12) Mash-Up: Heat, WTH Gas & Zombies

By bobbi
October 5, 2012
No Comments

~ Capturing the context of contentment in everyday life ~

AND

Time for a Friday evening {pretty, happy, funny, real} / 7 Quick Takes Mash-up.

– 1 –

{happy}

I Love You, Fog – This morning Brian worked the early shift and he told me I could go out and take a walk at the beach. It has been awhile since I’ve taken that trail. It started out foggy but then it warmed up and the sun came out. Although I am not complaining about the fog! I was soo happy to see it return after this week’s heat wave!

– 2 –

Source: Brokensports.com

Daddy Long Legs – My hat goes off to all those people who have endured the summer heat for three long months. We had a heat wave in Carmel (with the hottest day hitting 90 by the coast) and we barely lasted three days. Although I was ~~a major grouch~~ able to remain incredibly cheerful, the kids were like zombies on the couch begging for cups of ice. I was hunting high and low for shorts that would fit the boys since it was never hot enough all summer to buy any new ones. I finally found some in a box of too small clothes and for three days the boys looked like retro basketball players with their too small, short-shorts. We are so cool-weather spoiled, it is ridiculous.

– 3 –

{happy}

Spoiler Alert – Remember when I was telling you about Ryan Charles Trusell and his publication Ora et Labora et Zombies? Well, we got the next two letters this week and Brian and I were so happy! Well, at first we weren’t though, because it caused a little ruckus in the house. After I told Brian about the novel and encouraged him to read with me, he became intrigued and got into the story too. So the other day when he got the mail and found the envelope he was excited to open it right away. I told him it had my name on the envelope so it was actually my mail to open. (Okay, so I was teasing him a bit.) I told him he could read it first but he knows the rules – he can’t give me any spoilers or tell me what happens. Well, later I asked him how the next installment was and he said, “It’s getting good! So-and-so does such-and-such…” Nooooo! He broke the only rule he had. Now he knows he is not allowed to read the upcoming installments until I a have read it first. LOL.

– 4 –

{funny}

Here is a sample of things the boys do in the room with me, while I am on the computer. There’s nothing quite as fun as leaping from couch to chair, especially if you happen to land on your brother.

– 5 –

{real}

WTH! – After my walk this morning I went to go fill up my car with gas. I could not believe how much the prices have jumped up in just a week! It is flippin insane! The guy who got gas before me paid $136. That is a huge tank and huge bill!

– 6 –

Monkey See, Monkey Do – Speaking of WTH, speech therapy has been going well for Andrew and John-Paul. Andrew still needs a lot of work with the blends and clarity in general but we are making progress. JP is not as bad and has been saying words clearly and making short sentences now. I knew he was making progress when he came into the room exclaiming, “What de heck!” Now he says it all the time. Brian just gives me that look that says, see what you’ve taught him. I don’t get it. I was proud that I was able to control my language to not say “what the hell” in front of the kids. I guess we better stay away from the holier homeschool groups for awhile.

– 7 –

I was debating whether the next take should be about a new soup recipe I tried (that Brian loved!) or about all the awesome church feast days in October. However, I just looked at the clock and realized I am late starting dinner. We are having homemade (lower fat) mac ‘an cheese, ham steaks and broccoli. Yum! So I’ll save those other takes for later.
Have a great weekend!

Sunday Afternoon {pretty, happy, funny, real} vol. 46 / 7 Quick Takes (9/30/12) Mash-Up: Welcome Autumn!

By bobbi
September 30, 2012
No Comments

~ Capturing the context of contentment in everyday life ~

AND

September is always a busy month for us with family, school and parish activities scheduled. Here’s a recap of some of the highlights with a Sunday afternoon {pretty, happy, funny, real} / 7 Quick Takes Mash-up.
Note: The {pretty, happy, funny, real} can apply to many photos so I’ll do them in order rather than category.

– 1 –

Happy birthday, baby! – Yesterday was my sweet Bella’s 11th birthday. Has a decade and a year really gone by so quickly?? I remember when I was holding her in my arms like this…

Now my sweet girl stands next to me like this. Happy birthday, baby!

– 2 –

I Heart Autumn – We are so ready for Fall! I decorated our front porch to welcome the season and our visitors.

