14): Being Mary Poppins & The Importance of Online Friends

By bobbi
May 7, 2014
5 Comments

Moments of Gratitude…

Today I am especially thankful for

Family.
Friends who pray for us and love us, especially those who have never met us in person.
The heat wave leaving and the fog rolling in.
The smell (and taste) of fresh baked granola.
A day of no errand running (other than dropping off and picking up kids) so I can finally finish this post, do some baking and catch up on house work.

Beauty in the Ordinary…

I love ordinary Sundays that turn into an impromptu lunch date with the hubby because Opa was willing to watch all the kids at the last minute.

In the Kitchen…

M – (Cinco de Mayo) Chicken tacos, homemade pinto beans, green beans and guac/salsa.

T – Spaghetti and salad.

W – Turkey meatloaf, brown rice and roasted asparagus.

Th – Homemade wheat pizza and Greek salad.

F – Tuna Melts & tomato soup.

S – Leftovers.

S – (Mother’s Day’s/The in-laws are coming over for dinner) Enchilada lasagna, black beans, broccoli and salad.

Side Note – When we went out to lunch I was craving a chicken Caesar salad. Do any of you have a recipe for a healthy version that you like?

Praying…

For Brian’s chemo and continued recovery from cancer.
For all those who are fighting cancer and other illnesses.
For all moms.
For those who suffer with longing to be a mom.
For moms who have lost a child.
For moms dealing with an unwanted pregnancy.
For moms who feel burned out, stressed or alone.
For those who have lost their mom.

On the homefront……

On Monday Brian started his third round of chemo. Once he is done with this round he is half way done with chemo treatment. Brian talked to the doctor about some of the “red flags” that were showing up in his side effects. The doc said Brian’s dosage needed to be altered so we’ll see how it affects him.

Pondering…

source

It’s funny but this weekend I was thinking that I have to make sure that I am prepared to care for the house and kids solo since the first week of the chemo cycle is hardest on Brian. I also knew that I had to try my best not to get stressed out in front of Brian because I know it bothers him that he needs to sleep while I do the work. If I am yelling at the kids and huffing about this and that, it will only make him feel worse. I knew I had to smile, be cheerful and give him lots of reassuring kisses that the kids and I are okay and we’ll pull together to keep things running smoothly.

Well, God must have wanted to put an exclamation point on that thought because my mom calls me up and tells me that she needs me to do something. She said she needs me to be Mary Poppins this week. HUH?? She said she was about to make lunch when she had a strong urge to call me and tell me that Brian needs me, really needs me. I have to be the heart and strength of the family right now and channel my feistiness into fighting this cancer by being Mary Poppins – not losing my temper, keeping the kids and house in order and letting Brian know that he can relax and focus on getting better, not worrying about us. It’s exactly what God has been putting on my heart.

Monday and Tuesday the grace was flowing and I was Poppin it all over the place. But this morning was one of those morning when everything was going wrong and I felt more like Ursula than Mary Poppins. After getting Bella and Andrew to school I had a 10 minute window before I had to get the little boys ready for school. I stopped to pray and pleaded with God to take the anger and calm me down. I asked for the calmness of Mother Mary. It helped, a lot. I was able to kiss Brian goodbye and get the boys off without losing it. Sometimes a bit of prayer is the spoonful of sugar you need. 😉

Around the house…

I’m going through all the kids’ old clothes and seeing what is worth handing down and what should just be given away.

Reading…

Although my sister is sending me a hard copy, I couldn’t wait to start reading so I also downloaded the kindle version of Jen’s new book Something Other Than God: How I Passionately Sought Happiness and Accidentally Found It.

I also just started reading…

The Little Oratory: A Beginner’s Guide to Praying in the Home

The Fault in Our Stars

Listening to…

Matthew singing the Frozen song, “In Summer.” (With great emphasis on the word Summerrrrrrrrrr.)

Watching…

We are catching up on DVR’ed shows – Mr. Selfridge Season 2 (They kept their pants on this season.), Blechley Cirlce Season 2 (Not sure if I liked it as much as season 1.) , Revenge (Conrad got it this time!) The Blacklist (I’m on the edge of my seat!), Fr. Brown, Grimm (I’m loving Truble.) and Hallmark’s Signed, Sealed and Delivered.

