Week in Review

I know it's only Thursday, so I technically shouldn't be doing a week in review. Buuuuuuut: I am tired. SO I plan on doing absolutely nothing for the rest of the week and will, therefore, have nothing extra to post. ;)

I read another parenting book! This particular one was given to me by our parish priest, so I HAD to! When Father Jim gave me this book on Holy Thursday, he told me he picked it up especially for me while he was on a retreat. I was so touched. Then I got home and saw the front of the book. There is a picture of a pot, boiling over on the stove, with the title SMART MARTHA: A Catholic Guide For Busy Moms. Should I have been offended? Did Father Jim think I couln't get my act together? Then I started reading. And I realized that I really couldn't get my act together. I began implementing the techniques from the book the very day I finished it...decluttering, simplifying and altogether driving my husband insane. "You are giving WHAT away?!?!?! But that's mine!" Receiving a Smart Martha Book, spring cleaning and nesting should never coincide. Matt got lucky.

Anyway. Guide for Busy Moms. Right. Take them camping, Smart Martha says. Take those beautiful children camping! Out to appreciate nature! So I punch Matt, as he's sleeping in the bed next to me. "Matt! Did I wake you? We need to go buy a tent!" Matt, always the party pooper realist, says, "Anne, I have said that for years. And now you read it in a parenting book and you have to do it?!?!"

"Yes", I say. And I mean it.

So he does. That husband of mine. He buys us a tent.

Appreciating nature in the playroom.

Note to self: bring books on first camping trip.

This week we also had a very special visitor! Erika came over to hang out for the afternoon! She brought giant coloring/sticker books for the children. They were a huge hit! The kids (and adults) sat and colored for a while. Then Erika played five million games of My Little Pony Memory Cards (without cheating). She did a dinosaur puzzle with Buzz and concurrently played ponies with Sarah. She broke up 2 fights, fixed 47 train wrecks, wiped tears off faces, problem solved, made three different train layouts to prevent more fights, dealt with 4 meltdowns and kept ME company! And she brought me a bag of ground coffee...which I am carrying around on my person, hoping the caffeine travels through me by diffusion. Rainforest Crunch is also a welcome substitution for my regular perfume: eau de toothpaste/baby powder/laundry detergent/vanilla yogurt.

Sarah, so pleased that she has an Erika to play with!

Tiny Tom, able to fit in the tent box.

Joseph, trying to do the monkey face that Erika taught the kids.

Thomas, trying to do the monkey face. He looks more like Kriss Kross.

Thanks, Erika, for such a great afternoon!

"Hi Honey!"

Poor, poor Matt. I seriously don't know why, but I think he gets nervous when he receives text messages from me while he is at work. I think he feels the vibrations of his phone and pre-dials 9-1-...before even checking what I wrote!

I just had to document the text conversation from today...

Me: Hi Honey! Just wanted to let you know that Thomas, your third born, was sitting innocently in his closet when the fish tank jumped off his dresser and attacked him, punching him in the head causing a lump the size of a golf ball. And then the tank climbed back up onto the dresser, without spilling a drop of water.

Me: Joseph says that Tommy piled up the sleeping bags and pillows and catapulted himself at the fish tank from the closet, but Boo maintains his story.

Me: Hope your day is as exciting as ours!

Matt: Is he ok?

Me:

Ummmm...maybe. Here is a picture of him from this exact moment. I can't remember, but I think this is how he normally looks.

Matt: I'm sorry. Is the fish tank ok?

Me: The fish are displaying behaviors similar to nervous ticks, but I get that way too when Tommy hurls his body at me.

Me: soooooo, I think we're gonna be ok here.

Matt: When you sent only your first note I was picturing Thomas standing on the dresser with 30 gallons of water on the floor. That didn't happen, right?

Me: No, the tank is ship shape. But it would serve the fish right, clogging up the filters so frequently.

Matt: I'm really sorry about Tom Boo's head. Apparently he is not safe with sleeping bags.

Me: Babe, he's not safe with a toothbrush either. Don't feel bad.

Paradise 2012- Day Three

A ride on the carousel after eating breakfast in the dining car

The Crazies in front of the GG1

You too can operate a Steam Engine!

Nathan, chilling out in the tender amongst the coal

Yup, that is coal flying through the air

Relaxing back at the caboose

Paradise 2012- Day Two

We started off Sunday by going to Mass at Historic Saint Mary's of the Assumption in downtown Lancaster. Perfectly beautiful church. Perfectly sweet children's choir, dressed in robes even. Perfectly apparent that my children were perfect heathens that had never attended Mass in their lives. So glad there are no photos.

Church wasn't painful enough. We decided that we would reward the children by taking them on a train ride on the 475!

The reality of a family vacation

We bounce back quickly though

Thomas, always with that painful smile

Discovered how all pictures of Joseph need to be taken: In a moving train. No flash.

Proof that I did go on vacation with my husband and children

There is a picnic grove that passengers can enjoy, about halfway through the train ride. We got off with a cooler and had a great time while we waited for the next train to come through and take us back.

View from the picnic grove

 After our train ride, we checked into our caboose for the night. Thrilling!

Playing on the playground at the Red Caboose Motel.

Sugar and Spice

And Everything Nice

That's what little GIRLS are made of.

So, I believe the exact words of the ultrasound technician were: "It looks like you are evening out your team! Your daughter will be thrilled... It's a GIRL!"

These words struck me for a few different reasons.

 First, I was 100% sure that this baby was a boy. I will quote my saintly mother, who had seven boys and three girls, for this one:

"We only know how to make boys."

Second, Our "Team"?!? Yeah, I guess we are starting to look like that...

And last, my dad would say with each birth of his sons that he was so happy because things were "ALMOST evened out"...even when the boys TRIPLED our numbers. So, I guess when people say that things are getting evened out I simply don't believe them.

Sarah was thrilled. She was ecstatic. She was speechless. And those of us that know our sweet princess also know that speechless comes around, ummmmmm.....never.

Matt just stood there in the ultrasound room, beaming. It was dark, but I could see the same face I saw over 6 years ago. He was going to hold another princess in his arms. God had given us another healthy baby. So grateful, my Matt. Always so grateful.

Paradise 2012- Day One

We drove to Amish Country for our vacation again this year. It was beautiful and simple. It was exactly what we needed.

We started out early Saturday morning. Nathan was really happy; don't believe that face.

First stop was Kitchen Kettle Village. We had homemade ice cream and walked around the town for a while. It was so peaceful.

We check into our hotel and the children "helped" us unpack.

After dinner, we took the short drive to check out the Strasburg Railroad. We were surprised that there was a train running so late into the evening. The children were THRILLED!

 This boy was especially happy.

Number 475

We went back to the hotel and took a swim before bed. I would have taken pictures of the children in the pool, but I am lucky to have gotten through the whole event unscathed. Thomas and Nathan have no fear. Just imagine the troublesome two, jumping off the sides of the pool with nary a care if someone was there to catch them. I found three new white hairs on my head that night. Matt challenges this with, "Well, would you rather have white hair or lose hair?" Well put.

Busy day. Tired children.