Footprints on the Fridge

Happy Birthday, my Love!

Because you requested a pig roast for your birthday, there is no time for me to pen my trademark quirky little verse for you.  And while I know that the perfect chocolate cake with caramel cappuccino frosting can't say "I love you" in all the ways I need to, I hope it is a little hint at how grateful I am for your life, for our sacramentally collective life, for the lives we've helped create, and for the life the future holds in store for us.  You are a loyal friend, faithful father, strong support, and sweet love.  I am thankful that every year ends with the celebration of your life!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MY LOVE! AND HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL!

Planning and Revising

I must start this post by letting you all know that I have had to revise my New Year's theme.  When I chose the phrase "Simple Abundance" yesterday, I had apparently not had enough coffee, because Sarah Ban Breathnach's book didn't even cross my mind.  And while I'm sure no one cares if I use that as my personal theme this year, if I'm going to write about here, I should probably choose another phrase.  So, the revised New Year's theme is GRATEFULLY GRACIOUS: my goal is to use the abundant blessings for which I am so grateful to create a gracious welcoming home and heart, first foremost for the Living God, then for my own family, and lastly, for all other who enter. 

So I got busy today planning to combine that theme with the goals of Sarah's Challenge.  And I got a few hours out of the house today to do just that.  My first stop was my favorite Catholic bookstore, where I picked up some spiritual reading for the New Year.  Since my theme is to use the things I already have, I wanted to limit my purchases to a few things I could use throughout the year interspersed with all the books I already have and either have not read or would be happy to read again.  Here are my purchases:

Abide in My Word: 2008 Mass Readings at Your Fingertips: I don't get to Mass everyday, but I do try to read the day's Scriptures each morning.  This book will be a great tool for the year ahead.

The Reed of God by Caryll Houselander: My spiritual goal for the year is to deepen my relationship with the Blessed Mother in order to better imitate her.  It seems to fit right in with the first goal of the challenge too.  This book on Mary is one I've wanted to read for a long time.

Mother Teresa: In the Shadow of Our Lady by Joseph Langford, MC: Nothing jump starts me spiritually like reading about Mother Teresa.  I figured this book was perfect to refresh and renew my spirit for this year's spiritual work.

My second quest was to find a calendar/planner system that would help with the goal of following a simple organizational routine.  It seems lots of people have been doing this same thing.  And it seems the one thing we can all agree on is that no one planner can do all a homeschooling mom of a large family needs or wants it to do.  That being the case, as much as I wanted to make the drive into town to Barnes and Noble to ogle all the pretty planners, I decided instead to go a bit more simple.  I love the idea of Dawn's homemade calendar , I am humble enough to admit that if I attempted it, I would still have a pile full of pretty paper at this time next year.  Instead, I headed to good ole Stuff Mart, where I picked up a few basic tools to start with.

The smaller planner is a basic version but it has a monthly double page spread and generous sized columns for each day of the year.  It is compact enough to carry to meetings and appointments where there are likely to be a lot of dates to add to it.  This will be our working family calender where we note outside activities and commitments, household management notes, etc...

The larger striped book has large lines spaces for each day of the year, but is not specific to 2008.  It is just marked January1 with a large lined space to write in.  I'm going to use this one for lesson plans and school record keeping. 

Lastly there is a small stack of hole punched index cards on a binder clip.  More on what became of it in a moment.

So these basic tools will do what I need them to do, but they are sorely lacking in visual appeal.  And in my case, a tool will be used much more if I like it, if it's pretty, and if it's personalized.  So I stopped on the scrap booking aisle and picked up a pack of coordinated papers and embellishments from which I chose this selection to personalize my planners with:

I set about covering and decorating the front and back covers of each planner, both inside and out.  I had so much fun playing with the combinations of stripes, florals and solids as well as all the cute embellishments, and I am quite pleased with the results:

These are the front covers, and here are the backs:

When I was done, I covered each cover with a self-laminating pouch (I'm absolutely obsessed with these and use them for everything).  I got an unexpected surprise out of that.  In addition to protecting and strengthening the covers, one side does not actually stick to the surface of the book, so can be used like a pocket to stick notes, appointment cards, etc...in.  So on both planners both the inside front and inside back covers are pockets. 