On the blog…

Running late since this post should have been posted Monday. 😉

In the blogosphere…

This morning I read a heartfelt post from Haley titled Dear Moms, Don’t Hate Yourself for Liking Social Media. Here is a snippet:

…I don’t think the importance of face-to-face friendship makes online community worthless. It’s easy to dismiss social media friendship because the dangers of obsessing over virtual life are so obvious. But, I think online community can be incredibly valuable.

Because what’s a mama to do during those times when pursuing face-to-face community is nearly impossible? Your kids have been sick for two weeks so you’re stuck at home. You live in a rural area and can’t make it into town daily. You’re on the couch with morning sickness. Your days are filled with medical appointments for a child who needs extra care due to health issues. You’re recovering from a miscarriage. You’re having difficulty finding friends who understand your lifestyle or faith? What do you do then when you need community more than ever but can’t just hop over to a girlfriend’s house for a heart-to-heart?

I think that’s when online community really can be wonderful. Both to connect us to our established relationships with real life friends and to connect us to like-minded women all over the world who are willing to share life together despite never meeting in person.

Bonnie echoed the same sentiment when she said…

One day Cari Donaldson made the comment that it didn’t matter if she only knew you through the internet. If she talked to you every day and thought of you as a friend you were a friend. An in real life friend.

Her declaration allowed me to let out a sigh of relief because suddenly I didn’t feel like a weirdo – the only one who felt that way about her online friends. These women who I chat with and pray for every day, who happen to live in other states and time zones and countries, whom I had never actually met in real life: THEY WERE MY FRIENDS!

I love Haley and Bonnie’s posts because I can completely relate. I have local Catholic mom friends but we are all so busy we don’t get to see each other face to face as often as we’d like. Plus, they aren’t social media happy/crazy the way I am so we don’t have that daily contact. My online friends understand the bond you can have with a person without meeting them. (Heck, I fell in love with my husband before seeing him in person!) So it is nice to know that they, and so many others, share that bond and understand how important it is in on our lives. 🙂 So to you, that long distance, unmet friend reading this, a big xoxo to you! 😉

This topic is being covered today by four other bloggers. I just read Kendra’s and it is hilarious. Next I have to go check out Molly, Mandi, and Christy.

Pinned…

Not much time for Pinterest but I did pin this one.

source

gluten free and low carb strawberry mug cakes

Plans for the Week…

I am hoping for a quiet week, although on Thursday there is a mother’s day party at John-Paul’s preschool and on Sunday we’ll have Brian’s parents over for dinner. 🙂

Captured…

When Matthew was young he used to like to sit in the hamper while I did the laundry.

He still does. (He just graduated to a larger hamper.) 🙂

Linking-Up with…

Jenny at The Littlest Way

A Mama Collective’s Currently

PS – You can follow RoL on Bloglovin, Feedly or another news feed. If you are a social media fan like me, we can stay in touch through Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, GoodReads, Letterboxd or Instagram. 😉

PPS – This post may contain affiliate links.

7 Quick Takes (5/3/14) & {p,h,f,r} vol. 87 & “Answer Me This” Mash-up: Road Trips, Disneyland & Star Wars

By bobbi
May 3, 2014
3 Comments

~ 0 ~

Hey, guys. I hope everyone is well. I took a long blogging break while we were out of town but I’m itching to get back online. I’ve spent the last couple of days catching up on FB and blogs, even though I still have 300+ unread posts in my reader. I was just going to delete everything in my Bloglovin feed and start over but then I wouldn’t have found out things like Micaela is pregnant (congrats!), my sis redesigned her blog and has a great post on motherhood (BTW, sis, am I exempt from the contest since we are related??) and Jen’s new book is out and there are TONS of cool contests to go with it. Like this one…

How easy it that? My sis is sending me an extra copy she had so I am paying it forward and purchasing the book for a friend, as well as a kindle version for myself when I’m on the go. Still not convinced to buy your own? Check out this promo video. You’ll see many of our fave authors and bloggers. My personal favorite excerpts are from Dwija (she also gets my vote for best selfie with the book), second is Bonnie and her Frozen rendition (she also has a great vlog review) and third is Hallie, just cuz I love her smile. 🙂

