Seeing Spots

As a Father's Day gift for Jay, I thought I would start posting again on my recently somewhat abandoned blog. (He has completely given up bugging me about it, which tells me it's beyond time to get back to it.)

I thought I'd share some pictures of what I have been up to since school got out. I promised the kids that, after three years in this house, I would finally make their rooms "their" rooms with paint and some other general updates.

I began with Lindsey's room and just finished yesterday. It started out beige, like the rest of the house, with army green roman shades (a remnant from when it was Joey's room). This is what it looks like now:


This was lots of fun to do...definitely a labor of love. The design and colors were her choice.

My greatest accomplishment was the shades. I didn't have a budget for new window treatments, so I bought 4 yards of complimentary fabric and literally glued it to the existing canvas shades, wrapping like a present and threading through the pull strings. It worked beautifully and, including the paint, kept the total cost of her "makeover" under $50.

I started Joey's room tonight...a red and gray combination. I'll post photos of that when I'm done. Wish me luck, but mostly stamina!

Yep, I Married A Real Man

I know this because, when told by our dryer repair man (who had been over three times in three weeks) that we needed to call a chimney sweep to clear out our filthy vent, Jay did no such thing. Instead, he went into the garage, found a big tank of compressed CO2 and let 'er rip into the vent.

I wish I had been standing outside to witness the quick exit of packed lint, as the resulting scene outside reminded me of a winter wonderland. Except it was made of gray lint instead of snow. I could have created yarn and knitted a mountain of blankets from the "wool". (Good thing I don't have that kind of time on my hands.)

I also wish I knew if our brand new neighbors happened to see this gigantic belch of filth emanating from the Di Silvestri house. Because it just might have served as an ominous warning of what life might be like living next door to us.

More Fun With Fish

I got the fish, the tank, the aquatic plant and the rocks. But I forgot the food.

So, back I went to Petco the next day with Isabella and Natalie to buy fish food. Should be simple enough, right?

When we got to the store, Isabella did not want to ride in the cart because she remembered that she could see the fish better while smearing her greasy little nose directly on the glass. So, I put Natalie in the cart and I let Bella run ahead a little, thinking that there was no harm done by a little toddler aquarium gazing.

Silly me.

I forgot the Betta fish were on display in little tupperware-like containers, stacked in a pyramid on a table. I forgot that Isabella has a razor-sharp memory and likes to repeat things we have previously done. I forgot that she watched Julia select a fish from this stack the day before.

Before I could stop her, she grabbed for a fish at the bottom of the pyramid to helpfully place in our cart. Down went a number of the fish, thudding hideously in a staccato pattern on the concrete floor. One (and thankfully only one) of the containers split and flooded the area, leaving its inhabitant flopping desperately in the broken container. There were no employees in sight.

Panicked, I grabbed the fish and began to place it in the container with another fish who had survived the fall. But then I remembered that these were all male Bettas and that this would NOT be a good plan. So, I did the next best thing. I started hollering, "Help!" in the middle of Petco. No one came.

Plan B was to stupidly dash around the store looking for an employee, shouting something nonsensical, like, "This fish is going to die! Help!" Finally, alarmed by my apparent instability, the checker left the checkstand mid-transaction to save the poor fish by getting a new container and filling it with water in the nick of time.

I quickly paid for the food and left.

(The next time I need something I am going to PetSmart down the street.)

Fun with Fish

Julia's Kindergarten is making a town. Each child is bringing in one building, and Julia chose "aquarium". Anyone who knows me knows I am not crafty at all, so I generally dread these projects. But this one sounded easy, since I had permission from her teacher to use a real mini aquarium.

Off we went to Petco and came home with a Betta fish and a tiny tank (apparently, Bettas prefer small stagnant spaces, so that's why I chose that kind of fish). Julia was delighted with her beautiful fish and sure she would have the best building in town.

Joey came home from school, took one look at Julia's fish and said, "Cool! That's a Siamese Fighting Fish! What's his name?"

Julia, in her sweet six-year old sing-song voice declared, "Rainbow."

Joey, who misheard, shouted excitedly, "Rambo?! That's the PERFECT name for this kind of fish!"

An excellent example of the difference between girls and boys, now, isn't it?

Technological Glitch Makes for Poor Posting

I have so much to post about. May has been an incredibly busy month.

Sam celebrated his First Holy Communion. Julia turned 6. Joey turned 11. Jay made his annual Mother's Day brunch. Joey made student of the month for the second time in three months.

Baseball continues. Four kids, five different teams (Joey plays on two) means 9 regular practices and 4-7 games per week. And that doesn't even count extra batting practice! Throw in choir (mine and Lindsey's), dental, medical and orthodontic appointments, and I am going through a tank of gas every three or four days. Thank goodness it isn't $4.50 a gallon anymore!

Joey and Lindsey both have major projects due this month. Lindsey's, on Harriet Tubman, required a costume rental and extensive poster board preparation. Joey's is a science fair entry and has Jay welding a catapult (yes, you read that correctly, a catapult) in the garage during every waking moment while I frantically assist with the presentation board. When did it become so that a child's project is a parent's nightmare? But if we don't help when the other parents do, doesn't that put a child at a disadvantage? A vicious cycle to be sure.

Why then, with so much to talk about, haven't I posted anything? Simply because my camera is broken. It is usually photos of these events that get me motivated to post about them, and no images means no motivation. How slippery is the slope of modern technology! What a crutch is has become to self-expression for me!

At any rate, if I ever pull myself out of the fog that has become my life, I will fix the camera and get back on track. In the meantime, bear with this busy mom. I am simply too busy living my life right now to write about it.

No one, and I mean NO ONE, is looking forward to summer more than I am. Fourteen more days of school. But who's counting?

From Someone Who Has Been Around The Block A Few Times

I have had a bad few weeks, calendar-wise.

Generally, I keep a fairly good calendar. Given how much is on it, I do a pretty good job of getting people where they need to be with the proper items. However, these past few weeks I have been dropping the ball. Kids have missed entire games, I nearly blew a team snack and I have shown up at the wrong time for things that were correctly written on my calendar. What gives?

I was mulling this mystery over out loud while driving the kids to school, when Lindsey said with all the wisdom of someone who has been through this quite a few times, "Mom, are you pregnant?"

I cracked up (and only, mind you, because I am NOT!). Apparently, my nine-year old knows that, in my case, the most obviously explanation for any period of total brain fade is due to pregnancy hormones.

I am guessing that most kids her age would not have gone there first, but I am so amused that she did.

When I assured her I was not expecting, Joey jumped in with, "Well, I guess you're just finally really losing it then."

Thanks, bud.

It Was Inevitable

Someone was going to need stitches, sooner or later.

Joey's teacher called yesterday morning and told me to come fetch him right away, as he was going to be needing some medical attention. Joey's description of the incident: "I was trying to cut the grip off the pencil--which I now know was a really bad idea--and the scissors slipped."

