Most-ly 2013

Linking up with the lovely Sarah, who makes having 6 kids look amazing!

Posts with the Most Clicks

My Working Moms Link-Up had the most clicks this year.  I started that link-up in order to find and give support to other working moms in this blogosphere.  All the moms who shared their stories feel very similarly in that while they might love and/or need to have a job, they also value being a mother far above career.  

Posts with the Most Comments

Our baby announcement, complete with the kid's reaction on video had the most comments.  Everyone loves a baby!  So if you're feeling like you don't get as many comments as usual, just make a big announcement and watch them roll in.  The blog world is so supportive!

Post with the Best Picture

I love my family so much, and Father's Day this year was one of the best ever, because four of us ran a race together and then we went out to a fancy brunch to consume twice as many calories as we burned off.  I was so proud of John-Paul and Andrew for running their first 5k in such a good time.  It wasn't long after this photo that Baby #6 came into existence :)

Post that was the Hardest to Write

By far, it was my post talking about my struggles with anxiety.  It took me quite a few days to write, during which many tears were shed, but it was extremely cathartic.  So many of you struggle with the same thing, and just knowing that is so very helpful.  Plus, lots of family and friends of mine didn't even know the extent of things, and they reached out with their love and concern.  I am so blessed.

Personal Favorite Post

Most of my writing is just downloading the mundane thoughts from my brain and uploading the photos from my camera so that I can record memories.  Every once in a while I write about something slightly more important.  My post about how Catholics have a head start on living a good life, and the rest of the world is still trying to decode it, is one of my favorites because it was inspired from reading trashy magazines at the gym.  See, honey, they're not all bad ;)

Weekend Tales

Cliche time: I can't believe how fast Advent is going!

Real Time: What we've been up to...

Last week I was a bit under the weather, just exhausted and had a virus and the world's biggest coldsore, and so I got to stay home one day and cuddle in bed with the kitty.  She seriously sleeps all day.  Is it depression?  I'm just jealous.

That's the last time I'll be napping in that bed because we're getting our new bed delivered tomorrow!  Thanks to your suggestions, we were able to narrow down where we looked, and based on the advice of two local friends, we went to a family owned store about a mile from our house and got a great deal.  Our KING mattress and boxspring comes tomorrow, and our beautiful solid wood headboard/footboard will come in about 8 weeks from a little company in Maine that chops down the trees to make your bed when they receive your order.  (At least that's what the bed store owner told us).  It's so gorgeous, I can't wait to show you all when we get it.  Merry Christmas to meeeeeeee :)

Speaking of me (narcissistic much? oui, oui) here's the 26 week bump.  Large and in charge.  I'm already at that point where you look down and think "How the heck is THAT coming out of THERE?"  Miraculous, indeed.

Tunic: Old Navy Maternity
Leggings: Old Navy Maternity
Uggs: Lost & Found

Snowy days lead to crafty play time, and if you have a mom who hates arts and crafts, the best you get is playdough and perler beads.

Xander: I bangin'.

Cousin Bridget came to play.

On Sunday, we went to the kid's Christmas Pageant.  It was beautiful as always, great singing, a handbell choir, and they act out the Nativity story while the music plays.

Maggie was a Child of the World, with all the other Kindergartners (and preschoolers).

Here she is with one of her bestest friends, Madison.

Eamon (in the middle) was a shepherd, and got to carry a staff!

Andrew (on right) was also a shepherd, so handsome.

Bad photo, but Baby Jesus is always a REAL baby, and this one was awesome.  Slept through the whole thing!

The most exciting part of our weekend though, was that our babysitter came home from college!!  I shouldn't call her our babysitter, she's like a daughter to Phil and I, and a big sister to my kids.

When the pageant ended, nobody was sure whether to clap or not because they had asked us to hold our applause until the end.  But Xander was standing up on my barely-there-lap and started clapping and soon, the whole congregation joined in.  What a rock star!

And then we went home to watch the Patriots barely lose.  Boo.  Ah well, at least we were able to console ourselves with a pot roast that had been cooking all day, and some delicious garlic mashed potatoes that Phil whipped up.  I even made some peppermint cookies that were pink for Gaudete Sunday.  

(Fine, they came from a roll of dough.)

(And yes, I ate some of that dough pre-baked.)

Leaving before I spill any more secrets. 

7 Quickies

1)

Emily Ortega sent us a copy of her new book, I'm Bernadette, and the boys went to town.  John-Paul said it was "good" which is of the highest praise considering he usually declares all books "meh".  That boy loves to read but is hard to please.  Reminds me of somebody I know.  Andrew started reading it and was laughing, and said "The book is really good, I want to keep reading all the Bernadette books!" (better get cracking, Emily!).  Eamon started reading it and said it reminded him of Junie B. Jones, and he loooooves those books.  Then he lost the book and didn't finish it, and I never got the chance to read it myself!  We are searching high and low so I can read it (and Maggie too!).  St. Anthony, pray for us!

 To get your own copy, just click on the ad on the right hand side of my blog over there...

2)

The Wise Men ADVENTures are still on the go:

Day 9: Walking in circles.  What I feel like most days. 

Day 10: I really thought I was being clever, and the boys would enjoy the potty humor intended, but instead they were like "Oh, they are walking near the cookies!"

Day 11: Getting distracted by St. Nick.

