Happy Birthday Tanny Paul!

Guess who turned five this month? Nathaniel Paul! Now, although five technically, he is a teen in spirit. Also he is "han'um and dood lookin" But he is not, I repeat, NOT cute!
Babies are cute - Nathaniel is not!

But I say - look at those pictures have you ever seen a more cute - err, sorry, dood lookin', han'um red head?
Happy Birthday Tanny!!!!

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Good News Bad News, Bad news Good News

The Good News is that Sam's Club took care of my husband's laptop - no questions asked!

The bad news is my husband lost his wallet with THREE green cards in it, his license and social security card. OUCH! This is going to be a challenge and prayers are heartily welcomed!

Bad news - again.... the transmission went on our "new to us" van - again prayers heartily welcomed! :-)

Good News - this has forced us to go to Mass seperately, which means I went with only three of the girls tonight and actually got to concentrate on the Mass instead of on children 5 and under. What a peaceful experience. I do enjoy attending Mass as a family and I am impatient that we get the van repaired, but at least I have found a silver lining in this problem.

Wishing everyone a peaceful Sunday!

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NICELY!!

Earlier this week Emma, two and a half, had finished her dessert and decided she wanted down. This she proclaimed to everyone in general with a bellow. Given all of us were still busy eating our own dessert, we did not all immmeadiatly jump up and respond to her highness. Miss Emma proceeded to bellow;
"I want DOWN! I want DOOOOOWWWN!" This was varied with "I want OUT!", this was usually followed by a grunt as she pushed on the highchair tray in an attempt to free herself.
At last, tired of her screaming and whining Noah, 10 years, stood up and with his hands on his hips yelled back; "How about maybe you ask NICELY?!"
Emma paused, drew in a deep breath and in a sweet voice sang "Nicely!"

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Prayer Request to any and all who may read my blog...

I have a wee favour to ask. Please pray for our lap top. My husband is self employed and the lap top is fairly integral to the business. This morning my husband was getting out of the bath and had the lap top a safe distance (he thought) from the tub so he could listen to Rush.
As he was getting out, he slipped in the tub and thank God is okay. However, a small tsunami ensued and flooded the bathroom. As a result his laptop got wet and immeadiatly shut down.
He has gone online and read what to do, and we have taken all of the steps. Please pray that it will turn back on in 24 hrs when we are to try again. And NO, he will not be listening to Rush in the bath anymore!

Many Blessings
mum2twelve

mum2twelve@yahoo.com Read more!

Call me crazy...

...because I am!

Yesterday I claimed to have the flu and I certainly felt flu like. Aches and chills, and a certain feeling of confusion. But was it a virus, or was it PUPPIES???

Yes, that is in the plural. You see on Sunday, out of the blue, a small thin man walked up our drive and he had with him two small animals on chains. They loped along tiredly beside him in 90 plus degrees. Who was he, and why was he coming up our drive and with such purpose in his stride. In a hurry to head him off, I went out onto the porch and sat down on the front door step. With a tired look matched only by the pups’ drooping chins, the gentleman wiped his brow and asked for my second oldest son. By now, excited faces were pressed against the porch door and one child raced off to find said son.

While he waited patiently for my son to appear the puppies flopped down and chewed on my sandals and each other until my husband joined us. As Hugo scratched the puppies’ humongous ears the man finally divulged his business.
“Y’all give me ten dollar, and a’ll give ya them dawgs.”

I looked at the exhausted wee things and said in Spanish to my husband – give him the ten dollars and we’ll take the poor things to the SPCA. My husband nodded and the fellow continued to chat in a language foreign to my understanding. I understood a few words, but his southern accent was so heavy it was difficult to decipher much of what he said. We did understand one thing – “Don’t fed ‘em all ta'geder or them'll fight!”

Small wonder I thought – the poor things are skin and bones. I asked him if they were maybe 12 weeks, he nodded and wiped the sweat off his brow again. It was obvious he was ready to go. I asked the kids to get the poor puppies some water while my husband dug into his pocket and pulled out a five and four ones. We were a dollar short.
“Never you mind,” he said, “I see yo’ son around all da time. He can give me a dollar any ol’ time. “

Stuffing the loose bills into his pocket he called to one of the pups gruffly, causing it to lean into my young son’s side.
“C’meer dawg!" Sssvet he whistled. "Get over here dawg. You be good booboo – you be good now!”