Lastly, I took that little set of index cards I mentioned and laminated ten on them.  I made a little pouch out of scrapbooking paper to hold them and a dry erase marker. It is small and will stay in the pocket of my diaper bag at all times.  I can use the laminated cards to jot down lists, things that need to be added to the calendar and other things that come up when we are out and about.  When they are transferred to the calendar, I can erase the card and use it again.  The cards that are not laminated can be  used when I need to jot some thing down for someone else, say my phone number or some other bit of information to hand the coach at the ball park or whatnot.

Here it is closed up:

I am really happy with my tools and excited to fill their pages.  The January school plans are hashed out and will be added to my book tomorrow.  Hopefully I'll get to share them here too. 

In case you were wondering what my testosterone-laden charges were doing during my girlie-fest, they spent the better part of the afternoon in the yard with Daddy--blowing things up.

A Theme for the New Year

I've been feeling all New Year's-y and resolution-y and in the mood to plan the last couple of days.  I spent last night with a table full of books getting the big picture for the next few months of school solidified and hashing out January's plans in detail (more on that later).

I spent another portion of the day looking at planners and agendas and trying to decide what would work best for me this year.  I didn't buy one though.  I need to go somewhere an hold them and touch them and see their loveliness in person.  I just can't commit sight unseen!

But mostly, I spent a large portion of the day cleaning and reflecting.  What is God's plan for us this New Year?  In what way does He desire to bring us closer to Him and further along the path of holiness?  What role do I play in that plan as the heart of my household?  What work does He need to do in me personally to achieve His goals for my family?

I was inspired by Sarah's challenge for the New Year.  It seems to incorporate a lot of what has been on my mind lately.  I'm in on this one.  Her goals are simply stated and easily kept in mind, yet their ability to bring rhythm and peace to family life runs deep.

I folded five loads of laundry yesterday with these words from Elizabeth's family planning post ringing in my head:

"The key to making all this planning and preparing work is discipline. I need to decide on a system and then work the system.I can tweak a bit as we go and read about other ideas, but in the end, what matters most is that I am faithful enough to stick with it. No planning system works if it's abandoned the third week of January for nothing, or even for the next thing to come along. I can't establish rhythm if I'm twisting in the wind, whether I'm looking for that rhythm in my household management, my school plans, or my prayer life. "

They brought me back to all the thought I put into figuring out this daily rhythm and weekly schedule.  They're wonderful.  As I re-read them, I love them all the more.  I don't need to re-hash them, I need to work them, with discipline and commitment and a conviction that this is what will work best for us.  I need to plan ahead to make them work.  I have long been inspired by Dawn and her wonderful planning skills.  I'm going to use some of things I've taken from her plans to put my own details into place.

But the thought that all my reflecting brought me back to over and over again is that I need nothing more.  We are not cluttered around here, I have whittled away at all our stuff and it feels quite manageable.  But we have enough of everything.  Everyone has enough clothes and shoes.  We have all that we need to create a comfortable, welcoming home.  We have school books, craft supplies, and a library.  We have a garden and a pond and some woods in our own backyard.  We have bikes to ride and a trampoline to jump on.  We have established outside activities.  We have hobbies to pursue, games to play, and movies to watch.  We have an abundance of many simple, wonderful things.  We need to recognize that.  We need to use what we already have to create simple joys and pleasures in our home, in our school, in our leisure.

So my theme for the new year is SIMPLE ABUNDANCE.  It is living the goals of Sarah's challenge and challenging myself to use what we already have--an abundance of good things--in my quest to bring beauty and order to my home.  It is minimizing outside purchases, new ideas, new systems and working what I already know works.  It is spending everyday in gratitude for the blessings God has already given us, and stewarding them well.  Won't you join me is recognizing the SIMPLE ABUNDANCE in your life?   

Is it still Christmas?

