It's been a whirlwind over here. Life is good, but hectic. I'm finally feeling like I am understanding the "toil" part of Adam and Eve's punishment. Life isn't easy, work is continuous and it just goes on and on until you die. Fortunately, life is still full of blessings, memorable moments and countless (and oft unknown) graces.
Here are some of my graces of late:
Family. Family always tops the list. My kids and husband are phenomenal. Today Sophia wanted me to put a pretty hair clip in her hair. I did and she said, "Yay! Now I'm a girl again!" What??? She is apparently already quite aware that how you adorn your exterior really impacts how you feel on the interior. Later, Paul was cuddling with her and she scolded him, "Daddy, stop - you're messing up my hair." Sophia revels in being pretty and prefers to wear dresses whenever possible. She is also a natural "mommy" to her new favorite doll, which actually happens to be Kassia's first doll, "Doll-doll." Today, Sophia put Doll-doll in the hair chair when James was not busy occupying it.
Luke is growing into more of a big boy than ever. He is growing so quickly. His feet - they are coming out of his shoes suddenly. A few months ago he started crying because we were getting ready to leave for Mass and he couldn't get his church shoes on (okay, that's not exactly a big-boy response). Those were size 9, and I happened to have a bigger pair of dress shoes in the basement. But they were size 11. I figured it was bigger to have too-big shoes than none at all (No Shoes, No Shirt, No Service??) so I said, "Here, bud, try these on." Yeah. They fit perfectly. Now he is running low on socks that fit. Fortunately, I was able to catch him this evening before he starting crying when he couldn't get a pair on his feet. I have a feeling he will be tall like his daddy.
James is going to be 9 months old this Saturday. 9 months! Where has the time gone? I'll tell you something - it's hard to measure time when you still aren't sleeping through the night. That's right; he's still a stinker with that part. And he is a super-soaker, too, so even if he weren't waking up to eat, I might have to change his diaper. James is quick at milestones. His bottom two teeth came in well over a month before any other of our children had theirs come in. He was pulling himself around the house in a quasi-army crawl at 6 months and graduated to a solid crawl nearing the end of 7 months, I believe. That's a lot of maneuvering for a kid. No wonder he eats all the time. He's also gotten hair trims already. And I think he's going to stick up for him self pretty well when he gets older. He's a solid boy (90th% for height, 50th% for weight) and has been known to give a head butt here and there.
Nadia blossoms and then goes back to a shy withdrawn flower at times, but is still ever-blooming. She is in first grade and, though she doesn't have the reading skills Kassia did at her age, Nadia seems to do well with numbers and she has a pretty good work ethic. Nadia, like James, is constantly hungry. I do believe she is beginning to edge out Kassia in the height department, and I think her foot size is closing in to match and likely surpass Kassia there, too. She still is very sensitive, but when she is not anxious about something, she has this innocent joy about her that is very striking. I will be very, very sad the first time her tender heart gets crushed. Fortunately, she is forgiving. I know because she's forgiven me - like the TWO times I drove her to her Little Flowers group only to get there are realize that I had gotten the dates mixed up. She was devastated both times, but the second time was horrible. I sobbed with her as we drove home. These instances were shortly after James was born, so I was very sleep-deprived and worn out. I know when she's older she'll be more understanding, but I have a feeling that those memories won't dull quite as much as I'd like. :-{
Kassia is growing up. She gets moody and has ups and downs and I have commented that she seems to be advancing into puberty - at 8! Two of my friends who have grown and growing daughters told me that this was their experience as well, approximately 3 years or so before their daughters began their cycles. It was reassuring, because otherwise I would be less understanding and patient. And I don't like to be that way. Kassia is a great help and, although I think she gives up easily, she has a heart that desires to be good and needs lots of cuddling and love to feel that all is well in her world. I need to treasure those times more because it won't be long until she is not wanting to cuddle and I will have arms that ache to hold her. (Boy, I am getting sentimental, am I not?)
Paul, as usual, is my rock. He is a wonderful husband and inspires me to be a better woman.
To be honest, I really don't have time for blogging. Nor the energy. But I wanted to post some of these things for my memories, which was the whole point in me starting a blog anyway. So I'll get to it when I can and I can honestly say that I no longer feel bothered when I can't blog. I simply don't have time and it's not a priority. I miss it, but I miss other things more (like sleeping through the night). To make it easier, I signed myself up as a contributor so that I don't have to log into my other account, at the suggestion of Maria? I think. I hope that this will encourage me to come back from time to time when I feel inspired.
Schooling is very tiring, but good when all my ducks are in a row. Work is hard, too, but it is still good. I feel very blessed to have the ability to (mostly) do these two things fairly well. Sometimes I think that ability is actually a hindrance - just think how much better I'd do channeling all my time and energy into one thing! - but then I recall that I am where God wants me to be and I need to just keep doing my best at all things, as long as I keep things properly ordered. I do love them both, for different reasons. If God wants to change things for me according to how I think would be better, then He'd do it. Isn't it great that God is in charge and not us? Oh, how much less wisdom we would have if we did as we saw fit and never had to lean on him and stretch ourselves and wade in murky waters at times!
Feeling blessed by family, friends and innumerable graces, I now set off to spend some down time with my hubby watching season 4 of a series of many memorable series'. Dare I tell you? He has converted me a second time. First to Catholicism, and now to...Star Trek.
And now, some sleeping beauties...
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| (He had a nose bleed before he fell asleep.) |
God bless you all! And, God, I especially praise you for the miracle babies out there recently born - Evelyn and Elena (not related, and not related to me) - and for my children who are all miracles, and for my life, which is also a miracle, and which You keep using for good (at least when I'm not interfering). Thank you, God. You are SO good!
