Summer Days

So  here we are again the midst of summer days.  It's been a wet summer with few truly nice days so when those precious few nice days happen the children are outside.  Mark loves the outdoors, but unfortunately the outdoors is not very kind to him.  The mosquitoes this year are atrocious and their favourite food is Markie who is very allergic to him.  Everyone else can be outside the same time as him and they'll end up with a bite here and there while is literally covered.
Change is in the air and it hangs heavily right now.  The uncertainties are daunting so I just keep giving them to God and then taking them back again.
Becca just had her "big" birthday and is at camp as a junior leader.
VBS is next week and then a week of holidays - maybe.  More uncertainties.  And another birthday.

Markisms

The older children have a fun game in which they ask Mark to repeat ridiculously long words.  He's quite capable and at 2 is extremely articulate.  For the most part he uses words in the correct context. Becca asked him one day to say "paleontologist" and so he did.  I asked him what paleontologists do and he responded "eat my brains".  I think I can chalk that up to older sibling's obsession with the Plants vs. Zombies game.

Lenten Reflections

Lent is hard.  Of course it is.  It's meant to be.  I mean that I never feel like I've done enough.  I never feel fully prepared for Easter.  I start out with wonderful plans, but invariably something intervenes with those.  I believe that God chooses Lent for us sometimes.
This year I am praying for a conversion of heart.  I want to desire Christ more, to thirst for Him in the Eucharist and in prayer.  Many of our annual practices haven't been employed this year.  I'm just going day by day and hoping for more kindness in our house amongst children.  I'm hoping for more prayer and more love.
On a practical level of sacrifice we're all going without Pepsi, Nestle and Cadbury products.  This sacrifice looks like it'll be an ongoing one until they change research practices.

Time lost

It has been so long since I last posted.  I regret that.  There's been so many little things that will probably be lost because I didn't record them.  Things like Katie starting to scooch (I think it's been 1 1/2 months).  She puts both legs to one side and then pushes.  She then alternates sides.  It's not the fastest means of locomotion, but it works for her.
Things like Mark calling hamburgers "hamburgergers", which he no longer does.  His language skills are amazing.  He speaks so clearly and has such a large vocabulary.  Frequently he'll accuse the inanimate of calling him an "idiot" or a "dum-dum".  He will also inform people that he has the right to do something  because "Mama said so", that doesn't work with me so he'll change it to "Patrick said so" or less often "Daddy said so".  He's only two.
We've all had birthdays except for Katie.  Becca bakes our bread.  We went to Fort MacLeod for holidays this year in a TENT.  That is such an act of penance for me, let me tell you.  It was so cold at night in the middle of August and Katie is still not sleeping through the night, so I would have to get up with her.  Yuck.  But the historic sites we visited were great.  We also spent time in and around Innisfail, where we went to Markerville Creamery and Stepphanson House.  And of course we spent time in Medicine Hat.
I have canned and canned until I have no jars left and no space left in my cold room.
We planted and harvested our garden.  It was a cold, wet summer, so things didn't grow as they normally would.  Our potatoes are few, but our raspberries were many.  Our roses did amazingly well.  It seems that they really like water.  Who knew?
That is just a smattering of all that has happened in the last few months.  I'm hoping to stay more on top of things now.
By the way, I passed my course.  83%.  But there was sweat involved, I assure you.  It is sad how one's brain atrophies if not put to proper use.

Funny, Is It?

Tonight at Mass, Patrick served. There were servers on either side. Matthew pointed out that he was "surrounded" (sawounded)

Later at the store, an announcement ended with "Thank you". Matthew looked up and sweetly said, "you're welcome."

Mark's newest word is "sorry". He'll hit you and immediately it's followed with a look of contrition and a sorrowful "sorry".

Today I cut hair. I had one request for a Mohawk, one for a "Luke Skywalker" hair-do and a repetitious litany of "you done now? all done, Mama?"

Mattyisms

I'm just rockin' through "Great Expectations". I'm almost done at a booming 50 pages per day. Yikes!

Anyhoo, this is what's amusing me today:

Matty: "Can I hold Katie? I gave her my hiccups."

Ohh, something that has put me a bit behind on reading is the arrival of my new...

drum roll... please...

iPod Touch!!!

So much fun. So far I've put on iMissal, some music and a grocery app. The app store is just like the proverbial candy store, and I'm trying to be prudent in my purchases.

Something that should be helping my reading schedule is this ugly bug that's sweeping the bigger people in our house and the fact our van is un-driveable.

Tomorrow we are implementing a new schedule for school and life. I have great hopes for a rhythm in our home.

One Word Comments

One Word Comment
As suggested by Sarah .....

Leave a ONE word comment that you think best describes me.

It can only be one word.

No more than one word.

Then copy & paste this post on your blog so I can leave a word about you.