What I Did Today

At the beginning of the day, our sadly overlooked RV access side-of-the-house planting area looked like this:



As you can see, it is the only area I did not weed regularly throughout the season. I'm sure our immediate neighbor loved how it added to the curb appeal of his house, although to his credit he never mentioned a thing about it.

After a few hours of weeding, transplanting, raking and staking (and because I don't ever want to pull another weed as long as I live) it looked like this:


Now, it looks like this:



It's just a few bags of tan bark (and maybe a few more plants) short of a cared-for planter. I'm quite pleased.

That is a fruiting olive tree in the middle, by the way. I love these trees but never had one because they are so messy. However, this is a little used, off-to-the-side area for us, so I figured it could fruit and drop all it wanted here. Plus, I figure it is a nice thing to do for all the birds who already use our hot tub as a bird bath. They can come to the tree for their morning snack when they are finished bathing.

At any rate, I am truly surprised by how satisfying gardening can be. I never thought this would become a hobby of mine, but I suppose stranger things have happened.

Now let's just hope the plants survive the winter, because, according to anyone that knows my gardening track record, that would be the strangest thing of all!

Seven Months Old Already

Seven months of sweet snuggles, baby sighs and interrupted nights. Seven months of light-up-her-whole-face smiles, babbling and drool. Seven months of milestones, growth and diapers.

Seven months of sibling affection. Seven months of joy. Seven months of love.

No wonder seven is my lucky number.

Too Busy?

There is a fine line between being involved in your community and being, quite simply, too busy. I may not have actually crossed the line, but I am dancing close to it.

This week I have not been home one night. Every single night there has been a meeting or an event that I have had to attend (or, I should say, chosen to attend, because, really, it's all a choice, right?).

The kids don't seem to mind--they love having a babysitter and I have kept it varied for them by rotating through our stable of sitters this week. I, too, like the variety of the various activities, especially since we have actually managed to sit down for dinner as a family each night (except one) before I have run out the door. But tonight I have found myself asking, "When is one more thing too much?"

Not every week is this busy. This week we had two back to school nights and a lovely dinner at the rectory as extraordinary additions to the usual routine of choir practice, Opus Dei, sporting and scouting events. By themselves, each item we participate in, either ongoing or extraordinary, is worthy of our time. But when do we decide that the best use of our time is doing nothing at all beyond spending the evening together in our home?

I love being involved in our church and school. I love that our children ultimately benefit from our activities through the friendships we strike up with other involved families. However, I am sensing the onset of diminishing returns in all that we do, and I am hoping I can be a good judge of what I should say "no" to. I want to enrich my children's upbringing through community involvement, not neglect them in the name of volunteerism.

I guess that is what the downtime of summer is for--doing much more "nothing" and a lot less "something". But how to make it through the longer months of the school year? Well, I guess Nancy Reagan said it best: Just say no. Perhaps I should give it a try.

Idea of the Year

Our playroom is out of control. Baskets upon baskets of toys, most of which are no longer played with, fill so much of the space that there isn't enough room for the kids to enjoy the things they actually do use.

I know I have to go through and get rid of stuff, but I dread this task for many reasons. Most of all, I cringe from the inevitable chorus of "What happened to _______ ?" that is sure to start just as soon as the items have left the premises. Items I could have sworn the kids had forgotten about are suddenly their most favorite, treasured toys and I am the Wicked Witch of the West for sending them away.

As I was pondering this today, I had a rare and sudden flash of brilliance. Why not let the kids administer their own playroom thinning? Sounded good to me, so I decided to give it a try.

After dinner I had each child go upstairs and select three items from the playroom that they could part with. Next (and this is the good part) I had them get buy-in from their siblings on the items they had chosen. For example, if Lindsey couldn't bear to part with something Sam had chosen she had the right to veto it, but then she had to go choose something to replace it. They could veto things as many times as they wanted , but they were not free to go until they had collectively delivered me the whole lot of a dozen things.

Nothing like peer pressure to get a job done fast. In less than 5 minutes they had cheerfully delivered me a nice pile and got on with their evening. No tears, no surprises and I am on my way to a cleaner playroom. Now if I can just keep this up about 3 times a week, in a few months the playroom will be painlessly trimmed down.

Yes siree, I am feeling mighty proud of myself tonight. But we all know that pride cometh before a fall, so check in with me in a week or so to see how the mighty have fallen. Or simply failed to continue to enforce this really good idea, as the case may be.

Not that this has happened to me before or anything.

I Guess They Showed Me

What, exactly, I don't know, but clearly they were making a statement of some kind.

