Thankful Thursday

As the school year draws to a close, and Mr. Martin "the teacher" will become Mr. Martin "the stay-at-home-dad", I realize how much I will miss seeing him at work. 

When I took this job at the beginning of the school year, everybody would comment to me about how they could never work with their husband, that they would just kill each other.  I would always reply that we thought it would be fun, and we wouldn't see each other too much anyways.  Besides, my parents worked together in the ice cream shop for 20 years and loved it!

At school, Phil is always teaching or in his department chair office, and in his free time he is usually found in the Campus Ministry room, discussing theology with faculty and students (Catholic nerd, that he is!).  I am pretty much in my office every minute of every day (I even have a bathroom in here!) and so we rarely catch a glimpse of one another unless it's planned. 

However, just knowing that he is around, and eating lunch with him a few times a week has been wonderful.    He always tries to take the path that goes by my door, and my heart still skips a beat when he walks by my office and we smile at one another. He likes that I have gotten to know his co-workers and we can attend school events together (Masses, graduation, prom, orientations, etc).  He says I've upped his cool factor ;) 

I am so thankful to work at such a great school, with nice people and strong values, and especially with my husband by my side.  God is good!

Wordless Wednesday: What We'll Be Grilling All Summer (Because the kids and men can't tell the difference!)

Weekend Update

Friday Night: PROM!  

Phil and I got fancied up... 

...my parents came over to babysit, and we headed to the high school where we work to board the buses with the seniors and their dates...

 ...and off to the New England Aquarium we went!

Myrtle the Turtle above, and her much smaller friend below

It was really cool having the Prom at the Aquarium.  The dinner tables were set up all around the penguin and fish exhibits, and then the dancing (if you can call what they did "dancing" - I'll have to write more about that later) was held outside in a tent by the water.

In exciting news, two of the penguins were, ummm, procreating while people were trying to eat.

In other exciting news, they served us clam chowder.  Seafood at an aquarium?  That's a new low!  I chose the butternut squash bisque instead.

Here are some of our coworkers and lucky prom chaperones with us:

We got home around 12:30, the students went back to the high school for an amazing all-night after prom party, and Phil and I went home and crashed into bed around 1 am.  Can you guess what time the kids woke up?  Yup, 5:30!!

I took this video of Xander while laying on the couch pretending to be an attentive parent:

Since my two preschoolers are *almost* done with their school year, I decided to take each of them to do something special.  Maggie and I went to get our nails done:

(One more picture over at Snapshots from a Sunday)

And then Eamon and I went to Target, where he got to pick out a new Skylander guy.  He picked Chop Chop (whatever that is?!?!?)  Of course, to negate my being a good mother and giving each of my littles some individual time, I neglected to take a picture of my time spent with Eamon.  Sigh.  So I'll just give you a random semi-recent picture of him instead:

On Monday, we celebrated Memorial Day by watching the parade pass right in front of our house, but first passed the time by playing with cousins in the backyard:

These munchkins ate way too many Dunkin Donut Munchkins:

Gettin' ready:

OK, to see us all together makes me realize why people make such a fuss over us wherever we go.  Are they all mine????? Yes, thanks be to God!

My oldest most mature sister and her cherubs (I keep trying to steal her youngest!!):

After cheering and thanking all the men and women who have sacrificed their lives for us (whether or not they returned home) we headed to a barbecue with more family members.  

And then after that wonderfully busy and not at all relaxing weekend,  we fell asleep on the couch at 8:30 pm.

(Just like every other night!)

7 Quick Takes Friday

1) For our ten year anniversary, I walked into my office at work and found this waiting for me:

I am such a sucker for these cards with little kid's dressed in old-timey adult clothing.  Strange, no?

2) More importantly was what was written inside the card.  I'm not sharing the lovey dovey parts, but at the bottom Phil wrote:

P.S. PROM???

And so I've finally been asked to Prom!  We are going tonight (as chaperones).

3) Somebody learned how to pull himself up this week:

Look how proud he is of his new trick! 

And then he realized he could eat the yummies off the dirty silverplasticware....score!

4) Phil's final three grad classes for his second Master's (in Administration) have started already.  So he's been found here more often than not sitting in front of his computer being all scholarly and stuff:

5) I watched Forks Over Knives this week, and LOVED it.  If I weren't married with children, I would totally eat like this documentary suggested.  Except I may not ever be able to give up cheese, eggs or yogurt.  So maybe I could follow it 80%.  There is a new cookbook coming out this summer, which I would love to get.  Hint to the hint hint squared.

6) We also watched Being Elmo, which is the documentary about the puppeteer who is/does/acts/plays Elmo.  It was very interesting and inspiring to learn about his story.  I love me some documentaries, and we just got Netflix for the summer so I can watch to my little heart's content.  Does anyone have any good ones to recommend?

7) TGIF!!  I am so excited for Prom and a looooong weekend filled with cookouts and parades and family time!

Have a wonderful Memorial Day weekend everyone!