With that, he rumpled the pup’s ears, and sauntered off into the hot Sunday afternoon.

I stood up and shooed everyone out of the heat into the house and amidst the excited giggles and yelps I said determinedly;
“Now, the pups are only here until we can get them to the SPCA. “

The pups now named, Zack for Zackaria and Ares, are STILL here and while the aches and pains are fading – I am still experiencing a sense of confusion.

What can I say – except… call me crazy.
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Mum2twelve is ill...

...just the flu bug so there will be no post today and possibly tomorrow. But prayers are gratefully accepted!

Heaps and Heaps of Blessings from
mum2twelve

mum2twelve@yahoo.com Read more!

You know you are a large family when...

You can’t sit everyone around an 8 ft long table.

It takes over two dozen eggs for everyone to have their fill.

Two fridges can’t hold a weeks worth of groceries.

A dozen rolls of toilet paper won’t last a week – so you switch to single ply, hoping that will help.

You are buying two sizes of diapers and pull-ups…

It takes 45 minutes to make enough grill cheese sandwiches and 10 minutes for them to disappear, only to realize you forgot to eat one yourself.

A 15 passenger van only allows you one guest – if you don’t bring anything with you on the trip.

Not everyone can have a turn leading a decade in the Rosary – even if you were to pray it twice in one day.

You find yourself surfing the restaurant supplies online in hopes that you might find a soup pot large enough to hold your family's favourite soup.

After you give your order at McDonalds, they look over your shoulder for the soccer team.

It’s been 23 years since you have slept through the night, and you realize it will be another ten or so before you do.

It takes two crock pots to hold a recipe you have quadrupled with the vain hope you might have leftovers.

You have more joy and blessings in one day than you feel that any one person deserves.

Read more!

It Takes a Family...

Here is a book I intend to read very, very soon! At this time, more can be learned about this book here... http://www.isi.org/ Read more!

I have been replaced...

Lately I have noticed that when I try to talk to my husband he seems distracted. Often he is grinning, and sometimes even chuckling a bit. So I will raise my voice.
“Ahem – did you hear that last thing I said?”

“Yup.” – he continues to grin and chuckle.

“What was it?”

“Err, something about the dog needed a walk or…”

“Not Quite. I said that Teddy took the dog for a walk and … are you listening?” I ask again – as his grin broadens even more, and he starts to talk in a low voice in Spanish. “Hola Chicitita! Linda, sinverguenza!!”

“I’m sorry,” he says, looking guilty. “What did you say? I’m trying to listen, really I am!” But his eyes are not on me as he speaks. They are glued on this lovely picture before him.

Feeling even more annoyed I try again, but within seconds I realize that it is useless. After all – what is my story compared to the beautiful baby balanced on his lap? Sighing, I give up, and then laugh.

“Honey!” –I say as I join him in his worship of this chubby little Buddha. “It looks like I have been replaced by a younger woman!” Read more!

side bar lost....

For some reason the side bar, with my profile as well as links, has dropped itself way down to the bottom... so you will need to scroll waaaaaay down to find it... for now. Possibly it will return back to the top - where it belongs. All by itself - just as it moved down ~ all by itself...

Crazy! Read more!

It's all a matter of how you look at it...

I stared at the pile of laundry and it stared back. It sat there, huge, and looking as though it would grow another five inches if I let it. I sighed and felt burdened and annoyed. Why did I always have all of this laundry to do – no matter how many loads I did – there was always another one waiting for me… How annoying, why can’t someone else wash it. Why me? But then another thought played around in the background, and I pushed it away. But it came back. Maybe this wasn’t a burden if I looked at it another way. Maybe this was a chance to do something loving, a gift if you would, for my family. This laundry was possibly a means to elevate myself – to do unto others as I would have them do unto me. Perhaps this laundry was only a burden – if that is how I treated it. Read more!

Meet Judge John Roberts...

Here is a brief bio for Judge John Roberts from the U.S. Department of Justice Office of Legal Policy, and below is a link to what Father Frank Pavone of Priests For Life has to say regarding this nomination to the Supreme Court. http://www.priestsforlife.org/judges/robertsnomination.htm

My apologies to President Bush for losing faith in him yesterday when rumours abounded regarding the possible nomination of Judge Edith B.Clement . My key opposition to her was due to her having stated that 'Rowe v. Wade is settled law and within the constitutionally protected right to privacy'.