We have two cats that have been alive forever and show no signs they will be leaving us anytime soon. They used to be real pets, but, I'm embarrassed to admit, have been demoted over time to garage-dwelling nuisances. The birth of each child knocked them further down the status chain until they reached their current sorry state. We don't abuse them, we just don't give them much attention. This hasn't seemed to bother them. Until now.

Apparently, the cats are tired of their ranking in our family and have given some thought as to the best way to let me know it. I must admit, their methods are compelling, as they certainly have my attention.

For, as I pulled out Isabella's feeding blanket to use at a school board meeting tonight, I found that it was soaked with cat urine. Apparently, they had climbed in the car and left their mark after one of the children had left the door to the van open this afternoon.

Let me tell you, there is little more charming to bring to a school board meeting than a cat-urine soaked blanket and a hungry baby.

I think I'll buy some catnip the next time I'm at the store.

Escapade

We got out of Dodge this weekend.

As usual, I did not want to leave the house. But leave we did, all eight of us plus the dog. And, also as usual, I was glad we went and, yet, equally glad to return home. Some things never change.

We drove up to Northern California where we attended Jay's company picnic at a wonderful venue, Saratoga Springs, in the Silicon Valley. I had a chance to meet his coworkers for the first time, and the kids had a great time on the super sized inflatable slide, obstacle course and playground. There was a creek to explore, volleyball, swimming, balloon animals, face painting, glowing necklaces when it got dark, a bonfire and s'mores. Jay's company went all out for its families and we were appreciative recipients of their hospitality.

As if that wasn't enough fun for one weekend, we found out just as we were leaving that our old parish, not too far to the north in Marin County, was having its annual BBQ the very next day (today). We were coerced (twist our arm, really!) by our dear friends to stay over with them and attend, which we gladly did.

It was really nice to see everyone from our former parish and school. Although we have been to visit many times since our move south, this was the most comprehensive and concentrated gathering of the folks we so hated to leave when we moved. How lucky we are to be able to maintain contact with this second community, where we still feel completely at home. Joey, now a fourth grader, saw his kindergarten and first grade teachers there and was very warmly embraced by both (to his simultaneous delight and horror). All the kids caught up with friends from our annual week of Bible Camp and we adults were free to visit with old friends while they enjoyed yet another day of inflatable obstacle courses and face painting.

So here I sit, completely unprepared for the upcoming week, surrounded by unwashed clothes and unreviewed lesson plans, but totally content with our brief yet fabulous family get away.

New Beginnings

Julia, as you can see, is delighted with her new preschool. Today was her first day as a student at Father Serra's Mission Bell Preschool, and it went very well.

After much debate, we decided to switch Julia to a new preschool this year. Though the reasons were all good ones, I still worried as to whether or not we had done the right thing, since she was happy and thriving at her previous Montessori school.

So far, so good, is all I can say. She is thrilled with her new school, and I am happy to have her at a Catholic preschool, close to our house, with children who will be in her Kindergarten class next year.

Although I am a supporter of the Montessori method, I do not see that any of my previous three children have been at an academic advantage as a result of their Montessori preschool years. Since my later-born children are so immersed in a child-friendly environment at home now, with plenty of opportunity to do things for themselves, I no longer think Montessori is the requirement that I once believed it to be.

So, we are experimenting with traditional preschool. My sense is that it will be a successful one. Happy new beginning, Julia!

And You Thought Nothing Grew in the Desert

Well, you're partially right. Nothing you WANT to grow in the desert grows naturally.

But weeds sure do.

Normally I love our big lot. I love that the kids have tons of room to run, that we have room for a pool and a play area, that we are not right on top of our neighbors. However, when I am weeding (which, incidentally, is all I seem to have been doing for weeks now), I am cursing our abundant land with every yank.

"Why," I think to myself as my back locks into a half-bent-over position, "didn't we find ourselves a nice home with only a patio? Or something in a high rise? Or, even better, a house with no landscaping at all aside from the natural vegetation that takes care of itself?" And then, I am inevitably reminded that we have six children that really like to run and tumble, and--oh, yeah--there IS no natural vegetation here other than Joshua trees, and the whole house decision makes sense once again.

I thought I was really clever as I began my weeding hour(s) today in my bathing suit. How refreshing it will be, I thought, to simply jump in the pool when I get too hot. And it WAS it pretty good idea, as the water felt heavenly when I did just that. However, I failed to account for the fact that my back never gets sun and that I would be bent over, back up to the sun, for quite some time. So, now I am enjoying a painful sunburn to go along with the crick in my back. And the strained hamstrings. And the thorns in my fingers because I was too lazy to go get my gloves.

