7 Quick Takes

1. I made a promise to myself I would never apologize for not blogging ('cause sometimes there are so many poopy diapers I have little time for anything else), but come on Kristine: a month and a half? We must be busy or something...How about a little update from each of us. That should suffice as a reentry into blog-o-land, right?

2. Michael is super-dad, super-man, and super-duper-husband all rolled into one, I am sure of it. Not to be of the bragging sort or anything but I think he deserves major props. I am just so grateful to be married to a man that makes a competition with himself to see if he can serve me more than I can serve him. What?! That's stud muffin material. But in bringing him back down to earth, he is still crazy busy with work and football is starting again next week. To make a long story short we had initially decided that football wasn't in the cards this year. 6 days a week, nights and weekends, was beginning to eat up our family time however we got it all worked out and he'll be coaching linebackers again this year. And the kids are beyond ecstatic. Max's response: "Yay!!! Me daddy football coach!" Avila is just excited to be hanging out with the (girl) managers. And Levi will probably end up tackling half the team at some point or another.

3. School is still chugging along. We are just about done with all our Kindergarten curriculum (except we've moved up a grade in Handwriting) and by fall time Avila will be starting first-grade. I always feel weird when people ask me what grade she's in because telling them a 5-year-old will be "going into first grade" sounds a little pretentious but I'm just following her lead! And boy is it tough to keep up with her. Math and science are her favorite and she's going to be a doing a science summer-camp this summer that she won't shut-up stop talking about. We are also schooling through the summer so as not to lose our (okay, MY) momentum.

4. Oh, Max, can I just run my hands through your luscious locks all day long? I call him my other "Stud muffin" but he doesn't like it so much. "Me Maximilian Kolbe." Well, son, your middle name is actually Joseph but I have a feeling we might need to officially change it to Maximilian Kolbe Joseph because whenever I correct him he starts balling. He's all of THREE and enjoys coloring the carpets with marker, coloring the walls and chairs with mascara, and pretending he's potty-trained. But my favorite thing about him? The fact he calls me mother. "I love you, mother." Aaaahhhh, Swoon.

5. Levi Levi Levi Levi Levi....you are my DOLL BABY AND I AM SO IN LOVE WITH YOU!!!!!! Did you get the fact I love this little guy? Oh my goodness, he is still so snuggly and he's a chatterbox and a brute and seriously my little buddy (and is 15 months old now!). I am his home base and he comes up to me about every half hour or so and checks in with the biggest snuggle (sometimes a wrestling session) and tons of kisses. Then it's back to hanging with the big kids. You know the feeling of infatuation when you love someone so much your heart races? Yeah, that's me thinking about Levi as I'm typing this! But, at the same time, why do I have this sinking feeling he's just trying to butter me up for all of the destruction about to ensue in toddler-land?

6. And, me? I'm still home-manager and all that goes with it and I'm still running like the Marathon Maniac I claim to be. At the end of March I ran the Gorge Waterfalls 50K (15,000 feet of elevation gain/loss) then 4 weeks later ran back-to-back marathons: Eugene and Tacoma. Running has kind of changed my life, for the better. The life lessons, the spiritual lessons, the way it has made me intentional with each waking moment leaves me forever grateful I found this sport. Pushing myself to the brink mentally, physically, emotionally, spiritually is kind of amazing. I know I can't keep up this racing schedule forever but for now it works and I'm going to enjoy every second.

7. Theology of the Body talks are still keeping up. I've added a few for the summer and I'll update my website with the schedule if you're interested in attending any. There are a couple open parish-wide for anyone to attend. I'm also doing lots of marriage prep (my favorite) and am dreaming up a retreat for next year......

a little rant

I should be posting about Easter or the kids or my awesome 50K last weekend, but I must first get something off my chest and place a big challenge to every person reading this:

PAY ATTENTION WHEN YOU DRIVE!!!!!!!!!!!

There. That's it. But before you say "yeah, yeah, I do already" let me provide you with some examples of the sheer distracted-ness occurring in the world of operating an automobile:

On every. single. run. I almost get hit by a car. But before you freak out (dad) let me preface this by saying I am a defensive runner. I assume that no one sees me and that in every single crosswalk I will have to flag down a car. I run with only one headphone in (if at all....I like to be alone with my thoughts, haha) and I am aware of my surroundings at all times. That being said, I literally see close to 40-50% of ALL DRIVERS either on their cell phone, texting while driving or, on their phone at a red light.

