Baby Cereal

He just can't get enough....

Plaid Shawl

I've been walking around in it, so you may have seen that I have it finished. I told you when I started, so you can see how it turned out. I'm pretty happy with the results, considering I just learned to knit last winter. Dave may think I look silly, but someone else's opinion rarely keeps me from wearing what I want. I LIKE IT!

I made a Scottish tam to match...but it REALLY DID look ridiculous. Dave's just relieved that I agreed with him about that. Ds#4 looks cute in the tam, though.

Blogger slowdown

It's not just a blogger slowdown -- (I'm a blogger and I've slowed way down in how often I post), it's a whole life slowdown. Last week the baby had a relapse of his Influenza -- I've heard that if you have the least cold symptom left, you can get hit again with fever and sever cold symptoms. Well, he did. So, for the last 2 weeks he's been congested, struggling to swallow at times, etc. (Which means I'm getting less sleep and also contributes to not spending time on the computer). This week he's been particularly fussy. As of Easter morning I've added milk drinking back into my diet (and been LOVING it!). I guess I'll cut it out and see if that helps him calm down any. It's so hard to tell whether it's his teeth, or boredom as he becomes more aware of his surroundings, or my diet.... I honestly thought with my 5th baby I'd be better at this. I'm just less stressed about my own inadequacies, but it hasn't made them better.

Happy Easter!!

Just as we entered into Lent for weeks and weeks, so we celebrate Easter! I LOVE that the party is just beginning on Easter morning and we celebrate the resurection for day after day - 5 weeks!! It's such a joy to live with the Risen Christ!

Here's a bit of our Easter day last Sunday.

This is my mom's husband with the baby. Since he doesn't have any children of his own, my kids are as close as it comes to grandkids.

Just two bald guys hanging out together at Easter!

Then there's the Easter egg hunt at Dave's mom's house. All the grandkids (a few of my kids are in the picture) gather in the "grandchildren's room" to wait for the word 'GO!'

And grandma reads the rules of the hunt (she seperated the kids into rooms of the house this year since it was so wet outsite). She also wanted to remind everyone to "have fun".

Sacred Triduum

Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Holy Saturday

I am unprepared.
I am unprepared to have Christ wash my dirty feet and feed me with Himself.
I am unprepared to have my children see my inadequacies in bringing them to Him.
I am unprepared to watch Him suffer for me.
I am unprepared to have my children's eyes see the violence done to their beloved.
I am unprepared to be without Him while I grieve when He is dead in the tomb.
I am unprepared to face the children's questions, I have so few answers.

Unprepared as I am, He is asking me to go walk with Him.
Inadequate as I am, it is time to follow Him -- even to Golgotha.
Greived as I am for myself, my children and the world, He is our only answer.

As we enter into the Sacred Triduum
as we enter into the pain of His Passion
unlike the disciples, I know the end of the story.

The cross is meaningless pain without Resurection.
Resurection is a fairy story without the violence of the cross.
This Sacred Triduum we've been given brings together everything I need,
to make me who I am to become...
I am His.

Holy Thursday, Good Friday, Holy Saturday

I think we'll ditch formal school for the rest of this Holy Week.
Holy Thursday
This morning we'll clean the house so we can move on to more important things.
I've been having the kids make clothes pin apostles and we'll finish those (God willing). (another pic)
After lunch I'll have the kids make an Easter Triptych. I think we'll try folding and sealing them with glue.
We'll also work on making our own Stations of the Cross. All my efforts at crafts this Lent have been in vain. Babies really get in the way of spending time on such things. We'll see how much we can do today.
I may go to Holy Thursday Mass, either by myself or with kids who want to go. Dave will stay home with the baby and non-participating kids.

Good Friday
Dave is home that day. In the morning we'll finish up the Stations of the Cross (or start them as the case may be). I like the idea of blowing out candles with each station so the room is dark by the time you get to Jesus' death. I think the boys in particular will like doing it that way.
Dave will take various children to Good Friday service. I'll stay home with the baby and maybe some kids. I'm hoping to pray this Stations of the Cross sometime this Triduum. It sounds silly, even to my own ears, that I have doubts about even getting such a fundamental prayer accomplished, but recent history has let me know that my plans barely factor in to how our hours will be spent. I love the idea of silence during the hours of 12-3 on Good Friday, but I can't even get the kids to keep things down to a low roar while the baby is obviously asleep -- I'm not sure how I'd get silence, or even whispers accomplished.

I may have the boys use the apostle dolls we finished above to act out the crucifixion.

Holy Saturday
If we have time and Dave doesn't have another agenda, I'd like to make a paper mache tomb from a tissue box. Then we'll prepare our clothes and ourselves for the coming CELEBRATION!

Homemade crafting materials

This was just too much cool crafty stuff to pass on.
This site has homemade...almost everything for crafts - glue, paper, puffy paint, wax seals...