Boys

Yes, I have four boys. 

And it's wonderful.
Most of the time.

A Note to Me

I got this note from Julia recently:

Translation:
Thank you for having me as your kid.  Thank you for making crafts today.  Love, Julia!

Too cute!

Thanks Jesus!

As I drove home from town slightly grumpily I noticed a flock of big white birds flying high in the sky.  Thinking they might be pelicans I prayed "It would be nice if a pelican showed up in my yard, Lord.  That would brighten my day."  The birds weren't pelicans, but the whole flock landed in our field for about 5 minutes.  Thanks, Jesus!

What Nicholas has been Up To

"My do Daddy's job!"

Holy Week

We didn't do as many projects as we sometimes do during Holy Week but we did have the opportunity to discuss all the liturgies as a family at a meal before we attended them.  I liked how that worked out.  The liturgies are so different (and long) during Holy Week that I like to prep the kids so they can be on the lookout for certain parts; it helps with behavior and helps the spirituality of Holy Week sink in a little more.  It was nice to be able to do that as a family at the dinner table.

 

We baked (leavened) bread on Holy Thursday.  I intended it for dinner but you know how things go when you have kids- it wasn't ready.  So I put it in the oven on time bake before we left for Holy Thursday Mass.  It was ready for a bedtime snack when we got home and we got a chance to talk about why the Israelites needed to make UNleavened bread for Passover.

 

We didn't do any Good Friday activities this year other than to talk about the liturgy and why Jesus dying on the cross is such a big deal.
On Holy Saturday we make these egg baskets.

 

 

I made this center piece.

We made our traditional lamb rolls for Easter morning.  He was a little less lamb shaped than some years.....

 And we dyed Easter eggs.

 

The Vigil went pretty well for us!  The candles kept everyone happy for a long time.  :)  Julia fell asleep sometime in the middle and Philip fell asleep during the final blessing.  Yes, two minutes before it was over, just in time to need to be carried out.  Nicholas made it the whole way through!  Of course he did.  Thankfully he was pretty good for a  two year old attending a long Mass that started when he normally goes to bed.

Ready for the Easter Vigil.

On Easter we enjoyed family, egg hunts and lots of sweets!

 Alleluia, He is Risen!  He is risen indeed!

A Few Random Things

Uh oh.  Harder days are speeding toward me.  Better get good and organized for summer.

Jeremy and my first experience with IKEA.  Lynn and Logan brought us back a mirror for the new bathroom.  We appreciated the instructions and decided Jeremy has found a great possibility for a retirement job.  He could draw instructions like that! We did manage not to have to call IKEA to help hang the mirror.  :)

Liked how this picture turned out and the gorgeous weather!

Good Job Kiddos

We had a fairly successful all the kids (including Addy) and me trip today.  I had the kids' pictures taken at Portrait Innovations and we got pretty cute pictures.  I ended up spending more than I wanted to but my hope was probably not especially realistic for five individual pictures and one group. (I ended up getting two group prints because it made a cheaper package.)  However, if I can find a photographer I like who will sell me the CD with copyright so I can get them printed at Walgreens I think I would spend about the same and get better pictures. 

 

We ate at Applebee's where they were kind enough to ignore the one $.99 kid meal per adult meal rule and just charge me $.99 (or $1.99 for the bigger meals) for each one.  We all ate for $20!  Can't do that at McD's. 

 

Also the kids did a good job in Target and no one got lost (unlike last time...) and only one lady "God blessed" me for having six kids.  I should have responded "He certainly has!" but I was concentrating on getting out of there before anyone ran off and Nicholas was definitely thinking about it. 

So overall it was pretty good.
Now maybe I should think about some Holy Week activities for the kids.  Hope you have a blessed Holy Week!