Friday Photo Favorites

Bookends

 

Friday Photo Favorites

This Happened!

We have a teenager!!!!

Almost

In a couple of weeks Paul Thomas will break into his teenage years. 

Let's let that sink in for a bit.

In no way do Philip and I feel mature enough to be parents of a teenage, and yet we will be. Last night he came to me sheepishly after I bid him goodnight, with a hint of excitement and hesitation of possible disappointment. He asked if he and his brother could listen to an audio book.

When asked by his father where he would drive to first when he got his licences, with out hesitation, "The Library."

I was struck last night by how very different I was as an almost 13 year old and how he is. It is a beautiful difference. I was so very aware of others and what they had and what I didn't. I was so very aware of body shape and sizes and thought I must be interested in the opposite sex. Maybe all of these things do go on inside of him, but last night there was innocence in a story told and companion on the journey. Keeping this innocence, letting them be children and gentle raising them into men and women centered and grounded in Christ is one of the reasons we chose homeschooling for our family. 

As of late my prayer has been to have a grateful heart, to enjoy my time educating my children. It has helped to calm the ever present, "You're not enough...you're not doing enough...you can't possible give enough because there are too many" monster that ravages the unlit parts of my soul. And at the same time there is still the ever present reality that I will nor could not be their fill. We may not be doing this parenting gig right, however last night seemed to be a glimmer of maybe we are not doing too bad.

Friday Photo Favorites

Not many post, for a while now. It's because of these two...one doesn't sleep much and demands very active holding while the other one is steaming through childhood and requires more focused attention in schooling and upbringing. 

Paul Thomas has been more withdrawn this new baby round. He has not asked for cuddles nor seeks out Avila first thing in the morning. He is growing more and more into a young man and less and less out of a child. There is that awkwardness of where do I fit? I want to play at times and yet I feel silly being the oldest. As his parents, we too are trying to find the right balance of this time, and unfortunately it's just as awkward for us.

This picture reminds me of Paul Thomas' sincere empathy he exhibits for me. Avila has been a very fussy baby and this morning with the combination of baby, toddler and three-year old, I was losing it. Paul Thomas came into the kitchen and outstretched his arms wordlessly, as he usually operates and walked Avila. Within five minutes this was the scene. She needed a quiet body to rest with. 

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Oh how I love patterns and numbers. Thank you Avila for being the perfecting our little family. 

Halloween-y

Two day's before Halloween and some little ones where expressing, continuously, our lack of Halloween preparedness. So a pumpkin for everyone and craving tools in hand these amazing kids (and Daddy) whipped out some pretty spectacular pumpkins. In 2 hours and 15 minutes we accomplished 7 jack-o-lanterns and dinner! 

Hello-ween

My Goodness, it's been awhile!

Life has been crazy-crazy good, crazy hard, crazy disheartening, crazy busy. 

Yes, I know, "This too shall pass." 

And, "In a few years all this will seem like a lifetime ago."

However, it's not a few years at the moment, at the moment it is right now and right now is crazy. 

With the new school year we took the bold approach to join two more co-ops making it a total of three. All day Tuesday and Wednesday are filled with wonderful classes and even better people and then once a month we meet for a really fun Geography co-op. All is so much fun, but really taxing on the daily home school schedule. Which translate into studies taking place up until 5:00 and then after dinner most nights and still not enough time. 

Whenever I complain about the lack of time two teachings ring in my ears. First when the sisters complained to St. Mother Teresa about lack of time and she replied with adding an hour of adoration to their schedule and the passage in the Screwtape Letters about how easy it is to make the temptee believe he is in charge of his day and forget the entire day is a gift from God. How quickly we plan and forget to be thankful. Unfortunately, even as I am reminded of these two prodding I still find myself in the same state at the end of day. I know an hour of adoration is not feasible at this point in my vocation, however a few moments of intentional prayer is.

Well, that was not exactly what I had planned on typing, actually I planned on typing very little and just sharing a few Halloween pictures, so onto the pictures...

