A Grateful Day

I am grateful. 

I am grateful that my husband kept the kiddos quiet enough to let me sleep in.

I am grateful that the first voices I heard today were my children's anxious declarations of love and best wishes for Mother's Day.

I am grateful for the lovely and thoughtful handmade gifts each of my sweet kiddos so proudly gave me.

I am grateful for the mass we went to and the beautiful sermon our priest gave about mothers. It brought tears to my eyes (and many of those around me) and made me so grateful that I still have my mother with me to celebrate today.

I am grateful that Todd, the kids, and I were all able to take my mom out to lunch and that we all had such a fabulous time. So much laughter and talking and sharing and smiles that as we were leaving the table of patrons next to us had to tell us we looked like a Norman Rockwell painting .

I am grateful that when I had discovered that we had not taken any pictures at lunch we decided to swing by my mother's house.

I am grateful that mom was outside and ready and excited to take pictures with us in front of her beautiful flowers.

I am grateful that we forgot to take pictures at the restaurant because we took far more pictures at mom's house than we would have in a restaurant. Some pictures were sweet and serious...

and some pictures were sassy and silly.

I am so grateful for the amazing woman in the center of this picture. A woman who models love and patience and faith and sacrifice and strength and courage and wisdom. I am so grateful that she is my mom. I hope that one day my children can look at me and feel even half of what I feel for her. 

I am grateful that we not only got to spend some quality time with my mom but another fantastic mom as well. 

I am so grateful for having such a wonderful relationship with my mother in law. I really lucked out when I married into this family and my mother in law is the heart of it.

I am grateful that she is a strong, independent, opinionated, spunky personality so that Todd was not scared off when he met me.

I am grateful that my mother in law finally got to ride on a motorcycle and we were able to capture it on film.

It was a fabulous day. I couldn't have asked for more.

I am so grateful I get to be a mom. I am so grateful I have two wonderful mothers giving me such strong role models and examples to live up to. And I am grateful to be in such company on this day.



I looked long and hard on the internet in search of the poem that our priest had spoken about at mass today. I have not found it, so I will paraphrase:

At 4 years old she thinks her mommy knows EVERYTHING. Mommy is the smartest person in the world!
At 8 years old she thinks her mom is pretty smart but she probably doesn't know everything.
At 14 years old she thinks her mom might know some stuff, but man, she is so old fashioned!
At 18 years old she thinks her mom knows absolutely nothing. Mom has no clue what she is talking about.
At 25 years old she thinks that, gee, mom had been right about so many things. She must know what she is talking about.
At 35 years old she thinks she had better call mom and see what she thinks. Mom always knows what to do.
At 65 years old she thinks "I wish my mom were here. I miss her so."

As soon as our priest got out that last line I could hear sniffs going through the pews all around me. Myself included. 






Hosted by Krystyn at Really, Are You Serious?

The Longest Winter

I am predicting that this will be the longest winter EVER. 

As you may or may not have noticed, I've been in hiding. For the last few weeks we have been assaulted with bitter temperatures with wind chills around -40. That would be bad enough but then there has also been mounds and mounds of snow. Schools have been closed day after day because of the cold and the kids are forced to sit inside the house staring at the piles of untouched snow.  

This past weekend we finally had a little (very little) reprieve from the torture.  

On Friday the kids had off of school (a planned day off this time for a teacher in service) and we decided to go up north for an extended weekend of skiing (if the weather decided to cooperate). 

Thursday I ran around getting all the skiing gear, packing bags, buying treats and food, and making sure everyone had extra warm clothing. Joey had a basketball game after school at 6 so we ate an early dinner, packed up the truck, and went to watch Joey play.  After the game we left directly from school and began the three hour ride up north. As the night wore on and we got closer to the cabin the temperature got colder and colder.  By the time we got to the cabin at around 10:30 the temperature settled at -17.  It looked as though our ski trip may be a bust.

The next morning when we woke up it was a balmy 4 degrees outside.  Slowly the temperature climbed all the way up to 12 degrees and we decided to hit the ski hill.  We quickly bundled the kids and headed over to the ski hill 20 minutes from our cabin. Needless to say, the kids were more than happy to brave the cold.

