What did some of the kids and I do today?

We participated in October Tour as Docents at Dr Hall's house from the Civil War era. And as a picture is worth a thousand words I will say no more...

Anna and Gabriela in their hoop skirts in front of the house.

Anna sharing the details about the cooking in the kitchen. This is one of the few remaining NC civil war era kitchens that have been restored to their original condition. Nathaniel hung about lending atmosphere to the place.

Here is a group photo of all of us, from the family. who participated today.
It was such a lot of fun!

Little 9 month Cecilia in a 100 yr old dress, the very same that she was baptized in.
Does she not look very period in it?

And this is just a taste of the many wonderful photos my friend at Good Remedy took today. Look for more to come over the next couple of days...

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Oh oh!

Elsa was cuddled up next to me this morning and I asked her "Say, do you know where your new brown church shoes are?"

Her response did not inspire confidence: "Oh Mummy, can't we just talk about this tomorrow, pleeease."





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Feast Of Our Lady of the Rosary

Here is a site that offers links to readings and messages from previous popes
regarding this feast day.

In addition to praying the Rosary today - we will bake some cupcakes and then string them out like a Rosary. Yumm! Will you be doing anything today you would like to share with us? Leave a link to your blog or share your idea in the comments section. Happy Feast Day!
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why am I not posting as often as I used to before we moved...

It could have something to do with sleep deprivation. Here is how a typical night goes here for me. At about 9 pm Cecilia and I will tumble into bed and she will nurse for 15 - 20 minutes until she falls asleep. Experience has taught me not to move for the next 10 - 15 minutes until I am certain she is in a deep sleep. At that point I can possibly roll over and fall asleep myself but not always. Sometimes my brain is still going a million miles a minute while my body is screaming
s l e e p.... s l e e p....

When that happens I often put a Netflix instant watch movie on my computer and watch it until I fall asleep. Bad plan that... because usually the bright screen wakes me when the movie ends and the credits are rolling. Then I put on a radio show that I listen to as I drift off back to sleep. Why do I do that? Because listening to someone talking away in the background helps to distract me from my racing thoughts...

Sometimes in addition to listening to a program I will simply recite a prayer over and over. Usually the Lords prayer. Eventually I doze off. At about 12 Cecilia typically wakes for a sleepy snack, Again, once I am sure she is slumbering deeply I roll over and fall back asleep.

Frequently we will entertain a guest or two during the wee hours of the morning. This night it was Elsa's turn. She was very thirsty... I shared my water bottle with her a few times until her thirst was finally slaked. She then settled herself down between Cecilia and Hugo pulling my blankets onto herself. Hence I continued to wake, on and off, because I was cold. I did not want to risk waking Cecilia in an attempt to remedy the situation. Even if somewhat uncomfortable I was still able to doze - a luxury I would lose if Cecilia was to wake up. Around 4 'ish Cecilia again snacked and before I knew it - it was seven am. It was light out and Emma pounced through the door filled with delight at the new day stretched before her and joined our already crowded bed. Hugo left to dress and attend Mass while I tried to pretend there were not three little bodies slammed up against me in one manner or another and tried to steal a few more moments of sleep. Strangely I felt as though I had never gone to bed and sluggishly wondered why I always wake up as tired as when I went to bed.

I figure its going to be at least another year or two before I start getting a good nights sleep again so perhaps I need to place my vitamins beside the tea box - I just might remember to take them with my morning tea if I do that. In the meantime while I try to cope with so little energy and a continuous back ache I might drop a note off in God's complaint box and ask Him why little ones have so much energy whilst those of us who are charged with their well being have so little....

Hence these days I am struggling just to get through the day, more often than not praying for the graces I need just to get through the next 15 minutes. I have some coping mechanisms in place that since our grand son has been born I have been too distracted to use. Things like a meal plan so we don't have to think about what the next meal is - its on a list and requires NO thought. Even daily Mass has fallen by the way side for me and I really need it.

So - while we have Internet again - it is often days before I can find the time to read other blogs let alone write something entertaining and worth sharing for my readers. I would love to have some witty and pithy comments to post frequently but my little gray cells are struggling just to keep up with the numerous Dr appointments we have these days and they just don't seem to have any energy left for you - my dear readers! I have even toyed with closing my blog as I feel that I am letting you all down with the lack of posts.

Still it is how a few family members keep up with us from a distance so I am hanging in there. Keep those prayers coming please! I really need them these days and hope to be back on the wagon soon. God Bless you all - those of you who are still loyally stopping by and checking in to see if I have had anything of value/amusement to share.





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hypothetical question

Do you suppose if someone were to move the box of tea to the pantry closet she would then stop walking past the tea which is actually on the shelf beside the pantry closet - or would she keep going to the pantry to look for the tea... Hypothetically, I mean. As I am way too smart a person to daily walk past the tea on the shelf and then stare in the pantry closet looking for the tea. Seriously - just way too smart to do that... every day.