You might think, "Well, I don't drive with my phone." But little do you realize that most people who "don't talk or text while driving" do it at a stop light. I can count 6 out of 10 cars lined up with people looking down at their phone. What's the danger? Well, someone like me or someone like you will be crossing that crosswalk and the person on their phone looks up to see only that the light has changed to green and nothing else. The worst is when someone is turning left........

And if people aren't distracted by their phones they are distracted by something else: a stressful day, a bad conversation, too much going on, someone else in the car. Again, I see these things on a daily basis. People crossing over the line, not paying attention, driving too fast.

Just yesterday, while driving home from some errands with the kids, I was stopped at a crosswalk, letting some walkers cross. The person behind me was apparently impatient and thought I stopped to look at some birds or something because she passed me on the left and missed the people in the crosswalk by just a few feet. And then, 2 minutes later, some guy was on his cell phone and crossed over the center line and I laid on my horn once again. Oh, and then some other guy was chatting with the person next to him and crossed over the center line and well, HONK!!!!!

I am not immune to this distracted-ness while driving. I have three kids in the car and a cell phone that rings and lots of things on my mind. But after seeing all this craziness, I have taken steps to ensure I don't take someone's life just because of 3 seconds of not paying attention. How? Well, the kids are not allowed to yell or be loud in the car. I have the right to tell them to be silent if need be (we have a stack of books in the car to look at). I no longer talk while driving (even hands free) and I try to resist the temptation to check my email or text at a stop light. Instead I use that time to say a little prayer or um, just BE. Too hard to do? Put the phone in the back of your car! And I also try to leave earlier so I'm not rushing or driving too fast or putting my kids or others in danger.

Close to 15 years ago my grandparents were walking in their quiet neighborhood just days after Christmas. They were in the middle of a crosswalk when they were hit by a car. A young mom (just like myself) with three kids (just like myself) turned around briefly to break up and argument (um, yes, I've done that before). She was only going 30mph. It was enough for my grandpa not to survive. It was my grandpa's time and she has been forgiven but if we all just pay attention we can cut these incidents down, I am sure of it.

Please don't' dismiss this as just another call to be more aware while driving. Get out there, go on a walk or run and people watch and see it for yourself. See all the near misses and almost-accidents and wake up to the fact that we need to calm our souls, our minds, and silence our phones.

So, there. Off my soapbox. But beware. If I see someone on their phone while driving I am known to glare. And perhaps make a nasty face. And you don't want to see this mama bear's nasty face. Just ask my kids.

Mr. Personality

Well, someone turned one and grew up. Days after his birthday he started walking, stopped nursing, and has learned how to get out of a snuggle hold by arching and screaming. Yeah, that last one's fun - especially in the lobby of the ballet studio or right in the middle of Mass.

But Levi will always be Mr. Personality. 

One of the things I love doing is looking back on baby pictures to understand what my kids were doing all along. At 3 months Levi would make a face or have a certain disposition that I now understand to mean something. It's like he was this way all along, from birth, and the growing up periods aren't just for baby but for mom and dad to understand what baby is trying to say all that time. And this is such a testament to life! It shows how developed and capable babies, from birth, really are and that they aren't just blobs who poop and eat. 

Here he is at just 2 1/2 months old: 

(Click here)

And here he is now:

Oh, Mr. Squishy. I have many names for you: Mr. Trouble. Mr. Snuggles. Mr. Personality. Mr. Screams If You Take Him Off the Stairs. But whatever we call you thank you for blessing us with who you are over this past year. You bring so much life and joy to our home!!!

Avila's 5th Birthday

Just a week after Levi turned 1, Avila decided to turn 5. OK, she didn't really have a say in it all, but two BIG birthdays in one week? I think my heart is still catching up from all of the growing up going on around here...

When she was little I made a random rule that she couldn't have gum until she was 5. I thought, Oh how fun! We can throw her a gum ball party! What I failed to realize was whether or not she would even want gum. Just as a I was starting to plan the details she said she wanted a Pajama Party.

What?! That's no fun! Or so I thought.

Thanks to Pinterest this wasn't so hard to put together! (On a side note I suspect that she wanted a PJ Party because she could stay in her Pajamas all. day. long. if I'd let her. Perhaps she's destined to be a stay-at-home-mom?) It did take quite a bit of work, but for our baby girl it was worth it. Plus, I didn't really mind because we are only going to throw big bashes for the big years: 5, 10, 16. (Did I just say my babies will be 16 someday?!!) and keep it low key the rest of the time. 

