Sisters and Family Fun

Tonight I have two images in my head that keep bringing a smile to my face. The first was from this morning. Ben was working from home, so I decided to take advantage and take Molly alone to get her some new shoes. When Ben asked if I was taking anyone else with me, I looked down into our den where the other two had been playing. I saw one of our big blankets on the couch with two bumps underneath where the girls' heads should have been. They were "camping out" under the blanket watching Ava play her Leapster. It was the cutest scene, and I am so sad I don't have a picture to share. Those two are such good friends, and I pray it may always be so.

The second was the chaos I can only loosely refer to as dinner. There is a local restaurant here that has a Family Fun Night each Tuesday night, where there are different themed activities the kids can do while the family dines. Tonight we went with two other families - 13 people in total - and crammed into a table that should really only seat 6. It was SO ridiculous! I can't even imagine what other people around us must have been thinking, we were truly a sight to behold. As we were sitting there, though, I took a quick moment to appreciate what amazing friends we have. Among us moms, Sharon, Amanda, and I parent in pretty different ways. And yet, we are all the same kind of parent - we hold the same values we are teaching our kids, and view family and life in much the same way. I have never felt judged by either these women for the way I'm raising my kids, and I hope they feel the same. As time has gone on we've let our husbands join in on the fun, and often all get together to create scenes such as the one this evening. Seeing all our families enjoying sitting around this little table, defying laws of physics and personal space, I realized how thankful I am to have friends such as these, and can't wait to see all our kids grow up together so we can tell the horrifyingly embarrassing stories and wonderful memories we all share.

Out of the Mouth of Ava

Today I was entertained time and time again by the things that came out of Ava's mouth. Ava has been my verbal child from the beginning. I blame much of this on the fact that Ben went on deployment when she was 12 to 18 months old; therefore, Ava and I were alone together for the great majority of the time. So I talked to her day in and day out for months - it was only a matter of time before she started talking back. And boy did she! She was making sentences before 2, saying prayers shortly after, and always making her opinion known to anyone willing to listen (and often those not so willing).

Today had some real gems. Here are just a few:

-- Ava came rushing into the study this morning after she had seen a commercial about some movie airing on TV next week. "Mom, I should NOT see this movie. All these kids are telling stories and some of them come to life but they are NOT nice stories, some of the kids grow things out of their heads and turn colors and I do NOT need to see that movie." All of this said with arms flying around and face animated as can be. After her multi-sentence monologue that took only one breath to say, she waited for no response but promptly left the room, leaving me pretty confused and highly amused.

-- We had friends over for lunch for the second day in a row. And for the second day in a row, the parent politely said, "Thanks for having us over, Ava!" To which Ava frowned slightly and said, "But I didn't invite you!"

-- At dinner this evening I was describing to Ben a show we had watched earlier about eels. I said that I really don't like eels, they give me the creeps. Without missing a beat, Ava says, "Mom, you should love ALL of God's creatures, because He make everything. YOU can get in trouble with God if you want... but I am not going to." After recovering from this profound and quite hilarious response, Ben said, "Well do you really like ALL the bugs God created?" Ava paused in thought, then replied, "No, I don't really like all bugs, but I am still thankful to God because He made them and so that means they are special to Him."

The best part is that these are not rare occurrences - these are the kind of things Ava comes up with EVERY DAY. I never know what will come out of that child's mouth, but I know it will most likely bring a smile to my face and tears to my eyes - most often because I'm laughing THAT hard.

