Evening thoughts...

Two boys, 8 & 12, playing chess.
A 13 yr old entertaining a 9 week old.
An older sister helping a younger one clean their bed off.
An almost 4 yr old asleep on Mummy's lap.
A 15 year old using her 30 minutes of Internet time.
An 18 yr old caring for her niece; many miles away from here.
A mother journaling, father working.
A peaceful night.

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Baby Cecilia is developing a routine...

... as in routinely filling her diaper to overflowing. She adds variety, though, as to what direction she leaks - up the back, down the leg - up the tummy. Read more!

Craving Equations...

One Craving for Banana Bread

Company's Coming Recipe Book

+ 45 minutes in the kitchen
---------------------------------
5 loaves in the oven (2 pineapple & 3 banana)


Craving satisfied!
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How do you know...

... there is a puppy in the house? When you hear Daddy say: "Hey don't forget to wash your hands before you pet the baby!"

Stay tuned to hear more about Timothy's future!
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A visitor comes to call

Yesterday I was called down from Mount Laundry by Emma who excitedly explained:

"I was sitting on the door step with Bethany and some girls stopped. They want to talk to YOU Mummy. They are at the door. I think they want directions. "

This statement was punctuated with Emma's excited arms waving about as she pointed here and there emphasizing where everyone was. I made my way to the door still folding a t-shirt.

I opened the door and found three girls on bicycles standing on the edge of our lawn. One of them held out a small puppy and asked:

"Would you like a puppy?"

Before I could firmly say "No - please take it back home.", the oldest one added:

"We found him up the road and we can't take him home 'cause we have two pit bulls."

"Yeah," added the younger girl "and they're gettin' real mean - one bit me yesterday"

The older one who then introduced herself as the mother of the other two stated;

"They sure is and they are only four months old! I wouldn't dare take this little one home to them."

Well - to be honest, I wouldn't have been taking a puppy, let alone my children, home to them either so I took a closer look at the puppy:

No Fleas
Clean Ears
Fat tummy
Willing to allow me to poke and prod...

"Well", I said hesitantly, " I can keep him here over night and then take him to the shelter.

So here he is - our temporary visitor:








This little fellow, who is currently being called Timothy, will be staying until Monday when the Shelter will then be able to take him. They have asked if we will keep him until then as they do not have sufficient staff to care for him - as he is not yet weaned. Oh LORD help us - that is more than enough time to ingratiate himself to us - we CAN NOT make that mistake again!

PS - to Pit Bull owners - I am not against Pit Bulls per say, but to have a member of this breed already showing signs of aggression towards my children is, in my opinion an ominous sign of the future. I was also attacked by a pit bull and badly bitten, at the age of five, so I have personal experience of how aggressive this breed can be if not properly raised and trained.

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A photo I was blessed to take...

Thank you Benjamin for showing me how to do the © sign! Now I need to add it to Bethany's photos.



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Some tall guys make some TALL snowmen!

Smoothing out his work.

A stake? Maybe through the heart? We are talking boys here.

Nope - a nose. What was I thinking?

Finishing touches.
(Sadly, when Emma decided that Benjamin's snowman needed a candy cane mouth too, he collapsed under her tender pressure on his face. He is but a memory now!)

Checking out his work.

Resting on his buddy.

Complete.

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Meenalu...

... your requested post on 'why not return to Canada' is coming!
Stay Tuned!

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If you are 12 and a boy...

... what is the most logical thing to do if you find a few rolls of plaster cast material? Why you immediately create a fake cast so you can try to fool your piano teacher into thinking you cannot play in the recital this spring.

After you get home from your cool joke - too late you learn that doctors apply a cotton wrap over the skin before applying the plaster. A very painful twenty minutes later you are not only sans the fake cast but also rid of most of the hair on your arm.

Lesson learned - don't try to trick your piano teacher with a fake cast!


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More pictures from our snow day

The Creation of a snowman.... by Emma.


Rolling... rolling... rolling!



Rolling some more.




And Nathaniel joins in too - rolling, rolling, rolling...




FINALLY!



Now for a few finishing touches....

Adding a candy cane for a mouth, emmm yum!

Now a nose!

Add a hat and we're done!

More snowmen to come. Stay Tuned!

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If you have a blank spot...