But, hey, I sure got a lot of weeds. A whole yard-waste container full of them. And I can enjoy looking at my weed-free yard for a least three or four days before they all grow back again.

Momma Called the Doctor and the Doctor Said...

...that there is absolutely nothing wrong with Isabella's mouth or tongue and that, go figure, she probably just likes to stick it out. She should outgrow it within a few months.

Just what I thought, but it is good to know for sure.

If she is still doing it pervasively two months from now, they will regroup and do some basic screening to rule out rare, but possible, neurological causes. Thankfully, the doctor believes it is highly unlikely that we will get to that, and believes Isabella is a perfectly healthy little girl.

So there you have it, hot off the medical presses.

Six Months Old Already

Here are the results from Isabella's impromptu 6 month photo shoot:

Attempt #1 = Hmm. Not looking as bright as I might like. Let's try again.



Attempt #2: "Now why would you want to take a picture of the baby when you could have a picture of me instead?!" inquires Tony in not-so-many-words, as he positions himself strategically between Isabella and the camera and waits expectantly.


Attempt #3: Getting closer, but, seriously, can you stow the tongue for the official photo? You are awfully cute, though.


Attempt #4: The camera hog has wormed his way back, after several forceable removals on my part, this time with a hearty, "CHEEEEESE!"


Attempt #5: Thank goodness. We got one.



And just in time, too. Because...she's outta here!

The Jesus Meme

4andcounting tagged me for this meme a shamefully long time ago, and I am finally getting around to doing it.

Why did it take so long, you ask? Because it is a toughie, that's why! It's one I really wanted to think about, and by the time I get to blogging at the end of the day, I don't have much coherent thought left. But tonight, half of my kids are at Sea World with grandma and I have enough iced tea in my system, so I am feeling up to the task.

I'm supposed to name 5 things I love about Jesus. There are so many choices that it is overwhelming for me to pick the 5 most meaningful, but here is my attempt:

1. He is Always With Me

I never feel alone, even when I am. I sense Jesus' presence all the time, wherever I am, and I chat with him throughout the day. He is with me when I am reading to the children, doing laundry, weeding the garden or chopping an onion. He is my constant companion, and I love that.

2. He Fills Me With Peace

When I am angry, frustrated or scared, all I have to do is focus on Jesus and ask for his peace and I feel it instantly. It fills me up, from the bottom of my feet to the top of my head, and is a physical as well as emotional sensation of release for me. I should never forget to do this when I am upset, yet, sadly, sometimes I do. Yet, when I ask earnestly and prepare myself to receive it, he delivers every time.

3. He Is At Once Fully Human and Fully Divine

This is such a great mystery, and I love to contemplate it. I turn his experiences around and around, wondering how this seemingly impossible combination worked. For example, as a fully human infant, he would have little awareness of the world around him, yet as our fully divine Lord, he must have always known who he was. How can this reconcile? I can't wait to find out.

4. He Came Down to Us Out of Love

When I say "came down" I am not speaking of the physical aspect of earth being below heaven. Rather, I mean that our creator, so far above us in all things, put himself here in the physical company of those not worthy to receive him. Not only that, but he gave himself many of the worst possible circumstances: poverty, riddicule, betrayal, faithlessness, hatred and, of course, the worst death imaginable. How ashamed I am to think of our dear Lord, who loves us so much, subjected to the cruel reception he received here on earth by those so far beneath him in every way. He could have been an earthly king, but he chose instead to give us a perfect example of where our values should be. So it makes perfect sense, yet still overwhelms me when I think of it. How loved we are.

5. He Remains With Us Physically

Although Jesus was assumed into heaven, he left us with the gift of the mass. Being fully human (and, of course, fully divine), he understands how important physical contact is to human beings. This is how we connect best. Knowing this, he arranged it so that, not only can we sit in his presence, but we can actually consume him. We can bring his body and blood into our own bodies every single day. There can be no greater intimacy.

* * * *

So, there you have it. Now you know why it took me so long!

Thanks for the tag, 4andcounting--I like doing memes.

A Day of Triumphs and Milestones

For those keeping track, I thought I'd share some milestones and victories for our family.

Yesterday, Isabella crawled for the first time. She is not yet six months old, which makes her my youngest crawler yet, besting even Joey. After three babies that didn't crawl until 9 months and didn't walk until 16 or 17 months, I was quite honestly hoping that Isabella would follow suit and sit happily on her blanket for another few months at least. This is not to be my fate, however, and I am quickly picking up small choking hazards and hiding electrical cords.

