7 Quick Takes

It's been awhile since I linked up with 7 Quick Takes!  I've missed it, so here I am today, brain-dumping the completely random, in no particular order.


1.  My nails seriously dislike winter.  They keep cracking...and then cracking...and then cracking some more.  It is not good. They are now down to itty-bitty stumps so I HAD to polish them, in a desperate attempt to preserve what's left!  Any suggestions?  I try to moisturize them when I think of it, but apparently my efforts have been feeble. HELP!!!

So so short!  But, yay for pretty Zoya nailpolish, at least!

Zoya Dove

2.  My pregnant mad-woman citrus craving is alive and well!  It doesn't even have to be edible!  I've been burning lemon candles, using lemon-scented lip balm...and hoovering clementines and grapefruit (I don't usually even like grapefruit!) like there's no tomorrow.  It's funny, I remember going through a citrus addiction when I was pregnant with Megan, but it was summer time then, so my addiction was mostly limited to gargantuan quantities of lemon Italian Ice.  Brrr...as much as I love me some citrus I haven't brought myself to start eating Italian ice just yet...you know, Polar Vortex and all.

My beverage of choice this past week: Orange-Aid.  The perfect marriage of orange juice and lemonade.  Dual-citrus-load all in one glass.  Awesome.

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3.  My husband has been on a couponing kick lately.  I have to say I am AMAZED by the deals to be had!  He is awesome.  I just do not have the patience to deal with the headache of figuring out the dates and all of the weird rules required to get stuff for almost-free.  I mean, I think I'd rather fold laundry.  And that is really saying something.  But more power to the money-saving hubby!  We're not getting our own reality show or anything like that just yet, but..we may never have to pay for body wash again!  Do you do the couponing thing?

See, I'd rather actually deal with this monstrosity than figure out couponing.  But, not just yet.  I'll just go on writing my 7 Quick Takes a little longer...

4.  I've been doing the happy dance every evening when I notice how it's been staying light out later!  Even if it's still as cold as the planet Hoth (Kevin would be so proud of me right now for that Star Wars reference!), at least gimme a little more sunshine! Winter is beginning to get to me.  I look for inane reasons to celebrate just about anything.  But at least the kids have been enjoying my inane celebrations!

Don't worry...only about 2 more months to go before the temperature rises above 20!

5.  Every year, as Valentine's Day approaches (followed by our wedding anniversary the next day), I always put this weird pressure on myself to do something really nice and special, but can never think of anything!  I scour the internets reading about all of these cute ideas, but none of them really seem to "fit".    I think that means I'm romantically uncreative...or would that make me creatively unromantic?  Well, either way, I think I'm getting an "F" again this year.  We'll probably wind up doing something completely unoriginal like...dinner. 


6.  This past week we've been finishing up Season 4 of Downton.  I liked it, but what can I say...I still miss Matthew (please tell me that is longer a spoiler at this point?  I think everyone must know about Matthew by now, yes?).  While I enjoyed it, I just felt it was missing its usual...oomph.  I'm hoping season 5 will be a bit more gripping.  And, it's not as if we need to wait an entire year for it or anything...oh wait.

7.  Thomas has been going through the Since-I'm-almost-one-year-old-I-only-require-one-nap-instead-of-two thing right now.  I'm not a fan.  I keep trying to foolishly pretend I'm not aware of this new stage, and have been putting him down for 2 naps anyway.  Take it from me, babies cannot be fooled into napping when you think they should.  Let's just say the pre-dinner witching hour has been...interesting around here.

"I may be smiling now, but don't you dare try and bring me up to my crib at 4:00pm again, lest suffer my wrath! Mwahahaha!"

Well, that's my brain dump for the week.  Can't wait to read everyone else's!  If you want to join in the fun, link up your Seven Quick Takes.