I will spare you the gory photo I took in the urgent care, but the kids are really enjoying grossing themselves out over it.

Two hours and four stitches later, he is on the road to recovery and is quite the celebrity at school this week. Happily, he missed the tendon and should have no lasting effect beyond a "really cool" scar on the index finger. Lucky boy.

Is this a blog or a medical reporting medium? Lately, it is getting hard to tell the difference.

Just Another Day in the Di Silvestri House

Jay, while quizzing Lindsey on her spelling words:
"Calves. When you slaughter calves, they become veal. Very tasty."

Lindsey, without missing a beat:
"C-A-L-V-E-S."

There is little chance our children are going to grow up normal in any sense. I apologize now, kids.

Okay, Okay

Here are some updated photos of Natalie, for those of you who have asked. The last two show her in her new brace, which doesn't seem to bother her too much, happily.





Thanks for asking, and I'm sorry I have been so slow in posting updated photos!

A Surprising Diagnosis

I took Natalie to the orthopedist today.

When she was born her pediatrician noted a "dislocatable hip" and sent us to the orthopedic specialist. By the time she first saw the specialist (at two weeks old) the hip had already apparently corrected itself and was no longer able to be popped out of the joint. The orthopedist thought that all was well but suggested that we do a follow up x-ray at four months (when enough bone has solidified in an infant to be visible) just to be extra cautious. He was so confident that all he would see was a normal hip joint that I almost didn't even keep the follow up appointment since it required a 45 minute drive.

Well, I did keep the appointment and, as it turns out, for good reason. As soon as the doctor looked at the x-ray, I could tell by his silence that not all was well. Natalie has hip dysplasia which means that her hip joint is not forming properly. Left untreated it could cause her to have a limp, early arthritis and likely surgery down the road. The good news is that catching it so early means that we can influence how the joint forms so she will likely make a full recovery without surgery.

Natalie's doctor has ordered a special brace for her that she will wear for the next three or four months to keep positive pressure on the hip socket. It shouldn't bother her (I hope!) although it may delay her reaching certain milestones (such as sitting up) by a few weeks.

For the second time in a month, I am grateful for excellent health coverage and for her amazing pediatrician who caught what was even not immediately apparent to the specialist. Most likely, she will recover fully with no recollection of this ever having happened to her.

Prayers to this effect are appreciated!

Quick Thinking

Sam recently celebrated his first reconciliation. I proudly took him to the church and participated in the opening rites of what was essentially a penance service for him and his classmates.

Sam and I were sitting toward the back of the church, watching as his friends went to the confessional and then returned to their seats one by one. I was thinking to myself that when Sam's turn came he was going to be VERY quick, as both Joey and Lindsey were in for barely a minute or two for their first confessions. I remember thinking at the time that they couldn't possibly have mentioned even a small fraction of the items I would have put on their list of confession-worthy transgressions, and that Sam was sure to have an even shorter list, knowing him.

At any rate, there I am, sitting with Sam who is now only a few students away from being called, when I am suddenly struck by the fact that this is SAM I am dealing with. I look over at him and see him happily playing with his program, alternately making a telescope with it and folding it back into a vehicle of some sort. It occurs to me that I had better inquire as to how prepared he is for this significant event.

"Sam," I ask, "you DO know what you are going to say in there, don't you?"

"Oh yeah," he replies confidently. "I say 'Bless me father for I have sinned' and then I say it is my first confession."

"No," I say. "I mean AFTER all of that. Did you think about what sins you are going to confess?"

He looks at me like a deer in headlights. "Uh, not really."

"You know, Sam, you might want to give it some thought before you get in there."

"Yeah, OK." He looks serious for about 10 seconds and then goes back to his program art.

Before much time has passed, Sam is called to the confessional and he hops right up and trots in. By this time I am SURE it will be less than a minute, since he hadn't even thought of the sins in advance, but what do you know? He was in for six whole minutes. Longer, by far, than anyone else in his class! I was about to send in a rescue party!

He bounced right back to his seat, loudly announced his penance, completed it and gave me a big grin.

I sure would give a lot to be a fly on the wall of that confessional. Ah, well. Some things are just as fun to imagine.

They Ain't What They Used To Be

Birthdays, I mean.

Take, for example, Jay's 45th birthday which was this past weekend. Did he spend it eating at a fancy restaurant, or taking in an opera? Drinking fine wine, hanging out with his good friends or even being waited on by his family? Well, not exactly.

Instead, here's how it went down:

His wife (me, of course) was laid up in bed with the final stages of pneumonia. I did manage to let him sleep in and make him some coffee, but then basically spent the rest of the day in bed. (Sorry, honey, I'll make it up to you!) He is such an amazing man that he actually spent his day not only taking care of the bulk of the children, but also upgrading the irrigation system in my vegetable garden. Yep, he's a keeper!

The next day we enjoyed a nice visit with his mom after mass but then came home to discover that our 17 year old cat Stanley was dead. So, Jay set right to work digging a grave while the kids tearily decorated a box for him to be buried in. Naturally, this did not all go smoothly. Jay hit a sprinkler line when he was digging and had to run to Lowes for an emergency sprinkler repair. Thank goodness, he is quite talented in this area and was able to fix it fairly quickly. But, still, not really how you want to spend your birthday weekend, repairing a sprinkler line you broke while digging a grave for your cat.

By this time it is 4:30 pm and Jay has to leave for his Bingo shift (the Knights of Columbus offers Catholic school tuition assistance to dads who work their Bingo games). But the cat is still not buried. So, we gather quickly for a funeral, say some nice things about our cat, take turns throwing dirt on his grave, and then Jay races out of the driveway for Bingo. Everyone there understands why he is 15 minutes late, but Jay HATES to be late. For anything. (I don't have that gene.)

Did he have any time for himself? No. Did he get to exercise, as he likes to do every day to keep job stress at bay? No. Did I treat him like the king I think he deserves to be on his birthday? No.

Did he ever complain, even once? No. Act a little bit grumpy about the circumstances? Never. He is a better person than I, that's for sure. I have a sneaking suspicion that everyone would have known about it if I had spend my birthday weekend like he spent his.

Happy birthday, Jay. Now that I am feeling better I am planning to take you out to dinner...after I find a babysitter of course! :-)

Wish I Were Him

How come adults never get to go on field trips like this one? Thanks to my friend Julie who took these beautiful pictures so I could experience Tony's field trip to Uncle Andy's Donut Shop from my command post in bed (and thanks to grandma for taking him).