Thank you to the Priests for Life for the prayer that Danielle posted on her website regarding the nomination to the Supreme Court. We need to continue to pray for this as well as future nominations. Read more!

The Many Faces of Anna!

Happy Birthday Anna Pies or Piesie, or Slimy Anna or AnnapiesKentuckyFriedChickenanaPizzahut!
You are twelve this week! We love you Anna!

Anna is the cartoonist for this blog! Look for more of her art soon. Read more!

So how is YOUR Monday going?

Hi - a comment has been posted that it looks as if blood is dripping from the mouse's finger! This picture is from a mug recently given to us, and I thought it would be a good post for a bad day - which today is! When I first saw the mug I just assumed that it was water dripping from a dam - but on closer inspection it does look a bit red. (Blush) However, I am prefer to pretend it is water, or grape juice! So anyway - Happy Monday! Tomorrow is Tuesday, and it can only get better, right??? I mean we have already broken a window, discovered our 9 month old vacum cleaner is dead, and it can't possibly get any hotter tomorrow - can it? Read more!

Why pray as a family?

Mary, our Mother in Heaven

The candle is lit beside my Italian statue of the Blessed mother cuddling baby Jesus in her arms. The rosaries have been handed out and Emma is dressed in the remaining ones. With Elsa dosing in my arms, I relax and close my eyes as we begin our family Rosary...

Hail Mary full of grace….

Mummy – can I go to the bathroom…

Yes .. the Lord is with thee

OUCH – you just stepped on my toes, watch it!

Blessed art thou among Women and…

Mummy – Tanny won't stop dancing with Emma.

I open my eyes and feel dizzy as I watch the two of them twirl endlessly as well as dangerously close to the fireplace. My husband clears his throat and asks them to sit.

Nathaniel does while Emma continues to swirl and my heart constricts as she almost topples into the unlit fireplace. The candle flame wavers as if her guardian angel’s wings have swished past it. Emma balances and then topples away from the stones.

"Where were we?" I ask.

We manage to get though almost the next decade without further interruptions and then Elsa wakes and will not settle down to nurse. Clearly she has a huge gas bubble. I stand up to jiggle and burp her while we sort out who gets to pray the third mystery.

'But I wanted to say the third. You ALWAYS get to say the third.'

'Uh uh – Noah said it yesterday.'

I sigh as I watch my clan argue over this momentous decision.
"Guys, guys – stop it! Teddy you say the third, and please remember we are trying to spend time with Mary. We are asking her to intercede for us – Please let’s be a little more polite in front of her. She is taking time to pray with us. Let’s show her a little courtesy, okay?"

We settle down again, and as I rock the baby she finally burps and several kids rush helpfully to grab the closet receiving blanket, towel or whatever will suffice to clean up my arm, now covered in baby spit up. I appreciate the help, but feel so frustrated by this newest interruption.
‘Why do we bother?’ I wondered. ‘Can this possibly be worth the frustration that is burning in my chest and tightening my throat. How many times have we lost focus, how often has someone lost count of their Hail Maries…’

But recently a friend joined us for the Rosary, with all of its customary interruptions and re-starts. He does not speak English very well and I am not even sure if he is familiar with the Rosary, but still he wanted to sit with us and listen as we prayed. When we were finished my 14 yr old daughter Gabriela asked him what he thought. “Did you like the Rosary?’ she asked. I had to translate his answer;

“I liked it for many reasons.” He said.

“First - it is time with the family spent together. And second during that time they are showing respect to God, and also to each other. It is important that the children learn to show this respect to God. And last, although I have many, many more reasons to like this prayer time – they learn to love God. “ Read more!

Where has my newborn gone to? She was so tiny, with flailing arms and stick legs when we brought her home in April. She was both plump and skinny as only a new born can be with rolls of extra skin waiting to fill out. Her tiny button eyes blinked with consternation as she attempted to absorb this puzzling new world that she was so suddenly exposed to. At times a double chin unfolded itself.

Where has she gone? It is as of her newborn body has just melted into a plumped out three month old. Her eyes are still button like and filled with curiosity that is slowly being replaced with looks of recognition as she develops memories of us all. She is wearing sleeves of fat and dimples on her arms now. The empty rolls of skin are no more, having filled out with endless meals of mother’s milk.