 

Oldest and youngest

Averykin

Always the antagonist.

The long long time ago crew.

Our Little Angel

She wanted a blue princess dress to be a Blue Princess.

And finally the best dressed award this year goes to, Fly Ballerina Unikitty!

I did not get a group picture so maybe we can do it later. (That will never happen)

Today is an off day of school to celebrate my favorite feast day.

All You Holy Men and Women Pray for Us!

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It is not easy being the oldest...I am sure any oldest will tell you that.

We as parents mess up a lot, and mostly when faced with new situations, which happens the most with the oldest. I am sorry! You are constantly caught between child and little adult helper in the family. You shoulder the most responsibility and long for the most respect because who you look up to adults in the family setting. What a challenging balancing act you most feel you are doing, what a confusing place you most constantly be in.  I wish we could make it easier for you and in a few years we will more than likely see how we could have and regret decisions we made now. One thing for sure we need to be more patience and understanding that as you are super responsible, you are still just a child. We need to allow more mistakes and more freedom too. It is so very hard to know when to allow you to grow up and how...it will come all on its own, how tight do we hold on?

I need to strive to see this smile everyday. There needs to be more joy in your life.

I love you deeply, my son. 

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Horsing Around

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What an honor. How blessed our children are having a Fruncle on each side.

At the end of May we witnessed Fr. Stephen Blaxton's ordination. How very, very blessed to be rearing our children in the midst of faith lived daily. 

I remember so keenly my older sister coming and staying with me the first eight days after being initiated into motherhood. Her gift of self was overwhelming and not fully recognized to the actual degree until later. She sat with me as I learned to navigate the ends and outs of early motherhood. Her sitting across from me as we both nursed our little ones was so very much like her bestowing her blessing on me, saying, "you can do this, it will be the hardest thing you will ever do, but you can do this. We traveled this road before and it will be traveled again, come along you are not alone in your vocation." 

As my brother is not Fr. Stephen's brother biologically, they are part of a bigger, deeper brotherhood of Christ. There have been priest before and there will be priest after these two, and they all will travel the vocational road all the same, and they are not alone. 

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Love these silly people.

Camping

We went camping this weekend for the first time as a family. It was camping in my books because our "Log-in" did not have running water, thus making late night bathroom trips an adventure. We carried our water around in "tin-cans",  and found lots and lots of "allergy" in the lake. Even with the rain most of the time it was such a wonderful experience with family and some really amazing friends.

This is one of those rare events where there was no pictures taken...just slowing down and enjoying life. 

Enjoy our Easter Picture instead.

Writing Assignments

The Boys are participating in their first writing class and have given permission to share their work here. Writing/Language Arts is a serious short coming of mine therefore, we are so very grateful that they have this opportunity to develop this skill set with such patience, caring and knowledgeable teacher. 

Jude the Shrewd Grasshopper

Once upon a time a grasshopper named Jude, who was gleefully playing with his friends, Thomas, Avery, Gabriel and Damian, when he spotted Queen Anna and her army of Ants gathering food. Jude hopped over and asked her, “Your Majesty, why are you gathering food?” She replied, “We are collecting food for the winter”. During that years’ bitter winter, Jude found he had no food because, he wasted his summer playing. “I will go and request from Queen Anna I may stay with her.” When he arrived, he pleaded with her. He finally persuaded her, “but only this once!” she remarked. While they were making merry, Thomas, Avery, Gabriel and Damian, who were too dim-witted to remember the ants, suffered a terrible death from frost bite and were never seen again. Moral: it is wise to plan ahead, or at least to be friends with those who do.

