Thank God School is (practically) OVER!!

Technically, Eamon and Maggie are done with school.  John-Paul and Andrew have a closing Mass/awards ceremony tomorrow morning, and then they are also done.  I love my kid's school, I've said it before and I stand by it, but by the time the hot weather rolls around, I am more than ready to be done with all things school.  Utterly thankful for summer.  

Let me count the ways:

1) No packing lunches.

From left to right: Xander, Maggie, Eamon, Andrew, J-P - all from L.L. Bean.

This is Phil's favorite part of summer.  He packs 5 lunches every night (4 school kids and one for the baby to go to the nanny's house) and it's one of the chores he dreads the most.  He's got the system down so well, but every once in a while we'll sit down after the kids are in bed and he'll remember he forgot to pack the dern lunches.  Minutes packing lunches = years out of Purgatory.

2) No more projects.

Project deadlines stress me out, and what's even more stressful is when your kids sort of forget to mention when things are due.  Ahem, John-Paul.  Thank God for the internet and digital photos that can be printed in an hour.  It's bailed me out many a time.

3) No creating custumes.

All Saint's Day

Mismatch Day

Usually they wear uniforms to school, which all the parents love, but on the special days of creative clothing, my kids act like they do not know how to dress themselves.  Suddenly, what everyone else will be wearing is more important than what Mom and Dad are telling them to wear.  Ahem, Andrew.

4) No Sick Days

Stomach issues again.

Getting that dreaded phone call from the school is enough to sink my heart into my stomach.  Who's sick now?  Usually it's my eldest with vomiting.  The doctors don't know why, it's just how he's made?  We've determined it's not Celiac's but too much dairy seems to upset him.  I always feel the worst for not being a SAHM when my kids get sick.  It's a fine line between caring for your sick children/asking for too many sick days at work.  In the summer, we don't have to think about it since Dad's home!

5) No Sports

Soccer season.

My ballers.

This isn't totally true since we still have track club in the summer, but it's more of a fun hanging-out-with friends-and-family-time, instead of scheduled games and practices all evenings and weekends.

 6) No Early Mornings

A boiled egg inside a sweet bread?  The perfect breakfast to go!

My kids still wake up early all year round (when does the whole sleeping in thing start??) but at least we don't all have to be up, dressed, fed, and out the door by 6:45.  Those mornings are rough!  

7) No Searching for Clean Uniforms

Ummm, but Colleen, you just said you loved uniforms?  I do!  Really!  But it's the laundering of said uniforms that's a problem.  How many mornings do we have a kid scrambling for a uniform shirt even though I could swear we picked one out the night before?  It's like the lost socks in the dryer dilemma.

8) No More Homework

We are so lucky that our older boys get their homework done in "homework room" at extended care after school each day.  But getting certain people to do their homework (ahem, Eamon and Maggie) is like pulling teeth.  Thank God that's over for a couple months.

And in August when these same kids are driving me crazy?  I'll be counting the days until school starts again.  Mother of the Year right here ;)

WIWS, Sunday Best, and a Race Recap

Happy Father's Day!!

We went to Mass twice yesterday, which never makes for a happy baby.  In the morning, we went to a funeral Mass for a coworker's mom, and then back again to the Saturday vigil Mass because we had some big plans for Sunday morning.  I wore this outfit, again.  The kids were actually very well-behaved except for Alexander who has discovered a new trick of trying to slide out of our arms on the way up to Communion.

On Sunday morning, Phil awoke to a table full of homemade cards and some new wicking Polo's (his fave) and we ate a simple breakfast as four of us were about to run in our town's annual Father's Day race.  We usually stand outside our house, which is right on the race route, and hand out water to the runners.  But this year we decided to actually be the runners!

Phil took Andrew and John-Paul to race in the 5k, and I headed out for the 10k by myself.  As much as I run, I don't race too often (one 10k and two half-marathons and that's all I've done) so my nerves and belly were not cooperating all morning.  Since I knew running 6.2 miles wasn't going to be an issue, I was focused on my time, and wanted to get below 54 minutes, but secretly hoped for closer to 52 minutes (8:30 pace).  

It was a sunny and pretty hot day, and I was thirsty before the race even started.  Not to mention unprepared for a monthly visitor who came literally ten minutes before the race was to start.  Thank God for the sweet lady He sent to be next to me in the bathroom line who ran all the way back to her car to get some supplies to help me out.  So it looked like it was going to be a long and hard race, and I seriously contemplated just running the 5k with Phil and the boys.  But I got separated from them in the beginning and just ran the 10k route.  

Once I got past all the parents pushing strollers (I know it's Father's Day but maybe they could line up at the back next time?  It's really hard to navigate through that maze.) I finally settled in at a good pace at mile 2 and with the exception of a couple hills slowing me down, held it for the remainder of the run.    I took water at every single water station, and ran through every hose.  It was awesome.  I kept thanking God for two legs to run on, family that supported my exercise habits, a wonderful babysitter who was watching the littles for us, a gorgeous day, etc. etc.  

At mile 3, I saw my sister and her kids and my kids in front of our house handing out water like champs.  I made sure to take a cup from both Eamon and Maggie so there would be no hurt feelings, and my sister captured these funny pics.

