el blog. Sometimes it does insane things so I think a new one will be in order before the end of the year.. 

I have an OtterBox case which is slowly deteriorating. Between R teething on it and the number of times I've dropped it, I'm surprised it has lasted this long. If I do upgrade an OtterBox or something stronger will definitely be in order

2. Which is your favorite meal of the day?

Hmmm.. This is a strange one. I'll go with dinner but only when Lee cooks. Breakfast is usually spent loading up the bags for either school or church and lunch is just generally not fun since we get home from school so late. 

3. Shower or bath?

Shower. Shower. Shower. I don't have time for baths. They are horribly impractical in the time department. I prefer that the kids shower because it is such a time saver and there is so much less drama and less water on the floor. 

4. Think of a person you love. How many days have you been in love with that person? (Don't worry, this site will do the math for you. And, hey, now you can order this card!)

Well I don't know about the 'in love' part but we have known each other for 3397 days.. which is cra-zee. Maybe 'in love' about 600-ish days less? That date calculator is pretty stinking awesome

I can already hear the - "Chicky, why did you post that picture on the blog" line. This is circa 2007

5.  What's the best church you've ever been inside?

Cologne Cathedral. World Youth Day 2005. Such a great trip. Seriously that church is amazing. It was not bombed during WWII because I think the jets used it as a landmark because it is so massive (don't quote me on it though). I would have LOVED to have visited this church 

No picture does it justice so check out more

and I think we could have been on the hook for a trip this winter but it burned down : ( 

Source and Story

So now maybe we can go once they rebuild. I would really love to go one day. 

6. Happy Feast of the Visitation (on Saturday)! Has anyone ever come to help YOU?

Yes. My mom (and dad) and mother in law are awesome. My mom even spent her bday last year here helping with E and R because M was 3 days old. 

Nani is awesome too. I could dedicate an entire post to her and her awesome-ness. Maybe I'll do that : ) All I need to say is vecina. MY vecina : ) 

7QTs - Post Snake Invasion

Please pray for some friends of ours and their sweet newborn who is undergoing surgery today

--- 1 ---

Well if you missed our big news around here this week, check this out.

It has led to some interesting conversations…

E - Where's the snake
Me - It is dead outside
E - Has it died?
Me - Yes it is dead.
E - But has it died?
Me- It has died
E - Jesus died
Me - Yes he did but he's in heaven
E - When we die we go in a grave
Me - When we die our bodies go in graves but our souls leave this earth and hopefully go to heaven
E - Where is heaven?
Me - Ask Papa

--- 2 ---

Whew! Moving on to lighter news...

This little bebe has a tooth or two.  

Which I unsuccessfully tried to document. 

There is a bit of controversy in our house over the tooth issue. I believe that once a baby gets teeth they are not really babies anymore more (okay not really but having teeth is a way grown up trait you know). Lee insists that I am grossly incorrect. 

I have only been bit once or twice but also the whole teeth thing makes me want to be wrapping up in the nursing department but M shows no sign of dis-interest. 

--- 3 ---

E built a tent and proceeded to sleep in it for her rest….

She was doing this a few hours before: 

Try explaing mini golf to a 4 yr old

--- 4 ---

Preschool wrapped up last week: 

Last day of school

First day of school

--- 5 ---

E got a kite in her end of year bucket...

Now I know why adults must exercise extreme patience when children fly kites. Seriously between the tail on the kite and the string getting tangled. Well fortunately kite flying was deemed boring soon after we started so 

--- 6 ---

We survived an epic shopping trip. With Papa working sun up to sun down 5 days a week and sun up to mid afternoon on Saturday that leaves us girls to do some things he does during the cooler months...

Wallys only has one of those double seater, massive carts and we did not enter through the door that had it or maybe someone was using it so E and R were in the basket for a good part of the trip. But E was forced out midway through. R got lost in everything but with some creative stacking and positioning nothing was damaged. No accidents like last time 

--- 7 ---

Couldn't resist another one of sweet M

She's saying.. Happy Anniversary Grammy and Grandpa Joe!

For more Quick Takes, visit Conversion Diary!

                               

You know you have a snake in your garage when...

Okay… In case you missed last week's installment of all things snake, you should check it out because we are up to 2 snakes in 8 days in our yard. For all you non-math people that is one snake every four days or in my world ONE TWO SNAKES TOO MANY!

Now, while the girls were getting their rest on this afternoon I was going out to the garage to look for something on the other side of the van. Except I heard this whoosh, whoosh noise and did not go down the (three) steps (that goes from the laundry room landing to the garage). I am a total noise freak. I am such a scaredy cat. So what do I do? Lock the door. Call Lee. 

He tells me I should open the garage door but it's probably just one (of the three) freezers in the garage. I assure him it was not a freezer. It sounded more like a plastic bag whooshing across the floor - even though the doors were closed and clearly no possible way there is that much air movement. So I mentally prepare myself to open the door to the garage (so I can open both garage doors). 

Lights on. 

Door unlocked. 

Deep breathe. 

Turn knob. Here creepy noise again. Smash both garage door buttons. Slam door. Lock door. Deep Breathe. 

Phew. 

Okay maybe it was just a cat. The neighbors cat just had a litter of kittens (do kittens come by the litter?) So I open up my front shades and realize that I am not going to be able to see anything. Armed with my cell phone and the landline phone I tiptoe to the end of the walkway and peer into the garage. 

No noise. No movement. No nothing. I'm such a freak it was probably just nothing. But Nani and Nano and I were just talking about snakes last night but there's no way it could be that coincidental  but maybe it was a snake and maybe it's in my van that has both sliding doors wide open and Lee just told me last week:

"Chicky you'd better keep your doors closed otherwise you'll end up with something in there you won't like"

Continue scanning the garage for anything weird. Hey there is no orange stripe on my bag of soccer balls… 

OH HECK NO!!!