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Look whos 5, no 6, no 8...

Someone had a birthday this month... and here is how we greeted her on her birthday. (Have I ever mentioned we are terrible teases in our family?)

Oh Emma, it's your birthday today!
(BIG GRIN on her face)
Happy Birthday! said Hugo
"Yes," I added "you are FIVE today - right?"
"No" she smiled.
"Oh - six?"
"No no no!"
Hugo asked - "Are you eight already?"
"NO!"
"Hmmm," we pondered. "Are you nine?"
Her grin got bigger "NO!"
"Ten, eleven??"
Bethany called over - "She's twelve!"
"Well," I said, "she can't be four 'cause Elsa's four!"
"You skipped one" - Emma giggled.
"We skipped one? Which one?"
"I'm SEVEN" she proclaimed proudly!

Yes, seven wonderful years since you were born one merry month in 2002. That year the "big" boys, Jonathan and Miguel, started high school and you joined us the weekend Jenny was visiting Belmont Abbey. We tricked her into thinking I was in labour when Daddy went to pick her up from the train station and the look of surprise when she walked in the hospital room and you were in my arms was priceless. She was instantly in love - as we all were.

You are such a sweet sunny girl with a feisty temper - I have NO idea who you get that from!

We love you little girl!!

Aunty Boo and her little niece Lydia Marie

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We're back online...

and I have a confession to make. We have been back online for a few days now - but while we were offline the newest member of the family made his entrance so I have been busy helping my DIL get used to being a mama and busy helping my 8 month old get used to being an auntie... again. Only this time her nephew lives with her and that is a whole other ball game.

However - she is at the advantage here. She's female, older AND the aunt so she figures she's the boss. However with her neice - they are both female and her neice is older so she is not so sure the title of aunt is going to carry much wieight with Lydia. Time will tell.

I am not posting pictures of Alexander Ryan until his Daddy, who is in boot camp, has seen a picture of him. I will share his stats though 'cause his daddy already has these via the Red Cross. (Hats off to them for their lightening speed in informing our son of his son's birth!) Alexander was born weighing in at 7 lbs 14.6 oz and was 19 and 1/2 inces long, he has lots of long brown hair and so far blue eyes. Not sure if they will change or not.

He is as cute as a button and we all think we will keep him - even Cecilia who loves to give him kisses on his head.

Hoping to get back into the swing of things and sharing on a regular basis again - though I'm not sure that I have many readers left after such a long hiatus.

Blessings to you all!

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I'm gonna fire AT&T

by five pm tonight if I am still without service. Only 7 minutes left on my account here at the library so this has GOT to short - I hope y'all listening at AT&T!!! My neighbors ordered Time Warner last week and got thier Internet up and running in THREE days. AT&T I ordered your "fast" service on the SEVENTH of this month....

So I called them today and said - no service by 5 pm today you are fired and I will go with Time Warner....

Say a prayer everyone - that the next time I update you - its from HOME! Love my library - but heck - not that much!!!

Ok five minutes remaining.... see you all! Read more!

STILL...

NO INTERNET... but I have access for a little while today while I visit family for the day. AT&T has promised I will have Internet .... drum roll please....... tomorrow.

I will believe it when I see it!

Being without Internet has been oddly - refreshing. I don't like not having access to my email so that I can write to my daughter in Ireland anytime I want but otherwise - it has been fairly freeing. Now I am hoping that I can somehow develop a little inner restraint once we have the Internet back and possibly continue to enjoy that new found freedom. You know, no longer having that nagging feeling that I just need to check my email... and once you do - you decide to check someone's blog and then... before you know it you have just lost 40 minutes. Never to be returned to you....

The Internet - as wonderful as it is has an addictive quality about it - or is it that I have an addictive personality?

At any rate - living without Internet for about 14 days or more now - has been edifying - to say the least.

So if AT&T keeps it promise, I will be back tomorrow to report in as to how well I am doing fighting that nagging feeling that I just have to check that email address of mine... you know - just in case maybe I won the lottery or something!

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Forced Interlude between

Internet Provider exchange... we have left one provider and are waiting for our new modem to arrive. If all goes smoothly I will be back online by the 14th. Feel free to pray...

In the mean time we are back to school - easing slowly into a routine and I am currently researching material for a book idea. Have sold our first CD from our Parenting Kids Online program. Woo Hoo - thank you God to whom all Glory belongs!

Hopefully I will have time to get back to the library and maybe post a note or two - but if I go/remain dark... at least you will not be in the dark and will know why I am MIA

Until then... blessings to you all!

PS any comments left will be moderated as soon as I have access to the Internet so please if you leave a comment and it does not appear within a day or two - it is because I have not made it to the library!

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Enjoy a light chuckle on me...

