Luke, the Sort of Leper

 Okay, please don't freak out on me.  Keep calm and carry on people, it's not as bad as it looks.  I promise.  Once upon a few months ago, we thought Luke had ring worm.  I took him for his 6 year well check and asked the doctor about some patches on his head that seemed to be creeping towards his neck.  The doctor claimed it was ring worm of the scalp and sent us on our way with a prescription for some oral medication.  We faithfully gave it to Luke and within a week, it spread to his neck and back.  I called the doctor back and they wanted to see him again.  We saw a different doctor who upon entering the room declared he knew already that it was Pityriasis.  A strange ring worm like rash that goes away on it's own in a few MONTHS.  All I can say is thank the Lord Jesus Christ that it is winter because this kid would be shunned by the masses if he were sporting this rash in the summer.

 Luckily, other than looking like a leper (which I'm sure only bothers me!), it really doesn't bother Luke at all.  Every once in a while it itches, but it's short lived.  It feels like he's had this forever, but I can see the light at the end of the tunnel because his back used to look exactly like his chest and stomach and it's almost gone from there.

We recently joined the YMCA again so that we could use the pool and get the kids swimming lessons and I am so thankful that swim shirts were invented.  I mean come on, if you saw Luke in the pool splashing next to your kid, I'm sure you'd not only wander if it is contagious (it's not!), but you might tell your kid to get the heck away from mine.  Don't worry, I won't judge because I'd probably do the same thing.  :)  I've never been so thankful for winter and that spring is yet a month and a half away.

Irresistible "Corn" Dog Bites

 I love that my mom is so Internet savvy because she sends me recipes she finds online like this keeper for paleo friendly "corn" dog bites.  Corn is not very healthy for us because it turns into sugar in our body.  Too much sugar will weaken your immune system, be stored as fat in your body, and even raise your cholesterol (check out what Dr. Oz had to say about cholesterol here).  We eat corn occasionally such as when were eating somewhere besides home or for special treats like when we need something to scoop up some tasty Skyline Dip, but at home we usually just stay away from it because it's so easy to eat a half a bag of corn chips in one sitting.

Ironically, as a child I hated corn dogs.  They were way too sweet and I thought why waste a perfectly good hot dog by dipping it in batter.  That all changed when I was pregnant with Brooke and my sweet tooth suddenly and irrevocably turned on.

One afternoon when Mark was on a trip I opened my email to find the link to this yummy recipe and I figured we'd try them for dinner.  They did not disappoint.  They are super buttery and perfectly sweet and I almost forgot that I wasn't really eating corn bread, something I do miss from time to time.

 I've made these twice and I had to deviate from the recipe a hair because the original calls for 1/2 inch hot dog slices and you could hardly taste them at all.  I upgraded to inch long pieces and Brooke and I were much more satisfied.  If you think that all hot dogs are sketchy then try the ones we love from Applegate. We pick ours up at Trader Joes, but you can also find them at Whole Foods.

If you have two kids and you're not eating many, you might get away with the recipe as is, but I usually always have to double paleo recipes because I think they meant to feed 2 adults yuppies and no one else.  I mean that lovingly, of course.  :)  I also added shredded cheese to the batter because it just sounded better.  They bake in 15 minutes and are a fun deviation from our normal meat and veggie dinners.

Catholic Schoolhouse

Photo taken from here.


When you move outside your comfort zone to do something that God calls you to do it can be a bit scary.  I know, I'm the director of a new home school group.  Sure, sign me up!  I've got nothing else going on, God.  :)  I say that in jest of course because I know that whatever God calls me to do, He'll provide everything I need to see it through.

At first when my friend, Nora brought this home school group to my radar I was very hesitant.  The group we are currently in Classical Conversations is so established with lots of resources and really great people.  It has been enjoyable for the kids and myself and truthfully, I like just showing up. 