7 Quick Takes

1)  This Easter season we've been using Tomie DePaola's Garden of the Good Shepard calendar with the kids as a way to make the 50 days of Easter feel like, well... it's actually fifty days instead of just one!  Each year we use this (even when we fall behind and have to catch up on a million days all in one sitting!), we always glean new insights.  This year we talked quite a bit about how various aspects of nature (e.g. clouds, thunder, wind, etc.) reveal to us different aspects of our faith.  For example: clouds are things we can see but cannot touch--much like how God is always with us, though we can't reach out and feel Him.  As a parent, you never really know which things we tell our kids will stick.  Well, yesterday, we went on a picnic and sat under a gorgeous blossoming cherry tree.  As we were marveling at the shower of petals falling down on us my son, Luke, looked up and said, "Wow, it's like God's glory is raining down on us right now!"  Amazing mom moment. 
 

Cherry Tree picnic!

Megan catching flower petals!

Thomas enjoyed mostly eating and sleeping through the whole picnic--just a typical day for him! :)

Adam's nature journal sketch

2)  I've been reading the book, A Mother's Rule of Life.  The author details how she learned to live by a schedule (as in "7:00-8:00 prayer time & laundry, 8:30-9:00 breakfast, 9:00-10:00 chores..."), and how such a thorough schedule brought her peace.  While I really love the idea of such a well-ordered week, I'm struggling with the question of whether I want to be that scheduled.  Our days definitely have a structure to them, but a lot of what I love about homeschooling is the ability to be flexible with our days.  I guess the idea of so much rigidity sounds like a lot of pressure! If you're a fellow homeschooler, do you live by a detailed schedule?  If so, do you really love it?  I'd love to hear any feedback you might have on this topic!

Megan coloring... with crazy hair.  We've been calling her "Anne Burrell" with the wild dos she's been waking up with lately!

Definite resemblance, no?

3)  I'm learning each week in new ways, how 4 kids are harder than 3!  Although my little guy is a good baby, I'm still adjusting to how much babies throw kinks into my plans! And can someone tell me why, oh why babies always cry right when you're trying to make dinner?!  What is that about?!  And to make the dinner hour just that much worse, my little guy hates being in a sling or wrap!  UGH!

He may mess up my dinner plans, but I can't stay mad at him for long--I mean, who could resist those chubby cheeks grin?!

4)  On the bright side, my other kids are becoming awesome helpers in pretty much every respect!  They're becoming champion PB&J makers, empty cup fillers, sweepers, laundry put-awayers,  fussy baby entertainers and making peace with the phrase "Please wait, I'm feeding Thomas right now!" (They hear that one a lot these days!!)  It's a good thing--quality control not withstanding!

The kids entertaining Thomas (Megan again sporting "Anne Burrell hair!")

5)  As a side effect of my multi-tasking due to baby-induced reduction of free time, I've been quite the klutz this week! While Thomas is napping, I'm usually dashing around in a frenetic craze, trying to simultaneously do dishes, talk on the phone, make a meal, check email and put out the latest kid-induced fire (not literal...most of the time!).   Well, in the same day I managed to both cut a huge gash into my thumb while making lunch (ouch!) and crush my middle finger in the window when trying to open it (double ouch!).  Since both injuries are on opposite hands I feel like I can't use either one with any sort of proficiency.  You should see me trying to type right now!  It's quite comical!


6)  I've been plugging along pretty well with my Weight Watchers plan, as a way to shed the baby pounds.  In about three weeks I've lost 10 pounds--not too shabby!  Exercising has been less consistent, though!  I'd like to do it at least 3 times a week but it's so hard to fit it in!  If I try to do it in the wee hours I'm just too tired to get moving, if I do it later in the morning I feel like it cuts too much into our school time, and then later in the evening I'm just too wiped out!  When do you fit in exercise?

Not exactly the results of Jennnifer Hudson just yet, but I'm workin' on it!

7) It's the time of year that I loathe and dread--it's kid-clothing seasonal change-over time!  It's extra complicated this year since we moved last winter, which means that we have clothing bins all over our garage, basement and even at my mother-in-law's house (not to mention adding a child to the family!).  To top off the complication, I did a HORRIBLE job of labeling everything before we moved since we were hurried and packing in the middle of a seasonal change-over.   So summer stuff got all mixed in with winter stuff--aaaaaah!  It's a mess!  So, if you see me crouched in a corner in bin-avoidance-position (it's a yoga move, haven't you heard of it?) and nursing my self-induced finger wounds, you'll know why!