Illness By the Numbers

Number of days I have had a fever: 7
Number most commonly seen on the thermometer: 101.3
Number of medications I am now taking: 6
Number of times I have been to the doctor: 2
Number of diagnoses I have received: 2 (pneumonia and mastitis)
Number of grandmas working themselves to the bone to cover for me in my downtime: 2
Number of children who seem to notice that I am ill: 0
Number of times I cough in one hour: too high to tally
Number of naps I will take today: at least 3
Number of pounds I have lost: 5 (see, there is always a silver lining!)
Number of shots received in the behind: 1 (ouch!)
Number of blessings in my life: too numerous to count (so none of this is really all that bad, is it?)

Perceptive Little Fellow

I am sick. Fever, cough, general yuckiness. Not enough to kill me, just enough to annoy me.

When Jay finished working this afternoon he encouraged me to climb in bed and stay. He didn't have to ask me twice! Twenty minutes later, Tony assessed the situation and gleefully declared, "The whole house is a playground and we can eat whatever we want!"

Yep, Daddy is in charge.

Happy (Belated) Birthday Isabella

I don't know where the time goes. It seems like we were just celebrating Isabella's birthday in the snow and here I am two weeks late in posting the photo!

As you all know, I live by "better late than never", so here we go...

Happy 2nd birthday, Isabella. I can't believe it has only been two years since you were born, because it feels like you have been a part of our family forever--I can't remember what things were like without you!

This is because you add so much energy and love (and, of course, noise!) to our family. You are smart, confident and determined, yet so sweet, kind and loving. I like to joke that if you had been my first child you would have been my only child, because watching you takes a lot of commitment. But honestly, I wouldn't change a single thing about you. I love your sense of adventure, your vehemence, your absolute sense of self. You are a complete, unique, wonderful person in a tiny little package. I can't wait to see what you become. Watch out, world!

I love you intensely. Happy birthday!

Pennies From Heaven

Our family spent the weekend in Big Bear. We had a beautiful cabin to enjoy, lots of snow to play in and snowboarding/skiing fun for Jay and the older kids. It was really a fantastic weekend for our family in every regard.

We went to mass on Sunday at St. Joseph's, the parish serving Big Bear Lake. We had never been there before and found the church to be very welcoming to visitors (they must be really used to them). In fact, as you will soon learn, I have never felt quite so welcome in a church other than my own!

After experiencing the usual struggles one endures having seven children in church, an older man approached us just as mass ended. He asked me if all these "angels" (his word!) were mine. I replied that they were, all seven of them. His eyes filled with tears, he grabbed my hand and stuffed something into it and said, "Do me a favor and buy them all an ice cream cone. I never had seven, but I had five under five once and seeing you brings it all back. God bless you for what you are doing."

I correctly assumed the "something" he had stuffed in my hand was money, and while normally it would be my inclination to say I couldn't possibly accept his gift but thank you very much, the look on his face let me know that I should just graciously accept it, so I did. Very obviously, the giving of this gift gave him enormous pleasure.

As fast as he appeared, he disappeared, and when he was gone I looked at what he had given us. To my utter amazement, it was a $50 bill. I was absolutely speechless, and this time it was my own eyes that filled with tears.

You know how on TV there are shows about God walking on earth looking like an ordinary person, subtly changing the lives of people he encounters? I felt like that. Like God had touched me very directly through this man. Like He was affirming our choice to raise a large family, and our efforts (more intense lately due to general economic conditions) to save more and spend less.

It will be a very long time before I forget this encounter--it impacted me far more than the actual cash value of $50. I hope to pay this forward to a young family some day. I already know I will enjoy the giving even more than the receiving, as did our benefactor.

See? I've been trying to tell you: it pays to go to church!

We're Buying A New Vacation Home

Unfortunately, it's not for us. It's for our orthodontist, who began treatment today on our second of many children with teeth alignment issues. We'll be paying Dr. Buckley for many, many years and can only hope he chooses something with a nice ocean view as a tribute to the family that helped him obtain it!

Seriously, Dr. Buckley is a very nice man, super generous to the community, the first to sponsor his patients' sports teams and various endeavors, active in his parish and in the Knights of Columbus with Jay, so if we have to give it to someone, I'm glad it's him. And, our insurance pays nearly half so it isn't as bad as it could be. But my kids had better take care of those teeth--every time they smile I see dollar signs!

Lucky Joey has the best teeth in the family (no cavities, ever, and no orthodontic treatment required as of yet--maybe something minor later, but so far so good). Lindsey is done with phase one and is looking lovely. Sam begins next week with the medieval stretching torture device that will make his jaw big enough to accomodate his giant man-teeth. Julia hasn't even lost a tooth yet and she can take her time...we are on a one child at a time treatment plan here.

Well, here we go again. Here's to wires, bands, brackets and children who won't truly appreciate our sactifice for many years to come. Yippee!

Thumbody's Grateful

This is Lindsey's thumb about 30 minutes after it was jammed by a softball tonight at her team practice.

My cell phone camera did not do this injury justice. By the time she saw the doctor (another 30 minutes after this shot) it was nearly completely black and totally swollen out of shape.

My poor girl. She was screaming and wailing so loudly that everyone in the urgent care was quite unsettled. It is awful to see your child in so much pain.

Now, several hours after the fact, she is sleeping peacefully and is expected to be playing softball again next week. Diagnosis: a minor crack near the top of the bone (not at the joint, so it is not a big deal) and a nail that is sure to be lost. Once they relieved the pressure from under her nail, she felt better right away and should heal quickly.

In the aftermath of this, I am left feeling nothing but grateful for all this experience has reminded me that we have.

How lucky are we that there is an urgent care--with an on-site X-Ray--only a mile or so from the softball field, and that I was able to get Lindsey there within minutes of her injury? How happy am I that I was nearby when it happened, as I am so often not at the field with my kids during their practices? (I have kids practicing at 3 different fields all at the same time on Wednesdays...)

Fortunate was Lindsey that this was an injury to her thumb and not her skull or torso. Lucky was I that my mom was already with two of my kids and could run right over to watch the others for me.

What I am most thankful for, however, is our fabulous health insurance. Lindsey received medication, an X-Ray, a Lydocaine shot, a triple-puncture procedure to her nail, a pressure bandage and antibiotics, and it cost me $17. I thought a lot tonight about all the people without good health coverage or who don't have access to good health care facilities. We are so very fortunate to have this benefit and I will never, ever take it for granted. Tonight when my daughter was sobbing, "Make it stop!" I was able to do so within an hour and at barely any cost. There are many parents who can't do this for their children and I am so very sorry about this.

And Lindsey? She is grateful that she didn't have to do her homework tonight and that she got a milkshake on our way home.

Happy Is The Husband

Happy is the husband who found himself in NYC this week on business.

Happy because his hotel was right next to the Carnegie Deli. So happy that he paused to email me this photo of his lunch before he attacked it.


Now that's love.

Bathing Beauty

Who says you don't get any "firsts" with a seventh child? Here is Natalie having her first real bath, and she is the very first of the Di Silvestri children who did not howl and scream all the way through it. In contrast, she seemed to enjoy it very much!

