Smile Opps

Smiles are essential around here.  Without enough smiling we get the grumps and then things go downhill quickly.  Thankfully, today has been full of ample smile opportunities.  Here are a few:

*a peaceful Mass shared with our little family; chilly children nestled close.

*communing with friends post-Mass

*driving home on the highway and hearing the older four chanting, "Soupy Baby Soupy Baby Soupy Baby".  Don't ask.  It is their beloved nickname for their littlest sister.  Total smilemaker for GG and me.

*on the same drive home, hearing T's own tale of "The Stairs are Rotten".  Again, don't ask.  It was funny and made me laugh. ;)

*grocery shopping with Baby G strapped to my front.  There is nothing like a wiggly, happy baby to bring smiles to the faces of our fellow shoppers.  She was my little buddy.

*the nicest strangers who offered to watch my full cart while Baby G and I dashed to the car in a downpour.  I had a flat paper bag over G's head so she stayed dry as a bone and then we pulled the car around to the kind strangers and I loaded my groceries (with their help).  Were they not amazing?  Such gems.  Lots of smiles.

*a thundery afternoon cozying up with the boys while the girls nap.  It is our second-to-last day of summer (which almost elicits tears), so we will drink in the afternoon together.  GG is off to a fantasy football draft and a needed night out (smile).

*listening to my girls start to interact--MG has the sweetest baby talk to Baby G now that she can be up in the Exersaucer.  They are cute cute cute...  Make their mama smile a whole bunch!

Thank you, dear Lord.
God bless.

Irish Love

It's 9am on a Saturday morning in early September, which means only one thing in G-Ville:

Go Irish!!!

We are nestled in and watching the season opener game, broadcasted from Ireland!

The coolest thing is that our very special Uncle C and his girlfriend are at the game in person!  So exciting!  C is captain in the Army, stationed in Vicenza, Italy.  This allows him wonderful access to Europe and some awesome travel opps!  Wish we could be there with you, C!

I am praying this game goes well--ND losses are felt deeply around these parts.  GG went to law school there and our family now bleeds navy and gold!  We like to see the Irish win, which means we haven't had too many reasons to smile over the past few years.  I do smile as I type this, though, because it's all so silly.  To invest our hearts heavily in something so frivolous as football is definitely of this world...  Yet it is still fun to have this as part of our family culture.  We can cheer and wear jerseys and impersonate ND players in backyard football games.  But we know it ends there.

I think this is an important lesson to impart to our kids, especially the boys!  Funny enough, I get so involved and competitive that I have to remove myself at various points during the game or it really drags me down.  ;)

Alrighty, back to the game!
God bless,

Still here...

I am here and we are doing great! The last two days have been filled with final summer happenings, school open houses, and quality time being together at home. I am a day behind on my postings and will have some good stuff for tomorrow. Check back in... TGIF, here we come!! Nghty Tight,

Prayer Warriors

When you read this, could you offer up a quick prayer for this little girl and her family?

Isn't she a doll?  This is our sweet neighbor, Harlie Holton, who's family are friends of ours.  She is turning 6 in Sept after being born with a 5% chance of surviving.  She is amazing, as are her parents, Tom and Christy, who blogs here.

Harlie had surgery last Friday in Boston to help repair facial abnormalities resulting from Goldenhar Syndrome.  It was her 30th surgery and she's been such a trooper all the way through.  She always could use prayers, but definitely needs some tonight as she surmounts some new obstacles post-surgery.  We are specifically praying for her lungs and her ability to fight off pneumonia and other complications that will make her recovery a more painful, slow process.  God speed healing, dear Harlie!

I speak for both Christy and Tom in expressing their heartfelt gratitude for your support.  Thank you for praying for her!

Getting It Together

I'll let you in on a little secret: I love to be organized.  Like really, really love it.  

I think it has something to do with my inner control freak and my outer chaos, which results in the freak trying desperately to rein in control on the chaos whenever possible.  If my environment is under control, then I can be more in control as a mother and homemaker.  Same was true in college--I could not study for a test unless my room was anally in order.  Then I could get to work and focus on the matter at hand.  

All in all, this love of organization is fine unless control becomes an idol.  Bring in 5 kids under 7 and the OCD thankfully has to take a backseat.  You just can't be organized in everything, all the time.  It is not remotely possible and I would lose my mind trying to make it happen.  I have to give things up, learn to go with the flow, roll with the punches, and allow messes and mishaps throughout my home and life.  Having oodles of kids is actually really good for me!