This year was the first time we had to pay for a lift ticket for Joey.  He was officially out of the "kids free" category and into the "junior" category.  I had a moment.

Once the kids were fitted for their boots, skis, and helmets we were ready to go.

Dare I say it, but it was the easiest time we have ever had skiing with our kids. The snow was thick and slow and the cold didn't feel nearly as bad as I thought it would. Not only that, but all three boys quickly found their ski legs and were ready to move on from the bunny hill to some green runs on the actual hill. Todd made sure they all remembered how to be safe on the ski lifts and then off he went with his three boys to explore the hill. 

Grace and I hung back on the bunny hill together. Todd and I had been taking Gracie down the hill between our legs the last two years and I figured it was time to see if she could ski on her own.  The first time down we held hands. When Grace got to the bottom she told me she was ready to do it all on her own. And sure enough, the girl can ski on her own. The rest of the day was spent working on getting down the hill and learning how to turn. The girl does not give up. I was so proud of her determination. 

It was a big day.  The first time Todd could just relax and ski next to his boys on the hill all day.  And it was a big day for Grace and I too. Not only did Grace ski by herself for the very first time but I actually got to teach her. Todd is normally our family's ski instructor but Grace and I made a good team and I was so proud to be able to teach her to ski.

It was a great day and a sign of good times still to come.  Many times I get emotional and weepy thinking of my sweet babies growing up so quickly and this was just the thing I needed to remind me that there are so many fun times ahead too.

The next day the temperatures took a dip back down to the negatives again so we didn't get to go back to the ski hill. Probably for the best since my legs were a bit sore anyway.  Instead the kids played outside in the woods while I read in front of the fire. The kids would come in every so often to warm themselves and dry their clothes and then out they'd go again.

At one point I had gone to check on the boys outside and all three of the boys were up on top of the shed shoveling off the snow. I have no idea how they got all the way up there (and helped their SIX year old brother get up there) and I don't want to know. Lately I have been trying to give the boys a little more freedom but that one really tested me. I sincerely don't know if I am going to make it to see my boys to adulthood without having a heart attack. Crazies. No one was hurt so it all turned out okay, I suppose.

It ended up being a pretty good weekend. One I'd like to repeat again and again.

Today the temps are record cold once again. The schools remained open today (surprisingly) although tomorrow's school day has already been cancelled (and I think today is colder than tomorrow is predicted to be).

I think it is going to be a very long winter.  As long as we can sneak in a fun weekend here and there I think we'll make it through.




Hosted by Krystyn at Really, Are You Serious?

Spring Breakin' It

What a difference a few years can make! 

This past weekend we went to the Wilderness Territory in Wisconsin Dells to kick off our spring break. It is the same place we stayed three years ago on our spring break and yet our experience was vastly different this time around.  

This year we could barely keep up with the kids as they swam, played, and went down the waterslides.  This year I didn't have panic attacks trying to keep an eye on three boys that couldn't swim well.  Nor did I have to sit out and watch from a distance as I hung back with Grace.  This year it didn't take much convincing to get the boys on the biggest fastest rides.  This year Grace went down the slides by herself and laughed and laughed in the wave pool.

It was a wonderful vacation.  The kids behaved well, slept well, and really enjoyed themselves.

I must say, I'm pretty exhausted from all the fun.  Good thing Todd and I have our own little vacation planned.

Now if only I can shut my brain off from all my mommy worries and enjoy myself. Keeping my fingers crossed!




Hosted by Krystyn at Really, Are You Serious?

Push And Pull

Parenthood is a strange dichotomy.  You spend all this time teaching your child to be independent, building his self esteem, urging him to try new things, to trust himself, showing him how to be responsible, how to be brave, and then when he actually puts all these things that you've taught him into practice it scares the crap out of you.

My children are all fairly cautious.  They are not the kids who learn to swim by throwing themselves into the deep end of the pool.  They are never the ones walking on top of the monkey bars or jumping off of the playset.  You'll never see them hanging upside down from trees.  They know the risks and they weigh them carefully.  I was less cautious as a kid.  I was by no means mindlessly reckless, but I took risks.