Couldn't resist posting this photo. She is so very precious.

Happy Birthday Lindsey

I love technology. This is a current photo (I'm talking minutes old, folks) of Lindsey doing what she is still doing right this minute: celebrating her 9th birthday by skiing with her dad. Here she is on the ski lift, where my thoughtful husband was kind enough to not only take a photo of her but to email it to me right away so I could see how their day was going. And now I can share it with all of you while she is still on the slopes. Isn't it great?!

We are fortunate enough to live 45 minutes away from a ski area, and since you get to ski free on your birthday, this was a no-brainer birthday celebration! I'm glad she can spend some daddy-daughter time, too.

Lindsey, happy birthday, my oldest daughter. What a lovely young lady you are. I am proud to be your mother!

So THAT Explains It!

I am reading a totally fascinating book on Feng Shui. I was looking for some furniture-arranging tips for our family room, which has always felt a little sterile to me. Instead, I believe I have found the answer to the very puzzling question of why we have so many kids.

According to the Feng Shui octagon, our bed is located in the "children" section of our master bedroom.

Mystery solved!

Cinematic Redemption

I had a rare date night with Jay tonight. We went to see Clint Eastwood's Gran Torino. As you may guess, this was Jay's choice. I would have preferred The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, but it is so rare that Jay is adamant about seeing a movie that I easily caved.

In this one film, Jay has redeemed himself from every bad movie he has ever forced me to sit through (Bad Santa, anyone?). This movie was absolutely fantastic. I laughed, I cried (not that it is hard to make me cry, I'll admit, but I would have cried even without the hormones). It is beautifully done, and we both loved it. Really, don't miss this one!

Did You Know...

...that clothes and hats from Build-A-Bear workshop fit newborn babies perfectly?

Well, they do.

Don't ask how I know, I just do.

What's In A Name?

Isabella is learning to say the names of her brothers and sisters. This morning I was so surprised to hear how well she said Tony's name that I asked her to say everyone's name.

"Can you say Joey?"
"Woey."
"Can you say Lindsey?"
"Eensie."
"Can you say Sam?"
"Ham."
"Can you say Natalie?"
"Baby."

Good enough!

Fun With Photos

Our church is doing a picture directory. Many of you have probably participated in something like this before...Olan Mills comes to the church and takes your family portrait, entices you with a free 8x10, a free sitting and a free copy of the directory, and then makes their money selling you additional pictures.

This year I was open to being sold a picture of the kids (normally, we just sit for the directory and that's it). I don't have one with all seven (obviously!) and I happen to have a nice spot on my wall where I would love one. So, it was with high hopes--yet realistic expectations--that we entered for our sitting.

We chose the time slot right before Natalie's baptism so we wouldn't have to dress up twice (good thinking, eh?). I warned the photographer about Isabella (have I mentioned before on this blog that our sweet daughter actually has two personalities and can switch on you at any moment?) and he assured me that he was a professional and that kids like her didn't scare him. I raised my eyebrows at that one, but he was so very confident that he could handle her that I decided to let him.

At first, it went very well. Isabella was happy to sit on my lap and giggled prettily along with the older five children every time his SpongeBob puppet made a tooting noise behind the camera. A classy bunch, my kids.

As soon as Jay and I were removed for my requested "kids only" portrait, however, things went south very quickly. She refused to sit without me, screamed and beat her fists and fell down on the floor in a classic limp noodle move. None of the other kids could hold her and the frustrated photographer finally gave up and started taking photos with just the cooperative six. I let him know pretty quickly that I was not going to purchase as my "big deal" picture a shot that did not include Isabella, so he pulled himself up by his bootstraps and got double busy with SpongeBob. To no avail.

Finally, we had to do exactly what we did in our Christmas photo (see below). Jay had to lay down on the studio floor and hold her up from the bottom while she screamed. The photographer looked as if he really wanted to find himself another job.

But you know what? We got what is sure to be my all time favorite photo of the kids: Isabella is hoisted up by an invisible hand, face contorted into a scream, and every older child is looking at her and laughing. Real belly laughs, not silly "for the camera" grins. I loved it and promptly bought a 20x30 for my wall (to Jay's utter horror, although he, too, loved the picture).

The best part of this whole experience, however, came later. Our friends, who have four children 7 and under, went in for their portrait sitting later that day. Their 1 year old daughter was fussing and they apologized to the photographer who said, "Oh, she's nothing. You should have seen the family that was in here earlier today. Now THAT girl was a piece of work!"

That's my girl!

The Di Silvestri Children, Christmas 2008

Happy New Year!

Happy 2009 to all--may this new year be filled with every kind of blessing!

Well, we're definitely getting older and our New Year celebrations are starting to reflect this undeniable fact (I'm not complaining, by the way, simply reflecting...). As is our custom, we spent our New Year's Eve with dear friends enjoying a fantastic dinner of prime rib, chicken piccatta, shrimp and tiramisu. We all have children the same age and the kids had a ball playing together all evening while the adults visited. We always enjoy this event.

This year, however, reflected a few changes. First of all, we now have so many small children that need our attention that it is nearly impossible for the stars to align such that both Jay and I can sit down to dinner at the same time. Technically, this is not a change, as this as been our state for last decade. The emerging difference is that our sensible friends (who stopped having children long ago) are no longer similarly interrupted, thus making our plight much more noticeable.

Second, the "big moment" isn't what it used to be. In fact, when midnight arrived last night, it found the children enthusiastically counting down with Dick Clark, Jay asleep where he unintentionally stayed after laying down with an injured Tony and a tired Isabella at about 9:30pm, and me doing what I am always doing these days...nursing Natalie. The tide is turning: the children are becoming the revelers and the adults are snoozing in the corner. Scary, but true.

Dick Clark was an eerie reflection of all of this last night. Did you see him? Post stroke, only a shadow of who he was before, but there he was, plugging along nonetheless. I related to him in a strange way. The people around me last night were questioning why he was still there, why he was doing what he was doing in the state he was in, but I understood: he loves it and doesn't want to give it up, even though he is paying a price for it. It's who he is. So it is with having so many kids--they definitely take their toll, but I wouldn't change a thing. So what if we're sleeping/nursing/not celebrating New Year's Eve in a "cool way" at the midnight hour? It's who we are!

Morning Affirmation

This morning Tony walked by me and said, "Mom, you count."

I thought about this for a moment and felt warm all over. Doesn't everyone need to hear this from time to time? I matter to someone! I count for something in his book!

As I sat there, feeling loved and appreciated, he came back by and repeated it: "Mom, you count, I'll hide."

Oh. I get it. I needed to hear the rest of it to understand exactly what he was getting at.