Glass Half-Full

Today was yet another day of ups and downs. As I sit to write this, however, I'm having to remind myself that it was not all fun and games, but had tough moments too. I don't know if it's from writing this blog of what, but it seems I am naturally ending my days letting go of the bad and embracing the good from my day. A nice revelation for sure :)

This morning started off EARLY. Not sure if Molly is teething or had a bad dream, but she was awake from about 2am until 4:30am, and demanded company. She finally managed to pass out with me on the couch in the living room for a few hours, but I definitely started the day off feeling like death warmed over. Regardless, I took Ava to Mass this morning and left Ben home with the sickies. I just really felt I needed my God-time this morning. Ava was SO good - I'm sure it helped to not have her goofy little sisters as distractions, but she was quiet and attentive and very well-behaved. We had lunch with friends, which is always a good time. Then this afternoon Jocelyn started feeling sick again. No real fever, but shakes and aches and overall puniness. Molly tried making up for last night by entertaining me with her ever-growing personality and antics, which today included sitting under our coffee table and insisting on calling me "Dada" each time I asked her to say "Mama." I ended my day taking Ava and Molly to a birthday party I was really too tired to bother with but knew Ava really wanted to attend. It was nice and gave the girls a chance to get out of the house and get some energy out.

I never know what my day will hold. There is many a morning that starts like this one, with an overtired and cranky Momma, and often I want to throw in the towel and call it a day before breakfast has been cleared. Slowly, I am learning that there are rarely days that are purely good or bad. There's a little of both in each day. My job is to focus on the good and take the bad with a grain of salt. I say I'm looking at the glass as half-full, but let's be real: my cup is more than full, it's overflowing :)

Family Day

Today was a very quiet but fun day. Other than Ben, none of us left the house, and Molly and I even managed to spend the entire day in our pajamas :) But we made the most of our quiet day, something that as time goes on will become more and more of a rarity. I did some organizing and cleaning in our study. Ben went on a 15-mile run prepping for his marathon in March, and even though he was exhausted from all that he went outside with the girls for a few hours so they could take advantage of a strangely mild and beautiful January day. Molly provided this afternoon's entertainment by putting Ava's jacket over her head and trying to walk around, which resulted in many drunken-sailoresque plops on the floor. After dinner we pulled out the Twister game and played a few exciting rounds. (To be honest, I'm not sure any of us remembered the rules, but that didn't keep us from having a great time.) After bath Ava squeezed in one last game of Wii bowling with her Daddy before bedtime. It was just a nice day - one where I got to spend time with my husband and each of my daughters and relish in just how amazing each one is. I am so beyond lucky it's ridiculous, and I will be forever grateful for blessings like them and days like this.

Molly wearing Ava's hoodie

Ava playing Twister after the rest of us got tired

A small glimpse into Molly's antics

I also want to take just a moment to remember the seven Challenger astronauts lost on this day 26 years ago. I lived in Titusville, FL at the time, and can actually remember looking outside my parents' bedroom window and seeing all the smoke from the explosion. I wasn't even 3 years old yet, and surely did not understand the gravity of what was happening, but I knew it must be something pretty big if my mom was sad enough to cry about it. The space program and NASA were a part of my everyday life growing up, and on days like this I think about how blessed I was to get to experience so many launchings and landings of a program that sadly no longer exists. Those astronauts lost on this day, and all those who came before and after them, had a great impact in my life and hold a special place in my heart.

The Miracle of Medicine

Today I am grateful for drugs. Grab your attention? ;) But really, as I think about today, there was more than once I was so glad that I live in a world with so many medical advancements. I am glad for the Claritin that helps Molly breathe better and keeps her from needing stronger allergy treatments. I am grateful for Tylenol and especially Motrin, both of which have helped my sick Jocelyn go from feverish and barely able to move to sitting up, wanting to play with her sisters and even get up and dance every now and then. Heck, this morning I was grateful for the genius who created a hot chocolate mix with as much caffeine as a cup of coffee, so a non-coffee drinker like me who was up half the night with a sick child could actually function throughout the day. I know there are many who are skeptical of the medical field and choose not to use medicine to treat their ailments. I in no way condemn such thinking, and I myself try not to take or give medicine unless it's really necessary. But I am very glad God gave us as humans the brains to come up with such effective ways to take care of ourselves and make everyday life healthier and therefore happier.

