is it just me...

... or does each week bring to light things that get on your nerves with one child in particular? Next week it might be a different child, but for this week, I have a repeat offender. This week, said child cannot remember the rules, is having bouts of passive aggression, and having an all around ego-centric week. I will bite the end of my tongue, correct as needed, and pray for patience to weather the storm.

and goodnight to the old lady whispering "hush"

This week we have decided that #5 needs to be weaned from her pacifier. We had gotten to the point where she could use it only to sleep at night or for naptime, but somehow during the summer (sympathetic older siblings I would guess) she has gotten hooked on an all-day basis.
Weary from hearing her whine for it, and not wanting to buy another set as the current ones have been around awhile, the decision to go cold turkey was made.

So, to end this sweet time, embracing the new era of "big girl" (we are also trying to fully potty train), we say goodbye to sassy, papsy, tapsy, tassy, tipsy-tassy, pippsy-tassy (all the nicknames she gave to her huckleberry friend, "paci").

the taste of bittersweet

I find that there is a bit of sadness that has come upon me this evening. Bittersweet sadness. So many reasons. One is that a dear friend is moving away. She is a charismatic, eclectic, Christian woman who never fails to witness to anyone she meets. Her boldness is overwhelming to me, as I am the type who witnesses using fewer words, but I have learned so much from her and I truly enjoy her as a friend. I am going to miss her and her equally-as-wonderful husband, a deacon.

At Mass tonight, there were a couple of girls who were scantily clad. One was the daughter of a friend. It makes me sad that she either went against what her parents have taught her about dressing appropriately for church, or that they haven't mentioned it yet. Our pastor mentioned it in the bulletin last week, and this almost seemed to fly in his face. I think it is a bit rude to flash so much skin in front of a man who is trying to live a life of celibacy. Not to mention dressing that way in front of Christ in the Eucharist. Alas, it is part of why He suffered, now isn't it?

Finally, after cleaning up from dinner, I sat down to check emails. I was happy to see two emails from my aunt. However, the subject line of one struck a chord of concern. Sure enough, when I opened and read it, it sounds as if her husband, who is battling cancer, is getting ever closer to the end of his battle. I hope she won't mind me quoting her, as it is really a sweet account of a sad time (I have taken the names out to keep some anonymity:

"Today was a particularly busy day around here. As L slept and talked in his sleep, as usual, he said 'Hello' to a couple of you. I asked where they were and he replied 'Behind the sofa with the bar stools and blankets making their fort'. They then played ‘that record’ and danced on the fireplace.

I’ve been meaning to write to all you ‘kids of ours’ to thank you for your frequent visits with my dearest. He sleeps most days in the office, and you usually arrive from the closet in the office in your traditional 'playmate groups'. You are children once more and he has the most wonderful visits with his memories of you all…they are priceless beyond measure.

You all have been a joy to us as you remain today. We are proud of each of you and will always be thankful for you.

I thank you all for your calls, messages, visits and offers to help (which I know you sincerely mean).
My thanks and love, L"

It was a magical time, our childhood, spending a week or two out of each summer with so many of our aunts and uncles. It was always exciting to go to L's house because though she never had any children of her own, she treated us as special as if we were her own. There was no swing set or sandbox in the back yard, but her home was a wonderful maze of places to play. There was a staircase with a landing from which we put on many a play for all the relatives. She was gracious to let us borrow some of her long nightgowns in case there needed to be some elegance. She kept costumes safe throughout the year for when we brought them out at the Christmas party and put on the Nativity play. There was a basement with a ping pong table and a place where we could pretend we worked at an office. Oh, how many pads of paper she must have gone through! Our uncle would make us milkshakes with his machine in his wonderful wet bar, a place we were not allowed to play, so we felt really uptown. So swanky! We would play Beatles records and dance on the hearth of their enormous fireplace until we were soaking with sweat. They let us have so many great experiences, too numerous to count.

A magical time indeed. So lucky that he gets to live it all again. Bittersweet for the rest.
God bless and keep you dear L & L. And thank YOU for all you have done for each of us.

notes from the trenches: back-to-school shopping

This afternoon/tonight we took #'s 2-5 shopping for back-to-school stuff. In hindsight I think I would have rather been waterboarded. None of it was enjoyable.

1) Tax-free holiday - which means everyone and their toy poodle was out and about shopping for bargains... someone could have lost an eye. Not worth the savings/Shop at midnight when the stores have just re-stocked.
2) The two little ones were too sleep deprived to enjoy the mind-numbing activity of looking for 7 packs of index cards. Note to self for next year: hire a sitter!
3) Second-born is not a fat boy, there are just NO pants or shorts that fit him properly, therefore it might be easier to find a school where boys don't have to wear anything on the lower half (ew...on second thought, that is a terrible idea.. he can just wear pants that are either too tight or too baggy) Do Spanx come in boys sizes?
4) This being the first year that King was invited to go shopping with us, he didn't understand that we have to get a second mortgage to buy all this stuff. We had to ask for smelling salts at the check out counter. Bless his heart.
5) Chinese food is not comfort food on back-to-school shopping days. Blort.

All of this and we still have #1's supply lists that will come home from the first day of school, as well as the few things we''ll need for Mother's Day Out for the wee'uns.
Boo hiss: nearly three hundred dollars later, we still don't have index cards!

sewing classes

This summer a friend of mine and I taught four weeks of sewing camp to beginner seamstresses. Most fell within the 7-13 year old range, and all were adorable. They learned sewing machine basics (how to thread the machine, make a bobbin), how to sew stitches and the different ways to manipulate the stitches. They made a heart pillow, a pillowcase, a tote bag, a skirt, an owl pillow, and we even got into quilting in a couple of the classes that worked at a faster pace.

We were so scared the first week, but by the second or third day, we felt pretty comfortable with what we were doing. By this week, our last, we were old hands at it. Today was the last day of the last camp. What fun. I have also taught a few students on an individual basis because they were unable to make any of the camps, and that was neat, too, teaching one-on-one.

I realized in the process that my daughters wanted to learn to sew, too. Number 3 actually went to the first week of camp and did quite well. Number 1 (the patient, loving, helpful, mature-all-of-a-sudden firstborn, whom shall be referred to in this sentence as Cinderella because she babysat and cooked for me while I was teaching - but making a ton of cash for it, by the way, so it wasn't all THAT grueling!) mentioned in passing that she would love to know how to sew. I kept looking for an opportunity to sit down with her, but the summer has just flown by. Today, though, all of our patience paid off. Today was that day.

We had planned to go school shopping. (In two weeks she will be a freshman in high school!) But the wee ones had not napped and I was not about to do that to myself (take two cranky kids to Target, are you kidding me?!?!) Rather, I put a movie on for #4 and 5 and sat down at the dining room table with her in front of the sewing machine. She was a quick study and in no time she not only had the machine and the stitches down, but had made a cute drawstring backpack that she will be able to use for gym class (which she has FIRST period - bless her heart, she is gonna have to be sweaty the very first class of the day).

She has blossomed into an even more wonderful person this summer and I have sooo enjoyed her company. eeek! How will either of us survive her going to high school I wonder?!?! Whenever I get that cold, clammy feeling about it all, I remember the glimpses I have seen this summer of what she will be like as an adult and I relax.... it's a very good thing.

But, still if it's possible, could someone please clip the wings of time?

the critic's review

Wendy's Asian Sweet & Spicy chicken

Thumbs WAY DOWN

(unless you have not had your recommended daily allowance of cardboard, in which case, get the fries too)

having a ball

A masquerade ball that is!