Sleeping on Empty Bellies

            In an old, drafty house where there were four children, Constance, who was always disagreeing with everyone, except when she got her way, was composing some rude poetry. Her dresser was always turned out and the contents were strewn all over the room, except when Cate energetically put everything in its proper place and removed the moldy pieces of food. Renny could persuade Constance the best and Constance always tormented Sticky. The four of them, having followed Mr. Benedict’s riddles, had run away from home, Constance riding piggy-back because she was only 3 years old. Constance had stuffed her sleeves with crackers, started snacking on them when they came to a sheltered spot. Renny, Sticky and Cate were all starving from their trip. Renny asked if she would share her snack and she answered, “well, you should have brought along your own food!” Renny decided not to give her a reason to make some rude poem, so he dropped it. The three of them slept on empty bellies, and Constance slept like a baby. Moral: plan ahead.

Wide

I have heard the term wide family tossed around, however I never really gave it much thought, until Paul Thomas said, "When Bennett's my age..." 

My heart leaped into my throat because when Bennett's your age, an age that is very, very much a child and very, very much my baby you will be the same age that I was when I had you.

Follow? When Bennett is Paul Thomas' age (almost 12) Paul Thomas will be almost 24. Paul Thomas was born when I was 23...yup that all went crazy in my head/heart/stomach at just those four words being uttered. So I guess we have a wide family...children span many age ranges and as it is something that is a bit foreign to Philip and myself, as our families growing up were fairly tight in size and span it has been the most wonderful of gifts God has given. 

As I write this please know that we understand that this is a gift. A gift in which we have been richly spoiled by God with, and in no way want to come off flaunting or bragging or come across as "a good catholic family". We do want to celebrate what we have received as we are able to witness God's love in our everyday with our family. 

All the children were lining up for a big class picture at Co-op and as I turned to find my littlest, there he was in the midst of his proud, adoring brother. And by the end of the photo three more boys had held him and loved on him. Not one child minded having a little around and instead it seemed more complete to have this wide range. This is the blessing of a wide family and wide friends.

Dying for Heaven

These two were doing what these two do best these days...wrestling, pestering, pushing boundaries with each other while trying not to get into trouble after Mass in the car. Avery through a giggly/slightly painful laugh, "No no, I don't want to die!" 

(Just the part I opened the door to hear; there was some sort of escalating fictional scenario happening.)

George from the back seat in all sincerity, "But Avery if you don't die then you can't go to Heaven."

Aren't we, as adults, so often focused on the wrong thing...death is not the end.

Friday Photo Favorites

We are still here!

Just busy.

We started our second year of Co-op and love it, so much better the second time around.

Paul Thomas is taking, Institute in Excellent in Writing, History Comes Alive and Catechesis of the Good Shepherd. 

Avery is taking, Institute in Excellent in Writing, History Comes Alive, Art and Catechesis of the Good Shepherd III.  

Mary Colette is taking, Ballet, Book Club, Cooking and Catechesis of the Good Shepherd II. 

George is taking P.E. and Catechesis of the Good Shepherd I.

Anastasia is taking, Ballet, P.E. and Catechesis of Good Shepherd I.

Eleanor is taking, too many snacks, Baby Ballet (twirling in the gym when no one is using it) and marching around like she owns the place. She is doted on by two very special big girls and she tells us frequently how much she loves them and how much they love her.

Bennett is not taking naps on Friday's, but is smiling and cooing at any and all. He is in arms all day and is otherwise being spoiled which is lovely because during the week he has a hard life of a sibling constantly loving on him and trying to make him laugh and growing up much too fast!

Everyone's favorite class is Catechesis! However all of the classes are so much fun. 

We have been living this for awhile now

Star Wars is very serious around here even for those that have never seen them. 

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The first thing Annie K noticed about Bennett, "Bennett has a sharp tongue."

The Boys!

Look at that pure happiness smile on George, big brother to a baby brother is just beyond words.

The Little Mommas, each in there own way.

My Seven

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Beginning of Co-op and the End of Co-op.

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First picture of all seven.

We welcomed Benedict 'Bennett' Philip on Sunday. 

Contrary to the picture Annie really is thrilled to have Bennett here and was the first to hold him. The hospital was just a bit overwhelming and seeing her Momma in an atypical state really caught the littles off guard. 

We are enjoying Bennett and the joy he brings.