Until next time, Grandma

My mom left today. It was not the highlight of my day, having to drop her off at the airport. She described the feeling perfectly: it's like when you're in a nice hot shower and you never want to get out. At some point you realize it will never be enough, turn off the water and go on with your day. I went on with my day, and while it is always nice to return to a normal routine with our little family, we were all missing Grandma and the wonderful times we all shared the past week. Thank you for coming and sharing in our chaos, Mom. We love you so much and cannot wait until you can come back again!

Ava and Grandma making a stepping stone

Reading with Molly

Watching Aladdin

The Convertino/Seward women

Smile and Wave

Molly has really started interacting with everyone around her. Her latest trick is waving and saying, "Hi!" Anytime a new person walks into a room, she lights up, waves her hand excitedly, and yells hi. Sometimes, even if one of us has been sitting in the room for a while, she will rediscover we're there and give us a wave all over again. It is so much fun watching her learn to interact with the world around her, and really express how much she loves her family and friends. She is so proud of herself for learning this new trick. I'm not sure whose smiles are bigger, her smile of triumph or our smiles of love.

Deep Sleepers

I am TIRED. Probably because I was up with one child or another at least 5 times last night (after a while it all kind of blurs together). And now for the past hour I've been in with Molly on and off - seems whether she's teething or just moody, it's much more desirable to scream than sleep. It has made me appreciate what deep sleepers I have for daughters, however. (Let's face it, they get it from their Daddy - I've never been able to sleep through anything.) This morning one of my get-ups was to tend to a SCREECHING Jocelyn. I don't know if she maybe had a bad dream - she's been prone to night terrors for a while - but when I got in to her she could only complain that her comforter was not on top of her. Gently and patiently, I tucked her back in. As I was walking out of the room I realized Ava was still passed out, had not even flinched throughout the whole ordeal. How she can sleep through her sister screaming loud enough to wake the dead right next to her is beyond me. And just now throughout all of Molly's crying and screaming, no sound was heard from the other girls' room, which shares a wall with Molly's room. I don't know how they learned to sleep through the craziness of our house, but I am so thankful that the only sleep disrupted each night is my own.

Books!

Today I made myself proud. I built two bookshelves. All by myself. Okay, so they're little double-cube storage boxes, but still. Ava and Jocelyn have floor-to-ceiling shelves on their wall from the previous owners, and they have been great for storing their myriad of toys and keepsakes. But for the past few months all of their books have just been sitting in piles on the floor. They have read only the 3 or 4 books at the top of each pile - I think they were afraid of spilling the piles of books if they tried to get a book farther down the stack. Now all of their books are standing upright as they should be. Once the bookshelves were assembled and the books put away, all the girls immediately pulled out books to read. My mom read to Ava, I read to Jocelyn, Molly turned pages on her own... it was wonderful. I have a great love for books, and am overjoyed to pass this love on to my girls.

Walk, Baby, Walk!!

Today Molly was the bright spot of my day. She has been standing for months. She can squat down and stand back up again without losing her balance. The child has been physically ready to walk - but has had absolutely NO desire to do so. This week she finally took the leap... and after the first day was walking more than she was crawling. I don't remember there being such a stark transition with Ava or Jocelyn. They would take 4 or 5 steps at a time for a few days, then gradually go further and further as they became more comfortable. Not my youngest. She has discovered walking really is more efficient and is not going back to crawling if she can help it. I love her so much, and seeing her sideways, awkward stepping brings such a smile to my face.

(I apologize that the video is sideways, my software is not letting me rotate it)

Naptime!

Saturday was a bit of a long day. It snowed the night before, and there was really nothing that needed to be done outside the house, so we had a day in. This was fun for about the first 3 hours... then the girls started getting some serious cases of cabin fever. We survived thanks to many invented activities and times apart in different areas of the house. My saving grace for sure was naptime. I laid down with Jocelyn in my bed to get a little rest myself. I was clearly more tired than I realized, because I stayed in bed for almost 2 1/2 hours!! Now, I must admit I did not sleep that entire time - I woke up at one point to realize Jocelyn was gone to play downstairs. I could hear Ava and Jocelyn playing, and knew my mom was downstairs with them, so I just lay in bed until I could muster the energy to get up and rejoin the group. That break was such a gift - there is no one else I would not feel guilty leaving my girls with while I was lazy in the other room. I know there are many who would be willing to do this for me, but I have a hard time letting go of the hostess role and taking advantage of the extra help. I needed that naptime to recharge and reenergize, and was so glad that my mom was here to bring this ray of sunshine to my day.

