1)
This week was John-Paul's CYO Basketball Awards Banquet. He was so excited to get a plaque AND a trophy for the season. He's such a cute little baller.
His coach said something encouraging about every boy on the team, and said when he thinks about JP (as he likes to be called on his sports teams) he thinks "Effort, effort, effort!"
For being one of the youngest (and sometimes basketball-challenged) members on the team, it was really nice to hear.
The other kids enjoyed the "banquet" part of the night!
2)
I'm back on the WW bandwagon. I love WW philosophy that you can basically eat what you want but not all day long and not in huge portions. My health insurance pays for my WW membership up to $150 so I am going to use it until I reach that point. And just so you know how weak I am when it comes to food, I already have gone over my points every day.
3)
Swimming lessons ended last night. No more views from the nosebleed section, chasing Xander up and down the bleachers. How else will we spend our Thursday nights?
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| JP and Andrew |
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| Maggie |
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| Eamon |
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| Twinsies |
4)
So I've somehow started this new tradition where I take a walk after dinner (or whenever, really) with one or two kids. Usually whoever is my favorite that day (don't even tell me you don't have a daily favorite!) After Eamon's speech appointment on Wednesday, we went for a quick chilly stroll around the block and he picked me dandelions. Every mother's favorite, amiright?
I really wish I had started doing this earlier. First because then I might not need #2 above, and secondly because kids really love one-on-one (or two-on-one) time. Which leads me to ask - how do you give your kids that individual attention?
5)
Today is my husband's Feast Day! He is my real life Saint Philip, if it's possible to hold that title without actually dying, then yup, that's him.
6)
Xander has a major celebrity crush. Her name is Dora. He talks about her all day long, sings her songs, and references Boots and Map like they are his buddies. It's hysterical!
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| Dora, my love. |
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| Xander's slice of Heaven. Chocolate milk, thumb in mouth, and Dora on the tube. |
7)
Oh, I thought of something! Last night I was leaving the gym after a kickboxing class with all the kids (Phil babysits twice a week for my brother's kids). I had Xander on my hip and two others near me and two more up ahead. This lady who is probably 50 and does a lot of the same classes I do stopped me and said "Woah. Three kids?" I laughed and said "Nope. Five." and pointed ahead to the other two. She says soooo loudly "Five kids? What are you, like 17?" I smiled back sheepishly and said "34" and we continued walking out. Now I know I was dressed in a Franciscan shirt and shorts with my hair in a ponytail and acne on my face (at what age does that stop?) but come on. If she had only looked at my tired eyes and wrinkles galore she could have seen I was not 17 and not announced it to everyone around. Phil and I get these comments every.single.time we go anywhere (and we go a lot of places). I don't know if it's because we have so many young kids, or that we had them while we were young, or that we are one of the few families that have more than 4 kids around here. Anyway, I guess I should look at it as a constant call to be a pro-life example in this world. But maybe people could stop being rude about it, just a little? I can take shocked, but not rude.
Have a wonderful weekend full of only nice comments about your family size!
You two DO look like babies. BABIES, I tell you. I'm a little nervous drinking in public with you, since I'm half convinced someone's going to call the cops on me for suppling a minor with alcohol.
ReplyDeleteI will be re-joining WW once this baby is born in July. I lost 20lbs with it in the 5 months between T's birth and this pregnancy. I'm a believer!
ReplyDeleteI have to tell you- a man with long, white hair came up to me at a gas station and said, "Where's the dog?" I said, "what?" And he said- you have a nice, solid car, and three kids... where's the dog?"
ReplyDeleteI should have said, "I don't want a dog!" (because that's true), but I was stunned, just wondering why he said that and what he meant by it for a few minutes, and didn't say a thing.
Love your swimming pics!