This was such a random assortment of quick takes!  Now I'm off to take some Tylenol to soothe my throbbing fingers!  Enjoy your weekend everyone! :)

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Conversion Diary

7 Quick Takes {The Postpartum Mush-Brain Edition!}

1)  I cannot believe that I've somehow managed to blog twice in one week!  And with a newborn to boot!  I have seriously missed blogging and am hoping to get back into a more regular posting pattern.  Just please don't expect anything terribly deep or well put together until I'm at least getting a few more winks at night! :p

The cause of my mush-brain.  But isn't he a cutie? :)

2)  I am becoming a Mrs. Meyers cleaning product addict.  Have you tried them?  I particularly love their lavender counter top spray and their rhubarb hand soap.  Since I have a new baby I've been washing my hands a LOT, so the Mrs. Meyers makes this a joyous task!  Every time I take a squirt I incessantly sniff my hands like a crazy person whilst simultaneously craving rhubarb crisp.  Seeing as I now have rhubarb on my shopping list, I think this little addiction might be bad for my postpartum weight loss plan.  Butter-laden crisp does not do wonders for one's muffin top. :p

3)  Speaking of postpartum muffin-top abuses, I have continued to crave sweets like crazy, although my little guy is now 5 weeks old.  Isn't that odd?!  I don't recall having lasting sweets cravings with past post-pregnancies.  My weakness is dark chocolate and mint combinations.  At least Christmas is over-- when all of those deliciously evil dark chocolate minty barks were all over the store shelves!  I have a much easier time resisting peeps and cream eggs!

4)  During the middle-of-the-night feedings I've been watching Frasier re-runs to keep my eyelids from drooping shut.  It's one of those shows I never watched back when it aired, and it is funny!  Since I've been watching it so much I've been seeing all these scenes where the characters are chatting away in a coffee shop.  All of these coffee-house scenes are making me crave snooty high-brow over-priced deluxe coffee complete with a size in Italian and foam on top.  I was telling Kevin about it, and he suggested I just break down and buy one to get it out of my system.  So I indulged in a Cinnamon Dolce Latte from Starbucks last weekend and--YUM!!  Unfortunately my indulgence has had the opposite effect and now all I can think of (aside from minty chocolate, that is!) is when I can get another!  Just what I need--another muffin-top enabler!

5)  Another thing I've been loving (Thank God this one isn't edible!!  I don't think I could handle any more cravings!) are Aden + Anais swaddlers.  These things are AWESOME!  I am all about the over-sized swaddling blankets and these ones deliver!  They are huge!  And the best part is that they're light-weight so babies won't overheat.  If you happen to have a baby and are in the market for a decent swaddler, check these out!  I wish I had known about them with my past babies!

happily swaddled!

6) On the topic of baby products, I broke down and picked up the famed  Sophie the Giraffe teether.  I had heard this thing was the king of all teethers, so we shall see!  I have never in all my life plunked down so much on a measly piece of rubber, so I'm hoping it'll be worth all the hype!  Has anyone ever used one? 

7)  I'm in the market for some books/materials to freshen up our religious homeschool studies.  As our core book, we've been using Jesus Our Life, along with a few other supplimental books, but I'm feeling like we could use a change of pace to liven things up a bit.  Any suggestions for the 5-7ish age range would be very welcome!

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Conversion Diary

7 Quick Takes

1.  I watched the History channel's Hatfields & McCoys mini-series this past week.  Did anyone else tune in?  I really enjoyed it--makes for good food for thought.  I'm amazed by how hatred can brew and fester through multiple generations.  What started out as some bad feeling between 2 families turned into all-out war.  It reminded me of modern day gang mentality--how people can hate each other based on something so contrived as the name of the gang with which they're associated.  It's chilling to think of how we're able to dehumanize individuals like this--assigning value based solely on a name.  There are some definite lessons to be learned here on the necessity of forgiveness and the danger of assessing individuals based on superficial labels.  Good stuff to chew on!