It is also the perfect time for Pumpkin Picking. Thanks to Brian rearranging his schedule, he was able to babysit the younger boys so I could attend Andrew’s school field trip to The Farm where they have a few farm animals, a pumpkin patch, crops and an organic produce/ products store. We had a lot of fun, although the sweetest part was the ride on the bus when he held my hand and rested his head on me with a contented sigh. It was the kind of moment that mamas live for.

Checking out the animals.

He found his perfect pumpkin.

– 3 –

Fiesta Fun – September is also the time for our parish’s annual Fiesta. There is delicious food, mariachi music, numerous booths and a kids’ carnival. What more can you ask for?

Andrew is practicing his swing.

John-Paul on the other hand thought it was “Whack A Mole” as he swung the bat over his head like a club.

JP had better luck pitching his curve ball.

Meanwhile Matthew was waiting his turn to be let loose at the playground.

– 4 –

Random Funny Shots -September must have been a busy month in the delivery rooms years ago because we have received countless invitations to birthday parties this month. One party was particularly fun because the whole family was able to attend. I find this shot of Brian funny because he is having as much fun as the kids with his race car game.

I know when John-Paul has been playing with my phone because I will find photos like this. He literally took 77 photos (I counted them) of Angry Birds in various poses.

– 5 –

Is It the Kid’s Bedtime Yet? – Tonight when we come home from dinner at my in-laws I plan to get cozy on the couch with Brian and watch the new (for the USA) PBS show Call the Midwives. I’ve heard good things about it. Here is the trailer.

– 6 –

Go Pack Go! – As I am typing this I can hear Brian cheering for the Packers as the game is on right now. They have been in a comfortable lead but I fear that is changing because I hear a lot of “Oh Come On!!” coming from the family room. There goes the Packer lead. Funny how the Packers are the only ones that can get my mild mannered hubby all fired up. He turns a bit more like me for those few hours. hee hee

– 7 –

Last one – I was going to do a quick take on a bit of Downton Abbey news but I’ve run out of time so I’ll save it for tomorrow. I leave you with a pretty shot of a flower that caught my eye this week.

Have a great night!

7 Quick Takes (9/14/12): Sneezing, Sewing & Old Movies

By bobbi
September 14, 2012
3 Comments

Hosted by Jen at Conversion Diary.

– 1 –

This Is Why We Don’t Have A Cat – Over the past two weeks we’ve been touch and go with a cold bug tagging each of the kids. This week it finally hit me. At first it started as allergies due to a bad experience with Target. I know, the store I love! Well, it wasn’t really Target’s fault but one of their shoppers. I purchased a slip cover for our horrid front room couch that has an even more horrid slip cover that always comes off. (It is taking the word “slip” too seriously.) I opened it up and as I was placing it on the couch I started sneezing like crazy. I then realized that the cover had cat or dog hair all over it. I pulled the cover off and folded it back into the box but the damage was done. My allergies went crazy. (It’s weird but I know it’s my allergies when the roof of my mouth gets really itchy.) Well, slowly my allergies went into a head cold and sore throat and if you call my house and hear a raspy whisper answer the phone, don’t hang up. It’s just me.

– 2 –

Silence Is Golden – However, I’ve noticed a curious thing with not having my normal voice, I can’t ~~yell at the kids when I am mad~~ moderately raise my voice to demonstrate my displeasure. Yesterday, I almost blew my top, but not being able to talk loudly, I had to take a deep breath and firmly but calmly and quietly correct Child A. This automatically had a calming effect on me interiorly and I then calmly corrected Child B. I swear I felt like Michele Duggar when she sweetly corrects her kids (at least on camera.) I walked into the kitchen and Brian was smiling at me. I think he is secretly praying that my voice takes a long time to return. 😉 But seriously, it’s amazing all the little lessons God can teach you when you are quiet and humble enough to listen.

– 3 –

Pass the Visine – Okay, okay. One more quick take about being under the weather. (Cut me some slack, guys, it’s been a slow news week.) Along with the stuffy head and raspy voice, I have been wearing sunglasses outside the house all week, despite the clouds and the fog, because my eyes are so red and watery. I looked in the mirror the other day and saw puffy eyes, bags and dark circles and I swore I aged 10 years in a week. Man, if this keeps up I’m going to have to break down and buy some kind of cover up/ make up. I’m also really resisting the urge to watch the movie Mr. Skeffington just to witness Fanny get ill and age 20 years after always looking so youthful. (I love that movie!)

