Deep thoughts by Ella.

We have been out of commission for a few days since the big move. New construction is a messy, messy, dirty, filthy thing. I have more cleaning to do that I can even describe. But, trudge on I shall. We are making serious headway. Tilers, electricians and plumbers still come in and out during the day, clawfoots and pedestals are left to be set, and trim paint is needed on the stairs. Trudge on we shall. It beats the rental every day of the week and twice on Sunday.

We had a beautiful Christmas, really, with family coming and going and more to come tomorrow. We like to drag this partying business out as long as we can! Happy Birthday, Christ Jesus, and thank you beyond all thank you's for this amazing life and these amazing blessings. We are luckier than we ever deserved.

I don't have much time for further reflection so I'll leave you, for now, with a deep thought by Ella Marie;

"Yesterday is tomorrow that already happened in the past."

Ahem....Confucius? Is that you? Or could it be Yogi Berra?

Merry Christmas.....we're moving!

So, our stint in purgatory is over. 

The rental will see the last of us tomorrow. The season of waiting us upon us and we can see the Coming straight ahead of us. HOPE is in season. Steve, God Bless his heart, has been working out at the house until the wee hours of the morning almost every night this week. Just to get us IN. 

We got the green light from the health department. The building department? They'd like us to put some plywood on the outside of our master bedroom doors leading out to our deck. Because, well, it's probably not code seeing as there is no railing out there just yet. Okay, sure, Mister Building Department Guy, we can do that. 

Merry Christmas, family. We're moving in. Tis' the season to be jolly, fa la la la la la la la la!

 

"Dooooo!!"

Guess who's Dooo? Shepherd is! That's who!

You sang, you ate chocolate pie, you blew out candles, you had a tantrum over a borrowed-for-30-second Thomas coal car, you waved good morning and blew kisses at your big brother and sister, you wanted more milk and since you so sweetly said "peeeease", I gladly gave it to you. It all happened before 7:30 a.m. this morning.

 When we ask you how old you are you emphatically announce, "DOOOO!", with a big one-tooth in-the-center-from-that-nasty-Shepherd-versus-coffee-table-incident grin. 

Oftentimes we talk about how difficult is is to resist the urge to chew on your face. Your cheeks to be precise. They are chubby and full and when you smile, your golden eyes stand out against them like fiery globes of sun.

Your energy exhausts me and inspires me. From the moment you wake to the moment you lay down at night you never cease moving. I love you, my sweet boy. You are either going to keep me young or make me very, very old.

We must be doing something right since I caught you, yesterday, as you were running through the house like a whirlwind, stop by your baby' brothers bouncy seat, give him two gentle, gentle pats on the head, softly lean in and say, "Hi, baby", and then go on about your way. 

Happy 2nd birthday, beautiful boy.

Potentiality.

Me: Paxton, you need to put that money in a pocket or something.

Paxton: I'm just going to leave it right here so it's not a potential problem.

Alrighty then.

Speaking of littleness

I needed this today. I need to be reminded of this in a desperate way. I have been feeling quite in limbo. Moving at a snail's pace and staring at the calendar, counting the days that have passed and those that have yet to pass. Listening to the clock tick and feeling like our lives are on hold. Just a few...more....days. 

This is St. Theresa's Prayer:

May there be peace within. May you trust God that you are exactly where you are meant to be. May you not forget the infinite possibilities that are born of faith. May you use those gifts that you have received, and pass on the love that has been given to you. May you be content knowing that you are a child of God. Let this presence settle into your bones, and allow your soul the freedom to sing, dance, praise, and love.

It is there for each and every one of us.

Christ's peace be with you all, my friends, and me. May we rest contentedly in this the third week of Advent, the week of HOPE. 

Littleness.

We're moving. Sort of. In little. tiny. bits. at. a. time. Isn't that how you move when you have four children under six? 

Anyway, I don't have much to share right now since what I really have is way too much to even know where to begin. For now, I'll leave you with this adorable conversation:

Me: Ella, honey, why do your pants keep falling down like that? 

Ella: Like what?

Me: Like that (I say, pointing to the pants she's stepping on.)

Ella: Well...Mom, they're just not the size of me.

Um....yikes.

This is disturbing. I noticed the date was from two years ago. I need to do some further investigation. Dang! I LOVE (d) Starbucks!

Nice endings.