Grace Weekday Preschool

I apologize for being MIA the past few days - Ben had to take the laptop down to VA Beach for the weekend, so now I'm playing catch up...

Friday the highlight of my day was Family Night at the girls' preschool, Grace Weekday. One night each January the school opens up to the community. We ate pizza in the activity hall, then visited the classrooms, each with its own activity or craft for the kids to do. A few pictures are below. The night ended with about 30 minutes of singing and dancing with the music teacher. It is so fun seeing the girls show off their school and take pride in all they've learned over the year. The teachers, students, and parents at Grace have been such a blessing in our lives; I will be eternally grateful for finding this little school for my girlies.

Jocelyn playing with one of her classmates at dinner

Ice cube artwork

Ava showing off her snowflake face-painting and a penguin she won

Jocie making a bird feeder - she had a REALLY hard time understanding she couldn't eat the bagel!

Ava gluing her snowman craft

Molly checking out the grocery corner

Music time with music instructor (and Jocelyn's teacher) Mrs. Estes

Me-Time

Today was a rare one for me - I got adult (aka no-kid) time not once but TWICE. Ben spent the morning with Molly, so after taking the older two to preschool my mom and I sat at the car dealership while my car was serviced. For an entire hour, I had conversations, watched TV, and even sat in companionable silence uninterrupted by telling kids to behave or be careful. It was AMAZING. Then this evening once the girls were in bed I went to my weekly jazz class. This year I decided to creep outside my comfort zone and return to dance classes after a ten-year hiatus. It may not be life-altering, but it is an hour each week when I drown out all thoughts and stresses, listen to the music blaring, and do my best to make my body move the way it's supposed to without doing permanent damage. There are many weeks when I have to force myself to go to class - by the time kids are in bed I'd rather sit and enjoy the quiet of my house - but I always enjoy myself once I'm there. Today reminded me that while I love my children and have a hard time admitting this, I really am a better mother when I take a little time for myself. A little recharging each week makes for a much happier Momma, and thus a much happier family.

A Mother's Love

Today my mom arrived for a visit. It has been almost 7 months since she was here last, and boy have we (especially I!!) missed her. Up until we moved to DC I had never gone more than 6 months or so without either visiting Texas or having my parents come and visit me. Now for many reasons the visits can't be as frequent. I can honestly say that as far as best friends go, my mom is a CLOSE second behind Ben... and on some days squeaks into the top spot ;) I am so glad she's here, and that I can share her with my daughters for the next few days. Ava got to come with me to pick her up from the metro and had some one-on-one time with Grandma before we brought her home; Molly took all of 2 minutes to make Grandma her new favorite cling-on; and Jocie dragged her by the wrist giving her the tour of the new house and snuggled with her before bedtime. It's not always ideal to live far away from the grandparents, but on days like this I hope that living far away makes the time we do get to spend together all the more special.

Thumbs and Smiles

I ended the night very frustrated by my oldest daughter, Ava. She turned 5 in October, and we have been on some level working on her quitting thumb-sucking for about a year. At first it was pretty passive - I would praise her if I noticed she was not sucking it, really only focusing on daytime. But especially since her birthday we've really been working hard to rid her of the habit all together. We've put moleskin on her thumb; we've covered her hand with a glove; most recently we've been wrapping her hand in an Ace bandage so she couldn't get to her thumb. Tonight Ben went in to kiss the girls a few minutes after I had put them in bed and turned off the light. He comes back out with Ava... and her bandage off her hand. He's wrapping her back up, not understanding why I've suddenly gotten so upset. To realize that she has probably been doing this for days if not weeks made me almost sick to my stomach. That she would be deceiving us like that... I know my kids won't be perfect angels all the time, but I was pretty down about it all. Then I logged on to Facebook and saw this picture had been posted by one of the assistant teachers at the dance studio:

This is my daughter Ava, who may drive me crazy from time to time, but who has a smile that lights up a room, and a spirit that brings joy to anyone she meets. I love her more than words can say, and will bring this image with me to bed tonight as I dream of a thumb-sucking-free future.