Ah, well. Playing hide and seek with your 3 year old is just another form of affirmation, is it not? I'll take what I can get.

Winter Wonderland

Holy snowflakes, Batman! We got some serious snow, a total novelty for this native California family. Some photos of the amazing past 24 hours here at the Di Silvestri house...

It snowed all day, from 6:30am to midnight, without letting up even once. All told, we got somewhere between 6 and 10 inches (it took awhile to stick, so it is hard to say exactly) and at times the dry, fluffly snowflakes were the size of 50 cent pieces, like this:

The view from our 2nd story window at about 4pm yesterday:

What we woke up to this morning:

The scene as I drove Natalie to her first doctor's appointment this morning, along with all the other people in town who have no idea how to drive in the snow:

The kids went sledding this afternoon, as the snow quickly melted and turned to slush around them (that is Lindsey sliding down in the blue coat). They had so much fun, as school was canceled again today!

After sledding, they all thawed out in the hot tub, because what could be more fun than hot tubbing in the snow?! A priviledged life? I think so!

The kids all prayed it would snow this year...thank you, God, for answering this prayer in such a thorough and wonderful way! We have had so much fun.

A December to Remember

A new baby and snow, all in the same month?! What have we done to deserve this?

School was canceled today (it doesn't take much snow for us Californians to throw in the towel) and, as you can see, the kids have been busy since they woke up. They are pulling the snow off the ground faster than it can accumulate...although at the rate it is currently snowing, they won't be able to beat nature much longer.

They have gone off to sled on Quartz Hill. What novel fun for us all!

That's My Boy

Joey finished his amazing football season last weekend by defeating not one, but two previously undefeated teams in the Jr. Rosebowl Tournament in Orange County. The Hawaii State Champions and the Torrance Panthers both fell to the mighty Rebels in intense competition (followed by much deserved revelry at Knotts Berry Farm). Congratulations, Rebels, what a season!

However, this post is not about Joey. It is about Sam.

Jay took both boys to Orange County for this tournament weekend while I stayed close to home with the little ones, also making sure Lindsey got to sing with her choir at the creche festival (which was lovely, by the way).

On Saturday morning, Joey had to be at the field for weigh in at 6:30 am. The game began at 8am. Jay dropped Joey off and took Sam for breakfast, spending the last of his cash. Jay called me about 7:30 frantic because his ATM card wasn't working for some reason and he needed cash to get into the game. We spent the next hour and a half on the phone with Bank of America trying to get it sorted out and then with American Express trying to get emergency cash so Jay wouldn't miss the game. Jay and Sam went from place to place, with instruction from American Express, to find a Western Union that would open before 10am. It was incredibly frustrating for Jay, as various places told American Express they would be open and then when he arrived they were closed.

Finally, at about 8:30 I remembered that grandma had given Sam $20 for his good report card just before he left. I told Jay to ask him if he had it on him.

Jay said, "Sam, do you have $20?"
"Yeah."
"Are you kidding?"
"No. Why?"

All Jay and I could do was laugh, because Sam was totally unaware during all of this that Jay only needed $8 to get in the game and that he had the means to solve the problem in his pants pocket the entire time. Our incredibly bright, straight A student has so little awareness of what is going on around him sometimes that it can be nothing but totally endearing. That's our Sam, and I couldn't love him more.

No Less Miraculous the 7th Time

Here are some more photos of Natalie. What a joy she is!






I have spent all of my spare time over the last two days staring at her in wonder. Her tiny ears, perfectly formed features, little sighs and grunts are no less amazing to me than Joey's were ten years ago. I could never get tired of looking at this perfect little person, God's creation, who only a few days ago was hidden from sight in my giant belly. I know how fleeting these early days are, so I am trying to be present in every moment.

On another note entirely, take a look at the photo of Lindsey above. Notice the gorgeous, straight teeth? She got her braces off the very day Natalie was born. Congratulations, my dear, you are beautiful!

A Name At Last

For those of you wondering...we have finally chosen a name for our daughter.

Natalie Lucia Di Silvestri, welcome to the world!

More photos tomorrow.

Happy Baby!

Baby Girl Di Silvestri arrived safe and sound at 11pm. She weighed 8lbs 7oz and measured 20.5 inches. Mom is doing fine too. Labor was relatively quick once it got started, thank goodness.

Thanks for your prayers, all is well. We will let you know her name as soon as we pick one!

Finally In the Hospital

Well, my water broke early this morning and I have been sitting on a gurney in the hospital triage since about 10am waiting for a room to open up. One just did about a half hour ago and I am now, happily, in a delivery suite waiting to meet our new daughter.

Since I have not, in the 12 hours since my water broke, established any regular contractions on my own, they have just started me on Pitocin. This is definitely to my dismay, but I am actually glad that I had the time to sit and see what could happen rather than them going right away to the assist.

Hopefully, this will not be the marathon that Isabella's delivery was, but whatever comes, at least the time is here. We'll keep you posted. Keep us (and the grandparents who are watching all the kids and probably have a tougher 24 hours ahead of them than I do) in your prayers!

Jay insisted that I include this photo of me blogging at the hospital...for your amusement:

40 Weeks, 3 Days

This baby is now officially as late as Sam was (my only late baby, by the way). She is apparently interested in becoming the new family record holder for late deliveries.

At least I was able to enjoy a beautiful Thanksgiving at home with our family and good friends. I wouldn't have wanted to miss that, so it's not all depressing around here!

In all seriousness, I am feeling fine, my blood sugar is good (even relatively so on Thanksgiving), and the baby seems fine, so I suppose there is no hurry. I am definitely ready to meet my new daughter, but in the meantime am enjoying this long weekend with my family and friends.

After all, it's just a few more days of waking up and saying, "I wonder if I'm going to have a baby today!" And you can't say that every day, now can you?

Further Evidence I Married the Right Man

He's prepared for anything (as a good Cub Scout leader should be)...


He goes to great lengths to ensure his children have a variety of positive childhood memories...


And, he looks fabulous, even covered in whipped cream!


Thank you, Jay, for being such a wonderful father.


Late Addition from Lindsey: "Make sure you tell them the kids were falling on the ground in laughter and that he got the most pies in the face."
OK, I will!

2008 Superbowl Champions

Congratulations, West Valley Rebels, on your 18-12 Superbowl victory over the previously undefeated Jets!

This was, hands down, the most exciting football game I have ever seen. I jumped up and down, I stomped my feet, I yelled until I was hoarse. Both teams were truly excellent.

The game was tied 12-12 in the 4th quarter with 56 seconds to go. The Jets got the ball due to an objectively bad referee call (really, we're not biased here) and we thought it was over for us. But then the Jets passed the ball, we intercepted it, and ran it in for the winning touchdown. It couldn't have been closer or more of a nail biter. Now that's football, baby!