ReplyDeleteI knew we were meant to be internet friends, I am 34, still have acne and do WW too! Haha! Whenever I see your picture on here, I always thing: Damn she looks good and after 5 kiddos!! But I do understand the weakness with food. I can't believe your insurance covers it, I will have to check into that. Because I am nursing full time, I get lots of points and plus the 49, so I stay within my limits. I am 10 down in 4 weeks, but I have 10 to go :).
CYO-- you know sahmy's gradpa started that?? They are so famous and such an amazing family. I loved playing cyo. What more could you want than effort, effort effort :).
We do one on one time too with the kids, usually matt or I will take them on a "date" of sorts, to the store, out to breakfast. But I LOVE the idea of taking one on a walk. Genius.
As you can see from the book I just wrote, I really liked your quick takes. You are such a good mom! my boys would LOVE playing with your boys!
I usually don't read through all your comments but saw this one!
DeleteMaz, you're so funny! Grandpa was known for starting GIRL sports in CYO in Indy... not sure about CYO outside of Indy... you crack me up!
I can't believe you both are doing WW - gosh it makes me feel like I need to get on that bandwagon, or at least do something straight away after this baby - although I was hoping not to count calories until a month or so after birth (even though it will be summer). Right now, I'm just looking forward to margaritas and coronas!
Colleen, you are such a good mom and I'm so glad you take those kids with you so many places because you are such a witness to having BIG families!
I get those comments all the time, too. No one believes that I wasn't a teen mom when I had my oldest (18 next month!). Let's just appreciate our awesome gene pools!
ReplyDeleteGood luck to you on the WW; I love that your insurance helps with stuff like that.
ReplyDeleteI didn't start getting pimples until I was in my 40's. Late bloomer here. :)
I'm going to guess people don't really mean to be rude about you having a large family....It's just not as common as it used to be. Surely, she is surprised because you look so darn awesome! Maybe a little jealous too?
We have friends who have five sons. I'm always a bit shocked when we are with them because I could hardly manage my two girls....they are (and you are too) inspirational!
XO
I love WW. That's awesome your insurance is paying for some of it! So far I've lost 13 lbs.... just half way to my goal!
ReplyDeleteMega Dora fans here too, but what is the deal with Map's weird voice in the new episodes? Not cool, Dora people. Not cool. ; )
ReplyDeleteUgh-the "you look like a teenager and have a child(ren)" comments need to stop. if i had a dollar for each one, I wouldnt have to work.
ReplyDeleteevening walks are the best!
Enjoy it, girl, rude or not. I stopped having the "you look like a teenager" comment after baby six, and I want it back so bad!
ReplyDeleteI would take the teenager comment as a compliment, even if she seemed rude. You do look young! And that is a good thing!
ReplyDeleteGood luck with WW! I am so not a point counting, calorie counting person.
Ummm, I would say "THANK YOU, GOD BLESS YOU A HUNDREDFOLD!" if someone would tell me I looked too young to have all these kids. It *is* rude, but they can say so many worse things! -- and they usually do to me. All the time.
ReplyDeleteYou probably get carded too, don't you?
People are usually shocked at the 6 kids. I started thinking that I bet people think we are a mixed marriage, like the Brady Bunch or something.
ReplyDeleteWhen people say I look "Soooo young" I always think to myself, "you are not really looking, I look like a ol' hag" We are so hard on ourselves. It was a compliment, the old lady at your club. I always say, it's the kids that keep me young.
I start WW every morning, and at supper forget to add those points....Gotta bet better at it. You can do anything, you will do great! I love their philosophy the best too, eating normal, just watching how much.
(I'm not paying though right now)
My 3 year old loves Dora. and Map. and Boots. And Swiper.
Time with kids...love the idea of a different kid each night for a walk...but when I do that, they all want to come and some (like particular 6, 8 and 3 year olds) give me that sad face and watch me walk away down the road, as they wait at the end of the driveway. Breaks my heart!
We do those mommy dates...but it's only like once a month or so....been getting up early Sat mornings and taking them out to breakfast at Perkins and then grocery shopping. We bring cards and play some games. My oldest son always likes to make up games.
You do a super job of mommy time!
