A Typical Saturday

Most Saturdays come and go as follows...

With lots of smiles

and awesome Daddy coaches

Lots of soccer determination and good hustle

Sporting red cheeks and supporting each of our soccer stars

Lots of little sister patience and spectating

Plenty of sibling fun on the turf

The baby being the most popular play toy

And best of all, everyone spending quality time together

For me there's truly no more enjoyable way to experience fall than by watching my kids play ball and sprint up and down the field.  M has a great team this year and I've really enjoyed watching him mature as a player and learn his strengths in helping his team; he's also been more positive and encouraging toward his teammates and that always makes a mama happy.  T has been enjoying a third season with coach Daddy.  His team is a bit older and very good for the league since most will age up before the end of the season.  For T it's all in his mind--he can be explosive and a real force if he's motivated.  All a matter of cracking that inner drive.  We'll see what his soccer future holds--perhaps a return to taekwondo?  We shall see.  And J has been continuing to play hard and tough for Team Lasers.  He is probably the best ball handler in the family and very aggressive, which doesn't bode well for his opponents.  He also loves having Coach Daddy on the sidelines.

MG, V, and me, well, we have the pleasure of migrating to all the games and giving our best cheers.  Mama doesn't hold back--I love yelling for my boys!

Peace,

How's It Hangin'?

A family shot from the wedding...

Dear friends.  Dear, dear friends...

How does time pass so easily with nary a post on here?  It is baffling to me until I begin to think through the weeks and the blur and I start to realize that I can't differentiate much from the last month of our lives, we are moving at such a fast pace!  Such is life with 5 kiddos.  When we're not scheduled or running somewhere, we're scheduled here at home and running and playing in this beautiful fall weather.

The sweet flower girl of the untamed hair

The past weeks have ushered in the start of homework... and lots of it, especially for M.  His new hw perch is in the dining room and he chooses whether he'll plop on a chair or our exercise ball to bounce while he works.  He calls it his "brain machine" and after seeing him rattle off a list of 20 spelling words the other day in record time while sitting on the ball, I'll say it stimulates his brain activity!  He even makes zapping sounds with visual effects to the show the ball providing power and knowledge to his brain.  Love that creative one.

We have also ventured into the world of orthodontia with M having to wear a special retainer to correct a cross bite.  Our dentist caught the glitch and we were on it immediately, which was very fortunate because it means less time for him having to wear it.  And thanks be to God, the whole process has been seamless.  I never know how my #1 will respond to situations, but thankfully he's weathered this change-up like a pro.  He wears the retainer 24/7 (even while eating) and only removes it to brush his teeth!  Hearing him talk at first was interesting (and a little worrisome as I imagined what his peers would say), but he adjusted quickly and friends thought it was "cool" when he returned to school.  Excellent.  I can already see the teeth moving, so it's only a matter of time before he's done with it.

GG's Aunt MK, MG, and GG

Soccer season has also been in full swing here and the boys have been enjoying it immensely.  GG is coaching both J and T's team, which gives him plenty to do on Saturday mornings.  We all gather for J's game and then scatter to the other two venues.  All in all, it's been a great start and everyone is falling into good routines.  M has also added Cub Scouts to his list this year and is eager to be involved in the year to come.  GG is nervous about the time commitment, but willing to help in his awesome-super-dad way.  They head to meetings on Monday evenings, T's soccer is Tuesday evening, and M's soccer is Wednesday.

My parents, the uber-extraordinary babysitters, and our clan

Have I mentioned I'm still tutoring?  I am.  I have 6 students so far this year and will probably limit any future additions.  I've never been this busy, this early, so perhaps creating my future tutoring co. business model isn't a bad suggestion??  We'll see.  I'll get to that when I have the time. ;)  That said, I am so grateful to have the chance to work with these students.  They are vibrant and fun.  They stretch my brain and keep me young.  And I can make my schedule to fit my needs.  Perfecto!!

Papa and our dancin' fool, J

The last update I hesitate to write...  M and T have also been continuing on with piano, something we've committed to indefinitely and something I always imagined for our younger ones to eventually enjoy.  We love our teacher--he is the best, most sensitive, talented, caring man, father-of-three.  Because of our great love for him, we were absolutely shocked and devastated to lose him this past week.  He died suddenly of an unknown virus that docs believe he contracted while having a pre-cancerous skin lesion removed a few weeks ago.  Our last lesson with him was Thursday, he had organ failure Saturday, and passed Monday.  By the time I went to bed last night, my eyes were so tired from crying, I could barely keep them open.  Please pray for this wonderful man's family and the repose of his soul.  It is just heartbreaking to think we will never have another lesson with him.  He had such a gift working with children and I can't believe he's gone...