Anyway, to make up for lost time I am going to milk this post and link up with three awesome blogs – Jen for 7 Quick Takes, Like Mother Like Daughter for {pretty, happy, funny, real} (Refer to QT #2-5) and Kendra for Answer Me This (Refer to QT #7). Here we go…

~ 1 ~

As you may remember, in my last Online Daybook I shared about my frustration with Brian’s cancer and how hard it was to watch him deal with his chemo treatments. He was off chemo this week and I can’t tell you how happy it made me to see him back to his old self. I am relishing these days before he starts his next round of chemo on Monday. I just have to learn to cope and adjust accordingly.

I was thinking about a comment made by Angela, who is also fighting and going through cancer. She said:

Bobbi! You know you and Brian have my prayers! Chemo is rough. Cancer stinks. It exhausts the living daylights out of the recipient AND their families. However..it doesn’t last forever. We can do ANYTHING for a period in our lives, because God equips us daily for the task at hand, and all we have to do is be thankful for the gift of the day…

I love that last line because we can apply it to anything in any season of our life – whether we are sleep deprived moms with little ones or seasoned moms worrying about older kids or single women dealing with other issues.

We can do ANYTHING for a period in our lives, because God equips us daily for the task at hand, and all we have to do is be thankful for the gift of the day.

So we were thankful for the week of no chemo treatments and took advantage by planning a trip to So Cal to visit with my family.

~ 2, 3, 4 & 5 ~

{pretty, happy, funny, real}

We slept in and didn’t leave the house until 5:45 AM but we are excited and ready to go.

On Highway 101.

Okay, 5:45 AM may not seem like sleeping in but ideally, we get up at 3 AM and are on the road by 4 AM so we can knock out the first half of the trip while the kids are sleeping. Sleeping in was great but when the kids were up and asking, “Are we there yet?” at 6 AM you start to wish you got up at 3. At least the drive was pretty. I LOVE when I see the green hills on one side of the road and the gorgeous Pacific Ocean on the other side of the road. It makes up for other Cali craziness. 😉

I really needed this trip! I needed to get a hug from my mom and my dad. I needed to laugh with my siblings. I needed to see my husband smile again and just relax. We had a going away/early bday party for my brother-in-law Mick who will soon be deployed to Afghanistan. The next day we all headed further south to spend the day with my brother Rob, my sis-in-law Maria and their two sweet little boys Max and Philip.

Laughing with my brother Rob. Poor Andrew is thinking, “Never mind the chatting, mom. Please feed me.” (Photo courtesy of my sis-in-law Maria. Hope you didn’t mind me posting it, Maria! ;-))

My boys had so much fun playing basketball in their backyard. They had never played before and Brian was trying to teach them how to shoot a basket.

Andrew really started to let lose and got the hang of the game. I think he may have found a new favorite sport.

Matthew was ready to use his super powers to make a basket.

Bella enjoyed her time with my sister Jacinta. We laugh because Bella looks just like Jacinta as a girl. She’s her mini-me. (And to this day I will still sometimes call Bella by the name Jacinta.)

Later that night we headed to Disneyland for a couple of days. Little did we know that Cali was going to have a heat wave.

We took this photo at 5 PM when it was still 93 degrees out. (93!)

But we still managed to have fun…

…and keep a smile on our faces.

Well, except for John-Paul. Matthew loves walking but JP does not like heat, noise or too many people. So Disneyland had him in conflicted emotions. But the HIGHLIGHT of Disneyland was their favorite show – The Jedi Training.

At the previous shows we’ve seen, Darth Vader and the Storm Troopers were the only villains to be fought but this time they included Darth Maul as well. I’ve got to admit I was geeking out with the whole thing. 😉

All in all, the trip was a lot of fun. Of course, we had the usual moments when the kids were cranky or running wild in the hotel room and I got frustrated and told Brian that we will never again take a trip like this! But like labor, you soon forget all the pain and only remember all the joy and before you know it, you are planning to do it all over again. 😉

Seriously, this last photo shows that it all worth it…having fun together and the kids spending special time with Brian was awesome.