One on one time works here because I have kids at 3 different schools and they get different days off.
ReplyDeleteYou do look young. But I think having kids keeps you young. You are always moving and running around with them. I guess ppl think that someone with 5 kids would
Look frazzled and greyed and shaken up all the time perhaps ?
The only time my kids get that "special" one on one time is when they hit those teens years and are too old for a birthday party...us parents take them out to supper and a show. special!
ReplyDeleteOtherwise we are a family. We do a lot of things together.
...because once they become teens..they really like to do things with their friends. So enjoy those little ones.
I also make bedtime really special and really let them know they are so loved.
Always fun to be mistaken for the babysitter :P Although I'm usually nursing a baby, so I think they generally assume a babysitter wouldn't be THAT dedicated!
ReplyDeleteAs I 43 year old that regularly gets acne, I'm going to just go ahead and say never! It never stops!!!
ReplyDeleteMaybe after a menopause? I'll let you know in a few years!
#7! Yes, you and Phil are very young looking (and you're beautiful)!
ReplyDeleteLove the sports pics, too. Your kids are such cuties. BTW, is John Paul getting excited for his namesake's canonization?! So exciting!
I'm 35 and still get acne. No one has ever called me a teenager though..not even when I was a teenager. LOL
ReplyDeleteI love WW too..I haven't done it in years...but after my 3rd was born I joined online and I really liked the points system and the weekly extra points. I'm a sucker for every diet fad that comes around, and tend to get drawn into these restrictive diets which just aren't maintainable long-term..so I need something like WW to keep my sensible.
I LOVE after dinner walks. I take one almost every night with my older 2 girls (and the baby), or we go all together as a family..but going with 1 kid is a great way to get that 1:1 time with them. I keep meaning to plan more 1:1 dates with my kids and never get around to it.
We just announced baby number three and man we have gotten some comical comments. I posted a bunch in my 7QTs for the week. One that needs to be added "Are you all going for your own reality TV show?"... Last time I checked 3 kids does not warrant a reality TV program but some mornings around here I think I have some excellent material!
ReplyDeleteAwww I love how much Xander likes Dora! That's too cute!:)
ReplyDeleteI have a feeling we'll be getting rude comments soon since we both look like high schoolers. We bought pregnancy tests several weeks ago, and I felt absolutely mortified by the dirty looks that two women in the store gave us!
Hope you all have a great weekend! :)
So many things go comment on and so little time...here goes..
ReplyDeleteOk, so Xander and his crush, Dora, can totally hang out any time with Gianna and her crush, Pope Francis. She talks to/about him every day like he's one of the family. I totally think the four of them would make a great hang-out team! lol.
For the last two years I've kinda stunk at one on one time with the big kids. For reals. I take what I get and grab the little moments because if I waited for bigger ones, well, the big kids will be like 18.
Yes, you young little things. Oh to be you!! I NEVER get a young comment. Well, except on my blog with people who've never seen me IRL and seen that I clearly do not look young. Oh, acne? Ha. Doubtful. You always look a.ma.zing. As for me, mother nature decided to throw some more fun at me...rosacea. Yup, an official diagnosis last week. So, I feel better for a diagnosis why my skin is doing what it's doing, but don't feel good about looking awful while I figure out how to treat my symptoms. Oh, ok, is this like TMI for your combox? ha!
Well, this is lengthy. Can you tell I'm avoiding all the pre-First Communion stuff I'm suppose to be working on??
{hugs} Bestie!!
WW. Share your meals please. You can just email them directly to me because as I just shared in a comment to Dwija, I am so over my 4 point lunch (salad greens, 3oz grilled chicken strips, and 2 Tbsps. of TJ Cilantro Dressing). Now my six point breakfast of 2 eggs scrambled and 2 pieces of Kirkland pre-cooked bacon is the bomb and keeps me satisfied all morning.
ReplyDeleteReping the Franciscan gear and the large family. Love it!
ReplyDelete