These days if organization happens, it's usually in a small corner of my life--a drawer de-cluttered, the van vacuumed and detailed, my closet purged and reset.  These are small celebrations of organization in which I delight.  They are my chances to celebrate one small area of control in the madness of life!

So here you have it, some recent triumphs of organization and accomplishment in my little world...

1) Toy Decluttering

Of our three kid bedrooms, each has toys, legos, and books particular to the ages of children in the room.  We also have a general toy area in the attic for train sets, etc. and a different space for books on the first floor.   Having all of these spaces for play is awesome because it allows everyone personal room to spread out, but it is totally crazy for a mom who's trying to make sure the right pieces end up in the right rooms.  They seem to migrate from room to room somehow??? ;)

We often end up with a lot of bins that look like this:

Nothing but bits and pieces of just about everything.  How do the kids play with junk?

So while the boys were away, I took it upon myself to start finding homes for all the pieces.  This actually wasn't too dismal of a process--our annual pre-Thanksgiving toy purge has really helped to keep down the excess, but we'll be ready again in November!

Here I was mid-sort

And by the end, everything had a home!  Hooray!

Imagine a set of instruments that are stored together?  Amazing! ;)

Or a piggy bank and a cash register with... coins?!  Outstanding!  These toys are suddenly popular again!

2) Shelving
We have been looking for a way to store some beautiful dolls my in-laws have brought back for the girls from their worldly travels.  The other month (possibly year?) we spotted a hunter green wooden shelf in their attic and asked if we could re-purpose it for the baby's room.  Many, many, many months later, I finally spray-painted the beaut white to match...

My sweet baby model

This is the wall where we will hang the shelf.  Haven't gotten that far, but you can imagine it up there with pretty little dolls adorning its shelves.  I predict it will take at least another 3 months to get it there. lol  ;)

3) Project Gift Bags

I'm apparently a crazy gift bag hoarder (that or I don't give enough gifts in return!  Yikes!!) It was so out of hand that a good portion of a large upstairs closet was devoted to the excesses of our gift materials.  It was getting totally ridiculous.  So, over the weekend I cleared out the closet and brought everything down to our main floor.  I really wanted a gift set-up nearer to our everyday life where I could grab a gift bag, tissue, and go, rather than have to rummage around in an upstairs closet when we're running late to a birthday party!  

Thankfully, I had two cabinets in our butler pantry that were being ill-utilized.  It was time for a change.    After much gift bag purging, bada boom, bada bing, I give you our new gift station:

The best is that each drawer pulls out for easier access.  This side has regular and birthday gift bags, tissue in the top drawer, and ribbons/random items in the bottom (and yes, that is a balloon blower for making balloon animals--you can hire me for your next party! ;)

The other side has Christmas and baby shower gift bags, Christmas boxes, contact paper, and the flags for the front of our house (random but it was a flat spot to store them!)

So there you have it, folks!  Organizational successes to be celebrated.  Where will you organize today?  It's all in the little things!!

When A Boy Turns 6

When a boy turns 6, he wants a party just like his big brother.

Ninja time!

(Score one for mom and dad, who have a ready-made ninja party at hand!)

 He lets his dad dress up like a Ninja Master in a bathrobe and lead little boys in ninja training.

 He's brave enough to show his taekwondo moves to his friends.

 He even lets his little sister observe from the sidelines.

 He and his friends circulate through stations to practice punching, kicking, and ninja stealth.

 Then they take a break and eat apples, popcorn, and goldfish while watching a ninja show!

He then allows his parents to lead he and his friends in silly games like "pin the golden weapon on the ninja".  He also will gladly allow his friend to win the candy prize.

 He will be full of smiles with an ice cream sundae treat.

 And so will his friends and siblings!

Because when a boy turns 6, he's king for the day and reaps great rewards for another year conquered! Happy Birthday, dear T!  We hope you loved your party, little ninja!

A Great Day

T's birthday party this morning (pics to come)...

A family trip to Reconciliation this afternoon...

Dinner at home, watching Star Wars together...

Organizing, cleaning, being.

Thank you, dear Lord, for the goodness of today and the promise tomorrow holds.