 3)

What a great week for Feast Days!  

We celebrated Our Lady of Guadalupe with tacos for dinner and choco-tacos for dessert.

Then Maggie was St. Lucy at school today.  When I asked her why she was picked to be St. Lucy, she said: "Well, it was between me and Maya, because we both have blond hair, but Maya gets on red sometimes and I've only been on yellow twice so Sister picked me!"

Moral of the Story ~ One day you might be a Saint if you can (mostly) stay out of trouble.

 4)

John-Paul enjoys reading by the Christmas tree.  What a cute geek.  I bought him some new socks because all of his had holes, and he was SO thrilled: "They are so soft and comfy and I love them!"  You can rock your boys world too, get some here.

5)

Marijanna decided to celebrate The Immaculate Conception by baking gingerbread cookies to deliver to her pregnant friends on Our Lady of Guadalupe's Feast Day.  Thankfully, I am one of her pregnant friends!  Aren't they so cute? 

Boy and Girl, anatomically correct and everything (we checked).

So she said she made one for each of us, and we lined them up to make sure.
Phil, Colleen, John-Paul, Andrew, Eamon, Maggie, Alexander and, and, and...
a girl for the baby-to-be!
Very funny, Marijanna :)

 6) 

I was reading a book of baby names (still no decisions, we are horrible parents) and Xander sat next to me and discovered he had STARS!!! on the bottom of his "dajamas".  I'm pretty sure this kid's a genious.

7)

I was just reading Cari's blog, in which she discusses her love of boot cuffs shown below:

But what I can't get over is THOSE BOOTS!  I falalalala-love them.  Where can one find boots like that?  Big internet hug to the person who points me in the right direction.

And that's a wrap.  Have a wonderful snowy (still Fall - what???) weekend everybody!

Advice Needed: Mattress Shopping!

Mattress shopping is pretty much the worst.  All of the dreaded rigmarole of car shopping with the added disadvantage of having to lay down on sample mattresses that who-knows-who have laid on before.  

Yuck.  

We've been mattress shopping twice in the past year to buy a King size mattress.  When we got married, 11.5 years ago, we bought a Queen because that's what could fit in our apartment.  Since the moment the honeymoon was over, I have wanted a King.  Don't get me wrong, I am completely smitten with my husband but I just need my space, and Phil is tall, and I'm always pregnant or nursing a baby (it seems), and would everyone quit.touching.me.already!  

The first time we went looking for a King was an impromptu stop with all of the kids.  Imagine how stress-free testing out mattresses was while yelling at kids to stop jumping all over the furniture.  Yeah, not so much.  We didn't buy one then because we really weren't concentrating enough to make such a big financial decision.  But, this year for Christmas, we scrapped any holiday trip planning or surprise gift giving, and declared this Christmas Gift to ourselves would be buying a new bed.  I'm so excited because sleeping is my favorite.  

We were a little smarter last week, and got a babysitter to come over so we could go mattress shopping sans children.  It was still just as stressful.  

Me (huffing and puffing as I try to lay my hugely pregnant body down and then get back up 25 times): I don't even care.  They all feel the same to me.  I'm not picky at all.  You just choose.

Phil: Oh no, because as soon as we get it home, it will be my fault if it's not comfortable.

Me: Seriously, you make the call, and I won't ever complain about it.

Phil: mmmm-hmmmmm.

Me (laying down in the final bed): Ok, fine, this one is perfect.  This is the only one that spoke to me.  It's like the bed is hugging me.  Let's get this one.

Phil (looking at the price tag): You would pick the most expensive bed in the whole place.

Me: Hmmmph.  Well how are we going to make a decision?

Phil: Why don't you ask your blog friends?

And so I am.  

Give me your advice...what mattress brand(s) do you have, and what are your opinions?  We tend to like a plush yet firm mattress (comfort level 4ish), I sleep on my side and Phil sleeps on his back or stomach and I do not like the feel of Tempurpedics. 

Three Link-Ups in One Post!

1)
The Wise Men ADVENTures continue (link-up with Jennifer)

Day 4: Travelling in the cat's tunnel toy..."and then I walked through the Lincoln Tunnell."

Day 5: Who are these impostors?

Day 6: Following the star.

Day 7: Finding gold for the King.

Day 8: Climbing to higher ground.

2)

Mary has a favorite image of Our Lady link-up going on, and mine is so obvious.  

It's actually my little Blogger photo whenever I leave comments on blogs.  Not because I think I am Mary-like, but because I like Mary :)  We also having it hanging above our fireplace in our home:

Kids dressed up on All Saints Day

She's called Madonna of the Streets, and I loved this image from the first time I saw it (which I can't even remember!)  because Mary looks so young and innocent, holding her sleeping baby boy, yet like she knows what the future holds.  Whenever I'm having a difficult mothering day, I look to her and think "If she could go through all of that so young, maybe there's hope for me too."  I could ponder images of Mary forever...what did she know, how did she feel, what was she thinking?  I love her so.

3)

Linking up with Rosie for What They Said:

Playing hide and seek with Phil...
Xander: Hey, you scared me!  You a bad boy!

Maggie's new bedroom door sign.  Glad I'm an adult!

Xander: I wanna get in there with the baby!

Now we're just waiting for the snow!!  Stay warm everybody :)