~ 6 ~

May the 4th

Source

Speaking of Star Wars, don’t forget that tomorrow/today is May the 4th, Star Wars Day! (As in May the 4th be with you… I had to explain it to Brian. He didn’t get it. LOL.)

You’ll find lots of Star Wars themed items out there but I found this one to be particularly interesting. It is a Jedi Work Out. If you can’t get to the Downsize Fitness in Dallas to participate, no worries. There is also a home version you can do. So grab your light saber and get to working out with Light Saber Leaps and Help Me Obiwan Kenobi Squats. Love it. 🙂

~ 7 ~

For my last take, I’ll do a quick Answer Me This.

1. Are you becoming your mother?

Haha! Yeah, there are a lot of little things that I act like my mom. When we were at my parent’s house last weekend my mom was explaining something to my dad (in minute detail) and Brian started laughing saying, “That sounds just like you.” When I act silly or funny with the kids they laugh and giggle and it reminds me of my mom’s playful sense of humor. I’ll find that I have many of the same little house rules like you are NEVER to leave a toilet paper roll empty or if you open the last (fill-in-the-blank) from the pantry, you MUST write it down on the shopping list. I remember as a kid how I used to cringe when I went shopping with my mom because there would always be a situation when she’d complain (granted, politely) because something didn’t ring up on sale or she was overcharged or some such thing. I thought I’d die of embarrassment. Now that I am a mom, I’ve inherited the “i-don’t-care-what-people-think” gene and have no problem correcting a shopping injustice, to the embarrassment of my own daughter. heehee

There are also moments when a negative aspect of my mom’s child rearing come out in me but thankfully, I usually detect it in time to stop myself or else apologize for it after the fact. That is one thing I treasure from my mom. She came from a difficult childhood and had a lot of issues to deal with as she parented her own children. She may have made mistakes but by the grace of God she broke the cycle of dysfunction and brought faith and a strong love of God into our family. She is the strongest person I know and my parents are proof that whatever problems you had in the past, they do not have to control your future. God can make you (and your family) new.

2. Coffee or tea?

I’m embarrassed to say, neither. I hate the taste of both. My coffee cup holds cold water.

3. What foreign country would you like to visit?

I’d love to go back to Rome (Brian and I went for our first anniversary in Jan 2000). I’d also love to visit where my in-laws grew up – Austria (my mom-in-law) and Slovania (my dad-in-law).

4. Do you cry easily?

Yes. I’m a sap…unless I’m mad. Then I refuse to cry.

5. How often do you wear heels?

Um, never. I do not believe in torture.

6. Do you play an instrument?

I play a mean Playskool xylophone, baby.

Have a great Sunday!! 🙂

Pinterest Party & Link-up (Vol 23): Whole Wheat Baked Chocolate Donuts

By bobbi
April 22, 2014
8 Comments

Welcome to the RoL Pinterest Party. Join me every 2nd and 4th Tuesday as we link up and share how we made, cooked, baked, crafted, planned, organized, followed or created one of the pins on our Pinterest boards OR share something original that others can pin onto their boards.

* * * * *

This post was definitely a trial and error project. Now that we are trying to eat a healthier diet, one of the things Brian and the kids miss the most is their Sunday morning after Mass donut. I decided to try and make my own baked version, keeping in mind that we are staying away from white flour and refined sugar. (And stop asking, so what’s the point?) I scanned Pinterest for a recipe and found this one – Whole Wheat Baked Pumpkin Donuts.

First I got together all the ingredients, substituting lowfat buttermilk for the almond milk and using unrefined coconut sugar instead of brown sugar.

I used my new mini-donut pans.

I cooled them off and followed Nichol’s directions for icing them.

I microwaved 4 oz. chocolate chips and 1 1/2 TBS of oil in small bowl on medium-high heat for 1-2 minutes, stirring every 20 seconds. I dunked the top side of each donut into the chocolate, allowing excess to drop off. For me, the chocolate set in about 20 minutes.

They came out looking great buuuuuut…… I didn’t like the way they tasted. Maybe it was the substitutions but they tasted more like a not very sweet muffin with chocolate. I wasn’t expecting it to taste like a real donut but my version was no bueno.