I am truly sorry for the Jets who are nothing but stunned right now. Several of the boys were crying after the game. Many of them have played for 3 or 4 years and never, ever lost a game. I don't think it occurred to them that they could possibly lose. Which is exactly why I believe we won. As the Rebel coaches said afterward: You wanted it more. It showed from the minuted you walked on the field. I'd like to think that our boys would have been happy with the way they played even if the game had gone the other way in the final minute, as it very well could have. But I'm also glad we don't have to know for sure.

Well, if all that jumping, screaming and stomping doesn't bring on labor, I fear nothing well. Or--scary thought--perhaps I scared her into staying another week! Ah, well, if I did it was worth it. Almost, anyway.

And Yet Another Pregnancy Update

39 weeks, 3 days. But who's counting?

OK, I'll admit it, I am.

But so far, to no avail. I just returned from the doctor who reported that there are no signs whatsoever that this baby has any intention of leaving my body. Ever. (OK, I added that part). But since she seems to be the right size and perfectly healthy, this is not yet a problem. (For her, at any rate!)

Well, on the positive side, it looks like I'll make it to Joey's Superbowl tomorrow. Go Rebels!

Superbowl Bound!

Here is Joey's football team, who SHUT OUT (look at the score board!) their competition in the divisional playoffs this morning. The Rebels are headed to the Superbowl next Saturday with a 8-1 record to play the only team they lost to all season: The Jets (who come into the game with a record of 9-0).

My favorite part? Not the win (although that was fantastic). Not the shutout (although it did boost the boys' confidence tremendously). It was when the boys were huddled up after the game and the coach was congratulating them. I noticed that rather than giving the coach his undivided attention, Joey crossed himself and moved his lips in a prayer of thanksgiving for the win. It was his first instinct to thank God for answering his numerous prayers for a favorable outcome of this game. Afterwards, he simply and humbly said, "God did this."

What a joy it is to see my son turn to God not only in times of fear or need, but to remember to give thanks in good times as well. Witnessing this was worth more to me than a thousand Superbowl triumphs. But who knows...maybe we'll get one of those next week on top of it all! I'll let you know.

Possibly My Favorite Question of All Time

Submitted by Sam this morning:

Mom, if you feed a chicken TNT and it lays an egg, will that egg be a bomb?

Correction

The baby will be baptized on December 20th (Saturday), not the 22nd as previously reported. Apparently, I was living in a different year but am now clear that it is 2008.

All are welcome!

Another Pregnancy Update

Nothing to report except that there is nothing to report!

I am 37.5 weeks and all looks fine. Baby doesn't seem to be planning an early exit and, for now, I am OK with this. Normally I am quite impatient by this point in the pregnancy, but for some reason I am in no hurry to get to this hospital with this one. Perhaps once the Fall Luncheon is over on Tuesday I will feel differently...

I will have an ultrasound next week to be sure the baby isn't growing too large. If she isn't, my doctor does not feel compelled to induce me early, and for this I am thankful. Happily, the diabetes has been well controlled this time all the way through so I am not enduring the non-stress tests and certain early induction I had to go through with Isabella.

I'll keep you updated on any developments. In the meantime, here's to another uneventful week!

It Has Come Down To This

I never thought I'd drive one of these big honkers, but today we welcomed this beast into our family. It is my new ride and I am stylin'.

I didn't have a lot of options, no matter how hard I tried to find them. Fixing up the limo wasn't practical, at this point, for every day use. It needs too much work and, while it will be a really fun project some day, I need a car now that is reliable and safe. Adding a jump seat to the minivan proved to be too crowded. And, I needed something that would fit in the garage for the inevitable sleeping child, so a fun conversion was out. This was the only choice I had, so I have decided to love it.

And you know, so far, loving it isn't hard! We found a fantastic deal on a gently used 2008 with only 15,000 miles on it. It was used as a fleet vehicle so there is no evidence of the wear my family is sure to leave in due time. It drives really nicely, it is fun to be so high up, and best of all, there is enough room for the kids that they can have some space between them. They have been on top of eachother in the minivan and this has been causing misery for us all. Now my pincher can have kid-free space on either side of her!

Although it doesn't show in this photo because they all came forward (except Tony who is in the back corner), when they are all spread out it doesn't feel like we have so many kids. I kept thinking someone was missing!


At any rate, my nervousness at not having a seat for the new baby has been calmed and I am now ready to welcome her...as soon as I get the clothes out and pick a name, that is!

Pregnancy Update

I've reached the point in this pregnancy where I'm sure many of you are wondering what's happening...a few days of silence on the blog could mean I'm at the hospital! So, I will try to keep you posted on what's happening as we enter "baby watch" weeks.

I am at 36.5 weeks and doing pretty well. I am measuring just slightly more rotund than average, my blood sugar levels have been great (no insulin, just diet controlled) and the baby is nice and active. I am tired, slow and feeling huge (this is not really news, now is it?) but other than that am doing just fine. This has been a blessedly uneventful pregnancy.

I have our school's annual fall luncheon on November 11th and, other than Halloween tomorrow, it is the next big thing on my calendar. I figure as soon as it is over this baby is more than welcome to arrive.

We still don't have a name for our little girl (or a seat for her in the car!). We are working on both. I have not yet packed my hospital bag nor have I retrieved the tiniest clothes from their box in the garage. Denial? Not really. Just haven't gotten to it yet. I'll do it this week. Really, I will. At least the crib is ready...probably because I won't use it until she is at least several months old! It's the stuff I will need on day one that I somehow haven't gotten to. Hmmm... Oh, but I HAVE scheduled her baptism, for December 22nd. See, I DO have my priorities straight after all.

I'll do my best to keep you posted on any developments. Thanks for checking in!

It's What's For Dinner

I have been cooking a lot lately. More than I ever have. We're talking 5 or 6 nights a week of homecooked food where, normally, I only pull off 1 or 2 and fill in the rest with fluff. Now that most of the kids are in school I have learned to use my mornings effectively in preparing dinner so all I have to do is heat or serve at the witching hour. I am feeling quite accomplished!

This week I was doing my now-usual Monday morning meal and grocery planning and asked the kids if they had any requests for dinner. Their response was unanimous and emphatic: nothing home cooked!

Please, they begged pathetically, couldn't we just have some of the things we used to eat, like frozen lasagna from Costco or boxed Macaroni and Cheese? No homemade chili or soup, no kind of saucy chicken dish over rice or pasta and most certainly no more beef stew or pot roast!

These poor, deprived kids. All this time I thought I was doing right by my family by serving them nutritious, home cooked meals. Little did I know I was actually torturing them.

OK, family (Jay excluded, of course). I hear you. This week I will take the week off and you will have your Macaroni and Cheese. You will have your frozen lasagna. And I will enjoy my break. But be warned...I'll be back!

(Perhaps this time, however, I will phase in the home cooking gradually so as not to cause the culture shock I have clearly invoked.)