{INSERT INTERNAL FREAKOUT SESSION WHILE KEEPING EYE ON SNAKEY-SNAKE} 

Call Lee. I know he is not coming home but I call anyways. Yeah pointless

Call Nani. I doubt Nano will be home but it's worth a shot. Nope not home

Call boys (plus ABs) mom. Her husband is at work still and the deputy across the street also not home. 

Get idea from her to run to another neighbors house. Not home. It 3:15 in the afternoon and NO ONE {who is skilled in the snake killing department} is HOME!!!!!!!!!!!

Run back to garage. 

Snakey is still there

Call animal control. Yep I'm desperad-a

Snakey darts out of garage in my direction. Life flashes before my eyes (okay not but it was traumatic). Seriously I was shaking

Call pest control. Yeah snakes are not in the same realm of spiders and roaches. 

Snake settles under the little work truck. Must keep eye on snake

Call my mother-in-law. Tell her I need one of the guys to come to the house ASAP - meaning like 25 minutes.

Then by my prayers were answered - because I'm pretty sure I could not just stare at that snake for 25 minutes - the neighbor on the really loud white truck that  - goes and comes, and goes and comes, and goes and comes, every 2.5 seconds every single day - comes pulls down the street. I frantically flag him down and tell him my dilemma. 

He comes over and asks me if I have anything to kill the snake because "he's only killed snakes with guns." Fantastic. Beggars cannot be choosers you know.  Well no guns so he settled for the only hoe in the garage. E's little purple hoe. He requests backup in the form of a normal sized flat shovel. Call Lee. Run to shed. Pray I don't see another snake. Find shovel. Run back to scene. 

Oh my goodness my super-loud-white-truck-driving neighbor was so super brave he got the shovel under the van and keep getting closer and closer until he was as close to the head as he could get and JAB! 

The snakes whips around and I'm behind him whacking the purple hoe in the air {looking like a total freak} and then the snake does not die. Grrr… 

Snake whips up into wheel well and super-loud-white-truck-driving neighbor repeats aforementioned tactics to put an end to the snake

Seriously I could have hugged him. But I didn't because I don't even know his name. But I am going to find out when I have a ribbon wrapped box of thank yous for killing that snake. 

Some reflection:

A. It turns out this snake is actually a red belly water snake. {Thanks Nani} Not poisonous

B. I feel totally violated 

C. Guardian angel. Yes. Normally I park outside in the grass and leave the van doors open or I park in the garage and leave the garage doors open and van doors open. Today I closed the garage doors for some reason. 

D. Guardian angel. Yes. I went to go check to see if we still had a seat cushion for our old table and chair set which is in the garage. Why? I have no idea but thank God I did because normally after rest I'll have E and R put their Crocs on and open the garage doors (if they are not already) and send them on their way while I head in to get M organized and outside. R is the first to the soccer balls.

Seriously those girls would have been trembling for weeks had that snake come after them. 

E. The snake was likely after this little dude 

Saved by the soccer ball bag

F. Ick I don't like snakes

Hoping you have a snake-free rest of your day week month year life! 

Five Favs - Reasons Why I Love School is out for the Summer

Okay it's just preschool but you know

1. The girls take excellent rests

Well R is a pretty consistent rester anyways but E is pretty hit or miss and more along the lines of a whiny miss. But today I told her it was time for rest and bam she was out for 1.5 hrs. I guess that's what 4 hours of playtime will do to you. I'm a big fan of structured preschool stuff especially because E craves structure but there's something about running around and being on the playground that wears her out. Excellent. I walked in our room (where she rests) and she was just waking up and I asked her if she rested and she assured me she had NOT.

2. Lunch

I'm so bad at lunch. Lunch is always so rough around here anyways because we roll into the driveway a solid 45 minutes after the average person's lunch time. Today I realized things are going to get dicey soon with M because she is going to be a more vocal eater here really soon. R stole the show though and screamed for her milk cup (even though she was beet red from being outside) so cheese sticks all around - well not for M.

Evidence of peanut butter and butter sandwich

The most vocal and least vocal of the girls. I am thinking there will be a role reversal soon.

R proceeded to pick at her ham and cheese and E devoured her peanut butter and butter sandwich. Gag. I know but I was not up for an argument.

Must improve lunching skillz.

3. Playing outside

I LOVE being able to play outside usually in swim suits. Mainly because the screaming and crying and laughing and loud playing does not reverberate through the walls of the casa. But also because the girls love it. But a lot of it means there is less mess to clean up inside. #winning

Cobbler's kids don't have shoes. Poolman's kids don't have pools

Kibbe Family Pool. Not lying

4. Eating outside

I don't know about you but my kids are insanely not cleaning eaters. I don't want to say they are messy because it is not like they purposefully sit there and throw food on the floor or spill their drinks (though M is learning about gravity by forever dropping her sippy cup on the floor - which drives Papa absolutely bonkers).

ANYWAY we take advantage of being outside and then we'll just flow right into dinner whether on the front porch or back patio. No crumbs on the floor = a good meal in our house

5. Blackout curtains

Okay this like #2 is a bit sarcastic because I think it should read; if I had blackout curtains then I would really love the summer. Seriously, the window in the girls room gets the afternoon sun and sunset so it stay bright in there until later and later and later. Maybe one day we will get around to getting some blackout curtains and shades and shutters or something but for now we get to listen to the silly sisters laugh-it-up for nearly an hour after they've gone to bed