I decided to give it another try with another recipe. This one was for Glazed Chocolate Donut Holes. I didn’t want to do the glaze so I adapted it and made a few changes so I could make Baked Chocolate Wheat Donuts.

Ingredients

2 cups whole wheat flour (or half wheat, half all-purpose)
1 cup unrefined coconut sugar
1/2 cup (64 grams) unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs, beaten (room temperature)
3/4 cup low fat buttermilk (room temperature*)
1/4 cup non-fat vanilla yogurt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 Tablespoons coconut oil

Once I tweaked the ingredients, I followed Sally’s directions.

Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Spray pan with nonstick spray. Set aside.

Make the donuts. Sift the flour, sugar, and cocoa powder together in a large bowl. Sifting is important; you want to remove any clumps of cocoa. Mix in the baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk the beaten eggs, buttermilk, yogurt, and vanilla together until completely smooth. Whisk in the melted coconut oil until combined. Slowly fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Careful not to overmix. Mix the two together only until no flour pockets remain. Over-handling this batter will make your donuts dense and tough.

Spoon batter into the mini donut tins, only about 3/4 of the way full. Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Do not overbake them; they burn easily. Allow the donuts to cool for 5 minutes in the pan and then transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Here is the finished product…

… and they actually tasted good. Okay so you wouldn’t think they came from Dunkin Donuts but the one topped with coconut was especially tasty! The kids loved the mini donuts. I cheated and used some contraband sprinkles that weren’t considered a real or whole food but, come on, we’re eating freaking baked wheat donuts for crying out loud. What more do you expect?! 😉

Seriously, they are good but they are best eaten within a day or so, as they do not keep well. With my kiddos, that wasn’t a problem since they were happy to polish them off.

Well, that was my creation. What have you been creating lately?

Oh, and since there is an extra Tuesday this month I’ll keep the link open for an extra week. If you are on Pinterest, let me know so I can follow you. You can find me here: http://pinterest.com/rol_bobbi/. 🙂

* * * * *

Now it’s your turn.

1. Choose your creation, share about it and snap a photo if you can.

2. In your post, link back the original blogger/idea, rather than your Pinterest pin. That way credit goes to the proper person. 🙂 (But feel free to add your Pinterest profile link so we can follow you!)

3. Add a link back here so others can play along.

4. If you want to use it, here is the html code for the logo:

5. Link up below. Make sure you’re sending us to your actual post, and not to your general blog address.

The link up will be active for 17 days. Have fun!

An InLinkz Link-up

Online Daybook (4/21/14): Easter, Family & Carrying Crosses

By bobbi
April 21, 2014
12 Comments

He is Risen! He is risen Indeed! I wish you and your loved ones a very blessed Easter season! I set aside blogging for Holy Week but I am back today with my Online Daybook.

* * * * *

Moments of Gratitude…

Today I am especially thankful for

Making it through Lent and for the first time feeling like I made a little spiritual progress.
The joy of Easter.
The giggles of the kids.
The deliciousness of chocolate.
Time with family.

Beauty in the Ordinary…

Bubbles on a spring day.

In the Kitchen…

M – Leftovers from Easter dinner.

T – Chicken Meatball and Tortellini Soup

W – Breakfast dinner – Pancakes

Th – Roasted chicken, brown rice and veggies

F – Leftovers

S – (Road trip to So Cal) Dinner at my mom and dad’s (woohoo!)

S – Dinner at my brother’s place. (Double woohoo!)

Praying…

For Brian’s chemo and continued recovery from cancer.
For all those who are fighting cancer and other illnesses.
For all the pregnant mamas as well as those who are suffering from infertility or miscarriage.
For those who entered into the Church this Easter.
For the renewed faith of cradle Catholics.
For those who are far from God and most in need of his mercy.
For some special intentions.

On the homefront……

On the 16th, Brian and I celebrated the anniversary of our first date/first meeting face to face. It feel like it was just yesterday and not 15 years ago! I still remember how nervous I was. We met online though AMSCOL and had been emailing and talking on the phone for 4 1/2 months and I was almost certain he was the man I was going to marry even though I hadn’t even laid eyes on him yet. My last reservations melted away once we were together. Everything clicked. I knew I would love him for the rest of my life.

