Friday, October 29, 2021

7QT: Hosting Teenagers, Santa Lists with Little Boys, and God Really Loves Me

Happy LAST Friday in October!!

1)

Laura Pearl wrote such nice things about me on her blog, and how she likes to check in on my Friday posts, which I typically never miss...and then I had a really busy week and didn't write a Friday post last week.  Whoops!  Laura raised five sons, and all (most?) of them met their wife on Catholic Match which is so cool and proof it can work!  She has a gazillion grandkids, and has been posting about teaching her granddaughters to sew, which makes me wish I could go back in time to being a little girl and learn from her.  She seems so patient and joyful about crafting with kids, something which with the good Lord has not blessed me.  Anyway, check her out :)

2)

One of the reasons I was so busy last week was that Andrew (age 17) was playing his last soccer game of the regular season at the public school right around the corner from our house.  He asked if his team could come over after for a snack and to hang out.  You see, Andrew was a freshman when the pandemic hit, and then was hybrid most of last year, and when you add in social distance rules and masks... we feel like we just don't know his friends the same way we knew JP's friends.  He always hangs out with them at their houses, believing (like all of my teen boys) that our house is not cool because we have lots of littles hanging around.  Ummmm, I think that's exactly what makes our house cool!  But also, I get it.  So when he asked to have his friends over, I was like "YES!!!" and then I suggested an outdoor cookout...and then we invited the families, because they would be at the game too... and then some JV players asked to come with Eamon... and in the end we had about 50 people over for lunch.  We set up tables in our driveway and the rest of the families sat in camping chairs on the other side and served burgers, hot dogs, brats and pulled pork plus sides and drinks and desserts and it ended up being such a great time!


Eamon is #24 and Andrew is behind him in the glasses

Andrew has been playing so well this year (proud mom) and was called out on the school's social media last week for stepping into the role of goalie, which he has never played, when the team's goalie and backup goalie were both injured.  I'm happy he was a great keeper, but glad he's normally a midfielder because those goalie gloves STANK!!!

3)

We enlisted the cutest little helpers to get the yard cleaned up before the party.  If you'd like to hire them, they receive payment in happy meals and dollar store trips.


4)

Did you know that there is a supply shortage?  Well my Kindergartner and 2nd grader heard the news and got started on their Santa letters ASAP.  Very helpful for anything Santa might need to order soon for a Christmas delivery.

Now, let's hope they don't change their minds a million times like they normally do.


Brendan:

Dear Santa,
I want a pop-it,
and a winter toy (???),
(a sweatshirt was added this morning)


Declan:

Real Wood Adventures (keep dreaming!),
and a pop-it.

5)

I admit that I had to lookup the "Let's Go Brandon" movement...and then laughed and laughed at this image:


6)

We had a big nor'easter come through on Wednesday which resulted in NO SCHOOL AND NO WORK!!!  Woohoo!  I took complete advantage of the day, waking up early to bake my kids some pumpkin chocolate chip muffins, before locking myself in my bedroom for hours to deep-clean and organize my closet.  That's always such a huge chore.  Phil cleaned and organized a bunch of cabinets in the kitchen, then started working on the basement.  I crafted with the kids and was even able to take an hour nap - glorious!  I'm beginning to think my full-time job is really getting in the way of living the life I've always dreamed of :)  One day, God willing, I'll be a stay-at-home-grandma who bakes and organizes and naps and plays with my grandkids all day.


7)

For about a month now, I have been stressing about my weight.  My "norm" just seems to be always higher than it used to be, no matter that I eat healthy and am so active.  I guess it's called "middle age" *shudder*  Anyway,  I know exactly how much I weighed for my physical last year, and this year I knew was up five pounds and dreading stepping on that scale.  But I put on my big girl panties and I walked into my appointment yesterday, and due to the storm, the doctor's office was operating on a generator...which meant...the scale was not functioning!!! I mean I wouldn't wish for a huge storm and people to be without power, but in this case:


Jesus loves me, this I know, for the non-working scale told me so.

That's all folks!  I hope you have a wonderful weekend baking pumpkin muffins, watching football, and eating like the scale is broken!

11 comments:

  1. You and Laura, inspiring me to be a better parent daily!! Love that you hosted so many for team bonding and fellowship! Have a great Friday!

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    1. Colleen MartinNovember 01, 2021

      Aww shucks, you do the same for me Madeline!

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  2. I would have been paralyzed in fear to host and feed that many people on short notice. Well, really on any amount of notice! Looks like a wonderful get together!
    Have a great weekend!

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    1. Colleen MartinNovember 01, 2021

      I was definitely stressed about it - lots of lists!!

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  3. I kept checking back this week because I was like... Colleen NEVER misses a Friday : )

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    1. Ha ha—I know! Me, too. 😂

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    2. Colleen MartinNovember 01, 2021

      Never say never :)

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  4. So much to say about this one. First, thanks for posting. ;) And thanks for the shout-out. Yes, 4 of our 5 boys did meet their wives on Catholic Match (and the fifth one met his when they were both in the wedding party of one of our sons, so Catholic Match kind of played a part in that, too!). They had friends who didn't have success on the site; but they were luckier than most and found absolutely wonderful women on there.

    That cook-out looks like the BEST kind of gathering. I miss things like that!! And I even miss the smelly lacrosse equipment...well, maybe not. (If Andrew's soccer goalie gloves smelled anything like our guys' lacrosse gloves used to smell--yikes!)

    I also miss Christmas lists!!! (Our boy's 4-year-old triplets have taken to carrying around a Target wish book of toys that came in the mail. I remember those days!) The links are very helpful, thanks!

    The Babylon Bee meme--LOLOL.

    And don't even get me started on the weight thing. I weight about 30 pounds more than I did when I got married 40 years ago. I have a physical next week and this post has given me hope that perhaps there will be a scale malfunction!! Because the diet I was going to start so the number wouldn't shock me never got off the ground. Ha ha!

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    1. Colleen MartinNovember 01, 2021

      I'm also 30 pounds heavier than my wedding weight...only 20 years ago! Ha! Yikes to all boys smelly equipment and thank God for Febreeze!

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  5. There's nothing better than a day off. I honestly don't know how you work full time. I work, but babysitting here in my home allows me to start dinner, do laundry, bake, and make calls for doc appointments, etc. I DO plenty with the babies, but hello nap time and quiet play time.

    Your scale story makes me laugh. I remember when my goal weight was 10 pounds less than it is now. Sometimes life needs to be adjusted.

    That soccer gathering looks like so much fun. I can SO relate to wishing our house was 'the cool house' - we have a great finished basement with fooze ball and ping pong and air hockey. Plus vollebyall outside in the summer, etc. We've made a rule that the kids have to entertain their friends here once a month or they don't go out. Sort of hard to enforce. I love that you had such a big crowd. I've hosted pasta parties for teams before and they are always a big hit. Plus, I live in fear of food shortages so leftovers abound.

    Coach taught in Dallas yesterday and I tagged along. I have dear friends there. So very fun. We got home around midnight last night. Only one night away, but so worth it.

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    1. Colleen MartinNovember 01, 2021

      I like your rule about having friends over...we need to try and ask for that to happen. So far, they have made good friends, we just don't know them as well as we'd like. Can't wait to hear about your Dallas tale when you take a break from the adoption journey (which is turning out quite sad...)

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