Hanging On

This fall has been a challenging one for our family. With GM closing its facility here, Matt's never-ending job search, fixing up the house for a questionable move in the future, sick kids, homeschooling, up all nights with a newborn and the holiday season in high gear, we have been slightly stressed. Thanksgiving was a challenge for us spiritually. And now Christmas is upon us with the same call, to be grateful for what the Lord has given us.

 

Serious child with serious attitude and even more serious sleeping problems.

I do love that girl.

 

Saint Nicholas came, just as we expected, this year! Matt says we need a bigger house with more stairs. I told him we have to stop spackling and sanding the entire house because all my pictures show how I can't care for the stairs we do have.

Nathan promptly took everyone's candy and played the bully of the morning.

 Thomas stole away to the dining room table before Koala could get to him. I do not have a picture of Nathan crawling on top of the table to torment Boo, but it did happen.

We lit the candle at the first Advent Mass. It went much better than last year, as we did not nearly light the church on fire and Joseph only tried to climb up the candle holders thrice...then proceeded to cross his eyes during EVERY SINGLE FAMILY PHOTO.

This picture is proof that the boys have zero clue about how terrible the football team is that they are advertising for.

"Nathan, if you can't smile nicely, don't smile at all."

 

 

Find the real baby in the nursery.

 

 We are holding tight to the blessings. We are grasping for the grace to ask for the grace to get through. We are constantly looking for the Lord's presence in everything. We are praying for disernment and are very certain that we cannot do this alone.

Grandma Schwalm, Thank YOU! My sweet kindred spirit of a grandmother cross stitched this beautiful picture and decided to give it to us during this incredibly appropriate time. It is on display in our dining room, which is where I spend the most time during the day. I need the reminder this frequently!

 

Sarah built a daycare for Esther, complete with books and toys and a bumbo. "For when you need to do chores and laundry and you want me to babysit, Mom", says Sarah.

Paint cans, bedsheets, spackle dust, dirty house, 2 year old in a bumbo.

This is wrong, on so many different levels.

Regression, in its truest form.

They were the best of friends. They were the worst of friends.

 

I will try to keep posting. Please pray for our family as we hang on and search for God's Will!

 

Inherited

Sarah has been taking piano lessons for just over a year now.

Joseph started this fall.

 Thomas started a couple of weeks ago.

Nate?

Oh, Nate!

Nate started this week.

My grandfather was an amazing musician. He could "tickle the ivories" like nobody's business. He could sing. He even helped me and my brothers along all our different paths in music: violin, trombone, trumpet...and the Irish flute. I loved that whenever someone saw me playing an instrument they would say, "Of course! You are Bill's granddaughter!"

 

How happy I am that now my children are being blessed in the same way!

Thank you, Lord, for the gift of music and the way it brings our family together. 

 

Sweet Somethings

 

The children got out all their flash cards...Phonics, Math, Dinosaur and Insect...and played Go Fish.

Amazing.

Joseph loves Esther. She is interesting to him. Here they are playing Joseph's favorite game:

 Name Esther's body parts in French.

He covered her up with a blanket because she was "acting cold". I didn't want to tell him that it was a burp cloth, but Esther tried to!

Tom.

Bumps and scrapes and bruises and everything else that 3 year olds are made of. Nathan threw a wooden tool box at him this week.

The boy still smiles.

Genuinely confused as to why she has to be related to all of us.

Making the best out of the situation.

Another October

 

Daddy and his girls, early-morning style



Kitty Pajama'd Ladies



The playroom on a mildly messy day.



Green Suit Part V.
Find Previous Editions Here.



Care Package from my parents that arrived while we were waiting for Sandy.



How the Dining Room looks every day, c/o homeschooling.



Pumpkins have become so much easier since we started using Potato Head pieces.



Those Pernot genes are so strong.



And when I say that doing pumpkins has become so much easier, I am also taking into account the 19.2 volts of fury that accompany the carving process.

The boys, trying to smile.



Nathan's pumpkin should disturb me. But after living with him for 2+ years, I have come to expect this.
He tries to recite his colors, but it sounds like he is counting in French.
He tries to sing his alphabet and ends up singing Happy Birthday to Nay Nay, instead.
He pokes Esther in the face and screams, "HE TOUCHED ME!"



Darth Tater and Storm Masher take over the galaxy....and remove all pieces from Joseph's pumpkin.



Love-ly



Plump-ly



"Scooping out the guts"/ A peek into the daily life of Anne



Joseph drew his pumpkin face on with a dry erase marker. Smart boy just kept drawing and erasing until he made the perfect pumpkin.



Enthralled Esther.



We bribed Nathan with candy. Obvi.



The light saber was blinding.



Girlies



Halloween was exhausting for the Duchess.



Halloween wouldn't have been Halloween without one of the children getting sick. Nathan obliged by throwing up all over the playroom carpet. I cleared off the floor and steam cleaned. Twice.
Matt came home and saw the state of the room and gasped. I heard him ask one of the children last night why the playroom looked like a boxing ring and if they set it up like that on purpose.
This is why I never clean: I don't want Matt to have to ask so many questions.
I only care about your well-being, Dear.