The Invites:

Opening up the "blanket" on the inside is the info about the party. These could have been cuter but I had all these materials and they were free :)

The decorations:

Added a card table at the end and decorated it like her bed. The girls each had a place setting with their own mason jar (drill a hole in the lid for the straw). The pom-poms were super easy. Just google "tissue paper pom-poms" and you're set. But don't make them while you're husband is trying to watch TV.

I think I put so many pom-poms up to cover my ugly red wall. This wall stresses me out...but alas, I have big plans for it, just wait and see. Anyway, the girls all got cozy socks as their thank-you gift.

The schedule:

10-Noon. The girls and their moms all came in their PJ's. (OMGosh, so awesome to be in my Pajamas all morning!) When they arrived the girls went to their spot at the table and decorated placemats. When they were done I laminated them so they could use them for breakfast. While the placemats were being laminated, I had them decorate a paper pillowcase to be used for a game later on.

After coloring, we had a (gluten free) pancake and waffle bar with all sorts of yummy toppings. I think the chocolate chips and marshmallows were the favorites of all, though.

Then we all went into the laundry room to decorate pillow cases. I cut out shapes from sponges to make stamps and had the girls wear Mike's old shirts. Messy but fun! After that we went downstairs and read "If You Give a Pig a Pancake" and "Otto's Birthday."

Avila insisted we play "Pin the tail on the donkey." So instead we played "Pin the pillow on the bed." 

Other games I had in the queue but didn't get to: Musical Pillows, Pass the Pillow (kind of like hot potato).

We went back upstairs for cupcakes and presents. After that the girls all played for a bit and then it was time to go home.

FIVE-years-old?! Wow, what a beautiful and special girl you are, Avila.

Oh, and Avila said "no boys allowed." That meant Mike and Max had to find something else to do. Like fishing. And Levi did was Levi does best: nap the entire party.

attack of the baby kisses!

Levi won. But that's OK. He can kiss me all he wants.

DIY flash cards

Practicing addition while I made breakfast. She would draw two cards and add them together (I made sure to take out the face cards). Then she would double check her work by counting the spades/hearts/diamonds/clubs. An easy way to practice math.

Actually I'm secretly trying to teach her poker so we can obtain some extra household income.....

best baby trick ever

Kinda taught Levi to poop on command...well, at least try. 

Now if only I can teach him to fold laundry...

(Is he going to hate me for this picture when he gets older?)

giving kids credit

The other day I took all the kids to the Market to pick up a few items for some cupcakes we were making. They have these little carts for kids to push around and Avila always requests one if we're there. And then, of course, Max wanted one, too. But with all three kids there was no way I wanted to push one baby in a cart followed by two bumper carts behind me. A recipe for disaster. Or so I thought.

At first I tried to bribe one kid into not getting a cart. But that didn't work and a meltdown in the front of the store was about to ensue. So, I caved and made it clear that if they didn't follow my directions they would lose their fingers. OK, not that. But there would be death somehow. =)

Result: Obedient. Happy. Working together. And nothing was knocked over. (praise Jesus.) I realized that I didn't give them enough credit. They wanted to help out and they wanted to obey. By giving them a chance to prove I could trust them they pulled through and they knew this was a big responsibility. I was clear in my expectations then let them lose to show they could live up to them. It was a fun outing and my little ducklings were such good helpers.

All in all it reminds me that kids are capable of so much, if only we let go of our parental control-ed-ness. And if even they were horrible and didn't listen, at least I gave them a chance. 

Letting go? Letting them grow up? Scary but necessary....Can't they just be 4 forever?????

Family time

During the long President's weekend we took advantage of the sunny, lazy days (albeit COLD) and explored our neck of the woods. Parks, Point Defiance, and the beach. Some sweet, laid back family time.

tire swinging in the Ergo. Levi's favorite place to be: snuggled with mama.

Fondue night. Someone tell me why we gave Max a sharp, pointy object.

Owen Beach.

Ft. Nisqually

And finishing it off with a gluten-free Blizzard. They clean the machine and all! 

Win for Dairy Queen.

But this was how I chose to celebrate. GF Beer. 

Yessss, there is still goodness left in the world.

What are some outings/activities you love to do with your family? Any you would recommend?