I finished the race with a sprint, and then completely forgot to turn off my garmin!  I walked around for a minute before turning it off, so I think my time was right around 52 minutes, which is a PR for me.  When I went to check the official race results, I'm not even on the list!  I think I will be emailing the racing company about that oversight and hopefully they can "find" my time?  At least I have photo proof that I finished!

I met up with John-Paul and Andrew and Phil, who ran their 5k in 32:36!!  Pretty great times for an 8 and 10 year old with hardly any training.  They did awesome, and were so proud of themselves.  We walked home and showered and then went out for a yummy brunch buffet.  

We run to eat.

Now it's rest time at Casa Martin, and so I'm going to take a quick nap while the baby daddy relaxes with the sports channel.  What a great day :)

7 Quick Takes

1) 

Maggie graduated Preschool!

Three years of preschool and they finally had enough of her to move her up to Kindergarten.

Maggie with her lead teacher.

Some of the girls she is going to miss terribly this summer.

Mom, take a picture of my cute shoes.

Receiving her diploma from Sr. Muriel (her Kindergarten teacher next year!)

Daddy's little girl.

When the celebration was over, she looked at me and said "What, no presents?"  Good thing she's cute...

2) 

A video mashup for the family who couldn't be there (Maggie is in the back row next to the red-headed boy):

3) 

Eamon graduated Kindergarten!

My little meatball is growing up!

Cousins!

Moving on up to first grade, where hopefully his size 7 pants won't have to be rolled twice!

After his celebration was over, he said "I love you Mom!" which just proves boys are easier than girls.  I double dog dare you to disagree.

4) 

And video proof for him as well.  They sang so many cute songs, it was hard to cut it this short:

5) 

Speaking of songs, my new favorite running song is by the son of a man I used to have a huge crush on when I was a little kid watching Growing Pains.  First one to guess it wins my admiration.  But why don't you just link to the song, Colleen?  Because, annoying inner voice, I can't find a clean version, and I ain't leading nobody down my well-traveled path.

6) 

 I'm writing this on Thursday night and I'm so so so tired, and my husband is telling me to come relax with him.  He's pretty cute and usually gives me good advice, so methinks I shall listen.

7)
Enter the beautiful hair clips giveaway, whydontcha?

Happy early Father's Day to all the awesome fathers, grandfathers, godfathers, and religious fathers out there.  We love you!

Dads

Playing with Cari and friends for Theme Thursday: Dads

It is easier for a father to have children than for children to have a real father.

- Pope John XXIII

I'm so thankful for my Dad, a real father.  

A hard-working Irish immigrant, honest to the point of being blunt (that one's inherited), holy example of manhood, and stern but fair disciplinarian who always keeps a stash of candy somewhere and a funny story to share (with anyone who will listen).  

And you better believe he set the standard of whom his four daughters chose to be their husbands very, very high.  But all we had to do was to look at the marriage he and my mom have to know that's exactly what we wanted.  

Grandpa with his 20th grandchild, Alexander

~

And to the man I made a Dad, I love you more than words can say.  Our children are so blessed to have you for a father!  I'll let the pictures do the talking:

He Said, She Said

1)  

On a family walk...

Phil: Maggie, get back from the street!  You make the cars nervous when you get that close.

Maggie: No I don't.

Phil: Yes, you do.  The cars don't know if you're going to jump in front of them.

Maggie: No, I don't make the cars nervous, I make the people in the cars nervous.

2) 

In Storyland...

John-Paul: Look, a chipmunk! (he runs after it)

Andrew: Mom, chipmunks are famous in New Hampshire, right?

Me: I think you mean popular...

3) 

Me: Xander, what does a motorcycle say?

Xander: Too loud!

4) 

Maggie: Mommy, you have a baby in your belly?!?!?!?!?! (with squeals of joy)

Me: Nope, just baby leftovers.

5)

Xander: Wook, wook, wook!

Here's wooking at you, kid.

Tuesday's Bits of Tids

For those of you more worldly than I (not in the materialistic sense, just in the you-know-what's-going-on-in-the-world sense), you probably have seen this picture already, but I love it:

Today I am going to the dentist with John-Paul and Andrew.  Two out of three of us will probably have a cavity.  Being realistic, not pessimistic.

Phil and I started watching Once Upon a Time on Netflix, and although I refused to watch it when it was airing on tv (why?  I'll never know.) it's actually been really good.

Alexander has croup.  When our first child got croup, we rushed him to the ER in the middle of the night.  Now we are a teensy bit more relaxed and can recognize the symptoms of croup and use the nebulizer, bring them to a steamy bathroom, sleep in a cool room until we can get to the doctor the next day.  The doctor prescribed steroids which did the trick in two doses and she gave us extra because "for some reason your kids tend to get croup".  Yup, we're special like that.

Because of this virus, Xander has been waking up at night, and let me tell you, there is nothing better for NFP than sick kids in the middle of the night.  Thank you sir, I'll not take another.  But as soon as everyone is healthy and sleeping through the night, I'll get my toddler fever again.

I can't believe this football news.  These two on the same team?  My team?

I drove the big van in a parking lot the other day, and my kids thought it was hysterical.  They know that Mom doesn't drive the Beast unless it's an emergency.  I'll be cramming all future kids into my minivan for as long as I can.

Fall Soccer registration has started!  Already! And therefore I'm breaking out in hives wondering how we're going to schedule 4 games, 2 clinics, and 3 practices each week.  Are bilocations just for Saints, because this sinner could sure use that ability.

That's all she wrote!