Much of my time as a parent has been teaching my kids to trust themselves and be daring once in a while.  You know, live a little.

When we go sledding I urge them to go down head first on their bellies.  When we go swimming I convince them they will be fine in the deep end of pool and show them that diving is actually fun.  When we are playing in the snow I show them how to dig tunnels without feeling claustrophobic.

The funny thing about me pushing them is that when they finally do believe me and branch out a little I am SWEATING AND FRETTING AND FREAKING OUT on the inside.  It is a bizarre phenomenon that the same exact things I once did as a kid now scare the hell out me when I watch my child do them.

Going head first down the sledding hill I am watching for each and every little bump they might hit.  When they are swimming in the deep end of the pool I am eagle eyeing them and trying to keep myself from jumping in the water fully clothed just to be near them (just in case!).  Digging tunnels in the snow is great but I check on them every 10 seconds to make sure they aren't buried alive.

This whole parenthood thing is a push and a pull.  And I'm still getting used to it.

This weekend we went to the cabin up north and went skiing at a nearby ski hill, Ski Brule.  We try to go at least once or twice every winter but this was our first trip this year.  Luckily, all the boys seemed to remember exactly what they were doing and after their first run down the bunny hill they already had the hang of it.

It didn't take long for Joey and Tommy to become bored with the little hill and want to go down the actual mountain.  The problem comes in when there are only two parents and four children.  The chair lifts only seat two people and obviously Grace isn't quite ready for the big trails yet.  Which means one parent has to stay back with Grace on the bunny hill while the other parent somehow takes the other three boys up the hill.

We decided to start by taking one boy up the hill at a time to make sure they knew how to get on and off the chair lifts and how to be careful and behave while on them.  Once we had each boy familiar with the green runs we took a break for lunch.

I had mentioned that maybe Joey and Tommy could ride up on a chair lift together and Todd could ride up with Ben. Joey and Tommy were quick to agree and assured me over and over that they would sit still, behave, be careful, and not mess around. Still, I had my reservations. They are 10 and 7 (fine, 8 this month), for pete's sake! Those lifts are HIGH UP. I went over the safety rules with them again and again. Joey admitted that he was nervous about it but he said he really should go with Tommy since he is the big brother and he needs to watch out for him.

When lunch was over we decided to just keep practicing turns and stops on the bunny hill.  Todd went out with the boys while Grace and I played inside for a little while.  Ten minutes later Todd came running back inside and said that he couldn't find Joey and Tommy anywhere.  They disappeared!

I knew right away that the two little farts had jumped on the chair lifts and went up the hill by themselves.  Part of me was really ticked off and scared, and another part of me was pretty proud that my cautious little men were starting to trust themselves.  Todd quickly went off with Ben up the mountain in search of Joey and Tommy.

Grace and I headed out onto the hill a half an hour later and found Todd.  He had found the boys on the top of the hill and they were gleefully skiing from one end of the hill to the other.  He told them the same thing that was running through my head.  "Part of me is really angry that you just took off like that, but I'm also kind of proud of you two for being so brave and independent.  Next time, tell us where you are going before you take off!" he warned them.

Todd and I continued to ski with Ben and Grace on the bunny hill, honing their skills.  Eventually, Grace tired of her skis and just stood on top of my feet as we skied down the hill, and then up the tow rope too.  I'll tell ya what, that is one of the best abs/glutes/quads exercises ever.  I was practically crying by the time we got back up the hill.

Joey and Tommy went up and down the hill for the rest of the day, checking in with us every hour or so, mostly to get money for food or something to drink.  Each time they'd leave us again my heart did little flip flops.  I'd glance over at the chair lifts and an ugly chill would run up my back.  Part of me wanted to make them stay with me.  I wanted to tell them they couldn't go on the chair lifts anymore.  I'm really not good at letting go.

After listening to my safety tips again and again they'd be off. Off on their own. Off where I couldn't see them (probably for the best). Off where I couldn't protect them. Off on their own adventures getting their first real taste of freedom. Off becoming their own person. It was terrifying. And exhilarating.