Her flailing movements are becoming more filled with purpose and sometimes her tiny hands actually connect, with the fingers intertwining, and she raises her arms and notices. She can hold up her wobbly head and glance around for short bursts of time before resting it again on the shoulder of whoever is holding her.

And her smiles – they just fill her face and spread over onto ours as we smile back, entranced. She is a newborn no more and while I miss my little newborn – I wouldn’t trade her for a second. She is just absolutely perfect as she is, double chin and all.


Hi Daddy! Read more!

A favourite Prayer

We include this prayer as part of our family Rosary - we learned it in Canada.

Blessed be Jesus in the Holy Sacrament of the Alter. Come Holy Spirit; come by means of the powerful intercession of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, your well beloved spouse. Amen

We always add it after the prayer that Mary taught the three children of Fatima so it is said five times throughout the Rosary. People who have not heard this prayer before always enjoy learning it when they join us in our rosary. So I thought I would post it here for others to enjoy.

Blessings
Mum2twelve Read more!

So much cuteness should be illegal...

“Too much cuteness! There must be a law against so much unbearable cuteness!” is what my husband says as he watches our youngest ones scoot around being – well, cute.

Several (several) years ago when I still only had four little ones – I was asked by a Sister from a local parish;
“How do you keep your spirits up? I just have to ask because I do it by going to the local mall and just sitting there watching the mums with their babies and toddlers. I watch the little ones’ silly antics and laugh. Then I head home refreshed by a shot of youth. But you are surrounded all day by little ones which must be so exhausting. You never get a break from them, so what do you do?”

I don’t remember my reply to this Sister, but I have often thought of this question while I sit on my couch and laugh at the silly antics of my little ones. I laugh as the older ones do crazy things to make their younger siblings laugh. Sometimes it is a huge guffaw, sometimes just a snicker, but regardless I feel filled up to the brim with joy as I watch them play. In fact, no matter what mood I am in when I sit down to watch them – it is immeasurably lifted… and I don’t have to go to the mall for it. Read more!

I found the link to this wonderful interview on Danielle's website so for people who are also reading her website, and have already read it - I'm sorry BUT this was too awesome not to post! It was so wonderful to see in print much of what I already think and feel.

To touch on just one of her thoughts - a baby does bring so much joy to the family. Even my daughter,Amanda, who is 22 and actually older to her youngest sister than I am to Amanda, can't get enough pictures of her baby sister. While she loves all her siblings deeply - right now she is just in awe of the baby. It is wonderful to see. I don't which is more fun to watch - her with Elsa or the youngest siblings who are instinctivly protective of her.

Well - speaking of Elsa - she is hungry so I had best go feed her, and it is time for the Rosary as well. In fact - we are late now that I look at the clock.

Blessings...

http://www.priestsforlife.org/testimony/dippolito.htm Read more!

Fertility

When Elsa was about 4 weeks old, and I was still feeling the ravages of a c-section I was at a parish function and a mother mentioned to me how she was hoping to have another baby soon. She is the mother of a large family and is, at the moment, nursing a 5 month old.

I stared at her and clearly the look on my face said “Are you crazy?”, as she laughed at me. I stammered “But, but you JUST had a baby?!”
“I know, she said, but you just had one sooner, so of course you think I am crazy! But I just love giving life, and I so want to have one more baby, before I am too old to be able to have any more.”

The conversation changed, and I thought no more of it for a while. Then when Elsa was about 7 weeks old – I caught myself thinking; “It would be so awesome to have one more baby – a little boy, some blue around the house again would be nice.”

This thought, before it had entirely registered, was sadly immediately followed by the thought of “what would my father say?” I sat there pondering this reality, that my family while embracing each of my children fully, does not understand my willingness to have so many children. To be open to life.

Suddenly an answer to the question; “Aren’t you too old?” posed itself in the form of another question.

“If I am too old – why does God allow women my age to still be fertile?” Read more!

A Saturday in the making...

How about a little music to start the day off right - maybe some Jar's of Clay?


Chow time - err, sorry Tanny - I meant to say chore time!


Yeah – chores are almost done - let’s dance!


Let's all help with Elsa's bath.



My first BUBBLE bath!



Now for some R&R with big sister Gabriela.



And a little snooze!

I hope everyone had a GREAT Saturday. Except for taking a little slide across a wet floor and landing on my patoot, it was been a pretty nice Saturday for us. Now we are waiting for Jenny to come home to spend Sunday with us. God Bless!


Read more!