Thanks...I Guess!

Last Monday was the first day of a new Girl Scout year. Lindsey's Brownie troop had its first meeting of the new school year, and Julia was officially inducted as a Daisy at the same time.

I went to Julia's induction ceremony and got so wrapped up in it that I completely forgot that Lindsey was just down the hall in another classroom having her Brownie meeting. When Julia's meeting ended I began walking to the car, already thinking about the next place I had to be (gymnastics, 30 minutes).

Lindsey's leader saw me heading out of the school grounds and called to me that Lindsey still needed to be checked out. I looked at my watch and realized with a start that I was 20 minutes late to pick her up. Not only was I late, but it was obvious from the direction in which my stroller caravan was heading that I was not, even then, making a mad dash to get her.

Oops.

Now, as you all know from previous "I forgot one of my kids" posts, I always count my kids and account for everyone's whereabouts before I leave any location. I would have caught this error. I just hadn't caught it YET.

Nevertheless, I was sufficiently humbled, especially since Lindsey's wonderful leaders (friends of mine, thank goodness) were inconvenienced by my error. There was no smooth cover up possible--I was clearly caught in a totally clueless moment.

Naturally, I engaged in world-class groveling, both to Lindsey and to her leaders, but I soon realized that it was not necessary. Lindsey had already paved that road for me. As it turns out, Lindsey was kind enough to explain to her leaders that I was pregnant, and that they should really give me a break because I, historically, forget all kinds of things when I am pregnant. She even went so far as to list a number of specific events where I had total brain fade in recent months, and to assure them that I would be back to normal soon. But in the meantime, everyone needed to cut me some slack. (Yes, they were totally amused by this).

At first, all I could think about this was that, even pregnant, I get an awful lot right. Trying to account for 6 children and their various school events and sporting activities (snack schedules, picture days, forms due, etc., etc.) is no small task. Most days everyone is where they are supposed to be on time with all the right equipment. But this is expected, is it not? It is only the relatively few times I mess up that get catalogued. I experienced a defensive moment in the face of this failure but then I quickly recovered.

Before long, I realized how nice it was that no one, especially my abandoned daughter, was irritated with my lapse and that, truly, I should hold on to this "pregnant" excuse as long as I can. Because heaven knows, it is a real one!

So, thank you, my amazingly empathetic daughter, and thank you, my friends, her leaders, for understanding that I am not firing on all cylinders currently. Somehow you managed to leave me feeling grateful and supported rather than completely mortified. That's a nice place to be.

Contrary to Popular Belief...

...this blog has not been abandoned.

It's owner is simply very pregnant. Which means that regular daily tasks are taking longer to complete, leaving less free time for blogging.

So bear with me. I'll be back. Hopefully sooner rather than later!

Completely Self Inflicted

Let's just start with a well-known fact about me: I am not a camper.

I do not like dirt. I do not like sleeping on the ground. I do not like cooking outside, or cold showers, or hauling tons of equipment and supplies. There is little about the entire process that sounds or actually is fun for me.

That being said, months ago (before I found out I was pregnant) I got a crazy notion that we should take a family camping trip to the beach town where I grew up. I had this foggy notion of the kids running and playing in the tide pools where I played at their ages, and had happy visions of the whole family gathered around the campfire making smores. So I booked it, to the surprise of everyone who knows me.

Even more surprising to everyone (including myself) I decided to go through with this adventure. So, last weekend, at 31 weeks pregnant, I found myself sleeping on the ground at Carpinteria State Beach with six children and a giant beast of a dog in a sea of uncontrollable dirt and sand.

I wish you could have seen the looks on the faces of the nice older (childless) couple in the campsite right next to ours as our trailer-toting minivan pulled up and we all piled out. Although they were nothing but nice, I can only imagine what must have been going through their heads. No matter how you paint it, they must have known their peace was over. And it was.

We had a lovely campsite right on the beach where the kids could run back and forth to the waves with no obstruction, and we were right by the bathrooms, too, which is nice when you have a 3 year old.

All in all, it wasn't terrible. There were terrible moments, make no mistake. But overall, it could have been much, much worse. The kids slept through the night (except for a brief moment when the train went by, woke up the dog, and sent him into a whole-tent tour that caused him to step on nearly every child amid great protest, but happily this was short-lived). The weather was great. The kids had tons of fun at the beach and climbing the trees in our campsite. Our dear friends Lori (frequent commenter on this blog) and Michael came by at campfire time to witness the scene. No one threw up.

Nevertheless, I still don't "get" camping. It was SO MUCH WORK to haul everything and set everything up. I am still washing dirt and sand from our things, a full week later. The wonderful moments could have just as easily been had, in my opinion, from a beachside hotel with a nice shower and restaurant (and perhaps a spa?). And the next time I even think about taking an 18 month old camping, please have my head examined. Sleeping in the same tent with the dog was a treat compared with supervising her around a campsite.

At any rate, I'm afraid we will be going back next year, like it or not. The kids loved it and were oblivious to my personal hell (OK, so that's an overstatement, but not by much). Here are some pictures of the kids at the tidepools, by far my favorite time of the trip...

Our campsite:

Just kidding! This must have been where Martha Stewart was camping, just down the row from us. Ours was the sloppy tent next to the cooler with muddy racoon prints all over it in the morning. I should have taken a picture, but I guess I didn't want to recall it later. (Can you believe some people have the time to set up camp like this? I couldn't believe it!)

Well, here's to the great outdoors. As observed from the indoors, that is!

Tony's First Day of School

Of course he's 3 weeks into school by now, but I still thought I'd go back and post his first day of school picture.

Tony is at Father Serra's Mission Bell Preschool Tuesday and Thursday mornings and so far he loves it. This is the same school Julia attended last year and I am very pleased with its mellow, loving atmosphere.

Here's to a great year of messy art projects, story time puppets and lots of new friends!

Sperm Bank Users Just Ain't What They Used to Be

I was listening to the news this morning when I heard it casually mentioned that a large Los Angeles sperm bank had experienced a complete change in its primary clientele over the last few years.

It seems that, while the bank once catered primarily to infertile couples seeking artificial insemination, it now overwhelmingly served single women and lesbian couples who believed that a man was not necessary in their goal of having a baby (the newstalk folks said this in so many words, not me). Further, they had become very specialized in the donor traits requested by their clients. The customers are apparently quite determined to create designer children, according to their specifications.

As I listened to the "go girls" attitude of the newscasters, I got very sad. Sad for these women, sad for the men that could have been great dads to children they won't know, and sad most of all for the babies that will likely grow up adopting this warped view of the world.

At one time I would have cheered for this ideal. Every woman should have the right to bear her own child, right? And why wouldn't she, given the choice, put together the most optimal set of genes she can find? If she is approaching 40 with no eligible partner in sight, why wait?

