Sept QT in September

1)

Joining Jen and so excited that Edel will be in South Carolina in 2015!  I mean, I don't know where the money is going to come from to buy a plane ticket, reserve a hotel room and pay for the Edel ticket, but God can do the impossible!

Gotta love the South!

2)

After my post about my postpartum hairloss, a few of you gave some advice that I should get my thyroid tested.  Then I went to the hairdresser to get a bob, and upon seeing the sad state of my thinning hair, she said the same thing.  So I called my doctor's office who set me up for the blood work right away and the tests came back this week that my thyroid levels are fine.  I guess this 6th postpartum stage is just not very kind to my follicles.  I would hate to see what would happen after a seventh bambino!

3)

This made me so happy this week:

Did you know Meghan Trainor is from Nantucket, an island off of Cape Cod where I grew up?  So we're kinda like besties but she doesn't know it.  Like a one-sided stalker bestie.

4)

The baby is teething like it's his full-time job, and Phil has been doing the night-time wakeups, bless his heart.  I need to go on weekend duty to give that man a break.  I just don't do sleep loss as well as he does. 

5)

Related to #4: Sleep is my favorite.

6)

Birthday season is coming up fast in our house.  Next week, Eamon turns 8, a week later, Andrew turns 10, and a week after that Phil turns 34.  I'm exhausted just typing that!  Me + Amazon Prime = BFF.

7)

And that's that.  Have a great football watching - summer weather - weekend everyone!

Detachment Parenting

Up until this point in my vocation as a mom, I have been practicing what I like to call “detachment parenting”.  Detachment parenting is pretty much what you would expect it to be – the opposite of attachment parenting to a baby.  The opposite of being a helicopter mom to a child.  On a good day, it’s trying to encourage my kids to be independent and take care of things on their own and not look to Mom or Dad for help in every area of life.  On a bad day, my laziness and selfishness can be easily masked beneath this style of parenting.

I was able to grow up in a house with lots of siblings who were expected to be responsible and be self-motivated.  I don’t know if that came hand-in-hand with being part of a big family, or having a family business, or if my parents just forgot about us and we were left to fend for ourselves… just kidding, Mom and Dad, you were the greatest!  I can honestly never once remember my parents having to check on my schoolwork, make my breakfast or lunch, or remind me what days and times I had ice-skating or violin lessons.  I was organized and determined and didn’t need any help from anybody.  I had a checking account at age 12, made my own money babysitting and working in the ice cream store, did well in school, went off to college and grad school, got married and started having kids of my own.  And I was going to raise those kids just as I had been raised – independent and responsible.

Heeheehee, my current self is laughing at my past self.

But, for awhile it worked!  For a loooong while, in fact!  I taught those babies to sleep in their own space and self-soothe, toddlers were expected to clean up after themselves, school-aged kids needed to get their own clothes and backpacks ready.  I never checked homework unless a teacher required a signature.  The kids got good grades and I didn’t have to worry.  They had chores to do and sports to practice and masses to serve, and they were able to get it all done with relative ease.

Until this year.

I’m not sure if it was the transition to the new school, a new baby in the mix, the fact that my oldest is in middle school, or the integration of technology between the classroom and home, but whoa nelly we’ve been doing a lot more hands-on parenting this year.  Which is tough since our 5 month old and wild toddler still very much need those hands.

Last night I was working with my 6^th grade son for an hour and a half while he was doing homework.  I was looking up assignments on the teacher’s webpages and setting him up on our home computer so he could research for an essay to be written on his google drive.  I went shopping for a Spanish to English dictionary and more pens that he suddenly needed at the last minute.  I spent an hour having a parent meeting with my husband after that child went to sleep, determining new rules for accountability and consequences for bad grades and incomplete assignments.  We have a child that needs us to be on top of him at the moment.  We have a child that needs help in getting organized and learning study skills.  We have a child that needs to learn that there is no play time until all the schoolwork gets done.  We have a child that needs discipline and structure until they can learn to work on their own. 

I never thought I would have a child like this.  Isn’t that so prideful and naïve of me? God threw me a curveball this year, and has caused my laid back detachment parenting style to go out the window for the time being.  He’s an amazingly talented and good boy who is just struggling with all the changes in his life.  I hope this is simply a turning point where he needs help to get on track and we can eventually go back to being more hands-off, but for now we are going to help him any way we can.  After all, whether we practice attachment parenting or detachment parenting, the key word is parenting, and we’ll gladly change our pre-set philosophies to suit our child’s needs.  It’s going to be a challenging year and we all have a lot of growing up to do, but he's so worth it.  

A Daybook

Outside my window...