The ladies who founded  Catholic Schoolhouse were also a part of Classical Conversations at one time and they decided that they would pioneer their own version of a Catholic, classical memory based program.  When I think of all the work I've already put into getting this group off the ground in our area, I can really appreciate that not only did they get a group started in their area, but they wrote the curriculum too!  That's a huge task which I am fully grateful for because Mark and I have been working with them to enhance the curriculum that already exists and it's been quite a few late nights rattling our brains to summarize historical events into one sentence!  Don't try that at home unless you want to fry your brain.

One of the main reservations I had about the CS program is that there weren't songs to aid memorization.  That is a HUGE part of what we love about our group now and the thought of leaving that behind was agonizing.  Rest assured that God answered BIG in this department.  Not only is a CD being produced right now, but I had the enormous blessing of having input and the history sentences Mark and I wrote are being put to song.  OMG!  I mean that in the most reverent way because this is a blessing beyond my wildest imagination. 

Funny enough my other hesitation was that I love being a part of a large group like we are in now.  So many different people with varying personalities and gifts.  It's been so much fun getting to know all kinds of moms and kids.  When I jumped on board this crazy train of starting our own home school group I thought that we'd start small with maybe 5 or so families the first year.  I was pretty much resigned to the fact that it would take time to attract a large following because the CC group we're a part of now started off with just a few families and now 6 years later, has grown to about 35ish families.  You can imagine my surprise that we already have 10 families registered and the registration deadline is still weeks away.  I think we may have 15-20 families involved with 35ish or more kids!  It seems every week I get emails from new interested families and hear from other people that even more people are thinking of joining.  It's unbelievable!

Now we are waiting to hear about a facility to hold our meetings.  We have one location already secured, but the rent is kind of expensive and it's nothing to write home about.  We could do it, but the tutors wouldn't get paid much and the families would need to pay an extra facility fee to off set the cost.  Last week my friend, Nora found another possibility and after a tour, was gushing about how perfectly fabulous it would be for our group.  I'm not worrying about this because as I've already pointed out, God has exceeded all my expectations and answered every prayer better than I could have imagined.  He's good like that.  :)

The trouble with being a Catholic group in a very heavily populated Catholic school area is that most churches have a school that already occupy their facilities. I think that might have been a bit redundent.  :) The other part is that as Catholics we have to be very careful not to get involved with other Protestant churches that support ministries that aren't pro life.  When the rubber meets the road the Catholic Church is hands down unwaveringly pro life, even in those "sticky" circumstances.  I would hate to think that our group would be giving money to churches that would financially support ministries that are in opposition to that belief.

Speaking of Protestant churches, I had a very comical conversation with a United Methodist Church associate pastor in which I asked her if their church was pro life, she told me she could look it up in her church's "manual". Interesting that she didn't know that off hand. She was very proud to announce that her church has a very long history dating all the back to the 1960's.  Since I was trying to hit her up to rent some space I thought it would be a bad time to point out that the Catholic Church has been around for 2000 years.  Yeah, that would probably not have impressed her, but I had a good chuckle.

In the next week or two, Catholic Schoolhouse is getting a new website and we'll officially be listed as one of their chapters.  All this progress is so thrilling and it's not even next year yet! 

This decision seemed like a bit of a risk in the beginning, but I've come to learn that when we trust God with big things, we can reap even bigger blessings.  It's  a dream come true to be able to combine our love of the Catholic faith with classical education.  Praise be to God!

Nash's New Word

I've told you before that Nash says very few things, but this weekend he added one to his list.  Nash has a shelf over his changing table where we keep the wipes, a box of tissues and his pacifiers.  One day while I was changing him he was clearly asking for something because he was pointing and making the same sound over and over.   I concentrated and could make out what sounded like "ha-ha".  I was so confused because it seemed he was pointing at his pacifiers.  Sure enough, when I picked up the pacifier, he laughed in relief because I finally figured out what he wanted.  I looked and him and repeated "ha-ha" and he laughed and nodded his head "yes".  I've tried like crazy to teach him a baby sign for pacifier, but I couldn't get him to repeat it.  Silly boy!