– 4 –

Movie Night – I think I’ve mentioned this before but one of my favorite times of the day is when I put John-Paul and Andrew to sleep. After prayers and bedtime stories, it’s lights off. Usually I would sit in the room 5-10 more minutes while they dozed off. Now they are out within minutes but It is so quiet and peaceful that I find myself staying in there 15 – 20 minutes just to read. No emailing, texting or web surfing allowed. I can only read. One of the books I finished last month was To Kill A Mockingbird. Can you believe I had never read the book nor seen the movie before, particularly since I love B&W classic movies? Now that I’ve read the book I was going to rent the movie but I noticed that our local theater is playing the movie on Nov 15 as part of the TCM Event Series so I think I’ll wait and watch it on the big screen.
BTW, if you are a classic movie fan, next Wed, Sept 19th they are playing Hitchcock’s The Birds and on October 24th it is a Halloween Double Feature with the original “Frankenstein” (1931) followed by “Bride of Frankenstein” (1935). Sounds fun!

– 5 –

Catholicism & A Zombie Apocalypse – Speaking of reading, I was going to do a Quick Take about Ryan Charles Trusell and his new, innovative novel Ora et Labora et Zombies but I think it is too exciting to merely mention it quickly so I made a separate post instead. Check it out.

– 6 –

Making It Count – Hey, did you notice that I am now hosting Making It Count Tuesday? Sarah and Pam are unable to do it right now so they were kind enough to let me oversee it. If you are not familiar with Making It Count, it runs every 2nd and 4th Tuesday. You simply start with any one of those fabulous ideas you’ve found online. Then, do it. Make it. Cook it. Create it. Take it from the screen, give it life and let it bless your world. When you’re done, snap a photo, write about it and share it with us. Make your time online count.
You have until Sunday night to participate in this week’s MICT. Or you can come back on Tues 9/25. I hope to see you there!

– 7 –

Sew what? – Speaking of getting creative, as readers of this blog know I am not exactly skilled in the sewing department. (Duct tape to hem pants, anyone?) However, I’ve been trying to correct my ways and spread my creative wings and I’m thinking about trying a simple sewing project – such as making your own cloth napkins. How hard could that be? (Famous last words.) I was thinking of buying a simple sewing machine with some birthday money I have saved but let me ask you a question – what is the minimum I should spend on a machine. I don’t need anything fancy but I don’t want it to be so cheap that it doesn’t work properly but I honestly don’t know where to start. So if you could recommend a brand or price range I’d really appreciate it! Thanks.
Okay, my time is up and I made it to the last take. Have a great weekend!

Saturday Morning {pretty, happy, funny, real} vol. 45 / 7 Quick Takes (9/8/12) Mash-Up: Back to School, Baking & Toddler Terror

By bobbi
September 8, 2012
No Comments

~ Capturing the context of contentment in everyday life ~

AND

It’s been a busy week (AGAIN) so it is time for another Saturday morning {pretty, happy, funny, real}/7 Quick Takes Mash-up.

– 1 –

{happy}

All the kids are officially back in school. Bella started the 5th grade – and moved out of jumpers and into skirts. (Although, after this photo day she is wearing her favored uniform pants since she doesn’t like skirts. Oops, a little like her mama.)

Andrew started Pre-K and was all smiles when he found out he got to get out earlier than Bella. (He only goes half-day.)

– 2 –

It’s funny that I imagined myself having all this free time and I had my plans of continuing to clean and organize, I thought of all the projects I’d start and blog posts I’d write but I’ve done nada! First of all, between three kids attending two schools with three separate school schedules, I spend a good portion of my day lugging kids in and out of the car. In fact, yesterday when I took John-Paul to school, I must have been on auto pilot because I accidentally drive him to School A instead of School B. Luckily, I had enough time to turn around and head in the opposite direction. Anyway, add in a few errands into the mix and I have to drive right back to School A & B for the 1/2 dayers and literally don’t get back from “taking them to school” until 1:30, unless it’s a speech therapy day, then add an extra hour. By 3pm I’m finally putting the breakfast dishes in the dishwasher. Thankfully next week Brian and my father-in-law will be doing a couple of the shifts so that should ease things up.

– 3 –

My other misconception was that mothering would be easier with only Matthew in the house. Egads, I am more exhausted just watching Matthew than I am caring for all four. He is at that “Cyclone Stage” where he runs around the house leaving a path of destruction everywhere. At least with the kids at home he is occupied playing with them and there is always another set of eyes to lets me know when he is causing trouble. We are both getting adjusted. In the meantime, this is what happens when I try to get some housework done.