Be careful what you pray for...

...because you just might get it – and not the way you planned on it either! While I was pregnant with Elsa I often prayed “God when I had surgery at 18 – it jump started my thyroid – maybe the c-section could jump start my thyroid again – and then I could lose some weight. I really want to lose some weight God.”

Well – I got through the c-section okay, and we are well on our way to recovery ten weeks later and God seems to be answering my prayer to lose weight. But not in the way I wanted. God, I have determined, truly has a sense of humour.

Elsa, while not suffering from reflux as seriously as some of my previous babies have, still has some digestive problems, especially when it comes to chocolate. Shortly after Elsa’s birth she began to inform us through gas and oodles of spit up which foods she can tolerate, and which she can’t. Tomatoes and onions were a given, and not even in my diet yet. But imagine my consternation when it became obvious that chocolate was an issue! Chocolate! If I cheat and have even just a snippet of chocolate – Elsa is simply ill the next day. Miserable and burpy and unable to settle.

So – I simply replaced the chocolate on my menu with my second favourite – molasses cookies. A particular brand is my weakness. Almost immediately Miss Elsa kicked up a fuss! Then I discovered my daily tea with it’s oodles of sugar that I used, was a problem.

Hmm – maybe asking God to intervene with this weight loss issue wasn’t going to be as easy as I thought. Yes – Elsa’s birth was going lead to weigh loss, but not in the way I imagined. Candy or cookies, anyone? I have a few boxes to give away… Read more!

What a day it has been – I am giving myself permission to relax – sort of. My sister lives in London and my husband is driving through the western part of the State, with our 18 yr old son, where the roads are in danger of flooding out in the mountains. We are under a tornado watch and about 25 miles north of us a tornado has been reported on the local radio station. It’s traveling at 25 miles an hour through the county. May it keep going that way – North!
My double sink in the kitchen is plugged – has been for two days despite regular doses of drain “debloggers”. The hot water tank died for a few hours because of another blown fuse – the wiring in this house makes me very, very nervous! So this morning, after calling my dad to check on the status of my sister and her family, which I am happy to report are fine, alive and well, I had to send my 19 yr old son to the store to buy dish pans. Two – one for washing and one for rinsing, the plan being to set them up on the counter, just to the right of my useless sinks. While he was gone, I mopped up the floor from the constant leak that spews oodles of dollars worth of hot water each time you re-connect the hot water. Not knowing the hot water was cold – I had reconnected it with the idea of maybe, possibly, hopefully washing in one sink… After mopping the floor – now squeaky clean, I set all three kettles on the stove to boil.
Ordinarily by this time – I would be red in the face from frustration and grumbling up a storm to match the weather – but instead I was feeling very grateful. Grateful that my sister is alive, grateful that my capital had not just been attacked by terrorists and grateful that I had mundane chores to do. I was also immensely sorrowful for the wives and mothers in England who would soon be getting a call that one of theirs had been in one of those trains…
Tonight when we pray our Rosary we will continue to pray for my husband’s safety as he continues his drive home. And we will certainly be praying for the families who have lost loved ones or are now crowding hospitals to care for their injured family members. Now, I better go; the kitchen door just blew open.
(Cartoon by Anna - age 11) Read more!

This is the Body of Christ...

On the odd occasion that I feel that I cannot receive, perhaps I was too distracted by the little ones, or by my worries, to feel that I have properly prepared myself for the receiving of our Saviour. Or perhaps – I was late with my breakfast and feel that I have not properly kept the fast. Whatever the reason – I try to think about spiritual communion when this happens. In some Missals there will be a prayer for Spiritual Communion, and I try to read it if there is one available.

However, whether such a prayer was available or not, I sit there quietly in my pew, and in between reminding the children to say their prayers of thanksgiving following the receiving of our Lord, I glance around the church and let my eyes fall on my neighbours who have just received. I look carefully, and I think about the fact that each of them has just received Jesus. He is now as present to them, as if we are all on the Mount listening to Jesus’ sermon, and as such through them – I feel as though He is now present to me. Each and every one of these fellow worshipers has received the Precious Body of Christ and I am surrounded by them… and as such, I am surrounded by the Body of Christ. Read more!

ooops!  Read more!

We are in training...