It was a pretty amazing day.  It was the longest we've ever managed to stay at the ski hill with the kids.  Almost 7 hours of nonstop skiing.

Todd and I have often reminded each other through all the sweat and aches of teaching the kids to ski that someday it will all be worth it.  And we are starting to see that now.  In skiing and in life.






Hosted by Krystyn at Really, Are You Serious?

Must Love Kids

I am constantly surprised by my kids.  They are always doing things that completely take me aback and make me think, "Man.  I love this kid."  Whether it is saying something funny, or doing something helpful, or talking about a passion, or snuggling up to me, there are so many times I am caught off guard.

I'm really in love with my kids, and this surprises me.  I mean, I'm their mom, I guess I shouldn't be surprised that I like them as much as I do but it does surprise me.

I've always loved babies.  Since I was a tiny kid I've loved babies.  Kids are another story.  I never really had a strong fondness for kids.  They are loud, and dirty, and troublesome, and worrisome, and they can be sassy, and rude, and exhausting.

As a matter of fact my mother recently reminded me of a conversation we had when I was very young.  I told my mom that I wanted to have lots of babies when I grew up (and I didn't want to share them with my husband) but that when they got to be about 3 years old I wanted to give them away.  Nice.

Boy, has that changed.  Thank God!

I am still baby obsessed, but I can't believe how much I am really enjoying my kids.  I really, truly like them as people.  And this surprises me.  I thought that once the baby phase was over I would just have to endure these little people but I am so relieved that is not true.  I am a woman who will always miss having babies, but now I am also a woman who really freaking loves kids.  

Having kids is like having a huge present that you are unwrapping very, very slowly. It is a mystery what is inside.  You get tiny little glimpses here and there.  Little by little you get to see who they are.  Who they are becoming.  Who they will be.  It is exhilarating.  And when you like what you see it is even more exciting.

This past weekend was just one of those weekends that really let me see how much fun and joy my KIDS bring to my life.  They are funny, and most of the time on purpose.  They are easy going.  They are helpful, sometimes even without asking. They are kind.  They try hard.  They are fun.

My kids didn't have school on Friday and were pleasantly surprised to get some snow on their day off.  As we sat in the library going over homework Joey noticed the neighbor across the street was shoveling a little path off her driveway.  He immediately said he wanted to go and help her and hurried through his homework to get out there as soon as he could.

By the time he was dressed and ready to go the neighbor woman was inside her house so Joey and Tommy decided to do our driveway first.  People, we have a HUGE driveway and they did an amazing job.  I was shocked and how thorough and neat they were and what pride they took in their work.  As soon as they finished our drive they moved on to the neighbor's.  Man, this having kids thing is really starting to pay off!  ;)

Ben and Grace helped me make cookies for the boys' hard work.  Tommy and Joey came in to warm up, eat some cookies, and dry their clothes.  Before I knew it Joey was saying he wanted to shovel another driveway.  All three boys put their gear back on and went back at it.  When all was said and done the boys shoveled three LARGE driveways.  I was so proud of them.

When their work was done all four kids went in the backyard to play while the rest of the cookies were baking.  When their faces couldn't take anymore cold they were all back inside where I had started a fire and made some fresh popcorn on the stove.

After dinner the boys were sufficiently rested and insisted on playing chess.  It is their new obsession and I figured that after all the work they did for me that afternoon I'd oblige them with chess.  It is scary how good they are at the game already.

On Saturday Todd and I decided to take the kids to the Boat Show in Milwaukee. The kids had a blast checking out all the boats and going in some pretty big yachts, but I think their favorite part was watching Twiggy, the squirrel, water ski. Very cute. After that it was dinner at our favorite Mexican restaurant, La Fuente.  It was a long day and the kids were exhausted by the time we got home.

Sunday morning the kids got up and played chess (again).  I told you they are obsessed.  It won't be long before they are winning every game against me.  Egad. Thank goodness we couldn't play long because we had to get ready for church.

After church it was time for some serious frolicking in the snow.  Mother nature had finally given us some good, packy snow.  I can't remember the last time we got a decent snowman-making snowfall.