{funny}

Put in a load of laundry – find him on the table throwing puzzle pieces.

Put my breakfast dishes in the dishwasher – find that he gave himself a yogurt facial and shampoo.

Try to make dinner – it’s his invitation to dump out the kitchen cabinets, again.

The first few times, this is cute and photoworthy but as I pick up the dumped cookware he runs and dumps out a book shelf. As I am putting the books back on the shelf, he opens the dishwasher and climbs inside. I get him out and wipe his dirty feet prints off the washer and he runs over and dumps over the trash can. I pick up the trash and find in the rubbish the remote control, my serving spoon and his lost shoe. He’s too young for a time out chair and I’m not into spanking but even a little swat on the bottom does nothing. I tried throwing him in his crib and fencing him in but he climbed out and knocked down the barricades. I don’t remember any of the kids being this persistent in giving me a heart attack. I don’t understand how someone so small and cute can be so strong and relentless. So we’ll see how we manage together as the weeks progress.

– 4 –

Okay, since I am getting my complaints off my chest, let me just add one more thing. Normally, the boys get along fairly well but every once in awhile Matthew likes to tease John-Paul by taking one of his toys and running away with it. John-Paul, unable to fully verbalize his displeasure, will resort to screeching at the top of his lungs and grab his toy back. Matthew in turn will yell and screech at the top of his lungs. They were so loud I got flashbacks of those nature shows where the monkeys, chimpanzees, or gorillas go crazy. The boys sounded just like this…

I ran into the room and broke it up and I swear I am still shocked that the neighbors did not call child protective services or the animal control center.

– 5 –

{real}

Somehow all this craziness has made me want to enjoy some of the quieter moments of mothering and homemaking. On the weekends or during a moment of uninterrupted, blessed naptime, I have been feeling domestic and cooking and baking more. I think it is partly because of the weather. Normally we have warmer weather in September but there are still those days when the fog starts to creep in…

It looks like this.

Until it completely covers the mountains behind us.

That is when I am most likely to go baking crazy.

Here we used up all the over ripe bananas with Banana Blueberry Muffins, Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins and Oatmeal Banana Chocolate Chip Cookies. In fact someone was asking me for the recipe for the cookies (I tried making them a little lower in fat) so I’ll post it next week.

– 6 –

I also dusted off my bread machine and have been making fresh bread for the family. Last night we had Italian wheat bread. The smell of bread baking is lovely!

It went fast.

– 7 –

{pretty}

Well, with all the mommy craziness, I certainly need more of God’s grace to get through it. I took this photo at the Mission’s garden and it reminds me of a mama and her baby.

It also reminds me of St Therese of the Little Flower. I have to remember that my life with Matthew (and all the kids) is my specific road to sanctity. God knows exactly how selfish, self-centered and impatient I am. He gave me just the little guy I need to help me chip away at those faults and give me opportunities to practice patience, charity and selfless giving. (It also helps to repeat my motto, “And this too shall pass.”)
With that, I must get off the computer and practice some virtue in the form of a stinky diaper that needs to be changed, breakfast dishes that need to be washed and countless piles of laundry to be tackled. 😉
Have a great weekend!

7 Quick Takes: Mommy Burnout, The Fair, Beach Boys & Identity Theft

By bobbi
August 31, 2012
1 Comment

Hosted by Jen at Conversion Diary.

– 1 –

Motherhood Can Kick Your Butt – During those early weeks of August when I took a blogging break I had on my list of Quick Takes Ideas this topic: “Motherhood is !@#$% hard.” At the time I was going through a mommy funk. I mean, I loved my kids and all but I was fed up with all the bone-aching tiredness and emotionally draining moments that have me praying for bed time. In fact, on my birthday when I was blowing out the candles and everyone said, “Make a wish!” do you know what my wish was? “Lord, I just want to be happy again.” I can laugh at it now since I am out of that slump but I honestly meant it.
Do you know what helped me out of it? During that time there were at least three of my regular mommy bloggers that I follow (and look up to) that shared that they were going through a mommy funk and/or shared about how hard being a mom can sometimes be, whether it was dealing with a major cross or just dealing with yet another explosive diaper. The mere acknowledgement that I am not alone in this fight was enough to help me refocus, regroup, and recharge. God’s grace kicked in and it helped my birthday wish come true. So if you are having a rough day, hang in there. You are not alone.

