The Break of Spring

Otherwise known as Spring Break.

Otherwise known as April Vacation.

I just love this break from school and work!  The weather is historically nice, and everyone needs a break from the hard work of March and the diseases being spread around the schools.  Blech, open the window, bleach all the things and see ya in a week.  This year was especially nice because we were let out on Holy Thursday as a half day and didn't have to return until today, 11 days later.  If we didn't have a baby, we would have planned a long trip somewhere.  But alas, this guy keeps us close to home and is back to his up-at-night antics once again.  I'm so sad we can't shove his chubby self into the Magic Sleepsuit anymore.

The week started out wonderfully, as the weather was sunny and warm, and I was able to go for a run with Phil each morning while the baby napped, and then we continued to play outside at the park and walk the dog, and I racked up so many steps on my Fitbit from Monday through Wednesday.

Then on Thursday, my sister and I left for Philadelphia for my Uncle Tom's funeral.  She took her three kids, and I took three of mine - Andrew, Eamon, and Maggie.  John-Paul was visiting our alma mater, Franciscan University with his cousin's family and had a grand old time:

He got his braces off this week too!  So grown up :(

We asked him why he bought an alumni sweatshirt, and he said because it was the most comfortable.  (I'm not sure he knew what alumni meant!)  

Anyway, the Philadelphia van headed out on Thursday morning and headed straight into the city to sight see a bit:

A Bright and Sunny Easter 2017

But first...

Good Friday traditional Dove Nests breakfast:

Then we cleaned and I performed 5 haircuts during the time Jesus hung on the cross...very fitting!

Good Saturday was a laid back day, and we very much felt like we were just waiting for His Resurrection.

Finally, this morning...EASTER!! 

We'll Be That Crazy Family

You know you all have a family that you think of when your own family seems out of control, and you think "Well, at least we're not as crazy as so and so.  They have 10 kids!  They wear sandals in winter!  They eat fast food once  a week! {Insert other judgmental stereotypes here}"

For me personally, it always made me feel a little better when someone is shocked by MY family size to say that I know other families with EVEN MORE kids.  I was talking to a guy who goes to the same parish as me, and has three little ones.  He told me that he came from a family of 11 kids.  ELEVEN, I exclaimed??  That's awesome!  And crazy!!  And he looked at my seven darlings and said, "Well, yeah, but I wasn't the one having that many!"  Oh right, between the two of us, I'm the crazy one.

That family that will bathe kids together for as long as possible...that's us.

I realized that somehow, year by year, child by child, we have become that large, loud, chaotic family that I used to compare my little family to.  We are that crazy family for other families now.  How embarrassing on some levels, I mean how did we get here exactly?  It seems like just yesterday I was buying treats in a four pack for my kids and now I either have to buy a six pack and leave Brendan out of the treat or an eight pack and have one extra.  We're the crazy now.

(Baby) Mother Runner: Getting Started

This post goes out to all the slightly out-of-shape, slightly chubby, slightly ready to change their body but not willing to do anything crazy, mommies in the e-house.

I titled this post (Baby) Mother Runner because even though I am a mother and runner, I am such an amateur about the whole thing.  I'm not running any marathons while qualifying for Boston (that would be her), I'm not pushing two kids in a jogger stroller while running super fast (that would be her) and I'm definitely not looking like a model while I run (that would be her.)

That's more like it.

I am a working mom who has barely any time to herself, but loves to eat, and needs to exercise for mental health and also for my high cholesterol.  My exercise of choice is running because it is the quickest and cheapest way to burn calories and get my heart racing.  The endorphin high I get after a run outside is incomparable to all other fun things in life.  It's addictive and I'm hooked.  But all things in moderation, including moderation.

So I wanted to share some tips and tricks to get you motivated for running outdoors in some gorgeous Spring weather (I heard it's coming but have yet to see it).  Here we go...

When it Rains, it Pours

It's been a rainy week, both literally and figuratively.  I don't want to be a Debbie Downer, but there's been a lot of little things that have added up into big things that have made these past few days very Lenten.  

Have I told you all about the accident that Phil got into?  He's ok, the other driver is ok, and Brendan (the only passenger) is ok.  Thanks be to God for that!  Anyway, long story short, Phil made a (legal) U-Turn in the street, but because his van is so big, he ended up needing to make a 3 Point Turn (illegal?) to get himself all the way turned around.  A car that was totally far enough away when he started this process ended up crashing into him.  The driver was obviously not paying attention (phone?) and got out of the car, all shaken up and extremely apologetic.  They exchanged info and went home.  Later that night a police officer called Phil because the other driver had gone to the hospital to be checked out upon the urging of his wife.  He was fine, but this opened a police case.  Blah blah blah lots of talking to insurance companies and paperwork and $1500 worth of work later and Phil's van is fixed.  We are still waiting to hear which driver is charged with being at fault so that we can possibly get our deductible back.

My Sweetest Ever Baby Turns Three

Well today my baby, Declan Kolbe, turned three.  Wait a minute, Colleen, don't you have an actual baby?  Yes I do, but he's Phil's baby ;)  Once they are toddling around, they are my favorite age and I can't get enough until they turn 5.  Wink again.  Sorta.  

So back to the birthday boy, the little surprise baby whom I was fairly certain was a Felicity Grace but arrived ten days late and with a different gender than I thought I wanted but never knew how much I needed.

Oh Declan, you sweet thing, I would have waited an eternity for you.  

After Mass, we celebrated with some birthday donuts, and I asked him his age...

Nope.

That's better.

We are all enamored with him, he's just such a happy, polite, sweet as cake little boy.  I don't think any of my children have been cut quite like him.  Maggie came down wearing a dress for Mass this morning and he exclaimed, breathless, "Maggie, you're a princess!", then he proceeded to bow to her.

I mean, sigh.