Balance

Today seemed a good mix of things. We started out the day with a family outing to a store that sells outdoor equipment (like playgrounds and trampolines) and has a free playtime twice a week for the kids to run around and play on the various playsets. It was absolute CHAOS - over 100 kids running between 10 or 11 playground set-ups and 3 trampolines. We met a few of Ava's classmates there and had lunch afterward. Then we spent the afternoon resting (aka recovering) and hanging out quietly around the house. At one point I looked around, and everyone was in a different area of the house - Ava playing in her room, Jocelyn playing Barbies in one area of the living room while Molly played with some of her toys in another area, and Ben tending to the fireplace. (I was folding laundry and watching a little TV here and there.) I know that had we not left the house this morning we would have all been in each other's space going nuts by the afternoon, but the balance of an outing and chilling at home made for a very pleasant day for our family.

Cooking together

A week or two ago, we went over to our friends' house for dinner. The difference was, our friend Katy taught Ava and Jocelyn how to cook a dinner all on their own. They made a kind of shepherd's pie, layering raw ground beef, creamy soup, frozen veggies, and tater tots. They even got to put their creation in the (not yet heated) oven. The dinner was delicious, but more importantly the girls seemed very proud that they were able to help fix a meal for us to eat. Tonight I used that as inspiration - I was making a taco skillet meal that involved browning meat, then adding soup, salsa, water, and torn pieces of tortillas. I called the girls up to the kitchen, and they proceeded to tear up the tortillas for me, as well as add the other ingredients to my skillet. (Molly sat in her excersaucer and made for a great supervisor.) Neither Ava nor Jocelyn cleaned their plate tonight (and I'll be honest, as a meal I myself only gave it a B-), but they both ATE. We are reaching a point where many nights Jocelyn refuses to even take a single bite of dinner, especially when it's something new or different. Ava is getting much better at trying new things, but I certainly saw the difference having a personal stake in the meal cooking makes at the dinner table. They didn't eat it all, but they ate more than they would have had they not helped me, and the time we shared making dinner together is as sweet as any concoction we could create.

Lifted Up

I'm writing early today. The last week or so has been very challenging for me. Thursday morning I was feeling especially stressed and depressed, when this song came on the radio. I took a few deep breaths and let myself absorb these words. This morning I was struggling again, so I found this video with the song and lyrics. I try very hard to to be a preachy Catholic, but I know God is lifting me up right now, when I just don't have the strength to walk on my own. He showed this song to my heart at just the right time, and I am doing my best each day to remember that all things are a part of His plan, and as difficult as it can be I have to trust that His plan is in fact the best there is for me.

To Each Her Own

I had a thought I probably come across about once a week: I have no idea where my daughters came from. Okay, I have a pretty good idea where they CAME from, but there is very little in their personalities I relate with. Tonight Ava was choreographing several routines, Jocelyn was twirling around the room to music coming from one of her toys, and Molly was clapping and bouncing along. I may have spent 15 years of my life taking dance and performing in competitions and recitals, but I was NOT a naturally outgoing child by any means. I gave many a performance to the dolls and stuffed animals in the privacy of my room, but would never have dreamed of dancing around the living room for all to see. Ava would wear dresses everyday if she were allowed to, and Jocelyn pulls out and wears her Snow White costume at least twice a week. I remember screaming in protest every Sunday when I would have to wear a dress to church - a whole hour in a dress was TORTURE! And they're so different from each other - Ava is my verbal child, having at least 3 or 4 words by her 1st birthday; Jocie is just now able to string sentences together, and as soon as she gets too animated it's difficult to understand. Jocie, however, is my physical child - she can use her weight to bend even her Momma and Daddy to her will. Ava didn't walk until she was almost 16 months old, and will still fall over if you blow in her direction. (Who knows where Molly fits in many of these areas - a few months will reveal much more) A few years ago when it became very clear that Ava was much more a girly girl than I ever imagined a child of mine could be, I wondered how I would relate to my daughter who seemed to view the world so differently from me. As time goes by I'm finding more and more that it's all these quirks and differences that make a family so much fun. I will still shy away from the idea of playing Just Dance on the Wii, but I love that the rest of my family is much more exciting than me.

