The Park with the Boys

Here's a little glimpse into what it is like to take my two to the park:

Today I got the boys loaded into the stroller and announced that we were going for a walk...to the park. Of course Roman was very excited, and Judah wore his usual laid back expression. :)

We started down the street, discussing the trees, birds, sky, cars, etc until we were about a block away from the park. It was then that I heard the sounds...sounds of a bus full of children at the park.

Uh 0h.

I didn't really want to try to keep track of Roman and keep Judah from eating rocks with another 30 kids to distract us. So, we headed in the opposite direction to a different park. It was a longer walk to a park with not as much equipment, but we were all glad to be out and about on such a beautiful day. Roman kept repeating what I had said to him "We'll just go to a different park."

And asking at each new block if the plan was still the same... "We're gonna walk to another park, mommy? We'll just go to a different park."

We discussed our rules for the park as we approached the playground.

I steered the stroller over the bumpy ground, unfastened the buckles, and set them free. (Well, I let Roman run over to the teeter totter, but I put Judah in the baby swing right away. He is happy as a clam for a good half an hour in a swing...just talking away and smiling ear to ear the whole time. He can't quite say "whee", so when I push him he coos "eeee" in a high pitched voice.

Roman keeps running across the park, to the teeter totter, to the swing...and back...and back to the swing. He keeps asking me to give him a "dog under". :)

We run and laugh, and play and sweat. We tickle, talk, and hug.

It is in these moments that I know memories are being made.



(disclaimer: naptime was not so picture perfect...but we'll take what we can get! :))

1000 Gifts (12)

221. Roman kneeling right in the middle of the church aisle, arms raised in adoration
222. sipping on a glass of wine
223. the galloping daddy and laughing boy on his back
224. the words that God speaks in the silence of my heart: "Stop doing my job".
225. the chance to finally return a favor
226. how Judah LOVES dogs
227. how Roman is still a little timid around dogs...but he's getting so much better!
228. beautiful flowers and a sweet Mother's Day note from my boys!
229. graduating seniors that give me hope for the future
230. awesome concerts - i.e. Chasen and Kutless!!
231. when I realized the trials I have faced in life have prepared me to love someone else through the same situation
232. Jeremiah 29:11
233. the way Judah needs to come back to me for a hug every few minutes while we play
234. that God is good. All the time. No matter what else is happening around us, God is good.
235. the freedom to live simply
236. that I get to take Roman to Sesame Street Live!! Thanks, Mom!
237. childbirth - the more I talk about it/experience it/have friends that experience it, the more I LOVE it. It's so miraculous and I love the anticipation and the beauty of the whole experience. Maybe someday I'll be a doula or something. :)
238. Roman and Judah "getting" each other...which really means running around and laughing
239. raindrops sprinkling the windshield...wipers pushing them into one long stream running down the side
240. free shed for our yard

1000 Gifts (11)

201. lessons hard learned
202. the feeling of dough rolling under kneading hands
203. circumstances that remind me how important my job is and how purposefully living each day as a stay-at-home mom is fulfilling exactly what God is calling me to do
204. Intercessors of the Lamb
205. shopping getaway with the girls!
206. cuddles with my boys
207. sleepy eyes
208. trees swaying and bending in the wind...their whispering act of worship
209. a new niece or nephew to love! Congrats Jim and Chelsey!!
210. Roman and Judah in the crib together, erupting in laughter
211. miracles
212. God's perfect timing. Even when we don't see it that way.
213. Fr. Richmond
214. people who are brave enough to embark on a completely new life endeavor
215. sitting on the couch with Roman watching Joe mow the lawn
216. Judah's scrunched up smile and crazy top teeth
217. how Roman still asks me to sing O Come, O Come, Emmanuel every night
218. Watching Judah figure out how to put blocks together
219. sunny afternoons at the park
220. warm summer evenings...just as the sky begins to darken

Dreams

Today was the first time that Roman was able to tell me about a bad dream that he had.

I'm sure that he has had them before...he has woken up crying and distressed...but he has never been able to explain; he has never been able to verbalize what he saw and why it scared him.

Today he woke up from his nap with loud crying. I went into his room thinking maybe he had fallen off of the bed or that he just wasn't quite ready to wake up (that happens sometimes...to me, too!). Right when he saw me he said "Mommy, hold me!"

I walked over and picked him up, all the while reassuring him that everything was ok.

Then he said "The horsies can't get you!" I almost laughed at first because it seemed so random and took me by surprise. I just wasn't expecting an explanation, and it made me so sad for him!

He continued, over the course of the next few minutes, between some more crying, to tell me that a black horse was chasing him. Then he asked me "Are they downstairs?"

I made it clear that there were no horses anywhere in our house. I also attempted to explain that dreams are just pictures we see in our sleep, and they're not real...that they're gone when we wake up (that's got to be a hard concept to understand when you're not even 3!)