Or possibly a whooping big laugh. Me - I chuckled and snickered my way through and finally gave a hoot as I got to the end of the post. Seriously - if you are in need of a snicker or two click here and chuckle away....

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How to avoid hearing no for an answer

When wanting to know if you are allowed to do something when you are four and you don't the answer to be no you ask"

"So... is it a yes or a yes?"

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Say what?

We finally have the school room unpacked AND organized & no one is available to go to Wendy's to celebrate with our TWENTY-ONE coupons for free frosties???
No one??

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Look Who's turning one this month!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY LYDIA MARIE

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Sometimes life is really tough...

...esp when you are a young soldier in training with a wife at home expecting your first child. And you are only allowed to call home once a week and only have five minutes and your mother - not recognizing the phone number calling her cell phone ignores the call. Not once but twice in the same five minutes. The only precious five minutes you had that week to call. Yes, life can be really tough as a young soldier. (And somewhat guilt ridden for his not so bright mother!)

It is hard for his sweet wife too, especially when she learns that the only picture he had of her was ripped up in front of her young soldier's face - to teach him to pay attention and move faster. Hard for their mother to know of their pain and yet understands it is necessary as this soldier's life one day might very well depend on that lesson he just learned.

As mothers we think it is hard to watch our children learn to walk, falling and tumbling, bumping their heads but in truth it is often much more painful to watch them as adults as they stumble, fall and sometimes break their hearts. So I humbly ask for everyone's prayers. For Miguel as he learns what he needs to be a good soldier who can be depended on under fire and for Ashely as she learns at the same time how to be a first time mother and how to be a soldier's wife. And for me as I learn how to be soldier's mother and a support for Ashely.

Thank you!

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Politicians - are you listening??

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For those wishing an update on Hurricane Bill

CLICK HERE

And see Hurricane Bill as he comes ashore off of Oak Island.

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wishing I had time to write

a decent personal post about how life is like as a mum of 13 who is still unpacking from the move in July and trying to get the school room set up in time to start school by Labour Day.
But to give you an idea of why this has not really been possible - I will share with you a brief break down of how some of my days go. Now not all days are as crazy like this - but some weeks seem to have more than their share of crazies!

6 am got up

got Noah up and asked him to walk dog.

got little girls up

got Teddy and Nathaniel up...

Woke Gabriela (Anna was away babysitting our grand daughter Lydia)

Back to little girls' room and pulled dresses out of closet and despite that the high which will be in the high twenties possibly low 30s (or about 100 F) we need sweaters or long sleeves for the 7 am Mass.

got everyone dressed and hair brushed and up

Gathered laundry to put on at the old rectory as there is no hook up here (that we have yet to discover anyway....)

Deposited * put on laundry as we walked to Mass

7 am
Attended Mass

Talked to Barbara about joining the Y and a guest pass for today

7:40
Stopped at Rectory to switch wash to dryer.

Ate Breakfast

10 to 8
Hugo left for work

worked on insurance paper work until 9 am and got it ready to take to the office in the afternoon while girls are at piano lessons in L...

Then worked until 11 am coming up with a menu and recipes and shopping list

Kids had snack

11:30
out to buy groceries and pick up prescription

Met a parishioner while there and as she walked away she called back to thank me for some shirts I gave her - I stared at her blankly and she thanked me again, but as she was still yet further from me I really could not hear her. Wondered when I gave HER a shirt and just how bad is my memory getting???
(Turns out I gave them to her sister who gave them to her...)

2:00 pm Much to the horror of the little ones only now do I get back from buying groceries - we are supposed to already be at the Y - for at least an hour now!

realized Hugo had left w/o lunch and had a small breakfast so I made him lunch to drop off at school but this would require back tracking on the way to the Y - kids started to get worried we would not make it there today

Chopped up ingredients for Crock Pot Pea soup & put it on to simmer while we are out... BOY - were we looking forward to homemade pea soup tonight

drove out to school on way to Y to drop off Hugo's lunch, stopping for 15 dollars gas on the way and was still on empty after... Gas is just too pricy!

Called Piano teacher to say we will miss one of the three lessons as we are really behind schedule AND only two of the three girls in lessons are home anyway...

dropped off Hugo's lunch and FINALLY got to Y ONLY to discover that Miss Cecilia has huge poopy diaper which she followed up with a huge melt down while we struggled to change her diapers... In the process we discovered that our HUGE OVERSTUFFED diaper bag had not ONE wipe in it... what's with that?

Older kids heave collective sigh of relief when I release them give them permission to go to the pool...

Emma and I talked about gratitude and appreciating the splash pad even though she clearly wants to go back to the pool where she played the day before with another family... and she was not taking no for an answer - so I had to spell it out very clearly what this meant. Splash pad with a smile or EVERYONE leaves Y to go home... Emma quickly saw how unpopular this would make her and plastered a smile on her little pixie face that soon became genuine once she was actually on the splash pad.