However, since becoming a mother I have realized some very important things. First, having and raising a baby is much like a wedding is to marriage. The wedding is one day, but the marriage is the important thing. So it is with children. It is nice to be pregnant and bear your own child, but it is the actual mothering once the child is born that is the real deal. There are so many children who need loving homes, so faced with the very understandable desire of having a baby with no husband to provide one, I hope these women are moved to instead choose adoption.

Second, dads are not disposable. They are not biological means to an end. They are vitally important to the working of a healthy family. I believe that women in our society have become so used to being in control of everything that they are finding it increasingly more difficult to make the compromises necessary for happy marriages. Marriage is all about relinquishing sole control, something I know from experience can be very difficult (I'm a control freak myself)! But the fruits, especially where child rearing is concerned, are bountiful.

Finally, there is no such thing as a designer child. Children are people, organic creatures with flukes, faults and quirks just like us all. Isn't a mother setting herself up to be disappointed when her meant-to-be-perfect child turns out to have a learning disability or a physical flaw? How this thinking contributes to the overall view of our society that people are disposable! This fits right in with the idea that it is fine to abort a child that isn't perfect. Some of the greatest gifts God gives us are children with difficulties, for it is in learning to help, love and accept others as they are that makes us all better people.

Now, I am certain to have offended some people with this rant and I do apologize for that. I will openly acknowledge that it is easy to speak emphatically about this from where I sit. I have clearly never experienced infertility and I am blessed with the happiest marriage I can imagine. I cannot understand firsthand the motivations those not in my situation. However, it is precisely because I understand how amazingly wonderful the road to traditional parenthood can be that I wish it for everyone. But in order for more people to experience it, we as a society have to change some basic attitudes about entitlement.

The Animals Are Running The Zoo

The moment I knew this for sure came this morning while I was trying to unload and reload the dishwasher.

18 month old Isabella climbed into the drawer I had just filled with clean plastic kid cups, stripped off her diaper and decisively peed, deftly splashing every single cup and covering the entire bottom of the drawer. Then she looked at me and smiled wickedly.

Yes, I have lost all control. (And the dishes still aren't done.)

The Worst Thing He Can Imagine

There is a wonderful Mexican grocery store near us called Vallarta. We love to shop there and eat at the taqueria inside. A few months ago Vallarta moved to a brand new store and they had a huge grand opening celebration. We all went after church for Mexican pastry and admired the new store, ate some free samples and especially enjoyed the roaming Mariachi band. The kids talked about this grand opening for weeks and always wanted to stop by after church to see if the Mariachis were still there.

A few days ago while driving home from school we were passed by 14 (we counted) racing police cars, all in a row with their lights flashing. Clearly they were on their way to a major crime scene. A few blocks later we saw them all, congregated in the new Vallarta parking lot.

Sam shouted, "Oh no! They killed the Mariachi Band!"

I am still laughing.

Seriously?

I was filling my car up today when a man approached me with a gas can and asked if I could help him out with a few gallons of gas.

Usually, I am flustered by people asking me for handouts. I am always torn when I see a hungry-looking person asking for money. However, one look at this well-fed, well-enough groomed man with his nice enough car parked nearby was all I needed to deny him guilt-free.

I explained that our family, too, was having a hard time meeting our budget with the increased gas prices and that we are all in the same boat here, so sorry I couldn't help him. He not-so-cleverly countered with the fact that all sorts of nice people have been willing to help out those who couldn't afford gas. I sweetly replied that it was wonderful that others could find a way to help but that he would not be getting any help from me.

Hours later, I am still mulling over his nerve. If he can afford a car, he can afford gas! A car is a luxury, not a necessity like food or shelter. Ever heard of a bus? Seriously! Yes, gas prices are obscene, yes it is difficult to continue driving without making adjustments in other areas of life. I get that. Why? Because I am living it and dealing with it myself! I am doing without things I'd rather have to make room for the increased gas bills. So why can't he?!

Good thing I'm pregnant and cranky and saw this for what it was right away, because another day, another time, I might have been fool enough to participate in this craziness out of politeness. And then I would have been kicking myself for weeks. See? These hormones are good for something besides growing babies!

The Saturday Sport Report

Well, we made it through the first of many Saturdays to come with two soccer games and a football game to navigate. And here are the results (drum roll please...):

Game #1: Sam and the Blue Dragons meet their first challengers, winning 2-1. Sam starts as goalie and nothing gets past him. Hooray!


Game #2: Julia and her Pink Panthers face the formidable Crazy Carrots. They take a severe beating but, luckily, at her age level, no one is counting! Julia did a great job of stealing the ball and moving it down the field, but has a little work to do on actually getting it into the goal. Can you say shank in soccer?! Seriously, she did very well and had a lot of fun, so it was wonderful to watch her.


Game #3: Joey and his Rebels take on the dreaded Jets. They fought a good fight but finally succumbed 13-7. Boy, was that a good game, though. I was on my feet, screaming so much that I thought I would go hoarse. Football is so much fun to watch! The Jets lived up to their reputation and were unbelievably fast, but they also hit better than we expected. The quote of the day came from Joey who, after the game, said, "I don't know what our coach was talking about. They hit pretty hard."

The Jets must have been surprised by our team, particularly our defense who held them to a lot less points than they thought they should have. Last Saturday they routed their opponents 56-0, so our boys should be very proud of their efforts. The Rebels truly played brilliantly, with great play fakes, interceptions and solid passes (the running game did NOT get by the Jets--they were like a stone wall). Even our hard-as-nails coach, who wanted to beat the Jets more than anything, let the boys know that he was so proud of how they played that he couldn't find the words to express it, so there were absolutely no hanging heads or frowns walking off the field today. All in all, it was a great experience for the players and the crowd.

I have no doubt that we will face the Jets again in the championships and, hopefully, we will have a different result then.


I will certainly need the next six days to recover from today. What a marathon! Only 11 more weeks of this and then I will relax by having a baby. She is due the day after the last game is to be played. For once, I hope I'm not early!

Facing the Giants... I Mean, The Jets

Tomorrow, Joey's football team (the Rebels) plays the toughest team in the league: the Jets. In honor of this match up, we watched Facing the Giants for tonight's family movie.

If you have not seen this movie, watch it!

This is a fantastic story of an underdog football team that goes all the way to the State Championship once the players and coach place their trust in God. It is truly inspirational and fun to watch too. A few moments of cheesy acting aside, it is a true must-see.

After last Saturday's opening scrimmage when the Rebels positively creamed the Roadrunners, I hope the boys are not cocky going into tomorrow's game. From what I can tell, the Jets are faster overall than our boys, but they don't hit as hard. So, if the Rebels defense can knock 'em down before they start running, we stand a chance to beat last year's champs in our first match up.

Keep your fingers crossed, and GO REBELS!