The boys handled the news well.  M was concerned for my emotions and T was quiet and introspective.  I could see the wheels turning in their heads... no more lessons... no more practice.  I explained that from here until we find another teacher, they will be playing in honor of Mr. Jake.  They  will be playing for the love of music and not because they have to get a certain number of minutes in.  We plan to take them to services at the end of the week.  I don't doubt that feelings and thoughts will surface as the weeks pass.  Mr. Jake was a special man and we were so lucky to have 3 wonderful years with him.

On that somber note, I bid you adieu.  I offer peace to you and yours.  Hug the ones you love tightly.  
God bless,

More School Days

I would be remiss not mentioning the start of school for two more cuties, one of whom began school for her first time!  Big things a'happening around here...

J started last Monday.  He said he's one of two tallest in his class--I believe it!

Sweeties.  V has been so enthusiastic about posing for first day of school shots with her siblings. ;) 

His first days have gone really well and reports have it that his class is a really sweet bunch of kids.  Woo hoo!

This little lady started on Tuesday--we dressed her in apples to start the year right! 

Can't wait to see how much she grows and learns this year.  She is so excited!

Big brother is always good for a few laughs.

Here we are outside her classroom.  She has been tentative heading into class, acting shy and coy, but then diving into play time.  She seems to really like her new teachers, who are second-to-none.  We feel lucky to have her first school experience already be so positive!

Next update: Uncle C's wedding from last weekend!  It was a beautiful weekend and we had a ball...

School days

Our morning got off to brilliant start--it was the first day of school, after all.

Boys were definitely sleepy upon their wake-up, but then diligently set to the task of getting ready.  Our morning routine is pretty set in stone, thankfully...  First dress, then teeth, then downstairs to put on shoes, breakfast, and finally, play.

M perfected the morning routine last year.  He's a carrot-chaser, always seeking more minutes of playtime.

This guy was certainly excited this morning and we're hoping it lasts.  Last year he was a little rough to wake up in the morning.  Definitely not showing signs of being a morning person! ;)

 I later made them do our obligatory first day of school pictures.  We were going through the motions when we looked down and saw this little lady participating in the shots...

I have four words for this A-DOR-A-BLE.  Melt me!  Can I begin to tell you the joy this sweet angel brings all of us?

You can see the boys are very close in height!  We say that M makes up for it in personality. ;)

Here's a lucky shot of mom and dad, the forever cheerleaders, taken by M.

One last shot with "little" brother.  He'll be joining them next year in school.  

Off they go!  M waved until the last possible moment.

The littles and I hung around for breakfast and dress and then hightailed it to the gym.  Mama was SOO happy--an endorphin addict through and through.  Note to self: spin class does not serve well as a "recovery" workout from boot camp class.  My legs are so sore!  The kids enjoyed their time at the child watch with MG opting to stay an additional 20 minutes so she could play with the group outside.  J, V, and I socialized with friends in the lobby.  Then we returned home and had some nice playtime.

MG loved working with these shapes.

V toodled around getting into trouble, as always. ;)

And J enjoyed some quiet time playing with Legos all by himself.  Magnifico!

As I wrap up this post, I can see J and MG scootering on the driveway, each wearing his/her backpack.  I think its safe to say they are excited for school starting next week.

Spaces in our togetherness--it's just what the doctor ordered.
God bless,

Blogging The Real

MG grew very fond of horses while at camp

We are one Maine trip, two birthdays, and one final week of summer vacation with its various adventures (bowling, chuck-e-cheese, etc.) in the blogging hole...  Can you see why I've been avoiding getting back on here?!

Rather that try to bite off such a large update, I'm merely going to start with today and go from there.  As we commence, I'll try to fit in bits and pieces from the last few weeks.