Fast forward eight months from that first date and I was vowing before God to love Brian for better and for worse, in sickness and in health. Well, my chance to love him in sickness is here. I knew Brian wouldn’t be able to go on a real date for our anniversary so I planned a little after hours date and made a special dessert for us to share after the kids went to bed. However, Brian was feeling really tired and in a lot of pain from the chemo so he went to go take a nap after dinner. The first week after his first chemo treatment was tough for him but, in his words, this second cycle was 100x worse than the first. Brian didn’t just take a nap after dinner. He was out for the rest of the night. Like a mom with a newborn baby, a few times I checked on him to make sure he was still breathing since he has never slept that long. So I didn’t get to celebrate with him but at least he was alive and fighting for us.

I know many of you are praying for us – I can feel the grace keeping me upright. It’s hard at times. The following day Brian came home from work (he tries to put in a few hours each day in order to keep our insurance) and I could see how tired he was and that his whole body was aching. I told him to go to bed and get some rest and I had my father -in-law come over and babysit the kids so I could keep a dentist appointment that I had. I couldn’t help but chuckle at the fact that going to the dentist and getting my teeth cleaned was like having a mini spa day but I’ll take what I can get.

When I came home I made dinner. Brian ate a little then went back to bed. As I cleaned up the dishes and put in another load of laundry and got the kids ready for bed and wiped behinds I couldn’t help but feel resentful. Not of Brian, but of the cancer. It feel like it is stealing my husband and stealing our life together. I hate it. I hate seeing Brian like this. I hate feeling helpless. I hate feeling hateful. I hadn’t cried in awhile but that night I let the tears fall. It helped.

On Easter morning, there was joy in the Risen Lord but also pain that we are still carrying our cross. It was a weird sensation. But we are hanging in there. I’m hoping that this next week will ease up a bit for Brian and he can catch his breath. He is having a couple of “red flags” in his side effects so he has to talk to the doctor and check and make sure his dosage doesn’t need to be lowered. Next week Brian has an “off” week without chemo and we are praying that he feels better so he can join me and the kids for our road trip to see my family.

Pondering…

In that same train of thought, I know that the crosses we carry are meant to be our road to salvation. If we allow it, our crosses can draw us closer to God and bring us deeper into his love. So I keep thinking, what is God trying to teach me? How do I, as a wife, fight and hate this cancer yet embrace it as the cross I am to carry right now. I have a long way to go but I think it has already drawn me to a less superficial faith in God. I have to dig deep to trust in God. I have to go deeper in my prayer life. I can’t just rattle off a few prayers to check it off a list. I need to truly connect with God or I am a raving lunatic the whole day.

When I was a kid my mom used to love listening to John Michael Talbot, who now looks like Gandolf but still has a lovely voice. Since I’ve been married I have gotten in the habit of playing his music during Lent since it put me in a quiet and prayerful mood. On Good Friday I was listening to his album Come to the Quiet and his song Psalm 62 brought tears to my eyes. It is exactly what I am clinging to right now.

1 [For the choirmaster . . . Jeduthun Psalm Of David] In God alone there is rest for my soul, from him comes my safety;

2 he alone is my rock, my safety, my stronghold so that I stand unshaken.

3 How much longer will you set on a victim, all together, intent on murder, like a rampart already leaning over, a wall already damaged?

4 Trickery is their only plan, deception their only pleasure, with lies on their lips they pronounce a blessing, with a curse in their hearts.Pause

5 Rest in God alone, my soul! He is the source of my hope.

6 He alone is my rock, my safety, my stronghold, so that I stand unwavering.

7 In God is my safety and my glory, the rock of my strength. In God is my refuge;

8 trust in him, you people, at all times. Pour out your hearts to him, God is a refuge for us.

9 Ordinary people are a mere puff of wind, important people a delusion; set both on the scales together, and they are lighter than a puff of wind.

10 Put no trust in extortion, no empty hopes in robbery; however much wealth may multiply, do not set your heart on it.

11 Once God has spoken, twice have I heard this: Strength belongs to God,

12 to you, Lord, faithful love; and you repay everyone as their deeds deserve.

Source – Catholic.org

Around the house…

The Easter celebration aftermath that has yet to be cleaned up.

