Family Movie Night

For the first time in forever...there'll be music, there'll be lights.

Sorry, I couldn't help myself.  The movie Frozen has infiltrated our lives so completely that I hear the lyrics in all sorts of unexpected places.

Anyway, what I meant to say is that for the first time in forever, we were all home this evening!  (Well, except for Joey who was home for awhile but then went to a basketball playoff game, but 9 out of 10 is not bad!).

Normally, Friday nights are our family movie nights, but tonight we decided to watch Big Hero 6 since we were (mostly) all together.  I made Pasta e Fagioli in the slow cooker and everyone got homework done early so we were ready to go.

This is a very cute family movie.  Everyone enjoyed it, from Natalie (who fell soundly asleep about half way through) to Grandma.  Some of us had seen it before but some hadn't.  And others of us, (specifically those who have had way too much brain radiation), couldn't quite remember the details, or even the basic plot, so it was just like seeing it for the first time!

The movie's plot is totally original, the setting is fun and creative, and the message is a good one.
Plus, Baymax is far more endearing than Olaf (sorry, but it had to be said).  But best of all?  No catchy lyrics or songs of any kind!  Most of you know how much I love to sing, but seriously, enough is enough.  No more Frozen songs!

In conclusion, our family recommendation is:  9 thumbs up!

Valentine's Day Tony Style and a Newly Minted 8 Year Old

For Valentine's Day, a few of my kids were asked to take shoeboxes and create a receptacles for their in-class valentines.  Over the years we have had some exceptionally creative ones come from the boys in the family.  I wish I had a picture of the one Sam did a few years ago.  He cut a big hole in the top and attached a flexible dryer vent and painted the whole thing red and silver.  It looked like a valentine vacuum.

I do, however have a picture to share of Tony's.  He asked for a shoebox, banged around for awhile looking for supplies and a hot glue gun, and then came back an hour or so later with this:

The detail is difficult to see, but there is a pink tongue at the bottom and blood-tinged teeth all around.  Seriously, the kid is 9 and does WAY better crafts than I do.  He found all the supplies, figured out how to glue the lid so that it stayed open, and only suffered a minor finger burn from a drip of the glue gun. The result was a tie for the cutest valentine box I have ever seen come out of our family.

The girls' boxes have been nice too, don't get me wrong.  Hearts, flowers, love, lace, etc.  Just a tad more predictable.

Speaking of the girls, we have a new 8 year old in the family!  Bella successfully completed her 8th year of life yesterday.  Yay Bella!  If you can recall that far back, I posted a photo of her each month during her first year...seems I had more time back then!  Anyway, check out 2007 blogs for her first year progression if you are interested.  Here she is at 8 years:

Time does fly.  Happy birthday, Bella, and I look forward to celebrating many more birthdays with you!  

Ash Wednesday

Happy Lent, everyone!

Today I begin again with this blog, a blog which has been dormant for quite some time due to its owner's sad neglect.  It is here that I announce before all that during the 6 weeks of Lent I commit to post something at least 3 times per week.  There.  I said it.

Now I must do it.

It's not that I don't love to write.  It's not that I don't have a million things to say.  It's just that I am so, so busy all the time lately!  I naively thought things would get easier when the kids got older, but just the opposite has happened.  Although my days are free from 8-3 when the kids are in school, I gobble up that time with daily mass, grocery shopping, changing the oil in the cars, dealing with paperwork of various kinds, picking up my disordered house, putting dinner in the slow-cooker, planning someone's birthday party, taking kids to doctor, dentist, orthodontist appointments, etc.  Evenings are homework, gymnastics, girl scouts, etc. I literally have no time.  I know many of you can relate to this.  Even when I get my chemo, I am on my computer the whole time paying bills and balancing my checkbook.

Nonetheless...I feel called during this Lenten season to return to blogging and see where it goes.  I hope you will join me once again as I attempt to breath life back into Raising Saints, something I enjoy doing so much.

Here we go!