Goodnight Moon

I came to a conclusion this evening: if I were stranded on a deserted island with my kids, the book Goodnight Moon would definitely be in at least the top 5 items I would want with me. It is the PERFECT book. I think hospitals should send it home with new parents in those new baby bags they distribute, along with the diaper and formula samples. It is just that wonderful. We had the board book version for both Ava and Jocelyn, and we read it just about every night before bedtime. By the time Molly came around, there was literally no longer a spine to the book, and it was borderline unsanitary from all the mouths that had chewed on the pages. Just before Christmas I finally replaced our Goodnight Moon book. This time I bought the paperback version, which is not quite as Molly-friendly, but it has been wonderful to return to our nighttime reading routine. (We've read other books in the meantime, but it's just not the same.) We have only been doing this for a few weeks now, but now as soon as I sit in the rocking chair with Molly on my lap she starts to reach for the book. I pull it off of her dresser and open to the first page. I'm not sure I ever actually look at the words as I "read" it - I have had this book memorized since I was probably Ava's age. Molly puts her hand inside mine and sticks out her pointer finger - she is all ready for me to help her point to all the objects in Bunny's room as we say good-night to each one. She can be wired to the max, crawling and laughing like crazy, but as soon as we begin to read she relaxes and mellows to the quiet words of this magical story. It is such a wonderful 2 or 3 minutes at the end of our usually crazy days, and a time I am making sure to appreciate and savor.

The Joys of Potty Training

I was reminded this evening of how finding joy in life can be all about perspective. At 8:30pm, after playing around in her room for almost 30 minutes, I hear Jocelyn open her door and say, "Mommy, I have to go potty!" This of course, in the last few months since potty training began, enacts an instinctual response in me to drop whatever I'm doing and run as quickly as possible to the bathroom where I help Jocelyn pull down pants and sit on the potty. I then leave the room as quickly as possible (turns out Jocelyn is very serious about her privacy). Now, experience tells me that a potty run at this time of night can mean one of two things: either the reason she's been up for so long, or an excuse just to get out of bed and play a few seconds longer. Fortunately (for her) it was the former this evening. After a few minutes I hear her very excitedly exclaim, "Mommy, I pooped in the potty! Come see my poop!!!" For the record, we did have sort of a rough time getting the poop training down in the beginning, and I still deal with about one accident a week. But for the most part she is pooping in the potty all the time - this is not exactly a rare event. Not to mention I've seen enough of my children's poop to last a lifetime. Still, to walk into that bathroom and see my daughter gleaming with pride reminded me that joy can come from many sources, and while it may not be a high point of my day, I will continue to "get excited" and love on my daughter for pooping in the potty if it means putting that beautiful smile on her face :)

Quickie

Tonight I don't have much to say. It's been a good day but a long one. We have been dealing with computer charger issues all day which is annoying, but I am doing my glass-half-full thing and appreciating the forced break from the computer to focus more on the real people I am sharing my life with. Oh, and now I am thankful for my warm and comfortable bed, which I will be meeting for a long-awaited rendezvous in just a few minutes :)