...sunny and crisp.  It's definitely feeling like the Fall, which is my most favorite season ever!  We forgot to close a couple windows last night, and were freezing this morning as it was in the forties, brrrr.  

I am thinking...

....of running another half-marathon.  But not until March which means I can procrastinate on the training for a few more months.  I keep thinking I'm not able to work out hard because "I just had a baby!" but that baby is 5 months now and I ran my last half-marathon when Alexander was 7 months.  So no excuses.

March 2012

I am thankful for...

...the kids all seem to be settling into their new school very well.  Alexander loves his teachers and talks about them all the time (one of his teachers is really beautiful and wears dresses and high heels and he thinks she is soooo pretty).  This year, all the kids get free breakfast and lunch at school (thanks to a government program) and so I'm thankful that our grocery bills are declining and we don't have to make breakfast in the morning.

From the kitchen...

...Ummm, I'd have to leave work and see if my imaginary wife was home cooking anything delicious.  But since she's kinda lazy, we'll be having stuffed chicken and salad tonight.  No dessert because I overate all weekend long!!

I am wearing...

...Maternity navy blue cords (not pregnant), a white tank top and a navy and white cardigan.  My hair is also chopped in a bob above my shoulders and my face is wearing some noticeable bags from last night.

I am creating...

...simple meal plans on my Google calendar each week.  We have soccer practices three afternoons a week, and are struggling to get healthy and fast dinners on the table.  

A little planning and nighttime cooking (for the next day) are going to help me out big time.

I am going...

...to start going to Adoration for an hour once a week.  I know my head thinks I am too busy for this, but my heart and soul NEED it.  Plus I always find that if you make time for prayer and Mass, you somehow get more accomplished each day.  It's the graces, baby.

I am reading...

...nothing.  I have to read A Mother's Rule of Life that Sophia Institute Press sent to me for review, so I need to make some time for that at night before I crash hard.

I am hoping...

...that Declan sleeps better tonight!  We moved him into a crib in Alexander's room, but last night was a disaster.  he peed through his pajamas, woke up about 4 times, ate once, and woke up Alexander with his fussing.  We will buy some nighttime diapers and hope that helps.

I am hearing...

...sweet sweet silence.

Around the house...

...So not only did we set up the crib and put the little boys in one bedroom together, but we moved Maggie out to the open hallway to create a bedroom for her.  She has a queen bed and dresser and we need to hang curtains to divide her bedroom from the hallway.  I'll show photos when it's finished.  As Phil was setting up the crib for the 6th time, he said how happy he was to be getting it out again, and I told him that my body and that crib were on it's last legs, so not to get any ideas :)

But he's so cuuuute!!

One of my favorite things...

...a chocolate pumpkin bread recipe my friend gave me.  Oh boy is it delicious!  Come over and I;ll bake you some :)

A few plans for the rest of the week:

~ 4 Soccer practices

~ 4 Soccer games

~ Family Fun Night at the kid's school

~ A weight check and shots for Declan (He was 14.45 pounds at 5 months)

~ Middle school youth group for John-Paul

Here is picture for thought I am sharing:

Apple Picking 2013, because it's almost time again!!

Happy Monday!

Deep and Shallow Thoughts

I think September and May must be the busiest months of the year when you have school aged children.  We are barely keeping afloat over in the Martin House, but I know it's like that in all your houses too!  Here's some things that have been on my mind lately...

~ We have a guy that dresses like Jesus and walks around our town.  Here he is:

I'm not sure what his deal is, but all I know that every time I go for a run and I see him on the street, I turn and run the opposite way.  And then I think WWJD?  And I decided that Jesus would probably tell me to run away too.  It's scary being a female runner when there are people roaming the street!

~ When Phil and I started having kids, we decided we would be super strict on two issues.  The first being naps and bedtimes, and the second being limiting screen time.  When I was home with the kids the tv was never on unless it was their designated half hour show time.  We were so good about that rule!  Ugh, now we are old and lazy and have definitely let Alexander have way more screen time than the other kids.  The kid can win levels on Super Mario on the Nintendo DS.  And he just turned three!  Impressive but embarrassing.  When we pick him up from school he starts asking to play video games, when he wakes up in he morning he asks for a show, it's 24/7 nonstop begging for screens. 

 I'm not sure what to do...go cold turkey?  Can I retrain his brain into not wanting the glow of the screen all the time?  (At least the sleep rules are still in place!)

~ I need a new Miraculous Medal.  I had a beautiful little gold one that I loved but have somehow lost, and am looking around to replace it.  I don't want anything too big, it has to be gold, and I would even take a bracelet instead of a necklace if I couldn't find the perfect necklace.  Does anyone know of a good shop or website?

~ I'm getting a haircut tomorrow!  This is exciting since it happens about once a year.  But, I have been losing hair postpartum like crazy since the birth of DK.