What do you get when you combine five little boys who have had no rhythm or routine to their days for a week, loads of wrapping paper and new construction toys, a 12 week old puppy, and a mommy who is exhausted from all the cooking and preparing for Christmas celebrations?  Let's just say the possibility of bringing in a Hazmat team has not been ruled out.  Two days ago what we had was a Christmas miracle.  Today what we have is a grand mess. 

Add to that my sister-in-law and her family arrive from Houston tomorrow to begin another round of celebrations and that my husband, who celebrates his birthday on New Year's Eve, has decided to celebrate by roasting a pig...a whole one...here...at....my.....house. 

Yesterday I vowed that today was the day.  The house would get cleaned, the laundry would get done, the toys would get organized, the kids would get bathed (and maybe even the mom), the puppy would get on a schedule and the kids would go to bed at a reasonable hour without the television blaring messages of over-stimulation and hyper-activity in their ears.  Today we would eat healthy and GET IT TOGETHER.

And then I remembered...it's still Christmas.  Until the wise men arrive bearing their gifts, it's still Christmas.  And while we definitely should tidy up some and get some laundry done, and by all means turn off the TV and get that puppy on a schedule, it should not be at the expense of the joy of the season.  We did, in fact, celebrate a miracle only two short days ago.  A baby born in a manger came to save the world--came to save us.  His little life made it possible for us to live together in eternity.  That, my friends, deserves a full two weeks of joyous celebration.  Ordinary time will soon be upon us.  Let us not wish it here too soon.  Let's give that little baby all the celebration we can muster.  It's still Christmas.

It's still the season to relax the rules for the sake of celebration.  It's still the season to step over the toys on the floor and gather the little ones on the sofa to gaze upon the face of their little Saviour, to cuddle up with beautiful books and sing the hymns of joy.  I have made myself a promise as I started laundry and began picking up today.  I will not wish it away.  I will not tire myself with relentless lists and what I wish I could get done.  I will not be grumpy about what Christmas asks of me.  I will not be annoyed that my Saviour's birth begs celebration and that it requires some extra work from me.  I will not let my mind turn the miracle of Christmas into one grand mess.  If the only gift I can give today is a cheerful heart as I bustle about trying to balance my duty to my home and family with my duty to allow the celebration to continue, then I will give it gladly.

But in order to do so, I need to pray.  I need to spend a quiet moment gazing on that Holy Face in the manger, welcoming Him into our world, into my home, into my heart, and begging Him to take root in my children's hearts.  I need to beg Him for the quiet grace His mother showed during that first Christmas.  There is no nativity set where Mary is stomping around with a mop while the shepherds look at Jesus.  She is always right there, smiling peacefully, pointing at her newborn son, the Saviour of the world.  Today I pray she will help me do the same for all who enter my home during the Christmas season.  May I find a peaceful joy that points the way to the babe we celebrate for the next couple of weeks, and may He find a welcome worthy of His love.

All We Wanted for Christmas....

was a crane and a fire truck

and a puppy named Tobie....                                             who makes a fine napping buddy                                                                                       a good playmate for our bunnies, Beatrix and Tasha, and all-around fun!

Welcome to the family Tobie! 

A Little Bit of Book Knowledge

Lisa from Are We There Yet? tagged for this book meme with the warning that it wasa hard one.  My initial response was that if it took time and coherent thinking that it would have to wait until after Christmas.  However, today I find myself staring at the empty mop bucket and wondering if there is anything I can possibly do besides mopping.  And playing with a book meme seems a moderately healthy alternative.  As far as procrastination tools go, it's better than nibbling gingerbread or watching "It's a Wonderful Life", again. 

So here goes:

1. One book that changed your life: I agree with Lisa that every book changes my life in some way, BUT...I had loved to read as a younger person and then somehow in high school lost that love.  My sophomore year, Daphne du Maurier's Rebecca was assigned reading.  I couldn't even feign disinterest in this one.  I loved it, devoured it, and became a reader again.  I threw away the faulty notion that I was supposed to hate reading and embraced who I really was--a classic literature loving intelligent girl with a passionate for the beauty of the written word.  That acceptance led me to devour many more classics in the years that followed, although I must confess never making my way through some of the assigned ones until my later English teacher years.