Healthy Baby

Today Molly shot up to saintly status. Just before Thanksgiving we discovered she has an allergy to eggs after having a moderate reaction to some scrambled eggs. We also suspected she might have issues with bananas, and after talking to her pediatrician at her 1-year check-up we were referred to an allergist. Molly's appointment was scheduled for 2:30pm this afternoon. We did not even make it back to an exam room until almost 3:35pm. The nurse prepared 13 items to scratch-test her with. I wrapped her arms around me as she sat on my lap facing me so she wouldn't squirm or scratch too much. The child DID NOT MOVE. She DID NOT CRY. She just sat there as this woman poked her 13 times, without so much as whining or flinching. The nurse came back a few minutes later, made her observations of the reactions, and then moved us to another exam room. This new room at least had a table and toys for kids - and it was a good thing because we again waited over an hour for the doctor to come in and talk to us. We left just after 5pm - over two-and-a-half hours after we arrived. There was more than one time during our many waits that I wanted to scream and run around - but Molly did what she always does, taking life as it comes and not making an unnecessary fuss.

In addition to this great appreciation for my well-behaved third child, I was reminded today of just how lucky we've been to have such healthy children. Molly does in fact have allergies to egg and banana, and also had reactions to milk products and one or two other things. The great news is none of these allergies are severe - we are just instructed to not give her any foods with eggs or bananas, and we will slowly reintroduce these foods as times goes on. Molly was also put on an antihistamine in hopes that it will help with her nasal congestion. She has been by far my "sickest" kid. She has had viral head colds 4 or 5 times already in her first year of life, and now the allergies. Ava and Jocelyn have each MAYBE had 1 to 2 colds that made them sick enough to stay in bed or need medication. We've not had ear infections. We've not had stomach issues. So many of the illnesses kids typically deal with we have managed to avoid all these years. How blessed am I that the biggest worry I have is making sure Molly steers clear of eggs and bananas? I think I can handle that, and thank God for the wonderful health he has bestowed on my daughters so far.

Productivity

Tonight I feel good because of what I accomplished today. Okay, it wasn't really THAT much, but I washed, folded, AND put away 5 loads of laundry today (3 loads of clothes and 2 of linens). That is after having done 2 or 3 loads yesterday as well. I am notorious for making loads of laundry take days to complete - washing one night, drying the next morning, leaving clothes in the dryer until it is absolutely necessary to fold them, and then another day or so to put them away. So tonight I feel good knowing that I completed what is to me a daunting task not once, or twice, but five times over! :)

the Power of Dance

Today I remembered not once but twice how blessed we have been to meet many amazing people through Ava's dance studio, Chris Collins Dance Studio. This is Ava's third year going there, and I honestly don't know where we would be without them.

Two people in particular stood out to me today. The first was Debbi Olszowy. She has two daughters who dance at the studio, Victoria and Veronica, who are older and have babysat my kids several times. In addition, we have employed Debbi's skills as a hairstylist on a number of occasions in the last year. The past two months or so Debbi has been an even greater Godsend by being my unofficial lice expert. Ava was infested with some serious lice just before Thanksgiving, and shared with both Jocelyn and I. As soon as I found them in Ava's hair, I was on the phone with Debbi, not really in a panic, just looking for information. I never had lice as a kid, and had NO idea (other than buying Rid) what the heck I needed to do to take care of them. She has spent many an hour writing emails and returning phone calls answering all my dumb questions and reassuring me that things will get better. She unfortunately found one again on me about a week and a half ago, and again has been so wonderful in helping to check me to be sure I'm taking care of them for good. (Ben tries, but in the end he's a boy and just not as thorough) She has been so great, not just as a resource but as a non-judgmental listener to my frustrations and whinings about these dumb little bugs. I am so grateful to have her as a friend.

Then there is Heather Allan. Her daughter, Molly, and Ava are in the same dance classes together for the second year. The two girls have been talking about having a playdate since last spring, and finally got to have one this afternoon. Heather took Ava home with them for a few hours to play, and Ava had a great time. Heather and her husband, Scott, have four children. Their youngest son, Everett, has a VERY rare genetic disorder which requires constant observation and many long hospital stays. Oh, and then one other daughter is autistic and another has diabetes. I mean, I cannot begin to imagine how physically, mentally, and spiritually taxing their everyday life must be. What inspires me is how Heather deals with what life has handed her. She never tries to pretend to have it all together, not needing others help or acting as though it's not tough or without lots of effort. However, she is also not a wallower - she does not expect any sympathy or breaks from anyone. If I ask her how she's doing, I know she will tell me the truth - sometimes things are going really well, and sometimes they're not. I strive to view life that way, and not worry so much about what image I may be giving off to those around me. In the end, there are so many more important things.