Reading…

The same as last time. I’m just about done with both.

The Everyday Catholic’s Guide to the Liturgy of the Hours

Insurgent (Divergent Series)

Listening to…

We are on Easter break so I hear A LOT of boy chatter, laughter, yelling and fighting. There is a constant chorus of “No fighting boys” and “Hands to yourself” coming out of my mouth all day long.

Watching…

I miss The Walking Dead. Luckily, I forgot I had a rain check from Target sitting in my purse so I redeemed it and picked up the first season on blu ray for only $10. Score. Since we are on Easter break and Brian is in bed early I can stay up and catch up on some shows siting in my DVR forever including The Originals, Mindy Project, Trophy Wife and Revenge. (Revenge was losing me this season but if Emily gets back to her red sharpie I may not cut her off. ) 😉

On the blog…

Tomorrow is our Pinterest Party and I’m still not sure what to post about… whole wheat baked chocolate donuts I baked or a new daily planner page I made and will share.

In the blogosphere…

Yesterday I meant to link up with Kendra (who is my current fave) for Answer Me This but I never got around to it (Easter and all, you know…) so I’ll answer her questions here instead.

1. What did you and your family wear to Mass on Easter Sunday?

I forgot to take full shots of Brian and myself so a head shot will have to do… picture this with a black skirt (Old Navy) and mary jane heels that were promptly kicked off the moment I got out of Mass. They are super cute but I loathe wearing anything but flats or converse. 😉 I was actually going to wear a pink sweater but Brian requested this same bluish one (Macys) because it is his favorite. Just when you think they never notice what you wear… 🙂 The pearls used to belong to Brian’s grandma. Brian’s mom gave them to me and one day they will go to Bella. (She likes dressing up as much as I do but we do our duty. LOL.)

Bella was looking pretty in lavender (dress from Target) and the boys all wanted to wear blue. (Pull overs from H&M, plaid shirts form Carters and jeans from Target.)

I don’t know if it is the stereotypical laid back California attitude but we are casual dressers, even on formal occasions. Dressing up means pairing the boys’ jeans and converse with a plaid shirt and pullover. 😉

2. Easter Bunny: thumbs up or thumbs down?

Thumbs up. Our Easter bunny comes while we are at Easter Mass. He hides plastic eggs in our house and the kids find them. If they find all their color coded eggs then they get their Easter basket. When they hunt for eggs at their Oma and Opa’s house they know they (not the Easter Bunny) hid them in their backyard.

3. Do you prefer to celebrate holidays at your own house or at someone else’s house?

I like when family comes over to my house for dinner on “ordinary” days. For the big holidays we keep the morning time for us. Opening presents or Easter baskets, having a mini breakfast feast and lounging the rest of the day. Then we head over to Brian’s family for Easter (or Christmas) dinner. I prefer it that way because the thought of cooking a big meal for everyone stresses me out. Thanksgiving, however, must be spent with my family in So Cal or I’ll cry. LOL.

4. What is your favorite kind of candy?

Oh, that’s a tough one…. it would be a tie between Resses peanut butter cups, snickers, almond joy and peanut M&M’s. Although these days I am trying to stick to dark chocolate covered almonds. when I need a chocolate fix. Both are “health foods,” you know. 😉

5. Do you like video games?

Um…no. Yesterday I downloaded Angry Birds Go the go cart game for the kids and I tried to play it. How come I know how to drive yet I can’t steer a stupid iphone video game?? After crashing four times in a row Andrew picked it up and won on his first try. I give up.

6. Do you speak another language?

I wish I could say Spanish but I only know phrases like “more cheese on my tacos, please” so I don’t think that counts. It’s tough when other Mexican people come up to me and ask me for help in Spanish and I have to tell them I don’t speak Spanish. I’m like an Oreo cookie – dark on the outside but white on the inside. 😉 I’ll have to add “learn more Spanish” on my bucket list.

Pinned…

I haven’t had time for Pinterest lately but I did pin these two.