Then he kept reassuring himself all afternoon: "No horsies". "No horsies in our house".

On the one hand, I felt so bad for him, and on the other hand I was so glad he could finally tell me why he was sad.

I love that kid. :)

Recipes: Granola

If you know me at all, you know I like food. I like to cook it. I like to eat it. I like the camaraderie that comes with sharing a meal.

I am going to start sharing some of my favorite recipes here. The first is my current obsession: granola. I am on a huge yogurt and granola kick (which happens frequently). Try pairing with Stoneyfield French Vanilla Whole Milk Yogurt Enjoy!


Lazy Granola
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup oil
1/2 cup honey
1 tsp. cinnamon
2 tsp. vanilla
7 cups oats (I use old fashioned, NOT quick cooking)

Mix brown sugar, oil, and honey in a small saucepan. Bring to a low boil.
Remove from heat. Stir in cinnamon and vanilla.
Pour over oats in a large bowl. Stir until well coated.
Spread oats in a 9×13 pan. Bake at 375° for 10 minutes.
Take out and stir.
Return pan to oven. Turn oven off.
Go to bed. Wake up to a delicious, cinnamon-y sent wafting through your kitchen!

*Except that I usually make it in the morning and can't wait very long...so when I put it back in the oven I end up only waiting about 15 min...but it is better when it's been sitting a bit longer. Crunchier that way.

**I add pecans and craisins for extra deliciousness.

***I totally stole this recipe from some friend or website...which I totally can't rememer now. If it was you, I owe you many thanks.

Let me know if you like it!

Need a Pick-Me-Up? Look No Farther!

a sleeping Roman...something I rarely get to see! Isn't he sweet?! Usually he has to be closed in a dark room in order to fall asleep. :)

My buddies. Roman likes to climb into the crib with Judah...Judah finds it very amusing. I should probably stop him from doing it but it's just so darn cute. So, I take pictures instead.


Mr. Blue Eyes

Why yes, yes this is three rolls of paper towels completely unrolled in our living room. Roman did this while I was making dinner one night....again, do you like how I just took pictures instead of correcting the behavior? :) I figure he worked pretty hard to get to that point, he deserved to enjoy it.

So happy!

Didn't that just bring some extra joy to your day?

Roman Reads...

Here is a fun video of Roman "reading" one of his favorite books, "The Zoo Book".

What I Thought I Knew

Monica did a great post on why last night's episdoe of LOST was so disappointing. Well, the episode wasn't disappointing, it was just one scene...but we both sat there with jaws wide open and hearts bursting with frustration. The thing that was the most annoying to me, was that I felt they did a good job of representing authentic Catholic faith in some of the earlier seasons.

It's the perfect example of why there are so many misconceptions about Christianity and, specifically, about Catholicism. It happens all the time in the secular media. No need to list examples, I'm sure you can think of plenty on your own.

When I joined the Catholic Church (7 years ago this Easter!!), it wasn't necessarily a popular choice. There were people in my life who did not agree with my decision, there were people who believed I was doing it "for Joe". We weren't married, or even engaged at the time, so I never really understood that argument.

I still have close or even great relationships with all of the people who expressed some type of concern, so this isn't to point fingers or express any bitterness. The truth is that, for the most part, I understood why they said the things they did.

Maybe that sounds like a contradiction, but I understand why some people felt I was making a bad choice. Honestly, if you had asked me about Catholicism anytime before 2002, I would have said (and in fact, DID say) that I would never become Catholic. God had other things in mind (as he usually does!).

I was under a lot of assumptions about the Catholic Church based on hearsay...on what I thought I knew, based on what other people had said to me. I thought I knew some things about the Catholicism because I knew some people who were "Catholic", and I had seen plenty of things on movies or TV shows that reaffirmed all the things I "knew". The secular media is good at that game. And to be honest, people are good at buying into it. I would just like to encourage you...if you are not Catholic, or if you are Catholic and you are looking for an answer to some question, please go to a reliable source that will give tell you what the Church actually teaches. Here are a few of my favorites:
Catechism of the Catholic Church - search any topic
Catholic Answers - ask a question and get an answer or browse topics
Scott Hahn - Protestant minister who converted to Catholicism
Christopher West - Writes books about JPII's Theology of the Body. Good News about Sex and Marriage explains a lot of the Church's teachings on sexuality.

Maybe at some point I will share more of my faith journey here. It's a story that is very dear to my heart. I am still in awe at the way that God has pursued me through all my life. He has captivated me and challenged me in ways I never thought possible. He has sometimes shocked me with the things he has asked of me. I never pictured that I would be where I am today, but I wouldn't have it any other way, because I know that I have been obedient to His call on my life and he is ever drawing me nearer. What more could I ask for?

In closing I would just like to say one more thing.

There is not a Catholic Body of Christ and a Protestant Body of Christ. Though we have doctrinal differences, we (sadly) have division, we have different styles of worship, we have different liturgical practices...