When Mark got home from work on Sunday night (after flying my friend Laura and her husband home from the Bahamas!  Hi, Laura!) I was so proud to tell him that I was able to crack some Nash code.  When I explained what I figured out, Mark busted out laughing.  He then went on to explain that sometimes when he changes Nash's diaper after getting him out of bed, he takes Nash's pacifier and puts it on the shelf saying "ha-ha", as in "ha, ha you don't get your pacifier anymore".  Very mature, I know.  Mark claims he only says this occasionally, but for whatever reason, it stuck.  Saying "ha-ha" for pacifier seems absolutely ridiculous, but at this point, I'm just glad I understand what Nash is trying to say.  So now we have a "ha-ha" and a "kee-kee", the two necessary items for bed.  That's one communication mystery solved.

She Jumps!

Brooke was so excited two weeks ago when her instructor, Kevin set up a small jump for her.  The look on Brooke's face was priceless when he told her to take the jump.  As you can see it was very small, but Brooke was thrilled beyond belief.  I was so happy for her!

Unfortunately, she was unable to jump this past Friday because Eli was nursing a hoof injury and could only walk.  Brooke was quite disappointed, but she got her horse "fix" none the less.

Besides the jumping, the new thing is that now instead of dismounting and walking Eli back to the barn, Brooke gets to ride him.  She's having a blast!

Mr. Cutie Pants

 Doing anything with a toddler in tow feels as complicated as performing open heart surgery in your kitchen.  Playing board games, cooking, even reading a book to the other kids is quite complicated.  Our Nashy Boy is about to turn two next month, but in many ways it seems he's already there.

 Every kid has seemed to become more and more opinionated at an earlier age.  I suppose it's because watching all the other kids gives them ideas as to what the options are.  When it was just Brooke she was very easy going because that's all she knew.  It seems like all Nash knows is "no".  No, you can't go in there, no, your too little to do this, and no, you can't play with that because you'll break it. 

 I have to say that he is getting a little easier to entertain.  I have noticed some days that he actually toddles off to play with some toys.  I usually hold my breath and hurry even more to finish whatever I'm working on knowing it won't last, but it's something. 

One thing that's pretty disappointing is that he hardly says any words.  Yesterday, he said "Diego" pretty clearly, but really how helpful is knowing how to say "Diego" when he's screaming from his high chair at breakfast? Yeah, not so much.   He can say, "I see it" when he wants to see the pictures on my camera and now he also says, "kee-kee" for his blankie instead of using the baby sign we taught him.

 This boy LOVES his pacifier. We put it up on the shelf when we change his diaper after he gets out of bed, but we find him with one in his mouth that he randomly finds elsewhere.  I made the mistake with Luke of taking his pacifier away shortly after he was two and I will NOT make that mistake again.  I don't care if he's 3 and maybe even 4. Heck, if Stella took a pacifier I'd probably give it to her just so I could have a break from her crying and the hope that she might actually take a nap she so desperately needs. Nope, if he's sleeping soundly with that little thing, he's keeping it so I can keep my sanity.

 Nash is really coming into his own.  He likes to entertain and tease people.  Mark and I call him a "Hamburglar" on occasion because he's a ham and we grew up in the age of McDonald's. Nash can also run pretty fast with his arms swinging side to side.  It's pretty darn cute.

A funny thing about Nash is that he doesn't like to read books.  That's pretty much catapults him to "freak" status in our family, but I refuse to believe that anyone growing up in our house wouldn't fall for books at some point.  The only books he likes to page through are the animal books.  Nash is already showing a preference for horses.  He turns the pages until he finds the horse page and then breaks into a huge smile and makes a "horse" sound.  He's a crazy kid.

 Lately, he's been playing more like the bigger kids.  He runs around outside with them feeling so happy to be part of the gang.  I think he'll have lots of fun this summer with them.