2. One book that you have read more than once: There are lots of books that I have read and re-read, especially if you include Dr. Sears in the mix.  Definite favorite re-reads include The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe , Jane Austen, and The Great Gatsby.  I had to come back to this and say I could never count how many times I have read and re-read and nearly memorized chapters of Elizabeth Foss's Real Learning...this one was a real life-changer too!

3. One book that you'd want on a desert island: How to Get Off a Desert Island and Home to Your Family but Only When You're Good and Ready

4. One book that made you laugh: Lolly Winston's Good Grief made me laugh out load, I smiled nostalgically all the way through both of Danielle Bean's books, and can always get a chuckle from Please Don't Drink the Holy Water

5. One book that made you cry: Lots and lots of picture books make me cry, the Little House Books make me cry (you know that sappy cry, not a sad cry) and books about Mother Theresa make me cry...I love her and I have a missionary heart for the poor that is so stirred by her love, I always end up crying.

6. One book that you wish had been written:  the one I want to write for my boys but have not found the inspiration or will to commit to paper yet

7. One book that you wish had never been written: There are a lot of books I think the world would be better off without, but since it is of current interest, I could do without Pullman's books.

8. One book you are currently reading: Aloud to the kids?  A million Christmas picture books and Hilda Van Stockum's Canadian Summer, for prayer and spiritual growth, The Story of a Family, for inspiration, Christmas Mosaic.

9. One book you've been meaning to read: Okay, that's not even funny, there is no possible way I can answer that question simply or concisely.   I will say however, that I hope I can never answer this question easily.  I hope there are always stacks of books that excite and inspire me just begging for my attention.  I hope there is always something unread waiting around the corner, beckoning me.  I don't ever want to be finished reading.

OK, now, who to tag? I hate doing this now, but know ladies that you are welcome to reply whenever your mopping awaits life permits.  I tag Cay because she is as unabashed in her love of books as me and I never tire of discussing it with her, Alice because I am always tickled by her responses to things such as this, and Mary M. because, well, she's someone I'd like to get to know more.  When and if you can ladies.

i

Handmade for Dad

I wanted to come up with a meaningful handmade gift from us to my darling husband who lays down his life everyday so that we can all enjoy the lifestyle that we do.  He is our leader, and he brings us along the path to holiness valiantly.  He deserves something especially dear. 

Now I sometimes wonder if I overdo the whole gifts-using-the-kids-handprints thing.  For instance, Granny and Pops are getting painted stepping stones that contain "gardeny" objects created from each of the grandkid's handprints.  I think they are just lovely, but I wonder at times if everyone else is just thinking, "Oh great, more fingerprint gifts!"  But it occurred to me that Greg is as fond of those little hands as I am and he has never had a gift made from them.  An idea was born.

This morning, I traced each of the boys hands on the folded edge of a colored manila folder, then cut it out.  This way they fold open to two hands, ten fingers.  There is a note inscribed inside each one, and then the kids colored the other side.

I punched a hole through the stack of five hands and threaded them onto a keychain ring.  There are ten fingers on each of five hands...a full five-decade rosary!  I added a cross from a necklace of mine, a loop with three beads for the opening Hail Marys and Greg's favorite medal, a St. Benedict medal all to the loop.  Now he count his rosary on those fifty little fingers he helped God create!

Sorry for the shadow, I couldn't get the camera close enough without its shadow in the way. 

Now it doesn't exactly look like a roasry, and I'm not sure Daddy will figure it out on first glance, so I composed this little explanation and included it in the box:

This strange object is a rosary,

We know it’s hard to tell,

But if you look really closely,

You’ll see it works just swell.

The little cross you find on the ring

Is where your prayers will start,

Mom took it from her own necklace

A gift straight from her heart.

In a tight little circle

You’ll find three shiny beads,

They’re for the three “Hail Marys”

You pray for virtuous deeds.