It all comes down to one thing. One man.

God made flesh.

Freedom for the Captives.

Because if He sets you free, you are free indeed.

A Day in the Life

Even though we have all been a little under the weather (we have all had a bit of a cold...and poor Judah has an ear infection), we had so much fun today!

For starters, Joe went out and got us donuts before he went to work today. He got some coffee for us, too, and decided he would give Roman a sample of his iced chai latte. Roman took a sip, grinned ear to ear, and enthusiastically asked "What is that called?" We all cracked up because his reaction was just so over the top and hilarious.

As I have mentioned, the boys love to have dance parties, so that was next on the agenda. Roman's newest fave is Nichole C. Mullen's "Freedom". This one is old school. She was one of my favorites in high school...we listened to this song a lot on our mission trip to the Rosebud reservation in South Dakota...I know some of my girls reading this are dancing just thinking about those good times!! :) When I saw Nicole sing at the Women of Faith conference I went to last weekend (that's another post coming soon!), I had to bring her back. Needless to say, she's a big hit with my little ones.

When the boys nap at the same time, I get to have some "me" time, which is great...and some days necessary. :) But, when they stagger their naps, like they did today, I get to have more one-on-one time with each of them...which I love! So, today I got to thoroughly enjoy each of my sweet boys.

Judah is loving music more and more everyday. He recognizes "Move it, Move it!" and gets so excited to dance to it. He also tries to beat box with Joe when Joe sings it to him. Hilarious! He is so sad after he coughs hard...which breaks my heart! Thank God it's finally starting to go away! He laughed SO hard at me gargling salt water the other day. Judah is a CLIMBER. He always sits on the bottom of the TV stand and then stares at me with defiance in his eyes when I tell him "no". When Judah has something he knows he is not supposed to have (i.e. remote controls), he grabs it and runs (ok, it's not quite a run...but it's a really fast walk) down the hall toward his room.

Roman is learning Genesis 1:1. I am trying to get him to learn how to compose notes for friends and family members, so that he can start sending mail. He is starting to get it, and it's really cute. He really loves putting coins in our Rice Bowl for Lent. He is really good at drawing triangles. He says the same sentences over and over again...i.e. "I'm all clean and fresh" after a diaper change or "Mommy, please can I get you some cold milk, can I get you some red milk?" when he wants a drink. I don't know why, but it seems like once he likes the sound of sentence he sticks to it. No variation. (And, as you can tell, we're still working on the pronouns. We're getting better...but it's going to take a while!)

After their naps, it was nice enough to go for a walk. We went yesterday, too, but it was pretty chilly later in the afternoon, and Judah wasn't really feeling it. But, today, it was BEAUTIFUL outside! We walked for about 45 minutes and enjoyed talking about everything we got to see along the way. Naturally, Roman's favorite thing was seeing all the dogs out walking. Joe has told him that we can get a dog as soon as Roman is potty trained...which doesn't really seem to be working, but we'll be excited to get a dog sometime...you know, hopefully before he's 12.

My Recent Favorites

Judah:

• will be 9 months old tomorrow!! Wasn't he just born?
• is walking! (As of about a week ago, I would say that he is a really proficient walker) He is even starting to be able to turn around. He's good.
• such a good eater! I know I say it every time, but seriously, it brings me so much joy. Today at lunch I literally had to bribe Roman to eat pizza. Pizza. Judah, on the other hand, laughs when the spoon is coming towards his face and yells when I am taking more than about 3 seconds in between bites....which brings me to...
• he doesn't cry, he yells. It's not a half-cry. It's not a high pitched scream. It's a from-the-gut intensely angry yell. This is Joe's newest biggest pet peeve.
• he says "ba-ba" when you ask him what a sheep says and sniffs when you ask him what a bunny says.
• Raises his hands above his head when you ask him how big he is...and smiles ear to ear when you say "so big!"
• he LOVES to play with Roman. They laugh at each other so much. They especially like to wrestle around on the floor in blankets.
• loves playing "peek-a-boo" and now puts the blanket over his head by himself.
• is obsessed with drinking out of sippy cups...and chases after Roman's as if he has found the Holy Grail.

Roman:

• "reads" books all the time (from memory)...which I find to be the most charming thing ever.
• memorized Hebrews 11:1 this week
• so good with letters! today he put his drum sticks perpendicular to each other on the floor and then announced "That's a 'T', Mommy! T says /t/ like Tony".
• still not able to count objects...just can't get the one-to-one correspondence. Ideas?
• is currently obsessed with the movie "Homeward Bound".
• LOVES making Judah laugh and chasing him around
• Yesterday I asked him "Roman, what color is grass?" After some deep thought he responded "green?"...yeah, I can't really remember either.
• loves dogs...especially Sedona, Chrissy and Jon's new dog. He told us on Sunday that Sedona is his best friend.
• is more affectionate now than he ever has been. No complaints here. :)