She did this while we were at the baby shower of a friend of mine. I had placed her on the floor so I could concentrate on winning the word scramble shower game, and was--I'm embarrassed to admit--annoyed at the interruption when someone started saying, "Look, she's crawling!" I, who have been known to be a tad bit competitive when playing baby shower games, said something resembling, "Don't bother me now!" Enter me in the mothering hall of fame, will you? Anyway, congratulations, Isabella. Take your time cruising, OK?

Also in the milestones category, Isabella got her first taste of rice cereal today. I try to hold my babies off on the solids as long as possible for my own personal convenience. The sole nursing keeps my body offline a little longer, and the diapers get much smellier once solids are introduced. I have managed to make it about 7 months before starting solids with most of my kids. But this little one is ready. For awhile now, she has been grabbing for my food, voraciously sucking anything that resembles food, and getting frustrated with nursing (especially the privacy blanket, which she will simply not tolerate any longer). So, I plopped her in the high chair today, cued up the video camera and waited for the initial response all my kids have had to solids: confusion, thrusting the food back out and some cute yucky face expressions.

This did not happen.

Isabella saw the spoon coming, ripped it out of my hand, shoved it in her mouth, sucked it clean and then stared fixedly at the bowl, waiting for more. I couldn't believe it. She ate and ate like a pro. I didn't even need a bib, so efficient was she at sucking down anything that got even close to her mouth. Then, when I was sure she'd had enough, she shrieked in protest when I removed her from the high chair.

That's my girl. We're definitely related.

Now, in the shameless maternal bragging category, I have to report that Sam was in a karate tournament today and won both divisions he competed in. He came home, hid the medals in his closet and actually kept the secret until dinner time, when he shared it with his siblings at our traditional dinnertime 'round the table "how was your day" report. Both categories involved breaking pine boards with fists or kicks, and I can't believe he could even crack one, much less multiples. I am bursting with pride and happiness for my little dude so I could not resist sharing.

So, it's been a busy week for us Di Silvestris. Next up: back to school. Sigh.

More Magic

This time the magic is not scouting badge stickers...it's Magic Mountain, the Six Flags amusement park I took my kids to last week as a reward for good progress made in their summer reading program.

This mountain really is magic. I went there often while growing up, long before it was owned by Six Flags. I have seen it grow and change over the years, in both good and not-so-good ways. But I am here to tell you that the day we spent in the park together was nearly all good. We had so much fun!

One of the changes Six Flags has made in the park is to add a lot of new, "extreme" roller coasters. As someone who likes the classics, like Colossus and the Revolution, I look with suspicion at these metal giants, that are so bumpy and jerky that they are more painful than fun. However, when Joey begged and pleaded with me to go on one of the relatively new coasters called "X" with him, I agreed. I even waited an hour and twenty minutes to do it. I never, ever wait in lines that long. Except to make my kid happy.

Anyway, as we were getting on the ride I told Joey, "No ride on earth could be worth a wait like this one." When I got off, I said, "That one was worth every minute." And it was.



If you've ever been on the Zipper, a classic carnival ride, this might remind you of that. But this would be the Zipper on steroids. It whips you around, face down to the ground, except this time you are much higher, falling farther and there is no cage around you.

I loved it. And so did Joey. But it's most definitely not for the faint of heart.

Long live this magical mountain!

It's A Girl Thing

Lindsey reached a very important milestone today, a rite of passage for most girls. She got her ears pierced!

This is my girl who doesn't like even to have her hair brushed and winces at relatively little pain. Yet, bravely she sat, enduring pain for beauty's sake, as all women eventually do to one degree or another.

I don't know what prompted it, but a few days ago she started asking to have them done. After I described the process and the discomfort level associated with it, I thought for sure she would postpone. But she was undeterred, so away we went to the Piercing Pagoda, and I watched her fight back her tears and fears while they machine gunned the posts into first one ear and then the other.

I was exactly her age when my ears were pierced, so I felt an extra close connection to her today. What fun we had picking her first earrings (little gold dolphins) and having lunch together afterward.

Congratulations, Lindsey. You are beautiful, inside and out.

Recovery of the Best Kind

I am here. All is well.

We have had guests non-stop for two weeks now (and I am so glad, what a wonderful two weeks it has been) and I have been too busy enjoying their company to do much else.

I am in recovery mode now...laundry, grocery shopping, summer reading with the kids, all the things I have neglected in favor of irreplaceable time with friends.

I'll be back in the groove soon.

P.S. 4 and counting, I saw your meme tag and will respond soon...I promise!

Happy Birthday, Sam!