Unfortunately, I wasn't feeling great so I took a nap with the littles while Todd took the older boys out for a little bonding time.  The nap worked wonders for me and I got the kids up early so we could head outside to make our snowman.

I don't know why my kids will never make a snowman on their own.  They always insist on my help.  Luckily, it was a warm, winter day and I really enjoyed myself.  I didn't even realize how long we had been outside until it was pitch dark and time for dinner.

It was a very good weekend.  I had so much fun with these smart, funny, kind, entertaining, kids of mine.  Sure there was arguing and fighting and craziness, and a time or two I may have wanted to pull all of my hair out, but I wouldn't trade them for all the babies in all the world.



***Thank you all for your lovely comments on my last post.  You are all so sweet and supportive and lovely. I was nervous about posting the story but I am glad I did it. It seems that good deeds are spreading. Elaine posted her good deed story here and it makes me bawl all over the place. I'm sure because of her story others will go out into the world with their eyes open to opportunities to help and serve as well. Good deeds, like smiles, are infectious. Keep spreading the love!! God bless!***





Hosted by Krystyn at Really, Are You Serious?

The Most Wonderful Time of The Year

Last winter we never got enough snow to go sledding.  When we saw that Friday's snowstorm had brought us a few more inches of white stuff we decided it was time to head out to our favorite sledding spot.

Finally everyone was old enough to go down the hill on their own sled all by themselves.  A very exciting moment.

I rode with Grace on the first trip down the hill just to make sure that she wasn't afraid.  It is a big hill especially to a 3 year old.

After the first time down the hill Grace told me she wanted to do it on her own. Or, "By. My. Sef!" as is her favorite expression.

Yep.  She liked having her own tube better.  Todd and I took turns sending her down the hill and then running down to the bottom to help her walk back up.  She was such a trooper walking up that big hill.  I was positive that we would have to carry her but it was one more thing that she wanted to do by herself.  She did let me hold her hand once she realized how steep the hill was and how slippery it could be.

It was over two hours of fun.  Even though every single one of the inner tubes developed slow leaks shortly after using them for the first time, and Todd had to quickly run out and buy new tubes (we may just stick with our plastic toboggan and some saucers as the second set ALSO developed leaks.  ACK!) we all had a really good time.  

It was the perfect day for sledding.  The weather was gorgeous.  Little snowflakes flitted down all around us.  We were actually sweating as we climbed back up the hill.  It was a great day.

Back at home we had to start getting ready for a night out.  We had friends coming in from out of town for a pre New Year's Eve party at our favorite restaurant.  All of Todd's close friends live at least an hour and a half away and mine are even farther, so it is not often we get to have a night out with them.  

I was the designated driver for the night and I'm so glad I was.  Our friends stayed the night at our house and when I saw how everyone was feeling the next morning I was pretty happy to have been the "responsible" one the night before. Besides, if you'd ever meet me you would see that I do not need alcohol.  As a matter of fact I even got the "I can't believe you've only been drinking water!" from the new girl in our group.  I can be pretty goofy.  And nerdy.  

After such a late night on Saturday we spent all day Sunday lying low. After church we all had some naps.  Then the kids went outside and played in the snow for a long, long time while I made cookies and did a mountain of laundry.

Today is one of my favorite days of the year.  I love New Year's Eve.  Probably more now that I have kids than when I was a single girl.  It seems that New Year's is played up so much when you are a young adult that it rarely, if ever, lives up to the hype.  Todd and I used to have a blast skiing and partying at the chalet with our friends when we were younger, and I think we will be able to do that with our kids when they are older.  But for now, I am happy to make new traditions with our kids.  Simple plans, but always fun.

Tonight we are having tons of appetizers, juice in fancy glasses, a roaring fire, and favorite movies.  It is fun and relaxing at the same time.  A great way to say goodbye to this year and ring in a new year.

I hope you all have a wonderful New Year's Eve and a peaceful, blessed New Year!





Hosted by Krystyn at Really, Are You Serious?