Today's schedule:

9:00am Mass for the HDO; The Feast of the Immaculate Conception.

10:15am Elizabeth Prayer Group meeting until 12:30pm

12:30pm Go home, change the baby's diaper and head out again.

1:00pm Meet Steve for a quick bite after he had dropped off Child #1, #2, and #3 with their grandparents and had been to the appliance store to pick up our fridge, freezer, two washing machines, two driers, two pedestals and attempted to pick up a trash compacter.

1:20pm Head to Home Depot for three hours to pick out 3 pedestal sinks, 3 vanities, 5 toilets, 5 toilet seats, 1 framed mirror, 11 flush mounts, 1 fixture, 1 bar and 1 kitchen and 1 wash sink, two shower rods and a ceiling medallion in a pear tree. Just seeing if you were still reading.

4:00ish leave Home Depot with the van, a borrowed truck and trailer full of aforementioned stuff, and go pick up children 1-3. #4 and I are a packaged deal these days.

5:15 Arrive home with children #2 and #4 (Daddy took #1 and #3 out to the house to drop off all the goods in the garage since installation will begin in less than a week.) Throw together dinner while nursing (yes, that's right) #4 and giving #2 a bath.

6:00pm-8:20pm Eat dinner, light a candle, read another story from our Advent book, play a game, put clothing away, clean house, get kids' jammies, brush teeth, give kisses, say prayers, tuck kids into bed.

8:20-8:50pm Open a bottle of wine, pour one glass for me and one glass for Steve. Sit and have adult conversation with big words and everything. For one half hour. 

8:50-11:00pm Feed the baby one last time and put him down, say goodbye to Steve, drive up to the chapel to sit for two hours. In silence. Prayerful silence. In front of the Blessed Sacrement. For the local Prayer Vigil for Life.

11:00 Come home and give Steve a kiss after I pass the baton so that he can go sit in the chapel until 1:00am. He's the night owl of the two of us, God bless him. 

All in all, if you ask me, we have our priorities straight today. Not all the time. Not every day. But this day? We started it right and we ended it right. 

1)Prayer

2)Person

3)Partner

4)Parent

5)Provider

And it feels good.

 

Update: The Carrier.

I might have to eat my words. It might actually be me.

Dang. 

We'll see when I get tested in another week or so. 

Happy 4th Birthday, Boo-boo.

Ella,

It's been 4 years since the day of your birth. I remember that day like it was yesterday. 

I am amazed that time has flown by as it has. I am amazed at the young lady you have become. I am amazed that you tolerate your brothers, despite the fact that their vocabularies are not as vast, their interest in ponies and babies and princesses is minimal, and their love and fascination with hair product pales in comparison to yours. 

You say things like, "my salvation..", "actually, Mom...", "I love you more than 1000 baby birds.", and "In nomine Patris, et Filii, et Spiritus Sancti. Amen."

You love dolphins and you wish you were a mermaid. You asked me the other day if, when you die, you can go to Heaven to be with Jesus and then he would make you into a mermaid. No kidding. You would be a mermaid and he would be a King. King Triton, that is.

You love preschool and wish so desperately that you could just hurry up and be in third grade already. You know all your letters, their sounds, numbers up to 30, colors like "violet" and "magenta", latin prayers and how to play a wicked game of Uno.

You couldn't wait to turn four years old so that you could finally chew gum. For your big party on Saturday, your Uncle Kellen bought you an entire bag full of the stuff. Thanks, Uncle Kellen. Over the last three days, we've only stopped chewing gum to sleep.

I love you, my beautiful girl. I love your dark chocolate eyes, your dimple on your right cheek, and your spirit. I love your energetic and precocious manner. I love the way you elicit conversation with complete strangers (with me close by, of course) and the way you let everyone know, stranger or no, right off the bat, that "we live in a rental".

I love you, Ella. Happy Birthday to you.

The Carrier.

I have lots to blog about. There will be more to come. Rest assured.

Excitement for today? Waking up, knowing that I have strep throat. Again. The second time in two months. It's Steve's fault.

The walk-in clinic physician has a theory. Someone in my immediate family is A Carrier. Since you cannot contract it (or it's highly unlikely)  if you are two years of age or younger, that rules out an entire 1/3rd of my family. That leaves Ella, Paxton, and Steve.

Stay tuned to find out more about The Carrier.