We've had some fairly decent weather for winter.  It's been either snowing (love!) or pretty warmish (love even more!) and so it hasn't felt like we've been trapped inside for all eternity.  Nash's birthday will be here before we know it and spring will follow shortly after.  I feel happy just thinking about it!   Hope you're having a happy day too!

Refreshing, Relaxing, Rejuvenating

 An act of Congress, two grandmas and a 5 hour drive landed Mark and I in Gatlinburg, TN this past weekend.  We hadn't been away together by OURSELVES in 8 years.  Nursing babies every two years, add in some behavior issues and a crazy work schedule and this trip was 8 years overdue. We split the kids...Brooke and Luke to my in-laws and my mom came to stay with Nash and Stella at our house. It was peaceful, uber relaxing, quiet and so much fun.  I was sick as a dog with a terrible cold and my voice was all but gone, but suffering illness without children sucking me dry of all my life and energy was relatively painless.  Dare I say blissful?  :)

Every night before I go to bed I like to pray and reflect on my day asking God for forgiveness for the moments I fell short and sinned.  On a typical day I mostly have to ask forgiveness for losing my temper and yelling or other mundane sins of a stay at home mom.  When I lay in this cozy little cabin at night reflecting on my day I realized how easy it is to remain self controlled and to be kind without being assaulted by millions of demands.  At that the moment I decided that God must grant special graces to parents who try to live out the Gospel with little ones in tow.

 This weekend get away was supposed to be a surprise to Mark.  I had done some research and narrowed it down to two destinations.  One was closer, but more expensive and remote.  The other was farther away, but less expensive and more to do.  Of course I waited until the tenth hour to book a place because the stomach bug was slowly making it's way through our family because I wouldn't even consider leaving the grandmas with a vomiting kid if we ever want to do this again.

On Wednesday when I was fairly confident that no one else was going to get sick, I broke down and asked Mark's input as for the destination.  I was a little stressed because on Friday morning we were hosting a meeting for the home school group at our house and more women than expected kept RSVPing.  We are talking 15 Catholic moms, some that were planning on bringing 6 kids apiece.  I cracked under the pressure and then I finally told Mark what I was up to because I couldn't handle anymore decisions.  He chose the mountains which I admit was my number one choice too.

The cabin was the cutest ever and we did not at all have to rough it.  Well, if you don't count stepping out into the cold air to get into the hot tub.  :)  It was a one bedroom cabin about half way up the mountain with one of the most comfortable beds I've ever slept in.  The cabin was so clean and updated that we felt very much at home.

 So I was hoping to see a bear in real life forgetting that it's still winter and bears will be hibernating.  Mark did his best impression of what he would have done if we saw one in the flesh.  :)

 We arrived in the dark around 7 PM so we didn't know what was out and about.  As it turns out there was a pretty nice yard out back with a cool boulder smack in the middle.  Mark and I were being cheesy and he posed for me for comic purposes.  He's good like that.

 The weather was beautiful.  The high on Saturday got into the mid 5o's and I almost forgot that it was winter.  Light jackets were all that was needed in the beautiful sunshine.  I took this picture because it reminds me that in no time, spring will be here.

 Up higher on the mountain was this beautiful cabin behind the one we stayed in.  When the lights were on inside at night, this place looked amazing.  Maybe we'll stay there next time.  :)

 On Saturday Mark asked me if I even felt like going out at all because I was so sick.  I couldn't pass up a chance to be in the fresh air and honestly, I felt so much better being outside.  We decided to take the shortest hike we could find to a waterfall which was 2 and some change miles round trip.  It was on a paved path that wound up and down and around.  My sinuses were revolting as I could feel a burning sensation as snot drained to and from various places in my head.  It was nothing the proper drugs couldn't fix.

 This view was worth it in the end and like I said before, not having kids along would make almost anything bearable.   If you're wondering if I missed the kids, I didn't.  I think it would have taken at least a few more days to get to that point. :)

 A nice lady took our picture in front of Laurel Falls.