An adult guest showed up on Splash Pad and pulled some kiddy toys out the beach bag and

suggested kids throw balls on splash pad... I told them in Spanish to not do so... they understand (YIPPEE) and stop trying to throw balls in the splash buckets!

The guest asked (sounding miffed) if I don't want them to play with the toys s/he brought... I say "not here as there are other kids who could get hit." S/he seems fine with that. Chats with me for a while and goes back to pool...

HUGE SIGH OF RELIEF

35 minutes later I realized we were going to be extra late for piano lesson after already telling teacher we will be miss first lesson of the three scheduled

started to gather up kids from around the splash pad and then strapped baby into stroller - she protested

hauled kids through pool area searching for 1 blond and several brunet heads in the pool

3:20 get text from Hugo

"Are you picking me up???"

Huh - I thought he was driving back with the nuns....

I text back "in 10 minutes???"

20 minutes later I finally was able to pick him up

3:40 realized we are only going to get one class in out of three and there is no way I am getting the paper work I completed this AM dropped off... so I did the most sensible thing possible. Pulled out a stamp and put the envelope in a mail box. But I am getting ahead of myself...

Got home, dropped off kids

picked up piano books

take off for L...

Drop girls off at the teacher's house

drove to the dollar store to buy ice cream for Noah and this is when I really mailed the paper work!

drove back for the girls

Then we visited with Ash for about 10 minutes and headed home

Walked in & drew in deep delicious smells of the simmering crock pot soup.

Asked Hugo how his presentation went

Checked on soup only to discover I forgot to put the lid on - note dear readers that crock pots DON'T COOK WELL w/o their lid so soup was was not even close to being ready and it was 6:30....

Changed menu around so that tomorrows lunch of canned soup became todays supper - and the home made soup for lunch tomorrow

Got kids to do chores

Eat supper

Joked around with Ashely, our DIL who is living with us.

Hugo and I had a talk with one of the children about a problem they were having.

I watched end of Little Mermaid with the little girls

The I bribed them that if they got ready for bed they could watch Cinderella...

8:3o pm
Noah, Gabriela, Bethany and I gathered books for library and headed off with baby in tow in her nephew's stroller (Which she loves. I am not sure Alexander will get to use it much - I might have to buy him a new one :)

Got Bethany a library card

We all picked out some books and a few movies

Everyone got books signed out ASAP cause library was closing in ten minutes

Walked home in the dark - kinda cool (Only about 3 - 4 blocks away from our house)

9:30pm Told Hugo and Kids I was heading to bed ASAP as I had missed a few days of my Thyroid meds (thats what I picked up this am) and needed to rest to make sure I don't lose my milk for Cecilia.
BUT then I checked my email - saw email from oldest daughter Aimee and suddenly I was about 26 minutes late for bed as I just HAD to write back immediately!

Whew - I bet you all thought it was going to be some sort of super mom post, didn't you? But now that you have read about what a crazy day for me is like - you have seen just how normal life with a family of nine at home really is. Still - when you add in all of the unpacking I am typically adding into my day, and a sick baby the past week you can understand why posting just hasn't been happening as regularly!

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An excellent book...

about Mary... but don't take my word for it. Instead hear what MinnesotaMom has to say about it. Myself - I intend to buy me a copy as soon as hubbie gets his first pay cheque! Unless, of course, someone would like to buy me a copy sooner. If you would like to meet author Meredith HENNING click here.

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Walking the walk and not just talking the talk!

In the past year we have seen some well known Catholic Colleges take actions that flew in the face of their Catholic Heritage - so it is wonderful when we have the opportunity to see a Catholic School uphold the teachings of the church and incorporate them in their policies.

Recently Belmont Abbey College was advised by the EEOC that they have been found to be discriminating against female employees as the University's current health plan will not cover abortion, prescription birth control or sterilization.

According to President Thierfelder "As a Roman Catholic institution, Belmont Abbey College is not able to and will not offer nor subsidize medical services that contradict the clear teaching of the Catholic Church,... There was no other course of action possible if we were to operate in fidelity to our mission and to our identity as a Catholic college."

To read Belmont Abbey's full response to this accusation - click here.
To respectfully express your concern or support for Belmont Abbey's religious freedom to choose the health plan that reflects our Catholic values, you can write to:

Reuben Daniels, Jr.,
EEOC Charlotte District Office Director
129 West Trade Street
Suite 400
Charlotte, North Carolina 28202
fax: 704-344-6734
or call 1 800 669 8000

You can also write to:

Stuart Ishimaru,
Chairman, U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
131 M Street, NE
Washington, DC 20507

An email address is also available info@eeoc.gov
phone numbers available for this location are:
1 202 669 4900
& TTY 1 202 669 4494

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