Lots of laughs

Words don't do this justice... brings a smile to my face time after time!

Just a warning, the video is only really good for the first 30 seconds, but I couldn't figure out how to edit it on my computer. Watch the beginning or watch it all, but here's hoping you enjoy it as much as we did living it!!

a Child of 2 Temperments

Today was, as many days, an up-and-down day for me and my second child, Jocelyn. She is a very physical child, and spends much of her time trying to subdue her sisters by pinning them on the ground against their will, chasing them around with an object held over her head, or acting in a way that she knows she shouldn't while completely ignoring my voice as I tell her to stop. Today we had more than one power struggle, resulting in yelling and tantrums and time outs (for Jocelyn, not me). However, amid this turmoil, in the afternoon Ben was home so I got to take a nap with Jocie in my bed, and just before bedtime she snuggled on my lap while watching a few minutes of TV quietly together. She can be our Texas Tornado, but she can also be very sweet, and I am choosing tonight to go to bed remembering and embracing this gentler side of my dear middle child.

Sister sweetness

After lunch, I walked into the living room to find this:

I mean, how can you see this and not have a good day?? :)

Hooray for Storage

Today is only day 3 of my project, but my first day when I did not have any "aha I'm so lucky" moments. So I've had to dig a little deeper and think of some good I uncovered...

Today we took down our Christmas decorations. It was sad to see the last marks of the holidays disappearing, but I had a nice reminder of the amazing storage space our new house has. We have a "closet" that's about 8' x 10' where all our Christmas decorations will comfortably sit until next year. However, I'm still organizing it all, so it's currently spread out in another unfinished storage area. It is so nice to finally have MORE storage space than I actually need - we'll see how long it takes for us to fill it up properly :)

Independent play

Over the holiday break I have taken advantage of Ben being home and I actually read an entire novel, cover to cover. This would be the second time this has happened in the year since Molly was born. Problem is, now I remember how much I love reading and want to do it more often. Reading requires periods of time when I am not being needed by my children, which are rare to say the least. This afternoon Ben and Ava had their own little outing and Jocelyn was napping. Molly chose to play by herself for almost 30 minutes, giving me some much appreciated time to read. These moments do not happen often, but I am very grateful for them when they come my way :)

New year, new start

Hello and Happy New Year! I am about 12 hours late posting my first post of the year, but sometimes the computer powers-that-be have other ideas...

Yesterday I started off my year reminded how even when life doesn't go the way I think it should, God's plan is in fact always the better one. I took the older two girls to church in the morning (Ben was sick so I left Molly at home with him). When Mass ended we met up with Katy and Chris, friends we made a few months ago in a truly God-orchestrated way. One Sunday morning in late September or so, all three girls were AWFUL in Mass. I mean, I was not quite sure they would make it home in one piece, Ben and I were both so upset with them. As we were gathering our gear to escape the church as quickly as possible, I felt a hand on my shoulder. It was Katy, coming up to tell us that while she was sure we were very upset with our kids, that it was wonderful we were bringing them to Mass each week, and while their behaviors might be appalling to us, no one else was nearly as bothered by them. We spoke a few minutes, and she went on to offer her babysitting services if Ben and I ever needed a date night. Since that Sunday, we have become good friends with these wonderful people, and the girls LOVE spending time with them. Each week on the way to church Jocelyn will as if we are going to see Miss Katy and Mr. Chris. Now, if my daughters had not brought out their inner hellions that day we would not have had reason to meet these wonderful people who have made our lives that much richer. Our friendship is a great reminder that not only does God often not lead us down the conventional path, but he also has a great sense of humor!