...on your prayer list please add me to it. I am struggling with a few things here and will be mentally on my knees quite a bit these next few days if not weeks! I could use ALL the graces that can be spared, so if you have time to slip me into your prayers - I cannot tell you how much I will appreciate it. Please also keep our 22 yr old son in your prayers as he discerns his future the next couple of days.

Thank you! Thank you, thank you in advance for all of your prayers.

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She's growing like a weed!

This adorable outfit had to be retired already!
The newborn stage is but a fleeting moment in a lifetime.
I am desperate to enjoy every moment of it.
Even now, as I type, Cecilia is resting on my lap on her boppy pillow.

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Are you a twitter?

If so, you really need to check out TweetCatholic.
BTW - do you know who are the three most followed Catholics on Twitter?
No?
Then check out TweetCatholic.
Did I say that TweetCatholic is Sweet?!

And if y'all not 'a twitter' - check it out anyway!

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Snow Day...

...and school is canceled. After all who could resist taking the day to enjoy this....

'Early Morning Sun' by Bethany Rose (10 yrs)

'Icicles' by Bethany Rose (10 yrs)

Enjoying the neighbours driveway!

(You know we are in the south when your neighbour is encouraging the kids to pile snow ONTO the driveway - instead of shoveling it off!) (photo by mum213 :)

I have 2 videos of the sliding - if only I could get the links to work. Maybe my jpgs are too large? Anyone have some ideas - if so could you comment or email me?

(Please, if anyone shares the photos by Bethany give her credit as they are her property! :-)

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A little change from puppy news...

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Today he comes!

Yes! Today the repairman comes to ... repair my dishwasher. Oh I hope it is something that can be repaired easily AND today! My beloved washer is but 6 months old. Surely we have not worn it out already? We are only running it twice a day! Maybe we should have gone with Maytag so that the repairman could stay... as bored as this guy looks!



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Storm prep

Flashlights ............................... check
Candles ..................................... check
Camp stove............................... check
Butane for stove....................... check
Safe place to use stove ............ check
Baby's laundry on ................... check
(Can't run out of jammies, eh?)
8 loaves of bread ...................... check
food heatable on camp stove... check
Prayers ....................................... check
Rain - lots of it .......................... check.
Wind ............................................ check
family dinner .............................. canceled :-(
Freezing rain............................. not yet
Snow........................................ nope - not yet either and praying it doesn't come nor the freezing rain and praying our preparations will enable Murphy's Law to come into play - in our favour!


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Joy of Joy!

There's a baby in the house and I've been sorting and folding her little socks.

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Neena's last day with us...

On Thursday Neena attacked a purple Pompom - much to our amusement. Inspired with a possible post I grabbed my camera to take some photos. I almost video taped it as it was so funny to watch. Little did I know this would be Neena's last day with us. Later that night I scooped her up off my rocking chair and plunked her down on my lap while we prepared to say our evening prayers that we are trying to re-institute as part of our Lenten contract. She stayed but a moment and then hopped down and stretched before leaving the room and that is the last time I remember seeing her.

This morning we received a phone call. Unfortunately it was 12 yr old Benjamin, who especially loves cats, who answered the phone. Our neighbour who was distraught and thought she was talking to me and informed him that Neena had been hit by a vehicle during the night but that someone had already kindly removed her from the road. Neena was an indoor cat but of late she had begun to sit by the door waiting her moment to escape and she was lightening fast. Nosey, a stray that has adopted Benjamin and consequently us, typically would chase her and pin her down so we could bring her back in - much to her chagrin. We think she slipped out last night when my husband took a forgotten bag of garbage out to the curbside for Friday's pick up.

The children were devastated as you can well imagine by the sad news, each mourning in their own way. One child tried to occupy herself with her math lesson and failed, finally succumbing to her tears. I reminded her as she resisted the tears that God had designed us to cry and even Jesus had cried when Lazarus died, even though he knew he would be bringing him back to life. Another child could not eat all day even though he was hungry - he just choked on each bite and gave up until evening when he was finally able to eat his supper.

Here are the pictures of Neena enjoying "killing" the pompom she had just hunted down.

ATTACK!

Almost finished!

Abandoned kill!

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Abstinence isn't realistic - say WHAT?

Enjoy a good read on abstinence and one mother's response to Bristol Palin's statement that abstinence isn't realistic. To read Brigid at Redemptive Diapering click here.


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