Sam is 6 years old today. How can it be? I know, I know, I always say that on the kids' birthdays, but it's true. Only yesterday he was my toddler. What the heck happened?!

Sam celebrated his birthday with a karate-themed party on Sunday. Boys from his class, family and friends gathered for swimming, Asian finger foods and a karate demonstration by an 11 year old brown belt who was amazingly composed for his age...or any age for that matter! Thanks, Josh.

As you can see, I did not manage to get a great shot of Sam during his party, but I did manage to capture the embarrassingly large pinata before it showered the children with obscene amounts of candy. At Joey's birthday party back in May, we had a too-small pinata and ended up with crying children who did not get any. Jay, in particular, was scarred by this memory and made absolutely sure this would not happen again. I am certain there must be a happy medium in a pinata that is not nearly the same size as the birthday boy. But I digress.

Today we kept it simple, with a homemade cake (thanks for the help, girls) and Sam's choice for dinner (Mac 'n Cheese from a box--hey, at least it was easy!).

Sam is one of those rare, naturally peaceful people that is difficult to ruffle and almost always happy. He is low-maintenance, self-sufficient, and flexible. He has a "whatever you want!" kind of attitude that I could learn a lot from. He is enthusiastic, clever, funny and imaginative. He is an all-boy bundle of energy with, thankfully, a high tolerance for the pain the comes with his many bumps and bruises. He is a rough and tumble kid that is also one of our snuggliest. Sam is our resident narcolept, who plays hard and sleeps hard, succumbing instantly wherever and whenever fatigue strikes. This is one of our favorite Sam features.

Sam, this world is a better place because you are in it. You keep us all grounded and lift our spirits with your innocent joy. Watching you grow and learn, and develop your naturally kind heart and good character is a true privilege. I love you very much. Happy 6th birthday!

It Really Is Magic

I am oh-so grateful to the inventive folks over at Badge Magic.

Because, even though I enjoy sewing (and even do it from time to time), there is no way Lindsey's Brownie Uniform would look like this without them:


Rather, all these hard-earned patches would be sitting in a basket on my sewing table, waiting for their day in the sun, and poor Lindsey would be attending event after event with my apologies and promises that I really would sew them on soon.

Nor would Joey's, Sam's and Jay's Cub Scout shirts be properly adorned.

Because, really, with a Brownie, two Cub Scouts and a double Asst. Den Leader--so far!--in the house, who has the time to properly patch them all? Just changing the thread in my bobbin alone would take more time than cutting off and peeling half a dozen of these magic stickers.

I have been known to use them for karate uniform patches as well. Cheating, you say? So what!

Thanks, guys. Keep up the good work.

Yet Another Benefit of a Large Family

When you go to your parish BBQ and fill every single seat at the cake walk, you are definitely going home with a cake.

Tempered Joy

I have just received news of the best and worst kind. My dear friends have welcomed a new baby and lost one at the very same time.

Please pray for baby Angelo, brand new here on earth, and his twin brother Benny, who is already in heaven.

Six Kids is Nothin'

Lindsey, Sam and I watched TLC's "16 Kids and Moving In" tonight with our mouths hanging open. This family is absolutely fascinating.

Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar have 17 children. I liked Michelle immediately when the program opened with her quote, "Saying there are too many children is like saying there are too many flowers." While I can't honestly say I'm sorry that it is a biological impossibility for me to approach numbers like this, I can definitely understand why having this many children would be a joy for someone.

This woman is amazing. She not only home schools the children, but has developed an organization system that makes it all look easy. The show we watched chronicles how the family built a 7000 square foot house to accommodate themselves nearly all on their own, with virtually no experience. Every kid down to age 8 had his or her own drill and knew how to operate it!

The house is an inspiration: 8 commercial washers and dryers, two kitchens (one totally commercial with a buffet-style tray slide!) and a tube slide from the boys' bedroom to the playroom. The communal family closet, located right next to the laundromat, has my wheels turning, for sure! Lindsey could not get past the 50 shelf pantry, which not only is bigger than our bedrooms, but also has a garage-style roll up door for easy delivery and unloading of the groceries, straight from the family bus.

I was very sad, during a search for more information on the Duggers, to read some of the comments people have put up about this beautiful family. There are some nasty, hateful, intolerant people out there! Certainly 17 children is not for everyone. But to see a family like this one, working in harmony, devoting themselves to God and each other, is a wonderful thing in my book. I'm quite certain each member of the Dugger family experiences a kind of happiness and peace that members of the "Stop Breeding" crowd will, sadly, never understand.

Michelle and Jim Bob, our family is rooting for you!