We are in training this summer. Toilet training that is…. A most difficult, stressful time for both the trainee and the trainer! So I think I can be forgiven when I succumbed, in desperation, the other day to bribing 2 and a half yr old Emma.
“Emma!”, I said in a conspiratorial whisper.
“If you go pee in the pottie – you and I can go to the gas station and buy a treat – a candy!”
Apparently my whisper was more of the stage type as our 4 yr old, solidly toilet trained, jumped up from his train track engineering and shouted;
“Oh, I will doe pee Mummy! I’ll doe to duh baa-woom!” And before I could respond, he was in the bathroom and …. well, you can guess the rest. Pulling his pants up, his round blue eyes lit with expectation he said; “Ohtay Mummy – I weady to doe to the gas hation!”
Inspired, Emma climbed up on the toilet, and tried very, very hard. Sadly, without any success. Did we go to the gas station? Yes – to get some pop for Emma to drink in hopes that a fuller bladder might help. And it did – we just didn’t make it to the pottie in time… Oh well – we have the whole summer to go! Say a prayer though, please! Read more!

Oh no....  Read more!

Cleaning up...

Well – as I suspected there was a party lurking about and it did pop out and we had a blast! I managed to sneak off for a nap with the baby under the guise that she needed some quiet time to nurse. However – while she had a feast for an hour, I did not get that much coveted nap. The 2 year old noticed, followed up behind us and stood there bellowing and knocking on the door.

Once I gave up on the idea, and passed a very full baby off to another set of arms, I caught up my wallet, begged the car keys of my 19 yr old son and headed off for the local grocery store. Remembering that the handle on my stove had finally fallen off, I immediately asked hopefully at the bakery counter if they had a sheet cake in the back - minus all decorative icing. “No ma’am, we sure don’t.”

Sigh. 'Oh well,' I thought,'back to plan A, we bake cupcakes and decorate those. I will just have to manage the oven door for Anna.'
She is our current cake baker. Of course, when I got home I realized I had forgotten the decorations for the cake and the cocoa for the icing.

While the cupcakes were issuing lovely odors into the kitchen, I quickly slapped 15 huge burgers together, and unwrapped the 12 “dogs”. The others happily tore open bags of chips and quickly dumped them into metal bowls, and we all carried the feast out to the porch where the electric grills were plugged in and waiting for us. Given our gas barbeque is in need of maintenance and, as such, on holidays, this was our only option. Call me crazy, but I find food cooked outdoors tastes so much better – even if it is only on an electric frying pan.

I plopped a burger onto one of the grills in my outdoor kitchen and awaited the pleasant zizzle… Nothing, not even a zzzzz. I looked the hot dogs, cold and wet on their grill… They too were silent. Hmmm. I checked the plugs and wiped the sweat from my brow wondering why I was doing this when I could be using these same cooking utensils in my wonderfully cool kitchen. ‘Because,’ I grumbled to myself, ‘I want a BARBEQUE and barbeques are done outside in the heat and the flies’. So I gritted my teeth and stomped into the garage to check the fuse box. Everything looked good except for one fuse…. # 30. Yup – plug in on porch and downstairs bathroom lights…. Flipped it back and we were in business. Until I heard a strangled cry from my husband.
“Christi – the cat is eating the burgers…”

Shoot! I dashed back to the porch, where said culprit was long gone, and meticulously examined the meat. No bite marks that I could see, no fur. Whatever had my husband been talking about? Likely she did not more than sniff them, and at 4.19 a pound I was not about to waste a scrap of meat!

Soon there was a lovely sizzle and then we were all happily chowing down on burgers, chips and dogs! A traditional July 4th meal if there ever was one. We even had a surprise guest join us. A real party now, guest and all. And there were still the cupcakes to go, which I suspected was about all that was going to end up in Emma’s tummy since she was too busy chasing the flies and commanding them to "tay off, tupid fies" and yelling at them that "Dat's mine" to actually eat any of the food she was defending!

Finally we were all satisfied and I sat rocking Elsa on the porch enjoying a soft breeze while the kids raced around chasing each other and generally just having fun. Emma suddenly announced “I wanna baf.”
"Later hunny, everyone’s busy, we can’t watch you in the tub right now."
“I wanna baf.... Peeeeease!?”

I spied the old metal tub we had brought with us from the old house, and had a brilliant idea…. Read more!

Bubbles everywhere! Read more!

gottcha Read more!

Ug Read more!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

UNITED STATES!!

….and belated best Wishes to Canada, my native country.