I will say that, while fun, our most recent days have also been stressful ones.  A few of our children have been going through transitional phases simultaneously, making GG and my life somewhat of a stressful moment-to-moment sitcom.  Parenting is no joke, people.  I am living that mantra and then some as GG and I sort through issues and attempt to steer our crew on the straight and narrow.  Tough stuff!!  Of all the kids, our J seems to be going through the roughest spell.  He is defiant, edgy, and downright mean, at times.  We are praying intensely for him and hoping the start of school in the next week will mean a return to more structure, better bedtimes and more sleep, and *hopefully* better resulting behavior!  Add in a feisty, nap-deprived 3yo and a feisty, strong-willed 8yo (not naming names, of course! ;) and we are at our limits.  So if you happen to think of our family, please humbly add us to your prayers.  We would be so grateful.

Above all, we know we are blessed beyond measure with everything.  Bumps in the road are inevitable.  We just need to remember to reach for His hand when we stumble.  Going it on our own is never the right solution.

But back to today...  We attended Mass as a family this morning.  I dropped the girls off in the nursery where we discovered MG had no underpants.  lol.  What???  Had she taken them off?  Did I put any on?  The answer is still a mystery, but thankfully we remedied the situation quickly with an extra diaper.  Whew! ;)  Thanks to my friend and blog reader, Shannon, for laughing through that one with me!!

Later at Mass, GG and I were less than impressed by our three lazy, sleep-deprived sons.  They were barely going through the motions and needed a ton of prompting for simple standing/sitting/participating.  No way, Jose!!!  So, how do you remedy laziness?  Why, give them naps, of course!  GG was on it.  After church there wasn't time to get donuts, there wasn't energy to eat them, there wasn't ANY time for anything because boys were just too tired.  We had to get home for naps!!  It was natural consequences at its finest. When we arrived home, the boys had to go straight to bed and stay there until we called them down.  No one ever fell asleep, but you better believe we left them there for over an hour!!  They were so relieved when we let them come out.  ;)

Meanwhile, the girls played and GG and I enjoyed a quiet Sunday brunch together.  It was lovely.  And so encouraging.  We were having a parental pep talk, lifting up the other on this parental journey.  We've had to have a few of those lately.  It was our second pep talk in 24 hours.  Last night was my turn for despair, but thankfully GG was there to offer words of hope and encouragement.  When every turn feels like a failure, you start to take it personally--"Is it me?  How can I work so hard and see so little fruit??"  Thankfully we are committed to the marathon journey and are chalking this up to end-of-summer sleep deprivation (big time!), lack of schedules/structure, and need for change.  School starts in 2 days, so we're hoping to snap out of this conundrum soon.  Spaces in our togetherness are more important than ever...

The good news is this afternoon played out beautifully.  The boys finished summer reading reports, played the piano, tinkered with Mine Craft, and squirreled around playing a game with swords and prisoners.  The girls had a tea party, read stories, tinkered on their own...  GG enjoyed a conversation with a good friend and finished his night choosing his fantasy football team.  And I, well, I filled in the gaps while sipping coffee and relishing time with the family.  I also had the chance to tutor a student in the midst.

We finished with kids in bed early, reading aloud from a biography of Amelia Earhart, prayer, and snuggles all around.  Of course with a lot of correction in-between. ;)

Keepin' it real.
Life is good.  God is better.

God bless,

Birthday Bonanza!

We've been partying it up over here in G-Ville...

Having fun with friends and celebrating two very special August birthday boys. 

There has been splashing and dashing and water balloon mashing...

There has been swimming and volleyball swatting and lots and lots of smiling...

Three cheers and two "happy birthday"shouts to our J boy and T man, our August birthday loves.  We celebrate you along with your friends and family.  

God bless,

From the newest 5yo

"Why does M have to help MG in the wedding?  I want him to throw rings with T and me."                      -ring bearer, J


lol!  I just had to share this funny from our morning playtime. Our J turned 5 yesterday and even though he seems to be growing like a weed and hanging with the big boys all the time, he's still my precious wee babe who thinks ring bearers throw rings in weddings. ;)  We have a very special wedding coming up in just over a month and we're all so excited!  GG's bro, C, is marrying a wonderful woman and I'm so excited to have her as my sister-in-law!  MG will be the flower girl and will be escorted down the aisle by her biggest bro, M.  T and J will be ring bearers.  Baby V will happily look on in a dress that matches her sister's.  It promises to be among the loveliest of family affairs.

I have tons of pics from our weekend birthday party festivities and more from the official celebration yesterday.  Check back soon for a birthday post!

God bless,