Your favorite medal follows,

A marker as you go

On a walk with Jesus

And closer to Him grow.

When you say each decade,

You must count to ten.

It can be a little tricky,

Sometimes you miss and then…

So on this little ring you’ll find

Ten fingers from us each

So you can count as you pray

And as you pray you’ll teach…

You’ll teach us to be men of God

Who know His merciful love

And to put our trust in Him who gives

All good things from above.

You’ll teach us that a father’s prayer

is a gift all its own,

one we can give one day

when we are big and grown.

Fifty little fingers can seem

A lot to count,

But when you’re counting God’s holy way,

It’s just the right amount

A Rare Occasion...

In this home, we are not too often thrilled about something's pinkness.  But this week we are.  Yesterday the boys woke asking, "Is this it? Is it pink week today?"  It sure is.  And so there was pink cake for dessert and strawberry lemonade.  And the week's activities on our paper chain are all about spreading the joy of Christ's birth to others.  Today's agenda:

Gingerbread houses--one for us and one for the nursing home.

These are the kit kind, but so cute!                           

We're busy baking for a gathering of friends at our house tomorrow, as well as for our neighbors.

We'll fill those buckets full of lots of homemade goodies and deliver them later this week.

We put the finishing touches on some handmade gifts and wrapped them.  There are these little plaques for the families who will join us tomorrow:

The snowmen represent each member of their family.  These little wooden plaques are normally under a dollar and I bought them at 50% off.  Some paint and paint pens made them a lovely gift at all of .50!

There is also this gift for my husband's sister:            

I painted these three flower pots int he colors of her kitchen, and wrote the words "what she said", "what she did", and "what she learned" on them.  I then filled each pot with little strips of paper and there is a cute flowery pen tucked inside one.  She can leave them on her mantle and when her toddler says or does something she wants to remember or learns something new, she can jot it down and put it in the pot.  I'll collect them at the end of the year and put them into a scrapbook for next year's gift!   Again, these were quite inexpensive and I am really excited about the "sweetness" of this little gift. 

The boys are so excited to have company tomorrow they cleaned with such cheerful and generous hearts today.  We have let each visitor to our home this advent put a handful of straw in our manger.  Since the four families who will be here tomorrow are comprised of twenty-two children collectively, I caught the boys standing in front of the manger marveling at how full it would be after tomorrow night.  It was so cute!  Tonight I'm off for a Christmas dinner out with some girlfriends, there's no better way for a mom of five boys to celebrate PINK WEEK than that!

Christmas Baking

It has begun in earnest here.  Yesterday's goodies were dark chocolate peppermint bark and something I'm calling Burnt Sugar Grahams--not burnt in the bad way, burnt in the crisby yummy way.  This recipe is so simple and so good.  My aunt always served them at her house at Christmas.  She was the epitome of the word maven--huge gorgeous home, decorated to the hilt, her draped in colorful velvet with flaming red nails glistening--barking orders to all who would listen and a few who wouldn't.  As I look back, it strikes me as funny that I equate these simple treats with Christmas at her house because they're really quite opposite.   But nvertheless, they are a childhood favorite and deserve to be shared.

Break two sleeves of graham crackers into the four small rectangles and lay them closely on a wax paper covered cookie sheet.  Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

In a medium saucepan simmer 1 stick of butter, 1 cup of brown sugar, and 1 cup of chopped pecans until everything is well-blended.  Pour mixture over graham crackers and spread evenly.  Bake for ten minutes.  Let cool completely before removing from cookie sheet.

Todays items:  my mom's fudge recipe and chocolate cookies with Andes mint chips! 

Handmade update:  We have finished handmade gifts for Granny and Pops, cousin Addie, Aunt Marcie, and our family friends.

I am almost done with my projects for the boys.  I am so proud that actually did what I planned.  I humbly admit that sometimes I'm short on follow-through! 

New photos

There are new vacation shots uploaded at flickr.  Click the photos on the right hand sidebar to view our pics from Jamestown and Yorktown.