– 2 –

Fair Days – This is our last week of summer vacation for us and we have been trying to take advantage of it. Yesterday we all played hooky, Brian included, and spent the day at the county fair. We had so much fun and it was an extra treat since this is the first time Brian has ever attended with us. We usually go on the “kids are free” day while Brian is working but he was able to get the day off at the last minute so he could join us. We went on rides, played games, and ignored the calories and fat content in the homemade corndogs, ice cream cones and the smoky goodness of Big Bubba’s BBQ feast. (Although I still don’t get the appeal of deep fried candy bars and cookies. But then again, I also don’t quite get what grits and hush puppies are. Maybe I need to expand my Cali native horizons. 😉

– 3 –

A Surfing Summer (without the surfboards) – As I mentioned before, this has been a Mat Kearney summer but there is another band the kids (well, the boys really) have recently been into – The Beach Boys. It all started when they saw the trailer for Despicable Me 2. We loved the first movie and have watched it a number of times. It is really cute, despite the few instances of “potty humor.” Anyway, they saw the trailer that has the minions singing the Banana song to the tune of the “Barbara Ann.”

I told the kids that the tune was actually from a song by the Beach Boys and that they are one my dad’s/Grandpa’s favorite bands. Furthermore, when I was little he used to sing along to “Barbara Ann” but he change the words to “Bobbi Ann” (I used my full name back then.) Of course they wanted to hear the real song and from there, they were hooked. So we’ve had quite a few surfing tunes playing over the last few weeks. Here’s a little Surfing USA fun to end your summer.

(Hey, didn’t the guys on here get the memo – you are supposed to be wearing your baggies not skimpies!)
Actually, any Beach Boys song reminds me of my dad. And when I am missing my parents I’ll listen to Motown. (If I’m missing my mom specifically I’ll watch I Love Lucy.) But the music just takes me back to fun times when they were cooking in the kitchen and dancing around and having fun embarrassing us. (I secretly loved it.) Their playful spirit and ability to laugh is something I treasure. To prove my point, yesterday my parents celebrated their 44th wedding anniversary and what did they do? They went to Disneyland! I love it. Next to the grace and mercy of God, I think it is their laughter that has held them together this long.

– 4 –

Plugged In – The other day I was at the computer store getting Brian’s little netbook fixed and I saw the book Good Night iPad, which is a parody of the classic book Good Night Moon. Being a digital family, I thought it was hilarious. If you use an electronic reader instead of paperbacks, are attached to your ipod, find joy in facebook, twitter and instagram, have kids that can whip your butt at Angry Birds and have toddlers that are proficient in the use of iPhones and iPads, then you will enjoy reading this book! Check it out.

– 5 –

You’ve Got to be Kidding Me – Which reminds me, did I ever tell you about my credit card being stolen? A couple weeks back we were trying to use our card but it kept getting declined. I called the credit card company and they put a hold on our card so they could verify a few purchases. They wanted to know if I happened to spend $2,000 at Chanel? Or (brace yourselves) $8,000 at Neiman Marcus? WTH? All you kidding me? No, that was not me! I asked the credit card guy how the purchases were made and he said it was a store purchase with a physical card. I told him that we had our cards in our wallets and never lost them so how did they get it? He said there are lots of ways to get our info and make “new” cards with my number. Anyway, the guy was really nice and removed the charges from our account and told us not to worry, that they’d take care of everything and they did. Brian said the thief should have spent that much money at Target and then no red flags would have been raised. Touché.

– 6 –

I Need an Identity Theft Superhero – Meanwhile, when I was at the computer store (it was around the same time) I was talking to the computer guy about my card info being stolen. He said one of the popular ways to steal credit card info is by using RFID identity theft. This allows the thief to not even touch your card. You simply need to be within his vicinity while he is scanning your info through radio frequencies. I look it up online and there are tons of articles about this form of theft. I don’t know if that is what happened to me but it freaks me out a bit. I love technology and how it helps our lives but there is always a dark side too.
Funny thing is that a day or two after all this happened, I saw an ad in a magazine for RFID blockers that you can put in your wallet. They also sell RFID blocking wallets and purses to protect your identity. I would have shrugged all this off as paranoid but now I am not so sure!

– 7 –

Mamarazzi Moments – Okay, but enough with the drama. I’ll end this Quick Takes with a few photos from yesterday.

I love my boys even though none of them inherited my love of roller coasters. They all wanted seats on the carousel that did not move up and down. Oh well.