Superbowl Hangover

I have such a hangover today, which is strange because I really didn't have anything to drink yesterday (well okay, I had one drink that I nursed all day long in between serving food and being a hostess and watching the game and wiping butts-my kids' butts that is-and eating too much food and feeding my kids and and and).  But I feel like I've been run over by a truck, none the less.  However, since the Packers WON the SUPERBOWL yesterday my aches and pains and sore throat and tired body just don't matter.  It was a GREAT day.  And a fabulous party.

We had such a great group of people cheering our team on.  We ended up with about 35 people in our house for the night.

Everyone was feeling so festive!

Green and gold was everywhere.

The kids had a blast playing with all the party favors.

Tommy loved cheering on his favorite player, #52, Clay Matthews.

Gracie even cheered and danced for the Packers.

Joey was crazy and hopped up on too many sweets and lots of other fun kids to play and chase around with.

Todd was calm and happy for the first half, and a little less calm (that's putting it mildly) for the second half.

I was happy that I could actually get my kids to sit still for a few seconds to get a picture of all of us.

And then the Packers pulled off a victory!!!!!!!  And the crowd went wild! This shot was actually taken a few minutes after they won.  I was too busy screaming and jumping up and down to take any pictures right away.

Then we all danced around like a bunch of goons.  It was awesome.

After the party crowd dispersed it got really crazy at our house.  It was the latest we had ever let the kids stay up past their strict 8:00 bedtime.   They were so exhausted they began bawling over the smallest and weirdest things.  After we were done cleaning up the food and the mess we attempted to get the kids to bed.  Joey was bawling and crying so hard he could hardly get his jammies on.  Tommy began freaking out and then suddenly threw up all over his bed and the floor.  Then he ran to the bathroom and threw up two more times.  Once we cleaned up the vomit and got everyone to bed the boys fell asleep in two seconds.  Gracie, however, continued to talk in her bed until close to midnight.  I'm sure she was going over all the fabulous plays the Packers had and was just too wound up to sleep.

Finally, Todd and I headed off to bed a little after midnight (once we knew Grace was finally asleep).  About a half an hour later as I was falling asleep Ben began screaming for us.  We ran to his room and he yelled at us, "I have to POOP SO BAD!!!!!!"   We raced him to the bathroom, sat him on the toilet and then he proceeded to cough so hard he almost threw up.  That went on for a half an hour.  We gave the kiddo a little more medicine, put some Vicks on the chest, and carted him off to bed once again.  Tommy and Joe slept through the whole incident (even though Tommy and Ben share a room) and at last the night was quiet.

We got about 4 hours of sleep before Joe woke us up.  We are tired this morning.  Tired and happy with many wonderful memories to last us a lifetime.

I am so happy for my Packers.  Such a great group of guys.  After such a year of struggle and injuries and craziness they pulled it off.  No one expected the Packers to do anything this year.  Most teams wouldn't even make it to the playoffs with the injuries the Packers had.  No one would have dreamed.  But they did it.  They brought the trophy home!  Congratulations, Packers!!!!!!!

The Dancey Pants Family

Hosted by Krystyn

All it takes is a little music at a family picnic and we are having fun.

Joey started it off by jumping on the "stage" singing into his foam sword and dancing along with the stereo and all the other kids quickly joined in. Even Grace wanted to dance. After watching her flap her little arms and kick her chubby legs as she sat in her stroller I decided to take her out and let her join in the fun.

It's good to see that the "can break into song and dance at any moment" gene continues on in our family.

What a weekend!

Hosted by Krystyn

This was one of the best weekends we've had in a long time. We packed so much into this one weekend and yet it never felt rushed.


The entire weekend was spent soaking up fresh air and sunshine outside. We went to the zoo, a couple of parks, a restaurant, and the lake. Todd and I ran 4 miles together (our first run together, EVER) in a fundraiser for the kids' school. We grilled out. We laid out in the sun when the kids napped. And we rode bikes with the boys. It was a great weekend.


I think Grace was worn out from all of the outdoor excitement because the little lady is still sleeping right now and it is almost 9 in the morning! It was probably the most fresh air she has ever had but I think she enjoyed every minute of it. I know I did!