 Cheesy?  Yes, please!

 It is amazing how different each part of our country is.  I've been to the Grand Canyon, but this was entirely different.  I might have pinched myself several times if I weren't already pretty miserable.

 Mark and I went out to eat twice in downtown Gatlinburg.  Downtown was crazy busy and this was the "slow" time.  People were everywhere on every corner and I laughed at how much Mark hates crowds.  It's a good thing we didn't go to NYC!

 I couldn't leave the city until we rode the Sky Lift, a seemingly popular tourist trap.  It was a bargain at $13 per person. 

 I loved every minute of snuggling on the chair lift except when on the way up when it stopped for a wee bit.

The view from the top was awesome.  They also had a gift shop (of course!) on top where we bought junk for the kids.  In total, that ride cost us $45.

 I felt utterly spoiled while we were gone because I didn't cook once.  Mark made breakfast (which I have to add he does most days when he's at home) and he also cooked dinner on Saturday night while I attempted to sleep off my cold.  It didn't work, but it felt nice to be pampered and I love naps.

 If you've never been to Gatlinburg I feel obligated to mention that there is crap everywhere.  Random touristy stuff ...shows, shops and strange attractions like Ripley's Believe it or Not stuff..and plenty of restaurants.  We paid $8 to park Friday night so we could go eat and pick up some medicine from Walgreens.  The place must be a gold mine for business owners.

 I would like to say that we stayed up late and slept in, but the reality is since we didn't spend all day meeting the needs of our people, it was easy to go to bed well before midnight and then we couldn't sleep in to save our life.  I've heard that's a common problem.

If I had to pick one word to describe our weekend it would be quiet.  I love quiet and Mark commented several times how I kept saying that.  I should have been a librarian.

On our walk back to the car on Saturday we stumbled across this fine vehicle next to one of the many churches in town.  I thought it was absolutely hilarious.  I'm not sure how a limo really helps their ministry serve better, but maybe they cruise the strip downtown to get the word out. 

Speaking of church, Mark and I finished the weekend by stopping in Lexington, KY on our way back to attend a traditional Latin Mass with my cousin and his family. It was the most beautiful, amazingly reverent, Holy Mass I've ever attended.  For this once upon a time reluctant Catholic, I was quite shocked at how much I enjoyed it and how I left feeling that Mass at our own parish was quite watered down.  We'll have to see what we can do about that.

This weekend away was truly a blessing.  The devotional I read everyday (In Conversation with God) "happened" to talk about the importance of rest for Christians on the Saturday we were away.  God calls us to work hard and to sometimes suffer, but He also tells us to rest so we can be energized to carry out His work.  This little vacation helped me do just that.

In our family you can imagine that one of the hot topics of conversation is Kings Island.  Stella says a couple of times a week, "Let's talk about Kings Island."  When things have gotten crazy  at home this week Mark and I look at each other and say, "Let's talk about Gatlinburg."  I'm afraid that I'll forget in all the chaos what it felt like spending time away with Mark.  If we went away all the time it might not feel as special, but we promised ourselves we wouldn't wait eight more years to do it again.  It was blissful!

The Boys are Still Standing

 There are sickness's of all kind whirling around everywhere.  On Facebook it seems like one friend after another is suffering at the hand of some nasty viruses.  It started for us last week when Stella started with diarrhea last Wednesday night and then overnight, I threw up and had diarrhea too.  Sorry if that's TMI.  :)

 Stella is still having bowel issues and two nights ago Brooke was vomiting off and on from 11 PM until 5 AM.  Sleep?  Who needs sleep?  I think last Friday I wiped Stella somewhere around 40 times in ONE day.  She's getting much better, but not totally over it.  It seems also that we're passing around a mild cold as well.  It could be so much worse, but it's hard to shake this feeling of exhaustion from many nights of bad sleep.