2.  On a far less contemplative note, we've been loving the summer weather here!  We've washed off all the patio furniture, eaten outside, even busted out the sprinkler pad!  I'm always struck by how quickly it seems to change from Spring to summer! (Especially as homeschoolers since all core academics come to a screeching halt the moment the gorgeous 80 degree not-a-cloud-in-the-sky days arrive!  My justification for this is ehhh...who wants to sit at the table doing math when we could be having a picnic instead?! I'm teaching my kids awesome lessons in perseverance, I know! ;) Note to self: work on instilling perseverance, um...this Fall!

3.  My son, Luke, lost his first tooth yesterday!  This is a BIG DEAL in our house, since he's my oldest.  It's our very first tooth-losing experience in our household!  Since I can't seem to ever reign myself in and keep things simple I came up with this elaborate treasure hunt complete with cryptic clues leading to his hidden loot.  It started with a note under his pillow, had him searching all over the house, eventually leading to a concealed box stealthily lurking amidst our shoes. So much fun!  But now I've realized I've set the bar ridiculously high for future tooth-losing experiences!  And doing the math of 20 baby teeth times at least 3 kids...what have I done???  (Note to self: Explain to kids that the big hoopla is only for the FIRST lost tooth only!  Next time it's loose change under the pillow!!)


4.  More progress on the potty training front!  My daughter, Megan, has only had one accident in the past week and, as of yesterday, even pooped on the potty!  Success!!  It's a week of epic achievements in our house this week! (Yeah, I know--I probably need to get out more if I'm considering the normal bodily functions of my children "epic" in any way.  Duly noted.)


5.  Since we'll be on vacation the next couple of weeks I've made it my self-imposed challenge to try and use up every last shred of food in our house so as to avoid grocery shopping and the icky nastiness of the old food in the fridge upon our return!)  I've deluded myself into thinking I'm some hard core reality show contestant brilliantly concocting both delicious as well as nutritious meals for my children, but at this late stage in the game it's getting pretty thin on both the "delicious" and "nutritious." Last night it was frozen tortellini and stale raisins for dinner.  Yeah.  Absolutely 0 points for me on that one.  I think I'm definitely getting voted off by the tribal council this week!!

6.  I realized that I started out on a high note with these quick takes, actually saying something somewhat meaningful and contemplative and have subsequently trailed off into the completely inane.  Such is the way of my brain--I really only have one or two worthwhile things to say and then it's all downhill from there!  That's why I could never be one of those savvy whip-smart bloggers who cranks out something completely brilliant every single day.  About once every 2 weeks I'd have a really great post if I could manage it and the rest of the days would be a bunch of mindless drivel about summer wardrobe woes and the absolutely ordinary accomplishments of my children! :p


7.  Since we'll be away on vacation I won't be around these here parts too much over the next couple of weeks.  I'm hoping that will mean I might actually have 2 or...perhaps even 3 meaningful things to say upon my return! :)  And if not, you can at least expect 2 weeks worth of mindless drivel that's been compiling in my brain while I enjoy the fun and sun of the Outer Banks with my kiddos.  I know, I know, try to contain your enthusiasm for that.  If you're lucky I might even throw in a picture or two of my kids doing something really brilliantly innovative--like eating.  Or breathing.  Because, you know, they rock at those things and the world needs to know it. :)

Megan thoroughly enjoying the beach sand on our trip last summer. (Can't believe how much she's grown since last year!)

Have a great weekend everyone!

shared with:

Conversion Diary

7 Quick Takes

1.  I recently did some reading on the history of the Sign of the Cross and discovered that touching the left and right shoulders (as we pray 'Holy Spirit') represent the crucifixion (left=darkness) and resurrection (right= light, Christ seated at right hand) respectively.  As a "cradle Catholic" who has been making the Sign of the Cross for as long as I can remember, I feel really silly for never having known this!   I also read that beginning with 'The Father' on our forehead and lowering our hand to our breast as we say 'The Son' we physically represent the Father coming down for us--another thing I had never thought about!  And just to fully expose the extent of my cross-making ignorance--our 5 fingers facing upward represent the 5 wounds of Christ.  Again, had NO idea about that.  But this is totally awesome, and I will be thinking about this every time I make the sign of the cross in the future!  Color me informed. ;)

 photo source

2.  Inspired by this (seemingly!) simple chore chart over at Everyday Snapshots, I am working on my own version to ruthlessly enforce in the name of free labor   err...encourage my children to use!  The trouble is that I am hopelessly inconsistent when it comes to enforcing chores on a regular basis, so I feel the need to come up with a monetary denomination per chore that will actually allow the kids to save up more than 20 cents per month!  My other problem is that some chores (e.g. vacuuming) seem much longer than others (e.g. making bed), so to give the same amount for all of these things seems a little unfair to me.  So, who knows--I'll give it a whirl and just see! (And yes, I'm realize I'm probably putting waaaay too much thought into this.  Such is the way of my brain.  If I haven't managed to reign in the over-thinking in my 34 years here, then I'm probably stuck with it for life.)




3.  I feel exceedingly blessed to have had 3 wonderfully amazing conversations with 3 of my most favorite people in the whole world all in the course of the same week!  This NEVER happens!  Just feeling all warm and huggy inside at the amazingness of that. :)  If you haven't seen an old friend in awhile go call them/email them/text them and figure out a time to hang out.  Right now.  You won't regret it!

(Yes, this flower picture really has absolutely nothing to do with the text above, but I just thought it was puurty.  And I was a tad proud of snapping it with my plain old no frills point and shoot! *patting self on back.*)

4.  I'm in desperate need of finding a good "de-frizzing" hair product (is "de-frizzing" even a word?  The spell check doesn't seem to think so and I don't blame it one bit!) after a solid week of humidity here in Connecticut.  My hair is a puffy, fluffy, scraggly poof-bomb (now I know 'poof-bomb' is NOT a word.  I'm just goin' with it anyway) of badness.  Help me, please!!  I'd love your recommendations for thin ultra-fine hair that, under normal circumstances is straight!  (And, if you can throw me a bone here, Mother Nature, and send a little dry weather my way, I sure wouldn't mind!)

(not even the slightest exaggeration here!)

5.  My husband won a contest at a local hotdog joint for free dinner for 2 at an upscale steak house this weekend.  Woohoo!  And yes, the irony of a restaurant offering a prize of dinner at a different restaurant was not lost on us!  So funny!  But, heck, I'd rather eat a big ol' juicy hunk of fillet over a hotdog any day, and apparently the owner of the hotdog joint would, too!  The even funnier thing about the prize is that we're having dinner WITH THE OWNER of the hotdog joint!  Ummmm, a little awkward considering that Kevin and I are both fairly introverted and not so great at making small talk, but hey...pass up free steak?  No way!!  (But I do hope there's a glass of wine included! LOL!)

 mmmmmmmmmmm, steak. :)

6.  As I've mentioned in the past I have a slight problem when it comes to finishing books before starting on new ones.  I just can't seem to control myself when it comes to the allure of a new title I'm dying to dive into.  I've made absolutely NO progress in this area, as I've now added 2 more books to the mix: The Five Love Languages of Children and The Jesuit Guide to (Almost) Everything.  I think my night stand my up and go on strike if I don't stop heaping more and more books on it!  But on a positive note I'm enjoying both so far!

7.  I've (finally!) bitten the proverbial bullet and started potty training my daughter (she'll be 3 in the Fall and I try to make sure my kiddos are trained up before they hit the 3 mark if possible!).  It's day 4 and she's doing great so far.  She seems to really have gotten the hang of keeping her pull-up dry over the past 2 days.  (But no real success on the um, "other end" just yet.)  Can I possibly be so lucky as to train her in less than a week?!  I'm too scared to trust that that could possibly ever actually be true.  So I'm holding onto cautious optimism at this point.  But so far this is really. pretty. awesome.

So all in all it's been a good week (humidity and Medusa hair notwithstanding!)!  Hope all of your weekend wanderings are great!  Have a lovely Memorial Day weekend everybody!