7QT: Signs of Life

Hey there, it's been awhile!  These last couple weeks are when I get slammed at work because it's Financial Aid time!!  Also, the return of winter weather is making everyone sick and feel depressed.  So I'll mention some things that are making me happy...

1)

Walking the dog.  Well, when she's not jumping or pulling.  I actually ran a few miles with her yesterday and she was pretty good!  The combo of something else motivating me to get outside and move and soak up some Vitamin D is a good thing.  Phil and I even sneak out for walks with her at night once the babes are sleeping (see #6).

2)

Some shallow stuff...

This chapstick that makes me look a little less like death.  I wear it in Red Dahlia.

This eyebrow pencil that helped fix my last hair removal situation.  I don't even want to talk about it.

Still loving these pants with this tank (it's the perfect length!) and a bright cardigan.

7QT: Tis Good to Be Irish

Top o' the mornin' to ye!  Happy St. Patrick's Day!  And remember: "Tis not a sin not to be Irish, just a terrible, terrible shame."  Here we gooooooo...

1)

Some photos from St. Patrick's Days Past:

Me and my little sister, 1985

Seven on a Snow Day (and a Winner!)

It's Friday and extra special because....

1)

No work!  No school!  It's a snow day!!

Hello long weekend :)  Unfortunately I think we might get a big snowstorm on Tuesday, which would put us over our allotted snow days and mean we have to stay later into June.  Snow thank you!

2)

Key Lime Chicken with Mango Salsa and Cilantro Lime Cauliflower Rice

I discovered a new food blog while hunting for healthy, low carb recipes for Lent.  It's called Iowa Girl Eats and she posts gluten free recipes.   So far, the meals have been delicious.  I'm looking forward to trying the Thai Peanut Chicken with Sweet Potato Noodles this week.   Here's the rest of the week's meal plan:

My favorite day made a double appearance!

Around the House

I love to cook.  I really get excited to print out a new recipe, gather the ingredients, pump up the jams, and cook away in the kitchen.  What I can't stand is people whining at me for dinner, asking me a million times what dinner is, and then telling me (by facial expression or vocally) that they don't approve.  I'm sorry, when did you walk into a restaurant and pay the chef to cook you what you want?  If I could just cook in peace and serve grateful, non-picky eaters, that would be nice.  Lately I've been making some new lowish carb recipes.  These Coconut Curry Chicken Meatballs over zoodles were delish.  We had Thai Beef Stirfry (minus the rice, added lettuce wraps) last night, and tomorrow is Key Lime Grilled Chicken with Cilantro Lime Cauliflower Rice.  I can get behind healthy eating when the meals are flavorful and exciting.  If you make me eat baked chicken and broccoli everyday, I will.not.survive.

Sometimes I sic the little kids on their big siblings.  If I'm too tired or lazy to get up, I suggest an older kid for the job.  Declan wants a cup of milk?  Why don't you ask Eamon to do that for ya?  It's time for the littles to go to bed?  I ask them to pick an older sibling for bedtime and a story that night.  The big kids are actually really sweet to the babies and toddlers, it's their saving grace some days ;)

I have to remind myself that I can't get mad at the sixth person who yells MOM! at me, because even though I'm being bombarded by lots of people's needs, this was the first time this particular little person called me, and I should respond sweetly.  It's not their fault they have to split my attention seven ways.

We need to spread the chores around a bit more.  I feel we lean too heavily on the two oldest kids, because the middle kids are always going to be younger than them and seem less able.  But they're not!  The older ones were doing things at their age.  Also, apparently my big boys can assemble cabinets like mini-men but they don't know how to load a dishwasher properly.  That's on me.  I need to properly show them how to do the chores I want/need them to do and not expect that they know how.

I kinda love the discipline of Lent.  Of course, we're not even a full week in, so ask me how I feel after a month!  We give up sweets at home, and it just seems to make meals so much easier and kids' attitudes more pleasant.  When I pull out strawberries after dinner, it's like I am handing out gold coins the kids get so excited for some "nature's candy".  Last night for the kids dinner, I made them burgers and gave them carrots, cucumbers, and lettuce on the side.  Nobody even asked where the chips were!  Phil and I always say that we should just eat like this all year, but then Easter comes and we're back into the too-much-sweets time again.  I love treating my kids with little goodies, they are good doobies who are very helpful and do well in school and in society.  I just need to find non-food ways to spoil them.

Every day I get tons of ads in my email.  I have decided that lent is the perfect chance to take the time to clean this up.  So when I get an ad from a company that I don't care about (which is like 99% of them) I actually click to unsubscribe from their mailing list.  It's not that hard, and I don't know why it's taken me so long to make myself do this.  I'm hoping by Easter my inbox is only full of love notes instead of solicitations.  Now to find someone who will write me love notes...

Finally, I need this reminder when the morning chaos of trying to get everyone in my car before 6:45 gets a little too loud:

:)

7QT: Lent, Kids, and a Gift for You

It's Friday :)  but it's Lent :( so they kinda Switzerland each other out.  Linking up with Kelly because I'm not neutral in my love for linkups.

1)

When I was trying to decide what to do for Lent, I kept seeing an ad in the parish bulletin, on their website, and mentioned at Mass, about a women's weekly group that would be reading Living in the Father's Love, a short study from the Walking with Purpose program.  

I pretty much shy away from things like this because, well, I'm shy.  I don't like talking in front of a group, and especially when it's sharing something as personal as faith, I get very nervous and flustered.  I always assume the worst, that upon entering the group, they are going to make each of us stand up and share our faith journey and I would probably die.  But I went, and it was fine.  I was nervous as the leader started calling on people to read a section or ask them what they thought about it.  I just looked down and avoided eye contact.  This is such a struggle for me.  I will openly talk to anyone one on one, but put me in a group and I'm a toddler looking for her mother's legs to hide behind.  This is why I joined this group for Lent.  It's not only a spiritual exercise for me (I really need to read more of scripture!) but it's also a major sacrifice for me to be there.  Sometimes you try to find Lent, and other times, Lent just finds you!

2)

Eating all the things.

Brendan had his six month old physical yesterday and weighed in at 19 pounds, 26 inches long.  Phil and I definitely thought he was closer to 22 pounds as he is super heavy.  Everything looked great, the doctor mentioned over and over how strong and active he was.  I finally said "Yes, but isn't that normal?" and she replied that he seemed much more active than most babies his age.  Which made me feel a little better about how much I struggle to hold him :)

Hey Working Moms, You're Doing Just Fine

I just finished reading a blog post by a wonderful Christian stay at home mom who always seems to have sage advice on how to raise children.  I love her approach to raising kids - spending more time engaging them, less technology, disciplining with love, trusting your gut, basically just good old-fashioned parenting.

But...you knew there was a but coming, right?

I tend to feel really sad after reading posts by stay at home moms when they push just how important it is to be a stay at home mom.  I don't think they do it to be hurtful, I think they are trying to get across the importance of their work, and the role of being a mom.  It's just that when you can't stay at home with your kids every day, and you want to, it's always like a sword to the heart.  Like if somehow I loved my kids better, then money would magically fall from the sky and I could stop working, do the right thing and stay home.