Oh Duh! Moments

You all know what an Aha! Moment is, right?  I believe it was Oprah that coined that term, or at least made it famous.  I'm not saying that I used to watch Oprah (but I'm, also not saying I didn't sometimes sneak a peek) and although 82.4% of the things she said made me cringe, I always liked it when she had an Aha! Moment. 

It would happen when her guest was saying something in a way Oprah had never thought about, and light would dawn on marble head, the Heavens would open, the choirs of angels would sing and Oprah would exclaim AHA!!  And the crowd would go wild.

Now, I have definitely had my Aha! moments, but more often than those come my Oh Duh! Moments.  These occur at times when something I already knew or should have known suddenly becomes clear, and the Heavens open so God can smack me on the head while the angels snicker in disbelief over my stupidity. 

This morning my Oh Duh! Moment came about when I put together an outfit that I wasn't too sold on (khaki pencil skirt, colorful ruffled tank top and white shrug) and asked Phil how I looked.  The kids were all sitting around the kitchen eating breakfast and it was like time stood still. 

They all looked over at my outfit, then at their dad while they awaited his response.  "Good", he said, "You look good".   (Not "great", but better than "fine".  I kept it on.)

The kids went back to their eating, time sped up, and I realized just how much my boys learn from their father how to treat the women in their life, and how my daughter will expect to be treated by her future man. 

The way Phil and I interact with each other is more than just passing conversation.  We have little ears and eyes on us all the time (even when we think they are oblivious) and need to model our behavior so that our children grow up to be good people.  To do that, we need to be good people, nice people, spiritual people, kind people, loving people, strong people, faithful people, intelligent people, athletic people, fill in the adjective to whatever kind of people you want your kids to grow up to be! 

It's what I knew would happen when we became parents, and yet I didn't realize it was actually happening.  Oh duh! 

In my Front Yard

OK, that's not my home or my front yard or even the sign in my front yard.

BUT!

We do have a for sale sign in our yard, and our house is officially on the market.  I couldn't show you the real sign because it says our realtor's name on it, and then you could google him, and see the homes on his website, and look up our house by various subconscious clues I've given you as to the area in which we live, and then come knock on my door, and......bring me cookies. 

And we all know I'm on a diet.  So I'll keep our exact whereabouts to myself, thank you!

What $234 Looks Like

7 Quick Takes Friday: Seven of My Best Purchases

1) My baby that helps me clean the house.

2) The best computer we've ever owned.

3) Our weekend treats.

4) These have lasted forever.

5) This turns my house into a home (ok, I don't have that exact one, but it sure is cute!).

6) I use this every day, and stock up whenever it's on sale, it's my signature scent.

7) This is the only way we can watch tv in peace, after the kids are asleep.

How about you?  

Have a beautiful weekend y'all!!

The Big One Oh

Ten years ago today, I was rushing around completing all the finishing touches at the church:

and reception:

.  I was stressed out, nervous to be "on display" all day, and worried that I was forgetting something. 

There was one fact that didn't have me feeling any anxiety or nerves at all.  And that was knowing for sure I was marrying my soul mate, my best friend, and the (future) father of my children.  There was not one doubt in my mind that God had sent me the perfect spouse and we were ready to be married and start our family.  

We vowed to be faithful to each other and accept children lovingly and sealed it with a kiss:

In the limo on the way to the reception.  We were officially married then!

Taking pictures on the beach (Cape Cod):

Our yummy cake:

The first dance to "It's Your Love" by Tim McGraw and Faith Hill:

I remember thinking in that moment....I can't wait for our honeymoon!!

We stayed overnight on the Cape and then flew to Punta Cana in the Caribbean for a week of wedded bliss.  And you know what?  The bliss has not ended yet!  Ten years, five children, nine homes,  many degrees, a few jobs, tons of laughs and a couple of tears later...and we are more than ever in love.  Thanks be to God!

So my Philip, whose love I don't deserve but cherish every day, to you I say:

Happy Anniversary!

H is for your Handsome looks that knock me off my feet,

A is for your Attentiveness, my needs you always meet.

P is for your piety that shows in quiet ways,

P is for how you've Provided each and every day.

Y is being a Young dad in not just age but energy,

A is for Adoring babies, even those who made me weary.

N is for those Nightly wake-up calls you take without hesitation,

N is for Never wavering in your love and dedication.

I is for your Intelligence and prudence in all decision making,

V is for your Virility (and the fun procreating)!

E is for how Easy you are to please, no diva-like demands,

R is for Rarely worrying about the future, it's all in God's hands.

S is for Serving us with acts and deeds that go beyond and above,

A is for Asking me on a date, which started this thing called love.

R is for Running after the kids or alongside your wife,

Y is simply for You, the best gift in my life.

I know we had originally planned to go to Hawaii for our Tenth Anniversary, but God had other plans (we named him Alexander) and we'll roll with the punches. 

Besides anywhere with you is just another day in paradise :)