I took these pictures on Sunday afternoon.  We did some school work after Mass because it feels like we are making the slowest of progress right now with our school work.  When we were almost finished, Nash snuck out of sight and after a loud crash I figured I should probably investigate.  This is what I found...Stella sitting on the toilet and Nash in the bathtub.  The loud crash was the sound the bathtub toys made when Nash pour them into the empty tub.

Nash was also in the process of putting Brooke's shampoo in his hair.  A couple of kids ago I would have washed it out immediately, but instead, I changed his diaper and laid him down for a nap.  This boy makes me tired. 

Mark is off this week and I am just hoping that none of the boys get this nasty stomach bug.  It's really messing up my week anyway (we had to stay home from our home school group today and Brooke missed a play date), but we are hosting a meeting on Friday at our house for families interested in joining our home school group, Catholic Schoolhouse.  We need to be germ free by then because I am expecting 13ish moms and their kids and I don't want to reschedule.  Lord, have mercy on us!  Hope you all are staying healthy. 

Read to Live, Live to Read

I have this problem with reading.  If there are words in front of me, I feel compelled to read them.  It could be the magazine cover that I keep passing on the coffee table or a billboard I've read dozens of times.  It can sometimes be downright annoying when I catch myself doing it over and over again.  I've met one other person who admitted doing the same thing and she's a pretty cool chick, so I try to just let it go, read it, and move on.

Besides this OCD like need to read printed materials, I also spend a lot of my downtime reading for leisure and for information.  You could probably tell that from the sidebar of my blog where I've listed some of my favorites.  I truly feel sorry for people who don't read because I think it limits their perspective and besides, there's so much to learn! 

One book that I've been reading ever so slowly these last couple of months is called One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp.  A friend in my woman's group recommended it when we were discussing being thankful.  This book is one woman's quest to be thankful to God despite a long list of difficult circumstances she's endured.  The subtitle is A Dare to Live Fully Right Where You Are. 

Her idea is that by beginning to thank God for little seemingly insignificant things, you can learn to see His goodness and eventually thank Him even when you go through hard times.  I thought the book sounded interesting, but in all honesty, I thought that I had the whole thanksgiving thing down pat.  How's that for prideful? :) 

One excerpt that hit so close for this certified control freak was this...

All these years, these angers, these hardenings, this desire to control, I had thought I had to snap the hand closed to shield joy's fragile flame from the blasts.  In a storm of struggles, I had tried to control the elements, clasp the fist tight so as to protect self and happiness.  But palms curled into protective fists fill with darkness.  I feel that sharply, even in this...and this realization in all its full emptiness: My own wild desire to protect my joy at all costs is the exact force that KILLS my joy.

I'm pretty sure I kill my own joy on a regular basis when I'm trying to plow through the school work so we can move onto more "fun" things. 

A few paragraphs later..True humility is self-smallness to the point of "blessed self-forgetfulness" and what could bring more happiness than emptying of self-will and being wholly immersed in the will of God for this moment?  Joy-it's always obedience. Only self can kill joy.

"No one who ever said to God, 'Thy will be done,' and meant it with his heart, ever failed to find joy-not just in heaven, or even down the road in the future in this world, but in this world AT THAT VERY MOMENT, " asserts Peter Kreeft.

You'll so often find people in difficult circumstances that wonder why God would let something so hard happen to them.  It's really sad because usually this line of thinking lends itself to anger and disappointment.  Maybe there's a lesson to be learned in that hardness.  I have lately started to think that when I face difficult circumstances that God is calling me to bend, to be flexible, to yield my plans to His.  Even if my gut instinct is to stubbornly dig my heals in, what's really the alternative?  Living a life of bitter resentment looking for things to "justify" being angry or disappointed.  Been there, done that.  It is a joy stealer for sure. 

God calls us to love.  It's that simple.  Love Him, love others, do all things with love.  And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28 

See the good, even in the hard times, and you'll find your joy.  He promises.