Source

Catholic All Year: Baby Steps to Living the Liturgical Year as a Family

Source

Tuscan Kale Salad from A Mama Collective

Plans for the Week…

Source – My sis JC

If all goes well, we will be leaving this week for So Cal for a going away party for my brother -in-law Mick who is being deployed to Afghanistan, a college graduation party for my brother Rob and then heading to Disneyland for a few days. 🙂 If Brian is well, he’ll come with us and then take it easy at my parent’s house or the hotel if he’s not up to DL. If he stays home he can rest in peace and quiet without all of us noisemakers in the house. Either way, I need this trip so I can get a little familia recharge. Nothing like a hug from mom and dad and laughter from my siblings to make me feel energized again. 😉

Captured…

Since I had Psalm 62 on my mind…

Okay, it seems like it took me days to finally finish this Daybook so I’m linking it up at all my favorite spots…

Kendra’s Answer Me This

Jenny at The Littlest Way

A Mama Collective’s Currently

Have a great day/evening. 🙂

UPDATE: Brian just got home and he looks a lot better than he did last night. He said he had a bit more energy today and was able to work 6 hours so I’m praying he is on the upswing again. Thanks for keeping us in prayer! xoxo

Weekend Recap & Answer Me This (vol 1)

By bobbi
April 13, 2014
10 Comments

I’m making a quick post today with a weekend round-up and a link up with Kendra for Answer Me This.

1. What time do you prefer to go to Mass?
That’s a tough one, depending on what we have scheduled for Sunday, we’ll either go to the Saturday vigil at 5:00 or Sunday morning at 8:00. We never go to the later morning or afternoon masses.

2. Would you rather be too hot or too cold?
Too cold. I hate extreme heat. (Granted I think extreme heat is anything over 80.) 😉 Although if you meant cold as in snow, I’ll take the heat. Even the thought of dealing with snow scares me.

3. How many brothers and/or sisters do you have?
I have eight – three sisters and five brothers. Being the oldest I am old enough to be my little brother’s mom since there is 20 years difference in our ages. LOL. I’d post a photo of all of us but the majority of them like their privacy. I have one brother that is an instagramming king and my sis Elena blogs too but the rest aren’t as public. I’ll be seeing all of them (except for Elena, boo!) in two weeks when we meet in So Cal for a graduation party for my brother Rob and a going-away party for my bro-in-law Mick who is being deployed to Afghanistan. (You’ll be seeing some Disneyland pics soon too!) 😉

4. If you were faced with a boggart, what would it turn into?
Okay, I had to google “define boggart” because my first thought was Humphrey. Hmm..I don’t know if it is possible but my boggart would turn into either a confined space and smother me, a tunnel that collapses on me while I’m driving during an earthquake, thousands of bugs hiding in my bedroom while I sleep or a crazed psycho that will harm my children and force me to watch.

5. Barbie: thumbs up or thumbs down?
Down but not in principle but circumstance. I have a house of boys so we live in a sea of Star Wars figures, super heroes and Legos. Even when Bella was little she preferred Disney cars and Thomas the Train over Barbies. (I, on the other hand, still have fond childhood memories of the one Christmas where I got a Barbie dream house AND the Barbie corvette.)

6. If someone asked you to give them a random piece of advice, what would you say?
You’ll be happier in life if you are loving, grateful and able to laugh at yourself. 🙂

Weekend Round- Round Up

The Week’s Posts

CAY’s {My Questions for You} Link-up

Pinterest Party & Link-Up (Vol 22): Emergency Car Bins & Operation Clean and Organized

(Note: The link-up is open for another week.) 🙂

Sat – Restore Workshop: Lessons Learned (Vol 3): Self Care & Prayer and A Day in the Life

* * *

Kid Conversation of the week:

Source

Matthew: “Mama, I got a booger.”

Me: “Did you put it in a tissue?”

Matthew: “No.”

Me: “Did you wipe it on the wall again?”

Matthew: “No.”

Me: “Where did you put it?”

Matthew: “I ate it.”

Me: (Thinking) Ga-ross. I guess Kristoff was right. Guys do pick their noses and eat it. 😉

Photo of the Week

Yesterday Matthew celebrated his 3rd birthday. Happy birthday, my sweet super hero! 🙂

Question of the Week

Help a blogger out. I need to update my profile pic on the blog and social media. Which one do you think looks best? I’ll let you and my instagramming buddies decide. 😉 Thanks! xoxo.