We are caught betwixt and between these two celebrations. When we first arrived we celebrated both – we would have a cake with a Canadian flag on the 1st , and then watch fireworks, or have our own little celebration at home for the 4th. Sometimes we would join friends in a 4th of July barbeque.

These past years we have tended to pass over Canada Day as we became more comfortable as “Americans” and felt less of a need to hold onto our Canadian roots. In fact, to be honest, I am not as proud, as I once was, to proclaim myself as Canadian at this time in history. Canada is fast following in the foot steps of some European countries, in fact seems to be vying for first place for the most liberal laws. Today in Canada, if certain parts of the bible are read out loud in public – you have committed a hate crime. All this makes it easier to slide over the first of July, and insteadanticipate the 4th. Yet – it is not quite part of my make up – to remember that the 4th is a holiday.

BUT the kids remember – oh yes – they remember. I would like to say it is because of a deep sense of patriotism that we have managed to impart to them that leads them to feel this excitement. But to be honest, I think it is just the excitement and an excuse to celebrate.

I’m tired these days. Tired from helping to run a business, tired from sleepless nights, tired from endless dishes and schedules to follow and lesson plans to prepare for next semester. I’m more likely to look for an excuse to nap than to have a party. Yet, I have a nagging suspicion that if I don’t do something ~ a party tucked away in a corner somewhere is just going to pop out. So in an attempt to head it off and to try and somehow meet the kids’ expectations that today we MUST do something special, I am going to let them bake and decorate their own 4th of July cake. Allows a little mess, a lot of fun and after, something gooey, sticky and yummy to eat. And while the kitchen is filled with happy bakers arguing over whose turn it is to stir the batter, I will try to sneak away with the baby for a …. Nap!

"Freedom finds its true meaning when it is put to the service of the truth which redeems, when it is spent in seeking God's infinite Love which liberates us from all forms of slavery. Each passing day increases my yearning to proclaim to the four winds this inexhaustible treasure that belongs to christianity: 'the glorious freedom of the children of God!' " --St. Josemaria, Friends of God, 27.--

GOD BLESS AMERICA

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Reflections...
Today we made our frequent pilgrimage to Pannera, following Mass. As I traipsed across the parking lot in our southern heat I caught a glimpse of myself as I passed window, after window. And I thought, somewhat sardonically;
“Hmm, it's good for me to get out – it allows to me to see just how much weight I have to lose.”
Of course, I am hoping that windows add width to one’s reflection, much like the t.v. camera is said to do. Having just having given birth 10 weeks ago I actually have quite a few pounds to lose, but am I really that big? I suspect that I probably am. I think I am going to go yardsaling soon for a bike. I’ll let you know how it goes!
(Cartoon by Anna, 11) Read more!

Ten of the Twelve

Here is ten of my brood of twelve - starting from the left, we have them in descending ages.
At the time of this photo they were;
Jennifer ~ 20
Jonathan ~ 19
Miguel ~ 17
Gabriela ~ 13
Anna ~ 11
Noah ~ 9
Benjamin ~ 8
Bethany ~ 6
Nathaniel ~ 4
Emma ~ 2
and number twelve was at, that time, still growing within! Our oldest was living in NYC and could not make it home for that Thanksgiving (04) We had just moved to this home in the weeks before, and had fun taking loads of pics, we were just sad that we did not have Amanda with us for them. (BTW if you click on the picture - it will open up to a larger view of it.)

Here is the newest addition to our family:



ELSA MARIE BERNADETTE - born April of 05. Currently the last of the trans generational kidlets...

Sadly, after Amanda came home last month to be introduced to her newest sibling, Elsa, all pictures of the her and the babe were accidently erased before I got them uploaded. The only happy result was that my husband (Possibly the guilty party???) bought me a new digital for my own use - not to be shared with the business any more! Anyway - no picture to post of the oldest yet. Not one anyway that she would not kill me for posting! Maybe this September when she hopes to come home again to play with her younger siblings and help out around the place we will get some more pictures of her and Elsita together. We all miss her esp. as she is an AWESOME cook! And I miss our daily teas! The time goes so fast as your children grow. I am currently using a snugli similar to the first I used TWENTY TWO years ago. Where did the time go to???

BTW - don't ask me why the photo of Elsita is pink ~ I don't know! Obviously a trick that my camera can play - I just have to learn how to manage it!

Until the next time... Read more!

ten of the twelve!  Read more!