We have the same hairline now.

Phil was vacuuming a couple weeks ago (I know, he stole my favorite chore, the nerve!) and decided to clean out the bottom of the vacuum because it wasn't sucking as well as a Dyson should.  This is what he cut out:

And texted it to me saying that at least he could make me a wig.  Guys, I might need a wig, it's falling out like it's never fallen out before!  It seems to get worse after each baby, even though I take Biotin everyday.  Here's some horrifying proof:

So what kind of haircut should I get to help hide this?  Maybe this one?  Or should I just start saving my money for a good wig?

~ And finally, one last photo of my firstborn, enjoying a treat he's been asking to try for two years now!  We finally found a restaurant that served Fried Ice Cream!!

Ask and you shall receive two years later.

OK that's enough over sharing for today, see ya in the comment box :)

7 Takes Quickly

Joining Jen and the Gang because it's Fuhrhidayyyyy!!

1)

I read somewhere online that you can take the bottom part of lettuce that you would normally toss, and place it in a cup of water, and new lettuce will grow.  So I tried it, and guess what?  New lettuce is growing!!  It's been a couple weeks and this is all I got, but I think that's due to lack of sunlight in my house.

I was so excited to show Phil my lettuce that I was growing because I'm such a wonderful homemaker (not), and he looked at the limpy and wimpy leaves and replied "I'll just buy you new lettuce."

2)

Declan is 5 months!  He had such an unusual night last night.  He woke up a few times, and ate twice, which I can't ever remember him doing after 6 weeks old.  He went through quite a long spell of sleeping through the night, and then started waking up once a night (which I loved so I could fatten him up with an extra feeding) so we have been really spoiled by this ridiculously cute and easy baby boy.  He does have two bottom teeth coming in, so maybe I'll chalk it up to that.

3)

All of the big kids are in school (I use that term loosely as it includes 3 year old Xander) and seem to be doing great with the new school and making new friends.  J-P has mentioned missing his old friends and is a little on the shy side, so he will take the longest to adjust, I think.  Alexander seems to be having the time of his life in preschool, and then completely melts down when we bring him home.  Poor guy is exhausted and has been going to bed at 6:30 without any fuss at all.

4)

Can somebody please remind me next summer when I go to sign up all the kids for soccer that it's JUST TOO MUCH!!  Oh my gosh, we haven't even had the first weekend games yet and I'm already over it.  

Mother of the Year.

5)

This Saturday is the First Saturday of the month, and our parish is starting a new group called Fatima Families to help spread the message and devotion to Our Lady of Fatima.  Our Lady promised that anyone who went to Mass on five consecutive First Saturdays, said the Rosary, went to Confession, and meditated on the mysteries of the Rosary for 15 minutes would have Her with them at the hour of death with all the graces necessary for salvation!  What an amazing promise!  And we know it's true because the apparition is approved.  I don't know about you, bit I'm kinda really scared to die, so knowing Our Lady will be there with me at the moment would be such a huge relief.

6)

We celebrated the September birthdays in the family over Labor Day weekend.  

We've got quite a few of the next generation born during this month, and then October is the second busiest birthday month for my side of the family.  Must have something to do with it being around 9 months after Christmas ;)

7)

Some of my book club members went out a few weeks ago to celebrate the end of summer and finish up the last chapter of our summer book, Momnipotent by Danielle Bean.  It was a great book, we had great discussions, and a lot of fun on our night out.

Moms Gone Wild :)

Have an awesome September weekend!

So That Happened

Today Alexander started school!  He turned three at the end of July and began preschool at our parish school today.  This morning didn't start until 9 am so that the little preschoolers could start their day without all the big kids around.  I went into work late to be able to bring him in, and it was a very.long.morning!  He was so excited to go!  He watched me do a workout video and encouraged me with words like "No, you're doing it wrong!  Why you not jumping high like them? When I was an adult I did this better than you.  Why you getting so sweaty?"  Yeah, school couldn't start early enough ;)

Is it time for school yet?  Can we go yet?  Can I play with the kids already?

Once inside the school gym/cafe/auditorium (gotta love Catholic schools!) he ran around and found some friends as we waited for the teachers to call his class. 

The "Small Wonders" class was called, and all the little 3 year olds lined up for their big day!  

The teachers said it was time to go to the classroom, and Alexander grabbed the hand of his buddy, Sean, and off they marched.  No tears, no drama, just ready to go!

I was a little more emotional than I thought I would be watching my 5th child start school, but it's great when they are so ready for the adventure that awaits them that they are not even sad to leave.  

Five down, one to go...

Just kidding Declan, you're only 5 months today, you've got another three years!